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

An undiscovered intellectual and hands on treat is the Sam Nobel Museum of Natural History in Norman, Oklahoma.
Recently it was recognized for excellence by receiving the 2014 National Medal by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the nation’s highest honor conferred on museums and libraries for services to their community. This honor was only awarded to five museums out of 17.500, and five libraries nationwide.
The honor was given in a ceremony at the White House where first Lady Michelle Obama said, “The work that you do in the summers and throughout the year is filling a crucial role n our country as we strive to give our young people a world-class education.”
Later O.U. President David L. Boren agreed, “This prestigious national award confirms that our museum is one of the most important university-based natural history museums in our nation and indeed in the world.”
As an example of the museums outreach is the ExplorOlogy program which involves promising students from schools across Oklahoma to get a hands on experience with experts in different scientific disciplines. One ExplorOlogy program took place in the high planes of Oklahoma in the Black Mesa area located in the states panhandle.
The Sam Noble Museum offers a variety of educational programming designed to engage and challenge students as they unlock the past, observe the present and consider the future though natural and cultural history. Jess Cole, head of education, says, “We are really fortunate to be a complement and supplement for Oklahoma schools with their science education.”
More information on the museum and their educational programs can be found at www.SamNobleMuseum.org. For your visit to the museum you may take in the “Be the Dinosaur!” exhibit running through June 12th, 2016. The exhibit is based on the fossils found in the Hell Creek Formations of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. You can guide a Tyrannosaurus Rex in a search for food or learn the behaviors of the Triceratops as it ambles through the Late Cretaceous from a video console. The highlight of a visit might be the video simulated pods which allow visitors to become dinosaurs.
Another attraction is the “Through the Eyes of the Lynx: Galileo and the Microscope” through August 31st. On March 10 at 7 pm, is the free “Galileo’s World Lecture Series and Sky Watch” hosted by the O.U. Observatory.
The museum is available for catered events and banquets.
Located at 2401 Chautauqua Avenue, the Sam Noble Museum is easily accessible near the O.U. Campus, and provides an educational and entertaining experience for all ages.

Mr. Terry Zinn – Travel Editor
Past President: International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association
http://realtraveladventures.com/author/zinn/
http://www.examiner.com/travel-in-oklahoma-city/terry-zinn
www.new.okveterannews.com – www.martinitravels.com

by Vivkie Jenkins
Staff Writer

Touchmark is the premier retirement community in north Edmond. We offer elegant independent and assisted living with a person centered Memory Care! The three-story Grandview offers more than 100 apartments. Phase I includes underground parking, a storm shelter, a variety of dining options, housekeeping services, scheduled transportation, bistro, beauty and barber salon, billiard and game room, fitness center, library, multipurpose room, and chapel. The Parkview neighborhood features 56 single-family homes, varying in size from 1,600 square feet to more than 2,000.
We have a national award winning Life Enrichment program which keeps plenty of entertaining options for our residents. It has been said our community feels like a lovely hotel and cruise ship on land. -Touchmark at Coffee Creek-
With an outgoing and bubbly personality showing is Angelie Sales, LPN, and Assistant Living Manager at Touchmark at Coffee Creek in Edmond, OK. Angelie Sales became a nurse to make a difference in people’s lives. “Touchmark’s mission is to enrich people’s lives. To work for a company that embodies the same values I uphold as a person is very important to me,” Angelie said.
Angelie grew up in Iloilo, Philippines. From there, she lived in Los Angeles and moved to Oklahoma in 2001. She attended Platt College and has been a nurse for ten years. “My nursing instructors were great mentors, and during my first years in nursing, I was lucky to have worked with excellent nurses. Even now, I am grateful for the nurses that I continue to work with.” she said.
Angelie’s first job was a private duty nurse. She has been at Touchmark at Coffee Creek for four years and four months. “I love my job here and can’t imagine being anywhere else,” she added.
“I have always had a desire to help others. My husband and I are ministry leaders for our church; as a family we help with feeding the homeless at downtown OKC every fourth Sunday of the month,” Angelie commented. “Feeding the hungry feeds the soul,” she added.
Asking what qualities make a good nurse, Angelie replied, “It’s important not just to care and implement a care-plan but also to have the ability to see a resident as a whole. As a nurse, I am very involved in some of life’s most difficult and delicate moments. Being able to be flexible by providing just the right amount of tenderness when giving care, with strong, sound, and reliable clinical judgment is vital.”
What is your biggest reward as a nurse? “Becoming a trusted member of the community that I work for. Residents and their families have come to know me and trust me,” Angelie answered.
What is your biggest challenge, “That would be separating work from home life. That is not so easy to do sometimes,” she said.
Asking Angelie to describe herself. “I am a very loyal and strong-willed. I am definitely a leader. When I set my mind on something, it is difficult to change my decision,” she said with a laugh. Angelie was also recognized as OKALA Nurse of the Year in 2017.
Angelie has been married to Carlo for twenty-two years. Her children, Marc and Roni also work at Touchmark as dining room servers. Her youngest, Charlize, volunteers at Touchmark.
Angelie’s hobbies include anything away from work! “I enjoy interior design, gardening and reading. I also love dogs!” she added.
If Angela were to give advice to someone going into the medical field, she would tell them, “Remain curious!” Daily words that can be heard throughout the day from Angelie while at work are, beautiful hands are those that do. And encouraging words from Angelie are, we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. Currently, Angelie is in school at SNU, hopefully to get a degree in family studies and gerontology.
What is something that most people don’t know about Angelie? “The fact that I can climb a tree,” she laughed.
Summing up her life in one word is: EVOLVING.

www.caresuitesokc.com

by Vickie Jenkins, Staff Writer

If you find yourself looking for James Brigida, you will most likely have to look up in the sky. He will be one of the three crew members on the Medi Flight helicopter. James is a Flight Nurse and a National Registered Paramedic.
Born in Las Angeles, CA and raised in the bay area, James was in his early twenties when he decided to visit a cousin in Oklahoma. He liked Oklahoma so much, he decided to move here and go to nursing school. That was sixteen years ago and he has enjoyed his job ever since. Having a job as a paramedic in 1998, he soon had the opportunity to be a flight paramedic. From there, he became an RN, and then a Certified Flight Registered Nurse. “I was getting great critical care experience and good basic knowledge. Now, I work for Medi Flight based out of Chickasha, OK and the parent company, Air Methods is based out of Denver, CO,” he said.
James explained how the helicopter crew consisted of one pilot, one nurse and one paramedic. “We have to do some life-threatening actions. There are two different types of flight emergencies calls. 1. Scene flight; a call made by a firefighter or a policeman. 2. Transfer call; these are the phone calls usually coming from smaller towns where there is no hospital; needing to transfer the person by helicopter,” James said. “Either way, the flight nurse and paramedic have to know what to do, how to do it and when to do it. We have seconds to take care of that patient in a unique and isolated situation while we are 1,000 feet in the air. We have to have critical thinking skills, performing emergency procedures. Seconds count! The flight nurse and flight paramedic work as equals,” he added.
“Flight nurses have bits of the same schedule as a firefighter. We work 24 hours, twice a week. We have eight flight nurses and eight flight paramedics with four shifts, rotating the schedule. Medi Flight is at Grady Memorial Hospital in Chickasha, OK. Mr. Deacon Vice is the Medical Director of the ER there,” James commented.
Does the helicopter fly in any weather? “Actually, the pilot of the helicopter is like a weatherman. They have to know all of the weather conditions before taking off. There has to be 1,000 feet from the ground to the ceiling (clouds) and be able to see two miles ahead for visibility. In the winter, they have to watch for the helicopter freezing over,” James replied.
Asking James to describe himself, he said, “I’m an outgoing, passionate guy that has a true desire to help. I am a great team player and have a lot of empathy for others.”
What advice would you give to someone if they wanted to be a flight nurse? “I would encourage them to start out by getting experience in the critical care unit. The reason is the fact that all of this training and experience will get them closer to becoming a flight nurse. Also, get all of the certifications you can. It will be even better when you try to get a job as a flight nurse,” James answered.
James isn’t always up in the sky though. “I also have a second job,” James said. “I work at the OU Trauma Center in the ER. This is the one and only Trauma Center in Oklahoma. I am blessed to have a job that I love, doing what I love to do, helping others and fulfilling my passion for flying.”
Living in Edmond, OK, James is married to the love of his life, Patty. They have three children, Matthew, 18, Dante, 20 and Alejandra 22.
James’ hobbies include exercise; working out at a great place called True Grit in Edmond, OK. “It can be a great stress-reliever,” James said. “That’s pretty much my hobby. Working out and sleeping. I love to sleep,” he said with a laugh.
From the days of his childhood, dreaming of aviation and flying, James is blessed to have the title Flight Nurse. “I get to take care of patients and fly in a helicopter. I continue to learn and use my critical thinking skills in my everyday job. I have a wonderful family and I continue to help others in any way that I can, in the air and on the ground,” James said.
Asking James to sum up his life in one word, he answered, “passionate”.

story and photos by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

Mark Hamm knows that someday in the not-too-distant future, central Oklahoma will be one giant metroplex.
“In the next 20 years they’re projecting another 20,000 people moving to Moore,” the Moore City Councilman said. “They’re all brand new and they don’t know anything about this and it will just be forgotten.”
Hamm was referring to Moore’s history, which dates back before statehood.
And as he discussed the city’s constant progress he was standing on the porch of Myron January’s family home, built in 1895 and believed to be the oldest structure in Moore.
The town’s history – and Myron January’s childhood home – are something Hamm and community members want to preserve for all to see.
In November Moore voters approved the continuation of a quarter-cent sales tax. Part of that money will go the development of an Old Town park, similar to what Norman has near its train depot.
The vision is much bigger than the old January home.
An interactive trail, a sitting area and hopefully a visitor center located near the railroad tracks will spring up some day soon. City officials already have their eye on procuring the original train depot, which is currently being used as an office on Shields Boulevard in south Oklahoma City.
Right in the middle is expected to be the January house, which Myron is giving to the city.
“It’s great. I think it’s a miracle,” January said of home’s impending move. “It’s going to have to be done pretty soon because you can tell it’s getting in bad shape.
JURY AND JANUARY
When you look back in the annals of Moore history you’ll see a couple names stick out – Jury and January.
The Land Run led to the Jury family settling on 160 acres in what now is southeast Moore. Next door was the January family.
“Two Jurys and two Januarys married – two brothers and two sisters,” January said. “So the Januarys and the Jurys have been very close all their lives.”
So close in fact that the Jury home now sits on January property, at least until the City of Moore can get it moved and preserved.
Even though it’s bare wood and has an addition missing, January still navigates the 400-square-foot, two-room house like it was yesterday.
“It wasn’t a whole lot more than this … but you would come in a door here and this was the back porch where (his grandmother Artie) did the washing,” January said. “There was a wall here and a built-in cabinet there.”
Myron January moved to Moore at age three. He left home as a teenager when he got married at 17. He’s lived within two miles of the current house ever since, keeping cattle on the remaining 75 acres.
Things have changed, as subdivisions have sprang up all around.
A new Sam’s Club sits less than a mile away. Target, Home Depot, JC Penny’s, Lowe’s and the busiest IMAX theatre in the world are just across I-35.
“I’ve dreaded it for many years,” January said with a laugh. “That’s life. Progress.”
Just down the street dairy silos dating back to the 1940s still stand as Moore’s only skyscrapers.
At one time, 400 head of cattle were milked at the Mathesen Dairy, which dispatched trucks daily to grocery stores across the county delivering fresh milk with cream on the top.
WHEN MOORE WAS LESS
Moore was founded during the Land Run of 1889. The early settlers came on train, horseback, wagons, and some on foot.
According to local historians, the town’s original name was Verbeck as designated by the railroad company.
However, a railroad employee named Al Moore, reported to be either a conductor or a brakeman, lived in a boxcar at the camp and had difficulty receiving his mail.
He painted his name “Moore” on a board and nailed it on the boxcar.
When a postmaster was appointed, the name stuck and he continued to call the settlement Moore.
Hamm got into politics to preserve that small-town feel, even though the city is now the state’s seventh-largest.
“I like politics but I’ve always liked local politics more than national,” Hamm said. “It’s where things happen, people see their government working for them. You call me about a problem in Moore, hopefully, we can get it fixed before you get home.”
And Hamm knows the past should play a part in Moore’s future. That’s why the city and a team of volunteers have set out to preserve it.
One of the first efforts is inviting people to help document that story online at www.historyofmoore.com.
Currently, there’s lots of gaps and missing stories.
And it’s in need of more people like Myron January to help fill in the blanks.

Diverse excellence sets the standard for Newby Vance Mobility Sale

by Jason Chandler, Staff Writer

It is the business model of Newby Vance Mobility Sales in Guthrie that is unique in meeting the needs of persons living with a disability, said Jim Seeger-Newby, of Newby Vance Mobility Sales. Newby Vance Mobility Sales is the only Ford, General Motors, Chrysler dealership franchise in the United States, Newby said.
“It’s also a full-fledged comprehensive mobility dealer,” Newby said.
The business model is designed to allow people who have a family member with a special transportation need to come to a single location, Newby said. Their individual vehicle needs will be identified at the same time their mobility needs are evaluated.
“It allows people to be treated like anyone else and not have to go to a car dealership and purchase a vehicle and then have to take their vehicle to a handicapped store to have it adapted,” he said. “That is not a very user-friendly way to have their needs met.”
The Newby Vance Mobility Sales business model allows people to bring their vehicle here for its service work and body shop work to be taken care of at a single location.
“That is the strength of our business model,” he said. “So what we offer is a comprehensive mobility/automotive business model that allows people to have their entire set of automotive, transportation mobility needs met in a single location.”
The business was founded 20 years ago and with a lot of hard work became one of the largest 15 mobility dealers in the United States. He runs the business with his son, Marcus Newby. Its success is not only due to its business model but also by the way Newby Vance Mobility Sales treats customers with individualized service. Newby Vance Mobility Sales dwells on the relationships it cultivates with every customer.
“Once you do business with us, unless you move away or unless I move away, we’re probably going to know each other for the rest of our lives,” Newby said. “Because you’re going to be contacting us and bringing your vehicle in for special service, special care when the equipment or adaptions require special service or repair.”
Customers bring their needs back to where they have a trusted relationship at Newby Vance Mobility Sales. Relationships have been developed with more than 7,000 customers, Newby said. So reoccurring business is common.
Although Newby Vance Mobility Sales is located at an automobile dealership, it is important for customers and potential customers to function on a scheduled basis. The company serves clients from all across the state.
People go to typical car dealership stores sometimes on a whim, but 95 percent of Newby Vance Mobility Sales meeting with customers is on a scheduled basis, he said.
“When you come, one of the things we help you do is to identify what your short-term or long-term needs are,” Newby continued. “And that takes time to do. It’s not much fun to try to do that when you have people walking in and out on an unscheduled basis.”
The location is west of the 153 exit on Interstate 35, making it an easy to find business in central Oklahoma at the northern edge of the Oklahoma City metroplex.
“We’re right on the I-35 artery, and so it’s real easy to get to us no matter what direction you’re coming from,” Newby said. “You don’t have to suffer if you will congested city street driving to get to us. We’re a little bit farther for some people but it’s actually an easier drive for the majority of people who come to us.”
The BraunAbility manufactures a conversion that is installed on several different mini vans. This conversion lowers the floor of a vehicle to provide adequate head room for those people entering the vehicle in a wheel chair.
“The conversion also consists of a ramp that can operate electrically or manually,” he said
A person can literally push a button for the ramp to deploy and bring the person into the vehicle while they are in their chair. The flexibility of the product allows a person to drive from a wheelchair, ride in their wheelchair or transfer from their wheelchair.
“Not all people need a special mini van. It’s very individualized,” he said. “It’s what a person’s needs are and how you can help them determine what is in their best interest.”

Students at F. D. Moon Academy in Oklahoma City were already excited about Christmas break when a special surprise came to their elementary school on Tuesday thanks to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF).
A cold December morning was filled with joyful squeals of delight as the giant Clydesdale horse from Express Ranches, Blazer, stomped out of his trailer and lifted his huge head to the sky. Doug Sauter talked softly around Blazer and two miniature horses as Sauter told the children about how to approach a horse safely and pet its nose.
Before the outside activities, students and teachers warmed up and enjoyed a breakfast snack donated by ODAFF directors, the State Board of Agriculture and the Oklahoma Wheat Commission. Sticky fingers eagerly grabbed donuts and washed them down with hot chocolate to get fueled for the last day of school.
Oklahoma State Board of Agriculture members assisted ODAFF’s Ag in the Classroom coordinators as they taught agriculture lessons from the award-winning preK-12 curriculum. Students tried their hands at milking Betsie the Cow, a large wooden cow-shaped cutout with a balloon udder. Coordinators also talked about milk and all the good things made from milk.
Best of all was the sound of reindeer hooves on the school playground. Two of Santa’s reindeer found their way to Oklahoma and amazed the children with giant antlers and thick, soft fur. Prancer posed for photos with Santa and students from each class. Although the reindeer didn’t fly around the school they delighted the students as part of the special happy holiday wishes from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture.