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june 10-14

THIS Show Must NOT Go On …

By Drew Williamson

Special thanks to President Donald J. Trump for recently sending J. Kevin Stitt back from D.C. with his tail between his legs. By refusing to endorse Stitt for the upcoming Senate election to replace MarkWayne Mullin, in favor of Representative Kevin Hern, Trump may have finally done what Oklahoma’s Republican legislators, donor class and establishment media have refused to do: end Kevin Stitt’s political career.

After nearly eight years of chaos, controversy, self-promotion and failure masquerading as “outsider leadership,” Oklahoma is left to clean up the Stitt Show mess and being “Top 10” in all the wrong places. Meanwhile, Oklahoma families struggle with bottom-tier outcomes in education, healthcare access, mental health services, teacher retention and infrastructure.

Beyond blessing our state with Ryan Walters and numerous other embarrassments, Stitt’s legacy will be one of endless culture war dis-

tractions and core state functions deteriorating in plain sight.

After a semi-successful first term, which felt like Camelot for rednecks at the Capitol for a while, the second term turned into one of cronyism, scandal, dysfunction and overall fatigue. The Stitt administration became less about reform and more about survival, with cabinet members resigning under clouds of controversy and agency heads becoming punchlines for local news and social media. Public trust has eroded to epic lows in light of the latest Invest in Oklahoma allegations and Sara Polston’s 73-day stay toward what was to be an eight-year sentence for nearly killing an innocent young woman in a horrific drunk driving incident.

What major achievements do we have to show for the last eight years of Stitt? Educational reform has turned into continued decline, healthcare’s turnaround is just more of the same and Oklahoma’s vibrant economy is almost entirely due to our major cities (OKC and Tulsa)

that ARE NOT RUN BY THE STATE GOVERNMENT! Everything Stittrelated seems to be an EPIC fail, which happens to remind everyone of another great scandal from Stitt’s last term.

But like every political machine, Stitt is attempting one final act: preserving power through political proxies, in what seems like an act of future self-preservation more than anything. The “Stittosphere” is a network of former appointees, loyalists, enablers and donors now being inserted into statewide races, many at Stitt’s direction, while attempting to distance themselves from the administration they all helped to create. Perhaps most importantly, many of these same legislators who protected and empowered the dysfunction, led by former House Speaker Charles McCall, are also clamoring for another roll of the dice.

Oklahoma Republicans should ask themselves a simple question: If the Stitt Show was such a success, why are so many former insiders trying to hide from it? Voters aren’t dumb and will answer the bell on June 16 to get rid of an exhausted

political brand long after public confidence has collapsed. This is why Gentner Drummond stands apart. Unlike the other three leading candidates all directly emerging from the governor’s orbit, Drummond is not a product of the Stitt regime. Instead, he has been the only Republican tying to hold it in check. Whether challenging Stitt scandals, standing up to extremism, protecting Oklahoma taxpayers or defending the rule of law, Drummond repeatedly has been willing to act independently—even when politically inconvenient.

The cartoon version of the Stitt administration may be funny, but the real-world consequences have not been anything to laugh about. As Oklahoma approaches another major election cycle, voters should remember one thing: This show must not go on.

Drew Williamson is a Partner with Red Center Media-Oklahoma Gazette and served as Trustee of Teachers Retirement SystemOklahoma from 2019-2023.

Capitol Wrap

Oklahoma closes out its legislative calendar.

By Joe Dorman

For those who do not keep up with the day-to-day activities at Northwest 23rd Street and Lincoln Boulevard in Oklahoma City, state lawmakers convene from the first Monday in February until they conclude business, which must be by the final Friday in May.

Gov. Kevin Stitt has a deadline of Friday, May 29, to act on bills passed in the session’s final week. A total of 6,008 bills were introduced during the two-year 60th Oklahoma Legislature. Just over 500 bills passed in 2026.

When legislators reached a budget agreement on April 1 this year, some thought it might be a joke. This is the earliest budget deal in memory. The governor and Republican legislative leaders agreed on a Fiscal Year ’27 (FY27) budget totaling $12.8 billion, an increase of 1.52% or nearly $200 million. FY 27 begins July 1 and runs through June 30, 2027.

This $12.8 billion is a fraction of total spending, much of which comes from federal matching dollars and “off the top” funding that lawmakers cannot touch. There were no across-the-board cuts, something many advocates feared as the session began.

The top issues this year dealt with education and how to improve reading literacy, as lawmakers hoped to emulate successes seen in other states. The state Department of Education budget was boosted by $208.7 million, including almost $80 million for reading and math programs.

The budget also included a $2,000 across-the-board teacher pay raise, costing $85 million, along with $27.3 million to pay for increased health insurance costs for teachers. More than $3 million will go to expand Dolly Parton Imagination Libraries and to implement the Just Right Readers phonics education program.

Support personnel did not get a pay raise; school districts must find the money locally if they choose to give raises to all employees. Also, there is no additional funding budgeted to add days to the public school calendar for those schools operating under the four-day plan. Another $25 million was added to the Parental Choice Tax Credit on top of the $250 million already set aside to pay private school tuition for some.

For childcare teacher recruitment and retention, an issue which is at

crisis level in our state for working families, $4.56 million was allocated. This leaves a large gap for anticipated need.

Many private childcare facilities are closing due to the loss of federal subsidies and unsubsidized coverage being too costly. Children’s success is often determined before formal education begins; the quality of the childcare often is a determining factor in a child’s later accomplishments.

A $5 million expenditure will allow foster children to receive state benefits until the age of 21, rather than 18. About 6,000 Oklahoma youth are in foster care, not including family/kinship placements, which is likely close to the same

as others, but which are certainly vital. Among those are $3.7 million to the Oklahoma Conservation Commission for “critical dam repairs” across the state; this will save lives. Many smaller dams were built with 50-year life spans, and most are about 20 years past that timeline.

An act we at the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy supported is the outlawing of child marriage, the union of couples with at least one being under the age of 18. The hotly debated bill, which passed the House of Representatives with the bare minimum of votes necessary, takes effect Nov. 1, making Oklahoma the 17th state to end child marriage.

Many bills fell by the wayside, with the House of Representatives and the Senate squabbling as Senate recessed over the final week of business and only came back on the final day to finish a few agreed-upon bills before sine die adjournment.

Voters will pass judgment on several issues this year: a minimum wage increase in the June primary election (submitted by the people through petition); a manufacturing tax exemption reimbursement plan and a revamped voter ID law for the primary runoff in August; and changes to the Judicial Nominating Commission and a reduction of the annual growth limit on property taxes in November’s general election.

Of course, there will also be hotly contested elections for lawmakers and executive officials. It is important to share your thoughts with your own lawmakers, and to find out where candidates stand on issues important to you. Now is the time to ask questions and no Oklahoman should be afraid to engage their officials.

“We, the people” are the bosses, and politicians should represent the views of their constituents (those who live within the boundaries of

number. Youth in foster care—due to the trauma they have endured— are far more likely to be homeless, suicidal or incarcerated than the general population of their age bracket. Hopefully, this program will succeed and help those youth see greater opportunities as they age out of the system.

The new state budget allocates $15 million to the Department of Commerce for the 2028 Olympics, as Oklahoma City will host softball, canoe slalom and kayak events— making it the only city outside California to be an Olympic city in 2028.

There are many significant investments included in the budget which might not be as glamorous

Pronounced “sie-knee die,” it is Latin for without date, signifying the official close of duties for the year.

One such issue lawmakers failed to consider on the final day was an attempt to override Governor Stitt’s veto of legislation continuing the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority (OETA). If reauthorization does not pass in 2027, public broadcasting in Oklahoma likely will end.

Plans to send back to voters a restructuring of the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) and a rollback of Medicaid expansion, both of which were initially approved by voters, sputtered at the end of session.

their districts). If your representatives and senators do not reflect yours, then you should make your voice heard at the ballot box. Taking the time to engage and vote is the way to see better results and a brighter future for our state

Joe Dorman serves as the Chief Executive Officer for OICA. He also served House District 65 as the state representative for 12 years, which included parts of Caddo, Comanche, Cotton, Grady, and Stephens Counties, and was a nominee for Governor of Oklahoma in 2014.

Political Favoritism

Oklahoma grand jury finds ‘rank political favoritism’ in release of Stitt’s friend after DUI

Originally published in KOSU May 8, 2026.

By Graycen Wheeler, KOSU

A multicounty grand jury revealed it’s been investigating the early release of a drunk driver from prison.

In a report released Thursday, the grand jury said although it found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing, it did find multiple issues with the early release GPS Program. It also found evidence of political favoritism toward the offender, a close friend of Gov. Kevin Stitt.

Stitt denied any political favoritism occurred and called the grand jury report “political gossip.”

In 2023, Sara Polston was driving in Norman with a blood alcohol level nearly twice the legal limit. While traveling 66 mph in a 25 mph zone, she crashed into another car, grievously injuring a 20-year-old woman.

Late last year, Polston was sentenced to eight years in prison and seven years on probation.

But after just 73 days in prison, she was released as part of an electronic monitoring program that uses GPS to track offenders.

“This rank political favoritism, particularly on a crime that nearly took the life of a 20-yearold young woman, is indefensible,” the report says.

The grand jury has spent months figuring out how and why that happened, as first reported in The Oklahoman.

They found that Stitt called the interim director of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections to discuss other matters, but brought up Polston’s pre-sentence investigation process. Stitt knows Polston and her husband, Rod, who is an attorney and owns a tax firm in Norman.

After the call, DOC superiors notified other employees of the call and specifically instructed them to “ensure Polston was treated with respect and made to feel comfortable,” according to the grand jury report.

“The (DOC officer assigned to conduct Polston’s pre-sentence investigation) was not explicitly instructed to be lenient in his sentencing recommendation to the court,” the report said. “However, he believed that the message carried an implication that he was to be lenient. He felt

that the wrong decision could cost him his job.”

While Polston was in the Cleveland County Jail, then-Sheriff Chris Amason — who has since resigned after pleading no contest to a charge of embezzlement — offered her “unprecedented” accommodations. She moved cells multiple times for comfort, noise levels, and access to a television. She was given a tablet. Her husband was allowed to bring her Chick-fil-A. Amason told investigators he wanted to “do them (the Polstons) a solid.”

In phone calls while she was in jail, Rod and Sara Polston discussed a figure they called “The Guy” or “Our Buddy” who was working on the “P word,” presumably pardon or parole, for Sara.

“However the ‘P word’ must first go through the Pardon and Parole Board before ‘The Guy’ approves it and the process is not like the President of the United States,” reads a description of one phone call in the grand jury report. “Rod Polston states ‘The Guy’ was checking to see if the Pardon and Parole board serves ‘at his pleasure’ to determine if he can tell the Board what to do.”

The grand jury concluded that “The Guy/Buddy/Friend” was a code name Stitt. He and Rod Polston played football together at Norman High School, according to Stitt, and are members of the same college fraternity. According to the report, the Polstons have contributed nearly $30,000 to Stitt’s campaigns.

Stitt explicitly told the Cleveland County District Attorney he is “a close personal friend” of the Polstons.

Polston was transferred from jail to prison in early December. By February 19, she was home.

She was assigned to the Department of Corrections’ GPS Program, which is available to non-violent offenders with sentences shorter than 10 years. The DOC has not seemed to count parole toward that sentence length.

During the approval process for Polston’s assignment to the GPS Program, DOC officials did not contact the victim or her family. Stitt again called the interim DOC director to check

whether Polston’s GPS release had been approved.

The grand jury said Stitt’s calls to the interim director were “on behalf of the Polstons.”

Stitt does not characterize the calls that way. In an interview with News 9 Friday morning, Stitt called the grand jury report “political gossip” from Attorney General Gentner Drummond.

“I did zero favors for this inmate,” Stitt said. “When I found out that she was going on an ankle monitor, I called to say, ‘This is weird. Are you sure this is right?’”

discretion to DOC administrators who do not receive adequate training on conflicts of interest.

“Several DOC executives claimed their hands were tied by statute and policy in approving Polston’s early release, however, all affirmed that the GPS Program is discretionary and that they possessed the ability to deny Polston’s application at the time,” the report says.

Since Polston’s release, Oklahoma lawmakers have passed Senate Bill 137, which makes anyone convicted of causing great bodily injury while DUI ineligible for the GPS Program.

Stitt said he supported that

Stitt said multiple times in the interview that his “heart goes out to the victim.”

DOC officials did not contact the victim, Micaela Borrego, or her family while considering Polston’s approval for the GPS Program. When the Borregos learned of her impending release, they worked with the Cleveland County District Attorney’s Office to advocate against it.

The report finds state laws are not specific enough on eligibility requirements for the GPS Program and afford too much

measure. When News9 reporter Anna Denison pointed out that the measure became law without the governor’s signature, Stitt said he vetoes more bills than any other governor in the country and “purposefully made sure that went into law.”

The grand jury found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing. But it found “systematic failures” allowed for Polston’s release.

From the Court to Court

In news that will not shock servers and restaurateurs around the metro, former Oklahoma State and Oklahoma City Thunder basketball player Desmond Mason was arrested on May 6 in Oklahoma City. Mason, who cosplays an artist when he’s not “forgetting his wallet” at dinner, allegedly agreed to sell framed sports memorabilia to a Collin County, Texas, couple, and after receiving an initial payment, subsequently ghosted the couple, and then beginning in January, started offering excuses. Mason has become locally infamous in hospitality circles for not paying for meals and drinks, typically offering the forgotten wallet explanation. Here’s hoping Mason has bartenders and servers on his Texas jury.

Swadley Fraudley

On May 28 this year, an Oklahoma jury found Swadley’s BBQ owner Brent Swadley guilty of creating fake invoices and overbilling the Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department. No word yet on whether it was because jurors had tried the brisket during their sequestration. The charges stemmed from Swadley operating Foggy Bottom Kitchens in six state parks. The partnership drew quick criticism when it was clear the state had sunk more than $13 million dollars into the restaurants, including a remarkable $45,000 per month management fee per restaurant. The trial lasted less than two weeks, largely because two codefendants flipped and agreed to testify against Swadley. Sentencing is set for July 16, and there is a high probability that where he’s going the food will be better than what he’s used to.

WIN YOUR WAY TO SUMMER FUN

NON-PROFIT FOCUS

Politics, Not As Usual

Andy Moore of Let’s Fix This ponders how power drives policy.

By Greg Horton

Let’s Fix This, the non-profit advocacy group founded by Andy Moore, emerged from the state budget crisis of 2016. Oklahoma had experienced two revenue failures, across-the-board cuts in spending on services and furloughed state employees, including Department of Health employees who approved pharmaceutical allocations for patients.

Moore, a licensed counselor with degrees in theology and counseling, had seen up close the effects of what he calls “poor policy decisions” while working for OU Health Sciences Center at the Infectious Diseases Institute, the state’s largest HIV treatment program. His twin degrees were the result of his desire to make material differences for vulnerable communities, but as he describes it, many of the people he saw had problems that weren’t just mental health issues or disease.

“They were also facing systemic problems, restrictive cultural norms and identity assumptions, along with, in many cases, severe and chronic mental health issues,” Moore said. “Their ability to live well had been impaired by bad policy decisions.”

With that as his professional and personal backdrop, he was unsurprised with the policy crises of 2016, but he decided to try again to make a difference, this time at the legislative level. Rather than run for office and become part of the larger machine, he decided to invite people to come to the Capitol and talk to legislators.

“I didn’t know politics, but I understood relationships, so I called Stephanie Bice and Jason Dunnington, both legislators at the time, and they said legislators would definitely be open to talking to constituents. Especially since we were trying to promote civic engagement and full voter participation in Oklahoma, not rally around a specific piece of legislation or issue.”

The result of his brief Facebook event, which he cheekily named “Let’s Fix This: A Day at the Capitol for Folks Who Care” has been well documented in the Oklahoma Gazette and other publications; people showed up. They met with Bice, Dunnington

and Cyndi Munson, and they told the attendees how best to interact with legislators.

“I remember Senator Ervin Yen stopping to ask if we were all here about the same thing,” Moore said, “and he was genuinely surprised that the answer was no. It was a rare thing then to have these kinds of conversations that weren’t advocating a specific cause.”

Since then, Moore has gone through a divorce, worked at being a single dad, obtained his MBA and overseen the growth of what is clearly a strong, grassroots movement that gained additional momentum with the teacher walkout in 2018. It’s impossible to miss the timing of the organization’s founding; we were walking into Donald Trump’s first term, and now we are well into his second, with all that has entailed vis-a-vis tariffs; ICE; the war in Iran; escalating prices in every sector; and noticeably less disposable income for the middle class and the poor.

Rather than look to some kind of messianic intervention a la President Trump’s first term mantra “I alone can fix this,” Moore opts for a more hopeful analogy with a referent now lost to most people under 60 or who aren’t policy nerds.

“I think of the line in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” he said. “‘We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.’”

Most of us are caught somewhere between the poles of Left and Right, and because we need good policy to help make our lives better, Moore thinks it’s important to ask what seems—after he said it—an obvious question.

“If policy is the outcome, what is the input?” He asked. “Politicians make decisions to get votes, and they are elected in closed primaries in gerrymandered districts. We all know this isn’t good for representative democracy. The incentives for politicians to maintain power are misaligned with what is good for the rest of us. We care about representation; they care about power.”

The primary system started in 1968, and Moore believes it’s time to tweak the system: “We have always tweaked the system, and voters have to be the ones who

tweak it.”

Moore thinks that people need to reframe political discourse away from unhelpful binaries like right and left, and focus instead of “in power” versus “not in power.” The idea crystalized after he left OU in 2019 to run People Not Politicians. “Politicians in states where Republicans were in power called it a ‘liberal coup,’ Moore said. “Democratic politicians in Illinois called it a ‘conservative coup.’”

It’s a clear example of ideologically loaded words being used to divide and then pit voters against each other. The only solution for Moore is get the electorate engaged and informed. The organization’s policy guide is nonpartisan, and designed to educate not proselytize.

“Ultimately, we want all eligible voters to vote, and we want the system to be responsive to voters,” Moore said.

For more information, go to letsfixthis.org.

Epic Charter Case Moves Foward

Judge Jason Glidewell rules prosecution presented sufficent evidence to move the case forward on most charges. Originally published in Oklahoma Watch May 1, 2026.

By Jennifer Palmer, Oklahoma Watch

Nearly four years after their arrests, the criminal case against Epic Charter Schools’ founders took a step forward Thursday.

Oklahoma County Special Judge Jason Glidewell concluded prosecutors presented enough evidence for nearly all of the charges against David Chaney, 47, and Ben Harris, 50, to move forward to trial.

Prosecutors in 2022 charged Chaney and Harris with 14 felonies each in connection with their roles managing the online school, alleging they diverted tens of millions of dollars meant for students’ education into their private companies. They are charged under the state’s racketeering statute with embezzlement, conspiracy and fraud.

The judge on Thursday dismissed one count of embezzlement against Chaney and Harris, as well as one count of computer fraud against Chaney. Probable cause exists for the remaining charges, Glidewell determined.

A formal arraignment is scheduled for June 24.

The judge also addressed Chaney and Harris’ key defense; their attorneys claimed the public funds became private once deposited into their business accounts. Glidewell said he didn’t find that persuasive. The money remains public, he said, until its purpose is fulfilled.

The state auditor, whose audit in 2020 triggered the criminal charges, called the scheme the largest abuse of taxpayer dollars in Oklahoma history.

Chaney and Harris deny wrongdoing.

Procedural delays have plagued the criminal case. Thursday’s hearing began more than two years ago, in 2024, but stalled after attorneys sought to remove the case’s trial judge. Multiple courts rejected the effort to remove the judge but she stepped down anyway.

Over eight days, the judge listened to testimony from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Epic staff, state auditors and longtime chief financial officer Josh Brock, the state’s star witness. Brock is also charged in the multimillion-dollar embezzlement case, but is cooperating with prosecutors to avoid prison.

Brock managed the books of Epic Youth Services, the private management company, and served as encumbrance clerk for the school. He received a 10% cut of Epic Youth Services’ profits, while Chaney and Harris kept 45% each, Brock testified.

Prosecutors’ review of Epic’s bank accounts revealed the company collected more than $69.3 million in management fees between 2013 and 2021. Of that, the trio split $55 million: Harris made $25 million, Chaney made $23 million and Brock made $7 million.

The company also controlled

Epic’s student learning fund, an account set aside for students’ laptops, extracurricular activities and other expenses. Investigators said Epic Youth Services kept unspent funds instead of returning the money to the school.

Brock described how the men used shell companies and submitted false invoices using estimates, rather than actual costs, to conceal their profits from the state.

Prosecutors say they spent public money meant to educate students on political donations, expenses for a California charter school and Chaney and Brock’s personal credit card expenses.

A confidential, deep-dive investigation by the Internal Revenue Service is ongoing. Epic cut ties with Chaney, Harris and Brock in 2021.

Summer Salads EAT & DRINK

By Gazette Staff

Let’s be honest, OKC isn’t really salad culture—but we do have great options amid all the fried, grilled, braised and cured meats around town. As with most dishes, you can go fully healthy or just pretend you’re eating healthy by indulging in an over-the-top dinner salad. We have a variety for you to choose among this month.

Barrios barriosmexicanokc.com

We realize you’re probably starting with chips and salsa, as you should, but if you’re serious about the healthy summer body thing, then the Spicy Peanut Kale Salad is the way to go. This combination of kale, spicy peanut crumble and a remarkable harvest vinaigrette makes it one of the best choices on the menu.

Cafe 501 cafe501.com

The Edmond lunch stalwart has always done salad well, and the Berry Salad features enough chicken breast to make it a meal, but we love it for the blueberries and strawberries, fresh apples and soft butter lettuce. It’s not your mom’s fruit salad—no whipped cream or canned pineapple.

Cafe 7

cafe7okc.com

This NW OKC bistro is known for quality sandwiches, salads and pizzas priced to make it affordable for the whole family. The classic Chef Salad hits all the right Okie notes, especially the creamy ranch dressing. It’s topped with turkey, ham and boiled eggs, so it’s hearty and protein packed. In other words, not a side salad.

Ling Long

https://www.linglongokc.com/

The new Chinese spot in the Asian District is a sister restaurant to Takaramono, so the quality is excellent, and we wanted a chance to get the always delicious Kimchi Cucumber Salad on this list. The dish is deceptively simple, but the cold, crisp cucumbers tossed with zingy kimchi make this one a treat for fans of flavor and texture.

Saturn Grill saturngrill.com

Chef Joseph Royer has been specializing in fresh, healthy food at this Nichols Hills spot since 2002, and it’s been a popular lunch spot since the doors opened, largely on the quick service and flavorful, affordable food. The balsamic caramel isn’t the only reason his Tomato Mozzarella is fantastic, but it sure complements the grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and Parmesan cheese in the best ways.

Scratch Kitchen & Cocktails eatatscratch.com

Brady Sexton has been a mainstay on Main (sorry) in Norman for almost 15 years, and he’s worked some kind of magic with his Kale & Brussels Salad. It’s only five ingredients, but it’s an absolute flavor bomb, thanks to the lemon vinaigrette and shaved Brussels sprouts. We’re still trying to understand how something this simple is this good.

Stella Modern Italian stella-okc.com

The Green Bean and Beet Salad starts with wine-poached beets, which would be perfect in their own right, but then Chef adds crunchy green beans, goat cheese, toasted pine nuts and charred orange vinaigrette to create a cold, crisp, refreshing summer salad with enough oomph to be a perfect salad for lunch.

klahoma City, OK 73106 (405) 602 - 8984

EAT & DRINK

SpringBoard Effect

The Edmond company behind Evoke, Twisted Tree Baking Company and La Loba helps local businesses—sometimes by stopping them before they start.

By Julie Porter Scott

Some people dream about opening a restaurant. Robert and Lori Black have built a unique place for themselves by helping would-be business owners answer one question: Will it actually work?

While customers may be familiar with the couple’s successful cadre of Edmond businesses, they may not realize that one power couple is behind Evoke, Twisted Tree Baking Company, Bluebird Books and La Loba. Certainly, most don’t know there is another business under the SpringBoard shingle: a consulting group helping entrepreneurs navigate the realities of hospitality.

For many clients, the reality check starts with a pro forma, a financial projection that estimates a business’s future revenue, expenses and profitability to determine whether the concept is likely to succeed. Robert Black, whose background includes years of restaurant leadership—most notably as vice president of

operations for local hospitality powerhouse A Good Egg Dining Group—before moving on to owning and operating his own concepts, specializes in translating ideas into spreadsheets: projections accounting for labor, food costs, occupancy, margins and every expense hiding behind the excitement of a new concept.

The goal is simple: determine whether an idea works on paper before someone signs a lease.

“Everybody has a great idea,” Black said. “But the hospitality industry and restaurants are such a different animal.” Sometimes that process ends with a launch; sometimes it ends in stark blackand-white—and red. If the numbers don’t make sense, the business is unlikely to find a foothold.

The consulting side of SpringBoard has worked with restaurants, hotels, coffee concepts, country clubs, bars and food trucks looking to expand successful businesses. Some

clients arrive with dreams of opening their first concept. Others already have momentum and simply need help building systems, refining operations or preparing for growth.

And occasionally, clients discover they should walk away. Black said those moments can be among the most valuable outcomes.

“The people that have hired someone to help them take a good look at it and said, ‘This is too risky and too scary and it’s not for me’—those are the smart ones,” he said.

The math can be sobering. According to the National Restaurant Association, average food-service profit margins hover around 3.8%. In practical terms, every dollar coming in may only generate a few cents in profit. A single miscalculation can have outsized consequences.

For small independent operators—many working with limited capital and plenty of optimism—the margin for error is

even smaller. “One thing goes wrong and you’re out of money,” Black said. “Then the first thing you cut is labor, and then your service goes down, and it becomes this self-defeating cycle.”

While SpringBoard started as consulting, ownership happened almost accidentally. Lori Black, whose background began in nonprofit leadership and fundraising, said the couple originally had no plans to operate restaurants themselves.

In fact, they had a rule: “We’ll never own a restaurant,” she recalled.

Then came Evoke.

The Blacks bought the popular coffee shop in 2019 from friends. A few months later came COVID-19, and the couple found themselves not advising hospitality operators but becoming operators themselves.

Lori became a barista as Robert moved into the kitchen, and their children pitched in. Instead of discussing operational challenges with clients, they lived them in

real time, an experience that fundamentally shifted SpringBoard. Today, Lori said the consulting work carries a perspective many advisors lack because they aren’t actively operating businesses themselves.

“We’re business owners. We’re doing it every day too,” she said. “When he’s building a pro forma, he knows exactly what’s going on in the market because we’re living it.”

The company’s collection of businesses has expanded less through a formal strategic plan and more through opportunity.

Twisted Tree Baking Company helped fill a niche for artisan baking, both on the retail and wholesale side. Bluebird Books is as much a community third place as it is a bookstore. La Loba emerged after a completely different concept stalled when an unexpected opportunity surfaced.

The Blacks often describe these moments using a metaphor borrowed from the book Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey: opportunities arriving as “green lights” instead of carefully engineered plans. That

philosophy has helped reshape a stretch of downtown Edmond. On any given Saturday, customers move among sipping coffee, selecting pastries, browsing books and tucking into lunch as the owners move through the same spaces. That presence, Robert argued, matters more than many operators realize.

“The best restaurants and foodservice businesses are owneroperated, where you can see the owner on the floor,” he said.

For all the forecasting, spreadsheets and business modeling SpringBoard does, Lori said hospitality still comes down to something much simpler. People want to feel known, as one of their regulars recently explained. “I could go anywhere for a cheaper cup of coffee,” he told them, “but I feel like a VIP every morning.”

When it comes to building a successful restaurant, the most important element is the least quantifiable.

FEATURE

EAT & DRINK

Roll Model

Kaizume aims beyond sushi with French influence, collaboration and just the right amount of spectacle.

By Julie Porter Scott

Chefs Richard Ly and Chris McKenna began speaking openly about their concept new concept, Kaizume, about a year ago, and it’s been much anticipated since.. Ly, originally from Dallas, was part of the opening teams for concepts like Edmond’s Cafe Icon Sushi & Grill and Hal Smith’s Jimmy B’s Culinary + Krafted before opening his own restaurant, the beloved northtwest OKC gem Awaji Izakaya. McKenna, perhaps best known for his time as executive chef at Packard’s, has collaborated with Ly several times, and those familiar with the work of either were excited by the prospect, and fans followed the progress closely.

Kaizume blends the Japanese philosophy of kaizen—continuous improvement—with an emphasis on beauty, precision and satisfaction.

On paper, the restaurant could easily be described as a sushi restaurant. There is sashimi, nigiri and a selection of specialty rolls. But a closer look quickly reveals much more: There are steaks and seafood mains, and French techniques and ingredients appear throughout the menu. Robuchon potatoes share space with tuna tartare and A5 Wagyu. Kaizume appears less interested in fitting neatly into an existing category

than creating one of its own.

“This is a little bit different from Awaji,” Chef Richard Ly told me. “It’s sushi, and it’s kind of a French fusion type of deal. We just want to be different from everybody else.” While many sushi restaurants rely heavily on tradition and restraint, Kaizume leans into presentation, layering ingredients to create dishes that feel like an experience. It is a menu that encourages people to point at neighboring tables and ask, “What is that?” The most obvious example may be the crispy pompano fish boat, a whole-fish presentation with crispy breading over buttery, mildly flavored fish, served with a fire sauce..

Throughout the menu, dishes blend Japanese techniques with influences pulled from far-flung culinary traditions. Parmesan togarashi fries bring Japanese spice to a steakhouse staple. Haricots verts with hibachi-style butter and Robuchon potatoes are among the shareable sides. Chicken katsu piccata combines Japanese breaded chicken with a sauce more commonly associated with Italian and French cooking. The outstanding pom kampachi is amberjack with pomegranate ponzu, lemon, Fresno chile, yuzu and olive oil. The thought that ran through my head as I ate my

first bite of the delicate amberjack was simple: “I could eat this every day of my life.”

The result is a menu that reads less like a conventional sushi restaurant and more like a sushi bar, a French bistro and a modern steakhouse had a baby. That blending of ideas is not accidental; it is the result of Ly’s collaboration with operating and culinary partner McKenna.

The structure divides responsibilities while doubling the creativity and depth of experience. “McKenna does most of the cooked items, and we collaborate on what we should do,” Ly explained.

The partnership did not begin with Kaizume. The two chefs previously worked together through omakase experiences at Awaji. “We worked together creating a seven-course or an eight-course menu together,” he said. “We collaborated then, and we worked well together.” That history helps explain the menu’s unusual confidence. Rather than feeling like separate ideas assembled under one roof, Kaizume feels unified. There is a shared willingness to borrow techniques and ingredients from different traditions without becoming overly precious about categories.

Guests can build an experience around traditional nigiri and sashimi offerings such as bluefin tuna, hamachi and Hokkaido scallop, and classic rolls are available for diners seeking familiarity. Signature rolls push well beyond standard combinations, and many have luxury

ingredients. The Beverly Hillbillies combines tempura shrimp, spicy tuna, goat cheese, cucumber, seared A5 Wagyu, tobiko and gold flakes, with optional Kaluga caviar. Blessedly, this menu eschews cream cheese, deep-fried rolls and many of the entry-level sushi staples that continue to populate metro-area menus. We’ve all been eating sushi long enough—we don’t need our fresh fish served with cream cheese anywhere other than alongside lox.

The beverage program, run by Sonia Guadiana, slots in perfectly, with drinks built around Japanese ingredients and influences. The Tokyo Negroni incorporates Japanese gin and yuzu liqueur. The Misty Petal combines vodka, yuzu, St-Germain and blueberry ginger honey, while the Kaizume Old Fashioned uses Japanese whisky. The excellent sake menu offers everything from approachable pours to superpremium offerings like Tatenokawa and Ryujin Namazume. The wine list similarly balances recognizable labels with bottles that encourage experimentation.

Taken together, Kaizume really does align with the concept of kaizen. Two popular local chefs who have been honing their craft for a few decades and a talented bar manager team up to further improve on concepts and ideas they have explored elsewhere. With equal parts skill and imagination, they’re elevating what’s possible with sushi without relying on novelty—or cream cheese.

ARTS & CULTURE

Beyond the Festival

deadCenter Film enters a new era while expanding its reach far beyond five days in June.

By Julie Porter Scott

For many Oklahomans, deadCenter arrives once a year.

It shows up in June with red carpets, packed theaters, celebrity sightings and a flood of independent films that briefly transform downtown Oklahoma City into a gathering place for filmmakers and cinephiles. But for Amy Janes, deadCenter Film’s newly appointed executive director, one of the organization’s biggest challenges is helping people understand that the annual festival is only one chapter in a much larger story.

“The festival is our crown jewel event,” Janes said. “But education never stops. It’s 24/7, 365.”

This year marks Janes’ first festival at the helm, though she is far from a newcomer. A longtime filmmaker, advocate and familiar face within Oklahoma’s film community, Janes

has spent years orbiting deadCenter in various roles. Now she steps into leadership at a moment when both the organization and Oklahoma’s broader film ecosystem are evolving rapidly.

As deadCenter enters its latest chapter, the organization seems intent on expanding not just what it screens, but what it means.

This year’s festival, running for five days, will showcase 194 films selected from roughly 1,800 submissions. Now in its 26th year, the festival has evolved from a tiny event staged by a few local independent film fans to an Oscar-qualifying film festival. When the festival earned that distinction, the number of submissions ballooned, as did the need for volunteer screeners, who then funnel selections to the festival’s

programming department for review. Films that win a qualifying festival award between October 2025 and September 2026 are eligible to submit for Academy Awards consideration.

As always, the programming includes a significant Oklahoma presence, with approximately 20% of films connected to the state. For Janes, Oklahoma

filmmakers remain central to the mission. “deadCenter was built on elevating Oklahoma filmmakers,” she said. Opening night, traditionally one of the festival’s largest events, reflects that philosophy. This year’s Oklahoma-focused kickoff expands beyond the theater with an outdoor red carpet, live musicians and a

broader effort to create an atmosphere that invites curious passersby into the festival experience.

Music returns as a major component throughout the event, with performances woven into multiple venues and activations. Janes sees film as an intersection of art forms rather than a standalone medium.

“Film encompasses all the arts,” she said, with “music being the most obvious.”

This year also introduces a new Legacy Icon Award, with actor Lou Diamond Phillips receiving the inaugural honor. The award recognizes artists from outside Oklahoma who contribute positively to the state’s creative landscape.

In another expansion effort, deadCenter is extending into Tulsa for a new satellite experience, bringing festival screenings to audiences who may not be able to make repeated trips to Oklahoma City. Scheduled for June 26-27, the Tulsa experience will be hosted at the Philbrook Museum of Art and the legendary Circle Cinema.

Although the festival may be the most visible expression of deadCenter, Janes quickly redirects attention elsewhere. When she talks about the organization’s future, she rarely starts with June; she starts with education. Over the past three years, deadCenter’s educational programming has reached more than 67,000 students across Oklahoma, much of that work taking place in rural communities where arts access can be limited. Programs now stretch into communities across the state, exposing students not just to filmmaking but to storytelling as a broader creative tool.

One of those initiatives, deadCenter University, brings students together for immersive week-long sessions where they collaborate on original films. Scripts are developed beforehand; students select projects, and then move through production together. Several studentcreated works will screen during this year’s festival.

The urgency behind that work has only intensified. Janes expressed concern about the changing landscape for arts education in Oklahoma schools,

and views deadCenter as increasingly responsible for helping fill those gaps.

The organization’s Continuum program operates similarly, extending deadCenter beyond festival season and using film as a community tool throughout the year. Rather than traditional screenings, Continuum events frequently partner with nonprofits and civic organizations, using documentaries and discussions to engage audiences around larger issues. Some projects have produced unexpectedly tangible outcomes.

One Continuum initiative connected to a documentary effort surrounding a death-row clemency case ultimately helped amplify advocacy work tied to a young man’s sentence. Janes is careful not to overstate deadCenter’s role, but she points to the project as an example of film functioning as something more active than entertainment. For her, the goal is exposure and connection: Someone unfamiliar with a subject can walk into a screening and leave with an entirely new understanding of a community, issue or art form.

The organization is also experimenting with new outreach opportunities. This year, deadCenter will partner with the Oklahoma State Fair to host a collaborative Film Friday initiative involving festivals from around the state. The strategy reflects a broader vision Janes repeatedly returns to: accessibility. That mindset also shapes how she approaches her first year as executive director.

Although she knew deadCenter carried strong support, she admits she underestimated the emotional attachment people have to it. “I knew from the outside that deadCenter was cherished,” Janes said. “But once you get on the inside day-to-day, it’s remarkable how much this festival means to people here.” For someone stepping into a beloved institution, that affection can create both opportunity and pressure.

Fortunately, Janes

inherited a team eager for collaboration and organizational growth. Process and structure, she said, matter deeply to her, and she credits staff members with embracing that approach. So far, the transition appears smoother than expected. “This is the first year we’re ahead of schedule on everything,” Janes said.

Still, she is already thinking years ahead. Her larger ambition is not simply maintaining deadCenter’s standing but redefining it. As the organization moves toward 2027, Janes envisions deadCenter becoming what she calls “the deadCenter of indie film” — a destination for emerging artists and filmmakers searching for a place to premiere work and find community.

In her view, many larger festivals have drifted beyond the reach of true emerging voices. She sees room for a festival that feels accessible both geographically and culturally, and she believes Oklahoma City is increasingly positioned to support that vision.

The festival, which spans five days across 15 different venues, has been named one of the “20 Coolest Film Festivals in the World” by MovieMaker Magazine. It prioritizes the filmmaker experience, and attendees have many opportunities to meet and mingle with filmmakers, both local and visiting. At parties and events sprinkled throughout the weekend, connections are made as filmmakers network with each other, industry insiders and patrons of the arts.

“I went to a festival in Nash-

ville and everybody knew deadCenter,” Janes said. That recognition, she hopes, will continue growing, not simply because of a festival weekend, but because of everything happening throughout the year.

For deadCenter Film, June may still be the marquee moment. But increasingly, it appears to be just the beginning.

The 26th annual deadCenter Film Festival begins on Wednesday, June 10, and runs through Sunday, June 14. For more information, including a full schedule and pass pricing, visit deadcenterfilm.org.

CULTURE

ARTS & CULTURE

Pride Guide

Celebrate, Connect, and Show Your Pride Across OKC

By Leslie A. Spears

From parades and downtown festivals to art markets, drag performances, and family-friendly gatherings, Pride Month brings a full calendar of celebrations to Oklahoma City throughout June. Whether you’re looking to honor LGBTQ+ history, support local artists, connect with community organizations, or simply join the festivities, there are events happening all month long across the metro.

Pride on 39th

June 5–7, times vary Historic NW 39th Street District okcprideinc.org

Oklahoma City’s original Pride celebration returns for its 39th year with a weekend festival, vendors, entertainment, and the annual Pride Parade. The parade steps off Sunday, June 7 at 6 p.m. and carries this year’s theme, “They Can’t Erase Us.”

Pride on 9th & Artist Market

June 6, 7–10 p.m. Factory Obscura factoryobscura.com

An evening celebrating LGBTQ+ artists featuring local makers, DJs, performances, and immersive art experiences. More than 40 artists and vendors will participate

alongside live music and late-night access to Factory Obscura’s MixTape experience.

PRIDE on the Plaza

June 12, 3–11 p.m.

Plaza District plazadistrict.org

A free street festival featuring drag performances, live music, food trucks, vendors, and community organizations. One of the city’s largest neighborhood Pride celebrations, the event transforms the Plaza District into an all-day block party.

Youth Pride Night

June 24, 7–9 p.m.

Factory Obscura factoryobscura.com

Designed specifically for LGBTQ+ youth and their families, this free event includes a lip-sync showcase, immersive art experiences, and resources from local community organizations. RSVP required.

Oklahoma PrideFest 2026

June 26–28, times vary Scissortail Park okpridealliance.org

The state’s largest Pride festival returns to downtown Oklahoma City with three days of entertainment,

vendors, community organizations, family activities, and the annual Pride Parade through downtown. PrideFest has grown into one of Oklahoma’s signature LGBTQ+ events, drawing visitors from across the region.

Oklahoma PrideFest Opening Ceremonies

June 26 Scissortail Park okpridealliance.org

Kick off PrideFest weekend with opening ceremonies celebrating the start of the state’s largest Pride gathering.

More Pride Month Events

Throughout June, LGBTQ+-owned businesses, bars, galleries, and com-

munity organizations across Oklahoma City will host drag shows, themed parties, performances, fundraisers, and social gatherings. Check organizers’ websites and social media pages for additional events and schedule updates as Pride Month continues.

For the latest event information, visit: OKC Pride Inc. okcprideinc.org

Oklahoma Pride Alliance okpridealliance.org

Visit OKC Pride Celebrations Guide visitokc.com

ARTS & CULTURE

Screen Time

These are four films you missed, four films you won’t stop talking about.

By Laron Chapman

The Drama Friendships, sacred bonds and loyalties are put to the test in director Kristoffer Borgli’s (Dream Scenario) provocative new film, The Drama . Picture it: A wedding ceremony is one week away. The soon-to-be bride and groom, Emma and Charlie (Zendaya and Robert Pattinson), and their Best Man and Maid of Honor, Mike and Rachel (Alana Haim and Mamoudou Athie), engage in a

drunken, ill-advised game of “What’s the Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done?” Each person takes a turn revealing an embarrassing or compromising secret. What could possibly go wrong? The answer: A HELLUVA LOT. Following a sobering confession by Emma, the group is left gobsmacked. Her confession is so unsettling it serves as an agent of chaos for the duration of this darkly hilarious, incendiary and thought-provoking narrative. Part comedy, part romance, part psychological thriller, Borgli’s screenplay aims to provoke and unnerve its audience while offering a thorny exploration of a uniquely American conflict. It poses the question: “What does it mean to truly love a person without conditions?” Zendaya and Pattinson give terrific, full-bodied performances in this combustible conversation-starter masquerading as a cutesy romcom.

Is God Is

The instructions were simple: “Make your daddy dead. Real dead.” This is the straightforward directive an embittered mother, Ruby (Vivica A. Fox), gives her estranged twin daughters, Racine and Anaia (Kara Young and Mallori Johnson) on her deathbed. The twins and their mother (all bearing physical scars) are victims of a violent house fire ignited by their evil, maniacal father (Sterling K. Brown; referred to only as “man”). Hellbent on revenge, the twins embark on a violent, cross-country odyssey to face the “man” responsible for their collective trauma. One treacherous and deranged pit stop at a time, the twins come to realize that their journey to retribution must be paid for in hard-fought blood, sweat and tears.

Based on the award-winning play of the same name, director Aleshea Harris adapts her original source material with confidence and verve. Breaking free of theatrical restraints, the film is vividly alive, textured and cinematically thrilling. Young and Johnson have stunning chemistry. Fox and Brown are chilling, terrifying. Harris crafts a striking debut that echoes the early work of Tarantino and a modern twist on the classic “spaghetti westerns” of the ’60s and ’70s. By bringing the Black characters into the forefront of a historically whitewashed genre and honoring their righteous rage, Harris accomplishes something quietly radical.

Mother Mary

Hypnotic, haunting and visually sumptuous. Director David Lowery (The Green Knight) conjures up a rhythmic, bedazzled fever dream exploring celebrity culture and the cost of fame. Anne Hathaway stars as the titular Mother Mary, a largerthan-life pop sensation whose checkered past with estranged friend and seamstress Sam (Michaela Coel) threatens to upend her imminent comeback performance. Their serendipitous reunion unearths old wounds, dark revelations and the prospect of metamorphosis. Those uninitiated in Lowery’s previous work may find themselves alienated by his abstract and ethereal sensibilities. Those familiar with his oeuvre will savor every delicious morsel. It has an eerie atmosphere that envelops and holds you in its

grasp. Coel is the standout; she makes a meal out of every syllable, every glare, every gesture. Hathaway is also great—raw and vulnerable, always at risk of collapsing in on herself. The film is not without its flaws, as some of its ideas are muddled and obtuse, but as an experience it remains compelling and wondrous to behold. Also, the Charli XCX soundtracks SLAPS!

I Love Boosters

Gas prices are high. The cost of living is even higher. Making ends meets is less and less attainable. And yet millions of viewers tuned in to watch their favorite celebrities flex their wealth and haute couture at Jeff Bezos’ co-sponsored Met Gala. This is not material for my political soapbox, but rather an illustration of the amusing contradictions at play in Boots Riley’s (Sorry to Bother You) latest comedic satire, I Love Boosters. Featuring an all-star cast—Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Demi Moore and LaKeith Stanfield—the film follows a colorful crew of shoplifters whose mission to take down a voracious fashion mogul incites a grassroots workers’ strike. Riley is a truly original and visionary writer/director who skillfully fuses complex, weighty and timely themes with bold and whimsical costuming and art direction. The entire ensemble is electric and vibrantly alive, which pairs well with Riley’s futuristic, absurdist world-building. This is a brilliantly funny satire, a scathing critique of capitalism/consumerism and a dazzling piece of technicolor eye candy. It has big ideas and even bigger imagination.

ARTS & CULTURE

Driven to Abstraction

Local artist Abbey Wilson discusses how inspiration and identity fuel her artistic quest.

By Phoebe Grandi

How would you describe yourself as an artist?

I create large abstract works. I love to work in large pieces. I like to dance when I create my pieces, and I love a large enough canvas that I feel like it’s a full-body movement.

What has drawn you to abstract art?

I love abstract pieces because you can create a world that doesn’t exist. I love to create a piece that challenges your perception of reality. I like to create really immersive layer pieces that feel very unexpected, showing the viewer something they weren’t anticipating, something that takes them back. I love to watch people go, “Wow!” You can stand there and look right at it for hours.

People stand in a room, look at a piece of art, and emotionally go into a space; it’s almost like a private invitation to a room that no one else can go to. You look at that painting and you understand that everyone who looks at it accesses this unique private space, and it’s a sacred, special experience.

You use a lot of bright colors in your work. What inspires those?

I grew up in Oklahoma, then I lived in Los Angeles for about nine years, and then I lived in Mexico, in the tropics, for 10 years. My children were born and raised in Mexico until we moved back to Oklahoma again. We had a house that was right on the beach, and we would go for daily walks on the beach. So, the colors of the flowers, that home, that space where we lived, it stays within me. I want to share that it was such a beautiful time in my life, and I want to share that with people.

What was that like when you first started painting? What drew you to painting, or have you always been interested in art?

I have always considered myself artistic. Both of my sisters went to a four-year college, whereas I said, “I’m going to L.A. I’m going to acting school.” I’m a little more eccentric than the rest of my family,

so I’ve always been drawn to the arts.

Two years ago, I went on a date with someone, and I was telling him that I went through a horrible divorce. My ex-husband still lives in Mexico, and I left everything behind. I didn’t know what to do with my life and was thinking, “What am I going to do?” I also told my date that I’m creative, and he said, “Come over to my house and let’s do ‘pour art.’” When I went to his house his floor was covered, and we just poured paint and rolled it around on the canvas. Automatically, I was drawn to the way the paint moved and how you could control it to a certain degree. I love controlled chaos. You can control the paint to a certain degree, but ultimately it goes where it wants to go.

What has it been like to sort of launch this art career by yourself?

It’s had its own challenges, right. There are learning curves all along the way, but I would never have been able to do this at any other point in my life.

Also, being able to donate some of my pieces has been so rewarding.

I was able to donate a piece to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, which raised about $4,000. My cousin, who was basically my best friend my entire life, passed away from cystic fibrosis, so that foundation is very near and dear to my heart. I was also able to donate three pieces to Allied Arts in honor of Quincy Jones, who was my nextdoor neighbor in Los Angeles. I had so much fun living next to him. His mission in life was to make art accessible to everyone, which aligns with Allied Arts. So, the three pieces I donated were an abstract view of a record player in loving memory of Quincy.

How has it felt to share your art with viewers, buyers and other artists?

It’s such a gift to be able to bring joy to people, to know that a piece goes into someone’s home and whether they’re having a good day or bad day, they can look at that piece of art and feel grounded in the emotion that it brings them. It’s humbling and exciting to be so accepted into this community so quickly.

I remember when I began making art, it took me a while to show my first pieces to someone because it felt like being naked; because it’s all of my emotions on a canvas. But, I’ve been so welcomed in the community, and I’m eternally grateful for that.

ARTS & CULTURE

Joy in Darkness

Composer and multi-instrumentalis Kangwa Mundende’s music embraces serious themes.

By Phoebe Grandi

How would you describe yourself as a musi- cian?

I would say that I am sort of an ADHD musician, if I’m being honest. I’m primarily a bass player –– both classi- cal and jazz –– and also an electric player playing jazz and pop music, and sort of anything that would have a bass guitar. I am also really drawn to the sounds of cello and the piano; I love it a lot. I love guitar. I played a little bit of shoulder string instru- ments in high school. Now that I’m teaching band, I’m learning all the brass instru- ments and woodwind instruments.

For me, there’s lots of beauty in variety. I think that’s partly because I’m a composer as well. Because I can’t physically play all of the instruments at a virtuosic level, I like to write the range for larger groups.

Could you tell me more about your work compos- ing?

Composing is, I think, my primary talent, if you can say that. I love weaving emo- tional content out of the different sounds you can get with different instruments and vocal combinations. The biggest thing I have been working on is my opera, “The Burning,” which is about the Tulsa Race Massacre. Being able to write both the words and the musical content, it’s a journey into what type of relevant stories I can weave out of the words, sounds, and emotions. It’s a giant open world puzzle that I get to construct, and the more I delve into that the more I start to learn about myself.

What pulls you to music as a medium for investigating difficult topics or emotions?

Learning what type of people would commit that level of violence, is one of the main things that I wanted to kind of glean in my re- search for “The Burning.”

What type of person does it take to burn another community down? What type of person does it take to believe that they have to be better than other people? I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. But, through the music I was able to contend with a lot of those themes within myself. What type of darkness do I have? Who am I? It’s a huge question. Music was a way for me to access those emotions because, as a man, you’re told to sand off your emotions in order to be seen as a man within society. Music was a safe way for me to access those emotional spaces and allowed me to be completely human.

Do you bring this thought process and phi- losophy to your student s?

That’s one of the reasons why I wanted to get back into education in this capacity. It took about 33 years for me to really feel like I belonged on this earth. I mean, my parents did the best that they could, and I have a really great professional support system in the music community. But, no one taught me how to contend with the inherent insecurity that comes with being alive, and the bravado of having to be the best. At the end of the day, there are other musi- cians that are always going to be better than me. But, what matters most is: Can I accept the level of musician and composer that I am now?

How did you first find music?

I found it in church first. From an early age, I was im- mersed in the sounds of what we would consider the

Western classical tradition, that was the training ground for my ears. Then, when I started playing music in sixth grade, I was able to put those familiar sounds to note names. As I got to playing bass, it was more of an expression based off of the information that I gath- ered from church every Sunday. It was really just about the joy of making music with my friends.

How has the Oklahoma City community and music scene shaped your experience?

I feel like there’s a renaissance going on with the amount of music that’s being made. I’m actually trying to put something on the ground with friends, people who are community-minded and want to be playing music for ourselves. We’re really trying to, within that same spirit of community, to build it. Right

now we are called the Electron Cloud Orchestra. It’s definitely some of the greatest Oklahoma City metro area music minds coming together, a lot of people that I’ve grown up with, look up to, and just respect musically. We’re seeing how we can connect with different communities in Oklahoma City through our music, and I think that we’re going to be launching something that Oklahoma City is going to really respond to.

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CALENDAR - JUNE

FESTIVALS/FAIRS

Paseo First Friday Gallery Walk

June 5, 6-9pm, Paseo Arts District thepaseo.org

Bluegrass, BBQ & Brews

June 6, 10am-6pm, OKC Boathouse District riversportokc.org

deadCenter Film Festival

June 10-14, Downtown OKC (See pages 18 & 19) deadcenterfilm.org

Braum’s Affair of the Heart

June 12–14, State Fair Park okcsummeraoth.com

Soonercon 34

June 19-21, Embassy Suites Norman Hotel & Conference Center soonercon.com

Juneteenth on the East Main Event

June 20, 12pm, OKC Zoo Amphitheater facebook.com/JuneteenthOnTheEast

Summer Solstice Festival

June 21, 10am-4pm OKC Farmers Public Market okcfarmersmarket.com

Summer Solstice: Welcome to Native America Celebration

June 21, 5–9pm, First Americans Museum famok.org

Fourth Fridays in West Village

June 26, 6-10pm through October westvillageokc.com

INDEPENDENCE DAY/ FIREWORKS

Stars & Stripes River Festival

June 27, Oklahoma River in the Boathouse District riversports.com

Red, White & Boom! OKC Phil

July 3, 8pm, Scissortail Park okcphil.org

Norman Fourth Fest Firecracker 5K & Fun Run: America’s 250th Birthday Run

July 4, 8am, Legacy Park normanok.gov/events

Star Spangled Beach Bash

July 4, 12pm, OKANA Waterpark & Resort okanaresort.com

OKC Comets vs. Sugar Land Space Cowboys postgame Fireworks Show

July 4, Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark milb.com/oklahoma-city

Star-Spangled Nights!

July 3 & 4, Frontier City sixflags.com/frontiercity

FARMERS MARKETS

Scissortail Farmers Market 9am–1pm, Saturdays through October. scissortailpark.com

OAK Farmers Market

June 27, 9am-1pm. Last Saturday through October. OAK Heartwood Park oakokc.com

OKC Public Farmers Market Saturdays, 9am-2pm okcfarmersmarket.com

Wheeler District Night Market

June 26, 6-9pm, 4th Friday through October, Wheeler District wheelerdistrict.com

FUNDRAISERS

OKC Autism Oklahoma Walk

June 6, 9:30am, Scissortail Park autismoklahomawalk.org

Relay For Life of Central Oklahoma June 12-13, Wheeler District wheelerdistrict.com

YWCA OKC’s 23rd Annual Purple Sash Gala

June 20, 6-9pm, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum purplesash.org

FILM

OKCMOA Films JUNE okcmoa.com

• June 4 & 6 - National Theatre Live: The Playboy of the Western World

• June 5-7 Days and Nights in the Forest

• June 5-7 & 18 - Steal This Story, Please!

• June 17 - Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul

• June 19-21 & 25 - I Love Boosters

• June 20-21 - The Taste of Tea

• June 26-28 & July 3 - Time and Water

• June 26-28 The Currents

Oklahoma’s Credit Union Summer Movies at Myriad Gardens myriadgardens.org

• June 10 - How to Train Your Dragon (live action)

• June 17 - Wicked for Good

• June 24 - E.T. The ExtraTerrestrial

• June 30 - Cars

• July 1 - Minecraft Movie

COMEDY

Bricktown Comedy Club JUNE bricktowncomedy.com

• June 4–6 - Craig Robinson

• June 7 - Luis J. Gomez

• June 12 - Adam Carolla

• June 13 - Brad Upton

• June 14 - Rachel Scanlon

• June 17 - Drunk & Stoned Comedy Tour

• June 21 - Stormy Daniels

• June 26–28 - Mike Epps

Please Don’t Destroy: LIVE June 20, 6pm - Tower Theatre towertheaterokc.com

VISUAL ARTS

Nature Morte 1515 Lincoln Gallery June 4-August 1 1515lg.com

Anthony McCall: Solid Light Oklahoma Contemporary Through July 27 oklahomacontemporary.org

Formless Matter and Its Devastating Gestures Oklahoma Contemporary Through April 2027 oklahomacontemporary.org

Marks and Musings by Aztrid Moan, Todd E. Clark and David Hertz

June 5- 27, Paseo Arts District thepaaok.org

Prix de West Invitational Art Exhibition & Sale

June 5-12, 10am, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum nationalcowboymuseum.org

Aud Hamby, Dan Rocky, Jaxces and Victoria Garcia Art Show

June 11, 6-9pm, DNA galleries dnagalleries.com

Access for All at OKCMOA June 14, 12-5pm, Oklahoma City Museum of Art okcmoa.com

The Sense of Beauty: Six Centuries of Painting from Museo de Arte de Ponce June 20-September 20 okcmoa.com/thesenseofbeauty

Chad Mount: Frequency and Perspective

June 25 - November 2 Oklahoma Contemporary oklahomacontemporary.org

SPORTS

Oklahoma City Comets June Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark milb.com/oklahoma-city

• June 2-7 vs Round Rock Express

• June 16-21 vs Sacramento River Cats

• June 30-July 5 Sugar Land Space Cowboys

Juneteenth on the East 5K Run/ Walk

June 19, East End District facebook.com/JuneteenthOnTheEast

THEATER

“The Last Five Years” Southern Plains Productions

June 4-6, Little Theatre at Civic Center Music Hall southernplainsproductions.org

“Looped” by Matthew Lombardo June 4-7, Carpenter Square Theatre carpentersquare.com

“The Tempest”

June 11-28, Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park, Paseo Arts District okshakes.org/the-tempest

“Annie” Lyric Theatre

June 16-21, Civic Center Music Hall lyrictheatreokc.com

The Magic of Motown

June 27, Rose State Performing Arts Center okcciviccenter.com

Late Nite Catechism

June 27, Little Theatre, Civic Center Music Hall okcciviccenter.com

LIVE MUSIC/CONCERTS

Louie’s Lakeside Summer Concert Series, Lake Hefner - June

• June 7 - Squadlive

• June 12-Steve Crossley & Jerry Wilson

• June 21-Time Machine

• June 26 - Steve Crossley & Jerry Wilson louiesgrillandbar.com

The RUSH Tribute Project

June 4, 8pm - Rose State PAC okcciviccenter.com

The Last Five Years

June 4-6, 7:30pm, Civic Center Music Hall okcciviccenter.com

Beer City Music Hall - June beercitymusichall.com

• June 5 — EZ Band

• June 6 — SiC (Slipknot Tribute) & Lost In Hollywood (System of a Down Tribute)

• June 11 — Kings Kaleidoscope

• June 12 — Arkansauce

• June 18 — Parker Millsap

• June 20 — Electric Feels: Indie Rock + Electronic Dance Party

• June 25 — RayBurger

• June 26 — Kiss the Goat – The Premier GHOST Tribute

Summer Concert Series: Summer of Soul

June 6, 8pm - Scissortail Park scissortailpark.org

Ace Monroe

June 10, 7pm - 89th Street Collective 89thstreetokc.com

Tower Theater, June towertheatreokc.com

• June 7 - The Runarounds

• June 9 - Big K.R.I.T.

• June 12 - Between The Buried & Me

• June 13 - Juvenile

• June 14 - Fruit Bats

• June 19 - Bingo Loco (21+)

• June 23 - Psychics vs Science: Joe Diamond & Dr. Anthony Barnhart

• June 24 - TopOppGen

• June 27 - My So Called Band

• June 28 - Shordie Shordie

Josh Abbott Band with Special Guest Cam Allen

June 11, 6:30pm, The Jones Assembly thejonesassembly.com

Beats & Bites: Cheap Trick with Gin Blossoms

June 13, 6:30pm, Riverwind Casino riverwind.com

Deconstructing Sgt. Pepper

June 14, 2pm - Civic Center Music Hall okcciviccenter.com

Summer Concert Series

June 19, 7pm - Third Friday through September. Wheeler District wheelerdistrict.com

Lucinda Williams and Her Band

June 26, 8pm, Rose State Performing Arts Center okcciviccenter.com

Diamond Ballroom, June

• June 26 - Blade Rave

• June 28 - JINJER Duel North America diamondballroom.com

Resonant Head, June resonanthead.com/shows

• June 10 - Pearly Red Album Release Show

• June 11 - Melancholy Club w/ Empty Parking Lot and Lqm

• June 12 - Hastronaut

• June 13 - Donna

• June 14 - Vinyl Williams

• June 16 - Asian Glow

• June 18 - BRAT

• June 19 - CRIMEWAVE: A Darkwave Party

• June 27 - The Steppers

Legends: A Tribute to Barbra Streisand and Sting June 28, 7:30pm, University of Central Oklahoma calendar.uco.edu

The Blue Note, June okcbluenote.com

• June 4 - Compost Adjacent with Billy King & The Bad Bad Bad & Micharl Todd & Kiarra Day

• June 5 - House of Wavvez with Original Flow & Sundesi, Aleeah Bates

• June 6 - lovergirl with So Longs & the Dull Drums

The Blue Door, June bluedoorokc.com

• June 5-Pat Byrne

• June 11-Jim Lauderdale

• June 12-A Different Thread & Gordon McKinney

• June 17-Luke Bulla & Jared Tyler

• June 20-Logan Mac

• June 26 & 27-Linda Ronstadt Tribute Concert With Shelly Phelps & Friends

• June 28 - Rachel Sumner and Traveling Light

• June 30 - Dan Bern

Exit Champions

A national title marks the burial of the OCU men’s golf program.

By James Biscone

Last December, the Oklahoma Gazette published pointed commentary questioning the leadership and direction of Oklahoma City University after the university announced it would dissolve its men’s and women’s golf programs.

At the time, the decision shocked alumni and supporters. The article noted the irony of eliminating one of the university’s most successful athletic programs during a period of historic economic growth in Oklahoma City, describing the move as evidence of a university drifting from the identity that once made it a cornerstone of the city.

Five months later, the decision has become even harder to explain.

The OCU men’s golf team just won the national championship.

In one of the most remarkable exits imaginable, the Stars captured the 2025 NAIA Men’s Golf National Championship at TPC Deere Run in Illinois, months after learning their program was being eliminated.

They did not fade quietly. They went out on top.

For head coach Blake Trimble, the championship run began with disbelief. After winning the team’s previous two tournaments, Trimble said he was called into the athletic director’s office expecting encouragement and praise for the program’s momentum. Instead, he was informed the university was eliminating men’s and women’s golf.

Trimble said there was virtually no opportunity to change the decision. He proposed increasing fundraising, expanding recruiting efforts and continuing to build the program, but was told the decision had already been made.

Yet somehow, the season did not collapse under the weight of uncertainty.

“We said it from the day it was announced,” Trimble said in an interview with the Gazette. “We were going to go win the national championship and make our school look pretty silly for dropping this program.”

Mission accomplished. What makes the championship resonate beyond sports is that this was not a struggling program barely hanging on.

OCU golf has long been one of the premier NAIA golf dynasties in America, winning 11 national championships under former coach Kyle Blaser.

Many of these student-athletes came to Oklahoma City specifically because of golf, including players from Italy, Germany and Sweden. Once the program disappeared, so did the reason many of them chose Oklahoma City University in the first place.

In many ways, that is exactly what has always made OCU special. Its athletic and arts programs have long brought students from across the globe to a beautiful campus on Northwest 23rd Street in the heart of one of America’s fastest-growing cities.

For generations, students came to Oklahoma City chasing opportunity—to perform, compete, create, study and build a future.

Perhaps the most remarkable part of the season was what Trimble spent much of the year doing behind the scenes: He was helping his own players transfer elsewhere.

“I was trying to coach my guys, plan schedules, budget—and on

top of that I was reaching out to other coaches trying to help my guys find places to play,” Trimble said

Despite the emotional toll, the team rallied around one another. They won their final regular season tournament, then the conference championship, and finally the national championship.

The title also reopens the very questions raised in December. According to Trimble, supporters assembled approximately $4 million in fundraising commitments in an effort to preserve the golf programs. University leadership reportedly informed supporters that it would take $10 million to keep the programs alive.

To many, the championship now stands as both a triumph and an indictment.

How does a university eliminate a national championship program that appeared to be thriving?

In the end, perhaps the greatest criticism of the decision is not coming from angry alumni or frustrated donors.

It is coming from the trophy itself.

Because no matter what happens next, the fact is now permanently etched into OCU history that the final OCU men’s golf team left as national champions.

And now the larger question facing Oklahoma City remains unavoidable: What exactly is happening on 23rd Street?

When asked to comment on the program’s dissolution, the university provided the following statement:

“The university community is extremely proud of the men’s golf team, as well as the women’s golf team, for their hard work and composure this season. It is never an easy decision to discontinue an athletics program. The tradition and success of our golf teams is deeply valued and respected and will always be a part of OCU history.”

National champions are supposed to be celebrated, invested in and built around.

Not eliminated.

Thunderous Luck

The season didn’t end the way we wanted, but we’re lucky fans nonetheless.

By David Brandon

How many fans get the chance to cheer for a team this good? The well-oiled machine of a squad we’ve watched all year is better than previous Thunder teams, but we’ve been privileged to watch greatness for most of two decades.

That doesn’t mean there haven’t been tough moments. The Finals loss, the Harden trade, the constant injuries, Klay Thompson’s Game 6 heart-stopper, Kevin Durant’s exit to the Bay … all of these loom large in our collective memory. But take a step back and consider the history.

It’s only been 18 years since the team moved to Oklahoma City. As of this writing, the Thunder have made the playoffs for 13 of those 18 seasons, with five appearances in the Western Conference Finals, two NBA Finals berths and one championship.

Few teams boast a better track record of sustained success. Almost none can in a city as small as OKC.

Perennial relevance from a team like the Thunder is unusual in the NBA. There’s only one small-market team that can boast a similar track record: the San Antonio Spurs.

The Thunder’s Championship DNA

It feels like destiny to face the Spurs in the playoffs, given how much heritage these two teams share.

Before the Spurs, the great NBA dynasties were always anchored to big cities like Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago or New York—San Antonio changed that. The Spurs built their reputation on educated drafting, international scouting, strong culture and smart coaching. They didn’t rely on luck; they made their own, winning four championships through the 2000s and 2010s before Tim Duncan rode off into the sunset.

GM, Presti was there, steeped in the ethos of the Buford-Popovich-Duncan Spurs and ready to take the reins.

the Team

The prime Durant/Westbrook years were marked by a revolving cast of role players, most of whom didn’t pan out—veterans with very little tread left on

players are better is Hartenstein, who’s basically Zoomer Nick Collison.

And this OKC team is a real pleasure, even off the court. As fun as it is to watch Isaiah Hartenstein set bruising screens and dissect defenses with passing, he’s been a vital piece of the community off the court as well. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been a huge contributor to local schools and social programs. You’ll run into these guys all around town, on and off camera, and they’re well-liked. It’s easy to forget how incredible it is that OKC has a team like this to cheer for. Los Angeles post-Kobe has struggled to be a contender, even after signing LeBron James. Chicago fans have watched over two decades of mostly awful ball since Jordan hung up his cape. New York is just now emerging from its dark night of the soul after years of incompetence. Championship-contender teams in the NBA are hard to build, fragile, and short-lived. This is not a lucky team. It is a team that succeeds through relentless process, smart evaluation and constant development. Luck exists in the NBA—and you need breaks to win a championship—but the Thunder Way is to load the dice in your favor so you don’t have to count on it.

Sam Presti learned how to run a championship team in San Antonio. He cemented his reputation as a drafter with Tony Parker, a move that netted the Spurs multiple rings. When Clay Bennett’s group bought the Sonics and went looking for a sharp young

This version of the Thunder is much like the mid-2000s Spurs, with a high draft pick, several smart trades and late-round contributors combining into something greater than the sum of its parts. The shared DNA is obvious. And much like the great San Antonio teams, including the one they faced in this Western Conference Finals, this Thunder team runs on more than star power. Success Starts With the Rest of

the tires, cast-off high draft picks looking for a home, one-way players trying to figure out how to stick. This iteration is different.

Jared McCain and Isaiah Joe would have been among the best shooters KD and Russ ever played with. Dort, Wallace and Caruso might be the best trio of guard defenders on the same team in the league. The one exception to the rule that the current role

Not so for this fanbase. By an accident of proximity, we cheer for this team. We are the luckiest fans in the world.

PUZZLES

BY DAVID STEINBERG

e.g., in brief

63 Roughly

64 Exasperated television producer’s plea?

68 ’20s architecture style

71 Bridal line

72 They can be candied

73 HVAC measure

74 Molecule with the nucleotides G, U, A and C

77 The Arabian Sea’s Gulf of ____

78 Pickle type

80 Reach out to people born between July 23 and August 22?

83 When repeated, ‘‘Oh, please’’

84 Phrase on a Spanish candy heart

86 ____ carte

87 Sister of Osiris

88 Actress Ryan of the ‘‘Star Trek’’ franchise

90 ‘‘Me?!’’

91 Like milk that isn’t worth crying over

93 Warning after a slice

94 Good name for a salon specializing in mani-pedis?

98 Floppy hat

99 Aromatherapist’s workplace

100 Common forecast in Portland, Ore.

101 Struggling to decide

102 Musical group?

103 Princess Leia or Hester Prynne

105 Visitor center handouts

107 City west of Montreal

110 Worship

111 Loading the dishes and unloading the dishes, e.g.?

116 Agitated

117 Selfish person

118 Coin, commonly

119 Stink

120 Pen ____ (corresponding pair)

121 Like the strawberry champagne in Bruno Mars’s ‘‘That’s What I Like’’

122 Neuter’s partner

123 Tibetan oxen

DOWN

1 White bed, perhaps

2 Love god

3 Stance that resembles a ballerina on one leg

4 Using Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, etc.

5 ‘‘The Conners’’ and ‘‘The Jeffersons’’

6 Common palindromic text

7 ‘‘____ Lang Syne’’

8 ‘‘Relax. Calm yourself’’

9 One of two found on résumés?

10 ‘‘Of course!’’

11 Distinct period

12 Domino dot

13 Add at no extra cost

14 Sorcerer’s stick

15 ‘‘We’re toast!’’

16 Experts in body language?

17 Foot, cutesily

21 Something a child takes a swing at

23 Count (on)

24 Really not look forward to

29 Earlier

32 Ruler in Russian history

33 Finished

35 President in 1800

36 Knot again

37 Windy City paper, with ‘‘The’’

38 Trouble ____

39 Only U.S. state whose flag features a different design on each side (the back is a beaver!)

41 N.H.L. star Connor ____

42 ‘‘Awful! Awful! Awful!’’

47 Relative of an alpaca

48 Accessory used in some stretches

50 Paleo- : old :: ____ : new

PUBLISHER Red

MANAGING

ghorton@okgazette.com

PRODUCTION

Angela Clark Little aclarklittle@okgazette.com

COMMUNICATIONS

Leslie A. Spears lspears@okgazette.com

DISTRIBUTION distribution@okgazette.com

ADVERTISING

advertising@okgazette.com 405-528-6000

Gina

gnichols@okgazette.com

Natasha

ntopinka@okgazette.com

CONTRIBUTORS

52 Pharmacist Lilly

53 She may have a little lamb

54 Sailor’s opener

56 Feline that a neighbor may find

61 Note to staff

64 They’re toast

65 Supervillain in ‘‘Fantastic Four’’ comics

66 XXX-XX-XXXX ID

67 Away from the office

68 OB-GYN, e.g.

69 Online reference with many faces

70 Miniature photo gallery

74 Touristy destination

75 Bête ____

76 Insider, in spy lingo

79 So-called ‘‘Land of a Million Elephants’’

81 Follow closely

82 Individual account?

85 Spray, in a way

89 ‘‘It was my best effort’’

91 Wrap name

92 Parts of card-swiping machines

94 G flat’s equivalent

95 Pink-slip

96 Misinformed, say

97 ‘‘Stop!’’

98 Place for miniature boats

102 Arrogant

104 Sources of lead or gold

106 Cut quickly

108 Half of a fortnight

109 Invites

112 ‘‘Mean Girls’’

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY: JUNE

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the weeks ahead, simply being right won’t necessarily lead to success. Having strength, intelligence, wealth, or connections might help, though not as much as usual. But a different approach will work well as you strive to overcome challenges: a blend of cleverness and integrity. I invite you to be cunning while remaining honorable. Practice subtle strategy in service of higher aims. And here’s one more secret to ensure victory: Let go of any need to receive full recognition for your efforts.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Dear Horoscope Guy: Two astrologers have assured me that as a Taurus, I’m a natural-born money magnet. So why am I broke? I keep begging the Divine for cash miracles, and I buy lottery tickets twice a week. Still nothing! Please tell me when I’ll finally hit the jackpot. Better yet, give me the winning numbers. –Taurus Desperate for Dollars.” Dear Desperate: The “luck” you crave will arrive as you diligently pour yourself into building your sweetest dreams, spurning shortcuts and enjoying yourself as much as possible. The Divine prefers to fund eager co-creators, not wishful thinkers. I predict that a slow-motion jackpot will ultimately arrive through your devoted attention to doing what excites you.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Among the Dogon of Mali, *Sigui so* is a secret language. It’s used in a sacred ritual when people gather to retell their beginnings and patch up strains in tribal harmony. I’m borrowing “Sigui so” here as a symbol for a way of talking that I hope you will specialize in during the coming weeks: language that eases tensions, soothes friction, and fosters unity. Start like this: Unleash your trademark wit but spike it with sly blessings and tactful probes. Wield your fluency to burn away confusion and uncover unspoken feelings. If you’re in an extra-bold mood, give everyone tacit permission to be their idiosyncratic selves instead of their polished personas.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): What’s the holiest, most healing trouble you could rustle up right now? I mean trouble that freshens what’s stale but doesn’t scorch the earth. Maybe it’s a buoyant disruption, like telling wild truths you usually tend to soften. Or maybe it’s asking for what your future self pines for instead of what your past self regards as polite and reasonable. As a Cancerian soul myself, I dare both you and me to give ourselves permission to rumble. Let’s be brazen as we instigate creative upheavals in service to our cheerful vigor. Let’s instigate at least one concrete action that will rattle the stagnant pattern just enough to make life more interesting.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Sea otters are a keystone species. Their presence is essential to the health of their entire ecosystem. As they eat sea urchins, the kelp forests flourish. Without otters, the urchins overgraze, and kelp forests may collapse, which in turn affects hundreds of other species. One creature’s appetite helps regulate an entire undersea neighborhood. I suspect you’re serving a similar function, Leo. You’re having more impact and wielding more influence than you realize. No pressure! But please act accordingly: with maximum integrity and robust responsibility.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A Dutch woman who died left her grand-nephew an inheritance of 220,000 euros. The only problem is that he’s homeless and constantly on the move, so the executors haven’t been able to find him. This echoes a recurring pattern in your life. Even now, sources of blessings are searching for ways to reach you, but you are slow to notice their approach or to magnetize yourself to their arrival. My prayer: May you figure out what needs to be done to make yourself fully available for these gifts—and then ingrain that capacity in your habit mind.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Visualize your fears. Consider how few of them rest on a genuine likelihood that the scary events could ever take place. Then ask yourself how much of your uneasiness springs from vivid fantasies or from a practiced tendency to fret. You might also ruminate on how you absorb the background worry that’s amplified by mass culture. After reflecting on all that, I invite you to take one concrete action to lower the level of tension you have come to treat as normal. Take another action to weaken the grip of your deepest dread. The current planetary patterns suggest you now have the bold, creative power necessary to shrink your baseline anxiety.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Even more than usual, you have a sacred duty to celebrate your poignant sweetness and dark intelligence. For the sake of your emotional health, you should pay wild reverence to your deepest, most mysterious yearnings. To be the person we all you need you to be, you must tenderly nurture the parts of your inner world that resemble the aurora borealis. I want to support you in these sublime sacraments, which is why I suggest you memorize the following prayer by Rainer Maria Rilke: “Be attentive to what is arising within you, and place that above everything you perceive around you. What is happening in your innermost self is worthy of your entire love.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Linguists use the term “false friends.” These are words in different languages that seem similar but don’t have the same meaning. For example, the Spanish word *embarazada* resembles “embarrassed” to English speakers but actually means “pregnant.” I suspect you’re dealing with another type of false friend, Sagittarius: people or situations that turned out to be at variance with what you initially imagined. But rather than feeling unsettled by these revelations, I suggest you treat them as a prod to see with fresh eyes. Your disorientation could be the beginning of more interesting understandings.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): An ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is a code assigned to a book for commercial and cataloging purposes. It contains key information and includes a built-in error-detection notation. If you transpose two numbers when entering an ISBN, the last digit will tell you something’s wrong. In this spirit, Capricorn, I heartily recommend that you build more mistake detection into your life. Invest in extra safeguards. Add verification steps. Build in double-checks. The goal is to create systems robust enough to survive oversights and gaffes. I very much want you to give yourself the gift of safety nets that will empower you to take smart risks and intriguing gambles.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You may not yet grasp how richly creative you are right now, nor how much more abundant your generative powers could become. So it’s auspicious that you are reading this horoscope now. Consider this your advance notice: Your capacity to originate ideas, projects, and connections is surging, and it’s crucial to choose with care which possibilities you nurture and which you decline. If you are selective and intentional about what you sow, then about six months from now, you will be far more likely to gather lush, beautiful harvests instead of wrestling with overgrown, unruly tangles.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Ethnobotanist Wade Davis documented how different cultures perceive entirely different realities despite inhabiting the same physical world. It means that two people can stand in the same forest and see different forests through their cultural lens and personal mythology. This is simultaneously the problem and the opportunity you face, Pisces. You and others in your orbit are inhabiting divergent realities that superficially seem the same. If you hope to reconcile the differences, you must first acknowledge them as real. You’re dealing with fundamentally different ways of constructing meaning, not just small misunderstandings.

A New Chapter in Leadership

Kyle Powell has been named President & CEO. Powell brings more than 13 years of experience at Kirkpatrick Bank, most recently serving as Executive Vice President.