September 6-7, 2016 by OU Daily

W E E K D AY E D I T I O N | S E P T E M B E R 6 -7, 2 0 16 | T W I C E W E E K LY I N P R I N T | O U D A I LY. C O M

OUDAILY

For 100 years, the student voice of the University of Oklahoma

HOUSTON EARNS STATEMENT WIN • 5

FAMILIAR FACE

NOOR EEMAAN/THE DAILY

Norman resident Steve Smith plays his guitar on Main Street outside of The Diner the morning of Saturday, Sept. 3. Smith plays for tips, which he donates to a Norman homeless shelter.

Norman guitarist considered a Main Street ﬁxture

MOLLY KRUSE • @MOLLYKRUSE98

c ouple mornings a week, Steve Smith, 60, eats breakfast at the Food for Friends homeless shelter before commissioning a volunteer to push his wheelchair down Main Street and park it in front of The Diner. Shielded from the sun by a black and white umbrella, Smith can be found serenading a line of hungry diner customers with classic country songs on his guitar. A self-proclaimed Navy brat born in Portsmouth, Virginia, Smith has spent most of his childhood and adult life in Norman. Although he has a knack for singing foot-tapping, catchy tunes, he has held a variety of jobs throughout his life. Smith’s most recent job was as a boilermaker, until an injury prevented him from working anymore. He’s also been a refinery worker, welder and even a bounty hunter, he said. “That actually was kind of interesting,” Smith said referring to his bounty hunting days. “To me, it came to a point where it was morally wrong for me to make money off of someone else’s misery. So I had to quit. I put a bunch of bad boys in jail before I did!” Smith’s passion for music developed at the age of 6 when his father gave him his first guitar, “the greatest gift a man could ever give

TOP TEN QUAKES IN STATE HISTORY 1. 5.6 — Pawnee, Pawnee County, Sept. 3, 2016 2. 5.6 — Prague, Lincoln County, Nov. 6, 2011

3. 5.5 — El Reno, Canadian County, April 9, 1952 4. 5.1 — Fairview, Major County, Feb. 13, 2016

5. 4.9 — Bennington, Bryan County, Oct. 22, 1882 6. 4.8 — Prague, Lincoln County, Nov. 8, 2011 7. 4.8 — Prague, Lincoln County, Nov. 5, 2011 8. 4.8 — Fairview, Major County, Jan. 6, 2016

9. 4.7 — Carmen, Alfalfa County, Nov. 19, 2015

10. 4.7 — Nash, Grant County, Nov. 30, 2015 Source: Oklahoma Geological Survey

a child,” and taught him how to play it, Smith said. Smith has been playing for 54 years, “working on 55,” he said. Bonnie Amspacher, owner and cook at The Diner, said Smith just showed up one day and started playing music on the sidewalk. “He had some trouble with a couple of other places on the block that didn’t want him to play in front of their businesses,” Amspacher said, “and I said, ‘you can play in front of my business anytime you want,’ because I think it’s amazing. I really appreciate him doing it.”

“I can’t read a lick of music... Everything you’ve heard me playing today? I just picked it up just by playing it.” STEVE SMITH, LOCAL GUITARIST

Smith’s repertoire includes songs by Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, the Eagles, Van Morrison and Eric Clapton. Smith’s favorite singers are Ray Price, a country music singer from the ‘40s and ‘50s, and Hank Locklin, who “did a bunch of pretty

music way back when,” Smith said. Smith is a self-taught musician and advises young people who love music to “go through with it,” he said. “Don’t just fiddle around. Go get lessons. Learn all your basic chords. I can’t read a lick of music,” he said. “Everything you’ve heard me playing today? I just picked it up just by playing it.” Jeanne Walters, a frequent patron at The Diner, said she sees Smith playing outside the restaurant every time she comes by. “He’s always here (with a) happy face, just trying to cheer up people. Everybody loves to hear him,” she said. Smith is considered “a fixture” in Norman, Walters said. “It’s important for anybody, especially people who have a handicap, but anybody, to get out and mingle with adults and people,” she said. “It’s their life. It’s their livelihood. If you don’t have that, you don’t have anything.” Smith plays for tips, most of which go straight to the Food & Shelter for Friends homeless shelter, Smith said. “I do this because it gives somebody a little hope, and that’s what it’s all about,” Smith said. Molly Kruse

Molly.kruse@ou.edu

Major earthquake shakes Oklahoma Saturday’s magnitude 5.6 ties state’s record, may be upgraded to 5.7 STAFF REPORTS

Thirty-seven wastewater disposal wells will be shut down following an earthquake that was tied for the strongest ever re corde d in O klahoma, the Associated Press reports. Wastewater disposal wells are the primary cause of the recent increase in U.S. earthquakes, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Oklahoma has about 4,200 total wastewater wells,

which means less than 1 percent of the wells are being shut down. The magnitude 5.6 quake, which struck just after 7 a.m. in Pawnee, Oklahoma, Saturday is tied with a 2011 quake in Prague, Oklahoma as the strongest recorded quake in the state. However, the USGS told Bill Schammert of KTUL Tulsa that the quake may be upgraded to a magnitude 5.7. A magnitude upgrade of one tenth of one would make the Pawnee quake the largest recorded in state history. “There are several different magnitude scales, so it’s not that simple,” said Daniel McNamara, a USGS geophysicist. “The recent Pawnee quake is slightly

larger than the Prague event.” “There’s some discussion on which magnitude estimate will eventually be the official magnitude,” he said. Although the quake was felt in Nebraska, Arkansas and Texas, as well, no major damage was reported. Gov. Mary Fallin did declare a state of emergency in Pawnee County, however. The declaration allows the state to make emergency purchases related to disaster relief and preparedness, according to a press release from Fallin. Jordan Overton contributed to this report. Staff Reports

YOUR

VIEW

A handful of our favorite earthquake-related tweets from Saturday. Go online for more:

NICK HATHAWAY @NJSooner1

So thankful to hear no damage yet reported at OU!

NATALIE BACH @nbach1

Earth: “WAKE UP IT’S GAMEDAY”