Story and photo by Mike Lee, Staff Writer

At 82 years young, Paul Scheie is having a ball teaching kids science.
But it’s not in a classroom. He spent nearly 40 years doing that.
These days – actually two days a week, four hours at a time – you can find Scheie roaming the wide open spaces at the Science Museum of Oklahoma.
The pay is great, he says, noting his annual volunteer salary of zero dollars and zero cents doubles every year.
But Scheie’s not in it for the money. No, he’s in it for the wonder.
“I’m enjoying it. I’m having a ball,” Scheie said. “People ask me if I work at the museum and I tell them ‘No, I play at the museum.’”
Scheie moved back to Oklahoma in 2001 after retiring from a career teaching physics.
“We thought ‘Gee, what are we going to do with all our time,’’’ Scheie said. “That was a foolish question at the time.”
Living in Bethany, Scheie and his wife saw an advertisement from Putnam City Schools to help students an hour a week in Math and English.
The program lasted one year before Putnam City phased it out and the Scheie’s were left adrift again.
A science teacher for nearly 40 years, Scheie spied another ad, this time one to volunteer at Science Museum of Oklahoma.
It peaked his interest, but not as much as the tour the volunteer coordinator gave of the Science Museum of Oklahoma.
“I saw all these toys I had worked with for the last 40 years and I thought this was an institution for learning,” he said.
Things like centripetal force, magnetism and electrical current were on display through hands-on displays.
Some of those displays quite literally could make a child’s hair stand on end.
“At home, all their hands are on are knobs on a computer or TV,” he said. “You see that all the time here. I don’t think they know which end of a screwdriver to use. I think they should experience those things.”
“When I was a kid we had all sorts of things we could learn to use. Sometimes it was the hard way … but the kids need to experience things before they can start thinking about why something works.”
Scheie’s teaching career began at Oklahoma City University. He finished his degree and moved on to Penn State University and eventually Texas Lutheran.
His teaching career at Penn State coincided with the hiring of the legendary Joe Paterno, who would eventually become a college coaching icon and a mainstay in Happy Valley for some 45 years.
Scheie and wife Mary Anna have now been married for 52 years. When he heads to the museum, Mary Anna goes to her knitting group.
So what does Scheie see as his job description?
“To have fun,” he says with a laugh. “You learn so much from kids. Sometimes I just stand so I can watch the kids do things. It’s interesting the things they do and their reactions to things.”
Scheie and the museum are busy preparing for their next big exhibit.
CurioCity funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, will open to the public Father’s Day – June 21.
CurioCity, pronounced “curiosity”, is 21,000 square feet and features eight unique spaces exploring basic science as well as promoting creativity.
“Neighborhoods” such as the Spark Park, Wunderground and Tinker Works will introduce science in unexpected and entertaining ways.
Museum officials worked with Roto, an Ohio-based exhibit design firm that has worked on projects around the world.
It’s an exhibit Scheie is excited about but then again it’s just another day at the state’s only hands-on science museum and, with over 350,000 square feet, one of the largest science museums in the nation.
With a mission of enriching lives by revealing the wonder and relevance of science, Science Museum Oklahoma demonstrates the relationship between the physical sciences and everyday experiences.
The museum influences how Oklahomans learn about science through the medium of interactive exhibits, discovery-based activities, astronomy shows, Science Live! demonstrations, educational outreach efforts and special events. The museum’s clear mission and firm focus on science literacy encourages families to develop and build upon a strong foundation in the sciences.
And it’s a great place for grandparents to take their grandkids or, in Scheie’s case, a great place to teach science.

Story and photo by Vickie Jenkins

After 40 years of teaching, Dr. Bob E. Palmer, Ed.D retired in December, 2014. His final position as an Educator was a Professor of Art, in the Department of Art at the College of Arts, Media and Design with the University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK. His plans have always been to continue his successful mural painting business with Palmer Studios, Inc.
Dr. Palmer remembers when he became interested in painting. “I was 8 years old at my aunt’s house. That is when I did my first painting,” he says with a grin. “I used food coloring to make different colors and added it to white shoe polish. I wish I had that painting today. I am sure one of my relatives has it now. Maybe one day I can find it and bring it home,” he laughed. “My painting materials have come a long way since then,” he adds.
You may not know Dr. Palmer personally but I am sure you have seen some of his art work. Dr. Palmer is best known and remembered by his over 1800 murals around the state of Oklahoma, Canada, Mexico and Eastern Europe. Being from Walters, OK, Dr. Palmer has done quite a few murals in small towns and one can hardly travel across our state without finding evidence of his works. Dr. Palmer takes pride in his public works; historically accurate and true to our western heritage. Palmer’s murals have served as back drops in TV commercials, major movies and television series that have been filmed in Oklahoma.
“What is your favorite thing about being an artist,” I ask. “I love being creative. I love working with my hands and making things. To me, painting is so relaxing and therapeutic. Most artists are risk takers and break the rules sometimes, so that makes me an artist,” he laughs. “When I was little, I was determined to paint. I did some drawings but I never had any lessons. Everything was self-taught. I always had colored pencils and sketch books to keep me busy.”
I asked Dr. Palmer to describe himself in 3 words. “I would have to say, creative, responsible and self-driven.” Looking around his studio at his art work, it was easy to see that he did possess these qualities. “What is your favorite mural that you ever painted?” I ask. “I would say the Santa Fe Railroad Wall. It’s a landmark here in Oklahoma City.” Asking Dr. Palmer what the largest mural he ever painted was, he replied, “The one I just finished in Duncan, OK. It is 30 feet high and 150 feet long. It took about 3-4 days to finish it, with my crew. Of course, we have to consider the weather too. We always try not to let it take too long.”
It was no surprise that Dr. Palmer is inspired by nature, other’s art work, photography, museums, sculptures and children. Palmer’s wife, 2 daughters, and 3 grandchildren keep the ideas going for him. “I feel like I need to be creative all the time. I even have an inspiration folder. I just go to my folder and I always have some idea of what to paint,” he says.
“What is something about yourself that most people don’t know?” I ask. “I have my MFA (Master of Fine Arts) in Photography. I enjoy photography but there is nothing that I like better than being an artist and creating my art work,” he states.
Asking Dr. Palmer if he had any words of wisdom to give to someone, he said, “I remember my dad telling me, ‘Only boring people get bored.’ I am never bored and I suppose I lived up to that one. Being retired, enjoying life, every new day is an adventure. I feel like I was given a gift and I have a duty to give it back. I’m just out there, living my life.”
Dr. Palmer continues to paint, going to different art shows, conducting workshops while balancing home and family. He holds membership in several art and professional organizations, continuing to be in demand for public appearances across Oklahoma and around the globe.
Dr. Palmer is currently writing and publishing a book about his many murals, the stories behind the projects and the unique legacy of the artist and educator. You can view Dr. Palmer’s art work on his website Muralsbypalmer.com. Next time you see a mural, more than likely it has been done by one talented man, Dr. Bob E. Palmer, Ed.D.

by Vickie Jenkins

Summer is approaching and this is the time of the year that most of us start thinking about diet. But did you know that there is actually a diet for our eyes?
Diet and nutrition plays an important role in our everyday life. Adding powerful antioxidants to one’s diet can improve your eye health. There is no substitute for the quality of good vision. Adding certain nutrients to your diet every day, either through food or supplements can help save your vision. Researchers have linked eye-friendly nutrients such as lutein/zeaxanthin, vitamin C, vitamin E and zinc to reducing the risk of certain eye diseases, including macular degeneration and cataract formation.
Lutein and zeaxanthin are important nutrients found in green leafy vegetables, as well as other foods, such as eggs. Many studies have shown that lutein and zeaxanthin reduce the risk of chronic eye diseases, including age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant found in fruits and vegetables. There has been evidence that vitamin C lowers the risk of developing cataracts, and when taken wtih other essential nutrients, vitamin C can slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration and visual loss.
Vitamin E it’s most biologically active form, is a powerful antioxidant found in nuts, fortified cereal and sweet potatoes. It protects cells of the eyes from damage caused by unstable molecules called free radicals which break down healthy tissue.
Even though we try to avoid fats in our diet, it is a necessary part of our diet. They maintain the nervous system, fuel cells and boost the immune system. Two omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to be important for proper visual development and retinal function.
Last but not least, zinc is an essential for our diet. It plays a vital role in bringing vitamin A from the liver to the retina in order to produce melanin, a protective pigment in the eyes. Zinc is highly concentrated in the eye, mostly in the retina and choroid, the vascular tssue layer lying under the retina. So, as summer approaches and we tend to think of our diets, let’s not forget that there is a diet for our eyes.

What’s the most important thing in your life right now? Integris Canadian Valley Hospital Volunteers

The most important thing is my family and staying well. Bette Zweibel

I would say it would be my family. June Rennie

My family which is half in Texas and half here. Beri Wingo

Independence considering I was paralyzed for two months. Shelia Pendergraft

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

“Travel is the truest form of education,” – Shirley MacLaine
For years I had heard of Mazatlan, Mexico, and yet not knowing much about it, I decided it was time I was educated by traveling there.
Mazatlan is a West Coast Mexican resort town, which was never planned as a resort town. It has all the qualities needed for such: a developed 13 mile Malecon, or promenade, (http://www.discoverymexico.com/mazatlan/guides/mazatlan-malecon/) along a picturesque ocean front bay, mid to upscale resorts and many dining opportunities.
My Oasis was the Pueblo Bonita Mazatlan –
(www.pueblobonito-mazatlan.com/) an all-inclusive hotel on bustling, Camaron Sabalo avenue, where the traffic competed for audio pleasure in my room with the relaxing swoosh of the surf. I would have changed my room location away from the traffic, but the view of the bay and pools were too outstanding. An all-inclusive hotel option can be your ticket to ease, but sometimes it’s popularity causes delays in seating where no reservations are taken. The popular Bonita hotel chain has a newer property slightly up north on Emerald Bay, which needs exploring. I see in the hotel newsletter there are shuttles up and back, but my stay was far too short and my itinerary was pleasantly filled with other delights.
My stay included an itinerary of many fine eateries in a variety of atmospheres but all with attentive service and with a specialty of Mazatlan fresh sea food.
Costa Marinera Restaurant –
(https://www.zonaturistica.com/restaurante/251/la-costa-marinera-mazatlan.html ), is right around the corner from my stay at the Pueblo Bonita Mazatlan hotel, and has an open air dining option overlooking the bay, with wandering musicians (singer Ernesto Sudea was a favorite) and attentive service. As with many Mazatlan restaurants they offered a variety of breaded shrimp, on a seafood platter of Lobster, Tuna, Octopus, Mahi Mahi and my favorite at all the eateries, fresh Guacamole. I was introduced to Toni Col (emobtell adori) a non-carbonated vanilla coke concoction with a distant taste of Coca Cola.
A breakfast treat at the Shrimp Bucket Restaurant – (wwwgomazatlan.com/en/restaurants/el-shrimp-bucket) was a sugar cookie type offered at the table among assorted pastries. Again outdoor eating, despite the passing traffic was enjoyable, with views of old town architecture and the picturesque dear stature. Mazatlan, I am told, means Land of the Deer. One of the off shore islands is named Deer Island. You can enjoy a slow boat ride around the bay and a stop off at Deer Island, where a casual lunch and open bar, might tempt you away from the banana boat and kayaking activities. With sand between your toes under the shade of a palapa, a cool drink in hand, and views of the Mazatlan hotels across the water, it makes for a relaxing adventure. (www.mazatlantours.org/
kolonahe-catamaran-deer-island.htm )
Panama, with several locations, was my favorite of all the dining options. Here I had a comfort breakfast of egg over easy, potato frites, a crisp Belgian waffle topped with fruit and a heavenly syrup, accompanied by iced tea – it was a satisfying wakeup. The pastries in the shop in the front of the modern clean and uncluttered dacor of the restaurant were tempting and looked too good to eat. Be sure and ask for the menu in English.
Also relatively close to the Pueblo Bonita Mazatlán hotel is the new La Mazetleca (www.lamazatleca.com) seafood restaurant. Weather permitting you can be seated at their sandy outdoor terrace overlooking the crashing surf. With a Mango Margarita, the sun, the breeze, and good company, what more do you need? I enjoyed a salmon with sunset sauce, ~ a refreshing fruity compote. La Mazetleca offers a number of exotic and visually stunning seafood dishes to explore. If outside seating is not an option, the interior has expansive windows toward the surf and video screens for passing the time.
On my departing evening my hosts arranged for a tour of the seaside night life along the coastal road after sunset aboard the signature Pulmonias. Pulmonias are an adoption of a golf cart with open air seating. The story goes that when first introduced this touristy transportation was in competition with local taxis. The taxis warned that you could catch cold or pneumonia riding in this open air motorized cars, thus the nickname Pulmonias. Pulmonias are only used in Mazatlan and have become its trademark image.
The farewell dinner was at the El Presidio –
(www.gomazatlan.com/en/restaurants/el-presidio) a gourmet restaurant in the Historic District. Here the charming atmosphere of a semi open air interior exposed brick courtyard transformed from reuse of an old house and factory, made for an exotic and memorable evening. In fact the atmosphere out did the gourmet food. The congenital wait staff followed my instructions explicitly and made me the best traditional Martini I had during my stay. It would have been easy to order another Mango Margarita but requesting a well-made simple Martini is a real test for any gourmet restaurant and El Presidio measured up.
My stay was too short, but you may also enjoy the expansive market downtown which has everything from souvenirs, table coverings, religions artifacts, fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood and leather goods among its many stalls.
Traveling is not only educational and of course enjoyable, but with a destination like Mazatlan, you may have discovered your favorite Mexican resort. There are a limited number of nonstop airline flights from a variety of United States gateways.
Explore: www.gomazatlan.com

by Mike Lee, Staff Writer

When Claire Carrick received the news that her son Noah had been diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma it hit her with a force she had never felt.
When she learned that her 18-month-old’s best shot at a cure was on another continent the pediatric optometrist and her husband packed a few suitcases at their Manchester, England home and got on an airplane.
Luckily for Noah’s family, Diana Schaeffer, MPH, MSN, APRN-CNP and the ProCure Proton Therapy Center were waiting to receive them.
“I was quite frightened. We didn’t know what to expect,” Carrick said. “We didn’t know what the treatment would entail. We were uprooted to somewhere that was completely different. Diana was there to talk us through.”
Schaeffer’s speciality is pediatric cancer patients, both foreign and domestic.
ProCure maintains a contract with the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. Patients from England, Scotland and Wales will find their way to Oklahoma and Schaeffer.
Word has traveled quickly about what ProCure has to offer bringing in patients even from China and Bahrain.
“It’s very difficult,” Schaeffer said. “If you can imagine your world being turned upside down by a cancer diagnosis with your child and now you have to pick up and take your child where you don’t know anybody. You don’t know where you’ll be staying and you have no idea who these people are that you’re going to hand your child over to.”
Schaeffer’s nursing career began in an emergency room setting. From there she worked for an insurance company doing utilization review. A master’s in public health followed as did a position as the chief of nursing services for the Oklahoma State Department of Health.
She earned her APRN in the process.
“I just felt a need to put that to work,” Schaeffer said.
In 2012 she found ProCure.
“You know, when you’re trained as a nurse you’re kind of trained with some cultural sensitivity but you really aren’t quite trained to deal with day-to-day how to live and how to entertain them daily while they’re here. Most of your training is hospital-based but we’re not a hospital.”
Many out-of-town visitors will stay at the nearly Staybridge Hotel, which nurses have nicknamed “The Colony.”
But they have almost daily appointments at ProCure.
“It’s very easy to get very close to these families,” Schaeffer said. “I keep in touch with all of them as they go home. I know my patients and my families very well. I see them almost every day.”
Carrick said the 10-week stay in Oklahoma City was difficult but Schaeffer and her husband helped soften the blow.
“She’s on speed dial with us,” Carrick said.
ProCure is one of two proton centers in the nation that treat UK pediatric patients while the country builds their own proton centers.
ProCure Treatment Centers is a privately held health care company dedicated to improving the lives of patients with cancer by increasing access to proton therapy.
The company was founded in 2005 in Bloomington, Ind., and is the first to develop a network of proton therapy centers in cities across the United States.
ProCure’s solution reduces the time, cost and effort necessary to build and operate a facility. ProCure is advancing proton therapy by collaborating with radiation oncology practices and hospitals to develop centers through innovation and improvements in technology, and by providing training at the world’s only educational facility specializing in proton therapy.
Schaeffer also coordinates care with OU Children’s Hospital if patients need chemo in addition to proton therapy. She relays information back to the child’s care team in the UK, acting as their “constant clinical lifeline” as she says. And since no one travels with their family doc, Schaeffer even provides urgent care for any of the family’s needs while here.
“I just kind of fell into it,” Schaeffer said. “I think I’m in the only nurse practitioner in the state that does any kind of radiation oncology and I know that I’m the only proton nurse practitioner.”
Carrick said the nine-hour plane ride to Oklahoma City gave the family plenty of time to wonder what they would encounter across the pond.
Once they arrived there was a definite dose of culture shock. And being in Oklahoma City during the spring meant the Carricks got to hear their first tornado siren.
“Diana was on Facebook with me telling me we were fine,” Carrick said.
The Carricks still have a road to travel. They left in mid-May and Noah’s central line was removed before the travels. That will have to be reinserted on arrival back home.
A kidney function test is scheduled and then an MRI in three months.
But whatever the Carrick’s face, Claire knows they won’t have to face it alone.
“She’s our nurse,” Claire said of Schaeffer. “But she’s our friend now as well.”

It’s easy for Joe Chappell to say what he admires about his nursing staff.
“I just admire how compassionate they are,” he said. “You’re only as good as your staff.”
The Chappell family also owns the Golden Age Nursing Center across the street from Ash Creek Place, Willow Creek Care Center in Guthrie and the Golden Oaks Village assisted care living center in Stillwater.
Ash Street Place Assisted Living Center in Guthrie strives to keep its residents at a high quality of life, said Tammy Williams, LPN and director of nursing.
“She doesn’t leave this building at 4 p.m.,” Chappell said. “This building goes home with her on nights, on weekends. She gets phone calls if someone falls. She doesn’t live close. She lives in southern Logan County and I get phone calls from her on a Saturday night at 10 p.m. and she’s here because someone has fallen.”
If someone falls, Williams come up with a plan of correction. She constantly is thinking of ways if something happens to a resident to keep it from happening again, Chappell said.
She knows about challenges people face after an injury.
“Years ago I had been in a car wreck and had my leg broke,” she said. “I was 9 years old. I got out the day after my birthday. And the way the nurses treated me and took care of me made me tell my parents, ‘I’m going to be a nurse.’”
Williams’ talents go beyond nursing, Chappell said. She is also a counselor. Quality nurses are scares and can work anywhere they chose, he said.
“It takes a special nurse to care for the elderly I think,” Chappell said. “You have to have a heart for it because if you didn’t you’d be working somewhere else.”
Williams could work in a doctor’s office and leave at 4 p.m., but she’s attached to her residents at Ash Creek Place.
She can often be seen working crossword puzzles with residents, who tell her stories about how Guthrie used to be.
“I think it needs to be a home environment. You need to love the residents and be able to talk to them,” said Williams who likes to spend her leisure time caring for people.
“I go home and take care of my grandkids,” she said.
At Ash Creek she knows her goal is to keep residents as independent as possible, Williams said. Many times Ash Street Place accepts residents who have been in a nursing home but have become dependent on the assistance they received at a nursing home.
“We have to transition them, kindly, to independence again, because they are expecting more help than we want to provide for them, because our goal is to keep them independent,” Chappell said.
Chappell explains to every resident who moves to Ash Street Place that assisted living means they must be able to self-transfer and get to the dining room. They can do that with an electric cart or a wheel chair, but they need to be able to get out of bed and into the wheel chair to get there, he said.
“We certainly will provide skilled care for someone who gets sick. We may have someone who temporarily can’t get out of a chair for a couple of days, or we don’t think they’re safe walking to the dining room.”
Williams’ expertise is seeing they can provide the appropriate level of care for each resident by doing assessments to ensure the facility can meet their needs. She is on the phone with a doctor when she notices subtle changes in a resident’s health.
“She’s dedicated to it. I never have to worry when an inspection comes in,” Chappell said.
Williams has worked for the Chappell family for 12 years since earning her nursing degree at Francis Tuttle Technology Center. For the last six years she has assisted the residents at Ash Street Place.
Chappell’s grandfather, Leo Chappell, bought the Golden Age Nursing Center when Joe was 5 years old in 1961. Joe’s father had talked him into purchasing the nursing home.
“My granddad bought the building. My dad rented the building from him and owned the business,” Chappell said. He has always said you can walk through Golden Age and see the evolution of the nursing home by going from wing to wing.
Construction is adding 12 rooms to Golden Age today to add to the privacy of its residents, he said. They will be licensed for the same amount of residents, he explained.
“We already have a state-of-the-art gym designed for senior citizens with 16 different machines that are air-pressure powered,” Chappell said of providing a complete workout. “We’re also open to anyone over 50 to work out there free.”
The new wing will also provide a pool in the basement for water therapy and recreation.
A pre-k class will also open four 4-year-olds to attend school in the same manner as what already occurs at Willow Creek and at Golden Oaks.
This intergenerational type of program is growing across the U.S. Children learn tolerance and connectivity to other generations in a time when extended families no longer live together for the most part.
“Not only do the kids entertain the residents, but the residents entertain the kids,” Chappell said. “It puts a spark in the eye of the people that live in the nursing home.”