Fridayland teams crowned state soccer champs Charger boys claim 3-peat The Heritage Hall boys soccer team, below, captured its third straight Class 4A state championship with a 1-0 victory against Hilldale last Saturday afternoon at Rogers State in Claremore. Story in Sports, Page 4
Cyclone girls top Cascia Hall The Casady girls soccer team, above, posted a 2-0 win over Tulsa-Cascia Hall last Friday at Rogers State to claim its first-ever Class 3A state championship. This also marks the Cyclones’ second straight trip to the final game.
OKC FRIDAY Vol. 59 No. 2 • One Section • 12 pages • May 23, 2025
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www.okcfriday.com facebook.com/okcfriday OKC’s only locally-owned legal newspaper with all local news Serving affluent far north Oklahoma City, Nichols Hills and The Village for 51 years
NHills council updates drone ordinance By Eric Oesch Staff Writer Colin FitzSimons, 51, was sworn in to his Ward 2 seat on the Nichols Hills City Council last week. After 18 years in office, Peter Hoffman decided not to seek reelection and FitzSimons was elected to the council seat. The first matter of action was the nomination and selection of
Thunder up! From left: Sean Murphy, Cacky Poarch, Robert Erdman, Chaisey Welldon, Juliana Marin and Adrien Hernandez Thunder up at the Sunday Game 7 of Western Conference semifinal with the Denver Nuggets. The Thunder netted a 125-85 victory to advance to the to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2016 and for the fifth time since the franchise moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City in 2008. The top-seeded Thunder now plays the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves for a spot in the NBA Finals. Game 1 was last Tuesday in Oklahoma City.
FRIDAY’s Dog of the Week This is Pearl, the pink-eared Doodle. She is up for the dog days of summer frequently walking with her pack at Nichols Hill Park! She is the fur baby of Debbie Grewell. Email Pet of the Week submissions with complete descriptions to: rose@okcfriday.com.
Steven J. Goetzinger to serve a one-year term as mayor. Sody Clements was elected to a oneyear term as vice mayor. The council met for just over 25 minutes and, among the routine business, amended an ordinance to the Nichols Hills City Code regarding the use of unmanned aircraft systems (drones) and other aircraft. The amended code states it is unlawful to take off or land an
airplane, helicopter, hydroplane, airship, balloon, hand glider, glider, sailplane or other aircraft intended for traveling the air with an operator or passenger without first having obtained a city permit and paid a fee. Those wishing to take off or land an aircraft in Nichols Hills must file a written application for a permit to do wo with the See NHILLS, Page 3
Newly-elected Nichols Hills Ward II City Councilman Colin FitzSimons, right, is sworn in by Judge Kevin Krahl while his sons Finn and Peter look on.
OK Hall of Fame Class of 2025 is announced During a luncheon at the Gaylord-Pickens Museum, the Oklahoma Hall of Fame announced the Class of 2025 Honorees who are to receive the state's highest honor at a ceremony this November in Tulsa. Rachel Cannon, founder & CEO of Rock Paper Cannon, served as master of ceremonies for the event, and Oklahoma Hall of Fame Member, Anne Morris Greenwood, provided the invocation. The honorees in the Oklahoma Hall of Fame Class of 2025 are:
Ronnie Dunn, Tulsa, one half of Brooks & Dunn, country music's most awarded duo, and one of the most influential voices of the genre. Eddy Gibbs, Owasso, a generous education supporter and entrepreneur who re-established Shangri-La as a northeast Oklahoma destination. Taylor Hanson, Tulsa, award-winning songwriter and musician who rose to fame with his brothers and supports multiple causes, See HOF, Page 3
New award honors Mark Parker Oklahoma City University has received nearly $2.5 million in gifts to establish an award in honor of retiring Music and Theatre Dean Mark Parker, school officials announced. The Mark Parker Endowed Faculty Excellence Award will be used to provide critical funding and support in perpetuity to faculty at the OCU Wanda L. Bass School of Music and School of Theatre. Parker announced in August that he would retire from OCU on June 30 following 35 years at the university, including the past 30 as dean of the music school and 21 years as dean of both music and theatre. During that time, the schools
have produced thousands of talented and award-winning performers, technicians, educators, designers, composers and arts administrators, making OCU one of the preeminent institutions in the world for performing arts education and professional preparation. “Mark Parker has long been regarded as an important leader not only in the state’s music and theatre communities, but in the global performing arts space as well,” OCU President Kenneth Evans said. “The university community is grateful for those who have supported the creation of this See PARKER, Page 2