OKC FRIDAY Vol. 57 No. 5 • One Section • 14 pages • June 9, 2023
$1 per copy
Musician of the Year
Shop the Look Fashion Editor Jennifer Clark helps us Shop the Look with styles from Pearl by Lela Rose styled by Cindi Shelby, CK & Co., Krista Anne’s Boutique and the Women’s Health Boutique. Page 13
OKCPHIL Artistic Director Alexander Mickelthwate, right, is presented a proclamation from Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt by the Ladies Music Club President Diane King. He was named Musician of the Year by the club. Page 3
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Graduates are concerned over prominence of technology
Goddard names center after Ron Allie Heritage Hall Middle School faculty and staff have collaborated with Goddard Youth Camp in Sulphur to honor former Middle School Head Ron Allie through the dedication of the Ron Allie Activity Center on the camp’s grounds. Allie served as Heritage Hall’s Middle School Head from 1978 to 2021. During his tenure as an administrator, Allie accompanied hundreds of Heritage Hall fifth graders to Goddard Youth Camp. Since 1976, the annual visit to Goddard has been a highlight of the fifth grade experience, and for Allie, going to camp ranked high among his favorite activities with students. In honor of Allie’s retirement in 2021, Middle School
By Annabella Potts Student Intern
From left: Goddard Youth Camp director Clayton Edgar, Connie Martin, Holly Carlin ’89, Ron Allie, Betsy Allie and Wayne Edgar, former camp director.
faculty and staff aimed to recognize Allie’s decades-long commitment to providing students the enriching experience of hands-on learning in one of nature’s most inviting classrooms. “Dedicated May 9,
2023, the Ron Allie Activity Center proudly bears the name of a venerable educator and one of Goddard Youth Camp’s most ardent supporters,” said the camp’s director, Clayton Edgar, who presented Allie
with a proclamation of the building’s naming. Attending the presentation were Allie’s wife, Betsy, and longtime fifth grade teachers and faculty campers, Holly Carlin ’89 and Connie Martin.
The Class of 2023 is troubled with the rise of social media and technological advancements, social polarization and declining mental health among their peers. OKC FRIDAY asked our local All-Star Scholarship and Leadership Teams from the special May 26 Class of 2023 tabloid to address some of the greatest issues facing their generation. With such a reliance on social media and technology, students expressed discontent with the isolating experience of communicating through screens. Many graduates feel unaligned with the present, as Sydney Brown from Mount St. Mary Catholic High School explained. “I believe social media is a concern that is unfortunately creating many problems in my generation,” Brown said. “Teens are believing the lies told to them from behind their screens and it’s made it impossible to truly experience life without the distraction of a phone or needing to capture the given moment.” Putnam City North High School graduate Piper Bush said the lack of regulation across various social media platforms opens up a dangerous space online. “Although social media can be great for the spread of new ideas, its power to influence persons of all ages, particularly our youth, is enormous,” Bush said. “Without appropriate safeguards, information is available at inappropriate ages and unrealistic expectations are set for See CONCERNS, Page 7
County Assessor Stein details property statistics for Village By Mike W. Ray Staff Writer The Village has 4,932 residential properties, but only 1,812 of them have filed for a homestead exemption, Oklahoma County Assessor Larry Stein revealed Monday night during a presentation to the City Council. Approximately 2,100 households in The Village are
single occupants, former City Manager Bruce Stone said. Besides the residences, The Village also has 118 commercial properties and an OG&E substation, Stein said. More than 410 residents of the community have claimed a “senior freeze” on their property taxes, he said; the assessed value of their homes has been frozen, based on their household income. These
are property owners who are at least 65 years of age and have total household income of less than $85,300 – an amount that increased 16.5% last year, Stein said. The market value of all property inside the two and a half square-mile city limits of the community in northwest Oklahoma City is $914 million and the value of all property in The Village that is assessed
FRIDAY’s
Dogs of the Week Winnie, 5 months, and Willow, 3 years, are both Mini Golden Doodles. Willow likes to greet her family at the door by grabbing a toy and wiggling in a circle. Winnie tries her best to speak and tell her family how much she missed them when they return. They are fun, sweet, snuggly pups that are best friends to Katy, Stella and Tess Boren of Oklahoma City. Email Dog, Cat, Pet and Baby of the Week nominations with complete descriptions to rose@okcfriday.com. Submissions are used in the order they are received.
for ad valorem purposes is $852.5 million, the assessor reported. Oklahoma County encompasses 720 square miles and has 19 cities and towns, Stein said. The county has 282,592 residential properties, 15,470 commercial properties, 6,177 industrial properties, 3,035 agricultural properties and 630 public service properties,
records reflect. More than 110,400 homeowners filed for a homestead exemption and more than 20,300 claim the ad valorem “senior freeze.” Oklahoma County also has almost 15,000 parcels of land that are exempt from property taxes, Stein said; these include schools, government buildings, See VILLAGE, Page 5
Wegeners are Renaissance Ball co-chairs The Oklahoma City Museum of Art (OKCMOA) announced the 47th Renaissance Ball is to be held on Friday, Sept. 8, at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club, 7 p.m. until midnight. Bobby and Meredith Wegener are the co-chairmen of this year’s blacktie gala and the theme is to reflect the museum’s summer exhibition – “True Nature: Rodin and the Age of Impressionism.” “Renaissance Ball has served as one of the premier events in Oklahoma City and has kicked off the social season for 46 years on the first Friday after Labor Day,” said Museum CEO and President Michael Anderson, Ph.D.
The ball is a critical part of the museum’s fundraising efforts and provides a major source of support for exhibitions, film and educational programs.” The evening is to feature an open bar cocktail reception followed by an elegant dinner. The late-night celebration, a separately ticketed event, is set to begin at 9:30 p.m. with an open bar and refreshments continuing until midnight. “We are thrilled to be chairing this year’s event,” Bobby Wegener said. “Without community support, the museum isn’t able to bring blockbuster exhibitions, such as See BALL, Page 3