Category Archives: Oklahoma Gazette

Parking garage wins award for architects – story for Ok Gazette

  • Print publication: July 29, 2015
  • Online publication: July 31, 2015

Headline and lede

“TAP Architecture wins international award”

Just mention the words “parking garage” around any group and you will get at least an “ugh!” if not profanity and stories about the dark, scary, confusing parking garages that they recently used or perhaps use daily.

Architect Anthony McDermid set out to design a better kind of parking garage for downtown Oklahoma City, and his firm, TAP Architecture, won an international award for it.


Background

This structure won the top international award because of the combined wisdom of experienced architects and experienced parking garage owners: EMBARK, the transit and parking trust for Oklahoma City.

The principal architect, Anthony McDermid, talked to me about more than the parking structure, though. His firm has worked on many structures in the city and came up with the initial design for a newly proposed grand park in downtown OKC.

Photography

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Capitol restoration tour report for Oklahoma Gazette

Published online only: September 4, 2015

Headline and lede

“Capitol’s interior restoration hits potentially costly snag”

The Oklahoma State Capitol’s interior restoration project recently began as work continues on its exterior. And just as with any big job like this one, there are surprises inside that could cost the state much more to correct than anticipated.

Background

This was a story that I got called to with only one hour’s notice and was asked to shoot what I saw.

Oklahoma’s Capitol building is undergoing extensive restoration on the outside, and now on the inside. Their effort is to keep from impeding the business of state government while engaging in the largest fix project on the building ever in its history.

Photography

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Nuisance weeds problem in OKC story for Oklahoma Gazette

  • Print publication: August 19, 2015
  • Online publication: August 21, 2015

Headline and lede

Print headline: Tall problem, Community involvement is vital in cutting short the city’s long list of code violators

“Community involvement vital in cutting short city’s long list of code violators”

Leadership in Oklahoma City and The Village told Oklahoma Gazette the complaint they get the most is about tall weeds and grass.

If agitation about the neighbor’s overgrown yard causes you Jumanji-like nightmares, there are solutions available to remedy the problem.

Background

After noticing repeated discussion about the tall grass and weeds problems over several meetings of the Oklahoma City Council, I started to dig into the actual workings of two city halls on the matter.

This story was meant to encourage residents in the metro area to take action and call their respective city halls to get action on nuisance lots.

Photography

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Okla priest could become saint, story for Oklahoma Gazette

Published: August 13, 2015

Headline and lede

An Oklahoma man might become the U.S.’s first male saint

A former farm boy from Okarche had no intention of becoming a martyr for the Christian faith. Yet, the Roman Catholic Church is on the brink of declaring him one.

Background

This is the first 2,000 – word piece that I have ever written and the most meaningful to date.

The interview with Catholic priest Fr. Tom McSherry was especially meaningful in that we had been acquainted 40 years ago, but hadn’t had the opportunity to talk since then.

Photography

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Winchester Drive-In Story for Oklahoma Gazette

Publication: July 1, 2015

Headline and lede:

“Generations of sold-out audiences still pack Winchester Drive-In”

Lindy Shanbour loves people, his employees and the movie business.

He gets to interact with all three every night through the summer as he runs Winchester Drive-In, 6930 S. Western Ave., a busy place in the midst of celebrating its 47th anniversary.

Background

The first work that I did for the Oklahoma Gazette was this cover story for the July 1 print edition about the Winchester Drive-In, located in South Oklahoma City.  Some of these shots were used in print and online.

It was fun to do this story, meet the staff, and a privilege to get to know Lindy Shanbour who opened the Winchester in the 1960s and still runs it nightly.

Photography

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