2021 Tulsa World Outlook Quality of Life Special Section

SPECIAL SECTION

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TULSAWORLD.COM

OUTLOOK2021 A city of

RENEWAL

CREATIVITY OF TULSANS RISES TO NEW LEVELS INSIDE Visual arts find new ways to connect with audiences. 14

Restaurants recover after devastating year. 15

Area attractions offer entertainment for all interests. 16

Performing arts get creative following pandemic. 18

Great places to hike are available in Tulsa area. 19

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TULSA WORLD

TOM GILBERT, TULSA WORLD FILE

The sun rises on the Tulsa skyline on Aug. 23.

Working together for

A BRIGHTER FUTURE G.T. BYNUM

Tulsa Mayor

R

ecently, we have seen Tulsa’s resilience reveal itself and grow through the COVID-19 pandemic and the two-week historic winter storm.

As more people receive their COVID vaccines, conditions are improving, but we still must continue our vigilance to prevent a resurgence of the virus.

Because COVID-19 has affected not only our physical health but also our economic health, our recovery must include both areas. Partnering with the Tulsa Economic Development Corporation, we created the Resilience and Recovery Fund to offer $2.1 million in zero-interest loans to small businesses. And we have used our COVID-19 relief funds on several fronts, from sheltering individuals experiencing homelessness, to providing Tulsa Parks School Support Camps for virtual learning while parents go to work, to helping low-income households connect to the internet for online schooling, among others.

Words are not enough, but I must express my most sincere thanks for the tireless work of our city of Tulsa public servants during the recent extreme winter weather. I am proud of our employees’ response during the crisis, working countless hours in uncomfortable conditions to help their neighbors’ lives return to normal. To clear ice and snow from streets, city crews worked a 24-hour operation for nearly two weeks, applying brine and salt and plowing snow. Their efforts brought good results, making the streets drivable for commuting to work and other necessary travel.

While our Streets and Stormwater Department was busy making the roads safe, the Water and Sewer Department battled

STEPHEN PINGRY, TULSA WORLD

A crew works on a broken waterline at 21st Street and Maplewood Avenue in Tulsa on Feb. 19. a record number of watermain breaks — more than 430 — during a month that usually averages a fraction of that. Our waterline repair crews and contractors were working around the clock to fix the waterlines as fast as possible. The waterline breaks, combined with faucets running constantly to prevent freezing pipes, resulted in loss of service to some of our customers. I appreciate residents’ patience and understanding during those days of unprecedented strain on our water system.

Along with challenges, we also are seeing successes, especially

through our Vision Tulsa and Improve Our Tulsa capital improvement programs. In 2021, we are anticipating completion of several projects, including widening South Mingo Road between 71st and 81st streets, the Route 66 Village Train Depot, the Langston University Allied Health Center and the USA BMX National Headquarters.

Recently, we began construction on Zink Dam in the Arkansas River and Fire Station 33 in east Tulsa. Major projects to begin in 2021 include a new pedestrian bridge across the river, widening South Yale Avenue between

81st and 91st streets, and design and planning of a new Gilcrease Museum.

In 2021, we also are preparing to mark 100 years since the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre that resulted in innocent lives lost and Black Wall Street in the Greenwood District destroyed.

In recent years, we have begun to acknowledge and teach this part of our history so that we will not forget or come close to repeating it. We are pursuing reconciliation in the present and building a better future for all of Tulsa, including historic Greenwood and the north side.

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As construction of the Muncie Power Products headquarters nears completion in the Peoria-Mohawk Business Park, we have set up a tax increment finance district to invest in north Tulsa neighborhoods.

As Tulsans, we can create a brighter future by working together as a community. Through systematic investment in our neighborhoods and businesses, we are continuing to build the kind of city future generations of Tulsans will be proud of. Thank you for your help in working to make Tulsa a better place to live and thrive.

TULSA WORLD

SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 2021 |

Know the difference between emergency and urgent care.

Whether it is wearing a mask and maintaining social distance when you are out in public, or being alert when you are behind the wheel of a car, staying safe is always the goal. But health scares and accidents can happen to anyone, at any time. When they do, you want to be ready.

Here’s how to know where you should go.

When to visit Urgent Care: “Urgent care fills a gap for people who become ill or injured and their primary care physician is unavailable or cannot take an immediate appointment. We have X-ray equipment, an onsite lab and very experienced personnel,” says Dana K. Davis, M.D., a member of the Warren Clinic Urgent Care team who is board certified in both internal medicine and pediatrics.

If a patient needs a higher level of care, urgent care physicians coordinate care with the receiving physician in the ER, saving you pain and discomfort, as well as time and money.

“Urgent care wait times are generally shorter, on average, than the ER,” says Dr. Davis. “And while insurance plans vary, the urgent care costs are generally in line with your primary care co-pay.”

Emergency Center and Pediatric Emergency Center, as well as Saint Francis Hospital South and Saint Francis locations in Glenpool, Vinita and Muskogee.

24/7 Virtual Urgent Care:

During these difficult times, people have sacrificed or delayed care because of the pandemic. Please do not wait to get the care you or a loved one needs.

For added convenience, you can schedule an urgent care appointment online as well as access Virtual Urgent Care 24/7 through saintfrancis.com/urgentcare or by signing into your Saint Francis MyChart account.

When to visit the Emergency Room: If you are in a life- or limb-threatening situation, do not delay or try to “tough it out”—get to the ER as soon as possible.

Saint Francis Health System offers emergency services 24 hours a day, seven days a week at several hospital locations, including Saint Francis Hospital’s Trauma

Don’t delay your healthcare.

As Oklahoma’s largest health system, Saint Francis offers state-of-the-art services, convenient locations, 24/7 availability and an expert team of dedicated professionals who are committed to providing you and your loved ones the best possible health outcomes—anytime and anywhere.

Know when you should visit the urgent care or emergency room, and develop a plan of action in advance.

Visit the Emergency Room

Visit Urgent Care

Call 911

• • • • • • • • • • •

• General cold and flu symptoms: cough, sore throat, fever, aches and pains • Cuts and minor wounds that require stitches • Mild respiratory symptoms • Breathing difficulties, such as mild to moderate asthma • Minor accidents or falls • Muscle sprains and strains • Minor burns, insect bites, rashes and mild allergic reactions • Fractures (not compound) of wrist, hand, ankle or foot • Abdominal pain and/or symptoms of gastrointestinal illness • Rash without fever

• Shortness of breath/difficulty breathing • Symptoms of heart attack, including: • Chest pain • Pain in left arm • Pain in jaw • Sudden weakness or dizziness • Symptoms of stroke, including: • Slurred speech • Severe headache • Weakness or numbness on one side of face or body • Loss of consciousness • Anaphylaxis • Any other life- or limb-threatening injury or illness

if you have any of the following:

• • • • • • •

if you have any of the following:

Broken bones and dislocated joints Deep cuts that require stitches Severe flu or cold symptoms Severe respiratory symptoms Sudden change in mental state High fever Fever with rash Fever in infants Fainting or loss of consciousness Head or eye injuries Severe pain (especially in the chest, abdomen or lower back) Bleeding that won’t stop Vaginal bleeding with pregnancy Repeated vomiting Serious burns Seizures without a previous diagnosis of epilepsy Overdose Loss of vision

if you experience:

Warren Clinic 24/7 Virtual Urgent Care

Warren Clinic Urgent Care Locations

Connect to a local, Saint Francis provider via video chat anytime and anywhere through Warren Clinic 24/7 Virtual Urgent Care. To access, please visit saintfrancis.com/urgentcare or sign in to your Saint Francis MyChart account.

TULSA Springer Building 6160 South Yale Avenue

Saint Francis Health System Emergency Locations Saint Francis Trauma Emergency Center 6161 South Yale Avenue, Tulsa, OK (Southwest side of Saint Francis Hospital – main emergency entrance) Saint Francis Pediatric Emergency Center 6161 South Yale Avenue, Tulsa, OK (Southwest side of Saint Francis Hospital – pediatric emergency entrance) Saint Francis Hospital South 10501 East 91st Street South (91st and Hwy 169), Tulsa, OK

Saint Francis Glenpool 140 West 151st Street South Glenpool, OK Saint Francis Hospital Muskogee 300 Rockefeller Drive, Muskogee, OK Saint Francis Hospital Vinita 735 North Foreman, Vinita, OK

Tulsa Hills 7858 South Olympia Avenue South Memorial 10506 South Memorial Drive

BROKEN ARROW Elm Place 2950 South Elm Place, Suite 120 (101st Street and Elm Place) Kenosha 1801 East Kenosha Street (71st Street and OK-51) SAND SPRINGS 102 South Main Street

Warren Clinic Orthopedic Urgent Care 6475 South Yale Avenue, Suite 200 Tulsa, OK Monday – Friday: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

No appointment required.

saintfrancis.com

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ONE Gas ONE Gas accountant Angel Gonzalez participates in a Tulsa Habitat for Humanity home build.

PHOTOS COURTESY, ONE GAS

Foundation fuels community growth by filling community need N

ayely Perez, a junior at Tulsa Public Schools’ Nathan Hale High School, puts on a virtual reality headset. She’s no longer in her science classroom; she’s in a virtual surgical lab dissecting a heart.

In a virtual environment, students can create 3D images to help understand geometry, participate in dissections and science experiments and travel to Mars or Madagascar without leaving their school campus. Students enjoy the cutting-edge technology, and their teachers appreciate the opportunity to broaden their students’ awareness of learning concepts while saving money on travel or additional materials.

The foundation primarily focuses giving on three areas: education and workforce development, community engagement and disaster recovery, and community collaboration and development.

In 2020, the foundation gave more than $2.4 million to more than 200 nonprofit organizations across the three states.

“Today’s students are visual and experiential learners,” said Dr. Sheila Riley, principal of Nathan Hale High School. “Introducing them to new concepts, new worlds and even new vocations through virtual learning will increase engagement and deepen their understanding of key concepts allowing them to apply knowledge to the world around them immediately.”

Perez is just one of the hundreds of students at Nathan Hale who will benefit from virtual reality learning this year, thanks to a grant from the ONE Gas Foundation, a 501©(3) nonprofit organization, that provides charitable support in communities served by ONE Gas Inc. and its natural gas distribution companies.

The ONE Gas Foundation partners with nonprofit education crowdfunding site DonorsChoose to fund STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) classroom projects and initiatives in the company’s three-state footprint. In 2020, the Foundation funded 71 STEAM project requests from Oklahoma teachers through DonorsChoose, supporting 15,530 students at 62 different school sites.

“Leveraging the crowdfunding technology has connected us to even more need in our communities and allowed us to more than double the total number of schools we’ve served,” said Julie White, vice president of Communications, Public Affairs and Inclusion and Diversity at ONE Gas. “We’re honored to partner with schools to help develop the students of today for the jobs of tomorrow.”

tions across the three states. The foundation operates independently from ONE Gas. “By contributing financially and through volunteer work, we can help build stronger communities and create a better quality of life for our employees, customers and the communities we serve,” White said.

Care during the COVID-19 crisis

In 2020, ONE Gas Foundation giving expanded beyond organizations in need and directly to the heroes helping on the frontlines of the pandemic. More than 3,280 meals were provided to frontline workers including hospital teams and emergency crews.

“During a time of challenge, community partners have the opportunity to show simple actions of support to those in need,” White said.

“Frontline workers gave countless hours to protect the most vulnerable in our community. It was our pleasure to express our gratitude and support through a warm meal.”

Additionally, more than $428,000 was given to help local communities with housing support and homelessness, food insecurity, access to health care and medical testing, behavioral and mental health and help with utility bills.

Doubling the impact

The pandemic restricted in-person service and gatherings in 2020, which resulted in much lower than usual volunteer opportunities. Employees at ONE Gas did not let the challenges hamper their generosity and still gave 811 personal hours in support of their charities of choice the year. Through volunteering, employees collaborated on projects that benefited their communities and nonprofit organizations.

“While 2020 changed our lives in many ways, it didn’t change the needs in our communities,” said Rex Wilson, director of audit ser-

vices for ONE Gas. “In a safe way, I was proud to still be able to support organizations like Boy Scouts of America and Bristow Soccer Club and make a positive impact on my community.”

To double the impact of ONE Gas employees’ generosity, the ONE Gas Foundation matches employee and retiree giving dollar-for-dollar to 501©(3) nonprofit organizations in the company footprint. The program matches up to $5,000 per employee and $1,000 per retiree each year. In 2020, the foundation gave 161 matching grants totaling $155,199.

United Way giving

Supporting United Way campaigns is a long-standing tradition for ONE Gas employees. The foundation encourages employee giving by matching contributions dollar-for-dollar.

Support of United Way begins at the top with many company leaders serving in a variety of United Way volunteer roles. Caron Lawhorn, senior vice president and chief financial officer, served as campaign chair for the Tulsa Area United Way in 2020 and saw firsthand how the Tulsa community and ONE Gas employees stepped up in big ways to take care of neighbors in need.

“Even though many United Way campaigns were virtual in 2020, the needs were 100% physical and real,” Lawhorn said. “I’m grateful for the businesses, the individual givers and the foundations that keep showing up for their friends, family members and neighbors in need.”

In 2020, the ONE Gas Foundation and 2,437 employees gave a total of $1,623,064, supporting 62 United Way campaigns throughout Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas.

For more information on the ONE Gas Foundation, visit onegas.com.

Supporting communities

Public school funding is just one of the many ways the ONE Gas Foundation supports the communities where ONE Gas provides natural gas distribution services in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas.

The foundation primarily focuses giving on three areas: education and workforce development, community engagement and disaster recovery, and community collaboration and development. Giving priorities align with the ONE Gas core values of safety, ethics, inclusion and diversity, service and value. In 2020, the foundation gave more than $2.4 million to more than 200 nonprofit organiza-

ONE Gas volunteers Karen Hull, Tammy Shank and April Murry paint planters at Rosa Parks Elementary School during Tulsa Area United Way’s Day of Caring.

ONE Gas 15 E. Fifth St., Tulsa, OK, 74103 918-947-7000 | onegas.com

TULSA WORLD

SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 2021 |

Thank You

from all of us to all of you, for helping make natural gas part of Tulsa’s sustainable energy future.

ONEGas.com

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Cox Business Cloud Solutions

The ABCs of Cloud Computing T

he adoption of cloud computing by more and more businesses today continues to soar in popularity, and it’s easy to understand why. With its low upfront cost and benefits that can include increased efficiency, anywhere access, improved cash flow and reduced risk during a disaster or cyber breach, it’s hard to imagine why any company would not consider making a move to the cloud.

Cloud computing is a technology that uses a network of remote servers to store, manage and process data, rather than using the traditional local servers your business might have on-site today.

JASON LUDWIG

Tulsa Sales Director Cox Business

Cloud computing is not some future technology that’s still being developed; it’s a highly versatile IT solution that’s here now, and it’s bringing greater flexibility, enhanced security, increased agility, and unlimited potential to businesses of all sizes.

Think of it as internet computing. With the cloud, your company’s critical data and computing resources are securely stored offsite in a remote location and delivered to authorized users through the internet. The “cloud” really means the same thing as the internet.

Why are so many businesses implementing a cloud solution?

Cloud computing is becoming the “go-to” solution for businesses of all sizes because it provides IT growth opportunities, reliable quality, affordable pricing, easy collaboration and simple data access.

It also goes without saying that COVID-19 was an unexpected wake-up call for companies and organizations everywhere.

The pandemic continues to be a weighty reminder of the importance of IT system resilience, agility, adaptability and scalability, and moving to the cloud is, without a doubt, one of the most efficient and effective ways to innovate and grow.

Cox Business is helping companies define their cloud strategies through a myriad of solutions. Here’s a look at just a few of the benefits that can be gained through a cloudsmart approach to business.

Work anytime, anywhere

With the virtual desktop infrastructure a cloud solution provides, employees can work anytime, anywhere, as opposed to depending on a literal physical desktop. Cloud offers employees the capability to have all their files on hand and accessible from any device. The world has gone mobile, and with virtual desktops in the cloud, users can take their desktop environment with them on their tablets, smartphones, laptops and other devices.

Along with this, add a highly productive application like Microsoft 365, and your team can communicate and collaborate seamlessly and virtually from anywhere. Cox Business can help build out a company’s

Microsoft 365 environment in a custom manner, as well as provide a level of support that includes features like email back-up, digital enablement, Rapid Response support and 24/7 monitoring.

Manage costs with virtual servers

Virtual servers based in the cloud eliminate the maintenance requirements of in-house servers. This includes hardware, cabling, cooling devices, backup generators and more. Virtual servers provide flexible, standardized and seamless operating environments; this allows applications to perform at their peak without downtime. And most managed cloud resources can be delivered at a “pay-as-you-go” cost, which allows you to operate like an enterprise-level company, no matter what your business size.

Ensure business continuity

Losing critical data is detrimental to any business, and housing data in-house poses the highest risk of complete loss in the event of a disaster. This risk can be avoided with the cloud. Cloud disaster recovery and business continuity solutions will secure business data and ensure minimal downtime in the event of a disaster. With the cloud, a company’s business applications and data are always safe and accessible.

Reduce business expense

The time and money that go into traditional IT operations are essentially eliminated with the cloud. Given that the cloud provider manages the hardware and software for you, it’s virtually a capital-expenditure free solution. Cox Business Cloud Solutions allow a business to pay for what it uses, so you don’t spend money on unneeded services.

Scale up or down as needed

Scalability essentially means the ability to manage network needs and IT resources — for example, more or less computing power, storage and bandwidth — when and where it’s needed in a highly flexible manner.

In the cloud, businesses can scale easily, drive operational efficiency and manage shifting computing needs with the cloud’s flexible resources. Having the ability to scale is essential for most organizations, big and small. Infrastructure is expensive, and cloud computing helps businesses avoid these costs while maintaining the ability to scale up or down in any situation.

A simplified IT solution

With the constant advancement of technology and applications, businesses want solutions that are easy to use, no matter

Cox Business Cloud Solutions 11811 E. 51st St., Tulsa, OK, 74146 coxbusiness.com/cloud

what device employees are working from.

Not only is the cloud a simple environment to use and navigate, it’s also reliable, convenient and constant.

The cloud’s virtual environment provides a familiar interface that’s universal across all devices. Cox Business Cloud Solutions is a managed service, which means we handle the design, testing, migrations and implementations ongoing upgrades. This lets you and your team focus more on running your business, and less on managing your IT infrastructure.

Functional and practical mobility

Having multiple devices — laptop, tablet, phone and more — is now a normal occurrence for employees. Having different data on each one is not only impractical and inefficient, it’s also massively insecure.

Cloud computing removes this burden by providing an all-in-one business solution.

With the cloud, you and your employees can access information from any device through a Web browser or application. Everything is stored in an accessible, safe and secure cloud environment, so users won’t ever be without access to their files.

A trustworthy and secure platform

All companies want and need high levels of security, especially those that have highly confidential or delicate information. Cloud computing assures the highest security because it uses enterprise-class solutions for all physical and network security measures.

Many of our Cox Business Cloud Solutions meet and exceed standards like HIPAA and PCI. In addition to protecting a business from things like viruses, malware, hackers and rogue employees, most cloud security measures include full redundancy, encryption, 24/7 surveillance and monitoring, firewalls and more.

Any one of the fundamental benefits presented here should be enough to convince many business owners about the importance of a cloud migration strategy. But when you look at all the potential benefits the cloud has to offer, it’s really a nobrainer. That’s why more and more companies are using the cloud to help push their business to higher levels of performance, profitability and sustainability.

For more information about Cox Business Cloud Solutions, reach out to your Tulsa Cox Business account executive, or visit coxbusiness.com/cloud.

SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 2021 |

TULSA WORLD

Upgrading to cloud-based IT, nearly invisibly It’s not fantasy. It’s Cox Business Cloud Solutions.

Nearly seamless migration and onboarding. Management finally green-lighted those cloud services. Now all eyes are on you. No worries. With Cox Business Cloud Solutions, you’ll team with experienced professionals who lead implementations full time. We’ll evaluate your current environment and get you up and running with virtually no disruption to productivity.

Then we’ll stick around to help train IT staff and users. So let them stare. You/we got this.

Let’s Talk Reality coxbusiness.com/cloud | 866-961-1075

Seamless Migration | End-User Help Desk | Included Co-Management | All-In Pricing PAD107504-0007

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Tulsa Tech

Photos were taken before COVID.

Business and Industry Services team focused on training for companies H

elping businesses grow, prosper and maximize efficiency are key goals of the Business and Industry Services department at Tulsa Tech.

Through a combination of leadership training, safety training, consulting services and hands-on, industry-specific training for employees in the manufacturing sector, Tulsa Tech is able to serve a variety of businesses and tailor training to each business’ specific needs.

“The Business and Industry Services team is focused on delivering customized training programs for companies,” said Matt Litterell, director of Business and Industry Services at Tulsa Tech.

Industries served by Tulsa Tech’s workforce development training include computer software, construction, health care, welding, machining and many others.

“Anything you would get vocational training in, we can provide custom training for that company.”

Matt Litterell, Director of Business and Industry Services at Tulsa Tech

“Anything you would get vocational training in, we can provide custom training for that company,” Litterell said.

Companies in the manufacturing, construction and oil and gas industries are some of the largest served by Tulsa Tech’s Business and Industry Services team, including its specialized safety training services. These training options can include topics such as accident investigation, electrical safety, fire protection and safety, personal protective equipment (PPE), Occupational and Safety Health Administration (OSHA) inspections and citations, indoor and outdoor crane and rigging safety, and on-site safety audits.

“We focus on two things (in safety training),” Litterell said. “First, we make sure they are compliant with all OSHA requirements. Then we identify gaps and ways to fill them.”

Through the partnership, participating manufacturing extension agents and applications engineers in Oklahoma are available to assist manufacturers in improving their bottom line and growing their company from the engineering and design phase on up, using a variety of services.

Another way in which Tulsa Tech helps companies achieve growth is by assisting them in identifying federal contracts for which they can apply. Tulsa Tech employs two consultants who help companies in seeking federal contracts.

“We help them get registered so they’re eligible and we work with them to identify if they qualify now for a federal contract or could qualify possibly through a restructuring,” he said. “We also can help them match a contract with their skill set.”

Tulsa Tech’s Business and Industry Services team also works closely with the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce in an effort to attract and recruit new businesses to the area, Litterell said. Included in that effort are training incentive packages that use state grants and funding to help new companies get established.

maximize their resources and output while minimizing costs.

“We use both in-house experts and outside vendors and share the cost with the company,” Litterell said of the program.

Continuous improvement services offered through this program include waste reduction, value stream mapping and Lean Six Sigma certification, among others. Lean Six Sigma is a managerial approach that aims to improve a company’s performance, while eliminating waste, but still assuring quality in production and organizational processes.

In the event a company must downsize or cease operations, Tulsa Tech also can assist with that process and help laid-off employees find other positions, according to Litterell. Additional training for those employees is made available through the program should their new position require it.

“Oftentimes, we work with companies to connect them with resources to help those employees find positions elsewhere,” he said.

The Business and Industry Services program also offers specialized workforce development training for companies in the aerospace, welding and machining industries, using the latest technology to help them build their products faster and more efficiently.

“Every company has unique needs and requirements, and the training we do is delivered wherever the company needs it,” Litterell said, adding that the training generally is not a scheduled program, such as in a classroom, but rather an on-site, individualized approach specific to each company’s needs. “Eighty percent of the training is delivered at company sites.”

An extensive continuous improvement program also is available to businesses, Litterell said. With the help of industry experts, the program uses a combination of classroom training at one of Tulsa Tech’s six campuses, as well as on-site training to help businesses

Companies interested in participating in or learning more about the Business and Industry Services program at Tulsa Tech can schedule a one-one-one assessment by calling 918-828-5000 or visiting tulsatech.edu.

Part of the safety training program also includes assisting company leaders and management in learning how to quickly identify and resolve any potential workplace safety issues, according to Litterell.

“We have a walk-through program where we come out, walk through the job site and identify safety hazards,” he said.

Assisting new companies in the startup process is an important component of the Business and Industry Services team’s training programs, Litterell said.

“We also help new companies get established, work with them on business plans and connect them with lenders through our partnership with the SBDC (Small Business Development Center),” he said. “We take them from the idea stage to implementation and help get them to the next level of longterm growth and sustainability.”

Tulsa Tech’s Business and Industry Services team also offers manufacturing extension services to businesses by way of its partnership with the Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance.

Tulsa Tech P.O. Box 477200, Tulsa, OK, 74147 918-828-5000 • tulsatech.edu

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TULSA WORLD

IMPROVING YOUR BUSINESS IS OUR BUSINESS Customized training to meet your needs. Enhancing your training and professional development is more affordable than you think. We meet with your team and offer training and consulting in our facility or yours, in less time and for less money.

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Tulsa Symphony Orchestra

TOM GILBERT, TULSA WORLD FILE

Tulsa Symphony Orchestra was the first professional orchestra in the country to perform in front of a live audience, and they did so with a magnificent show of music by Beethoven featuring the Tulsa debut of legendary pianist Yefim Bronfman.

Using creativity to bring the arts to local audiences F

or Tulsa-area businesses and organizations, the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic and the safety and social distancing requirements designed to mitigate its devastation have prompted many changes in how they conduct operations.

The Tulsa Symphony Orchestra is no exception and, like other community service organizations, its staff and board members have had to put their creativity to work in finding ways to continue bringing the arts to local audiences.

Ordinarily, the orchestra presents more than 30 major performances each season, including collaborations with other local arts organizations such as Tulsa Ballet and Tulsa Chorale, but the past year has brought about some never-before-seen challenges.

JOHN CLANTON, TULSA WORLD FILE

Executive Director Keith C. Elder

“When the pandemic hit last March, we were faced with a choice: Do we shut down altogether or do we get creative?”

Keith C. Elder, Executive Director, Tulsa Symphony Orchestra

“In our typical season, we have concerts that have an audience—we’re all in the same room together,” said Keith Elder, executive director of Tulsa Symphony Orchestra.

“When the pandemic hit last March, we were faced with a choice: Do we shut down altogether or do we get creative?”

Shutting down was not an option, Elder said.

“We have a service we have to provide to the community to bring them live music,” he said.

One way in which Tulsa Symphony Orchestra was able to continue bringing live music to audiences was through free radio broadcasts.

“Where do we reach the largest group of people? The radio.” Elder said. “We partnered with KWTU and recorded programs that were fresh and new that our community could hear on the radio.”

Tulsa Symphony Orchestra was able to produce the free programs thanks to a generous donor base, Elder said. He gives much of the credit to Tulsa Symphony Orchestra supporters for helping the organization continue enriching Oklahomans’ lives with the gift of music.

On September 5, Tulsa Symphony Orchestra held a live, socially distanced outdoor concert at ONEOK Field with strict COVID-19 safety protocols in place. The concert was the first of its kind to be held in the United States, Elder said, and was made possible after careful consultation with doctors and local public health officials.

During the 2020-2021 winter holiday season, Tulsa Symphony Orchestra partnered with KOTV Channel 6 and Griffin Communications to produce the “A Hometown Holiday” television special, which was broadcast commercial-free December 20 on KQCW Channel 19, Tulsa’s CW station. The program, in which Tulsa Symphony Orchestra musicians were accompanied by special guests such as KOTV’s LeAnne Taylor, Phil Armstrong, and renowned soprano Sarah Coburn, was rebroadcast December 20 and was made by possible by the generous support from the George Kaiser Family Foundation, Grace and Franklin Bernsen Foundation and Hillcrest Healthcare System.

“We brought in some of the top classical music engineers and sound experts,” Elder said of the television special, adding that several Emmy Award winners were among those helping to produce the event.

To continue bringing live music to local supporters and audiences, Tulsa Symphony Orchestra musicians also were required to follow stringent safety rules in order to be able to rehearse and perform together.

“Our musicians had to be socially distanced and masked,” he said, adding that the orchestra’s musicians have gone through multiple checkpoints with doctors and undergo frequent temperature checks starting 10 days before rehearsals. “Our musicians are some of the only ones in the country (for whom) most of their contract hasn’t changed. They’re still sharing their talents and gifts with the community.”

That gift also extends to Tulsa Symphony Orchestra’s young listeners. The orchestra’s annual Symphony by the Sea concert, an edu-

Tulsa Symphony Orchestra 117 N. Boston Ave., Tulsa, OK, 74103 918-584-3645 | tulsasymphony.org PA RT N E R S I N P RO G R E S S

cational performance held with an audience at the Oklahoma Aquarium, was not possible this year due to COVID-19 restrictions. The performance has been reformulated into a team-effort virtual program in which Oklahoma Aquarium staff help K-12 students across northeastern Oklahoma learn about different aquatic animals and habitats while they enjoy specially selected music provided

by Tulsa Symphony Orchestra musicians.

“We’re using all kinds of different mechanisms to provide this gift to the community,” Elder said.

And though the pandemic has curtailed Tulsa Symphony Orchestra’s usual schedule for the past year, the organization is easing back into live performances with its Fridays in the Loft series of concerts, which began at First Presbyterian Church this month and are held with strict safety protocols in place and a limited number of guests. The concerts also will be held at other venues, including Oklahoma Methodist Manor retirement community, and made available through a streaming service to other area assisted-living communities.

“We’re bringing live music to audiences safely,” Elder said.

Plans also are in the works for another outdoor concert to be held May 14 at ONEOK Field. In mid-April, Tulsa Symphony Orchestra’s 2021-2022 season, which opens in October, will be announced, Elder said, and hopes are high that the pandemic will have wound down to such an extent that a near-normal number of performances with live audiences will be able to be held.

“It will be our 15th year celebration,” Elder said, adding that orchestra supporters should stay tuned to local news and sign up for the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra e-mail list for updates. “It’s going to be a great year!”

For more information on the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra and its upcoming performance schedule, visit www.tulsasymphony. org or call 918-584-3645.

TULSA WORLD

SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 2021 |

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| SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 2021

TULSA WORLD

City of Collinsville

Business and housing are now growing in Collinsville “People like the small-town feel of Collinsville. It’s a great place to raise a family and especially with everything that’s been going on with the pandemic, they like being able to have more space.”

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or potential homeowners seeking a relaxed, small-town atmosphere combined with all of the benefits of living in a larger city, Collinsville fits the bill.

City of Collinsville 106 N. 12th St., Collinsville, OK, 74021 918-371-1010 cityofcollinsville.com

Just 20 miles north of Tulsa between U.S. 75 and 169, Collinsville has become an important center for both business and residential markets, with many companies choosing to locate there, as well as a housing industry that’s experienced significant growth in recent years.

“Collinsville has a natural charm,” said Collinsville City Planner Jessi Stringer, noting the city’s unique architecture. “Our Main Street has a very authentic aesthetic and people really crave that authenticity.”

A top-notch school system, family-friendly parks and proximity to Tulsa are some of

the qualities that have made Collinsville an attractive choice for families looking to relocate, Stringer said. Those attributes have helped spur new growth in the local housing market.

“Home prices in Collinsville on average have gone up 12% in the past year and sales are up by about 21%,” said Keeli Hand-Droege of Chinowth & Cohen Realtors.

Hand-Droege, whose team primarily sells new construction homes in Collinsville, said demand for new homes in the area is so great that they are often sold before the construction process is finished. An array of home choices and lots, many of which are ½ acre or larger, have made Collinsville a top choice for buyers who are looking for a bit more room than they might find elsewhere in

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the Tulsa metro area.

Collinsville’s central location means residents can easily commute to work in Tulsa, Bartlesville, Pryor and other surrounding cities, Hand-Droege said. The city’s conveniently located retail establishments, including the upcoming Shoppes at Cooper Ranch, a mixed-use development featuring everything from restaurants to medical offices, means residents also don’t have to drive far to get the things they need.

“People like the small-town feel of Collinsville,” Hand-Droege said. “It’s a great place to raise a family and especially with everything that’s been going on with the pandemic, they like being able to have more space.”

For more information, visit cityofcollinsville. com.

OUTLOOK 2021

TULSA WORLD

HOME AND GARDEN

MIKE SIMONS, TULSA WORLD FILE

Tulsa Botanic Garden features thousands of tulips.

Get inspiration from these local spots

NICOLE MARSHALL MIDDLETON

Tulsa World

T

ulsans have several locations for inspiration if they want to perk up their home landscape this season.

And there are many local experts willing to offer a friendly word of advice, too.

“Tulsa is fortunate to have many beautiful gardens and parks where we can go for inspiration. Of course, the main ones that should come to mind are Gathering Place, the Linnaeus Teaching Garden, Woodward Park and the Tulsa Botanic Garden. However, there are also beautiful gardens at Philbrook and Gilcrease museums,” said Tom Ingram, a Master Gardener with the OSU Extension.

“I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Tulsa Master Gardeners Demo Garden at the OSU Extension here in Tulsa. If you are up for a day trip, don’t forget the OSU Botanic Garden in Stillwater,” he said.

Get answers to all your gardening questions by calling the Tulsa Master Gardeners Help Line at 918-746-3701, dropping by the Diagnostic Center at the OSU Extension 4116 E. 15th St., or by emailing mg@tulsamastergardeners.org.

“If you are into a more rustic approach to the outdoors, check out Fly Catcher Trail in Jenks or the Red Bud Valley Nature Trail. I also think our local garden centers are fun to browse through for inspiration,” Ingram said.

The Tulsa World features columns every Sunday by members of the Tulsa Master Gardeners and by Tulsa Garden Center Director of Horticulture Barry Fugatt.

Here are three great locations to visit.

Tulsa Botanic Garden

3900 Tulsa Botanic Drive 918-289-0330, tulsabotanic.org

Spring is the perfect time to make a visit to the Tulsa Botanic Garden.

The garden is filled with thousands of tulips, and organizers schedule fun events for all ages through the season.

Working with landscape architects from Dallas, Atlanta and Tulsa, Tulsa Botanic Garden unveiled its master plan in December 2012, which lays out a vision for developing 60 acres of gardens over 25 years.

This plan concentrates garden spaces around a lake.

From the amphitheater on

BARRY FUGATT, FOR THE TULSA WORLD

A large, colorful Croton grows in a decorative container next to a water feature at the Linnaeus Teaching Garden.

the north side to the Children’s Discovery Garden, A.R. and Marylouise Tandy Floral Terraces and Inspiration Gardens on the west to a chapel, tropical conservatory and Edible Gardens on the east, these gardens highlight the worldwide importance of plants to civilization.

Woodward Park and the Linnaeus Teaching Garden 2435 S. Peoria Ave.

Woodward Park encompasses nearly 44 acres surrounded by neighborhoods established during the 1920s and 1930s. Woodward Park is best known for two garden areas, the Upper and Lower Rock Gardens and the formal terraces of the Tulsa Rose Garden.

Located on the southeast side of Woodward Park, between the Tulsa Arboretum and the Municipal Rose Garden, the Linnaeus Teaching Garden, dedicated on June 8, 2006, was designed to include teaching and demonstration gardens aimed at homeowners.

The Linnaeus Teaching Garden, a program of the Tulsa Garden Center, is a demonstration/teaching garden staffed by welltrained volunteers who share their knowledge and love of gardening with the public.

Every plant, every garden structure, every huge koi fish playing in the water feature is there because of someone’s generosity, including nursery industry partners and many local donors. Even the garden’s pristine upkeep is the handiwork of a small army of dedicated Linnaeus volunteers.

The Linnaeus Teaching Garden typically opens for the season at the end of February, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the center has not opened this year. Follow the Tulsa Garden Center Facebook page

TULSA WORLD FILE

More than 20 varieties of plants can be seen at Gathering Place.

for updates on the opening season.

Gathering Place

2650 S. John Williams Way

Gathering Place is one of the newer options for gardening inspiration in Tulsa.

As the spring planting season approaches, the park can serve as a living example to help Tulsans along their own path toward creating a native plant landscape.

Oklahoma is home to 2,500 native species of plants, and 400 of those can be found at the park.

The advantages with native plants are multifold.

The plants are adapted to Oklahoma soil types and crazy weather patterns that hop from torrential storms to periods of drought. Native grasses and plants also tend to set deeper roots that prevent erosion, and they require less mowing, watering and fertilization.

The main thing is to choose plants that are suited for your location. Some native plants do well in shaded, wet lowlands or forests, while others are suited more to the high, open plains.

Sixteen acres at Gathering Place is planted with a mix designed for the park by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas at Austin. nicole.marshall@tulsaworld. com

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Arts organizations get creative during the pandemic JAMES D. WATTS JR.

Tulsa World

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or Tulsa’s visual arts venues — from major museums to artist-run galleries — adapting to the “new normal” of having to accommodate all the restrictions on public gatherings proved to be a challenge most were able to master.

When the coronavirus pandemic had its first outbreak and public venues were forced to close, the Philbrook Museum of Art and Gilcrease Museum were able to create and implement new virtual ways of connecting with audiences.

Gilcrease Museum, 1400 N. Gilcrease Museum Road, had years before begun to digitize a substantial portion of its extensive holdings of art and artifacts about the history of the Americas, so people could browse through images of iconic paintings and sculptures.

It also reached out to local professional and amateur artists, requesting they share work created during the lockdown as part of a regular “Artists in Quarantine” feature on Gilcrease’s social media platforms.

Gilcrease and Philbrook, 2727 S. Rockford Road, used social media to host a variety of educational events, from artists guiding viewers through hands-on art projects made with household materials to curator talks and artist interviews.

Philbrook also helped its most popular staff members — the museum’s resident cats — keep close to their fans with a “pen pal” program that drew correspondence from as far away as England.

The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art, 2021 E. 71st St., took advantage of the enforced downtime to complete the installation of its new permanent exhibit, the Sanditen/Kaiser Holocaust Center, a two-level, multimedia immersive look into the history of the Holocaust.

Ahha Tulsa opened the newest iteration of its immersive art show, “The Experience: Imagine,” in which six Tulsa artists were given much of the second floor of the Hardesty Arts Center, 101 E. Archer St., to craft multimedia worlds for visitors to explore.

Other galleries turned to online platforms, such as 108 Contemporary, 108 E. Archer St., which would post video “walk-

TULSA WORLD

VISUAL ARTS

FINDING NEW WAYS

TO CONNECT “Art Deco Through the Looking Glass,” a photograph

by Belinda Krause, is part of the “Assignment: Tulsa” exhibit at Gilcrease Museum.

COURTESY, BELINDA KRAUSE

throughs” of its current exhibits, and the Liggett Studio, which posted images from its monthly shows on its website.

Once restrictions were eased and venues could welcome the public back inside, most facilities put new guidelines into place, such as timed admissions to limit the total number of people in the facility at a given time and establishing paths through exhibits to encourage social distancing.

It’s likely these changes will continue through much of the coming year, as we continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. But local arts venues will still offer shows and exhibits that will uplift and challenge viewers, whether in person or virtually.

Philbrook, for example, has on display two major shows, both curated locally, that deal with the Black experience in America, presented in conjunction with the centennial of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

“From the Limitations of Now” is an exhibit that spans Ameri-

MICHAEL NOBLE JR., TULSA WORLD

An art piece by Arcmanoro Niles is part of the exhibit “From The Limitations of Now” at Philbrook.

can history and fills a good portion of the Philbrook museum and grounds with works by African-American artists from throughout the 20th century and the country. “Views of Greenwood” brings together photographs by three Tulsa photogra-

But until that starts, explore the museum’s world-famous collections of the art of the American West with artists such as Remington and Russell and take in “Assignment: Tulsa,” an exhibit created in partnership with the Photographers of Tulsa Group, featuring images of Tulsa taken over a six-month span.

The Sherwin Miller Museum’s Holocaust exhibit is certainly a powerful experience, but the museum, 2021 E. 71st St., also is home to one of the finest collections of Judaica in the southwest, from items used in Jewish worship services to fine art by Jewish artists from around the world.

And to get a taste of the local arts scene, join one of the city’s “Art Crawl” events in various neighborhoods, such as the Tulsa Arts District just north of downtown, the Meadow Gold District on 11th Street between Peoria and Utica avenues, and the Art Emporium 66 Market on the west side.

phers, whose work chronicles the people and culture of this iconic Tulsa neighborhood through much of the 20th century.

Gilcrease Museum is planning to begin a major renovation project in 2021 that will require the museum to close to the public. james.watts@tulsaworld.com

MUSIC

Books help to fill the live-concert void

JIMMIE TRAMEL

Tulsa World

E

ven during a year when a pandemic caused the world to hit the pause button on live music, the musical legacy of Tulsa (and Oklahoma) still found a way to rise up and entertain people.

First, let’s state again for the record that Tulsa is blessed with acclaimed “listening rooms” of all sizes, from the BOK Center (which continues to gain recognition as one of the nation’s best concert arenas) to casino venues to the Tulsa Theater (formerly Brady Theater) and historic Cain’s Ballroom.

It was business as usual during the first two months of 2020.

Celine Dion, Miranda Lambert, Pitbull and Brantley Gilbert were among performers at BOK Center.

Foreigner, Styx, Rick Springfield, Bret Michaels and Chaka Khan graced casino stages. Cain’s Ballroom hosted more than 20 music artists between Jan. 1 and the first week of March.

Then came COVID-19.

KISS, scheduled to perform March 12, 2020, with David Lee Roth, announced on the day of the show that the band’s farewell tour was being put on hold. Other postponements and cancellations came in waves as the music world chose to err on the side of safety. Cain’s Ballroom has resumed limited-at-

TULSA WORLD FILE

Miranda Lambert was among artists who performed at the BOK Center in 2020 before COVID-19 caused the music world to hit the pause button. tendance shows, but larger venues are still silent.

The last no-precautions-required show at Cain’s Ballroom was, fittingly, a March 7, 2020, performance by Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys, a band that continues in the tradition of Wills (who died in 1975) and the original Texas Playboys. From 1935 to 1942, Cain’s Ballroom was the home of Wills and the Texas Playboys. The group gave Cain’s a reputation as the Carnegie Hall of Western swing music.

And speaking of Cain’s Ballroom, here’s how the musical legacy of

Tulsa still found a way to entertain people in music-interrupted 2020: If ever there was a year to hunker down at home with a book, 2020 was it. And, perfect timing, 2020 was a bonanza year for music books with connections to Oklahoma.

John Wooley and Brett Bingham teamed to explore the rich history of Cain’s Ballroom in “Twentieth-Century Honky Tonk.” Interested in getting a firsthand account of the legendary Sex Pistols show at Cain’s? You’ll find it in the book.

Josh Crutchmer, a print planning editor at the New York Times,

wrote the definitive book on Red Dirt music: “Red Dirt: Roots Music Born in Oklahoma, Raised in Texas, At Home Anywhere.”

Linda Wolf was an official tour photographer when Tulsa’s Leon Russell was the band leader on Joe Cocker’s epic Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour in 1970. In celebration of the 50th anniversary, she wrote “Tribute: Cocker Power.”

Said a promo for the book: “It was a two-month traveling hippie circus that left hotel managers tearing their hair out, concert promoters screaming about a dog on stage, girls dancing naked on the rooftops of a New York City hotel and 43 people, including three kids and a five-person film crew, traveling together on a private jet that had ‘Cocker Power’ painted on its side. It was pure art, and one of the greatest rock ’n’ roll tours of all time.”

Tulsa author Greg Renoff has earned a reputation as an unofficial Van Halen biographer because of his book “Van Halen Rising” and because of a 2020 follow-up, “Ted Templeman: A Producer’s Life in Music.” Templeman, a “super producer” in the music world, produced early albums by Van Halen and the Doobie Brothers.

Peter Frampton published a 2020 memoir (“Do You Feel Like I Do?”) that isn’t Tulsa-centric,

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but it’s a heck of a read and, for context, you should know that a 1976 Frampton concert Tulsa Fairgrounds Speedway was profitable enough that Larry Shaeffer of Little Wing Productions took the earnings and completed the terms of a deal to purchase Cain’s Ballroom. Frampton launched his farewell tour (interrupted by the pandemic) at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.

One more: “Actress Misty Rowe (who considers herself an honorary Oklahoman) published her autobiography in 2020. She was a longtime cast member on the country music and comedy show “Hee Haw,” alongside Tulsans Roy Clark, Gailard Sartain and Jana Jae. Two chapters of the book are devoted to her experiences on a show where the comedy was intentionally corny and the musical guests were often the best in the country genre.

Now let’s turn another page.

As vaccinations continue to ramp up, there is hope that we can move on from COVID-19 and get back to packing venues for live music again. The “when” has yet to be determined, but Tulsa has the facilities, the music lovers and the creatives to eventually hit all the right notes again. jimmie.tramel@tulsaworld.com

OUTLOOK 2021

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SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 2021 |

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RESTAURANTS

Popular spots survive devastating year

Local restaurateurs look to fully reopen, while others expand ANDREA EGER

Tulsa World

T

he coronavirus pandemic was a devastating blow to restaurant businesses across the globe, but there are numerous signs of pandemic recovery popping up among the survivors in Tulsa who were able to hang on — and even some new restaurants opening in 2021.

Calaveras Mexican Grill shuttered its popular brick-and-mortar restaurant in Tulsa’s Kendall-Whittier district in spring 2020 and shifted to operating solely from a food truck used only for catering and special events previously.

Now, the Molina family is taking with it legions of new Calaveras fans picked up from food truck visits to neighborhood associations and businesses across the metro and lessons learned during the pandemic and gearing up to reopen their restaurant this spring.

“We have gone to different parts of Tulsa and Owasso, Broken Arrow, Bixby and Jenks. Luckily, we were able to expand our reach,” said assistant manager David Molina Jr. “During this time, we’ve done a little remodeling and painting. And the pandemic sort of changed our mindset of the menu. It was quite large and has always been a topic of concern for us, so we’re going to do a whole revamp from the old menu — keeping a lot of favorites and introducing some new dishes.

“We’ll keep the same quality of food and the traditional recipes, but we’ve got some exciting new things for our customers.”

Popular Lone Wolf Banh Mi announced March 1 that it is hiring for all positions as it prepares to reopen dining rooms at its two locations.

“It’s been a year. Numbers looking good. Staff needs more hours.

We need more staff. Let’s make this

JOHN CLANTON, TULSA WORLD

People wait in line for their orders outside the Calaveras Mexican Grill food truck in the the Stonegate neighborhood in Broken Arrow. Calaveras shuttered its brick-and-mortar restaurant in Tulsa’s Kendall-Whittier district in spring 2020 and shifted to operating 100% from their food truck, which they used previously only for catering and special events. Serving in neighborhoods in parts of Tulsa far from their restaurant and many suburbs has greatly expanded their exposure and customer base.

happen,” read Lone Wolf’s Facebook post.

Waffle That!, a popular north Tulsa spot for chicken and waffles at 2115 N. Martin Luther King Blvd., introduced its second location in mid-February in a space that formerly housed Bamboo Thai Bistro at 5079 S. Yale Ave. And after subsisting on drivethrough service for nearly a year, the original location reopened its dining room to the public the first week in March.

“Everybody is recovering from the pandemic. There are a lot of people who shut down completely and those that are cutting back, but we just did the opposite. Business is booming,” said Angel Ogundare, manager at the north Tulsa location. “It’s all of our fans and it’s our syrup. We home-make all of our syrup and different sauces other chicken and waffle places don’t have, like sweet and spicy.”

TULSA WORLD FILE

Chef Kevin Nashan was reared in Santa Fe, where his family owned a beloved northern New Mexican restaurant, La Tertulia, for 27 years.

No grand opening on the Tulsa restaurant scene was more anticipated than La Tertulia, the new New Mexican-themed concept

the Blue Dome District downtown.

But other restaurateurs are also bucking the pandemic declines and pushing forward with new offerings in Tulsa.

Krab Kingz Seafood, a relatively small chain with about three dozen locations in the Midwest and South, opened its first Oklahoma spot in mid-January in a former diner space at 6921 S. Lewis Ave. Lamar Jackson, one of the franchise partners, used to live in Tulsa, so he was confident the Krab Kingz specialty would work here.

“We don’t consider ourselves Cajun. We are a Florida-style crab boil, which is different in style and presentation. Most people from north Florida know what this is, but other people are surprised by what we do,” Jackson said. “Because I lived in Tulsa years ago, I’m familiar with the culture, and Tulsa is kind of a foodie city.

There’s not a lot to do, but one of the things people in Tulsa do is they go out to eat.”

Krab Kingz specializes in trays and platters overflowing with crab legs, shrimp, lobster tails and fried catfish, accented with corn on the cob, boiled egg and sausage.

“You can make it at home, but by the time you buy all of the ingredients plus the time, spices and electricity it takes to make it, it’s better to go out and buy it,” Jackson said. “That’s part of the appeal.”

So far, business has been so good, the biggest challenge at the Tulsa location of Krab Kingz has been keeping up with customer demand for in-person dining.

“It’s been great. The location has exceeded our expectations.

We anticipated a year from now it would start taking off, but it’s taken off from the beginning,” Jackson said. “We’re pretty stringent on social distancing the tables, but we’ve got some dividers coming in to add a few more tables to keep up with the number of tables our customers want.”

by James Beard Award-winning chef Kevin Nashan, which opened in March next door to Nashan’s Peacemaker Lobster & Crab Co. in andrea.eger@tulsaworld.com

Services for a lifetime and peace of mind for patients

H

elping its patients get more out of life and enjoy the little moments by improving their hearing is the No. 1 goal of the team at Miracle-Ear Hearing Aid Center in Muskogee.

Miracle-Ear Hearing Aid Center

“We’re here to help,” said Michi Dyke of Miracle-Ear Hearing Aid Center, which includes a team of trained audiologists and hearing instrument specialists. “We do everything from beginning to end, and patients leave our location with an amazing set of hearing aids. We provide services for a lifetime and peace of mind for our patients.”

One of 19 Miracle-Ear locations statewide and part of a nationwide network that includes a total of 1,800 locations across the United States, the Muskogee branch provides an array of services, including hearing loss testing, hearing aid repairs and custom hearing aid fittings, Dyke said. Each hearing aid is fitted specifically to an individual patient’s ear through a special molding process.

technology, which enables users to better enjoy music, movies, television programs and reading.

Additionally, Miracle-Ear patients can seek repair services or assistance with their hearing aids at any of the 1,800 locations across the country, Dyke said.

Dyke also is proud of the Miracle-Ear Foundation, an organization that provides hearing aids to qualifying children and adults with limited hearing who could not otherwise afford them.

7103 S. Yale Ave., Tulsa, OK, 74136 918-894-4000 miracle-ear.com Modern hearing aids, such as those created

by Miracle-Ear, are so small and discreet that they are unnoticeable to others, Dyke said. They also come with features such as rechargeable batteries and Bluetooth

“If a person in our community is not able to afford hearing aids, the Miracle-Ear Foundation gives them hearing aids to help them hear better,” she said. “It’s a really nice thing to be able to do. A lot of people have been helped through the foundation.”

For more information, call 918-894-4000 or visit miracle-ear.com.

Take Your Quality of Life to a New Level

CALL 918-921-4940 TODAY! www.miracle-ear.com

Muskogee

1601 W. Okmulgee Ave

918-683-1234

Owasso

Broken Arrow

918-609-6550

918-286-3500

9045 N. 121st Ave., Ste. 1100

2005 W. Kenosha

Bixby

12345 S. Memorial Dr.

918-622-2773

Tulsa

71st & Yale (7103 S. Yale)

918-894-4000

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Jenks

807 East A Street

918-995-2222

Bartlesville

3019 SE Washington Blvd

918-876-0228

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TULSA WORLD

ENTERTAINMENT

OKPOP is under construction on Main Street across from Cain’s Ballroom.

MIKE SIMONS, TULSA WORLD

Area attractions offer

FUN FOR EVERYONE

OKPOP, dedicated to honoring Oklahoma creatives, is on its way

House Museum. The home was a filming site during the making of “The Outsiders.” It was restored and turned into a museum by music artist and “The Outsiders” fan Danny O’Connor.

JIMMIE TRAMEL

Church Studio

Tulsa World

A

person could get giddy watching construction rise above the landscape across from Cain’s Ballroom on North Main Street. When construction is finished, Tulsa will have a new entertainment option that is devoted to entertainment.

The Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture (OKPOP for short) will pay tribute to Oklahoma creatives — actors, musicians, artists — whose contributions enriched popular culture.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that so many artists, entertainers, actors and writers are from Oklahoma,” Garth Brooks said in a statement that is posted on okpop.org, the online site for the museum-to-be.

Just how many are there? See for yourself if you go to okpop. org and click on “creatives.” The online site is an appetizer for what awaits visitors when OKPOP debuts. The target date for opening is fall of 2022.

The three-story museum’s 60,000 square feet will include 25,000 feet dedicated to interpretative exhibit space, 8,000 feet for public performance event spaces (indoor and outdoor) and a 3,000-square-foot retail space.

“We have pretty much maximized the footprint of the property,” OKPOP’s Jeff Moore said during a “hardhat” tour. “There is not a wasted square inch of space in this building.”

Fortunately, there are other square inches of Tulsa to explore while you wait, including other attractions (Cain’s Ballroom, Woody Guthrie Center) in the same area that will be home to OKPOP. Let’s talk about some of the ex-

304 S. Trenton Ave. thechurchstudio.com

There’s another restoration project not far away. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Leon Russell once had a record label, Shelter Records, with offices in Tulsa and Los Angeles. In 1972, a Tulsa church at 304 S. Trenton Ave. was turned into a recording studio and home office for Shelter Records. Rockers could be found in and around Church Studio during that era. Among those signed to the Shelter Records label were the homegrown Gap Band and Tom Petty (the initial name for his group was Mudcrutch).

MICHAEL NOBLE JR., TULSA WORLD

People young and old walk through Gathering Place. isting entertainment options.

Tulsans — in the midst of a global pandemic has been extraordinary.

Gathering Place beat 19 other Gathering Place parks from across the country to 2650 S. Williams Way gatheringplace.org secure the new award. Check out gatheringplace.org before you Gathering Place, a sprawling visit. and see-it-to-believe-it park built on riverfront property, was Route 66 recently voted the nation’s best People travel from all over the city park in a readers’ choice com- world to get their kicks on Route petition sponsored by USA Today. 66. It’s easy to take things in your Two years earlier, Gathering Place own backyard for granted, but was named the nation’s best new Route 66 attractions are available attraction by a USA Today read- for homegrown folks, too. ers’ poll.

“I think what the pandemic has Admiral Twin Drive-In shown is that the team in place at 7355 E. Easton St. Gathering Place is world class,” 918-878-8099, Mayor G.T. Bynum said in a previ- admiraltwindrivein.com ously published Tulsa World story.

Speaking of retro, as Route 66 “The facility is amazing and one of a kind, but the programming the certainly is, how many towns are team continues to put together — gifted with a still-in-use drive-in always seeking ways to make the movie theater? The Admiral Twin park inviting and accessible to all Drive-In was more relevant than

STEPHEN PINGRY, TULSA WORLD FILE

Sally is among inhabitants of the Tulsa Zoo.

Go wild

Tulsa Zoo, 6421 E. 36th St. North; tulsazoo.org ever in 2020, when social distanc- Oklahoma Aquarium, 300 Aquarium ing became part of our lives. The Drive, Jenks; okaquarium.org Admiral Twin was the site of movies and concerts last year and it, Embrace the animal kingdom along with Circle Cinema, served at the Tulsa Zoo, which has come as a satellite site for the 2021 Sun- a long way since opening in the 1920s with 35 animals, includdance Film Festival. ing a brown bear (Boxer), a black The Outsiders House bear (Bozo) and a rhesus monkey (Waco).

Museum Or you can embrace the under731 N. Saint Louis Ave. water kingdom at the Oklahoma theoutsidershouse.com Aquarium, which opened in 2003 A significant scene in the 1983 and boasts the world’s largest exmovie “The Outsiders” was filmed hibit of bull sharks. at the Admiral Twin. Based on a young-adult novel by Tulsa au- Tee off thor S.E. Hinton, “The Outsiders” If you prefer the great outdoors, is credited with launching the ca- there are many hiking and golfing reers of a slew of young actors — options. Southern Hills, a private Matt Dillon, C. Thomas Howell, country club, is back in the busiRalph Macchio, Emilio Estevez, ness of hosting majors. Southern Hills, 2636 E. 61st. St., will host Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze.

If you want a refresher course the 2022 PGA Championship. on the movie, you can check out the displays inside the Outsiders jimmie.tramel@tulsaworld.com

IAN MAULE, TULSA WORLD

The Admiral Twin Drive-In and Circle Cinema screened films during the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.

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STEPHEN PINGRY, TULSA WORLD

The words “This Land is Your Land” are words to live by at Tulsa’s Woody Guthrie Center.

TULSA WORLD

SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 2021 |

Our team is

YOUR team BERNIE HELLER

MISTI RINEHART

Bernie Heller joined Tulsa World Media Company in June 2019 as vice president of advertising and promoted to president and director of sales and marketing in May 2020. He is considered a leader in the area of digital marketing solutions and has worked with clients in a broad array of industries. His career has included a number of senior level positions with organizations in major metropolitan markets including Dallas, New York and Washington, D.C.

Misti Rinehart, a Tulsa native, joined the Tulsa World as a sales manager in 2016, bringing more than 14 years of industry experience. In addition to her experience in print and digital media, Misti also has nine years of experience in event coordination as well as radio and television. The award-winning, passionate service and support she has provided local and national businesses has consistently delivered measureable results and substantial ROI for her clients.

SETH LOPEZ

KATHRYN BEZLER

Seth Lopez joins Tulsa World as a Sales Manager with over 12 years of experience in digital media. Prior to joining Tulsa World he most recently worked as a regional sales leader at Gannett and USA Today. He’s an award-winning advertising executive and earlier in career started a PR Agency serving clients in the music industry.

Kathryn Bezler has been with the Tulsa World for 16 years and is the classified manager. Over the years she has become versed in products and technology and works behind the scenes with her team to maximize campaigns. She helps sales representatives and clients in making good business decisions to help them and their businesses grow.

MATT FERREL

LIBBY FIRST

Our goal in client success is to do our best to maximize the value of advertising investment.

We focus on creating art, creating billing entries, and most importantly strategically build digital campaigns to reach clients’ goals. We work directly with our marketing consultants and their clients to create marketing plans that work!

Libby First is a Tulsa native and graduate of Northeastern State University. She has more than 24 years of achievement in marketing, public relations, sales and community relations for nationally touring Broadway shows across Oklahoma and Southwest Missouri. A marketing sales campaign strategist, she also develops communication and community outreach plans to inform, engage, and drive client objectives to maximize results.

LESLIE BROWN

MARK HILL

Leslie Brown provides strategic and practical advice to companies in a variety of industries.

She is an intentional thinker with knowledge in print, digital and event marketing activities. She uses data and research for each of her clients to cultivate successful campaigns.

Mark Hill focuses on home service industries, agricultural and the outdoors. He graduated from the University of Missouri and has worked in the Tulsa market for eight years. He works to help business owners take market share with a tactical approach to create a strong return on investment.

CHRISTEL HORTON

JACQUI MCFARLAND

Christel Horton works with medium and large businesses. She helps clients identify business goals, formulate focused and comprehensive marketing plans and executes them. She has expertise and a track record of success with companies and organizations in education, arts & entertainment, nonprofits and with political campaigns.

Jacqui McFarland has been a recruiter as well as a marketing recruitment specialist. Before coming to the Tulsa World she started a business and has been the owner for more than 10 years. Her passion is helping businesses grow by helping them hire employees. She enjoys helping businesses find the right way to attract candidates by showing the highlights of each business and teaching them new ways to get potential candidates.

Director of Sales and Marketing

Sales Manager

Sales Manager

Classified Manager

Client Success Manager

Market Development Manager

Marketing Consultant

Marketing Consultant

Marketing Consultant

Marketing Consultant

ANNETTE RIHERD

ALYSSA RYKER

Annette Riherd has owned her own business locally before coming to the Tulsa World. That business earned her statewide attention and her story landed her in a national magazine. That success had other business owners asking for her help in marketing.

She can help with anything from local branding to strategic marketing to hit the target audience you want to see walking in your door.

Alyssa Ryker specializes in the areas of construction and home renovation. She has worked in the marketing industry for nearly a decade. Her main goal in her career is to connect companies to their target audiences using innovative content and media strategies. She is a Tulsa native and is passionate about seeing businesses in this community grow.

Marketing Consultant

Marketing Consultant

CYNDI WALKUP Marketing Consultant

Cyndi Walkup is privileged to be a part of Tulsa World Media since 2007. She is driven to work with her clients before, during and after the sale to help them grow, utilizing multi-media strategies according to the needs of her clients. She helps businesses navigate through the evolving world of digital. Her passion is providing measurable solutions for businesses and has a track record with a variety of industries including home improvement, the financial industry and healthcare.

315 S. Boulder Ave. • Tulsa, OK • 918-581-8510

www.tulsaworld.com

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OUTLOOK 2021

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TULSA WORLD

PERFORMANCE ART

The shows go on during difficult year

Local groups continue performing at alternative venues JAMES D. WATTS JR.

Tulsa World

W

hen the going gets tough in the world of the performing arts, the tough get even more creative.

The year 2020 was easily the toughest year that Tulsa’s performing arts organizations have ever faced, as the COVID-19 pandemic forced all places in which people would tend to gather — such as theaters and concert halls — were shuttered indefinitely to forestall the spread of the virus.

Even when some venues such as restaurants and churches were allowed, with a host of restrictions, to reopen to the public, theaters were still required to remain closed.

Not only were local organizations affected — performers who relied on national tours, from chamber music ensembles to Broadway touring productions, were forced to cancel months of planned performances.

In short, the spring seasons of Tulsa’s performing arts groups were more or less wiped out, but rather than succumb to despair, many organizations endeavored to find ways to share their work with their audiences.

For some groups, that meant taking everyone out to the ball park.

The Tulsa Symphony Orchestra became one of the first orchestras in the country to perform in front of a live audience when it presented pianist Yefim Bronfman in a concert paying tribute to Beethoven at Tulsa’s ONEOK Field, the home of the Tulsa Drillers. The Signature Symphony at Tulsa Community College followed suit a few weeks later, with its own concert at ONEOK Field.

And in October, Tulsa Opera presented the first fully staged opera to be performed in the country since the start of the pandemic, with a unique production of Verdi’s “Rigoletto,” adapted by director James Robinson to have a baseball theme to match its setting.

Outdoor performances aren’t a possibility for ballet, so Tulsa Ballet went to great lengths to adapt how it created and presented its art.

BRETT ROJO, FOR THE TULSA WORLD

Sarah Coburn performs during the Tulsa Opera production of “Rigoletto” at ONEOK Field in October.

The company began by offering video presentations of past works, such as “Tchaikovsky: The Man Behind the Music” and “The Rite of Spring,” as it worked to create spaces that would be as safe as possible for its dancers and staff, as well as its audiences.

The company was able to present its original works program, “Creations Reimagined,” and a unique holiday offering, “The Lost Nutcracker,” to a series of socially distanced audiences, as well as offering livestreamed performances for those wishing to remain at home.

But for many groups, virtual shows were the way to go.

The Signature Symphony created a slate of orchestral and chamber concerts, along with special educational events, that were presented from the VanTrease

PACE on the TCC Southeast campus, making use of the facility’s state-of-the-art film and sound equipment.

Chamber Music Tulsa, which brings top chamber music ensembles to Tulsa, continued that practice with a series of online concerts that featured groups that had been set to perform as part of its season, or were longtime Tulsa favorites, such as the Miró Quartet.

The Tulsa Chorale and American Theatre Company each partnered with Tulsa’s landmark Admiral Twin Drive-In to reach its audiences. The Chorale created a video performance of Beethoven’s Mass in C that was shown on the big screen, while ATC gave Ebenezer Scrooge a whole new look by showing a video of the company’s 2019 production as a holiday treat at the drive-in.

Local theater companies also found ways to make the most of the “new normal,” with groups such as Heller Theatre Company and the Broken Arrow Community Playhouse creating evenings of original plays designed to be presented over social media platforms such as Zoom.

And Theatre Tulsa began “Tell Me a Story,” a program of presenting short theater pieces based on true stories by Tulsans, presented to limited audiences in ahha Tulsa’s Hardesty Arts Center.

What’s to expect in 2021? It all depends on how the pandemic plays out, but Tulsa performing arts groups are working with the hope that venues such as the Tulsa PAC will be able to reopen.

The centennial commemoration of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre is something a number of groups will

address in the coming months.

Tulsa Opera will mark the centennial with a special concert, “Greenwood Overcomes,” that will feature arts songs and arias by living Black composers.

Theatre North plans to stage Celeste Bedford Walker’s play “Greenwood: An American Dream Destroyed,” while World Stage Theatre Company will present “Tulsa 21,” a play created out of stories of Tulsans past and present.

Tulsa Ballet will present the U.S. premiere of the long-awaited ballet “Vendetta: A Mafia Story;” the Signature Symphony is planning for a seasonlong search for a new music director; and the Tulsa Symphony has concerts planned that will feature banjo master Bela Fleck and pianist Orion Weiss. james.watts@tulsaworld.com

EDUCATION

Schools make plans for post-pandemic learning LENZY KREHBIEL-BURTON

Tulsa World

A

fter a year and counting of masks, temperature checks, quarantines and a host of Zoom calls, area school districts are tentatively starting to look at life on the other side of COVID-19.

Part of that new post-pandemic look will include serving more students who never or rarely step foot in a traditional classroom.

In response to the recent rise in popularity of online charter schools such as Epic, Union, Sapulpa and Sand Springs were among the local districts that added or expanded their all-online options just months before COVID-19 forced the state’s schools to go to distance learning in March 2020.

After increasing their webbased instruction options for the 2020-2021 school year to accommodate public health concerns, several area districts’ post-pandemic plans include continuing to offer that choice for families in most, if not all, grade levels.

For example, Tulsa Public Schools, the state’s second-largest brick-and-mortar-based district, lists Tulsa Virtual Academy as a choice on its enrollment platform for the 2021-2022 school year, alongside neighborhood, magnet, alternative and district-authorized charter schools.

As of January, the online school served about 4,000 students across all grades, or more than

MIKE SIMONS, TULSA WORLD

Senior Tucker Falling puts on his mask with help from girlfriend Sophie Jones as they head into Edison Preparatory School for their first day of in-person class in February.

10% of the district’s total enrollment.

In Broken Arrow, school leaders are hosting open house sessions via Zoom to explain the nuts and bolts of their online platform to families and why it may be the appropriate option for their children.

Like its counterpart in Tulsa, the Broken Arrow web-based program will have a blended option for stu-

dents in 2021-2022 who want or need some in-person interaction.

“Broken Arrow Public Schools was pleased to be able to provide Virtual Academy to all students in response to the pandemic,” Broken Arrow Virtual Academy Principal Caleb Starr said. “It was in those early pivotal months where we took critical notes on improving hiccups and addressing any

ing their children start school due to the pandemic.

For example, starting March 25, Sapulpa Public Schools will allow families with new pre-kindergartners and kindergartners the option to go to their neighborhood school for enrollment rather than the district’s administrative office.

To the east, Broken Arrow and Claremore public schools have opted to offer one-on-one enrollment appointments for families of new pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students.

As a way to provide additional supports for its families, TPS is using federal COVID-19 relief money to expand tutoring access to all students next year and provide free before- and after-school child care at all elementary schools. The district is also partnering with area organizations to provide free age-appropriate summer programming at all its campuses.

“I love Tulsa, and one of the things Tulsans do best is coming together to support one another, coming together to support our students,” Superintendent Deborah Gist said.

“We’ve seen it time and time again. We saw it during the teacher walkout a few years ago when we made sure students and families had the support they needed.

We’ve seen it throughout this pandemic.”

shortcomings, knowing our approach would evolve and change considerably through input from our patrons.”

With an enrollment decrease of more than 7,000 pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students in public schools statewide in 20202021, districts are also working to bring in families for 2021-2022 lenzy.krehbiel-burton@tulsaworld. who may have opted to delay hav- com

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OUTLOOK 2021

TULSA WORLD

SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 2021 |

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HEALTH AND FITNESS

Hiking trails abundant in Tulsa area PATRICK PRINCE

Tulsa World

T

he snow has melted and COVID-19 numbers are declining.

If you haven’t been outside much lately, now might be the perfect time to take advantage of the myriad of impressive outdoor opportunities Tulsa has to offer.

Kia Shebert-Smith moved to Tulsa from Colorado about three and a half years ago. It didn’t take her long to become a regular at the trails at the Turkey Mountain Wilderness Area on the west side of the Arkansas River near 71st Street.

“There are not a lot of urban wilderness parks left that close to a downtown area that is free for everyone to use and that is so extensive for the amount of acreage it’s on,” Shebert-Smith said.

“Even coming from Colorado, I’ve never seen anything like Turkey Mountain, ever, in terms of how many trails there are within that acreage so close to downtown. I know that Denver and Boulder don’t have anything like it.”

The Turkey Mountain trails are a true Tulsa treasure, a place with multiple trails where outdoor enthusiasts of any skill level can enjoy a hike, run or bike ride. The red trail is less than a mile and is a good introduction to the trails at Turkey Mountain.

Things get a little more difficult with the blue (1.5-mile loop) and yellow (4.4-mile loop) trail.

If you’re feeling ambitious, check out the pink trail (5.7-mile loop).

There are also plenty of side trails that people have established.

Depending on where you are on a trail, it can be easy to forget you’re in the middle of a city.

Shebert-Smith had an auspicious beginning on Turkey Mountain’s trails. She got lost, with no water in 90-degree heat. Now, she’s a trail regular, often times with her dog, Auggie Doggie, accompanying her. She also helps lead an ultra-running training

group Tuesday nights (check out Training on Turkey — TOTs — on Facebook).

While Shebert-Smith admits Turkey Mountain can’t compete with the stunning views of the Rocky Mountains, Turkey Mountain has taught her something.

“I like to tell people when I moved to Oklahoma that Oklahoma taught me to slow down, first of all, and it taught me to pay attention to detail,” she said.

“In Denver, you have the grand feeling of the Rocky Mountains’ vastness, views everywhere you turn. In Oklahoma, you have to slow down and take in really small details and find all these hidden moments of beauty and moments that kind of take your breath away and deserve your attention. Turkey Mountain certainly has that feeling.”

While Turkey Mountain is great and easily accessible, Tulsa is forMICHAEL NOBLE JR., TULSA WORLD tunate to have other outdoors areas to enjoy. While not a definitive Kia Shebert-Smith and her dog, Auggie Doggie, are frequent users of the Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area list, here are a few other options: in Tulsa.

Keystone Ancient Forest

Oxley Nature Center

About 15 minutes west of downtown Tulsa is the Keystone Ancient Forest, a 1,360-acre preserve that features 500-year-old cedar trees and 300-year-old post oak trees throughout its roughly 8 miles of trails.

This time of year, the scenery includes Keystone Lake and rock formations. If you’re quiet enough, you might see a deer or a bobcat.

For a nice hike just shy of 3 miles, explore the Frank Trail. For the first ¼ mile or so, the trail is gravel with some inclines. However, the trail flattens after that and you can focus on the scenery.

It’s a well-defined, well-marked trail loop good for any skill level that features a nice view of Lake Keystone at the turnaround.

The trails are open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday-Sunday.

Located inside Mohawk Park in north Tulsa, the 804-acre Oxley Nature Center features numerous trails adding up to 9 miles of mostly individual loops and linked trails that are mostly flat. According to the nature center’s website, more than 200 types of birds and 50 types of butterflies can be found at the nature center. Deer, raccoon, bobcat, mink, skunk, coyote, flying squirrel and beaver all make their homes at the nature center.

For a fun hike through prairie and wetlands, start at the Meadowlark Trail, go through Bob’s Trail and head toward Blackbird Marsh and Lake Sherry. Signs will guide you, as trails are wellmarked and well-defined.

Trails are open seven days a week. Trails are closed to the pubTULSA WORLD FILE lic during Mohawk Park’s curfew The Oxley Nature Center is home to a variety of wildlife, such as raccoons. hours from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

160 Ancient Forest Drive, Sand Springs 6700 Mohawk Blvd., Tulsa

Helping Oklahomans since 1960

H

elping Oklahomans hear better is a family affair for the team at Armstrong Hearing Aid Center in Tulsa.

Do you ask,”what” all the time?

Since 2006, owners Suzy and Shohn Armstrong have been heading up the family business, which was started by Shohn’s grandfather in 1960, and are committed to bringing clients the latest in hearing aid technology.

Shohn, a third-generation hearing instrument specialist, has more than 30 years’ experience in the hearing aid industry and maintains board certification in hearing instrument sciences. Along with the Armstrong team, he provides clients with a range of services from hearing evaluations and consultations to individualized fittings and in-house repairs, Suzy Armstrong said.

The hearing aids offered

by Armstrong Hearing Aid Center are manufactured in the United States by Starkey, an award-winning company that is at the leading edge of hearing aid technology, Suzy Armstrong said. Many modern hearing aids employ Bluetooth technology and come with applications that wearers can use to connect their smartphones to control multiple hearing aid features.

Do you realize hearing loss is more noticeable than a hearing aid?

Is your television volume loud?

Are you unable to hear conversations and then withdraw?

Let us help you mature with dignity.

Armstrong Hearing Aid Center 6038 S. Yale Ave., Tulsa, OK, 74135 918-492-6087 armstronghearing.com The hearing aids offered by Armstrong Hearing Aid Center are manufactured in the United States by Starkey, an awardwinning company that is at the leading edge of hearing aid technology.

mode feature. The feature works along with a corresponding app to boost certain sound frequencies so that hearing aid wearers are better able to understand others whose speech may be muffled by masks.

Armstrong Hearing Aid Center also offers baseline hearing checks for new clients and a doctor’s referral is not necessary to book an appointment.

If a hearing loss is detected, the Armstrong team will work with clients to find an individualized hearing aid option that best fits their lifestyle and budget, Armstrong said.

“The hearing aids can even detect falls and the app on the phone will notify a wearer’s loved one so they can check nating the hassle of having to on them or call 911 if necesmake an unexpected trip to sary,” she said. the store to buy extras, Armstrong said.

Many hearing aids also can monitor a wearer’s brain Another groundbreaking tech- For more information, visit health and come with renology available to Armstrong armstronghearing.com or call chargeable batteries, elimiclients is the Audibel mask 918-492-6087.

CALL US FOR A FREE COMPREHENSIVE HEARING EVALUATION After All, Life is Worth Hearing!

Call (918) 492-6087

6038 S. Yale Ave. • Tulsa, OK 74135 • www.armstronghearing.com

0% Financing Available (WAC) Payments as Low as $57

*Payment based off $799 per Starkey Aries BTE hearing aid. Does not include earmold(s) or sales tax.

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TULSA WORLD

Montereau

Vitality program offers seniors wellness in all its dimensions “Successful aging means more than a physically healthy lifestyle. There are many dimensions to whole-person wellness, and our Vitality wellness program supports them all. You’ll find something for every interest so you can make every day a new adventure.”

Montereau 6800 S. Granite Ave., Tulsa, OK, 74136 918-268-7245 montereau.net

L

ife in a retirement community is a bit like summer camp. When you join a community, you make fast friends with your fellow residents and always have something exciting on the day’s agenda, from exploring new hobbies to playing games or just kicking back to lazy afternoons in an idyllic retreat.

As we move into spring, with longer days and warmer weather on the horizon, the agenda at Montereau includes ample opportunities for residents to focus on wellness in all of its dimensions.

“When people think about wellness, they usually think about physical fitness first,” said Kristen Schooley, director of wellness at Montereau. “But successful aging means more than a physically healthy lifestyle.

There are many dimensions to whole-person wellness, and our Vitality wellness program supports them all. You’ll find something for every interest so you can make every day a new adventure.”

As a Life Plan Community in Tulsa, Montereau offers best-in-class service, world-class amenities and a gorgeous campus to live out your retirement dreams. A place where you can try new things, live life to the fullest, enjoy personal growth and fulfillment, and generally enjoy a happier, healthier life. This is what our Vitality wellness program gives you — intentional activities and services to support the five dimensions of wellness: Physical vitality: Residents love Montereau’s impressive fitness opportunities, as well as amenities that resemble what you would find in a good health club: a 24-hour fitness center, classes, one-on-one coaching, a heated pool and a whirlpool spa. Beyond the gym, residents also love Wii bowling, pickleball, dance teams — all part of the active lifestyle at Montereau.

Emotional vitality: Emotional wellness has been particularly important over the past year, and the staff has engaged residents to make sure they have everything they need during these trying times. Small, resident-led

support groups have revitalized the resident experience and offered emotional support and personal connections even while physical distancing has been necessary.

choose from hundreds of activities to enjoy the retirement of their dreams. The Montereau team wants to ensure residents have fun connecting with friends new and old.

Intellectual vitality: From trips around Tulsa to guest lectures and book clubs, there’s always something new going on to stimulate the mind. Lifelong learning opportunities give residents the chance to stay active and keep growing. Recently, residents themselves have been offering presentations and leading discussions on topics related to their expertise, giving everyone the chance to bond while learning something new.

One thing Schooley likes to highlight for prospective residents is that two things set Montereau’s Vitality program apart from ordinary wellness programs. The first is that the team works hard to include residents in the creation of wellness activities. Whether it is a resident serving as a tour guide for trips around Tulsa or the resident advisory committee giving input on the calendar of events, residents set the pace at Montereau.

Spiritual vitality: Montereau is a nondenominational community but provides daily Catholic services provided by a resident priest, weekly Protestant services from our resident chaplain and Bible study groups.

Residents always have access to a beautiful on-campus chapel for quiet reflection and also enjoy meditative walks around our lush, tree-lined campus.

“The other thing I’d emphasize is that this is your retirement, and we’re here to help you make of it what you want,” Schooley said.

“Social butterflies always find something to do and a new activity badge to earn, but we also have residents who love to just spend the day in a library or taking in our campus’ beautiful scenery before perhaps joining the crowd for an evening happy hour.”

Social vitality: Socialization feeds into all the dimensions of wellness, and residents may

Every day is a new adventure at Montereau, and your opportunities are endless.

TWO GARDEN HOMES ARE NEWLY AVAILABLE — CALL 918-268-7245 TODAY!

AS YOU

WISH

Here shooting stars go ignored, dandelions remain firmly planted, and coins are never flipped because at Montereau, Tulsa’s premier community for older adults, your wish is our command. From the state-of-the-art fitness center to the heated pool and tranquil grounds, our attentive staff has only one mission — to make your every wish a reality.

MONTEREAU — RETIREMENT... AS YOU WISH!

918-268-7245 | montereau.net 6800 South Granite Ave. | Tulsa, OK 74136

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