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

If going to Cuba is important to you, you might think about how you are going to get there? Do you want to fly into Havana or an outlying city, and go it on your own with no guide or schedule or reliably confirmed lodgings? And what about getting around once there? Do you only want to see one city, one environment? And what about an over seeing agency or organization to check in on your safety and health? There is nothing worse than getting sick or suffering a minor injury away from home.
These uncertainties can be alleviated by taking a cruise ship, such as with Fathom aboard the Adonia, that visits three Cuban ports of call in a week, arrange guides and cultural activities and looks over your safety insuring your return to the good old USA. It leaves out of the port of Miami, As with all cruises it is a safe idea to arrive a day early so that you don’t “miss the ship” with unexpected delay. Miami offers a plethora of one or two day opportunities to expand your trip. South Beach with its many restaurants and art deco hotels is a prime and affordable example.
With no special journalistic discounts, my cruise fare was most affordable. If you start communication with Fathom through their web site ( https://www.fathom.org/cruise-to-cuba/ ) you might get notices of special reduced fares within a couple of weeks of a cruise departure. I found fellow passengers that bought such last minute discounted fares with noticeably no discount in cabin features or shore excursion offerings.
Besides Cuba, Fathom offers affordable cruises and tours to the Dominican Republic, which I hear has beautiful beaches and more touristy offerings than Cuba.
A good cruise ship is a convenient and comfortable way to travel, with your food, lodgings and entertainment taken care of. Of course you can venture from the standard tour offerings on your own. In Havana, you might find your own local guide to the city in a vintage automobile.
With a large cruise ship comes the drawback of so many passengers needing to be loaded on busses at the same time. While Fathom staggers the announcements for passengers to get off the ship, there still results in a line at dockside. There is little way around this, but to add to the delay and frustration is the Cuban customs which at each stop, each passenger must go through. Of course everyone from the cruise ship is permitted to pass through, but the frustration comes with medal detectors and showing passports which are seldom stamped, but must produce your photo identity. If this was done once for the entire cruise as has been done on European cruise ports it would make the cruise more pleasant and time effective. But one must remember that this is Cuba with its very suspicious and bureaucratic government. I am assuming there is nothing that Fathom can do about this, but it is an inconvenience.
Once loaded on about ten separate busses following ten different itineraries with ten different local guides, the luck of the draw is the rule of the day. Some bus guides are as good as one could expect from a country not familiar with Americans. Some are hard to understand and are not proficient in the area they are guiding, thus more frustration. The choice of your cultural exposure on your assigned tour varies and the passenger has no choice. Some excursions are rated high by the passengers and some are delinquent. Some have more interplay with the locals and some just hit the monuments and plazas. The intention is good but the execution needs improvement. If you pay with your cruise package for a tour, it seems logical that you can pick the experience that best suits your desires.
Dining aboard the Fathom is a pleasant and efficient experience. Upon entering the dining room you are asked if you would mind sharing a table. I always do this as your fellow dining guests are as interesting as your ports of call, coming from a variety of home states and backgrounds. This also is an efficient way for a table of six or eight to get served. Of course you may dine alone if you prefer. The wait staff is most efficient and congenial and the food above average for a cruise ship.
After a hard day of touring or on your day at sea, you can treat your self with your reservations to special Signature dining, a painting and wine class, and even a multiple course cocktail class, featuring specialties of the day and exotic cocktails.
The cabins, are of average cruise styling and the Fathom Adonia offers many with balconies opening on to sea vistas. A balcony is mandatory for this cruise to Cuba as there are many sights to see as you enter a variety of harbors, not to mention Havana’s with the historic “Remember the Maine” battleship experience. Often local Cubans will be on the outlaying banks waiving and wish you well. You also may see landmarks and local houses that you would otherwise not see, and thus a glimpse into the average Cuban way of life.
An added educational treat is the on board presentations before visiting a port. Here they will illuminate you as the history of Cuba, the particular port, and the cultural interaction you might experience. At these briefings the crew is happy to answer any questions you may have.
All in all a Fathom cruise to Cuba aboard the Adonia, or maybe the Dominican Republic, is an experience I would repeat. And that is the highest compliment one can give a cruise. The Adonia is a destination that rivals a Cuban visit. For your information: https://www.fathom.org/cruise-to-cuba/

Dr. Holly Van Remmen asks lots of head-scratchers. Like why do some diseases only happen when we get older? And what can we do to slow the aging process?
As head of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation’s Aging and Metabolism Research Program, she’s well served by her inquisitiveness. Indeed, it’s a trait that comes naturally to her.
As a child, Van Remmen loved to figure out how things work. Even her little sister’s supposedly indestructible Fisher-Price transistor radio couldn’t escape her inquiring mind. “I used butter knives, screwdrivers and all kinds of things to get inside it,” said Van Remmen. “I just had to know what made the music play.”
In college, a part-time job in a nursing home again stoked the fires of her curiosity. What, she wondered, was driving the biological changes she saw in the elderly men and women she helped care for? She decided to figure out for herself by enrolling in a graduate program focused on physiology and aging. After earning her doctorate, she spent more than two decades as an aging researcher at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio, then joined OMRF’s scientific faculty in 2013.
Van Remmen’s work focuses on age-related muscle loss and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. During her career, she has made a series of important insights on muscle degeneration, and this past year she led a study that found new links between traumatic brain injuries and neurodegenerative conditions. “The ultimate goal of this work,” said Van Remmen, “is to help people to be stronger for longer.”
In June, the American Aging Association recognized her work with its highest honor, the Denham Harman Award. Established in 1978, the prize is a lifetime achievement award that recognizes scientists who have made significant contributions to the field of research in aging.
“This is such a nice honor for me personally,” said Van Remmen. “But it also says that our colleagues across the country now recognize Oklahoma as a force in research on aging.”
Dr. Arlan Richardson, Van Remmen’s former mentor and now a professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, agrees.
“Holly is a tremendously hard worker and has a gift for fostering collaboration,” he said. “She has grown into a noted leader in aging research and is one of the top women of her generation in the field. Her selection for this award symbolizes that growth, and having her here draws more attention to Oklahoma and helps all of us, both at OMRF and OU.”
In 2015, working with a team that included Richardson, other OU and OMRF scientists, and researchers at the VA Medical Center, she helped secure a federal grant to establish a Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Biology of Aging in Oklahoma City. She and Richardson now serve as co-directors of that Shock Center, one of only six nationwide. Work at the Shock Center focuses on geroscience, the study of how aging impacts disease and how changes that occur in aging predispose people to disease.
The Oklahoma scientists hope their work will provide clues to understanding conditions ranging from Alzheimer’s to age-related muscle loss, a topic of particular interest to Van Remmen. But regardless of what she finds, Van Remmen pledges to keep pushing ahead.
“Research is a journey,” she said. “As you put together more pieces of the puzzle, more questions arise, and you have to follow where they lead.”

Sunbeam Family Services recently honored its volunteers at the organization’s volunteer appreciation luncheon and named its inaugural Volunteer of the Year, Ray of Sunshine and Community Partner award recipients.
Friends of Sunbeam, an auxiliary volunteer group that started in 2003, was named Volunteer of the Year. Friends of Sunbeam meets monthly with the Sunbeam staff where they learn of the organization’s program needs. The group puts together baskets for senior adults who are leaving Sunbeam’s senior emergency shelter to move into their new homes. They also recognize birthdays of children in the foster care program, host the annual Foster Care Easter egg hunt and Oklahoma City Educare book fairs where they also serve as reading buddies.
Catherine Divis received Sunbeam’s Ray of Sunshine Award. This award is presented to a new volunteer who has had significant impact on Sunbeam programs for one to three years. Divis, an employee of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma, is a member of the Beacons, Sunbeam’s young professionals’ board, which she helped to launch and now serves as President. Over the last three years, Catherine has invested herself as a volunteer in Sunbeam’s foster care child care events, the OKC Educare carnival, the organization’s Christmas store, and also serves as a liaison on the Sunbeam Board of Directors. In addition, she helps to recruit other volunteers for the organization.
Sunbeam named Junior League of Oklahoma City as its Community Partner of the Year. Sunbeam and Junior League have a long-standing relationship dating back to the 1940s when the group operated daycares for Sunbeam so that mothers could go to work and also helped to raise funds to create and support the work of the Child Guidance Clinic. Today, Junior League members lead Family Fitness Night at OKC Educare once a month allowing students and parents the opportunity to participate in activities that build and reinforce healthful eating habits, physical fitness and connection with family and community.
Last year approximately 2,130 hours were served by more than 700 volunteers to help support children, families and seniors in Sunbeam programs. To learn more about volunteering with Sunbeam, contact Taprina Milburn, Volunteer Manager, at 405.609.1755 or email [email protected].
Founded in 1907, Sunbeam Family Services is one of Oklahoma’s longest serving nonprofits, providing people of all ages with help, hope and the opportunity to succeed through early childhood, counseling, foster care and senior services. To learn more, visit www.sunbeamfamilyservices.org or follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Leroy Burdine, a resident of The Fountains at Canterbury in Oklahoma City, celebrated his 90th birthday with a festive commemoration, thanks to a party thrown in his honor by The Fountains at Canterbury staff and the Oklahoma City Thunder Girls.
Birthday party attendees enjoyed a visit from two of the Oklahoma City Thunder Girls, Stephanie and Addie. The Thunder Girls signed posters, posed for photos with residents and shared stories about their time with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The celebration also featured music and a smorgasbord including chicken wings donated by Buffalo Wild Wings, cupcakes, fresh fruit and more. Residents and staff joined together for a collective rendition of “Happy Birthday to You” and took turns giving Leroy their best wishes.

A Tulsa man who filed a bogus insurance claim and assaulted an insurance adjuster has been sentenced to life in prison. Prentice E. Ponds II, 43, was on parole at the time of the crime. He has a long criminal history with multiple felony convictions.
“Oklahoma is a safer place with this man behind bars,” said Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak. “While it’s common for insurance fraud to be committed in conjunction with other crimes, we don’t typically see violence like this. But it does happen. I am extremely proud of the work done by our Anti-Fraud Unit to get this violent criminal off the streets. I also want to thank the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office for its excellent work on this case.”
Ponds was arrested in August 2015 after an investigation by the Oklahoma Insurance Department’s Anti-Fraud Unit. Investigators found that Ponds filed a fraudulent insurance claim on a 2014 Chevy Camaro with preexisting damage he’d purchased off eBay. When an insurance adjuster went to Ponds’ home to question him about the claim, Ponds became angry. He attacked the adjuster and took his file and audio recorder. The insurance adjuster was later treated for a head laceration and broken ribs.
Last week a Tulsa County jury convicted Ponds of robbery and insurance fraud. He was sentenced to life for the robbery conviction and 25 years for the insurance fraud conviction. Ponds’ prior felony convictions include assault and battery, robbery and burglary.
“I could not be more pleased with the jury’s verdict,” said Tulsa County Assistant District Attorney Reagan Reininger. “The jury was able to evaluate the evidence and send a message that making a fraudulent insurance claim and robbery by force or fear are crimes that will not be tolerated in our community. A violent criminal was taken off our streets with the help of the Tulsa Police Department and the thorough investigation of the Oklahoma Insurance Department. Because of our collective efforts, the hope is that this criminal will never be able to victimize again,” said Reininger.
“Repwest takes insurance fraud very seriously and works closely with authorities to fervently pursue justice,” said Robert Pirmann, vice president at Repwest Insurance Company. “On behalf of our team, I want to commend the Oklahoma Department of Insurance, the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office and local law enforcement for their diligent efforts in this case. The violence exhibited against our insurance investigator should never be tolerated.”
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.

by Mike Lee, Staff Writer

The Veraden is a new senior living center in Edmond offering independent living, assisted living and memory care, said Anita Kelley, Veraden spokeswoman. Assisted living with memory care has a separate community.
Residents are offered opportunities to engage in healthy lifestyles through nutrition and socializing with their peers. Residents particularly like the cityscape area of The Veraden that is among hills and trees.
“We have an underground tornado shelter with a theatre, cafe and activity room with a fitness center and a certified trainer,” she said. The trainer leads exercises and demonstrates the proper use of equipment.
“We have fitness equipment accompanied by elliptical training, a treadmill and free weights,” Kelley said.
Amenities at The Veraden include a heated swimming pool and hot tub. The second floor has a high-purpose room designed for snacks and a happy hour. Billiards and poker are available.
“In the assisted living, they can use those areas as well. They also have two activity areas,” Kelley said. “But one thing that makes our assisted living unique is we even have two bedroom apartments. A lot of assisted livings don’t have that.”
Kelly said she loves that The Veraden hires according to what is needed for care.
“We don’t say we’ve got five residents so we need one person. If we have five residents with a lot of needs and a lot of care, they we’re going to hire more of a team.” “So our care associates help with bathing, dressing, and delivering medications. They are all certified nurse aides, certified med aides. Then we have an RN over the program and an LPN. So we’re covered Sunday through Saturday.”
Tonya Hodges serves as director of The Veraden. Hodges has been a licensed practical nurse for 10 years and began her career in senior communities.
“Once seniors are in your heart, you don’t go anywhere,” Hodges said. “It’s your calling. People have asked me over the years, ‘What is your dream job?’ This is my dream job.”
“I wake up every day looking forward to changing their lives.”
Enriching the lives of residents is the staff’s goal at The Veraden. In doing so, the residents change the lives of The Veraden staff for the better, Hodges said.
“I love that we’re taking care of history,” Hodges continued. “We have war veterans and folks who have made a difference in this community.”
A heart for caring is a hallmark of the care staff, Hodges said. That is a quality The Veraden looks for when hiring for senior care, she said.
The Veraden offers 142 apartments, but they already have a lot of residents. When coming to The Veraden, prospective residents have needs to be met.
Some of them have found it more difficult to cook for one person at home or to go pick up groceries. They may have begun skipping meals.
“So with nutrition they want activity. They know they’re sitting too much. They haven’t been getting up and moving enough,” Kelley said.
Some of the people looking for a retirement community realize they have been watching television more than they once did.
Socialization at The Veraden is helpful when having a friend to share a cup of coffee or attend a poetry class.
Kelley said she is impressed by the extra mile the care team has gone to please the residents.
“One lady loves spaghetti so we went and got spaghetti for her,” Kelley said. “They went for an assessment in a different community and found that her apartment, especially around her chair in her apartment was real dirty, so they cleaned the carpet for her around the chair so it would be more comfortable for her and she could move here.
“They just see things that we don’t always see and spot things. I really appreciate that about them.”
On a recent weekend when an ice storm was in the forecast, the care team spent the night at The Veraden to make sure people received their medicine. The director of memory care spent the entire weekend with residents.
“That’s really going above and beyond,” she said.
One of the residents told Kelly she had made a lot of promises before he moved to The Veraden.
“He said, ‘I just want you to know you have gone above and beyond my expectations,’” Kelley said. “I thought that was the best compliment. “Another lady said, ‘This is the best business decision I have ever made.’”
Hodges said if they can change the lives of one senior every day, success has been made.
“Memory care is my passion, and it’s changing the moments, not the days, of our memory care residents,” she said. “I feel that we do that here. Our program is top-notch.
“I just got off the phone with a family. She said, ‘You’ve exceeded everything I ever thought you would be doing for my sister.’ It’s just changing their lives and changing the lives of their families.”

Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City’s NeuroScience Institute has once again earned Advanced Certification for Comprehensive Stroke Centers from the Joint Commission – the nation’s oldest and largest accrediting body in health care. It is the highest level of stroke certification awarded only to hospitals able to treat the most complex cases of stroke through detection, treatment and rehabilitation. Mercy was the first center in Oklahoma and one of only 15 in the nation to earn Advanced Certification when the two-year certification was established in 2012. Currently, there are less than 130 advanced comprehensive stroke centers in the United States.
In order to maintain certification, Mercy underwent a demanding application process and rigorous onsite review by Joint Commission experts. Eligibility standards include advanced imaging capabilities, 24/7 availability of specialized treatments and staff with the unique education and competencies. Mercy is currently home to the state’s largest group of neuroscience specialists in the southwestern United States, and the state’s largest number of neurohospitalists – physicians dedicated solely to providing neurological care for patients admitted into the hospital.

On Tuesday, March 7, Oklahoma City’s Brightmusic Chamber Ensemble will present its fourth concert of the 2016-17 season, “Romanticism Revisited.” The ensemble will revisit chamber works by three of Romanticism’s greats: Carl Maria von Weber, a contemporary of Beethoven and one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school; Richard Strauss, himself heavily influenced by his idol, Johannes Brahms; and Sergei Rachmaninoff, a major composer of the late 19th to early 20th centuries. The concert features works spanning the Romantic era of the 19th century, from the trio by Weber to the works of Rachmaninoff and Strauss, both written toward the end of the century.
The evening starts with the Weber trio, a melodic and virtuosic work; continues with the one-movement trio by a 19-year-old Rachmaninoff, and concludes with the energetic quartet of Strauss.
The program includes:
Carl Maria von Weber, Trio in G Minor for Flute, Cello & Piano, Op. 63;, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Trio Élégiaque No. 1 in G Minor (for Violin, Cello & Piano); and Richard Strauss, Quartet in C Minor, Op. 13 (for Piano, Violin, Viola & Cello).
Six musicians will appear in this concert: Gregory Lee (violin), Mark Neumann (viola), Jonathan Ruck (cello), Parthena Owens (flute), Amy I-Lin Cheng (piano), and Ruirui Ouyang (piano).
The performance will take place at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, March 7 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. In addition, anyone suffering financial hardship due to to a layoff in the energy sector may attend free of charge by stating that they are “a guest of the musicians.” More information about this concert is available on Brightmusic’s website at http://www.brightmusic.org.

Community leader Nancy Wilson Payne Ellis will be presented The John and Joy Reed Belt Leadership in Arts and Education Award by Harding Fine Arts Academy at a dinner on Tuesday April 18 at 6:00 pm at the OKC Petroleum Club. The award was initiated in 2013 by the HFAA Board with the purpose to increase overall public awareness of the school, honor community leaders for their inspiring and dedicated leadership, showcasing Harding Fine Arts Academy student talents and increase sustained financial support for academic and arts programming. Nancy is being recognized for her ongoing outstanding leadership in furthering arts and education in Oklahoma.
Nancy is a 1959 graduate of Harding High School. She is Past Chairman and Lifetime Trustee of the OKC Museum of Art. Nancy is a founding member of The Payne Education Center which trains teachers to teach children with learning differences. She was the first female chairman of the Oklahoma State University Foundation Board of Governors and was inducted into the OSU Alumni Hall of Fame in 2004 and into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2005. Nancy was honored by the Boys and Girls Club of Oklahoma County with the Champion of Youth Award in 2012. In addition she received the Oklahoma Commerce & Industry Hall of Honor Lifetime Achievement Award at Oklahoma City University Meinders School of Business. Nancy has served as a Deacon, Elder and Trustee for Westminster Presbyterian Church. She is married to Dr. Robert Ellis and together they have 8 children and 17 grandchildren.
Nancy stated, “My six years at Harding High School were a very important time in my life. With excellent teachers that I can still name today, to my many friends that I have stayed in touch with over 50 years, the impact on my life has been personal and permanent. Beginning with art classes in the ninth grade at Harding to the many opportunities I have had to bring arts education to the community, my life has been enriched”.
Harding Fine Arts Academy is a tuition-free, non-profit charter high school founded in 2005. The school’s mission is to prepare students for college in an academically challenging arts integrated environment.
A lively evening is planned with James Pickel serving as emcee, featuring student modern dancers, vocalists from the spring production and a guitarist. Patrons may support school and student needs by donating to a variety of projects through “Pic Your Passion” teacher-posted projects which range from science classroom equipment, novels and concert amplification equipment. Donations opportunities towards these teacher projects in honor of Nancy Payne Ellis will be available at the event or online at: harding finearts.org/lae. Pic your Passion donors or interested sponsors can also contact Linda Lightner at (405) 702-4322 or emailing [email protected].
Sally Bentley and Alison Taylor are Co-Chairmen. Committee Members include Kaye Adams, Kelley Barnes, Joy Reed Belt, Susan Gabbard, Dee Harris, Kirsten Hurley, Nancy Leonard, Linda Lightner,Carol McPheeters, Kathy Rogers, Matt Schein, Bob Spinks, Beth and Jim Tolbert and John Yoeckel. Reservations for the dinner are $125 and can be made by calling (405) 702-4322. Visit htt://hardingfinearts.org/lae. Sally and Alison said “This event recognizes the impact of arts and education in shaping the future of our students’ lives. We’re thrilled to celebrate a past Harding School Graduate, Nancy Payne Ellis, in recognition of her lifetime commitment to the arts and education in our community and state”.