OKC FRIDAY Vol. 56 No. 22 • One Section • 16 pages • October 21, 2022
Literary Voices
Send us your pictures
Author Elizabeth Stout and Linda and Steve Slawson during the Library Endowment Trust’s dinner. Page 12
Email photos of your favorite Veteran to rose@ okcfriday.com by Friday, Nov. 3. They will be published in our special Veterans Day edition on Nov. 11.
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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
Greater OKC Chamber names Gillenwater CEO
CHRISTY GILLENWATER
The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber announced today that Christy Gillenwater has been named as the new president and CEO of the organization. She succeeds Roy Williams, who announced his retirement earlier this year. Gillenwater comes to Oklahoma City from the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce in Tennessee where she serves as president
and CEO. She is also the chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives, a national organization of more than 1,300 chambers of commerce. “When we launched this search, we were looking for a proven executive with a strong economic development background,” said Sean Trauschke, chairman, president and CEO of OGE Energy, and chamber chair-
man. “Christy met every requirement. In addition to leading four chambers of progressively larger size, she brings direct experience in both public policy and economic development. She has also been selected by her peers to lead their national organization - that says volumes about the respect they have for her work and her leadership.” Gillenwater added, “Part of
my passion for the important work of chambers of commerce includes benchmarking leading communities, and Oklahoma City is definitely a city of innovators whose initiatives are both bold and smart. I look forward to meeting our members and the leadership of Oklahoma City as we begin our work together. My experience in See CHAMBER, Page 5
ANGRY NEIGHBORS COMPLAIN
Future home
Excessive outdoor lighting in NHills lights up nearby homes ‘like the sun’ By Eric Oesch Staff Writer
Oklahomans in times of crisis. “Time and time again, from the Murrah building bombing to the current pandemic, when we talk about challenges and opportunities in our city, we’re talking about the nonprofit sector. These organizations are integral to everything we do,” said David Holt, Oklahoma
Excessive outdoor lighting in Nichols Hills has some residents upset, complaining of bright LED security lights flooding their homes throughout the night causing them to lose sleep and filling their yards with light pollution. City Hall and council members have received enough complaints from unhappy residents to compel a recent 11 a.m. special meeting of the council to specifically address the matter. “Essentially, a resident built a backyard basketball court without obtaining a permit,” said City Manager Shane Pate about what necessitated the special meeting. “Then, they installed a lighting system that has upset the neighbors. “This issue and some others over the years led us to conclude we need to clarify some language and definitions regarding accessory structures, buildings and uses,” he said. “We also need to be more specific about lighting standards in our city.” Nichols Hills has numerous homes with backyard amenities which require outdoor lighting including tennis and basketball courts, swimming
See OKCNP, Page 5
See NHILLS, Page 5
Governor Frank and First Lady Cathy Keating speak during the ground-breaking ceremony for the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofit’s new building renovation. Looking on, from left, are OKCNP President and CEO Marnie Taylor, Inasmuch Vice President of Programs Sarah Roberts, Kathy Williams, Board Chairman Brooke Townsend, Oklahoma Department of Commerce Director Brent Kisling, OKC Mayor David Holt and Ray and Pat Potts. Pat Potts founded the organization.
Center for Nonprofits breaks ground on renovation Construction is officially underway on the new headquarters of the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits (OKCNP). Members and supporters gathered alongside city and state leaders to celebrate at the groundbreaking ceremony last week. The event marked the beginning of renovations to the former American Red Cross
building located in Oklahoma City’s Innovation District. Once completed, the building is to serve as a hub for nonprofit training, community, advocacy, research and consulting. Featured speakers at the ceremony talked about the nonprofit sector’s importance to the state’s livelihood, emphasizing the services many organizations provide
It’s all fun and games in Village during Fall Fest By Rose Lane Editor The kids can jump and play all day long with a $10 wristband for The Village’s Fall Festival, set for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 29, at Duffner Park. The fun time includes a cake walk, carnival games, pumpkin painting, face painting, inflatables, battle zone, extreme rock wall, zipline, wipeout run and meltdown. Food concessions are to be available. Vendors are scheduled to set up and show off their wares. At noon, kids are invited to compete in a costume contest. For a sneak peek into the Fall Festival, visit The Village’s Facebook page and see photos from past festivals.
FRIDAY’s Dog
of the Week Lillie Bug is a 1-year-old Chihuahua. She was adopted from All Paws Rescue four years ago. Her human is Sandy Kraft and she likes to go for walks and ride in the car. Lillie Bug loves people. Send Pet and Baby of the Week nominations with complete descriptions to rose@okcfriday.com. Submissions are used in the order they are received.
MPW is coming up soon OKC FRIDAY staffers are hard at work on our annual Most Powerful Women’s edition set to be published on Nov. 18. Ballots are coming in at a fast pace and votes are being tabulated as we determine the 50 Most Powerful Women in OKC. But, there IS still time to reserve your ad space. See Page 16 for more details.