Consideration Celebration. Price Tower Arts Center is hosting a weekend of events to celebrate its inclusion on the United States World Heritage Tentative List. The nominations of historic natural and cultural properties by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will be considered for World Heritage Site status. The current listing includes over 900 properties that are considered the planet's greatest treasures. The World Heritage Weekend in Bartlesville is set for April 15-16.
The Price Tower, Frank Lloyd Wright's only realized skyscraper, is joined on the nomination by Fallingwater in Pennsylvania, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City and several other locations. The nomination spans Wright's career from 1905 through 1958, in seven states, offering a representation of his innovation in the field of architecture.
The World Heritage Weekend will include a VIP reception and dinner at Hillside, the Bartlesville home Frank Lloyd Wright designed for Carolyn and Harold Price, Jr., in 1954. The Friday evening event will serve as a fundraiser for the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, the international preservation organization that facilitates the preservation of Frank Lloyd Wright-designed structures.
For more information about the World Heritage Weekend or other events at Price Tower Arts Center, call 918-336-4949 or visit pricetower.org.
Fun Fair. Families will enjoy a variety of hands-on, educational, and fun activities for children at the 25th annual Week of the Young Child Fun Fair from 10am to 2pm on Saturday, April 9 at Tulsa Community College West Campus, 7505 W. 41st St.
The Week of the Young Child is a national event that focuses on the needs of young children and their families. It brings attention to early childhood programs and services that meet those needs.
  Week of the Young Child |
Free screenings include vision, hearing, developmental, dental, and speech screenings. Children under 18 who are accompanied by a parent or legal guardian can also get free immunizations. A copy of each child's current immunization records must be presented at the event to qualify. For more information call 918-595-8245 or email tulsafunfair@gmail.com.
Life's Work. On March 19 The Brady Heights Neighborhood Association gave longtime Tulsa businessman Terry McGee of McGee Enterprises the Wess and Catherine Young Community Service Award for 2010. The award is given to outstanding community boosters and benefactors relating to the Brady Heights Neighborhood and Historic District.
Terry has a long history of service to Tulsa. He served as an Assistant Fire Marshal for the City of Tulsa, a position he retired from on April 30, 2004 after 26 years of service. He currently serves on the board of the Community Service Council and chairs the 2-1-1 Advisory Committee. He is active with the East Tulsa Prevention Coalition, Tulsa Partners' Language and Culture Bank and the North Tulsa Economic Development Initiative as well as other community efforts.
Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe. After months of study and creative problem-solving, Tulsa Public Schools has made three Project Schoolhouse proposals available for public discussion. The proposals, called Plans A, B and C, offer three very different scenarios for how TPS might best optimize its resources for improved academic results in light of declining state funding for education and under-enrolled schools.
Savings from the three plans are expected to range from $6.1 million to $9.5 million. Ballard said the savings exceed the cost of the Trade Ups, resulting in a net savings to Tulsa Public Schools. As many of the options described in the above plans would likely be phased in, savings would not likely occur until June 1, 2012.
The three plans are the combined efforts of several Project Schoolhouse committees. Project Schoolhouse now enters a new phase of public discussion. A survey has been distributed to the parents of all 41,000 students in the district, available in both English and Spanish.
Additional public forums will be hosted on April 12 at Gilcrease Middle School, April 14 at Foster Middle School, April 19 at Thoreau Demonstration Academy, and April 25 at Clinton Middle School. Please visit tulsaschools.org for more information.
Stylin'. Tulsa area mother Kimberly Grayson is raising awareness for children with Autism and the impact to local families by hosting a fashion show and local boutiques and the Autism Center of Tulsa (ACT) have rallied to help.
The Support Autism Socially event will be an evening of great food, the latest fashion and spirited music benefiting the Autism Center of Tulsa. The event will be held at Cascia Hall Performing Art Center, 2520 S. Yorktown Ave., on April 17 at 5:30pm. Attendees will have the opportunity to "SAS It UP!" with a silent auction and live clothing models.
Latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control show that one of every 91 children is diagnosed with autism, a neurological disorder that is incurable but can be treated with intensive therapies. Visit sasocially.com for more information.
Arguing Ed. Students from across the nation interested in learning from today's top policy experts are encouraged to apply for the Four Star Debate program that will take place at Oklahoma Christian University in Oklahoma City from July 10-15. This year's program will challenge students with the topic of whether the 50 states in America should adopt a system of school choice for private and public primary and secondary schools.
Students will receive training from high-profile academic experts, NCPA professional policy analysts, debate coaches and university debate students. Leadership development and communications training is provided by OC's nationally recognized faculty, staff and academy contributors. The highlights of the week include learning invaluable lessons on leadership from Franks, the four-star general who commanded American and coalition forces in Afghanistan and Iraq and two-time Olympic gold medalist Michele Smith.
Students interested in participating should apply online at oc.edu/fourstar.
Distant Relative. The delegation of Tulsa Global Alliance has recently returned from Taiwan after participating in the Lantern Festival and the Grand Ceremony for the merger of Kaohsiung City and County.
Mayor Chu Chen of Kaohsiung sent an official gift to Councilor Jack Henderson in deep appreciation for his friendship and continuing support. Councilor Henderson has long been a strong supporter of Kaohsiung Sister City partnership and cultural, business, and official exchanges between the City of Kaohsiung and our community.
Henderson has long been a proponent of increasing the international ties between Tulsa and Kaohsiung which marks its 30th anniversary this year.
Melodic Money. Project Hope Worldwide is hosting Kwero, its annual fundraising auction, April 15 at 6pm. at the historic Mayo Hotel in downtown Tulsa. This year's event will once again include a catered dinner and will feature silent and live auction items.
Entertainment will be provided by legendary jazz musician Grady Nichols along with authentic African music and dancers provided by Arthur Thompson.
Last year's event raised about $60,000, which propelled PHWW's vision into action. Board members and volunteers hope this year's event will raise $100,000. All proceeds going towards the organizations continued efforts for orphans in Uganda. Visit projecthopeworldwide.org for more information.
Board Over. Skatenorth, the newest recreational facility in Tulsa, had its official grand opening on April 2. Sponsored by The Helmerich Foundation, Skatenorth boasts to be the largest skate park in Green Country. Having unofficially opened last November, hundreds of skaters have already been to the state-of-the-art facility. Skatenorth is located at 2910 E. 56th St. N.
Nickel and Dime. Discovering that there is approximately $10.5 billion in loose change floating around America, Tulsa Youth decide to rally the community together in a quest to collect as much of the loose change as possible. Their mission is to create change in the realities of orphans and women who are exploited for sex trafficking with the funds raised.
The youth will be using the funds raised to aid projects that they are embarking on in June 2011, alongside Go International. The projects include, rescuing orphans off the street and placing them in an orphanage and providing an avenue for women to escape the sex trafficking industry.
Change for the World is a campaign started by Tulsa Youth which is committed to bringing change to the realities of orphans an victims of sex trafficking. For more information visit
Give a Kidney. April is National Donate Life Month. With more than 110,000 Americans waiting for organ transplants across the United States, more than 800 are waiting for transplants in Oklahoma.
Now celebrating 25 years of service, LifeShare of Oklahoma believes everyone should have the opportunity to share life through organ, eye and tissue donation, and is committed to educating Oklahomans about the lifesaving and life-improving benefits of donation and transplantation.
There are 1.76 million Oklahomans on the LifeShare Donor Registry, which is 48 percent of the state's total population. Excluding minors, 64 percent of Oklahoma's population is registered organ, eye and tissue donors, making it one of the most successful donor registries in the country.
Historic Ride. The Oklahoma Renaissance Festival won the prestigious RedBud award for Best Event in 2010 from the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department and the Oklahoma Travel Industry Association.
Entries were evaluated by out-of-state judges based on a variety of criteria, including value and overall creativity. And now, construction crews are putting the finishing touches on the Castle's new Italian Quarter with its own special character and style to make the festival even bigger and better.
New acts this year include The Tortuga Twins who won the 2010 National Renaissance Festival award for Best Non-musical act after performing in numerous Renaissance festivals across the New World.
Fascinating fun and entertainment for all ages will be found at the expanded, better-than-ever Oklahoma Renaissance Festival every weekend, April 30 through May 30.
Puppy Protection. Underdog American Pit bull Terrier Sanctuary, Tulsa now has help in protecting dogs against canine influenza virus (CIV), a highly contagious disease that spreads easily from dog to dog, especially those in close proximity. The shelter received a grant for the vaccines as part of a petfinder.com Foundation program to build community immunity against this respiratory infection. The foundation partnered with Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, a global animal health company and makers of the NOBIVAC(r) Canine Flu H3N8 vaccine, to fund the grant.
Dog flu is a growing problem throughout the United States It has been confirmed in 35 states so far, but tracking the disease is hard because it is so difficult to diagnose. Dogs are contagious before they show any symptoms. By the time the dog starts coughing, it's too late. Virtually all dogs exposed to the virus will become infected, and some will get more serious infections, such as pneumonia, which can be fatal. Dogs that go to doggie daycare, boarding facilities, groomers and shows and are vaccinated for canine cough are also at risk for canine flu. Information about canine flu is available at doginfluenza.com.
Storytelling. Home Lands: The Surprising Women of the West, a musical monologue, will be performed on the stage at Gilcrease Museum in April.
Award-winning actress/singer/writer Lynette Bennett will interpret Gilcrease Museum's new exhibit Home Lands: How Women Made the West through words and song. The performances will be held at 2pm on Saturday and Sunday, April 9-10 in the Tom Gilcrease Jr. Auditorium at Gilcrease Museum, 1400 N. Gilcrease Museum Rd.
Using song, dance and storytelling, Bennett will share the vivid images of women creating homes in such disparate landscapes as northern New Mexico's Rio Arriba, Denver's Front Range, and Seattle's Puget Sound.
Kimberly Grayson, Tulsa area mother, is raising awareness for children with Autism and the impact to local families by hosting a fashion show. Tulsa boutiques and the Autism Center of Tulsa (ACT) have rallied to help. Together, they are asking for support.