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Community & Lifestyle

OKG Photos: Carousel gets a fresh spin at Myriad Botanical Gardens

For people who grew up shopping and socializing at Crossroads Mall during its halcyon days, the carousel was a kids' destination and a memorable focal point. After the mall's decline and fall and subsequent but brief life as Plaza Mayor, the carousel that entertained thousands of children needed a new home.

By Gazette staff Sep 20, 2018

Slideshow

Exotic expansion

Oklahoma City Zoological Park and Botanical Garden focuses on consumer engagement with its Sanctuary Asia expansion.

Oklahoma City Zoological Park and Botanical Garden enjoyed yet another record attendance year in 2016 with more than 1 million visitors.

By Sean Isabella Sep 20, 2018

Oklahoma City Zoo Sanctuary Asia Zoo exhibit elephants Dwight Lawson komodo dragons rhinos Lotus Pavillion

Go float

Sense Float & Cryo Spa offers a variety of alternative therapies.

Sense Float & Cryo Spa is the latest health and wellness operation to open its doors at 6200 W. Memorial Road in northwest Oklahoma City, offering a range of services and amenities that reside uniquely somewhere between rest, relaxation and recovery.

By Krystal Yoseph Sep 20, 2018

Sense Float & Cryo Spa rest relaxation recovery Kristina Nguyen NormaTec compression char

Flying high

Theasa Tuohy honors the memory of her aviator mother in her novel Flying Jenny.

Late 1920s America is brought to vivid life on the pages of Flying Jenny, a historical novel by Oklahoma-born writer Theasa Tuohy.

By Jo Light Sep 13, 2018

Theasa Logan Tuohy Theasa Tuohy aviators Roy Hunt William Long Elinor Smith books

Mindful stretching

YogaFest OKC returns for a fifth year.

2018 is shaping up to be the year of the stretch as the fifth annual YogaFest helps downtown OKC find its inner peace Saturday-Sunday.

By Daniel Bokemper Sep 13, 2018

YogaFest OKC YogaFest Civic Center Music Hall Bicentennial Park 21c Museum Hotel Martha McQuaid Christina Forth Alexis Persico Ramsey Shannon Stephens mindfulness yoga Gina Caputo Yogini on the Loose Sara Lazar Nicole Peltier Hall Shanna Teel

Cover: Modern heritage

Stockyards City offers more than Cattlemen’s Steakhouse and the world’s largest livestock market.

On the grounds of the Oklahoma National Stockyards — the nation’s largest livestock market — Stockyards board president Kelli Payne is walking through the auction room and over the catwalk overlooking 14,000 cattle with the skyline of downtown Oklahoma City in the not-too-distant background.

By Jacob Threadgill Sep 7, 2018

Stockyards City Rodeo Cinema Oklahoma City Equestrian trail mcClintock's Stockyards City main street Oklahoma National Stockyards kelli payne todd branson kim haywood oklahoma city chamber

OKG Shop: Local Summit

An Edmond company specializing in outdoor gear encourages adventure in Oklahoma.

This year, Native Summit Adventure Outfitters of Edmond rounds the 10-year checkpoint of its trek through the retail wilderness.

By Daniel Bokemper Sep 7, 2018

Native Summit Adventure Outfitters Native Summit retail OKG Shop shopping Edmond Summit Company outdoor clothing outdoor gear John James

Cover: Thunderous decade

How the Thunder grew from inauspicious beginnings to becoming one of the NBA’s most successful franchises.

By April of 2008, Oklahoma City’s fully fledged dreams for a National Basketball Association (NBA) team became a reality as the league’s board of governors approved the relocation of the Seattle SuperSonics to Oklahoma, but its exact arrival time was unclear, as Key Arena’s lease called for the NBA to remain in Seattle through 2010.

By Jacob Threadgill Aug 31, 2018

Oklahoma City Thunder 10-year anniversary thunder at 10 nba brian byrnes john leach abby moran christine berney oklahoma city thunder history

Limited lives

The fall edition of Let’s Talk About It, Oklahoma at OKCU explores Living with Limits.

Let’s Talk About It, Oklahoma (LTAIO) is a statewide reading program sponsored by Oklahoma Humanities that invites scholars to deliver a presentation over a book centered on a certain theme. Beginning Tuesday, LTAIO at Oklahoma City University’s Center for Interpersonal Studies Through Film & Literature will introduce Living with Limits, a new theme developed by Dr. Harbour Winn, Montessori teacher and professor emeritus of English at Oklahoma City University (OKCU), that emphasizes the many ways individuals handle the limitations imposed upon their lives.

By Joshua Blanco Aug 31, 2018

Let’s Talk About It Oklahoma Oklahoma Humanities Oklahoma City University Center for Interpersonal Studies Through Film & Literature Harbour Winn Tracy Floreani When Breath Becomes Air Paul Kalanithi Lisa Wolfe Slaughterhouse-Five Kurt Vonnegut Gilead Karen Youmans Marilynne Robinson Jump and Other Stories Nadine Gordimer The Underground Railroad Colson Whitehead Living with Limits

Holistic approach

A new program launched by Oklahoma City Public Schools and the Oklahoma City Police Department offers hope to children suffering from trauma.

“Handle with care” is a three-letter phrase that could change the life of a child going to school in Oklahoma City.

By Nazarene Harris Aug 31, 2018

OKCPS OKPD Handle With Care Oklahoma City Police Department Oklahoma City Public Schools Paco Balderrama OKCPS Student Support Services Terry Bell Adrienne Elder adverse childhood experiences Bill Citty

Laugh hard

In his podcasting, standup, television shows and hip-hop, Hannibal Buress takes comedy to the point of stress fracture.

To preview his Sept. 12 appearance at Tower Theatre, we conducted a phone interview with Hannibal Buress — we think. In addition to his work on 30 Rock, Broad City and The Eric Andre Show, the stand-up comic, actor and podcast host is known for playful goofs such as hiring an impersonator to take his place in interviews at the premiere for Spiderman: Homecoming, in which he played the role of Coach Wilson.

By Jeremy Martin Aug 31, 2018

Hannibal Buress Tower Theatre stand-up comedy Oklahoma City Thunder NBA Western Conference Finals Kevin Durant Nike Handsome Rambler DJ Tony Trimm Quelle Chris Jean Grae comedy

Croc pot

Oklahoma City improv masters cultivate The Alligator Farm on late-night New Mexican radio.

It’s 1 a.m. on a Tuesday morning.

By Jeremy Martin Aug 30, 2018

Davy Wells Mike Waugh Darren Dunn The Alligator Farm radio Taos Pete Young comedy Baloney Rodeo Rebecca McCauley Lance Farley Beth Swales Doug Brown

Moving forward

Mercy opens its Herman Meinders Center for Movement Disorders.

With the May opening of Herman Meinders Center for Movement Disorders at Mercy NeuroScience Institute, thousands of patients across the state and region have access to one of the most comprehensive facilities of its kind.

By Daniel Bokemper Aug 30, 2018

Herman Meinders Center for Movement Disorders at Mercy NeuroScience Institute Dr. Cherian Karunapuzha Herman Meinders

Love inception

An all-inclusive, stress-free wedding salon opens in OKC.

Ever After is the brainchild of Cyndy Hoenig and Dave Dumay, two industry admirers and lovers of love who opened their doors in February of this year.

By Krystal Yoseph Aug 30, 2018

Ever After Cindy Hoenig Dave Dumay micro wedding studio weddings wedding studio reception rehearsal dinner vow renewals

Ride along

Oklahoma State University graduates create a new rideshare program for college students.

A new rideshare program is taking to the streets of Oklahoma City.

By Joshua Blanco Aug 29, 2018

That Way app That Way That Way mobile app Sammiyah Abdullah Ashané Woody ridesharing app student ridsharing app oklahoma state university

So Scandalous

OKC writer-director Alexandria Carr readies the second season of her LGBTQ+ series, Scandalous Tales.

The Facebook post that inspired Scandalous Tales wasn’t particularly salacious.

By Jeremy Martin Aug 24, 2018

Scandalous Tales web series Alexandria Carr LGBTQ+ Ron Marshall Cam “Yoshi” Johnson Ashley J. Corri James Prisma Duque

Slithering Stockyards

A local reptile enthusiast recently opened the Rattlesnake Museum in Stockyards City.

Oklahoma City’s one and only Rattlesnake Museum is open for business.

By Joshua Blanco Aug 23, 2018

Stockyards City Rattlesnake Museum snake attraction Carl Sandefer

Great strides

American Cancer Society takes to the streets for its Run for Hope.

James Bost loves running.

By Jo Light Aug 17, 2018

National Cancer Institute Cancer Center James Bost Run for Hope American Cancer Society Oklahoma City 10k fundraiser cancer research fundraiser

Kerr package

Downtown’s Kerr Park gets a needed makeover.

Downtown Oklahoma City’s Central Business District will unveil newly renovated Kerr Park at a kickoff party open to the public, many of whom had their say in what they wanted in an urban park.

By Heather Warlick Aug 16, 2018

kerr park southwest airlines heart of the community grant jill delozier Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation Department kerr park kickoff party MAPS

Winged migration

Oklahoma Monarch & Pollinator Collaborative works to enable butterfly migration through Oklahoma.

Conservation efforts to save the monarch butterfly from endangerment have become increasingly more common over the last few years.

By Joshua Blanco Aug 16, 2018

Oklahoma Monarch & Pollinator Collaborative Monarch Watch Katie Hawk Myriad Botanical Gardens Mary Waller

Summer fruit

This year’s Biting the Apple show focuses on hot fun in the summertime.

In the beginning was the Sleaze Ball, but spontaneous bob doesn’t recall anything before Biting the Apple.

By Jeremy Martin Aug 15, 2018

Sleaze Ball IAO Biting the Apple Individual Artists of Oklahoma David Smith erotic art show erotic art Laurence Myers Reese DJ Ostara Janice Francis-Smith Teaze Dance & Fitness Oklahoma Showgirls

Lo and behold

New Edmond boutique Lulu & Lo’s continues mother-daughter retail traditions.

Walk into Lulu & Lo’s, the new clothing boutique and gift shop in downtown Edmond, and you’ll get a cheerful greeting.

By Jo Light Aug 10, 2018

Lulu & Lo’s Edmond Lauren Frazier clothing shoes shopping candles pillows tea towels paint University of Central Oklahoma Redhead Rehabbing The 405 Mercantile Stillwater Lora Frazier Alpha Gamma Delta Shane Frazier Zach Frazier Citizen's Bank of Edmond Jen Werner Designs 341 Concepts

Hopeful Hotdogs

A local nonprofit serves up hope and help in the form of a popular food.

Since its inception in 2003, a local nonprofit organization has worked diligently to hand-deliver over 200,000 hotdogs to Oklahoma City’s homeless population.

By Joshua Blanco Aug 9, 2018

homeless Rick Swyden Hotdogs for the Homeless Susan Swyden Beth Solis Oklahoma Retro Gamers Society Stephenson Cancer Center Girl Scouts Mike Volpe Old School Bagel Cafe

Subversive stories

Author Shelby Simpson puts stories of sexual mishaps front and center in a stage production of her most recent book.

Shelby Simpson didn’t want to read her own book.

By Jeremy Martin Aug 8, 2018

Shelby Simpson We're All Bad in Bed Bad in Bed Live! Tower Theatre Matthew Alvin Brown Hui Cha Poos sexuality

Shoe fits

Daniels Shoes has put its best feet forward since 1975.

Tucked away on N. MacArthur Boulevard just off Northwest Expressway, independent shoe store Daniels Shoes has catered to a dedicated customer base for years, creating a friendly, comfortable atmosphere and boasting an extensive knowledge of shoes and feet.

By Jo Light Aug 3, 2018

Chad Brown Linda Brown Daniels Shoes Oklahoma City independent shoe store okc fashion