Tulsa: September 2012 Archives

Early in 2011, Tulsan Josh McFarland, disappointed that the traditional downtown Christmas parade had dropped the word "Christmas" from its name, felt impelled to take action and setup an alternative parade, a parade unembarrassed to acknowledge that "the reason for the season" is the commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ -- a Christmas parade.

McFarland turned to KFAQ talk personality Eddie Huff to help organize and promote the event. Huff brought friend and fellow insurance agent Mark Croucher into the organizing group. In order to formalize the effort and to cover any potential liability issues involved in holding a parade, the group formed a Domestic Limited Liability Company, Tulsa Christmas Parade LLC, registered on October 3, 2011. (Setting up an LLC is quicker and much less complicated than creating a non-profit organization; the disadvantage is that donations are not tax deductible.) All surplus proceeds after parade expenses were met were given to Love Heals Veterans Recovery Center.

According to multiple reports, the parade was successful, drawing a large number of participants and massive attendance, and Tulsa Christmas Parade LLC is making preparations for the second edition of the parade this December.

Their efforts have been complicated by the alleged actions of a former volunteer, according to a press release from Tulsa Christmas Parade LLC issued last Thursday, September 20, 2012. The release alleges that this former volunteer has been claiming to represent the parade, to solicit and collect money for the parade, without any authorization from Tulsa Christmas Parade LLC. So to respond to the problem, the group sent out a press release explaining who is authorized to act on the parade's behalf.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: joshalanmcfarland@gmail.com
918-706-6787

Christmas Parade Organizers Warn of Imposter

Former volunteer is misrepresenting Christmas Parade

Tulsa, OK Sept 19, 2012 - Josh McFarland, founder and one of the organizers of the Tulsa Christmas Parade, is warning Tulsa businesses to beware of a former volunteer claiming to be organizing the parade this year.

"It is sad that someone who worked with us last year has decided to go on his own, claiming to represent the Christmas Parade, which he has no legal authority to do so," said McFarland.

"We've even had reports that this person has already solicited and in one case collected money from a business" continued McFarland. "And we need to let the Tulsa business community know who exactly is running the Tulsa Christmas Parade."

McFarland explained that members of the Tulsa Christmas Parade board are seeking a legal remedy to stop the actions of the former volunteer.

"However, we felt the need to let the public know before anyone else gives money to this person instead of to the Christmas Parade," said McFarland. McFarland encourages any businesses who have been contacted by someone saying they are from the Tulsa Christmas Parade to contact him at 918-706-6787 immediately.

The Tulsa Christmas Parade is made up of a three-person board that wanted to give Tulsans the option of attending a Christmas Parade after the dismantling of the name "Christmas" in the former downtown parade. Last year 100% of the remaining proceeds were gifted to the Love Heals Veterans Recovery Center, a shelter for substance abusive veterans. Josh McFarland, Mark Croucher, and Eddie Huff are the members of the The Tulsa Christmas Parade board.

It's a sad fact that taking defensive action, as the Tulsa Christmas Parade LLC board has done, may make you look like the bad guy. Good grief, some will say, you're threatening a lawsuit over who's in charge of a Christmas parade! But if someone is trying to misrepresent himself and trade on the goodwill that last year's event accrued, the parade organizers may have to take action to protect the name and reputation of the event.

There's a principle of trademark law called "likelihood of confusion." (That phrase also happens to be the name of the Internet's smartest blog about intellectual property law.) If someone previously associated in a prominent way with an organization, but who has resigned from that organization and no longer acts with the organization's authority, solicits money and support for a similar sounding organization with a similar purpose -- well, I am not a lawyer, but it sounds to me like a situation in which confusion is likely. It's wise and reasonable for Tulsa Christmas Parade LLC to take action to forestall any confusion that would damage the goodwill and reputation of the parade.

Tulsa is overrun with special events this weekend, September 22 - 23, 2012, and next week the Tulsa State Fair begins.

Tulsa Greek Festival: Saturday is the final day, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., at 12th and Guthrie on the grounds of Holy Trinity Orthodox Church. Get in free with a printable ticket on the website.

Tulsa Irish Festival: Saturday only, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., at Holy Family Roman Catholic Cathedral, 8th and Boulder in downtown Tulsa.

The Art of Barbecue: This year in the Blue Dome District near 1st and Elgin downtown. Taster kits will be available starting at 11, and taste testing will begin at 11:30.

Down the street, on Elgin between 1st and the Frisco tracks, McNellie's will hold its third annual Harvest Beer Festival from noon to 10 p.m. Tickets are $25, available at the pub or online at ticketstorm.com.

WestFest, in the Sand Springs Line neighborhood west of downtown, starts at noon Saturday with a parade from Mark Twain Elementary School to Penny Park, 531 S. 49th West Ave.

John Calvin is playing a gig at The Colony. If you go, be sure to request his big hit, "I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art."

If you were wondering about the Scottish Games and Gathering, it was last weekend. And Tulsa's 2012 Oktoberfest will be held October 18-21.

For a long list of Saturday activities in and around Tulsa, check out This Land Press's Do What events calendar.

When I was in kindergarten (1969-1970) in Mrs. Chambers's class at Catoosa Elementary School , we took a field trip to a place just up on US 66 called Nature's Acres. Mr. Hugh Davis, the owner, showed us alligators in a pond and an actual snake pit. Our assistant principal and P. E. teacher, Mr. Hough, got to pick up one of the venomous snakes because he knew how. (We all knew Mr. Hough was a tough guy. Conventional wisdom held that Mr. Hough had an electric paddle with holes to make it swing faster and hit harder.) Then we went into an ark (the Animal Reptile Kingdom) that housed a nature museum, where we had a snack (probably milk and cookies). The ARK was on dry land, but there was an unremarkable pond nearby.

A few years later that unremarkable pond was a public swimming hole, surrounded by a sandy beach, a restroom building that looked like a tropical grass hut, and whimsical picnic tables, and in the middle of it all, a big Blue Whale. You could walk in his mouth, slide down his fins, or jump off his tail into the water. Catoosa had no city pool; the Blue Whale was the place to cool off on hot summer days.

2012 is the Blue Whale's 40th birthday, and the community is throwing a 40th Birthday Bash, open to the public, this Friday night, September 7, 2012, from 6 pm to 9 pm. Cake and ice cream and blue punch will be served, and there will be a DJ and dancing. It should be a great celebration for Route 66 roadies and old-time Catoosans alike.

The night before, Thursday, September 6, 2012, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Blue will welcome the annual Blue Tie Affair, a fundraising banquet hosted by the Catoosa Arts and Tourism Society and catered by another Route 66 Catoosa icon, Molly's Landing. For a $50 donation, you get a steak dinner -- a Molly's Landing filet cooked on site with all the fixings. Dessert is Molly's famous bread pudding with Jack Daniels sauce. The Danny Baker Band will provide music and wineries will offer samples of their wares. Tickets are still available: Call 918-266-6042 or email the whale at bluewhalek2croute66@gmail.com.