A centennial documentary currently in preproduction in Norman will focus on the people ” rather than the places and events ” that make Oklahoma grand. When filmmaker Peter Zhmutski ” originally from Kazakhstan ” moved to Oklahoma in 2003, he said he was impressed by Oklahoma and its “friendly” citizens. “Sometimes it’s really hard for […]
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Attack of the crunchy conservatives’
Norman cleanly broke free of the long-term domination of local politics by developers to elect a “smart-growth” mayor, Cindy Simon Rosenthal, over local developer Trey Bates. Why did the race turn out the way it did? The campaign pitted a strong grassroots-plus-mail effort by the smart-growth candidate (university, core-redevelopment type) against the top-down, targeted […]
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Ballet Flamenco gives Norman’s underprivileged kids a chance to dance
The beginning dance class in a Norman Parks & Recreations center near Reaves Park is a lesson in life, community and culture. Pandora Tadefa-Everett was a volunteer teacher at the center when she spotted a trend. “There were children (who) wanted to come and learn, but their parents couldn’t afford it,” she said. […]
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Baylor’s Mulkey sulky after Big 12 semifinal game against Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s tough-as-nails forward Leah Rush apparently is not a touchy, feely kind of girl. Just ask Baylor’s Jessica Morrow. Late in the Big 12 Conference tournament semifinal game with Oklahoma leading by nine, Rush and Morrow battled for a rebound and after Rush gained control of the ball, Morrow got handsy with Rush’s gets-checked-with-a-mammography part […]
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Oklahoma’s 3.2 beer law not enforceable by ABLE
The state’s own laws have given its anti-alcohol police a bitter beer face, according to a recent story. According to the piece, an opinion by Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson states that officers with Oklahoma’s Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission ain’t able to arrest anyone selling 3.2 beer to minors (who become intoxicated) for […]
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A smarter immigration policy
America is a nation of immigrants. With the exception of American Indians, all of us are from somewhere else. Many would argue (including me, the grandson of four Italians) that America’s greatness comes from its diversity. Indeed, most who came here over the last 100 years came with little or nothing, and were poorly educated […]
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Oklahoma 24-Hour Video Race forces filmmaking on the fly
To make a five-minute film, 24 hours might sound like plenty of time. But anyone who’s attempted it knows it’s a challenge. The annual 24-Hour Video Race to do just that has served as a handy excuse for filmmakers to test their speed and dexterity, based upon a set theme. February’s Race sponsors were Individual Artists […]
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OKC diversity group offers business networking for gays, lesbians
In 2004, a small group of business owners formed the Diversity Business Association ” DBA Metro, for short ” to give that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender businesspeople in Oklahoma City an outlet for meeting and networking. “It was something that had been needed for a long time,” said Monty Milburn, marketing specialist with […]
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Oklahoma athletic legend’s widow sold burial rights to Pennsylvania town
When Oklahoman and American Indian sports hero Jim Thorpe passed away in 1953, the governor of Oklahoma refused to build him a $25,000 memorial. His remains are now in a distant Pennsylvania town renamed Jim Thorpe, Penn. ” a place he had never visited. When Hollywood’s Thorpe biopic starring Burt Lancaster came out, Thorpe […]
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Gore tells University of Oklahoma audience he is no longer in love with political process
Former Vice President Al Gore denied he’s running for president again, at a March appearance at the University of Oklahoma. Former Senate colleague David Boren, now OU president, said, “Well, I am going to get shot if I don’t ask this one question,” Boren said. “But “¦ do you think you might ever enter […]