Tulsa World, January 25, 2006
Tulsa coffeehouse draw tasty recognition

Southern Living has recognized three coffeehouses for turning coffee into an experience.  In its January issue, the food and home magazine praised Espresso Milano, Shades of Brown and Nordaggio's for offering the best java and atmosphere in the city.
 

Beth Battles, owner of Espresso Milano, 1340 East 15th St. in the Cherry Street Market, said she appreciated the national publicity for a relatively new coffeehouse.

Battles opened her coffeehouse in February, and few months later, she was serving coffee to a food writer from Southern Living.  "I was pretty excited about just opening, and then to have someone recognize us for being a good place for coffee," Battles said.

Espresso Milano is modeled after the Caffé Florian coffeehouse in Venice, Italy, which dates back to 1720.  When Battles was working for Hilti Inc. several years ago, she would travel to manufacturing plants in Europe.  While there, she would visit small town coffeehouses where people gathered.

After her department closed at Hilti, Battles decided to bring a taste of Venice to Tulsa.  "They were like neighborhood places - kind of like community centers where people met and talked," Battles said.  "Coffee, especially espresso, is kind of like a ritual over there, and I just wanted to bring that here.
 

"One of the reasons I don't have the Internet here is because I want people to meet each other, to talk to each and not sit at a screen for an hour."  Battles allows people and businesses to schedule small parties and meetings at her coffeehouse.  "We get quite a few politicians in here meeting with their constituents," she said.

One of the coffeehouse's signature drinks is its classic cappuccino, an equal mixture of espresso, frothed milk and steamed milk, Battles said.

By DAVID SCHULTE World Staff Writer

Walter Hendrickson (left), a barista at Espresso Milano, serves a
latte to Nicole Nedom and an espresso macchiato to Paul Herrmann.
 

Click to enlarge

           
Click to Enlarge View

"The Sounds of Hale" will look familiar to the Class of '66.  It was an album produced by the Concert Choir, Symphony Band and Symphony Orchestra.

We intend to offer a CD-Rom version of the entire album soon.  For now, you can download and listen to the 1966 Hale Concert Choir singing the school fight song - "Hail to the Rangers"

Hail to the Rangers.mp3
Windows users: Right click on link, then "Save as"

We would like to thank Lynda Hill-Holt, Hale Special Ed teacher and Class of '74 Alumnus, for providing the original album, and her help with this project.

- excerpt from Tulsa World, August 2004, Tulsa lawyer, Don Bingham [just became] a member of the state Ethics Commission.

House Speaker Larry Adair appointed Bingham to a 5-year term on the commission, which promulgates rules on ethical conduct for state officials and political candidates.  Adair said Bingham was highly recommended and that "I believe he will be an excellent member on the commission."

Bingham, 56, is a partner in the Tulsa law firm of Riggs, Abney, Neal, Turpen, Orbison & Lewis.  He was born and raised in Tulsa, graduating from Hale High School.  He graduated with honors from Princeton University in 1970 and received a law degree from TU in 1976.  Bingham was an adjunct professor in trial practice and pretrial practice at TU from 1984 to 1992.