The Italian includes pastrami, ham, banana peppers, Italian dressing, lettuce and tomato piled high on an everything bagel. Photo by Natalie Green.
The Italian includes pastrami, ham, banana peppers, Italian dressing, lettuce and tomato piled high on an everything bagel. Photo by Natalie Green.
Bright and early, at 6 a.m. six days a week – 7 a.m. on the seventh – sleepy Oklahomans make their way to a café that serves breakfast and lunch on that most perfect round, chewy, starchy breakfast pastry: the bagel. Old School Bagel Cafe, based in Oklahoma City, operates 11 shops statewide – with two more slated to open this year – and serves thousands of bagels daily. Whether topped simply with cream cheese or sandwiching breakfast or lunch favorites, these traditional, New York-style bagels are a hot commodity. Bagels are boiled to create a chewy outside and a tender crumb inside. Enjoy a breakfast bagel with bacon, egg and cheese and a cup of coffee in the mornings, then come back for lunch. Try a traditional sandwich, like a Reuben on rye, or opt for the tangy egg salad, served with lettuce and tomatoes, on a bagel. Eleven locations statewide. www.oldschoolbagelcafe.com
The Scamorza features cherry tomatoes, smoked mozzarella and arugula.
Photos by Brandon Scott.
The Scamorza features cherry tomatoes, smoked mozzarella and arugula. Photos by Brandon Scott.
“Finally! I’ve been waiting six months for this to arrive!” exclaims Mike Bausch, lugging a large box.
Late-afternoon sunlight streams through floor-to-ceiling windows as Bausch unwraps the bundle, revealing a long, tripod-like metal stand.
“It’s a palo holder,” he says.
The holder helps position the pizza in the oven, though Bausch’s experience makes it almost unnecessary.
“I got videos of the world’s greatest pizzaioli using the oven, and I spent three months watching them, over and over. Then I started to practice,” he says.[pullquote]I tasted 30 brands of San Marzano tomatoes before I found one that has the earthy taste of Vesuvius.”[/pullquote]
Bausch has advanced so far in the science of pizza that sometimes you need an interpreter to understand what he’s saying.
“Most people think the grade of flour is important,” he says. “But what’s most important is the ‘W’ factor. That measures the elasticity of the matrix formed when the proteins in the dough bond together.”
Bausch’s family grew up on the hardscrabble streets of Manhattan’s lower west side. His father, like so many in his family – including Bausch himself – joined the Marines. Home from deployment, he’d take the 9-year-old Bausch to local pizza joints.
The shop that sold the biggest pizzas fascinated him, but his dad taught him to appreciate the place that sold the best pizza: the ancient, coal-fired ovens of Lombardi’s on Spring Street.
“I never thought I’d be doing this for a living,” he says. “I just loved it.”
Bausch joined the Marines, did a tour of duty, moved to California and was accepted to law school. His life was set, and he got a job at a local pizza shop to pay the bills. Soon, pizza became more fascinating than a potential law career.
A few months later, his brother Jim phoned him: “Mike, I found this town called Owasso, and there are no pizza shops at all!”
Andolini’s would be its first, and a year later, a branch on Cherry Street in Tulsa welcomed diners. Meanwhile, Bausch continued his pizza education. He went back to California to learn from his friend Tony Gemignani, who runs what Forbes magazine calls “the best pizzeria in America.” Bausch also competes in pizza contests around the world, and throughout his travels, he does a lot of tasting.
Everything created by Mike Bausch at STG is as you would find it in Italy.
“My idea of sightseeing is to go to a city and hit the four best pizza places, one after the other, starting at 11 a.m.,” Bausch says.
From trips to Naples, Italy, the idea for STG Pizzeria and Gelateria was born.
“Andolini’s is our spin on pizza. But STG, it’s not ‘kind of like Italy,’ it is Italy. What you find here is exactly what you’d find in Naples,” he says. “Some of our pizzas – the Margherita, for example – you’ll find all over Naples. We do others that you’d see only if you go way off the beaten track. That Scamorza, with its smoky cheese and plump, fresh tomatoes, that was invented in one Naples shop. We chose pizzas with personality. But everything here is what you’d see in Italy.”
Moving to a counter, Bausch carefully flattens a ball of dough.
“I touch the dough as little as possible, so as not to disturb the gases from the yeast,” he says, reaching for a spoon of tomato sauce. “I tasted 30 brands of San Marzano tomatoes before I found one that has the earthy taste of Vesuvius.”
By now, the pizza is in the oven. The 900-degree flames cook fast but not always in the same way. Bausch makes split-second, instinctual decisions when and whether to rotate the pie or move it to a cooler spot. Today, he gives two quick spins, and soon the pie emerges. It is rough, puffy, slightly charred and beautiful.
“Look at that leoparding!” Bausch boasts, referring to the tiny black char spots on the crust.
It has an ineffably rich flavor and a gooey blend of sin and reverence.
Like the pizzas, the richly flavored gelato made here is just what you’d find in a lazy cafe on a Naples side street. The Carpigiani pasteurizer, imported, like the oven, from Italy, heats and blends all the ingredients, and that, says Bausch, makes the gelato “silky, creamy and smooth.”
Like the pizza, it’s perfect. He won’t settle for less. 114 S. Detroit Ave., Tulsa. www.stgpizza.com
Coburn talks with Lesley Stahl on 60 minutes in December 2014.
Photo Courtesy CBS.
Former Sen. Tom Coburn served in the United States House of Representatives from 1995-2001, and in the U.S. Senate from 2005 to January 2015. Photo courtesy CBS.
When U.S. Sen. Dr. Tom Coburn left Washington, D.C., in January, he didn’t look back with longing or regrets. He retired with two years left on his term in Congress to return home to Muskogee, his wife, Carolyn, and his career as a family medical doctor.
Regret is a word seldom spoken in Coburn’s vocabulary. He’s an informed straight shooter when he talks about the nation’s Capitol and his time spent there, astutely observing the political climate.
What he did bring back to Oklahoma is a heavy burden about the future of America.
“Washington is a very sick place,” he says.
So ill, in fact, he suggests there’s no real remedy that might turn the country around.
For a man who never intended to be involved in politics, Coburn achieved legendary status, in the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1995 to 2001, and in the U.S. Senate, from 2005 to January 2015.
“I had no early motivation to run for office,” he says. “I just fell into it in the mid-1990s. I had no plans for being a politician or ever being in politics.”
He did hope to make a difference, however.
A Republican fiscal conservative, Coburn was quickly recognized as an elected official who was well aware of how Congress works when he arrived in D.C. He wasn’t interested in getting acclimated to the prevailing climate.
“You can learn the system in Washington in three or four months,” Coburn confides. “That’s not what the politicians want the public to think. I don’t think I ever got comfortable with politics. How do you not speak the truth in such a way that people don’t know it is a lie? In Washington, we chisel the truth, instead of speaking it plainly.”
Family Values
For Coburn, life has always been about living by the old-fashioned values his parents instilled in him – truth, honesty, dependability, accountability. Born March 14, 1948, in Casper, Wyo., to Anita and Orin Coburn, the family moved to Muskogee when Coburn was 2 years old. When Coburn talks about his growing-up years, he remembers an idyllic youth.
“I grew up in a wonderful time,” he remembers. “It was the 1940s and 1950s. We walked to school. We went home for lunch. Our parents were not worried about us. Other parents were always watching us.”
He recalls no mentor or older person he admired beyond his parents and their friends.
“I was busy staying out of trouble and trying not to get caught when I was mischievous,” he says.
“We tend to call ‘mischievous’an attention deficit syndrome today. Really those kids just have a Y chromosome. All of us have been mischievous at some time in our life, when we have gone way past normal. Children a little out of control need behavior modification more than they need medicine,” he says.
As an obstetrician, Coburn knows something about children. In his practice, he has delivered more than 4,000 babies.
It troubles Coburn that almost 60 percent of today’s children are born out of wedlock.
“Look at what we’re doing,” he says. “We are destroying our families. Government has destroyed the family. Government should make us strong and healthy. But it hasn’t.”
“There’s no shame in this country now. Since Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson, what we’ve done is unwind personal responsibility. Accountability has to be restored and with that public shame,” he insists. “We’ve lost the concept of being humiliated because you decided you don’t want to be responsible. That’s cultural, not political.”
Congressional Record
During his tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives, Coburn wrote and passed far-reaching legislation. These included laws expanding seniors’ health care options, protecting access to home health care in rural areas and allowing Americans access to cheaper medications from Canada and other nations. He also wrote a law intended to prevent the spreadof AIDS to infants.
The Wall Street Journal said of that law, “In 10 long years of AIDS politics and funding, this is actually the first legislation to pass in this country that will rescue babies.”
Early in his time in the Senate, Coburn, one of the most conservative members of Congress, became recognized as an irritant – sand in the oyster, chalk screeching on a blackboard. He made colleagues angry or frustrated. His greatest political tool was not in creating cost-cutting legislation or staging a filibuster. Instead, he found loopholes, built roadblocks and put holds on thousands of bills. He was called a “political maverick.”
“I was called ‘Dr. No’ after my first couple of years in the Senate because I would block both Republican and Democrat bills because they were either unconstitutional or duplicative,” Coburn says.
If that created any political paralysis, Coburn says that came not from him, but from the leader of the Senate not allowing any amendments on bills brought to the Senate floor.
“We thought the 200-year history of being able to offer amendments in the greatest deliberative body in the world actually should continue. The Senate leader did not think so because he did not want his members to have to vote on our amendments. The only person I truly upset was Harry Reid. I did a significant amount of bipartisan work with other senators– Chuck Schumer, Joe Lieberman, Barbara Boxer.
“The Senate was never brought to an absolute halt, as the Majority Leader determines what comes to the floor. Most of the time that cloture was not invoked because he would not allow amendments to be offered,” Coburn says.
“I did put holds on thousands of bills, but only because I believed they needed to be debated, or modified, and at least voted on instead of passed in the middle of the night without objections being publicly put forth,” he states. “I put objections publicly written and stopped bills that would not be allowed to be modified or amended. Many bills passed when the authors worked with us on our constitutional concerns.”
Every branch of government was fair game for his frequent calls for conservative reform, especially on rampant, wasteful spending.
“My faith has allowed me to be criticized and not worry about it,” he says. “I get my identity from unearned grace so I can be bold and take criticism and go right on down the road. That is my greatest strength.
Coburn represented Oklahoma in the U.S. House of Representatives and in the U.S. Senate.
“Congress is out of control,” he says. “It spends twice as much money as it needs to. There’s no real accountability in government. When the Internal Revenue Service, the President and the judicial system can do things that are extra judicial, then the bureaucracy and members of Congress aren’t accountable. That’s not a republic. It’s an attempt, but the republic has lost its way.”
In a probing interview on CBS 60 Minutes, which aired Dec. 21, 2014, Coburn called his Senate colleagues “cowards” and told interviewer Lesley Stahl, “Anybody off the streets could do a better job than the senators there now. They make decisions that benefit their career, rather than the country. That’s what makes me sick.”
For all the unflattering names labeling Coburn during his Congressional service, he returned home with an enviable collection of accolades. In 2013, he received the U.S. Senator John Heinz Award for Greatest Public Service by an Elected or Appointed Official, an honor given annually by Jefferson Awards.
Also in 2013, Time Magazine named him one of 100 most influential people in the world. Coburn is still friends with President Barack Obama. Although their philosophies are poles apart, they met as freshmen senators in 2005, wrote legislation together and got it passed. Obama wrote the Time tribute to Coburn and prayed for him at a 2014 prayer breakfast.
In April 2011, Coburn spoke to Bloomberg TV about Obama, saying, “I love the man. I think he’s a neat man. I don’t want him to be President, but I still love him. He is our President. He’s my President. And I disagree with him adamantly on 95 percent of the issues, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have a great relationship. And that’s a model people ought to follow.”
One of Coburn’s greatest worries is “young people today have no idea what the founding principles of this country are. They are not taught this in schools any more.” He also believes any young person who aspires to be elected to public office “should have a career before they enter politics so they will know how life works.”
Cancer Diagnosis and Return Home
After serving more than four years of his second term in the U.S. Senate, Coburn announced on Jan. 16, 2014, he was resigning his office at the end of the year for health reasons. Having survived prostate cancer surgery, colon cancer and melanoma, his prostate cancer has returned. He is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatments.
With his political career behind him, Coburn says his life now “is pretty good when I’m not working. I’m not getting on airplanes very often now. And I’m working my way back into my wife Carolyn’s life.”
Coburn met his wife, Carolyn Denton, in the first grade. Both are Oklahoma State University graduates. Carolyn was Miss Oklahoma 1967 and married Coburn in 1968. When he graduated from OSU in 1970, he went to work for his father, who owned Coburn Optical Industries, based in Colonial Heights, Va. When the company sold in 1978, Coburn used the opportunity to change his career focus from business to medicine, graduating from the University of Oklahoma Medical School in 1983.
The Coburns have three daughters, ages 37, 41 and 44, and seven grandchildren. They live on a 40-acre farm in Muskogee, and he says a perfect day, now, goes something like this: “I get up, study the Bible, have coffee with Carolyn, play golf if the weather is good, read, study, write. I work in my yard, trim trees and mow grass.”
Some days are devoted to chemotherapy treatments for his prostate cancer.
For the past 15 years, Coburn has taught a men’s Sunday School class at Muskogee’s First Baptist Church. He came home from D.C., every weekend to be with his family and teach the class.
“I’ve had a wonderful group of 75- and 80-year-old men. I’ve learned a lot from them through the years. They have taught me patience and that I’m never too old to grow and learn. What I’ve seen more than anything is how their lives have been totally changed through their faith,” Coburn reflects. “In the past 15 years, we have jumped around in the New Testament. We are almost completing it.”
His Legacy
“I shouldn’t be remembered,” he says. “No politician should ever be remembered. We should remember the founding principles of our country. We should not remember politicians.
“In my opinion, there’s only been one great president, in my lifetime. That was Ronald Reagan. He actually knew what he believed. He wasn’t afraid to speak it. If it wasn’t politically correct, he didn’t care. It was real leadership.”
While Coburn is bold in his political viewpoints, he’s humble about his achievements.
Coburn talks with Lesley Stahl on 60 minutes in December 2014. Photo Courtesy CBS.
The Edge at midtown includes one- and two-bedroom apartments and amenities for its occupants, including a private rooftop dog park. Photo Courtesy the edge at midtown.
The Edge at midtown includes one- and two-bedroom apartments and amenities for its occupants, including a private rooftop dog park. Photo Courtesy the edge at midtown.
Downtown Oklahoma City is rapidly developing to keep up with the demands of its citizens. It’s an exciting place that delivers a combination of historic charm, excellent shopping, fine dining and great entertainment, says A.J. Kirkpatrick, director of planning and operations at Downtown OKC, Inc.
Over the past few years, downtown has seen a lot of growth, both in residential communities and businesses, says Kirkpatrick.
“All of this growth definitely makes it easier for our developers to attract retail and restaurants into ground floor spaces,” says Kirkpatrick. “Dating as far back as the early 1980s, we have done a good job of attracting restaurants downtown, but the growth in residents has increased this over the past couple of years; we are actually starting to make the transition to attracting true soft goods retailers (like home goods, clothing, etc.).
“Our best example of this has been the Automobile Alley district, which is centered along Broadway between Fourth and 10th streets,” Kirkpatrick continues. “In recent years, we have seen retailers like Schlegel Bikes, Urbane, Plenty and Rawhide willing to take the leap on downtown locations with great success.”
When it comes to residential living, downtown Oklahoma City offers a lot of variety. Here is a sampling of what the area has to offer broken down by development name.
The Hill at Bricktown
The Hill design team has created 26 floor plans to complement any lifestyle. The Town Hall, located on the grounds, provides residents with exclusive amenities designed to make downtown Oklahoma City living at The Hill both easy and convenient. There are postal and package services, a fitness center, indoor and outdoor pools, a concierge service and large entertainment spaces connected to terraces overlooking the downtown skyline. This $75 million development features townhomes varying in height from two to four stories and ranging in size from 1,600 square feet to 2,200 square feet and begin at $350,000.
Level & Mosaic Urban Apartments
Level Urban Apartments is a modern, affordable and livable mixed-use community. Level is set in a contemporary four-story building, complete with 228 apartment units, an internal parking garage and retail spaces on the ground level.
Mosaic Urban Apartments is located just across the street from Level in the Deep Deuce district of downtown Oklahoma City. Mosaic is the newest extension of the Level brand and community. It’s a contemporary, four-story building complete with 97 units, an internal parking garage and retail space on the ground level. Mosaic offers its tenants a distinctly elegant, downtown living experience.
To help fuel community spirit, access to amenities are shared from one community to the next. This includes a 24/7 fitness center, club house with projector TV and a lap-length swimming pool. Both Level and Mosaic are a five-minute walk from Bricktown and a 10-minute walk to Chesapeake Energy Arena.
The Edge at Midtown
Located on North Walker Avenue, this apartment complex has one-bedroom and one-bathroom apartments starting around $1,100 per month and two-bedroom and two-bathroom apartments starting at around $1,479 per month.
Uniqueness is not only in location, but also in its amenities: gated gardens, decorative railings, metal canopies, parking garage, five strategically placed elevators, virtual fitness training room, private rooftop dog park, open air fireplaces and kitchen for entertaining, and magnificent rooftop views of the Oklahoma City skyline.
Block 42
Block 42 is a downtown residential community consisting of 20 townhomes and 22 elevator-accessed flats. Each condo has a private balcony or rooftop deck as well as a private garage. Block 42 is the first official “green” project in downtown Oklahoma City. By attaining LEED certification (for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), Block 42 has met the sustainability standards of the U.S. Green Building Council. This attention to eco-friendly design translates to a better quality of life for all residents, better indoor air quality and lower monthly utility expenses. Block 42 has two- and three-bedroom apartments and townhomes ranging from 1,300 square feet to 2,880 square feet with prices beginning at $295,000.
The Brownstones at Maywood Park
The Brownstones at Maywood Park is still under construction and will consist of classic Brownstones, or row houses, and will be designed and constructed as individual homes. There are no shared stairwells or parking areas. Each unit will have its own garage and entrance. Instead of sprawling outward in typical suburban style, each home is constructed vertically, up to three-and-a-half stories tall and up to 3,550 square feet.
The Brownstones will offer amenities like the option of a private elevator, materials such as slate and copper and the latest technology in construction, insulating concrete forms (ICF). In addition to forming an incredibly durable structure, ICF also inhibits the travel of sound. Maywood Park is bordered by Walnut on the east and Broadway Avenue on the west and extends from Second to Fourth streets. This four-block area will have a town square feel. These unique urban dwellings are an investment in a new chapter of the heritage of Oklahoma City. The three- and four-story brownstones are 2,380-3,600 square feet with prices beginning at $500,000.
Others Under Construction
Civic Center Flats. Photo courtesy Butzer Gardner Architects.
Civic Center Flats is a $6 million, 32-unit housing complex that is being built in an old parking lot immediately north of the Civic Center Music Hall.
The Metropolitan is a 330-unit, $45 million apartment complex that will be the largest single housing development announced yet for downtown Oklahoma City. Its location will be at Northeast Sixth Street and Oklahoma Avenue.
Lisbon Lofts. Photos courtesy Chris Pardo Design Elemental Architecture.
Lisbon Lofts is a seven-unit, two- to three-story multifamily project composed of two buildings and a garage building around a central common courtyard.This complex is slated to be built on the corner of Northwest Ninth Street and North Shartel Avenue.
Lisbon Lofts (Interior) Photos courtesy Chris Pardo Design Elemental Architecture.
This story was originally published in the April 2015 issue of Oklahoma Magazine.
On April 19, 1995, at 9:02 a.m., Oklahoma City was forever changed when a bomb exploded in the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building downtown. The north side of the building was completely destroyed, and 168 people were killed.
With the tragedy, the state capital became the center of worldwide news, and according to first responders, leaders and survivors, Oklahoma City stepped up to the plate and made its citizens proud. On this 20th anniversary of the event, we honor memories, pay tribute to those who lost their lives and remember to keep hope alive.
[pullquote]Be the Victim or Go Forward.”[/pullquote]At the time of the bombing, Susan Winchester was at Leadership Oklahoma, about five blocks south of the Murrah building. She says that being a child of the 1950s and ‘60s, she thought at first that the blast had been a sonic boom. Rumors circulated that the courthouse had been bombed before her office found out the correct location.
“My sister had just started working in the Murrah building,” Winchester says. “I called, and the phone actually rang, but of course, no one answered. I called my husband and told him I was okay. Then I called my brother-in-law to check on my sister, and he told me that she had been on her way to Stillwater for a presentation that day, so we thought she was far from the scene.”
But then at around noon, Winchester’s sister, veterinarian Dr. Peggy Clark, did not show up at her presentation in Stillwater, and her family began to get anxious.
“But, we also thought that if she had heard about what happened, she would be there trying to help, because that’s the kind of person she was. We became more and more worried when it became the time she should have been home from work and she didn’t show up. Then we really started panicking about what might or might not have happened,” Winchester recalls.
In what Winchester calls a “long reveal,” her sister was one of the last bodies recovered from the building. She had stopped by her office before heading to Stillwater.
“A loss in the family is a huge loss no matter how it happens, and there is so much emotion there,” Winchester says. “She had three little girls, but now the girls have all grown up and accomplished so much. One of them even followed in the steps of her mother and now has the same position. I had the opportunity to be the victim or to go forward and be strong and make a difference.”
Winchester served as a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1998 to 2008. Today, she is the chairwoman of the Foundation Executive Committee for the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. She describes a movement called the Oklahoma Standard, which the group will implement in April.
“The Oklahoma Standard is free, easy, simple, and it’s something everyone can participate in. The idea is that in the month of April, everyone should do three things: an act of kindness, such as taking the newspaper to the front door of an elderly neighbor; an act of service, such as a volunteer opportunity; and an act of honor, such as remembering someone lost in the tragedy, participating in the marathon or visiting the museum,” Winchester says.
The Losa Lounge features a replica of Marilyn Monroe’s infamous scene from The Seven Year Itch. The likeness was salvaged from a storefront in Wichita, Kan.
The Losa Lounge features a replica of Marilyn Monroe’s infamous scene from The Seven Year Itch. The likeness was salvaged from a storefront in Wichita, Kan. Photography by John Jernigan.
Tucked away in tiny Tishomingo, Okla., is the bed and breakfast that Southern Living magazine called the best new hotel of 2015. The Ladysmith Bed & Breakfast is an eight-room boutique B&B located in Tishomingo’s historical downtown district. Country star Miranda Lambert, who also owns the Pink Pistol – located across the street from The Ladysmith – owns the space.
The building, which was constructed in 1901, was sorely in need of a renovation when Lambert purchased the property. It had hosted everything from a beauty shop to a grocery store in its more-than-100-year history.
Anthony Pate of Pate Construction, based in Durant, was tapped to give the building a facelift.
“The building had been occupied some said 50, some said 60 years ago,” Pate says.
“It was a pretty big, dusty mess when we first got in there.”
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Yellow wood salvaged from one of the oldest homes in Tishomingo lines the walls of the 4:02 Tea Time room.
Tin ceilings installed in The Ladysmith were salvaged from another downtown Tishomingo building.
Lanterns light up the eclectic wall covering in The Sun Never Sets room.
Pate says the goal of the renovation was to bring the building back to life while keeping as much of the original millwork and plaster walls as possible.
“We tried to save as much as was original to the building as we could,” he says.
That meant hanging sheetrock where plaster walls had originally been and filling out walls with wood. A tin ceiling was salvaged from another downtown Tishomingo building and reshaped to use in The Ladysmith.
In addition to cosmetic and structural changes, Pate’s team had to rewire the entire building as well as install central heat and air. To preserve as much of the building as possible, this work had to be done in the building’s attic as well as crawl spaces between each floor.
Oklahoma City-based interior designer Phara Queen oversaw the interior design of the project.
“The first point of order was making [the space] cohesive,” Queen says. “It is one building, and you do have to approach it as a home, even though the rooms are separate. They still need a cohesive theme.”
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The French Quarter bar and lounge is paneled with reclaimed wood.
The After Midnight room.
Queen consulted with Lambert, and the two decided to give the B&B a design that Queen says is shabby chic meets rock ‘n’ roll.
“It is a good mix between the two, and that’s very representative of Miranda,” Queen says.
The building underwent an extensive renovation to bring it up to code. Queen says that the upstairs portion of the building has exposed brick walls, and that due to age, the brick – original to the building – was very soft. This posed challenges in how to address the décor for the rooms.
“How do we hang the drapes so that they stay up? How do we hang the wallpaper on a concrete wall that has been there since the building was built and make it look okay? Those kind of things,” she says.
Queen had much to work with to see The Ladysmith’s design through. Lambert regularly visits a popular antique fair in Texas, and she had amassed a huge collection of eclectic furniture and objects for the B&B. They were in storage the first time Queen saw them.
“[Lambert was] just putting them in storage, not knowing she would open a bed and breakfast. When I got brought on, actually, a lot of the furniture was purchased and in storage,” Queen says.
Wall coverings play a large part in the design of The Ladysmith. Metallic wallpaper covers the walls in the lobby, which also features a vintage confessional and tin ceiling. The Losa Lounge features a large replica of Marilyn Monroe that originally came from a storefront in Wichita, Kan. A tearoom and a bar featuring Texas and Oklahoma wines and a ballroom for private parties are all part of The Ladysmith. The breakfast room features three tables and mismatched vintage china on which homemade breakfast is served promptly at 9 a.m.
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The Knaughty Pine room is a creative interpretation of a forest.
Lambert collected pieces picked up at sales and markets to furnish The Ladysmith.
The shabby chic meets rock ‘n’ roll vibe is felt in The Losa Lounge.
Curtain Call, Knaughty Pine, The Judge and 4:02 Tea Time rooms.
Curtain Call, Knaughty Pine, The Judge and 4:02 Tea Time rooms.
Curtain Call, Knaughty Pine, The Judge and 4:02 Tea Time rooms.
The 2nds please room accommodates ladysmith guests for breakfast.
The eight rooms – two king rooms with en suite baths and six queen rooms with private and shared baths – are themed according to décor and feature outrageous wall coverings, from a metallic tree print in the Knaughty Pine to the exotic print in The Sun Never Sets.
“I love the wallpaper,” Queen says. “I’m most proud of the way that the rooms did come together, from a building that was pretty much ignored and falling apart to what it is now.”
The B&B has enjoyed immense success and solid business since its recent opening.
“It’s a very unique space, and it really has to be experienced to know how unique it is,” Queen says.
Television personalities, doctors, home builders and attorneys are just a few of the many careers and walks of life represented by the 40 Under 40 Class of 2015. Forty personalities and 40 unique stories share one common bond: Each of these 40 has worked hard to be successful at a young age.
By Jami Mattox. Photography by Scott Miller. Special thanks to Fifteenth and Home for providing The Queen of Love chairs.
Chief Meteorologist, KOCO-TV
Lane was born in northern Virginia and graduated from Old Dominion University in less than four years. He then attended The University of North Carolina and received a second bachelor’s degree. From mowing lawns as a 14-year-old to working as Chief Meteorologist in Texas and Oklahoma, Lane advises, “Don’t ever let distance get in the way of chasing your dream.” As Chief Meteorologist, Lane oversees all weather decisions for KOCO-TV both on air and online, providing evening forecasts Sunday through Thursday. Volunteering with the American Cancer Society and enjoying the outdoors keep him busy when he’s not predicting the weather. For the future, he hopes, “to continue to grow by keeping up with all the changes that the media faces.”
Chad Mariska, 39
Tulsa
President, APS Fire and FireCo
In 1988, Mariska was awarded the outstanding news carrier for the Journal-Star in Lincoln, Neb. It’s the same work ethic that earned Mariska the award that has gotten him where he is in his career. “Treat others as you would like to be treated,” he says. Under Mariska’s leadership, APS Fire has been named to Engineering News-Record’s Top 600 Specialty Contractors in the United States. He sits on the American Red Cross of Eastern Oklahoma’s Board of Directors and is a member of the Tulsa Area United Way Alexis de Tocqueville Society Steering Committee; Integration Officer for the Young Presidents’ Organization of Tulsa Board of Directors; Oklahoma State University Fire Protection and Safety Technology Industrial Advisory Board; the University of Nebraska College of Business Young Alumni Advisory Board; the Reliable Fire Equipment Company Advisory Board and is a sports coach for the YMCA.
Sarah Bednarz, 32
Yukon
Capture Manager, Chickasaw Nation Industries
A capture manager is responsible for winning a business opportunity. For Bednarz, that means bringing business to the thriving Chickasaw Nation. “I will get involved as a dedicated resource once a company decides to pursue a lead. I will then oversee the opportunity pursuit through award, unless a decision is made to no-bid it somewhere along the line,” she says. “Typically, I work on selected opportunities and oversee bid strategies, pricing, teaming and proposal strategies.” To relieve stress, Bednarz enjoys doing research on the future of the industry and doing math games with her daughter. She believes in continuing education and working on things that will expand knowledge and corporate value. “The minimum requirement should never be enough,” she says. “Always choose to assist others and work on additional assignments that benefit the company.”
Preston Harbuck, 38
Atoka
Associate District Judge, Atoka County, State of Oklahoma
Harbuck’s first job was working on his grandparents’ farm, helping them raise watermelons, peas, sugarcane, corn and cattle. It’s this humble beginning that influences Harbuck’s view of success. “It does not matter where you come from, or from how much money,” he says. “Be determined, accept wisdom and instruction, never give up, and you can accomplish your goals.” He credits his family and the people of Atoka County with what he has been able to accomplish. “This community has embraced me and my family, and my family has instilled within me the morals, values and work ethic that has guided me throughout my life,” says Harbuck. He is a member of the Atoka Volunteer Fire Department, and he and his family attend Cornerstone Church in Atoka.
Bonita James, 34
Oklahoma City
Marketing and Communications Associate, Oklahoma City Museum of Art
James grew up in a small Oklahoma town with her grandparents. After high school, she knew she needed to escape the small-town life, so she moved to the state’s capital and began working her way through college. She earned a degree in public relations and has since graduated with a master’s degree from Mid-America Christian University. In her capacity at OKCMOA, James serves as marketing support for the film program, education and outreach programs and events, membership and development. She is also in charge of the museum’s social media content and platforms. Off the clock, James enjoys volunteering for Other Options, Inc., Creative Oklahoma and other organizations that need help. “Whenever I hear of something going on that I think I want to get into, I look to see if they need volunteers. I’ve had all sorts of experiences just by showing up and saying, ‘Hey, I can help.’”
The Seven Mile bridge connects Marathon’s Knight’s Key to Little Duck Key in the lower keys. It runs parallel to its idle predecessor, which was part of the Florida East Coast Railway’s Key West Extension. Fishing underneath and between these structures brings excitement to the surface.
A diver explores the deck of the Thunderbolt – a 188-foot ship sunk in 1986 to create this dive spot 120 feet beneath the surface. Photos by Viuf Photography.
We’ve all heard of the wild parties and boisterous beaches of Key West. Its seductive summer sun, crowded bars and streets and well-known festivals make it a top destination for getaways, pre-wedding festivities, birthday bashes and all-around good fun. But next time a vacation takes route to the Florida Keys, stop short of the Seven Mile Bridge and explore a quieter island, whose waters are teeming with adventure and restaurants are hidden treasures. Marathon, Fla., welcomes its visitors with an open sea of possibility.
Sailboats find refuge in Marathon’s Boot Key Harbor and exploration on its calm, open waters.
Steering the Waters
Start your motor, and tour Marathon’s waters and coastlines by boat. Toss the anchor overboard at any number of these locations, where excitement awaits just below the surface.
Gas Up
Gassing up is critical to enjoying a full day out on the water. A fun way to fill the tank is at one of Marathon’s marinas. While the pump does all the work, hop off the boat and onto the deck, and gather any essentials needed for sea survival: Snacks, drinks, ice, sunscreen, hats and other attire, snorkeling, diving and fishing gear.
Captain Hook’s Marina & Dive Center
24.730° N, 81.030° W
Burdines Waterfront
24.703° N, 81.109° W
Snorkeling and Diving
Dive in and explore Marathon’s flourishing underwater habitats. Reefs, coral canyons, lighthouses and shipwrecks in this area give way to amazing swims for divers and snorkelers.
Sombrero Lighthouse
24.628° N, 81.111° W
Travel roughly five miles off the coast of Marathon, and tie the boat to a buoy surrounding the 140-foot Sombrero Lighthouse, the marking of a mostly submerged reef in five- to 30-foot waters. Swim from the boat to the base of the lighthouse and uncover the abundant underwater community of grunt, snapper and barracuda along the way.
The Thunderbolt
24.658° N, 80.965° W
Finding and tying off at this dive spot includes spotting the two white buoys about 10 feet underneath the water. Next, descend 100 feet down the steel cables connecting the buoys to the bow and stern of a 188-foot ship, intentionally sunk in 1986 to create this dive spot. Nearly 30 years of stagnation has created a colorful habitat to brighten these dark depths. Don’t be surprised if you spot a 600-pound grouper lurking around. Many divers claim to have seen this Volkswagen Beetle-sized beast, nicknamed Bubba.
The Sombrero Lighthouse marks the spot of a mostly submerged reef about five miles off Marathon’s coast.
Fishing
Cast a line and reel in some fun.
The Seven Mile Bridge
24.702° N, 81.155° W
Steer the boat between the bridge’s columns and throw the anchor overboard, along with some live-wire fishing line, and reel in good times and fun catches. Be cautious jumping into these waters; many times it’s sharks that get hooked here.
The Hump
24-25.528° N, 80-45.328° W
If you’re an avid or adventurous deep-sea fisher, plug these coordinates into your GPS and travel more than 20 miles into the Atlantic Ocean. Specifically called the Marathon Hump or West Hump, this area, among three off the coast of the Florida Keys, is located on the edge of the continental shelf. Look out for flocks of birds feeding – a good sign of underwater activity. Trolling these waters will almost always guarantee good cooking and full stomachs. Tuna and dolphin fish are most sought-after here.
Dockside Dining
Tie up the boat at one of these waterside destinations for some of Marathon’s top tastes.
The Seven Mile bridge connects Marathon’s Knight’s Key to Little Duck Key in the lower keys. It runs parallel to its idle predecessor, which was part of the Florida East Coast Railway’s Key West Extension. Fishing underneath and between these structures brings excitement to the surface.
Dockside Tropical Café
24.708° N, 81.084° W
Here, the view is just as gratifying as the grub. While dining, enjoy the view of Boot Key Harbor, a blanket of sailboats that call these waters home, at least for the season. Dockside’s Street Tacos are unforgettable.
Sunset Grille & Raw Bar
24.706° N, 81.124° W
This favorite is located at the start of the Seven Mile Bridge. Relax inside its tiki-style dining area or outdoors by its pool. Either way, enjoy great tastes – the Conch Fritters and Ceviche are delectable – and enjoy a serene sunset reflect its beauty on the water.
Pack A Bag
70 SPF sunscreen
Lip balm
Sunglasses
A hat
A cover-up or T-shirt
Sandals
A hoodie (shifting temperatures aren’t uncommon on the water)
Towels
Sandwiches
Drinks
Lots of ice
A Taste of Dry Land
Fish Tales 11711 Overseas Highway, Marathon, Fla. Don’t leave Marathon without trying Fish Tales’ blackened fish sandwiches. This family-owned and run eatery knows seafood.
