COMMUNITY BRIEFS
Arcadia Round Barn sets Valentine's Day jam
ARCADIA — Love songs and chocolate are on tap noon to 4 p.m. Feb. 12 at the Arcadia Round Barn, located six miles east of Interstate 35 on historic Route 66. Musicians of all skill levels are invited to bring their instruments and perform a favorite love song.
Joe Baxter, who coordinates the live music at the Round Barn, will be playing some of the love songs he has written through the years, including “Romeo's Girl,” which won the 2021 Red Dirt Gypsy Cafe songwriting contest.
Admission is free, but donations will be accepted for refreshments and for the maintenance of the Round Barn. For more information about live music at the barn, call Baxter at 405-833-1350. For information about becoming a volunteer, call Volunteer Coordinator Kimberly Burk at 405-651-0240.
OCCC receives $3000,000 grant
Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) is proud to announce that the office of Community Outreach and Education (COE) has received $321,087.83 in funding from the U.S. Department of Education to support its Adult Literacy and Education program.
Through this program, OCCC offers free English as a second language classes, free high school equivalency (HSE/ GED) classes, and free adult literacy classes to community members.
The Adult Literacy and Education program at OCCC is open to all community members, regardless of age or prior educational experience. Classes are held at various times and locations to accommodate different schedules and needs.
For more information, call the Community Outreach and Education office at 405-682-7859 or go to www.occc.edu/coe.
Metro Tech to hold Black History Month Festival
Metro Technology Center will host a Black History Month Festival titled “Black History Rooted in Oklahoma" from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 16 inside the Springlake Campus District Conference Center, 1900 Springlake Drive. The event is free and open to the public.
The festival provides a platform for all Black-owned businesses in the Oklahoma City community to register as a vendor to showcase their talents and offerings to the community. This festival is also a great opportunity for the community to come together and support local Black-owned businesses.
If you are interested in registering as a vendor, go to www.metrotech.edu/ events/upcoming/celebrate-black-history-month.
USS Oklahoma sailor to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery
John Malcolm Donald, shipfitter 3rd class, who died aboard the USS Oklahoma on Dec. 7, 1941, during the attack on Pearl Harbor, will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 9.
USS Oklahoma (BB-37) was the second and final ship of the Nevada-class of battleship constructed for the U.S. Navy. The USS Oklahoma quickly sustained five torpedo trikes causing it to roll to port. In the months after the attack, the U.S. Navy worked to right and salvage the battleship. While the hull was righted and refloated, the decision was made to abandon further repairs and decommission the ship in 1944.
Donald's duties were to maintain tanks, watertight fixtures, and maintain and repair the ship's structure by forging, welding and soldering. He received the Purple Heart medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, American Campaign Medal, and The World War II Victory Medal.
Edmond museum opens bridal fashion exhibit
EDMOND — The Edmond History Museum presents the exhibit "Unveiled: Edmond's Bridal Fashion 18752020." The exhibit opened on Feb. 7 and will run until the end of the year.
The exhibit, featuring sixteen wedding dresses and accessories of Edmond women, showcasing nearly 150 years of fashion. As American weddings change over the decades, Edmond traditions also follow suit. Dress styles changed dramatically, wedding venues expand, and even cake choices vary widely.
In addition to the Unveiled exhibit, the Museum will host a variety of programming from flower decorating to wedding dress preservation. Programs will be added to the EdmondHistory.org website as they develop.
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