OKC FRIDAY Vol. 56 No. 19 • One Section • 16 pages • September 30, 2022
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www.okcfriday.com facebook.com/okcfriday OKC’s only locally-owned legal newspaper with all local news Serving Oklahoma City, Nichols Hills, The Village, Quail Creek, The Greens and Gaillardia for 48 years
Will downtown Britton be OKC’s next destination district? By Eric Oesch Staff Writer Nichols Hills Mayor Steve Goetzinger could be called a cheerleader - a cheerleader for the city of nearly 4,000 residents who call Nichols Hills home, and a cheerleader for the old town of Britton that has seen better days yet is on the rise. Goetzinger sees a sunny future for Old Downtown Britton and has joined an enthusiastic governing board and group of business owners who are investing time and money in what is, according to Goetzinger, “one of the last of the few undeveloped historical areas remaining in Oklahoma City.” “My wife and I have lived in Nichols Hills and The Village since 1984,” said Goetzinger. “I worked downtown from 1984 until 1997 and drove through Britton almost every day of the week until mid-1997.” See BRITTON, Page 4
Love Women’s Center tops out Crowds cheered as construction crews lifted the final steel beam into the frame of the new Love Family Women’s Center Monday. The facility is under construction on the campus of Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City and will increase the hospital’s capacity to deliver babies by 40 percent. The women’s center is being built at the northwest corner of Mercy’s campus at West Memorial Road and North Meridian Avenue. Construction kicked off in July 2021 and is on schedule to be complete in fall 2023. Labor and delivery and postpartum services at Mercy have been at capacity for years, limiting the hospital’s ability to serve more patients. Over the last decade, Mercy has seen a 34 percent increase in births.
The hospital, built in the 1970s, was designed to accommodate up to 3,000 births annually, but the hospital made room for a record 4,035 births last year. “Like Mary and Joseph experienced the night Jesus was born, many days there’s just not enough room in the inn here at Mercy,” said Dr. Chad Smith, chief medical officer and obstetrician/gynecologist at Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City. “Our Mercy Birthplace team is awe-inspiring, and they do everything in their power to create as much room and serve as many families as possible. But we’re excited this building will give us much more space to serve many more families when they need us.” The hospital currently has 43 See LOVE, Page 15
- Photo by Fran Kozakowski
JFK Awards John F. Kennedy Award-winner Desmond Mason admires presenter and “voice of the OSU Cowboys” Larry Reece during the awards gala. Mason was an Oklahoma State and Thunder basketball player before he turned his attention to his art. For more on the Santa Fe Family Life Center benefit, see Page 2.
Oklahoma Commission on Status of Women brings home national award By Rose Lane Editor The Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women scored a triple win at the National Association of Commissions for Women. Oklahoma was honored
with an Achievement Award and election of two to the national board. The National Achievement Award recognized the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame which inducted eight women and raised funds to help establish a permanent
FRIDAY’s Rescue
Women’s Hall of Fame exhibit. State Executive Director Kitti Asberry,was elected as national vice president and Carol Hefner, current state vice chairman, was elected to represent Region VI on the national board.
Dog of the Week I may have been a tennis player in a former life because chasing balls is my passion. Unlike John McEnroe, my disposition is sweet and loving. We will be great hiking buddies when you come to take me home. I am young, maybe a year or younger, and so easy to train. Leave a message for Apollo at the Village (405)751-9518 or come see me at 1701 NW 115 St. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
“I am looking forward to working with Commissioner Hefner and the National Association for Commis-sions for Women,” Asberry said. “As board members, we will be able to provide recommendations to im-prove the lives of
women, girls and families around the world. As Executive Director for the Commission, my goal is implementing programs which are researched, evaluated, and documented, which See WOMEN, Page 13
McDaniel up for highest honor Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS) Superintendent Dr. Sean McDaniel has been named one of nine finalists for the Green-Garner Award, which is the highest honor in urban education through the Council of Great City Schools (CGCS). This award recognizes leaders in urban education who have shown a strong dedication to the needs of their students, a profound commitment to improvement, and have exemplified significant community involvement and leadership. Paula Lewis, OKCPS Board Chairperson said, “Dr. McDaniel was the clear choice to lead OKCPS nearly 5 years ago and continues to prove he is the right person for the job. He has led this district through school closures to See McDANIEL, Page 13
SEAN McDANIEL OKC Public Schools Superintendent