Good morning, good morning morning. Welcome, welcome, welcoming. It's time
for our community connection right here on K one. The one you trustmas Cynthia
Blanchard is in with us today. We're blessed to have you here. How
are you doing, young lady. I am doing great. Thank you for
asking. Well, yeah, it's always a pleasure to have you here.
You know, you and your group. Are you have the Price Tower?
Yes? And boy, that thing is just taking on kind of a cool
swagger. There's a lot of cool things going on down there. Oh,
thank you for saying that. We're trying. I mean we you know,
we have been the stewards of the Price Town for ten months now and it
has been a labor of love. It's been this kind of path. But
coming into twenty twenty four, I couldn't be more excited about where we're going.
Oh, you should be excited. There are a lot of things around
the corner. Thank you, Yeah, thank you. Yeah, I mean
it's listen, it's been hard. I mean there's no doubt about it.
It's been a challenge. You know, the tower has has it's never really
had to support itself. It's either been part of a major corporation or a
nonprofit, but it has the bones and the foundation with the businesses and all
the potential and what we have discovered and what we're working toward and heading our
path with our business plan and to do that, and we just need to
help teach it how and we're hopefully going to get that done. Oh goodness
shakes. You know, I'm excited. You got the restaurants kind of going
there. We did, I mean, we you know, we've had to
do some pivot, but that's okay, because that's what it's like to own
a business. Yeah, you've got to be able to change with the changes.
Yeah, you got to be able to change with the changes. And
it has to support itself and if it doesn't, then it has to shift.
And so we've we've we've learned a lot, and what's most important is
that we now have numbers and data which we didn't have when we stepped in
blind. Yeah yeah, yeah, somewhat. Nobody's to nobody's fault, but
but it has taken this long to not only kind of unwind and kind of
figure out what needs to be reset, and but now we actually have realistic
numbers that we can put in our performance and build that businessman. We have
great ideas and and and they work and they're going to work. So I
really am very excited for the next twelve months and then onward. And but
it's been hard. Not gonna lie, but that's okay, that's part of
the gig, you know. And we walk in today. What what is
operating at the app right down? Well, I tell you one of the
things I wanted to to mention is that we have a new art exhibit next
Friday. It's John Limb Bloom Bartlesvild's own and this is an I think this
is maybe his first local exhibit anyway, And of course he's just amazing and
we've been honored to have some of his work in the in the building already
and I got a sneak peek at the the art and it's it's stunning.
So I wanted to invite everybody. Six pm to eight pm next Friday is
the opening reception. And you know, the thing that we've been excited about
with the art gallery is that we've been able to bring the local artist in
and the regional artist. I mean, we had And Pollard from Tulsa,
Aaron Rayner from Austin who grew up here. We had a great, a
great exhibit from Handy Dawset in May that was very cool because he actually was
is his photographic work, but he took other local artists and highlighted and you
know, elevated them. So that's what it's about. But we also want
to help our local artists and elevate them to a region, hopefully national level.
So that's kind of in our in our strategy as we move forward,
because it's they're deserving. Doctor Limblow, I got to tell you is work.
You go to just about any kind of a fundraiser and that's the that's
the big piece. That's the big piece that the auction off and they're big
waw. Now you can kind of do that right here at the reception and
you can look at it at the exhibit because there's more to see you than
just one or two pieces. Oh yeah, I think Well, I would
like to say there's thirty and I could be wrong, it could be more,
but there's a lot, and there's a whole theme for both the gallery
and then in the plaza area and and so it's it's pretty excited. Well
you should be. Yeah, yeah, we are and and so you know,
we have other music music, lots of it. Yeah, a lot
of variety too, Yes, and that you know, I mean that's of
course, that's my wheelhouse. And so and actually, the brilliant and amazing
Dona Keffer has kind of as our executive director. She's led the troops and
the and the and the efforts, and she's done an incredible The whole team
has done an incredible job. I mean, the team that we inherited and
then the team that we have now built, I couldn't be more proud of.
But these music nights and the listening rooms, that's on the agenda too.
For folks who are not so sure about that. It's kind of a
new term. It's been around for about a year or two, but in
the larger cities more than five or ten. But this is really an intimate
presentation, yes, yeah, And it kind of reminds me of my Nashville
days, because I don't know how many of you all have been to Nashville.
We always had writers' nights there and so we'd have three or four singer
songwriters and many artists that become that had written their own songs, and you
just get to sit in this very intimate setting and they play their guitars or
their pianos or their instrument and they just sing acoustically and it's an amazing experience.
And the times that we've done it there so far, it has been
well received, well received, and and you know, but we had a
great New Year's Eve party and ye we brought it back. Yes, but
it's being very well received and we're going to do more of it. I
am a lot more of it and really trying to make that as stable one
of the stables that we get to offer. And you know, I do
want to I do want to do a shout out to the community because this
community has been incredible and it has shown so much support because this has been
a heavy lift and it's been and we're you know, closer every day,
but I mean even right now, the College High and Sooner Alumni Club led
by Hans Schmoltz is in the building right now and they're doing painting and repair
work just just to help. And I shout out to you guys. They
came over yesterday and they it just makes me want to cry because of that
support. And the city has been amazing fans well I'm their biggest fans because
they have they have just given us a foundation that we've we've just really appreciated.
And and oh yes, Buffalo Rome. We got to interact with Jeff
Smith and his wife Monica, and we went and looked at their their facilities
and what they were doing. And we've talked about a lot of interaction with
each other, like we could see some cross promotion there. Oh yeah,
Like we talked about they want to do a film festival, we want to
do a music festival. Let's be the new south By Southwest. Why not
go right between them? Well exactly. And we've got this beautiful downtown.
This is people. Yeah, yeah, so I there's just a lot to
be excited about. So so just hanging there with this and that we'll get
over our homes, but we're all over them. And so I just wanted
to thank everybody and please come. You know, this is my my dream
when we first we first became Stewards, was you know, the idea of
this community coming together and being the foundation to lift the tower back up into
it's it's it's glory and then having it helped be a beacon for the community
to not only the region, in the state, but the nation and the
world, you know, and I truly believe that we can do it.
We've got some history and that's been made and some history to be made and
that would be beautifully said. Yeah, and I you know, I'm going
to say this because I've I've had to operate with the three p's, patience,
persistence, and prayer and sometimes they're in different orders. But you know,
that's kind of my message for the day. Aw and so thank you
for giving us your blessings. Oh well, this is something that's really pretty
cool. And ever since we heard that some things were going to be taking
place, a lot of people have just been kind of curious that, you
know, kind of watching what's going on. You've been seeing a few of
the things, you know, tough social media and word of mouth and everything,
and like you said, there's that there's that essence of cool er,
is that essence of flagger there that you know that excites me. And I
come from the arts community, so you know, I'm really kind of attuned
to it. But there are other folks who might not be on the same
frequency, but they're still saying, Wow, that's exciting pop over there.
And yeah, it is. That's exciting because you know it's kind of hard
to know what's gauging, you know, gauging what's what's out there. But
you know, we just we just are going to do keep going, you
know, and and you know we have to get you over there. It
may be too expensive for us, No, trust me. Around home,
it's it's easy to keep doing. That would be amazing that we get we
get we have to talk people and maybe maybe I'll maybe I'll get to see
harmony on something. You get to see harmony. I think, what that's
my That's like I was saying, that's my wheel. That's where I like,
I'm much more comfortable being the support team, you know, being the
harmony singer and the background singer. But well, get you out there in
front of the music, Well do you belong? Yeah, thank you.
We'll work on that. I'll work on that. This is going to be
this is really going to be a great twenty twenty four. I know that
you had some restaurant plans. We did. We we had we did launch
something that that that wasn't It didn't for you know, just for a number
of reasons. Wasn't it wasn't the right fit. We we are pivoting.
So we and again you know that's what it's all about. Well, it's
about Yeah, it's about making it work and having it support itself. And
if you're losing money, it's not supporting it, it's not supporting yourself.
And how far? How long can you do that? And that wasn't the
only reason that we had of it. Of course, there there's some other
reasons. But but with Donna's leadership, we're like, okay, let's just
start from ground zero and let's see what works. And so we've been doing
special events. You know, you can you can lease out the space.
We've you know, we're doing pop up chef dinners and and yeah, I
mean it is and you know, I mean we we have had just I
mean, it's it's a business model that we're we're looking at. We're doing
let's see where how far we can take it and if we can start to
implement some foundation food foundations that actually we can support and and we then then
that's the next step. So we're exploring, but we're doing it step by
step, just like we're doing everything step by step to make sure Now,
because there was a lot of chaos in the beginning. Part of the get
is, you know, and that's part of the deal. Yeah, So
it slowing it down, getting more organized, getting getting some some some more
calm, and getting strategy and business plans in place. And that's that's what
we're doing. So, like I said, if you all are patient enough,
just hang in there with us and we get over our our challenges,
which I feel like we're very very very close. Yeah. You know,
this town is great for cheering people on for their success. They really are.
It's been unbelievable. So you know, this patients thing. I think
in prayer and everything else, you might be a little bit more in that
we all have. But the folks run here. They believe in you,
They believe in what's going on and have a good outlook. That makes me
want to cry seriously, so thank you, But no, I mean that's
the polls of the community right now. They really want to see that.
I am here to invite the community to come in, you know. I
mean, we have obviously art gallery, We we have a hotel, stay
there, bring your friends, bring your family, let them experience, you
know, staying in a piece of art which is Price Tower. We we
have our music nights we have you know, we're doing some cool things upstairs
and I can't say it yet, just there with us. Yeah, yeah,
not quite. Not quiet. And again I'm not going to jump the
gun. And we've done that accidentally before. We're not going to do that
again. But the museum we have, we have maintained, and we're planning
and we will maintain the museum and and that's part of the legacy of Price
Tower. And so there's just so many things to experience. So come visit
the shop. Well, yeah, we have it. It's not open because
in fact, we just got I just got an email from the Frank Lordwright
Foundation this week. They're doing a new program where we could actually be affiliated.
So now they just launched it. So we'll be kicking that in and
doing some of our own creation too for merchandising. Cool, but again,
step by step, don't want to jump the gun too much so we don't
make a mistake. But because we've made mistakes, you know, but that's
part of the gig too. I'm just wondering because the socks go fast.
Yeah no, I've heard, I know, I know, But Sweet Angela
Box gave me these Christmas ornaments there were two of them that she had that.
I mean, they are so cool. They may they probably come from
the foundation, but they were on our Christmas tree. And those are just
things that you can and the and the coasters and things of that nature.
It's gonna be really fun to get that going again. Already. Hey you've
got a website. Where can people check you out? Yes, that's pricetower
dot org. It is easy. We're going to be updating it again.
Had to get you know, right, everything in place, but it will
it will be a work in progress too, but yes, right now that
is the easiest way to find is that's you know, the team does a
great job of keeping it updated with upcoming events. And alrighty well, I
want to thank you very much for coming in braving the cold. It's really
cool. When I have a hat out I've got. Donna gave me these.
I think these are like so cool, so I had to wear them
and I'm ready. Oh no, don't be a stranger. Okay, thank
you, And anytime I can come back, I would be honored to do
so. All right, Cynthia, we're trying to make you a regular appen
Thank you. That would be great. I'd love it Cynthia Blanchard with the
Price Tower right here on k Y