Corporation Commission Candidate Dana Murphy Picking Up Endorsement

Ouch. OkieDoke has a pretty unflattering blog post about Corporation Commission candidate Rob Johnson (pictured here). Johnson faces fellow Republican Dana Murphy in the primary race. Michael Bates' Batesline blog has great things to say about Dana Murphy and she is picking up endorsements including one from the Oklahoma Conservative PAC. Turns out integrity, honesty and being smart, informed and well qualified for the position actually matters to voters. (Disclosure: Dana is a friend and has supported several of my projects including N.E.W. Leadership and the Oklahoma Women's Legislative Coalition.)

BlogOklahoma on Kate Barnard

BlogOklahoma.us has a nice blog post on Oklahoma's Kate Barnard with lots of useful links, too. You can read the blog post here.

Terry Stuart Forst Is President of Oklahoma Cattleman's Association

Terry Stuart Frost runs the Stuart Ranch, the oldest operating family cattle ranch in Oklahoma. She is the newly elected president of the Oklahoma Cattleman's Association. The Journal Record did a nice spread on Forst June 2, 2008. If you can break into their closed archives, it is worth a read. Try viewing the article here.

Susan Illgen Named Director of Smart Start

Congratulations to Susan Illgen who has been named Executive Director of Oklahoma's Smart Start. Illgen was the 2005 Oklahoma State Teacher of the Year and early childhood director with the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

Susannah Rankin State's First Pew Scholar

Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation's Susannah Rankin is Oklahoma's first Pew Scholar. Only 20 were named in 2008 and we have one of them right here in Oklahoma City. Very cool. Rankin is a cell biologist whose research could lead to a reduction in birth defects and possibly cancer, too. The honor includes a $240,000 award to help with her research. Go, girl!

Billie Letts Book Signing at Full Circle Bookstore

Oklahoma author Billie Letts will sign her new novel, Made in the U.S.A., on Friday, June 20 at 5:30 p.m. at the Full Circle Bookstore in 50 Penn Place, Oklahoma City.

Bestselling author of Where the Heart Is, returns with a heartrending tale of two children in search of a place to call home. Lutie McFee's history has taught her to avoid attachments...to people, to places, and to almost everything. With her mother long dead and her father long gone, 15-year-old Lutie lives in the town of Spearfish, South Dakota with her twelve-year-old brother, Fate, until they are forced to head off to Las Vegas in search of a father who has no known address, no phone number and, clearly, no interest in the kids he left behind. Join Billie Letts at The Full Circle Bookstore and celebrate her much anticipated new novel. For a map to the store, click here for the Full Circle website.

Nominate Wanda Jackson

Yikes. Look at all the performers and songs that have been nominated so far to be the Official Oklahoma Rock Song. Have you nominated a song/performer yet? If not, may I suggest Wanda Jackson? Her Funnel of Love is a good pick as in Let's Have a Party. (Just a friendly suggestion!!) Go here to make your nomination: http://www.oklahomarocksong.org/

Trina Bose North and the Oklahoma Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church

I haven't been posting lately because Larkin and I spent 4 days in Tulsa this week as lay representatives at the Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Nichols Hills United Methodist Church was also represented by our ministers (Rev. Grayson Lucky, Rev. Rebecca Morton and Rev. Jack Terrell-Wilkes) and lay member Katie McLain (who has gone to Kenya with me three times).

There was lots of business conducted, lots of reports presented and wonderful worship services at Boston Avenue United Methodist Church. You can view some of it here and I am sure more will be available in a few more days! Highlights for me were the presentation by the Criminal Justice and Mercy Ministries program ably led by Rev. Stan Basler and updates on the United Methodist church's mission projects in Bolivia and Africa.

The United Methodist Church (with several other organizations including the National Basketball Association) has committed to wipe out malaria in Africa. It is very doable - just get everyone sleeping under mosquito netting for awhile - breaking the life cycle of the culprits - via the Nothing But Nets project. Note the photo of St. Luke's UMC senior pastor, Dr. Bob Long, presenting a basketball (signed by all the Bishops in the UMC) to our own Bishop Robert Hayes.

I also loved the ordination service - lots of new ministers (elders and deacons) to serve the church including my friend Trina Bose North.

Best of all, though was the "emerging worship service" organized by Rev. Jack Terrell-Wilkes and others. It was at 7 am on Friday but well worth getting up for. Over 100 participants sat at tables of 10 and participated in hands-on, interactive worship. Among other things, in an hour we broke tiles - then wrote forgiveness request prayers on the back and tiled a cross; worked with clay while listening to Scripture - then explained how our "result" related to the message; washed the hands of the person to our left; had Communion - by serving the bread and grape juice to the person to our left; shared something for which we were thankful as we broke a light stick representing the Light of the World; and much, much more! Unlike our "high church services" that we think of as "tradition" (while actually "typical" for only a couple hundred years at best), this more egalitarian, participatory form of worship very much appeals to those unfamiliar with current worship services and with those turned off by the very formal, bureaucratic church of today.

So that is where I have been but I will be back to blogging soon.

Cynthia Crowe Meyerson Recognized for Her Service to Oklahoma Children

On May 8, 2008 during the Junior League of Oklahoma City, Inc.'s "Phenomenal Women" Annual Membership Luncheon, Cynthia Crowe Meyerson was presented the "Presidents Spirit of Commitment Award."

This award recognizes the true "spirit of commitment" shown by a Junior League Sustainer for her continuing effort and commitment to our community. This was a new award category this year designed to recognize a member who has created real change. It may or may not be presented every year. How very appropriate that the first JL member recognized was Cynthia Meyerson.

For many years, Cynthia has work hard and courageously gathering information, formulating solutions, working with a wide range of organizations and agencies to improve the lot of Oklahoma's children including those in Oklahoma's foster care system. She also served on the state's Pardon and Parole Board, is a women's rights advocate, and much more. I wouldn't try to count the hours she has spent at the State Capitol lobbying legislators on behalf of children.

Hurray for Cynthia! We are so pleased and proud you have been recognized for a lifetime of caring and commitment. And, thanks, also, to her loving, supporting husband, Jim (left in this picture) who backed her up all along the way.

I was honored to share in this celebratory event with many of Cynthia's friends including Janice Hendryx, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth. Years ago, I had a small hand in helping design OCCY's initial facility oversight instruments.

Kara Gae Neal To Head Tulsa Technology Center

Tulsan Kara Gae Neal is slated to become superintendent of the Tulsa Technology Center when Gene Callahan retires July 1, 2008. Neal currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Oklahoma State University. She has served as superintendent of Glenpool Schools, Tulsa County School Superintendent and superintendent of Metro Technology Center in Oklahoma City. Congratulations, Kara Gae.

Erin Anderson and Jane Austin

I recently heard from Erin Anderson, a writer, theatre producer and actress who has reecently relocated from New York back to Okahoma City which she describes as "her roots." She recently completed a stage adaptation of Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice that she hopes to produce locally. She sounds like a great person to have as a speaker on Jane Austin's impact on women and contemporary women's issues. :-)

Remembering Manya Korenblit

Holocaust survivor - and long time resident of Ponca City - Manya Korenblit died recently at age 83. Imprisoned as a girl by German Nazis, she survived 5 concentration camps including Auschwitz. She weighed 65 pounds when she was freed at age 20. You can read about her and her husband, Meyer, here and also read Carla Hinton's lovely remembrance. Her son, Michael Korenblit, co-authored a book about his parent's lives entitled Until We Meet Again. Michael and his wife, Joan, also founded the Respect Diversity Foundation which is based in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Bessie Coleman's Aviation Achievements

As a rule, I TRY to limit my posts to topics that touch on Oklahoma women, women or Oklahoma in general. This is a stretch - but a good one. Tom Clapper with the State Senate sends me tidbits occasionally (thank you, Tom!) including the following. The merit is that it tells of a women who does an impersonation of Bessie Coleman who was born in Texas but attended Langston University when it was still the Oklahoma Colored Agricultural and Norman University. She went on to become the first African American (male or female) to become an airplane pilot and the first American of any race or gender to hold an international pilot's license.

You can read more about Bessie here and here. Here is Tom's article from a newspaper in Xenia, Ohio; it actually sounds like a great event:

Wings of Women Conference to be held -- The word is WOW! The second annual Wings Of Women Conference will be held Friday, July 18, at the National Aviation Hall of Fame, located at the U.S. Air Force Museum, and the Hope Hotel Conference Center in Fairborn. Young women grades 9 through 12 are invited to participate.

Activities include flying an aircraft simulator and learning to build your own aircraft wing to spec. Participants also will have the opportunity to take an EAA-sponsored Young Eagles flight in a small aircraft at Moraine Airpark on July 26, weather permitting. Luncheon keynote speaker will be Lt. Col. Lynn “Jinx” Gawell, Commander, Information Exploitation Squadron at the National Air & Space Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson AFB. Lt. Col. Gawell is a 1991 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and a Master Navigator with more than 2900 flight hours. Her career spans 16 years during which she has flown the C/KC/NKC-135 Stratotanker.

Other mentors and speakers who will work closely with the participants include Emily Howell Warner, the first woman to fly for a modern major airline; Joan Mace, former director of the aviation department at Ohio University and who has taught many students to fly including current Air Bus pilot Connie Tobias; and Sandra Campbell, an FAA executive who does an inspirational impersonation of the first black woman to earn her private pilot’s license, Bessie Coleman. Local aviation mentors include World War II pilot, WASP Nadine Nagle of Kettering; nationally known wing walker Patty Wagner of Troy; Air Force Reserve C-141 pilot, Lt. Col. Kathy Staiger of Beavercreek, and aviation authors Ann Cooper of Beavercreek and Sarah Rickman of Centerville.

The $10 registration includes a Continental breakfast, lunch and conference materials. Register online at http://www.nationalaviation.org/. Call 256-0944 ext. 17 with questions.“Come meet and be inspired by successful women. WOW will help you develop your personal “flight plan” toward future goals. Come with your eyes on the sky,” said an event organizer.

Capitol State Art Collection Gallery Renamed in Honor of Betty Price

The Oklahoma House of representatives Public Relations Office reports that

The Oklahoma Legislature voted today to rename the art gallery that houses the Oklahoma State Art Collection in the State Capitol as the Betty Price Gallery.

House Concurrent Resolution 1084, by state Rep. Dale DeWitt (R-Braman) and state Sen. David Myers (R-Ponca City), changes the gallery name to honor Price. The measure was approved by both the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the
state Senate today.

Price served as Executive Director of the Oklahoma Arts Council from 1983 to 2007. As an advisor to the State Capitol Preservation Commission, Price was a guiding force in the commissioning and dedication of public art at the State Capitol. Price directed the commissions of major murals, portraits and sculptures in the public areas of the Capitol and was an advisor for the Capitol dome.

The Oklahoma State Art Collection Gallery opened on November 17, 2007 and features more than 100 works of art by artists with Oklahoma connections. Established by the Oklahoma Arts Council in January 1971, the Oklahoma State Art Collection was created to collect and preserve the work of Oklahoma artists.

Price said she was overwhelmed by the honor bestowed on her by the Oklahoma Legislature. "Thank you for the privilege and honor of serving and for the support, counsel and friendship you've shown me these past 33 years. This is the absolute highest honor I've ever received. What an incredible opportunity I've had to get to know the energetic and engaged people of Oklahoma who care about their communities and are making the arts happen across the state."

A member of the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame, Price was honored as the 2006 Red Earth Ambassador of the Year in Oklahoma City. In 2000, she was named State Arts Agency Director of the Year by the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, Washington, DC. Price currently serves on the National Board of Artrain USA, Red Earth, the Oklahoma Centennial Commission, the American Indian Cultural Center and the Jasmine Moran Children's Museum. She previously served as a member of the Oklahoma Tourism Promotion Advisory Committee, Friends of the Mansion and Friends of the Capitol.

Gov Henry Appoints Deborah Barnes to State Court of Civil Appeals

Here is the Governor's press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 25, 2008

Gov. Henry Appoints Deborah Browers Barnes to Civil Appeals Court (Oklahoma City) Governor Brad Henry announced today the appointment of Deborah Ann Browers Barnes of Tulsa to the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals. She will fill the position previously held by Justice John Reif, whom Gov. Henry appointed to the Oklahoma Supreme Court in October.

Barnes earned her law degree from the Oklahoma City University School of Law in 1983. She served as a staff attorney for Justice Ralph Hodges at the Oklahoma Supreme Court from 1985 to 1989, and since then has worked in civil litigation, administrative law, commercial and business law.

Deborah Barnes worked as vice president, corporate secretary and associate general counsel at ONEOK, Inc. in Tulsa from 1997 to 2001. Most recently, she worked in private practice at Crutchmer, Browers & Barnes, P.L.L.C from 2002 to the present.

"I want to thank Debbie Barnes for her willingness to serve the state of Oklahoma," Gov. Henry said. "Her breadth of experience makes her a great fit for the Court of Civil Appeals, and I know she will serve the court with honor and integrity."

Gov. Henry selected Barnes from a recommendation list compiled by the Oklahoma Judicial Nominating Commission.

Sheli Reynolds Starts Organic Gourmet Inc.

Okay, so sometimes the Journal Record DOES let you access a story --and here is a good one about Sheli Reynolds who has started Organic Gourmet Inc. in Oklahoma City. Read the Journal Record article here and then check out her website.

The Women's Summit was wonderful. We were welcomed to the Capitol by State Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland (on behalf of the Governor), Senator Debbe Leftwich (the Senate) and Representative Pam Peterson (the House or Reps). Keynote speaker Congresswoman Mary Fallin gave a great opening talk before we got down to work. The balance of the morning focused on alternative sentencing, a live drug court (and a fake but instructive one) featuring Terry Watkins in jail garb). Suzanne Edmondson and Barbara Saunders talked about women in prison in Oklahoma. Lunch was a great box lunch, guided table discussion identifying issues the Commission on the Status of Women should be looking into and a chance to visit the exhibit tables.

Hope You Enjoyed the 2008 Women's Summit

Marilyn Ihloff Named SBA 2008 Small Business Person of the Year

Congratulations to Marilyn Ihloff for being named by the US Small Business Administration as 2008 Oklahoma Small Business Person of the Year. She is President and founder of Ihloff Salon and Day Spa in Tulsa. Read more here>>

Tulsan Maria De Leon Honored

Tulsa's Hispanic Chamber of Commerce recently presented the Hispanic Business of the Year to La Que Buena 1530 AM's owner and general manager Maria De Leon. La Que Buena has broadcast in Tulsa for nearly 11 years, and employs four full-time employees and three part-time workers. Read more here>>

Blogging from Quartz Mountain

My husband and I are at Quartz Mountain Resort. I'm sitting in the beautiful main lodge enjoying their wireless Internet connection.

Recommend a Good Book for Kenya

My Blue Plate Special recently blogged about favorite books from youth and mentioned a huge favorite of mine as a kid - Girl of the Limberlost. Would it qualify as an early coming-of-age book featuring a female (a rather rare item until recently, I think)? I've been thinking I should reread it but worry that it won't live up to my memories.

Students at Summit Middle School in Edmond have just donated over 1,000 of their gently used favorite books for the library I have helped bring about in Meru, Kenya. (I can say that because they put my name on a brass plaque at the entrance; very embarrassing for a missioner). Our book collection at that little library is weak on books that appeal to 6th through 12 graders so this donation is much appreciated. The books will wait in storage until I have collected enough to justify renting a 20 foot shipping container and have raised the necessary $10,000 to ship it to the Port of Mombasa.

So, got any ideas of "must have" "juvenile" books -- especially featuring young women -- I should add to the pile? Remember, they are going to be read by Kenyans -many of whom are very poor -- so skip the Brittany Spears/Paris Hilton bios, please!

Here is My Blue Plate Special's mentions.

Native Oklahoman Tracy Letts Wins Pulitzer Prize for 'August: Osage County'

Gads. Yippee. Hurray. Great news!!! Oklahoman Tracy Letts has won the Pulitzer Prize -- most prestigious American award for dramatic literature -- for his play 'August: Osage County.'

Chicago, Illinois (where Letts now lives) is taking plenty of credit but Tracy is the son of Oklahoma author Billie Letts so we get to celebrate and strut our stuff, too.

Click here to read the Associated Press story and also the Chicago Tribune article in which they say the award cements "his position among the top tier of living American playwrights." This is wonderful news, folks -- and a huge positive attention getter for our dear state since the play is set in Oklahoma (although it doesn't show us - shall we say -- "in the best of light").

I hope The Oklahoman will find time to report this if they aren't too busy commenting on immigration reform (HB 1804), remarks by Representative Sally Kern and "English only" legislation!

Oklahoma's Fifth Annual Statewide Women in Agriculture & Small Business Conference

Women in Agriculture - Mark your calendars. Oklahoma's Fifth Annual Statewide Women in Agriculture & Small Business Conference will be September 18 & 19, 2008 at the Moore Norman Technology Center in Oklahoma City. For more information, see http://www.greatplainsrcd.org/wiasb2.php. Questions? Contact Casey Witvoet, Project Assistant at Great Plains Resource Conservation & Development (phone 1-580-832-3661).

Junetta Davis

I am late learning of the death of emeritus professor of journalism at OU, writer and women's rights advocate Junetta Davis of Norman. The brief obit on the OU School or Journalism's website reads:

Junetta W. Davis, 82, of Norman, died Friday, March 7, in Norman. Memorial services will be held at a later date. Arrangements are by Havenbrook Funeral Home of Norman. Jung the word out that the memorial service is Saturday, April 5, at 11:30 a.m. at the Havenbrooke Funeral Home (3401 Havenbrooke in Norman; from I-35 exit west on Robinson and go to 36th Ave. NW; turn left onto 36th Ave NW and continue south to Havenbrooke and go left on Havenbrooke). There will be a reception immediately following the memorial service at The Chouse, 717 W. Boyd Street, Norman, OK 73069.

2008 Oklahoma Book Award Winners

Read all about them here: http://www.odl.state.ok.us/ocb/08win.htm

Jeanne Kirkpatrick Award Presented

Read remarks by Paula J. Dobriansky, Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs upon receiving the first Jeanne Kirkpatrick Award--> http://www.state.gov/g/rls/rm/102218.htm

Ruth Brown and Oklahoma Black History

One year ago today, a statue of Miss Ruth Brown was unveiled at the Bartlesville Public Library. In 1950, Ruth W. Brown, librarian at the Bartlesville Public Library, was dismissed from her job after thirty years of exemplary service. This was during the McCarthy era and the reason given was that she had circulated subversive materials. Actually Brown was fired because she was active in a group affiliated with the Congress of Racial Equality. On her own time, she had accompanied two African American friends to the local drug store and asked to be served.

You can read more about the effort to memorialize Miss Brown on the Bartlesville Women's Network blog here and also here. (Also check out the Bartlesville Women's Network website here.)

Besides the B'ville Women's Network, this memorial came about through the work of author and Oklahoma library legend Louise S. Robbins. The first woman elected to the Ada City Council (where she also served as mayor), Robbins has been honored with numerous awards for her articles and books dealing with the history of librarians and intellectual freedom in the United States. Her best known work is The Dismissal of Miss Ruth Brown: Civil Rights, Censorship, and the American Library (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2000). One Amazon.com review of Robbins book gives more history about Ruth Brown's life here.

Oklahoma Authors Recognized

The 18th Annual Book Awards yesterday honored a number of Oklahoma writers. Special awards went to David Dary and our dear friend Danney Goble. Wish you were still with us danney! To read about the honorees or find some good books to read, read the article here --> http://newsok.com/article/3213925/1205045926

Maribeth Snapp Profiled in Sunday Oklahoman

The Oklahoman today has a nice story on Oklahoma Corporation Commission Administrative Law Judge Maribeth Snapp here: http://newsok.com/article/3213619