OKC Friday okcfriday.com • facebook.com/okcfriday Vol. 59, No. 38
January 30, 2026
1 Section • 14 Pages
City plans park updates
People you should know
By Eric Oesch Staff Writer
ALEXANDER MICKELTHWATE Music Director Oklahoma City Philharmonic Where did you grow up, and do you have a favorite childhood memory? I grew up in Frankfurt, Germany. One of my favorite childhood memories was our summer vacations in Pizztal, in the Austrian alps. I was 10- and then 12-yearsold. We went on extensive hikes with the family among the most beautiful mountains. And we helped our farmer’s family with bring all the hay in. What did you want to be when you grew up? As a teenager I always wanted to be a stock broker. Frankfurt had the big stock exchange. Things changed when I turned 17. Several things occurred that made me want to become a symphony conductor. What are you most passionate about professionally? There are several things I’m really passionated about professionally. One is to perform with the OKCPhil in the Civic Center. Very simple. Yet, when we are totally calibrated and “in the zone,” so extremely inspiring. See PYSK, Page 2
(405) 606-2727
- Photo by mom and family historian Abby Wolfe
Snow day! Four-year-old Weston Wolfe makes a snow angel after the record snowfall in Fridayland and throughout Oklahoma. Temperatures were expected to rise earlier in the week before plummeting again this weekend.
City parks in The Village are to receive over $1.3 million in improvements following City Council approval of The Village Parks Plan – Phase IV during the January meeting. Five of the city’s eight parks are set to see significant upgrades when the project begins in February. Funding for the park improvements comes from General Obligation Bonds (GO Bonds) approved by 78 percent of voters in the February 2022 election. The city sold half of the bonds in 2022 to start the parks projects with the second half coming in 2024. See VILLAGE, Page 2
Education Spotlight, Pages 11-14
OCCC finishes 2025 with many achievements Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) capped 2025 with significant achievements in enrollment, workforce education, academic excellence and economic impact, reinforcing its mission of student success and
Village: Wait and see on vehicles on sidewalks By Eric Oesch Staff Writer While elected officials in Nichols Hills have outlawed motorized vehicles on city sidewalks and park trails and enacted a $260 fine for violators, officials in The Village are taking a wait-and-see approach to enacting similar ordinances. Village elected officials
community enrichment. OCCC served more than 23,000 learners during the year, including over 18,000 students enrolled in credit-bearing courses and more than 5,000 in non-credit workforce programs.
The college remains the fourthlargest post-secondary institution in Oklahoma and continues to emphasize accessibility and affordability, with more than See OCCC, Page 11
FRIDAY’s Dog of the Week
B-B-B-BENNIE! The yard has no chance of a squirrel invasion with Bennie around! Bennie is the goofiest but sweetest boy you’ll ever meet. “Oh! Did you mention food?”— Bennie. Whitley Crow is his mom. Email Pet of the Week submissions to rose@okcfriday.com.
See VEHICLES, Page 14
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