RedFork Main Street Vice President Phil Garland, principal of Webster High School, has won the 2008 MetLife Foundation Ambassadors In Education Award.
The national award honors Garland with a crystal apple and a $5,000 grant for his school.
According to a media release, “the national award program recognizes the most collaborative public school principals in 25 cities, including Tulsa.”
All middle- and high-school principals in the Tulsa Public School District were eligible for the award. Several of Garland’s colleagues and community members nominated him for the award last month.
“Mr. Garland has transformed our school and the community surrounding it,” Gary Percefull, president of the Tulsa Board of Education, said in a media release. “Mr. Garland has helped sustain a collaborative effort with Webster and the six feeder schools that it serves. His outreach efforts also include the neighborhood and business community. He exemplifies the characteristics of a leader in the school and within the community.”
According to the news release, the program honors exemplary school principals who build partnerships with community organizations, parents, and guardians; resolve conflicts and promote safety in the school and community; or promote civic engagement and community service.
Categories: Awards · Education · Grants · Webster
Tagged: Awards, Education, Grants, Webster
Mark Griffith, 49, owner of Mark Griffith Memorial Funeral Homes, passed away Saturday.
His family told the Tulsa World that he got a start on his career as a child, when he traveled to funerals with his father, Gene, also a funeral director. He became owner of Mark Griffith Memorial Funeral Homes Inc. in 1992, taking over the business from his father, the World reports.
He was a past president of the Ford Model T Club of Tulsa and owned two Model T cars, which he used to carry the grand marshals for Webster High School homecoming parades, the Tulsa World reports.
Mark was involved in many Red Fork organizations, including the Red Fork Brookside Masonic Lodge No. 505, Red Fork Eastern Star Chapter No. 394, Southwest Tulsa Chamber of Commerce, Westside YMCA, and Townwest Sertoma. He also attended Trinity Baptist Church and was a member of the Oklahoma Funeral Directors Association and a lifetime member of the Professional Car Society, Akdar Shriners and Akdar Car Buffs.
He is survived by his parents, Charlsie and Gene Griffith; sons, Geoffrey, Michael and John Mark Griffith; daughter, Laura Griffith; sister, Pamela Samples; fiancee, Verona Felkner; and two grandchildren.
Memorial contributions can be made to The Gideons International, P.O. Box 9294, Tulsa OK 74157. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, May 1, at Trinity Baptist Church, with interment at Woodland Memorial Park.
Click here to sign Mark’s online guestbook.
Categories: Friends · Obituaries · Sad news
Southwest Tulsans are making headlines this month in TulsaPeople magazine.
A collection of stories about Southwest Tulsa begins on page 58 and includes features on the area as a whole, as well as articles about several individuals, including resident and RedFork Main Street supporter Mike Massey; Executive Director Katy Davis; President Linda Jordan; Billy Ray’s manager Glenna Mize; Red Fork Art Gallery owner Mary Jo Luster; Red Fork Cleaners owners Sue and Richard Niles; and House Speaker Chris Benge.
An article about local nurseries begins on page 50 and includes a photo and information about Colebrook Nursery in Berryhill.
And on page 34, Webster High School Principal and RedFork Main Street Vice-President Phil Garland talks about Webster’s broadcasting, digital media and marketing program in an article about Tulsa’s magnet schools.
To read the articles online, follow this link, then click on the May 2008 issue. TulsaPeople is available at businesses and restaurants throughout Tulsa.
Categories: Businesses · Media coverage · Neighbors · Spreading the word · Webster
This Saturday is the big cleanup day along the RedFork Main Street corridor. We’ll start at 8:30 a.m. at Howard Park and work until 1 p.m. Gloves and bags will be provided, and early birds can enjoy QuikTrip doughnuts before the real work starts at 9 a.m. Click here for a printable PDF of the flier containing details about the event.
Categories: Events · Volunteer opportunities
Webster High School students will take end-of-instruction tests beginning Wednesday. The test schedule, which also can be found on the school’s online calendar, is as follows:
Wednesday: English II (writing)
Thursday: English III (writing)
Friday: English II (multiple choice)
Monday, April 21: US History
Tuesday, April 22: Algebra I
Wednesday, April 23: Biology I
Thursday, April 24: English II (multiple choice); testing will take place in the computer lab during the morning and afternoon
Monday, April 28: Algebra II; testing will take place in the computer lab during the morning
Tuesday, April 29: Geometry; testing will take place in the computer lab during the morning and afternoon
Wednesday, April 30: Make-up writing test in the gym
Thursday, May 1: Make-up test in the computer lab
All tests will start in the morning and will be given in the gym unless otherwise noted.
Categories: Webster
RedFork Main Street President Linda Jordan, secretary Nancy Webster, and executive director Katy Davis recently visited the Oklahoma State Capitol to meet with legislators and run a booth showing what RedFork Main Street is all about.
Katy and Linda reported that one highlight of the RedFork Main Street exhibit — which showed the history of the area, our current activities, and our hopes for the future — was a laptop computer playing a slideshow about the area and the program.
We have added the slideshow to the “images” section of our site. Click here to watch it. Be sure to click on the captions link to see information about the pictures, and turn up your speakers so you can hear the audio.
Categories: Events · Photographs
We are in the process of redesigning the RedFork Main Street Web site and adding content to RedFork Main Street News. If a page looks incomplete, weird, or completely AWOL, don’t panic — it’s just the normal mess that comes with remodeling. We should be back up and running full-tilt in short order.
Categories: Announcements · General
Nancy Webster, director of community relations for Goodwill Industries, reports that Goodwill is planning to hold a job fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 15 at 2800 Southwest Blvd. Many companies will have booths, and some will conduct interviews on the spot.
For more information about Goodwill Industries, visit www.goodwilltulsa.org or call 584-7291.
Categories: Events · Goodwill · Jobs
Here at RedFork Main Street, we want to spread the word about events and activities taking place in Southwest Tulsa — but we can’t do that without your help. If you know of an organization or business that is holding a special event, project or activity in or near the RedFork Main Street project area (one block on either side of Southwest Boulevard between the river and 33rd West Avenue), please let us know. We would love to receive press releases, newsletters, fliers and other materials from Main Street supporters, schools, churches, nonprofit organizations, and other entities that are working to make Southwest Tulsa a better place to live and work.
Feel free to add us to your mailing list. Our address is:
RedFork Main Street News
c/o RedFork Main Street
3708 Southwest Blvd.
Tulsa, OK 74107
Materials also can be e-mailed to epriddy@redforkmainstreet.org.
Drop us a line and let us know what’s going on!
Categories: Spreading the word
Tomorrow morning is preschool storytime at Zarrow Regional Library. Children ages 4 and younger can come to the library, 2224 W. 51st St., at 11 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday) to hear a story.
On Saturday, the library will host PAWS for Reading from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. First- through fourth-graders can come to the library to practice their reading skills by reading aloud to a service dog. Participants will receive a free book provided by a family literacy grant from Target Corporation. Preregistration is required. Call 591-4366 to register or to learn more.
To learn about other upcoming events at Zarrow, click here.
Categories: Children's activities · Library
