by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

Growing up with four siblings, Christmas was always a very special time for Sharon Smith-Davis, RN. Lots of fun, lots of games and lots of family always made the season one she would look forward to all year long.
Christmas in the Smith-Davis household meant attending Midnight Mass before coming home to eat and open presents.
It was a night filled with wonderment – and to Smith-Davis – one bursting with magic.
That’s why decades later the Norman Regional Health System nurse decided she needed to capture that magic and pass it on by writing her first book, The Legend of the Reindeer Shoes.
“I tapped into something I had been thinking about,” she said. “I just wanted to leave behind for future generations some good, old-fashioned Christmas magic.”
The Legend of the Reindeer Shoes is a tribute to the tradition of that Christmas magic. This delightful story chronicles the preparation and journey of Santa and his reindeer on Christmas Eve and introduces Jingle, the North Pole’s blacksmith.
According to the legend, the reindeer need shoes on their hooves before they can leave on their famous flight. During the trip their shoes are in frequent need of repair and replacing if lost.
Jingle is there to attend to their needs and assure that the reindeer have a full set of shoes on their hooves for the job ahead.
The story reveals that the reindeer shoe itself is a magical source and if you are lucky enough to find one and hang it from your Christmas tree, you too will experience a little bit of good old fashioned Christmas magic.
Smith-Davis wants everyone to make Christmas Eve a memorable family tradition but it took a devastating accident to settle her down long enough to put what was in her head and her heart down onto paper.
Smith-Davis had long written poetry just for herself but a professional barrel riding accident in 1997 on her sport’s largest stage that unsaddled her from her best friend.
The five-time National Finals Rodeo competitor was separated briefly from riding due to a personal injury and found herself alone with her thoughts.
Looking to occupy her time, she turned her attention to writing a book. Her leg fracture was long healed by the time she completed her labor of love.
It took an entire year from start to finish to complete the book.
They say write what you know and Smith-Davis did.
The reindeer’s eyes are drawn from one of her best quarterhorses.
The reindeer shoes were originally forged by a six-time world champion blacksmith and then sent onto a toy factory to create the molds.
When she’s not working you can find Smith-Davis reading her book at local schools.
“I always ask my kids ‘did my book make you smile,’” said Smith-Davis, who still competes locally. “When I see that smile it’s all good.”
“My big hope for it is to maybe one day be made into a traditional Christmas movie.”
Labors of love can be expensive. She poured $20,000 into the venture through illustration and publishing costs alone.
But it’s all worth it to her.
It was years later Smith-Davis realized how much her mother, a registered nurse herself, put into the whole night before getting up early to work her shift on Christmas Day.
It was just one of the memories that came to her when her mother passed away last week.
That selfless love is part of the season to Smith-Davis, who already has her thoughts swirling around her next book, an Easter theme to go with her love of rabbits.
When she’s not writing she’s working at one of Norman Regional’s campus as a flex nurse, drawing a new assignment, new unit and new campus each shift.
“I love nursing,” Smith-Davis said. “I love the science part of it. I like maintaining healthcare standards and assuring that people get quality care.”
From home health to supervisor of a medical surgical floor Smith-Davis has worked in every setting outside of women’s and children’s services during her nursing career.
After 35 years she can recover a heart or take pretty much any post-op patient that comes her way.
And she still loves it.
“I love my boss,” Smith-Davis said. “I just like – as the work implies – the flexibility. You don’t go to the same place every day. I learn something new every day and I’m amongst the most experienced people that are awesome to work with. And we’re blessed to have the quality of doctors we have.”
“I love it all.”
You can buy the Legend of the Reindeer Shoes book and a magical pair of reindeer shoes online at www.reindeershoes.com. You can also contact her directly through the website.
And her greatest hope is that your family will make its own holiday tradition and the magic returns each and every year.

Dear Savvy Senior, What types of discounts are available to baby boomers, at what age do they kick in, and what’s the best way to go about finding them? Almost 50

Dear Almost,
One of the great perks of growing older in America is the many discounts that are available to boomers and seniors.
There are literally thousands of discounts on a wide variety of products and services including restaurants, grocery stores, travel and lodging, entertainment, retail and apparel, health and beauty, automotive services and much more. These discounts – typically ranging between 5 and 25 percent off – can add up to save you hundreds of dollars each year.
So, if you don’t mind admitting your age, here are some tips and tools to help you find the discounts you may be eligible for.
Always Ask
The first thing to know is that most businesses don’t advertise them, but many give senior discounts just for the asking, so don’t be shy.
You also need to know that while some discounts are available as soon as you turn 50, many others may not kick in until you turn 55, 60, 62 or 65.
Search Online
Because senior discounts frequently change and can vary depending on where you live and the time of the year, the Internet is the easiest way to help you locate them.
To do a search, start by visiting SeniorDiscounts.com, which lists thousands of discounts that you can search for by city and state, and by the category you’re interested in, for free.
You can also look for discounts at TheSeniorList.com, which provides a large list of national and regional business chains that offer them, or you can Google them individually. Just go to Google.com and type in the business or organization you’re curious about, followed by “senior discount” or “senior discount tickets.”
If you use a smartphone, another tool is the Sciddy app (see Sciddy.com) that lets you search for senior discounts and can send you alerts when you’re at an establishment that offers them.
Join a Club
Another good avenue to senior discounts is through membership organizations like AARP, which offers its 50 and older members a wide variety of discounts through affiliate businesses (see AARPdiscounts.com).
If, however, you’re not the AARP type, there are other alternative organizations you can join that also provide discounts such as The Seniors Coalition or the American Seniors Association. Or, for federal workers, there’s the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association.
Types of Discounts
Here’s an abbreviated rundown of some of the different types of discounts you can expect to find.
Restaurants: Senior discounts are common at restaurants and fast food establishments – like Burger King, Chick-fil-A, Subway, Wendy’s, Applebee’s and Golden Corral – ranging from free/discounted drinks, to discounts off your total order.
Retailers: Many thrift stores like Goodwill, and certain retailers like Banana Republic, Kohl’s, Michaels and Ross stores offer a break to seniors on certain days of the week.
Supermarkets: Many locally owned grocery stores offer senior discount programs, as do some chains like Albertsons, Kroger, Publix and Fry’s Supermarkets, which offer some discounts on certain days of the week but they vary by location.
Travel: Southwest Airlines provide the best senior fares in the U.S. to passengers 65 and older, while Amtrak offers a 15 percent discount and Greyhound offers 5 percent off to travelers over 62. Most car rental companies provide discounts to customers who belong to organizations like AARP. Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Carnival cruise lines offer discount rates to cruisers 55 and over. And, most hotels offer senior discounts, usually ranging from 10 to 30 percent.
Entertainment: Most movie theaters, museums, golf courses, ski slopes and other public entertainment venues provide reduced admission to seniors over 60 or 65. And the National Park Service offers a lifetime pass for those 62 and up for $10 (see nps.gov/findapark/passes.htm).
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

Bone and Joint Hospital at St. Anthony is the first in Oklahoma to offer the Mako Total Knee procedure. Performed using the Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery System, the Mako system is a surgeon-controlled robotic arm technology that enables more accurate alignment and placement of implants.
The Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery System provides three dimensional pre-surgical planning, as it details the technique for bone preparation as well as a customized approach. “The Mako Total Knee procedure is an innovative technique available to patients who suffer from degenerative knee diseases such as osteoarthritis. It enables surgeons to personalize the total knee procedure to achieve optimal results,” said Corey Ponder, M.D., orthopedic surgeon at Bone and Joint Hospital at St. Anthony.
Using the robotic-arm technology allows the surgeon to precisely execute the procedure based on an individualized CT scan of each patient’s own unique anatomy. During the Mako Total Knee procedure the robotic-arm assisted surgery system provides visualization of the joint and biochemical data, to guide the bone preparation and implant positioning to match the pre-surgical plan.
“Bone and Joint Hospital at St. Anthony is proud to be the first in Oklahoma to have this innovative technology. It is part of our commitment to provide our community with the best care possible,” said Dr. Ponder.

by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

Norman Regional Health System Lung Navigator Sherri Jo Johnson, RN, is a cancer survivor.
That trauma is permanently ingrained in her mind as well as her DNA.
So she wants to do everything possible to make sure that everyone she reaches has a fighting chance against cancer.
It’s a major reason why she’s involved in the health system’s new low-dose CT lung scan program.
Phillip Dobbs is the manager of diagnostic imaging services and a key player in the new screening.
Dobbs explained that the screening tool reduces the amount of radiation to the patient versus a normal chest CT by 90 percent.
“But the protocol we use we are able to detect even the smallest nodules down to just a few millimeters,” Dobbs said. “The radiologist can look at that and only about five percent of nodules end up being cancerous.”
The peace of mind that monitoring carries with it is worth its weight in goal.
“Six months after any scan I’m fantastic,” Johnson says of her mindset while she’s in remission.
The program has been under development for two years.
The screenings involve pathologists, radiologists, oncologists, a nurse navigator, and thoracic surgery.
“A lot of people have to be at the table,” Mobbs said.
But the whole process can begin simply with a phone call to make an appointment to come in. No referrals are required. No insurance is billed with a cost of $79.
After the test is done, the results go to Johnson. Based on a radiological assessment scale Johnson can determine if the patient needs to return at three months, six months, 12 months or needs to progress faster.
“I put it into my system and I’m virtually you’re reminder,” Johnson said. “If you are intentionally coming in to get it done you’re a lot easier to track because you’re actually wanting us to watch this for you.”
Monitoring is power, especially when dealing with lung cancer.
“Most cancers are found in Stages III and IV when we don’t have very many opportunities to do anything about it.”
Johnson said often cancers that are found in the later stages are accompanied by previous CT scans when the patient or provider failed to follow up on nodules that were noted.
“Whenever it’s brought to them in a nonchalant way it doesn’t have the same importance,” Johnson said.
Johnson says anyone who is a previous smoker, spouse of a smoker or anyone who has been around second-hand smoke for an extended period of time needs to have a scan done. Lung cancer is by far the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women; about 1 out of 4 cancer deaths are from lung cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, each year, more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined.
Lung cancer mainly occurs in older people. About 2 out of 3 people diagnosed with lung cancer are 65 or older, while less than 2% are younger than 45. The average age at the time of diagnosis is about 70.
Overall, the chance that a man will develop lung cancer in his lifetime is about 1 in 14; for a woman, the risk is about 1 in 17. These numbers include both smokers and non-smokers. For smokers the risk is much higher,
Black men are about 20% more likely to develop lung cancer than white men. The rate is about 10% lower in black women than in white women. Both black and white women have lower rates than men, but the gap is closing.
The lung cancer rate has been dropping among men over the past few decades, but only for about the last decade in women.
Statistics on survival in people with lung cancer vary depending on the stage (extent) of the cancer when it is diagnosed.
Despite the very serious prognosis of lung cancer, some people with earlier stage cancers are cured. More than 430,000 people alive today have been diagnosed with lung cancer at some point. The American Lung Association is trying to draw more attention to early screening because one reason why lung cancer is so serious is because by the time you have symptoms, it may already have spread and become more difficult to treat.
The Association cites a study that between a chest x-ray, sputum cytology and low-dose CT scans, only the low-dose CT (LDCT) scan reduced the risk of dying from lung cancer in high-risk populations.

With a new year comes a time for reflection and a time to look to the future. This should hold true with your insurance coverage. While your insurance policy for your home or apartment should provide a sense of security; the new year is a great opportunity to make sure that your sense of security is well founded.
According to a survey by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), more than half of Americans don’t have a list of their possessions. Without an accurate inventory, you may not have the right home or rental insurance coverage. The things you own change constantly – new TV here, new bedroom furniture there – so you need to update your home inventory every year. Without an accurate inventory, you may forget to claim items lost in a fire, tornado or other covered peril.
There are many ways to create a home inventory. You can create a paper copy and write things down room-by-room. We’ve created this file to help you do it. Additionally, you can use a free home inventory app to capture images, descriptions, bar codes and serial numbers of your possessions. Be sure to share the inventory with your agent or insurer. Periodically update the list as you acquire new things.
Do you understand your policy? A standard homeowner or rental insurance policy contains four parts: *declarations page *the insuring agreement *exclusions section *general conditions
A standard homeowners or renters policy generally provides coverage for either the actual cash value or replacement value of your property. After a loss, you will always have to pay your deductible as outlined in your policy.
Rental insurance is different from homeowners insurance in that rental policies only insure the contents of the home, not the structure. Policies vary from company to company, so be sure you read — and understand — yours.
Am I covered if someone breaks in and steals my stuff?
Most standard homeowners and renters insurance policies cover items that have been stolen (up to your policy limits). Be aware that certain categories like jewelry, antiques, art, firearms and other items often have relatively small limits unless you purchase additional coverage.
What if there’s a fire? A typical policy will issue payment to replace or repair anything inside the home damaged by flames, smoke, soot and ash. While losses from fire and lightning are usually covered, don’t be surprised if your insurance company asks for an inventory. The company is only required to pay for personal property you can prove you owned at the time of loss.
My home flooded, now what? Homeowners and renters policies do not offer protection against flood losses. Flood insurance is available through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). If you live in a city or county that does not participate in the NFIP, you can also find flood insurance through the surplus lines market. Your insurance agent can find those policies.
What about natural disasters like earthquakes and tornadoes?
Damage caused by earthquakes is not covered in a standard homeowners or renters policy. If you want earthquake coverage, you can either add it for an extra premium or, if your insurance company doesn’t offer the coverage, you can purchase a separate earthquake policy. Be sure to understand the coverage and deductibles before buying the policy. Some policies exclude masonry damage but all earthquake coverage carries a deductible equal to 5-20 percent of your home’s value.
What else isn’t typically covered? Hazards that are not usually covered include: war, nuclear accident, landslide, mudslide, sinkhole, pollution and acts of terrorism. Read your policy and speak with your agent or insurer for a complete list of excluded perils.
If you don’t understand parts of your policy, ask your agent, your attorney or your insurance company for assistance.
For more insurance information, contact the Oklahoma Insurance Department at 1-800-522-0071 or visit our website at www.oid.ok.gov.

Several members of the Edmond Senior Center’s “Tap For Fun” class kicked off this year’s holiday season with their 10th Annual Holiday Tap Dance Performance, held at the senior center on December 14, 2016.
The fun-loving senior tappers performed six very lively tap dances and – by popular demand from their delighted audience – an encore tap dance to “Let It Snow”.
Men and women, ages 55+, are welcome to participate in the “Tap For Fun” class. For more information about the class, call the Edmond Senior Center, 216-7600.

A national rural health organization has chosen Mercy Hospital Watonga as a “Community Star” for its commitment to area residents.
The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) selected 50 rural hospitals across the nation, and Mercy Hospital Watonga was the only hospital in Oklahoma to make the list.
“It is an honor,” said Bobby Stitt, who has served as administrator at Mercy Hospital Watonga since 2012. “In the face of what has been a difficult economy for rural health care, this shows our long-standing commitment to the community and our willingness to serve the people of Watonga.”
Each year, the hospital organizes a holiday season basket drive and collects food, clothes and toys for area families in need. In the summer, Mercy Hospital Watonga hosts a neighborhood block party, complete with a bouncy house, food and games. But it is the hospital’s work with local middle school students that received the attention of the NOSORH. Through a program called “Life Wise,” volunteers help students develop life skills such as better decision-making, communications and relationship-building.
“We’ve really tried to create a space in the community where kids feel safe contacting somebody from the hospital and using our resources,” said Robert Pearson, a native of Watonga who serves as Mercy’s emergency preparedness and safety officer. “We want to help them identify healthy choices in their lives to steer them away from the typical things that get kids in trouble.”
The program meets weekly at the hospital for six weeks in the fall and spring. Since starting two years ago, Stitt estimates hundreds of middle school students have been helped.
“The kids love it and they continually ask to come back,” Stitt said. “It’s a great way to make an impact in our community and with our children.”
The honor caps off a year of awards for Mercy Hospital Watonga.
In August, the hospital earned “Excellence Recognition” for reaching the highest standards in health and prevention for their employees, and the “Gold Apple” award for nutritional food options for co-workers and patients. Both awards were given by WorkHealthy Hospitals, an Oklahoma Hospital Association (OHA) initiative. The hospital was also recognized by the OHA for providing more than 96-percent of co-workers with the influenza vaccine during last year’s flu season.

LeadingAge Oklahoma Executive Director Mary Brinkley recently announced that 45 nursing homes throughout the state have received national certification in the MUSIC & MEMORY program and will take part in this new program that uses personalized music to assist residents with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias.
In an effort to improve the quality of life for people suffering from dementia, a personalized music program is now available to 2,000 nursing home residents in 100 skilled nursing homes in Oklahoma. The two and half year project will use iPods to re-introduce nursing home residents to their favorite, personalized music to improve their day-to-day life and assist in reducing medication usage. Phase 2 of the program will begin next Spring for the remaining 55 nursing homes. The LeadingAge Oklahoma Music for the Ages initiative is part of the national MUSIC AND MEMORY program developed to train nursing home staff to create personalized music. The grant through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Oklahoma State Department of Health will enable residents to listen to their favorite music and be able to recall memories that haven’t been lost to their disease. This has an uplifting affect that improves their spirits, and allows them to be responsive, cooperative, and engaged with family, friends, staff and other community members. “Increasing a person’s ability to positively interact with others through the power of music is really priceless,” said Brinkley. “We’re pulling from their past – music that made them feel happy or made them joyful and triggers good memories.” “The music has a connection to the emotion system. It’s sort of a back door to the mind, and that’s why people come alive.” Program Director, Denise Clemonds said, “LeadingAge Oklahoma will host monthly support sessions for nursing homes to discuss successes, solve challenges and receive additional training.” Nursing homes will receive start up equipment, certification and also participate in a research study to measure the effectiveness of the program. The results of the study will be used for future planning. “We are gratified that so many of the nursing homes across the state will participate in what we believe is a landmark program in the treatment of people with dementia”, said Brinkley.
“Music has long been known as a powerful tool for stimulating memory, and this new program in Oklahoma nursing homes is harnessing that power to improve the lives of residents with advanced dementia,” said Brinkley. “Our brains are hard-wired to connect music with long-term memory. People with dementia, Parkinson’s disease and other diseases that damage brain chemistry can reconnect to the world and gain improved quality of life from listening to personal music favorites.” MUSIC & MEMORY founder Dan Cohen used thorough neuroscience research to create the program which has been shown to enhance the lives of residents with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias by: „* Reducing the reliance on anti-psychotic and anti-anxiety medication „* Reducing agitation and “sun-downing” „* Enhancing engagement and socialization, in turn fostering a calmer social environment * Increasing pleasure to persons with dementia „* Increasing cooperation and attention of patients „* Boosting staff morale by reducing resident resistance to care „* Increasing fulfilling engagements among the residents, staff, family, friends, and their community.
“LeadingAge Oklahoma is the first long-term care provider association in the country to develop its own program based on Cohen’s program,” said Brinkley.
LeadingAge Oklahoma plans to expand Music for the Ages initiative this spring to include a total of 100 nursing homes in the project.
For additional information about the Music for the Ages, go to: LeadingAge Oklahoma For the list of Oklahoma nursing homes participating in the program, go to: http://leadingageok.org/music-for-the-ages

A former Tulsa insurance agent was charged Thursday with embezzling more than $64,000. The charges are the result of a joint investigation by the Oklahoma Insurance Department and the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office. The Oklahoma Department of Securities also assisted with the case.
“I have zero tolerance for agents who break the law,” said Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak. “Insurance-related crimes often lead to higher premiums for everyone. I commend the excellent work done by our Anti-Fraud Unit and the Attorney General’s Office on this case. These charges send a message that crimes like this will be discovered and the perpetrators will be prosecuted.”
Michael W. Hefner, 47, is accused of transferring money from a company bank account to a second bank account only he controlled. The company bank account was only supposed to be used to deposit premium payments Hefner collected before the funds were remitted to the insurer. Investigators found more than a dozen illegal transactions between January 2012 and May 2015. Hefner spent the money at casinos, grocery stores and gas stations. He also used it to pay bills for personal loans, utilities, child care, a storage unit and auto insurance.
The Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office will serve as lead prosecutors in this case. Hefner has been charged with 15 counts of embezzlement. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.
About the Oklahoma Insurance Department
The Oklahoma Insurance Department, an agency of the State of Oklahoma, is responsible for the education and protection of the insurance-buying public and for oversight of the insurance industry in the state.

story and photos by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

Norman has and always will be a college town.
Today more than 31,000 students come to Norman each year to further their education.
As a result, Norman’s population has grown more than 50 percent to nearly 120,000 residents since 1990.
For the past 50 years seniors like Jim Jinkins have paid for that growth, supporting and paying for municipal bonds, school bonds and keeping dollars local and paying city sales tax.
And it was senior voters like Jinkins who threw their support behind the Norman Forward initiative that in October 2015 resulted in a half-percent sales tax increase intended to fund a number of quality of life issues.
One of those items listed on the ballot was a new, standalone senior center that would replace Norman’s current facility, housed in the city’s original 8,000-square-foot public library built in 1929.
But now Norman seniors feel they’re the ones standing alone and are accusing some city officials of trying to do an end-around with funds that should be used to build a new facility.
NORMAN FORWARD
“Seniors worked their butts off to get that initiative passed,” said Jinkins, who spent four hours on election day holding a sign on a street corner campaigning for the measure. “It passes and a couple months later they start talking about the budget again so we start going to the study sessions of the council meetings and they start saying ‘We don’t have any money. It’s going to take the entire $159 million to fund these Norman Forward projects.’”
“We said ‘Wait a minute. We’re a Norman Forward project.’”
City leaders indicated they had been considering using bond funds from a previous bond issue to fund renovating the existing Norman Public Library for use as a senior center.
That would be done after the library moved into a new building paid for through the sales tax increase.
Voters like Jinkins felt they secured a standalone senior center by passing the Norman Forward initiative.
“There’s not an asterisk next to it, there’s not any language that says if there’s money available,” Jinkins said about building a senior center. “Everybody I know that voted on it (thought they were voting) for a senior center.”
In March 2016, an Oklahoma not-for-profit corporation by the name 21st Century Norman Seniors Association was formed and Jinkins was elected president.
He says there are now more than 400 active members.
With seniors encompassing nearly 20 percent of Norman’s total population the group feels a significant segment of Norman residents are supporting the call for a free-standing senior center.
For now, Jinkins says the city is only offering yet another renovated former library to serve seniors’ needs or trying to float yet another bond issue to voters specifically for a new senior center.
Jinkins worries about voter fatigue and the fact voters have already voted twice to fund a new senior center.
The senior group says the plan of moving into the existing library does a disservice to seniors on multiple fronts.
Seniors and City of Norman staff would share the building and end up competing for space and facilities. Neither could expand as their programs grow.
Problems with parking and traffic flow cannot be resolved.
A shared parking lot with City offices plus the Municipal Court would create a bottleneck and there would also not be enough covered parking spaces that a senior center requires.
Senior centers in Edmond, Shawnee, and Midwest City have this.
The existing library lacks space for kitchen facilities. The staff of the kitchen at the present senior center would like to move to the new senior center, and most people agree that the new center should house the kitchen as the center is the only source for many seniors’ meals.
The option Jinkins’ group favors is building a new facility – which would cost in the neighborhood of $8-9 million – at the nearby city-owned Andrews Park.
The site would provide plenty of adequate parking plus be located across the street from the new library – benefitting from library programming and public resources located on site.
Association Associate Vice President Nadine Jewell penned a letter to the editor of The Norman Transcript that read, in part:
“Norman Forward is certainly needed in our community, and seniors do not think they are being greedy asking for a standalone center. While many projects, like Westwood, can only be used for 3 months of the year, a senior center can be used the year around. Surely, Norman cares enough for its seniors to find enough excess Norman Forward funds to build one standalone.”
With already a fair measure of support from existing council members, one thing working in the group’s favor is the fact City Council seats in the odd-numbered wards will be up for election this coming February.
Norman Seniors will host a candidates forum before the election so that you can meet the candidates, ask your questions, and hear their positions.
In the meantime, Jinkins is urging all interested Norman seniors to call their City Council representative and voice their opinions.
You can find out more information online at www.normanseniors.org as well as the group’s Facebook page listed as Friends for a 21st Century Senior Citizen’s Center.
“I think they just really wanted us to go away and they didn’t think we would get this far,” Jinkins said. “It is our hope that the Council will identify a funding source for a standalone center that does not involve yet another vote of the people.”