The Social Security Administration (SSA) today announced the appointment of Stephen Evangelista as the Deputy Commissioner for the Office of Operations. In this role, he will oversee SSA’s nationwide network of offices that provide frontline and support services to millions of customers each year. This includes oversight of more than 1,200 field offices serving communities across the country, as well as 23 teleservice centers assisting the public on the phone.

Stephen Evangelista has over 25 years of experience in executive leadership roles at SSA. He has held various leadership positions within the agency, most recently serving as the Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Policy in the Office of Law and Policy. His record of achievement includes developing and implementing an enterprise strategy to unify SSA’s more than 3,000 data matching agreements, resulting in improved program administration.

“Stephen’s proven track record of leadership and his dedication to public service make him an excellent choice for this critical role,” said Lee Dudek, Acting Commissioner of Social Security. “His deep knowledge of the agency’s programs will be an asset as we continue to improve customer service while safeguarding Americans’ hard-earned benefits.”

Stephen Evangelista succeeds Doris Diaz, who had been serving as the agency’s Acting Deputy Commissioner for the Office of Operations since January 2025. Under her leadership, SSA implemented several customer-focused improvements, including expediting over $14.8 billion in retroactive payments to more than 2.2 million individuals under the Social Security Fairness Act.

“I am grateful to Doris for her outstanding leadership of the Office of Operations,” added Dudek. “She delivered transformational improvements in the agency’s operations, and millions of Americans’ lives are better because of her service.”

For more information, please visit the SSA’s Communications Corner at www.ssa.gov/news.

With over 90 miles of trails weaving through the area, Oklahoma City’s numerous parks are a haven for walkers, joggers, and hikers alike. While the green urban spaces invite exploration of the hidden gems and points of interest throughout the city, one must-see landmark for visitors – day or night – is the iconic Skydance Bridge.

Arriving late in the afternoon, we parked on SW Second Street before heading south on foot through Scissortail Park, named after Oklahoma’s state bird – the scissor-tailed flycatcher. Our destination was the 380-foot-long pedestrian Skydance Bridge that spans I-40 and connects the north (40-acre) and south (30-acre) portions of the park. Opened in 2012, the state bird also inspired the bridge’s design with its striking V-shaped steel sculpture towering nearly 200 feet above the walkway, resembling the flycatcher’s distinctive forked tail feathers.

After admiring the bridge, we continued through the park and surrounding area waiting for sunset since the bridge is especially stunning when lit by LED lights during the evening. But there was no shortage of dazzling sights to fill the remaining daylight hours, including a walk around a lake with surrounding trees teeming with colorful chirping birds. Rental pedal boats, canoes, and kayaks glided slowly over the water as their occupants absorbed the relaxing view dominated by Oklahoma City’s tallest building. The sleek 50-story Devon Tower, also completed in 2012, is a skyline scene stealer with its reflective glass exterior. The Vast Restaurant occupies the top two floors offering both meals “sourced from local producers” and spectacular views of the city.

Myriad Botanical Gardens, just a couple of blocks north of the park off Reno Street, was intriguing. Since originally conceived by city leaders in the late 1960s, the 17-acre plot most recently underwent an $11 million renovation in 2022 and features immaculate landscaping, a children’s garden, a restaurant area, fountains, sculptures, and the dazzling Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory encased in a shell of over 3,000 translucent acrylic panels housing an impressive exotic plant collection.

The “Taking Flight: Light as a Feather” art piece, installed 2 years ago at the north end of Scissortail Park, was a delightful surprise find. The 6-ton 31-foot-tall metal sculpture is the artist’s vision of a delicately curved feather gently floating earthward. Stunning any time – and especially at night when fiber optic lights illuminate its intricate details – the sculpture truly comes to life just prior to sunset when we happened to walk past. As the sun hung in the darkening sky behind the sculpture, its dying rays filtered through the figure highlighting the steel bars comprising the feather’s ribs, offering an inspiring picture-perfect moment we were lucky to experience.

For many visitors, however, the star of Scissortail Park will be the illuminated Skydance Bridge straddling the busy Interstate below. The remotely controlled lights, programmable for holidays and special events, displayed a vibrant deep blue glow during our visit, dramatically highlighting the structure’s sweeping design. But the color varies from night to night. When viewed from the bridge’s south end and set against the backdrop of city lights, it was the perfect conclusion to our 2-mile urban nature walk around Oklahoma City.

story and photos by Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery in Alabama and has written features, columns, and interviews for many newspapers and magazines. His hiking column describes short trails, hikes, and walks from around the country that seniors might enjoy while traveling. See www.ItsAWonderfulHike.com.

When your life is in danger, some memories don’t go away, even if they occurred 81 years ago. Like firing twin .50 caliber machine guns at Nazi airplanes from the ball turret underneath a B-17 Flying Fortress.
“I hit a Messerschmidt (fighter) one day. He was gone away from me and of course, when they get by, they turn their belly up – they’re armor-plated on the bottom. I could see some tracers going off from him. I never got him down. He (fighter) was a longways away. He had come through our (bomber) group once and got away but he didn’t come back,” explained Richard D. Lawrence, a 102-year-old WWII veteran.
Lawrence was at Oklahoma’s State Capitol in the Hall of Heros to receive the Oklahoma Cross of Valor from Governor Kevin Stitt. Part of Stitt’s address included the following. “His story is one of grit and courage and unbelievable bravery. He answered the call to serve during a time of war, was taken captive by the enemy and he came home with his honor intact. That strength comes from a love of country, a sense of duty, and unbreakable spirit. In Oklahoma, we believe in honoring our heros and we have a real-life hero with us today.”
Lawrence wasn’t alone – lots of family, friends, State Representatives and Senators, uniformed military and veterans gave him a standing ovation when he was called up to get the Cross of Valor enclosed in a glass case.
Others have formally thanked Lawrence too, including a French Counsel who gave him the French Legion of Honor and the Oklahoma Military Heritage Foundation, who inducted him into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Honor.
Before the ceremony, Alfonso Garza, the Veterans Mental Health Program Administrator with Oklahoma’s Department of Veteran Affairs (ODVA), asked R.D. if he had any advice. His answer? First, take it one day at a time. Second, trust in the Lord with all your heart.
When R.D. got home from the war, he went right to work harvesting crops. No two-week vacation swapping war stories at the bar to relax after the ordeal. In a conversation with Galen Culver of the KFOR television station, he recalled, “I got home on my mother’s birthday, June 15th, 1945, and we started cutting wheat that afternoon.’” He married his high school sweetheart, Joanne, right away too – 11 days later.
They had three children: Richard, Julie and Leanna, who were at the ceremony. Leanna, whose married name is Turney, said, “I had wonderful parents…parents that went to everything we went to (activities).”
The ODVA shared a biography that explains Lawrence’s postwar time of peace. “A proud steward of the land, he continues to live and manage the farm, recently keeping busy clearing fields from the seat of his Polaris”…He served “on the boards of the Farmers’ Cooperative of Wakita, the Wakita School Board, and as a longtime Director of Citizens Bank of Wakita. His dedication to agriculture was honored with the title of Oklahoma Farmer of the Year at the Oklahoma State Fair. A man of faith, he served over 60 years as an Elder at both Fairview Christian Church and Wakita Christian Church. In retirement, RD took up golfing and played daily into his early 90s-always with the same group of friends, and more often than not, he came home the winner.”
James Neal of the Enid News & Eagle sat down with R.D. in 2011 and wrote the following. “Today, he remembers those who didn’t make it home as the true heroes from history’s largest war. Their ranks included Lawrence’s brother, Burke, an aircrewman who was killed while on a training flight shortly after the war’s end…Lawrence said, ‘They were all heroes, I thought, those boys who didn’t make it home.’” story/photos by Richard Stephens, Jr., Lt. Col, USAF Retired

Portion of Citation of Appreciation from the Oklahoma State Legislature to Technical Sergeant Richard D. Lawrence.
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Whereas, on June 7, 1944, while on a mission to destroy marshalling yards in Budapest, Hungary, R.D. Lawrence’s plane took a direct hit, and he was forced to parachute out. He was captured a week later and held as a prisoner of war in Stalag Luft IV Prison Camp in Gross Tychow, Pomerania (now Tychowo, Poland) and later forced on a 500-mile death march. On May 2, 1945, he was liberated by the British soldiers and returned to Enid just in time for harvest.

The free-admission Tinker AFB Air Show returns June 28-29, featuring the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, who will amaze Oklahomans with their skill and precision flying daily. This marks their first return to Tinker in six years.

The two days are almost exclusively headlined by U.S. Air Force precision in the sky as elite graduates of the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Basic Freefall Parachuting course demonstrate their team skills. The Air Force Parachute Team Wings of Blue will dazzle the crowd with their signature “Bomb Burst” maneuver at terminal velocity.

The aerial demonstrations will run from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. As the last show each day, the Thunderbirds aerobatic flight demonstration team of F-16s, will treat spectators to their precision flying skills and professionalism for an hour. Watch powerful fighter jets elegantly maneuver in the sky with only a few feet separating each wingtip. It’s a multisensory experience that will leave viewers impressed and inspired. This puts the SHOW in air show.

The Air Force’s premier multi-role fighter jet, the single-seat, supersonic F-16 Fighting Falcon, displays its robust maneuvering capability and showcases the pilot’s elite skills. The demonstration mixes six aircraft performing formation flying and solo routines. The four-ship Diamond formation showcases the precision and training of the pilots and the gracefulness of the F-16. The two solos display the maximum synergy of jet power and the maximum capabilities of elite pilots.

“We want to send an open invitation to the public so they can witness what we do here at Team Tinker,” said Col. Abby Ruscetta, Tinker installation commander. “We want to demonstrate the readiness and strength of American air and space power and the wonder of aviation.”

This open invitation in throwing the gates at Tinker open to the public comes with a caution. Come early to see the air and space power wonder of aviation because when the crowd exceeds a limit, the gates will be closed each day.

Visitors can learn more about Tinker’s missions, the military and how present careers in aviation and aerospace make up Oklahoma’s second-largest industry.

Because admission, parking and shuttles are free, organizers encourage everyone to arrive early. Visitors will want to arrive early enough to park at Building 9001, formerly the old General Motors Plant, off SE 74th Street, because those buses drop them off at the gate area requiring the least walking. The event has been popular, and the gates will close when capacity is reached. Gates open at 8 a.m. daily. All acts are expected to perform each day, but the order of performers may change.

The show will feature dozens of military and civilian aerial performers and various ground display aircraft, such as Tinker’s E-3 Sentry AWACS, the U.S. Navy E-6B Mercury, USAF Thunderbirds, Tora, Tora, Tora – up to Seven Japanese Zero type aircraft, MiG-17F (Russian MiG jets), B-1B Lancer, B-52H Stratofortress, KC-46A Pegasus, KC – 135 Stratotanker, WASP (AT-6, BT-13) and a Red Tail P-51C located next to the Rise above Exhibit.

This year, several aerial acts debut for the first time, including an MV-22 Osprey, Franklin’s Flying Circus air comedy act, and Brittanee Lincoln in the Extra 330 Aerobatic Air Act. The crowd will see and hear historic radial engines powering The Trojan Phlyers Flight Demonstration Team as the world’s only formation aerobatic pair of North AmericanT-28 Trojan Trainers.

Other acts include a Pearl Harbor reenactment by Tora! Tora! Tora! and Randy Ball, a professional demonstration pilot flying a Soviet-era MiG-17, who is returning for the first time since 2014.

The 2025 Tinker Air Show theme is “Warriors of Air and Space,” highlighting the warrior ethos, hard work and contributions of Tinker Air Force Base’s military and civilian members. Visitors will have access to plenty of food and merchandise vendors serving their needs. Complimentary water is provided, so bring an empty bottle to fill at the water stations.
Visitors can explore static displays of modern and historic military aircraft, military recruiting exhibits such as the Air Force’s Tactical Experience, and USAF Honor Guard Drill Team performances.

“Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) City” is an aircraft hangar filled with hands-on activities for kids of all ages. This area offers simulators, robotics, drone technology, snap circuits and more. Many of the booths allow visitors to explore potential career opportunities.

“We want to encourage younger generations to get involved in the field of aerospace and encourage them to learn more about the many jobs available,” said Cliff Harden, STEM outreach program manager at Tinker AFB. “There’s everything from becoming a pilot to cyber security, 3D Graphics and imaging to engineering and aircraft maintenance.”

Community partners will provide free activities in STEM City.

Most attractions are free except for a VIP area, Preferred Seating, and the Kidz Zone. The VIP Experience tickets are available for $149 and offer shade tents, preferential seating, cold beverages, and a boxed lunch.

Preferred Seating offers shade seating on the northern end of the flight line, starting at $39. Wristbands for the Tinker Air Show’s Kidz Zone cost $20 and are good all day. The Kidz Zone and play area are located on the north end of the Airshow tarmac, and they include an activity tent with games, inflatables and a rock wall.

As Oklahoma’s largest single-site employer, Tinker AFB personnel are part of the enduring 72-year advantage as the world’s most capable and respected air power source. This open house will demonstrate why the last time an American combatant was killed on the ground by an adversary air force was April 15, 1953.

To learn more, visit www.tinkerairshow.org or tinker.af.mil/tinkerairshow and follow Tinker AFB on social media. story/photo by Darl Devault, contributing editor

Ronald Reagan, originally an American actor and politician, became the 40th President of the United States serving from 1981 to 1989. His term saw a restoration of prosperity at home, with the goal of achieving “peace through strength” abroad.

At the end of his two terms in office, Ronald Reagan viewed with satisfaction the achievements of his innovative program known as the Reagan Revolution, which aimed to reinvigorate the American people and reduce their reliance upon Government. He felt he had fulfilled his campaign pledge of 1980 to restore “the great, confident roar of American progress and growth and optimism.”

On February 6, 1911, Ronald Wilson Reagan was born to Nelle and John Reagan in Tampico, Illinois. He attended high school in nearby Dixon and then worked his way through Eureka College. There, he studied economics and sociology, played on the football team, and acted in school plays. Upon graduation, he became a radio sports announcer. A screen test in 1937 won him a contract in Hollywood. During the next two decades he appeared in 53 films.

From his first marriage to actress Jane Wyman, he had two children, Maureen and Michael. Maureen passed away in 2001. In 1952 he married Nancy Davis, who was also an actress, and they had two children, Patricia Ann and Ronald Prescott.

As president of the Screen Actors Guild, Reagan became embroiled in disputes over the issue of Communism in the film industry; his political views shifted from liberal to conservative. He toured the country as a television host, becoming a spokesman for conservatism. In 1966 he was elected Governor of California by a margin of a million votes; he was re-elected in 1970.

Ronald Reagan won the Republican Presidential nomination in 1980 and chose as his running mate former Texas Congressman and United Nations Ambassador George Bush. Voters troubled by inflation and by the year-long confinement of Americans in Iran swept the Republican ticket into office. Reagan won 489 electoral votes to 49 for President Jimmy Carter.

On January 20, 1981, Reagan took office. Only 69 days later he was shot by a would-be assassin, but quickly recovered and returned to duty. His grace and wit during the dangerous incident caused his popularity to soar.

Dealing skillfully with Congress, Reagan obtained legislation to stimulate economic growth, curb inflation, increase employment, and strengthen national defense. He embarked upon a course of cutting taxes and Government expenditures, refusing to deviate from it when the strengthening of defense forces led to a large deficit.

A renewal of national self-confidence by 1984 helped Reagan and Bush win a second term with an unprecedented number of electoral votes. Their victory turned away Democratic challengers Walter F. Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro.

In 1986 Reagan obtained an overhaul of the income tax code, which eliminated many deductions and exempted millions of people with low incomes. At the end of his administration, the Nation was enjoying its longest recorded period of peacetime prosperity without recession or depression.

In foreign policy, Reagan sought to achieve “peace through strength.” During his two terms he increased defense spending 35 percent, but sought to improve relations with the Soviet Union. In dramatic meetings with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, he negotiated a treaty that would eliminate intermediate-range nuclear missiles. Reagan declared war against international terrorism, sending American bombers against Libya after evidence came out that Libya was involved in an attack on American soldiers in a West Berlin nightclub.

By ordering naval escorts in the Persian Gulf, he maintained the free flow of oil during the Iran-Iraq war. In keeping with the Reagan Doctrine, he gave support to anti-Communist insurgencies in Central America, Asia, and Africa.

Overall, the Reagan years saw a restoration of prosperity, and the goal of peace through strength seemed to be within grasp.

Former police officer, retired Chief Master Sergeant and teacher at Rose State College, Dukes was just appointed as an At Large Representative with the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs (ODVA) Commission representing Oklahoma veterans. And he’s not done yet.

First of all, he’s proud of his family. His wife, Norita, is on the Board of Directors for Leah’s Hope, a 501(c)(3) Oklahoma non-profit organization in Midwest City. They have two boys: Nathan, a firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) at Will Rogers Airport, and Christopher, an active duty United States Marine. Mayor Dukes has lived in Midwest City since the age of three.

What motivated his desire to serve? Dukes responded, “It just seemed like the right thing to do and I was always lined with jobs that was in service…My aunt and my mom worked in the nursing field and that’s probably what got me into the service mindset.”

Work Career

Dukes joined the Coast Guard in 1975 as an active duty hospital corpsman and “served in a number of duty stations…and I stayed in the Coast Guard five years.” Afterwards, he earned an Associate in Health Technology from Oklahoma City Community College in 1982 and worked for the Midwest City Hospital as an EMT on a full and part-time basis until 1987. After completing some “ride-alongs” with Midwest City police officers, he joined the police force in October 1983, working for 31 years until retiring in November 2015. The ODVA website states he was selected as “Supervisor of the Quarter” three times and “Supervisor of the Year” in 1999 for his actions during and after the May 3, 1999 tornado and was awarded two Lifesaving awards, the Police Community Service award, and the Meritorious Service award.

“I missed being in the military…And so I joined the Air National Guard in 1985 and ended up doing 25 years…I was an aerospace med(ical) tech(nician)” said Dukes. Later, he became a Security Forces Specialist. According to ODVA’s website, “During Operation Enduring Freedom, Matt was activated by the Air National Guard and deployed to Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, serving as NCOIC for detainee operations.” Chief Master Sergeant Matthew Dukes retired from the Oklahoma Air National Guard in 2008 with 29 years of service.

Mayor of Midwest City

Dukes wanted his town to continue to improve, so he ran for mayor and was elected in 2016 for a partial two-year term. He was reelected in 2018 and 2022. His second, four-year term expires in April 2026.
Starting in 2017, the City Council, Guy Henson (former City Manager), and Dukes identified and promoted extensive infrastructure and quality of life improvements, resulting in the citizens of Midwest City approving a “2018 Moving Forward General Obligation Bond.” The bonds provided $53,650,000 for 19 projects affecting all six wards of the city: parks and recreation, streets, water safety, public safety and animal control.

The mayor is proud of those. “We passed the largest general obligation bond initiative in the City of Midwest City’s history at $53 million…Myself and the City Manager (Guy Henson) did over 45 presentations throughout the city, telling the citizens, ‘This is what we want and this is what we’re gonna do, and this is how you hold us accountable.’ And I’m extremely proud of the fact that we’ve completed all those projects.”

A Problem and an Opportunity
Currently, city leaders are addressing one long-term problem and one big opportunity.

The problem being handled is turning a nearly empty Heritage Park Mall on the northwest corner of East Reno Avenue and Air Depot Boulevard, closed since February 2010, into a new retail store and housing area. On Jan. 1, the Midwest City Beacon newspaper reported, “The Midwest City Urban Renewal Authority is using eminent domain to acquire the property after city officials and the property owner were unable to reach an agreement on a sale.”

Three commissioners and the city are working to take possession of the mall. Once that’s complete, Dukes said, “We’ll have to go through the RFP (request for proposal) process and see what developer comes with the best plan (to redevelop it)…I wanna make sure before I leave office, that we wrap that up.”

The big opportunity is to build a new, 74,000-square foot YMCA close to SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital. A statement by Midwest City on April 16, read, “The City of Midwest City, Mid-Del Schools, SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital – Midwest, and the YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City have partnered on a funding agreement ($40 million) that would build a new YMCA in Midwest City.” Dukes said, “Our current YMCA was built in 1964 and they’ve outgrown it three times.”

Employee Feedback

Midwest City employees like what Dukes is doing. Micala Newland, Midwest City Storm Water Quality Technician in the Household Hazardous Waste Facility, said, “ I appreciate that the city is environmentally friendly…He’s (Mayor Dukes) really supportive of the city.” Marc Bargel, a Midwest City Parks Maintenance employee, agreed. “It’s (Midwest City) a great place to work. Mayor Dukes does a great job and he’s very friendly with all the city employees.”

Dukes is pleased with the city’s progress. “You know, I grew up in this town…I raised my boys in this town and it’s a great place to live. And I just want it to continue.”

Purple Heart City

In December 2024, Midwest City was designated as a Purple Heart City and on March 1, Dukes was named “Mayor of the Year,” honors bestowed by the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH). The State Commander of the MOPH, Master Chief Larry Van Schuyver, said Dukes was chosen ahead of 64 nominees for the award. Accepting the plaque at VFW Post 4938 in Edmond, Dukes smiled and told the crowd, “I’m very honored. My whole family served in the military and this is very humbling. My son is a United States Marine. I tried to guide him the other way (crowd laughed)…I had the honor of serving in not one, but two branches of the United States military…All I did was make Midwest City a Purple Heart City.”
story/photos by Richard Stephens, Jr., Lt. Col, USAF Retired

Midwest City is a military-friendly, veteran-filled community with 58,000 citizens. The city’s motto, “Where the Spirit Flies High,” is living up to expectations. story/photos by Richard Stephens, Jr., Lt. Col, USAF Retired