Sample ballots available for Nov. 10 municipal election
Sample ballots are now available at the Tulsa County Election Board office for voters in the City of Tulsa who want to get a preview of the City of Tulsa General and Special Election on Nov. 10.
Patty Bryant, Secretary of the Tulsa County Election Board, said that sample ballots can be viewed at the Election Board office at 555 North Denver Avenue during regular office hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Sample ballots also will be posted outside every precinct polling place November 10 so that voters can review the ballot before casting their vote. Sample ballots are additionally posted on the Tulsa County Election Board Web Page, www.tulsacounty.org,
Protecting 2nd Amendment rights
State Rep. Mike Sanders will add his signature to a brief that will be submitted by the plaintiff in an upcoming Supreme Court case challenging state and local bans of the right to keep and bear firearms.
McDonald v. Chicago challenges the constitutionality of the Chicago gun ban and will soon be heard by the Supreme Court. Sanders said as a card-carrying NRA member, he is joining the organization’s effort to collect as many signatures from state lawmakers as they can to include in an amicus curiae (or “friend of the court”) brief.
“The Supreme Court has already struck down the District of Columbia’s gun ban and said that the Second Amendment guarantees our right to have guns in the home for self-defense,” Sanders, R-Kingfisher, said. “Oddly, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the Chicago gun ban, but I believe the Supreme Court will reverse the lower court ruling and again uphold our Second Amendment rights. The NRA is asking state lawmakers to add their signatures to a brief to establish that many officials across the country support the removal of these state gun bans that needlessly and unconstitutionally restrict the rights of ordinary citizens.”
Sanders said he believes it highly unlikely that the Supreme Court would uphold state gun bans after striking down the District of Columbia’s ban, but that he thinks the NRA is right to focus on the issue.
“I have heard stories of citizens who were prosecuted after using an “illegal” firearm to save their own lives or their families or even perfect strangers,” Sanders said. “In Oklahoma, we understand how important the right to bear arms is and believe that the same right should be protected throughout the nation. I am calling on all Oklahoma state lawmakers to add their signature to the brief.”
Lawmakers can let the NRA know they want to be a signatory on the brief by sending an e-mail to ILAlegal@nrahq.org indicating the desire to be included and including the lawmaker’s district and contact information by Oct. 30.
“Guns are as common in Oklahoma as the deer they’re used to shoot,” Sanders said. “Oklahomans believe strongly in their right to bear arms and few understand why such gun bans have existed as long as they have.”
Jim Meier to speak to society Nov. 9
Jim Meier, a member of The Tulsa Rock & Mineral Society for more than 18 years, will give a demonstration on Wire Art Jewelry on November 9 at 7 p.m. in the Aaronson Auditorium of the Tulsa City-County Library, 400 Civic Center.
Meier has been “wire wrapping” since 1973 and teaching classes for the last five or so years at the Alouette Bead Shoppe. His wire-art jewelry includes rings, pendants, bracelets, chains, names, etc., and his works have been sold worldwide.
Everyone in attendance will watch as the ring is designed from scratch and then finished into a piece of jewelry.
Granddaughter tells family story
Holocaust survivor Eva Unterman wishes that her story will help children learn never to give up and to look with hope toward the future. For more than two decades, Unterman has shared her story of survival and hope with youths all over Tulsa County.
Now her granddaughter Phoebe Unterman has written and illustrated a new children’s book, Through Eva’s Eyes, telling the courageous story of her grandma’s disrupted childhood before and during the Holocaust.
Eva was just 6 years old when Germany invaded her hometown of Lodz, Poland, forcing her and her family to move into a ghetto, where they were kept prisoner for more than four years. Afterward, they were incarcerated in concentration camps, including the infamous Auschwitz.
The Council for Holocaust Education invites the public to a special premier presentation of Phoebe Unterman’s book in honor of Eva Unterman on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 2 p.m. at the Jewish Federation of Tulsa, 2021 E. 71st St., in the Barbara and Dave Sylvan Auditorium.
Eva and her granddaughter Phoebe are the featured speakers. Phoebe will show illustrations from her book and share her grandmother’s story. The free event also commemorates Kristallnacht or the Night of Broken Glass, an anti-Jewish pogrom in Nazi Germany and Austria on Nov. 9-10, 1938.
The Jewish Federation of Tulsa is donating several copies of Through Eva’s Eyes to the Tulsa City-County Library to make the book available for checkout to the public. Signed copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event.
For more information about the Through Eva’s Eyes presentation and book, call the Jewish Federation at 495-1100.
Muskogee DA to speak Nov. 11
Sheldon Sterling, the U.S. District Attorney in Muskogee, will speak the Tulsa County Republican Club at noon Nov. 11.
The Tulsa County Republican Men’s Club meets at noon on the second Wednesday each month in the private dining room of the Hong Kong Restaurant. on Memorial Drive near 72nd Street. For information on purposes, membership and meeting locations, contact Bob McDowell at 481-1051.
Freedom Dance slated for Nov. 7
The 8th Annual Celebrate Freedom Big Band Hangar Dance, presented by the Spirit of Tulsa Squadron of the Commemorative Air Force, will be on November 7.
This event takes place in a hangar at the state-of-the-art Tulsa Tech facility, Jones-Riverside Airport, 801 E. 91st St., Jenks, Oklahoma. Ticket sales benefit the Spirit of Tulsa Squadron’s restoration of World War II aircraft and funding of the youth Cadet program.
Celebrate Freedom swings into the night with a 1940s Hangar Dance. This year’s theme is, “Swing, Swing, Swing,” and the evening begins with free swing dance lessons from 5 - 6 p.m. Patrons who pre-order their buffet meals may enjoy them during this hour as well.
The 18-piece “Sounds of Music” orchestra and vocalists take the stage from 7 - 10 p.m. and fill the
hangar with 1940’s music. The floor gets hopping as dancers, many in period dress, add to the ambiance.
From 6 - 7 p.m., Celebrate Freedom presents an musical preshow featuring local talent, a patriotic salute, singers and local JrROTC groups.
Throughout the evening, patrons can bid on the Silent Auction items, shop at the PX, grab a bite to eat at Rosie’s Canteen, admire the vintage aircraft and vehicles decorating the hangar and have photographs taken.
Every dance ticket gets reserved seating at a table and free dance lessons. Dress is casual, military, or come dressed for the 1940s. Tulsa Tech is handicap accessible and a family-friendly, alcohol and tobacco-free facility.
Tickets for the dance and buffet may be purchased online at www.caftulsa.org, or by calling 918-794-4182.
The Commemorative Air Force is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to acquire, restore and preserve in flying condition a complete collection of combat aircraft which were flown by all military services of the United States and selected aircraft of other nations for the education and enjoyment of present and future generations of Americans.
For more information and photos of our event, visit the website, www.caftulsa.org, or call Jim Gentry, event director, at 794-4182.
Help for college-bound HS students
Tulsa City-County Library is offering a series of free programs to help parents and high school students learn about the resources available to help plan for and fund a college education.
The “So You Want to Go to College” series features the following programs. Contact the hosting library for more details.
• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): Workshop for American Indian Students,” 10-11:30 a.m., Nov. 7, Maxwell Park Library, 1313 N. Canton, 669-6055.
Shonday Harmon, coordinator, Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid, OSU-Tulsa, will share information on college financial aid and offer step-by-step guidance in completing and submitting the FAFSA application, which is required for any student to receive financial aid. Pre-registration is required and limited.
• “Fourth Annual Latino College Fair,” 6:30-8:30 p.m., Nov. 10, Martin Regional Library, 2601 S. Garnett Road, 669-6340.
Meet with representatives from area universities, colleges and vocational schools, plus learn about library resources on colleges and financial aid. Presentations are in Spanish; information available in English and Spanish.
• “College Financial Aid: Fund Your Future,” 7-8:30 p.m., Nov. 12, Central Library, Fourth Street and Denver Avenue, 596-7977.
It’s never too early to start planning how you will finance your child’s college education or too late to pursue a college education yourself. Learn how to prepare for college.
Speakers include: Brad Burnham, college and career counselor, Union High School; Lindsey Tackett, financial aid counselor, Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid, OSU; and Jessica Reed, Plan 4 College coordinator, Martin Regional Library, Tulsa City-County Library.
ATF offers $5,000 reward for info
(PRNewswire-USNewswire) - Michael A. Golson Sr., Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Dallas Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced that ATF is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those persons responsible for a burglary and theft that occurred on Oct. 25 at Tulsa Firearms at 5949 So. Garnett Rd. in Tulsa.
Suspect(s) entered the business through the roof ventilation system and exited through a back door. During the burglary, 17 handguns were stolen from the gun store. Anyone with information about this crime should contact ATF at 1-800-ATF-Guns (800-283-4867), ATF Tulsa Field Office at 594-1800, or Tulsa Police Department at 596-COPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
Sen. Brogdon will speak Nov. 10
State Sen. Randy Brogdon, who is running for governor, will speak at the Republican Women’s Club monthly luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Nov. 10 at the Select Inn on I-44 and Yale Avenue.
Lunch is $12 and the public is welcome. RSVP to Nancy Rothman at tulsarwc@cox.net or 742-8822.
‘A Night to Honor Israel’ features Hagee on February 22
Dr. John C. Hagee, a Texas-based evangelist, will return to Tulsa at 7 p.m. Feb. 22 as the keynote speaker for Tulsa’s “A Night to Honor Israel.”
Spearheaded by Billy Joe and Sharon Daugherty of Victory Christian Center, “A Night to Honor Israel” is an effort by a number of local evangelical churches and Jewish leaders to affirm support for the nation of Israel.
The stated purpose is “to give the Christian community an opportunity to demonstrate their support for Israel and Jewish people.”
Tensions are riding high in the Middle East as Israel defends itself from Palestinian extremists and the ever-present threat of a nuclear attack from Iran, which is working on a nuclear bomb and rocket system capable of reaching Israel.
Itai Lavi, who is an organizer of “A Night to Honor Israel,” is a high school teacher and an Israeli Country Guide. He also led youth leadership programs. Lavi currently works as a teacher in Heritage Academy and teaches Hebrew School at B’nai Emunah.
Lavi said the mainstream media has unfairly criticized Israel. He pointed to the construction of the wall between the Jews and the Palestinians.
Before the wall was built, there were 452 suicide bombers in that area. He said a thousand Israelis were killed and another 6,000 were injured.
With the addition of the wall, stability has come to cities on both sides of the wall.
“The wall brought prosperity to the region,” Lavi said.
Another myth is that Israel opposed a Palestinian state, he said. In 1947, Israel supported a United Nations’ plan to create one.
“There is a worldwide idealogical war between Islam and the western world,” Lavi said. “It is a danger to every people that has the word freedom on their flag.”
He applauded the support of Tulsa’s Christian community for Israel.
“We are all realizing more and more that we need the support of each other,” Lavi said.
The event will be at Victory Christian Center, 7700 S. Lewis Ave. For more information, call 491-7700 or go online at www.tulsanighttohonorisrael.com.
Sweet Adelines set world record in Nashville
(PRNewswire) - Sweet Adelines International set the Guinness World Record for “largest singing lesson” on Oct. 24.
The record-setting event coincided with the 63rd annual International Convention and Competition held at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn. Sweet Adelines members are women who excel in singing the unique musical art form of barbershop harmony.
Music professional and past Sweet Adelines International Quartet Champion Peggy Gram led the lesson by demonstrating inspiring techniques for integrating the voice into the art form. The venue was filled with immense sound as 6,651 singers practiced the demonstrated techniques and sang simultaneously for the duration of the 10-minute lesson.
Guinness World Records official adjudicator Danny Girton, Jr., presided over the certificate ceremony to validate the record and confirm that the achievement met the criteria set forth by the organization.
“We welcome Sweet Adelines International into the Guinness World Records family for its inspirational and fun achievement,” said Girton, Jr. while presenting the award.
Gram called the experience of teaching the largest singing lesson exhilarating.
“It was inspiring to demonstrate our unique style of music to thousands of singers from around the globe. While obtaining the world record is terrific, what’s even more important is that it allowed us the opportunity to show how rewarding it is to sing barbershop harmony,” said Gram after accepting the certificate for world’s largest singing lesson.
Eager for the opportunity to make history, many Sweet Adelines members lined up to participate.
“The enthusiasm of Sweet Adelines International members and fans was instrumental in achieving this record,” said Kelly Kirchhoff, director of Communications for Tulsa-based Sweet Adelines International.
“Instructing thousands of participants simultaneously is an extremely impressive accomplishment.”
Registration for MS annual bike ride is underway
Registration is now open for the 25th Annual Bike MS Oklahoma: The Mother Road Ride along historic Route 66.
To commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the ride, the Oklahoma Chapter of the National MS Society is offering a special registration fee of $25 to participants who register now through November 15.
The 2010 Bike MS Ride starts in Tulsa, ends in Oklahoma City, and is scheduled for September 25 - 26, 2010.
The Oklahoma Chapter will host 2009 ride participants, volunteers and National MS Society members at a victory party on November 15.
The party will be at the Route 66 Interpretive Center in Chandler, Okla., beginning at 4 p.m.
Funds raised from the event will support the more than 3,200 people with MS and their families in Oklahoma and national MS research to find a cure to end the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis.
The Bike MS has raised over $470,000 this year with almost 800 registered cyclists.
The website is www.nationalMSsociety.org/bikemsoke.
Local attorneys are honored by ‘Super Lawyers’
Twenty-four attorneys from the law firm of Hall, Estill, Hardwick, Gable, Golden & Nelson, PC have been listed in the 2009 edition of Oklahoma Super Lawyers from the Tulsa and Oklahoma City offices. The listings cover 13 primary practice areas.
The Tulsa office has 17 “Super Lawyers” listings. Listed under the primary practice area of employment litigation: Defense are Steven A. Broussard and J. Patrick Cremin.
Under business/corporate are Michael D. Cooke, Del L. Gustafson, Thomas P. Nally, Stephen W. Ray and Neal Tomlins.
James C.T. Hardwick and J. Kevin Hayes are both listed under energy and natural resources.
The remaining attorneys listed are Thomas A. Creekmore III, bankruptcy and creditor/debtor rights; Bradley A. Grundy, family law; Kenneth L. Hunt, tax; Michael T. Keester, civil litigation defense; and Graydon Dean Luthey, Jr., business litigation.
In the Oklahoma City office, Jon A. Epstein and Robert D. Nelon are listed as Super Lawyers under First Amendment/media/advertising.
Robert D. Looney, Jr. was included for personal injury defense; Michael E. Smith for energy and natural resources and Elaine R. Turner for employment litigation.
Three attorneys from the Tulsa office and two from the Oklahoma City office are listed as “rising stars.”
From the Tulsa Office are Molly A. Aspan and Michael J. Lissau, both for employment and labor and Margaret M. Clarke for personal injury defense: medical malpractice. From the Oklahoma City office are Julianna P. Deligans for intellectual property and Susanna M.Gattoni for employment litigation.
For the fourth consecutive year, J. Patrick Cremin has been placed in the 2009 Oklahoma Super Lawyers Top 10 list for the state. In addition to the listing in her primary practice area, Elaine Turner was selected for the Top 25 Women Oklahoma Super Lawyers list.
Published annually in November, Oklahoma Super Lawyers & Rising Stars are the result of a comprehensive process based on peer recognition and professional achievement providing credible and diverse resources to assist attorneys and consumers in the search for legal counsel.
Only five percent of the total lawyers in the state of Oklahoma receive the designation of Super Lawyers.
Founded in 1967, Hall Estill has offices in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Washington, D.C., and Northwest Arkansas employing 119 attorneys nationwide.
Some precincts have changed for Nov. 10 election
County election officials announced the following changes in voting locations for the Nov. 10 Tulsa city election:
• Precinct 002 - Traice Academy, 2740 E. 41st Street North, (formerly Tulsa Academic Center - name change only)
• Precinct 038 - Sheridan Christian Center, 205 S. Sheridan Road (formerly Sheridan Avenue Christian Church)
• Precinct 053 - Gracepoint Church, 3712 E. 11th Street, (formerly Eleventh Street Baptist Church)
• Precinct 090 - Life Church.TV, 7015 E. 41st Street, (formerly Operation Aware of Oklahoma)
• Precinct 129 - Woodland Christian Church, 7950 E. 57th Street, (formerly Memorial Park Christian Church)
• Precinct 157 - Faith Assembly of God, 7500 E. 21st Street (formerly Church of the Shepherd United Methodist)
• Precinct 173 - Central Church of the Nazarene, 7291 E. 81st St. (formerly Heatherridge Baptist Church)
• Precinct 175 - Hilton Garden Inn, 8202 S. 100th E. Avenue (formerly Living Oaks Baptist Church)
• Precinct 181 - South Tulsa Baptist Church, 10310 S Sheridan Road (formerly Heatheridge Baptist Church)
Voters whose names are not found in the Precinct Registry, or a voter who disagrees with the information shown in the Registry, may need to cast a provisional ballot on Nov. 10.
A provisional ballot is sealed in a special envelope and counted after election day if the voter’s information can be verified by the Tulsa County Election Board, but requires the voter to be voting in the correct precinct.