The Oklahoma History Center is honored to present Colonial Williamsburg’s Katharine Pittman in a portrayal of America’s “Lady Washington,” Martha Dandridge Custis Washington. The performance will be Thursday, February 7, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and will take place in the Chesapeake Event Center. Admission costs are $10 for Oklahoma Historical Society members and $20 for nonmembers. There is no reserved seating, so early arrival is recommended. Tickets may be reserved by calling 405-522-0765. The Oklahoma History Center is located at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive in Oklahoma City.
Katharine Pittman has been an actor/interpreter for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation for six years. She is a graduate of Wake Forest University and holds degrees in theater and history, and performed for many years around the country in musicals and operas. However, history was always her passion and, when given the opportunity, Pittman developed the Martha Washington portrayal and became one of the Nation Builders for Colonial Williamsburg.
While in Oklahoma, Pittman will make an appearance at the annual Colonial Day event at the Oklahoma State Capitol and Revolutionary Day in Tulsa.

What brings you joy in your life? Salvation Army Central Oklahoma Area Command

What really brings me joy is when my three boys have success in their personal life. Rick Dimit

The fact every day I can come here and have an opportunity to be Jesus’ hands extended. Dee Watts

Staying active … and playing pinball. Hugh Osborn

Seeing my friends every day and having my family close and working here brings me joy. Deanna Waltens

by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

A new chapter is unfolding in the Tealridge retirement community history.
Oklahoma Christian University recently sold its Tealridge retirement community located at 2100 NE 140th Street in Edmond to a local group with big plans for this well-known senior living community on the university campus.
The new group owns and manages the Tealridge Assisted Living & Memory Care Community in Edmond as well as the University Village Retirement Community in Tulsa among other communities.
However, leadership is based locally in Edmond.
“With the addition of the Tealridge independent living community, we are now able to offer our residents a full care campus with housing options ranging from independent living apartments to assisted living and even memory care services – all in one location,” said Jon Paden, who leads the new group.
The sale took almost two years to complete given Oklahoma Christian’s desire to find the right buyer and ensure the community continued to be managed and owned by a group with integrity as well as shared values and beliefs.
The new owners are already starting to reinvest in the community with over $1 million funded for building improvements which will include updating all resident apartments, dining and social areas.
“We are excited to build on the great Tealridge reputation for quality in the Edmond community and we are blessed to be able to invest the money and resources needed to really create a special, yet affordable retirement option.” added Paden.
Daily operations will be managed by Melissa Mahaffey the new Executive Director at Tealridge Retirement Community.
While she has extensive senior living management experience, Mahaffey credits her success from a genuine passion for improving the lives of her senior residents.
She also serves on the Oklahoma Assisted Living Federation.
“I am so excited to be a part of the next chapter at Tealridge.” shared Mahaffey. “We have the resources and vision to really create a place that builds on Tealridge’s great reputation while updating things to be on par with the best rental communities in Edmond.”
In addition to the great residents that already call Tealridge home, Mahaffey is building a team focused on placing a strong emphasis on customer service, hospitality and convenience for retirees regardless of what phase of life they are in, Paden added.
To find out more about Tealridge you can go online at tealridge.com.

by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

Like many, Karyl James, MSN, BSN, RN, Mercy Hospital CNO watched the frequent headlines marking deadly shootings.
And the reports of violence inside health care showed no signs of slowing down.
But what happens if the two scenarios combined? It was a question James and others in the Mercy system really didn’t want to think about, but one they knew they had to answer.
“With all the public shootings going on our safety team in collaboration with nursing said we have to educate and do something about it,” James said recently.
Through planning, discussion and scenarios Code Roscoe was born.
The code is Mercy-wide, so all 45 hospitals in the system use it for any active shooter situation.
Each unit must have at least two identified safe places that can prevent a shooter’s access to people.
“It’s not just nursing it’s registration, it’s all of those individuals. The front door of the hospital is registration so they need a safe place,” James said.
Planning for the unknown is a constant battle. Knowing who might have a gun is another.
A former ER nurse, James is familiar with both.
“Unknown was just kind of second nature for me and personally, I’ve had a gun pointed at me as an ER nurse many years ago,” James said.
It was an eye-opener to say the least.
“Yeah, I’m going to die. It was frightening,” James said of what flashed through her mind all those years ago. “He was not in his right mind and pulled out the revolver. Luckily, I had a police officer right next to me and he grabbed the gun.”
“The worst we can do is say ‘Oh, that will never happen to me because it might.’”
James knows working without a plan would shortchange everyone. That’s why she’s invested in the planning, hoping it will never be put to use.
The first drill that was run pointed out several instances where locking mechanisms didn’t work the way they should have.
The second time the code was called it wasn’t a drill.
“I got that call on a Sunday afternoon and I just froze,” James said of the scenario where the hospital locked down after a suspect in a nearby neighborhood was seen with a gun. “My stomach just sank because there was no drill.”
Out of instinct the first thing James did was call the house supervisor. That wasn’t protocol.
“The first thing you do is turn your phone off and text only,” James said. “I was the administrator on call.”
The house supervisor did answer and whispered to James she and several others were huddled under a table in the nursing administration offices.
“There was no lock on that door so they had the table pushed against the door,” James said. “The larger space you could just walk in. We’ve since put a badge reader on that door.”
Officials also learned the emergency locking button that seals all doors in the emergency department did not work.
“You could literally walk up and push open our ER so we got that fixed,” James said. “It really kind of opened our eyes to a lot of the safety measures we thought we had but really didn’t.”
Mercy has had Code Roscoe in place for nearly three years now. It’s evolved along the way.
“The reason I feel good about it is because the co-workers feel good about it,” James beamed. “After that actual event I went to the hospital after it was all said and done. It was a grueling 45 minutes because that was about how long it took for police to subdue the individual shooting in the neighborhood. I rounded on staff.”
“They knew exactly what to do. They knew where their safe spots were and the locks worked. They felt safer. For me, that’s a win.”
Planning for the unexpected is challenging to say the least.
“There’s always something new and I think you have to be flexible to understand you don’t have everything figured out and you never will,” she said.
“I get shocked every day with something new. Being open to accepting that and training as much as you possibly can for those bigger events – coworkers will figure out what they need to do and what is right to do for their patients and their safety.”

Photography and Text by Terry “Travels with Terry” Zinn [email protected]

Most people may only think of Mount Rushmore when they think about South Dakota. While it is not to be missed there are other attractions which need to be recognized.
The entire city of Deadwood is a national historic landmark. In Deadwood
you can ponder the truth at the foot of Wild Bill’s grave in Mount Moriah cemetery (along with Calamity Jane’s), tour Adams Museum and House, pan for gold at the Broken Boot Mine, choose from various guided tours, or take a self-guided walking tour into the past that puts the Wild West into perspective. You may even run into an incarnation of Wild Bill himself, either at the number 10 saloon or on horseback inspecting main street.
And there’s plenty of casinos for your gaming pleasure along with some fine eateries. One such is Kevin Costner’s Diamond Lil’s, where I had a pleasant Martini during sunset over main street. Costner’s memorabilia and costumes from his films are on display throughout the dining room, and if that was not enough finery, the top floor hosts a fine dining restaurant complete with piano and beveled glass décor.
Deadwood, South Dakota, is full of surprises such as Costner’s founded and funded Museum of the Tatanka (Buffalo) Museum right outside of town. Even with expert Lakota interpreters, displays of costumes worn in “Dances With Wolves”, and historic explanatory panels, the best part of Tatanka is the monumental 17 part sculpture of an Indian hunt near a buffalo jump. With wafts of movie theme music and the rustling of Dakota grass, this hill top venue is the pride of South Dakota, itself. Hats off and congratulations to Kevin Costner for giving back to America with the preservation and inspiration found at Tatanka: Story of the Bison interpretive Center and Sculpture. (For more information you may visit http://www.storyofthebison.com.
Up to 60 million Bison once roamed the Great Plains of North America. By the close of the 19th century, it was estimated that less than 1,000 bison survived.
This is their story… “I believe today that this place is bigger than the dream I had for it. What it means to anyone that comes here will be up to them. Tatanka was not designed as the white man’s version of the Native American. Rather it stands as a centerpiece for two cultures, one whose very lives depended on the buffalo and one who saw it as a means to an end. It recognizes and accepts that this is our mutual history. It can also represent the chance to move forward.” Kevin Costner, Attraction Founder/Owner
The badlands is another South Dakota wonder. (www.nps.gov/badl/index.htm) Roaming among the many outcroppings of natural time sculptured stone you are transported to another world. Containing the world’s richest Oligocene epoch fossil beds, dating 37-28 million years old, the evolutionary stories of mammals such as the horse and rhinoceros arise from the 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles, and spires.
Hill City calls itself the Heart of the Black Hills. The history of Hill city reaches back into Pennington County’s oldest archives. In 1876, it was the first settlement established in conjunction with the initial discovery of Black Hills gold in French Creek, 13 miles south of where Hill City sits today. Miners came from far and wide to prospect in and around this small mountain town, now referred to as “The Heart of the Hills.” Although the first settlement in the count, it was the second community to develop in the greater Black Hills area, springing up shortly after the town of Custer.
In addition to livening up the local scene in the dark of winter, Open Stage Concerts gives new talent and seasoned acts alike a supportive place to hone their craft. It also helps local promoters find and hire performers for summer shows and festivals. Local and regional singer/songwriters and poets are regulars, but storytellers, dancers, jugglers, and joke tellers are welcome too. The audience’s free-will donations help support their scholarship program and art education grants for local kids.
Open Stage concerts at the High Country Guest Ranch will be held February 9 and 23, and March 9 and 23, with doors open at 5:15 pm with the buffet starting at 5:30 pm.
Other Hill City attractions are the Museum at Black Hills Institute and the Black Hills Institute of geological Research and the South Dakota State Railroad Museum which might quench your curiosity.
While on your way to other South Dakota sights you may wish to explore Deadwood and Hill City.

Mr. Terry Zinn – Travel Editor
Past President: International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association
http://realtraveladventures.com/author/zinn

by Bryan Painter

Muskogee – A lot of people say they are thankful for what time has taught them. However, Kelly Wiedel, who ranches with husband Bart in eastern Oklahoma, has a lifetime of experiences to back that up.
There are simple things she has learned.
Take for instance haying.
“I’ll never forget the day when my father-in-law Jim Wiedel said I had tractor driving in my blood because I asked him if I could rake again,” Kelly Wiedel said.
She also won’t forget what she learned one day when she was out haying.
“When raking hay with a tractor without a cab, stay away from bumble bees,” she said.
Wiedel has painted countless feet of pipe fence and gateways.
“From that I have learned to always paint with the wind at my back,” she said.
There are also things she’s learned that weren’t so simple, such as the first time her husband was ever involved in a vehicle accident. She was a passenger.
“It caused me to get vertigo and after time with it not going away and many different tests and scans of my head,” she said, “we found out that I had a brain aneurism and had to have brain surgery. So the wreck was a blessing because it saved my life.”
Perhaps it was all those experiences and more that led her to place a sign in their dining room that reads, “It may not be the easy way, but it’s the Cowboy Way.”
On a Sunday morning
Kelly was only 6 years old when she met this lanky boy named Bart at church on a Sunday in the early 1970s. Her family had just moved to the area and as it turned out, she grew up living roughly 10 miles from his family’s cow/calf and haying operation.
Kelly and Bart married in 1984 and started out with a small cow/calf operation near Muskogee. Three years later they became partners with his parents and together the families had 400 momma cows.
In between then and now, they have purchased more land and cattle. They have taken on the management of another 1,000-acre ranch.
Beverly Delmedico has known Kelly and Bart for several years.
“I don’t know of a couple that is closer together than Bart and Kelly,” she said. “They do absolutely everything together. They are just something else. I love Bart and Kelly both.”
Very proud of their family
Wiedel has another sign hanging on the wall, “Home is where the herd is.”
While they are proud of their ranch, they are extremely proud of their family. Others have recognized the Wiedels as well.
Kelly and Bart’s family received the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee’s District Six Farm and Ranch Family Recognition during the organization’s 77th annual meeting on Nov. 17.
They have three children, James Robert Wiedel, Jared Jay Wiedel and Lacy Miller, along with six grandchildren.
So, Kelly Wiedel says this about agriculture.
“It has given me a life to work beside my husband and raise our children in a way of life that has made them want to continue to live their lives in agriculture,” she said. “Our two sons have cattle of their own and work with us in the hay field. Our daughter and her husband have their own cattle operation about 45 miles away. We hope that our children and grandchildren have learned that hard work will make them better people.”
There is that word again, “learned.”
Life on an agricultural operation provides its own forms of continuing education.
There are the enjoyable lessons.
“I am most happy on the ranch when it is spring time and all the baby calves are running around,” she said.
Then, there are the challenging lessons.
“We went through a bad drought and had to bale cornstalks to provide hay for our cattle, because we sold more hay than our fields made because of the drought,” she said.
A key part of that comment is, “We went through…” They didn’t stop, they didn’t turn back. They put on their work gloves and they “went through.”
So how does Wiedel summarize the lessons learned so far in life?
Kelly Wiedel said, “It takes a person who is willing to put in a lot of time and hard work to make a ranch successful.”

Brightmusic Chamber Ensemble presents fine classical music in an intimate, family-friendly setting. All concerts will take place at 7:30 pm on Tuesday evenings at the beautiful and historic St. Paul’s Cathedral in downtown Oklahoma City at 127 NW 7th Street (at Robinson). Bright Music website, www.brightmusic.org, contains more detailed information about this concert, including the musicians who will be appearing. Season passes are available online, and individual tickets are available at the door for $20. Admission is free for children and students with student ID and for active-duty military service personnel with ID.
“Reeds-A-Plenty”
Experience the Richness
Tuesday, March 19, 2019, 7:30 pm at St. Paul’s Cathedral, 127 NW 7th Street (at Robinson).
Experience the exquisite richness of woodwinds as the Brightmusic Chamber Ensemble presents a diverse sampling of 18th- through 20th-century works for reeds in its fourth concert of the 2018-19 season Tuesday evening, March 19, 2019. On the program are worthy works by Saint-Saëns and Glinka, as well as three of the worthiest French composers and a Czech you’ve probably never heard of. This is a rare opportunity to hear these delightful but less frequently performed works, some by composers who are best known for their compositions for the wind ensemble. Plenty of charm! Plenty of delight! Plenty of reeds!
The works on the program are:
Francois Devienne, Trio No. 5 in B-flat Major (for flute, clarinet & bassoon), Mikhail Glinka, Trio Pathétique in D Minor (for clarinet, bassoon & piano), Florent Schmitt, A Tour d’Anches (“Reeds in Turn”) (for oboe, clarinet, bassoon & piano), Clemence de Grandval, Trio de Salon, op. 8 (for oboe, bassoon & piano), Lukasš Hurnik, Fusion Music for Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon & Piano, and Camille Saint-Saens, Caprice on Danish and Russian Airs (for flute, oboe, clarinet & piano).
Musicians appearing:
Parthena Owens, Flute, Lisa Harvey-Reed, Oboe, Chad Burrow, Clarinet, Rodney Ackmann, Bassoon , Ruirui Ouyang, Piano and Sallie Pollack on the Piano.
The performance will take place at St. Paul’s Cathedral, 127 NW 7th Street (at Robinson). Individual concert admission is $20 per ticket. Children, students and active-duty military personnel are admitted free with ID. More information about this concert is available on Brightmusic’s website at http://www.brightmusic.org.

The stabbing pains in David Key’s armpits awoke him from sleep one night in 2006. “It was excruciating,” said Key, 53, who lives in Oil Center, about 10 miles northeast of Ada.
He cycled through hospitals and clinics, his condition worsening. He developed uncontrollable tremors and neurological problems and gave up his business. After a pair of strokes, he was forced to go on disability. Years passed, yet still he had no answers.
Finally, one physician thought he recognized Key’s condition. A subsequent biopsy of lymph nodes proved the hunch: sarcoidosis, a rare disease that causes lumps of immune cells – known as granulomas – to form in organs throughout the body.
“Unless patients’ first symptoms are in the lungs, they’re usually misdiagnosed,” said Courtney Montgomery, Ph.D., who studies the disease in her lab at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation.
Scientists know little about what triggers sarcoidosis. It seems to start in the immune system, eliciting rampant inflammation. The tumor-like lumps can appear in the eyes, liver, heart, skin and brain and, most often, in the lungs.
The disease can strike anyone, but it disproportionately affects African Americans. And, said Montgomery, it can be fatal.
“The most common causes of death are cardiac conditions,” she said. Heart complications claimed the disease’s two most famous victims – NFL Hall of Famer Reggie White and comedian Bernie Mac – at the ages of 43 and 50, respectively.
For Key, doctors have largely managed to control his symptoms through steroids and long list of other medications for the tremors, pain, depression and neurological issues. Still, he continues to experience near-constant pain in his chest. “Sometimes, I can swear I’m having a heart attack,” he said.
Last year, in an effort to help Montgomery and her OMRF scientific team better understand the disease, Key traveled to Oklahoma City to participate in a research study of sarcoidosis at the foundation. After filling out questionnaires detailing his disease and medication history, he donated blood for the researchers to analyze.
“By studying what’s going on at a genetic level in patients with active disease, we hope to identify environmental triggers that initiate sarcoidosis,” Montgomery said. Ultimately, that work might point scientists to an effective treatment.
Key understands that volunteering in OMRF’s research study likely won’t help directly. Still, he said, “If it can help somebody down the road, it’s worth it.”
For more information about sarcoidosis or to participate in research studies of the disease at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, call (405) 271-2504 or email [email protected].