Giving Society
Lacrosse League
Calm Waters’ Charlotte Lankard Giving Society is named after one of the founders pictured left. Page 12
Christian Martin, left, and founder Andrew Ousley take a break during a 405 Lacrosse League game. The league hopes to boost the sport’s popularity in OKC. Page 4
OKC FRIDAY Vol. 59 No. 13 • One Section • 12 pages • August 1, 2025
$1 per copy
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 & The Village for 51 years
First arts festival to fill Village Civic Plaza with artists, food trucks By Eric Oesch Staff Writer When city officials in The Village initiated their plans for the $8.9 million Civic Plaza, they envisioned a space that would bring the community together.
Initially, the Civic Plaza area, located along Vineyard Boulevard near the headquarters of Love’s Travel Stops, hosted intimate concerts, chili cook-offs, movie nights and other family-friendly events. This fall, the linear park boasts its first large scale event
with an arts festival to take place in early October. The inaugural Village Arts Festival is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 11, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is expected to fill the entire Civic Plaza area. Organizers have hopes of drawing thousands of people
from throughout the metro to the free event. Audrey Sousa, a member of the non-profit Village Arts Association, shared that preparations are moving along for the inaugural event in a recent report to The Village City Council.
“We’ve filled all available spots with 40 art vendors and 10 food trucks,” said Sousa in her report. “This month, we’ll be finalizing the lineup of eight live performers to round out the event. See VILLAGE, Page 3
NHills hires PR firm to resurrect 70-year newsletter tradition By Eric Oesch Staff Writer
Hi Ho Silver! And away! Chickasaw Nation Industries Chief of Staff Joanna Kirschner invited her friends to dress up as Lone Rangers for the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy’s Heroes Ball. Jonna was also an honorary cochairman of the event, along with Cathy and Frank Keating. From left: Carolyn Nimmo, Heather Buckmaster, Lisa McConnell, Bob Lane, Jonna Kirschner, Rose Lane and Cathy Costello. Susan Robertson had already ridden off into the sunset. For more photos, see Page 2.
The Nichols Hills City Council has agreed to spend $90,000 to hire the public relations firm Gooden Group on a six-month retainer to help the city more effectively provide residents with key information that is engaging and delivered through platforms they prefer. “By hiring Gooden Group, we hope to find new and creative ways to better reach our residents,” said Pate. “One of our greatest priorities is to revive a major tradition in Nichols Hills that has been absent for 23 years – our quarterly newsletter called Town Talk. “The earliest publication of the Town Talk I’ve seen is 1937, but I believe it started in 1934,” Pate said. “Originally, the Town Talk was a publication from the Nichols Hills Civic Club. Mrs. Clayton Pierce and Mrs. George Bixler (wife of the town clerk at the time) were the original editors.” See NHILLS, Page 7
OKC residents to decide on $2.7 billion bond program on Oct. 14 Oklahoma City Council voted to bring a $2.7 billion bond program to a vote of OKC residents on Oct. 14. When residents go to the
polls, they are to vote on 11 separate propositions as part of the 2025 bond program in a special election. While general obligation
bonds are funded by property taxes, the 2025 bond won’t raise the property tax rate. The average rate of 16 mills is to remain at the current level.
Sips and bites fuel future leaders at GWESTOK’s Cookies & Cocktails Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma (GSWESTOK) hosts its 14th annual Cookies & Cocktails fundraiser 6:308:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 15 at Camp Trivera, 2508 N.E. 50. VIP access begins at 5:30 p.m., giving attendees access to exclusive early tasting. The event features chef-curated sweet and savory bites and one-of-akind cocktails inspired by Girl Scout cookies. Attendees sample treats and vote for their favorites in a variety of categories. Winners are be announced at the end of the evening. Past events have produced such unique creations as pozole, a traditional Mexican stew made with Girl Scout
Trefoil cookies, and German beer incorporating Girl Scout Lemon-Ups. Proceeds from the event benefit GSWESTOK highest awards and Girl Scout leadership experience programming. “Every sip and bite fuels the dreams of future leaders, who are identifying community challenges and creating innovative solutions through our Highest Awards program,” said Jessica Lamb, director of resource development. “Together, we're empowering girls to make a lasting difference in their communities — one sip and bite at a time.” See GSWESTOK, Page 12
OKC has used bonds to fund its infrastructure since before statehood. Visit okc.gov/bond25 for a full project list, maps,
FRIDAY’s
Dog of the Week Buster is a 1-year-old West Highland White Terrier owned by Pamela Patteson of Edmond. He enjoys his early morning walks at Lake Hefner and a dip in his pool afterward to cool. He gives a lot of joy with his cheerful, confident and feisty personality. Email Pet of the Week submissions with complete descriptions to: rose@okcfriday.com.
upcoming events, information and resources.
voter other
See OKC, Page 3