How Will You Honor Women's History Month (About.Com: Women's History)

Below is from the newsletter prepared by Jone Johnson Lewis (About.com: Women's History), entitled Your Guide to Women's History.

March 1 begins Women's History Month (in the U.S., anyway). I've featured in this week's newsletter an article about the origin of Women's History Month.

It's still Black History Month until March begins, so I've also highlighted a few more of the African American women you may know and some you probably don't.

I'd still love to include your Women's History Month story, so do think about sharing your experience in how to honor the month so that others can learn from it.

Don't miss the "Must Reads" to the right of the main articles in this newsletter, and the headlines of a few additional articles below.

Women's History Month
How did March come to be Women's History Month? Read about the history of this time set aside to pay particular attention to the distaff side of history: Women's History Month

Pioneers: Black Women in Congress
Two black women were pioneers in their service in the U.S. Congress: Shirley Chisholm was elected in 1968, winning a seat from Brooklyn, and was the first black woman in the House. Barbara Jordan joined her in 1972, becoming the first black woman from the South elected to Congress, and one of the first two African Americans since Reconstruction elected to Congress.

Adding Sex Discrimination to the Civil Rights Act
Women were added to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as a joke and to defeat the bill, right? Another myth of women's history bites the dust: read more

How Have You Honored Women's History Month?
Contribute your story to help others learn from your experience.

How Can We Increase the Number of Single Mothers Completing College?

The Oklahoma Women's Coalition is looking into ways to increase the number of single mothers in Oklahoma who complete college. I was surprised to learn how few single mothers even complete high school. Did you know that nationally one-third of teen mothers do not even earn a high school diploma or a GED? Here is a report from Child Trends on the subject.

New Child Trends research finds that one in three (34 percent) young women who had been teen mothers did not earn a high school diploma or a GED, compared with only 6 percent of young women who had not had a teen birth. Among the other findings presented in a fact sheet entitled Diploma Attainment Among Teen Mothers:
• Slightly more than one-half (51%) of teen mothers received a high school diploma by the age of 22, compared with 89 percent of young women who had not given birth during their teen years.
• A higher proportion of teen mothers earned a GED (15 percent) than did their counterparts who had not experienced a teen birth (5 percent).
• Younger teen mothers are less likely than older teen mothers to earn a diploma. Among young women who had a child before the age of 18, only 38 percent earned a high school diploma by the age of 22, compared with 60 percent of those who were 18 or 19 at the time that they had their first child.
• Black teen mothers are more likely than Hispanic or white teen mothers to earn a diploma or GED by age 22. More than two-thirds (67 percent) of black women who had a child before the age of 18 earned either a high school diploma or GED, compared with 55 percent of white women and 46 percent of Hispanic women in this category.
"Earning a high school diploma or GED reduces the risk of subsequent teen pregnancy, which has been linked to even poorer outcomes," said Kate Perper, M.P.P., lead author of the study. "Higher parental education is also linked to improved outcomes among children that may reduce their risk of early sexual activity and teen pregnancy, thus reducing intergenerational cycles of disadvantage."

Data used in this study were drawn from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-1997 Cohort.

The original of this article can be found at http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs008/1101701160827/archive/1102959142424.html

Sheryl Lovelady to Direct Women's Leadership Initiatives at OU

Sheryl Lovelady, a professional with two decades of success working to recruit leaders, helping them win elected positions and serving with them, has been named the director of Women’s Leadership Initiatives at the University of Oklahoma’s Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center.

“Oklahoma currently ranks 49th in the nation for the proportion of women in the state Legislature,” said Cindy Simon Rosenthal, director and curator of the center. “Our goal is to inspire women of all political parties to consider public service as a career. We are pleased to have Sheryl leading our efforts.”

Lovelady will direct several initiatives designed to encourage women to pursue careers in public service. The annual N.E.W. (National Education for Women’s) Leadership undergraduate program is in partnership with the Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers University. The program involves training and presentations by some of the most successful women leaders in the state of Oklahoma. The Pipeline to Politics program works with women beyond college who are interested in political and other leadership opportunities. The Oklahoma Girls’ Voices Project works in partnership with youth-serving organizations focused on helping girls use their voices to make positive changes in their schools, neighborhoods and communities.

Lovelady will also contribute to the center’s civic education initiatives, such as Capitol and Community Scholars Programs for OU undergraduate students. Capitol Scholars get first-hand experience working in and around the Oklahoma Legislature to develop a greater appreciation of the public policy-making process. Community Scholars engage in hands-on service learning opportunities with nonprofit organizations and local government entities. Both groups of scholars earn academic credit during their internships.

“Oklahoma will move forward if women are at the table. Their voices redefine the dialogue, and they lead in a way that can transform the future of our state,” said Lovelady. “Our initiatives at OU motivate women to move from ideas to action.”

A native of Seminole, Lovelady began her career as a professional photographer before entering the political and government sectors. She served on the executive staffs of the Oklahoma Senate Appropriations Committee and the Senate President Pro Tempore. She also served as executive director of a statewide legislative caucus organization. In this capacity she provided oversight of fundraising, campaign and policy strategies for caucus members. She has worked with clientele throughout the United States as a strategic consultant, with a Washington, D.C., and a Florida-based public opinion research firm.

Most recently, Lovelady served as director of communications for the City of Tulsa. She is a graduate of Leadership Tulsa and the U.S. Department of Defense JCOC leadership program. She serves as president of the Gordon Cooper Technical Center Foundation and on the Board of Directors of the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation.

OU’s Carl Albert Center is a unique resource for scholarship and research related to the U.S. Congress. The center promotes original scholarship by faculty and students into various aspects of politics and the Congress; serves as an important resource on the history of Congress, primarily through the Carl Albert Center Congressional Archives; fosters a wider understanding and appreciation of the Congress through a public outreach program, which includes lecture series, exhibits and publications; and develops academic programs in congressional studies at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, which are sponsored in cooperation with the Department of Political Science in the OU College of Arts and Sciences. For more information, visit the Carl Albert Center’s Web site at www.ou.edu/carlalbertcenter.

Source. LaDonna Sullivan, Carl Albert Center/OU,(405) 325-5406

US Senate Passes Dating Violence Resolution

On January 25, the U.S. Senate passed, by unanimous consent, a resolution (S. Res. 373) to designate February as National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.

Sponsored by Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), the resolution contains a number of findings, including:

* approximately one in three adolescent girls in the United States is a victim of physical, emotional, or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure that far exceeds victimization rates for other types of violence affecting youth;

* twenty percent of teen girls exposed to physical dating violence did not attend school because the teen girls felt unsafe either at school, or on the way to or from school, on one or more occasions in a 30-day period;

* being physically and sexually abused leaves teen girls up to six times more likely to become pregnant and more than two times as likely to report a sexually transmitted disease;
* teen dating abuse most often takes place in the home of one of the partners;

* a majority of parents surveyed believe they have had a conversation with their teen about what it means to be in a healthy relationship, but the majority of teens surveyed said that they have not had a conversation about dating abuse with a parent in the past year; and

* digital abuse and “sexting” is becoming a new frontier for teen dating abuse.

The resolution “calls upon the people of the United States, including youth and parents, schools, law enforcement, state and local officials, and interested groups to observe National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month with appropriate programs and activities that promote awareness and prevention of the crime of teen dating violence in their communities.”

Source: Women's Policy, Inc.

US Senate Supports Cervical Cancer Awareness

On January 26, 2010, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution (H. Res. 1011) to recognize the importance of cervical health and early cancer detection and to support Cervical Health Awareness Month. Sponsored by Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D-IL), the resolution contains a number of findings, including:

* approximately 11,270 women were diagnosed with, and approximately 4,070 women died from, cervical cancer in the United States in 2009;

* cervical cancer occurs most often in Hispanic women, at a rate that is more than twice what is seen in non-Hispanic white women;

* African American women develop cervical cancer about 50 percent more often than non-Hispanic white women;

* cervical cancer is usually a slow-growing cancer that may not have symptoms, and is primarily caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), but can be detected by Papanicolaou tests (Pap tests) or other early detection tests; and

* the earlier cervical cancer is detected the better chance a woman has of surviving cervical cancer.

The resolution “urges health care advocates to continue to raise public awareness about cervical cancer and the importance of early detection; urges the people of the United States to learn about cervical cancer and its causes…and the importance of early detection; and recognizes the patients and survivors of cervical cancer and their families for their tremendous courage and determination.”

Source: Women's Policy, Inc

Leadership Conference March 12 for Oklahoma Women in Public Service

Entitled "Women Inc: Innovate, Navigate, Create", this conference is on Friday, March 12, 2010 at the Reed Conference Center in Midwest City (5750 Will Rogers Road). It is sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, University of Oklahoma Center for Public Management, and the Oklahoma Office of Personnel Management.

Through keynote addresses, panel Q & A, breakout sessions, small group discussions, and high levels of interaction, participants will learn ways to:

Innovate – respond to contemporary challenges, rapidly changing systems, and workforce demographics.
Navigate – an approach to career decision making that allows each of us to navigate our own unique path to personal and professional leadership.
Create – tap into fresh value-creating ideas that inspire, promote, and push the boundaries.

Speakers includ Angela Monson, June Elkins-Baker, Paula Hearn, Kim Holland, Sarolyn Stager, Oklahoma's First Lady Kim Henry,  Mrs. Oklahoma Heather Rouba, Connie Schlittler, and more.


Who Should Attend? Current public service employees and students interested in developing their leadership skills or moving into positions of greater responsibility. This conference is for women in public service who have a strong interest in achievement, the drive to advance their careers, and an interest in partnering with others to promote women's leadership.

The conference prefers the participation of a diverse group of professional women, including those who are:

~ new to their organization;
~ actively seeking to develop their careers in public service; and
~ in senior level positions in their organizations continuing to serve, fully engaged in the future leadership challenges in state government.

There is also an opportunity for students to attend the conference. Full-time students who are not yet gainfully employed in a public service field and seeking a career in government are encouraged to attend.

Read all about the program and register to attend at the following website:
http://wlc.oucpm.org/

Oklahoma S.I.S. website: Reducing incarceration rate of women in Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women, the Oklahoma Women's Coalition and the Oklahoma Department of Corrections are partnering on an initiative seeking solutions to the high rate of incarceration of women in Oklahoma. We call it Oklahoma S.I.S. for short. you can read more about this effort at the new Oklahoma S.I.S. website: http://oklahomasis.com/

Ice Boating on Geneva Lake, Wisconsin is Soooo Much Fun

My brother Jim and his wife Natalie have been  ice boating on Geneva Lake in southern Wisconsin.
His yacht got named "Willow Bender," my brother Pete tells me, after Jim crashed into a willow tree near the shoreline. Jim owns and operates Undercover Canvas in Walworth, WI., a fabricator of custom canvas boat covers, roll-up porch curtains, etc. Jim's club is the Boe-Craft Skeeter Association.

Below is a video of ice boaters in action that was taken in front of Gordy's Boathouse Restaurant in Fontana, WI. I am surprised the shots are so smooth because "back in my day" the ride across the ice at close to 100 miles an hour madefor a pretty bouncy ride! I suspect it is because the surface of the lake is incredibly smooth on this occasion. Watch and enjoy!

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC0I5PEhkJo)

Remembering Bessie Coleman

Bessie Coleman's birthday was January 26. We like to claim her as an Oklahoman because she attended Langston Industrial College, Oklahoma for one semester in 1910. She was brave and adventuresome and made quite a mark for herself in her short 33 years. The following is from the website About.com  Women's History:

Bessie Coleman
January 26, 1892 (some say  1893) - April 30, 1926
The first African American woman to fly a plane, Bessie Coleman was an aviation pioneer who made her living as a stunt pilot. She intended to start a pilot training school for African Americans, since she had found it so difficult to get admitted to such training, herself.

Oklahoma Women's Coalition is reading bills, planning Day at the Capitol March 2

Hang on to your hat! The second session of the 52nd Oklahoma Legislature gets under way Monday, February 1st. The deadline for introducing bills was yesterday with over 2,200 bills introduced. In the Senate, 1082 new bills and 28 new resolutions were filed plus there were 860 Senate bills and 38 Senate resolutions that carried over from last year. In the House of Representatives, 1,153 bills and 31 resolutions were introduced and 901 House bills plus 48 House resolutions carried over from last year. Now the Oklahoma Women's Coalition is busy reading these bills and resolution to identify those that impact women and girls. We'll be tracking bills on aging, education, girls, health, incarceration, violence against women, and work & family.  We'll host a Day at the Capitol on March 2nd to visit legislators and let them know we are available as a resource on women's issues. Visit our website at http:/www.oklahomawomenscoalition.org/to learn more and join online. Now the question is -- (how) will we use social media to keep our members and others informed during the Legislative Session? Got a thought? suggestion? Tweet me @jeanwarner or leave a note on Facebook /jeanwarner.

Posted via email from Social Media Musings

Caregiving in the US 2009 (from wanda deBruler)

Wanda DeBruler notes on her blog:

Caregiving is still mostly a woman’s job and many women are putting their career and financial futures on hold as they juggle part-time caregiving and full-time job requirements. This is the reality reported in Caregiving in the U.S. 2009, the most comprehensive examination to date of caregiving in America. The first national profile of caregivers, [...]

Read more of this post

Remembering our female US war veterans

Statistics show that female service members have much higher rates of divorce and are more likely to be a single parent. When they do seek help at VA medical centers, they are screening positive at a higher rate for military sexual trauma, meaning they indicated experiencing sexual harassment, assault or rape. Some studies have shown that female veterans are at greater risk for homelessness. The VA estimates that about 10 percent of homeless veterans are women.  Read full story by clicking here...

Rep. Anastasia Pittman Addresses Sexting Craze

OKLAHOMA CITY – Over 50 percent of 14-24 year olds have experienced some form of digital abuse, and 3 in 10 have sent or received nude pictures through text messages, said state Rep. Anastasia A. Pittman, who plans to file legislation next session to address Oklahoma’s problem with sexting.

Sexting is the sharing of sexually explicit photos, videos and chat by cell phone. More than a quarter of young people have been involved in sexting in some form, an Associated Press-MTV poll found.

Pittman said the problem has hit home and has now become a serious problem in our own state and parents need to be aware. Currently, Oklahoma has no laws specific to “sexting”; however the act of sexting breaks numerous other laws.

“Sexting is becoming surprisingly common among Oklahoma teens. We need to educate not only the kids about the risks and liabilities involved but the parents. Parents, don’t be afraid to ask your kids about this – this is a crucial issue on the rise in our state,” said Pittman, D-Oklahoma City. “Sexting seems to be the newest craze for teenagers, and it is a very dangerous craze that could lead to numerous consequences.”

The practice has led to child pornography charges against teens in several states. Earlier this year, three Pennsylvania high school girls who sent semi-nude photos and four male students who received them were all hit with child pornography charges.

Currently in Oklahoma it is unlawful when a person facilitates, encourages or solicits sexual conduct with a minor by the use of technology, which includes any cell phone or computer. The crime is a felony charge that can result in up to 10 years in prison.  The law also states that every person who willfully and knowingly photographs, prepares, publishes, distributes, gives or exhibits any obscene material or child pornography is guilty of a felony punishable by 30 days to 10 years in jail.

“These teenagers see their behavior as free of consequences if they get caught and assume it’ll just be a slap on the hand. They are unaware of all the legal consequences involved,” said Pittman. “Not only is the sender of the obscene material breaking the law, but if the recipient forwards that picture or video to someone else, they too are breaking the law.”

The study conducted by MTV further showed that 12 percent of those who have “sexted” have contemplated suicide, which is four times more likely than those who haven’t, and targets of digital abuse are almost three times as likely to contemplate suicide as those who haven’t encountered it, and nearly three times more likely to have considered dropping out of school.

“Not only are there legal consequences involved but also there are so many emotional consequences,” said Pittman. “These teens don’t realize when one picture meant for one person gets shared with multiple people, it can destroy their sense of self-worth. We need to stop them from ever getting to that point.”

The Oklahoma City Democrat said she plans to file legislation clarifying the applications of the current law, and also hopes to launch a statewide campaign to deter teens from sexting. When it comes to online behavior, only half think their actions could come back to haunt them, and 1 in 4 believe that their digital actions could have legal consequences.

Pittman noted that MTV recently unveiled “A THIN LINE,” a new multi-year initiative to empower America’s youth to identify, respond to and stop the spread of digital abuse.  Digital abuse is an emerging issue that includes behaviors like “sexting,” cyberbullying and digital dating abuse.   

MTV’s “A THIN LINE” will address digital abuse issues through a series of on-air, online and real world initiatives, including integration in MTV’s top-rated programming, an MTV News special focused on Sexting, True Life: I have Digital Drama, thought-provoking PSAs, innovative online and mobile tools and the “Redraw the Line Challenge” -- which calls on young people to submit innovative digital antidotes to digital abuse. Today, MTV also launched www.ATHINLINE.org where young people can access information, resources and support on issues related to digital abuse.

“I applaud this effort. This is a serious issue that is finally getting national attention. It’s about time we start the discussions of what we can do locally to protect the innocence of our children,” said Pittman.

Source. Oklahoma House of Represenatives Media Division, Dec 4, 2009

Oklahoman MJ Alexander Photographs Gloria Steinem and Alice Walker for Ms Magazine Cover

Oklahoma photographer and writer M.J. Alexander recently got to photograph women's rights activist and Ms. Magazine founder Gloria Steinem and author Alice Walker for the cover of Ms. Magazine. Other of her photographs are featured inside the Fall 2009  issue which is for sale on news stands now.

Alexander took photos of 144 Oklahoma centennarians for her wonderful book Salt of the Red Earth: A Century of Wit and Wisdom from Oklahoma's Elders - which, by the way, would make an excellent Christmas present!

You can watch a brief interview of Alexander on the YouTube piece below:

Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation's Joan Merrill Honored for Lupus Research

Kuddos to Dr. Joan T. Merrill with the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF). She recently received the Lupus Foundation of American (Oklahoma Chapter) "Outstanding Achievement Award" for her many years of research on lupus. Merrill heads OMRF's Clinical Pharmacology Research Program and also teaches at the OU Health Science Center. Read more here.

Oklahoman Phyllis Hudecki to Chair NAEP Business Task Force

Phyllis Hudecki is Executive Director of the Oklahoma City-based Oklahoma Business and Education Coalition. She has been tapped by the National Assessment of Education Progress program (aka The Nation's Report Card) to chair NAEP's new Business Policy Task Force. This group will look for ways to make NAEP results more meaningful to the business community.  Read more by clicking here.

Wanda Jo Eviage of Frederick, Oklahoma, Honored for Civic Service

Frederick, OK, City Councilwoman Wanda Jo Eviage was one of four current and former local government officials recently inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame for City and County Officials. Eviage is a retired teacher who has served on the Frederick City Council for Ward 3 for 26 years. She is also a former Frederick Mayor. In addition, she has served on the Board of Trustees of the Association of South Central Oklahoma Governments (ASCOG) for 19 years, including nine years on the executive committee, where she became the first female president of the 39 member board. Congratulations, Councilwoman Eviage!

Judy Love Honored by Oklahoma City University

Oklahoma City University's Meinders School of Business recently inducted five into the Oklahoma Commerce and Industry Hall of Honor. One of the honorees was Oklahoma businesswoman Judy Love who received a Lifetime Achievement Award. Judy and her husband, Tom, founded Love's Travel Stops and Country Stores. She serves on the board of many civic organizations including the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, St. Anthony Hospital, Oklahoma City University, and the Oklahoma Museum of Art.  Read more here.

Urban League Honors Susan G. Komen of Central OK

The Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City Inc honored Central Oklahoma Susan G. Komen for the Cure at the Urban League's recent 2009 Awards Luncheon. Both are remarkable organizations led by equally remarkable women (Valerie Thompson and Lorna Palmer respectfully).  

We Need Another Jeanna Sellmeyer; Nominate Someone for Oklahoma Small Business Person of the Year

Dottie Overal, Oklahoma Director of the Small Business Administration, invites you to nominate people for Oklahoma’s small business person of the year.  Last year, Oklahoma City entreprenuerJeanna Sellmeyer, founder of ASSET Group, Inc., won the state award and went on to win the national small business person of the year award! Read the Oklahoman article HERE.

Two of my husband's recent studies now on the Internet

Grrrrr - I just tried to put the links to two reports that Larkin did recently on Twitter/Facebook. The titles of his reports are longer that 140 characters - let alone adding the link. And the State Chamber and the Oklahoma City Chamber have them as pdf files that have to be downloaded. WHY can't they just put them out on the Internet as a unique URL, please?!?! Then I screwed up the " bitly" shortened links. I HATE that Twitter/Facebook don't let you delete a post when you realize it contains inaccurate information.  Whats with that? (Or maybe they do and I'm just too old to figure out all this new fangled stuff.) As far as I am concerned, blogging isn't dead; I still prefer it to tweeting!

And, in case anyone is interested, here is:

"Executive Summary: Impact Analysis of Oklahoma City's MAPS and Other Significant Central City Investments" prepared for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce by Larkin Warner and Eric Long (Revised February 2009)

and

Dr. Warner: The Administration of Oklahoma State Government Promotion of Economic Development

Wants to watch our legislators live on OETA?

Oklahoma soon may have live streaming of all activity in the Oklahoma State House and Senate (see Cameras may be put in House, 10-16-2009).  We already have some live audio streaming to the Internet from the House and live audio and video streaming to Internet from the Senate. But it  isn’t gavel to gavel and some areas of Oklahoma still don’t have access to high-speed Internet. I'd prefer it got broadcast on OETA; what do you think? If it was on OETA, would you watch? Why or why not?

Univ of Central Oklahoma/Rose State focusing on domestic violence

UCO is hosting a series of events drawing attention to domestic violence during October which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Kudos to Kathryn Touhty for helping organize UCO's events. 

I know Rose State College is also holding several events because one of my interns staffed a table today at Rose. She reports the event was filled with people learning about domestic violence awareness and prevention.

Do you know of any other Oklahoma colleges or universities that have hosted or will be hosting DV awarness events this month? If so, leave a comment and tell us about it! Thanks.

Cathy Cummings and Vito's Ristorante in North Oklahoma City

There is a great restaurant review in today’s paper about Vito’s Ristorante in north Oklahoma City which is owned and run by a woman, Cathy Cummings. I can vouch for the very high quality of both food and service at this restaurant at 7512 N May Avenue. My grandson, Andy, occasionally helps with the cooking week nights or on Saturday night because (a) he has so much respect for Cathy and (b) it is such a pleasuure to cook there. The food is all made on site and fabulous. Andy has a full-time day job cooking for folks at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation but he just loves to hang out and cook with Cathy at Vito’s, too. With a degree in culinary arts and restaurant management from Johnson & Wales in Providence, RI, he knows great restaurants and Vito’s is one. Check it out and see if you don’t agree!

Congrats to Oklahoma's Faye Garrison - Outstanding Principal

An elementary school principal in Muskogee, Oklahoma - Faye Garrison - has been selected as one of 63 for a  2009 National Distinguished Principal award. She's at Hilldale Elementary School. Way to go, Faye!  Read more here.

Guy Kawasaki - 500 years of women portraits

Take a look at about 500 years of portraits of women in three minutes by Guy Kawasaki of AllTop posted to Holy Kaw and sent to me by posterous. Just Click HERE  and then click on the image. Amazing, delightful, hideously Western European (sorry - wished there were more women of color but it is still lovelyl).

Google Guy Kawasaki, Alltop, and posterous. You'd know about all these very cool services already if you'd gone to BlogWorld so start planning NOW to attend SXSW in Austin, TX next March.

Tulsa's Getting Women's Professional Basketball

From Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor:

Well, it's official! Women's professional basektball is coming to Tulsa!
A formal announcement was made yesterday, but Bill Cameron ended the speculation late Monday night, in a brief e-mail to the Tulsa World confirming the three-time WNBA champion Detroit Shock is moving to Tulsa.

"We're thrilled to not only have a team, but one of the most successful teams in league history," Cameron said in the e-mail. "Under Coach Nolan Richardson, we're eager to build upon this team's success, and continue its winning tradition here in Tulsa."
We look forward to welcoming the Shock to our community. We know that having world class athletes and a thriving sports industry in Tulsa adds to the appeal of living and working here. Our arms and doors are open.

Extraordinary Bartlesville Women

I recently briefed members of the Bartlesville Women's Network on the purpose and programs of the Oklahoma Women's Coalition. This image was take that night. On the left is Joanne Bennett, the first woman to be elected to the position of County Commissioner in Oklahoma except for women appointed/elected to fill their deceased husband's office. She served several terms as County Commissioner in Washington County. On the right is Carolyn Price, Bartlesville community leader and long-time women's rights advocate.

Breast Impressions, Others Kick Off Breast Cancer Month in Tulsa

Breast Impressions, Inc. over in Tulsa is busy this month. Their Woodland Hills Mall Kick Off to Breast Cancer Awareness Month was a great success. They gave out 3,000 pink ribbons at the 4 entrances to the mall (they were all gone by 12:30!) with help from the Green Country Roller Girls, The Tulsa Oiler Hockey Ice Girls, Tulsa Craft Mafia and the Girl Scouts for making sure everyone knew it was Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Lots of wonderful Oklahoma groups had booths while Sparkles the dog kissed her heart out and raised $165 dollars!

Their Breast Impressions Survivors 2010 Calendar is now taking pre-orders. You can order them for $10 each plus $1.50 for shipping. They should arrive by October 25th. To view, click on the hotlink above; you can also order them there or send a check to Breast Impressions at 4645 S Vandalia Ave., Tulsa, OK 74135.

On October 25th at 3 p.m. get over to Woodland Hills Mall for the Breast Cancer Survivor Fashion Show. It's going to be one of the most moving shows the runway will ever host. Thanks to Linda Layman Modeling Agency for coordinating the show, and to all the wonderful stores who are participating!

Then on October 25th at 7 p.m. the Mall will be transformed into a wonderland of black and pink (Breast Impressions colors) and for just $25 you can be fed, entertained and bid on your favorite cast with all proceeds from the auction going to Tulsa Project Woman! You won't BELIEVE the fabulous gifts the merchants have donated to the $10 raffle! Even a $500 Coach Purse! The men won't be left out either.. some great gifts they might win too, if their number is drawn!

Kudos to Breast Impressions founder and director, Judi Grove, and her team working hard to meet the needs of women who are facing breast cancer now and educate those who may face it in the future.

NPR's "Weekend Edition" host Scott Simon Visits

National Public Radio's "Weekend Edition Saturday" host Scott Simon and Director, Sarah Beyer Kelly, with Oklahoma economist (and my darling husband) Larkin Warner. Scott and Sarah taped an interview with Larkin in our living room last week. It should be featured either this coming Saturday or the following Saturday. :-)