Stillwater Domestic Violence Shelter Expansion

The Donald W Reynolds Foundation has provided a grant for $4.85 million to expand the women's shelter in Stillwater. Read more by clicking here.

Woman of the Year

Want to be selected "Woman of the Year" someday? Criteria that the Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce uses to pick their 2008 "Businesswoman of the Year" (award to be presented Feb 6, 2009) include:

Made achievements in the professional field
Exhibit leadership in their profession
Act as a mentor and role model to other women
Dedicate significant time and effort to philanthropic activities
Exhibit leadership in the community

Larkin and the Blues Brothers

Here is Larkin trying to fit in with the Blues Brothers at Midway Airport in Chicago. That is one amazing little airport!

Bahai House of Worship, Wilmette, Illinois

Have I mentioned that I went home to Chicago last month for a memorial service for my brother Tom? I stayed with my step-sister and her family (Bette and her husband, Phil, are pictured above). They live near the Baha'i House of Worship in Wilmette so we dropped by to look around and offer prayers for Tom. Thanks, Phil and Bette, for making us feel so welcome.

Portrait of US District Judge Robin Cauthron Unveiled

On November 26, 2008, a wonderful portrait of US District Judge Robin J Cauthron was unveiled as part of a recognition ceremony marking the completion of her term as chief judge of the US District Court for Oklahoma's western federal court district. Congratulations, Robin!

Incarceration: State Names Laura Pitman Prison's Chief of Women

Oklahoma ranks #1 in the USA at incarcerating women, per capita (over 2,700 at present). In fact, we lock up more women per capita than any developed nation inthe world! So it is wonderful that the state has hired a deputy director of female offender operations. She is Laura J Pitmanand she begins her job December 15. Her long-term goal:

reduce the number of women in Oklahoma’s prisons and implement programs inside the system to help women deal with mental health and trauma issues.

Read Oklahoman article here.

Oklahoman Laila Hajji Elected FFA VP

Laila Hajji of Guthrie, Oklahoma has been elected one of six national officers for the National FFA Organization. She is the central region vice president and the only national officer from Oklahoma. She is a student at Texas Tech (we forgive her though). Congratulations, Laila!

Clara Luper Honored

The Oklahoman has a nice editorial today noting that Oklahoma City civil rights advocate Clara Luper was honored during a Thunders basketball game recently. It is so nice, I am copying the whole thing here. Hope The Okahoman/NewsOK does mind. Here is their link but here is the editorial. Hurray for Clara Luper!

Shining light: Luper merits every new salute
The Oklahoman ~~ Editorial (Published: November 27, 2008)

Fifty years after she began a peaceful fight against racial segregation, Clara Luper remains a beacon of light for Oklahoma City. The memory of her deeds still provides inspiration for people of all colors, here and across the state.

At an Oklahoma City Thunder game this week, the team and Devon Energy honored Luper with a "Community Hero” award. It was one of scores of community service awards she has received through the years. Many of those at the Ford Center weren’t born or were far too young to know of the courage it took to start the sit-ins at Katz Drug Store in the summer of 1958.

When the 50th anniversary was marked in August, teachers across the city reported that few of their students, including their black students, had ever heard of what Luper had done. Many of those same children couldn’t imagine a day when citizens couldn’t be served at a lunch counter solely because of their skin color.

The late 1950s also were a time when at least some teams in the NBA wouldn’t play more than a few black players at a time, so as not to upset the predominantly white crowd. Today, the crowds are still predominantly white, but blacks represent more than 80 percent of the league’s players.

Clara Luper played a role in breaking down all kinds of barriers — at a lunch counter here locally, and across the country in making institutions like pro basketball more color blind.

She’s an Oklahoma institution and deserves every honor she gets.

And I say, "Amen."

OETA Features Wilma Mankiller Sunday at 1 PM

OETA had an excellent program this week featuring Dick Pryor interviewing Oklahoma's treasure Wilma Mankiller.It will re-air at 1 p.m. this Sunday. She talks about a lot of the topics that we are concerned about. Hope you get a chance to watch it. For more, click here --> http://www.oeta.onenet.net/local/acw.html

Theresa Lee Hernandez- Followup

Dear Amici, Activists, and Allies:

We are so pleased to let you know that on November 19, 2008, after serving only one year from the date of sentencing, Theresa Lee Hernandez was released from prison.

As you know, Ms. Hernandez was arrested in 2004 and charged with first-degree murder (a crime with a potential penalty of 25 years-to-life imprisonment) and second-degree murder for having suffered a stillbirth. The state claimed -- without any scientific basis -- that the stillbirth was caused by her methamphetamine use.

In 2007, as her case approached trial, national and state-based organizations, advocates and experts organized, educated and spoke out against the prosecution. These efforts were instrumental in helping Ms. Hernandez avoid a life sentence and in enabling her counsel, Robin Shellow and Jim Rowan, to negotiate a plea bargain. That plea, entered last November, resulted in a sentence of 15 years, to be revisited after Ms. Hernandez served one year in prison.

As the Tulsa World reported: "Theresa Lee Hernandez, 31, appeared before Judge Virgil Black for a sentencing modification hearing. At the request of prosecutors, Black agreed to "suspend the remainder of her sentence and ordered her released from custody." Ms. Hernandez will go to a private treatment program for 90 days and will be on probation for 10 years.

Just a week before Ms. Hernandez's November 19 release, the second of two public forums regarding pregnancy, parenting and drug use was held. This forum, held at the Integris Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City, was co-sponsored by the local chapters of the National Association of Social Workers and of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the YWCA Oklahoma City, and Oklahoma State University's Gender and Women's Studies program. The panel discussion included local experts, doctors Eli Reshef and Dana Stone, and continued a conversation that drew upon evidence-based research concerning pregnancy, parenting and drug use. This conversation had begun at an Oklahoma forum one year earlier, in anticipation of Ms. Hernandez's sentencing.

The extent to which the organizing and public education effort made a difference is not only evident in Ms. Hernandez' early release, but also in what happened on the day of her release, how the media reported the decision, and what the prosecutor, District Attorney David Prater is now saying and doing.

Ms. Hernandez' release was not typical. Even in cases where a conviction is completely overturned, prisoners are almost always returned to prison for processing – something that can take weeks or even months - before they are finally released. In Ms. Hernandez' case, the judge ordered that her handcuffs be removed right in the courtroom and that she be allowed to leave straight from the courthouse to her awaiting family and friends. Ms. Hernandez was thus able, that day, to have her first taste of freedom in four years.

The media reporting was also an amazing example of what can be accomplished through meaningful education, outreach and activism.

The Channel 9 news story: "Freed from Prison" began by noting that "The case created a firestorm with doctors and women's advocates who rallied to the woman's side." Both print and television coverage noted that her release was met by the applause and cheers of family, onlookers, and supporters.

The entire Channel 9 news story was framed in a positive light. The correspondent on the Channel 9 story was asked to report about, "how authorities are now working to prevent another case like this from occurring." The correspondent began his report again referencing the experts: "Medical experts questioned whether the drug use actually caused the death of the baby, and the District Attorney heard those pleas and today asked that the prison sentence be suspended."

Kathleen Wallace, an Oklahoma City University law student, NAPW legal intern, and Oklahoma activist, appeared in the broadcast news report explaining, "It is bad precedent to charge pregnant women with a crime when what they did was try and take their pregnancy to term in spite of a drug addiction." According to Channel 9 news, "the district attorney agreed. . ."

District Attorney David Prater's actions and statements also indicated the extent to which education, outreach and activism made a difference. On the one hand, Mr. Prater stuck to the junk science story that pregnant women who use illegal drugs kill their babies, and the fable that imprisonment serves a social good by giving bad people like Ms. Hernandez a chance to prove themselves and to taking advantage of prison-based treatment programs.

(Surely, though Mr. Prater is aware of a recent case in which Oklahoma county had to pay $385,000 in damages to a woman who suffered a stillbirth as the result of horribly inadequate health care and treatment while imprisoned in the very same County Jail that Theresa Hernandez was held in for three years. )

On the other hand, Mr. Prater emerged as a meaningful spokesperson regarding the value of drug treatment and the need to increase access that treatment. On Channel 9 news, he said, "Drug and alcohol addiction is something that most people don't understand and that people need help in dealing with their drug and alcohol addiction." According to the Channel 9 news report, "Because of this case, Prater is now working to put a pilot program in place to divert pregnant women on drugs into treatment instead of locking them up. And state lawmakers will be asked to fund the program once it is developed."

Significantly, there has not been a single new OK County arrest of a pregnant woman or of a woman who suffered a stillbirth since the state-based organizing and education efforts began.

Nevertheless, while there is real cause to celebrate, there is no cause to stop working to ensure justice for pregnant and parenting women who struggle with drug problems. Although Ms. Hernandez was released to a treatment program, this was only made possible by a private benefactor willing to pick up the costs of her private treatment program – a program that may or may not facilitate her recovery and ensure that she will remain free.

The state needs to address the appalling lack of access to drug treatment and other services that will help pregnant women and families address drug and other health problems and stay together. On June 30, 2004 the Oklahoma Legislature established the Joint Task Force on Prenatal Addiction and Treatment. At their first meeting on Dec. 20, 2004, Sally Carter, an employee with the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services reported, "More than 80 percent of pregnant women in OK who need substance abuse treatment do not have access to it." Nearly three years later, on May 23, 2007, the Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Terri White, stated:

"Although we are making progress in providing better perinatal services to pregnant women addicted to drugs or alcohol, a large gap in access to services still remains. . . . Not enough resources are going toward this group of women, among the most vulnerable in our society. . . Greater access to services is key[.]"

For Ms. Hernandez's sake and the sake of so many other women and families, we need to keep the pressure on to ensure that health problems are addressed through the public health system, not the criminal justice system, and that supportive, accessible and appropriate services are fully funded and made available to the people who need them. In other words – treatment must become available not as a matter of diversion from the criminal justice system but rather provided as a matter of human rights.

We know that many of you are committed to developing new interventions, programs and policies to support pregnant and parenting women, and we look forward to continuing to work with you on these efforts.

Sincerely,

Lynn Paltrow, JD
Executive Director
National Advocates for Pregnant Women

To read the stories and see some of the video coverage, please visit:

1. http://www.news9.com/global/story.asp?s=9382106Meth Mom in Stillborn Case Leaves Prison, (with featured video), News 9, staff and wire reports - News9.com, posted and updated: Nov. 19, 2008.

2. http://www.koco.com/news/18019393/detail.htmlRecovering Meth Addict Gets Second Chance, Teresa Hernandez's Unborn Baby Died From Her Drug Use, KOCO 5, koco.com, posted and updated: Nov. 19, 2008.

3. http://newsok.com/okc-meth-mom-wins-early-release/article/3323593OKC Meth Mom Wins Early Release: Woman Was Convicted of Murder in Her Unborn Son's Drug-Related Death, Oklahoman (Oklahoma City), Jay F. Marks, Nov. 20, 2008.

Denise Bode

Remember whenFormer Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Denise Bode left to establish and run the American Clean Skies Foundation in Washington, DC (which is heavily financed by Chesapeake Oil Company)? It's purpose is to promote the use of natural gas. Well now she has changed jobs again and is promoting wind energy as CEO of the American Wind Energy Association.

State Representative Ann Coody Honored for Financial Literacy Program

The Oklahoma Council on Economic Education recently recognized District 64 state Rep Ann Coody with their "2008 Friend of Economic Education" award. A Lawton Republican, Coody is a former school teache who chaired the House Education Committee on Common Education. She authored HB1476 that created the "Passport to Financial Literacy" program in our public schools. The law became effective on July 1, 2007. Implementation began in the 2008-09 school year with 7th graders and will graudally expand to grades 7 through 12.

Theresa Hernandez Released from Prison - Yeah!

Pro-Choice Oklahoma reports today that "After almost five years in jail for having a still birth, Theresa Hernandez has finally been released to a addiction treatment center and her sentence reduced today." You can read their blog post and watch a video by clicking here. This woman should never have been incarcerated. I am delighted to see she has been released. Lose a baby, go to jail: only in Oklahoma! Kuddos to Oklahoma County District Attorney david Praster!

Carolyn Hart Book Series Based in Oklahoma

From Full Circle Book Store in Oklahoma City:

Carolyn Hart to Sign Newest Mystery Ghost at Work on Thursday, November 13 at 6:00 p.m.

Carolyn Hart returns to Full Circle to celebrate the release of her newest mystery Ghost at Work--which was just named as one of Publishers Weekly's "Best Books of the Year."

Booksellers quickly learn that successful authors as a group are not necessarily easy to work with or always open to their readers. Carolyn is the exception. Oklahoma's most honored (and prolific) mystery writer is charming, articulate and wonderfully talented.

Ghost at Work is the debut of Carolyn's new heroine, the late Bailey Ruth Raeburn, and is her first mystery series set in Oklahoma.

Bailey Ruth Raeburn has always been great at solving mysteries. So why should a little thing like her death change anything? As a freshman member of Heaven's Department of Good Intentions, Bailey Ruth's first mission back on Earth finds her back home in Adelaide, Oklahoma. Turns out that Kathleen, the local pastor's wife, is in a fix. With Bailey Ruth's assistance - sometimes seen and sometimes not - Kathleen sets out to thwart a canny killer who has set a devilish trap for Kathleen and her husband.

Join us Thursday evening to visit with Carolyn and celebrate the release of her new series.

Shannon Miller Park (from Kelly)

There is a nice post about Shannon Miller Park in Edmond on the blog America As Seen By Kelly. Check out Kelly's post by clicking HERE.

Elaine Warner Visits Charles Banks Wilson

My friend Elaine Warner is a travel writer and her work takes her to wonderful far away places - and sometimes to nearby spots, too. She recently got to visit the art studio of Charles Banks Wilson and actually visit the the artist himself, too! (Name sound familiar? Think murals in the Oklahoma State Capitol building for starters.) Who knew Wilson painted naked ladies?!

Oklahoma Magazine Names "75 Great Oklahoma Websites"

Oklahoma Magazine's November 2008 issue has an article (Click here to view it) entitled "75 Great Oklahoma Websites." I am pleased to be named and to be in such fine company. I am also very proud that so many of the websites selected are authored by Oklahoma women!
:-)

Photo credit: The above image was lifted without permission from the Oklahoma Magazine website. Did I mention that you can subscribe to this fine magazine by clicking here?

Judy Petry Named Woman of the Year by LRIW

Judy Petry of Elk City, Oklahoma, was recently named woman of the year by the League of Railway Industry Women. Read story here.

Aside: A few decades ago, I was head of the state's rail planning division of the Oklahoma Dept of Transportation. I was also the total staff. In spite of my best efforts, I didn't manage to save many rail lines so I don't admit it too often. At Gov David Boren's request, I agreed to be the initial state rail planner (with emphasis on planner); I was followed in the position by former State legislator Jim Townsend -- who knew a lot more about railroads that me.

Anyway, congrats, Judy!

Carolyn Hill Retires as Head of Art Museum

In August, 1994, the Oklahoma City Art Museum board of directors hired Carolyn Hill as its museum director. Hill is a native of Oklahoma City and had previously operated a private art gallery in New York City. She has done a marvelous job steering the art museum including building the new three-story, 110,000 sq. ft. facility with 15 galleries, 3 education rooms, a library, a store, a café, and theater in downtown Oklahoma; adding to the collection including Mary Cassatt's Portrait of Katherine Cassatt, Pierre-Auguste Renoir's Buste de Femme; the 55-foot glass sculpture comprised of 2,100 hand-blown pieces created by renowned artist Dale Chihuly; and 1,500 additional Chihuly pieces of hand-blown glass; numerous spectacular traveling exhibitions and more. Her replacement has been named and she will retire later this year. Thank you, Carolyn, for your wonderful contributions to Oklahoma.

Muriel Fahrion - Illustrator & Blogger

The blog Blogahoma is written by American illustrator Muriel Fahrion who is well known for being the original designer of the famous girl's toy Strawberry Shortcake and also the The Get Along Gang, the Care Bears, the Puffalumps, the Popples, and others. She lives in Medicine Park, Oklahoma. My only regret is that she doesn't post more often.

Seeking Oklahoma Women's Organizations

We are getting ready to invite organizations to join the Oklahoma Women's Coalition. We thought we'd begin by contacting women's organizations in Oklahoma. Here is the list we are working from: http://www.oklahomawomensnetwork.com/resources/organizations.html

We know it is woefully incomplete and sometimes even inaccurate. We are trying to add new groups to the list as soon as we learn about them (In fact, I just added W.O.M.E.N. at University of Central Oklahoma to the list tonight.)

Would you please look over the list and send me any additions or changes we need to make?

And would you also please pass information about the Oklahoma Women's Coalition along to any women's groups you know of that might want to be apart of this new effort to speak for women and girls at the State Capitol?

Here is our web page: http://www.oklahomawomenscoalition.org/ and here is the membership form: http://www.oklahomawomenscoalition.org/PDF/OWC%20application%20form%2010-7-2008.pdf/.

Or just have them email me (jeanwarner at cox dot net) directly.

Thanks!

Become a Member of the Oklahoma Women's Coalition

I hope you will become a member of the Oklahoma Women's Coalition.

If you WANT to get involved, we'll put you on one of our great working committees. You can tell your grandchildren someday how you were a pioneer on behalf of Oklahoma women and girls.

If you DON'T want to get deeply involved in "yet another club," just receive our newsletters and action alerts. Join because we need to be able to tell legislators that we represent lots of people from all across the State of Oklahoma. (And I am hoping that, when you get our Action Alerts, you may even send an email to or call your State Representative or Senator.)

Join because, frankly, we need your $25 to pay for a subscription to a bill tracking service and to pay for other expenses necessary to be the voice for women and girls at the State Capitol.

But mostly join because you'll be helping to make a positive difference in Oklahoma!

We're not a girls club. Men are welcome and encouraged to join, too. You guys have mothers and sisters and daughters and wives (well, one, anyway) and you know Oklahoma has a long way to go in seeing that they don't encounter barriers in achieving their full potential.

So click here for the website or click here to open the membership form. Download the form, fill it out and send it in. Then email this post on to your friends and family.

THANKS!

OK County Clerk Carolynn Caudill Praised

An article in The City Sentinel reports that Oklahoma County Clerk Carolynn Caudill has been recognized for excellence by the Government Finance Officers Association. They say that the latest annual financial report Caudill's office produced earned her their Certificate of Achievement - the highest form of recognition in government accounting and financiqal reporting. This is the 14th year for Caudill to receive this recognition.

Clinkscales Art: Beading for Charity and Fun

I didn't get around to reading the Clinkscales Art blog post on "Beading for Breast cancer" until after Sept 30 (when it was too latge). But this is still worth posting about anyway.

Wish I was clever enough to do this. I'm not even clever enough to find the pattern to purchase. :-(

Pretty, isn't aren't they?!) Here is the post link: http://clinkscalesarts.com/blog/2008/08/13/beading-for-breast-cancer/

Will Wanda Jackson Finally Be Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fnotame?

Oklahoman Wanda Jackson, the first woman to perform rock and roll, is on the 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Final Ballot. There are nine individuals and groups and she still has be be selected (see below). Cross your fingers. The Hall of fame is way overdue in recognizinging this remarkable Oklahoman.

New York (September 22, 2008)—The nominations for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum were announced today. The nine nominees are: Jeff Beck, Chic, Wanda Jackson, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Metallica, Run-D.M.C., the Stooges, War, and Bobby Womack. Ballots will be sent to more than 500 voters, who will select artists to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the 24th Annual Induction Ceremony on April 4 at historic Public Hall in Cleveland. For the first time, tickets to the ceremony will be made available to the public. For more, click here.

Meg Salyer Replaces Ann Simank on Oklahoma City's City Council

Renowned and highly respected Oklahoma City business and civic leader Meg Salyer (right) recently filed for the Ward 6 seat on the City of Oklahoma City's Council. The position is being vacated by Ann Simank (left) because her son is becoming an OKC fireman and OKC has a no nepotism policy. Ann Simank endorsed Salyer bringing her campaign resources, followers and the blessing of a dearly loved and respected public official. Then Salyer's only opponent, Clarence Warstler ended his campaign because of a death in his family. So it is a done deal. Meg Salyer is the next Ward 6 City Councilwoman for Oklahoma City. Yeah for Meg and yeah for OKC because this means there will still be one solitary female serving on the 9-member city council.

Click here to read a nice article on this topic from The Journal Record. (It actually comes to us through Examiner.com since The Journal Record usually makes you have a subscription to access their website. (Boo, hiss, Mary Melon; once a story is 3+ days old, why not put it out on the Internet and bring some well deserved recognition to your excellent newspaper?)

Sandra Dickinson, Audrey Pirtle Honored

The Oklahoman reported today that "Four Oklahoma companies were recognized for excellence in service and business performance Thursday evening at the 18th Annual Minority Business Leadership Awards Dinner in Oklahoma City." Two of the four firms were women-owned businesses. They are B&S Quality Printing Inc., a Hispanic-American company owned by Sandra Dickinson in Oklahoma City that since 1984 has provided printing services using the industry’s top multi-color Heidelberg presses and Trans-Tel Central, a Norman-based American Indian company founded in 1974 and owned by Audrey Pirtle, providing solutions in IT, communications systems and information systems. Congratulations to both Sandra and Audrey!

Teresa Moisant Runs Moisant Promotional Products

After years of working for others, with her husbands support and help Teresa Moisant set out in 1990 to run her own business. Today Moisant Promotional Products enjoys $2.5 M annual sales. The firm is an advertising speciality-products comapny that operates out of Moisant's South Oklahoma City home. Best of all, Teresa's two daughters – Christi Moisant and Shelly Moisant Rainwater -- work for the firm and will probably take over the management some day! Read The Journal Record article by clicking here.

Oklahoma Women's Coalition Launched Today

The first board meeting of the Oklahoma Women's Coalition was held today in Oklahoma City. So, we are officially launched! This board is composed of an extraordinary group of women leaders from across the state committed to advancing the potential and equity of Oklahoma women and girls. We set up committees and elected chairs for Membership, Advocacy, Communications, Day at the Capitol, Finance, Fundraising and Leadership Development. So now we can officially recruit members. I'll blog soon on how to join and what we will be doing. I hope many of you will want to become a member of this statewide effort to provide a voice for women and girls at the Oklahoma State Capitol.

Tulsa Entrepreneur Colleen Payne-Nabors

The Journal Record recently has a nice article on Colleen Payne-Nabors and her recent book I Did It My way and...It Worked.

Too bad they won't let us link to their article unless we are a subscriber -- boo, hiss, TJR!

Payne-Nabors is CEO and founder of MCI Diagnostic Center in Tulsa. Her firm was named to Inc. Magazine's 2007 list of America's fastest-growing companies. Read about her here.