By Nick Thomas

Born 109 years ago this February, glamorous actress Ann Sheridan (1915-1967) was destined for branding as the “Oomph Girl” following a mock contest organized by the Warner Brothers publicity department in 1939.
Stunning on-screen and becoming a favorite pin-up girl of World War II troops, Sheridan could play any character – tough or tender, funny or flirty, sassy or seductive. She delighted audiences with her witty wisecracks and clever comebacks. While she certainly possessed an abundance of entertainment oomph, her feelings were mixed about the public label throughout her life.
The Texas native starred in some memorable films of the 40s such as “The Man Who Came to Dinner,” “Angels with Dirty Faces,” and “I Was a Male War Bride,” but never really landed a lead role in a true Hollywood blockbuster in her more than 80 feature films.
In declining health at just 50, Sheridan ended her career in the little-remembered TV comedy western “Pistols ‘n’ Petticoats” that ran for one season in the 1960s. Co-starring with Carole Wells, the former “National Velvet” series actress was one of the last to work with Sheridan and played her daughter in the CBS show.
“I’d never met her before that,” Wells told me in 2020. “In fact, I didn’t really know who she was – she had been a star before I was born.”
The two first met the first day on set.
“We sat around a big table and read the script with the producers, writers, and director, and she was very charming but rather quiet,” recalled Wells. “We would do this every week before filming and she was always just a down-to-earth sort of person.”
Wells says the two chatted often but never became very close during the months they worked together.
“I’d see her in the mornings in the make-up department and give her a hug and say, ‘How ya doin’ Annie?’ And she’d say something like ‘wish I felt as good as you sweetie’ – she called everyone sweetheart or sweetie. She was never well from the beginning of the series.”
In the mornings Sheridan was usually okay, according to Wells, but by noon usually couldn’t work.
“It took a lot out of her and she would have to go back to her dressing room,” said Wells who would spend lunch hour learning Sheridan’s lines that would be rewritten for Wells to work into the script if Sheridan couldn’t make it back to the set. “But I didn’t care because I knew she was ill.”
Wells also remembers Sheridan as a chronic smoker.
“As sick as she was with cancer and emphysema, she was never without a cigarette in her mouth except while filming,” said Wells. “She was very frail and thin and kept getting thinner as the series progressed. Basically, I watched her die in front of me. But with all she was going through, I never heard her complain and she was always very kind and respectful to me.”
Sheridan struggled through most of the series but was too ill for the final half-dozen episodes.
“I knew she wasn’t going to be around much longer,” said Wells. “One day she was on the set, then the next day she wasn’t and we never saw her again. When we heard she had passed away, the cast had a lunch to memorialize her.”
Wells believes doing the show was good for Sheridan who still bravely displayed plenty of ‘oomph’ despite her failing health.
“Before the series started, she had a facelift and got herself together,” says Wells. “I think being part of the show might have helped her live a little longer.”

Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery in Alabama and has written features, columns, and interviews for numerous newspapers and magazines (see https://www.getnickt.org/).

story and photo by Van Mitchell, Staff Writer

Finding the right financial advisor to handle your investments can be challenging for anyone, including seniors.
Mike McCall, a financial advisor with Blue Crest Financial, located at 1300 North Walker Avenue, Suite 200 in Oklahoma City, said transparency is important to him and his clients.
“I’ve been doing this for 23 years,” he said. “Everyone’s had different experiences in life. They may have gotten burned buying an annuity. They may not have a financial advisor. They may not know who to trust. They might’ve had an experience where they put their money in banks and the bank crashed. I don’t have a cookie cutter approach to planning. I sit down with a client, interview them, and find out what’s important to them. I try to find a solution to make it fit. So maybe telling that story might be something that they consider. “
McCall has worked at Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, Metlife Securities Inc, Mml Investors Services, LLC and Mass Mutual Life Insurance Company.
“MML is my broker dealer, and the office that I’m in is Blue Crest Financial Group,” he said.
MML Investors Services, LLC performs a broad set of services, including financial planning services, portfolio management for individuals and small businesses, portfolio management for institutional clients, pension consulting services, selection of other advisers, educational seminars and other services.
McCall offers total financial needs analysis through a network of experienced professionals with expertise in:
• Retirement analysis and programs
• Estate strategies
• Employee benefit and retention services
• Business continuation strategies
• Trust services*
McCall said his senior clients are generally concerned about interest rates, stock market investments, and they’re more inclined to do safer investments.
“The number one concern for people is running out of money in retirement. And, that’s quickly followed by, I don’t know what to believe,” he said. “When you look at marketing today, it’s usually trying to scare the hell out of you. Like going to gold, the world’s collapsing. People don’t know who to trust, and so they need a guide and an advisor. So, a good way to look at me and my practice would be your general practice doctor, the guy you go to for checkups every year, because I’ve got a wide breadth of knowledge in a lot of different areas, I’ll run some tests to ask some questions, find out what’s bothering you, and then we may need to go to a specialist. I don’t want to just sell you a product. I’m more interested in building a relationship.”
McCall said he gives clients the options of what financial planning route they want to pursue.
“I have a process for financial planning, whether we do a fee-based plan or we do an annual review strategy with no fee. I’m going to approach it both ways,” he said. “I’m going to be your guide. I’m going to figure out what are you trying to accomplish, show me where everything’s at right now, and then I’m going to go through and find the best route up that mountain. There might be two or three routes we can take, and I’ll explain that to you.”
McCall also outlines to customers or prospects how he gets paid.
“If they understand that we operate in a levelized commission world, we’re not married to one company, and then our company has a process, a procedure called best interest contract,” he said. “In other words, as a fiduciary, I’ll act in the best interest of my client. Explaining to people my legal status as far as my licensing is concerned, I think that helps. It goes a long way in easing the client’s mind. Either the company’s paying me overcharging the financial fee, and I kind of let the client decide which route or path they want to take because everybody’s different. I think explaining that to somebody goes a long way.”
McCall said he enjoys building relationships with his customers.
“You really need to develop a relationship with that person,” he said. “Transparency means full disclosure, spending time talking to somebody, trying to find out what they’re trying to accomplish. When we engage a client, we lay out a calendar of activities, which can be anywhere from quarterly to annual review. Annual review is just once you get something set up. It doesn’t mean we’re only going to talk once during the year. It just means that we’re not going to do a formal review until the end of that year. Now, a lot of seniors don’t have a lot of moving parts. They don’t need a lot of reviews that may be appropriate to do once a year, and then if you get something in the mail or you can talk to somebody. I’ve got a full-time assistant, especially in that age group. They want to talk to a human being so that they can call me and bounce something off of me during that year. It’s what the client needs or wants to accomplish.”
McCall said it is important to research financial advisors before signing for services.
He said one way to know if a financial planner has good reviews is through what is known as a clean Form U4.
The Form U4 is the Uniform Application for Securities Industry Registration or Transfer. Individuals seeking to register as an investment adviser representative (“IAR”) of a registered investment advisor firm typically must use this form to become registered with a state securities regulator. This document is filed electronically via the Central Registration Depository (“Web CRD”) system.
Beyond these basics, applicants are required to self-report information relating to customer complaints, arbitration claims, regulatory proceedings, bankruptcies, certain criminal history record information, certain civil litigation and unsatisfied liens and judgments, among other things.
“I have a clean U4,” McCall said. “It (clean U4s) helps people from getting scammed because advisors out there that don’t have clean U4 and they just need to be aware of the problems that they’ve had in the past.”
For more information about Form U4 visit https://brokercheck.finra.org.
For more information about McCall’s financial advisory services call –
(405) 486-1400.

By Marise Boehs

I’ve been an avid trail bike rider for a number of years. I’ve ridden long miles over multiple days on trails across the US. In April of this year I retired from my daily newspaper job so I could ride as much and whenever I wanted.

Over Labor Day Weekend I went to a Kansas trail with some of my younger cousins to ride. About 15 miles in on the first day I got severe cramps and light headedness – so bad I had to call the EMTs to come get me off the trail. Two bags of IV fluids and a couple of hours in the ER and I was up and going again. Fortunately I did not damage myself physically.

This was a wakeup call for sure. I was about to have my 75th birthday. I was 30 pounds overweight and not very strong. I knew I had to change or give up riding trails and long distances.

When I got home, I hired a personal trainer and got to work. Four months later, I am two thirds to my weight goal and much stronger. I’ve learned new nutrition habits, how to stand up straight and breathe and how to rest and recover.

It’s an ongoing journey I’d like to share.

Back Story

I have struggled with weight loss and gain most of my adult life. Through 30 years of alcohol abuse and drug addiction my body has been sickly thin at times and bloated beyond comfort at others. In May of 1988, after two treatment centers and years of AA meetings, I decided to give sobriety a chance. What followed was emotional and economic stability leading to steady weight gain.

In the fall of 1997, at 180 pounds I was the heaviest I’d ever been. I tried Weight Watchers, and within a couple of years, reached my lifetime goal of 135. Having achieved the goal, I was tired of counting points and tracking steps, consequently over the next couple of years my weight crept up 20 pounds. Then I discovered the joy of trail riding on a Road Scholar trip to the Katy Trail in Missouri.

Sadly, I was too heavy to do the 30-50 mile days in the program, but they had a SAG wagon. When I couldn’t ride any further, I could get in the van. I came from that trip absolutely in love with trail riding.

I knew I was too heavy to successfully ride the miles scheduled on any trip I looked at. So once again I began to diet and exercise. This time I ate a keto diet and rode my bike for training. This worked, and I was fairly quickly back to my weight goal. In September of 2017, I flew to Pittsburg and met a Road Scholar group again. We rode from Pittsburg to Washington D.C. on the GAP and C&O Canal. Up on over the Continental Divide. A ride of a lifetime!

I’ve since been back to the Katy Trail twice and have ridden the Mickelson Trail in South Dakota and the Flint Hills Nature Trail in Kansas several times as well.

Wake Up Call

Saturday morning, September 2, was a beautiful, bright, sunshiny day with hardly any wind in Ottawa, Kansas. I was waiting for some of my riding family to arrive to ride with me for the day. We had planned this trip for months and were all excited for the day to arrive.

I was fat again and eating low carb food. That morning I ate low carb cereal and drank protein coffee, filled my two water bottles and was ready the ride.

We rode out and enjoyed the trail, stopping every mile or so to marvel at the beauty and sip some water. About 15 miles into the ride, cramps hit both of my legs in the inner thighs. I was in pain and unable to pedal. I got off my bike to ease my legs and nearly passed out. I knew I would need help getting off the trail.

I called 911.  Shortly the EMTs where there in a pickup truck. They sat me in the front seat and carefully backed out of the trail to the ambulance. As soon as I was stabilized, they started IV fluids, and the cramps began to ease.

New Plan

I came home, joined a gym, and hired Blake Mullen as my personal trainer. I was greatly intimidated and really really did not want to do any of it. The first day with him was September 11, and the gym was having a 9-11 Step Climbing Event. He put me on a huge, scary Stairmaster and it was not fun. But I did it and went through the other exercises he had for me. Then I went back in two days to do it again. And again in couple of days. Now I am at the gym 4 days a week.

I track my food on a phone app, trying to eat 900-1200 calories with 50% of those calories coming from protein. I walk at least 10,000 steps a day and burn enough calories to leave a 500 deficit between calories eaten and calories burned. (It takes 3500 calories to burn a pound of fat.) Being mindful each day is the key to success. Today I am 9 pounds from my goal.

What’s Next?

June 2, 2024 I will be back on the Katy Trail for a 6 day, 230 mile ride. All the miles, every day is the goal! I have a blog if you wish to follow my story. (www.mariseboehs.com/blog)

Side note: Thankfully, sobriety has not had the same on again off again scenario as weight loss. I have been clean and sober since May 11, 1988. Blessed and grateful.

Marise Boehs is a freelance writer, photographer and graphic designer. Recently retired from 25+ years in the newspaper arena, she fills her days with walks around her quiet Norman  neighborhood, bike riding, working out at the gym, all the while looking for new and interesting work projects.

Mess Attendant 1st Class Ralph Boudreaux, born in New Orleans, Louisiana September 14th, 1941, who died during the Dec. 7 attack on Pearl Harbor, will be buried on Jan. 29 at 11:30 a.m., in the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, Slidell, LA.
Mess Attendant 1st Class (Matt1c) Ralph Boudreaux’s duties included responsibility for the feeding and serving of officers. The Messman Branch was a racially segregated part of the U.S. Navy. The branch was composed almost exclusively of African-Americans recruited in the U.S., as well as Filipino, Chinese and other foreign nationals recruited overseas. This attracted criticism from civil rights leaders, and some steps were taken throughout the war.
Promotions include Mess Attendant 3rd Class upon enlistment, Mess Attendant 2nd Class 02/16/1941 and Mess Attendant 1st Class.
Awards and Decorations include the Purple Heart Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, American Defense Service Medal (Fleet Clasp), Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (Bronze Star) and World War II Victory Medal.
Duty Stations: USS Oklahoma (BB 37): 02/17/1940, Naval Training Station Norfolk, VA: 11/27/1939.

The Oklahoma Hospital Association (OHA) presented Excellence in Quality awards to four hospitals during its recent annual conference. This award recognizes exceptional efforts to improve outcomes in clinical quality performance practices, capabilities, and results, and represents the highest level of professional acknowledgement from the OHA Council on Quality & Patient Safety.
Award applications from OHA hospitals across the state were scored based on their story of a clinical project specific to improving patient safety within the hospital, creating innovative interventions that incorporate evidence-based best practices, demonstrating measurable and quantifiable results, sustaining/spreading the success within the hospital, and stimulating learning for others. Four award categories based on number of beds were recognized.
“The goals of the awards are to recognize outcomes in clinical quality performance practices, capabilities, and results, share best clinical practices, challenges, and successes among Oklahoma hospitals, and stimulate innovation, knowledge and learning in achieving clinical quality and safety in health care among member hospitals,” said Patrice Greenawalt, OHA vice president of quality & clinical initiatives.

2023 awardees for Excellence in Quality are:

Critical Access Hospital and Under 25 beds: Rural Wellness Anadarko. Project Title: Reduction of Falls for Patient Safety. Submitted by: Rachel Stephens, chief nursing officer

26-100 beds: Select Specialty Hospital Oklahoma City. Project Title: Reducing Central Line-Associated Blood Stream Infections. Submitted by: Tami Kirk, director of quality management

101-300 beds: Comanche County Memorial Hospital, Lawton. Project Title: Reduction of Hospital-Acquired Clostridioides difficile. Submitted by: Melissa Alvillar, RN, chief nursing officer

More than 300 beds: Norman Regional Health System. Project Title: Hip Fracture Morbidity and Mortality. Submitted by: Cathy Snapp, orthopedic program administrator

Getting a flu shot protects you, your family and the community from getting sick. The Oklahoma City VA Health Care System provides flu shots and COVID vaccinations for Veterans and they are going one step further. Veterans can also visit participating pharmacies and community care partners and get free vaccinations closer to home. Eligible Veterans can get a no-cost flu shot from a nearby VA clinic or within your community from one of nearly 65,000 in-network pharmacies or urgent care locations.
Keep in mind:
To get a no-cost vaccine, the provider must be part of VA’s community care network.
If you receive a flu shot from a non-network provider, you may be responsible for the cost of the vaccine.
Retail pharmacies include most supermarket and local pharmacies.
Many urgent care locations offer walk-in care.
Call ahead to see if a pharmacy or urgent care site:
participates in the VA flu shot program.
offers the specific flu vaccine that you prefer
To learn more about the program the VA provides fact sheets, language options are available in English or Spanish versions. Flu vaccines are usually available September through April. Use our on-line VA locator to find locations.
And if you would like to get both vaccinations, you now can safely get shots for flu and COVID at the same time – one visit, two vaccines. (Call ahead to make sure COVID vaccine available). Remember, if you go to a local urgent care for your vaccine, the visit must be for vaccination ONLY for it to be covered. If you seek additional treatment on top of receiving the flu or COVID vaccine, you may be responsible for a co-payment.
You are eligible to receive a no-cost flu shot at an in-network retail pharmacy or urgent care location if:
You are enrolled in the VA health care system
You received care from a VA provider or an in-network community care provider within the past 24 months.
How do I know if I am eligible?
Call 800-MyVA411 (800-698-2411) Select option 1 (urgent care information or check urgent care eligibility). The system will verify your eligibility for the community urgent care benefit, which includes the flu vaccination.
Or call the OKC VA at 1-405-456-1000 option 2 or find your local VA facility
Your state may have age and health-related restrictions.
For more information, please visit the below link: https://www.prevention.va.gov/flu/FluShots.asp

Agnes Baker

(Right) 100 years old. In Stroud today, having lived her life in Lincoln County. In her century, she recalls helping her parents pick cotton; riding to school in a covered wagon; marrying her husband; becoming a mother; leaving her home to move into assisted living and the Covid shutdown.

Marci D. (Pruitt) Coppedge

(Left) 100 years old. She is blessed with two children, 5 grandchildren, seven great grandchildren & a host of extended family & friends. Her words of wisdom for younger people: “Live your life the best you have at the time; when things change, adjust & go on!”

Gilbert Mike “Choc” Charleston

(Right) 100 years old. He is a full-blooded Choctaw & his heritage permeates his life. He & his wife of 79 years, Billie, owned & operated Choctaw Trading Post providing authentic Indian artifacts attracting visitors from around the world. This is a man who put his heritage & service to his country & to others first. He was a spokesperson for the OK Department of Tourism.

Bill Stoddard

(Right) 100 years old. Originally of Connecticut, now lives in Owasso. He celebrated his 100th birthday today with his family. He is a military veteran having served four years during WWII and in Korea with the Army and Air Force. Bill’s words of wisdom for us today are: Don’t Drink or Smoke. Thank you for your service.

Last year began as I was sworn into my second and last term as your Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner. I am always grateful for your continued trust and the unique opportunity it is to serve my fellow Oklahomans. Last year was also an eventful year from an insurance standpoint. From severe weather to changes in the insurance market, the Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) was here with you through all of it. I want to highlight some of our work from 2023 and discuss what’s in store for this year.
We were here to help.
As we state in our vision, OID’s top priority is to protect Oklahoma consumers. Last year, our Consumer Assistance division assisted with 13,157 phone calls and 2,784 complaints, resulting in 327 external reviews and $8,295,011 recovered for consumers. Our Anti-Fraud division also assisted with 1,414 complaints. With the Life Insurance Policy Locator, we matched Oklahoma beneficiaries with $49 million in life insurance benefits…that they didn’t know they had! Additionally, through all the winter weather, wildfires, hail and tornadoes, we were ready to provide assistance and answer your insurance questions. We help Oklahomans in their time of need, and I want to reiterate that if you need assistance or would like to file a complaint, please contact us at 800-522-0071 or visit oid.ok.gov.
We met with those we serve.
My team and I love getting out in the communities we serve and meeting consumers and insurance industry professionals. We arranged Coffee with the Commissioner and attended Mix and Mingle events across the state, where we met with chambers of commerce, licensed agents, Rotary Club chapters and other organizations to learn ways we can better serve the community. In September, we set up a booth at the Oklahoma State Fair to inform thousands of consumers about our services while having fun in the process. In addition to these events, our Medicare Assistance Program (MAP) was active, giving 303 community presentations and engaging in 19,254 one-on-one client contacts, leading to 27,164 people reached. If you’d like to host an event with us, visit http://www.oid.ok.gov/speaker or call our office at 800-522-0071.
We informed and advocated for Oklahomans.
In 2023, we looked for new ways to reach consumers and licensed producers. We launched campaigns like Here to Help, Ask OID and Winter Weather to give guidance on what Oklahomans should know about insurance. We brought you 13 new episodes of the Mulready Minutes podcast, where we featured informative guests to share perspectives and information on topics such as Medicare Open Enrollment, captive insurance and the different divisions at OID. Our team also produced six episodes of the Medicare Monday webinar, and we hosted our first Insurance Day, where we connected with 125 industry professionals on issues affecting the insurance industry in Oklahoma and across the country. As a reminder, you can keep up with the latest news and events with us by following us on social media and subscribing to email news updates at https://oid.ok.gov/subscribe.
We’re looking forward to 2024.
Before looking ahead, I’d like to thank the OID team, who are dedicated state employees who make all of this possible. We expect 2024 to come with unique challenges and opportunities, but our commitment to serving Oklahomans will not change. We will keep you informed by bringing you new podcast episodes, webinars, campaigns and events in your own community. Check out our 2023 Annual Report for more information on all the work we do at OID. Here’s to a successful 2024!

The Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Heath Care System is currently notifying local Veterans that the North OKC VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic will be closed between 3 to 6 months due to water damage from a broken water riser valve.
The OKC VA hospital is asking patients that had previously scheduled appointments at North OKC Clinic and are unsure of their new transitioned appointment location, please contact the VA scheduling staff at 405-456-1000, select option 2.
During this temporary closure period, Veterans medical needs are a priority and Veterans will be contacted and redirected to alternative clinic locations around the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.
For any questions or concerns about upcoming scheduled appointments, Veterans can call the Oklahoma City VA to ensure every Veteran previously scheduled at North OKC CBOC has a new rescheduled appointment location.
The OKC VA understands this is an inconvenience and wants to assure Veterans that every effort is being made to minimize the impact on their healthcare experience. They are tentatively targeting January 16, 2024, for confirmation of the new appointment locations.
The building owner is currently working diligently with the insurance company, cleaning crews and construction teams to repair the site as soon as possible.
Again, if you are unsure of your new North OKC appointment location, please contact the VA scheduling staff at 405-456-1000, select option 2.