OKC Metro Blog

"OKC Metro" has been placed on hiatus, due to budget cuts.  

Thanks to all of you who were supporters and advocates for "OKC Metro" over the last 14 years. Our goal was to help others along the way, and it was our privilege to have played a small role in making that happen. 

-DKMartin, Producer/Director-

Sandy Coats is the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma. His jurisdiction covers more than half of the state, including Tinker AFB and Ft. Sill. Coats was appointed by President Obama, and was sworn-in this past March. Coats says the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 changed him forever. He was working for the "Oklahoma Gazette" on that day, but made a commitment to public service afterwards. Fifteen years later, he now serves as the top federal prosecutor for the Western District. He also felt changed by Hurricane Katrina, and spent several months in New Orleans helping with the caseload for Louisiana's Eastern District. Coats is also very involved in the fight against gangs and child prostitution. He was a marvelous guest, and you can watch his interview on this website. 

Dr. Edna Manning is President of the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics. OSSM has an impressive list of students and alumni! These academically-gifted students endure a rigorous study program, and nearly 100% of them go on to college! Many of those students choose to stay in Oklahoma after completing their education, and that's just an added bonus! OSSM has seen its budget cut (they are partially funded by the Oklahoma legislature), but several foundations, and numerous private donors have stepped-in to fill the gaps. This is the kind of school that gives us another reason to be proud of Oklahoma!

We've got a poetry reading from the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival, featuring Kevin Young and his salute to "aunties!"

Gerry Bonds has a new grandbaby!  Luke, his parents, and his sister are all doing fine!  

Thanks for watching!  We appreciate our viewers!

-DKMartin, Producer/Director-

You can view this episode on this website!

"Our Lady of Guadalupe" Church sits quietly on a corner in a poor neighborhood in southwest Oklahoma City. It has been there for six decades. The surrounding community is mainly poor, homeless, and immigrant; many of them women. To better serve the needs of the community, the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, and Catholic Charities, have turned the parish into a full-time Women's Development Center. The staff there provides a safe haven for many women who are homeless or unemployed. More than three thousand women, men, and children have sought assistance from the Center in the last eighteen months.   

The new Red Earth Museum opened in March 2010, and it's located on the Santa Fe Plaza, near the Skirvin Hotel in downtown OKC. It houses one of the great collections of Native American art in the United States.  

We also had a new poetry reading from the Nicaraguan writer, Daisy Zamora. This excerpt is from the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival, and was produced by WGBH in Boston.

And our musical spotlight featured Edgar Cruz, with his rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody."

-DKMartin, Producer/Director-

Wow!  What a big day for us here at Metro!  

GB and I were honored to be included in an awards ceremony at the State Capitol on April 7th. OKC Metro was recognized with the 2009 "Excellence in Communication" Award from the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services.  

Jody Harlan, Dana Tallon, and Mike O'Brien are tireless in their efforts to advocate for the "differently-abled" all across our state. That was a term I heard for the first time today: "differently-abled." I love it! It's much more appropriate for all our neighbors who just want a chance to succeed...just like anybody else!

Lt. Governor Jari Askins was also at the event. She was gracious as ever, and shared a story or two.  

Sen. Constance Johnson presented GB and I with a Citation of Congratulations from the Oklahoma Senate, recognizing OKC Metro for focusing on programs of significance for people with disabilities. The citation was unexpected, and really cool! And Sen. Johnson was very impressive! Look for her to be a future guest on Metro!

Take heart; we do today, because there are a bunch of people out there doing the right thing:  trying to help others along the way...

-DKMartin, Producer/Director-