Old Man River
Old Man River by Pat Rooney On July 11, 1960, a mid-air collision of two U.S. fighters resulted in the loss of a wing and a tail. Both planes went down in this “near miss.” The pilot of the plane struck was soon to be Admiral Ray Ackerman, and had we lost him the pathway […]
Shattered! Scattered! Scared!
Shattered! Scattered! Scared! by Franci Hart Our children in foster care have been shattered by so much trauma. They are separated from the siblings. And, they are scared! During the State Fiscal Year 2022, in Oklahoma a total of 13,921 children were confirmed as victims of maltreament and 2,525 of those were from Oklahoma County. […]
The Power of Improv & Fun
The Power of Improv & Fun by Charlie Smith It was an unexpected question; one that forced me to improvise, asked by my direct supervisor at the Omaha World-Herald. “When did you have your light-bulb moment that you wanted to leave journalism?” The answer was easy. It was during one of those […]
Welcome from the President – Suzanne Mitchell
To My Fellow Members of the Rotary Club of Oklahoma City, I am honored and excited to serve as the Rotary Club of Oklahoma City’s President for 2024-25! First, I want to acknowledge the outstanding leadership and hard work our past Presidents and Boards have dedicated to our Club since its inception—one of the many […]
Family Roots
Family Roots by Vered Harris The last week of May I traveled to Bratislava, Slovakia on a “family roots” trip. At the time of this writing, I haven’t yet left Oklahoma. By the time this is sent out, I’ll be home. In between, I am going to see the city of my paternal grandmother’s birth […]
Interview with Rotary President Lesli Massad
Interview with Rotary President Lesli Massad I have enjoyed the assignment for a number of years of interviewing our current president for our Rotary newsletter. Here are President Lesli Massad’s responses. You will enjoy very much what she has to say!!! Emily Stratton What is your first memory of Rotary? My first […]
Golden Boy: Harold Armstrong Achieves 50 Years of Perfect Attendance
Golden Boy: Harold Armstrong Achieves 50 Years of Perfect Attendance by Ted Streuli On June 4, 1974, Richard Nixon was still president, although Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein published “All the President’s Men” that month, and Nixon wasn’t president much longer. That same month, singer Alanis Morisette was born in Canada, shortstop Derek Jeter was […]
What Makes a “Good” School?
What Makes a “Good” School? Freda Deskin, Ph.D. Most parents will say they want their child in a good school or that they moved to a certain community or area school because it had a good school. Business leaders lament that new businesses will only move to areas with good schools. Schools receive grades of […]
Finding My Father’s Legacy on Memorial Day
Finding My Father’s Legacy on Memorial Day by Lauren Branch Memorial Day is a time for reflection and gratitude, a day to honor the brave souls who sacrificed their lives for our nation’s freedom. For many, it’s a day of remembrance and national pride, but for me, it’s also profoundly personal. Fifty five years ago […]
MAY You Enjoy the Month
MAY YOU ENJOY THE MONTH by Drew Edmondson “Though April showers may come your way They bring the flowers that bloom in May” May Day has been celebrated in the northern hemisphere for thousands of years. It celebrates the mid-point between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice and the fertility of the earth that […]
Accessibility differences between Visitable, Handicap, and the ADA Bart Binning, Ed. D.
“Accessibility differences between Visitable, Handicap, and the ADA” by Bart Binning, Ed. D. As I transition into becoming “elderly” (which I define as surviving four strokes and being prescribed a life-style restricting blood thinner like Eliquis), I find myself being much more retrospective. For example, I now recognize that there are differences between Disability (the […]
Connection and service combats isolation and is good for you
Connection and service combats isolation and is good for you By Julie Bisbee If you’re coupling a trip to the Rotary dessert table with a friendly exchange and a smile with your fellow Rotarians, you may be able to offset the ills of over indulgence. That’s my personal hypothesis. It is untested and unresearched. But […]