Edmond Outlook April 2012

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749-2433North Campus

946-7799Central Campus

912-3260Moore Campus

Licensed by O.B.P.V.S. Programs offered vary by campus.

plattcolleges.edu For important program information, go to plattcolleges.edu/Disclosure.htm.

Practical Nursing • BSN Nursing • A.S. Nursing (LPN to RN)Dental Assistant • Pharmacy Technician • Medical Asst./PhlebotomyA.S. Culinary Arts • Pastry Arts • A.S. Medical Laboratory Technician

A.S. Respiratory Care Surgical TechnologistMedical Office Administration Specialist

ENROLL TODAY!Day or Evening Classes Available


24 Connecting the CommunityAn Edmond nonprofit helping hundreds of families affected by autism across the state.

FEATURES22 Innocence on Death Row A sister fights to free her wrongly convicted brother

28 Financial Peace Local company offering their employees more than just pay

DEPARTMENTS

18 Business Edmond Hearing Doctors Oklahoma Institute of Allergy & Asthma

20 Home Where Dreams Are Born

30 Shopping Spring Sensations

33 Before & After Nelson Lawn Care & Landscaping

08 Arts “Oklahoma Kid”

10 Sports Semi-Pro

12 Louise Loving Jay

15 Food Roma’s Italian Easter Eats

April 2012

26 Honoring a Legend Artist Shan Gray sculpts the Wayman Tisdale award

To advertise, call Laura at 405-301-3926$

34 Easter Services Celebrating Easter in Edmond

36 A Solid Foundation The Bethel Foundation caring for local single mothers

39 My Edmond Outlook Ruth Rickey, super star sugar artist and cancer survivor

Cover photo provided by Brittany Stover Photography

615-1608 | www.BrittanyStoverPhotography.com

24 Connecting the CommunityAn Edmond nonprofit helping hundreds of families affected by autism across the state.


(Volume 8, Number 4) Edmond Outlook is a publication of Back40 Design, Inc. © 2012 Back40 Design, Inc.

Articles and advertisements in Edmond Outlook do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the magazine or Back40 Design. Back40 Design does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. The acceptance of advertising by Edmond Outlook does not constitute endorsement of the products, services or

information. We do not knowingly present any product or service that is fraudulent or misleading in nature. Edmond

Outlook assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials.

PUBLISHERDave Miller

EDITORIAL & ADVERTISINGMANAGER

Krystal Harlow

EDITORErica Smith

ADVERTISING SALESLaura BeamLori Cathey

PRODUCTION DESIGNTanner Yeomans Karen Munger

PHOTOGRAPHYMarshall Hawkins

www.sundancephotographyokc.com

DISTRIBUTIONThe Edmond Outlook is delivered FREE by

direct-mail to 50,000 Edmond homes.

13431 N. Broadway Ste. 104 OKC, OK 73114Office: 405-341-5599 Fax: 405-341-2020

[email protected]


Fourth-generation Wild West show-

man Marty Tipton, aka “The Okla-

homa Kid,” carries on the family

business with style. The trick-roper

and professional cowboy has performed thousands

of shows across the nation, adding his own chapter

to his storied pedigree with his sharp wit and a

unique message.

“It’s not always how fast you run in life, or how

high you climb, but how you bounce,” is Tipton’s

mantra. When poor health forced him to live in

an oxygen tent for much of his sixth year of life,

he didn’t have much contact with the outside

world, but he had a trick rope and a cap gun

and those proved to be ingredients for stardom.

Of course, it didn’t hurt that Tipton grew up on

the legendary 101 Ranch in Ponca City, or that

his great-grandfather worked with Buffalo Bill

and Geronimo, or that his grandfather worked

with Pawnee Bill, or that his dad was a rodeo

world champion, or that he has relative ties to

Will Rogers. One might think spinning lassos is

embedded in Tipton’s DNA.

His first rodeo performance was in 1978, at

the 101 Ranch Rodeo, when he was 9 years old,

but he started performing at age 5, tap dancing

and jazz dancing. By age 8, his “hobo act” made

the top 10 in a national talent contest. He rode

bucking ponies in grade school, then graduated to

bulls in high school and joined the National Rodeo

Association. On weekends, Tipton would drive to

Mesquite, Texas, to rodeo for eight-time world

champion Don Gay.

Tipton went on to be a bullfighter for Wrangler

for two years. Part of the show required him to be

“shot” in the rear end with a shotgun. At the right

moment, Tipton would hit an igniter that would

blow up the seat of his pants. “Sometimes, my

shirt would catch on fire and I would have to roll

around a bit, and a lot of the time I got burnt. But

it was a great act,” he remembers.

Now, he’s a trick roper and public speaker,

emceeing conferences, banquets, silent auctions

and charity events. During Oklahoma’s centennial,

Tipton did close to 300 performances, putting on

shows in up to three cities in one day.

Along the way, he’s gained some famous fans.

Late-night TV host Conan O’Brien once sent

Tipton an image of himself as Tipton’s onstage

persona, The Oklahoma Kid. In 2009, George

W. Bush invited Tipton to spend July 4 shooting

fireworks with him in Woodward, but Tipton

was already scheduled to perform at a Boy Scouts

convention with Shooter Jennings and Tipton

refused to break his contract. “I’m an honest

cowboy,” he affirms.

Tipton entertains patients at places like The

Children’s Hospital at OU Medical Center and the

Troy Aikman Center as often as he can. He relates

to the young cancer and transplant patients,

glassed off in quarantine, because of his year in

by Nathan Winfrey

“OKLAHOMA KID”

“Sometimes, my shirt would catch on fire and I would have to roll around a bit.”


the oxygen tent as a boy. “I’ve seen the pain. I’ve been there,” he says. “I

thought I was going to die when I was six years old.”

He remembers one little girl had been crying all day and night, and when

he gave her a trick rope on one of his visits, Tipton says he had her laughing

and smiling. “I like to see kids that have been crying, smile,” he relates. “That’s

what’s closest to my heart, to help people like that who are in trouble.”

Once, Tipton was eating at a pizza place and the manager came up to

him. The man said his daughter was at one of the treatment centers Tipton

had visited and that his daughter had gotten well. The girl’s dad offered

Tipton free pizza for the rest of his life, but he refused. That’s not why he

does it. “It’s really the only thing that makes me feel good, is to help someone

else,” he says.

Tipton got involved with charity work through the urging of his pastor.

After dodging death a few times — his childhood illness, a parachute

malfunction during Operation Just Cause, getting caught in a shootout in

Panama, rolling his car and getting mauled by a bull — Tipton wondered if

God kept him alive for a reason. “He saved my life,” Tipton believes, “There

have been several occasions that I should have died and I feel God kept me

alive because he had a plan for my life.”

He says his pastor told him to start giving back. In addition to charity

work, Tipton does a lot of educational programs, visiting libraries and

schools. He brings ropes for the kids to use and he teaches them how to spin.

He also teaches them the value of “bouncing” well after life’s setbacks. “You

can try to be the best,” he explains, “[but] it’s about how you respond to bad

things that happen that matters.”

To learn more about Tipton, go to www.theoklahomakid.com


Veteran college football coach

Brian Kelly has set his sights on the

Oklahoma City Diamondbacks, a

semi-professional football team with

a promising future and several Edmond players

on the roster.

The season kicked off March 3, with early wins

perhaps setting a template for a successful 2012 for

the team. “We kind of have an idea we’re going to

be pretty solid this year,” Kelly predicts. The season

ends May 30. “No conflict with NFL or college foot-

ball for fans, but it gives them a chance to see some

ball between now and then,” he says. “We’re a high-

scoring offense; it’s a lot of fun for the fans.”

This is his second season with the Diamondbacks

and first as head coach. Last year, he served as

defensive coordinator and this year has taken on

both duties.

Kelly was defensive coordinator for arena football

teams Kansas City Brigade and Las Vegas Gladiators

(now the Cleveland Gladiators), for years. Before

that, over the course of nearly two decades, he was

on the coaching staff at Eastern Illinois University,

Oklahoma Panhandle State University, Mars Hill

College, University of Memphis, University of

Maryland, Sam Houston State

University and Southeast

Missouri State University. He

was at Eastern Illinois during

Tony Romo’s tenure. “Good

guy. All the guys on the team

loved him.…He’s definitely

one of the elite quarterbacks

in the league,” Kelly says of Romo. “I’m not

particularly a Dallas Cowboys fan, but I am a Tony

Romo fan, so I can’t help but cheer for him.”

Of his time with the Gladiators, Kelly remem-

bers, “That was a great experience. Vegas is what

Vegas is — it’s a show town, so arena football is just

another show.” Attendance at those games some-

times reached 8,000 and they played in a venue

nearly the size of the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Originally from Moore, Kelly came back to

Oklahoma in 1996 when, while coaching in North

Carolina, he got a phone call and learned his dad

had cancer. He was told to come home and make

funeral arrangements. Now, his dad is still alive, 83

years old, and cancer free.

Kelly was head coach at Edmond Santa Fe High

School from 1997 to 2001 and during that time 24

of his boys signed to D-1 schools. About 50 went

to D-2 and 1-AA schools. He partly credits this to

his contacts in the world of college sports. He knew

coaches all over the country and he used those

connections to get the schools to look at the players.

In those days, coaches had to suffer through

the cumbersome process of sending tapes of each

player’s football highlights to universities, then

call three days later to ask if they received it, then

call in another three days to ask if they watched it.

Now, players can post highlight clips on YouTube

to pique colleges’ interest. Still, even with changes

to the recruitment process,

Kelly says it’s important for

hopeful players to attend

football camps. He played

for OSU during the Jimmy

Johnson era, and he owes it

to attending a football camp.

“By the end of three days,

I had a scholarship offer up there. Camps can be

important for kids and I don’t think people need to

discount that.”

Of his Santa Fe players, Brandon Whitaker

played at Baylor University and led the Canadian

Football League in rushing this year. “I think the

CFL is going to have a hard time keeping their

hands on him,” Kelly predicts. Another player

went to Sam Houston State then started coaching

at Baylor, and that’s how Kelly got Whitaker

there. “We knew when he was a sophomore that

he was outstanding.”

“It was a good place to coach and a good school,”

Kelly says of Santa Fe. “A lot of talent.”

“We're a high scoring offense;

it's a lot of fun for the fans.”

by Nathan Winfrey

SEMI-PRO


His current league is also impressive. “Our league is only getting better and

stronger,” Kelly says of the Oklahoma Metro Football League, which includes the

Diamondbacks. “It’s pretty rock ’em, sock ’em ball.”

In February, the OMFL reorganized to merge with the Central Football

League. The leagues have blended their schedules and, at the end of the season,

OMFL and CFL teams will butt heads for the championship. The Diamondbacks

play against teams from across the state, as well as Arkansas, Missouri

and Kansas.

“We’re kind of a gateway league for some players,” Kelly explains. Lionel

Bibbins, who played for the Diamondbacks last year, has signed a contract

with the Utah Blaze. Kelly says NFL teams and Canadian teams have been after

Bibbins. “He’s an excellent player. We were happy for him to get the opportunity;

of course, we hated to see him go because he’s so good. We probably have, I

guess, five or six guys that if that’s what they want to do, they will have the

opportunity to do that.”

“It’s more than just weekend warrior football,” Kelly affirms. He says a

large percentage of the team members played four-year college football and

have a great understanding of the game. “We have guys from Louisiana, Texas,

St. Louis, Chicago, as well as our Oklahoma guys.”

Kendrick Powell and David Hunt, originally from Flint, Mich., are Edmond

transplants. “They’re good additions to the community,” Kelly says. New to

the Diamondbacks, TJ Shaw played for Edmond Santa Fe and UCO. “I think

he’s going to be an excellent addition for us,” Kelly says. Quarterback Brandon

Noohi and wide receiver Ryan Gallimore also are former Bronchos. “Those guys

hold a lot of records over at UCO for passing and receiving,” said Kelly. “We’ve

got about seven receivers who are just outstanding players, but Gallimore, he’s

something else.”

Gerald Jones played for the University of Tennessee and made it to the final

cut with the Philadelphia Eagles last year. Kelly is pretty sure someone will

snatch him up this year.

The team practices and plays its home games at Millwood High School, the

host location for all Oklahoma Metro Football League teams on this side of the

state. “We love playing at Millwood; it’s very convenient, right off the highway,

there’s great parking, and it’s a great place to see a ballgame,” Kelly says. “We

really enjoy it; it’s a great venue.”

For more information visit www.okcdiamondbacks.com.

Coach Brian Kelly


About the AuthorLouise Tucker Jones isan award-winning author and inspirational speaker. Author and co-author of four books, her work has been featured in numerous publications. Contact her at: [email protected] or LouiseTuckerJones.com.

by Louise Tucker JonesLOVING JAY

April brings a birthday to my son,

Jay, as well as tender thoughts on

raising a child with special needs.

In these 36 years there is little I

haven’t experienced. I have seen the best and worst

in people, from those who were afraid to touch my

child, seeming to fear that Down Syndrome was

contagious, to those who put me on such a high

pedestal I couldn’t help but fall off. Big news! I’m

no hero or heroine. I made plenty of mistakes, but

thankfully Jay survived them.

As with all families with special needs, we have

been through tough times. One

happened at Jay’s birth when I

went through 18 hours of labor

and delivered this baby frank

breech without a C-section, the

umbilical cord wrapped around

Jay’s neck, cutting off his oxygen

supply. Jay spent nine days in an

isolette with oxygen and had a

lifelong communication disorder,

likely caused from a lack of

oxygen at birth. When Jay was

14 months old, my husband and

I were ushered into a cath room

with x-rays lining the walls. The

cath showed Jay’s rare heart condition could not be

corrected without risking his life, but without that

particular surgery, his lifespan would be very short.

Now there’s a choice for you! I’ve prayed thousands

of prayers over this child and watched God work

miracle after miracle in Jay’s life yet still leave many

requests unanswered.

However, my reason for writing is not to

complain, but to let people know how thankful I

am for my son. I loved

Jay before I even knew

he existed, having prayed

daily for God to give me

a baby. I fell eternally in

love with him when a

nurse placed a blanketed

bundle in my arms, wrapped

tightly from head to toe, and told

me not to unwrap him. Are you

kidding? She left the room and

I started unwinding, beginning

by lifting the corner flap of the

blanket to reveal his sweet face

with tiny up-slant eyes peeking

at me beneath a velvety, furrowed

forehead. His miniature lips

opened as he yawned and

stretched. Love emanated from

every fiber of my being as I made

a silent promise to my son, “I

will love you forever, no matter

what!” And he has been so easy to love.

Together, Carl and I unwrapped Jay completely

in that hospital room, counting fingers and toes and

admiring the beauty of this six and one-half pound

miracle. What in the world was all the hullabaloo

concerning Down Syndrome? How could anyone

not love this baby boy? I found there were definitely

people who would not accept Jay, simply because

of his disability, but the good news is that most

people adored him. As

a toddler he captivated

hearts when he flashed

his fabulous, four-tooth

grin. He grew up ornery,

spoiled, sweet and

lovable, character traits

he still possesses. Jay has hugged more people than

anyone I know and has given this mother a heart full

of treasures that have come through the fire and now

help hold me up in this grief-filled season of my life.

With just the two of us at home now, Jay is the

strong one, telling me his daddy is in heaven wearing

a crown and even riding on the clouds. He sings

songs to his dad at the breakfast table and releases

bouquets of balloons to heaven with messages of

love and watches them float upward before suddenly

being snatched out of sight. This young man, who

had such a special relationship with his daddy and

loved him beyond words, now mimics his father’s

courage and trust. What a legacy!

Special needs? You bet Jay has special needs.

He needs respect, love and acceptance, as we all do,

along with the opportunity to show the world his

priceless gifts of joy, faith and unconditional love.

Happy Birthday, Jay! You are loved!

He grew up ornery, spoiled, sweet and

lovable, character traits he still possesses.

Jay Jones


The Roma family has brought one of

the best parts of Italy to Guthrie —

the delicious food. Born in Milan,

Italy, brothers Nick and Evan Roma

own and operate Roma’s Italian Restaurant, 1202 S.

Division Ave., and with the help of spouses, siblings,

cousins and friends, they bring true Northern Italian

cuisine to Central Oklahoma.

Nick’s family moved to the United States’ West

Coast more than 15 years ago. After several years,

they tired of the fast pace of coastal living and relo-

cated to Oklahoma for a quieter life. “It was a good

change,” Roma said. “And now Oklahoma is home.”

The Roma family had been in the restaurant

business for many years when Nick and Evan de-

cided to open Roma’s Italian Restaurant in Guthrie in

2009. They now have another location in Cushing,

mostly operated by Evan. “We worked in the restau-

rant industry for a while and we were pretty good

at it, so we decided we might as well do our own

thing,” said Nick.

Casual Italian décor, complete with rustic cedar

beams and red and white checkered window treat-

ments, provides a charming, welcoming ambiance,

ROMA'S ITALIAN

by Dena A. Edwards

but the real draw and focus of the establishment is

its fragrant cuisine. Nick arrives at work hours be-

fore the restaurant opens for lunch, and gets started

preparing the marinara sauce from scratch, giving it

time to simmer for hours.

“Our marinara sauce is the best — not too

spicy, not too sweet, not too sour, not too bitter,”

Nick said. The marinara recipe has been in his family

for generations. “People try it and they are stumped.

They don’t know what to say. It’s a perfect blend.”

While the sauce simmers, Nick makes the

dough for the pizzas — which eventually will be

baked in a brick oven — and for the homemade rolls

that are served to every table. The first batch comes

out of the oven five minutes before lunch time and

new batches are made throughout the day as needed.

Nick does much of the cooking personally, as does

Evan. “Me, Evan, the cousins … just about everyone

in the family helps out in the kitchen sometimes,”

Nick said.

Roma’s extensive menu includes oven-baked

stromboli, calzones, fried calamari, fresh bruschetta,

salads, and desserts such as cannoli, tiramisu and

Italian ice creams. But the stars of the offerings are

the pizzas and homemade pastas. Traditional ziti,

spaghetti, ravioli and lasagna are taken to a new level

with the freshly made sauces. In addition to the mar-

inara, homemade Alfredo sauce, and another sauce

that combines both Alfredo and marinara, are used

throughout the menu.

“The Roma (Special) Combo is like a tour of

Italy itself,” said Nick, who often refers new diners

to this sampling of fettuccini Alfredo, lasagna and

chicken parmesan.

More exotic offerings also grace the menu —

like rib eye with mushroom and marsala wine sauce,

or linguini tutomare which has shrimp, mussels,

scallops and chopped clams in alla panna sauce —

Nick’s personal favorite.

Eating at Roma’s is like eating at the Roma fam-

ily table. “We make you feel at home,” Nick said.

“And once you’ve eaten here once, you’ll be known

the next time.”

Roma’s is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tues-

days through Thursdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. to

9:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and closed on

Mondays. Visit www.romasitalianrestaurant.com,

find them on Facebook or call 260-1552.

Tima Roma, Nick Roma & Flamur Veqo


EASTEREATSby Krystal Harlow

Start your Easter celebration early with a delicious treat on ‘Good Friday.’ Don’t miss Free Float Fridays each week at Colby’s Grill! This cozy diner is renowned for their hearty, homestyle breakfasts, awesome grilled burgers, chicken fried steaks and lunch specialties. Try their new, Nathan’s gourmet hot dogs in a variety of combos and toppings and don’t miss $2 Hamburger Hump Days each Wednesday. Dine Mon.-Sat. 6:30a.m.-2:30p.m. and select from a full dinner menu through 8:30p.m. each Wednesday! Located at 511 S. Broadway.

Colby's GrillYour parties are destined for fun when these fanciful cupcakes arrive. Inspired by the flavor and flair of exciting destinations, cupcakes to go go takes you worlds away with clever taste combinations baked fresh daily. Lose yourself in the Route 66 Red Velvet, Sonoma Valley Vanilla or Black Bottom Beach crowned with creamy frosting and whimsical toppings. You’ll always find more to explore like the Bricktown Brookie and Sunshine State Cake. Drive-thru, custom orders and delivery options available. Visit 2524 W. Edmond Rd. or cupcakestogogo.com.

cupcakes to go go

Enjoy Lottinvilles’ spectacular Sunday brunch buf-fet from 10:30a.m.-3p.m! Beautiful tables, multiple buffets and spacious dining welcome you with the comfy elegance of a grand resort. Feast on favorite breakfast items, fresh fruits and salads, made-to-order omelets and the chef’s special sweet potato pancakes or waffles. Enjoy leg of lamb and honey mustard glazed ham at the carving station or sam-ple a lavish spread of specialty dishes or king crab legs on the buffet. Dine at 15th & Kelly or visit lottinvillesrestaurant.com.

LottinvillesFrom elaborate social and corporate functions to casual family gatherings, this expert catering com-pany helps you plan the perfect food for every mood. Create custom touches with an extensive selection of gourmet dishes, homestyle favorites and theme foods, plus drop-off lunches and on-site grilling. Plan now for corporate luncheons, church functions, reunions, weddings and summer grilling parties. Bar service, professional servers and décor and entertainment assistance also available. Call 751-0688 or visit runningwildcatering.com.

Running Wild CateringNo ‘bundts’ about it, this sensational new delicacy is sweeping dessert-lovers off their feet! Now open in OKC, Nothing Bundt Cakes delights you with artistically sculptured cakes draped in thick petals of signature cream cheese frosting. Available in bundts, bundtlets and bundtinis, the delicately sweet, light-as-air cakes melt in your mouth. Choose from 10 scrumptious flavors like April’s featured Chocolate Turtle. Decorated in 40 inspired designs, they’re the perfect treat, gift or centerpiece. Visit at 2520 W. Memorial Rd. or nothingbundtcakes.com.

Nothing Bundt Cakes

Earl's Rib PalaceAn Easter feast is made easy with Earl’s! Save all the hunting for eggs, Earl’s has Sunday dinner covered with delicious slow-smoked ham sliced and ready to go. The Family Pack includes all your favorite sides. Choose from baked beans, potato salad, cole slaw, fried okra, green beans and more. Want to change things up this Easter? Try the brisket, ribs, pulled pork, turkey, or chicken, all slow-smoked on the premises daily. Stop by 2121 S. Broadway or visit earlsribpalace.com to view the full menu. Earl says if you can find better BBQ....eat it!


Dr. Trevor Courouleau, Au.D.

Sounds are part of everyday life. They define

moments and occasions, and can also signal the

possibility of danger. However, for someone who

suffers from hearing loss, indistinct sounds often

cause frustration that can lead to feelings of depression

or isolation. Fortunately, many Oklahomans are

receiving the correct testing, diagnosis and treatment

through the care of Dr. Trevor Courouleau at Edmond

Hearing Doctors.

As an OU Health Sciences Center graduate,

Courouleau’s education and background offer an

advantage to his patients. “People like going to

someone that’s educated in the field they’re working

in. Much like an optometrist or dentist, I’ve gone

through eight years of university training to be an

audiologist. We don’t just sell hearing aids; we’re

doctors treating our patients,” he explains. As the

adjunct assistant professor of audiology at the OU

Health Sciences Center for the past seven years along

with six years at Oklahoma City VA Medical Center,

Courouleau’s medical experience is relevant to how

he serves his patients. “One thing I’ve learned is that

patients respond better when their care is personal.

We’re a private practice offering very customized

attentive care,” said Courouleau.

A valuable part of Edmond Hearing Doctors

is Belinda Merkel, patient care coordinator, who

handles every aspect of patient relations from

scheduling appointments to insurance and billing.

“Belinda brings a lot to our practice with her

extensive background in medical office management

and is studying to be a licensed audiology assistant.

Exceptional customer service isn’t the only

thing that makes Edmond Hearing Doctors unique.

“We offer a full range of hearing loss exams and

treatments but we also offer services for tinnitus,

which is ringing in the ears. I believe we’re the

primary facility in Edmond that offers this service.

Most people have occasional ringing in the ears but

when it’s constant, it’s more problematic. Tinnitus is

normally caused by hearing loss but can stem from

medication, stress, high blood pressure or diabetes,”

said Courouleau.

According to the doctor, “Studies show that most

patients wait seven to 10 years before seeking hearing

loss treatment. The earlier hearing loss is detected

and treated, the better.” For someone hearing clearly

for the first time, after months or years of suffering

hearing loss, it can be an emotional experience. “As

an audiologist, the ability to give someone a better

quality of life, by improving their hearing, is great.”

To receive a free hearing screening and discounts

on treatment, attend their upcoming open house,

with lunch provided, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April

10 and 11 at 307 E. Danforth, Suite 118.

For more information, call 341-1800 or visit

www.edmondhearingdoctors.com, or find them

on Facebook where they provide updates, specials

and promotions.

Edmond Hearing Doctorsby Melanie Phillips Clemens


Dr. Amy Darter

Oklahoma Institute of Allergy & Asthma

by Melanie Phillips Clemens“Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin’

down the plain and the pollen’s high and the grass

is dry and the mold comes right behind the rain”

isn’t Oklahoma’s theme song but it could be for

those who suffer from allergy and asthma symptoms.

Thankfully, many Oklahomans are singing a different

tune after being treated at Oklahoma Institute of

Allergy & Asthma (OIAA).

Dr. Amy Darter established OIAA in 2004 to

provide a progressive and comprehensive allergy

and asthma management program for adults and

children. “I realized that common allergies like

hayfever were often ineffectively treated, and the

less common disorders such as hives, drug allergies,

immune deficiencies, angioedema (swelling) as well

as taste and smell disorders were not treated at all. My

team and I strive to provide the most comprehensive

and compassionate care to our patients, using the

latest technology,” said Darter.

As a board certified allergist, asthmatologist

and immunologist, Darter believes in customized

evaluation and testing and not a one-size-fits-all

approach. “We have patients from all over the U.S.

who’ve been evaluated elsewhere and come to us still

suffering. It’s not uncommon for someone to have

an immune deficiency rather than or in addition to

allergies. Not all allergists evaluate and treat disorders

of the immune system,” said Darter.

Treating asthma and nasal allergy symptoms

are areas of expertise for doctors at OIAA, though

according to Darter, preventative and abortive

therapy for sinus headaches and migraine

management are some of their niches. “We pride

ourselves on migraine management at OIAA, helping

you find out what your triggers are, ways to prevent

them and how to abort them. Oftentimes, migraines

are misdiagnosed as sinus headaches.”

Perhaps their most unique service is their oral

immunotherapy to foods. “We’re one of a handful

of centers in the U.S. that offer this new innovative

approach to managing food allergies. Usually

when someone is allergic to a particular food, an

allergist recommends strict avoidance. We’re able

to desensitize patients to food they’re allergic to like

peanuts, milk, cashews, soy, wheat or eggs so they

can safely ingest the food,” said Darter.

Adding healthy foods back into a patient’s diet

isn’t the only benefit. Darter excitedly explained,

“Allowing a parent to be able to leave their child at

school, daycare or church without worrying about a

life-threatening reaction to food is an amazing gift.

We’re also successful in desensitizing to medications

and antibiotics. We feel like our mission is to improve

the quality of life of Oklahoma families, one patient

at a time. Allergies don’t have to run their lives. Help

is available, effective and affordable.”

Oklahoma Institute of Allergy & Asthma is

located at 1810 E. Memorial. Call 607-4333 or visit

www.okallergy.com.


Many parents turn those dreams

into wakeful reality in elaborate

nurseries that often are the most

well designed room in their

home. The sales staff at Room to Dream in Northpark

Mall helps turn ideas into imaginative spaces.

“People will walk in with photos off the Web,

or rough ideas, and we help them take it to the

next level,” said Debbie Francis, owner of Room to

Dream. “Your nursery doesn’t have to look like any

other nursery.”

Francis starts the design process with functional-

ity and the four non-negotiables, as she calls them:

places to sleep, to change diapers, to sit and to store

clothing and other items. Many of the furniture

pieces double-up in function, with a simple chang-

ing pad sitting on top of a dresser, and a crib that

converts into a twin bed. “We think over the long

haul, with about a five-year time frame for the walls

and window (treatments), and about 24 months on

the beds,” Francis said. “We want the room to be able

to transition into a child’s room.”

After functionality comes aesthetics. Room to

Dream offers not only baby room furnishings, but

custom bedding and draperies, wall treatments

including murals and faux finishes, and even

custom lighting.

In one corner of the retail shop, overlooking

a Western themed bedroom grouping hangs a

fixture made from an old wagon wheel and a

vintage wooden stagecoach. In another corner, a

set of brightly patterned pastel glass presents were

converted and now a light bulb “candle” tops each

one and the entirety makes a whimsical chandelier.

Francis said they have made light fixtures out of old

toys, antiques, ceramic knick knacks, even an old

porcelain tea set. These unique pieces really set off a

space in an original way, she said.

While whimsy works for many baby rooms,

Jessica Ockershauser’s nursery called for elegance

and the draping ropes of crystal on the chandelier

dangling from the golden ceiling. The gold-painted

four-posted iron crib is decked with pink and

shimmering golden fabrics worthy of a princess.

Cream-hued furniture gives the soft structure and

long panels of pink silk draperies puddle on the floor

and frame the lacy sheers beneath.

Throughout Ockershauser’s baby room sit

antiques, stuffed animals, framed photographs and

charming cut glass lamps which cast a warm glow

throughout. The fairytale baby room was designed

to make Ockershauser’s daughter, Claire, feel loved

and cherished, Francis said, like royalty.

Dian Sill wanted a different feel for her space. In

designing a room suite for her four granddaughters,

Sill chose the relaxing Cape Cod style, with its

quaint cottage charm. Pale sea foam green wood

planks cover the focal wall, which forms the

background for the pair of white iron twin beds,

covered with a feminine floral pattern in faint

shades of pale green, pink and yellow. White eyelet

bed skirts peek beneath the coverlet, and tie in the

white lace pillows, each embroidered with a grand-

daughter’s name.

Similarly colored fabrics with a variety of

patterns cover the cozy chair and ottoman in the

corner. Worn creamy wooden frames keep the

nautical feel alive and an intimate tea party for two

by Dena A. Edwards

WHERE DREAMSARE BORN

Jessica Ockershauser's Princess Nursery - Photo by Brittany Stover Photography

“A dream is a wish your heart makes, when you're fast asleep...” - Disney's Cinderella

Amanda Taylor's Hot Air Balloon Themed Nursery


pink bunnies on a child-sized white wicker table and

chairs makes the room fun and homey.

Sill carried the Cape Cod theme into the room’s

adjoining bathroom, with butter-yellow bead board

wainscoting forming the backdrop for the free-

standing tub, old-fashioned toilet with the pull flush

handle, and pedestal sink. A pillow-lined window

seat sits beneath white café curtains, and soft white

light filters into the space. Throughout the suite, rag

rugs add even more warmth to an already inviting

suite of rooms.

Girls aren’t the only ones lucky enough to have

over-the-top rooms created for them. News9 anchor

Amanda Taylor and husband Nick lovingly designed

a nursery in their Edmond home for their new son,

Gage. While shopping at Room to Dream, Taylor saw

a dresser that she fell in love with, and it became

the focal point of a her baby’s room —a weathered

cream-hued dresser covered with hand painted hot

air balloons. They worked around the storage piece

and shopped antique shops for an array of cast iron

antique toys, such as the mechanical “Magician’s

Bank” that sits in front of the bronze wire frame

of a Ferris wheel, and the antique ring toss game

that hangs on a wall. An apothecary jar filled with

children’s vintage wooden blocks rests near the

changing pad and more blocks spell out “Gage”

amongst vintage toy cars on a shelf beneath an old

Motor Race game board displayed on the wall.

Pale silvery blue, gray and white stripes set off

the wall behind the transition crib, with “Gage”

displayed in a graphic above. A few dangling hot

air balloons add pops of color throughout. Bedding

and curtains handmade by Taylor and her mom add

softness and warmth. “(The design of the room) is

not for my son, it’s 100 percent for us,” Taylor said.

“Going into the room, seeing it complete, seeing my

precious baby sleeping in it…it makes me happy and

brings a smile to my face.”

That’s why Francis has helped decorate baby

rooms at Room to Dream for 13 years —to make

families happy with well-designed baby and kid

rooms. Yes, they add visual interest and stimulation

to the child as he or she grows up, Francis said, but

it’s really more about the added joy of bringing a

child into the world that a loving family member has

created just for them.

Dian Sills' Cape Cod Styled Room for her Granddaughters


“The tears keep gushing out like torrential rain

— I’m not as tough as you think I am.” These words

were written by Reginald Lewis in a poem titled,

“The Lyrical Life of a Dream.” It was written from

his prison cell on death row.

Since 1973, there have been 138 people in

the United States that have served on death row,

only to be released after being proven innocent.

These survivors spend an average of 9.8 years

incarcerated. After they are exonerated, some

of them receive no compensation for their years

wasted. They are given no apology for the damage

done to their name. They are simply released, left

to pick up the pieces of their lives as they attempt

to forget the fear that haunted them daily in that

tiny cell.

Edmond resident Nancy Vollertsen would

gladly tell you her story if you were to ask. She

works in the financial aid office at the University

of Central Oklahoma, but her real passion lies in

the work she does with Witness to Innocence, an

organization aimed at abolishing the death penalty

while providing support to death row survivors

and their families. Nancy has a particularly close

connection to this cause. She spent eight years

fighting for her brother’s life.

It was 1985 and Nancy’s brother, Greg Wilhoit,

was living with his wife Kathy and two young

daughters, Kimberly and Kristen, 4 and 14 months

old. On June 1, Kathy was found murdered in their

Tulsa apartment.

While Greg and his daughters mourned their

incredible loss, it was one year later things got

unimaginably worse. Greg was charged with the

murder of his wife.

“They had no evidence,” recalls Nancy. “We

knew that.” What they did have, however, was a

single bite mark found on Kathy’s body. A group

of dental experts claimed that the bite belonged

to Greg.

Nancy says she and her family remained

hopeful, having full faith that Greg could never

have committed the crime. Their parents jumped

into action, hiring an attorney to represent

him. But as Nancy explains, the attorney had

undisclosed alcohol abuse problems and, needless

to say, the trial did not go in Greg’s favor and he

was convicted of murder.

Nancy and her husband had been living

in Germany when she received a call from her

father. The fact that it was her father calling left

her uneasy, since courtesy calls were normally her

mother’s business.

“He said, ‘Bad news. Greg was convicted,’”

Nancy recalls. As she struggled to get her mind

around the statement, he finished, “That’s not all.

He was sentenced to death.” The family went into

a state of shock.

Nancy returned home to her family’s aid

immediately. They refused to accept the loss. With

the help of Greg’s new attorney, Mark Barrett, who

had been appointed for his appeal, the team sought

after the nation’s top forensic odontologists.

“They took one look at the bite mark and said,

‘There’s no way that’s Greg.’”

Finally, with affidavits supporting these new

findings at his appeal in 1993, the judge declared

Greg innocent. He was cleared of all charges.

While some may assume that day was the

happy ending they had hoped for, Greg’s new

found innocence wasn’t all positive. After having

spent the past eight years fighting this case, Greg “You can free an innocent man from

prison, but you can'tfree him from

the grave.”

by Christy Shuler

INNOCENCE ON DEATH ROW

Nancy Vollertsen


literally lost everything — his house, his mental

well-being, and the opportunity to father his two

little girls. “Greg was a wreck,” says Nancy. “He

never recovered.”

Oklahoma is one of 34 states still exercising

capital punishment. It is stories like Greg’s that

fuel Witness to Innocence to work tirelessly until

they achieve their goal of ending the death penalty

across the country.

Witness to Innocence uses the exonerated

to spread their message. By allowing death row

survivors to tell their stories publicly, they hope

people will see that not only are real human beings

going through this, but the ripple effect widens as

their families and friends are affected as well.

Most of us can only imagine waiting in a cell

for years after being told they were to be executed.

In Greg’s case, he was told a needle would end his

life. If that didn’t work, the electric chair. If power

ceased, he would be hung. If the rope failed, he

would be shot. Add this to the fact that he was

convicted of the murder of his wife, a crime which,

after Greg was released, was never solved.

Of course, not everyone on death row is

innocent. People are guilty of committing heinous

acts every day. Timothy McVeigh sat on death

row before being executed for his crimes in the

Oklahoma City bombing.

This is a truth that Nancy will gladly

acknowledge, pointing out that her and her family

were victims of a crime as well and they lost a loved

one. Still, she stands by her resolution. “Revenge is

not the answer,” she says. “Perpetuating the circle

of violence is not the answer.”

She says that while many may be guilty of a

crime, it does not give us the right to exact the

punishment that they deserve. Nancy has been

told by families of the victims of the OKC bombing

that the execution of McVeigh did little to quell

their pain. Of course, she admits, criminals of such

tragedies should in no way be allowed to walk the

streets. Life without parole, she offers, would be a

fair medium of the two sides, allowing justice for

the victims, but not resorting to the same crimes

for which they are accused.

Nancy then references a quote often used by

Witness to Innocence spokespeople, “You can free

an innocent man from prison, but you can’t free

him from the grave.”

Greg now lives in California, working with

Witness to Innocence to tell his story. A victim of

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, he currently battles

alcohol and drug abuse problems. But at least he

can say he is alive. The real question remains, how

many of the wrongly accused were not so lucky?

For more information about Witness to

Innocence, or to read the stories of other death row

survivors, go to www.witnesstoinnocence.org.

INNOCENCE ON DEATH ROW

Greg Wilhoit

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uncles don’t help because they don’t know how. Or

there is denial.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention, autism, along with Asperger’s

syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder-

Not Otherwise Specified

(PDD-NOS), are a group of

developmental disabilities

that can cause significant

social, communication and

behavioral challenges. They

are called Autism Spectrum

Disorders or ASDs, because the symptoms range

from mild to severe. Early signs of autism among

infants include not making eye contact, not

cuddling, not smiling back and not responding to

their name. CDC statistics show that one in every

110 children in the United States has ASD. What

Anonprofit organization that started

as a parent support group in

Edmond is now helping hundreds

of families affected by autism

across the state. Autism Oklahoma offers advice and

resources for parents of children with autism, as well

as numerous social activities, including summer

camps, teen, college and adult groups and an annual

PieceWalk and 5K.

“We really try to focus more on the positive

side of autism versus the negative side,” said the

organization’s Director of Community Development,

Crystal Frost. “We do try to change whatever the

negative sides are and partner some of the positive

with that to excel our community and our children.”

Ten years ago, organization founder Melinda

Lauffenburger began meeting with another parent at

the Edmond Library. More parents joined and soon

the Edmond Family Center for Autism was created.

Eventually the organization started similar groups in

Oklahoma City, Stillwater, Muskogee and Canadian

Valley. “Last year we redid our website and we

renamed our organization Autism Oklahoma, which

is so easy to remember,” said

Frost. “And we just have

been growing and growing.”

Frost joined Autism

Oklahoma after her son was

diagnosed with autism six

years ago. She said one of

the most rewarding aspects of being a part of the

organization is giving back the support that she

received. “The biggest thing with autism in general

is that a lot of people still don’t know what autism

is,” she said. “The grandparents don’t understand,

so they just stop coming around or the aunts and

CONNECTING THE COMMUNITY

By Radina Gigova

One in every 110 children in the

U.S. has an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Annual PieceWalk & 5K in Oklahoma City


causes it is unknown but specialists point out that

early intervention is key.

“What we are trying to perceive and get out

is that people with autism can have a bright future

and they can do anything that anyone else can do.

It’s just harder, because of their developmental

delay,” Frost explained. “What we are asking is for

every walk of life, whether it would be your church,

your school, your college, your grocery store, your

neighbor, anything, to just understand that we have

to do things a little bit differently and that we need

those partners.”

The organization’s mascot, Dash, who is a big

red puzzle piece, is an essential part of all the ac-

tivities. “It’s really hard for a person with autism to

make friends, because they don’t know how to talk

to people, or they are bullied because they act dif-

ferently,” said Frost. “Dash is a friendly mascot that

connects the community with people with autism.

Hence, the puzzle piece, he is a connector.”

The various programs that Autism Oklahoma

offers are designed to encourage social interaction

and build confidence. The Summer Advance pro-

gram, in partnership with UCO, helps young adults

transition from high school to college. Students

learn how to plan their schedules, go to class and

live on campus. “That’s really hard for somebody

with autism that hasn’t had to do those things,” said

Frost. Camp Noggin is a summer camp for children

with special needs where they can exercise and

make friends in a safe environ-

ment. The Bee’s Knees program

promotes self-sufficiency for

young adults through develop-

ing entrepreneurial and busi-

ness skills.

Autism Oklahoma has

several awareness and fund-

raising events throughout the

year. All of the proceeds are

used in-state. “We’ve given

over $85,000 in the last three

years in programs and grants to

the state of Oklahoma for the

things that they need, whether

it be education, research or the

parent support groups,” said

Frost. The organization’s big-

gest fundraising event is the annual PieceWalk and

5K that is set for May 5 in Bricktown. More than

5,000 people and 500 runners are expected to par-

ticipate. The event will feature music, face-painting,

games, food and a resource and vendor fair. “It’s a

phenomenal day.”

Amy Archibald and her family regularly attend

Autism Oklahoma meetings and events. Archibald’s

son has autism. She said the network of parents not

only understand the challenges of having a child

with autism but also celebrate

their children’s unique abilities

and accomplishments. “Some-

times it’s easier at the end of

the day to stay home and not

have to explain to another per-

son or not have to deal with the

challenges that you can face

being in public,” Archibald

said. “Knowing you aren’t the

only one and knowing you

have a support system if you

need it goes a very long way.”

Autism Oklahoma is

planning to start additional

support groups and hopes to

reach more families, including

those living in smaller towns.

“We are a parent-led group, and we are here to raise

our families together as a community,” said Frost.

She is encouraging everyone to be open-minded,

to volunteer and get to know a person with au-

tism. “It would bless their lives in ways they never

thought possible.”

For more information about the organization

and how to get involved, go to autismoklahoma.org.

Crystal Frost and son Spencer


This medium allows the artist to celebrate the

manipulation of light through the acrylic’s prism and

the interplay of the shadows throughout the light’s

distribution in the sculpture.

“This artisan has experimented to create many

original artistic aspects for this medium,” Gray said.

“His gift to my project was the impact of splitting the

design with images inside and out — an image is

coming out, while a part remains inside. Also inside,

As Edmond sculptor Shan Gray first

envisioned a national award to honor

the late Tulsan Wayman Tisdale’s

NCAA basketball legacy, he knew

he wanted to try something truly special. Having

already been successful in creating a national sports

award in bronze, the Warren Spahn Award, Gray

saw an opportunity to sculpt with an ageless quality

through the clarity of its colorless medium.

Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger received the inaugural

Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award last

year in Oklahoma City. The sculpture was a daring

departure from Gray’s normal work…one in which

he is finally sharing the full reasoning behind.

“For my first for-

ay into designing and

sculpting a modern art

award, I chose acrylic,

sometimes called optical

crystal, because it’s more

pure than glass,” Gray

said. “After studying many photos of Wayman, I was

hoping to allow the shimmer of the acrylic to express

the emotion of his smile.”

Gray has more time to appreciate the upcoming

second annual Wayman Tisdale Award gala banquet

that will be held April 16 at the National Cowboy

& Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.

“I wanted to get through that first year, get the ap-

praisal back and see how the sports world accepted

the award before I disclosed why I was so adamant

with the organizers — headed up by Scott Hill —

that I be allowed to try this clear medium in this new

endeavor,” Gray said. “As an Osage Indian myself, I

saw the clear acrylic as a way to leave race out of

the equation — to focus more on his smile, as it

was what people saw all the time and it tells it all. I

worked hard on that smile.”

Scott Hill, executive director of the Oklahoma

City-based nonprofit Access Sports, approached

Gray to sculpt the award that the U.S. Basketball

Writers Association (USBWA) gives to the NCAA’s

best freshman.

In 1983, Tisdale was the first college freshman

ever named a consensus All-American, going on to

be a three-time USBWA All-American and three-

time Big Eight Player of the Year at the University

of Oklahoma. A gold medal winning 1984 U.S.

Olympic basketball team member, he played in the

NBA for 12 seasons. He

retired to Tulsa in 1997

to focus on his guitar-

inspired jazz career and to

support many charitable

and humanitarian causes,

including his foundation.

He was diagnosed with cancer in 2007 and had his

right leg amputated above the knee in 2008. He died

in May 2009.

The DuPont acrylic ended up costing Gray time

and effort well beyond what he would have normally

expended during a bronze casting process closer to

home. Gray found an artisan near New York City

with four decades of experience who also mastered a

proprietary process in acrylic fabrication. Gray said

he saw aspects within the artisan’s castings that could

highlight his sculpture.

When an artist takes advantage of all that

this palette holds, it can make the piece a unique

and ethereal fine art acrylic sculpture, Gray said.

by Darl Devault

“I was hoping to allow the shimmer of the

acrylic to express the emotion of his smile.”

HONORINGA LEGEND

3209 S. Broadway, Ste 217 • 285-9454All major insurances accepted • Open MWF 9-5

Photo courtesy Access Sports


suspended within the acrylic,

it says ‘The Wayman Tisdale

Award’ where the light gives it

a dramatic effect.”

Because this fabrication

process was all new to Gray,

he said he might have spent

too much time learning

the ins and outs of acrylic.

He made three trips to the

artisan’s foundry, learning

and watching the fabrication

process. Gray reminded the

artisans of the precision needed in keeping the head at an upward tilt and looking

inward by 52 degrees from center.

After coming to the attention of his fellow Edmond residents while sculpt-

ing and erecting the 19-foot-tall bronze Shannon Miller statue near the Edmond

Library, Gray has continued to be well-received by the sports world. His Warren

Spahn Award, given to the best left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball each

year, and three larger-than-life bronze statues have garnered him attention as a

public artist.

Gray, 55, lives in southeast Edmond with his wife, Melanie. Their 20-year-old

daughter, Evan, is in her junior year of year-round study at Dartmouth, playing

college softball after an all-state softball pitching career at Santa Fe High School.

Gray began sculpting professionally in 1986 and describes his sculpting style

as rooted in the classical tradition. The artist’s creations are almost equally divided

between independent and commissioned pieces. He specializes in sculpting the

human form, ranging from portrait busts and gallery sculptures to large-scale

monuments. The Bronze Horse Foundry of Pawhuska has cast the majority of his

pieces in bronze under the supervision of John Free Jr.

This year the USBWA has selected Kentucky forward Anthony Davis as

the winner of the 2012 Wayman Tisdale Award. The banquet will also honor

legendary Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski as the recipient of the Wayman

Tisdale Humanitarian Award. Coach “K” is the winningest coach in college hoops.

Members of the Downtown Club of Oklahoma City will play host to this year’s

event. Access Sports helps honor the award recipient and also funds prosthetic

devices for the needy through the Wayman L. Tisdale Foundation and educational

scholarships through the USBWA. Tickets and sponsorship information for the

April 16 event are available at www.access-sports.net, or by contacting Scott Hill

at 749-1515 or [email protected].

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Scott Hill & Shan Gray - Photo by Richard T. Clifton


Today we live in a world consumed

with money. Whether it’s the desire

for more or the satisfaction of having

it, money haunts us. And what we

fear most may be not having enough to make it.

The employees at Vox Printing know that fear. In

fact, they overcame it. A sister company of Edmond’s

Reid Printing, Vox gave its employees a gift that

would prove invaluable: a financial education with

Dave Ramsey’s program, Financial Peace University.

Vox had heard through the grapevine that its

employees were struggling, living paycheck to

paycheck. “People bring their stress to work and

money is stressful,” says employee Jena Walla. Walla

had heard of Financial Peace University, a

program designed to educate people on money

matters such as getting out of debt, saving for

unexpected costs and retirement, to name a few.

Soon, the company’s employees were

offered the 13-week course, courtesy of Vox

Printing. In addition, they would even provide

a bonus for those who graduated. The program

started in November because the company

hoped its employees might get a jump on the

Christmas season.

Financial Peace University is primarily

taught in churches all across the nation.

Students are given videos to watch which correspond

with lessons from their workbooks. Instead, Vox

hosted the program right inside their facility, during

the 30-minute lunch break. With a convenient

location and tailor-made schedule, it was difficult for

employees to say no. “We were hoping for at least 10

of our 50 employees to participate in the program,”

says Vox president David Reid. “We ended up with

21 employees graduating.”

Leading the program was Brenda Cannon, a CPA

who volunteered her time to spread Dave Ramsey’s

words. Having undergone the financial education

herself and achieving financial freedom, she wanted

to find a way to give back. “People are so misled

(about money),” Cannon says. It wasn’t long after

she and her husband took the course that he was

able to quit work for two years to go back to school.

The inspirational stories go on from there. Vox

employee Heather Patton had been planning her

wedding before the opportunity with Financial

Peace. She considered the program a perfect solution

to not only save extra cash for the wedding and

honeymoon, but begin a new life with her husband

and have a fresh financial start. Patton and her fiancé

were hoping to make it out of the wedding without

giving in to the temptation of loans or credit card

purchases and upon her graduation of Financial

Peace, the two succeeded. “Everything was paid for

in cash. We came back with no debt,” she says.

The couple started by setting a simple goal to fill

a change jar by their wedding day. They also began

isolating some of their money into an emergency

fund, the first of Financial Peace University’s “Seven

Tips for Financial Peace.” Patton says she appreciated

the layout of the course, since her husband was able

to join her in the lessons, making them easier to

apply to her daily routine.

She admits to having financial preconceptions

that were shattered after completing the course.

Having paid a home warranty for the past four years,

she often wondered if the money would be put to

better use. After all, these warranties are sometimes

not used at all and often the damage done is not even

included in the warranty. Patton, with her newfound

knowledge, used her cash savings to make repairs,

leaving the idea of a warranty behind.

When asked if she would recommend the

program to prospective students, Patton eagerly

confirms she would. If people could only start out

“People bring their stress to work and

money is stressful.”

by Christy Shuler

FINANCIAL PEACEwith this kind of knowledge, she explains, they

would be far better off. “I had to learn the hard way,”

she says.

Though money concepts and lingo can seem

confusing, it doesn’t have to be. With easy-to-

understand lessons and relatable stories, Financial

Peace University provides the tools for financial

success, as long as the steps are followed. And with

a support group of peers there for every meeting,

there is less chance of falling out of line. “Having that

accountability helps so much,” said Cannon.

Though nearly half of Vox Printing

employees found success in the program,

there were still others who came to regret

not participating. Walla recalls some having

admitted they did not sign up because they

believed the class to be aimed toward only the

debt-ridden. Walla said this is simply not the

case. “(Financial Peace) is everything money

from A to Z.”

With principles targeting every financial

status, the message of Dave Ramsey’s program

suggests that everyone, no matter their level

of debt or salary can find financial freedom.

Walla relates, saying having her own student debt

to overcome drives her to ensure that her children

will not meet the same fate. And perhaps this is the

overlying lesson to be learned: It is never too late to

correct your mistakes. It is never too late to change.

In this regard, Vox is already planning future

collaborations with Financial Peace. Having given

their employees a means to end their stressful

financial burdens, they are excited to see their

employees able to focus more on their jobs. “We

always tell our employees to smile when they answer

the phone because people can tell,” said Reid. “Now

they have one more reason to do so.”

FPU Graduates at Vox Printing

Heather Patton on her Wedding Day


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downtown Edmond. We feature over 15 vendors offering bou-tique clothing, purses, decor,

hand-made jewelry and children’s items. Spring items arriving now!

Open Mon-Sat 10-5:30 • 111 S. Broadway 285-7511 • www.beaucoupboutiques.com

AFTER

Oasis Pools & Spas offersquality maintenance, repairand remodeling for yourswimming pool or spa.Whether you have an in-ground or above-groundpool, our trained technicianswill keep it running beautifully.Stop by our store and enjoy 15% off all toys, pool floats and games withthis ad. Exp. 4/30/12 • 1333 N. Santa Fe • 340-6442 • Also, now hiring!

Introducing Barbie's Consignment,for Re DesigningWomen. We nowaccept all women's sizes! Stop byand meet Barbara and Carol andbrowse our great selection ofquality clothing, purses andshoes. Open Mon-Sat 10-6,Thur 10-7 & Sun 1-5. Locatedat 364 S. Kelly in Edmond 844-0505

Blessings and Bloomsis a fabulous homedecor and gift shop on Main Street in Yukon. Celebrate every oc-casion with the Happy Everything Collection and fun interchange-able decorations. From cookie jars to frames to platters, we encourage you to make everyday merry! Open Mon-Fri 10-6 & Sat 10-5 at419 W. Main Street in Yukon. Find us on Facebook! • 577-6790

Looking for a unique way tosay thank you to your child's

teachers? Candy bouquetsmake the perfect gift! Customize

yours with their favorite colors andcandy. Plus enjoy free Edmond delivery!

Bring in this ad for $5 off a teacherbouquet. (min. $25 puchase - exp. 4/30/12)

Located at the NW corner of Danforth & Santa Fe • 341-9400 • Find us on Facebook!

www.candybouquet.com

Child Care Providers of Edmond offersFREE assistance to parents looking forhome-based child care in the Edmond area.All child care providers are Oklahoma DHSlicensed and are certified in CPR & first aid.For help finding quality care for your child,call 330-HOME or visit childcareofedmond.com.

Child CareProviders of Edmond

Our Sisters’ Closet is an upscaleEdmond women’s resale shop benefiting

battered women and children receivingservices at the YWCA OKC.

Located 3 blocks North of 2nd, betweenBroadway & Boulevard at 101 E. Hurd.

Open Tues-Fri 10-5:30 and Sat 10-5.348-2442 • www.ywcaokc.org

Shop, Support, Save a Life.

And at I-240 & S. Penn. (NW corner Walnut Sq.) Mention this ad for a Shopping Discount!


Hippity, Hoppity,Easter's on itsway! Shop Hip & Swanky for an amazingcollection of Easter dresses. You’ll also find Corraland Old Gringo boots, jewelry & accessories. 1247 E. Danforth (Kickingbird Square) • 341-3066 www.hipandswanky.com

Co-Motion Group Exercise & Health Counselingis now open in Edmond! All levels, ages and sizeswelcome. We offer ZUMBA, Cardio, Kick-Boxingand Health Counseling with convenient workouttimes and a great location, 2100 S. Broadway inEdmond. Enjoy 10% off with this ad! Exp. 4/30/12

Find us on Facebook or call 580-320-5743.Your first class is always free!

Bloomin Outdoors is Yukon's newest, hippest boutique featuringmen's and women's outdoor lifestyle shoes and apparel. You'll findproducts from Teva, Lucky, Silver, Mt. Hardware, North Face, Keen, Old Gringo and Patagonia. Open Mon-Fri 10-7 & Sat 10-5 at 451 W. Main St. in Yukon. Find us on Facebook! • 494-7676

Loabi Boutique carries all the latestin women's and children's apparel,

shoes, gifts & handbags from brandslike Fossil, Toms, Aden & Anais,

Haute Baby, Miss Me and Brighton.Four piece sets of Munire baby

furniture are 20% off for a limitedtime! Open M-F 10-6 and Sat 10-5.

454 W. Main Street in Yukon Find us on Facebook! • 494-7447

Don't miss Serendipity Market's Spring Open House, April 14th with 15%or more off storewide plus hourly door prizes, gift certificate drawings and

refreshments! You'll find amazing decor, re-styled furniture, must-haveaccents, jewelry and gifts for every room and every taste. Next to Ted’s

at 917 E. Danforth Rd. • 340-8869 • www.serendipityofedmond.comFind us on Facebook for chances to win gift certificates!

Spring Open House Saturday, April 14th

Visit Anabelle’s Galleria for the newest Waxing Poetic line, Bespoken. Create heartfelt jewelry pieces tailor-made to your

unique stories. You'll also find designer jeans, hats, shoes, gifts and children's items. Located at 1201 NW 178th(2nd & Western) • 359-1189 • Find us on Facebook!

Anabelle’s Galleria

Ladybugs and Lizards is anupscale children's clothingboutique where the whimsical and classiccome together. We offer traditional lines like Biscotti, Cach Cach and Feltman Brothers and carry the newest lines out of Europe like KidCuteTure, Scotch R'Belle and Dino e Lucia. Located in the Spring Creek Shopping Center, NW corner of 15th & Bryant • 348-2121 www.ladybugslizards.comFind us on Facebook!

Leave the spring cleaning to us!We’ll take care of all the sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, laundry,dusting, bed linens & more! We offeryears of experience and competitverates. For a free estimate call740-6004.


With This Ad. Exp. 4/30/12

With This Ad. Exp.4/30/12300

www.kreggers.com

12 months no interest!on select Mohawk products thru April (wac)

Compare Apples to Apples We shop the local competition.

$5.99/sfinstalled

$8.39/sfinstalled

Price INCLUDES:Carpet Removal

Furniture MovingWood FlooringGlue & Labor

Hand-ScrapedWood Floors

ActualPrice

Ours$5.99/sf

Theirs$3.89/sfPrice EXCLUDES:

$3.50/sf Labor$1/sf Glue

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Hand-ScrapedWood Floors

Don’t be fooled bybig claims and fine print.

Kregger’s has the best price in town!


winning.’ “We work with about 30 different plants

that adapt to Oklahoma’s changing weather. Last

summer, we won ‘Edmond Yard of the Week’

three separate times. We thought that was great

considering it was something that just happened. I

wasn’t aware there was an award for that until last

year,” said Nelson.

From the first phone call to project’s end,

every customer is priority. “We strive to answer

every phone call, treat clients special regardless of

project size and communicate through the entire

process. We employ 15-20 people in the peak

season, but my core team includes the sweetest

secretary ever, Janelle, 10 guys that have been

with me for six years and my dog Tugg. Tugg goes

everywhere with me. When I pick up a crew, they

know to get in the backseat because Tugg won’t

move,” laughed Nelson. “We’re all like family, I

attend their weddings and they’ll come to mine in

June when I marry Keirsten Russel and adopt her

dog Tallie.”

Another benefit to their success has been

Nelsons’ brother-in-law, Baltazar (Brad) Prado.

“Brad received his doctorate degree from OSU in

Agricultural Economics and gained experience

in his homeland, El Salvador. He’s brilliant and

oversees a lot of the landscaping. It’s nice having

him on the team.”

Nelson’s pride in landscaping lawns stems not

only from years of experience but from the help

that he’s had along the way. Nelson explained,

“Landscapers who’ve been in the business for

40 plus years have helped guide me. Perhaps my

best lesson was from the mistakes we made early

on. We feel we’ve got it down to a science after

learning what works and what doesn’t, especially

in Oklahoma’s clay soil.”

To view a sample of their landscaping work,

visit Spring Creek Assembly of God in Edmond.

Find them online at nelsonlawnservice.com

or call 202-4120 before April 30th to book your

consultation and receive a 3D landscape design for

just $79 (retail price $250).

&BeforeAfter by Melanie Phillips Clemens

12 months no interest!on select Mohawk products thru April (wac)

After

Before

‘Keep Oklahoma Beautiful’ has been an

Oklahoma motto since 1965 and for Andy Nelson

with Nelson Lawn Care & Landscaping since 1995.

Nelson’s fascination with cars motivated him, at 12

years old, to mow lawns to earn money towards his

first car. 18 years later, Nelson’s passion for cars is

only surmounted by his passion for beautifying the

landscape of Edmond and Oklahoma City.

“I enjoy the role we play in keeping Oklahoma

beautiful. As a full service residential and com-

mercial lawn service company, our mission is to

make properties look their best at all times. We

provide weekly maintenance from April to Octo-

ber,” shared Nelson. But precision lawn care is just

‘icing on the cake’ for the landscape design services

Nelson added to his genre 10 years ago.

Incorporating a 3D landscaping design in lieu

of an architectural layout has been advantageous

for Nelson and his customers. “3D design is life-like

and basically shows the client how the landscape

will look,” said Nelson. Landscaping isn’t simply

for beautification, but adds value to a home.

Nelson explained, “I’ve done a lot of research and

studies show that investing as little as 3 to 5% of a

home’s value by revamping outdated or minimal

landscaping can increase the value by over 10%.”

Nelson’s uses perennials, annuals, evergreens

and exotic plants that are proven to be ‘award 202-4120

3D Landscape Design Rendering


EasterervicesS


Lynda Powell was struggling. The single

mother’s difficulties ranged from the

basics of food and clothing to the

logistics of getting to and from work

or getting through semester after semester of college.

And to make things worse, she couldn’t find many

resources for support.

“Was it gas in the car or food on the table - these

are real struggles,” Powell

says. At her lowest point,

Powell pledged that if she

could just make it through,

she would dedicate her life

to helping others in similar situations. And now,

through founding the Bethel Foundation, a nonprofit

which gained 501(c)(3) status in 2004, she is.

The organization, which served 9,549 women

and children last year, offers a variety of opportunities

and help for single mothers in the metro, one-third

of which are from Edmond, Powell says. “I think it’s

important for a mother to know that there’s someone

that’s been through this, understands the struggles

and knows how to get out of it,” Powell explains.

“So, it’s to help guide them and be there for them.”

These are mothers like Katherine, whose last

name is being withheld for safety reasons. It took

Katherine, a single mother of six, almost two years

to get out of an abusive

relationship. At first she

sought the services of the

foundation from clothing

to food, in sporadic times

of need. Then after moving, her daughters had no

beds. The Bethel Foundation provided bunk beds to

Katherine as well as other services.

“For me, it kept me from falling so far behind,”

she said. “If it weren’t for them stepping in, in the

places that they did, it would’ve taken me a lot lon-

by Lindsay Whelchel

“For me, it kept me from falling so far

behind.”

A SOLIDFOUNDATION

ger to get where I am.”

Household items

such as this are pro-

vided by donations to

the organization, Powell

explains. She adds that

they host a variety of

programs that give the

mothers and their chil-

dren opportunities they

may not have other-

wise. “You never know

when that mother walks

through the door that

this could be her last

hope that she’s seeking,

because when you don’t

have food, you can’t af-

ford gas. You’re trying,

but you keep getting

behind; we’re there to

help propel you to keep going with the resources we

have to offer,” Powell says.

Those resources include life skills classes,

clothing, food, a community center, a scholarship

program called the Grace Scholarship and a home


ownership program, in addition to services directly

for the children, such as a Christmas gift program

and a host of free spring break and summer camps.

Katherine explains the impact of these services

on her and her children. “It was really amazing, it

really touched my heart. It’s just something that

when you are in those situations where you can’t

help yourself, that they can step in and be that

foundation for you and help you,” she says.

Katherine’s experiences with the foundation

spurred her to become a volunteer and she says that

there are a lot of ways others can help. “Really there

is a big need for volunteers when it comes to our

kids’ camps that they do, to be that mentor,” she

says. Her children will be attending the camps this

year and she emphasizes what taking on a mentor

role can mean. “To have that experience with a child,

they may not have anyone else that could give them

those type of experiences or be that role model to

them or that word of encouragement, or someone

to look up to, because they may not have that

around them.”

Powell echoes the importance of volunteers.

“I think people can get involved and see that these

needs are real, so they can get in and help; maybe

you can give one or two hours of your time…

everybody can do something,” she says. In addition

to monetary donations that would fund day-to-day

operations, as well as help add a pavilion, add on

to the community center, and the hope for a shelter

for abused women and children, the foundation is

always in need of material items such as clothing,

appliances and furniture as well as volunteers to

facilitate their programs. Powell explains that the

center is located on five acres so even help with

mowing is essential.

Katherine adds that the program comes full

circle when her children not only get to participate

in the programs but then get involved volunteering

as they have done.

“I think it’s great because they get to see that

there are people out there who care about you and

you need to care about others as well,” she said.

The organization will be hosting a free spring

conference for mothers on April 28. It will offer door

prizes, free child care and they will be naming a

single mom of the year.

For more information on Bethel Foundation’s

programs and services or how you can help, visit

www.bethelfoundationusa.com.

Scholarship recepient graduating from UCO Boys attending Camp Sonlight


Name: Ruth Rickey, Super Star Sugar Artist

What made you decide to make the leap from lawyer to decorator? It was a total accident. I always loved to bake. My mom and grandmotherwere great bakers. I took a cake class to make a birthday cake and next thingI know, I was working as a cake decorator during a six month hiatus fromworking for the state and never went back!

What famous people have you decorated cakes for? I was honored to do wedding cakes for several Governor's daughters andfor Toby Keith's daughter. I've done cakes for NFL and NBA families,pro golfers and horse racing folks.

A year after opening Ruth's Sweete Justice Bakery, you werediagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia. Tell us about that.Finding out you have an incurable, untreatable form of cancercan stop you in your tracks. When I was diagnosed, I was giventwo to five years. But six weeks after the diagnosis, the FDAapproved the first real treatment for CML. I was the firstperson in OK to start Gleevec. Within a year, my bone marrowwas clean. A couple years later, I was in cytogenetic remission.After 10 and a half years on the drug, my body was buildingresistance so I recently switched to Sprycel, the secondgeneration drug for CML.

And now you dedicate a tremendous amount of time andeffort to raise money and awareness for cancer research?Yes - I turn 50 in April and to celebrate, I'm doing the Madrid Marathon with Team in Training. I'll also be doing the Anchorage, Nike and Dublin Marathons and hopefully theRedman Half Iron Man Triathlon this year, to raise money forthe Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. My life was savedbecause of a $500,000 grant from the LLS. I believe it'simportant that I work to finance someone else's miracle. You are one of only 22 certified master sugar artists inthe world! How does one qualify for such an honor?You have eight hours to do a three tier cake, single tier cakeand a non-cake sugar display. Those pieces must show eightdifferent advanced techniques and you must score very high onevery aspect. About 20 people attempt the test each year. Onlya few pass. It's no cakewalk!

You've also been featured on several TV shows?Yes, I was the lead on WE TV's Wedding Cake Wars and we won. I assisted Pat Jacoby on TLC's Ultimate Cake Off and we won bothtimes. And I was also on three specials filmed for the Food Networkon the Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show.

Ruth's Sweete Justice Bakery recently closed. How come? While I miss my customers and employees, I believe that I'm meantto be an instructor. I love the sugar arts and want the new generationto learn the old techniques. It is incredibly rewarding to travel andteach others.

MY EDMOND OUTLOOKby Krystal Harlow

MY EDMOND OUTLOOKby Krystal Harlow

MY EDMOND OUTLOOKby Krystal HarlowName: Ruth Rickey, Super Star Sugar Artist







Name: Ruth Rickey, Super Star Sugar Artist







Edmond Outlook April 2012

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