July-August 2011

SurreySurrey

SUMMER 2011 Vol. 3 No. 5 • A Claremore Daily Progress Publication

COMPLIMENTARYCOMPLIMENTARY

SUMMER 2011 Vol. 3 No. 5 • A Claremore Daily Progress Publication

Taking You Places Today!Taking You Places Today!

BeatTheHeat

BeatTheHeatRogers County YProsRogers County YPros

Leader of the PackLeader of the Pack

EMT to Children’s AuthorEMT to Children’s Author

Best of 2011Best of 2011

No Fear TrainingNo Fear Training

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ALL US!WE ARE. CY?OU READARE Y

NOW ENROLLING.

ALL US!Y?

NOW ENROLLING.

SurreySurrey

SUMMER 2011 Surrey 3

Taking You Places Today!Taking You Places Today!

YPROSYoung professionals areenjoying their work in RogersCounty. Meet Ashley Etter andChristi Hood.

Beat the HeatEnduring 100 degreetemperatures is a challenge foranyone exercising. Find coolrefuges in the area for summerworkouts.

Leader of the PackToni Wills of Owasso has a se-cret identity — a professionalRoller Derby player.

EMT to AuthorCathy Barrie’s first book is in-fluenced by her Chelsea sur-roundings.

Best of 2011Need a movie, book, or video topass away the summer, Surreygives you the Best of 2011.

No Fear TrainingKirby Abney is on a mission totrain youth and adults to bebetter fit and run properly.

Editor’s NoteSummer is a time for sweating,and dreaming of 22 inches ofsnow.

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Vol. 3 No. 5SUMMER

Vol. 3 No. 5SUMMER

Kirby Abney of No Fear PowerstrideTraining shows two young boys theproper way to take a step while running.

CLAREMORE | BARTLESVILLE | PRYORwww.rsu.edu | (918) 343-7777

“I was looking for a university where I would be more than a face in the crowd. At Rogers State University, I’m a member of the Honors Program and the varsity cheerleading squad, all while pursuing my degree in medical/molecular biology. I don’t know for sure where I’ll be ten years from now but I do know I’ll be working in the medical �eld and my education will have prepared me to be successful. RSU has given me so many opportunities that I would not have gotten at other schools. For that, I’ll always be grateful.”

KYLIE DENTPryor, OK | Medical/Molecular Biology | Cheerleader | Honors Student

4 SUMMER 2011 Surrey

Summer came too early. Meterologist say the weather patterns that blewacross the country in late June were more like the ones that make their debut inlate July. So the temperatures began rising to break the century mark too soonfor most of us.

With sweat dripping off the brow each time you get in the car or try to doanything outside before sun down my mind wants to drift back to February.Despite the pain and suffering those two weeks of majorsnow storms presented, I wouldn’t mind sloshing aroundin 22 inches of snow for just a few days to get some relieffrom thee 100 degree temperatures. While it isn’t possible,it’s always great to wish for a cooler surrounding.

In this issue of Surrey our writers take you to placeswhich they might not likely ever travel.

Zack Stoycoff introduces two of Rogers County’sYPros, aka young professionals. These young women,Ashley Etter and Christi Hood, are enjoying their work.

Joy Hampton discovers the places residents can go tocontinue their exercise routines and avoid the 100 degree temperatures. She tellsreaders about cool refuges for summer workouts.

Discover the secret identity of Toni Wills of Owasso. Tom Fink tells the storyof this mother of an 18-year-old and how she is a member of the Green CountryRoller Girls. Roller Derby is alive and well in Northeast Oklahoma and Wills isleading the pack.

Cathy Barrie once was an EMT in New York, when she and her husbandmoved to Chelsea, she became a farmer and now a children’s author. RebeccaHattaway tells of how Barrie’s nephew helped influence her new book.

Ever get bored during the summer? Tom Fink reveals Surrey’s Best of 2011.Movies, books and videos that will help anyone pass get through the summer.

Tim Ritter profiles Kirby Abney, owner of No Fear Powerstride Training.Abney is on a mission to help youth and adults be better fit and run properly.

While it would be nice to have cooler temperatures this summer, that is notan alternative, so we must endure and enjoy however we can.

Here’s to finding ways to beat the heat.

Randy Cowling

RANDY COWLING

Time to dreamof those 22 inches of snow Surrey

Taking you places today!

Surrey©2011

All rights reserved.

Published Bi-monthly by The Daily Progress

PUBLISHERBailey Dabney

EDITOR/DESIGNERRandy Cowling

CONTRIBUTORSTim Ritter

Zack Stoycoff

Rebecca Hattaway

Tom Fink

Joy Hampton

ADVERTISINGMisti Grannemann

Kim McCool

Duffy Hoagland

Melissa Ring

Annette Riherd

Cinda Vaughan

CREATIVE DEPARTmENTCathy Grissett

Brenda Hall

Amy Walsh

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Late Spring 2011 Surrey 5


Ypros, or young professionals,are young adults in white-collar professions. This im-

portant segment of the workingclass generates vital tax revenueand, if lost to bigger metropolitanareas, can cripple rural and subur-ban economies.Although some of Rogers

County’s young adults flee forTulsa and other large cities, manyenjoy living and working nearhome. Here are some brief exam-ples.

YProsYOUNG PROFESSIONALS

enjoy working in Rogers County

YProsYOUNG PROFESSIONALS

YBy ZACK STOYCOFF

enjoy working in Rogers County


Ashley Etter

Job: Energy Educator

Community Action Resource and Development

Claremore

Age: 25

Ashley Etter says the most rewarding part of herjob as energy educator at Community Action Re-source and Development, a non-profit organizationwith a Claremore branch, is helping people savemoney.A 2010 graduate of Rogers State University, the

25-year-old Etter started her job last September andhas been speaking to area leadership committees,clubs, health fairs, senior centers, businesses andresidences to help improve the energy efficiency oftheir buildings. That means, in some cases, helpingpeople cut utility bills significantly, she said.“I visit a variety of locations to teach people about

community action’s programs and what we offer,”she said. “It’s a good feeling to help people out.”She said her fine arts degree RSU made her more

creative, which helps her design publications for herjob. Being a young professional in Rogers County is re-

warding, she says.“Being a leader in Claremore or Rogers County is

a good stepping point … and it’s definitely going tohelp with whatever I do in the future,” she said.But she clarifies: “I like what I do and I could do

this forever … Everything is kind of perfect rightnow.”

Christi Hood

Job: Clinical Hemodialysis Technician

Davita Dialysis Center

Claremore

Age: 26

Christi Hood says the patients at the ClaremoreDavita Dialysis Clinic are like a second family toher.A 26-year-old Inola resident and certified he-

modialysis technician at the clinic, Hood workedin Tulsa for three years as a certified nurse assis-tant and now is pursuing a medical degree online.Her love of the medicine began when she saw

doctors caring for her uncle and grandmotherwhen they had illnesses. “My grandma was sick and I just watched the

medical professionals and the care they gave myfamily and the care they gave my grandma andjust decided that I wanted to be a part of that,”Hood said.For now she wants to stay with Davita. In the

future she is considering going into social work,but only as a last resort.“I love being able to care for the patients,” she

said. “It’s one of those jobs were you hate it orlove it, and I love it.”Hood operates the dialysis machines that clean

the toxins from patients’ blood the way their kid-neys’ would. Dialysis patients suffer from chronickidney disease or kidney failure.


By JOY HAmPTON

The Dog Days of summer mean temperatures in ex-cess of 90 degrees and possibly into triple digits.Community recreational facilities provide a fun

and affordable alternative to playing and exercising out-doors when heat levels become dangerous.

BeatTheHeat

BeatTheHeat

Indoor exercisefacilities coolrefuges forsummertimeworkouts

Indoor exercisefacilities coolrefuges forsummertimeworkouts

T

SUMER 2011 Surrey 9

While there are gyms aplenty with much to offer inthe way of exercise alternatives, few are as family-fo-cused and affordable as local public facilities such asthe Claremore Recreation Center and the OwassoYMCA.The Claremore Recreation Center opened its doors

for operation Dec. 11, 1999. The center is owned bythe City of Claremore and operated by the Parks andRecreation Department. The 80,000 square foot cen-ter cost approximately $7.1 million. Doors open every morning at 4:30 a.m. at the

Claremore Rec Center and stay open until 10 p.m.each evening. The Owasso Y is open from 5 a.m.until 9 p.m. during the work week, Saturday from 7a.m. until 6 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m until 6p.m.In 2006, the Owasso Family YMCA became the

first new YMCA facility built in the Tulsa area in 30years. The Y offers a variety of recreational opportu-nities with a double-court gymnasium, cardiovascu-lar and weight training areas, lockers and showerrooms. The Y’s recreational pool was created by oneof the country’s most prominent pool designers. Itfeatures a lazy river used for water aerobics, interac-tive water toys for children, and a 115-foot-longwinding slide, part of which runs outside the build-ing. For those seeking family fun the Claremore Recre-

ation Center also has an indoor pool, gymnasium,and racquetball courts which offer fun opportunitiesto stay fit through active play.

The Recreation Center has a multi-purpose gym-nasium that accommodates basketball and volleyballgames. The cost to play on the court without a mem-bership is $1 for minors and $2 for adults. Seniorsage 60 and older are free.A variety of sports leagues and a men’s basketball

league are ongoing at the Owasso Y, and both facili-ties offer swim lessons.If the other court is not occupied patrons may play

full court, otherwise half-court only. Pick-up gamesare limited to 30 minutes per game.Want to improve your softball or baseball game?The Recreation Center has a 72-foot indoor batting

cage with both softball and baseball pitching ma-chines. The batting cage is available for $25 per hourwith a one-hour minimum and a two-hour maximumper team. An adult or coach must be present at alltimes.Budding tennis stars can also get their game on in

the comfort of the air cooled facility. There are twotennis courts inside the Recreation Center. Courtsmust be reserved, but the minimal cost of $3 per per-son makes play affordable. Walkers and runners have a number of options at

the Recreation Center. The walking and joggingtrack is located upstairs above the gymnasium. Sen-iors can use the track free of charge during scheduledtimes.Walkers and runners can also take advantage of

the treadmills or can cross train on numerous otherequipment including exercise bikes and low impactstair climbers or elliptical machines at both facilities.The weight rooms at either the Claremore Recre-

ation Center and the Owasso YMCA allow for achoice between a wide range of machines or freeweights. Other fun amenities in the weight room are a large

bag for punching or kicking, a practice rock climbingwall, mats for stretching and a variety of exerciseballs.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 23

Claremore, Owassooffer opportunitiesfor cool workouts

Claremore, Owassooffer opportunitiesfor cool workouts

13600 E. 86th Street North, Suite 400 • Owasso, OK 74055

(918) 272-2247

Pictured from left to right: Joseph Koenig, M.D. , Family Medicine; Nancy Merritt, D.O., Internal Medicine and Pediatrics; Sharon Barnes, M.D., Family Medicine; Gary Cannon, D.O., Family Medicine

Warren Clinic Owasso, a part of Saint Francis Health System, specializes in the complete healthcare needs of adults and children. Specialties include:

Family Medicine • Internal Medicine • Pediatrics • Allergy and ImmunologySchool Physicals • Immunizations



Owasso woman Toni Wills has a se-cret identity. By day, the mother ofan 18-year-old Owasso High gradu-ate does accounting work for a

firm in Tulsa, and lives an otherwise incon-spicuous life. But on the weekends, the

professional dress comes off and thehelmet, knee pads and skates goon as Wills drops her mild-man-nered alter-ego to transform into“Kaos,” a wheeled force of na-ture and member of the GreenCountry Roller Girls.

By TOm FINK

Leaderof thePack

Leaderof thePack


OLES STOCKTON PHOTOS


“The first time my coworkers saw me in action, Ithink they were in shock — they couldn’t believe itwas actually me,” Wills said. “None of them hadever seen that side of me — they couldn’t believe it.It was funny because, unlike some of our girls, Idon’t have any extreme tattoos or piercings or wildhair colorings. I look pretty ‘normal’, so none ofthem would have expected it of me, but I just loveit.”Green Country Roller Girls (GCRG) is a

Women’s Flat Track Derby Association-member or-ganization made up of local women who share aninterest and compete in roller derby tournaments.Despite appearances, Wills and her fellow roller

derby girls are not professional athletes. Some arestay-at-home moms, one is a landscape architect,one is a sign-language interpreter.Further, none of the women receive compensa-

tion for their time spent in the rink or on the road.To the contrary, the team does frequent charity

work and even pays dues to allow them to havetransportation to and compete in tournamentsacross the state.“It’s worth it for all of us,” Wills said. “We don’t

have a single girl who isn’t passionate about skatingand being a member of this team.”While not one of the original founders, Wills has

since become an integral member of GCRG.“About four years ago, I moved from Ventura,

Calif. to Owasso to be closer to my family,” Willssaid. “When I was growing up, I used to skate andI’ve always loved it. When I went back (to Ventura)for a visit, we had a kind of (skating) ‘rink rat re-union’ as I’m friends with a lot of derby girls there.Visiting with them really reminded me of howmuch I liked skating and I thought it would be funto be on a (roller derby) team myself.“When I got back to Oklahoma, I went online to

see if there were any teams in the area and cameacross the Green Country Roller Girls. That wasabout two years ago,” she said, “and I’ve been skat-ing with them ever since.”Not that being new to the team was exactly a

skate in the park.“When you first join, you go through six weeks

of ‘fresh meat’ training where you learn all the ba-sics — that was rough, but I loved it,” she said,“and after that, you take the written test.”Wait ...the written test?“Oh, yes, there is a written test. You think skating

is the hard part? That’s easy, compared to all therules and regulations of the game which we have toknow before we’re allowed to compete,” she said.“Some people think we just get out on the rink,skate as fast as we can and get into fights with theother girls. That’s not accurate at all. It is a highcontact sport, but it’s a sport with clear rules. Rules

Owasso woman rocks and rolls with Green Country Roller GirlsOwasso woman rocks and rolls with Green Country Roller Girls

On and off the roller rink Toni Wills enjoys being a member of the Green Country Roller Girls.



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which we have to know so that we can follow them.”Wills and her other team members go by such equally colorful

monikers as “Syko Path,” “Rodeo Diablo,” “Hot Rodd Havoc,”“Short Circuit,” “Penni Smash,” and GCRG co-founder “Elektra Vio-lette,” aka Nancy Humble of Tulsa. Humble founded the group five years ago after seeing her first

roller derby bout in March 2006. Since then, the team’s ranks swelling from a modest nine to 38

girls, the women forming up two teams — the “All Starz” and the“Thunder Dollz,” the latter of which, Wills is a team member.“When I first joined GCRG, I thought I was in pretty good shape,

but there are some ladies on the teams who are in much better shapethan I am. They’re in fantastic shape and take the sport very seri-ously. They’re very serious athletes,” she said. “I’ve really come along way since I’ve started and we’ve all gotten better as individualathletes and as team members.”Currently, the team is nationally ranked ninth in the south central

region by the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, but there arestill three months left in the season.“It’s been a good season — plenty of home games, but lots of trav-

eling, too, which is always fun,” she said.Speaking of the traveling, the women’s preferred mode of trans-

portation — certainly among the most attention-getting means is a29-seat passenger bus, pimped out to look like a gigantic cat, com-plete with tiger stripes on the sides and fangs across the grill.“People’s reactions (to the bus) are always something to see,”

Wills said. “The traveling has really been good for us as a team. Thetime on the road has brought us closer together as individuals andreally helped us as a team. We’re like a family, a sisterhood.”Wills is quick to point out that roller derby is first and foremost a

sport, not a show, as some tend to think.“I was watching an episode of ‘CSI’ a while back and it involved

roller derby, but it was pretty exaggerated,” she said. “On theepisode, people were fighting openly in a full-on brawl on the rink/That’s ridiculous. You’d get thrown out of the game for that. “It is a full-contact sport and we do get bruises all the time. Some

of us have broken bones on the rink, and by its nature, the sport isextremely hard on our knees, but the same could be said of otherhigh-contact sports like football,” she said. But regardless of thebumps and bruises — not unlike badges of honor for roller girls —Wills said she has no plans to hang up her skates in the immediatefuture.“When I first started out, we went to Omaha and I broke my fin-


ger. We had a girl break her claviclea while back, and we all get tons ofbruises, but there’s no way I can seemyself retiring from this any timesoon,” she said. “I’m having toomuch fun.”To learn more about Wills, aka

Kaos and the rest of the GreenCountry Roller Girls, visitwww.greencountryrollergirls.com

• Assist: a motion administeredby one player to help anotherplayer (usually the jammer) gainadvantage. An assist can includepushing, pulling, redirecting, orwhipping another skater.• Blocker: A skater whose job is

to stop or block the other team’sjammer from passing while also en-abling her own team’s jammer toscore. Typically, there are fourblockers per team on the track, in-cluding the pivot. The remainingblocker positions are often referred

to by number: two, three, and four,usually with the pivot at the frontand the four at the back.• C-block: A very powerful hit

that is delivered by skating parallelto the target, then suddenly curv-ing one’s skates (in an almost c-likepath) toward the target, effectivelyconnecting with the chest at thefront of the target’s body.• Cutting the track: A penalty

wherein a skater goes out ofbounds, passes an in-boundsskater, and re-enters the track infront of that skater. This is a minorpenalty, but if a) the skater cutsmultiple players, or b) the skatershe cuts is the foremost member ofthe pack, then it is a major penalty.• Grand

Slam –whena jammersucceeds inlapping theopposingteam’s jam-mer.• Hip

whip: Aform of as-sist inwhich aplayer (usually the jammer) grabsher teammate’s hips to swing her-self forward.• Jam: A two-minute period dur-

ing which the action happens. Thejam may last less than two minutesif the lead jammer decides to calloff the jam. There may be anynumber of jams in a bout.• Jammer: The skater on the

track who can score points. Thejammer is identifiable by the star


Understanding roller derby terminologyUnderstanding roller derby terminology

on her helmet. The jammer startseach jam behind the pack. After she has lapped the pack

once (known as a non-scoringpass), she is eligible to score pointsfor each subsequent skater she laps.• Pack: The mass of blockers

from both teams skating around thetrack together. Each jammer’s goalis to get through or around thepack.• Scoring Pass: Any pass through

the pack after the jammer‘s firstpass (the nonscoring pass). At thistime the jammer racks up points foreach opponent she passes.• Target Zone: An area of the

body which may be hit. Legal targetzones include hands, arms, chest,abdomen, sides, hips, and the frontand sides of the legs to the mid-thigh. Illegal target zones includethe head, neck, back, butt, back ofthe thighs, and any part of the legbelow mid-thigh.• Transition: The process of

changing directions while skatingfrom forwards to backwards or viceversa.• Wall:When two or more block-

ers skate side-by-side to create amulti-player block to contain an-other team’s player(s).• Waterfall:When a set of two or

more blockers rotate in a circularmotion, sending one blocker afteranother to issue continuous hits toan opponent. This process is alsoknown as recycling.• WFTDA:Women’s Flat Track

Derby Association. This is a regula-tory body that organizes leaguesand establishes rules and rankings..• Whip: An assist technique

wherein one skater uses anotherskater’s momentum to propel her-self.



Cathy Barrie is a “rescuer” atheart. It started with a long career as an

EMT in the suburban hustle andbustle of New York, and it contin-ues today in the peaceful Okla-homa countryside. Cathy and her husband, Peter, a

former fire chief, moved to RogersCounty in 2009, to become farm-ers. They purchased the 50-acre“Celtic Farms” in Chelsea wherethey plan to open a bed and break-fast and a country store.“I can home-grown vegetables

and we raise all natural beef, porkand lamb,” Cathy said. “We wantto make a learning experience outof a working farm.”Although she is not currently

working as a paramedic, her newlife on the farm as given to the op-portunity to make a rescue of a dif-ferent kind.“My husband was working in the

hay field one evening when he sawa tiny black kitten get thrown outof a car,” Cathy said. “Peter

brought her home to me and sheimmediately became my baby.”It was this experience with

“Sammie” that led Cathy to write achildren’s book. “I am not a writer, I’m a nurse

and paramedic,” she said. “It reallystarted as a story on Facebook,telling friends and family backhome about our adventures in

Oklahoma.”A friend suggested Cathy take

the story of her rescued kitten andturn it into a children’s book.“I thought she was crazy,” she

said. In “The Story of Sammie,” the

rescued kitten tells about her life inher own words:

Adventures in Oklahoma

EMTFarmer

Children’sAuthor

Cathy Barrie wrote a children’s book about the kitten she rescued. Her nephew, Kennith, hasbefriended “Sammie” and helped his aunt write the book.

Farm becomes settingof Chelsea woman’s book

By REBECCA HATTAWAY


Adventures in Oklahoma

By TOm FINK

Every morning, my mompicks me up and we look outevery window in the houseand see all our animals. Wegrow a lot of vegetables somom can put them in jars. Idon’t get to help do this be-cause I’m too busy sitting ina sunny window looking outat all my animals. Dad useslots of machines on ourfarm. I am just so happy.

“Sammie had such a terri-ble start and now I can’t pic-ture my life without her,”Cathy said.Another important part of

Sammie’s new life — and herstory — is Cathy’s nephew,Kennith Hoover.“He is her human that

plays with her. They’ve beenpals since the very first day,”Cathy said.

He chases me around thehouse and I hide under thefurniture, and he finds me.He says we are having adven-tures. Kennith is my veryown boy.

Kennith spends a lot oftime with Sammie — and his“Aunt Cat-Do.”“We have a special relation-

ship,” Cathy said. “I’m theoldest of eight children andKennith’s mother is thirdfrom the youngest. In ourfamily the older ones tookcare of the younger ones, andI looked after his mom. We

decided to move here aftercoming for a visit to see mysister and her family, and nowwe live near each other.”Kennith and “Aunt Cat-

Do” have regular lunch datesand Kennith has his own pagein the book.“He was very instrumental

in helping me with the book,”Cathy said. “He said, ‘Theseare some of the ideas I have.’We would review the pagestogether as they came backfrom the publisher.”Kennith, who will be a fifth

grader next year at Sequoyah,plans to write his own bookone day.“I write every day and I al-

ready have an idea for astory,” he said. “I intend for itto be a five-book series, atleast.”To celebrate their love of

books, Cathy and Kennithdonated a copy of “The Storyof Sammie” to the library atSequoyah Elementary School.Kennith read the book to hisclassmates.

They may have come from differentdecades, but artists Eddie Cochran, theBeach Boys, and even the Who all agreed:“There ain’t no cure for the summertimeblues.”As much as stu-

dents and teachersanticipate the onsetof summer, by mid-July, the newness ofthe season tends towear off and eventhe most avid sum-mer-lovers can findthemselves looking for something to do withthe extra time.Fortunately, there is more than enough to

read, see, and do to fill in the margins be-tween trips to the pool, vacations, and fam-ily outings for just about everyone in thesummer of 2011.In theaters:• “Captain America: The First Avenger,”

rated PG-13, starring Chris Evans and HugoWeaving.Set in WWII, recruit hopeful Steve Rogers

is deemed unfit for military service, so hevolunteers for a top secret research projectwhich turns him into Captain America, a su-

Beatingthe boredom

of the dog daysof summer

Best of summer 2011

CONTINUED ON PAGE 20 CONTINUED ON PAGE 20


Interwoven in “The Storyof Sammie” are lessonsabout the importance offamily and friends, healthyeating, car safety, and beinggrateful for the little thingsin life.“I wanted to relate the

experiences of a child tothat of an animal,” saidCathy, who used a pseudo-nym for the book — AgnesMary — her middle andconfirmation names. It’sstrange how we ended uphere (on a farm in Okla-homa), how Sammie be-came a part of our lives,and how there’s now a storyabout it all,” Cathy said.

I know that I’m veryspoiled. I know that I amlucky, too. Living in a bighouse, with more foodthan some other kittens,and a mom and dad wholove me to pieces. And Ialso know that if my momand dad never moved toOklahoma, this couldn’t bemy story.

“It’s just a cute littlestory, but in this day andage when there is so muchhurt in the world andthings are such a mess, it’snice to see there’s a happyending for someone —even if it’s just a kitten,”Cathy said. For more on “The Story

of Sammie,” visit www.sam-mie-n-me.com.

perhero dedicated to defending America's ideals. Fans of “Captain America: The First Avenger” may also enjoy “Green

Lantern,” rated PG-13, starring Ryan Reynolds, “X-Men: First Class,” ratedPG-13, starring James McAvoy, Kevin Bacon, and Michael Fassbender, and“Thor,” rated PG-13, starring Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman, in the-aters this summer.• “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II,” rated PG-13, starring

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Gring, and Emma Watson.The end begins as Harry, Ron, and Hermione go back to

Hogwarts to find and destroy Voldemort's final horcruxes —powerful magical items in which the dark wizard has hiddenfragments of his soul — but when Voldemort finds out abouttheir mission, the biggest battle begins and life as they know itwill never be the same again.Fans of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II” may

also enjoy “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” rated PG-13,starring Shia LaBeouf, and “Pirates of the Caribbean: OnStranger Tides,” rated PG-13, starring Johnny Depp, in theaters this summer.• “Super 8,” rated PG-13, starring Joel Courtney, Jessica Tuck, and Joel

McKinnon Miller. Directed by J.J. Abrams, this indirect homage to the early films of Stephen

Speilberg tells of a group of young friends in the summer of 1979 who witnessa mysterious train crash, after which, several strange happenings begin occur-ring in their small town, leading them to investigate the creepy phenomenon.Fans of “Super 8” may also enjoy “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” rated PG-

13, and “Cowboys and Aliens,” rated PG-13, and “Spy Kids: All the Time inthe World,” rated PG.

At the bookstore and in the library:• “The Book of Useless Information” by Don Voorhees

(HarperCollins, publisher, paperback)Easily digestible, bite-sized bits of (mostly) useless but never-

theless interesting information, ranging from science to sports,from entertainment to politics and beyond. With several affordably-priced volumes from which to choose

(each of them sporting a cover boasting a squirrel in some man-ner of cuteness), readers can spend as much (or little) time as they like learn-ing nuggets of trivia such as how many quarter pounders can be made from acow, what the suits in a deck of cards represent, how much Elvis Presleyweighed at the time of his death, and more.• “Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children” by Ransom Riggs (Quirk

Books, publisher, hardback)Part “X-Files,” part “X-Men,” with a hint of “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of

Unfortunate Events,” this engaging read tells the story of a mysterious island,

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an abandoned orphanage and amost strange collection of very cu-rious photographs, all waiting tobe discovered.“Miss Peregrine’s Home for Pe-

culiar Children” mixes fictionwith haunting vintage photogra-phy in an unforgettable readingexperience, wherein a 16-year-oldboy sets off to a remote island offthe coast of Wales,where he discoversthe crumbling ruinsof Miss Peregrine’sHome for PeculiarChildren. As he explores its

abandoned bedrooms and hall-ways, it becomes clear that thechildren who once lived here —one of whom was his own grand-father — were more than just pe-culiar, they were dangerous, andsome of them may still be alive.• “The Tall Book: A Celebration

of Life from on High” by ArianneCohen (Bloomsbury USA, pub-lisher, hardcover)Regardless of how tall you are,

all can appreciate the humorousperspectives from 6’3” authorCohen in her recounting the dailypatience-testers, dilemmas, andperks of being blessed with anabundance— some might say,overabundance — of height, livingin a “society not built for them.”Everything from public toilets,

exercise bikes, doorways, couches,airplanes, dating, clothing, andmore are covered from the pointof view of one who lives it daily ina charming, practical guide onhow to live tall and proud.


In video stores:

• “True Grit,” rated R, starring

Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, and

Matt Damon.

Directed by Joel and Ethan

Coen, “True Grit” tells the story of

a tough U.S. Marshal (Bridges)

named Reuben “Rooster” Cogburnwho helps a stubborn youngwoman track down her father'smurderer. Fans of “True Grit” may also

enjoy “3:10 to Yuma,” rated R, “NoCountry For Old Men,” rated R,

and “Butch Cassidy and the Sun-dance Kid,” rated PG, available onDVD and Blu-ray.• “Rango,” rated PG, starring the

vocal talents of Johnny Depp, Abi-gail Breslin, Ned Beatty, and AlfredMolina. “Rango” tells the story of an or-

dinary chameleon named Rangowho accidentally winds up in thetown of Dirt, a lawless outpost inthe Wild West in desperate need ofa new sheriff. Fans of “Rango” may also like

“Gnomeo and Juliet,” rated G,“Rio,” rated PG, and “Twisted,”rated G, also available on DVD andBlu-ray.• ”The Adjustment Bureau,”

rated PG-13, starring Matt Damonand Emily Blunt.The affair between an up-and-

coming politician and a ballerina isaffected by mysterious forces, de-termined to keep the would-belovers apart. Fans of “The Adjustment Bu-

reau” may also like “Inception,”rated PG-13, “Sucker Punch,” ratedPG-13, and “Unknown,” rated PG-13, now available on DVD and Blu-ray.


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For those who enjoy a class, bothfacilities offer a variety of land andwater aerobics which vary month tomonth. While some classes focus on abs

or cardio workouts, other favoritesinclude pilates, yoga, Latin dance,Zumba, or line dancing. The Owasso YMCA offers a Tae

Kwon Do for youth.A cycle class on special bikes is

more intense than the weight roomstationary bikes and many havesome type of video accompanimentas an instructor coaches ridesthrough flats and hills. Got arthritis? Many of the water

aerobics classes are taught by Arthri-tis Foundation certified instructors.Offerings include deep water, shal-low water, water walking, arthritisbasic, and arthritis plus classes.The Arthritis Basic at the Recre-

ation Center is a slow class for any-one coming back from an injury.Other classes are designed to im-prove flexibility and mobility. Thedeep water class combines high in-tensity aqua aerobics, circuit trainingand swimming with optional equip-ment. Strength training and stretch-ing finish off that routine.The Owasso Y offers Silver Splash

Twinges in the Hinges for seniorsand those with arthritis. The AquaKickboxing class offers a more chal-lenging class that is still lower im-pact than traditional kickboxingclasses.Staying cool during summer’s

hottest months no longer meanshours sitting in front of the televi-sion or playing video games.From kids through senior citizens,

there is always something fun andaffordable to do at the local rec cen-ter or family YMCA.

FROM PAGE 9

By TIm RITTER

No pain, no gain.Hundreds of athletes

ranging from littlekids to teenagersand youngadults pourtheir heart andsoul into an

hour-long work-out each week atPowerStride NoFear in Jenks.Under the strengthcoaching of Kirby

Abney, who playedbaseball for Oklahomain the 1980s, theseathletes are learningways to build up theirspeed and strengthentheir upper bodythrough variousweight-lifting drills.


TrainingNo Fear

Kirby Abney shows two boys the properway to step when they run.

Abney said coaching kids andteaching them how to run properlyhas become his ministry.“The funnest part of my job is get-

ting kids to run through walls,”Abney added. “I like to make themsweat and then praise them when it’sover at the end of the day.”PowerStride No Fear came to Jenks

in 2006, after Abney was approachedby a friend of his, Dr. MarkLewandowski from Oral Roberts Uni-versity.“Mark hit me up about working

with his kids on speed and agility,”Abney said. “I had thought about itoff and on for nearly 20 years andeven done some private lessons andinstruction from my own backyard.”After playing football and baseball

at Marlow High School and battlingthrough injuries, Abney felt a callingto teach young athletes how to stay inshape and tone their muscles.Growing up around football as a

coach’s kid, Abney quickly learnedthe fundamentals of the game as wellas the different exercises and condi-tioning methods.“A good coach can coach any-

thing,” Abney said. “It’s how to getinto a kid’s heart and get them to per-form that’s gratifying.”As the instructor of PowerStride

No Fear, Abney spends his eveningsteaching his students how to run flu-ently and working on mechanics.According to an article at 1Speed-

Training.com, when it comes to get-ting faster, speed training techniquemust be a focal point of any trainingprogram. Regardless of age, sport orgender, young athletes suffer from a

Training athletes to run properly becomes ministry

Kirby Abney works withlarge groups and smallgroups, as well asindividuals.


POWERSTRIDE NO FEAR TRAINING n POWERSTRIDE NO FEAR TRAINING

significant number of form prob-lems that hold them back fromcompeting to the best of theirabilities.“Getting into the minds of the

little kids is my favorite,” Abney

said. “They are so eager to learnand don’t think they know it alllike the professional athletes thatI work with.”During one of Abney’s training

sessions, 15 kids ranging from

second through sixth grade spentapproximately 30 minutes doingvarious exercises outside on thetraining facility that Abney andhis wife, Birdi, built five yearsago.“We have our own football field

here and lots of hills for athletesto work on their downhill run-ning,” Abney said. “Inside our fa-cility is used for martial arts,stretching, weight lifting and evenwrestling and baseball throwingdrills.”Being a baseball enthusiast,

Abney said a great deal of time isspent working with pitchers andhitters, showing them how tobuild their arm strength.Upper body mechanics, accord-

ing to Abney, is one of the key is-sues to becoming quicker.“When running, you want to

drive the arms straight back,”Abney said.That will keep them from

swinging across the athlete’s bodybecause the arms should nevercross the midline of the body.According to the article, the

arm angle should stay between 90and 130 degrees on the backswing and 70 to 90 degrees withthe front swing.The article continued to say

that one of the main problems in-experienced athletes have withtheir speed training technique isthat of “reaching”. This meansthat, while running, their footlands out in front of the body,which places extreme stress onthe legs, especially the ham-


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strings.The primary point of emphasis

when developing speed trainingtechnique is to teach athletes tostep over the opposite knee anddrive the foot down into theground.Faster acceleration and top

speeds are the result of applyingmore force to the ground, Abneystated.One athlete in particular that

has benefitted from Abney’sstrength coaching is Dallas Cow-boys running back Felix Jones,who played for Booker T. Wash-ington and the University ofArkansas.“Felix’s speed is unbelievable,”

Abney said. “You can tell he takespride in working hard and doingthings the right way.”Many of Abney’s athletes come

from as far as Miami, and as closeas Rogers County.“We get a lot of athletes from

Owasso, Claremore, Oologah andTulsa,” Abney said. “We even getoccasional athletes from Okla-homa City, Putnam City and Nor-man.”Abney added that a lot of the

kids that he’s trained have goneon to play NCAA Division Isports and even professionally.When working with these tal-

ented and vibrant athletes,Abney’s message is pretty simple.“What do we win with ...

HEART. Who do we keep first ...GOD. 1, 2, 3 Champions,” Abneysaid. “That’s our slogan and our

KIRBY ABNEY

mission.”Abney said he was called to the

ministry at 20 years old.“I’ve always wanted to work with

youth.”Through his faith in God and in-

spiration, Abney is living out his


dream one stride at a time.“We haven’t advertised our services and the num-

bers have tripled each year,” Abney said. “A lot ofthe people that attend come through word of mouthfrom other coaches or athletes.”Abney has offered his services to Oral Roberts

University, Broken Arrow, Tulsa University and otherhigh schools in Green Country.“I would love to be the strength coach for a col-

lege and work with those athletes, helping them getstronger and bigger without using performance en-hancement drugs,” Abney said.Abney and his wife, Birdi, have two sons, Garrett

(18) and Dalton (12).“Both of our kids are really great athletes in the

Jenks school district,” Abney said. “Garrett, whopole vaults and plays football, could be one of the

top athletes in the state this coming year. “Dalton, meanwhile, is a six-time state champion

in wrestling and already has John Smith from Okla-homa State knocking on his door. Dalton’s an ath-lete. The sky is the limit for him.”Through it all, Abney said the best part of his job

is when the kids see him out and about and theyholler, ‘Coach Kirby’.“That’s my pat on the rear,” Abney said.For more information about PowerStride No Fear,

call Kirby Abney at (918) 906-1904. PowerStride NoFear is located on 716 W. Main in Jenks, next toDrug Warehouse.Note: Claremore Zebras running back Chase Tal-

bert grew up playing football with Abney’s oldestson Garrett and has trained at PowerStride No Fearin the past.

POWERSTRIDE NO FEAR TRAINING

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Documents

July-August 2011