ADA HUB AUGUST 2018

AUGUST 2018 Vol. 8 Issue 11

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CONTENTS

adahub COMMUNITY MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2018

FEATURES

Publisher Okie Icon Media Managing Editor David Dinsmore Featured Writer Sunnie Dawn Smith Ad Sales Brad Carter Art Direction Fawn Wilson-Olivarez Photography Nicholas Geisler

11

To advertise call 421-7874 5,000 copies direct mailed every month!

5 Former missionary to Philippines brings same compassion to local free clinic

Comments or Suggestions? info@adahub.com • (580) 421-7874 A rticles and advertisements in the Ada Hub do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the magazine or Okie Icon Media. Okie Icon Media does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. The acceptance of advertising by Ada Hub does not constitute endorsement of the products, services or information. We do not knowingly present any product or service that is fraudulent or misleading in nature. Ada Hub assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials.

9 D.C. internship further fuels passion for ECU student

7 Pet adoption: a PAWS-itively gratifying experience

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Former missionary to Philippines brings same compassion to local free clinic

By Sunnie Dawn Smith

E

d Poblete first came to Ada in 1975 from Bethesda, Maryland.

His passion for missionary work, however, led him to work in the Philippines from 1984-2000 as he helped impoverished families and worked to bring people closer to God. One of the greatest challenges about working in the Philippines is the number of natural disasters. Because of its location, this country consisting of a group of many islands is subject to earthquakes, volcano eruptions and typhoons. During his years as a missionary, Poblete survived a 7.8 earthquake that killed more than 2,000 people. A year later, there was a massive volcanic eruption. This is what led to March for Christ.

Poblete was helping develop a church that had several members who were medical students from the Baguio City area.

One of the students told Poblete that they should form a medical mission. She said if he raised the funds for medicine that she would organize it. The plan was to take health care providers to places that had been affected by disasters to help them with emergency medical care. What started as an emergency relief program for the Philippines in 1991 turned into something so much larger than Poblete could have ever envisioned.

Since March for Christ was founded, they have helped many locations within the Philippines but have also expanded to help all around the world. They responded to the disastrous earthquake in Pakistan, Sri Lanka after the tsunami and Nepal after the earthquake. Many of the volunteers are from the Philippines and have lived through disasters themselves.

“I know what it is like to breathe volcanic dust and feel thousands of aftershocks,” said Poblete, whose family cultural heritage is Filipino-American. “That is what has inspired these volunteers. They have lived through a couple major natural calamities, but they saw the good things that come out of them, such as the cooperative spirit.

They also see that things change for the better. New buildings, new schools, funding from international organizations and na-

Ed Poblete spent 16 years as a missionary in the Philippines where he helped establish the ministry March for Christ before moving back to Ada and founding the Compassion Outreach Center free clinic at 1124 Cradduck Road.

PHOTO BY NICHOLAS GEISLER

tions that come together to help. So when they go to places like Nepal they can say, ‘I survived an earthquake too. I know things will get better.’”

Poblete came back to Ada in 2000 but has returned for medical missions twice since returning, and the third will be coming up Oct. 3-21. This time, he will be taking eight doctors and six dentists an allFilipino medical team to work for two full days. They will be visiting the tiny island of Siargao. The island is only 170 square miles with a population of just under 10,000. It is a developing island far away from major cities, so medical care is crucial. Two Ada residents, Jana Webb and Ronnie Sherrell, will also be going to help however they can.

In addition to their medical work on Siargao, they will also return to an even smaller island called Bantayan that they previously

visited in 2013. Bantayan was primarily a fishing community, and the fishermen had lived on the beach. However, when a devastating typhoon hit in 2013, their homes were destroyed, and the government ordered everyone to move 300 yards inland.

The tiny nature of the island meant 300 yards inland was already private property, so the fishermen were displaced and homeless. March for Christ partnered with Habitat for Humanity and the Christian Relief Fund to purchase land and build 300 small homes for the fishermen. The residents of these new homes named their new community March Village. They have new lives and growing, healthy families. Poblete and his group will be returning to Bantayan to see the progress that has been made and to work with the kids, playing games with them and teaching them some gymnastics with Sherrell’s help.

When Poblete left full-time missionary work in 2000, he also turned over the operation of March for Christ to Chito Cusi.

“He is an amazing leader who is inspired, organized, raises funds and just an amazing guy,” Poblete said.

After leaving March for Christ in the capable hands of Cusi, Poblete still had medical mission work on the brain. He had seen what medical care was like in the Philippines, but then he also looked around his community and saw people in Ada who also lacked the same basic medical care that he had seen during his missionary work. His experiences with March for Christ were the seed that grew into Compassion Outreach Center, a non-profit free clinic in Ada located at 1124 Cradduck Road.

With Cusi in charge of the international mission, Poblete was free to organize something similar for the residents of Ada. Just as March for Christ has expanded, so too has Compassion Outreach Center, which offers even more services with expansions coming soon to dental and vision care. However, they can always use more volunteers.

In order to provide donations for March for Christ, Compassion Outreach Center, to volunteer or to use their services, call or text (580) 310-1021. www.adahub.com • 5

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6 • www.adahub.com

Pet adoption: a PAWS-itively gratifying experience

By Sunnie Dawn Smith

T

he Pontotoc Animal Welfare Society first opened in 1982. It was located in a small facility behind the old water plant.

Thanks to community support and donations, they were able to open up their current, much larger and improved shelter in 1992.

Current manager Ashleigh Winton began working at PAWS in 2015 as a kennel technician. She loves animals and has spent her entire life helping animals in whatever way she could. This led her to Murray State College where she got her veterinarian assistants certification while working at Redemption Ranch in Tishomingo. After graduation, Winton took the job at PAWS. “Through hard work and dedication, I moved into the management position and started making much needed changes to better our wonderful shelter,” Winton said.

While Winton loves her job, there are many challenges.

The biggest challenge has been “bringing the shelter out of what I refer to as ‘The Dark Ages,’ a time when the shelter had a horrible reputation.”

“While we are now nothing like what the shelter was under previous management,” Winton said. “It is still very hard to get people who had bad run-ins with the shelter before our changes to look at us with a new light.”

There are many misconceptions about PAWS, the biggest of which is that they euthanize every animal they get or that they euthanize certain breeds.

Winton said this is categorically false. They do, unfortunately, have to euthanize, but only in the case of animals who are sick, injured or aggressive.

Two-thirds of their property belongs to PAWS, and the

The Pontotoc Animal Welfare Society offers services for area animals that includes adoption and fostering as well as a location for spay and neuter procedures for pets who already have a home.

PHOTO BY NICHOLAS GEISLER

other one-third belongs to the City of Ada. They are under contract with the city to take in all animals that are brought to them, no matter the health, species or temperament. Only if an animal is too sick, aggressive or injured to have a happy and healthy life do they make the hard choice to put the animal to sleep.

There are many things that the community can do to help out the animals at PAWS. They can foster animals, volunteer at the shelter or donate money or supplies. Winton said she understands that not everyone has the time or money to do any or all of these things, but there are also smaller ways that people can help, such as sharing posts on Facebook or telling people about PAWS. Even the smallest gesture can have a big impact.

Located at 1200 Sandy Creek Drive, PAWS is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays.

Their phone number is (580)

332-5233.

Updates are posted on their website www.adoptpaws.org and their Facebook page PAWS N ADA. These platforms provide information about the shelter, upcoming events and pets who are up for adoption. It costs $90 to adopt a dog and $35 to adopt a cat. All animals come spayed or neutered and up to date on their vaccinations.

In addition to offering adoption and fostering, they also have a veterinarian who comes in on Tuesdays from Arlington Animal Clinic who charges $50 to spay or neuter a dog and $35 for a cat. Those interested can call PAWS to set up an appointment.

While it is difficult to pick one thing, Winton’s favorite thing about her job is the joy that comes from adoption.

“I love getting to see all the smiling faces as they get to go home with their new fur babies,” Winton said. “You just can’t beat the sheer happiness

radiating from the adopters and the animals.”

Members of the community don’t have to wait to go to PAWS to volunteer, foster or adopt. Winton said she welcomes everyone in the community to visit if for no other reason than just to meet the animals and bring some love and excitement into their lives.

“If you haven’t been to our shelter in years or have simply never been, please come out and visit our wonderful animals,” Winton said. “You may find one you simply cannot live without or that you love playing with them. Our dogs and cats need as much love as all the other pets do, they have been through so much and love it when people come out to visit with them. It may be a little loud when walking through the kennels, but just keep in mind that they are telling you just how happy they are to see someone new.” www.adahub.com • 7

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D.C. internship further fuels passion for ECU student

By Sunnie Dawn Smith

D

iego Cifuentes was born in Miami, Florida, where he lived the first 12 years of his life.

Living in Miami where his life revolved around Cuban culture, Cifuentes would regularly see people who looked like him and spoke Spanish. While Cifuentes was not of Cuban descent, he was Latino as his mother’s family came from El Salvador and his father’s from Guatemala. The mixing of cultures in his family and his community, Cifuentes developed a love for cultural diversity that permeated every aspect of his life as he grew to be an adult.

Cifuentes and his family moved to Pauls Valley when he was 12 years old, and it was a culture shock. No longer was Spanish spoken everywhere. No longer were there people everywhere he went who looked just like him. Despite the sudden shift in his life, Cifuentes developed strong friendships due to his positive outlook on life. He was active in his high school and participated in Upward Bound, expanding his view of the world.

When Cifuentes graduated high school, he decided to go to East Central University. He said this was huge for him and his family as he represented the first generation to go to college. Cifuentes set his sights on being an elementary school teacher. However, as he became involved more at the college and began taking more classes, he realized he was drawn to politics. He changed his major to political science with a minor in communications, and his life took a turn he never expected.

He became involved in the ECU Student Government Association as a freshman senator and then as a sophomore senator. He joined ECU Rotaract and the East Central International Student Connection Club.

As a freshman, he was elected as a national officer in the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, which promotes healthy lifestyles and empowers kids to develop lifelong healthy habits. Recently he was elected as Vice President for the Student Oklahoma Education Association to advocate for both teachers and students.

He is also a member of the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature, which is a mock congress in Oklahoma. He is a member of that group’s House of Representatives, and he is also the chairman of the Diversity Caucus where he appeals for more in-

clusiveness and understanding. He was also recently named a Bonhoeffer Fellow with Christians United for Israel, which is taking him to Israel to visit and learn following a trip to Washington, D.C. this past summer.

When he was in Washington with Christians United for Israel, he stopped by the office of Congresswoman Ileana RosLehtinen, the representative from his old district in Miami. While talking to her staff, one of them suggested he apply for an internship. He jumped at the chance and applied in mid-July. He was awarded the internship a month later. Cifuentes said he could barely contain his excitement. As a high school senior, he had had the chance to work as a page for Susan Paddock while she was in the Oklahoma Legislature, and now he was going to be going to the nation’s capital to live and work for a whole semester.

Every single day was a new day for Cifuentes. He answered calls from constituents voicing their concerns and passed the information on to the congresswoman.

He sat in briefings and hearings on Capitol Hill as he learned more about the legislative process and the issues themselves. His favorite thing was to give tours to groups who would visit the congresswoman’s office. Cifuentes said he loved sharing the history of Washington, D.C. with the visitors and giving them a small glimpse at things that he had only newly discovered himself. His goal was to meet every member of Congress personally, and while he did not have a chance to meet everyone, he did meet many of them and got to know them as people instead of politicians.

Now that Cifuentes has returned with those connections, he is even more involved politically, helping out on a congressional campaign as a legislative fellow.

One day he hopes to run for office himself – not for power but to change the world.

At 20 years old, he is already having an impact. Many young adults his age might find politics boring or don’t think that it affects their lives, but as his friends would watch his social media when he was in Washington, D.C. many of them actually became more politically active and more interested in politics.

Cifuentes said he wants to change the world and believes that he can. He understands that this can happen just by small actions and interacting with people on a

East Central University political science Diego Cifuentes served a semester as an intern for Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in Washington, further inspiring him to find ways to make a difference on small and large scales.

PHOTO BY NICHOLAS GEISLER

personal level. Even though he is getting a degree in political science, he may still end up teaching in public schools to magnify his impact.

He is currently involved in the Kid’s Ministry at H2O Church in Ada, which gives him a chance to have a positive impact on children’s lives. More than anything, however, Cifuentes is thankful for all the support and opportunities he has been given. He came from very little and is now headed toward much greater things.

“I am blessed to have such friends and family,” Cifuentes said. “My greatest honor is honoring those that I love and with everything that I do. I want to continue to inspire and empower the next generation.

That is why some day soon my goal is to run for public office.” www.adahub.com • 9

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Upcoming AdaFest has grown from six bands to 46 in three years

By Sunnie Dawn Smith

O

ne of the fastest growing music festivals in the state will return as AdaFest hits the stage on Aug. 25.

While this festival is only in its fourth year, it has grown tremendously since 2015.

The first year featured six musical acts performing on a single stage in the East Central University Plaza, six artists set up with their booths, six food trucks and one food cart, as well as the first of its kind beer garden in Ada. This year’s festival will have 46 bands on seven stages, 11 visual artists, 18 food trucks and an expanded beer garden allowing people to walk around the festival with their beers instead of staying cordoned off in a single area. This could not be possible without community support from sponsors like Ada Nissan and the Chickasaw Nation, countless volunteers and support from ECU and the City of Ada. Every year, AdaFest improves as organizers learn from previous years. For instance, last year there was music during the day in Juliana Park, but this year all daytime acts have been moved inside because of the heat. There will be three venues downtown active from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Two of the venues, The Grandview at 201 E. Main St. and Dave’s Music at 220 E. Main St., are all ages, and Sessions at 231 E. Main St. is for attendees ages 21 and up.

On the Grandview stage, attendees can hear Conflict of Interest at 11 a.m., ARe Randal Blues at 12:15 p.m., Lower Level Professionals at 1:30 p.m. and Code 3 at 2:45 p.m.

Sessions will host Casey and Austin at 11:15 a.m., The Big Empty at 11:45 a.m., Lee Rippy at 1 p.m., Vlad’s Fault at 2:15 p.m. and Haniwa at 3:30 p.m.

In addition to the indoor music venues, the organizers have also added many more kids’ activities, including a bounce house, pop-up play and ninja course. The South Central Roller Girls will be perform a skating demo.

While planners have always had nonprofit vendors set up booths downtown, this year they will also have for profit vendors selling their own products – many of them handmade.

Starting at 3:30 p.m., the festival will move closer to the main stage, as more

The fourth annual AdaFest will feature 46 bands on seven stages from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 25 at various venues along Main Street.

PHOTO BY NICHOLAS GEISLER

venues open closer to the college. There will be all-ages live music at two coffee shops, Hot Shots at 709 E. Main St. and Perfect Blend at 730 E. Main St., and over 21 shows at Vintage 22 at 800 E. Main St. The main stage at the ECU Plaza opens at 4 p.m., and music will continue until 9 p.m.

Kids’ activities will also be present at the main stage, including three bounce houses and a sprinkler for kids – or adults – to play in and get cool.

The main stage will begin with a Connor Hicks tribute band at 4 p.m. Connor Hicks – an Ada resident and a talented rising star in the Oklahoma music scene – died at age 20 following a car accident this past December. He was a friend to many local musicians who also looked up to him as a person and a musician, so the organizers decided that it was fitting that the main stage show begin with a tribute to Hicks by several local artists.

Following the tribute band, Justin Logan will be performing at 5:20 p.m., followed by the Billy K Band at 6:40 p.m. and then headliner The Departed – formerly known as Cody Canada and the Departed – at 8 p.m.

The Departed is an American rock and alternative country band formed in 2011 by

Cody Canada. Canada was the former lead vocalist and guitarist for the popular band, Cross Canadian Ragweed. The Departed was Canada’s new project after his other band broke up in 2010.

As always, the musical lineup of AdaFest is so diverse that it allows all attendees to find a band that they will love and enjoy.

Organizers are still looking for volunteers – who each get a free T-shirt –to help everything run smoothly. Anyone interested can contact Daniel Bonar at daniel@live. com.

Though the music will end at 9 p.m. in the evening, there will be after parties at Vintage 22 and Sessions so attendees can continue having a fun time at the festival.

Brad Jessop, organizer of AdaFest, said he is excited for this year’s festival and cannot wait to see how it continues to grow.

“We are starting to give Norman Music Festival a run for their money,” Jessop said.

The most important thing, though, is for people to come out to enjoy the music and activities in the spirit of community and fun, Jessop said.. The more people who come, the bigger and better the festival can be, not just for this year but for years to come. www.adahub.com • 11

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LIVE MUS

IC

ZES DOOR PRI E! & MOR

Pre-register at the Players Club. For more information go to www.firelakecasino.com or call 405-878-4862 and ask for the Players Club.

EACH CLASS

Second Place

$50

First Place

$100

EACH CLASS

Third Place

$25

EACH CLASS

EACH CLASS

Must be a Hot Rewards Club Member. 18 to enter. Must be present to win.

FireLake Casino Employees and Immediate family members not eligible.

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