August Etown

The Hart of the Matter:John Hart of Continental Resources

and his Vision for Enid

Sweet Taste of CakesCakes by Diane


Enid ♥ ’s Tennis

Etown-august-10 USE 7/15/10 11:04 AM

3


7 Fall Fitness TipsWhether there are kids in the picture or not, September is a time when a lot of

people do a mind-shift, putting the golf clubs, bikes and tennis rackets away for

another year and establishing the habits and patterns that will shape their fall and

winter schedules.

8 The Hart of the Matter:John Hart of Continental Resources and his Vision for Enid

14 Sweet Taste of CakesSometimes the best things in life ar e found slightly off the beaten path. This is the

case with Cakes by Diane LLC.

25 Enid ♥ s TennisMembers of Enid Tennis Association and other area tennis enthusiasts

are glorying in Enid’s 22 tennis courts – 8 of them nearly brand ne w at

Crosslin Park.

32 E-Fluff: A Smile is Your Best AccessoryHave you ever noticed how a smile can totally change your look? It’s a cheap

way to completely upgrade your appearance.

37 A Quilt of LoveOne might associate the United Methodist Women’s group and the Sparrows

with doing good deeds to help others (or in the case of the S parrows, birds). Upon

meeting a few members of each, I learned they not only do their par t to help, but

they use their creativity and talent, and lots of fabric, needles and thr ead to get

the job done.

57 The Bond IssueAfter years of analyzing Enid’s needs and months of planning with community

members and outside experts, the City of Enid is eager to make the community

dream of a revitalized downtown come true.

contentsAUGUST 2010

ETOWN COVER STORY

E

7 8 14

25

32

37

57

4


5


August 2010Volume 4, Number 4

Managing DirectorEditor-in-Chief

Art DirectorProject Coordinator

Etown Promotions Director

Writers

Photographers

Account Executives

ON THE COVER

John Hart

Photo by Wess Gray

Frank BakerCindy AllenAmber CurtisLynne BenkendorfCathy Nulph

Christy NorthcuttDave KinnamonMegan Lynn SuttonSara HulseMolly HelmTrina Walker

Muncy PhotographyThe GraysMotoPhotoCammeron KaiserRachel HancockBailey PhotographySean Farmer

Cathy NulphNicole Winfield

SUGGESTIONS Do you have an idea for future stories for Etown? We’re always looking for goodideas of people and places to featur e. If you have a suggestion, give us a call at580-548-8186 or e-mail [email protected].

Etown Magazine • P.O. Box 1192 • Enid, OK 73702-1192 • 580-548-8186

6

Several of those profiled in our recent “Tattoos and Taboos” article in Etownwere upset with the tenor and specifics of the ar ticle. We are sorry.Etown strives to be a fun and informativ e read. We want it to be an upbeat andpostive experience for everyone involved from reader to client to subjects.


In fact, September is second only to January as a time whenfitness springs to the top of the to-do list, with gyms and trainingfacilities buzzing with activity and motivated new members. Atthe same time, family and business commitments seem toincrease, and the days get shor ter and darker.

Improved personal fitness is a lifestyle choice that will be madeby a lot of people this fall, with the rate of success being deter-mined by how prepared they are for the challenges.

If you’ve been playing hard all summer and now are strugglingto get enough fitness training into your already busy schedule,don’t despair — there’s a lot that can be done to make it all wor k.Here are my top 3 tips to help y ou achieve the fitness resultsyou’re after, without upsetting the delicate balance of y our familyor costing you your job.

Be accountable: Make an appointment and have a planFor more than 14 years now I’ve witnessed the comings and

goings of independent gym users and personal training dev oteesalike. One thing I’ve seen that has consistently produced successis when an exerciser makes fitness a priority by schedulingappointments to meet someone for their workouts. If hiring atrainer isn’t your style or doesn’t fit your budget, find a trainingpartner that is ready to take their fitness as seriously as y ou are.Develop a great workout routine, schedule your sessions, keepthem short and intense (30-minute workouts are outstanding)and be consistent. You’ll be amazed at the results.

Be prepared: Pack your gym bagIf you’re serious about fitting exercise into your schedule and

seeing positive change in your fitness, you’re going to want tohave your exercise gear with you at all times. If you get out of ameeting early or have an hour to kill while your kid is in lessons,

you can do the quickie “Superman” change in the nearest phonebooth or washroom and squeeze in a quick workout. If you don’thave your gear with you, you’ll end up gulping a latte and nib -bling a 600-calorie scone or a cookie. M ake sure you have yourexercise clothes, shoes, water bottle, healthy post-workout snackand your iPod for entertainment.

Be efficient: Don’t waste time traveling or experimentingWhen it comes to fitness success, convenience is everything.

Since working out isn’t enjoyable for everyone, it’s pretty easy tofind excuses to avoid it. If the gym is too far away, you won’t go.If your last workout was half-hearted and took two hours, youwon’t see it as a good use of y our time. I can’t stress this oneenough. Choose a gym close to wor k or home and quickly finda workout you enjoy. Stick with it and you’ll begin seeing the fit-ness results you want.

Create good habits for the holiday season and the upcomingwinter months. You’ll be 2 steps (and many workouts) ahead ofthe New Year’s Resolution-ers!

In health,Christy NorthcuttNationally Certified AFAA Group Fitness InstructorStrollerFit® powered by mommymuscle® Owner & InstructorRestore the Core™ Certified Fitness InstructorYouth Fitness Certified InstructorPrenatal and Postpartum Fitness SpecialistQuestions? Email [email protected] www.strollerfit.com/enidor call 580.484.2904

7

By Christy Northcutt, owner of StrollerF it® powered by mommymuscle®

Fitness Tips

Whether there are kids in the picture or not , September is a time when a lot of people do amind-shift, putting the golf clubs, bikes and tennis rackets away for another year andestablishing the habits and patterns that will shape their fall and winter schedules.

Fitness TipsFallEtown-august-10 USE 7/15/10 11:07 AM

8

John Hart cares – deeply and sincerely– about Enid. Hart wants Enid to develop into a “destination city,” the typeof place people from other places seek outto live, work and raise their families.

To become a destination city, Hartbelieves Enid must focus its efforts,resources and vision on raising the qualityand reputation of its public schools andrefurbishing its cosmetic appearance citywide, but particularly along its entrycorridors (highways 81 and 412) and itsdowntown gateway.

“The gateway looking into downtownEnid is something that can be significantly enhanced and improved,”said Hart, “to attract not only local businesses and people into it, but also topresent a favorable gateway into thedowntown corridor. It’s a photograph –when you’re looking into it, you’re framing it. A great city has great curbappeal.”

Hart is senior vice president, chieffinancial officer and treasurer of

Continental Resources, Inc., an Enid-based oil and natural gas exploration andproduction company which employsapproximately 450 people, 250 of themat its Enid headquarters and other Enidlocations. The company was founded in1967 by Harold Hamm.

Continental Resources, a publicly-traded company on the New York StockExchange, in 2009 listed assets of over$2.3 billion and currently has 170 million shares of common stock outstandingly valued, as of June 18,2010, at $50.47 per share, for a totalstock value of $8.579 billion. The compa-ny’s 2009 revenues were $626.2 million,mostly from oil and natural gas sales, andnet income of about $71.3 million.

Hart grew up in Chickasha, Okla.,graduating from Chickasha High Schoolin 1986. Hart graduated from OklahomaState University in December 1991 witha Master of Science in Accounting(MAC). He’s a certified public accountant.

Hart believes top-flight public education is the linchpin to transformingEnid into a destination community.

“Education is not a start-and-stopprocess. You must continue moving forward and funding initiatives. My wifeand I are very focused on education.Education is the principal aspect thatdirectly impacts people’s future success,”Hart said.

Continental recruits top-flight engineers and professionals to come workfor them, Hart noted, and the numberone item those prospective professionalswant to know about Enid is the quality ofEnid’s public school system.

“The quality of education is veryimportant to our recruiting. We haveprospective recruits who want to sendtheir children to MIT and Ivy Leagueschools,” Hart said.

Pointing out Enid schools offer manyAdvanced Placement courses, Hart noted,“I think it’s great Enid has advanced educational opportunities.”

The Hart of the Matter:John Hart of Continental Resources and his V ision for Enid

By Dave KinnamonPhotos By Wess Gray


9

Autry Technology Center of Enid alsooffers advanced math and science programs as well as many other enrichededucational opportunities, Hart noted.

“Autry Tech is a tremendous resourcefor the community,” he said.

Hart’s commitment to the highest-quality public education spurred ShawnHime, Enid Schools superintendent, toinvite Hart onto the facilities committeeof the successful 2010 school bond issues.Hart was one of 35 members selected forthe facilities committee, which toured thedistrict’s schools and worked up a comprehensive list of district buildingneeds prior to the packaging of the 2010bond issues.

The $99.45 million construction, technology and transportation bonds –encapsulated in two ballot propositions –passed with a 3 percent margin over therequired 60 percent super majorityrequired in many states, includingOklahoma, for school bond issues.

Hime, with help from Hart and otherEnid business leaders, successfully solicited around $3 million in privatedonations to Enid schools to supplementthe bond measures. School officials claimthis is the largest private donation to anOklahoma public school system.

Brian Hayden, vice president of PeopleServices at Advance Food Company,served as chairman of the facilities committee.

The facilities committee, working witha professional consulting firm hired bythe school district, toured all district facilities while receiving input from

teachers and staff of all school buildings,Hayden said. The committee’s work tookabout a year. The committee then submitted a report to Hime for his use indeveloping the school bond proposals.

“John played a key role. I don’t thinkwe could have launched a successful campaign without his involvement,” saidHayden. “He and I worked closelytogether to raise money. You can’t hold asuccessful campaign without raisingmoney.”

The campaign money, Hayden clarified, was the money raised in priv atedonations to cover the expenses of promoting the bond issues, expenses likeadvertising, he said.

Hart additionally played a role insecuring the over $3 million in pledgedprivate donations for school improvements. Continental Resourceshosted many private meetings with localbusiness leaders at their headquarterswhere Hime, Harold Hamm, Paul Allen(co-founder of Advance Food Company)and others made presentations to Enidarea business owners and leaders andasked for their financial and public relations backing for the school bonds.

“If you get a great education, you’realways going to be successful in life.Using a baseball player analogy, if youreceive a great education, you’re alwaysgoing to be a good hitter and get on base,even though you may not always hit thehome run,” Hart said.

The successful $99.45 million bondissues are a “good first step toward a long-term vision of great schools,” Hart

said, but these bonds also are “making upfor 50 years of neglect,” he said, which isthe last time Enid built a new schoolbuilding.

“If you don’t have quality facilities,you’re not going to retain and attractgreat teachers either. They won’t want tobe there. Top teachers want modern facilities to teach in,” Hart said.

John Hart is not just a highly-experienced number cruncher, financeexpert and businessman. Yes, he is all ofthose. And …

Hart is involved in Enid.“I really like Enid. It has many

opportunities to continue to grow anddevelop,” Hart said.

Hart points to Oklahoma City’s successful MAPS I, II and III bond v oteswhich improved the city’s public education system and developed theBricktown area of downtown, the riverwalk and the downtown convention center, he recalls.

“The MAPS initiatives placedOklahoma City into the position thatwhen an NBA franchise was looking for anew home, Oklahoma City was preparedto take them. And they got them,” H artsaid.

“On a smaller level, a version of MAPScould be implemented in Enid and usedto improve its park system, add bikingand running trails, improve playgroundequipment, improve the city’s infrastructure and its downtown gateway,” Hart said.

The recent expansion and success of


10


11

Enid’s YMCA shows Enid has the potential to be a “destination city,”he said.

“Denny Price (YMCA) is a primeexample of what Enid can do in otheraspects of the community, like schoolsand parks,” Hart said.

Hart also is one of the impresariosbehind the successful Great Land Run (5and 10k runs), which held their firstevent under Continental sponsorship,two years ago.

The Great Land Run had more than600 runners in 2009 and raised over$160,000 in its first two years, moneyused to purchase Smart Board technologyfor Enid classrooms.

Carl Recher, a leader in the EnidRunning Club, applauds Hart’s involvement in the Great Land Run.

“As part of the Enid Running Club,we had been sponsoring that run for several years. John called and said hethought we should take it to the nextlevel,” Recher remembers.

“John is a very creative individual. He’salso very insightful and really has thecommunity at heart, and he really worksto make Enid a better community. Ithink John’s a very creative and competent community leader,” Rechersaid.

Hart also came up with the idea of bringing the Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma(City) to Enid, beginning about a yearago.

“We thought instead of just providingthe Lyric a grant, why don’t they bringthe Lyric to Enid in a way that will benefit them economically but alsoEnid,” Hart said.

With that in mind, Continentalunderwrites 100 percent of the Lyric’sexpenses in bringing productions to Enid,and the Lyric and the Enid Symphonyreceive 100 percent of the economic benefit of the gate receipts.

The next Lyric production in Enid willbe “Renee Anderson Alive,” Aug. 6 at 8p.m.

Summarizing both Continental’s Lyricand Great Land Run sponsorship

initiatives, Hart said, “We want to be adestination where we bring people to ourcommunity to live, visit or perform here.We don’t want anyone to ask, ‘Where?’when speaking of Enid. We want Enid tobe top of mind and tip of tongue,” hesaid.

Hart joined Continental Resources inNovember 2005 after having invested theinitial 14 years of his business, financeand accounting career in public accounting, the last of which prior tojoining Continental was as senior audit

manager with Ernst & Young LLP inOklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Hart is a member of the AmericanInstitute of Certified Public Accountants,Oklahoma Society of Certified PublicAccountants and the OklahomaIndependent Petroleum Association.

At Continental, Hart is responsible forall aspects of the company’s finances,compliance measures – which are the monthly and quarterly financial statements – the Securities and ExchangeCommission filings, the annual financial


12

statements, and the audits and reviews. Hart also is responsible for projecting

Continental’s financial future, its revenue,cash flow and debt levels – how muchmoney Continental is going to need tofund its capital program, he said.

“For example, in the past year, we’vedone two institutional bond offerings,meaning we sold bonds to companies likeFidelity, and large institutional investors. Ialso took an active role in the initial public offering (of Continental stock) thatwe had in 2007,” Hart said.

“When I was hired, the company waslooking for someone who had exper tise inthe SEC area – not only in the compliance measures – but principally toassist in that process of taking the company public,” Hart said.

Hart has around 80 Continentalemployees in his division, with responsibility for the company’s accounting function; Sarbanes-Oxleyrequirements, forecasting, planning and budgeting; working with lending institutions; and working with the company’s rating agencies (S&P andMoody’s).

Hart is an experienced financial executive – with many years of public andcommercial accounting experience underhis belt – but Hart also envisages himselfas a builder of sorts. Hart is motivated byand dedicated to building the companythat employs him, building his community and building ideas into tangible products.

“I don’t lay the bricks or hammer thenails. You start with something and youincubate it, you feed and nourish it throughout a process, and watch it grow.You do that corporately, within companies, within departments, or newbusiness endeavors that we may beinvolved in,” Hart said.

“Laura and I have owned three homes,and two of them we’ve built. You startwith raw dirt, and you finish with a polished product” Hart said.

His main goals in life are to be happyand to do right by his wife and children,he said.

“From a CFO perspective, we’re looking to the future of the company andhow we continue and evolve our company in a prudent, responsible way,”Hart said.

Hart applies a similar philosophy tothe raising of his three children.

“I don’t want to wake up and have an18-year-old who’s ill-prepared for life. Iwant to wake up and have smart, well-adjusted, successful 18-year-olds inlife. I want them ready to move out intothe world,” Hart said. E


13


14


By Trina Walker Photos By Dawn Muncy, Muncy Photography

ometimes the best things in life are found slightly of f the beaten path. This is the case with Cakes byDiane LLC. Thankfully Diane Mencke, owner, baker and cake decorator extraordinaire’ delivers becausefinding her is no easy task. Once you taste one of Diane’ s mouthwatering creations however you will be will -ing to drive any distance.

First, find Ames and head south deep into the sand hills and black jack trees. Once you are sure you’vegone too far keep going. Along the way you will pass a mailbox with the name Mencke on it…don’t get tooexcited it still is two miles away. Yes, the mailbox is two miles from the house. Diane tells me that to have amailbox you must be within a certain distance from the next one…they are two miles past that point.

S


15

Diane started baking cakes in herown kitchen. She did not have visionsof baking for weddings and anniversarycelebrations. She just wanted to bakeand decorate birthday cakes for herown children. Having tasted Diane’scakes I must say that Ross and Jill arethe luckiest kids alive!

A chance conversation on the phonewith a friend while up to her elbo ws inicing started it all.

“I was talking on the phone whiletrying to decorate a bir thday cake andwas having a heck of a time with theicing. As I complained to my friendabout how much trouble I was havingshe suggested we take a cake decoratingclass. That sounded like fun so wesigned up,” said Diane.

One class at Hobby Lobby turnedinto two, then three, and suddenlyDiane found herself being known asthe friend who was good at decoratingcakes.

There was no real plan at this pointit just happened. When the daughterof a friend was getting married theyasked Diane if she would make thecake.

“I did not want to do it at all,”Diane said, “I was terrified of messingit up.”

Diane hesitantly agreed to try tomake the wedding cake if they couldnot find anyone else.

“Apparently they were desperate tofind someone to bake that cake becausethey asked again and I decided to giv eit a try,” she said.

This wedding was Diane’s first job.She says it may have been a year afterthat before she did another weddingbut slowly as one friend recommendedDiane’s cakes to another, Cakes byDiane was born.

When she made the decision tobecome an official business Diane real-ized she needed a cake kitchen. H erhome kitchen had been overwhelmedwith cake supplies and Diane says herfamily was ready to get their kitchenback so they could enjoy real mealsagain.

Diane did her research and discov-ered that to be fully licensed b y thestate and to be insured her cakekitchen had to have a separate


16

entrance. Diane decided to put in atrailer next to her home and conv ertthe inside into one large kitchen.Today Diane’s cake kitchen consists ofa large pantry, prep area, and of course,a commercial convection oven perfectfor baking multiple cakes at a time.

“When I got the commercial mixerit made my old mixer look like a mini-me mixer,” laughs Diane. With the 20-quart mixer Diane can prepare the bat-ter for extra large wedding cakes in onebatch instead of mixing multiple smallbatches.

Clients get two cake options atCakes by Diane. The basic cake uses amix and Diane adds extra ingredientsdepending on the cake requested. Thepremium cake is made completely fromscratch.

The icing choices range from fla-vored butter cream to fondant.According to Diane while fondant hasbecome popular for the unique designsone can create, the cost is a bit mor ethan many of her clients want tospend.

“I can actually get my butter cr eam


17

so smooth it looks like fondant,” saysDiane. As I looked through pictures ofpast cakes many I assumed were fon-dant were actually an amazinglysmooth butter cream. For some cakesDiane uses a combination of buttercream and fondant to create extradetail.

Fillings are another option. Basic fill-ings are fruit flavored but the discern-ing client can choose from premiumfillings of curd, mousse or cream.

Undecided? Don’t worry. For $35you can take advantage of Diane’s tast-ing package. Clients choose two cakeflavors, two frostings and two fillings tosample. If they book with Cakes byDiane the $35 tasting fee is cr editedback to their order.

Through the years Diane’s mostchallenging cake was a six-layer wed-ding cake. The design was a solid whitecake with intricate piping made to looklike a different style of lace on eachlayer. Part of the challenge was thedetailed icing…the other challenge wasthe size.

“My husband Jeff had to help mecarry it in. We tend to do everythingexactly opposite of one another. If I goleft he goes right so getting that cakemoved and in one piece was a bitstressful,” said Diane.


18

Despite their different working stylesDiane gives Jeff credit for being a bighelp.

“He has been wonderful helping medeliver and set up cakes,” she said. J effhas even helped to smooth out littlebumps and flaws in the icing thatoccurred during the travel.

Diane says wedding cakes are herfavorite. She has created everythingfrom elegant, classical cakes with floraltouches to trendy cakes designed tomatch specific décor.

Diane also makes cakes for bir th-days, retirement parties, anniversariesand graduations. Some cakes are whim-sical in design while others ar e person-alized. One particularly whimsicaldesign was a multi tiered cow-themedcake. The bottom layer was a grassyfield and the top layer was blue sky andclouds. Little cows were randomlyplaced to complete the design.

Diane always is looking for a chal-


19

E

Check out Cakes by Diane online at http://web.me.com/dmencke/Site/Welcome.html

lenge. Being willing to attempt any r equest, she often gets home from a client meeting and asks herself , “What was I think-ing…there is no way I can do that!” B ut she always finds a way to make it happen.

One particular groom’s cake provided a unique challenge. The couple wanted a replica of the calculator the groom had usedthrough college. Diane found herself in Staples photographing calculators so her r eplica would match exactly.

Diane spends many hours creating edible works of art. Why you may ask yourself does Diane put so much attention intothe detail? Why does she work so hard to create something that will be enjoyed for such a shor t time?The answer is very simple…Diane just loves to make cakes.


20

Richie and Lydia Greer Samantha Fink, Erin Rudolph, MichelleThompson & Andrea Murphy

Cori & Dave Abel, Melvin &Andrea Davis

Larry Kiner Tammy Grantz & James Neal Monte Hunter, Catina Sundvall and NathanParry

Zac Kirksey Oswald Santana The colors being displayed atDAMB

20


21

Etown-august-10 USE 7/19/10 1:25 PM

First, congratulate yourself!! In our economy it is to becommended that your business is healthy, profitability is up,and your customer base is growing. Pat yourself on theback for all the long hours, elbow grease and dedication it’ staken you to get to this point.

A growing organization requires the hiring and training ofnew employees. This means re-investing your hard ear nedprofits and valuable time into building the company’shuman capital. It has been calculated that employeeturnover can cost an organization anywhere from$2,500.00 to $5,000.00 per loss. Can you afford suchlosses? They can be tremendously minimized with someforethought and careful planning. As a business owner –whether it’s a small start-up company or a large organization – you can realize a retur n on that employeeinvestment using three basic steps to stabilize and retainyour workforce.

MissionFirst and foremost, employee retention star ts at home.

The most fundamental building block of any organization isits mission. Most often mission statements have two com-ponents: the goals for the organization and the goals forthe employees. Spend time considering the tr uly importantinternal components of the business; ask yourself how youwant to define your client experience, what characterizes agood reputation (you know it will precede you!), or howclearly your target market is defined? As you answer theseor other questions you’ll see the purpose of your businessstart to unfold.

Every business owner needs their employees standingbehind them, cheering them and their co-workers on, promoting each other and supporting the organization. If acompany is lacking a clear definition of purpose, it’ s virtuallyimpossible to get employee buy-in; few people will standup when they don’t know what they’re standing up for ordon’t value who they’re standing up with. At least half ofour waking hours are spent at work; we need to like what

we do, where we do it and respect who we do it for . Askyourself what type of culture would you personally want tospend time in? Is your work environment built to be welcoming, challenging, rewarding, and motivating? Thereis no room for lip ser vice here, transparency should be therule. What you put in your mission statement must bebelieved in and practiced from the top down. V ery simply,treat people how you want to be treated; retention star ts inour own back yards. Develop a mission statement youbelieve in and are willing to practice on a daily basis.

HiringSo, your mission statement is established and you are

prepared to put into practice your beliefs-excellent foundation!! Following that, the single most impor tantaspect to retaining quality employees can be found in thehiring process. Even when desperate for help, it will bedestructive to your company to hire people who cannot‘live’ the mission of your business.

Compensation is NOT the leading cause of tur nover; it ismanagement style and/or work environment. Ever ybusiness owner can use the tools and resources available toidentify and hire candidates that will thrive in and promotetheir business.

There are three core components we have personallyused and consulted with clients to implement, for a successful hiring process. They help determine how a candidate might ‘fit’ with individual businesses. We haveshared our belief in the Kolbe A+ Index in past ar ticles sowe won’t expand here. We have developed a white sheetwith information about the three fold process. Contact usfor a copy.

CultureCongratulations!! You now have a mission statement to

live by and you’ve got the right people in the right positions. So circling back to your question, how do you

keep those rock star employees? Matching the per fect person with the best job on the entire planet will not ensurea long lasting working relationship. The final key to successful retention is the culture of your work environment.Is it strong enough to not only maintain employees, butbuild their loyalty? Often the most vulnerable componentseems to be the one business owners are willing to jeopardize; that of your internal culture. Have you walkedin your team members shoes? Have you given thought tohow you, as an employee, would like to be treated? Whatmakes you thrive in a work environment might be differentfrom other co-workers, so a well-built culture carefullyaddresses a variety of needs. Is it impor tant to have thefreedom to share your ideas and have them really heard,heeded and respected? To be recognized for a job welldone? To have an environment that suppor ts personal andcareer growth? To work hard and have fun doing it?Retention goes beyond providing a comprehensive slate of benefits; rather it is the respect, recognition, and appreciation your staff receives in a tr uly meaningful manner.

Moral to the story- business owners have complete control over building a work environment which promotesretention. Leadership and management styles evolve justas generations do. It’s the job of responsible business owners to utilize the latest practices in building thestrongest internal workforce possible. Failing in one keycomponent will have a domino effect and impact otherareas; responsible hiring equals effective management,effective management equals a thriving work environment,a thriving work environment equals retention.

Strong work cultures don’t happen by chance. Strongleaders build them. Employees are most apt to stay andflourish in an environment that encourages positive camaraderie and fosters good communication. You can setthe stage for team success and longevity with employeeswith these culture builders.

22

In the Know... So That You May KnowAs a small business owner with a growing organization I am constantly challenged with

staff retention. Is there some sort of magic formula for hanging onto staff?


Do you have questions for Wymer Brownlee you would like to see in futur e articles? Submit them to [email protected] and w e’ll select a few to tackle in subsequent pieces.

Wymer Brownlee- Etown’s Preferred Financial PartnerFollow us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/wymerbrownlee

23

What Employees Love

• Understanding the strategic objectives of the organization.• How things work, the big picture and where they fit.• Understanding the expectations of their manager.• Being listened to in a way that feels respected.• Being proud of the purpose of the organization.• A manager that is interested in them and helps them

develop professionally.• Information about what is going on.

What Employers LoveRelationships• Folks are more fun to be around and that means better

relationships in the workplace.• This builds teamwork with colleagues.• The employee/manager relationship will be better.• Satisfied employees provide better service to your clients.• Employees will be a leading source of adver tising,

recruiting, and success!!Creativity• Productivity is fed with new ideas and original thinking

which carries over day to day.Problem fixers not complainers• Molehills look like mountains in an unhappy workplace.• Complaints not solutions suck up time when the culture is

not strong.Energy• Energy equates to better efficiency.Optimism• Optimists are more successful and productive. Remember

the saying, “Whether you believe you can or believe you

can’t, you’re probably right”.Motivation• When employees like what they do and the people they

work along side, you have built-in reliable and sustainable productivity.

Less down time• Stress contributes to health risks and is a productivity

killer.Faster Learners• A workplace that fosters an inspiring culture allows

employees to be open to lear ning new things, another productivity booster.

Fewer mistakes• Mistakes will happen but employees will take

responsibility, apologize and fix things. Fewer mistakes happen and employees positively learn from them.

Better decision makers• Crisis mode can be minimized. The big picture will stay

more in focus. A work culture that nar rows the short- term, here-and-now choices empowers employees to make better more informed decisions. This allows employees to prioritize work more accurately.

E

www.wymerbrownlee.com

These building blocks are there for the taking, any organization can have them. Review what you have in place, recognize any ob stacles preventing you from becoming a premiere employerand challenge yourself to make those changes star ting immediately. Every day you’re not being the best you can takes its toll on your profitability , your bottom line, your success. Consider us aresource if you would like more infor mation on Kolbe in your work place or assistance with any type of human resource need.

Aaron Brownlee, President Nancy Sheid, Human Capital Director


24

HOMEMADE PIE, CAKESCATERING TRAYS

SANDWICHES, FRUIT, ETC.

OPEN FOR BREAKFAST 7-11AMLUNCH 11-2PM

Monday - Friday

Every 4th Saturdayis Fly-In Breakfast

1026 South 66th Street - Woodring Airport - Enid, OK - 580-234-9913


2525

Members of Enid Tennis Associationand other area tennis enthusiasts are glo-rying in Enid’s 22 tennis courts – eight ofthem nearly brand new at Crosslin Park.As part of a recent initiative, four newtennis courts also were constructed atGovernment Springs Park.

The new-ish Crosslin Park tenniscourts were made possible in large par t tothe tenacious organizational efforts ofCarolyn Nicholas, long-time member ofthe Enid Parks Board and of the EnidTennis Association.

“I grew up in Enid, and I used to playover at the Phillips University courts. Italways baffled my mind you had to drive20 minutes across Enid to get to a tenniscourt. The Government Springs Parkcourts were there, but kids couldn’t ridetheir bicycles because you had to get on amajor four-lane highway to get to thosefacilities,” Nicholas said.

The two tennis courts at PhillipsUniversity, now NOC-Enid, were widelyused by the public from the ‘60s throughthe ‘80s, have become dilapidated andmoribund through lack of maintenanceand attention. Phillips University closed

in 1998 following bankruptcy.Nicholas served on the Enid Parks

Board from 1999-2008.She had her main mission in her mind

– to build more tennis courts and placethem in a convenient, accessible locationin Enid – upon first assuming her seat onthe Enid Parks Board in 1999.

“The first six years, we had three orfour city managers and three or four may-ors; I would get going on the pr oject andthen I’d have to start from scratch againonce a new administration came in,”Nicholas said.

“First I had to learn the system, thepolitics of city government – parks alwayscome at the bottom of the list because w edon’t have the revenues that larger citieshave. Water, sewer and streets come first,”Nicholas recalled.

The Enid Parks Board receives only$25,000 annually from the city’s budget,Nicholas said.

“That’ll buy you a slide pretty much,”Nicholas said.

Carolyn Nicholas’ tenacity paid off inNovember 2008 when the city of Eniddedicated eight brand new tennis courts

Enid ♥ s TennisEnid ♥ s TennisBy Dave Kinnamon Photos by MotoPhoto

Mackenzie Zaloudek and Kathryn Dillingham


26

where there previously had been none atCrosslin Park on Purdue Ave., just west ofVan Buren Ave.

To get the $467,000 price tag raised forthe Crosslin courts, Nicholas secured a$50,000 grant from the U.S. TennisAssociation. She also raised other privatefunds and received money from the city.Nicholas’ employer, Envirotech, providedapproximately $70,000 in kind by drawing up the architectural site planswhich included all the site drainage forthe Crosslin courts, she said.

While a student at Enid High School,Nicholas played doubles with her sister,who’s a year older. Nicholas earned threevarsity letters in tennis, graduating fromEnid High School in 1980. She played

intramural tennis while a student atOklahoma State University.

The long-time Enid Tennis Associationis bouncing right along.

The club of tennis enthusiasts recentlyhas initiated a push to increase the group’smembership, exposure and participation,said Dwayne Campbell, ETA treasurer.

They currently have about 30 activeweekly participants, who play a mixture ofsingles and doubles tennis on Monday,Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

“It’s good, fun entertainment and exer-cise. Tennis is the only sport I’m involvedin. People should come by and try it out;they’ll like it,” said Debbie Martin, a 10-year member of the Enid TennisAssociation.

Though the ETA has been “revitalized,” Campbell said, the clubwants more active participation.

“My goal is to have enough peopleplaying that we have to use the courts atCrosslin and the Government Springscourts for league play,” Campbell said.

This fall, on Saturday, September 18,ETA President Jim Shaughnessy will puton free tennis clinics as part of “TennisAcross America.”

The ETA embraces an interesting mix-ture of tennis folk. Glenn Harmon is 87years old and has been playing tennis r eg-ularly since 1936. For a time, Harmonrecalled, he and his older brother, GeneHarmon, were the only people playingtennis in Enid. The brothers coached the

Carolyn Nicholas

Dwayne Campbell

Dwayne Campbell and Carolyn Nicholas


27

Phillips University Haymakers tennisteam in the early 1960s.

Harmon has been playing against andwith tennis partner Bruce Hess who’s inhis 50s, for the past 15 y ears and count-ing.

“I’ve been playing tennis since beforeBruce was born,” Harmon said.Young players are involved in ETA, too.MacKenzie Zaloudek and KathrynDillingham this past spring won theOklahoma Class 6A state championshipfor Enid High School’s varsity tennisteam. The girls won the state champi-onship in doubles tennis. Both girls ar ereturned to the EHS tennis team for the2010-2011 school year. Both girls partici-pate in the ETA, they said.

“If we can, we’d like to win the statechampionship again,” Zaloudek said.All players emphasized the ETA offersleague play for all levels of tennis experi-ence, from brand new beginner to highlyexperienced.

EGlenn Harmon and Bruce Hess

Just before this edition of Etown went to print, longtime player and supporter ofthe Enid Tennis Association, Larry McClure passed away unexpectedly. We are

saddened to lose a great friend of Enid tennis. He will be missed. - Frank Baker


28

Sylvan Reynolds, George Davis, &Dale Gillham

Amanda Minton (from Pittsburg,Kansas) & Cindy Allen

Gary Brown & Ted KachelSally Whiteneck,Karen Vuranch & KathiBox

Judy Winchester & MichelleMears

Jessica Andrews, Darla Robbins & CathyNulph

Lindy Chambers, Jessica Andrews, CathyNulph & John Chambers

Jake Williams, Jason Parks, Chet Lytol, BrockNulph, Josh Lytle, Shawn Hughs, Kyle Booker,

Ryan Stephenson, Kevin Lytle and Nicole Litzau

Stephanie Hinkle, Krissy Watkins, MelonyLee & Kristie Buck

Brock Nulph, Jake Williams, ShawnHughs & Kyle Booker

Adam, Jeff & Andrew Eaton

28


29


30

Dr. Melann Reid and Dr. Jason Reid, Mika Dick, Jeff Dick, TomDavis and April Davis

Brooke Potter, Kevin Potter, Mindy Turley, JenniferDeVaughn and Pepper DeVaughn

30


31

Dr. Richard DeVaughn and Judy DeVaughnRick Caruthers, Club President and David North, ClubGeneral Manager

Thelma Horrall, Curt Horrall, Delores McClure,Barbara Meulpolder, the late Larry McClure and Stuart

Meulpolder

Mike McCormick, Bill Elliott, Derek Gipson, BrianMurray, Bruce Simon, Terry Ratzlaff and Mark Dick

Oakwood Country Club members celebrate the grandre-opening of the club after it’ s remodel.

John Maxwell, Karen Maxwell, Dorothy Cochran andBrady Lee

31


32

E

No matter how you are feeling, puton a smile and light up the r oom.

I love seeing the smile of a child whorecently lost a tooth. Aren’t they alwaysso proud of their toothless grin?

I’m personally drawn to “happy peo-ple” who have contagious smiles thatcreate the sensation of an instant bond.A smile not only gives you a warmglow, but it tightens up the wrinklesand double chin, instantly taking fiv eyears off of your face! Classic red lip-stick can really spice up your expression,just take care to avoid getting lipstickon the teeth.

And just remember, we all have badhair days, but no one ever has a “badsmile” day. So smile at someone! Theyjust might smile back.

By Cathy Nulph, E-Fluff Extraordinaire

Have you ever noticed how a smile can totally change your look? It’s

a cheap way to completely upgradeyour appearance.

E-Fluff A smile is your best accessory

Linda, Taylor and Andrea James showing off their smiles

Photos by Rachel Hancock

E-FluffGood friends Caleah and Madison love to smile.


33

Morgan Leon’s smile is her best summer accessoryA furry friend brings a smile to Tyree Rapps’ face


34


3535

Scotty Billups practicing for the NBCPotato Race

Dan Young, Josie Larson & KateMorrison (Faith Farms)

Jason Turnbow & Krista Reimer(RoseRock Bank)

David & Kim Whyburn Monty Taylor (P&K) Drew Ritchie, certified green builderand title sponsor of GreEnid

Brian Hacker Will Melson & Trevor RogersAmanda & Bobby Rankin

Brock & Nick Nulph

35


36

ATS STRIVES TO BRING NEW PROGRAMS TO ENID COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS CENTER

You can give a man a fish, and feed him for a day . You can teach a man to fish, and feed him for hislife.

In that same teaching/helping spirit, the counseling professionals at Associated Therapeutic Ser vices ofEnid (ATS) are pioneering programs to offer counseling ser vices to offenders at Enid Community Cor rectionsCenter (ECCC) to continue to provide therapeutic ser vices to inmates as they begin their transitions back intothe mainstream.

“ATS can come in and help with long-ter m behavioral change among the offenders after their release,”said Rebecca Livesay, licensed professional counselor and founder and director of Associated TherapeuticServices of Enid.

Livesay and John Lipsey, assistant district supervisor of the Northwest District, recently wrote two grantsto obtain funding for their joint programs.

“Offenders face housing and employment issues – convicted felons are frequently denied both. It’ sstressful being incarcerated, but the real stress begins when they get home. If you haven’t changed the envi -ronment they go back to, when the stress hits, the offender goes back to the old comfor t zone of drinking,”Lipsey said. Jim Clark, therapist at ATS stated, “ I have personally seen how a lack of getting thefamily/support system for an offender can be detrimental to the goal of no recidivism. I have a close friendwhose dad was incarcerated for six months after his four th DUI. While he was in prison neither he nor hisfamily/support system received any counseling to prepare them for his transition back into the family andcommunity. Because of this and a co-dependency with his wife, he came back from his incarceration andstarted drinking again because his family/suppor t system had not changed their thinking or behavior sowhen he go out he went back to what was comfor table, drinking with family and friends.”

The ECCC is a transitional facility of the Oklahoma Depar tment of Corrections; the facility currently houses99 offenders, all male, all low-risk felony offenders with exemplar y DOC disciplinary records. Around 70 per-cent of the ECCC residents are in the cor rectional system because of felony DUI records. All of the ECCC resi -dents either work for Enid-area companies or par ticipate in area work projects, programs and/or public worksprojects, Lipsey said.

The ECCC residents are preparing for life after incarceration. Some ECCC residents have even re-locatedtheir families to Enid and are helping to pay bills with the wages they’ve ear ned at their area employer.According to Lipsey, Advance Food Company has been a par ticularly supportive partner of ECCC’s as well asHope Outreach.

That transition is one of several areas where the A TS counselors can help the ECCC residents. ATS aims to

provide the ECCC residents with continued treatment and continued resources while they’re at ECCC and afterthey leave the residential facility.

“What we’re driving for is long-term behavioral change, and that affects our recidivism rate, which is peo-ple coming back in who’ve already been incarcerated,” Lipsey said.

By teaching the offenders and their family/suppor t system new coping skills and a new way of thinkingabout/looking at their stressors and how their behavior(s) need(s) to change to the offender will be betterequipped to transition back into society and not rever t back to his old habits that got him incarcerated in thefirst place.

David Henneke, local attorney and Department of Corrections Board Member, finds that it is impor tant toconsider programing for offenders. Henneke stated, "Over 95% of the inmates will be released from prisonat some time, and they will retur n to our communities.They will eventually be someone's neighbor . We needto help them become educated and/or lear n a trade or skill, as well as help them overcome their alcoholand or drug habits."

ATS proposes to offer a mentoring program, in par tnership with Hope Outreach and the Faith Far m.“Currently, our grant is pending. ECCC has worked for many years to get the mentoring program howeverthe funding hasn’t been there,” Livesay stated. ATS’ cognitive behavioral programs, working with the offend-ers and their families. ATS will use wrap-around services in helping the offender clients and their families.Wrap-around services encompass the family as a whole, multiple issues, and focus on the family unit.

The program will utilize mentors from local churches and ser vice organizations to walk along side theoffender and his family/support group to help them successfully transition back into society . By walkingalong side the offender/support system the mentor can model for them how to act and react to stressorsthat will arise and how to cope with those stressors without rever ting back to alcohol. The mentors will alsobe able to help them create a budget and will answer any questions the offender or family/suppor t systemmay have about a smooth transition back into society .

“We offer continued treatment and continued resources after the offender has left ECCC,” Livesay said.ATS therapists, like Megan Pearsall, have a passion for helping offenders over the shor t as well as long

terms.“I got inspired to work with offenders. I grew up in a privileged family , but my god family had several

offenders, and I saw the system fail them. I feel strongly ever yone deserves an advocate and a voice whenthey feel too tired or helpless to have their voice heard,” Megan said.

When working with clients, Megan will sometimes utilize a counseling technique called “motivationalinterviewing.”

“This is a positive way of helping people make their own changes. It’ s positive talking, helping them findthe answers from within themselves,” Megan said.

When the offender and his suppor t system take ownership in their lives and come up with the best wayfor them to avoid falling back in to their “old way of doing/dealing with things” the more likely they are toincorporate the necessary changes and become contributing members of the local community .

Again, the pioneering partnership between ATS and ECCC aims for long-term behavioral change amongthe offenders.

“We can give them the tools and help them find a job. Let’ s say we find them a welding job, we cangive them the boots and the hood and the material, but once they leave here and they’re dealing with thosestressors, that’s where ATS and dealing with cognitive behavior come in for that long-term behavioralchange,” Lipsey said.

“The ATS partnership is really about helping DOC fill that niche of helping set our offenders up for successwhen they leave here. That’s our goal with ATS, and that benefits everybody,” Lipsey said.

For more information about treatmentapproaches and ATS programs, contact ATSat 580-242-4673.

A FRESH BEGINNING FOR YOUR NEW NEIGHBOR

By Dave Kinnamon


37

ne might associate the UnitedMethodist Women’s group and theSparrows with doing good deeds to helpothers (or in the case of the S parrows,birds). Upon meeting a few members ofeach, I learned they not only do their par tto help, but they use their creativity andtalent, and lots of fabric, needles andthread, to get the job done. Recently,Kara Ormston, granddaughter of a well-known former member of the FirstUnited Methodist Church, donated vintage-fabric Dresden Plate quilt blocksthat had been found, partially sewn, inher grandmother’s estate.

This former church member also happened to be a dear friend to many ofthe ladies in these groups, and from whatI hear, a real crack up. Kara describedsome of her grandmother’s favorite acts,especially one in which she wore a tutuand black wig and colored her teeth inwhile singing, in her best “little girl ”voice, “All I Want for Christmas is myTwo Front Teeth.” I also learned of onecalled “The Girdle,” which chronicled thefitting-room fiascos of its main character.Many of you may have seen this funnylady perform her dramatic readings, or at

least had the privilege of knowing her. Ifnot, I’ll do my best to educate you on thelife of Mary Kirton-Becker, and tell youhow to get a hold of a special quilt shehelped to create.

Mary’s grandfather Jimmy Gwinn,made the run from Cameron, Kan., (nowManchester, Okla.) into Oklahoma onSeptember 16, 1893, and staked claim tosome land south of Helena. He built ahome and brought his family, includingMary’s father, Roy, from Kansas to joinhim. Years later, Roy married RosaDunlap and soon Mary was born.

Mary grew up in the Helena area andattended Phillips University in Enid.There she obtained a Bachelor of Oratoryin the College of Drama, which she affec-tionately referred to as a “B.O. from P.U.”This is also where she met her future hus-band, Billy Kirton, with whom she even-tually had two sons. After graduation, Mary taught school and thenbecame the Director of ChristianEducation at the First United MethodistChurch, where she worked for manyyears. Billy passed away, which Marychronicled in her memoir, “A Crowd ofWitnesses.“ She later married Gene

Becker and became stepmom to his twochildren. Mary’s passion for the arts notonly included comedy and writing butquilting as well. She often made them forher grandchildren.

It is fitting, then, that after Mary

A Quilt of LoveA Quilt of LoveBy Lauren Ennis Photos by Rachel Hancock

O

Kara Ormston, Lavonn McKnight, Gloria Cook and Mary Ridge


38

passed away, her family donated herunfinished quilt to her church, a place sheknew and loved; a place they knew wouldput the blocks in order and create thefinal masterpiece. That’s where theSparrows come into play. Mary Ridge, aclose friend of Mary’s and member of theSparrows Quilting Group, completed thequilt top. It was passed on to PaulaSantillan, a custom machine quilter, forquilting.

Now Mary’s quilt can be yours. It cur-rently is on display in the Great Hall ofthe First United Methodist Church at401 West Randolph Avenue. Bids can beplaced with Sparrows chairman GloriaCook at (580) 233-5780, [email protected]. Bidding endsOctober 20.

In addition to the quilt auction, a quiltshow and luncheon will be held onSeptember 18 during Cherokee StripDay. The quilt viewing will take placefrom 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with lunchbeing served from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.Tickets are $5 for admission to the showand $7 for the luncheon. They can bepurchased in advance by calling JoyRobinson at (580)237-2532 or [email protected].

Sales from the quilt auction, show andluncheon benefit the United MethodistWomen’s group missions. The groupstrives to help women and children inneed, focusing on Enid and other areas ofOklahoma. Locally, the ladies donatemoney to the YWCA, Salvation Army,Children’s Bible School and youth projects within the church. They assistwith Indian Missions in EasternOklahoma, at Cookston Hills, theHolsinger Home and the Circle of CareProject, which is a foster home that aimsto keep siblings together when they haveto be taken from their home. TheSparrows do their part as well, makingquilts for every baby that is baptized inthe church and creating communityquilts, such as quilts for the Y and cancerquilts.

The exhibit will showcase all types ofquilts, including antiques from the ‘20sand ‘30s or before, hand quilted,applique, machine quilted, themed andmany more. Anyone interested in entering their own quilt in the showshould contact Diane Ford at [email protected]. All quilts willbe handled with the finest care.

Head over to the First UnitedMethodist Church on Cherokee StripDay, September 18, to see and bid onMary’s quilt, and catch a glimpse of manyother works of art while there. E

Kara Ormston Gloria Cook


39


Cathy Nulph, Debbie Martin &Madison Martin

Rhonda Koehn & Debbie Martin

Rhonda Koehn of HeartQuestSalon, Madison & Debbie Martin

Jamie Davis from Rib Crib, Madison & Debbie Martin

Karen Spain from JC Penney, Debbie Martin,Kathy Carpentar from JC Penney & Madison

Martin before the Makeover

Some of the goodies donated to the Martin Family

Debbie Martin, Shanda Slater from The Buckle & Madison Martin

40


Debbie Martin (During Make-Up)Michelle Nightengale & Debbie Martin(Bare Escentuals Studio 22)

Kathy Carpentar from JC Penney

Below: Karen Spain from JC Penney, Debbie Martin, Kathy Carpentar fromJ.C. Penney’s & Madison Martin after the Makeover

Madison Martin nominated her momDebbie Martin for an Ambush Makeover.Much to her surprise- Madison also receiveda makeover. Thanks to all the great peoplethat made this a very special Ambushmakeover.

Cathy NulphHeartQuest Salon & Wig StudioBare Escentuals, Michelle NightengaleJC PenneySoapweeds & CactusFurniture GalleryCurttright Honda,Julie Braden with Avon & Homemade GourmetPetSenseBasket KaseThe BuckleOakwood MallChick-Fil-AJeanette RatliffRib CribStudio 22Church of ChristNicole WinfieldRachel Hancock

If you know someone who deserves an Ambush Makeover email Cathy Nulph [email protected]

4141


42

Jalynne Phillips Zackery HundleyTaylor Wieden

Liz Shermack, Jackie Conrady, GinaMalaska, Stacie & Makenzie Jones

Andrea Paschen, Cammeron Kaiser, TarynRoach, Laurie Lee & Kyle Kern

Maggie Selix, Lisa Bland-Selix

Debbie Vail and Dawn Shortnacy Freddie Hubbard and DawnCornelius

Josh and NicoleWinfield

42


43

(580) 233-3512 • 3202 W. Owen K. Garriott • EnidMEMBER F.D.I.C.

Resources that meet your Expectations,People who exceed them.


44

Story By Eva Lightsey

Jennifer Fugazzi, owner ofParamount Homes Real Estate Co.,recommends several small finishes thatcan help refresh the look of yourhome.

“Buyers want a brand new house,but they don’t want it at a brand ne whouse price,” Fugazzi said. “There aresimple things that people can do totheir homes to make them moreappealing when it’s time to sell.”

For under $100• Light, neutral paint can make

small spaces seem brighter and moreairy. If your ceilings are low, paintthem white or ivory to make themseem higher. A fresh coat in white orcream can update old kitchen cabinets.Touching up trim with fresh paint orstain can bring a room together, creat-ing a polished, finished look. Add newhardware and your 1980s kitchen canseem much newer. • Replace old faucets, doorknobs,hinges, and drawer and cabinetpulls.• If your bathrooms have tubs butno showers, add one. Fugazzi said shehas had several buyers walk away froma home because the bathrooms didn’t

have a showerhead.• New doors are another inexpen-sive way to give your home a facelift.Hollow-core doors are inexpensive andadd life to an older home. D on’t forgetthe closets! The impression buyers getfrom the bedrooms should be welcom-ing and clean. Old closet doors withaging mirrors and cracked veneer candistract people from your home’s posi-tive assets.• Check your light fixtures. If there

is an old fluorescent light in yourkitchen, replace it. See if there are anyother unwelcome blasts from the pastlingering from the 1970s in your hall-ways and bathrooms, then switch themout with something more up-to-date. • Make the most of the space youhave. Many basements can be turnedinto great teen recreational rooms,

with the addition of a fe w cheap tablesand posters. If there is a finished floor,attics can often be wonder ful play-rooms for kids. If you’re short onroom, sometimes you can even use alarge closet or pantry as an officecubby. • Faux finishes also can add a spe-cial touch to your home. You can getpaint to make your walls look like any-thing from marble to linen. There alsoare stains and paint made especially forconcrete, something to consider ifyou’re thinking about adding space byrepurposing a basement, patio orgarage. Many of these finishes can betricky to do yourself. Make sure youhave someone experienced who knowswhat they’re doing to help you.

For under $500• Consider adding crown moldingto a room. It is an easy way to add ele-gance and panache. • Refinish your hardwood floors tocover any wear. In many older homes,carpet is covering hardwood floors. Ifyour carpet is due for r eplacement,check the condition of the floor under-neath. If the wood is in good condi-tion, consider refinishing them rather

BRINGING YOUR HOME INTO THE RIGHT DECADE

Thinking about making some improvements to your home? There are someinexpensive projects that can translate into a big retur n when it’s time to sell.

Home UpdatesPhotos by Rachel Hancock

Home Updates


45

580-237-6200225 W. Cherokee Ave.

Brought to you by Paramount Homes Real Estate Co.

than putting new carpet down.• Rethink your walls. Just because a wall is ther e doesn’t necessari-ly mean it has to stay ther e. You can make your home seem bigger bycombining small rooms that chop up your kitchen, living and diningspaces into one or more open concept spaces. Tearing down a wallcompletely or just opening up a par tial wall is probably less expen-sive than you might think. Often you can just take out a set of uppercabinets in the kitchen and open the space behind them, cr eating a

bar area that could transition to the living or diningroom.

“I’m always telling people to open their kitchens ifthey can. If you have the ability and your structure willallow for it and you won’t lose every cabinet that you’vegot, do it,” Fugazzi said. “You will have just added valueto the house and it ’s selling value. Your house is goingto sell faster than your neighbor’s house because it’sopen and more appealing.”

Whether your ideas are big or small, asking foradvice from a local Realtor is a great way to organizeyour thoughts and complete the details of y our plan.They can direct you to resources you may not havethought of or show you examples of projects that mightbe similar to yours. It is important to know all theangles of a project and your real estate agent has lot ofexperience that can help! E


4646


47

Carol Conley & Megan Passey Diana Smith-Padron &Rhonda Harlow

Greg & Elizabeth Diel

Jill KennedyCecilia Holle, Dr. Lisa Harringan & HosseinA. Dehdezi

Kay Sanders Gregg Ross

Torry & Jason Turnbow Ashley Ewbank, Ryan Allen, Leslie & Kevin Klamm

Ashley Voss Brittany Ross Leslie Klamm & Fraser Hay

47


48


49


50

Wade Patterson & Brad Waken Dianne Juhnke, Kate Jordan & ChristyNorthcutt

Gerry Allen

Cheri Ezzell,Gail Wynne,BonnieHenderson & Lavon McKnight

Patrick Anderson & Lisa Ruhl Bill Shewey, April Danahy & JonBlankenship

Liz Price & Kathy Gabelsberg Jim Grantz & Vickie Fox Ladies enjoying the appetizers

Pat & Hugh Sage with John & RobertaWalsh

Florelee Day & Cathy Wiles CC Costello

50


51


52


535353


54

Aimee Evans, Odie Evans, Mary Beth McKain,Kayla McKain, Michelle Adams and Renea

McKain

Willa Jo Fowler, Bonnie Vculek, Lilly Evansand Ruth Ann Erdner

Baylee, Cassidy, Scottand Amber Fitzgerald

Karen Spain, Janelle Faulkner, Lindy Chambers, Lisa Bland-Selix, Cathy Nulph, DebbieKeegan, Robin Parnish, Jessica Andrew, and Teri West

Teri West

Mathew Crandall & Dave Hill Tom Auerback, Warren Orre, Gary Rogers,Merle Helt

Tom Nicholas, Misty Arnett, Jillian Nicholas,Mike Nicholas, Becky Pearce, Jamie Fournier

& Dwayne Harvey

54


55

Bob Dense, Sharon & David Trojan Toni Decock, Kris Bundy & Paul Allen Jim Zaloudek,Michael Carnuccio, &John Hanes

Brandon Turnbow Bambi Spaulding, William Navarro, Caitlin Theilen,CarlyTheilen, & Ben Krausse

Kelly Hartling & StacieCaywood

Ryan Nall Troy Ullom & Ava Shultz Jason, Stacie & HaylieCaywood

55


56


57

After years of analyzing Enid’s needsand months of planning with community members and outsideexperts, the City of Enid is eager tomake the community dream of a revitalized downtown come true. Thedecision comes down to the results ofone day: August 24. The outcome ofthis work depends on voters and howthey choose to cast their ballots for a$20 million bond issue. On that fourthTuesday in August, Enid voters will beasked to decide whether Gateway Enidand the projects associated with it willbecome reality.

Community supporters, sportsenthusiasts, historians and parents arejust some of the proponents for thisproject, which according to many, hasbeen needed for a long time.

“We have a historic opportunity toinvest in our future by attracting newjobs and new entertainment,” saidMartie Oyler, Enid resident and parentof three Enid High School Students.“Enid is uniquely positioned to capitalize on our current momentumand create something special. GatewayEnid can bring more people downtown, from entertainers and shop-

pers to corporate meetings and spor tsfans. This plan lays the foundation fordecades of success for our city.”

If the bond is approved by voters,the City of Enid is prepared to matchfunds with an additional $20 million.A new events center, renovation ofConvention Hall/Mark Price Arena andthe Cherokee Strip Conference Center,the beautification of downtown, agreenbelt connecting downtown toOwen K. Garriott and signage leadingvisitors to the area will be completedwithin three years.

Even better, supporters say, is thefact that Gateway Enid extends a current tax, meaning the city’s tax ratewill not increase. In fact, records showGateway Enid will lower taxes fromseven mils to five mils. Successes incommunities like Woodward, Ardmore,Bartlesville, Oklahoma City, Tulsa,Norman and Midwest City showcasethose who have recently invested infacilities with the purpose of improvingthe quality of life for r esidents, as wellas attracting visitors. These communities exemplify the return oninvestments that is possible throughrevitalization efforts.

Gateway Enid: Taking Care of Our Hometown

Gateway Enid: Taking Care of Our Hometown

By Molly Helm Photo by Dawn Muncy, Muncy Photography

Photo by BaileyPhotography

Above: EHS Plainsmenlooking for a home court.


58

Oklahoma City Mayor MickCornett joined the ranks of those sup-porting the bond issue when he spokeat an Enid Regional DevelopmentAlliance meeting in July. He told howOklahoma City’s own series of voter-passed bond issues, known as MAPS,created thousands of jobs, brought innew business and kept OklahomaCity’s unemployment rate among thenation’s lowest. It also made downtownOklahoma City a tourist destination.

“Our MAPS initiatives have been ahuge success for our residents, ourbusinesses and our families,” Cornettsaid. “I know Enid is strong financially

so I would encourage its r esidents toinvest in their city’s future. OklahomaCity shows that nothing beats investingin yourself.”

A committee of Enid city staff andlocal citizens studied what projectswere needed to grow Enid responsibly.The Gateway Enid Committee workedwith consultants from GlobalSpectrum and Hunden StrategicPartners to determine the feasibility of the project. They say the $20 million in bond money and the $20million in available city funding combine to make an impressiveblueprint to improve downtown and

attract new entertainment.“We definitely studied Enid’s history

and looked at where we wanted to goand how we could do it in a r esponsi-ble way to taxpayers,” saidCommissioner Don Rose. “I wish Icould say that as a committee w e had afavorite aspect of this plan, but thetruth is that each element comple-ments the next. Each par t of GatewayEnid makes the next one stronger andmore important to Enid’s future.”

Rose said Gateway Enid honorsEnid’s history by turning historicbuildings – some unused – into r ev-enue drivers. The goal is to reflect the



Photo by MuncyPhotography-Members of the EHS teams who would have a new home in the renovated convention hall


59

charm of downtown buildings in thedesign of the new, more functionalfacilities.

While historic ConventionHall/Mark Price Arena is well-loved, itsits vacant because of its deterioratingcondition. In fact, taxpayers spendnearly $250,000 annually in mainte-nance costs. Enid officials decided thatcontinuing to maintain an unusableMark Price Arena was neither econom-ically feasible nor responsible to tax-payers.

Funds from the bond issue will turnMark Price Arena into a flexible andmulti-functional community facilityavailable for many events.Improvements will make it available forEnid Public Schools activities, includ-ing basketball, wrestling, cheerleadingand volleyball, as well as other uses.Local and regional sporting events andtournaments will take place at theimproved building, which will benefitthe local economy. Rose said thatmeans out-of-area dollars will come toEnid as visitors shop and dine locallyand stay here.

“Enid can become the enter tain-ment hub for northwest Oklahoma,”Rose said. “These projects build uponour current infrastructure and strategi-cally implement a series of improve-ment projects to increase business anddeliver the best bang for the buck forour residents.”

Rose pointed to low constructioncosts as one of the r easons he supportsthe bond issue. He said the nation’scurrent economic conditions have cre-ated low costs of which residents cantake advantage. Because Enid is soundfinancially, Rose said, residents have


Preliminary 3D rendering of the proposed downtown enid renovation


60

the opportunity to lock-in low rates.Locking in costs now will save the citytax dollars.

He called the fact that tax rates willactually decrease a “win-win” for tax-payers. He pointed to a study that con-servatively estimated a 5 percent annualrevenue growth from Gateway Enid.

“We’ve talked to leaders from othercities who became envious when wetold them that Gateway Enid wouldlower tax rates while increasing revenueat the same time,” Rose said. “It’s ahomerun that we hope residents sup-port.”

One of the groups most vocal aboutsupporting the bond issue is a gr oupnot yet old enough to vote. Studentathletes at Enid High School hope forpositive results at the polls.

"Right now, Plainsmen and Pacerteams play all over town and that is notthe same as having a home cour t. Aplace for basketball, volleyball,wrestling and cheer would be gr eat,"says Gabrielle Henson, an EHS cheer-leader. "The cheerleaders would like tobuild up school and fan spirit for all

the sports."A former Plainsmen passionate for

the cause is Brent Price, EHS basket-ball star and retired NBA player.

"Anybody who has ever played teamsports understands the importance ofhaving a home court advantage.Playing on a home cour t gives an emo-tional benefit to the team," says P rice."Enid has not had that, so they play asbasically an 'away' team all y ear, whichis unheard of for a 6A school. That is abig disadvantage for the players, theschool and the community. Having ahome court is about more than compe-tition, though. Having a place to callhome builds tradition and communitypride for the whole town."

Despite the optimism, backers ofthe bond issue convey when discussingthe elements they support, none of theprojects will come to Enid without amajority of yes votes on Aug. 24.

“August 24 could become one of themost-important days in the history ofEnid,” said Oyler. “I truly hope thecommunity comes together and votesyes on that day.” E

3D Rendering of the current downtown enid

Gateway Enid hopes to fill emptydowntown spaces like this one.Photo by Bailey Photography


61


62

Jordan Herrera & Nicole Reed Bailea Roundtree, Jara Lemmon and LolaDewitt

Kaley Thornton and HeatherMcpherson

Kristian Murray, HarmonyGuidry and Adam Jantz at

N'Style

Chad and Carissa Kent, owners of N'Style Dick Ewbank and "Big Daddy"Graham of Big Blue Dump Truck

Mary Chrisman, Lori Johnson, Maria Washington, BettyCollingsworth, Vivian Smith, Mary Stam, Kim Mack, Lisa Gau,

Tami Bittle, Lori Martin, Kim Harris, Angela Andrews andRhonda Maxwell of the Dexeus Oncology Team

Renee Dexeus The cancer survivors and familiesof survivors release their balloons

after the first lap

62


August Etown

Documents

Transcript of August Etown