OKC FRIDAY Vol. 57 No. 9 • One Section • 12 pages • July 7, 2023
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Harn Homestead
Purple Sash Charlotte Lankard and Gene Rainbolt at the Purple Sash gala benefiting YWCA OKC. The event helps raise funds for victims of domestic violence. Page 2
Dr. David Kallenberger and Michel Buthion visit during the Harn Social Sponsorship Party at Paula Love’s Chase Farm. Page 11
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Carrie Leonard appointed to OK Arts Council
Corey Taylor, the cofounder and main artist of the idea to scatter stones throughout The Village, tidies up a flowerbed with painted rocks. At right: Some of the rocks Corey and her dad Kyle have painted.
Carrie Leonard of Oklahoma City has been confirmed to the Oklahoma Arts Council by the Oklahoma State Senate. Appointed by Governor J. Kevin Stitt, Leonard’s term began immediately following Senate approval in late May. Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, who represents Leonard’s district, carried her nomination. With degrees from the University of Virginia and the University of Oklahoma College of Law, Leonard serves as development vice president on the Executive Board of Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma. She also serves on Friends of the Mansion—which preserves and promotes the Oklahoma Governor’s Mansion— and is chairing the Fine Arts Expansion Campaign at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School. Her involvement in the arts has included
The Taylors rock! Spreading kindness is only a stone’s throw away By Annabella Potts Student Intern When Kyle Taylor went on an evening walk with his kids, he wasn’t planning on finding a golden idea to reconnect with the community of The Village. After working late most days, Kyle spent time with his family by taking walks to the park or around the neighborhood. It was on his nature walks
that he came up with the idea to decorate rocks with paint and leave them in public spaces for the community to enjoy. Kyle and his children started by painting a few “traveling rocks” to encourage others to participate. See TAYLORS, Page 5
CARRIE LEONARD
volunteering with the Meyers Theatre for Young Audiences, which exposes children to live theater and educational performances. In addition to her arts involvement, Leonard has worked as director of development for White Fields Oklahoma and has volunteered for numerous causes throughout the community, including Sunbeam Family Services, Christ the King School, and the Oklahoma City Archdiocese. See LEONARD, Page 3
Misuse of golf carts worrisome to NHills residents, officials Now that warm weather is here, residents are noticing more golf carts on the streets and worry about their safety. “Golf carts have been observed being driven by children,” said NH Mayor Sody Clements. Reports of golf carts doing “donuts” in the parks have been received, as well as running stop signs. “It seems that young golf cart drivers are using the carts
as toys, carrying too many passengers and not obeying traffic laws,” Clements said. Oklahoma state law requires that golf carts be driven by licensed drivers or “those 13 and older who have taken the Oklahoma state safety course.” In addition, state law requires that the number of passengers be limited to the number of seats with seatbelts.
“We have received reports of residents having to slam on their brakes to avoid golf carts sailing through an intersection,” said City Manager Shane Pate. Adults who own golf carts should be on the alert to be sure their children know how to use them properly. Golf carts are not to be driven at night, under any circumstance, may not be driven more than 20 MPH and must
Urban Heat Mapping targets OKC By Annabella Potts Student Intern With the extreme heat in our state, Oklahoma City has been chosen by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to participate in the 2023 Urban Heat Island mapping campaign. Three hundred volunteer “street scientists” are needed to to capture temperature and air quality data throughout predetermined routes, Sarah TerryCobo, associate planner of OKC’s Office of Sustainability, said. Oklahoma City qualifies as an
Urban Heat Island due to its lack of tree coverage and increase in concrete and asphalt surfaces, Terry-Cobo said. These areas give off a higher surface temperature that can be up to 20 degrees hotter than neighborhoods with grass, trees and considerably less concrete. According to the NOAA, the deadliest weather-related events that take place nationwide involve extreme heat. “Oklahoma City is a large city, 621 square miles, and more than 4% of our total area is just parking lots,” Terry-Cobo said. See MAPPING, Page 5
obey all traffic laws, signs and signals. The Nichols Hills police officers stop carts being driven unsafely, issue appropriate fines and hope to help avoid a tragic accident. The open body of a golf cart means those passengers are extremely vulnerable in the event of a roll-over or collision with an automobile. “I urge parents to be particularly cautious when allowing children to drive or
FRIDAY’s
Dog of the Week This is Zoey who is a fun-loving 5-year-old Shih Tzu. Zoey loves her mom, going for walks on nice days, and eating special pup treats! (Low calorie of course so she can keep her figure). She gives a high five when requested nicely and enjoys a boisterous game of fetch! One of her favorite things to do is having her mom “Kim” take her to the beauty salon for a hair cut, massage and pawdicure. She’s all girl and enjoys holiday dress up. She is very tidy and always puts her toys away after playtime. Zoey’s owner is Kim Willison. 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.
ride in golf carts,” Clements said. “I’m sure it’s tempting to give in, but it is not worth the tragedy that could ensue.” Police Chief Steven Cox advises parents with questions about the use of golf carts on city streets can reach out to his office. “Concerned citizens should dial 9-1-1 immediately if they see someone driving unsafe,” Chief Cox added.