Many people remain reluctant to cover their faces in public. Are masks effective against COVID-19? What’s the status of a vaccine? What’s the science behind it all?
Auburn University at Montgomery (Alabama) biology professor Karen Stine, who specializes in toxicology — the study of poisons — has taught courses in toxicology, pharmacology, cell biology, physiology and environmental science. She offers her thoughts on the ongoing global pandemic, and how the public at large can work to guard against it.
Q. How do vaccines work?
Stine: Vaccines generally contain either an inactivated virus, or isolated bits and pieces of a virus, any of which will hopefully stimulate your immune system to react. This gives you a head start, so if and when you’re actually exposed to the virus your immune system can inactivate it before it makes you sick. But immune responses usually take some time to ramp up to full steam.
Q. Why don’t we have a vaccine for COVID-19 yet?
Stine: Right now, there are multiple organizations working on different viral bits and pieces, hoping to find the right combination that can get the immune system geared up against COVID-19. This takes time, though, as the strategies first have to be tested in the lab, and then in uninfected people to make sure the vaccine is safe and that indicators of effectiveness (usually antibodies) have been produced in the test subjects. Finally, large scale tests for effectiveness (usually involving thousands of people) have to take place. Only then will the vaccine be approved for the general public.many people remain reluctant to cover their faces in public. Are masks effective against COVID-19? What’s the status of a vaccine? What’s the science behind it all?
Auburn University at Montgomery biology professor Karen Stine, who specializes in toxicology — the study of poisons — has taught courses in toxicology, pharmacology, cell biology, physiology and environmental science. She offers her thoughts on the ongoing global pandemic, and how the public at large can work to guard against it.
Q. How do vaccines work?
Stine: Vaccines generally contain either an inactivated virus, or isolated bits and pieces of a virus, any of which will hopefully stimulate your immune system to react. This gives you a head start, so if and when you’re actually exposed to the virus your immune system can inactivate it before it makes you sick. But immune responses usually take some time to ramp up to full steam.
Q. Will a vaccine produce long-lasting immunity against COVID-19?
Stine: No one knows the answer to that yet. For some viruses (the virus that causes measles, for example), one or two doses of a vaccine can produce immunity that appears to last throughout life. For other viruses (influenza viruses, for example), frequent changes in the virus along with gradually declining immunity means that people need to be re-vaccinated annually.
Q. Do masks really help prevent the spread of COVID-19?
Stine: It’s a fair question. Early on, scientists and doctors were not encouraging (and in fact were discouraging) mask use. But as evidence mounted, we learned from it—that’s how science works—and now, the scientific and medical advice has changed. The consensus now is that wearing a mask in public can greatly reduce transmission of the COVID-19 virus.
Q. What has the science shown the biomedical community that makes them support this?
Stine: A few facts have become clear over the last months. People can spread the virus without showing symptoms. We also know the virus is predominantly spread through respiratory droplets and that cloth masks are effective at blocking the release of respiratory droplets by infected people. Some of this evidence is from other viruses but should generalize to COVID-19.
Q. So what conclusion can be drawn from that evidence?
Stine: If everyone wears masks, which block respiratory droplets, transmission of the virus should be greatly reduced.
Q. But does this work in the real world?
Stine: Evidence now indicates that masks, along with other measures, can indeed make a difference. Also, strong anecdotal evidence from countries in both Asia and Europe that have mandated masks in public lends support to the premise that masks can be an effective tool in dramatically reducing coronavirus transmission.
Q. Should everyone wear a mask in public?
Stine: For a very small segment of the population, wearing a mask is not medically recommended. For the rest of us, it is not only safe but is also the most effective thing we can do to make others feel safe, as well. And remember, workers in medical and other fields have always worn them!
Q. But some people feel wearing a mask infringes on their freedom. How do you convince these people to wear masks?
Stine: Perhaps it does a bit. But if mild inconvenience outweighs civic responsibility for you in a time of national crisis — and over 100,000 deaths nationwide certainly qualifies as a crisis — are you comfortable with what that says about your values?
Q. So if you could speak directly to people who are reluctant to wear a mask in public, what would you say to them?
Stine: The bottom line is that strong scientific evidence indicates that if everyone wears a mask in public (and maintains appropriate social distancing), rates of COVID-19 infection will drop, and we can all enjoy much safer freedom of movement as we go about our daily lives. Also, those still isolated at home can more safely emerge and help boost our struggling economy. It’s a win for everyone. So, wear a mask. Please. Lives and livelihoods depend on it.

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 regarding the pace of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout.
The following statement is attributable to Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of AHCA/NCAL:
“With record-breaking cases in nursing homes right now due to soaring community spread, no one could wish for a swifter delivery of the vaccine than those living and working in long term care facilities. While we must be efficient in order to save the lives of our most vulnerable, we must also be thoughtful and targeted in our approach.
“Since the creation of the pharmacy partnership program for long term care, we knew that this rollout would take time: to approve the vaccines for use; to have enough supply for each state to activate the program; to encourage states to prioritize our population; to distribute and ship the vaccine to the pharmacies; to prepare the clinics for our residents who have complex conditions; to gather consent among residents or their health care representatives; and to educate staff, residents and family members about the need to take the vaccine. The plan from the beginning was to vaccinate long term care residents and staff with the first dose over three to four weeks, beginning the last two weeks of December. Therefore, we are in the midst of the pharmacy partnership program really getting underway, and we believe this program is operating in accordance with its intended timeline.
“As of right now, we are not aware of widespread issues or delays with this vaccine rollout, and if there were, we would be among the first to sound the alarm. We continue to assist a minority of member providers who come to us looking for assistance or clarity, but the majority of providers tell us that their clinics have been scheduled or have already occurred and that overall, the program is running smoothly.
“As with any effort of this scale, there will be issues, and vaccine hesitancy is our primary focus at this moment. Uptake among residents and staff is varying widely, but in general, staff seem to be mirroring the general public’s reaction: excitement mixed with hesitation about the vaccines’ development and safety. We launched the #GetVaccinated campaign to encourage all long term care residents, families and staff members to consent to the vaccine as well as provide credible information to help inform their decision. We call on public health officials, social media companies, and members of the media to combat misinformation about the vaccine to aid in this effort.
“And pardon the pun, but we get more than one shot at this. We remain hopeful that uptake for the vaccine will improve as this pharmacy partnership program continues to unfold in the coming weeks and months in the subsequent clinics.
“This is a monumental effort to vaccinate millions of our nation’s vulnerable seniors and their caregivers, and we are confident and grateful that everyone involved is working as hard and as fast as they can while still ensuring we get this right.”

By Nick Thomas

Raised in a rough Harlem neighborhood in the 40s and 50s, childhood proved challenging for Hank Garrett.
“We lived in the slums and I’d walk into the kitchen in the mornings to find the floor covered with roaches,” said Garrett from his home in California. “And I still remember waking up one day with a weight on my chest – it was a rat.”
As outlined in his 2020 autobiography, “From Harlem Hoodlum to Hollywood Heavyweight,” other hardships dogged young Hank throughout his troubled teen years.
“I saw fights, stabbings, and shootings – it was a daily situation,” recalled Garrett. But he endured, including a later near fatal car accident, eventually turning his life around to focus on physical fitness and becoming a professional wrestler before turning to acting.
During a brief time on the New York police force, Garratt auditioned for “Car 54, Where Are You?” a new television comedy series that debuted in 1961.
“When I told my commanding officer I had a chance to work on a television series, he looked at me and said, ‘tough decision isn’t it Hank – to become a television star or stay a cop in New York!” Garrett recalled. “‘Car 54’ opened up an acting career for me.”
Series creator Nat Hiken hired Garrett as Officer Ed Nicholson. “So I went from real cop to reel cop!” said Garrett.
The show also starred Fred (later ‘Herman Munster’) Gwynne and Joe E. Ross who were partners in the series.
“Fred was very soft-spoken and truly a gentleman who also wrote and illustrated children’s books,” he said. “He lost a child who drowned and we were shooting when the news came. We were all devastated and shared his pain.”
As for Ross, ‘what a character,” said Garrett with a laugh. “Joe would bring in ladies of the evening and at one point asked if one could be put on the payroll as his acting coach! The producers didn’t go for it. And, of course, he could never remember his lines and that’s why he always went ‘ooh! ooh!’ until the words came to him.”
Numerous other roles came Garrett’s way, often being cast as the bad guy opposite some of Hollywood’s biggest names including Kirk Douglas in “A Lovely Way to Die” (1968) where a stray punch from Douglas gave Garrett a bloody nose. But Hank got even with the A-lister crowd several years later in a memorably violent fight scene in “Three Days of the Condor” breaking Robert Redford’s nose.
Playing the ‘heavy,’ he says, wasn’t a stretch given his tough childhood. Nor did he forget his troubled past and has worked tirelessly for years with prisoners, veterans, and at-risk youth he calls Hankster’s Kids (see www.hankgarrett.biz).
“I hope people will be interested in my book because the proceeds will go to disabled vets and the kids.”
Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, Ala., and has written features, columns, and interviews for over 850 newspapers and magazines.

Once a week, after she brushes her teeth and gets ready to leave for work at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Cindy Carter sets a 30-minute timer on her phone.
When Carter’s phone buzzes on her drive, it reminds her of the task that now kicks off her week: submitting a saliva sample for OMRF’s weekly employee Covid-19 testing program.
Before leaving her car, Carter opens her testing kit, which OMRF provides to staff members each week. Inside is a cup, a barcoded sample tube, pipette, alcohol wipe and biohazard bag.
“I don’t want to take off my mask indoors, so before I go in, I spit into the cup, put the sample in the tube and throw the waste away in a biohazard receptacle,” said Carter, a lab manager for OMRF’s Cardiovascular Biology Research Program.
Carter then enters OMRF’s Research Tower, where a human resources staffer sits behind plexiglass, ready to collect samples.
“They scan a barcode on my employee badge, then a barcode on the tube,” explained Carter, who joined OMRF in 1996. “Only human resources has those codes. It couldn’t be easier or faster.”
Each Wednesday morning, having collected samples from the 300-plus employees who are onsite each week, foundation technicians analyze the samples. The OMRF-developed process can run 186 samples at a time and examines each sample five times for accuracy. And because of the “specificity” of the test, it can detect amounts of the virus much smaller than those picked up by many commercially available tests.
The lab relays any positive results by Wednesday evening to OMRF Vice President of Human Resources Courtney Greenwood, who contacts those individuals. “If you haven’t heard from me by Thursday morning, you know you’re in the clear,” said Greenwood.
When it came to adding testing to OMRF’s existing pandemic protocols of mask-wearing and physical distancing, Greenwood said OMRF leadership agreed the test had to be fast, free of nose swabs, and affordable for the foundation.
OMRF scientist Joel Guthridge, Ph.D., and his team answered the call, using existing equipment, technology and staff to develop the saliva-based PCR test at a fraction of commercial costs.
“It’s pennies on the dollar comparatively,” said Guthridge. “Our goal is to help people be healthier. We had to achieve that mission on our own turf so that we could forge ahead with our other research.”
More than 4,000 samples have been run since the testing program started in October. To date, they’ve identified 17 employees who were positive for the virus. In the same timeframe, there have been no instances of onsite spread of the virus among employees.
“This testing program has really proven effective at keeping our workforce safe and avoiding outbreaks,” said Greenwood. “It’s helped us maintain our laboratory operations, and we plan to continue the program as long as the virus remains a threat in the community.”
For Carter, OMRF’s weekly testing program, along with a host of other onsite safety protocols, have provided comfort during unsettling times.
I’ve felt really good about coming into work during even the worst stretches of the pandemic,” said Carter. “Having worked here as long as I have, I’m not surprised they went above and beyond to protect us.”

Resident benefit from pen pal program

by James Coburn, Staff Writer

A tremendous response began last fall when Kellie Prather called for pen pals for the residents of Brookwood Skilled Nursing & Therapy on Facebook. Compassion took the form of an overwhelming bevy of letters and cards that continues being sent to residents.
Everyone has returned to the lost art of writing, Prather said. A whole new door opened both for the residents and the pen pals themselves.
“I didn’t realize it was going to go viral,” said Prather, the activities director for Brookwood Skilled Nursing & Therapy in Oklahoma City. “It went viral — it went all across the United States. It was crazy. I’m telling you, we heard from people all over Oklahoma from towns I had no idea existed.”
Letters came from New York, Illinois, Alabama, Kentucky, Arizona, and Arkansas. At one point 300 letters streamed to the residents all at once. Since the end of September, residents posted cards behind their beds and doors in appreciation. One resident has 50 cards from people writing they want to be a pen pal. The nursing staff is amazed at the difference made in the residents’ lives and take part in helping elders decorate their rooms with cards. Staff and residents spend time talking about the pen pals. Nurses and CNAs read the letters and cards to residents who are challenged with their vision.
“I’ve got a pen pal team that’s called the Pen Pal Club,” said Prather, who has served at Brookwood since March and has been with the parent company Grace Living Centers for 12 years.
Residents involved in the pen pal program respond to the letters. Prather said she has never seen such a transformation in the residents who had been mulling over days of depression and routines. Letters come in for the bedridden residents as well. And Prather and her assistants write letter on behalf of those residents who are unable to do so.
“There’s just been such a glow,” she said of the letters from school children, high schoolers, college students, and others who write. Children are given a chance to learn how to write a letter and hear the experiences from elders.
Another program, this time with Zoom is being initiated.
“It’s awesome. They have so much purpose now. My activity room is almost like a mailroom where there’s a working station, a station where letters need to be mailed off, letters that need to be answered,” Prather said.
It’s heard repeatedly that America is divided over politics, but the pen pal program at Brookwood spells unity among people with different backgrounds with the common concern for the welfare of humanity.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Prather said. “It makes me happy to know that we’re still together. When we get knocked down, we still help each other get back up. And it also makes me really happy that we’re reaching out for our elderly, because they get to be the forgotten society too often.”
Housewives and husbands have been sending not only photographs of themselves, but photographs of their dogs and the splendor of nature throughout the year.
“Everything is so beautiful, and it makes me so proud to be an American. It makes me so happy to know with all the muddy waters of political life, that we’re able to still pay it forward — our kindness to others.”
Residents who have been in lockdown without the ability to see family members or loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic have their lives touched by strangers who become pen pal friends with many pointes of discussion to stimulate the day with positive messages, Prather said.
“It makes them feel alive; it makes them feel they have a purpose and makes them feel like they’re loved. And it makes them feel like they can extend themselves out to somebody else as well. So, it’s a win, win, win situation.”
The backdrop of Brookwood encompasses Bridges Health, a separate wing for skilled nursing and rehabilitation. Residents are able to focus on their rehab in an encouraging setting.
“We’ve got some excellent nurses in there, case managers and the therapy department is just wonderful,” Prather said. “And everybody works hard around the clock to make sure these residents are getting the skill nursing they need.”
The long-term facility is separate so not to interrupt ongoing therapy. Vending machine carts come through the rooms on a regular basis since vendors do not enter the building during the pandemic.
“We provide room activities as well as hall activities, and group activities when we’re able to,” she said.
Regulated outdoor visits may be scheduled as well as window visits.
“We’ve been pretty fortunate to keep the wheels rolling.”

Dear Savvy Senior,

I am interested in getting my mom, who lives alone, a medical alert system with a wearable pendant button that will let her call for help if she falls or has a medical emergency. What can you tell me to help me choose one?

Too Many Choices

Dear Too Many,
A good medical alert system is an effective and affordable tool that can help keep your mom safe and living in her own home longer. But with all the different products and features available today, choosing one can be challenging. Here are some tips that can help.
Three Key Questions
Medical alert systems, which have been around since the 1980s, provide a wearable help button – usually in the form of a neck pendant or wristband – that would put your mom in touch with a dispatcher who could summon emergency help or contact a friend or family member as needed.
To help you narrow down your options and choose a system that best fits your mom’s needs, here are three key questions you’ll need to ask, along with some top-rated companies that offer these products.
1. Does your mom want a home-based or mobile system?
Medical alert systems were originally designed to work inside the home with a landline telephone, which is still an option. But since fewer and fewer households have landlines these days, most companies today also offer home-based systems that work over a cellular network. With these systems, pressing the wearable help button allows you to speak to a dispatcher through a base unit located in your home.
In addition, many companies offer mobile medical alert options, too. You can use these systems at home, but they’ll also allow you to call for help while you’re out and about.
Mobile alerts operate over cellular networks and incorporate GPS technology. They allow you to talk and listen to the operator directly through the pendant button, and because of the GPS, your location would be known in order for help to be sent.
If your mom doesn’t leave the house very often, she may not need a mobile system, but if she is still active, she may want added protection outside the home.
2. Should her system be monitored or not?
The best medical alert systems are monitored, meaning that the help button connects you with a trained operator at a 24/7 dispatching center.
But you also have the option to choose a system that isn’t monitored. With these, when you press the help button, the device automatically dials a friend or family member on your programmed emergency call list.
These products can often be set up to call multiple people and to contact emergency services if you don’t get an answer from someone on your list.
3. Should you add a fall-detection feature?
Most medical alert companies today now offer the option of an automatic fall detection pendant for an additional fee of $10 to $15 per month. These pendants sense falls when they occur and automatically contact the dispatch center, just as they would if you had pressed the call button.
But be aware that this technology isn’t full proof. In some cases, this feature may register something as a fall that isn’t. The alarm might go off if you drop it or momentarily lose your balance but don’t actually land on the ground.
Top Rated Systems
Here are four top companies, rated by Consumer Reports, that offer home and mobile monitored medical alert systems:
* Bay Alarm Medical: Fees range between $20 and $40 per month; BayAlarmMedical.com; 877-522-9633.
* GreatCall’s Lively Mobile Plus: The device costs $50 plus a $25 to $40 monthly service fee; GreatCall.com; 800-650-5921.
* MobileHelp: Monthly fees run $20 to $45; MobileHelp.com; 800-809-9664.
* Phillips Lifeline: $30 to $50/month, plus a onetime device/activation fee of $50 to $100; Lifeline.Philips.com; 855-681-5351.
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.

by Greg Schwem

The hardware store employee approached, noting the confusion on my face. It’s a look that just happens naturally the moment I enter any store that smells of lumber.
“What can I help you find today?” he said.
“The ‘Diet Coke’ button,” I said.
“Excuse me?”
I repeated my request, glancing at my watch while doing so. Whenever I’m in a hardware store, my goal is to be out in less than five minutes. I never do this when I’m in, say, an electronics store. Then again, I enjoy being around flat screen televisions. Drill bits and tile grout, not so much.
“We sell Diet Coke at the registers,” the employee said. “But that’s it. Are you referring to something you wear on your lapel?”
“No, I want the button that sits on your desk. You press it and somebody walks in with a Diet Coke,” I said. “I read Donald Trump had one installed on the Oval Office desk, but President Biden got rid of it when he was sworn in. And it didn’t even require an executive order.”
“We don’t sell a Diet Coke button,” the relieved employee said. “Have you tried contacting Coca-Cola? Maybe they have one.”
“I sent an email,” I said. “Still waiting for a response. Look, it doesn’t have to be Diet Coke, specifically. Do you sell other buttons for a home office that produce objects instantly when pressed? What about a ‘potato chips’ button? A ‘warm pair of socks’ button? A ‘Bud Light’ button?”
“You want a Bud Light button in your office?” the employee said.
“I’d program it so it only worked after 5:30 p.m.,” I replied.
“Sir, we have a full line of doorbells in aisle 15. Wouldn’t something like that work?” asked the employee, now glancing at HIS watch.
“I suppose so,” I said.
“Great. Happy to be of service,” the employee said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m needed in plumbing.”
Trudging to the other side of the store, I found an “entry alert kit” featuring a device that promised to emit a buzzing sound. I brought it home, secured it near my keyboard and pressed the button. My dog, not recognizing this new sound, freaked out, nonetheless.
“Why is she barking?” my wife yelled from upstairs.
“She’ll be fine,” I yelled back. “She just needs to get used to the new sound.”
“What new sound?” said my wife, now standing at the entrance to my office.
“This one,” I said, pressing the button again. The dog responded accordingly.
“Why are you buzzing?” she asked, after consoling our now breathless pooch.
“It’s my Diet Coke buzzer,” I said. “Like the one President Trump used. You’re familiar with it?”
“Familiar enough to know that I’m not getting you a Diet Coke every time you press that thing,” she said. “Did you really think that was going to happen?”
“It doesn’t have to be you,” I said. “It could be anyone who happens to hear it. What about our daughters? They’ve been spending a lot of time in the house since COVID-19. They can get it.”
“When did everybody in this house suddenly become your servants?” she said.
“So, I should return the buzzer?”
“No, I think I’ll get one. Maybe I’ll get a few, all with different sounds. One is the signal that I’m not cooking dinner tonight, another is that the faucet is still dripping — I’ll return it when you finally fix it — another for…”
“OK, I get it. But can you just bring me a Diet Coke one time? Just so I can experience what might have been?”
Before she could answer, I pressed the button.
My wife exited the room, returning with my favorite beverage.
For a brief moment, I felt very presidential.
(Greg Schwem is a corporate stand-up comedian and author of two books: “Text Me If You’re Breathing: Observations, Frustrations and Life Lessons From a Low-Tech Dad” and the recently released “The Road To Success Goes Through the Salad Bar: A Pile of BS From a Corporate Comedian,” available at Amazon.com. Visit Greg on the web at www.gregschwem.com.
You’ve enjoyed reading, and laughing at, Greg Schwem’s monthly humor columns in Senior Living News. But did you know Greg is also a nationally touring stand-up comedian? And he loves to make audiences laugh about the joys, and frustrations, of growing older. Watch the clip and, if you’d like Greg to perform at your senior center or senior event, contact him through his website at www.gregschwem.com)

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

While you are taking advantage pf my previous months articles on Kansas, might as well move on to Kansas City.
Oscar Hammerstein in his lyrics in “ Oklahoma ” said Kansas City was up to date in a humorous way, but it’s even truer today, as Kansas City is updating its attractions with multi-million dollar investments. Culture and cuisine is always high on my travel itineraries and while I only saw a few of Kansas City standouts on this trip, there was still a lot to absorb in Kansas City , Mo. One example is the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial with its symbolic see-through bridge over a field of 9,000 poppies, which represents a thousand casualties for each poppy. The exhibits were both diverse and meaningful, and a ride to the top of the memorial with its rewarding panoramic view is worthwhile.
The Belger Arts Center/Red Star Studios is an example of a partnership of industry and a passion in art collecting. Besides its display of contemporary art from the personal collection of businessman and wife, John and Maxine Belger, it is also home to a number of rotating solo exhibitions as well as touring group artists. The converted warehouse at 2100 Walnut St. , offers loft-like exhibition space for a number of large scale art. Dr. Kathleen Desmond of REVIEW magazine said, “The Belger Arts Center is amazing in its presence in Kansas City ; not quite a museum, not a university gallery, not a commercial gallery. It is an entity in itself that defies definition. It is an incredible resource and contribution to the visual arts in Kansas City .”
Another outstanding contribution is the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art where the building itself, built in 1994 is a work of art. It’s airy and up lifting design, lightens the spirit and is a complement to the upbeat contemporary art it contains. With a new exhibition almost every month it’s easy to see why this is a Kansas City favorite, as is the outstanding museum’s Café Sebastienne. I had a delightful lunch surrounded by a variety of paintings reminiscent of famous artists. My dining companion/painting was a coy girl in a Mary Cassatt style. Relaxing in the café setting or in the light filled and enclosed courtyard is as much a treat as is the contemporary cuisine.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art brings together masterful examples from many periods and world cultures. The American Indian gallery, which opened in November of 2009 is extensive – I’m told is one of the largest exhibits devoted to Native Americans. When I visited, there was a collection of Rodin bronzes, with an outstanding impact on this viewer. The museum’s addition of the Bloch building, houses several contemporary collections and illuminates at night. There are several galleries I did not get a chance to see, and there are many concerts and special events held throughout each season.
For upscale dining the menu and service at Pierponts, lived up to its reputation as a “culinary jewel.” Named after railroad baron, J. P. Morgan, Pierpont’s is located appropriately enough in Union Station where other attractions also reside. But don’t let that put you off, as Pierpont’s interior is as elegant and yet friendly as can be. No wonder it was named by the local press “ Best Place to Entertain an out-of-town Guest.” Their prime steaks and seafood along with their wine list, is a must to enjoy.
The Kansas City Ballet has a relatively new permanent home, the Todd Bolender Center for Dance & Creativity, a top notch renovation of an old energy generating factory. Semblances of its history can hardly be seen amid the state of the art rehearsal halls and pragmatic architecture. Unique to this home of ballet is the rehearsal hall where studio productions are held, with seated viewing above the dance floor. Just watching a class of these artistic athletes is inspiring. Also inspiring is the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts with its two theatres, and expansive lobbies. An expansive view of downtown Kansas City is available for prime viewing from the lobby at intermission with the innovative slanted panorama glass walls. I vow I will experience a performance there, on my next visit.
I did however sample a delightful menu at the nearby Webster House, where I was also tempted by their antique and modern home décor shop. But the star of this visit was the fried green tomatoes with tomato jam ~ inventive and flavor packed. Webster House, a historic renovated school house, is within walking distance to the Kauffman Center and thus is perfect for pre-theatre dining.
And let’s not forget your home base for a restful retreat from all that Kansas City offers, and that would be the Crowne Plaza Kansas City located amid all the action downtown. Comfortable, convenient and affordable, what more could you want except room service and they have that too! Everything is up to date in Kansas City.
For more information and upcoming schedules:
www.belgerartscenter.org
www.kemperart.org
www.nelson-atkins.org
www.pierponts.com
www.kauffmancenter.org
www.websterhousekc.com
www.crowneplaza.com

Mr. Terry Zinn – Travel Editor
Past President: International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association
3110 N.W. 15 Street – Oklahoma City, OK 73107
https://realtraveladventures.com/?s=terry+zinn
https://realtraveladventures.com/?s=zinn
http://new.okveterannews.com/?s=TERRY+ZINN
www.martinitravels.com

Steven Howell, the Pharmacy Manager at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center, receives a token of appreciation from Alex Azar the former Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
Howell was given this medallion for his role in discovering extra doses of the Pfizer vaccine. In early shipments of the vaccine, the FDA had originally approved the use of five doses per vial. But when examining the doses sent to INTEGRIS Health, Howell discovered that you could actually get six doses from each vial. He quickly informed his brother-in-law, U.S. Marine Colonel Gregory McCarthy, who happens to be on the White House Coronavirus Task Force. McCarthy relayed the information up the chain of command and after further review, the FDA granted permission for hospitals around the country to use the sixth dose. “In essence, we received 20-percent more doses than we originally thought,” said Howell. “We were able to vaccinate that many more people and none of the vaccine went to waste.”
Howell may downplay his involvement in this potentially life-saving discovery, but he fully understands the importance of expanding the use of such a scarce commodity. “It’s exciting to be a part of something so monumental,” admits Howell.
We applaud you, Steven, for your daily contributions to INTEGRIS Health and the citizens of Oklahoma, and we commend you for your service to the entire country.