COVID-19 and the DSP brings New ways to support Adults with Disabilities
Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Special Care report for August 2020 by Ellyn Novak Hefner
The City Sentinel’s Continuing Series on STABLE and ‘Special Care’ issues.
The pandemic has pushed Oklahomans to look at the “new normal”. With the necessary changes to keep Oklahomans safe, the “new normal” has pushed us to look at doing things differently, pushing ourselves to continue our jobs but in a different way.
My friend Robin Arter, executive director at Think Ability, Inc., has the privilege to serve as the Executive Director of the group which provides supports and services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
They support 106 individuals with intellectual disabilities and employ 150 + to get the job done. The majority, of course, are direct support professionals. Robin tells us how they continue to do their job as DSPs in a different way to support these Oklahomans.
Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) are employees who work directly with people with intellectual/developmental/physical disabilities with the goal of assisting the individual to become integrated into his/her community or the least restrictive environment and to live their best life.
The individual’s interdisciplinary team works with the individual and their family to discover and identify what is important to and what is important for that individual, then outcomes are developed to challenge progress in these interests.
The DSP implements these outcomes and more! The DSP assists with all activities of daily living to include personal hygiene tasks, dressing, medication administration, housekeeping, meal prep, personal and grocery supply shopping, transportation, budgeting, budgeting to save for bigger purchases/dreams in OKSTABLE accounts.
Doug Jackson is the Deputy Director of the national ABLE program known as STABLE Account, working with Oklahoma to administer the in-state OK STABLE plan. Jackson explains “Providers that support people with disabilities in day-to-day life are often involved in assisting these individuals in money management. This is why OK STABLE is so important.”
Jackson went on to explain the historic problem that provider agencies face, “In the past, providers helped those they were serving ‘spend down’ money to ensure publics benefits were protected from the eligibility asset limits. Spending down money is simply a waste of this person’s resources so they qualify for benefits like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
OK STABLE allows a provider to support the people they serve in preserving their money and, even more, in attaining financial goals such as saving their money toward short-term and long-term goals. This is how a provider can truly help a person achieve financial independence.”
Robin explains that DSPs do all of this while following all physician orders and protocols, and the recommendations/plans of other professionals such as the physical, occupational and speech therapist, nutrition plans, mealtime challenges as well as implement positive behavior supports.
DSPs share a passion for promoting and protecting the rights of people with disabilities and advocate often in support.
“The DSPs are challenged in current events, not only by the pandemic, but to continue to respect important to and important for each individual we support through the pandemic. The DSPs, responsible to implement the individual plan, find most if not all require increased socialization opportunities in the communities we live in.
Here are some of the creative ways we have met the challenge:
• Instead of eating out, we drive through and picnic, everyone chooses their own restaurant!
• We go on walks and sometimes enjoy a nature scavenger hunt,
• We go on drives and enjoy a community scavenger hunt.
• We use laptops and order personal supplies and groceries online, sometimes we use curbside pickup and sometimes we use an online service and get packages delivered to our homes – it’s always exciting to get a package delivery!
• We’ve enjoyed more card & board games and jigsaw puzzles together
• We’ve learned to face-time with family and friends,
• We watch our church service on tv or online
All this while promoting social distancing, and modeling, teaching, assisting, and encouraging hand washing, sanitizing our homes and vehicles and wearing masks.
There are 24 individuals supported in residential settings across Oklahoma that have tested positive for COVID-19, sadly one death. This is an ongoing challenge that DSPs across Oklahoma continue to rise to meet while making a world of difference in people’s lives.
Robin Arter’s final words for us:
“If you are inspired to become a Direct Support Professional I encourage you to search for a Developmental Disability Provider Agency in your area, apply for employment or to volunteer your time. You’ll find it is amazing to influence positive experiences in a person’s life!”
NOTES: For further information, check out: Robin Arter, Executive Director , Think Ability, Inc. at this website: thinkabilityfirst.com. And, as always, contact Ellyn Novak Hefner, ChSNP, Special Needs Consultant via email at [email protected]. This story is part of The City Sentinel’s continuing series on special care in Oklahoma.
COVID-19 and the DSP brings New ways to support Adults with Disabilities Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
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Analysis: Seeking redress for past wrongdoing sometimes where you stand depends on where you sit8/14/2020
The five major Oklahoma tribal nations (Chickasaw, Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw and Seminole) are not monolithic.
Each has its own important history and “back-story” in terms of the timing and specific reasons for the forced relocation from ancestral lands in what is now the southeastern United States to what is now eastern Oklahoma.
Further, while there is some overlap, each tribal entity has distinct contemporary objectives and interests – including some rooted in issues that reach back to years after the U.S. Civil War.
Case in point:
Weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court’s historic (and controversial) decision in "McGirt v. Oklahoma' (https://ift.tt/2CqRY0k), Chief Gary Batton of the Choctaw Nation was communicating with Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, concerning issues of Choctaw Nation membership.
The issue surveyed (in a June 25 letter from Batton to Pelosi, first drafted on June 11), referenced a June 9 draft measure by U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-California, which Batton asserted would require “the Choctaw Nation to pay the price of resolving the federal government’s Freedman issue.”
As part of a measure she raised in wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Rep. Waters was seeking (in legislation not enacted, thus far) to compel the Choctaw nation to comply with 1866 treaty language (with Choctaw citizenship for formerly enslaved people and their descendants). Her proposal, Batton argued, was crafted in a manner that would violate the Choctaw Constitution.
Without such compliance as defined in her draft bill, her proposal would “hold back [Choctaw] housing funds until” -- in Batton’s narrative -- the federal secretary of housing interprets treaty compliance.
In his letter, Chief Batton described Rep. Waters’ draft measure as “a non-starter.”
In Chief Batton’s overview it would be “untenable” for a new law “to reach back into defensible and conflictive periods of history and impose just one portion of a treaty imposed upon the Choctaw Nation in 1866 without regard to the meandering mass of countervailing treaties, law and policy that followed the 1866 treaty.”
Chief Batton thanked Speaker Pelosi for “the leadership you have shown in support of tribal self-determination and self-sufficiency over the years.” However he asked that Pelosi “not permit the House to adopt any legislative provision that would so fundamentally destroy the self-determination authority of the Choctaw Nation.” He also asserted: “The responsibility to address systematic racism in America should be borne by all Americans, not just the Choctaw Nation.”
A copy of the June 25 Batton letter was provided to this reporter by an informed source.
In addition to Speaker Pelosi, a California Democrat, copies of the letter were sent to U.S. Rep. Ben Lujan, a New Mexico Democrat who is assistant House Speaker, and to U.S. Rep. Denny Heck, a Washington state Democrat who is a member of the House Committee on Financial Services.
NOTE: Pat McGuigan is founder of CapitolBeatOK, an online news service, and publisher of The City Sentinel newspaper, based in Oklahoma City.
Analysis: Seeking redress for past wrongdoing, sometimes where you stand depends on where you sit Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma voters are encouraged to request their absentee ballot for the August 25 primary runoff election as soon as possible. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is 5 p.m, on Tuesday, Aug 18, but election officials urge people to request one now if they are concerned about in-person voting due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The easiest way to apply for an absentee ballot is on the Oklahoma State Election Board’s website, which you can find here (https://ift.tt/1U0OGl1).
Oklahoma requires that your absentee ballot be received by the county election board no later than 7 p.m. on election day (Aug. 25).
For the August runoff election, in most of Oklahoma County only Republicans will receive an absentee ballot, as there are no Democratic primaries.
Bethany has a $7.1 million “Safe School” bond proposal and Harrah has a city sales tax proposition, therefore all voters living in those two cities in Oklahoma County can receive absentee ballots.
All registered votes in Cleveland County (Norman) can vote on a wide range of important propositions. In Lincoln County voters face a local commissioner's race.
Both Logan County and Pottawatomie County also have local balloting, with several in the latter.
Oklahoma voters will need to verify their absentee ballots (https://ift.tt/1U0OGl1 ) for the Aug. 25 runoff election by either having them notarized, or by attaching a copy of their valid ID.
These are the accepted forms of identification:
• A photo ID issued by the United States, by the State of Oklahoma, or by a federally recognized tribe with an expiration date that is AFTER the election date; or
• A Voter ID card issued by your County Election Board when you registered to vote.
Several local financial institutions and other organizations offer one or more of the following free absentee voting services to all Oklahoma voters:
• • Free ID copy (lobby and/or drive-thru)
• • Free absentee ballot notarization (lobby and/or drive-thru)
Voters can find a list of participating locations at elections.ok.gov. Services and hours may vary.
Adrian Beverage, Chief of Staff and Executive Vice President for Government Relations for the Oklahoma Bankers said, “Community banks across Oklahoma are excited for the opportunity to make absentee voting easier for all Oklahomans.”
Voters can confirm their registration and their voting precinct, or apply for absentee ballots online using the OK Voter Portal at elections.ok.gov/OVP.html. Applications can also be downloaded from the State Election Board website at elections.ok.gov.
According to the Oklahoma State Election Board website, any registered voter in Oklahoma may vote by absentee ballot. It is not necessary to give a reason for voting absentee.
With no excuse absentee ballots, any registered voter who submits an absentee ballot application on time will receive one.
Voters can request absentee ballots for a single election or all elections in which they are eligible to vote for a full election year. Voters who request a full year of elections, must submit a new application each year.
Three states – Colorado, Oregon, Washington— have been mailing ballots to every registered voter for years safely. (https://ift.tt/3bjG3Oc )
Applications for absentee ballots (https://ift.tt/1U0OGl1) must be made in writing or using the Oklahoma State Election Board's Online Absentee Voting Application
(https://ift.tt/37I34t0).
Absentee ballot application forms are available from all county election boards
https://ift.tt/2aQugZ5 and from the State Election Board.
To begin the online process of getting your absentee ballot, you can go here (https://www.ok.gov/elections/Voter_Info/Absentee_Voting/index.html).
Or you can download a form here (https://ift.tt/3fTLULv) and follow the directions.
Voters with specific questions should contact their County Election Board (here is the list:
https://ift.tt/2aQugZ5
or the State Election Board by calling 405-521-2391 or emailing [email protected].
For more information about absentee voting in Oklahoma, visit elections.ok.gov.
NOTE: Publisher Patrick B. McGuigan contributed to this report.
Oklahomans encouraged to request absentee ballots now for August 25 runoff election Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
OKLAHOMA CITY – On September 23, the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum, honoring the most famous historic highway in the world, will celebrate its 25th anniversary.
The Route 66 Museum, located at 2229 W. Gary Boulevard in Clinton, officially opened on that date in 1995 and became the first facility in the nation dedicated to the history and culture of Route 66. It is the largest museum dedicated to the history and culture of Route 66 along the museum’s course which spans from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California.
With over 930,000 visitors in 25 years, the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum has proven to be a must-see for travelers — both Route 66ers and everyday vacationers.
(https://www.okhistory.org/sites/route66)
“The popularity and importance of the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum played a large role in Clinton hosting the International Route 66 Festival in 2007, which brought more than 20,000 people to Clinton,” according to museum director Pat Smith.
The success of the festival also led to the transformation of the community’s annual Hot Dog Daze into Clinton’s Route 66 Festival, she noted.
In 2012, after 17 years, the museum fully renovated all of its exhibit galleries, bringing the facility into the 21st century. This achievement was celebrated with a special grand opening ceremony on May 26, 2012.
The museum has hosted numerous special events that attract Route 66ers from around the globe. Since 1996, the museum has held Route 66 anniversary celebrations every five years.
Past celebrations have featured premiere Route 66 historian Michael Wallis (https://ift.tt/2XYJQvy), as well as special exhibits by Route 66 artists and authors such as the late Bob Waldmire (https://ift.tt/30Yxfe1), Shellee Graham (https://ift.tt/30VjU61), Jim Ross (https://ift.tt/3anl79b), Jerry McClanahan (https://mcjerry66.com/),
Kathy Anderson (https://ift.tt/3gWjcLg) and many others.
The Oklahoma Route 66 Association (https://ift.tt/3iDkSd1) also inducts notable Oklahomans into the Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame (https://ift.tt/3amjA3j) every two years. Inductions are held for individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the promotion and/or preservation of Route 66.
The selection includes a nomination and committee process conducted by the association. The winners’ plaques are displayed in the Hall of Fame, which is located in the museum’s Wow! Room.
The museum’s galleries are designed to offer visitors a personal journey through the history of the nation’s most revered highway where they will encounter the iconic images and myths of the Mother Road.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the cancellation of this year’s Route 66 Festival, the public can still help the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum celebrate this milestone anniversary by visiting sometime during the year.
Museum staff say visitors will learn about the dreams and labor needed to make the road a reality as they experience the flow of thousands fleeing the drought and despair of the Dust Bowl while headed toward the “land of promise.”
The museum offers the sounds of the Big Band era which was all the rage, as returning soldiers dominated the road.
Guests can sit at the counter or booth of the 1950s diner and feel the open road as America’s families vacationed along Route 66.
The museum also offers changing special exhibits focusing on the Route 66 experience in the new Now and Future Gallery. The gift shop offers a variety of Route 66 memorabilia.
In an interview with Route 66 News (https://www.route66news.com/2020/02/27/roadtripok-video-series-focuses-on-clinton/).
Pat Smith, museum director for the Oklahoma Historical Society said, “There became a need for a museum to really tell the history of Route 66 because it was no longer a main road to travel. Route 66 is the most famous historic highway in America. So, what a perfect place, right here in Clinton, Oklahoma.
“Even though it is no longer a main road to travel, we have thousands of people from all over the world to visit and travel Route 66,” Smith added. “It is becoming a really popular road again.”
To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, occupancy is limited to no more than thirty visitors in the museum at one time. Visitors will be admitted in the order they arrive. There are outdoor exhibits to view while waiting.
Groups of more than eight are not being scheduled at this time. Guests are asked to practice social distancing by staying six feet away from staff and visitors who are not in your party. Staff members ensure all areas are clean and sanitized.
In accordance with Oklahoma State Department of Health guidelines, all visitors, staff, volunteers, contractors and vendors are required to wear face masks in public areas of Oklahoma Historical Society museums, sites and affiliates, including the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum.
The Oklahoma Route 66 Museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and is closed Sunday and Monday.
Regular admission is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors, $4 for children and ages 5 and under are free. For further information, contact Pat Smith at 580-323-7866 or [email protected].
Founded in 1893, the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society, whose mission is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people.
For more information about the OHS, visit www.okhistory.org.
Oklahoma Route 66 Museum celebrates 25th anniversary Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Support your local sheriff!
P.D. Taylor became acting sheriff of Oklahoma County under difficult circumstances in 2017. Soon thereafter, he ran in a special election – first securing the Republican nomination and then winning the special election for the top job.
No one now in the race can match Taylor’s experience, wisdom, insight and professionalism. After 46 years without stain of controversy, at a time of challenge and opportunity for law enforcement in central Oklahoma, P.D. Taylor is the right man to keep the Sheriff’s office focused on law enforcement, community engagement and steady improvement.
During his three years as sheriff, the women and men on his staff have done their jobs with integrity. The officers worked professionally during local protests, avoiding conflict and affirming both community order and the legitimate rights of those seeking change.
Challenging him for the GOP nod is Norman police officer Tommie Johnson III, who garnered a spot in the runoff after winning 33 percent of the primary vote (compared to Taylor’s daunting 48.3 percent while running first). Johnson told a local reporter, “I respect [Taylor] with all my heart. He’s given a lot to this profession and has done it a long time. He’s a hall-of-fame officer.”
The City Sentinel believes P.D. Taylor has earned election to a full-term of office to continue the job he has started so well.
The first step in reaching that objective is for Republican primary voters to support Sheriff Taylor in early voting or on election day, Tuesday, August 25.
Oklahoma County Sheriff, Republican Runoff: For P.D. Taylor Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Oklahoma City – Next week, the Brightmusic Chamber Ensemble will present its 17th annual chamber music festival, an all-Beethoven program celebrating the 250th birthday of one of classical music’s seminal figures, Ludwig van Beethoven.
For the safety of our patrons and musicians, the festival will be offered by live stream through the website and shared on Facebook in four virtual concerts on August 20, 21, 22 and 23 at 7:30 pm.
In a generous gesture of support, two City-area churches are allowing recording sessions in early August for musicians to do their recording and video work for the online events. Brightmusic officers say the ensemble will return to its ‘home’ at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral for future events.
The program will feature duos and trios, limiting the number of musicians to maintain social distancing and demonstrating how much music the German master could coax from only a few instruments in the hands of virtuosos. Join Brightmusic online to take part in the worldwide celebration of the man who changed music.
The festival is available to the general public through the website, www.brightmusic.org and shared on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/BrightmusicOK/. After the initial release date, the festival will be available anytime.
The works on the program are:
CONCERT 1 “Distant Beloved”
The Mae Ruth Swanson Memorial Concert
Romance in F major for violin and piano, Op. 50
An die ferne Geliebte, Op. 98
Piano Trio in B-flat major, Op. 11
CONCERT 2 “Celebratory Cello”
Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 5, No. 2
String Trio in G major, Op. 9, No. 1
CONCERT 3 “Immortal Beloved”
Adelaide for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 46 (arr. By Muller)
Violin Sonata No. 9 in A major, Op. 47 “Kreutzer”
CONCERT 4 “Joyful Winds”
Duo for Clarinet and Bassoon, No. 1 in C major, WoO 27
Trio in E-flat major, Op. 38, for clarinet, cello and piano (arr. Beethoven)
Virtual Virtuosos appearing:
Gregory Lee & Katrin Stamatis (violin), Mark Neumann (viola), Jonathan Ruck & Meredith Blecha-Wells (cello), Chad Burrow (clarinet), Larry Reed (bassoon), Andrew Ranson (tenor), and Amy I-Lin Cheng (piano). Recording engineer: Matt Horton
Why Ludwig Van Beethoven still matters
The Brightmusic press release for this event asked these important and relevant questions:
So why would the world be making such a fuss in the middle of the worst global health crisis in over 100 years? Who was Beethoven and why does he deserve all this attention?
Born in Bonn in 1770, the boy Beethoven would, like most other boys of the day, go into the family business — music in his case.
Despite poverty and a dysfunctional family, he managed to get an adequate musical grounding before relocating to Vienna at the age of 22. Over the next three and a half decades he overcame ill health, chronic depression and deafness to become the most celebrated composer in Europe by the time of his death in 1827.
Today, Beethoven is regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of music. Beethoven was pivotal in the transition from the Eighteen Century Classical style of Mozart and Haydn to Romanticism, which would dominate the Nineteenth Century.
In July, as preparations for the virtual festival began, Amy I-Lin Cheng, an officer for Brightmusic and one of the emsemble’s featured performers, told The City Sentinel the group is grateful to First Presbyterian Church in Norman, and First Baptist Church in downtown Oklahoma City. The two institutions are allowing Brightmusic to use their facilities to record the upcoming performances at no charge.
She explained, “Both venues have large sanctuaries with Steinway pianos. They are very welcoming.”
In early August, as the process of festival preparation advanced, Cheng elaborated on the process:
“[I]t is necessary to have a large space for recording, in order that the musicians and recording engineer can maintain social distance while working,” she explained.
Brightmusic’s organizers “considered university spaces, private residences and various recording studios in town, but all those options have constraints, so we settled for empty large sanctuaries to be our safest option. It has been a challenge coordinating the project. Musicians also have been doing some ‘virtual’ rehearsing over the internet, in order to cut down on the in-person contact time. During in person rehearsals, we will have to wear masks (other than wind players and the singer). We will take pictures as we go along with the project. It's been quite a journey already.”
Brightmusic Chamber Ensemble, Oklahoma City’s own chamber ensemble, normally presents fine classical chamber music in acoustically-rich St. Paul’s Cathedral at N.W. 7th and N. Robinson near downtown Oklahoma City (when there isn’t a pandemic going on).
For more information and updates, visit www.brightmusic.org.
Disclosure: Publisher Pat McGuigan contributed to this report. He is a member of the Brightmusic Society of Oklahoma’s Board of Directors. This story is expanded from the “Entertainment” news feature that appeared in the August 2020 print edition of The City Sentinel newspaper.
Brightmusic Chamber Ensemble Offers Virtual Summer Festival – A Beethoven Festival to honor his 250th Birthday Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK Advocate for underserved jobseekers Theresa Flannery tapped as OK Rehabilitation Commissioner8/12/2020
OKLAHOMA CITY – Mustang resident, Theresa Flannery (https://ift.tt/2PKBnI5) has been appointed by Governor Kevin Stitt to serve as the newest member of the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services Commission (http://www.okdrs.gov/comm/home).
The commission serves as the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitative Services governing board.
In 2019, DRS served 82,787 Oklahomans with disabilities with career preparation, employment, residential and outreach education, independent living programs and the determination of medical eligibility for disability benefits.
The agency also assists employers in finding qualified workers with disabilities.
Serving as senior director for social services at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, Commissioner Flannery worked closely with DRS for 20 years when she was community resources and compliance director at the Dale Rogers Training Center (https://www.drtc.org/).
The oldest and largest community vocational training and employment center for people with disabilities in Oklahoma. Dale Rogers Training Center serves and employs approximately 1,000 people each year.
“I think there’s a good linkage between the people we serve at Catholic Charities and what DRS does to help people with disabilities become employed,” Flannery said. “I bring the employment background and belief that anyone who wants to work should be given the opportunity to work, regardless of their background.”
Catholic Charities of Oklahoma City (https://ift.tt/2E1zO60) serves those in need, regardless of faith, through transformative and empowering social service programs across Central and Western Oklahoma.
“There’s so much value and dignity in work that comes with a career path that allows people with disabilities and those who are economically disadvantaged to be independent,” Flannery added. “Serving as a DRS Commissioner will give me an opportunity to share information about the agency’s great programs with those Catholic Charities clients who could use DRS services.
“A lot of info and services fit in a box because we’re reaching out to help the majority, but I believe there a lot more people in the margins than there are in the box these days,” Flannery said.
“We’re going to also have to learn how to stand in those margins and interact with people outside the box in a way that makes sense to them,” she continued. “We have a responsibility to provide supports and opportunities that affirm each person’s dignity, but also guides them towards greater stability and independence.”
Advocate for underserved jobseekers, Theresa Flannery tapped as OK Rehabilitation Commissioner Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK OU School of Dance announces two new endowed scholarships honoring Maria and Marjorie Tallchief8/12/2020
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK ― The University of Oklahoma School of Dance recently announced the establishment of two new endowed scholarship accounts in the support of dance majors - The Maria Tallchief Endowed Scholarship and The Marjorie Tallchief Endowed Scholarship.
These scholarships are named in honor of the Tallchief sisters, two members of the Osage Nation who created distinguished careers in the dance world during the Twentieth Century. Their legacies have greatly contributed to dance in the state of Oklahoma and beyond.
The scholarships will be awarded annually to full-time OU School of Dance students maintaining a required grade point average. Priority consideration will be given to those students of American Indian backgrounds and/or students with demonstrated financial need.
“It is entirely appropriate that Maria Tallchief and Marjorie Tallchief are being honored by the School of Dance through the establishment of these scholarships,” said Mary Margaret Holt, dean of the Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts.
“Their influence as artists in the international world of dance cannot be overstated, and, hopefully, these scholarships will continue their already stellar legacy by inspiring and supporting generations of aspiring young dancers.”
The Tallchief sisters are two of the five women known as The Five Moons (https://ift.tt/2PQ0h8U) – five renowned American Indian ballerinas born or raised in Oklahoma who each went on to have remarkable performing careers in the United States and abroad.
The Five Moons, which include the Tallchief sisters, Yvonne Chouteau, Moscylene Larkin, and Rosella Hightower, have been honored in a mural (https://ift.tt/2XQFgiY) in the rotunda of the Oklahoma State Capitol by Chickasaw painter Mike Larsen titled Flight of Spirit and in a bronze sculpture installation in Tulsa by Oklahoma artist Gary Henson titled ‘The Five Moons.'
Maria Tallchief, considered to be America’s first prima ballerina, danced with the famed Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in the 1940s. She was a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet under the direction of George Balanchine, who created several roles for her, including the title role in his production of ‘The Firebird.’
Maria was the first Sugarplum Fairy in the premiere of his production of ‘The Nutcracker’ in 1954.
Marjorie Tallchief has danced with several world-renowned companies throughout her career, including Ballet Theatre (now known as American Ballet Theatre), the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, the Ballet de Marquis de Cuevas, and Harkness Ballet. She was the first Native American dancer to become the première danseuse étoile at the esteemed Paris Opera Ballet.
Tallchief served as the director of dance at the Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida, from 1989 to 1993, and was presented with a distinguished service award from OU in 1992. She is the last surviving member of the Five Moons and resides in Boca Raton, Florida.
Both of the Tallchief sisters have been inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame for their contributions to the visual and performing arts in the state of Oklahoma.
“It is absolutely wonderful that the OU School of Dance is celebrating the lives and legacies of Maria and Marjorie Tallchief through these scholarships,” said Warren Queton, tribal liaison for the OU Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
“It is vitally important that a pathway is set in motion to encourage young artists from underrepresented backgrounds to follow in the footsteps of these two Osage ballerinas,” Queton added.
Originally founded in 1963 by former Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo principal dancers Yvonne Chouteau and Miguel Terekhov, the OU School of Dance is home to one of the leading programs in the nation for training in ballet and modern techniques.
Undergraduate and graduate dance majors, along with general education students, total approximately 1,000 enrollees in dance classes per semester. Classes are held in the School’s state-of-the-art facilities in the Donald W. Reynolds Performing Arts Center.
The School of Dance is comprised of two active performing companies, Oklahoma Festival Ballet and Contemporary Dance Oklahoma, both of which execute works from the national repertoire as well as a variety of original works.
For more information or to contribute to the Tallchief funds, contact the OU School of Dance at 405-325-4051 or [email protected]. To learn more, visit dance.ou.edu.
OU School of Dance announces two new endowed scholarships honoring Maria and Marjorie Tallchief Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
OKLAHOMA CITY – House Majority Leader Mike Sanders, R-Kingfisher, today attended the ceremonial bill signing for House Bills 2804 and 2877.
H.B. 2877 strengthens the role of victims’ impact panels in helping to stop driving under the influence (DUI) offenses in Oklahoma and will help reduce the number of repeat offenders.
The measure was a request by victims’ impact panel programs currently operating in Oklahoma. It follows up on successful DUI legislation Sanders passed in 2016 that strengthened prosecution of repeat drunk drivers by creating the Impaired Driving Elimination Act, moving all DUI cases to a court of record, ensuring district attorneys statewide would have access to records of DUI offenses to reduce repeat offenses.
H.B. 2804 requires dyslexia screening for kindergarten through third-grade students not reading on grade level beginning in the 2022-23 school year. The bill builds upon House Bill 1228, passed last year, which provides professional development for teachers across Oklahoma to help them better recognize signs of dyslexia in their students.
Sanders said both pieces of legislation are items of significant importance to him during his legislative career.
“I have fought always on the side of victims of crime, to see that their voices are heard and their needs considered in matters of criminal sentencing,” Sanders said in a statement sent to The City Sentinel and other news organizations.
“At the same time, I’ve been a strong advocate for children diagnosed with dyslexia who too often got left behind their peers in reading and other academic subjects because their condition remained undetected or undiagnosed. (https://ift.tt/33NxyKb)
“I’m incredibly grateful to have won passage of these two important pieces of legislation and to see them become part of the Oklahoma statute. Victims of drunk drivers will now have an opportunity to speak to those who commit this heinous crime, and children statewide will benefit from screening that will help them learn to read on grade level and achieve academic success.”
Both bills were signed into law in May and took effect July 1.
Ceremonial bill signings allow lawmakers and those influential in helping to draft the legislation or those most affected by it to attend.
Sanders thanked State Sen. Stephanie Bice, R-Oklahoma City, and State Sen. Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, the Senate authors of H.B. 2804 and H.B. 2877, respectively, for their work in getting the bills passed in the state Senate.
In an exchange with The City Sentinel newspaper, Senator Bice said, "I'm proud to have worked with Rep. Sanders on H.B. 2804, which requires dyslexia screenings for children who are reading below grade level, an often missed diagnosis that could have a severe impact on future learning outcomes. Teamwork between the House and Senate is imperative to pass important legislation such as this and I've enjoyed partnering with Rep. Sanders on several bills that help move our state forward."
Sanders also thanked members of the Dyslexia and Education Task Force, the Decoding Dyslexia Oklahoma and the State Department of Education for their help in drafting H.B. 2804, and members of the victims’ impact panel programs for their help with H.B. 2877. Representatives from all groups attended ’s bill signings.
Rep. Sanders represents District 59 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, which includes Dewey and parts of Blaine, Canadian, Kingfisher and Woodward counties.
NOTE: Pat McGuigan contributed to this report.
www.City-Sentinel.com
Oklahoma Governor Stitt Ceremonially Signs Sanders’ DUI Victims’ Impact, Dyslexia Bills. Sanders praises advocates and Sens. Bice and Paxton Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Japan Committee of Sister Cities International hosted an International Bell Ringing event on August 5 and 8.
The event commemorated the 75th anniversary of peace between the United States of America and Japan since the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Local communities and individuals across the United States and Japan marked the occasion by ringing bells - following local COVID-19 CDC protocols on social distancing and masking - at venues such as: a public building, a church, synagogue, temple, outside their own homes, and by holding virtual ceremonies. (https://ift.tt/3is8zAl)
“Sharing hope is an essential necessity for humankind, especially now,” said Kevin O’Donnell, Chair of the Japan Committee. “In the midst of this global pandemic, August 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the twin atomic bombings on Japan, but it also marks a positive and hopeful milestone—75 years of peace and partnership between our two peoples.”
The first event took place in the United States at the exact moment the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima (https://ift.tt/31RlXHJ) on Wednesday, August 5 at 6:15 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CT) and at the moment the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki (https://ift.tt/3jugUVm) on Saturday, August 8 at 9:02 p.m.
Simultaneous events occurred in Japan on Thursday, August 6 at 8:15 a.m. and Sunday, August 9 at 11:02 a.m.
“We are so proud of the Japan Committee’s work on this unique and uplifting initiative to advance our mission of promoting peace—one individual, one community at a time—based on mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation,” says Leroy Allala, President & CEO of Sister Cities International.
“We are also grateful to our coordinating partners, the U.S.-Japan Congressional Caucus, U.S. Conference of Mayors, Mayors for Peace, National League of Cities, and Shadows For Peace,” Allala added.
This initiative began during conversations among citizen diplomats in California that included renowned photographer, artist, community leader, and social activist Richard Fukuhara (https://www.rafu.com/2018/12/obituary-richard-fukuhara-74-community-leader-creator-of-shadows-for-peace/).
The need to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bombs was discussed within U.S.- Japan sister city relationships that have been formed since the end of the war.
There are over 455 sister city/state relationships that have been recorded between the U.S. and Japan, which is the largest single binational community within the worldwide network.
St. Paul, Minnesota – Nagasaki, Japan is the first postwar sister city relationship between a U.S. and an Asian city. Honolulu, Hawaii and Hiroshima, Japan have also been sister cities for 60 years.
Over 50 cities confirmed official participation in the ceremony, including Oklahoma City, Edmond, Norman Stillwater and Tulsa.
"It was an honor for Sister Cities OKC (https://ift.tt/3ab35ah) to participate in the US-Japan Bell Ringing: Celebrating 75 Years of Peace Since Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 5th and the 8th. We hope to make this an annual event,” said Mary Pointer, Sister Cities OKC Board President.
"The mission of Sister Cities to promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation resonated with each of us last night,” Pointer added. “As we reflected over the tragic events that occurred 75 years ago we are thankful that President Eisenhower had the vision to establish Sister Cities.
"Members of Sister Cities believe that if we work together we can help avoid future conflicts."
As reported by KJRH Channel 2 (https://ift.tt/33KM71i) in Tulsa reported that All Souls Unitarian, Boston Avenue Methodist Church and First Presbyterian participated in the event on Saturday.
Other US cities include: Abilene, KS; Albuquerque, NM; Battle Creek, MI; Berkeley, CA; Birmingham, AL; Carlsbad, CA; Concord, CA; Crescent City, CA; Cupertino, CA; Dayton, OH; El Dorado County, CA; Fort Worth, TX; Fresno, CA; Horseheads, NY; Longmont, CO; Millbrae, CA; Muscatine, IA; Newport News, VA; Oakland, CA; Portland, OR; Rapid City, SD; Red Wing, MN; Richmond, CA; Rochester, NY; Sacramento, CA; San Antonio, CA; San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; San Jose, CA; Santa Barbara, CA; Santa Cruz, CA; Saratoga, CA; Sebastopol, CA; South San Francisco, CA; Tacoma, WA; Union City, CA; Vallejo, CA; and Watsonville, CA.
Cities in Japan: Fukuoka, Fukuoka Pref.; Futtsu, Chiba Pref.; Ikata Town, Ehime Pref.; Kumamoto, Kumamoto Pref.; Matsuyama, Ehime Pref.; Nagaoka, Niigata Pref.; Oiso, Kanagawa Pref.; Shingu, Wakayama Pref.; Takeo, Saga Pref.; and Toba, Mie Pref.
Created in 1956 at a White House Summit convened by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Sister Cities International movement is the oldest and largest global network of citizen diplomats, comprised of over 500 U.S. communities with 2,000 sister city relationships in 138 countries on 6 continents. (https://ift.tt/3ab35ah)
“Amidst an unprecedented global health and economic crisis, unyielding solidarity and hope are essential for us to successfully navigate this extraordinarily difficult environment,” said Ron Nirenberg, Chairman of Sister Cities International and Mayor of San Antonio, Texas. “Humanity has not experienced such systematic disruption across every continent at any time in recent history.
“As the Mayor of San Antonio, I have seen COVID-19’s devastating impact firsthand. On Feb 1, I made my first public statement about the virus. Since then, I have had to issue five emergency declarations and an amendment to facilitate effective management of resources and ensure an efficient response to the impact of the virus in our community.
“I call upon each of you to rise to the occasion and engage and communicate,” Nirenberg said. “Even if we are practicing social distancing, this does not mean we should practice isolationism. Together, our global community will get through this.”
To learn more, visit sistercities.org.
Sister Cities International commemorates 75 years of peace between USA and Japan Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK |
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