Vision In ActionSpring 2011Volume 32, Issue 2

Improving our city’s image and appearance for over 40 years.OKC Beautiful is a private, nonprofit organization

Mayor Mick Cornett is pictured with a team from The Trust Company of Oklahoma who is the tournament sponsor again.

Register now for the Mayors’ Golf Tournament June 6

Rollingwood Elementary students learn about recycling

Join OKC Beautiful, Mayor Mick Cornett and former Oklahoma City mayors Jim and Ron Norick at the 12th Mayors’ Golf Tournament.

The tournament is scheduled for Monday, June 6, at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club. Teams will enjoy bright sunshine, food, fellowship and a fun day of golf while raising money to support OKC Beautiful. Cornett said the annual tournament is important to helping OKC Beautiful achieve its mission.

"Improving community appearance is vital to the growth and economic viability of our city which is the mission of OKC Beautiful," he said. "This golf tournament provides funds that help OKC Beautiful carry out its many projects and programs."

The tournament is sponsored by the Trust Company of Oklahoma and the tournament reception is sponsored by McAfee & Taft. Cornett will dispense trophies and prizes for all the winners of the tournament.

For information on teams or sponsorship opportunities, please call 525-8822 or e-mail events manager Bose’ Akadiri at bose@okcbeautiful.com. To enter a team or become a sponsor, please detach, fill out and mail in the form below or fill out the 2011 Golf Registration Form located at http://www.okcbeautiful.com.

-LitterBlitz 2011 - page 3 -See story on page 5

Vision In ActionPage 2, Spring 2011

From the Director’s Desk

Lisa Synar (left), OKC Beautiful Executive Director, poses for a quick picture with Gail Bollinger, wife of OKC Beautiful board member Lee Bollinger, at the Distinguished Service Awards Luncheon March 24.

Tickets for a chance to win a $10,000 landscape makeover

to be sold till May 31Tickets are still available for

a chance to win a landscape makeover through DreamScape.

One Oklahoma City metro-area resident will win a $10,000 landscape makeover through this contest sponsored by Oklahoma City Beautiful.

OKC Beautiful will partner with Total Environment, Inc., for the contest. The winner can choose to have the makeover in his or her front or backyard and will meet with a landscape architect to plan the makeover.

A maximum of 1,500 tickets will be sold through May 31 at $25 per ticket or $100 for five tickets. The winner, who will be drawn June 2, at Memorial Park, does not have to be present to win.

For more information about DreamScape or to purchase a ticket, please e-mail Bose’ Akadiri at bose@okcbeautiful.com or call 525-8822.

Volunteers from Oklahoma County’s SHINE program joined OKC Beautiful, Habitat for Humanity, AmeriCorps and the Capitol Hill High School Alumni Association for a multi-block cleanup on Feb. 26. The groups focused their efforts in neighborhoods along S. Shields between Grand and SE 44. The SHINE program, created by Oklahoma County Commissioner Brian Maughan, stands for Start Helping Impacted Neighborhoods Everywhere and focuses volunteers and community service personnel on litter and graffiti abatement and other projects.

OKC Beautiful partners with SHINE, several others for a cleanup on the

south side of the city

On March 24, more than 430 OKC Beautiful friends again packed the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club for our 28th Distinguished Service Award Luncheon. With the leadership of our honorary chairperson, Edie Roodman, event chairperson, Peggy Marquart, and event manager, Bose’ Akadiri, we were able to honor outstanding groups, corporations and individuals who have gone the distance to improve the image and appearance of Oklahoma City. Congratulations to all our winners. This event would not have been possible without our many sponsors. A special thank you goes to Chesapeake Energy Corporation for underwriting this event and for its ongoing support of so many of our programs and events.

Spring is a very busy time at OKC Beautiful. We are in full swing with LitterBlitz. We will complete the month with more than 10,000 volunteers cleaning up neighborhoods, parks, river fronts, businesses, medians, schools and parking lots. With our sponsors, Chesapeake Energy Corporation, Oklahoma Heart Hospital and the Great American Cleanup, and volunteers, we will have made a significant difference in the image of our city. I would also like to thank the City of Oklahoma City, Waste Management and S & S Textiles for their help with LitterBlitz.

Finally, our annual golf tournament is just around the corner. It is not too late to participate in the Mayors’ Golf Tournament scheduled for June 6 at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club. A registration form has been included in this newsletter. Join in the fun because your participation makes our programs possible.

Vision In Action Page 3, Spring 2011

LitterBlitz 2011 passes 10,000 volunteer mark

LitterBlitz 2011 in pictures

LitterBlitz 2011 surpassed its goal of 10,000 volunteers, the most ever for the event which began in 2001 with just 500 volunteers.

LitterBlitz is OKC Beautiful’s month-long campaign that was created in partnership with the City of Oklahoma City to reduce the litter problem in our community. OKC Beautiful program manager Nicki Largent said litter is a problem in Oklahoma City for multiple reasons.

“It is a health hazard because it attracts vermin which carry disease, it is a fire hazard when litterers toss cigarette butts out their car window, it is an environmental hazard because each of those cigarette butts contain poisons which are easily leached into our

watershed, and it is an economic hazard because a dirty city pushes tourists and paying customers away,” she said.

To help combat these problems, volunteer organizations (like neighborhood associations, service groups, churches, schools and more) receive trash bags, gloves, safety tips and other informational material to conduct a safe and thorough cleanup. Largent said a lot of trash will be picked up this month.

“We expect those volunteers to pick up more than 50 tons of trash,” Largent said.

To begin a month of trash cleanups, on April 1, OKC Beautiful partnered with the Boys and Girls Club to kickoff LitterBlitz month. Volunteers and staff helped more

than 70 kids pick up trash in Memorial Park. Two trees were planted in honor of the boys and girls that visit the club every day – a red oak, donated by Tony’s Tree Plantation, and a flowering crabapple, donated by Marcum’s Nursey.

Largent also said that OKC Beautiful would like to thank Bill Long of Southern Tree Preservation for transporting and helping plant the trees. Check out our next issue to see the final tally of the good work our LitterBlitz volunteers have done for our city.

LitterBlitz is sponsored by Chesapeake Energy Corporation, the Oklahoma Heart Hospital and The Great American Cleanup. A special thanks also goes to the City of Oklahoma City, Waste Management and S & S Textiles.

Pictured from top clockwise: The employees from the BancFirst on I-40 and Meridian cleaned up along the Oklahoma River from Agnew to Exchange wearing the new LitterBlitz T-shirts; OKC Beautiful board member Peggy Marquart helps a group from the Boys and Girls Club pick up trash in Memorial Park at the kickoff; Volunteers from eleven businesses on Automobile Alley picked up trash on Broadway from N.W. 13th St. to 16th St. and along 9th St. from Robinson to the railroad tracks; Devon employees cleaned Dolese Park. The volunteer pictured here pulled a trash barrel from the lake and returned it to the park; Eva Burgess, 2, daughter of OKC Beautiful board member Sid Burgess, learns early that picking up trash is important even though it can be gross; kids from the Boys and Girls Club planted two trees at the kickoff on April 1- a flowering crabapple donated by Marcum’s Nursery and a red oak donated by Tony’s Tree Plantation.

-see LUNCHEON page 5

Vision In ActionPage 4, Spring 2011

News Briefs

Beautification Station June 4

OKC Beautiful to start new tree grant program called TreeScapes

One of last year’s

Beautification station stops was

the beautiful, landscaped backyard of

Rob Littlefield. Register now

to see more of the city’s best

volunteer-driven improvement

projects.

OKC Beautiful’s inaugural teen board graduated April 14. Pictured is Kody Bollenbach, Margaret Clark, Ethan Cvitanic, Emily Dace, Alex Harrison, Ellie Johnson, Phoebe Mitchell, Hilda Montanez, Wade Newville, Samantha Perry, Hayden Terlip, Tatum Thomas, Anna Tran and Dai’Juanna Strotter.

The inaugural year for the Oklahoma City Beautiful Teen Board culminated in a graduation on April 14, at the garden of OKC Beautiful board member, Hugh Stout.

The first teen board worked to create an informational public service announcement. The Oklahoma City high school sophomores, juniors and seniors wrote, produced and starred in their own 30-second “You Spray, You Pay” video and audio spot. The members’ said they want to see a graffiti-free OKC which lead to a presentation from the OKC Police Department and the creation of the video.

Bob Hammack, president of New West Group, volunteered his time and services to produce the video. The PSA can be seen on TV, radio and in print in Oklahoma City.

OKC Beautiful board member Judi Smith said she was impressed with what the teens accomplished this year.

“I think we were really lucky to have the caliber of teen volunteers we had,” she said. “They went way beyond what we thought we would have for the first year and they will help create interest for the teen board in the future.”

Smith said she would like to congratulate the graduates of the first teen board. For more information about the PSA or the teen board, call Bose’ Akadiri at 525-8822 or e-mail bose@okcbeautiful.com.

The 5th Beautification Station, “Cruisin’ OKC” will be Saturday, June 4. It is scheduled earlier this year to avoid the summer heat that August brings.

This annual tour is a chartered bus tour of the most beautiful, volunteer-driven improvement projects in the city. Tour participants will be taken to beautifully landscaped neighborhoods to help give them an idea of how to

improve their neighborhoods. After the tour, lunch will be provided and there will be

informal conversation on how to complete beautification projects. This tour is free and open to the public, but it is recommended that those interested register early because the tour fills up fast. To register, call OKC Beautiful at 525-8822, register online at http://www.okcbeautiful.com or call Neighborhood Alliance at 528-6322.

TreeScapes is OKC Beautiful’s urban forestry effort to strategically plant trees throughout Oklahoma City. Each year OKC Beautiful will purchase trees for organizations and offer them a chance to green their public spaces. In addition, OKC Beautiful will assist with landscape planning, tree species selection and coordination with the City of Oklahoma City when necessary.

Grants will be awarded within three categories according to the type of planting project. The project types include schoolyard greening, city parks and greenspace rehabilitation and greening on non-city owned property. Several categories of organizations fall under each of these projects.

More information about this program, such as who qualifies and how to apply for a grant, will be released soon. Call 525-8822 or check okcbeautiful.com soon for more.

OKC Beautiful inaugural teen board graduates

The 28th Distinguished Service Awards

Our 28th Distinguished Service Awards Luncheon took place March 24 at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club. Thanks to the more than 430 friends of OKC Beautiful who attended

Vision In Action Page 5, Spring 2011

These students put their plastic ware from lunch in the table top recycling containers located in the school’s cafeteria.

-Luncheon-From Page 4

Rollingwood Elementary students are learning early the importance of recycling

Jaime Taylor, a school counselor, said she came up with the idea to start a recycling program because she wanted the students to feel like they had a place in the community.

“I thought having a project that extends beyond our school’s walls would greatly benefit our students,” she said. “Many of the kids in our school don’t feel like they have any place in our community and no impact on our world.

“I wanted to begin educating them on ways they could impact not only the community but also the planet.”

Taylor said it started a little over a year ago after the school received funding for small tabletop containers for its cafeteria plastic ware, a large round container for crayons, two large containers for lunch and breakfast recyclables and two plastic ones for the lounge. She then started a recycling club for fourth graders and began educating other students on why they should recycle. Club members also took part in emptying out the containers each week.

Then, a local company offered to

pick up their recycled items every two weeks and gave them two dumpsters to use, she said.

“It was a huge success and lit a big fire under the students,” she said. “Many brought me trash bags full of things from home since their apartments don't have the blue recycling bins program.”

Rollingwood also became members of Terracycle.com, which pays for recycled Capri Suns and chip bags. She said she borrowed DEQs recycling trunk which also helped the kids understand more about where products end up once recycled.

This school year, the students have taken the program even further, Taylor said. The recycling club has created many products from recycled containers such as coin purses, Halloween decorations, bracelets, necklaces and ornaments.

Taylor also said students are still bringing bottles, cans, chip bags and Capri Suns from home. The school also has a Recycling Center in the front lobby.

“Kids have really begun seeing how much they can recycle, and how important and fun it is,” Taylor said.

Rollingwood Elementary students recycle

The Last Frontier Boy Scouts Council received the Volunteer Spirit Award at the 28th Distinguished Service Awards.

Mayor Mick Cornett attended the luncheon and presented the Mayor’s Award for Distinguished Service to Oklahoma County Commissioner Brian Maughan for the Oklahoma County District 2 - SHINE Program.

to help us honor those that continually beautify our great city!

Also, thanks to Kelly Ogle, KWTV news anchor, who emceed the event, Honorary Chairperson Edie Roodman, Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Oklahoma City, and Event Chairperson, Peggy Marquart, Oklahoma City Beautiful Board Member.

This event also would not have been possible without event underwriter, Chesapeake Energy Corporation. Other sponsors include Gold Sponsors Inasmuch Foundation and SandRidge Energy, and Sterling Sponsors Glenn and Arlene Ashmore, Bill and Mary Ellen Gumerson, Mustang Fuel Corporation and W&W Steel.

Vision In ActionPage 6, Spring 2011

Monthly Beautification Award Winners

CommercialOrganization

Above: The April organization award went to Integris ProCure Proton Therapy Center at 5901 W. Memorial Road

Left: McDonald’s at N.W. 23rd and Broadway received the April commercial award.

April

OKC Beautiful welcomes two new board membersEllen K. Spiropoulos is of counsel to

the law firm of Phillips Murrah, P.C., specializing in real estate, corporate, and land use law. Prior to joining the downtown Oklahoma City firm in 1997, she was a legal research and writing instructor and served as director for academic support for Oklahoma City University School of Law and an attorney with the Edmond law firm of Lester, Loving & Davies.

Spiropoulos graduated from Carleton College and Northwestern University Law School. She has served in leadership positions in several Oklahoma nonprofit organizations, including the High School Moot Court program of the Young Lawyers Division of the Oklahoma Bar Association, the Oklahoma City chapter of the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, and the Oklahoma Court Appointed Special Advocates Association. She has also served as a volunteer for several community organizations, including the Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma and the Immigration Assistance Office of Catholic Charities of Oklahoma.

Although originally from the Midwest, Spiropoulos has made her home in historic Gatewood where she has lived for the last 20 years with her husband, Andy, and their children, Katie, 7, and Alex, 4.

Ellen K. Spiropoulous Toby WalkerToby Walker grew up in

small, Waurika, Okla., where she graduated from high school at 17 and then continued her education at Oklahoma City University. She graduated with an elementary education degree and taught for 25 years in the Oklahoma City Public Schools at nine different elementary schools.

Walker retired from teaching, but now does consulting work and purchasing for her husband’s business, The Eye Care Center in Edmond. She also works part time at C/K and Company Clothing. However, when she’s not helping her husband or working at C/K and Company, she said she loves cooking, reading and gardening. She also said another hobby is anything to do with finance.

Walker has been married to Dr. Phil Walker for 31 years and they have two sons, one in Denver and one here. They also have three granddaughters.

Walker said she brings OKC Beautiful a perspective of the business leader, the consumer and the very average citizen of Oklahoma City. She said as a board member she hopes to offer many good ideas and expand on those already in place and that she is “thrilled to have this unique opportunity to work with a board that directly affects the quality of life in Oklahoma City.”

Vision In Action Page 7, Spring 2011

Thank you to all our donors for helping make Oklahoma City a better place to live, work and play

Oklahoma Redbud $2,500 and Above

Mighty Oak $1,500-$2,499

Royal Cypress $1,000-$1,499

The Boeing CompanyDr. & Mrs. Jerry BrindleyCharles Givens Interests/Mr. Charles GivensChesapeake Energy CorporationDental Depot/Dr. Glenn AshmoreMrs. Nancy Payne EllisMr. James H. EverestGreat Plains Coca-Cola Bottling Company/Mr. & Mrs. Robert Browne

Harris Foundation, Inc.Inasmuch FoundationJean I. Everest Foundation, Inc.Kirkpatrick Family FundKirkpatrick FoundationMcAfee & TaftMr. Aubrey McClendonMidFirst BankMidlands Management Corp./Mr. Charles

CaldwellOklahoma Blood Institute/Mr. Mark PattersonThe OklahomanOGE Energy CorporationSandridge Energy CorporationState Fair of OklahomaThe Trust Company of OklahomaWaste Management of Oklahoma

Aaron & Gertrude Karchmer Memorial Foundation/Mr. Don KarchmerBancFirstBill Gumerson & Associates COMP Risk Management, Inc.Mr. & Mrs. Bill Comstock

Crowe & DunlevyGround Control LawnscapingDr. Don KastensMrs. Peggy MarquartMetro Mark Realtors/Mr. Dick MarshallMustang Fuel Corporation

Quail Creek BankMr. & Mrs. Dick SiasTotal Environment, Inc.W & W SteelWilliams, Box, Forshee, & Bullard, P.C.

American Fidelity FoundationAncon Development CorporationAT&TBentley Flooring, Inc.Mr. & Mrs. F. Lee BollingerMr. & Mrs. Sid BurgessC.L. Frates and Co.Cox BusinessDolese Brothers Co.Elliott & Associates ArchitectsFirst Commercial Management, Inc.Mr. & Mrs. Robert GaryMr. & Mrs. E. Peter Hoffman

Hudiburg Auto GroupJacmor, Inc.Mr. & Mrs. David McLaughlinMidwest Wrecking Co./Ms. Peggy KatesNaifeh Realty Company/Mr. & Mrs. Robert Z. NaifehNash, Cohenour, Kelley, & Giessman P.C.Oklahoma Natural GasProdigal LLCRoyal Meridian Company/Mr. & Mrs. Harry MersonMr. & Mrs. Tony RupertSimmons Foundation/Ms. Ann S. Alspaugh

Mr. Matt SmithSnoddy Properties, Inc.Spectrum Management ServiceMr. & Mrs. Roger SpringStout Gardens at Dancing Tree/Mr. & Mrs. Hugh StoutTotal Environment, Inc.Trochta’s FlowersMr. & Mrs. Jack Wiesner*William E. & Margaret H. Davis Family FundMr. Kent Williams*Mr. Pendleton Woods

*Denotes donation given through funds at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation

Blaze Maple $500-$999Ms. Angela AblesMr. & Mrs. Paul AustinBaer, Timberlake, Coulson & Cates, P.C.Baker First CommercialBalliets LLCBancInsureBank of OklahomaMs. Amy Richter BankheadMr. & Mrs. Van BarberMr. Howard Berry, Jr.Mr. & Mrs. Bruce BockusMs. Susan ColesCrescent MarketMs. Betsy DaughertyMr. & Mrs. Lawrence DavisMr. Richard DavisDell ComputersDig and Hope Garden ClubEide Bailly L.L.P.Mr. & Mrs. Mike EllisFD, Thompson & Co., P.L.C.The Fleischaker Family FoundationGarden Design Associates/Mr. John Fluitt

Gardner Tanenbaum GroupMr. Brian HarrisMs. Sally Hasenfratz Mr. Gary Homsey IBC BankJames Baker & AssociatesJames H. and Madalynne Norick FoundationJewish Federation OKIEMr. & Mrs. David KallenbergerMr. Christian KeeseeMr. Konrad KeeseeKent Hoffman ConstructionMs. Jennifer KierschKirkpatrick BankMs. Jean M. LaughlinLBI Lippert Bros., Inc.Main Street Parking, LLCMs. Amy McLaughlin-GrayMrs. Suzy MeibergenMid America RoofingMs. W. Cheryl MooreNorick Investment CompanyOklahoma Heart Hospital

Dr. & Mrs. Stan PelofskyMr. & Mrs. Lewis PontikosPresbyterian Health FoundationMr. & Mrs. Tom PricePrice Edwards Mr. & Mrs. Steve RaybournR.K. Black, Inc.Ms. Meg SalyerDr. & Mrs. Paul ShadidSimons PetroleumMr. & Mrs. Lee Allan SmithMr. & Mrs. Roy SmithSmith & Pickel Construction, Inc.Mr. & Mrs. Tim StrangeT.E.A.M., Inc.Vose FoundationMr. James W. WallisWaste Connections of OklahomaWilshire Charitable FoundationMr. & Mrs. Dick WorkmanMr. & Mrs. Don Zachritz

NONPROFIT ORG.US POSTAGE

PAIDOKLAHOMA CITY, OK

PERMIT NO. 235Spring 2011 Vision in Action3535 N. Classen Blvd.Oklahoma City, OK 73118

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

2011 Board of Directors

2011 ExecutiveCommittee

PresidentJanie Comstock, J. Kimball Interiors

Vice PresidentEric Wynn, The Oklahoman

Immediate Past President Amy Spring, Cole, Paine and Carlin Insurance

SecretaryAlyssa Kaiser, The Trust Company of Oklahoma

TreasurerF. Lee Bollinger, NAI Sullivan Group

Advocacy/Awareness Committee ChairmanSid Burgess, Army National Guard

Beautification Committee ChairmanHugh Stout, Stout Gardens at Dancingtree

Marketing Committee ChairmanRoy Smith, Comp. Risk Management, Inc.

Memorials, Honorariums and Planned Gifts

In Honor of:Mr. & Mrs. Harry Merson

OKC Beautiful StaffLisa Synar, Executive Director

Nicki Largent, Program ManagerAllison McCartney, Communications Coordinator

Bose’ Akadiri, Events Manager

Phone: 525-8822Fax: 525-8826

Suzanne Bockus, Community VolunteerLaura Gary, Community VolunteerSally Hasenfratz, Phillips Murrah P.C.Brian Harris, BancFirstDan LeDonne, Chesapeake Energy Corp.

Peggy Marquart, Community VolunteerDick Marshall, Metro Mark RealtorsCindy Mason, The Journal RecordJohn Robberson, Putnam City Schools

Judi Smith, KOMA 92.5Ellen Spiropoulous, Phillips Murrah P.C.Toby Walker, Community VolunteerDustin Williams, Edward Jones