Story and photos by Dot Liles

The Oklahoma Senior Follies’ 2023 show will be on June 10th and 11th at 3:00 p.m. at Hudson Performance Hall located at 2820 N. May Avenue, Oklahoma City. The show this year is “Tune In.” With Covid cases declining, it is time for everyone to get out and enjoy events. Seniors are busy in the community in many ways. Their roles have changed substantially over time, and we want to celebrate the new image of seniors. The show will include music from some of your favorite TV shows and movies. It will be a trip down memory lane. This year we even have a talking horse!
This year’s special guest star will be Edgar Cruz! As you know, he is an Oklahoma favorite as well as an award-winning, nationally acclaimed artist. He will be playing guitar medleys. Come watch how fast his fingers move over the strings! This year’s King is none other than newscaster Kevin Ogle. Kevin is being honored for his superb news coverage and his community efforts. “Your Highness” truly stands tall at 6’8”. When researching Kevin, we were surprised to find out about his many talents. Some of those include playing drums and bass as well as many other instruments. He even played in the station band.
We will have eight Beauties this year. For the first time, their number will be choreographed. They plan to dazzle you with their elegant gowns and personalities. We will have many new faces in the cast as well as some of your old favorites.
This year’s production staff includes Scott Guthrie, Stage/Artistic Director; Dr. Matthew Jones, Music Director; Ashlea Stewart, Stage Manager; and Kaylene Snarsky, Choreographer. The band has been expanded this year to include woodwind instruments for a well-rounded sound.
We have all been working hard and hope you will come join the fun.
You can purchase tickets online at: https://www.oklahomaseniorfollies.com/ or call 1-866-966-1777 (TicketStorm).

This month hospitals across the country celebrated National Nurses Month, designed to honor the contributions and sacrifices nurses make and to highlight the critical role they play in our community. This week, we recognize the heroic actions of one off-duty nurse.
Shyanne Brandon, who is a nurse at INTEGRIS Health Miami Hospital, and Pamela Satchell were at the same company picnic at the pool when a life-or-death situation intertwined their lives forever.
They were honored during the second INTEGRIS Health “Home Run For Life” of the 2023 OKC Dodgers baseball season Saturday, May 20 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
“Home Run For Life” recognizes individuals in the community who have overcome a significant medical event with the help of their families, physicians and health care professionals. To symbolize the end of their battle against adversity, honorees take a home run “lap” around the bases during a pregame ceremony.
Right Place, Right Time
Brandon was attending a company picnic that Satchell was working, handing out shirts to the attendees. After a hot day in the sun, Satchell decided to go down the slide into the pool. When Satchell got to the bottom of the slide, she realized something wasn’t right. “When I hit the water, it felt like somebody pulled me under the water,” she said. Satchell tried not to panic as she struggled to stay above the water and asked the lifeguard on duty for help. “That’s the last thing I remember,” she said.
At the time, Brandon was walking back from one of the food trucks when her grandmother directed her toward the commotion in the pool. She dropped her food and ran towards Satchell.
Brandon and her mother-in-law, Holly, pulled Satchell out of the pool and Brandon immediately got to work. “I first checked for a pulse,” Brandon said. “It was very faint.” She began performing CPR on Satchell. Some may have felt stressed in a similar situation, but Brandon kept her cool. “I felt this peace that I was in the right place and knew what I was doing,” Brandon said.
After three minutes, emergency services arrived to take over and bring Satchell to the hospital. When Satchell woke up, one of the first responders on the scene shared with her the reason she survived. “He informed me if it wasn’t for Shyanne and what she did, I wouldn’t be here,” Satchell said. “She’s my angel.”
Real Life Guardian Angel
Brandon came to visit her the day after the incident and brought Satchell a small figurine of an angel. “I just wanted her to have something there with her to bring her through this,” Brandon said.
After the incident, doctors discovered arteriovenous malformation in the brain, or a brain AMV, which is an abnormal connection between arteries and veins. Satchell brings the angel figurine to every doctor’s appointment and treatment.
“I just want Shyanne with me,” Satchell said.
The experience has made Satchell and Brandon inseparable and has given them both new perspectives on life. “This life can be over in a split second, but it also can be given right back to you in a split second,” Brandon said.
INTEGRIS Health and the OKC Dodgers applaud all nurses, not just during National Nurses Month (MAY), but every day of every year for their compassionate service both on and off duty.

Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Central Oklahoma volunteer Gwen Wallace said her volunteering began in 2008 after watching television and seeing Hurricane Gustav evacuees from Louisiana get off a bus in Oklahoma City where they would live in a Red Cross shelter.
“I had just retired from the school system and had a year of doing nothing,” the Oklahoma City resident explained. “I saw these people getting off the bus with nothing in their hands. My friend and I jumped in with the Red Cross doing volunteer work.”
Once their volunteer work ended with Red Cross, they asked, “What can we do now?”
That started a long relationship with the Mobile Meals program at her church in Spencer, St. Luke’s Baptist, an RSVP partner, as well as with other Mobile Meals programs in the Spencer area.
“This volunteer program helps me deal with serious life disruptions,” Gwen said. “I lost my sister and then eight days later, my granddaughter died suddenly. Being able to help others took that sense of loss and gives me a sense of pride.”
Gwen, who is 78, said that volunteering also gives her physical and emotional health.
“When you don’t move those joints, they start getting rusty,” she said. “I get up, volunteer at least three days a week, help with the prepping, and I really love developing relationships with my clients and other Mobile Meals workers. It gives me a sense of contentment in my life and helps me release the stresses, anxieties, and depressions that sometimes comes with older age.”
Since 1973, RSVP of Central Oklahoma has helped older adults 55+ continue to live with purpose and meaning by connecting them with rewarding community volunteer opportunities. RSVP is a partner of AmeriCorps Seniors and the United Way of Central Oklahoma. To learn more about becoming a volunteer, call Laura McRaniels at 405.605.3110 or visit https://rsvpokc.org/. You can also follow RSVP on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/RSVPokc.

Edna Randolph

Edna Randolph of Oklahoma City celebrated her 100th birthday this week. Our volunteer Ann Attig was there to present her with a certificate. Edna had a career as a pharmacy assistant. Her favorite holiday was Christmas because of the decorations and holiday cooking. Happy Birthday Edna!!

Georgia Camp

Georgia of Altus celebrated her 100th birthday in March. Christmas is Georgia’s favorite holiday because of the time she gets to spend with family. She loves to eat fried chicken. Her favorite song is Farewell Party. Georgia has lived in the US with seventeen Presidents from Coolidge to Biden. Her words of wisdom to us are: Smile, Be Happy and Stay Out of Trouble.

Wanda Moore

Wanda Moore of Tulsa will be 100 tomorrow, May 14th! She was born and raised in Arkansas but is now a Golden Okie! Her words of wisdom for us are: Get a Good Education, Go To Church and Honor Your Elders. Happiest of birthday wishes to Wanda!

Mary Krutsch

Tulsan Mary Krutsch celebrates her 100th Birthday today! She received her high school diploma from Central High School, Class of 1941. Mary was a hairdresser and licensed pilot. Congratulations, Mary on your 100th Birthday!!!

KNOW A CENTENARIAN? If you know of a Centenarian you would like to honor, please visit http://centenariansok.com/ and download, complete and submit our form. A team members will contact you .

Story by Debra McTaggart, Give 5 coordinator

After Phil Hyde, age 77, worked in private practice as a clinical psychologist for 43 years, he retired and was invited to move to Spain to be near his son’s family. “I want to take care of you in your old age,” his son said, “and it would be easier if you were in Spain.” So, Phil went to Spain. In just six weeks he figured out, “This is not for me. I don’t speak Spanish, and I miss my friends in Oklahoma City.” He realized he hadn’t prepared himself for retirement. He wondered what’s next that would give purpose and meaning to his life.
When he received an email announcing the Give 5 program hosted in Oklahoma City by Healthy Living OKC, a wellness center for people 50+ where he’s a member, it seemed perfect for him. “It is so miraculous and so touching to be able to go behind the scenes of nonprofit organizations to see what they do and how I can help. It is a dream come true – a godsend.”
Give 5 is an innovative program that launched this year in Oklahoma City that lets retirees (or near-retirees) see firsthand where the community needs are, and then helps them volunteer there. Give 5 holds classes with about 20 “students” who meet once a week for five weeks at Healthy Living OKC. They get on a bus at each meeting and visit with more than a dozen nonprofits to get a close look at organizations that serve people to “move the needle” in some way related to one of the biggest challenges in Oklahoma and Oklahoma City – mental health. The nonprofits explain their mission and pitch the opportunities they offer volunteers. In other words, Give 5 shows them the “why” and the “how” of volunteering, not just the “what” and “where.”
How Give 5 Gets Retirees to Volunteer
And the students, like Phil, often get hooked. In other cities where the program has been in place, hundreds have gone through the program and graduates end up volunteering 18 hours a month, on average.
Graduating from the program on April 18, Phil plans to volunteer with not just one, but five organizations who need his experience and expertise from all those years in private practice: Big Brothers Big Sisters, which matches volunteer mentors (Bigs) with children (Littles) who need help with self-esteem, decision-making, and other areas of life; Wings Special Needs Community, which works to enhance the lives of adults with developmental disabilities; Positive Tomorrows, a school and social services agency specifically for children and families experiencing homelessness to give kids stability and a quality education while giving their parents the support they need to create a better life; Family Builders, which works to stop the cycle of abuse and family violence by targeting the source of the abuse, the abuser, and providing him or her with tools for building healthy relationships, and TEEM (The Education and Employment Ministry) which is dedicated to breaking cycles of incarceration and poverty through education, personal development, and work readiness training.
Phil says, “I believe there is a place to use my listening and encouraging skills to help other people. For example, as a Big Brother I hope to interact with a young male in a way that I can help prevent him from getting derailed as he continues to grow up.”
Give 5 started in 2017 as the brainchild of Greg Burris, a former city manager of Springfield, Missouri and Cora Scott, director of public information and civic engagement for Springfield. The name Give 5 comes from conversations Burris had with retirees. When he’d asked if they’d like to volunteer, many said, “No,” thinking he wanted them to give 40-hours a week. Burris would respond: “How about five hours a month?” They’d always say: “Yes.”
Now Burris and Scott have expanded the Give 5 model to other communities. In Oklahoma City, Give 5 is hosted by Healthy Living OKC, a wellness center for age 50+ whose mission is to promote the health and wellbeing of adults age 50 and older by providing opportunities for physical activity, social engagement, and lifelong learning.
“We started the program in Oklahoma City in November 2021 by inviting more than 50 nonprofit organizations to an informational meeting,” said Debra McTaggart, the program’s coordinator for Healthy Living OKC, “and then early this year we began recruiting the volunteer participants. Our inaugural class began March 14 and graduation was April 18.”
Give 5’s McTaggart admits she failed at retirement; she retired two years ago and after cleaning out every closet at home—twice, she came into Healthy Living OKC to join and register for some activities like painting that she’d never had time to do in her past work life. A few days later when Healthy Living OKC learned of her professional background, they recruited her for their executive assistant position and then asked her to implement the Give 5 program.
“The program is awesome. I’ve followed the implementation process according to Burris and Scott, and it has worked like a charm. We found that the Give 5 program has been welcomed in Oklahoma City by our participating nonprofits. We recruit the talent for them, and they have a massive need for volunteers,” said McTaggart.
Key to the Give 5 program’s success is the volunteers matching their particular skills with the volunteer needs of nonprofits. Retirees who’ve gone through Give 5 don’t want to simply greet people at an event or send out mailings. They want to harness their experience and abilities for the greater good.
Put somewhat differently, volunteering is like dating — a search for the right match. Give 5 allows both parties to find the right fit.
As a result of learning about nonprofits in OKC during Give 5 program implementation, McTaggart, formerly a training developer and facilitator in her past career, has become a volunteer for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) herself. She has been trained to deliver one of NAMI’s many education programs that helps ensure everyone affected by mental illness can build better lives.
3 Reasons Behind Give 5
The Executive Director for the host organization of the Oklahoma City Give 5, Claire Dowers-Nichols provided an explanation for the three social and economic forces behind the need for a program like Give 5:
America’s population is aging, with some 10,000 boomers turning 65 every day. Many of them are skilled and knowledgeable, but clueless about local volunteer opportunities. Nonprofits increasingly need to tap into their talents to accomplish their mission. “We find [older] people aren’t really sure what they could be doing,” Dowers-Nichols says. “Learning about nonprofits and volunteering can help restore that sense of purpose and identity that gives meaning to life.”
Meaningful volunteering keeps retirees connected to the community — critical for staving off the health threats of social isolation and loneliness that so many retired people face. “When you retire, your community involvement frequently decreases. It’s easy to become isolated,” says Dowers-Nichols. “Over the last few years we have learned more about the dangers of social isolation and loneliness among older adults and the benefits of engagement and purpose.”
The Benefits for Local Nonprofits
Getting skilled volunteers also helps the nonprofits expand their efforts. That’s been the experience at TEEM. “The Give 5 program participants have been a huge help to TEEM, and it all started during the program itself,” says Matt Staples, TEEM Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator. “Having the class tour our building and sit down with our participants greatly impacted the people we serve because it showed someone cared about them. Then days later, the graduates that chose TEEM helped us reach our goal of providing over 1,300 cards and cookies to incarcerated women on Mother’s Day. They have served us multiple times, helping organize our clothing closet and much more! We are thankful to the civic matchmaking program that is Give 5 for introducing us to those wonderful volunteers!”
The Next Class
Another class will be conducted this year and four classes are planned for 2024. Class 2 begins for the Give 5 program on September 13. Those wanting to volunteer as well as nonprofits who’d like to participate can apply at: https://healthylivingokc.com/programs/the-give-5-program/ (coming soon www.Give5OKC.com).

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Xiaoming Zheng, Navy Office of Community Outreach

Navy Office of Community Outreach
Harris attended Moore High School and graduated in 2018.
Harris joined the Navy four years ago.
“I joined the Navy because my dad was in the Air Force and inspired me to join,” said Harris. “I wanted to see the world and travel.”
Today, Harris serves as a construction mechanic with Naval Beach Unit Seven.
Skills and values learned in the Navy are similar to those found in Moore.
“I learned the importance of a strong work ethic and discipline,” said Harris. “Growing up my dad was big on discipline.”
According to Navy officials, Naval Beach Unit Seven empowers forward-deployed U.S. and Allied Forces while providing superior support to military members and their families.
Harris serves in Japan as part of the Forward Deployed Naval Forces. These naval forces operate with allies and partners to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Service members in this region are part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, which has the largest area of responsibility in the world.
“As the largest force in our nation’s front line against revisionist actors, U.S. Pacific Fleet meets this great responsibility with strength, resolve and confidence,” said Adm. Samuel Paparo, U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander. “Together with our joint and combined partner operations, we are positioned to defend – across all domains – any attempts to threaten our nation, our allies and partner’s security, freedom and well-being.”
As a member of the Navy, Harris is part of a world-class organization focused on maintaining maritime dominance, strengthening partnerships, increasing competitive warfighting capabilities and sustaining combat-ready forces in support of the National Defense Strategy.
“The Navy is important to our national defense because we keep maritime security and freedom of trade,” said Harris.
As Harris and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.
“Serving in the Navy means doing something bigger than myself,” said Harris. “I never thought I would go to all these places I have been to so far in my career.”
Harris is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my dad,” added Harris. “I also want to thank my grandfather because he told me all the military skills you can transfer to the civilian world.”

By Nick Thomas

No doubt many a teenage lad, and even a few adults, developed a major crush on Barbara Eden during her 5-season run in the 60s sitcom “I Dream of Jeannie.” Now 91, fans are delighted to see the actress looking so youthful and healthy.
“I have exercised all my life and now do a mild spin (stationary) bicycle and walking,” Eden said from her home in Los Angeles. “I’ve always been careful about what I eat but I’m not fanatic about it – I’m a carnivore! I try to stay away from sugar, but unfortunately I like it too much.”
As for her skincare, she does adhere to a ritual. “I use sunscreen every day and Estee Lauder line repair that I put underneath the sunscreen and underneath moisturizer before I go to bed.”
But Eden and her husband of over 30 years, Jon Eichholtz, did experience a health scare after contracting COVID.
“We caught it early and Jon was very ill,” she recalled. “Our doctor had us infused with the antibodies right away and luckily I wasn’t sick. We did catch the variant later, but it was just like a cold.”
Growing up in San Francisco, young Barbara dreamt of becoming a singer, spending two years at the local Conservatory of Music and taking singing engagements with bands around the Bay Area. But after moving to LA in the early 1950s, her stunning beauty, charm, and talent inevitably led to Hollywood.
Best known for her role as the magical genie in the popular NBC series, Eden has delighted fans for decades with appearances at TV conventions and Hollywood autograph shows. She continues to travel, speaking to audiences and showing clips of her film and TV career, and taking questions. This year, she’s already visited Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina (see www.barbaraeden.com).
And while some actors who became closely associated with one standout role may distance themselves from that character, Eden never resented her connection to “Jeannie.”
“Why would I want to step away from it?” she asked. “I’m lucky to have very polite fans and have loved meeting them over the years in so many cities.”
Beyond her “Jeannie” role, Eden’s entertainment career has been extensive with over 25 film roles, appearances in numerous TV movies and series, and a vast stage career that includes touring major U.S. cities in the beloved play, “Love Letters,” first performing it with “Jeannie” co-star Larry Hagman.
Hagman dealt with alcohol problems while working on “Jeannie” and could be difficult on the set.
“Larry was his own worst enemy but was always wonderful to me,” she said. “He acted out with the crew and would be difficult with male guest stars came on the show. But we had a good rapport and worked together very well. I toured with him in ‘Love Letters’ and he was just wonderful.”
Eden is also an author, releasing her best-selling autobiography “Jeannie out of the Bottle” in 2012. Two years ago, she also published her first children’s book, “Barbara and the Djinn,” which perhaps not surprisingly features a young girl named Barbara and yes, a genie.
“The little girl magically travels to different places and meets different people learning what is most important in life which is kindness and understanding,” she explained. “I’ve loved to read ever since I was 3 or 4 when my mother and aunt would read to me. I thought how sad that children today just look at their phones and computers, so I wanted to give them a book to hold that can take them on an adventure using their imagination. It’s a great book to give to the grandchildren.”
While she has no plans for more books, Eden may appear on stage again for those still dreaming of seeing “Jeannie” in person.
“I don’t have any dates, but I’d love to do ‘Love Letters’ again,” she says. “It’s gratifying that people still want to see me perform and hear me talk about my career.”
Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery in Alabama and has written features, columns, and interviews for numerous magazines and newspapers. See https://www.getnickt.org/.

by Greg Schwem

Purely for my own entertainment, and perhaps out of boredom while standing in grocery checkout lines, I find myself peering into fellow shoppers’ carts and trying to imagine their life stories.
For example: the guy last week whose cart contained a jumbo pack of diapers and a 12-pack of beer. Was he a stay-at-home dad eager, I mean, REALLY eager, to reward himself when his wife returned from a business trip? Was he the lifelong single uncle who thought, “How difficult can this baby-sitting thing be?” Or something in between?
Earlier this month there was an attractive woman, mid-30s, purchasing a laxative and a large bouquet of flowers. What was her deal? Did she seek something pleasant to look at while the laxative did its due diligence? Did she feel the need to fill her house with fragrance for obvious reasons? Was her digestive system keeping her from her love of gardening? The possibilities were endless.
If grocery cart analysis is your idea of fun, then you really must rent a storage unit. Or simply hang out at a storage facility.
I recently moved from a four-bedroom house into a one-bedroom apartment, a process that required more preplanning and coordination than invading a hostile country. Upon realizing I would not be able to secure my new building’s loading dock on the same day my movers emptied my home, I was forced to secure, for a month, one of those sterile, garage-like structures that people rent for one of three reasons:
1. Like me, they are in transition between residences
2. They are having difficulty downsizing or, worse, have a serious hoarding addiction
3. They are looking to dispose of evidence from the crime they just committed
Whatever their intentions, I found myself making multiple trips to my unit, not only to drop off or retrieve items, but just to observe others doing the same thing so I could imagine what prompted them to pay monthly fees for what started as empty space.
On my first visit, after unloading 15 boxes from a rickety cart into my unit, and realizing months of physical therapy was in my near future, I exited the elevator to find a gentleman with two items on his cart: a truck tire and an electronic piano keyboard.
My mind did not even know where to begin.
Was he part of a musical group called “Spare Automotive Parts”? It was plausible. Or was there a disabled tour bus stranded somewhere, and this guy was elected to find a replacement tire while ditching the one that had just run over a sharp object? That seemed far-fetched; why take the keyboard on this mission? Also, that task seemed more suited for the bass player.
I longed to ask his intentions, but I chose to remain silent. Nobody in a storage facility wants to chat, because nobody in a storage facility is in a pleasant mood. Moving is an arduous task unless you just won the lottery, have elected to take your winnings in hundred-dollar bills and have a distrust of banks.
On my next trip, this time to OPEN all the boxes until I found some documents I had inadvertently packed, I shared an elevator with a couple whose cart contained two paintings and an industrial sized bag of dog food. I’m no art aficionado, so I couldn’t critique the paintings’ subject matter or artistic styles. I chose to focus on the dog food.
Were these two planning to paint a ravenous canine? Or did they just need something to keep their own pet occupied while they plied their craft? Judging from the size of the bag, the latter scenario meant the pair were notoriously slow painters.
Perhaps they weren’t artists at all but merely art collectors. I imagined the couple, their dog between them, gazing at their latest purchase in the foyer of their expensive home. They would celebrate with a succulent dinner of red wine, two steaks cooked medium well and grain free kibble, The only thing lacking would be music.
I know of a keyboard player who could fit the bill. Although he may need transportation.
(Greg Schwem is a corporate stand-up comedian and author of two books: “Text Me If You’re Breathing: Observations, Frustrations and Life Lessons From a Low-Tech Dad” and the recently released “The Road To Success Goes Through the Salad Bar: A Pile of BS From a Corporate Comedian,” available at https://www.amazon.com/. Visit Greg on the web at https://www.gregschwem.com/.
You’ve enjoyed reading, and laughing at, Greg Schwem’s monthly humor columns in Senior Living News. But did you know Greg is also a nationally touring stand-up comedian? And he loves to make audiences laugh about the joys, and frustrations, of growing older. Watch the clip and, if you’d like Greg to perform at your senior center or senior event, contact him through his website at https://www.gregschwem.com/)

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jerry Jimenez, Navy Office of Community Outreach

Hunt attended Moore High School and graduated in 2016.
Hunt joined the Navy four years ago.
“I joined the Navy so I could see the world,” said Hunt.
Today, Hunt serves as an electronics technician aboard USS Chief.
Skills and values learned in the Navy are similar to those found in Oklahoma City.
“I come from a city with a small-town feel, which helped me get a sense of the Navy community,” said Hunt.
USS Chief is an amphibious warship. These types of ships embark, transport and land U.S. Marines for a variety of warfare missions. Because of their inherent capabilities, these ships have been and will continue to be called upon to support humanitarian and other contingency missions on short notice, according to Navy officials.
As a member of the Navy, Hunt is part of a world-class organization focused on maintaining maritime dominance, strengthening partnerships, increasing competitive warfighting capabilities and sustaining combat-ready forces in support of the National Defense Strategy.
“The Navy is important to national defense because at the end of the day it’s really the Navy that will prevent our enemies from getting to the United States.,” said Hunt.
Hunt serves in Japan as part of the Forward Deployed Naval Forces. These naval forces operate with allies and partners to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Service members in this region are part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, which has the largest area of responsibility in the world.
“As the largest force in our nation’s front line against revisionist actors, U.S. Pacific Fleet meets this great responsibility with strength, resolve and confidence,” said Adm. Samuel Paparo, U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander. “Together with our joint and combined partner operations, we are positioned to defend – across all domains – any attempts to threaten our nation, our allies and partner’s security, freedom and well-being.”
Hunt and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
“I am most proud of being able to have the technical knowledge to solve equipment malfunctions on the ship while underway at sea,” said Hunt.
As Hunt and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.
“Serving in the Navy means showing our allies that we’re here for them,” said Hunt. “Recently we went to Okinawa and the people of Okinawa really showed their appreciation.”
Hunt is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my parents,” added Hunt. “They were really supportive of me. Also, my recruiter, Toni Knight, was very helpful in navigating my way and helping me understand the process.”

From Terry “Travels with Terry” Zinn [email protected]

When you think of visiting Georgia you may only think of the big towns like Atlanta or Augusta, but there are other fascinating towns if you can make the time to travel by car which produces your own unique road trip.
Atlanta does have a lot to offer and I have to say I am impressed with my overnight stay at the Westin Peach Tree Plaza Hotel
(http://www.westinpeachtreeplazaatlanta.com/), with its downtown location, comfy rooms and an impressive observation deck on the 73 floor, capped off with a cocktail lounge and The Sundial Restaurant on adjoining floors. During the cocktail hour I enjoyed their Bar 73 New Georgia Peach Martini ($14) of Grey Goose, Peach Schnapps and Amaretto, to accompany a small Caesar salad ($9). The rotating cocktail lounge is a combination of exhilaration and relaxation with incomparable views of Atlanta.
Augusta (http://www.visitaugusta.com/) offers the historic yet quirky Partridge Inn which was the center of tourist attention of 1889 to 1930. After a recent renovation following many more previous additions, the Partridge Inn sits on “the hill,” as a testament to time and travelers of all seasons. A cocktail or light supper out on the verandah offers a tranquil and southern elegant evening. And while Augusta’s funky, The Bees Knees Restaurant is known for its variety of Tapas, I delighted in my first chicken and waffles. Among many attractions, Augusta offers for your education and enjoyment; the Canal National Heritage area, the Museum of History with a special exhibit of home town musician, James Brown, and an historic downtown with its Haunted Pillar. Touching or moving it may result in a death.
Escape to Statesboro (www.visitstatesboroga.com) where you will find a banquet size meal served in family style elegance complete with ghosts stories in the Historic Beaver House Restaurant
(http://www.thebeaverhouserestaurant.com) at 121 South Main Street.
The home dates back to 1911 and has an antebellum charm but in a real family residence, where room sizes are small but portions are large. The Traditional Boarding House Dinner served on Friday and Saturdays offers exceptional Prime Rib and Fried Fantail Shrimp which is served along with a plethora of homemade sides. And if you need a sweet desert or more, try the Cotton Patch Bakery and Deli for more homemade madness. If you are in a shopping mode on certain days take in the Main Street Farmers market and the nearby comic memorabilia shop, that brings out the kid in us all.
Statesboro is also home of legendary entertainer Emma Kelly. She was called by song writer Johnny Mercer as the lady of ten thousand songs, She is featured in a chapter in the book “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” and I was privilege to have sat in on a couple of her cocktail lounge performances in Savanah in past years. It was a life affirming joy to see that Statesboro renamed a theater in her honor before she past.
(http://www.averittcenterforthearts.org)
You may think you are in Europe when you stay at the Hotel Indigo in Athens, Georgia. The rooms are equipped with modern amenities, and light switches that may take a little exploration for you to work. This modern design and the hotel’s LEED Gold Certified property of sustainability, fits perfectly with Athens being the host to the University of Georgia.
As one might expect of a university town, Athens has upscale dining as I experienced at The Five & Ten Restaurant where I had a pre fix dinner of Smoked Kielbasa with artichokes, radicchio, fermented sunchoke, sorghum gastrique with sunflower seeds, and an entrée of Glazed Lamb Shoulder with pickled blueberries, hakurei turnips, fennel, smoked pecans and onion broth. A red wine of Minerviois, Chateau D’Oupia, from Languedoc, France 2012 accompanied the meal before the desert of Panna Cotta with pecan sandie thumbprint and pickled peaches. All was impeccably served and while the Lamb was delicious the Panna Cotta was ecstasy! And the true test of fine dining is a properly prepared Martini, which Five & Ten poured to my satisfaction.
Besides the Georgia Museum of Art, artistic delights should be consumed at a number of other eateries, including The Place, Creature Comforts Brewery and the roof top of the Georgia Theatre at Phickles Pickles serving Fried Chicken Skins and Pimento Cheese made with goat cheese. Yum!
Albany, Georgia (http://www.albany.ga.us) has the Ray Charles Plaza complete with a bronze of the entertainer and his piano at Riverfront Park, the Welcome Center in the old bridge house of the Flint River, the Civil Rights Institute and the new Flint River Aquarium. Albany is home to eight golf course and a number of entertainers including, Ray Stevens, Luke Bryan and American Idol Winner, Phillip Phillips. To round out your road trip a stop in Washington (www.historyofwilkes.org) will be a surprise you will not forget with its quaint town square, row upon row of architectural house gems, and the Washington Historical Museum in a home built in 1835, and today serves as a reminder of the past to understand the future of Wilkes County.
When in Georgia think about taking in one of these under sung locales.

Mr. Terry Zinn – Travel Editor
Past President: International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association
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