by Steven Sibley of Sibley Insures, MBA/Health Care Administration

Sibley Insures is pleased to announce their strategic partnership with Mass Mutual of Oklahoma. Mike McCall, with Mass Mutual, serves as the primary Advisor on a team of professionals focused on retirement planning. “I am very excited to have both Steve and his wife Christina as a resource for our team.” Mike noted. “Our clients expect and deserve a high level of expertise and these two have it. Their input will ensure our clients have great, affordable healthcare, with ongoing support and advocacy throughout their retirement years.”
Sibley Insures is an independent insurance broker in Oklahoma City, specializing in Medicare and ancillary healthcare products. Steve, from Tulsa and licensed in Oklahoma, is a retired Air Force and Army veteran and holds an MBA with an emphasis in healthcare administration from MACU in OKC. He manages the business and their marketing. Christina is also licensed in Oklahoma and Kansas, where she is originally from. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Studies with an emphasis in Gerontology. She spends her time focused on consumer education, plan selection and advocacy for her clients.
Together, Steve and Christina bring a unique balance of healthcare planning experience to the table. She’s spent over 20 years as a caregiver in hands-on patient care; as an EMT, a Registered Medical Assistant in physicians’ practices, the supervisor of a homecare company and a healthcare sciences educator at the college level. She is all about patient and client care. Steve explains, “I tell people it’s like having someone in your corner with all this healthcare knowledge and experience, that just happens to be your favorite niece, and she will treat you like family.”
Steve’s career in the financial services industry started over 20 years ago. During that time he also served in the Army Reserve, as a weekend warrior and eventually as an active-duty reservist, ending his 36-year military career in September of 2017. “After retirement, I wanted to be an independent broker and add a focus on health insurance to my financial services business.” Christina agreed to join him in business, got licensed and once she discovered Medicare, she loved it. Steve ended up spending the next 3 years focused on supporting Christina in her Medicare business and becoming a house husband. However, he knew that eventually he wanted to get back into the field. “With my knowledge of both financial services and how Medicare works, I knew I could carve out a niche helping advisers and their clients get a real clear picture of healthcare costs in retirement and strategically plan for it.”
That is where Mike McCall comes in. He’s also an Army Veteran and as a financial services advisor has over 20 years of education enhanced skillsets and experience. He’s continued serving people in a specialty centered around income planning for retirement. “Life is always changing; therefore, the financial planning landscape is always evolving. I believe most people are so busy living life that they need someone at their side to help them navigate the challenges of creating sustainable income during retirement. That’s what I do and I share that responsibility myself and for my family. So, it is work I take seriously and it’s work I love.” In addition to Mike’s experience, the next most important part of his knowledge and growth has been his education. “I’m fortunate that Mass Mutual invests in my continuing education and I believe that pays dividends for my clients.” With a Degree in Management and Ethics from MACU here in OKC, he also holds the esteemed professional designations of: Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), and Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP). Mike’s a family man, with wife Joyce, a nurse at Baptist Hospital, and two adult sons.
“Our goal is to help people do for their families, what we would do for our own.” Mike points out. “We’ve developed a model for strategically guiding our clients through healthcare planning. We’ve also armed clients with a knowledgeable team of advocates, such as health insurance agents, who’ll guide them into the right Medicare and ancillary plans. An Advisor, who’ll skillfully recommend financial vehicles for healthcare savings to mitigate expenses not typically covered by insurance, and Attorneys, who’ll ensure the proper legal healthcare documents are put into place. Our clients can be confident they have a sound, strategic, flexible plan that works very well, which, while being affordable, offers a high level of coverage, that protects their most important assets, their health, wellness and wealth. We are looking for 2021 to be a great year for helping seniors in this area.” For more information contact Steven Sibley 405-850-1569, ssibleyinsures@gmail.com.

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), representing more than 14,000 nursing homes and assisted living communities across the country that provide care to approximately five million people each year, released the following statement in response to the pending COVID relief package.
The following statement is attributable to Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of AHCA/NCAL: “While we appreciate the difficulty in reaching a bipartisan compromise, we are disappointed that Congress could not strike a deal that recognizes the dire situation our long term care residents and staff are facing right now. Due to soaring community spread, nursing homes are experiencing a record-breaking number of cases and deaths—worse than the spring. Even with a vaccine on its way, it will likely take months to fully vaccinate our residents and staff, as well as the remaining public. Facilities will not be able to return to normal for some time, meaning providers need ongoing support with PPE, testing and staffing.
“Meanwhile, nearly two-thirds of long term care facilities are operating at a loss, and the additional funds slated for the Provider Relief Fund for all heath care providers in this legislation are minimal. Hundreds of facilities are in danger of closing their doors permanently and uprooting the frail seniors they care for. Congress must do more in the new year by directing specific aid to long term care. We owe it to our nation’s seniors and our health care heroes.”

Virtually connect with the Zoo’s endangered red pandas from home

Shake those winter blues as you enjoy live views of the Zoo’s red pandas! The Oklahoma City Zoo’s popular red panda cam returns giving animal lovers worldwide the opportunity to enjoy endless hours of watching the Zoo’s red pandas this winter. Experience a virtual visit to the OKC Zoo’s red panda habitat at Sanctuary Asia from your smartphone, computer or tablet to watch Thomas, 7, and his daughter, Khyana, 18-months, as they play, engage with their caretakers and enjoy their favorite weather season, winter!
Now through Sunday, February 28, 2021, get an exclusive real-time look at the Zoo’s red pandas with the Zoo’s red panda cam online at www.okczoo.org/redpandacam. The red panda cam will stream live daily with optimal viewing from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. of either Khyana or Thomas. Because red pandas are solitary by nature and Khyana has reached an age of maturity, she and Thomas do not share habitat space.
Khyana and her twin brother, Ravi, were born at the Zoo’s Sanctuary Asia habitat on June 2, 2019, to parents Thomas and Leela. Both Leela and Thomas arrived at the OKC Zoo in 2018 as part of the Red Panda Species Survival Plan™ (SSP). SSP programs were developed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to help oversee the husbandry and breeding management and, as a result, the sustainability of select animal species within AZA-member zoos and aquariums, including the OKC Zoo. Many of these programs help enhance conservation efforts of these species in the wild as well. This year, Leela and Ravi, relocated to other AZA-member zoos as part of the SSP program to help further contribute to the conservation of their species.
In October 2019, Khyana underwent an amputation of her hind, left leg, due to a congenital deformity. She continues to thrive and is extremely active, always exploring her surroundings. Khyana is also eager to engage with her caretakers through training sessions.
Known for being great climbers, red pandas spend most of their lives in trees, even sleeping in branches. Red pandas grow to be about the size of a typical house cat. Their bushy, ringed tails add about 18 inches to their length and serve as a type of blanket keeping them warm in cold mountain climates.
Though previously classified as a relative of the giant panda, and also of the raccoon, with which it shares a ringed tail, red pandas are currently considered members of their own unique taxonomic family—the Ailuridae. The red panda is listed as an endangered species. Only an estimated 10,000 remain in the wild, and their habitats in remote areas of the Himalayan Mountains, from Nepal to central China, are being threatened by deforestation, agriculture, cattle grazing and competition for resources.
Click on the Zoo’s red panda cam for all the cuteness you can stand! The Oklahoma City Zoo is open Thursday through Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with no public access on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Advance tickets are required for all guests and ZOOfriends members and can be purchased at www.okczoo.org/tickets. Zoo tickets are limited each day to maintain social distancing among guests.

Three Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientists were recently recognized for excellence at the American College of Rheumatology meeting, the world’s largest annual conference for the field.
OMRF senior research assistant Sherri Longobardi received the Sjögren’s Foundation’s Outstanding Abstract Award for her work in identifying new methods for diagnosing Sjögren’s syndrome, where immune cells attack moisture-producing glands, causing symptoms that include severe dry eyes and dry mouth, fatigue, joint pain and rashes. There are currently no approved treatments for the illness.
Current blood tests to diagnose Sjögren’s look for biomarkers found in just 60% of patients, making the disease challenging to detect, and a lip biopsy is often required to confirm a diagnosis. Since beginning her research in 2016, Longobardi has identified eight new markers, paving the way for a blood test with accuracy rates as high as 93%.
Darise Farris, Ph.D., who mentors Longobardi at OMRF and holds a $2.7 million Sjögren’s grant from the National Institutes of Health, noted the work is a major step forward in the field. “This a significant discovery that could better diagnose patients and save a large portion from a painful lip biopsy and extensive testing.”
OMRF scientists Eliza Chakravarty, M.D., and Melissa Munroe, M.D., Ph.D., were also recognized for outstanding abstracts at the meeting. Their separate projects focused on better understanding aspects of the autoimmune disease lupus.
Chakravarty helped lead a multi-site NIH trial to determine whether patients can safely stop taking a lupus medication — mycophenolate mofetil — associated with numerous side effects. The study determined that patients with stable disease may be able to stop the medication without added risk of disease flare.
Munroe’s project examined specific inflammatory and regulatory imbalances in the blood that may help clinicians better predict and identify which relatives of lupus patients will go on to develop the condition.
“The American College of Rheumatology meeting is a gathering of the brightest minds in the field,” said OMRF Vice President of Clinical Affairs Judith James, M.D., Ph.D. “The recognition of these investigators and their teams is yet another nod to OMRF’s critical work in understanding and treating autoimmune diseases.”

by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

After a career as a home builder, Gina Wallen-Conatser was happily retired.
But it seemed she kept hearing about a problem she just couldn’t shake.
Friends in the medical industry kept remarking how often seniors couldn’t make their scheduled appointments due to a lack of transportation.
Her parents in San Antonio would tell her stories about how unsafe it was to get around.
So with time on her hands, a problem to be solved and a family ready to help out she started Go Go Geezers, a ride service dedicated to helping people get around.
“We take seniors and people with disabilities to medical appointments, like dialysis and chemotherapy,” Wallen-Conatser said. “It helps keep people healthy and with early detection some illnesses may be prevented.”
“When people can get out and go on appointments, shopping and church, it helps with feelings of isolation. There is a sense of independence.”
Based in Yukon, Go Go Geezers traverses not only the metro but the state with enough notice.
“Covid has made transport a little more complicated,” she said. “We clean after every ride. We have plastic up that separates the driver from the rider. Drivers wear masks and gloves and we ask that riders wear masks.”
Drivers go through extensive training – CPR, defensive driver, passenger assistance, wheelchair ADA just to name a few.
“They treat the riders like family members,” Wallen-Conatser said. “They’re very careful. When the same drivers take the rider a couple times a week they build a friendship.”
Wallen-Conatser’s son, Blake, is a driver and partner. A customer remarked to her the other day they see him more than they see their own family
Wallen-Conatser loves the stories her drivers tell her. One of her driver’s told her a recent passenger noted her husband passed. She mentioned that a coffee would be nice but wouldn’t dream about drinking it in the new Go Go Geezer van. After the driver dropped her off to her appointment he returned at the appointed time with coffee and flowers.
Operations Manager Morgan called one night to tell her she had a rider who was going to the emergency room. Insurance normally covered their ride, but this time it wouldn’t.
Wallen-Conatser dispatched the Go Go Geezer van anyway to get her at 11:30 p.m. in a different town than normal.
“Everyday riders call and say wonderful things about all our drivers and dispatch,” she said. “When you book a ride with us, Morgan will call you the night before and verify reservation. Morgan gets to know the riders and she visits with them.”
“I tease her that she’s everyone’s granddaughter and best friend.”
Go Go Geezers took their first ride at the end of April. The service has grown to nine vehicles with three wheelchair vans.
“I want to keep growing and helping our community get to their appointments safely,” she said. “My family is in Texas and I would love to expand there. My goal is to keep hiring the best drivers who really care about the riders.”
“We can take anyone. You don’t have to be a senior or a person with disabilities,” she said. “We take riders all week long to work, or out to eat, church, shopping. We are children and pet-friendly. We have wheelchairs, walkers or car seats to use if needed. Our vehicles are new and clean.” For more information call 405-924-4248.

Story and photos by Darl DeVault

A retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel and dentist, Norman resident Stephen Reagan is expanding his daily volunteer work helping fellow veterans. For several years he has volunteered helping veterans file their VA claims at the Dale K. Graham Veterans Foundation. Now he is volunteering to help honor a long-deceased Oklahoma veteran—U.S. Navy Commander Ernest E. Evans, who earned the Medal of Honor for heroism in WWII.
Since its beginning, the veteran’s organization has helped more than 25,000 veterans file their benefits claims with the Veterans Administration. Its impact spans all 77 counties in Oklahoma, 45 states, and four foreign countries.
Segueing from helping at the foundation several mornings per week to raising funds to honor Muskogee High graduate Ernest Evans’ heroism has been a change of pace. Reagan, 74, plans to ramp up his fundraising efforts to find a suitable setting for a bronze bust of Evans in 2021.
“I was inspired to do this because Evans was the commander of the destroyer USS Johnston in the Battle off Samar where his heroic actions are as impressive as any war story I have ever heard,” Reagan said recently.
Fortunately, widely acclaimed Norman sculptor Paul Moore sees Reagan’s patriotic vision. He has sculpted the bust with the USS Johnston (DD 557) in miniature at the base in clay. This act of patriotism on Moore’s part gives Reagan’s mission a real boost of professional credibility.
Upon first learning of Evans’ heroism and Reagan’s mission to honor him, Moore was immediately on board, to use a nautical phrase. Evans’ bronze bust will be accompanied by an informational plaque on a granite pedestal. A clay model has already been completed. “I am grateful a talented and famous Oklahoma sculptor like Paul Moore sculpted the bronze bust,” Reagan said.
Of Native American heritage, Evans was largely forgotten in his home state because he left Oklahoma in the mid-1920s for the Navy. He only returned for visits with his mother and siblings in the Tulsa area. He was initially awarded the Navy Cross for his gallantry, but this was upgraded to our nation’s highest military distinction at the end of WWII.
His story of heroism first resonated with Reagan in 2008. “I read about Evans in an excellent book by James Hornfischer, The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors, which tells the story of one of the largest naval battles in history.”
The author describes the battle near the Philippine Islands in late October 1944. A Navy taskforce called Taffy 3 was assigned to protect the U.S. Army troops committed to the vital landing on the Philippines with General Douglas McArthur. Taffy 3 was to shield the vulnerable transports of the Leyte Gulf invasion fleet.
Taffy 3 consisted of six escort aircraft carriers (known as jeep carriers), three destroyers, and four destroyer escorts. The lightly armored, smallish escort carriers were lightly armed. They were built on commercial hulls, as platforms to launch aircraft. The destroyers and destroyer escorts were assigned to protect the escort carriers.
Early in the morning of October 25, off the island of Samar, the Imperial Japanese Navy “Center Force A” appeared on the horizon with no warning.
The Japanese force consisted of 23 ships, including four battleships and six heavy cruisers. Led by the super battleship Yamato, the largest and most-heavily gunned ship ever built, the Japanese display of force strength was a daunting sight.
This battle has been cited by naval historians as one of the greatest mismatches in history. Taffy 3 was there to provide the landings shore support and screen as an anti-submarine patrol. The group was never envisioned as a force capable of mounting fleet-level combat with battleships.
The USS Johnston, a Fletcher-class destroyer under Commander Evans, was the first American ship to attack the Japanese fleet. Without being ordered to attack, Evans sailed straight for the enemy against impossible odds. It was a suicide mission.
This bravery was foretold during the Johnston’s commissioning ceremony in October of 1943. New Commanding Officer Evans told sailors assigned to the ship: “This is going to be a fighting ship. I intend to go in harm’s way, and anyone who doesn’t want to go along had better get off right now.” His sailors remained at their stations.
He ordered a smoke screen to protect himself and the rest of Taffy 3 and the wind made it effective. He first made a torpedo run toward a Japanese heavy cruiser and sank it. Being the first to attack, all this time the Johnston was taking heavy shell fire. Out of torpedoes, Evans continued to attack the Japanese with his five-inch guns.
After about two hours of fighting, the Johnston’s steering was knocked out as well as its communications. Wounded when the ship’s bridge was destroyed, Evans moved to the rear of the ship. From the fantail he controlled the ship by shouting orders through an open hatch to sailors turning the rudder by hand below.
A short while later the Johnston was dead in the water. Three hours after the battle began, a Japanese ship approached to point blank range and sank the destroyer. But by then the delaying action by the Johnston’s heroic crew and the sailors of the other small fighting ships had allowed all but one the jeep carriers to escape. The escort aircraft carrier USS Gambier Bay was sunk.
“This brief description doesn’t do justice to the heroism of Evans and his crew,” Reagan said. “The USS Johnston, with the other ships and planes of Taffy 3, fought so fiercely they surprised the Japanese. They thought they were fighting a much larger American force and retreated.”
Evans went down with his ship. His body was never recovered. Late in 1945 he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions. His widow accepted the award in a ceremony near San Diego.
His actions and those of many other sailors and pilots of Taffy 3 saved the Navy from a near disaster. In addition to all earning Presidential Unit Citations, the sailors and pilots earned 22 Navy Crosses, 2 Silver Stars and 2 Bronze Stars for valor in combat operations.
Inducted into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame in 2009, Evans received little recognition in Muskogee and in the state until this year. The Oklahoma Historical Society published a long-overdue account of his life and heroics in a 2010 issue of the society’s historical journal, Chronicles of Oklahoma.
On Veterans Day this year Oklahoma City unveiled the Oklahoma Medal of Honor Memorial at the new 27-acre Manuel Perez Park, named for a MOH winner. Evan’s valiant fighting spirit throughout his historic naval battle is honored at the plaza there with the 32 other Oklahomans who have earned the Medal of Honor.
Commander Evans graduated from Muskogee High School in 1926 and joined the Navy as an enlisted sailor. He then made his way to the Naval Academy where in 1931 he become one of the first Native Americans to graduate. At the academy he was nicknamed “Chief.” Serving in the fleet as a junior officer, he steadily advanced in rank to commanding the Johnston in 1944.
Reagan wants to see Evans honored with a bronze bust and historic marker on a pedestal. He hopes to place it in an appropriate setting. War Memorial Park in Muskogee would be one of his choices. The bronze bust, set on a base by Willis Granite of Granite, Okla., is envisioned as a patriotic fixture in Muskogee.
Reagan was born in Norman and raised in Claremore, Okla. He attended Cameron College and the University of Arkansas, playing baseball. He joined the U.S. Air Force for four years, then graduated dental school at the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry. He went on to serve in the Air Force for a total of 20 years.
He returned to Oklahoma to teach at the OU College of Dentistry for 20 years, where he was director of the Advanced General Dentistry Program. He has been married to his wife, Alice, for 52 years.
The cost of the project is near $40,000 for the bronze bust by Moore and the granite base. Willis Granite will do the installation. As an outdoor display, the City of Muskogee would need to provide a concrete base.

Oklahomans should feel confident in receiving either of the vaccines.
Still, we know there is a lot of mis-information out there. The Mayo Clinic debunks many of the most common myths below.
Myth: The COVID-19 vaccine is not safe because it was rapidly developed and tested.
Fact: Many pharmaceutical companies invested significant resources into quickly developing a vaccine for COVID-19 because of the world-wide impact of the pandemic. The emergency situation warranted an emergency response but that does not mean that companies bypassed safety protocols or perform adequate testing.
To receive emergency use authorization, the biopharmaceutical manufacturer must have followed at least half of the study participants for at least two months after completing the vaccination series, and the vaccine must be proven safe and effective in that population. In addition to the safety review by the FDA, the Advisory Committee on Immunization has convened a panel of vaccine safety experts to independently evaluate the safety data from the clinical trials. The safety of the COVID-19 vaccine will continue to be closely monitored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA.
Myth: I already had COVID-19 and recovered, so I don’t need to get a COVID-19 vaccine when it’s available.
Fact: There is not enough information currently available to say if or for how long after infection someone is protected from getting COVID-19 again. This is called natural immunity. Early evidence suggests natural immunity from COVID-19 may not last very long, but more studies are needed to better understand this. Mayo Clinic recommends getting the COVID-19 vaccine, even if you’ve had COVID-19 previously. However, those that had COVID-19 should delay vaccination until about 90 days from diagnosis. People should not get vaccinated if in quarantine after exposure or if they have COVID-19 symptoms.
Myth: There are severe side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines.
Fact: There are short-term mild or moderate vaccine reactions that resolve without complication or injury. Keep in mind that these side effects are indicators that your immune system is responding to the vaccine and are common when receiving vaccines.
Myth: I won’t need to wear a mask after I get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Fact: It may take time for everyone who wants a COVID-19 vaccination to get one. Also, while the vaccine may prevent you from getting sick, it is unknown at this time if you can still carry and transmit the virus to others. Until more is understood about how well the vaccine works, continuing with precautions such as mask-wearing and physical distancing will be important.
Myth: More people will die as a result of a negative side effect to the COVID-19 vaccine than would actually die from the virus.
Fact: Circulating on social media is the claim that COVID-19’s mortality rate is 1%-2% and that people should not be vaccinated against a virus with a high survival rate. However, a 1% mortality rate is 10 times more lethal than the seasonal flu. In addition, the mortality rate can vary widely and is influenced by age, sex and underlying health condition.
You cannot get COVID-19 infection from the COVID-19 vaccines; they are inactivated vaccines and not live vaccines.
While no vaccine is 100% effective, they are far better than not getting a vaccine. The benefits certainly outweigh the risks in healthy people.
Myth: The COVID-19 vaccine was developed as a way to control the general population either through microchip tracking or nano transducers in our brains.
Fact: There is no vaccine “microchip” and the vaccine will not track people or gather personal information into a database. This myth started after comments made by Bill Gates from The Gates Foundation about a digital certificate of vaccine records. The technology he was referencing is not a microchip, has not been implemented in any manner and is not tied to the development, testing or distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Myth: The COVID-19 vaccine will alter my DNA.
Fact: Injecting mRNA into your body will not interact or do anything to the DNA of your cells. Human cells break down and get rid of the mRNA soon after they have finished using the instructions.
Myth: The COVID-19 vaccines were developed using fetal tissue.
Fact: Current mRNA COVID-19 vaccines were not created with and do not require the use of fetal cell cultures in the production process.
INTEGRIS Health is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.

Photography and Text by Terry “Travels with Terry” Zinn t4z@aol.com

In the Oklahoma region many of us over the years have visited Wichita, Kansas, for a theatrical event at Century Two or to see the Chisholm Trail, or to just get a bit of Western atmosphere. I too have, over the years, visited Wichita and on a recent visit was surprised at the additions to this vibrant city. And as last month I suggested you visit Dodge City, you might as well take about a two hour drive on over to Wichita, before or after your Dodge City visit. Not recommending travel at the moment, but it’s fun to explore and plan for the new year. And remember to check current times and conditions on venues you plan to visit.
My home base was the Ambassador Hotel, an Autograph Collection Hotel, (https://ambassadorwichitaks.com) where the modern black and gray and chrome atmosphere welcomes the well-worn traveler seeking a step up from the ordinary. Located downtown with convenient self-parking and an expansive room with courteous attendants and city views, the Ambassador promises a surprise upscale experience. While I requested long in advance for one of their ADA rooms, there was no bench or chair in the walk-in shower. I re-requested such from the front desk, and by the next day, with some bumps in the road, was happily accommodated.
The hotel staff was very good in following through with requests. I only wish the food and beverage side of the hotel had not disappointed. The steak and unique charred Caesar salad were exceptional at the Siena Tuscan Steakhouse, however they did not honor a coupon., They gave me a drink coupon for the downstairs pseudo speak easy. Even after talking to the Food and Beverage manager and crew it was not accepted, even though my server agreed the coupon was misleading – almost a bait and switch situation. I did not mind paying for my drink, but the experience left a bad farewell feeling for the hotel, as I was leaving the next day. Just a heads up, as I tell it like I experience in all my travel articles. So when I say “I’m impressed,” you know it.
About a block from the hotel is the Roxy Theater, (www.roxysdowntown.com) with a disguised rear entrance for the uninitiated, to a funky building housing a dinner theater. The food was acceptable for Dinner Theater fare and their production of Avenue Q, was one of the best I have seen. The wait staff had more tables than they could easily accommodate. I’d recommend the Roxy, now you know what to expect.
A pleasant unexpected surprise is the Tanganyika Wildlife Park (www.twpark.com) where wild animals including a plethora of giraffes, a Rhino, a variety of primates are among the surprises. Roaming the expansive grounds, even during a rain shower is a recommended experience where you can slow down and enjoy nature and its creations.
Who’d think that there was a goat farm in Kansas that also served adult beverages and farm to table gourmet lunches which is Elderslie Farm. (https://eldersliefarm.com) Being a family owned operation from chef to owner tour guide, the home-grown sincerity rang throughout the farm, from goat milking and cheese making to the wood working of heritage wood into tables, shelves and doors. Admiration goes out to Elderslie Farm for their preservation of tender loving care and investment in preservation. They even have a large blackberry patch that is a community pick and share in June. The season for blackberries is brief – influenced heavily by the unpredictable spring weather. Reserve a tour and luncheon here – you will be surprised.
Talk about surprises, two dining establishments blew my critical socks off. Georges, a true French bistro, (http://georgesfrenchbistro.com/) located in an unprepossessing strip mall, will delight your taste buds. My luncheon Martini and Prosciutto Eggs Benedict with truffle frites, was accented by the continental waiter and the chatter of the accompanying “ladies who lunch,” who find this their congenial gathering place.
6Steakhouse, (www.6ssteakhouse.com) located out near the Zoo and offering lake front views, is an upscale dining experience not to be passed by. An aged steak prepared to my specification, even with a second “more heat” request, was memorable. What they call creamed corn is a unique roasted corn medley, from which you could make an entire meal. A relatively new establishment promises many years of good times with their sleek upscale interior dining and even an added education into the ageing of fine beef, I found enlightening. (if you say “6S” fast enough it can sound like, success.)
Of course, Wichita is known for its Keeper or the Plains symbolic statue with its reflections in the river, is still an attraction to be viewed anytime.
The veteran The Museum of World Treasures, warehouse style building https://worldtreasures.org is a long-time Wichita resident. It offers mainly replicas of world history documents and artifacts, (including Custer’s button up fly underwear). Seeing many letters of world figures and artifacts can be quite educational for the youth, along with the ever-popular T-Rex skeleton. Also you can enjoy the gardens of Botanica (https://botanica.org) and the restored WWII B29 bomber at B-29 Doc Hangar and Educational Center (www.b29doc.com) .
The best surprise of all was the Wichita Art Museum’s (www.wichitaartmuseum.org) limited showing of what could be called the most comprehensive overview of the Works and Life of Georgia O’Keeffe. Having seen many exhibitions of her work, I was delighted to see her paintings and timeline juxtaposed with her actual artifacts and many of her dresses. While this exhibit is over another intriguing exhibit is “Foot In the Door” photographs from local Wichita residents through April 18, 2021. Staged in conjunction with the Wichita Art Museum’s 85th Anniversary, “the exhibition is an opportunity to recognize Wichita artists and make them feel welcomed and loved at their art museum. They are critical to the lifeblood at WAM,” says director Dr. Patricia McDonnell.
To help with your Wichita surprises contact them at: www.visitwichita.com

Mr. Terry Zinn – Travel Editor
Past President: International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association
3110 N.W. 15 Street – Oklahoma City, OK 73107
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* As of this advisory, there are 283,781 cases of COVID-19 in Oklahoma.
* 2,594 is today’s 7-day rolling average for the number of new cases reported.
* There are 22 additional deaths identified to report.
* Two in Cleveland County, one female in the 65 or older age group, one male in the 65 or older age group.
* One in Creek County, one male in the 65 or older age group.
* One in Garfield County, one male in the 65 or older age group.
* One in Grady County, one male in the 65 or older age group.
* One in Kay County, one female in the 65 or older age group.
* One in Love County, one female in the 50-64 age group.
* One in McClain County, one female in the 65 or older age group.
* One in McCurtain County, one male in the 65 or older age group.
* Eight in Oklahoma County, three females in the 65 or older age group, one male in the 18-35 age group, one male in the 50-64 age group, three males in the 65 or older age group.
* One in Pontotoc County, one male in the 65 or older age group.
* Three in Tulsa County, one female in the 65 or older age group, two males in the 65 or older age group.
* One in Woods County, one female in the 65 or older age group.
* There are 2,405 total deaths in the state.
* Additional hospitalization data can be found in the Hospital Tiers report, published evenings Monday through Friday.
* For more information, visit https://oklahoma.gov/covid19.html.

*The total includes laboratory information provided to OSDH at the time of the report. As a result, counts are subject to change. Total counts may not reflect unique individuals.
***The purpose of publishing aggregated statistical COVID-19 data through the OSDH Dashboard, the Executive Order Report, and the Weekly Epidemiology and Surveillance Report is to support the needs of the general public in receiving important and necessary information regarding the state of the health and safety of the citizens of Oklahoma. These resources may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be used in any way that would determine the identity of any reported cases.
Data Source: Acute Disease Service, Oklahoma State Department of Health. *As of 2020-12-29 at 7:00 a.m.

The following statement is attributable to Ernest J. Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN, President, American Nurses Association (ANA):
“To claim that health care professionals are inflating the number of COVID-19 cases or deaths to make more money is outrageous, baseless, and dangerous.
Nurses, physicians, and other frontline health care workers have endured brutally long shifts covered in stifling personal protective equipment (PPE). Others have faced long days and weeks caring for COVID-19 patients, working without sufficient PPE, or forced to reuse PPE multiple times, increasing their risk of infection, or bringing the virus home to those they love, illness and even death.
More than 350 nurses in the United States have died as a result of COVID-19, many others have been infected and hospitalized. All have faced extreme stress and mental anguish.
As cases and hospitalizations surge across this country, our nation’s leaders have a responsibility to call for and model public health measures to stem the spread of the disease. They should follow science and the guidance of health care professionals.
Nurses, physicians, and other frontline health care workers have demonstrated courage, commitment, and grit in responding to this pandemic, risking their own health and safety to care for others. To try to slander or place blame on these dedicated health care professionals is a shameless, blatant lie.”