Boyd Street Magazine January 2020

Stoops Pens Tell-All Book

No Excuses

Health Club Grand Re-Opening

A Healthy Start

Teacher Makes Physics Come Alive

Rocking Science

50

January 2020 • Issue 1 • Volume 19

Steve Owens

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Features

JANUARY CONTENTS 2020

ISSUE 1– VOLUME 19 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mark Doescher

A Long Wait

16 by Lindsay Cuomo

MANAGING EDITOR Lindsay Cuomo

Construction begins at Ruby Grant Park.

SENIOR EDITOR

Chip Minty

PHOTOGRAPHY

Mark Doescher

No Excuses

20 by Chris Plank

Stoops’ book offers personal, poignant account of coach’s life.

Rocking Science

30 by Callie Collins

CONTRIBUTORS

20

Roxanne Avery | Stefanie Brickman Callie Collins | Lindsay Cuomo Kathy Hallren | Joy Hampton Josh Helmer | Shannon Hudzinski Chelsey Kraft | Bill Moakley Chris Plank

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Tracie Gray - tracie@sportstalk1400.com Trevor Laffoon - trevor@sportstalk1400.com Perry Spencer - perry@sportstalk1400.com Jess Haralson - jess@sportstalk1400.com

Geophysicist turned teacher takes education personally.

PUBLISHER Randy Laffoon

Normanites in the Spotlight:

39 The Adairs

by Chelsey Kraft Four generations of family businesses in Norman.

Making Waves

48 by Josh Helmer

48

Any articles, artwork or graphics created by Boyd Street Magazine or its contributors are sole property of Boyd Street Magazine and cannot be reproduced for any reason without permission.

Any opinions expressed in Boyd Street are not necessarily that of Boyd Street management.

Spotlights

Norman swimmers set high marks at national meet.

10 Police Chief Kevin Foster

Sooner Legend: Steve Owens

52 by Chris Plank

Boyd Street Magazine 2020 E. Alameda Norman, Oklahoma 73071 Phone: (405) 321-1400 E-mail: editor@boydstreet.com Copyright © Boyd Street Magazine

Looking back at 50 years since Owens’ Heisman.

52

Big XII Championship

58 by Mark Doescher

Images from the Sooners’ overtime victory against the Bears.

New Year, New You

62 by Lindsay Cuomo

by Bill Moakley

14 by Stefanie Brickman

Service Spotlight:

Visit Norman

26

John Paulus

Service Spotlight:

by Chelsey Kraft

34

by Lindsay Cuomo

Boyd Street Teacher Features

44 Lt. Brandi Garner

Wellness clinic offers self care solutions.

Service Spotlight:

by Joy Hampton

69

(Or Disinfect) This Winter 9 Germy Places To Avoid

A Healthy Start

86 by Roxanne Avery

The Health Club to hold grand reopening.

sportstalk1400.com

/boydstreetmagazine

86

@boydstreet

by Shannon Hudzinski

77

by Kathy Hallren

Wine Tasting on Your Own

83

by Lindsay Cuomo

Keeping Track - NRH Cover photo by: Mark Doescher

COMM U N I T Y

BY: BILL MOAKLEY

Service Spotlight: Police Chief Kevin Foster

A

30-year veteran of the Norman Police Department is now Norman’s chief of police.

Kevin Foster was sworn in as Norman’s top officer on Nov. 1 after service as interim chief since March. He takes over for former chief, Keith Humphreys, who left Norman to take the top police position in Little Rock.

A graduate of Northwestern Oklahoma State University, Foster holds a bachelor’s degree in law enforcement and a master’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Central Oklahoma. A native of Fairview, Foster graduated from Norman’s 27th Police Academy in 1989.

Since joining NDP, Foster has served in numerous capacities, including patrol, criminal investigations, the Community Policing Office and professional standards. He has been in charge of every bureau: operations, service and support. That experience provides the new chief with a solid foundation as he leads a department of 180 commissioned officers and more than 60 civilian employees.

“I think it gives me insight into the entire department,” Foster said. “When you haven’t been in all of them, you can be unfamiliar with what they do, and it’s a little harder learning curve to understand how the whole department works and how the different bureaus work together.”

Foster says he has an appreciation for the department he now heads.

“The Norman Police Department has always been a great department,” he said. “I heard about it when I was going to school at Northwestern, and that’s why we moved down here. It was known as the best department in the state, and it’s continued that tradition. We’re more progressive than a lot of departments.”

Foster said the department is already established as a leader 10 | January 2020

in community policing, and he plans to ensure the department remains community focused.

“I want to make us more efficient, and I want the community to feel safe,” Foster said. “We’re not going to solve all the crime in Norman. That’s never going to happen. Hopefully, we can reduce crime and work with all aspects of the community to feel comfortable coming to us. We want all community members feeling comfortable coming to us when something doesn’t seem right.

“By working with the community, that’s how you become a great department. You can’t do it on your own. You can’t operate isolated from the community.”

In addition to an emphasis on community relations, Fosters points to Norman’s rigorous officer training initiatives and ongoing officer education as the foundation of the Norman department’s reputation as a national pacesetter.

“The biggest thing we’re known for in the region is the training our officers receive.”

Foster said the academy he participated in lasted only 17 weeks. Today, Norman’s young officers are in the academy for 27 weeks.– BSM

NEW YEAR. NEW BANK.

COMM U N I T Y

S

A Long Wait

Construction Begins at Ruby Grant Park

ometimes, big dreams eventually come true.

The daughter of an 1889 land run homesteader is no longer around to see it, but Ruby Grant’s dream of turning the family farm into a giant park for children is finally coming true.

The land bordering Interstate 35 and Franklin Road stayed in the family for more than 80 years before Grant donated it to the University of Oklahoma Foundation. Commercial developers would have paid $2 million for it, but the foundation sold it to the City of Norman in 2006 for the bargain price $750,000, stipulating the property could only be used as a park.

Now, excavation is underway, shaping the first phase of a park development plan drawn up a decade ago and finally funded in 2015, through the Norman Forward sales tax initiative.

Work began at Ruby Grant Park in December with crews grading land and moving utility lines as they prepare to build a variety of amenities for area residents to enjoy. The park’s con-

16 | January 2020

BY: LINDSAY CUOMO

struction plans are designed to happen in two or three phases with most of the projects included in phase one, which includes multi-use trails, a disc golf course and a cross-country track.

“The track can be used by Norman schools for practices and for competitions,” said Jud Foster, director for the Parks and Recreation Department. “They host a few different meets during the year and those bring a lot of people into the community. Ruby Grant will be available for those types of events. The public is welcome to use the path as well, but it is a key feature for schools to use.”

According to Foster, construction of phase one should be complete by the end of 2020.

Several of the features will be accessible to individuals of all abilities, which is a key objective in the park’s master plan.

“We are trying to make as much of the entire site as accessible as possible for people with all types of disabilities,” Foster said.

A portion of the trails will be paved or built with crushed granite, the playground will feature braille, ramps and other elements, and half of the disc golf course will be laid out on relatively flat terrain to accommodate mobility devices.

The playground that city officials have selected is expected to cost $600,000, but only $400,000 has been funded with the current budget.

“The rest we are trying to raise privately,” Foster said. “I think we will be able to raise it and bring this really great playground to our community.”

Additional park features include three entrances with parking lots, two large picnic pavilions, one that will be dedicated to the park’s namesake, a dog park, restrooms and a garden. Phase two will include additional parking areas. The master plan also recommends building a recreation center and a splash pad. Those projects are not in current construction plans, however.- BSM

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S P O RT S

BY: CHRIS PLANK

No Excuses

Stoops’ Book Offers Personal, Poignant Account of Coach’s Life

Perhaps not. But, in his new book “No Excuses: The Making of a Head Coach,” the all-time winningest coach in Oklahoma football history opens a door into his personal and professional world, giving access like never before.

Before his Salute to Stoops celebration in April 2018, Stoops was asked if he had any interest in writing a book.

“I’m thinking about it,” Stoops said. “I don’t know if there’s a market out there for it or not. So, we’ll see.”

Some of his motivation may have come more than 20 years earlier, however, while traveling across the country.

“We drove in the middle of the night, so I went to the library, and I got the cassette to ‘Bootlegger’s Boy.’ It was Barry Switzer narrating his book,” Stoops said.

20 | January 2020

After finishing that book, he knew it was something he might do someday.

So, when he officially decided to tell his story, Stoops teamed with longtime ESPN writer Gene Wojciechowski.

“I’ve been asked through the years from coaches from all different sports, as well as levels, how did this path happen for you. How did you become the head coach and how can I do it?” Stoops said. “In a five-minute conversation, I don’t know how to answer that. I can’t tell you how to do it in a quick setting.

So, I thought why not just lay out how it worked for me.”

But it has been more than just coaches who wanted advice on how to reach the next level.

“I’ve been asked through the years from even businessmen,” Stoops said.

“How did you turn it around so fast from something that was really struggling? And then, how did you stay so consistent for 20 years? So, I lay out our thought processes and what was important to us and our program.”

Stoops and Wojciechowski would talk

for hours on the phone to lay out stories and ideas. As the project progressed, Wojciechowski had just one request for the usually reserved and protective head coach.

“In covering him, he was always pleasant and helpful, but anyone who covered him would tell you that Bob wouldn’t let the shield down. When we first started the process, I told him he had to write an honest book. You owe it to the people that are going to buy the book,” Wojciechowski said.

“He, sort of in a polite way said, ‘you know me. That is all I know to be, honest. I didn’t bear my soul as a coach because that wasn’t my job’.”

I found it so refreshing and cool, and I felt like, as we were doing the book, I was learning about a new Bob Stoops, a person I had never known before.”

The 294-page book, released in early September, gives a glimpse behind the scenes of Bob Stoops, the head coach, and Bob Stoops, the person.

Stoops tells about how difficult it was to fire Josh Heupel, the Sooner’s na-

Photos by: Mark Doescher

D

uring his time at Oklahoma, Bob Stoops re-established the Sooners as a national power on the gridiron and did so with a no-nonsense attitude. But, did we truly know Bob Stoops? Did we truly understand what drove him, what was important to him and what led to his retirement?

tional championship quarterback turned offensive coordinator. He also discusses how Lincoln Riley reached out to him before dismissing Mike Stoops as defensive coordinator and likened the decision to the Heupel situation.

But, perhaps the most emotional chapter is when Stoops discusses the courage of the young patients at Children’s Hospital at OU Medicine. Stoops never publicized his visits at the hospital, when he played games with the children, took pictures, laughed and sometimes cried.

“He was so honest and forthright and not afraid to say how he felt,” Wojciechowski said. “If it was about personal decisions that conflicted him, his personal life, his professional life, he was open about it all.”

For Stoops, the willingness to be open also led to some vulnerability.

“Nothing was really viewed as too personal to put in the book,” Stoops said.

“The reason I was even reluctant to do it at all in the first place was some personal things. People talk about me losing my father young, and it surprised me when I was doing the audio book all the feelings came up again, and I had to stop and couldn’t read it all.

“Talking about my daughter, her health scare with brain surgery, it was the same thing when I was talking about my father. Those hard emotions came up again and the fear of what was going to happen. Those things are something the old me wouldn’t have done. This was my journey though, and people want to know about it. I’ve been really surprised that so many people have reached out, and they’ve been moved. That is just how it happened.”

At times, the stories are an emotional roller coaster.

Wojciechowski recalled the time when Stoop’s father, Ron Sr., suffered a fatal heart attack while coaching on the sidelines during a high school rivalry game. Bob Stoops was playing in college at the time.

“It was a tragedy of unspeakable sadness,” Wojciechowski said.

“Bob was a great player at Iowa, and they won at the Rose Bowl when he was there. Before they closed his dad’s casket, Bob took off his Big 10 Rose Bowl boydstreet.com

BOYD STREET MAGAZINE | 21

ring and put it inside. His mom questioned it, but Bob felt so strongly about it. He wanted his dad to have it. It spoke to the unbroken chain of love and devotion of father and son and football, and it really is who Bob is as a person. It’s a sad story, but it illustrated truly who Bob is.”

While emotional at times, the book also goes behind the scenes of Stoops as a coach. One of the most difficult decisions of the Stoops era involved the Joe Mixon situation. Stoops even touches on the lure of other jobs.

“There were times it was to be considered, but I was closer to leaving for Florida than I ever was for the NFL,” Stoops said.

“The reason I never left for the NFL was I never felt the need to separate myself from OU because of how well it was all going. From the President (David Boren) and Joe C (Castiglione) pushing us forward.

“Little by little, the dorm improvement, the facility, little by little, we’ve always pushed to keep moving forward. I was enjoying it, and it was fun and exciting. I never felt I needed to do something different. I was always aware that the NFL was the elite of football, but that doesn’t mean the job is better than at OU. I always felt Oklahoma, when things are right, is probably better than 30 or 50 percent of the NFL jobs.”

Much like Barry Switzer’s book, Bob Stoops’ book “No Excuses: The Making of a Head Coach” is a must read for Sooner fans. It shows how much Oklahoma meant to Stoops, and it carries readers on an emotional roller coaster with a person who was incredibly guarded as a head coach. It relives the challenges, the turmoil and the celebrations that spanned Stoops’ Hall-of-Fame career.– BSM

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COMM U N I T Y

BY: CHELSEY KRAF T

Service Spotlight: John Paulus

After spending three years as a firefighter in Cushing, Paulus joined his hometown department in 2014. His wife, Elizabeth, is originally from Tuttle, so the couple knew they wanted to return to the metro area to be closer to family.

Paulus began to look at job opportunities in the area, applied to Norman and got on with the department the first time he tried. The Pauluses, who celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary in November, are parents of a 7-year-old daughter named Raelyn and a 2-year-old son named Waden.

The family settled in Blanchard to be between both sides of their families.

“I grew up around this area, so it’s been kind of cool because I feel like I know the area pretty well,” said Paulus, who graduated from Community Christian School in 2007. “As a kid, I got to hang around here, so it’s been nice being around something familiar.”

26 | January 2020

Before becoming a firefighter, Paulus worked on cars, which he enjoyed.

But eventually, he realized he wanted a different career. Not only was he interested in the opportunity to help people and give back to his community, but he also was drawn to the tradition of the fire station.

So, he completed his emergency medical technician certification and was hired at a station in Cushing, which he said was a good starting job. While there, he also finished his paramedic training.

Transitioning into a driver role for the Norman Fire Department took about two-years, studying and taking tests.

When preparing for promotions, Paulus said it’s not uncommon for firefighters to spend eight to 10 hours a day reading and studying.

He also explained that promotions are awarded based on seniority and test scores. The first time he took the test, he made a 95, but without many seniority points, he didn’t receive a promotion. After taking about a

month off, he started studying again and a year later took his second test and earned the promotion.

After his promotion, Paulus moved to Station 2 at 2211 W Boyd Street, and started his new role as a driver, which he loves. This station is in an area familiar to Paulus because of his dad, Gene, who operates Master Tech Auto Service less than a mile north of the station.

A few months into his new job, Paulus is enjoying work, primarily because of the people he works with.

“I like running the calls, but I really like who I get to work with. It’s fun,” Paulus said. “Sometimes work isn’t all that you want it to be or you had a bad day or something around here situation wise didn’t go the way you wanted, but if you have a good crew, it really makes the days go by faster and easier.” – BSM

Photo by: Mark Doescher

F

or John Paulus, joining the Norman Fire Department was like coming home.

COMM U N I T Y

BY:CALLIE COLLINS

Ro cking Science

Geophysicist Turned Teacher Takes Education Personally

D

avid Askey is a geophysicist, trained to explore the dynamic mysteries of the Earth’s subsurface. For a guy who loves math and science, what job could be more interesting than that?

Well, for Askey, it was standing in a classroom everyday talking to high school kids about rocketry, robotics, periodic tables and the love of physics and chemistry.

istry classes, he teaches rocketry, with an aerospace engineer and rocketry expert from Tinker Air Force Base, and he sponsors Norman High’s advanced robotics after school program.

Askey says teaching is what gets him up in the morning because he has a passion for inspiring kids and showing the practical side of the material.

troversy of the day… music is always blaring in the background. I am in my element when I’m surrounded by all that youthful energy,” said Askey. “I need it these days since I just turned 60. I’m starting to wear down, but they keep me young.”

“I spend about 75 hours a week working with students, revising my curriculum, writing and grading tests or packets or notebooks or writing rec-

“Teaching is not really a job, more of a way of life.”

Askey says he tried to be a geophysicist once, but it just wasn’t inspiring.

“Buying a sports car and living in a nice apartment with nice furniture and eating at all the fine Dallas restaurants didn’t do it for me like I thought it would,” he said.

For him, teaching teens was far more interesting than studying rocks.

“Tutoring local kids became my focus, and I finally decided to try my hand at teaching for real,” Askey said the never-ending challenge of changing lives has become his happy obsession for the last 34 years, and he has never looked back.

In addition to his physics and chem30 | January 2020

The results are tangible, he says, pointing to his advanced robotics program, which has won the Robotics World Championship three times over the past 20 years.

Honors like world championships speak for themselves, but the atmosphere Askey has helped create at Norman High has made a difference for students.

“I sponsor ping pong tournaments, foosball tournaments, chess tournaments. My favorite time of the day is lunch. My room - the students call it ‘the 807’ - is always packed at lunch.

It’s constantly full of kids working on bots, rockets, playing chess, foosball or ping pong, eating from our Physics Cantina, working on physics problems on the board, debating the con-

ommendations,” said Askey. “I’m not complaining. Teaching is not really a job, more of a way of life.”

“I have a very patient wife. I usually bring her coffee and muffins in bed on weekends, but last year, I started meeting my students at Stella Nova coffee shop on Saturday mornings from 5:30 a.m. to noon,” Askey said.

“On average, about 50 students show up off and on during the help session, but we have had up to 65 on Saturdays before a big exam. We used to meet every Saturday, but now, we just meet on the Saturdays before a test, about once every three weeks.”

This year, the group meets from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., which is “more civilized,” Askey says. He noticed at a recent meet-up that students were

working more at their own tables than collaborating in groups because they had access to hundreds of help videos he’s created over the years.

Askey says he’s a big fan of Generation Z, which is the latest defined demographic of the U.S. population, born between 1996 and 2010. Many people have written off high school students as lazy, tuned out, spoiled and self-centered, but Askey says that’s a misperception that bothers him.

“That is not even close to the truth,” he said. “This may turn out to be one of the greatest generations in the history of America. I get a chance to work with and talk to these future leaders of this generation every day. I read their deepest thoughts as they answer my questions in their physics journals. I interview them in front of the class during the first semester, and we have 15-minute individual back and forth sessions all through the second semester.

“Today’s leaders are the most accepting of each other, the most diverse in

their interests ... the most tech savvy, the most artificially 24/7 connected ... but at the same time, they are the most vulnerable, the most depressed, medicated…. in some ways fragile, but in other ways, extremely resilient.”

Askey sees the potential for hard work that many other generations dismiss about Gen Z.

“I lay on the endless homework and the daily puzzles and very difficult exams in physics and somehow, 95 percent of them voluntarily and happily come back for a second semester of ‘torture’,” Askey said. – BSM

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COMM U N I T Y

Julia Prise

M

athematics isn’t usually seen as a place of comfort, but for Julia Prise, math is exactly that.

“As a high school student, I loved the reliability of the subject,” said Prise, who teaches at Norman High. “While I loved the subject, I couldn’t help but notice many of my peers did not. It became my goal as an educator to change that mindset.”

To do that, Prise is working to change the way students experience math.

“Math can be loud. It can be collaborative. Most importantly, it can be fun!” she said. “When you walk into (my) math class, you are no longer a student that is ‘bad at math.’ I don’t allow that kind of talk. Together, we will find the piece of mathematics that is interesting and exciting to you.”

Prise is also working to inspire the

BY: LINDSAY CUOMO

next generation of educators as an adjunct professor at the University of Oklahoma’s College of Education.

“I work with pre-service teachers to help them develop an understanding of how to teach geometry and proof in an engaging way.”

But, for all the ways she’s influencing students, Prise says that each one leaves an impact on her too.

“I will never forget a student who has walked through my door, and I hope they never forget me, or the cheesy math jokes I love to make. I can’t wait to see the world my leaders of tomorrow create.”

Prise was recently named Norman High’s Teacher of the Year, an honor she credits in part to the Norman community.

know that your support is valued. Our future is bright because you have given teachers the tools to support and mentor the leaders of tomorrow.” – BSM

“None of this would be possible without the Norman community. Please

Teaching Norman Kendell Lowry

A

t a time when many art and music programs are being cut in schools across the state, Kendell Lowry is trying to expand the opportunities at Adams Elementary.

This year, Lowry is growing the fourth-grade music production, which was inspired by “The Nutcracker.”

“This year’s program was much larger than we had previously done. We dreamed big and asked our fourth graders for incredible amounts of time, hard work, patience and teamwork,” she said. “And, man, did they deliver!”

“It was amazing to see the students take ownership of their program. My teammates and I poured a lot of extra time and effort into this production, but witnessing every student get excited about singing, dancing, performing is something I will never forget.”

Lowry said her passion in the class34 | January 2020

room comes from her love of music, and her love of people.

“Teaching music seemed to be the best way to marry my two loves. Music class was always the best part of my day, and I became a teacher to hopefully make music the best part of my students’ day.”

Her goal is to inspire each of her students to love music in their own way.

“Whether they join band, orchestra or choir, learn the guitar, join their church choir or just jam out to music in their car, I want my students to believe that they are capable of musical endeavors and that their ‘singing’ voice matters.”

Lowry was selected as Adams’ Teacher of the Year.

“I feel so incredibly honored. My school is full of dedicated, passionate and loving teachers. I feel so bless-

ed to teach music in Norman Public Schools. Music. The arts receive a lot of love and support from NPS and the Norman community. I know this is not the case in every district, so I feel like much of my success is due to the incredible support.” – BSM

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COM M UNI T Y

BY: CHELSEY KRAFT

NORMANITES IN THE SPOTLIGHT

F

or Jim Adair and his children, the family business stretches over four generations.

Jim works with his son, Zach Adair, and his daughter, Ashley Adair-Garner, to carry on the enterprise his father, Jimmy Adair, began more than 70 years ago.

Shortly after leaving the military in 1946, Jimmy Adair partnered with his stepfather, Lee Biggs, to open A&B Lumber Company at 615 N Porter Ave. in Norman. That business evolved from homebuilding into land development, and from there, into Adair and Associates Real Estate, an enterprise Jimmy shared with his son, Jim. Decades later, Jim and his children are carrying on as the third and fourth generations of the family business, a destiny all three University of Oklahoma graduates looked forward to from the time they were children. boydstreet.com

The Adairs

Jim started work with the company in 1975, just before it moved to its downtown location at 111 N Peters Ave. in 1977.

“My dad and I worked together for 35 years, and it was delightful for me to get to move to the next generation,” Jim said.

“We all feel like we’re super blessed to be able to do this,” Ashley said.

“We all love coming to work, and I think that we’re unique in that a lot of families can’t even imagine working together. But we all get along great and actually have different personality types, so we complement each other, and it’s been really easy for us.”

Adair and Associates works with a variety of real estate properties all over Norman, but the primary focus is the offices and retail spaces in downtown Norman. Ashley said they love buying 100-year old buildings in the area, fixing them up and seeing

them come to life again, and Jim added downtown is where their heart is.

“Downtown’s got a historical charm that you just can’t replicate,” Jim said.

“Downtown’s healthy, and we’ve got great partners in the city and the county … Between the county and the banking institutions, you’ve got a built-in office market down here.

That supports the restaurants, and the unique thing about the restaurants is they’re all local.”

Downtown has become an entertainment district in a lot of ways, Ashley said. Between the restaurants and breweries, there are shows at the Sooner Theatre and murals and other works of art to look at. There are multiple ways people can spend their time.

The Adair’s are active with the Norman Chamber of Commerce, Norman Downtowners Association, Norman Arts Council and the Downtown Norman Fall Fest, which Ashley BOYD STREET MAGAZINE | 39

started seven years ago. She said new events like the Film Fest, Mardi Gras Parade and Christmas Parade have encouraged more people to bring even more events to the area.

“New events keep emerging because everyone loves them. They’ve been popular, and I think people just enjoy being down here,” Ashley said. “It’s kind of the natural place… in Norman now.”

The Adair’s believe downtown is healthier than it’s ever been and that it’s only going to get better.

“If you drive into it every day like we do when we come to work, it’s interesting to see it change,” Zach said.

“I’m rarely down here in the evening, but every time that I am, it’s packed. It feels cool, it feels like there’s stuff going on, and five, 10 years ago, it didn’t feel that way. It was quiet.”

Some of the newer businesses for which Adair & Associates serve as landlord are BIG Brew Co. and Pry-

or’s Pizza Kitchen. A couple of years ago, they finished the building project where Pinot’s Palette and the Whispering Willows Art Gallery are located. Ashley said that building also includes six loft apartments with a rooftop terrace. Currently, Nashbird is under construction right next door to BIG Brew Co. Jim and his wife, Renee, have been married for 28 years. Zach and his wife, Sophia, have been married for eight years and have two sons, 5-yearold Alexander and 3-year-old Benjamin, while Ashley and her husband of 13 years, Jared, are parents to 10-yearold Hayden and 8-year-old Hadley.

The children may soon take their places as the fifth generation of the family business. When they visit the offices, the tend to fight over who gets to sit at the front desk, Zach said.

Ashley’s husband owns Garner Insurance, which has given her kids another path for potential careers.

“It’s funny because now that Jared has a business too, there’s another option for the kids. They kind of joke, ‘Well, I’m going to go work with Dad,’ and I’m like, ‘No, you have to come here,’” Ashley said with a laugh. “We’ll see what they do.”

For now, much like Jim grew up around the family business when his grandparents’ house was physically attached to his dad’s office, his grandkids are now an ever-present group at the office.

“One or more of my grandkids are in my office almost every day,” Jim said.

“The kids have grown up coming to work with their parents, and that’s something a lot of people can’t enjoy in a work environment, and we’re just blessed that it does work for us.” – BSM

42 | January 2020

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BOYD STREET MAGAZINE | 43

COMM U N I T Y

BY: JOY HAMPTON

Service Spotlight:

Lieutenant Brandi Garner

L

t. Brandi Garner is totally committed to the Cleveland County Sheriff’s vision to transform one life at a time, and she realizes she’s in a unique place to help with that mission in a major way.

Garner works at the Cleveland County Detention Center, where she’s been at the heart of implementing many of the changes brought to the jail by Sheriff Todd Gibson. As a member of the jail leadership team, she’s also supplied a few ideas of her own.

“We see the bigger picture,” Garner said. “We understand that if we help people while they’re here, there’s a greater chance of making a positive transformation in their lives so we don’t see them again.”

Garner works closely with Program Coordinator Kassy Patterson. Together, they came up with the idea of a special Reset Pod, which is a program that helps jail inmates make a change for the better through assistance with substance abuse and mental health issues.

“I understand what it’s like to be in a tough spot and to have a low sense of self-esteem and low self-worth,” Garner said. “I know how intimidating it can be to connect with community colleges and places of learning. The idea was to bring those resources to the inmates while they’re here.”

Garner grew up in south Oklahoma City and attended U.S. Grant High School, but she dropped out prior to

44 | January 2020

Lt. Brandi Garner at a recent career recruiting event. graduation and moved in with a boyfriend who turned out to be abusive.

When she made the decision to turn her life around, she ended that relationship and got her GED, but it was a challenging journey. She had to overcome her own feelings of low self-worth to achieve her goals. That experience allows her to empathize with inmates who want to change but struggle with feelings of inferiority.

“When you talk to the people here, a lot of them will tell you they don’t have a high sense of self-esteem,” she said.

“While I didn’t make criminal choices, I can understand a little bit of what they’re going through… feeling like other people will judge them because of the decisions they’ve made.”

Garner now has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration, and she is a certified emergency medical technician. She started her career in law enforcement as a reserve officer for the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics in 2014.

A year later, she signed up to be a reserve with the sheriff’s department. In 2016, she began working at the county jail where she has worked her way up through the ranks to lieutenant a little over a year ago.

“Lt. Brandi Garner is one of our biggest success stories,” said Gibson. “Her work ethic and commitment to this office have made her an invaluable asset.”

Gibson said Garner is an extremely hard

worker and maintains a positive attitude.

“No matter what we throw at her, she steps up to the plate and gets it done,” he said. “Garner is setting a new standard across the state of Oklahoma for jails and criminal justice reform. Her work has caught the attention of criminal justice decision makers statewide.”

Garner said working at the Cleveland County Detention Center is more than a job — it’s a calling.

“I think you have to be passionate about it,” she said. “Working at the jail is not for everyone. It wasn’t my first career choice, but I needed a job and used it to get my foot in the door. Once I was here, I loved it.”

Garner also manages data collection and analysis of jail statistics, serves on several community interface boards either as a member or as a substitute for other staff members. She also makes presentations for various civic and community groups, helps recruit jail employees at job fairs and supervises clerks, maintenance and other administrative jail staff.

In addition to all that, she directs the jail’s Gang Intelligence Unit.

“I am very passionate about what I’m doing, and I believe in our mission, vision and values very strongly,” Garner said. “I believe that’s the direction law enforcement needs to be heading. We are servants, and I feel like this is where I’m called to be right now.”

This is a continuation of our series on public servants in Norman.

S P O RT S

BY: JOSH HELMER

Making Waves

The 16-year-old from the Sooner Swim Club swam a 1:41.34 to win the 200 fly by nearly three seconds over Jonathan Affeld (1:44.02). That time moved Hayes into second place all-time in USA Swimming history for that event among the 15-to-16-year-old age group, unseating Michael Phelps’ 2002 time of 1:42.10 and finishing just behind Luca Urlando’s 2018 time of 1:40.91.

“The swim he put down there, the time that he posted was incredible. That 1:41 swim was a shocker,” said Norman North and Sooner Swim Club coach Kent Nicholson. “That is an all-timer, a big-time swim right there, so, yeah, we were pretty fired up. Beating Michael Phelps when he went at 16, if you can go faster than Michael Phelps did, 48 | January 2020

you’ve got something going on.”

Hayes’ previous best in the 200 fly was a 1:47.01, meaning he dropped almost six seconds at Junior Nationals. Hayes accounts his success to the support he received.

“Definitely couldn’t have done it without my teammates there. That was really special,” Hayes said. “We actually had some other teams from Edmond who stayed there with us. They were there for the weekend, came to support that night, and I was very appreciative of that.”

Posting that time in the 200 fly validated what Aiden’s father, Ben, and the rest of his coaches have been telling him for some time.

“My dad and my coaches have been telling me ever since I started swimming that the 200 fly was going to be my main event, and my best chance to make the Olympic Team,” Hayes said.

“I’ve always denied it, denied it, denied it until we got to Saturday of this meet.

It kind of became a reality.”

Finishing ahead of a name like Phelps is something that Hayes is proud of but he said he is planning to keep things in perspective.

“Going that fast was extremely special and being able to be up there with names of that caliber is great, but I think the best thing to do for any athlete, no matter what level of competition, is keep a level head and stay as grounded as possible,” Hayes said.

Hayes is the No. 2-ranked recruit in the high school class of 2021, according to swimswam.com, and he’s committed to N.C. State. The future Wolfpack swimmer also won the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 19.58 and the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 46.31. His 46.01 time in the 100-yard fly was good for a second-place finish and his 44.01 time in the 100-yard freestyle represented fourth place.

Nicholson was also pleased with Hayes’ Sooner Swim Club teammate Daniel Wilson’s finishes in the 100yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly.

Wilson earned podium trips with a sec-

Photo provided by: The Oklahoman

K

Norman Swimmers Set High Marks at National Meet

nown as an accomplished force in the sprint freestyles, Norman North junior swimmer Aiden Hayes left everyone buzzing with his 200-yard butterfly performance at the 2019 Speedo Winter Junior Championships last month at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Wash.

ond-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 43.42 and a third-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 46.68.

Wilson, a senior, has signed a letter of intent to the University of Missouri. His coach said his best days are in front of him.

“He hasn’t been swimming very long.

He hadn’t really started competing in the sport until his freshman year. He came to us the summer after his eighth-grade year. His development, he’s not anywhere close to hitting the top end of what he can do. He’s going to have an incredible career at Missouri,” Nicholson said.

Hayes already possesses an Olympic Trial qualifying time in the 100 fly and hopes to obtain qualifying times in the

boydstreet.com

200 fly, 100 backstroke and 50 freestyle before trials in June 2020.

Wilson is also aiming for an Olympic Trial qualifying time in the 50 freestyle.

Their next opportunity to register qualifying times will be at sectionals in March.

“I think the best thing to do in swimming is not focus specifically on time, but focus on effort, technique, putting as much as possible as you can in,” Hayes said. “And whatever happens, happens.” – BSM

BOYD STREET MAGAZINE | 49

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S P O RT S

BY: CHRIS PLANK

Steve Owens

52 | January 2020

Photo by: Mark Doescher

Sooner Legend

S

teve Owens is a legend and a key figure that put University of Oklahoma football back on the college football map, but despite all that he has given, the proud Sooner is still trying to give back in appreciation for all the university has done for him.

As the Sooner nation closes the book on another football season and yet another Heisman finalist, the celebration of Owen’s Heisman trophy win 50 years ago cannot be cherished and valued enough.

As an Oklahoma native, Owens always dreamed of playing for OU. Born in Gore, he was growing up in Miami as Oklahoma compiled its 47-game winning streak.

“I can’t think of anything that brought as much glory to the state as those teams did,” Owens said of the legendary teams led by coach Bud Wilkinson. “Everybody followed them. When I got older and was working at Hub’s Bootery on Main Street, we didn’t sell many shoes between noon and 4 on Saturdays.”

Owens developed quite a reputation on the football field, and that put him in position to live out his childhood dream. As a halfback at Miami High School, he averaged 7.2 yards per carry and gained 4,000 yards. But it was Arkansas that had their eyes on him. Arkansas assistant coach Jim MacKenzie was not about to let the diehard Sooner fan end up in Norman.

But fate stepped in and changed the course for both Owens and MacKenzie.

“Coach Jim MacKenzie had recruited me at Arkansas, and at that time they were coming off a national championship,” Owens said. “But my dream as a kid was to be a Sooner, and I kept telling him I love Arkansas, but Oklahoma was in my heart. He was recruiting me hard. He kept telling me that the coach was going to be fired, and I would have to go through a coaching change.”

In the end, Mackenzie was right.

“Of course, what happened is Gomer (Jones) got fired and they ended up hiring coach MacKenzie,” Owens laughed, recalling how quickly MacK-

enzie’s tone changed. “The first thing he did was call me and tell me to forget about Arkansas, you need to follow your dreams and come to Oklahoma.”

As they would say, the rest is history.

Oklahoma football struggled for a time after Bud Wilkinson retired. The team won the Big 8 title but lost in the 1962 Orange Bowl. The Sooners failed to win another conference title the following four seasons and were only chosen for a bowl game once.

In 1965, the year before Owens stepped on campus, the Sooners fell below .500 for just the second time in 23 years.

“Our teams in 1967, 1968 and 1969 got us back on the right path. I’m so proud of the guys I played with,” Owens said.

“I tell everyone the guy that should have won the Heisman was Mike Harper. He was my fullback for all three years, and we never missed a practice or game. He, and Steve Zabel and Jack Mildren, they did the tough work. I just had to carry the football and stay healthy.”

And carry the football was what Owens did… over and over and over. Owens’ sophomore season resulted in the Sooners’ first Big 8 Championship in four seasons and an Orange Bowl win over Tennessee. It was the first bowl win for the Sooners since 1958.

During his junior season, Owens burst onto the scene with jaw dropping performances of power, durability and strength. Owens had a particularly memorable performance against powerhouse Nebraska, scoring five touchdowns in a 47–0 win on national television. Through the season, Owens rushed for 1,536 yards and 21 touchdowns, putting him in the Heisman race his senior season.

“He was a workhorse,” said Barry Switzer, who was OU’s offensive coordinator when Owens won the Heisman. “Not many people could carry the ball as many times as he did a game and hold up physically, but he did. He carried it 30-something times a game, but he was physically and mentally tough. Basically, of all the yards he made, 90 percent of

them were inside the tackles.”

Owens was a battering ram, a physical presence that had the ability to run away from you, but his consistency was what wore opponents down. Throughout his Sooner career he recorded only one rushing attempt that resulted in more than 40 yards.

During his senior season, Owens racked up 1,523 rushing yards on 358 carries and 23 touchdowns. That individual excellence put Owens right in the thick of the Heisman conversation.

In 1969, the Heisman process was much different than it is today. Owens wasn’t sitting in a ballroom in New York when he found out he won the Heisman, nor was there a television show dedicated to the finalists. He still had a regular season football game to play when he found out he was in contention for the prestigious award.

“Johnny Keys, our sports information director, called and said we had a call from the Downtown Athletic Club, and I was a candidate. They wanted me to be ready for a phone call. It was supposed to be on a Tuesday, and we had OSU on Saturday,” Owens recalled. “So, they put me in a room on the third floor of the Student Union, just Barbara (Steve’s Wife) and I. They were supposed to call at 11 a.m., and in those days, they just called the winner. They didn’t call to tell you if you finished second or third.”

They waited and waited on the call but finally gave up. The Heisman hope had apparently passed, and Owens had a football game to get ready for.

“The phone never rang… It was just the two of us sitting there, and when 11:15 came with no call, I told Barbara I have to get ready for practice. We walked out of the room … but then a kid from the radio station KGOU yelled at me down the hall and said, ‘Hey Steve, you just won the Heisman.’ I found out I won the Heisman from a college kid who just yelled down the hallway.”

There was a celebration waiting for Owens, but so was Oklahoma State.

Even though the season had not gone as planned from a win/loss perspec-

tive, the Sooners had one more opportunity to make a mark.

“We struggled that year,” Owens said.

“We had great expectations, but it was a disappointing season. Since I had won the Heisman the week before the OSU game, the media coverage put the whole team under a lot of pressure.”

win. “Just having the Oklahoma experience, being a part of this great tradition was enough for me. The Heisman was great, but I won the Heisman because I played for a great school and had great coaches and great teammates.

the year, Owens stays true to a promise he made to his hero.

“When I look at the trophy, I think about my school, coaches and teammates. That is why it’s so important to me.”

“Billy Vessels was my hero, our first Heisman winner. He told me after I won the Heisman… you know we are going to have more winners. If I’m not here, you’re responsible for taking care of them. I’ve found out that can be a tough job,” Owens said, with a laugh.

Owens was finally able to celebrate the honor on a Dec. 4, 1969 trip to New

Since Owens won the Heisman in 1969, Oklahoma football has added five

York with his wife, parents, coaches and teammate Mike Harper. The trip went from memorable to legendary when President Richard Nixon called to invite Owens and his wife to watch the Texas vs. Arkansas game with him.

Heisman Trophy winners. During the Lincoln Riley era as offensive coordinator and head coach, the Sooners have registered five Heisman finalists in four years including Jalen Hurts, with a runner-up finish this past season.

Owens responded with 55 carries, 261 yards and two touchdowns as OU ground out a 28-27 victory.

Since the Sooners didn’t have a bowl game, Owens took the president up on his offer and flew in Air Force One to take in the match-up between No. 1 and No. 2.

Through it all, as important as the Heisman Trophy may appear, nothing is more important to Steve Owens than being a part of the Sooner Nation.

“I felt blessed as an Oklahoma kid to have been able to dream and see those dreams come true,” Owens said during the 50-year celebration of his Heisman

As time has progressed, Owens has become the keeper of the Heisman Trophy winners that wore Crimson and Cream.

While that number continues to grow by

“The most important thing to me was not the Heisman. It was the fact that I played at Oklahoma. I had great coaches; great teammates that really played a

Owens excelled in his final collegiate performance.

“I remember when we lined up in the I-formation, we were looking east and a sign in one of the windows of a dorm across the street read ‘Steve Who Won What?’ I remember looking at that sign every time we lined up. That really inspired me.”

54 | January 2020

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part in turning OU back around after they finished 3-7 during my senior year at high school.”

His appreciation to the Sooner Nation is unwavering and genuine.

“Our fans are truly the greatest fans in the country,” Owens said.

“Jason (White) and I go out and do different appearances and to see the fans come and support us and bring their kids and grandkids. It’s such a great time and a great experience for us. As a former player, I just want the fans to know how much we love and appreciate them. They are the very best.”

His appreciation goes beyond the fan base.

“I really appreciate Oklahoma. I’ve said this before, since I left OU I’ve tried to repay the university for what it has done for me.

I don’t think I can ever repay OU for what they did for Steve Owens. The people that I have met along the way… administrators, coach, the support group, I don’t think I could ever repay those folks for the gifts they gave me. I don’t think I could ever do it though I keep trying.”

As Steve Owens works to try give back to the University of Oklahoma, one thing is abundantly clear. The impact Owens has made goes well beyond the bronze statue lives in Heisman Park.

Steve Owens is a major piece of the fabric that has held Oklahoma football together for years. He is a true Legend. – BSM

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S P O RT S

BIG XII CHAMPIONSHIP

BY: MARK DOESCHER

SOONERS DEFEAT BAYLOR IN OT 30-23 FOR 5TH STRAIGHT CONFERENCE TITLE

58 | January 2020

B U S I N E SS

BY: LINDSAY CUOMO

N ew Yea r, N ew Yo u Wellness Clinic Offers Self Care Solutions

S

elf care is a popular buzz word, but for Ashley Willeford, it’s a passion.

Willeford is a nurse practitioner specializing in women’s health. She started her career in labor and delivery and spent several years working at an OB/ GYN practice. She recently opened Elevate Wellness and Aesthetics, wanting to help women and men feel their best.

“Self-care is giving the world the best of you, instead of what’s left of you,” Willeford said. “We see people on a daily basis that have busy schedules that don’t always allow time for self care.”

At Elevate, Willeford uses the most advanced cosmetic procedures and medical treatment to enhance her clients’ natural beauty and overall health.

62 | January 2020

“We offer a variety of services, including IV therapy, hormone wellness with BioTe, Botox, fillers, laser skin rejuvenation and laser hair removal, body contouring and MiraDry,” she said.

As we start a new year, and a new decade too, Willeford has some helpful tips to help you put your best foot forward.

mental focus and memory, muscle strength, joint pain and more. A comprehensive blood work analysis helps create a unique dosing for each patient, which Willeford says helps ensure the best possible outcome.

Willeford invites clients who have areas they would like to improve in the new year. She says her clinic offers several ways to help.

MIND YOUR BASICS Even with a multitude of high-tech options, Willeford says adequate hydration and sleep, along with a good vitamin routine can be life changing.

“We offer free consults to help address any concerns and answer questions people may have about ways to promote wellness, along with looking and feeling better.”

EMBRACE AGING “Aging is inevitable, but if we can help people to do it gracefully, that’s our goal,” Willeford said. “Hormones play such an important role in how we feel.”

Elevate’s line of BioTe can address fatigue, difficulty sleeping, reduced

“Acne, pigmented lesions, rosacea, melasma, fine lines and wrinkles, scars, stretch marks and spider veins are a few of the most common skincare problems we treat and the thing that people rave about and come back for time after time is our Lightpod Neo Elite by Aerolase. Its versatility to treat so many skin conditions and every skin type makes it a client favorite.”

UTILIZE MULTI-TASKING TREATMENTS To get the most bang for your buck, multi-tasking treatments address several problem areas in one procedure.

Elevate Wellness and Aesthetics is located at 2322 N Interstate Dr. To learn more about the clinic and their services, visit www.elevatewellnessandaesthetics.com or call 857-7336. – BSM

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B USI NESS

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9 Germy Places To Avoid (Or Disinfect) This Winter

T

is the season to be merry-except sometimes, it’s not. While the entertainment industry would have us think the holidays are always full of good cheer, lots of laughs and warm feelings, the reality can, unfortunately, be otherwise.

As Old Man Winter settles in for his yearly stay, it’s time to brush up on your disinfecting smarts.

Cold and flu viruses can fly up to six feet through the air, says Joseph Rubino, former director of microbiology at RB, the creators of Lysol. Harmful bacteria and viruses can lurk in places you’d never suspect, and knowing those places inside and outside the home can help you avoid getting sick this winter.

Here’s a list of the germiest places you might encounter this winter and how to keep yourself safe.

AT HOME

There are microbes all over our homes.

Most are perfectly benign, but there are also many harmful ones including cold and flu viruses. Surprisingly, these microbes are not found primarily in the bathroom. We tend to be the most germophobic about our toilets and clean them regularly, but it’s actually the kitchen that is home to most of these germs.

Here are the places in your home that are hotspots for germs and how to disinfect them properly. boydstreet.com

KITCHEN SINK

You might want to sit down for this…

According to microbiologist Charles Gerba, or “Dr. Germ,” there is more fecal bacteria in your kitchen sink than there is in your toilet after flushing it. In fact, your toilet-slurping dog has the right idea; that water can be cleaner than the water coming out of your kitchen faucet!

Gerba recommends regularly scrubbing your sinks with bleach, or with a kitchen cleaning product that contains bleach. For best results, allow the cleaning solution to sit for a bit before wiping, or use kitchen wipes for a more targeted cleanup. Be sure to clean the entire sink, including the drain, faucet and handles, because those bacteria love to spread their joy. It’s also smart to wipe down all nearby surfaces, like your counters or anything you have on display.

KITCHEN SPONGE

Your dishwashing sponge can hold many more germs than you’ll ever want to think about. Most people know to wash their hands after handling raw poultry and meat, but these same people will wipe down germy surfaces with their kitchen spongeand then use that same sponge to wash the dinner dishes.

A 2017 study found 362 different species of bacteria living in used kitchen sponges. And, a total of 82 billion bacteria were living in just one cubic

inch of space! And here’s the kicker: Microwaving those sponges had no effect on the bacteria. To keep the germ party out of your sponge, wash it down after each use with hot water and dishwashing soap and replace your sponges every week.

REFRIGERATOR

There’s another bacterial meet-up happening both inside and outside your refrigerator. The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) found that 36% of tested refrigerator meat compartments contained salmonella and E. coli, while 36% of vegetable compartments tested positive for salmonella and 14% contained listeria.

Gerba adds that refrigerator door handles can also be germ-infested, as home cooks regularly touch them after handling raw meat and poultry.

Use the same bleach cleansers and wipe down the inside and outside of your refrigerator on a regular basis.

COOKING EQUIPMENT

According to the NSF, 36% of tested rubber spatulas and pizza cutters contained E. coli. And cutting boards fared no better.

“Recent surveys of homes found more fecal bacteria on a cutting board in the average home than a toilet seat,” said Gerba.

If you’ve just lost your appetite, the solution is simple: Wipe down all cooking equipment after each use BOYD STREET MAGAZINE | 69

with the same diluted bleach solution you’re using for your sink. Rinse off the kitchen gadget with a mild dishwashing solution when you’re done disinfecting it to make sure you’re not eating bleach.

IN RESTAURANTS Dining out can be great fun. Unfortunately, though, restaurants can be fertile breeding grounds for germs. Here are the surfaces to be wary of when dining out this winter.

TABLES It’s a good idea to look at how tables are being cleaned. If they’re not being sanitized with a bleach solution, ask for extra napkins to keep from putting silverware directly on the tabletop.

RESTAURANT MENUS They’re handled by hundreds of diners, and rarely cleaned; so it’s no wonder they’re full of germs! It’s fine to flip through the menu as you choose your entrée, but be sure to wash your hands after placing your order.

LEMON WEDGES

IN PUBLIC PLACES

That iconic slice of citrus fruit on your water glass? It may just be your gateway to illness. According to a study published in the Journal of Environmental Health, nearly 70% of lemon wedges on the rims of restaurant glasses contain disease-causing microbes like E. coli and other fecal bacteria. Skip the fruit on your glass. It’s just not worth the risk.

SHOPPING CARTS

CONDIMENT CONTAINERS You might be careful about washing your hands, but can you say the same for the diner who ate at your table before you? Condiment containers in restaurants can spread germs from one diner to another, so you may be walking out of a restaurant with a whole bunch of souvenirs you don’t want. Holding that ketchup bottle with a napkin won’t help; napkins are too porous to act as a barrier for microorganisms. Instead, wipe down the condiment container with a disinfectant wipe or hand sanitizer before using.

Shopping cart handles can be the worst germ offenders in the winter. To keep yourself from bringing home the germs from the dozens of shoppers who used your cart before you, wipe down the handles with a disinfectant wipe and wash all produce well before eating.

THE WAITING ROOM AT THE DOCTOR’S OFFICE If there ever was a place germs love hanging out, it’s the doctor’s office.

While the exam room will hopefully be as sterile as possible, you can’t say the same for the waiting room. If you need to visit the doctor this winter, try to keep at least two chairs between you and other patients and to pack your own tissues. If you’re bringing children along, it’s best to bring your own books and toys to keep them occupied.

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BY: KATHY HALLREN | JOE’S WINES & SPIRITS

Wine Tasting on Your Own

T

he holidays are over, and Valentine’s Day is on the horizon. Most of our evenings are chilly, even if the daytime happens to be pleasant, which makes this a perfect time to explore wine. If you always buy the same bottle of chardonnay or cabernet sauvignon, take this time to explore.

You don’t have to enroll in a special class to explore the world of wine. Simply enlist a group of four to eight friends, chose a night and decide on what type of wine to try and a price point. Each person then in turn buys a bottle, or everyone can chip in for one bottle to try each week.

You can focus on trying several types of wine, wine from different regions with the same varietal or you can try wines from a particular country. I recommend, after several weeks of experimentation, that your group buy a bottle that is a bit more expensive.

Call it a graduation present.

There are many good resources for tastings. Wine Enthusiast’s website and Facebook page have tasting guides, and you can find hints on what to try with their Top 100 Best Buys. Your local liquor and wine store is a great source of information, too.

But here are some basics to get you started. You need a white background to assess the color of your wine and stemmed glasses are better than stemless, so your hands don’t warm the wine.

Looking ahead to Valentine’s? Make it a sparkling evening with new items from Freixenet. Italian Prosecco and Sparkling Rose in the diamond cut bottle are also good options to light up the evening. Tried and true, however, Moet Chandon or Veuve Clique are available in several bottle sizes and are always just right.

Enjoy!

Kathy

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H EA LT H

BY: LINDSAY CUOMO

Keeping Track

Health Expert Says Exercise Worth Watching

R

esearch suggests the main component of overall health and wellness is physical activity because it reduces the risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer.

However, according to Medical News Today, only 21 percent of adults are meeting the recommended guidelines and less than five percent get the recommended 30 minutes of physical activity each day.

“We know that getting up and being active is great for your heart, your joints and your mind,” said Bianca Braxton, a nurse practitioner at Primary Care Noble. “But sometimes we feel like we need to do a full overhaul to see health benefits.

“But that’s not the case.”

Photo by: Mark Doescher

Small changes can have a big impact, Braxton said.

“Setting small, attainable goals will help you get where you want to be.

With even small amounts of weight loss, you’ll see less pain in your joints and increased energy so you will want to do even more.”

One way that Braxton sets goals for herself is by using a wearable fitness tracker, and she encourages her patients to use them as well. boydstreet.com

“I am in love with my Apple watch and I get excited when I see my patients using them. It has been a huge driving force for me to get up and be active. It’s like a little encouraging friend on my wrist… a daily motivator for me.”

Braxton says the most important feature that fitness trackers offer is their ability to measure your activity levels, typically measured in steps.

“One of the biggest mistakes people make is thinking (wearable fitness trackers) aren’t accessible. You don’t have to get something fancy,” Braxton said. “If you’re not tech savvy, I suggest starting with something simple so you can find success.

“Then, if you want to, you can upgrade to more sophisticated technology.”

In addition to measuring your steps, fitness trackers also offer a way to set trackable goals and help you see how often you’re attaining those goals.

“It’s a tool that can give you accountability,” Braxton said. “It gives you a number to work for each day.”

Some can even alert you if you have been sedentary for too long.

something to get your heart pumping.”

If you are just starting out, Braxton cautions against jumping into too ambitious of a plan right off the start.

“Before you get into a rigorous fitness plan, you should check in with your primary care doctor first,” she said.

“And don’t be afraid to ask for help. Before you attempt a new exercise or use a piece of equipment for the first time, check in with a trained professional so you don’t injury yourself because injuries just set us back.”

Braxton recommends starting with trying to get 10,000 steps a day at first but says you shouldn’t get too fixated on the numbers.

“Patients should focus on how they feel,” she encouraged. “Being active should make you feel better and feel better about yourself.”

Braxton has worked in healthcare for more than 15 years and has worked in various clinical environments from emergency care to rehabilitation. She currently sees patients in her family care practice in Noble and is accepting new patients.– BSM

“It doesn’t really matter what you do to be active,” Braxton said. “It’s just important that you’re up moving and doing BOYD STREET MAGAZINE | 83

B U S I N E SS

BY: ROXANNE AVERY COM M UNI TY

A Healthy Start The Health Club to Hold Grand Re-Opening

To help with that, The Health Club is inviting the public to their facility for a free Open House on Saturday, Jan. 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will be at the club’s new location at 2301 36th Avenue NW. “We want to showcase what we offer and encourage people to check out our classes and meet our staff,” said Micah Howell, program director for The Health Club. “We invite the community to check out our facility as well as thank everyone who stuck with us through the transition.”

The Health Club Manager Shawn Magee said, “Norman Regional Health System made a commitment of wellness for the future of our community 86 | January 2020

when they purchased this building.

That is the vision.”

More than a gym, The Health Club has a variety of equipment available, including free weights, treadmills, racquetball courts, a spin studio, whirlpools, saunas, a nursery and more.

“We have a 20-foot rock wall, harnesses and all the climbing equipment,” Howell said. “Our staff can show members not only how to gear up but also teach them how to climb.”

Howell said it’s not just fun; it’s also a full body workout and is great for kids and adults.

“We have everything from beginners to more challenging paths people can take so they challenge themselves to whatever level they feel ready for.”

“We also have a functional turf area,” Howell said. “People love it because it can be used for many styles of workouts. We have a sled and more of circuit training boot camp style equipment where people can hop back and forth with different intervals of exercise.”

The open house will have lots of fun activities, prizes, snacks and “all kinds of good stuff,” Howell said.

There will be goody bags for nonmember visitors that include a Health Club water bottle and a schedule of classes as well as other gifts. The one-time initiation fee of $50 will be waived for anyone signing up during the open house.

The all-inclusive monthly fee is $47 for singles, $60 for couples and $75 for a family of up to four. Senior, student and military service members receive a discounted rate.

Photos by: Mark Doescher

F

or many people, the New Year brings new goals for the future and taking action as they make plans to get healthier.

When The Health Club moved last September, several changes were made including hours of operation.

“We are now a 24-hour facility,” Howell said. “We also expanded our Kids Club hours and added a big climbing jungle gym.”

There’s something for everyone now with more classes including body sculpt, combo step, high dance fitness, high octane, High Interval Training (HIT), kick it up, restorative yoga, pilates, power step, pump & crunch, senior aerobics, senior fitness, silver sneakers, spin, TRX boot camp and yoga.

“Whether a person is just getting started or want cardio, strengthening or mind/ body workouts, we have an excellent selection,” Howell said. “We also worked hard to offer seniors more variety to help them with everything related to cardio, strength, balance and stability.”

Howell said the staff is super excited to have everyone come in for the open

house and will be offering samples of members’ favorite protein shakes.

“We have a fruity blueberry and a chocolate banana which contain healthy ingredients,” she said. “These shakes are good to drink while preparing for a workout and also good for post workout. We offer two options – a fat burner

and a maximum protein which gives muscles what they need after a workout or as a meal replacement.”

“Our staff and trainers are nationally certified and degreed with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and a lot of them have master’s degrees,” Magee said.– BSM

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