pathways to progress

Pathways to

ProgressCommunity

Good memories from their universitydays, relatively cheap housing and access

to quality medical care are reasons why“Boomerang” couples are moving back toNorman. Some of those housing options

include loft apartments and condomimiums near campus

and downtown.

— Read all about it, Pages 4-5

The national recession, weather disasters and just higheroperating costs have increased the need for volunteers at

schools, non-profit agencies and even local businesses. With areduction in paid staff, many groups are turning to volunteers,

many of them seniors, to help balance the load and the bottomline. Young people aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty, too. The

University of Oklahoma’s Big Event, part of a national collegemovement, helps local non-profit agencies, schools and

churches with special projects. But it also teaches the collegestudents a lesson in giving back to their communities.

—— RReeaadd aallll aabboouutt iitt,, PPaaggee 22 && 99

Coming June 21: Pathways to Progress / Business and Industry

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

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■Top photo: Condo living in Normanby Kyle Phillips / The Transcript.

■ Middle photo: Battle of the Burg-ers by Doug Hill / For The Transcript.

■ Bottom Photo: OU Big Event byKyle Phillips / The Transcript.

■ Background Photo: Legacy Trailby Kyle Phillips / The Transcript.

On the coverAnimal Emergency Center ...............3Bob Moore Nissan...........................9Bob Moore of Norman.....................9Brockhaus Jewelry...........................2Desire Consignment......................10Dillard Group...................................8

Havenbrook Funeral Home ............12HeyDay Family Fun .........................8Immediate Care Clinic .....................6Ladies Workout Express ................12Le Visage.......................................11Moore Norman Technology ..........10

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Advertiser index

The Norman Transcript

Pathways to Progress

By Chris JonesFor The Transcript

Members of the Ugly Quilters gather twicea month at the Community Services

Building in Norman, to make quilts for home-less shelters.

The volunteers laugh and talk and stitchtheir way through 300 colorful blankets a year.Their motivation is to use their skills to providewarmth for those in need. Their reward is funand friendship, and a potluck lunch on the daysthey meet.

Those who are interested in the law lendtheir time to the OU Law Center where they siton mock juries.

A “Mailout Brigade” attracts volunteers wholike to keep their hands busy and help non-profit groups with sorting, labeling and distribu-tion of newsletters and other vital donorinformation.

Last year a pool of 15 men and women sentout more than 100,000 pieces of mail at therequest of the J.D. McCarty Center and othernon-profit agencies in need of help, accordingto Angela Bratcher, Retired Senior VolunteerProgram director for Cleveland and McClainCounties.

The need for volunteers is greater than everbecause of the economy. Unemployment,higher food costs, and gasoline prices, andnumerous weather disasters have hit non-profits hard.

Operating costs are up, contributions aredown, and some agencies have had to reducepaid staff.

“Budgets are tight and help is needed,”Andrea Seekings said. She answered the phoneat the RSVP office in Norman recently.

She and her husband Charles are volunteertutors at Houchin Elementary in Moore, whereshe works with first grade children. She hasbeen there for 10 years.

“The pre-school children call my husband,‘Grandpa Charlie,’” she said. It’s so good for thechildren to have a male role in their lives.”

Volunteer opportunities by the hundreds areopen to interested teens, college students, andmen and women of all ages who want to enrichtheir lives and contribute to Norman, and thesurrounding communities.

Among FriendsDoris Sanders, retired school administrator

and teacher, said she likes to drive, read, and

doesn’t mind waiting in a doctor’s office. This isa perfect combination for volunteers who arewilling to take people to appointments throughthe Provide a Ride Program.

One day a week she volunteers at AmongFriends, a program for emotionally andphysically disabled people.

“It takes an effort for the physically disabledto get some place,” Sanders said. “They are sohappy to get out of their apartments or group

Residents step up when needs are identifiedLocating volunteer

opportunities in Norman isas easy as a phone call or acomputer mouse click.

■ Retired Senior Volunteer Program

A simple application isthe beginning of a wideselection of volunteeringopportunities with RSVP.The RSVP office in Normanis at 1125 E. Main St.

Info: 701-2133 or goonline www.cocaa.org

■ Second Chance Animal Sanctuary

The sanctuary has aneed for volunteers in manyroles.

Info: 405-321-1915, [email protected]

■ Sooner Theatre

Joyce Collard is a vol-unteer usher at the theater.When all the guests areseated she sits down andwatches the show.

“I have seen dramas,comedies, musicals andbands,” she said. “I supportthe theatre wholeheartedly.”

Katherine McLaughlin isvolunteer coordinator aswell as house manager atSooner Theatre.

Volunteer recruitment isin August.

Info: 405-321-9600.

How to help

Volunteerism

Transcript File Photo / Kyle Phillips

Andy Paden presents Krystal Harrington with a plaque for her Volunteer of the Year Awardin the Young Citizen catagory at the 2011 Volunteer of the Year awards ceremony.

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Retired Texas oil patch executiveDavid Saunders was introduced toNorman by his wife Marilyn and herfamily who have been here for manyyears. David and Marilyn chose to livehere for a variety of reasons.

“Norman is not a megacity likeHouston with the associated traffic,the pollution, or the humidity,”Saunders said. “What we foundNorman to be, was a town with acultural and arts bent, with an abundance todo. While a major University offers a numberof enriching civic and arts events for the area,

the city seems to be organized aroundoffering concerts, arts walks, and otherevents.”

Many in town know Saundersbecause he founded the CanadianRiver Cruisers motoring club a fewyears ago. In no small part it’s becauseof his charming personality andselflessness that so many people havebeen attracted to the club’s regularSaturday morning meetings at the

Midway Market.“No discussion of the appeal of Norman and

of Oklahoma would be complete without

saying something about the genuineness ofthe citizens. They are simply the nicest peopleas a group that I have ever met,” Saunderssaid. “I recently took a pretty good spill on mybike over on Flood. Traffic stopped in alldirections as people poured forth to help me tomy feet, to untangle my bike, and to offer merides to the hospital. This may happen in otherparts of the country, but I believe it is aningrained behavior in the Midwest.

— Doug Hill, for The Transcript

For one resident, Norman’s draw is the peopleA group of military veterans

and retirees meet for coffee atHomeland on NW 24th Avenue atRobinson Street. All these mencall Norman home.

Bill Stone, graduate of WestPoint and OU, is one of the group.

“Norman is a great town withgreat people,” Stone said. “Percapita, it has more high qualitycommunity service agencies thanother towns this size. OU’s cultur-al and athletic resources helpmake it a very vibrant place tolive.”

— Doug Hill

The University of Oklahoma’s AlumniAssociation sponsors a wide variety ofactivities for it members. Some eventssuch as the Metro Arts Circle’s partiesand concerts on the OU campus are opento the public as well.

Whether alumni interests involvesports, academics or reuniting withclassmates many events are plannedthroughout the year.

■Class reunions are organized forevery Homecoming Weekend in the fall,

2011’s date to be determined. Thereunions honor specified graduating classyears and selected members of thePresident’s Medallion Club.

■Boomer Bash is a pre-football gameevent featuring a pep rally at the StudentUnion.

■Faculty Webinairs, are academiclectures conveniently available on-line foranyone to view. Currently posted is alecture by OU assistant professor of ArtHistory Allison Lee Palmer presenting an

overview of colonial architectural con-struction at Jamestown and Williamsburg.

■ Softball Nights at the Ballpark inseason are scheduled periodically withspecial ticket pricing that includes T-shirt,hot dog and a drink.

■The Metro Arts Circle parties andconcerts are free and open to the public.Held at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Artin 2010, they have included a guestlecture by Bill Goldston, Director ofUniversal Limited Arts Edition, a special

choreographed dance by the OU Schoolof Dance and concert on the lawn by rockband White Denim.

■Caravan to Norman highlights someMen’s and Women’s basketball gameswith the OU alumni association hosting ameal and pep rally for alumni at LloydNoble Center.

— Doug Hill, for The Transcript

By Doug HillFor The Transcript

In 2010 the metro area wasranked second in a top tenlist of best places to retire byUnited Services AutomobileAssociation, a financialservices company cateringexclusively to U.S. militarypersonnel. They based theirranking on 20 factors thatincluded proximity to VAhospitals and military bases,recreation, arts and culture,crime levels and affordability.Not surprisingly, it was foundthat the University ofOklahoma plays a leadingrole in initial attraction andretention of these valuedmembers of our community.

Retired Navy Cmder. JimDavis didn’t grow up inOklahoma but has livedhere since 1965. He wasborn in the Kansas City,Mo.-area 91 years agowhen automobile traveljust a short distance awayfrom home could be anordeal.

“After going into themilitary I had traveledthrough Oklahoma toother places but that wasabout it as far as spending any time here,”Davis said. A 1942 Naval Academygraduate, he was assigned to duty andlived in Hartford, Conn.; Norfolk, Va.;Pensacola, Fla.; Corpus Christi, Texas;Seattle, Wash; and post-war Japan.

Both as an active duty officer and fromtraveling during retirement Davis hasvisited 72 countries around the globe. Hehas seen a large part of the world andbasically could live anywhere. HoweverDavis and his wife, Elizabeth Lee “Bun-ny,” (now deceased) chose to reside inNorman after retirement in 1970.

“My last Navy assign-ment was as the executivedirector of the ReserveOfficers Training Corps atthe University of Okla-homa,” Davis said. “I wasautomatically a facultymember and OU was agood place to work.”

As an important man oncampus with a demonstrat-ed leadership backgroundhe found himself becomingentwined with the communi-ty through relationshipsbeyond the job.

“When it came time todecide where we’d liveafter retirement it wasapparent we knew farmore people in Normanthan anywhere else,”Davis said. “Many of ourgood friends were here.”

Although his mother, otherfamily and eventually thecouple’s two daughters were inthe Kansas City-area, Jim andBunny decided to stay inOklahoma. Not rocking chairfolks, they were both involvedin social and civic activitiessuch as Kiwanis, SquareDance Club and as activemembers at McFarlin

Memorial United Methodist Church. “Mayor Bill Morgan kept appointing

me to unpaid committees and boards ofdirectors,” Davis said with a laugh.

They also used home as a base fortravel to far away destinations such asAustralia and New Zealand.

“Norman has a safe, friendly atmos-phere and it’s centrally located,” Davissaid. “Most small cities with a universityhave an advantage over those that don’t.We’ve attended many OU functions suchas concerts and plays over the years.”

Asked about his many military peers

who made the same Oklahoma choice, hehas some highly credible theories. One isthe Southern Belle factor.

“When the Naval Air TechnicalTraining Center and hospital were in fullswing during WWII and later the KoreanWar, lots of guys were stationed inNorman,” Davis said. “Many dated andmarried Norman girls and when theircareers concluded they settled back herein their wives’ home town.”

He also cited Tinker Field as anotherreason for the nation wide exposure tocentral Oklahoma as a good place to live.

“Lots of those military people saw thatNorman in particular was a more attractiveplace to live than Midwest City,” he said.

In addition to recognizing the valuableleadership experience of many of our seniorcitizens, the University of Oklahoma alsohas emphasized the benefits of lifelonglearning for decades. Partnered withCalifornia’s Bernard Osher Institute, OU hasadministered a generous grant and beenpart of the 125 member network of OsherLife Long Learning Institutes since 2006.

For a $40 annual fee anyone over theage of 50 may participate in programs thatoffer non-credit courses in music, science,art, religion and journalism.

“Right now we have over 700 membersparticipating,” program coordinator NatalieBeasley said from the Institute’s 1600 S.Jenkins Ave. office. “Some classes have asmany as 80 people and some are as smallas six or seven, it just depends on the topic.

“We have professors who come backeach semester and their classes grow asword gets around,” she said.

Beasley said that participants enjoy theclassroom setting but without the pressureof taking tests. Classroom discussion is alarge part of the program dynamic. Thesocial aspect of having lunch together andbeing part of a sponsored book club adds toOLLI’s attraction.

Retired Army Col. Woodrow Wiltsegrew up in Dearborn, Mich., and was a1943 graduate of then-Michigan State

College. Entered into Officer CandidateSchool as an artilleryman, the younghusband was sent to Fort. Sill.

“It was 114 degrees in the shade whenwe stepped off the train in Oklahoma,”Wiltse said.

Just a few months of training later andWiltse was a lieutenant leading troopswho were among the divisions thatliberated Cherbourg, France after theinvasion of Normandy.

“We got the hell beat out of us at areaslike St. Lo,” he said. Later a German tankround exploded near Wiltse spraying hiseyes with shattered concrete. Temporari-ly blinded he recovered and continuedafter the war as a reservist before becom-ing a career officer later.

Stints at language and military intelli-gence schools for attaches landed Wiltseassignments in 1958 Saigon, the Penta-gon and Korea.

“At one point I applied for an ROTCassignment hoping they’d send me backto Michigan State but ended up as aCommanding Officer of the Army ROTCat OU from 1964-69,” he said.

Wiltse and his wife bought a home inNorman to share with their two sons anda Chinese boy they’d begun caring for inVietnam.

“Then they shipped me to the NATODefense College in Rome,” he said. “Thatwas really a pleasant tour.”

Wiltse retired in 1965 and they cameback to the Norman home they’d keptwhile in Europe.

“I was hired to run the Parking andTraffic Office at OU and quit after nearlynine years,” he said.

The Wiltse family returned because ofthe residents.

“It came down to basic recognition thatwe knew the people here, the University,the hospital, police and fire departments,”he said. “Norman has been a good placeto anchor after tilting my lance at life’swindmills. It’s been a satisfactory place toavoid the turmoil and just live.”

The regulars

OU alumni activities, events add to community

Platoons of service people retire to areaQuality of life

Doug Hill / For The Transcript

Austin rock band White Denim played a free concert open to the public in 2010 on the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art lawn. The event was one of the OU alumniAssociations periodic Metro Arts Circle parties.


After a career that tookhim around the world,retired Army Col.Woodrow Wiltse hascalled Norman home fornearly five decades.

DavidSaunders



By Doug HillFor The Transcript

Three mornings a week,Norman’s Senior Citizen center isa hotbed of Chinese martial arts.

Some may know of Tai Chi onlyas depicted in the movies. Invari-ably it is shown as venerable menand women moving slowly andmeticulously very early in themorning as they prepared foranother day.

Here in Norman, Tai Chi justone of the many activities sched-uled at the Senior Center for our55-plus population to keep usphysically and mentally fit.

Tai Chi utilizes ancient Asiantechniques that prepare one forboth combat and the physical andmental rigors of everyday life.

It’s just one of over 10 differentactivities regularly scheduled forparticipation on a daily basis.

“I have diabetes and it hascertainly helped with my balance,”Tai Chi student Maria Ozmet said.“I’ve been learning it for about twoyears. I knew nothing about TaiChi before starting here but (thedoctor) recommended it for me.”

Ozmet enjoys the company ofother participants as well as theexercise it provides.

For 50 cents a visit and $30 forthe entire year Norman’s goldengirls and boys may engage inpastimes that range from theartistically creative to shakingone’s booty on the dance floor.

The center is at 329 S. PetersSt.

Senior center activities abound for 50-plus set

By Carol Cole-FroweFor The Transcript

Loft living is on the upswing inNorman, with more historic

lofts upstairs from downtown Normanbusinesses being refurbished into livingspace or office space with a vintage vibe.

“They are fun,” said Jim Adair of AdairProperties, which rents five renovatedlofts downtown. “(Lessees) want thecomfort they’re used to, but they wantsomething different.”

Most lofts have some of the originalamenities still intact, like original woodfloors, exposed brick, large windows andan open, flowing floor plan.

Renovating the upstairs lofts fromdowntown businesses can be challenging.

A loft that could be residential or officespace currently is being used for officespace by DeAnna Thompson, co-ownerwith husband Johnny, of Impulse clothingstore at 209 E. Main St. in downtownNorman. The loft is upstairs from theirbusiness.

Thompson got an unexpected bonuswhen they rented their loft. An originalwall with several layers of green andbrown paint on concrete plaster was inone of the bedrooms. They now use thewall as a backdrop as they photographmany of the products that are displayedon their highly successful websites, vin-tageflax.com and funkyflax.com.

“We use it for the background of all ofour photographs,” Thompson said.

In fact, Adair said it’s written in theirlease that they can’t paint that particularwall.

When he started renovating the space,it had not been occupied in at least 60years and he describes it as “a mess.” Helearned little tricks along the way, like toupdate the knob-and-block electricalsystem, they put in a slightly widerwooden cavity baseboard to run wiresbehind.

They exposed the original brick inseveral places from under the concreteplaster throughout to increase the linkwith the past. `

Adair said their lofts range from about800 to 1,600 square feet. They rent fromabout $800 to $1,200 a month and havesingle or double garages. The doublegarages require stacking vehicles onebehind the other, much like single-cardriveways in older neighborhoods.

A city ordinance created the zoningthat made it possible to renovate the lofts.

“They seem to be quite successful,”said Doug Koscinski, manager of the cityof Norman’s planning division, whoworked on the ordinance.

Koscinski said the movement startedwhen local downtown merchants got thearea designated a historic district,although some other merchants hadreservations about it.

“Slowly, one-by-one, people startedpeeling off the metal fronts,” he said.“Now a lot of these places have funky, oldcharm. … I consider it a big successstory.”

He said there are about 15 downtownlofts available, including four MagnoliaApartments upstairs from Native RootsMarket at 132 W. Main St.

Judy Hatfield of Equity Realty said herfirm is converting a loft upstairs from oneof their clients, Bison Witches Bar andDeli on E. Main St.

“It was a loft many years ago and hasbeen in a state of disrepair and that is anunderstatement,” Hatfield said.

The loft should be completed in June,she said.

Box Real Estate currently is building acomplex of loft-style condominiums, Lofts401 at the northwest corner of BoydStreet and Classen Boulevard withinwalking or biking distance of the Universi-ty of Oklahoma.

“What makes this a loft,” said AndyRidley of Box Ventures. “ … It’s more ofan open concept with clean lines. … Wefocus on the quality of the finishes. It’skind of a boutique style.”

The one-bedroom units are about 800to 900 square feet and range up to two-bedroom units at about 1,200 square feetwith 10-foot ceiling heights. They start inthe high $150,000s.

The five two-story “penthouse” unitsare about 1,660 square feet and haverooftop terraces.

Quality of life

Loft living is the life some seekLofts to lease

To lease or get on the waiting list for a loft:

■ Magnolia Apartments, nativerootsmarket.com/pages/magnolia_apartments, 310-6300

■ Adair and Associates, 321-8984

■ Equity Realty, equityrealty.net, 364-5300

■ Mister Robert Fine Furniture, 321-1818

Kyle Phillips / The Transcript

Old Towne Lofts leases these homes at 375 Triad Village Road on Norman’s eastside.

Andy Rieger / The Transcript

A southbound freight train passes through the intersection with Boyd Street as crews work on the nearby Lofts 401.


Norman seniors participate in a Tai Chi class at the Senior Citizens Center, 329 S. Peters.

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By Chris JonesFor The Transcript

Not everyone wants to get out at 2 a.m. andrespond to a house fire, but for others, it’s a privilegeto help people in need any time day or night.

Rusty Surette, regional director of communica-tions for The American Red Cross, said the agencyrelies heavily on volunteers.

“We are happy and grateful for the help we get,”Surette said. “We don’t have any requirements forthe amount of time volunteers spend. Somevolunteer once a year, while others are there all thetime. We are flexible, and volunteers pick andchoose what they want to do.”

Robin Outland, American Red Cross Heart ofOklahoma Chapter in Norman, said budget cutshave been responsible for staff reductions, andcreated a need for more volunteers.

Helping hands are needed in many waysbecause of tornadoes, fires, floods and earth-quakes. Residents who have experienced deathand destruction are grateful to see the faces ofAmerican Red Cross volunteers.

Terry Baine, LCSW a clinical social worker fromMoore, was interviewed by phone from Mississip-pi, where she was sent as a Red Cross volunteer.She said she is the only mental health person inthe local chapter.

She recently retired, giving her more time toplay with her grandchildren, take vacations, andvolunteer for the Red Cross.

While in Mississippi, Baine talked to a womanwho survived the destruction of her home, butneeded advice and direction.

“Some are burying their loved ones, they are

coping, they need a hug,” Baine said and someone tolisten. “They want to know what is normal, what toexpect, where to go for help. Many need immediatehelp to replace eyeglasses and prescriptions.

I like helping people, and it helps me appreciatewhat I have.”

Sara McClure, a stay-at-home mom with ayoung child, said she volunteers on the board forthe American Red Cross Heart of OklahomaChapter, and she coordinates the volunteerprogram and conducts orientation for newvolunteers.

The Norman resident said her volunteer workprovides adult interaction, keeps her skills current,and is a way to give back to the community.

The areas of need are great, ranging fromstaffing First Aid stations at May Fair, andMedieval Fair, to the behind the scenes volunteerwork done by Al Singleton, retired Air Force pilot.

“I go in every week and help with the financialpaperwork at the Red Cross,” Singleton said. “I’malso on the disaster relief team. The Red Crossdoes really good work taking care of people.”

The Norman resident laughed, and said he hasretired three times, but he can’t seem to stayhome.

He enjoys the camaraderie of working at theRed Cross, and the satisfaction of helping others.

Red Cross stands readyHow to helpAmerican Red Cross volunteers go through a back-

ground check and application process. Orientation eventsgive volunteers the basic information they need to getstarted. Info: 405-321-0591 or [email protected]

Volunteerism

homes. We have coffee in themornings, lunch, and play tablegames, watch movies, and justvisit. People in Norman are sofortunate to have these pro-grams.”

Bratcher said there are 185active volunteers in Norman,through Retired Senior Volun-teer Program. Some volunteer 20hours a week, while others mayvolunteer once a month.

Crossroads Headstart,Norman Regional Hospital,Norman Veterans Center, Mealson Wheels, and the Sam NobleNatural History Museum aresites where many of the volun-teers give their time in a varietyof helpful ways.

Lynda Grimsley, is retired, andsaid she likes to stay busy. Shevolunteers with SpecialOlympics, the Volunteer IncomeTax Assistance Program, AngelFood Ministry, and she said sheis interested in helping withplans for a possible free healthclinic in Noble, where she lives.

“I have worked since I was 15,and I was a Girl Scout leader,”Grimsley said. “I am a peopleperson, and I try to think of waysI can help.”

Jumping rope at 81I am very active for my age,”

Dorothy Claxton said. “I can stilljump rope. I had to teach mygrandchildren how to do thefancy jumps.”

Claxton, 81, of Norman, saidshe isn’t the type of person to sithome and watch television soapoperas. She said she has a lot ofenergy, and she enjoys workingwith children, and she saidpeople who want to volunteershould choose something theyenjoy.

Claxton volunteers in the Kidsare Special program at NormanRegional, and she is availableonce a week early in the morningin the surgery waiting area tomake coffee, welcome families,and make them comfortable asthey spend time in the waitingroom.

She also volunteers at theVeteran’s Center in Norman,where she enjoys helpingveterans celebrate their birth-days.

Once a year she is available tohelp at the annual free NormanChristmas dinner.

“When you have had a goodlife you have to give back,”Claxton said.

• From Page 2

Chronicling growth and progress in Norman

since the Land Run of 1889

For home delivery:405-366-3573

Subscribe to ourSmart Edition at

@.com

Pathways to

ProgressCommunity

The University of Oklahoma has changed con-siderably since the days of the first presidentDavid Ross Boyd. The seeds sown before theturn of the century have brought quite a harvestof students. Nearly 30,000 students are studyingin 463 major fields. The impact on the state’seconomy is estimated at $1.5 billion.

—— RReeaadd aallll aabboouutt iitt,, PPaaggeess 88

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

LivingFaith & Education

Faith comes in all shapes, sizes andcolors in Norman. Buildings used for wor-ship, too. Holy Ascension Orthodox Chris-tian Church opened its doors on 12thAvenue NE in August of 2010. Its uniquebuilding causes passersby to do a dou-bletake. The same goes for the newIslamic student center under constructionon East Lindsey, just east of the GaylordFamily Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

—— RReeaadd aallll aabboouutt iitt,, PPaaggee 1111

David L. Boren, whoserved Oklahoma asgovernor and U.S. senator,became the 13th president ofthe University of Oklahomain 1994. He is the firstperson in state history tohave served in all threepositions.

Boren majored inAmerican History at YaleUniversity, graduating in1963, and went on to earn amaster’s degree in politics,philosophy and economicsfrom Oxford University,England, in 1965 as aRhodes scholar. In 1968, hereceived his law degree fromthe University of Oklahomaalong with several accoladesduring his time as a studentat OU including winning theBledsoe Prize and being onthe Law Review.

During Boren’s time at OU,the university has developed20 new major programs,including the establishment ofthe Honors College, theInternational Programs Centerand an interdisciplinaryreligious studies program. Inaddition, since he came to OUin 1994, almost $1 billion inconstruction projects havebeen completed or are underway on OU’s three campuses.

Boren is married to MollyShi Boren, who serves asPresident Emeritus of theOklahoma Arts Institute.Boren has two children,Carrie Boren, an Episcopalminister, and David DanielBoren, who just announcedhe will not seek re-electionto the U.S. Congress.

Oklahoma’s Real Estate Resource

[email protected] • www.barryhurley.com

Barry Hurley Realtor®Business (405) 366-7707 • Voice Mail (405) 290-1372

Cell (405) 833-6820

1800 N. Interstate Dr.Suite 300

Norman, OK 73072


Pathways to ProgressUniversity of Oklahoma

By Kendall BrownTranscript staff

W hen Chris Shilling firstcame to the University of

Oklahoma in the fall of 2005, hewas unsure of what to expect. Likemany students, Shilling had adifficult time deciding whichuniversity to attend. After his timeat OU, however, Shilling said heknows he made the right decision.

“You create your surroundingswhen you first come to OU,”Shilling said. “Then, when youleast expect it, your surroundingsstart to create you.”

The University of Oklahomaenrolls more than 30,000 studentslike Shilling each year. Within theUniversity is housed 21 collegesoffering 163 majors at the bacah-elor’s level, 166 majors at themaster’s level, 81 majors at thedoctoral level, 27 majors at thedoctoral professional level and 26graduate certificates.

Aside from being a majorpowerhouse in the state, turningout thousands of graduates for theworkforce each year, OU has ahuge impact on Norman andOklahoma in so many other ways.Each year, the university’s impacton the state’s economy is morethan $1.5 billion.

Academically, OU also continues to be atthe front of the pack. The student body atOU is the academically highest at a publicuniversity in Oklahoma history. In addi-tion, OU has more National Merit Scholarsenrolled than any other public university inthe state. In fact, The Princeton Reviewconsistently ranks OU in the top 10 publicuniversities in the nation when factoringstudent costs and academic excellence.

The university also continues to expandits commitment to health sciencesresearch. In fiscal year 2010, the OUHealth Sciences Center secured more than$118 million in grants and contracts.

The OU Physicians group employsnearly 400 doctors, including about 125children’s physicians, and is the state’slargest physician group.

Many would think all these numbers

would make it easy to get lost in the pack.Not so, according to Shilling.

“This is a fantastic place to be,” Shillingsaid. “The opportunities here in Okla-homa are second to none.

“This is a place where you can separateyourself from the pack,” he said.

OU charts path of academic excellence

By the Numbers:University of Oklahoma

■ Students Enrolled: 30,000-plus

■ Full-time faculty: 2,400-plus

■ Colleges: 21

■ Majors (all levels): 463

Provided photo

University of Oklahoma President David Boren takes a wild ride in the Sooner Schooner duringOU’s 14-3 victory over the University of Texas on Oct. 6, 2001. Whether it’s academics or athletics,OU enjoys a spot at the top of the rankings.

Transcript File

Created by the territorial legislature in 1890, theUniversity of Oklahoma has been a part ofNorman virtually since the land run of 1889.

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Pathways to ProgressUniversity of Oklahoma

By Aaron Wright GrayFor The Transcript

Once every spring,hoards of students gathertogether on the Universityof Oklahoma campus in aspirit of generosity andcommunity appreciation.They bring shovels andgardening gloves, wear thesame T-shirt and are readyto get their hands a littledirty, all in the name ofSooner service.

The Big Event, a day ofvolunteering, was createdby students at Texas A&Min the 1980s. Four studentsbrought the idea north tothe OU in 1999, where itwas adopted by the OUStudent Association.

The event is a conglom-eration of thousands ofstudents that cometogether to say thank you tothe community thatsupports them by assistinglocal non-profits. In 2011,more than 5,300 students,staff and faculty went out to142 sites in the metro area.

“The Big Event is acompilation of a year'sworth of work, with thethrust of the effort takingplace on one spring day,”Clarke Stroud, vicepresident of student affairs,said. “While it is a dayevent, the message is clearto students, ‘give back tothe community.’ In fact, inone day, our students do asmuch service in individualand group hours, as someuniversities may do in anentire year.”

“For me, the Big Event isone of the most inspiringevents of the year,"President Boren said. “TheBig Event is a very impor-

tant symbol of the thou-sands of hours of voluntaryservice given by OUstudents to the communityall year long. It also servesto introduce students whohave not previously beeninvolved to the rewards ofvolunteer service. Ournewest Rhodes Scholar,Sarah Swenson, is anexample of a student whovolunteers when she ishome in South Dakota inher local hospital. Footballplayer Quinton Carter is aleader in his home town ofLas Vegas in athleticprograms for under-privileged youth.”

For OU alumnus JoshuaDavis, although he wasinvolved in volunteering on

a small-scale in high school,being a part of the BigEvent altered his view ofcommunity service.

“Before being introducedto The Big Event at OU, Ihad never before witnessedvolunteerism on such agrand scale,” he said. “Toput our single-day impactinto perspective, if youconsider 4,200 volunteers(roughly how manyparticipated in 2007), and alow estimate of three hoursof volunteer work perindividual, that comes outto 12,600 hours of volunteerwork in a single day. Itwould take one person 525consecutive days working24/7 to contribute thismany volunteer hours.”

Davis remembers hisfavorite part being the kick-off ceremony, with eagerstudents all decked out inthe same shirt ready to gettheir hands dirty. Daviscontinued to serve with theBig Event for several years,eventually serving aschairman at the spring 2007event.

These days Daviscontinues to volunteer inhis community, especiallywith Junior Achievement,where he spends his timeteaching first graders theimportance of community,family and school. Asassistant director of studentaffairs at the OU-TulsaSchusterman Centercampus, Davis encourages

students to get involved involunteerism.

OU alumnus MarkMoravits chaired the BigEvent twice, once in 2004and once in 2005. A bornand bred Longhorn,Moravits crossed the RedRiver to OU because hewas attracted to thecampus’ strong sense ofcommunity involvement.Even so, he was especiallyimpressed with the BigEvent.

“I learned about The BigEvent when I first visitedOU and rememberthinking to myself ‘Wow,this is one of the coolestideas I’ve ever heard of.’ Iam proud to be a Sooner,”Moravits said.

Through his work withnon-profits and businesses,Moravits said he oftenhears people dismiss thevalue of “episodic volun-teerism,” short-term,widespread events similarto the Big Event. Moravits,though disagrees.

“Thousands of hours ofessential projects, servicesand tasks have beencompleted by the tens ofthousands of students whohave participated in TheBig Event over the years—so, so many of these tasksnecessary for theseagencies and organizationsand ones that would havenever been completedwithout the help of The BigEvent,” Moravits said.“Sure, some of thesestudents who volunteeronly volunteer on this oneday, but I’m confident insaying that their experiencewith The Big Event openstheir eyes to what needsexist in the community andhow, perhaps, they can bepart of the solution. What ismost memorable to meabout The Big Event is therealization that people,regardless of age, income,background, are at theirbest when they’re volun-teering.”

Sooner service is a lifetime commitment for someHow to participate

Organizations interestedin being a part of theUniversity of Oklahoma BigEvent can [email protected] to be puton a list to receive informa-tion when applications go outin the winter.

Transcript File Photo / Kyle Phillips

Zoe Kimpell and three other OU students carry a railroad tie that will be used to mark a path to a nature areaat Roosevelt Elementary during the 2011 Big Event.

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Pathways to ProgressEducation

By Jocelyn PedersenFor The Transcript

Pride and progress walk home fromschool hand in hand in Norman.

Since 1987, the coveted Blue RibbonSchool award has been presented ninetimes to various Norman Public schoolsand once to a local private school. This isno small feat. Of all the schools in thenation, 340 were named Blue RibbonSchools in 2010 and Norman’s LongfellowMiddle School was one of them.

Longfellow Middle School Principal,Darien Moore said schools can benominated for Blue Ribbon School statusin one of two categories: High Performingand Improvement. Longfellow wasrecognized in the Improvement category.

“We were recognized for making a giantleap in the Academic Performance Index,”she said, indicating a 30-point jump in statetesting results over a period of a year. “Thesetests are a reflection of performance at yourschool. A lot of people look for that whenmoving into schools.”

Moore explained that API measure-ment is based on test scores. She saidevery school takes the Criterion Refer-ence Tests which measure how wellstudents perform and teachers instruct,while End of Instruction (EOI) testsmeasure how much students know.Moore said all students, regardless ofdemographics-are evaluated using thesame criteria.

“No matter what disability, ethnicity ordemographic group-we found a way foreveryone to improve,” she said. “That’swhy the award meant so much. It takes awhole school. It really does. It takes everygrade level and every teacher to makethat kind of gain.”

Blue Ribbon Schools are presentedwith a flag and granted permission todisplay the Blue Ribbon School seal onnewsletters and letterhead, etc. Mooresaid Longfellow staff members have newnametags displaying the seal. “We arevery proud of it and we’re trying to put iton everything,” Moore said.

Longfellow students and parents arevery proud of their school’s Blue RibbonStatus, Moore said. Faculty and staffmembers talk to students and let themknow that this is the highest honorbestowed from the Department ofEducation. Students learn what it takes tobe a Blue Ribbon School and howimportant their behavior and performanceare. She said they are very honored to berecognized for the hard work teachersand students put forward.

As for the future, Moore says she plansto continue to maintain high standards atLongfellow.

“We’ll continue to close the gapsbetween groups to make sure all studentsare successful,” she said. “We are a smallschool, but we work very hard.”

Bryan Young, principal at NormanNorth High School, has a lot to be proudof. Norman North received Blue Ribbon

School Status in 2008 in the Excellencecategory. He said North’s EOI scores arealways very high and they have one of thehighest API scores. Additionally, he saidNorman North is the only 6A school inOklahoma to receive the ACT award ofexcellence for continual growth in ACTscores and the number of students takingthe ACT over a five year period.

Young said enrollment in AdvancedPlacement classes over the last two yearshas doubled. Two years ago, there wereabout 400 students taking AP classes. Nextyear, 1053 students will be enrolled in APand AEGIS courses as well as almost 500seniors enrolled in not only the requiredEnglish class, but in math and scienceclasses which are not required.

All of this hard work on the part ofstudents and teachers has paid off in BlueRibbon School status.

“It’s one of the biggest honorsbestowed on schools,” he said. “Studentstalk about it and are proud of it. Parentsare proud of it too.”

Young said they do a big promotion atNorman North to make sure students areaware of the achievements they attain. It’simportant to him that students and facultyknow they do a good job.

“We strive to accomplish the samestandards each and every year,” he said.

Pride in Norman’s Blue Ribbon Schoolsspreads all the way to the top. Dr. JosephSiano, Superintendent of Norman PublicSchools, said very few schools around thestate are recognized. The number of BlueRibbon Schools Norman has makes it oneof the top school districts in Oklahoma.

He explained that the Blue RibbonSchools program evaluates the effective-ness of the entire school-the types ofprograms offered, academic performance,and instructional competence.

“It’s the highest designation in ourfield. It’s highly competitive and a highlyappreciated honor. I feel the number ofNorman Blue Ribbon Schools is veryrepresentative of good schools across thedistrict,” Siano said. “Any time independ-ent schools are successful, several factorscome together: Talented students,talented and professional staff, engagedcommunity, families and businesses.”

What makes aBlue RibbonSchool?

Each year, the U.S. Depart-ment of Education invites eachstate to nominate schoolsmeeting recognition criteria inone of two categories:

■High PerformingSchools are those schoolsscoring at the highest perform-ance level on tests referenced bynational norms or those rankedamong a state’s highestperforming schools as measuredby state assessments in Englishlanguage arts and mathematics-regardless of demographics orstudent body percentage fromdisadvantaged backgrounds.

■ Improving Schools arethose with demographicsshowing 40 percent of theirstudents from disadvantagedbackgrounds. Students at theseschools have improved theirperformance to high levels(scoring in the top 40 percent ofschools in the state) in Englishlanguage arts and mathematicsas evidenced by state assessments or testsreferenced by national norms-thereby significantly narrowing the achievement gap. Results forall students tested must besimilar across all demographicgroups.

■ Info: Public and privateBlue Ribbon Schools,www.ed.gov.a

Blue Ribbon LegacyDr. Joseph Siano, superintendent of Norman

Public Schools, reported the following Normanschools have received Blue Ribbon School statusover the years.

1987-88 McKinley Elementary1988-89 Norman High School1988-89 West Mid High before schools were

consolidated2000-01 Roosevelt Elementary2000-01 Truman Elementary2005-06 McKinley Elementary2007-08 Lakeview Elementary2008-09 Norman North High School2010-11 Longfellow Middle School

Of note: All Saints Catholic School 2007-08

Schools in Norman offer BlueRibbon learning opportunity

Kyle Phillips / The Transcript

Longfellow Middle School is the Norman district’s latest Blue Ribbon School.

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Pathways to ProgressFaith

Transcript File Photo

Holy Ascension Orthodox Church opened its doors on 12th Avenue in August.

Transcript File Photo

A new Islamic Student Center is under construction on East Lindsey Avenue, justeast of the University of Oklahoma campus.

By Shana AdkissonTranscript Features Editor

Members of the congregation of HolyAscension Orthodox Christian

Church have been in the new churchsince its first Sunday service Aug. 15. Thisyear, the church celebrated its firstPascha in the new facility at 3350 12thAve. NE. Pascha, church memberEdward Adwon explains, is also known asEaster.

The move to the new church wasn’t thefirst for members. Prior to its currentfacility, which had a groundbreakingceremony January 2009, the churchhosted services at the Norman Chamberof Commerce, Norman Public Library andSt. Thomas More University Parish andStudent Center. Before moving to its newlocation, members gathered at a down-town storefront at 230 E. Main St.

The church had many problems arisewhen it was being built. One of thoseproblems was when the chandeliers thatoriginated from Greece were stolen. Thechandeliers were later found and returnedto the church, Adwon said.

“The guy who stole them must havethought they were gold. And they are not.

They are brass,” Adwon said.All Orthodox churches, Adwon said,

are built with the congregation and thealtar facing east “because the east iswhere the Holy Land is.”

The 7,000 square foot church wasdedicated Oct. 23 and The Rev. JustinMcFeeters, who has been with HolyAscension since 2002, is pleased with howfar his congregation of less than 100 havecome.

“For a group this size, to accomplishthis much in that short of time, is prettyremarkable. So, we feel great,” McFeeterssaid.

Of course with construction comesdebt.

“The church cost $1.1 million. What weare short on is real rich members,”Adwon joked. “We are working on thedebt. Our people are good about giving.”

The church, McFeeters said, gets alot of attention from passersby becauseif its architecture. The hollow golddome that sits atop the church can beseen for miles.

“People drive by. It’s like a parade. Thearchitecture doesn’t look like mostchurches,” McFeeters said.

Diverse faith communitiesfind home in Norman

Deedra Jaye Vice was raised in Clinton, Oklahoma, graduating Clinton High School in 1985. She is the daughter of Darrell Lee and Judy (Cabaniss) Stehr. Deedra has a younger brother, Brennon.

Deedra married Shane Vice on September 1, 1990 in Clinton, Oklahoma. Shane and Deedra have two sons, Dalton, a Junior at Norman North High School and Brant, a 5th grader at Truman Elementary.

Deedra is a graduate of Southwestern Oklahoma Sate University in Weatherford,

Oklahoma, where she obtained a Secretarial Science Degree. Deedra’s focus is in hospital administration, which encompasses Medical Staff Services and Quality Resource Management. Deedra has been on staff at Integris Clinton Regional Hospital, Deaconess Hospital in Oklahoma City, and in 2001 was on the development and start-up team to open the Integris Canadian Valley Hospital in Yukon, Oklahoma. In addition to her hospital administrative career, Deedra was appointed to lead a United States Federal Program that prepared Senior Citizens to re-enter the workforce. This program equipped seniors with the necessary skills to begin a career that prepared them for healthy, longtime business careers. After the Vice Family assumed ownership of Havenbrook Funeral Home, Deedra retired from Integris Canadian Valley Hospital after 21 years of dedicated service to Oklahoma’a Health Care Industry. Deedra’s affi liations include the Jaycees, Junior Service League, Yukon Community Education Council, and the Advisory Council of Yukon, Oklahoma. Deedra, Shane and their two sons worship at Bethel Baptist Church in Norman. Deedra is enjoying being a stay-at-home mom and providing administrative support to Havenbrook Funeral Home.

A Norman resident for more than 20 years, Jules is a native Oklahoman and a 1952 graduate of John Marshall High School in Oklahoma City. Jules retired from AT&T after more than 30 years of service. Jules joined the Havenbrook Funeral Home staff in May of 2010, assisting families in various capacities. In 1976, Jules founded her own company, Artistic Decor. She remained active in the business before retiring from Interior Design in late 1996. Jules has remained active in the business community, participating in the legal, medical, and oil and gas industries. Widowed at an early age, Jules enjoys spending time with her two daughters, grandchildren and traveling.

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Pathways to ProgressRecreational sports

By Michael KinneyTranscript Sports Writer

During the summer Reaves Park is fullon almost any given night of the

week. Men and women from aroundCleveland County converge on the publicfields for recreational softball leagues.

Recreational sports is a boomingbusiness in Norman. From softball tobasketball or soccer to volleyball, there aredifferent types of leagues for anyone whowishes to take part. Whether it’s publicorganizations or private church groups,everyone seems to be getting involved.

“The benefits to being in a community recleague is that you are able to join togetherwith all sorts of people, all barriers comedown because you are all there for onecommon reason and that is the love of thesport,” said CrossPointe Community Centersports director, Brandy White. “At the end ofthe night you benefit in so many ways otherthan just getting to play your favorite sport,you get to know those who you may neverhave came into contact with otherwise. Alsogetting involved in a rec league allows you toget a great workout while having fun.”

The Norman Parks and RecreationDepartment runs throughout the yeararound the city. That includes 55 neighbor-hood and community parks, three recreationcenters, a golf course and driving range, twodisc golf courses, a swim complex, 32 tenniscourts and three special services facilities.

The Norman Youth Soccer Associationis one of bigger organizations that offersrecreational sports.

The NYSA is divided into three levels.They include academy, competitive andrecreational, which is the biggest. Itincludes players in the U5 to U19 agegroups. Games are played at the Gillis-Rother Soccer Complex in Griffin Park,12th Avenue NE and Robinson Street. Theyhave more than 1,750 total players in NYSAand 1,000 of the players fall into the 5- to 12-year-old range.

The NYSA recreational program isintended to promote youth soccer throughparticipation, player development, friend-ship and fun, according to the group’s

website. Players participate in one to twopractices a week and eight games through-out the season. Coaches are encouraged torun activities in practice which involvemultiple players and minimize standing inlines. Players receive at least 50 percentplaying time during games.

“Our goal is to develop players so theywill continue to enjoy soccer and besuccessful at it,” said NYSA officials. “Evenat age four, players begin soaking upinformation and learning real skills.”

It’s not just public organizations thatoffers recreation activities. ThroughCrossPointe Community Church, theCrossPointe Community Center is one ofthe newer facilities that offers a variety ofrecreational sports.

“Leagues like ours are so popular in thecommunity because adults and youth arelooking for somewhere to be active in asafe, fun, controlled environment,” Whitesaid. “So many people grow up having afavorite sport, we want to continue to allowthem to enjoy it no matter what age theyare.”

CrossPointe has had leagues for threeyears. They consists of basketball, volley-ball, soccer, flag football, softball anddodgeball.

CCC’s adults men’s basketball league hasapproximately 315 players a year, while itsadult co-ed volleyball league has around 335adults who participated this year. They have100 kids who are involved in the youthvolleyball program and 35 in thei dodgeballleague.

“Rec leagues are a great time to gettogether with your family and friends andplay together,” White said. “We see somany teams that have 14 year olds to 60year olds all playing on the same team. It’sgreat to see the rest of the family on thebleachers cheering on those who are onthe court. Eventually everyone needs afriend or comes to a tough spot in life. It isat those moments that we hope we havebuilt good relationships with our membersthat they know we are not only here toprovide a great rec league but we truly lovethem and care about them.”

Transcript File Photo / Jerry Laizure

Blake Barnhart of Norman lines up his putt durign the South Central PGA JuniorTournament at Westwood Glof Course. Norman’s various sporting venues arebig draws for teams and enthusiasts from all over Central Oklahoma.

There are opportunities to play for love of the game

pathways to progress

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