The Friends of Edgemere School

J a n u a r y / f e b r u a r y 2 0 0 9 • V o l u m e 3 0 I ss u e 1 • www . c h - e h . o r g
The Friends of Edgemere School
Editor’s Note: Edgemere School’s boundaries include all of CH-EH, with the
exception of 42nd street, in Egdemere Height which is served by Horace Mann.
M
any of you may have noticed that Edgemere School (NW32nd
and Walker) has been under construction for the past year.
As one of the many city-wide schools being renovated by the MAPS
for Kids project, the historic 1909 building now has updated classrooms and a new cafeteria/auditorium known as a “cafetorium.”
During the construction, Edgemere students have been bussed to
Martin Luther King Elementary at 48th and Kelley.
The day before school started this past year, Edgemere Park resident Kelly Pearson learned that MAPS money was not going to cover
some of the essentials of the Edgemere School renovation. Due to cost
overruns in construction, items such as furniture, window treatments
and playground equipment were cut from the budget. Ms. Pearson, a
concerned citizen and a neighbor of the school, took action. After some
research and e-mails to active alumni, a committee was formed to help
supplement the MAPS funds. Friends of Edgemere School was born.
Friends of Edgemere School (FOES) is a coalition of community
members dedicated to building a dynamic learning environment for
children. Its mission is to forge partnerships with and provide support
for students, parents, teachers, and administrators in creating a center
of excellence for education. The committee has two distinguished cochairs. Judge Ralph G. Thompson (see related article) and Ed Cook
are both former Edgemere students and recognized community leaders. The committee is comprised of neighborhood leaders, parents,
school administrators, politicians and business leaders. Friends of Edgemere School’s current project is to raise $150,000
to fund the needs of the school not covered by the MAPS for Kids
project. MAPS for Kids provided new furniture, technology and fixtures to newly constructed schools. FOES wants to furnish the school
Rear, left to right: Kelly
Pearson, Ed Cook, Jim Fentriss, Judge Ralph
Thompson, Dr. Dennis Gentry front, center: Jo Carol Cameron
with new desks and chairs ($55,000), put a smart board (learning
tool that replaces chalk boards or dry-erase boards) and projector
in each classroom ($52,500), add a safe playground ($25,000), new
window treatments ($17,500) and provide for other audio-visual
needs. FOES is also working to ensure that the renovations to the
building are appropriate to the needs of the school.
On November 10th, Edgemere School and FOES co-hosted the
Edgemere Premiere, a public event to unveil the new cafetorium. Red
carpet, Oscar Statues and popcorn greeted over 100 guests as they
(continued on page 6)
The Newsletter of
the Crown HeightsEdgemere Heights
Neighborhood
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Business in the ‘Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Neighbor Spotlight: Jessica Ockershauser . . .18
Feature: Welcome Home. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Historical Preservation . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Feature: Juxtaposition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Voting in the ‘Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Neighbor Spotlight: Jo Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Kids in the ‘Hood. . . . . . . . . . . 19
Photo Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-26
OFFICERS
Alan Kirkpatrick, President
Lea Morgan, Vice-President
Leslie Yancey, Secretary
Judy Krueger, Treasurer
DIRECTORS
Bob Alfson
Patricia Ayling
Lola Baker
Suzanne Bockus
Phillip Clayton
Steve Cole
Bob Eskew
Brenda Johnson
John Joyce
Shannon Purnell
Sharon Reeves
Bob Reising
Bart Robey
Scott Towery
Lisa Hammond
Nancy Love Robertson
ALTERNATES
Amanda Bleakley
Hilary Stolzenberg
John Ziegler
For questions or assistance, please contact
the appropriate committee chairperson:
BLOCK CAPTAIN COORDINATOR
Patricia Ayling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 524-3342
Historic Preservation Committee
John Joyce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 521-1764
CHRONICLE LIAISON
Danielle Coats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 524-9797
Lea Morgan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 524-8981
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
Lola Baker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525-7645
HOSPITALITY / NEW NEIGHBORS
Suzanne Bockus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525-7197
LANDSCAPING & PARK
Sharon Reeves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 528-2967
MEMBERSHIP
Bob Alfson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525-5536
STREET LIGHTS & MARKERS
Judy Krueger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 528-3917
PET REGISTRY
Marti Jourden & Keith Ball . . . . . 528-5642
Oklahoma City Action Center
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297-2535
CH-EH
Homeowners
Association
P.O. Box 18283, Shartel Station
Oklahoma City, OK 73154
January/february 2009
January/february 2009
President’s Page
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January/february 2009
The Knew Year
and the New Year.
Did you have a good year in 2008? Did you
make resolutions and abide by them? Do
you even remember what you resolved to do?
Every January I look forward to and plan for
what is ahead – the New Year – and I also
look back over the past 12 months, thumb
through pages of recent history, and reflect on
what just happened – the Knew Year.
The Knew Year in Crown Heights
Edgemere Heights was a great year. Yes, we
got off to a rough start with a nasty ice storm
and days with no electricity. Yes, the damage
is still evident. But the rest of the year has
been nothing less than outstanding.
In case you have recently moved to the
neighborhood or were not able to attend
some of our great events this year, you really
missed out. The Progressive Party in February
– the best one yet. The excellent Easter Egg
Hunt in March. The Memorial Marathon in
April – rumor has it the Gatorade tastes great
at 38th and (Johnny) Walker! The Heights
Benefit Party in May – we bought how
much?? The Fourth of July Parade and Picnic
in, of course, July. Oktoberfest in October
– a great time to eat a brat and “Ketchup”
with friends. The Holiday Tree Lighting and
Carriage Rides in December – watch where
you step in the street . These were all fantastic events that brought us together and gave
us good memories in 2008. I hope you were
able to make most, if not all, of them.
In addition to these wonderful events,
CH-EH enjoyed many other benefits during
the Knew Year as well. A strong membership
and unprecedented giving has allowed us to
continue maintaining the beautiful landscape and begin recovery from the ice storm.
We have continued and are continuing to
work with the Oklahoma City Community
Foundation to pursue grants and augment
our endowment. We have provided venues
for neighbors to express their opinions and
become informed regarding potential developments in close proximity to our homes.
Whether it was a party or some planted
pansies, the quality of events and the effort
to maintain the unique values and charms
of this community were possible because
of the hard work of our neighbors. Board
members and non-Board members alike
made 2008 a fantastic Knew Year.
Which brings me to the New Year and
everything I look forward to. I look forward
to seeing friends at parties and meeting new
neighbors. I look forward to grabbing a bite
at one of the terrific restaurants nearby on a
weekly (sometimes daily!) basis. I look forward to seeing the investment in our neighborhood grow. I look forward to casual
strolls through our streets and in our parks.
I hope you too are looking forward
to these and other benefits of living in
Crown Heights – Edgemere Heights. And
I hope, if you have the time and are able,
you will volunteer your time and effort to
make sure the same successes we enjoyed
in 2008 are enjoyed in 2009.
But most of all, I hope you had a great
Knew Year and I hope your New Year is
even better.
—Alan Kirkpatrick
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T: 405.399.3610
F: 405.285.5654
E: [email protected]
January/february 2009
Friends of Edgemere School (cont.)
The Premiere of Edgemere School’s new cafetorium
(continued from page 1)
toured the new mixed-use space. The bright
cafeteria is a large room with a stage at one
end and meal service at the other. The community group Closer to Earth, which has planted
trees at the school, was at the premiere to help
serve refreshments. Several Edgemere alumni,
including CH-EH neighbor Ralph Thompson,
shared memories from their beloved school.
Founding member Kelly Pearson reported
over $47,000 had been raised through individual donations and grants. Edgemere Elementary
School’s new principal, Dr. Dennis Gentry,
complimented the J.R. Walker construction
company for “dealing with a historical building
with historical problems.” Dr. Gentry also said
that “Martin Luther King Elementary has been
graciously accommodating, but we are ready to
come home.” Edgemere students are expected
to return to their “new” school in January.
January/february 2009
CH-EH Neighbor Raises
Funds for Alma Mater
High school reunions, like them or not, are
a common occurrence. Most people will
attend at least one such event in their lifetime. College reunions are also relatively
common, especially among small colleges
or within fraternities/sororities at larger
universities. Has anyone ever been to an
elementary school reunion? In 1986, our
neighbor, Judge Ralph Thompson, helped
organize a reunion of his classmates from
Edgemere School in the 1940s. Alumni
came from all over the United States-- Guy
James Jr. even came from Vienna, Austria.
At the recent Edgemere Premiere, Judge
Thompson shared some of his fond memories.
“Ms. Violet Smizer was our music teacher.
She was the only surviving teacher and came
to our Edgemere Grade School Reunion several years ago. All of the memories of that
wonderful time and wonderful school came
back. Ms. Smizer taught us to love music. She
wrote in my autograph book: ‘Music washes
away from the soul the dust of everyday life.’
I was able to recite that to her when we saw
her at that reunion and I told her ‘Don’t think
teachers don’t make a difference.’ It was a
tearful moment. She died six weeks later. It
was told at her funeral.”
Judge Thompson was a member of a football team who played in Edgemere Park on
Sundays. “We were a scrappy-looking bunch- we had Cub Scout knickers and old World
War II helmets. My friend Jim Fentriss and I
both lived on 34th street, on opposite sides of
the park. We were close in age, only ten days
apart, and he is still one of my oldest and
dearest friends.” To this day, the friends celebrate their birthdays in Edgemere park with
another Edgemere playmate, Dave Hansen.
In October of this year, the Edgemere Park
friends donated a park bench. The plaque
says Have a seat. Courtesy of Dave, Jim and
Ralph. Edgemere Pals since 1934.
Judge Thompson’s fond memories of
his grade school and his Edgemere Park
neighborhood have inspired him to join
Friends of Edgemere School and help with
the alumni fundraising efforts. “It is a clear
case of need. MAPS for Kids did not include
furniture and updated teaching equipment.
We are dedicated to raising money to provide new desks and chairs, teaching technology in each classroom and a new, safe
playground for the school.”
To contribute to Friends of Edgemere, call
488-0548 or visit friendsofedgemere.com.
Business in the ‘hood
The Hippie Store
Aerial Oklahoma
Back in the days of darkroom photography,
Tod and Jamin Yeager’s father learned all
there is to know about aerial photography
working for Ace Aerial Photography. Aerial
Oklahoma was founded in 1996 by Mr.
Yeager. The company has recently moved to
a new location at 4141 North Western as
of February of 2008. Tod and Jamin Yeager
and Mike Hayton have been taking and
cataloging aerial photographs of the southwestern United States since 2005.
The family provides service to a wide
array of clients. In an interview Jamin commented, “We provide a wide gamut of services. The Oil and Gas industry will use aerial
photography to plan exploration. Lawyers
will use aerial photography in accident reconstruction and environmental lawsuits.” The
company houses the largest historical aerial
archive in the state, dating back to the 1930’s.
These images can be used to determine land
use, environmental damage, or even to simply locate a family farm. On any given day
you can find Jamin and his father in the office
handling daily business, while Mike will be
photographing out in the field.
In order to capture their images, the guys
at Aerial Oklahoma utilize two types of
above, left to right:
Jamin and Tod Yeager
Store owner Lisa Ghariani
below, right: Hippie
cameras. The first is a professional mapping
camera used primarily to capture images
similar to those you would see on Google
Earth. This very large film camera takes 9” x
9” negatives and is mounted in the back of
their ‘6-seater’ airplane. Four rear seats had
to be removed in order to accommodate the
camera and its various control systems.
A handheld high resolution digital camera is used for oblique or color angle shots.
These images are primarily used for construction progression or real estate sales. Housed
in the office are a couple of high end workstations to process and handle the image editing.
These high-end computers can count on handling image files up to 10 gigabytes in size,
so as Jamin states, “…it takes some muscle
to throw them around.” Their facilities also
house some very nice scanners and one of the
few large format printers in the Metro area.
Most any image you want can be found
within their existing library and purchased
relatively inexpensively. However, in the event
that the site you would like to see has not been
photographed the company can be hired for
bit higher price to take photos for you!
If your New Year’s resolutions include conserving energy, recycling, and dressing to
the beat of a different drummer, then have
we got a store for you!
The Hippie Store, at 2412 N. Shartel, is
a shopper’s paradise crammed (When I say
crammed, I mean CRAMMED!) full of retro,
vintage, quirky (and at times wonderfully
awful) clothing. From vintage Pendleton to
a teal satin Bea Arthur Golden Girls jacket,
complete with shoulder pads, the variety of
merchandise is truly astonishing. A quick
visual scan reveals scarves, boots (from suede
ankle with fringe to thigh-high in red patent
leather), macramé belts, lamps, leather coats,
caftans, postcards, scarves, hats (vintage and
crocheted), wedding dresses, men’s suit coats,
sunglasses, purses, art, afghans, costume jewelry, used books, bathrobes, shirts, nightclothes, dresses, sweaters, and racks and racks
of jeans. Oh, and a motorcycle helmet.
My 16-year-old daughter discovered this
Mecca about six months ago, and was thrilled
to introduce me to its charms. I sat down
recently with owner Lisa Ghariani and asked
how she would describe her merchandise.
“It’s a collection of ornate objects and interesting and unusual vintage and retro clothing,”
she explained. “I used to own Thrift-o-rama at
NW 23rd and Walker. It was more ‘fun junk’,
I wanted to collect more unusual, higher-end
items, and to include local artists,” and so three
years ago she opened a new store, christened
Panolpy. She also decided to share the space
—Katherine Archer
January/february 2009
business in the ‘hood
with Janice McCarty’s Talisman, a shop focusing on mineral, rocks and semiprecious stone
jewelry. So why does the sign our front say,
“The Hippie Store”? With a rueful expression,
Lisa said, “My teenage customers kept calling it
that, and I finally ended up going with it, too!”
Some of her treasure comes from
Hollywood, where she goes to visit her daughter. She pointed out a pair of gold lamé
boots hanging from the ceiling: “Those are
from Paramount Studios. There’s a store
where they sell things worn on TV shows—
from the 70’s and 80’s. I also brought back
some soap opera lingerie.” (You gotta know
somebody who needs some of that!) She
noted that she stocks a lot of 80’s clothing,
which other vintage stores often scorn.
Lisa accepts donations of clothing, and
said what can’t be used in the store is passed
on to others: “I give away baby and kids’
clothes to needy families in the neighborhood.
I also leave clothes out front for people to take
if they need it.” (I can attest to that—on my
first visit, the store was closed, but there were
serveral bins out front with sweaters and a
note that explained to take what was needed.)
She also spends time creating fun and
funky knitted hats which are sold at the store,
as well as items by local artists. (I picked up
an incense holder made from Graffitti Bridge
for my daughter, who discovered the joy of
incense on an early visit to The Hippie Store.)
A variety of psychic-related services is also
offered, including card and aura reading and
numerology. Lisa also stocks Peach House Tshirts and bumper stickers. And the Talisman
side of the space is crammed (there’s that
word again!) with wonderful stones, glass,
and affordable genuine gemstone jewelry.
Take it from me, an aging and confirmed
shopaholic, this is one wonderful place! You can
visit Monday through Saturday, “about noon”
(Lisa is rueful again!) to 6:00p.m. Parking is
right there on Shartel. Lisa can be reached at
521-1010 and has been known to arrange private shopping events on short notice!
P.S. Lisa’s generous offer to CH-EH neighbors: mention this article and she will give
you a 50% discount on clothing!
—Nancy Waller
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feature
Juxtaposition:
Works and Memories of Brunel Faris
Sipping coffee in her late husband’s studio, Mrs.
Christiane Faris is surrounded by his works of
collage, pen and ink and paint. The space is an
addition completed many years earlier so that
he would have a home studio. While his art is
on the walls, the living room floor is mostly
consumed with a very colorful oversized prayer
rug that still harbors tiny paint spots from its
days in Brunel’s boyhood room.
Mrs. Faris met her husband, Brunel Debost
Faris, while studying in Kansas as an undergraduate student. After completing her studies
Mrs. Faris returned to her home in Germany to
pursue a career in teaching language and literature. During the first of Brunel’s many trips to
Europe, the two met in Paris and travled together
as Mrs. Faris fondly remembers, “proper young
professionals.” Mrs. Faris decided to travel
back to the United States in order to study at
Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. The Faris
family invited Christiane to spend Christmas
with them in Oklahoma. As she comments
in her book, “This is when my fondness for
Oklahoma began.” The two were married soon
there after, and moved to their home on 39th
Street in 1969.
Mr. Faris deeply influenced the art community as a teacher, administrator, and artist
for more than 40 years. Having grown up in
Oklahoma and completing both an undergraduate degree and masters degree at the
University of Oklahoma, he had a strong connection to art community within Oklahoma
for a long time. He was a founding member
of the Oklahoma Arts Council, as well as the
Director of the OCU Art Department for many
years. Brunel worked in pen and ink, silver
point, watercolor, oil, acrylic, and particularly
mixed media collage. Mrs. Faris has wondeful
memories of traveling extensively with Brunel.
It was on these trips that he would find the
items that would later become collages. His
pen and ink drawings are quite expressive, and
more than once were used for birthday cards
for his daughter or Christmas Eve Party invitations for their friends, family, and students.
Mrs. Faris recently released ‘Juxtaposition’
a record of the artworks of her late husband.
In order to create an accurate record of his
January/february 2009
10
life works, Mrs. Faris has written this book
in close collaboration with her friend and
colleague from Oklahoma City University,
Margaret Flansburg. As Mrs. Faris remembers, “We just wrote and wrote, and in the end
had too much!” So they edited and the result
is an important account of both how one man
influenced and nurtured the art community in
Oklahoma and how he personally grew as an
artist. While the book’s main focus is Mr. Faris’
involvement and influence on the art community, the book begins with a bit of research Ms.
Flansburg did into the history of the early art
movement and struggles in Oklahoma.
Although Mrs. Faris is retired from
her position as Director of the Languages
Department at OCU, she continues to teach.
She is currently involved in a study abroad program in Singapore. A book signing was held
at Full Circle Bookstore recently. All proceeds
from the sales of this work are donated into a
scholarship fund in the name of Brunel Faris.
Copies are available at Full Circle Bookstore or
Christiane Faris at 405.524.6445 (books can
be delivered to parties living within the Crown
Heights-Edgmere Heights and Edgemere Park
neighborhoods if purchased from Mrs. Faris.)
—Katherine Archer
Call 823.1823 for all your
Home Improvement needs
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feature
Welcome Home!
After 10 months in Bagdad, Captain Joel
Kintsel of the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat
Team was safely reunited with his family in
October. Joel and Nancy Kintsel’s son Gavin
was born in January, just three days before
Joel’s unit deployed overseas to Iraq.
Kintsel enlisted in the Oklahoma
National Guard in August of 2000 and
received a direct appointment as a Judge
Advocate in May of 2004. He went on active
duty in October 2007 and began mobilization training at Ft. Bliss, Texas as the
Deputy Command Judge Advocate for the
Headquarters Company of the 45th brigade.
Kintsel and the Headquarters Company
were set up in the former Republican Guard
Palace, which had been the seat of government for Saddam Hussein. He recalls “I
didn’t have any horrible combat experi-
Joel Kintsel, second from right, at the crossed swords monument in the international zone
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January/february 2009
11
feature
ences, but we did sustain rocket fire on the
palace complex for 41 consecutive days.
The hardest part was missing my family.
The reunion in October was one of the happiest days of my life. I feel very lucky.”
Joel Kintsel was greeted stateside by his
wife, son, parents and grandparents. “My
grandfather is a World War II and Korean
War veteran. During the Korean conflict,
granddad deployed a few weeks before my
Dad was born. It is interesting how parallel
our experiences have been.”
Now that he is back in Oklahoma,
Joel has returned to his civilian job as
Chief Clerk for the Oklahoma House of
Representatives, where he has worked since
2005. As Chief Clerk, Joel serves both as
chief of operations for the House and as
the House Parliamentarian. Joel and Nancy
have lived in Crown Heights since 2006.
Their favorite thing about the neighborhood it has so many unique homes and it is
a great place to raise a family. above, left: Portico of former Republican Guard Palace; Sandstorm,
above, right: Yellow ribbons welcome Joel Kintsel home.
40
EST.
Spring 08
1969
HERITAGE HALL
ho n o r i n g 4 0 y e a r s o f e x c e l l ence
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January/february 2009
12
you
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January/february 2009
13
left to right:
mark ha n coc k
mark ha n coc k
voting in the ‘hood
Bart Robey; Jim Roth with his mother, Marie; Andrew Rice
Election Day in CH-EH
It seems CH-EH is a blue spot in a red state.
John McCain’s largest margin of victory
(65.6%) was in Oklahoma, and he won all 77
counties. While most of Oklahoma voted for
John McCain for President (red), our two precincts voted for Barack Obama: Precinct 478
voted 59% and precinct 479 voted 52%.
CH-EH also showed strong support for
neighbors Jim Roth, Andrew Rice and Bart
Robey (see table on page 16). Following
are statements from these candidates to The
Chronicle regarding the recent election:
Andrew Rice
Jim Roth
Bart Robey
“I am forever grateful for the chance to
serve our State and our County. Public
service has fed my soul for many years
and I am so appreciative for the amazing support of so many friends and
neighbors that made it possible.
Although we came up a little short
on election night, I am completely at
peace with the outcome because I believe
in our democracy and I know we worked
very hard and put our whole hearts into
the service and campaign. I truly believe
that our campaign has helped broaden
Oklahoma’s energy vision and prepared
it better for the future.”
January/february 2009
14
“I am grateful to the neighbors in this
area for their support. Even though
we didn’t win statewide, it means a
lot to me that the local neighborhoods
showed their confidence for me. I will
continue to work on issues as the State
Senator for District 46 for the next
couple of years. Again, I’m very grateful for the local support.”
“First, I would like to express my gratitude for the support we received in CEEH. Shawnae and I have only lived here
three years (nearly) but it was amazing the reception we got in the neighborhood. I personally walked CH-EH
twice, and it was awesome to get to
meet so many of our neighbors and to
visit with them. We made a number of
new friends. If the entire race had gone
the way of Crown Heights it would
have been a landslide in our favor.
That said we underestimated
(although we always knew it would
be tough) the difficulty the presidential election would provide to our can-
didacy. There were many areas of the
district that proved to be just too on
sided for us to be successful.
I told our volunteers the day after the
election not to be sad for us personally.
Oklahoma “works” for Shawnae and me.
We are very fortunate to have good lives,
jobs, and friends. However, for so many of
our people Oklahoma does not “work.”
Our education system is one of the worst
in the country, one-fifth of our children
have no access to healthcare coverage, and
the conditions of our roads and bridges
are deplorable. Teenage pregnancy, high
school dropouts, and those without secondary education are all too common.
I support our leaders in state government irrespective of party. However, the
aforementioned issues persist. I can only
hope that Oklahoma and its legislature
will finally move to improve the quality
and accessibility of our educational and
healthcare systems. It is important for the
present and critical to the future.
I do not know at the present time
if I will choose to run again. However,
I am excited about continuing to serve
our neighborhood and being a part of
our community.”
voting in the ‘hood
At precinct 479 (east of Shartel),
neighbor Steve Barghols was the first in line
to vote. He shared with us his reason:
right:
“Since she was very little, my daughter Lauren (now a second-year lawyer at McAfee & Taft) and I have
shared the tradition of getting up very
early on presidential election mornings to be among the first to vote. On November 4th, each of us was in
line at our respective polling sites at
4:55 AM and we enjoyed a 30-minute telephone chat in the dark before
others started joining us in line. That
Tuesday was an historic day for our
nation, and we’ll always remember
how we started that day.”
(continued on next page)
January/february 2009
15
voting in the ‘hood
January/february 2009
16
above: waiting
for Precinct 479 to open
Precinct
478
479
Roth
68%
68%
Rice
65%
59%
Robey
63%
56%
Obama
59%
52%
neighbor spotlight
Jo Jones
Infant Crisis Services
Good neighbors are abundant in our neighborhood. One special neighbor is Infant
Crisis Services. They provide formula,
food, diapers and clothing to infants in a
time of crisis. The non-profit agency began
as a Sunday School project at Westminster
Presbyterian Church in 1984 and has
become a vital source of aid for many in
our community.
EH neighbor Jo Jones is the Director
of Operations for Infant Crisis Services. Jo
was working as a local news reporter in
1995 and did a story about them. She got
to know Miki Farris, the Executive Director
and a founder, who asked her to serve on
their Board of Directors. When Jo’s youngest son turned two, she began looking for an
outside-the-house outlet. She wanted something part-time and in the non-profit arena,
so she contacted Miki for help to begin her
search. It just so happened that Infant Crisis
Services needed a part-time volunteer coordinator; Jo had a new job.
Fast forward six years and Jo is managing all operations for Infant Crisis Services
and handling all internal and external communications. Continued growth in the
number of clients seen has led to the need
for expansion, which is another project that
has surely kept Jo busy. A grant was received
from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation
and a new 17,000 square foot facility at
Jo Jones with a very cute little client
N.E. 42nd Street and Lincoln Blvd is currently under construction. The move to the
new location is planned for February, and a
public dedication will take place in May.
The new location’s extra room will be
much appreciated as the client level that Infant
Crisis Services sees has set records this fall. Jo
believes that greater public knowledge of their
services and the downtown in the economy
has led to the increase. In September, 1,000
babies came for help and in October, 1,200
were seen. Prior averages were 800-900 per
month. Services are limited to four times, and
40% of babies are only seen once.
Infant Crisis Services will celebrate their
25th anniversary in 2009. The move to the
new facility will kick off the anniversary
celebration, but a gala is planned to really
get the party going. Ball Gowns & Boots, a
black tie event with some room for fun, will
be held at the National Cowboy & Western
Heritage Museum on February 21, 2009.
Dinner, entertainment and a small auction
are planned for the evening.
Jo says that she “adores our neighborhood” and feels fortunate to live close to
her place of employment. She has lived in
Edgemere Heights for 11 years with husband
Tom Mullen, and sons Jonathan and Jason.
Editor’s Note: Jo tells The Chronicle that
your donations of children’s clothing are
always welcome. See www.infantcrisis.org
for more information.
(continued on next page)
January/february 2009
17
It’s tIme
neighbor spotlight
... to resolve your
resolutions!
Western Ave HeAltH
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at the Iglesia Building
1101 nW 49th street on Western Avenue
405-608-4141
for more info call or email [email protected]
Come see why you’ll love to work out with us!
Just ask your neighbors...We’re not just another fitness club.
nautilus & free Motion strengthtraining ~ Personal training
Massage ~ nutrition & Weight loss Counseling
boot Camp,spin & Yoga Combo Classes
Cardio with individual flat screentv’s
locker rooms & showers
M-tH 5:30am-8:00pm, frI 5:30am-7:00pm, sAt 8:00am-3:00pm
January/february 2009
18
Jessica Ockershauser
Jessica Ockershauser was recently recognized by OKCBusiness as a rising star, one
of their “Forty under 40.”
Jessica, an active member of the Junior
League of Oklahoma City, was nominated
by one of her fellow members. “I thought
my nomination was a shot in dark. There
are so many talented young professional in
Oklahoma City. I am honored.” Now in the
corporate communications department at
Chesapeake Energy, Jessica had been marketing manager of POPS for the past two
years. “Getting POPS up and running was
a great experience. The people there are like
family to me—but it was time to move on.”
Jessica and her husband Patrick have lived
in Crown Heights since 2006. “We rented a
house in Mesta Park and fell in love with historical neighborhoods. When it was time to
buy, we called Wendy Chong and she helped
us find our home. I’m a lifer—I want to stay in
the neighborhood and just keep upgrading!”
For the past eight years, OKCBusiness
has showcased these leaders based on their
professional accomplishments, commitment to community and charitable involvement. This year’s pool had nearly 200 nominees. Congratulations, Jessica!
kids in the ‘hood
Chronicle Kids
Beginning in our March/April, 2009 issue,
a full page will be devoted to our younger
neighbors. Chronicle Kids will have a kid
editor, Kendall Bleakley, and will feature stories and photos about anything kid related.
Kendall has lived in Crown Heights her
entire life and attends Westminster School,
where she is a 7th Grader. Her grandfather, Bill Bleakley, was the founder of The
Chronicle, and her father, Chad Bleakley
(yep, VZD’s) delivered those newsletters
as a kid. It’s always good to have family!
“I have a busy mind, so I’m always
changing what I want to do,” says Kendall
about her future plans. But, as long as she
is “helping other people who need help”,
she’ll be happy. She recently worked on
her school yearbook and developed a
newspaper known as Bleakley Weekly.
Kendall also takes guitar lessons and
plays volleyball and softball.
Babysitting is one of Kendall’s favorite things to do. “I just love being around
little kids,” she said.
If you have story ideas or any events
for Kendall to cover for Chronicle Kids,
you can e-mail them to her at [email protected].
Right: Kendall Bleakley,
Chronicle Kids Editor
/TQD
+TWTQX
Judy Pitts, ASID
Interior Solutions
for the way you live
405-557-0226
January/february 2009
19
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Come see our
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January/february 2009
20
Historical Preservation
HP Commandments
What do you see when you look in the mirror. Are you reasonably content with the
reflection you see? Maybe you could stand to
drop a few pounds (most of us could) but are
you in need of dramatic makeover? Myself,
I have a hard time staring at the mirror too
long because of the glare of the light reflecting off the top of my head where hair used
to be. Should I look into buying a toupee or
some type of hair transplant? I’m guessing
that most of my friends would recommend
against this and that if I listened to Dr. Phil
(which I don’t) that he might suggest that the
best thing for my mental state would be to
learn to accept my current appearance.
Often when I hear people talking about
future plans for their homes, similar thoughts
pop into my head. “I hate the wood shingle
siding at the upper floor of my home. I would
like to change it to wood lap siding. That
would make my home look so much better.”
Of course this type of change is an obvious
violation of Historic Preservation Guidelines,
but that is not really the point. The point is
that each historic home is unique and was created before one of us became its “temporary”
owner. It is our job as owners of historic homes
to appreciate our homes for what they are and
not for want we might envision them to be. If
historic windows with storm windows
you feel your house would look so much better with a more stately entrance, why not add
a grand entrance canopy or porte-cochere?
The reason is because your home was not
built with a porte-cochere and as a neighborhood we decided years ago that your home
does not need a porte-cochere. As a neighborhood we decided all of our homes are just fine
as they are - thank you very much.
If you can come to terms with this concept most of the “Guidelines” become obvious. So if I hear a neighbor lamenting that
the color of his brick is not his wife’s favorite, I might find myself wanting to reply that
if he and his wife can not bring themselves to
appreciate their home as it is, I am sure Lola
Baker (CH-EH Board Member and long-
January/February GALLERY WALK
BETWEEN 28TH & N. WALKER & 30TH AND N. DEWEY
RECEPTIONS:
Mariposa Gallery
Adelante! Gallery
In Your Eye Gallery
Gallery One
aka gallery
Paseo Art Studio
JRB Art @ the Elms
Studio Six
Paseo Pottery
Art of Yoga
L I V E B A N D S AT:
Galileo
Sauced
FIRST FRIDAY
Gallery Walk featuring over 60 artists
6-10PM
JAN. 2 & FEB. 6
SATURDAY
JAN. 3 & FEB. 7
12-6PM
“Sneak-a-peek” Saturday, Watch artists work live
Over 60 artists in more than 17 galleries, 3 great restaurants, gift shop,
clothing boutique, and yoga studio, all within walking distance.
For more information call 525-2688
or visit or website at www.thepaseo.com.
time realtor) can find someone who will!
So if the first HP Commandment might
be “love thy home as it is”, the second
Commandment could be either “two wrongs
don’t make a right” or “if your neighbor
jumped off a cliff, would you?” The reason for
the second commandment is that people seeking to violate HP Guidelines love to bring up
the fact that they are certainly not the first ones
to do so. “What do you mean I can’t paint
my brick! I have counted 153 other homes
in Crown Heights that have painted brick!”
There are certainly no shortage of homeowners who state this case in front of the Historic
Preservation Commissioners each month, but
this misguided logic is never successful.
Of course none of this is to say that
our homes do not need maintenance and
that no modifications can take place.
However, in terms of the front elevation of
your home, any significant modification to
the exterior surfaces of the home itself is
probably worth a phone call to any of our
Preservation Review Committee Members
or a check of the HP Guidelines (a link is
available at ch-eh.org). Now if you’re talking about landscaping the front of your
home or an addition to the rear, those are
topics for another issue of The Chronicle!
— John Joyce
January/february 2009
21
Holiday Lighting, December 7th
January/february 2009
22
recent events
January/february 2009
23
Recent Events
Murphey/Brunsteter
Wedding
right: Cassidy Lauren Murphey and Webster
Earl Brunsteter, children of Crown Heights
neighbors David and Joni Murphey and
W.W. “Dub” and Betsy Brunsteter were
united in marriage on December 16, 2008.
Opening of
“Our Town” Exhibition
below, right: Artist Michael Hoffner at
the City Arts Center November 13, 2008.
below, left: CH neighbors Bob and
Mollie Kinniburgh, whose home was featured in Michael’s piece.
January/february 2009
24
Recent Events
Hanukah …The
Festival of Lights
During the darkest season of the year, both
Judaism and Christianity celebrate the season with lights, warmth, family and sharing of love and gifts. A Great Rabbi once
remarked that “You cannot chase away
darkness with a stick, you have to turn on
the light.” The way to eliminate darkness
-- to rid the world of ignorance, negativity,
hatred and greed -- is to kindle the lights of
knowledge, generosity, hope and love.
The Hebrew word, “Hanukah” means
dedication and commemorates a victory for
religious freedom between a small band of Jews
and the Syrian armies in 165 BCE. The dedication refers to the re-dedication of the Temple
in Jerusalem after it was desecrated. Hanukah
is actually a minor religious holiday on the
Jewish calendar, yet its message of religious
freedom and the joy of giving during the darkest months, resonates with all who celebrate
the season. Hanukah actually means “dedica-
tion” in Hebrew, referring to the rededication
of the original Temple in Jerusalem after it was
desecrated by the Syrians.
Hanukah began on the evening of
December 21st with the lighting of the first
candle and continued for eight nights through
Dec. 28th. On the last night of Chanukah,
12/28 at 6:30 pm, we had a special memorial
to former Crown Heights neighbor and OKC
Councilmen, Mark Schwartz, of blessed memory. He was instrumental in creating the large
menorah for our neighborhood, and for making so many improvements to our city through
his work on the City Council.
When you see the lights shining on the
Crown Heights menorah on the Shartel
median, may it remind you of the many ways
we each bring light and learning to our neighborhood, our city, our country and the world.
—Marcy Price, Program Director
Jewish Federation of OKC
January/february 2009
25
recent events
1
CH-EH Board
Christmas Party
1. Jana, Danielle, Sandy
2. Katie, Shannon, Leah, Alan
3. Linda, Bill
4. Patricia, Rick, Linda, John
5. Amanda, Steve
January/february 2009
26
2
3
4
5
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January/february 2009
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Please join the CH‑EH Neighborhood Association
Clip this coupon and mail your payment to
CH‑EH Homeowners Assoc.
P.O. Box 18283, Okc, OK 73154
This is your neighborhood newsletter!
Please send stories, photos, essays,
announcements or anything you
think would be of interest.
#
Published by Tierra Media Group.
or pay online at www.CH‑EH.org
$500.00 Annual Dues as “Heritage Member”
$250.00 Annual Dues as “Historic Member”
$125.00 Annual Dues as “Heights Member”
$75.00 Annual Dues as “Heirloom Member”
Editorial
Lea Morgan
[email protected]
524-8981
Danielle Coats
[email protected]
524-9797
editorial deadlines are
one week prior to
advertising deadlines.
Upcoming Events
Annual Neighborhood
Association Meeting
2:00 pm
Sunday, February 8th
advertising
[email protected]
605-6789 ext 131
Issue Date
Mar/Apr
May/June
July/Aug
Sept/Oct
Nov/Dec
January/february 2009
28
Deadline
Feb 11, 2009
Apr 15, 2009
June 10, 2009
Aug 12, 2009
Oct 14, 2009
Welcome New Neighbors!
Darren and Caroline Tawwater 833 NW 38th
Robert and Kimberly Stern
700 NW 41st
Jeffrey Labauve 836 NW 41st
Jill Anne Malone
720 NW 42nd St