OKC area briefs: Concerts, meeting and more
Round Barn to host Edgar Cruz
ARCADIA — Classical and fingerstyle guitarist Edgar Cruz will present an Elm Tree Concert on Sunday, July 24, at the Arcadia Round Barn.
Cruz will be joined by Indianapolis musician Michael Kelsey.
Cruz has recorded 19 CDs in styles ranging from classical to flamenco to pop to jazz. He is a headliner every year at the Chet Atkins Guitar Festival in Nashville and has performed throughout the United States, Europe and South America. He holds a bachelor’s of music degree in guitar performance from Oklahoma City University.
Elm Tree Concerts are from 1 to 3 p.m. beneath the shade of the giant elm tree on the north side of the barn. Admission is free, but donations are accepted for the maintenance of the barn.
The Arcadia Round Barn is six miles east of Interstate 35 on historic Route 66. For more information, call Joe Baxter at 405-833-1350.
Last chance to catch band this season
NICHOLS HILLS — The Nichols Hills Band will present its final concert of the 2022 season at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 21, in Kite Park, 1500 Camden Way.
The band is under the direction of Mike Forcina, veteran Oklahoma City band director and musician. Thursday’s concert will include a variety of selections, with pieces featuring the tuba, trombone and trumpet sections.
Edmond vocalist Jeanise Wynn will perform with the band, and the free concert will open with a special arrangement of “The Star Spangled Banner.”
The band is in its 39th year and Forcina is in his ninth year as conductor. Concertgoers are invited to bring lawn chairs, blankets and refreshments and enjoy an evening of music presented by professional and amateur musicians from throughout the metro area.
For more information, call 405-306-8195.
Learn about labeling quilts
As works of art, quilts are passed down through generations or sold, and the ownership history and documentation should accompany them.
Teresa Marler, an award-winning quilter from Broken Arrow, will give a lecture on labeling quilts during the July 28 Central Oklahoma Quilters Guild meeting. Marler will talk about the importance of labeling quilts, documentation to be put on the label, different types of labels and other information relating to labeling quilts.
The quilting guild will meet at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. July 28 in the Clarence E. Page Building at Wiley Post Air Park, 5700 N Rockwell Ave.
On July 29, at the same location, Marler will conduct a workshop on making quilt labels. The fee for the workshop is $20 for members and $25 for nonmembers.
For more information, contact Jo Balding at 405-603-7726.
Go green with your yard waste
NORMAN — Permanent containers or paper compostable bags are recommended for Norman Sanitationcustomers who set out waste for yard collection, as such transitions will increase efficiencies and better servethe environment.
“This type of change helps keep rates low for customers through savings in temporary employment expensesduring the grow season,” said Bret Scovill, solid waste manager. “The results of transitioning to containers orcompostable bags save time, create safer working conditions for staff, and decrease the chance ofincompatible materials entering compost machinery.”
Now, yard waste contained in plastic bags are sliced open and dumped in order to be transported to the compost facility. The plastic bags, unable to be reused or recycled, are then set aside to be taken to a landfill. More than 35,000 tons of compost were processed at the Norman facility last year, with many materials having to be removed from plastic bags.
Yard waste collection is carried out manually by sanitation workers, Scovill said, so yard wastecontainers should hold no more than 40 gallons of waste to be picked up. Containers and papercompostable bags should be available in most hardware or home improvement stores.
For questions, call 405-329-1023.
Garden party to aid OKC schools
OKC Beautiful will host a garden party from 6 to 8 p.m. July 28 at the Cleveland Elementary School garden in support of school gardens in Oklahoma City.
The event will be come-and-go, with gardening classes, tours of the garden, a community art-making station, Bondi Bowls food truck and more. All community members are welcome to attend and view the garden, learn more about the school garden program, and enjoy interactive classes and activities at the school, 2725 NW 23.
OKC Beautiful’s school garden program, OKC Harvest, sustains school gardens in Oklahoma City and will be expanding programming in the coming school year. OKC Beautiful now provides school garden education at Cleveland Elementary and Bodine Elementary, and will be establishing a new garden at Wilson Elementary this fall. The program also provides garden classes and curriculum throughout the metropolitan area.
OKC Beautiful’s goal is to enable students to experience hands-on learning through the experience of gardening at school, a news release stated. To do this, students are involved in the preparation of garden soil, planting, growing and eating of healthy foods.
The gardening event is free, however, registration is encouraged, and donations will be accepted for the school garden program.
To learn more, go to www.okcbeautiful.com/calendar-of-events.
Animal volunteerism award deadline extended
NORMAN — The Norman Animal Welfare Oversight Committee has extended its deadline for accepting nominations for the Norman Animal Welfare Volunteerism Award. Nominations will be due Aug. 8.
Created to honor Erica Loftis, who dedicated her life to saving animals, the award celebrates individuals who have made substantial contributions to animal welfare through their volunteerism, while also building a greater awareness of volunteerism and animal welfare within the Norman community.
To submit a nomination, interested parties may prepare a one-page letter of recommendation that highlights a nominee's volunteer contributions toward animal welfare and their association with the Norman Animal Welfare Center. The letter must include the name and phone number of the person submitting the nomination, as well as the name and phone number for the nominee. Completed nominations should be sent to: Norman Animal Welfare Oversight Committee, c/o Jeanne Snider, P.O. Box 370, Norman, OK 73070. They may also be emailed to Jeanne.Snider@NormanOK.gov.
The award recipient selected by the committee will be honored at a Norman City Council meeting.
Questions can be directed to Jeanne Snider at 405-217-7700 or Jeanne.Snider@NormanOK.gov.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Concerts, meeting and more are featured in OKC area briefs
