Another proposal
Two new ballot initiative petitions regarding cannabis were filed this week without public fanfare. State Question 811 is a constitutional amendment regarding the adult use of cannabis. The proposed ballot title reads, “This measure adds a new Article to the Constitution of the State of Oklahoma. This article will heal State Question 788 which the…
News briefs
CITY Public school future Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS) announced last week its intent to host four community work sessions to get input as it works to update the district’s strategic plan. Known as The Great Commitment, the current strategic plan closes in 2020. An updated plan will be in place through 2025 after stakeholders…
Beyond comprehension
Kaleidescope isn’t the album Tony Foster Jr. expected to make. “I never would have thought that an album like that would be my debut album, just a collection of thoughts that are very personal, that are very spiritual,” Foster said. “I never planned on being an artist with that kind of message. … It’s not…
Cover: Stay golden
After months of construction delays caused by Oklahoma’s notoriously unpredictable Bright Golden Haze March 13-Aug. 10 Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center 11 NW 11th St. oklahomacontemporary.org 405-951-0000 Free weather, Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center is ready to reopen in its new downtown location with an exhibition inspired by another of the state’s signature features. Bright Golden Haze,…
OKG Shop: Funky junk
For an antique enthusiast, Decades Revisited, 3639 NW 39th St., might be a dangerous destination, only because shoppers are sure to find something that will catch their eye. Even a quick wander through the booths reveals some exceptional finds, like a 1930s porcelain gas stove in almost perfect condition, the “Estate Fresh Air Oven” decal…
Slice return
The common legend for what makes New York pizza special is the water. But for New York native Danny Falcone — who introduced Oklahoma City’s first by-the-slice pizza option — the qualities of a good crust are about the other ingredients. “I use olive oil and if you use the right oil, you get the…
Strange brew
Bugnog 9 p.m. March 14 Blue Note Lounge 2408 N. Robinson Ave. facebook.com/bluenoteokc 405-600-1166 $5 Bugnog celebrates the release of debut album Chuggernaut 9 p.m. March 14 at Blue Note Lounge, 2408 N. Robinson Ave. At the time of this interview, the “two-dude” Norman metal band was still finishing it. “In past projects, we’ve had…
Changing tunes
After his “pretty popular kind of like punkish, emo, I don’t know what kind of band” Shut Up Matt Jewett played its last show in June of 2018, the band’s namesake stopped playing music for several months. “I was just so burnt out,” Jewett said. “It was almost eight months on the button that I…
Chicken-Fried News: Newkirk news
We wouldn’t expect a high school basketball game in Newkirk to make national news, but that’s what happened when a volunteer announcer called the opposing team’s player names “disgusting.” A video has been viewed thousands of times and made it all the way to The Washington Post and ABC News. “The Crooked Oak Lady Ruff…
Empathetic edge
Margaret Cho 7:30 and 10: 30 p.m. March 13-14 Bricktown Comedy Club 409 E. California Ave. bricktowncomedy.com 405-594-0505 $30-$40 You don’t have to agree with Margaret Cho to laugh at her. “I hope that I can be contrary and also bring up another way of thinking about something — or even be cruel or be…
Paseo Punk
The same aesthetic that made Burger Punk the most unique food truck in Oklahoma City is applied to its brick-and-mortar location in The Paseo Arts District, which opened for lunch and dinner the last week of February. The truck’s black finish was applied to multiple black textures and finishes — from leather bar stools to…
Gazedibles: New brew
March is national caffeine awareness month. You should be “aware” of these seven new coffee shops that have opened in the metro since December 2018. By Jacob Threadgill with provided and Gazette / file photos Play Cafe 610 NW 23rd St. playcafeokc.com | 405-724-9434 While this cafe is a place for parents with small children…
Green banking
Oklahoma State Bank is the most recent financial institution to offer banking services for Oklahoma’s medical cannabis industry. Executive vice president and chief operating officer Mel Barnes recently took the time to answer some questions about the current and future climate for banking cannabis. Oklahoma Gazette: Please introduce yourself and explain how you came to…
Twofold Pride
Oklahoma City will be home to two Pride celebrations this year. Board members from Oklahoma City Pride Alliance and 39th Street District Association decided to host their own events after they could not agree on a unified vision for Pride 2020. “There is a little confusion, and hopefully as we move through the next couple…
Flower Review: Hoof
Strain name: Hoof Grown by: Elite Leaf Acquired from: Elite Leaf Date acquired: Feb. 14 THC/CBD percentages: 26.1 percent/0.14 percent (per F.A.S.T. Laboratories/Research) Physical traits: Purple and light green with dark, wiry stigmas and powdered with trichomes Bouquet: sweet and earthy Review: This hybrid flower is a cross between two strains I’ve never had before,…
Chicken-Fried News: OK paddling
Despite being a symbol for fraternities, sororities and the (illegal) practice of hazing, some Oklahoma students are exposed to a paddle much, much earlier. The practice of corporal punishment, with or without a paddle, is still allowed in 19 states, and to the surprise of no one, Oklahoma is one of those states. Since 2011,…
Chicken-Fried News: Learned income
The headline alone provokes an almost Kafkaesque image. “‘Our kids have become a piggy bank’: Epic Charter Schools shields $50M in taxpayer funds from public scrutiny,” by Andrea Eger (Tulsa World, Feb. 23) reports Epic has paid its for-profit management company millions of taxpayer dollars annually “for school expenditures that are never audited and which…
Magic kingdom
Sela Da Sorcerer compares her music to the cartoon South Park. “It’s raw, crass, fun on the surface but full of philosophy lower in depth,” Sela said. The OKC hip-hop artist performs Tuesday at Unwired Records, 2914 N. MacArthur Boulevard. Sela began recording as da Sorcerer about two years ago after a coworker saw her…
Politically direct
Hari Kondabolu 8 p.m. March 12 The Paramount Room 701 W. Sheridan Ave. facebook.com/theparamountroom 405-532-6376 $20-$25 In a 2017 interview with Antigravity magazine, stand-up comic Hari Kondabolu said he wanted to get more personal with his material. In a 2020 interview with Oklahoma Gazette, Kondabolu said incorporating more jokes about his own life has helped…
Bayou best
Magnolia Bistro 722 N. Broadway Ave., Suite 100 magnoliabistro405.com 405-673-7550 What works: The étouffée and gumbo have depth of flavor, and the jalapeño cornbread is unique and tasty. What needs work: The shrimp and grits need more acidity. Tip: It’s only open for lunch Monday-Friday. In a corner restaurant in Automobile Alley that’s only open…
Reddit reel
There is a place cannabis enthusiasts and patients have been congregating online before State Question 788 was even voted into law. The r/OKmarijuana subreddit hit 10,000 members last week. Scotty Biffle, AKA Rude_E_Huxtable, is the founder of the group and a mental health professional from northwest Oklahoma. “I’m not a fan of Facebook. I think…
