Swimming: Here comes the next batch…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
I remember two years ago how excited I was to see all these great young swimmers at the state championship meet. It’s always fun to meet the young kids because you can grow your relationship with them from the start.
Some of those young stars are now the class of the state now. I’m talking about names like Chickasha’s Isaac McKnight, Norman North’s Wilson Wei, Southmoore’s Paul Le, etc.
But from looking at the top qualifying times this season and now the results of the Mid-State and Metro conference meets this weekend, here comes a new group of kids looking to dominate.
Right now Southmoore freshman Alex Ballard is standing out amongst the crowd. She’s been fantastic all season and proved it with a big-time outing at the Mid-State meet. She won the 200-yard freestyle and the 500 free.
She was dominant in both events, and ironically, Norman sophomore Jacque Medina was second in each of those events.
From there, I think you have to go to Kimmie Reneau of Westmoore. The sophomore won the 50 free and 100 backstroke and gives Westmoore another star to go with Dakota Wheeler.
The Edmond schools are littered with underclassmen that are already dynamite. From Carlie Pearson to Sean Simpson to Sara Riggs and up and down the lineup, the best is yet to come for them.
Norman schools, too. From Medina to Bradley Quy, it’s incredible how deep the Norman teams are starting to become.
In fact, of the 32 individual titles in the two conferences, 11 of the Metro titles were underclassmen and 14 of the Mid-State were underclassmen for 25 of the 32 going to non-seniors. Westmoore’s Wheeler was the only senior to win titles at the Mid-State event.
But for how great the youth have been, how will they react to the biggest stage of them all at state? Though most get to swim at the Aquatic Center at OCCC during the season, there is no atmosphere that can equal the state meet.
Believe me, I’m working on year No. 3 of being the swimming dude, it gets a lot more crazy at that pool than anyone would think possible. It’s a fun weekend.
Swimming: Here comes the next batch…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
I remember two years ago how excited I was to see all these great young swimmers at the state championship meet. It’s always fun to meet the young kids because you can grow your relationship with them from the start.
Some of those young stars are now the class of the state now. I’m talking about names like Chickasha’s Isaac McKnight, Norman North’s Wilson Wei, Southmoore’s Paul Le, etc.
But from looking at the top qualifying times this season and now the results of the Mid-State and Metro conference meets this weekend, here comes a new group of kids looking to dominate.
Right now Southmoore freshman Alex Ballard is standing out amongst the crowd. She’s been fantastic all season and proved it with a big-time outing at the Mid-State meet. She won the 200-yard freestyle and the 500 free.
She was dominant in both events, and ironically, Norman sophomore Jacque Medina was second in each of those events.
From there, I think you have to go to Kimmie Reneau of Westmoore. The sophomore won the 50 free and 100 backstroke and gives Westmoore another star to go with Dakota Wheeler.
The Edmond schools are littered with underclassmen that are already dynamite. From Carlie Pearson to Sean Simpson to Sara Riggs and up and down the lineup, the best is yet to come for them.
Norman schools, too. From Medina to Bradley Quy, it’s incredible how deep the Norman teams are starting to become.
In fact, of the 32 individual titles in the two conferences, 11 of the Metro titles were underclassmen and 14 of the Mid-State were underclassmen for 25 of the 32 going to non-seniors. Westmoore’s Wheeler was the only senior to win titles at the Mid-State event.
But for how great the youth have been, how will they react to the biggest stage of them all at state? Though most get to swim at the Aquatic Center at OCCC during the season, there is no atmosphere that can equal the state meet.
Believe me, I’m working on year No. 3 of being the swimming dude, it gets a lot more crazy at that pool than anyone would think possible. It’s a fun weekend.
Swimming: Here comes the next batch…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
I remember two years ago how excited I was to see all these great young swimmers at the state championship meet. It’s always fun to meet the young kids because you can grow your relationship with them from the start.
Some of those young stars are now the class of the state now. I’m talking about names like Chickasha’s Isaac McKnight, Norman North’s Wilson Wei, Southmoore’s Paul Le, etc.
But from looking at the top qualifying times this season and now the results of the Mid-State and Metro conference meets this weekend, here comes a new group of kids looking to dominate.
Right now Southmoore freshman Alex Ballard is standing out amongst the crowd. She’s been fantastic all season and proved it with a big-time outing at the Mid-State meet. She won the 200-yard freestyle and the 500 free.
She was dominant in both events, and ironically, Norman sophomore Jacque Medina was second in each of those events.
From there, I think you have to go to Kimmie Reneau of Westmoore. The sophomore won the 50 free and 100 backstroke and gives Westmoore another star to go with Dakota Wheeler.
The Edmond schools are littered with underclassmen that are already dynamite. From Carlie Pearson to Sean Simpson to Sara Riggs and up and down the lineup, the best is yet to come for them.
Norman schools, too. From Medina to Bradley Quy, it’s incredible how deep the Norman teams are starting to become.
In fact, of the 32 individual titles in the two conferences, 11 of the Metro titles were underclassmen and 14 of the Mid-State were underclassmen for 25 of the 32 going to non-seniors. Westmoore’s Wheeler was the only senior to win titles at the Mid-State event.
But for how great the youth have been, how will they react to the biggest stage of them all at state? Though most get to swim at the Aquatic Center at OCCC during the season, there is no atmosphere that can equal the state meet.
Believe me, I’m working on year No. 3 of being the swimming dude, it gets a lot more crazy at that pool than anyone would think possible. It’s a fun weekend.
Behind the Photo-Extreme Edition
On Sunday I was sent to Slaughterville, Okla., to photograph the taping of the television show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Sunday was the final day, so I was supposed to get a picture of their reaction to the famous reveal, when the bus pulls away and the family sees their new home.
McKenzie Elliott, age 10, of Lexington (left) waits with hundreds of other people during a taping of the television show Extreme Makeover Home Edition outside the new home of Brian and and Audra Skaggs in Slaughterville, Okla., Feb. 7, 2010. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman
As chaotic as I thought the scene would be, it was worse. There were barricades and corrals set up for fans, extended family members and media. Cameras crews, sound guys, volunteers, Thunder Girls, PR representatives, the stars of the show like Ty Pennington and Xzibit, were cheered by the fans as they walked by. I stood up against the fence in the media pin, watching the scene unfold. For three hours.
Human blockers get into position during a taping of the television show Extreme Makeover Home Edition outside the new home of Brian and and Audra Skaggs in Slaughterville, Okla., Feb. 7, 2010. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman
My favorite part was right before the reveal. There was a group of people stationed to the right of the media, extended family, the home builders, and people with all access passes. They would have the best seats in the house, after the bus pulled away. The Public Relations representatives were worried that before the bus pulled away, the crowd would get excited and press into the media’s view, so they brought in human blockers. Volunteers from CVS pharmacy were seated in front of us. The idea was that the excited crowd wouldn’t step on volunteers just to get a good view. It worked. Despite the chaos for three straight hours, once the bus pulled away, we had a decent view of the family’s reaction. More pictures from the reveal will be published on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010, in The Oklahoman’s real estate magazine.
-John Clanton
Kate to talk about faith
Kate Gosselin, the reality TV star of the now defunct TLC hit show “Jon and Kate Plus 8,” has written a new book to be released April 13 by Zondervan.
A Zondervan news release said “I Just Want You to Know: Letters to My Kids on Love, Faith and Family” will contain letters to each of Gosselin’s eight children about a variety of topics including the disappointment that comes when life does not go as planned, God’s faithfulness during these times of change and the uncompromising love she has for her children.
The book also is to feature excerpts, prayers and memories from Kate’s journal.
Kate Gosselin, her now ex-husband Jon, and their children — twins and sextuplets — have been in the news ever since the couple went through a very public and bitter divorce.
“We support Kate as she moves forward into a new chapter of her life,” said Dudley Delffs, senior vice president and publisher of trade book at Zondervan. “It is clear that her faith has been an integral part of her life and the lives of her children during the past year, and we are honored to give her the opportunity to share her heart.”
Carla Hinton
Stepping inside (virtually) the round barn for the first time
Photo by Steve Gooch - The Oklahoman/NewsOK.com
I’ve driven past the round barn in Arcadia a few times.
I’ve heard people talk about it as a landmark.
I know seemingly everybody who has spent a decent amount of time in Oklahoma knows about it.
But I’ve never been inside the round barn.
Until now.
In the latest installment of NewsOK’s Places series, Ken Raymond does what we are setting out to do with the project: He put the reader in a unique Oklahoma location by describing the place with text, images and audio.
I’ve never been physically been inside the round barn. But I feel like I have. Ken described the location with his writing, then he described in with his audio recording. All the while, I scanned the area with our panoramic image – I looked up. I looked down. I zoomed in. I zoomed out. I even tried to see what was in the trash can.
Now I can say I’ve been there.
Biggest Loser to be honored by Senate
Danny Cahill, the winner of season eight “Biggest Loser,” is expected to be on the Senate floor this afternoon.
Cahill, of Broken Arrow, lost 230 pounds on NBC’s reality television program. To date, Cahill has lost more weight than any other contestant on the show. Cahill, a land surveyor, lost 55.58 percent of his original weight while on the show, going from 430 pounds to 191 pounds.
Michelle Obama’s new campaign against childhood obesity
First Lady Michelle Obama today unveiled a campaign called “Let’s Move!” to reduce the epidemic of childhood obesity.
The four pillars of the First Lady’s campaign are:
Helping parents make healthy family choices;
Serving healthier food in schools;
Making healthy, affordable food more accessible;
Increasing children’s physical activity.
Since the announcement today, I’ve received e-mails or read about resounding cheers in agreement from organizations that include the American Diabetes Association, The American Academy of Pediatrics, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the American Medical Association and more.
“The physical and emotional health of an entire generation and the economic and security of our nation is at stake,” Obama said, according to a news release from the USDA. “This isn’t the kind of problem that can be solved overnight, but with everyone working together, it can be solved.”
Recent studies put the health care costs of obesity-related diseases at $147 billion per year, the USDA information stated.
Weighing in from the the pediatrics academy, Judith S. Palfrey, president of the organization that represents 60,000 pediatrician, called rescuing children’s health “a medical and moral imperative” in a news release.
“Over the past twenty years, our nation has seen an alarming rise in the number of our children who are overweight and obese. It will take a concerted effort and thoughtful collaboration to help create healthier communities for children,” she said.
The pediatric academy is asking pediatricians to start calculating the body mass indexes, or BMI, for patients over 2, among other recommendations.
The Let’s Move! campaign is a collaborative and community-oriented effort. Joining Obama for the announcement included local students, members of the president’s Cabinet, Congress members, many of the nation’s mayors and leading representatives from the fields of media, medicine, sports, entertainment and business communities.
~ Lillie-Beth Brinkman (lbrinkman@opubco.com)
Group Assails Coburn Gun Law for National Parks
A group of retired U.S. Park Service employees is warning that visitors at national parks will soon be seeing handguns and rifles at the nation’s parks because of a law sponsored by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee, last year.
The law, which goes into effect in less than two weeks, will allow people to carry firearms in parks located in states that permit the carrying of concealed weapons.
Coburn’s controversial amendment was included on a bill to put new restrictions on credit card companies. Here’s a quote from Coburn from last May:
“It’s not about guns. It’s about states’ rights — being able to determine what’s best for them. And it’s about the Second Amendment. It’s not about bureaucrats telling Americans when their rights are going to be taken away.”
And here is the press release about the law taking effect:
TUCSON, AZ.//February 9, 2010//Assault rifles on Mather Point overlooking the Grand Canyon? Handguns on the Filene Center concert lawn at Wolf Trap in the Washington, D.C. suburbs? Shotguns at Lamar River Valley in the backcountry at Yellowstone National Park, the world’s first national park?
These are just some of the things that Americans can reasonably expect to see in national parks across the U.S. as of February 22, 2010, when a dangerous new gun law will go into effect in our nation’s national park areas. To mark this unfortunate development, the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees (CNPSR) is highlighting what visitors may soon experience in 11 representative national parks.
An amendment to the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights Act of 2009, authored by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK), and promoted by the NRA, passed by the Congress and signed into law by the President on May 22 of last year, permits park visitors to possess firearms in national park areas consistent with the laws of the state in which the area is located.
This is a significant departure from long-established, common-sense gun regulations that allowed visitors to possess guns in parks only if they were stowed out of reach and unloaded.
Doug Morris, a member of the CNPSR Executive Council and a former law enforcement ranger and park superintendent in the NPS for many years, said: “We believe that the public should be aware of the consequences of Coburn’s amendment. While federal law prohibits the carrying of guns in any federal building where federal employees work on a regular basis, in many states there are few, if any, other prohibitions.”
While scores of national parks will be impacted to one extent or another, CNPSR highlighted the following 11 parks to show the range of likely harms:
Yellowstone National Park (WY, MT, ID): In the world’s first national park – Yellowstone, while watching Old Faithful erupt you could be in the company of other park visitors wearing holsters and hand guns. In the evening campfire circle, you may sit next to someone who can legally carry a shotgun or rifle to that special place. Anyone hiking in the backcountry can openly carry guns, increasing the risk to other hikers and park wildlife.
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts (VA): Virginia’s gun laws are very permissive. The grounds of Wolf Trap, including the “lawn seating area,” will be open to people carrying firearms.
Grand Canyon National Park (AZ): Arizona’s gun laws are very permissive and while standing on Mather Point, enjoying the breathtaking view of the canyon, you could see another visitor with an assault rifle slung on his shoulder. At your campsite in the park’s campground, you could see guns prominently displayed in the campsite next to you.
Mesa Verde National Park (CO): Colorado law is very permissive about open carry of firearms except in some cities. During your visit to Cliff Palace, you could be listening to the ranger’s interpretive discussion while standing next to someone with a handgun and holster prominently displayed.
Gettysburg National Military Battlefield (PA): Pennsylvania is also a very permissive state relative to gun laws. During your tour of the battlefield, you could encounter other visitors legally carrying rifles – and not the historic kind.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park (NM): At the evening bat flight program and even on the cave tours, you could be joined by others openly carrying firearms. As you wander through the park’s restaurant and gift store, looking for a bite to eat or a souvenir to buy, other visitors might be seen legally carrying firearms.
Everglades National Park (FL): Florida’s gun laws are more restrictive, so you are not likely to encounter others openly carrying guns while walking on the Anhinga Trail as you enjoy some of the most spectacular wildlife and bird sighting anywhere.
Statue of Liberty National Monument (NY): New York’s gun laws are very restrictive, and visitors to the Statue are protected by laws prohibiting the open carrying of firearms.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park (TN and NC): This park is an example of one of the problems visitors will face with the new law. In North Carolina, there are few gun restrictions and visitors could be seen openly carrying guns. However, if you happen to be a gun-carrying visitor, you will need a “carry permit” when you cross into the part of the park located in Tennessee.
Mount Rainier National Park (WA): While hiking the famous “Wonderland Trail” you could encounter other hikers openly carrying handguns, rifles or shotguns.
Denali National Park and Preserve (AK): While riding on an NPS-licensed bus operated by the park concessioner on a day-long trip on the “park road” (the only way to get into the heart of the park other than to hike) you could be sitting next to someone with a handgun in a holster.
Bill Wade, chair of CNPSR’s Executive Council and former superintendent of Shenandoah National Park said, “This is a sad chapter in the history of America’s premier system of heritage areas. On the heels of the Ken Burns documentary about the importance of national parks to America and after a year of increased visitation to parks despite a poor economy, this law will have a chilling effect on how visitors behave in national parks. A feeling of safety and security will be replaced by wariness and suspicion. This diminishes some of the “specialness and reverence” our citizens have long accorded to their national parks.”
While many states, and therefore the national park areas in them, will soon allow individuals to openly carry firearms, most states are much more restrictive about concealed-carry, and most require a permit to do so. Visitors with a permit from one state may or may not be able to carry a concealed gun into a national park in another state, depending on reciprocity agreements. Similarly, visitors who have “long guns” in vehicle racks traveling from a park in one state to a park in another state will have to understand the differing state requirements.
Members of CNPSR strongly opposed this new law for several reasons:
1) More guns in national parks increase the likelihood of shooting at wildlife and some historic resources, such as prehistoric petroglyphs.
2) More guns in parks increases the risk to rangers.
3) More guns in parks increases the risk to visitors in places like campgrounds where disagreements, often fueled by alcohol, sometimes occur.
4) National parks have always been hospitable to visitors from around the world and are seen as “sanctuaries” where people could get away from the routines, threats and risks they face in their daily lives. But more guns will change those perceptions.
5) Until now, one regulation pertaining to firearms applied to all 392 areas in the National Park System. But now each of those areas will be subject to the laws of the state in which it lies. This is likely to lead to significant confusion by visitors traveling though parks in a number of states.
6) Federal buildings in parks will now have to be signed to prohibit firearms and conceivably security devices will need to be used.
Resolution asks Henry to refuse presidential appointment
Sen. Randy Brogdon wants Gov. Brad Henry to refuse a presidential appointment to a council on governors.
Brogdon, R-Owasso, and Rep. Charles Key, R-Oklahoma City, have filed a concurrent resolution to express their disdain for the presidential appointment.
Henry, a Democrat, was appointed to the council by President Barack Obama last week. Governors on the council would collaborate with the White House on issues on emergencies, matters involving the National Guard, civil emergencies and a variety of other things. The council includes 10 governors — five democrats, 5 Republicans.
Henry’s spokesman, Paul Sund, says it’s a moot point because Henry has already accepted the appointment.
The resolution says the council will “breach the Sovereignty” of Oklahoma by “usurping the republican form of government guaranteed to the people by the Constitution.”
Brogdon, who is also running for governor, last year authored a resolution to be sent to Congress and the president that says the federal government should “cease and desist” mandates beyond the scope of its powers.
The resolution is on the Senate agenda for today. The Senate convenes at 1:30 p.m.
