Billie Rodely Moving from OETA to Mary Fallin's Staff

I know several staffers whose relationship with Congresswoman Mary Fallin's office has ended in recent weeks. So I was delighted to learn via a post on The McCarville Report that Billie Rodely is going onto the Congresswoman's staff. We will miss her fine reporting at OETA but this promises to be an exciting move for both women. I assume this means Billie will have to give up her prominent role in the Oklahoma City Gridiron Show; I'll miss that.

Deana Franke & Miki Farris Nominated for Award

Two Oklahoma women have been nominated for the 2007 “Stand On A Better World” Award and YOU can cast a vote for one. The award is presented by Mannington Mills, a leading manufacturer of flooring.

The program recognizes and celebrates women who “do the right thing” to make a difference in the lives of people and communities in America and around the globe. There are three levels of awards -- local, national and global. One winner will be chosen in each award category and receive $10,000 for her chosen charity. One of those three will be the Grand Prize recipient receiving $25,000 for her chosen charity. One woman, chosen by online voting, will receive the “Your Better World Award” and $10,000 for her chosen charity. Winners will be announced in October 2007, with the awards ceremony held Nov. 15 in Philadelphia.

So cast your vote for either Deana Frank who helped found and now run a battered women's shelter in Tahlequah or Miki Farris who founded the Infant Crisis Center in Oklahoma City. Check out the program and cast your vote here. Voting ends on September 7, 2007.

MJ Alexander's "Salt of the Earth"

Oklahoma artist MJ Alexander has traveled nearly 5,000 miles to photograph the faces of Oklahoma's Centenarians. Beginning August 17th, her photos will be on display at The Oklahoma Heritage Center in Oklahoma City. In addition, Alexander has published the book Salt of the Earth: The Wit and Wisdom from Oklahoma's Elders. Her exhibit and book pay tribute to the individuals who have both lived and created Oklahoma's history.

Stillwater Sculptor Lou Moore Hale

OU's Sooner magazine has a nice article in their Spring 2007 issue about Stillwater sculptor Lou Moore Hale's Centennial project "Facing a Century: Life Stories in Sculpture." Lou carved the portraits and her husband, OSU professor emeritus in history, Doug Hale wrote biographies. The works are on exhibit around Oklahoma. In August, they will be on display at Redlands Community College. View her work here.

July 28 - Women Authors Sign Books at OKC Zoo

Three Stillwater women authors will sign books at the Oklahoma City Zoo Saturday, July 28 from 9 to noon. Linda Allen’s book, Menagerie at the Manger, is about animals at the Nativity and has been named 2007 Book of the Season by The Book Bank Foundation. Jewel Sample’s Flying Hugs and Kisses tell about her grandson, Brennen, who died from SIDS. There is a companion activity book as well. Lori Scott has contributed to more than a dozen books and published over thirty-five short stories, devotions, puzzles, articles, and poems. She will showcase the first two titles in her new children’s chapter book series, Meghan Rose on Stage and Meghan Rose Has Ants in Her Pants. For more information, call the Zoo at 405-424-3344 or go to http://www.okczoo.com/.

Norma Eagleton Made History

Former Oklahoma Senator Penny Williams suggested to my husband recently that I need to show on my website that:

Norman Eagleton was the first woman elected to statewide office in Oklahoma who could have voted for herself.

Yeah, Norma. Thank you, Senator.

Oklahoma's Trail Riding Gals

When she isn't teaching middle school in Edmond, my step-daughter, Adena Warner, raises adopted mustangs and curly horses and is a member of Oklahoma's Parade Gals - a sub group of Oklahoma's Trail Riding Gals. You can read an article about the group here that appeared recently in Edmond Outlook magazine. Read more about trail riding at Oklahoma Horse Online. Click on the image to the left to see May's curly main.

Oklahoma Women's Groups to Meet

Faye Henson (left), Oklahoma State President of the American Association of University Women and I met today with Dena Drabeck (center) at Congresswoman Mary Fallin's downtown OKC office to plan a gathering of women's group in late August. Stay tuned for more on this new initiative.

:-)

Jennifer Onzahwah Elected 1st Women Chief of Absentee Shawnee Tribe

Jennifer Onzahwah was recently elected the first woman chief of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe. Read Oklahoman article here.

Oklahoma's Best Women Athletes

The Oklahoman today has a list of "The 100 Best Athletes in Oklahoma History." Ten are women. One is a horse: Easy Jet.

Here are The Oklahoman's picks and their rank plus The Oklahoman's explanation (in quotes) for the women athletes they included:

#5 Shannon Miller - "(Edmond) The most decorated American gymnast ever, with two world all-around championships and an Olympic all-around silver medal that would have been gold if not for dubious judging."

#20 Nancy Lopez - "(University of Tulsa) LPGA's Sam Sneed. Big winner, but never won U.S. Open"

#26 Susie Maxwell Berning - "(Oklahoma City, OCU) Three-time U.S. Open golf winner; four of her 11 LPGA Tour wins were in majors."

#33 Crystal Robinson - "(Atoka, Southeastern State) ABL rookie of the year in 1996, then jumped to the WNBA in 1999 and the New York Liberty."

#37 Doll Harris - "(Cement) Led Durant's Presbyterian College to 1932 AAU women's basketball title."

#61 Michele Smith - "(OSU) Two-time Olympic softball gold medalist is a celebrity in Japan, where she played 14 seasons in the Japanese Pro League. Screaming fans clamor for her autograph; maybe it's the hair. Time Magazine voted Smith "best hair" of the Atlanta Olympics." [I am not making this up; that is what the boys who wrote this elected to focus on!]

#66 Stacey Dales "(OU) Past WNBA all-star, returned to league in 2006 but still a college broadcaster."

#84 Courtney Paris "(OU) Let's assume she'll keep moving up the list."

#86 Kelly Garrison "(Altus, OU) 1988 Olympian placed 16th in gymnastics all-around."

#95 Cindy Yan Fang "(OCU) During her prime, greatest softball second baseman in the world." (NOTE: I'm having trouble finding information on Cindy but, according to an old Oklahoman article, in 1998 she was 29 years old, born in Beijing, 5-8, 136 pounds. She batted .414 with 64 runs in 69 games in 1997 and batted .448 with 76 runs in 63 games in 1998. According to OCU's Rich Tortorelli, "She helped China win the silver medal in the 1996 Olympics. She holds the OCU career record for average (.463). She was All-Tournament at the NAIA Championships in 1997 and 1998, NAIA first-team all-American in 1997, 1998 and 1999 and NAIA player of the year in 1998 and 1999.")

In the The Oklahoman's March 2007 educational supplement "Generations of Oklahoma Women Moving History Forward" (funded by the Oklahoma Women's Network and Girl Scouts Red Lands and Sooner Councils and written predominantly by OSU professors Bob Darcy and Jennifer Paustenbuagh), we also listed Val Skinner and Kelli Litsch.

Val Skinner was an OSU golfer who in 1980 and 1982 was the Big Eight Conference Women's Golf Champion, in 1982 was Big Eight Conference Outstanding Female Athlete, and in 1982 was NCAA All-American. Skinner has earned over $2.4 million as a professional golfer and has raised more than $2.5 million for breast cancer research. She works as analyst for Golf Channel and CBS.

Here is what Bob Darcy said about Kelli Litsch: "From Fay, Oklahoma, Kelli Litsch is considered one of the best to have ever played the game of basketball. She led Thomas high School to two straight six-on-six state high school championships in 1980 and 1981. Turning down scholarships to play at Division I schools, she went to Southwestern Oklahoma State university wherre she powered the lady Bulldogs to three NIAA national championships going 129-5 and becoming the first female athlete to be named a first-team All-American four years in a row."

What women would YOU have included in the top 100 Oklahoma Athletes List? Tell Berry Tramel at btramel@oklahoman.com. He will run comments in The Oklahoman.

Stillwater Artist Lynn Schwartz

Stillwater artist Lynn Schwartz is exhibiting her oil and acrylic paintings at the Oklahoma State Capitol. You'll have to find your way to the Governor's Gallery on the second floor to see her extraordinary work but it is worth it! The show, entitled "Movement: Oklahoma Heritage to Horizons" is sponsored by the Oklahoma Arts Council and will be up through August 17.

Louisa McCune and Oklahoma Today Magazine

Oklahoma Today magazine is celebrating the state’s centennial year by publishing the top forty-six images of the last one-hundred-plus years. The landmark twenty-four-page portfolio appears in their July/August 2007 issue. Louisa McCune says, “The images tell the story of our state in an unpredictable but timeless way. From the Dust Bowl and Civil Rights struggles to quiet family life, this portfolio is simply arresting.” Photographs by Alfred Eisenstaedt, Nina Leen, Dorothea Lange, and A.Y. Owen are included in the collection as well as two Pulitzer Prize-winning images. J. Pat Carter’s image of the May 3, 1999, tornado, which won the Alfred Eisenstaedt Award, also appears in the portfolio. If you don't already subscribe to this remarkable magazine, you'll want to pick up a copy of this issue.

Kalyn Free to be Honored by National Education Association

Oklahoman Kayln Free will be honored by the National Education Association July 1st. Read story here.

Creating the Oklahoma Women's Coalition

I am inviting women's groups and organizations interested in improving the status of women and girls in Oklahoma to help organize a loose-knit coalition to do the following:

(a) Produce a Kids Count-like annual report on the status of women in Oklahoma

(b) Establish a coalition of groups committed to protecting the rights of and improving the status of women and girls in Oklahoma

(c) Select four or five issues to be addressed in the 2008 legislative session and get authors to introduce bills -- and let legislators know about our support for these bills

(d) Raise funds to hire a part-time lobbyist to keep coalition members informed on the status of these bills during the session

(e) Use the Internet and area meetings to encourage coalition members to lobby their legislators and the Governor on these bills

(f) At the close of the 2008 legislative session, produce a “report card” that identifies which legislators voted for these bills

If you belong to an organization that has a legislative agenda that addressess women's issues and you think it might like to participate in this coalition, please let me know (see my profile for contact information). I especially want to include women's groups from all across the state.

Donita Huddleston Thomas Moves to MidFirst Bank

Donita Thomas has left Bank America and is now senior vice president for business banking at MidFirst Bank - Oklahoma City's largest bank. Bank America advertises itself as "the nation's leading financial institution" and, indeed, they have banks literally everywhere. So I always worried they would transfer Donita to New York or California or (heaven forbid) Texas. I have a hunch she is less likely to get away from Oklahoma at MidFirst Bank which is good because that would be a terrible loss for Oklahoma.

Elizabeth Waner is New Edmond City Council Member

REMINDER TO MYSELF: As soon as I get caught up on last weeks (neglected) email, I want to post about Edmond's new city council member.

Update on Amy Poloncheck

I had a nice visit with Amy Polonchek recently. She assures me that she wasn't run off from her position as Executive Director of the Department of Commerce. She tired of the commute - something I can relate to as I, too, tired of commuting to OU when I was running the N.E.W. Leadership Oklahoma program. Amy is happy to be working at the State Dept of Career Tech. The Polonchecks own a home in Stillwater. Her husband works at OSU and she is glad to be back home in Stillwater.

Update on OK author Bellie Letts

From Barbara Santee:

A lot of people have been asking what happened to Tulsa author, Billie Letts, who was arrested when she demonstrated against the Bush Administration's war policy in Iraq when Dick Cheney was in Tulsa several weeks ago. Billie went to court on Thursday, June 7; and the case was dismissed because the policeman who arrested her did not show up as a witness for the prosecution. So, Billie is free as a bird and working on her next novel! By the way, be sure to see her son's (Tracy Lett's) movie, Bug, showing at the AMC. It is an amazing experience!

Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher Portrait to be Unveiled in House of Representatives

I am so old, I can remember when there was almost NO art at the State Capitol. Now it is everywhere and it is beautiful but more importantly some even celebrates Oklahoma women! So of course I am thrilled that a portrait of Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher will be unveiled in the House of Representatives at 11 am Tuesday, June 19. Read the story here --> http://www.ok.gov/newsroom.php?page_id=22&type=1

Jeanette Gamba is AAA National Chair

Jeanette Gamba was recently elected national chairman of AAA. Gamba is chair of Jordan Associates, an Oklahoma City-bassed advertising and public relations company. she is the first woman to hold the position. AAA has over 50 million members.

When US Women Got the Vote

Tom Clapper reminded me today that it was on this day in 1919 that the 19th amendment to the Constitution was passed by Congress giving women the right to vote!
:-)

Full Circle Bookstore to Feature Oklahoma Women Authors

On Thursday, June 7, at 6:30 p.m., Dana Bagshaw will sign her book Mama Grace at the Full Circle Bookstore in 50 Penn Place, Oklahoma City. A historical novel based on an original manuscript by the author's grandmother, Letha Crossman, it tells the story of her family homesteading in Oklahoma in the early 1900s. The book has been selected as an official project of the Oklahoma Centennial Commission and includes photos of the period.

And on Saturday, June 9, at 3 p.m., M.J. Alexander will sign her new book Salt of the Red Earth: A Century of Wit and Wisdom from Oklahoma's Elders. Her newest photography book is a collection of portraits of Oklahomans born in or before 1907.

Cara Cowan Watts

I attended a reception at Meg Salyer's last night honoring the N.E.W. Leadership class of 2007. Had a nice chat with one of the three Faculty In Residence (FIR) - Cara Cowan Watts. Cara is on the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council (District 7 - Will Rogers). Here is a link to her personal website: http://www.caracowan.com/

Buffaloes in Oklahoma City's Bricktown

Shot from the roof of the Santa Fe Parking Garage in Oklahoma City facing east across the Santa Fe railroad tracks into Bricktown. Click on the image to enlarge.

Oklahoma's Joy Harjo

Today is the birthday of poet Joy Harjo (books by this author). A native of Tulsa, she has Muscogee ancestors on her father's side and Cherokee ancestors on her mother's side. She has published several collections of poetry, including What Moon Drove Me to This? (1980) and She Had Some Horses (1983). Her most recent collection is How We Became Human (2002). She is also a singer and saxophonist for a band called Poetic Justice. Check out her website here and her weblog here and a good bio on her here.

Michi Susan is "Oklahoma Artist of the Year"

On April 22, Ms. Michi Susan was honored by the Paseo Artists Association as their first Oklahoma Artist of the Year. The awards ceremony took place at Paseo Grill. Artist Dee J. Lafon was also honored for lifetime achievement. Ms. Susan was born in Tokyo, Japan, but has made Oklahoma her home for the past 27 years. She was educated at Japan's Women's University and at Hosei University. She then continued her studies in the U.S., and has visited many major European Art Centers. Click here to view more of her work or just Google her name and click on "Images" (above her name).

Janet Barresi and Phyllis Hudecki

There is a column in today's Oklahoman urging the legislature not to "dilute" the current school testing requirements as set forth in the Achieving Classroom Excellence (ACE) legislation. The credit says it is written by Phyllis Hudecki, executive director of the Oklahoma Business and Education Coalition and Janet, "a dentist." It adds that "both are members of the ACE task force." Actually they are both remarkable women. Hudeki, a native of Morris, Oklahoma, has past experience in higher education and vocational education administration. Barresi has been a leader in Oklahoma's charter school movement for a decade. You can read more about them on the contemporary "notable oklahoma women" page of my website.

Sue Lynn Sasser Promotes HB 1476 (Financial Literacy)

Oklahoma Council on Economic Education director Sue Lynn Sasser is pleased to see the Oklahoma Legislature addressing the need for financial literacy in Oklahoma. HB 1476, the “Passport to Financial Literacy Act,” and its Senate counterpart would require schools to teach kids about savings, investinging, balancing a checkbook, understanding loans, insurance, and taxes and identify theft. Schools could offer the curriculum any time from 7th to 12th grade.
Read the Oklahoman story here.

Suzan Shown Harjo Curates DC Show

Suzan Shown Harjois curating a show at the District of Columbia Arts Center in Washington, DC entitled “American Icons through Indigenous Eyes.” It features works by 12 American Indian artists . Read the Washington Post article here and The Oklahoman article here. Harjo was born in 1945 in El Reno, Oklahoma. She has been the president of the Morning Star Institute since 1984. Read more on Harjo here.

Ann DeFrange, Role Models & Our Pioneer Woman

Ann DeFrange's May 1 column in The Oklahoman celebrates a quote usually attributed to Laurel Thatcher Ulrich that we used alot at N.E.W. Leadership Oklahoma: "Well behaved women rarely make history." DeFrange closes her column by mentioning a few of the women who have been role models for her over the years -- Rosa Parks, Hillary Clinton, the Pioneer Woman (who will sadly NOT be featured on the Oklahoma quarter; what is THAT all about?). Who are your women role models? Consider carefully: Who you pick says a lot about who you are and who you hope to become! (Actually, Ulrich isn't a bad role model herself!)