Growing vegetables is a fun and worthwhile gardening endeavor, but it may not be suitable for your needs or conditions. Gardening in containers, though, may just be the perfect solution for you. This week we will discuss everything you need to know to prepare the perfect containers to grow flowers or vegetables! Thursday, April 10, 2014
The Star-Spangled Man with a Plan is back for this third outing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is the third post-Avengers film, and marks a change in tone for the superhero universe.
Midwest City, OK – The city of Midwest City is hosting a new event, called Cruise In for Coffee the third Saturday of each month, beginning April 19. Thursday, April 10, 2014
Choctaw High School Theatre students are making history this spring by writing, creating, and staging an original one act play entitled, “Miles to Go.” Thursday, April 10, 2014
I’m giving “Noah” a B. It is an enjoyable reinvention of a story every child learns, but it tries too hard to make it fit in with the epics that don’t have a responsibility to stay faithful to their source material. “Noah” is rated PG-13 for violence, disturbing images and brief suggestive content.
Jazzercise’s Newest location at 1440 N. Key Blvd opened its doors Monday March 24th. Following the grand opening this location had a week of free classes. The class schedule for the N. Key location is Monday, Wednesday at 5:35 and 6:35 in the evening, Tuesday and Thursday at 9:45 a.m. and 5:35 p.m., Friday at 5:45 p.m., Saturday at 8:30 and 9:45 in the morning and Sunday at 4:00. Many of the classes have childcare available. Thursday, March 27, 2014
FNB Community Bank and the Rose State College Foundation will hold the 2014 FNB Charity Golf Classic on May 16, at the John Conrad Golf Course in Midwest City. Title Sponsor is Midwest Regional Medical Center. Thursday, March 27, 2014
Education Funding is tied directly to the development of the Workforce for the future and to the economic development of the Community! The Mid-Del Community should be very concerned to know that our Community has lost over $5.4M in school funding since 2009. This financial and economic loss is not acceptable! Thursday, March 27, 2014
For most of the school districts around Oklahoma, March 17 to the 21 is Spring Break. This means the kids are home, and after a while they run out of things to do. Fortunately, there are some decent movie options for all ages for that week. Here is a list of upcoming films being released up to and during the break. Thursday, March 06, 2014
Soil in Oklahoma can be difficult to prepare for spring gardening and difficult to maintain in a nutritious state through the growing season. Since our soil may not be ideal in many places – too much sand or too much clay – we have to add amendments to enhance its growing capability. Composting is an ideal way to do that. Thursday, March 06, 2014
Have you ever heard the phrase, “Can’t see the forest for the trees”? It basically means that when we’re too close to a problem or situation, it’s very hard for us to have a big-picture perspective. The trouble is, when you don’t have the proper perspective, it’s very hard to make your situation better. It reminds me of this modern day parable: Thursday, March 06, 2014
Here’s a fun project for your garden that can also involve the kids or grandkids! Plant a zoo garden using plants with animal names! Thursday, February 27, 2014
Drill Team- members of the Carl Albert and Del City JROTC join together with their trophies. Del City brings home two trophies while Carl Albert brings home three Thursday, February 27, 2014
On February 14, the period for the official final voting for Academy members began. Voting will end on February 25, and March 2 is the big awards show to end a season that has been neck-and-neck for many movies. “12 Years A Slave” and “American Hustle” look to be the runaway favorites for the night, but “Gravity” and “Dallas Buyers Club” have been creeping in on the accolades. As final voting begins, EastWord News has picked its favorites for the biggest categories.
Roses are one of the most popular plants in Oklahoma gardens, and many are relatively easy to grow, especially the disease-resistant varieties like the Knock Out® rose. Roses offer color and fragrance in the garden, and many make wonderful cut flowers. If you have a garden, you should try your hand at growing roses! Thursday, February 20, 2014
Are you familiar with the phrase, “to pass the buck”? It means to not take responsibility for something; to let somebody else do what you should have done in the first place. Thursday, February 20, 2014
Elizabeth Guillot of Tinker Air Force Base, whose major is Political Science, has been named to the Dean’s List at Clemson University for the fall 2013 semester.
To be named to the Dean’s List, a student achieved a grade-point average between 3.50 and 3.99 on a 4.0 scale.
Individual sales for Girl Scout Western Oklahoma’s 2014 Girl Scout cookie campaign commenced Jan. 31 for those troops picking up cookies early. Booth sales begin Feb. 21, and all sales end March 23.
The "Super Six" varieties are offered again this year, including: Trefoil (shortbread), Tagalongs (peanut butter patty), Do-Si-Dos (peanut butter sandwich), Samoas (caramel/coconut), Thin Mints and Savannah Smiles (bite size lemon wedges dusted with powdered sugar). The price remains a bargain at $3.50 per box.
To kick off the cookie season, Blazing Trails Community Service Team 638 (serving Eastern Oklahoma County) participated in two local cookie rallies.
A Stuffed Animal Sleepover was held on Jan. 10 and 11 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Midwest City.
Local youth will be competing in the 2014 Miss Teen Oklahoma City Pageant this Sunday, Feb. 16.
Kimberly Miner, of Midwest City, is 8 and in second grade at Sooner Rose Elementary. She will compete in the Jr. Pre-Teen division, one of four divisions in the pageant for girls ages 7 to 19. She is the daughter of Phillip and Sheila Miner.
Kaylee Tucker, of Midwest City, is a student at Christian Heritage Academy in Del City and on the cheerleading squad. She just returned from Florida where her cheerleading team won first place in the national competition.
Even though the weather is not yet warm, hopefully you are giving some thought to this year’s vegetable garden while we endure these cold days. If you haven’t considered planting vegetables because you think it might be difficult, take heart! Many vegetables do well in Oklahoma because we have such wonderful sun and heat during our summers, and many of our favorites are easy to grow. Peppers, both sweet and hot, cucumbers, and squash are all good candidates for your garden. So let’s look at what conditions you need and discuss which varieties you may want to grow.
Vegetable gardens need three basic conditions. First, they need full sun, at least 6 – 8 hours of direct sun a day. Next, they will need plenty of water; because most vegetables aren’t very tolerant of drought, you’ll need to water them during dry spells. The closer your garden is to water, the easier it will be for you. Finally, they need good soil; most vegetables do best in moist, well-drained soil that’s rich in organic matter, like compost or peat moss. Remember that it is best to start small if you are just beginning to garden; usually a 10 x 10 plot is perfect for most family needs, or, if you prefer, many varieties of vegetables also do well in containers on the patio or deck!
Another year, another young adult adaptation, and yet another featuring supernatural forces. While this may seem the statement of an exasperated reviewer, the truth is, the exasperation comes for the expectations I hold for many of these films.
This is no different with the new "Vampire Academy," now in theatres. Released pre- "Twilight" craze, the main character even makes a comment regarding the sparkly vampires, and how the vamps of VA do no such thing.
The wilds of Montana host St. Vladimir’s Academy, where the Moroi and dhampirs are educated. The Moroi are mortal and alive, as opposed to the living dead Strigoi. Dhampirs are the offspring of the Moroi and another dhampir, and are trained to be guardians for the Moroi. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Have you ever noticed how hard it is to rid ourselves of stress? In fact, it almost seems like the harder we try to get rid of it, the more stress attaches itself to our life! It’s not until we "stop trying so hard" that stress finally starts to disappear. It reminds me of this modern day parable: Thursday, February 13, 2014
In a crowded noisy gymnasium, Soldier Creek third grader Adrian Vasques passes out stickers to his fellow classmates.
On this day, little Adrian won’t be joining in any physical education activities, or any day for that matter.
Adrian was born with a heart condition and has a pacemaker in his chest. This means he can’t run, play on the school playground or do anything that might jeopardize his health.
But that doesn’t mean he is sitting idle watching life passed him by. Little Adrian is full of life, is a lover of popcorn and unknowingly has inspired those around him.
Briauna De’Juan Williams, a freshman early childhood development major from Midwest City, will be a contestant in the 30th annual Miss Black UCO scholarship pageant 7 p.m. this Friday, Feb. 8. Thursday, February 06, 2014
This is the time of year for students and parents to begin the work for college financial aid. Rose State College is hosting its Mid-Del “Ticket to Rose Parent Night” on Feb. 6 on the Rose State Campus from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Student Center Main Dining Room. Thursday, February 06, 2014
Rebecca Stokes is making a name for herself in a way that’s different than one expects for someone her age. The 17-year-old Carl Albert High School student is focusing her efforts on making a difference, one piece of recyclable material at a time. Thursday, February 06, 2014
Have you ever heard the phrase, “Negotiation is an art form”? For most people, negotiation is a necessary evil, something you have to do if you want find a fair price for a needed product. But for some, the thrill of negotiation is the most exciting part of the process. Thursday, February 06, 2014
When it was announced that George Clooney and Sony were moving their WWII film “The Monuments Men” to February, instead of its prime spot in December, the rumors swirled about what was wrong with the movie. Thursday, February 06, 2014
An exciting event is coming to Choctaw High School’s Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m. this Saturday, Feb. 8. Choctaw’s very own Justin Larman is headlining a benefit concert - Back to Choctaw - with some of his favorite Broadway, Disney and jazz songs. Thursday, February 06, 2014
Choctaw’s Got Talent is back by popular demand and will be presented at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11 at Choctaw High School’s Performing Arts Center. The competition will feature individuals and groups with unique talents such as singing, dancing and playing musical instruments. Thursday, February 06, 2014
The cold weather keeps coming, so we gardeners have to busy ourselves with indoor activities. One of the tasks you can be doing in cold weather is planning for your next garden. If you are like many, you love plants with fragrance. Thursday, February 06, 2014
Eastern Oklahoma County has absolutely no shortage of places to eat or enjoy a sweet dessert when it comes to taking that special someone out for dinner.
For this year’s Valentine’s Day, EastWord News has compiled a list of eateries to consider when making your plans:
Midwest City
In Midwest City, Valentine’s Day diners can take the safe route and go to any of the more mainstream sit down restaurants like Chili’s, Old Chicago, Cheddar’s, Logan’s Steakhouse and Santa Fe Cattle Company on SE 29th Street, but be prepared to fight the crowds. The same hectic atmosphere might also apply to Primo’s Italian located on the Interstate 40 service near hotel lodging row.
If you’re one of the many busy people in the world, with schedules full of meetings, appointments, soccer games and community events, you may not have noticed… it will soon be Valentine’s Day!
For those of you looking to stay home for this holiday, here are a few simple and fun ways to share love that will make a lasting impression.
Get the Kids Involved
Even dinner with the kids can be romantic if you get creative. Help set the table with your kids, giving them chocolates and paper hearts for decoration. Have your child(ren) dress up and have them pretend to be the waiter(s). They can serve sparkling grape juice and grilled cheese sandwiches to the family, or grab some on the go dinner from your family’s favorite restaurant. Have fun with it!
Oklahomans love roses. There are so many varieties to suit any landscape, but did you know that shrub roses can be the answer to some of our problems in the landscape? Whether you want roses with fragrance or no thorns, or roses that are cold-hardy or tolerate some shade, there are shrub roses that will suit your needs.
Roses are known for their lovely and unique fragrances, and shrub roses are no exception. There are roses with fruity scents like strawberry and peach, and those that smell like honey, carnations or cloves or the classic "rose" fragrance we all treasure. One way to find shrub roses with scents you like is to visit botanical gardens like the Dallas Arboretum, where you can smell the fragrance of the blossoms and decide your favorites. For example, if you enjoy the classic rose fragrance, try Charlotte, with soft yellow flowers that bloom throughout the summer; it is 24-36 inches tall and wide and hardy in Zones 5-9 (remember we are Zone 7). If you prefer pink, try Hawkeye Belle, which also blooms all summer and gets about 48 inches tall. Be sure to plant your fragrant roses where you can enjoy them – at the entrance to a path or near the front of a border or by the front entrance of your home.
With the success of the "Underworld" franchise, some small segment of the movie-going market is still interested in a bit of monster mayhem. This years offering is "I, Frankenstein."
Based off the Dark Horse comic of the same name written by Kevin Grevioux and adapted by him for the screenplay, the film follows Frankenstein’s monster after the events of Mary Shelley’s book. After the doctor dies trying to destroy his creation, the monster spends 200 years in a solitary existence while hunting down creatures that seek to use him for evil.
Have you ever noticed that, sometimes in life, opportunities to grow our character come when we least expect them, and often didn’t want them?
Consider this modern-day parable:
A millionaire decided to throw a massive party for his 50th birthday. During the party he grabs the microphone and announces to his guests that down in the garden of his mansion he has a swimming pool with two great white sharks in it.
"The man who dares to swim across that pool gets $1 MILLION DOLLARS!"
Kyle Bratcher in his first bout pinned his opponent within 10 seconds.
Bratcher is a sixth grader at Monroney Middle School. He is a 4.0 student, avid wrestler fan (but none of that fake WWE stuff) and a paraplegic.
At age three, he suffered a brain tumor and the strength of the chemo therapy used after the tumor was removed, left him severely immobilized.
"He has reactive movement but he can’t walk (he’s in a chair) he can’t grip so he drives [the wheel chair] with his head." Said Keith Richards, Bratcher’s para-pro assistant and the schools’ wrestling coach.
The fifth film in a series of adaptations of the "Jack Ryan" characters by Tom Clancy hit theatres on Jan. 17. Following in the footsteps of Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck, Chris Pine takes the character on an original mission.
Chris Pine stars as the titular Jack Ryan in the reboot of the series. In an era of origin stories, we have yet another. Ryan is brought forth into the modern post-9/11 era, after observing the attack on the Towers from his economics school in London.
Enlisting in the military and taking a mission that leads to a crippling injury, Ryan gets back on his feet and is recruited to the CIA for counter-terrorism efforts. Sent to get his Ph.D. in economics, Ryan enters Wall Street as an analyst, watching for signs of money being sent to assist terrorism groups. He travels to Russia after discovering such accounts, he encounters Viktor Cherevin (Kenneth Branagh), a ruthless Russian business seeking revenge against the U.S.
Wouldn’t it be great to have earlier harvests for our favorite summer vegetables? Recent research has proven that our winters may be getting warmer by a degree or two, but that isn’t going to help much with creating earlier harvests. However, there are a number of techniques you can employ to enjoy home-grown vegetables this summer.
First, select early-maturing varieties for your vegetables; seed companies advertise many options for shorter maturity times for almost every type of vegetable. Look for those that mature at least 10 days earlier than the normal varieties. ‘Sweet Zuke’ or ‘Sure Thing’ are zucchini varieties that mature early, for example; earlier yellow squash varieties like ‘Early Summer Crookneck’ and ‘Early Prolific Straightneck’ not only produce harvests earlier, but also have many other good traits. Most seed companies offer similar choices for most vegetables.
With the entry into a new year, there is a slight shift in the quality of box office contenders. Actually, a big shift.
January is called the "graveyard of movies" for a good reason. It is the time between the award contenders pushing for a nomination and the point at which those movies are rewarded. To fill in the 2014 season, two movies, "Ride Along" and "Legend of Hercules" stepped up.
In theatres Jan. 17 is the Kevin Hart, Ice Cube vehicle "Ride Along." The film is about fast-talking security guard Ben Barber (Hart) who struggles to get the approval of his girlfriend’s tough as nails brother James Payton (Ice Cube).
Have you chosen the varieties of vegetables and flower you want to grow in your garden this year? As you can see from the new plant catalogs there are many exciting new varieties to grow this coming season, and now is the time to make your seed pu rchases. You can give your garden a head start by planting these seeds yourself and growing your own transplants.
February is the time to start your seeds, since many vegetables and flowers need 4-6 weeks to develop before they are ready to put into your garden. Because outside temperatures are still too cold to allow seed germination, you will need to create your own mini-greenhouse to provide heat and humidity for your seeds. Fear not – it isn’t complicated or expensive to do this.
Rose State Wellness Center Director Chris Leland not only talks it, he walks it…and runs it. In 2011, at 5’10 and weighing in at 220 pounds, he found himself overweight and in charge of a college workout facility. At night, he had trouble sleeping.
"I found myself waking up at three and four in the morning. Rather than lie there awake, I decided to get up and go do something. I started taking walks," Leland said. "I started listening to audio books to keep me going."
He decided to change. Walking in the quiet morning darkness in the neighborhood near his home allowed him to collect his thoughts and clear his head for the busy day ahead, he said. As he got to know his route, he also got a little bored. He started to run to break up the monotony.
The next meeting of the Oklahoma Central Parent Legislative Action Committee will be 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28 at the Edmond Public Schools Administration Building, 1001 W. Danforth Rd.
The nonpartisan group has the goal of increasing parent and community awareness about legislative issues impacting public education in Oklahoma. They encourage all parents and patrons from the metro area school districts to attend its fourth meeting of the 2013-2014 school year.
On Jan. 20, 1982, the quiet city of Spencer was devastated when a boiler exploded killing six students and one teacher, and injuring dozens more.
At the time, Star Elementary was located on the northwest corner of NE 23rd Street and Midwest Blvd. After repairs were made to the school, classes resumed until the final bell rang 22 years later.
At that time, Oklahoma City Schools decided to sell the property but it was not until 2006 when the school was demolished and eventually replaced with a Walgreens retail store.
He wants to be a pilot and dreams of being able to fly, but it doesn’t matter to him if it’s in the clouds or floating in space.
To become a pilot would be a dream come true for the 12-year-old, who said he is soaking up everything he can in science class and always makes A-pluses on his tests in the subject.
Hutcheson said he wanted to attend Rose State College’s Kids Camp for something to do, but more importantly, to help him achieve his dream.
Just five years after the last installment of Sam Raimi's "Spiderman" series, Sony has set out to re-establish the web slinger in theatres.
"The Amazing Spiderman" opens May 3 and stars Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spiderman and Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy. Sally Field and Martin Sheen play Aunt May and Uncle Ben and Rhys Ifans plays the conflicted villain Dr. Curt Connors and his counterpart, the Lizard.
At 11:45 a.m., Monday through Friday, children form a line inside the Midwest City YMCA basketball gym.
They wait patiently, some more quiet than others, to be handed their brown paper sack lunches.
On Monday, bags were filled with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, fruit and string cheese.
Then there was the choice of beverages to drink: either milk or chocolate milk.
Laura Schwartz, the summer feeding worker at the YMCA, said the chocolate milk is the first to go. It can be difficult to get children to drink the "white" stuff, so she has had to get crafty and only put out a certain number of chocolate milk cartons, she said.
OK, now her secret is out, but shhhh... don't tell the boys and girls.
With summer's arrival comes a journalistic convention that seems more and more dated. It is the "summer reading list" of books, often beside a graphic showing a bathing suit and sunglasses.
Sure, I'd like to check out Douglas Brinkley's biography of Walter Cronkite and Hilary Mantel's sequel to "Wolf Hall." Heck, I'd love to read Joan Rivers' funny and shorter book, "I Hate Everyone ... Starting With Me."
Problem is, few of us worker bees will be packing a steamer trunk of volumes to while away the lazy afternoons. Average working Joes now put in a month more of labor a year than they did 25 years earlier, and much of that time comes out of summer vacation's hide.
Whenever an overly generous soul praises me for my alleged "success," I thank them and gently remind her (and myself) of the unearned luck of my life.
Consider the following: I was born during the Great Depression, after the nation's birthrate had reached a new low, and I was one of approximately 11 people born that same year. This meant that when I graduated from high school, college admissions offices - desperate to fill empty dorms and classrooms - were eagerly recruiting almost anyone who wasn't under indictment or detox, and maybe some who were.
This also meant that when I got out of college and the Marine Corps, and sought to enter the revered "private sector," it was the decade of the 1960s, during which the gross national product of the United States was actually doubling - and because there were so few people in my generational cohort, for us lucky ones there were almost more jobs than there were young people to fill them.
Last week, I wrote about our expanded news staff and the freelance writers who continue to contribute to the quality of our newspaper.
Much to my chagrin, I failed to mention one of the most important people on the staff. She's not a reporter or photographer, but she certainly keeps the wheels of business and commerce going for EastWord News. Her name is Kristina Boehlke and she's our operations director.
Red, White and Blue Potatoes - Just in Time for July 4th
By Judy Kautz, Master Gardener
Gardeners like to experiment with new and unusual plants and vegetables, just to keep things interesting in their gardens. And one of the most exciting things about experimenting is sharing with fellow gardeners, especially if the experiment turns out to be a success.
Theresa, one of the master gardeners in our area, decided to try her hand at raising potatoes this spring. Of course, potatoes like cool weather and they mature in early summer, so this is the prime time for harvesting this year's spring crop. Not satisfied with plain old potatoes, she decided to plant red, white and blue potatoes for the 2012 crop.
Zero 2 Sixty sets itself apart from packs of other cover bands by putting its own spin on arrangements, tinkering with its set list of songs from the sixties, seventies and eighties, according to lead-guitarist/vocalist John Carnuccio.
"Well, a lot of cover bands play exactly like the recording," Carnuccio continued.
However, Zero 2 Sixty doesn't abide by this convention, he said.
And tonight from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., the group Zero 2 Sixty plays a free show at Joe B. Barnes Regional Park in Midwest City, as a part of the Midwest Twilight Concert Series, put on by Midwest City's parks and recreation department.
It's a good thing the speed limit down Sunnylane Road is 40 miles per hour because if it were any faster you might miss one of Del City's almost-hidden treasures, J.T.'s Bar B Que & Catering at 505 S. Sunnylane Road. It's not just the ambience of the parking lot surrounded by large shade trees but also the homey, inviting indoor décor. And if you're not wooed by the antiques and eclectic touches then the aroma of heavy smoke will win you for sure.
"My wife has great taste, she decorates everything herself, she and my niece just redecorated the place," J.T. Moon said.
J.T.'s Bar B Que is very much a family enterprise. Moon, his wife Susan and daughters Misty and Angie have been serving up southern style barbecue since they moved to Del City in June 1994. Misty still fills in part time despite her duties as a registered nurse at Integris Baptist Medical Center, and Angie lives in Indiana but helps when she is visiting "home".
