Oil & Gas Country

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April 25, 2024

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission regulates more than 70% of business and industry in the state. Photo courtesy OCC

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) is a state executive agency with a focus on Oklahoma’s fuel, oil and gas, public utilities, and transportation industries. Three statewide-elected officials, called commissioners, run the OCC. These officials serve staggered six-year terms, and they have judicial, legislative and administrative authority, ruling on and issuing orders regarding regulatory matters within the OCC’s jurisdiction.

“The OCC touches the lives of every Oklahoman, every single day,” says Trey Davis, public information officer for the OCC. “Whenever you flip a light switch, fill up your car, or purchase goods or services, the OCC has played a role in the regulation of the industries that make up the fabric of the nation’s free market system.”

The OCC regulates more than 70% of business and industry in the state, including its largest sector – gas and oil production. The agency enforces regulations that affect and oversee the safe operation of 359 public utilities, 8,431 motor carriers, 2,300 oil and gas operations, and 4,200 motor fuel facilities.

“OCC employees are fellow Oklahomans with a vested interest in improving the lives of every resident in our state,” says Davis. “We do that collectively by reliably ensuring we keep the lights on, the natural gas flowing, and the safe transportation of produce, textiles and other goods to market, so all Oklahomans can enjoy the fruits of their labors. Our employees have servants’ hearts, and realize the impact they have on the lives of their neighbors and the public at large. We are empowered to balance the rights and needs of state residents with those of regulated entities through development and enforcement of regulations in an open, transparent, ethical and just manner.”

The commissioners choose a director of administration who runs the agency’s day-to-day operations. The director also serves as the agency’s Appointing Authority (OCCAA), and is responsible for the OCC’s core divisions, annual $68 million budget, over 500 employees, regulated companies, and Oklahoma’s over four million consumers.

“The OCCAA oversees all agency divisions, finance, human resources and legal services,” Davis says. “This organizational design involves issues regarding agency regulation of public utilities, transportation, oil and gas, and other industries regulated by OCC in cases that come before the OCC. Considerable work is conducted by these various divisions resulting in hearings before agency Administrative Law Judges, and eventually by the full commission which in turn issues court orders on a host of issues involving mineral owners, property owners, oil and gas operators, consumers of electricity and natural gas, interstate and intrastate trucking, pipelines, above ground and underground storage tanks, providers of broadband and internet to public schools, libraries, telemedicine, and more.”

Curbing Quakes

The OCC developed its Induced Seismicity Department to work with the Oklahoma Geological Survey, the oil and gas industry, and stakeholders, to reduce the number of felt earthquakes from more recent industry innovations that increase mineral production in the state.

The OCC’s Brownfield Program received national recognition for its work with other public entities to remediate land once contaminated by historic oil and gas operations. The agency’s environmental unit works to protect the state’s natural resources from industry-related activity.

Home on the Ranch

By

Faith Harl

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April 25, 2024

Bed and Breakfast Lakeside Patio (1280x853) — At MeadowLake Ranch in Sand Springs, visitors can participate in and learn about pistol shooting, fishing and other ranch hand duties. Photos courtesy MeadowLake Ranch

One of the state’s oldest industries, cattle ranching, brings cowboy culture into the twenty-first century. Roping and branding cattle are all in a day’s work for a ranch hand.

Along with caring for livestock, many ranchers have established guest sectors, extending the experience of the Old West to visitors. If you’re longing for wide-open spaces, check out these respites.

Hoot Owl Ranch

Nestled in Cimarron County by the Black Mesa canyons, Hoot Owl Ranch spans 1,400 acres of natural vegetation and fresh springs. The land was settled by homesteaders in the 1800s. In 2005, George and Terry Collins purchased the ranch, originally established by George’s uncle.

Since then, the Collins family has raised grass-fed, registered Angus cattle. They also opened a bed and breakfast, building two log cabins on the property where guests can stay. Visitors can take part in a wide range of outdoor activities, from mountain biking to learning the ins-and-outs of the working ranch.

“It’s a little piece of heaven down here,” says Terry. “You can hike and see different things every time you go outdoors. We just love it here. You work all the time, but it’s a good place to live.”

Lazy S. Ranch

Lazy S. Ranch, which envelopes 5,000 acres of land ideal for hunting, is a family-owned business that specializes in cattle and wheat farming. The ranch is home to an array of indigenous wildlife, including whitetail deer, wild hogs, doves and turkey. Located in Frederick, Lazy S. Ranch is a stone’s throw from Lake Frederick and the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge.

For overnight stays, the ranch features a four-bedroom hunting lodge that can sleep up to 12 people. Visitors can participate in hunting activities alongside a skilled guide and experience the harvesting of wheat and alfalfa on a seasonal basis.

MeadowLake Ranch

From roping straw calves to archery, MeadowLake Ranch offers a bounty of ranching and outdoor activities for guests to enjoy. Located in Sand Springs, MeadowLake Ranch touts 260 acres of natural beauty and hiking trails. Although the ranch is focused mostly on leisure, it has a small herd of cattle and horses.

Guests can stay in their choice of lakeside or hillside cabins. To add to the experience, try an activity package that includes fishing, rifle and pistol shooting, and learning about the ranch hands’ responsibilities. MeadowLake Ranch also doubles as an event site, hosting weddings and private events.

Hitching Post Lodging & Ranch

With historic roots tracing back to the 101 Ranch, Hitching Post Lodging offers a taste of the Old West. Owner Jane Apple inherited part of the Ranch, which was first established by her grandfather in 1886.

Guests can experience all that the ranch has to offer by staying at the Hitching Post Lodge.

“We’re not fancy. We don’t look like the Hilton,” Apple jokes. “We’re kind of country, but we try to make it comfortable and clean so people can enjoy it.”

Because of its isolation from cities, the lodge is an ideal spot for stargazers. It’s also popular amongst rock collectors.

The ranch offers guided tours of the land to guests. Nearby attractions include the Santa Fe Trail, Black Mesa Cimmaron Petroglyphs and dinosaur tracks.

“If you’re like me, and you like being out in nature and away from the city, it’s really a nice place to be,” says Apple.

Adapting and Excelling

By

Bonnie Rucker

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April 25, 2024

353655710_740893914702833_7920751258278592244_n — Hosted by the University of Central Oklahoma, the Endeavor Games celebrate their 25th anniversary this year. Photos courtesy UCO

Following a spinal cord injury in 1993, Anthony Meadows spent six months in the hospital. After, as he was adjusting to life in a wheelchair, he happened by The Center for People with Physical Challenges in Tulsa, and his life changed. He discovered that, despite what he previously believed, people in wheelchairs do play basketball.

Meadows went on to get a scholarship to Oklahoma State University for wheelchair basketball. But today, his true love is wheelchair tennis – and he makes his living as the adaptive sports coordinator at The Center. There, he makes others’ dreams about playing sports with a disability come true.

Hosted by the University of Central Oklahoma, the Endeavor Games celebrate their 25th anniversary this year. Photo courtesy UCO

“So basically, anything that needs any adaptability when it comes to any physical recreation,” says Meadows, “[center members] come through me and we make sure that we have accommodations for their individual needs.”

Meadows and others at The Center offer members the opportunity to play a wide range of adaptive sports including wheelchair softball, wheelchair pickleball, power soccer, para powerlifting, boccia ball and many others. There are opportunities for recreational play as well as competitive leagues.

One competitive opportunity for adaptive sports athletes is the Endeavor Games, hosted by the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. The event celebrates its 25th year in June.

The Endeavor Games is one of the largest events of its kind in the nation. This annual four-day competition offers sports including track and field, cycling, wheelchair basketball, indoor and outdoor archery, air rifle shooting, powerlifting, swimming, sitting volleyball, table tennis and wheelchair softball.

“There’s lots to do, and there’s lots of fun,” says Katie Feirer, event coordinator with the department of wellness and sport at UCO. “There are competitions and then there are also opportunities for purely recreational [play].”

Feirer, an adaptive sport athlete herself, enjoys hockey, tennis and soccer.

Meadows and Feirer both emphasize the opportunities for volunteering with adaptive sports events. There are a lot of ways to get involved through The Center and with the Endeavor Games.

These opportunities for adaptive sports are most important, however, for people with disabilities – allowing them to compete on an equal playing field with others.

Adaptive sport athletes can improve in their sport and improve their everyday life through sport. Meadows encourages those he works with to be inspired by the achievements of those who have come before. Feirer agrees.

“[Adaptive sport] puts us on an even playing field. Endeavor Games gives you the opportunity to just enter as yourself, have fun, compete and enjoy the experience.”

Photo courtesy The Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges

Prepping for the Paralympics

In addition to serving local members, The Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges is a Paralympic training site for wheelchair basketball and para powerlifting. This means that traveling teams or individual athletes training for upcoming Paralympic games can go to The Center and have everything they need to train while they are in Oklahoma, says Meadows.

A More Inclusive World

By

Sharon McBride

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April 25, 2024

canequestlilithpedersonwinnersfacebook1123 copy — The Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services operates schools and offers resources for those with dual sensory loss. Photos courtesy ODRS

Most think of Helen Keller – who had nearly total vision and hearing loss – when they picture a deafblind person, says Jody Harlan, the communications director for the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services (ODRS). But deafblind people, defined as those with combined hearing and vision loss limiting access to both auditory and visual information, are more prevalent in society than one may think.

“People can have a range of vision and hearing losses and can develop both losses as they age, or due to illness,” says Harlan. “Some don’t know that people they know are deafblind. But there are services and non-profits operated by people like Jeri Lynn-Cooper and Cassandra Oates that are making the public aware of deafblindness and the needs of deafblind people.”

It’s all a matter of perspective, says Oates, the founder and CEO of the Sight-Hearing Encouragement Program, who is deafblind herself.

“Because we are normal,” says Oates. “It’s like if someone lost their foot and a hand. They are still a normal person, but would possibly need a prosthetic to help them utilize that lost or missing body part. Being deafblind is the same thing. We don’t ‘suffer’ from the sensory loss, but we experience the loss and learn to live a different way of getting around and communicating.”

Oates’ program helps connect deafblind people to the world and the environment around them, she says.

“We have workshops, educational classes, trips, camps and more to get everyone out and moving – and not shut-in from the world. We are working to rapidly expand and touch more and more cities to show the world we the deafblind individuals are strong and are independent. We can do it.”

Lynn-Cooper, founder and CEO of Jeri’s House who is also deafblind, shares the same “can-do” attitude.

At Jeri’s House, individuals participate in a variety of activities. They learn communication through Braille and/or sign language; hone independent living skills such cleaning, cooking, organizing, labeling, and identifying currency and clothing; get help with medical management; enjoy leisure activities, advocacy and Bible study; and generally get assistance in adjusting to their ‘new normal’. Awareness is key, says Lynn-Cooper.

“I wish others wouldn’t be afraid or intimidated by those of us who are deafblind,” she says. “I understand their awkwardness, because they don’t know what to do or how to act. Simply say, ‘How can I talk with you?’ Often we are isolated due to lack of education or awareness.”

There are also schools for the blind and deaf in Oklahoma, says Harlan. ODRS operates the Oklahoma School for the Blind in Muskogee and the Oklahoma School for the Deaf in Sulphur. Both schools provide services free of charge to students who attend class on campus, commuter students and those who attend summer school.

“In addition, the schools provide free outreach services, including vision or hearing evaluations, curriculum assistance and consultation benefiting students who attend other public schools, their parents and educators,” says Harlan.

Last year, 452,934 students took free online American Sign Language 1 and 2 classes through the Oklahoma School for the Deaf, says Harlan. Classes are offered in spring and fall. Check out osb.k12.ok.us and osd.k12.ok.us to enroll or learn more.

Communication Tips

When conferring with a person who has dual sensory loss, the ODRS offers the following tips:

• Say the person’s name or lightly touch them on the hand or arm before speaking to them.

• Speak at a normal volume. You may need to move closer but don’t raise your voice.

• Speak at a normal rate, unless you have a tendency to speak fast.

• Do not over emphasize or exaggerate your speech.

• In an area that echoes, you may need to speak a little softer and move a little closer to the individual.

• When in a group setting, attempt to have only one person speaking at a time.

• Specify when changing topics.

• Do not answer questions that are directed to the individual.

• Inform the person when you are moving away or leaving.

• When using phonetics, use words that are not similar to others. For example, “T” for tango and “P” for puppy.

• When stating numbers, use single digits. For example, “five six” rather than “fifty six.”

• Give directions such as “left” or “right” rather than “over here” or tapping on a table. Distinguishing where sounds are coming from is difficult.

• When something needs to be repeated, only one person needs to restate it.

• You cannot go wrong with simply asking the individual, when in doubt, “How can we best communicate?”

On the Record

By

Drew Joseph Allen

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April 25, 2024

429884881_18420548887020894_5707648322434295565_n — OKC’s Guestroom Records offers a variety of listening events and deals to entice new customers. Photo courtesy Guestroom Records.

The world of music is dynamic. And although streaming apps like Spotify and Apple Music dominate the market, the physical side is still alive and well through a multitude of record stores. Once thought to be a dying breed, the record industry is booming –much more than you’d expect.

“They kind of did die, but are definitely back in a big way,” says John Gabriel, store manager at Josey Records in Tulsa. “It’s something physical they can hold in their hands, but also, music on vinyl is going to sound much better than on a streaming service, and I think people are realizing that.”

The actual sound of a record is a big selling point, but there are plenty of other reasons people want to buy physical copies.

“Many love the thrill of the hunt, digging through dust bins in record stores and antique stores,” says Justin Sowers, owner of Guestroom Records in Oklahoma City. “Many enjoy the ritual of picking out a record, playing it and getting up and flipping it. They see the record as a sign of fandom.”

But just because records are gaining in popularity again doesn’t mean shops can sit idle waiting for customers to come. Community events, enticing discounts and an entertaining online presence are just a few of the ways these entities bring in the buyers.

“We try to stay active on social media, keeping people up to date on new releases,” says Gabriel. “We have listening events for new releases before they are available, even on streaming platforms.”

Sowers curates a welcoming atmosphere at his shop, he says.

“Our record store tries to create a community space, where occasional in-store performances, listening parties and giveaways happen,” he says.

Owning vinyl also comes with some benefits you won’t get with streaming.

“Records do not go bad. Artists cannot decide to remove their music from your record collection. If you have that record, it’s yours,” says Sowers.

In fact, many streaming platforms have lost rights to certain artists or had them remove their music for a variety of reasons just recently. But with a physical ownership, much like films and television, it’s yours forever.

“And if you do get tired of something, you can bring it back in for trade or credit for something else,” says Gabriel.

Having a rare record come through the shop is always a fun and exhilarating part of the job.

“When dealing and buying from the public, literally anything could walk through the door on any given day, that’s the thrill,” says Sowers. Both stores will do their best to give as fair of a deal as possible on a trade of sale.

“Even with modern records, there are so many color variants and such, we’re often surprised how rare something is once we look it up,” says Gabriel.

Vinyl ownership and the importance of physical media haven’t been this prevalent in decades.

“I think that’s a big part of our current success,” says Gabriel. “People want to have more of a physical connection to the music.”

Sowers understands this, too.

“Vinyl culture is primarily about the music, of course, but the hunt for the object itself is part of the allure.”

A Whole ‘Lotta History

By

John Wooley

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April 25, 2024

O. W. Mayo_saddle 1 — O.W. Mayo was instrumental in the development and success of Tulsa's most beloved music hall, Cain's Ballroom. Photos courtesy the John Wooley Collection

I’m proud and happy to report that this is my 200th column for Oklahoma Magazine. Since it seems to me a fact I should acknowledge, I’ve been wondering what I could write about to make this month’s piece a little, well, special.

Then, on March 2, I did a live broadcast of my radio show, Swing on This, with Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys from the Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, and it came to me all at once. If I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the venerable ballroom, as well as the 90th anniversary of Wills and the Texas Playboys’ first visit to Tulsa, I’d have two big pop-culture milestones to tie in with my own more modest one.

So here we are.

Those who follow Western swing music know that there’s a weekend celebration of Bob Wills’ early March birthday every year at the Cain’s. For the reasons I just noted, the 2024 version of this get-together was special. While the musical style Wills pioneered and perfected was not created in Oklahoma – its birthplace was Fort Worth, Texas – Tulsa was, as I like to say on my radio program, the place where Western swing grew up.

There were a couple of reasons for that. First, it was the city where Bob and his Texas Playboys finally got established. Second, it was because of their ongoing relationship with Tulsa radio station KVOO, a 25,000-watt (later 50,000-watt) flamethrower whose nighttime signal reached a huge swath of America, especially throughout the West, Midwest and Southwest. And, thanks to the first hour of every Thursday and Saturday night Playboys dance being broadcast live over KVOO each week, the Cain’s achieved a kind of mythic status, especially among those who only knew it from the radio. It may have been, at its heart, just an Oklahoma honky-tonk, but in the collective imagination of that simpler era, it took on mighty proportions. And the primary reason was Wills and his Playboys, who not only reached far beyond Tulsa with their Thursday and Saturday night one-hour dance broadcasts from the place, but also appeared there six days a week for noontime KVOO broadcasts that anyone could attend for free. It’s been said that in summer during the band’s heyday, the days of open windows rather than air-conditioning, a person could walk down the street anywhere in Tulsa and not miss a note of the lunch-hour shows.

As Brett Bingham and I noted in our book on the Cain’s, Twentieth-Century Honky-Tonk (Babylon Books, 2020), Wills and his group didn’t immediately zero in on the ballroom when they hit town on Friday, February 9, 1934; they had other, more immediate, concerns. Some six months before their Tulsa trip, Bob had left a good job as a fiddler and bandleader with the Light Crust Doughboys, which broadcast daily in Fort Worth under the auspices of Burris Mill, home of Light Crust Flour. (In those days when home baking was much more prevalent, the flour market was an extremely competitive one.) Some other Doughboys had followed him, and they’d started a new band dubbed the Playboys, playing dances and broadcasting over a Waco, Texas radio station. But Bob’s vindictive former boss, W. Lee “Pappy” O’Daniel (later a Texas governor and U.S. Senator), dogged their trail – to such an extent that he had just gotten them fired from Oklahoma City radio station WKY after less than a week of residency.

So, on that cold and foggy February morning, Bob, business manager O.W. Mayo, and the band’s trumpeter and announcer Everett Stover hit the road to Tulsa, leaving the rest of the band behind in an Oklahoma City rooming house. Dispirited and uncertain, they were headed for a new station called KTUL, where they had an appointment. But Mayo, who was driving, came up with the idea of first going by the giant Tulsa outlet KVOO, whose wattage was some 50 times that of the upstart KTUL.

It was a long shot, born of desperation, but it worked. The three managed to talk KVOO radio station manager W. B. Way into giving the Texas Playboys a midnight tryout. The rest of the band members were called, and they arrived in Tulsa, instruments in tow, in time to go on at 12 a.m. And with that radio audition, Wills and his Texas Playboys began their celebrated long-term relationship with Tulsa.

(The strength of KVOO’s nighttime signal is reflected in the answer to an announcement made on that very first broadcast, which offered a photo of the band to the person who wrote to the station from the farthest point away. The winner was a woman from Oakland, California.)

The connection with the Cain’s Ballroom, however, wouldn’t happen for another 11 months. Bob and the boys were playing a second-story dancehall in downtown Tulsa called the Pla-Mor, and gigging all around the area, when they were hired by a nurses’ association at Morningside Hospital (now Hillcrest) to play a benefit dance at the Cain’s on January 1, 1935. Mayo and the musicians quickly realized that the Cain’s – twice the size of the Pla-Mor – would make a dandy base of operations, and Mayo quickly cut a deal that would allow the Playboys to move their dances there, which is how the Cain’s Ballroom became nothing less than the Carnegie Hall of Western Swing.

It hadn’t always been the Cain’s. Built in 1924 by Tulsa pioneer Tate Brady, the sandstone-and-brick structure was supposed to have been a garage for Hupmobile autos. It’s unclear, however, whether any vehicles made by the Hupp Motor Car Company ever rolled onto its floor. Soon after its construction, Brady turned the place into a dancehall called the Louvre – and, despite fairly exhaustive research, neither Brett Bingham nor I have ever been able to find out why Brady named it after the famous Paris art museum, if that’s indeed the case.

Brady, who left what turned out to be a tainted legacy, died the year after the building was finished. In 1930, a dance instructor named Madison “Daddy” Cain leased the building from Brady’s estate, renaming the place the Cain’s Dancing Academy. There, along with his wife, Alice, and main instructor Howard Turner, Cain gave ballroom-dancing lessons until a stroke incapacitated him a few years later. However, Turner continued the dance instruction (and negotiated the agreement with Mayo); lessons were still going on in the building when O.W. Mayo took over the Cain’s lease, two years later, and they continued there for years afterward.

There are a lot of people who did a lot to get the Cain’s to its 100-year mark, including – but certainly not limited to – Larry Shaeffer, who took the venue over as a young concert promoter in the mid-’70s (starting the Bob Wills birthday-weekend celebrations in the early ‘90s) and kept it going until 1999, along with the Rodgers family, who purchased it in the early 2000s and almost immediately made wide-ranging, and much-needed, renovations. Chad and Hunter Rodgers continue to successfully book a wide-ranging array of acts into the Cain’s, just as Shaeffer did.

I think, though, that sometimes O.W. Mayo doesn’t get quite the credit he deserves in all of this. Not only was he the one who got Wills and his Playboys on KVOO; he also (1) negotiated the deal that gave the group the Cain’s for its home base and (2) ended up owning the place from 1944 until 1972. In addition, he’s the man responsible for the unique gallery of long-ago performers who look down from the ballroom’s walls. For a long time, that array also included a photo of KVOO’s W.B. Way; and still today, if you take a good look around, among the stars of 70-plus years ago you’ll see a big picture of Howard Turner, as well as one of O.W. Mayo himself.

Which, I believe, is exactly how it should be.

The Life of Spice

By

Gina Michalopulos Kingsley

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April 25, 2024

17-bXS_P — Colorful, captivating and temperate, Grenada should be on your travel bucket list. Photos by Gina Michalopulos Kingsley

If variety is the spice of life, then the life of spice is in the captivating Caribbean island country of Grenada. Tiny but mighty, it’s the second largest producer of nutmeg behind Indonesia. Mace, cloves, cinnamon and ginger are Grenada’s other major exports. The island is adorned with bushy evergreen trees of cinnamon, where the spice actually comes from the bark.

The vibrant port of Grenada is a menagerie of architecture, perfectly positioned among the pastel-ladden landscape. This color scheme sets Grenada apart from the typical jewel-toned palettes of the Caribbean. While there are various excursions available, one can customize a tour of Grenada by selecting a taxi tour guide who can show you highlights of your specific interests. After all, combining nature with culture is a smart way to understand a destination.

Annandale Waterfall is a 30-foot spectacle nestled within a forest park grotto. At the entrance, local women sell their handicrafts of fragrant garland necklaces with local spices. The pungent aromas of the potpourri souvenir will freshen any space while reminding you of the magical island. Wind your way through the ascent of lush trails; the climax of this is the stunning waterfall. Tourists can watch brave locals jump into the waterfall. Exiting the park, there are families of musicians greeting you with genuine, hospitable charm.

Drive through the delightful neighborhoods of this spice island and visit the agricultural shops for demonstrations. Imagine balls of nutmeg that can be grated into fresh flakes to garnish your foods or beverages. Spices can be purchased for souvenirs, as well as in tincture form – nutmeg makes a potent pain relief when made into cream. On your way through the hilly neighborhoods, you’ll see children playing in the schoolyard. Colorful homes with tropical trees decorate the hillsides where farming takes place.

The Fort Frederick Castle, cresting atop a hill overlooking the sea, has a unique distinction. It’s one of the few forts in history which never fired its cannons in anger. It was built by the French and taken from the British in 1779. The French flabbergasted the British – who expected an inland naval attack. Hoping to avoid being surprised in the same way, the French constructed Fort Frederick as a “backward facing fort,” with its cannons facing inland against the hills rather than towards the sea.

The vistas from the fort make you fall in love with Grenada. It’s no wonder several celebrities reportedly own homes there.

Another feature of the town is the Sendall Tunnel. This narrow, 340-foot passageway, created in 1894, burrows through the street and was originally designed for horse carriages. However, nowadays, people walk through it for fun and a sense of history.

Carenage is the inlet promenade perfect for strolling along the charming waterfront. Carenage, a French word meaning “safe anchorage,” exudes the pride of Grenada’s capital city of St. George. The caldera views of this volcanic island are part of the breathtaking features of this blissful destination which dates back to 1650.

Spend time strolling through the city center of cafes, stores, museums and the utterly relaxing Sails restaurant extending onto the waterfront. Specialty drinks and unique margaritas are enjoyed while gazing at the colorful architectural scenery of the island.

The boats in the marina reflect the personality of their owners, with clever boat names and colorful designs. Contemporary and abstract artistic nuances are found along the way – which add a dimension of appreciation for this enigmatic island.

Some Sound Advice

By

Rebecca Fast

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April 25, 2024

Being able to hear – and hear well – is something many of us take for granted.

Jacob Burdett, D.O., an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist with Saint Francis Health System, says hearing loss isn’t exactly inevitable with age, but it is a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

“Unfortunately in life, we are exposed to noise pollution,” he says. “In many instances, we can control our noise exposure and use of hearing protections. If we don’t avoid noisy environments, we will trend toward hearing loss over the course of our lives. It is best to protect your hearing, because you only get one set of ears. When they wear out, a hearing aid can be helpful – but it is not like ‘another set of ears.’”

To understand the level of noise that can cause hearing loss and to protect employees in the workplace, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) provides a variety of recommendations regarding occupational noise exposure.

“OSHA recommendations for hearing protection start at a threshold of 85 decibels of exposure over an eight-hour period of time,” says Burdett. “There are caveats to the recommendations and [they] vary based on the level of noise and length of exposure. The general rule to follow: If you have to raise your voice or work harder to speak to another person because of background noise, you should probably be wearing hearing protection or avoid the situation [with noise] as best you can.”

He says using a leaf blower, lawnmower or other common household equipment is a good example of moderate noise exposure that requires hearing protection, and there are many protective devices available.

Another factor when considering what affects hearing loss is the increased popularity and long-term use of earbuds and headphones.

“Headsets are a very helpful tool in the world today,” says Burdett. “The best fitting pair can be a challenge and safety should be a prime consideration. Any headset should be worn and recommended by the manufacturer and kept at an appropriate volume to limit exposure to excessive noise.”

He says ‘in the ear’ headphones limit the escape of sounds, allowing the sound to stay in the ear canal, which can help with noise cancellation.

“The downside to ‘in the ear’ hearing devices include limited moisture control and hearing damage if used at high volume for extended periods,” says Burdett. “I find that people will have increased risk for ear wax (cerumen) impaction and outer ear infections. I personally favor ‘on the ear’ or ‘over the ear’ sound systems—and personally use over the ear headphones with noise cancellation.”

While some hearing damage is reversible, Burdett says repeated injury to the ears will lead to permanent hearing loss over time.

How to Clean Your Ears

When it comes to cleaning the ear, many people have a bad habit of using cotton swabs, which is against the manufacturer’s recommendations.

“The bottom line is that ears are self-cleaning,” says Burdett. “In normal instances, you do not need to clean the ear canal. Wax is supposed to be there. All cleaning methods available over the counter can be irritating to the ear canal if used too often or improperly. It is best to leave the ear alone and only gently wipe visible wax from the outer ear with a washcloth.”

However, he says as we age, we can produce a thicker wax in the ear that may require extra attention.

“People who wear ear-buds, ‘in the ear’ hearing protection, or hearing aids, can have difficulty with wax accumulation,” says Burdett. “If you feel you’re making too much wax or you need to clean your ears out, make an appointment with an ENT to check the ears. If you have excess wax, it can be cleaned in the office. If your ENT recommends maintenance for the ear, follow their instructions. Some people require regular visits to have ear cleanings. This is akin to going to the dentist to reach the tough spots you can’t get on your own.”

A City in Full Bloom

By

Henry Dolive

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April 25, 2024

369866533_728261376004410_7777977799737110493_n — Main Street Durant hosts an array of events, like seasonal farmers markets and outdoor concerts. Photo courtesy Main Street Durant

Hordes of visitors flocked to Durant in early April in hopes of experiencing a total solar eclipse. But now that the much-heralded celestial event has passed, this city near Oklahoma’s southern border is settling in for another busy tourist season.

Durant, the seat of Bryan County, has plenty to offer. Situated some 160 miles south of Tulsa and 150 miles southeast of Oklahoma City, the city of just over 18,000 has a variety of ways to entice passers-by.

Take Lake Texoma, for instance. The 89,000-surface-acre lake is Oklahoma’s second largest, and lies just west of Durant. The sprawling body of water situated on the Oklahoma-Texas border is a water sports mecca, drawing a reported 6 million visitors annually. In addition to being one of the premier striped bass hot spots in the Southwest, it offers swimming, camping, picnic areas, wildlife viewing and hiking.

Visitors also can immerse themselves in early-day history at historic Fort Washita northwest of Durant, and the Durant Historical Society’s Three Valley Museum downtown.

Fort Washita was established in 1842 and has a notable place in United States history before, during and after the Civil War.

Meanwhile, the downtown Three Valley Museum will mark its 20th year in its present location with a celebration June 25.

The museum is a popular stopover, director Nancy Ferris says, drawing about 3,500 visitors a year, and is one of Durant’s “best-kept secrets.”

In addition to the 20th anniversary celebration, Ferris says historical society members are preparing a new exhibit featuring several Durant ties to the music industry, including the late Buddy Holly’s group The Crickets.

“The museum is unique in that 99% of the items have been donated by local citizens who are dedicated to preserving the history and artifacts that tell the story of our humble beginnings and achievements,” she says.

Grace Rudolf, tourism coordinator for the Durant Area Chamber of Commerce, suggested marking the May 30-June 1 weekend for Durant’s annual Magnolia Festival. The event will be coupled with the annual PRCA Rodeo in town that weekend.

“It’s a big deal,” she says. The festival, which salutes Durant’s status as Oklahoma’s “Magnolia Capital,” features a carnival, food trucks and more than 120 vendors.

Rudolf says looking ahead, visitors might want to check on dates for the Chamber’s fall outdoor concert series that runs from late September to early October in the city’s Market Square.

Gaming activities and entertainment beckon visitors at the Choctaw Nation’s Choctaw Casino and Resort, on the southwest side of Durant on U.S. 69/75. The massive entertainment complex draws visitors annually from Oklahoma and several surrounding states.

The Durant Tourism Economic Development Authority, composed of representatives from city government, businesses, industries and the Choctaw Nation, maintains a website, discoverdurant.com, that lists local attractions and events, and shopping, dining and lodging suggestions.

“It’s a good way to promote what we’ve got going on,” says Rudolf.

The bustling Southeastern State University offers attractions year-round in addition to an array of baccalaureate-level and graduate-level programs, with an overall mission of fostering cultural opportunities, economic growth and scientific and technological progress for southeastern Oklahoma.

“We love Southeastern; we work with them all the time,” Rudolf says, noting its involvement in community life. “They’re growing.”

And if all that isn’t enough, visitors can look at, and most certainly photograph, an aluminum sculpture that Durant leadership bills as the “World’s Largest Peanut,” mounted outside Durant’s downtown city hall. It was placed in 1974 as a tribute to the then-thriving peanut farming industry in southeastern Oklahoma.