Story and OU story scans by Darl DeVault, Contributing Editor

Seniors who prefer books in the world of digital access will descend on the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds for its huge annual free two-day Friends of the Metro Library Booksale 2022 on February 26 and 27. As thousands of book lovers gather in the Oklahoma Expo Hall, 3213 Wichita Walk, the sale provides hundreds of big print books printed with larger point size fonts to make it easier to read if you have weak eyesight and audiobooks.
“We are grateful for the way our Friends Booksale continues to be a fixture in the community for acquiring great, accessible books, supporting libraries and sharing a love of literacy,” said Tatianna Canon, vice president of communications and membership for the Friends. “The Friends Booksale is truly a local institution, and we are thankful for the support we receive to make it successful each year. The Booksale is one of the many ways the Friends organization works diligently to support local libraries and help them thrive.”
The most significant difference this year is customers must be a member of the nonprofit Friends of the Metro Library before the sale to come to the Friday ‘member’s only’ Pre-sale. Memberships and tickets will not be sold at the door this year to cut down on volunteer exposure to the crowd.
Due to the changing public health concerns surrounding COVID-19, the Friends will require all volunteers and guests over age 2 to wear a mask while assisting with and attending the book sale. Capacity requirements will be implemented as well, to keep patrons safe.
Safety updates will be communicated clearly in advance of the sale on Facebook, Twitter, and membership emails leading up to the event. Additionally, with the unexpected nature of the pandemic, the latest announcements and event information can be found at www.supportmls.org/fol/booksale.
The free admission annual sale opens to the public Saturday, Feb 26, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., providing a diverse selection of paperback and hardcover books, CDs, DVDs, magazines and more for every demographic of customers.
This year, the sale’s theme is “Dive into a Good Book with Us.” The books feature a wide range of subjects—including fiction, nonfiction, cookbooks, biographies, medical, westerns, romance, children’s, encyclopedias, reference and foreign language books.
In the General Area, hardback books are one dollar each and paperbacks and magazines are 50 cents each. Collectors go for the Items in the Better Books Room, which vary in price, mostly under $5.
The sale raises money to support the Metropolitan Library System (https://supportmls.org/fol/). In its 41-year run, the Friends have given more than $4.9 million in grants to the system.
All of this is due to the tireless efforts of hundreds of volunteers each year. With 800,000 books available, the sale becomes the largest bookstore in Oklahoma for three days ending Sunday, February 27 – 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Customers shop for many reasons. Some are trying to select bestsellers, classics, collectibles and research books needed for school. Others seek to complete personal libraries in certain subjects, while parents strive to enhance their children’s reading exposure.
Selective shoppers are advised to volunteer or join the nonprofit to ensure the best possible purchasing opportunity. Volunteers helping this year will be treated to the best possible selection opportunity available by having access to the sale on Thursday for a special volunteers-only session.
Those who become members for $15 ahead of time can shop a Presale from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 25. Held the day before the sale goes public, members are invited to first access. Children 11 and under accompanied by an adult are free.
After 41 years, the sale is well established on the literary sale calendar for customers from all over Oklahoma, surrounding states and region. Book lovers line up all three days awaiting the 9 a.m. opening.
The multi-day event attracts more than 10,000 book lovers. Each year, a quick parking lot survey shows many of those customers are from out of state, coming to Oklahoma for the vast selection.
In some ways, the diverse selection offered represents a snapshot of high-quality current American publishing with the bonus that everything is available for purchase.
The Friends offer a year-round Amazon store to access their selection at Amazon.com. They also provide ‘Buy the Box’ sales where volunteers package and seal books by genre – buy a box of romance, mystery or children’s books – and enjoy the surprises inside.
The shopping is so robust at the sale volunteers offer a dozen checkout points in each of the two sections. And yet, so many customers arrive early a line forms for the first few hours each day.
The shopping is intense, almost competitive, as this is a once-a-year opportunity. Customers quickly buy the best music or audio CDs, gaming systems and video games, eReaders, DVDs and vinyl records.
Shoppers will see every form of wheeled cart pressed into service by other shoppers as they move among the sections of tables laden with thousands of books. Those sections are a broad cross-section of interest, from tables of books by Oklahoma authors to books about Oklahoma.
Some year’s special sections offer brand new books donated when book stores and Oklahoma publishing houses use their donations as a way to balance their inventory.
Many business and industry concerns are well represented when entities going out of business donate their libraries. Retiring attorneys and doctors donate to provide shoppers the chance to buy current-within-four-years law textbooks or books of law statutes and medical textbooks or medical journals at a steep discount.
Volunteer shifts are still open, as the group is still looking for volunteers! To volunteer for Booksale, visit Supportmls.org/Volunteer. Please select an opportunity and complete the online volunteer profile before volunteering, even if volunteering with a group. For additional questions, contact the Friends at 405 606-3763 or
[email protected].

Story and photos by Darl DeVault, Contributing Editor

Senior readers may soon see historical revisionism upstage many authors’ books about the University of Oklahoma’s Football Program if today’s writers use the treasure trove of facts about the famous Sooners that came online last year.
Now historical writers can easily go directly to the best source — stories written by student journalists who went to the games and interviewed the athletes to file their stories in the student newspaper. “The Oklahoma Daily,” stretching back 120 years in now online in digital form. The Oklahoma Historical Society recently partnered with the Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center at OU in the digital conversion effort to make 200,000 pages searchable by name. This free service available on The Gateway to Oklahoma History includes 9,557 issues from 1897 to 2017.
The searchable archive is important to the university and anyone seeking to search, browse or document notable accomplishments at OU for Wikipedia pages. This resource supports a diverse range of research needs across various academic disciplines for students and faculty.
“In observing how much is left out of sports stories in my 34 years of working for the “The Oklahoman,” I realize the reader is often uninformed in so many ways because of the space constraints,” Todd Schoenthaler said in an interview. “Now because the Inasmuch Foundation has funded digitizing the “OU Daily” into an online archive searchable by name, even the amateur historian may be better informed than previous historian authors.”
Oklahoma’s most successful football program now offers all future writers the definitive touchstone of authenticity, access to the story as it happened.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Now readers have free access to the first accounting of the historical facts rather than stories crafted after the fact.
OU’s 1950s superstar and Pro Football Hall of Famer in 1998, Tommy McDonald, is an excellent example of a candidate for revisionism now that all the facts are available. Nowhere can you find some of this running back’s most important OU football achievements depicted except in recent revisionism. Much has been neglected about his exploits in books about the Sooners.
McDonald won the Maxwell Award as the college football player of the year while only getting to play half the game. OU coaching legend Bud Wilkinson played the starters for the first quarter and the just-as-talented alternates for the second quarter. The starters played the third quarter while the alternates finished the fourth quarter. And yet, while playing only half the game, two-time All-American McDonald became arguably the most complete OU football player ever.
In 1955 and 1956, McDonald’s track-star speed propelled him to be the top rusher on America’s best rushing team. In 1955, he led OU in passing with his accurate halfback pass and scoring to become the first Sooner to score a TD in every game of a season. OU led the nation in scoring with 36.5 points per game. He was the only OU player ever to score a TD in 19 straight games.
He led OU in receiving in 1956. This makes him the only OU player ever to lead the Sooners in all four offensive categories.
Aside from that untouchable record, he played outstanding defense with many interceptions and long runbacks. McDonald also averaged kick-off returns of 25 yards and punt returns of 15.8 yards, all without wearing a facemask.
Again, extraordinary revisionist claims require extraordinary evidence. This can be found by going online to the Gateway to Oklahoma History and searching for Tommy McDonald. Finding this page:
The Oklahoma Daily (Norman, Okla.), Vol. 42, No. 63, Ed. 1 Wednesday, December 7, 1955 – Page: 6 of 16. Magnified. The Gateway to Oklahoma History (okhistory.org), the reader finds McDonald’s name appears 16 times on the page in two stories about the first of back-to-back national championships he helped the team earn in 1955. One article written by student writer Louis Ferguson says it all, “McDonald turned the pitchout run-pass option play into one of the most deadly offensive weapons in football during the season. McDonald hit either senior halfback Bob Burris with a short pass or an end further downfield on 17 of 24 aerials for 265 passing yards in 1955.”
McDonald’s energetic urgency to score on every play because he was elated to be in the game for even a half also created the first form of the hurry-up, fast-break offense in college football.
Many authors credit Wilkinson with the fast-break offense, but careful examination of Wilkinson’s interviews tells us McDonald should be credited. Wilkinson, who died in 1994 at 77, shared his reasoning for the fastest offensive pace possible on the gridiron in a 1983 interview for a book about the Orange Bowl “There’s no reason in my view to let defenses go into a defensive huddle and call a play against you. The so-called ‘hurry-up’ offense everybody does in the last two minutes – there’s no reason not to do that for 60 minutes. You’ve got to be in better shape – that’s why we won anyway; we were in better shape than our opponents.”
Wilkinson explained McDonald’s leadership got the 1955 team sprinting back to the huddle when the whistle blew to end a play.
“Tommy McDonald figures that any play that doesn’t go for a touchdown is a failure,” Wilkinson said in his hyperactive halfback’s heyday. “When he carries the ball and doesn’t score, he’s mad and wants to hurry up and take another crack at it. His desire is tremendous. He jumps up and tears back to the huddle when he is tackled. It’s nothing we taught him. It’s something God gave him, or his parents, or somebody. The other boys picked it up from him, and that’s how our fast break started.”
They huddled to call the play quickly and ran to the line, where they snapped the ball on a quick count. The difference in the timing came with the speed at which they sprinted to and from the huddle and started the next play.
Wilkinson said, “Going into the season, we’re not any better than they are physically, and we’re not smarter than they are, and we’re not any tougher than they are, but maybe we are even with them in these things. Assuming that, how are we going to win? If it’s that even, they’ve got the ball 30 minutes, and we’ve got it 30 minutes. If we run 15 more plays in our 30 minutes then they can snap the ball in their 30 minutes the yards made on those 15 extra plays will win for us.”
McDonald never played in a losing game at OU in three varsity seasons as part of Wilkinson’s still NCAA record 47-game winning streak.
McDonald died at 84 in 2018 in Audubon near his home in King of Prussia, Penn. It overlooks Philadelphia. There he became a legend with the Eagles by powering their 1960 NFL Championship Team. Sports Illustrated titled a 1962 cover painting of McDonald catching a ball “Pro Football’s Best Hands.” The irony was he had small hands befitting his small stature and had lost the tip of his left thumb in a motorcycle accident.

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

While physical travel is still hindered with virus road blocks, traveling to local theater productions can offer a safe way to escape self imposed restrictions. While Masks and proof of vaccination is needed at the venues, with your K95 or KM95 masks, makes the outing relatively safe. And yes it is a hassle to wear a mask while watching plays and musicals, but it is a sign of our times and should provide a measure of security.
Long time and award winning Lyric Theater of Oklahoma has always offered high quality productions of musicals and in recent years, plays. This season resumes with shows that were postponed because of the virus. Back and rescheduled is: Distant Thunder at the First Americans Museum, starting March 23, 2022; Head over Heels at the Plaza Theater starting April 20; Matilda at the Civic Center starting June 21;then Rogers and Hammerstein’s Carousel at the Music Hall, starting July 5; and ending the summer season with Kinky Boots at the Civic Center Music Hall, starting July 19.
Two extra shows, Rocky Horror Show, and A Christmas Carol, are fall season favorites.
Oklahomans are familiar with Lyric Theater, and long time friends will remember their starting days on the Oklahoma City University Campus, where local talent was nurtured and given a profession venue for the their craft. In recent years Lyric has cast its main leads from tryouts in New York City, bringing Broadway talent to Oklahoma. As popular as ever, single tickets are not impossible to obtain but season subscriptions are needed for securing the best seats and not missing a show in the season.
Lyric Theater describes “Distant Thunder” the musical as: Darrell Waters, a brash young attorney, returns to his childhood home in Montana to broker a deal between a large energy company and the Blackfeet Nation. In the process, he is forced to confront his reclusive father about their painful past. Through a childhood sweetheart, Dorothy Dark Eyes, he rediscovers his identity and feels his perspective shift: his clever business deal will destroy her language school, further erode Blackfeet culture and taint their land. Darrell must grapple with the paradigm of being Native American in America.
The production will be staged at the brand new Native American Center, across the Oklahoma River from the boat house district. First Americans Museum celebrates the shared American history through the collective stories of 39 distinct tribal nations in Oklahoma today. The 175,000 sq ft museum is located at 659 First Americans Boulevard in Oklahoma City. Driving and Parking information along with Ticket Information can be found at: https://lyrictheatreokc.com/venues/first-americans-museum/. It is a world premiere.
Head Over Heals; a New Musical is A fearlessly fresh, new musical mash-up of posh and punk!
Matilda is a Family Friendly Musical.The inspiring story of an extraordinary little girl who, gifted with a vivid imagination and a sharp wit, dares to prove that you can change your destiny despite all odds.
Kinky Boots is an exhilarating Tony Award-winner tells the true story about a struggling shoe factory that will lift your spirits to high-heeled heights!
Carousel is a familiar staple of Musical Theater and this production teams up with Ballet Oklahoma which promises a most artistic rendition of the famous Ballet of the second act.
While Lyric is the premiere Oklahoma theater company you might be surprised to explore the theatrical productions at colleges UCO, OCU, OU, and Guthrie’s Pollard Theater and reinvented City Rep, and Carpenter Square in their brand new venue. Theater abounds in Oklahoma and is there for your enjoyment, when we all can use a little escape these days.

Mr. Terry Zinn – Travel Editor
Past President: International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association
3110 N.W. 15 Street – Oklahoma City, OK 73107
https://realtraveladventures.com/?s=terry+zinn
https://realtraveladventures.com/?s=zinn
http://new.okveterannews.com/?s=TERRY+ZINN
www.martinitravels.com

by James Coburn – Staff Writer

A patient-friendly hallmark in the health care industry has arrived at SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital – Midwest, said Debbie Pender, RN, chief nursing officer/VP patient care services. SSM Midwest went live with Epic on December 11.
SSM Midwest has brought on board Epic, a leading-edge electronic health records system to streamline all areas of operation.
SSM has utilized the Epic technology platform since 2011 to seamlessly coordinate care without a paper trail.
Epic technology allows patients to have convenient digital access to their health information. Documentation of the patient medical record is stored in the easy to access hospital computer system.
Epic is one of the most preferred platforms to document health records in the nation. The patient’s entire encounter with SSM Midwest is secured, confidential, and easily accessible.
“Different departments can see that medical record,” Pender said. “So, it really helps facilitate quality of care through ensuring continuity of the communication from department to department, even from the in-patient to the out-patient phase when physicians have Epic in their medical offices as well. So, that medical record goes wherever the patient goes in any hospital that has Epic.”
Any patient discharged from SSM Midwest who somehow ends up in another hospital system using Epic will have their SSM record available to that hospital whether in Oklahoma or out of state. That whole record of care will go with that patient as a requirement of the Affordable Care Act. Hospitals for reimbursement purposes must come on board with an electronic medical record allowing portability of health care records from organization to organization.
“A patient’s medical history and all the medications that they take travels with that patient which is very important for safe care,” Pender continued. “There are some safeguards built within Epic that improve our patients’ safety here.”
The electronic medical record has been shown to prevent mistakes being made across the United States. Many elderly adults are known to take multiple medications. A lot of times they forget their medicine list, or they could have several doctors who have prescribed medicines as specialists. To avoid confusion, nurses can see all of a primary care physician’s record from the computer. Physicians using Epic can update a patient’s current medication list. Emergency rooms can easily access Epic records from a physician’s office. The continuation of care is simplified.
“We are very excited to upgrade the technology at SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital – Midwest with Epic,” said Dr. Kevin L. Lewis, President, SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital – Midwest & Regional President of SSM Health Medical Group Oklahoma. “We are committed to Midwest City and providing our patients with exceptional health care services.”
Epic allows for safe IV infusions with medication administration with warnings implemented if guidelines are not followed properly.
“There’s a lot of surveillance ability within Epic that tells us if a patient is having a stroke, if a patient perhaps has sepsis, and a lot of reports that we can get out of Epic that tell us about a patient’s care experience from a quality/safety perspective,” Pender said.
Several of the SSM Midwest nurses have stated that the Epic implementation was the best go-live event they’ve ever experienced. Nurses commented that SSM was well prepared in bringing Epic to SSM Midwest.
“We are enjoying Epic here at Midwest, since it is so user friendly,” said Joy Mathews, RN manager – CCU/PCU. “Documenting on one computer eliminates the need for paper, which is convenient in caring for our critically ill patients in the CCU. Additionally, it will be a huge tool for recruiting high quality nurses to our staff.”
Pender serves as a team builder as the chief nursing officer at SSM Midwest. She has been CNO of SSM Midwest since June, after SSM purchased the hospital from Community Health Systems in April. Her goal has been to enhance the leadership structure from a for-profit hospital to a not-for-profit.
A lot of SSM Midwest nurses have used Epic in previous health care organizations they have worked in. This was helpful in the transition.
“I have not met one person who thinks Epic was a bad thing,” Pender said. “Now it’s change, so they have to learn new work flows and the functionality within Epic, but everybody loves Epic.”
She said it’s nice to see seamless documentation utilized from department to department, all for the betterment of patient care.
“The care isn’t just in a silo wherever you are in the hospital. A physician can see every piece of the record,” Pender said. “It’s been very positive.”
The data analytics made available by Epic is phenomenal when evaluating best practices.
Safe and effective care is what patients deserve from any bedside nurse, Pender said.

Honey Springs Battlefield is excited to announce a special presentation, “The First Indian Home Guard,” to be held at the battlefield’s Visitor Center on Saturday, February 26, at 1 p.m. Dr. Jane Johansson, professor in the Department of History and Political Science at Rogers State University and editor of the book “Albert C. Ellithorpe, the First Indian Home Guards, and the Civil War on the Trans-Mississippi Frontier,” will speak about the regiment’s unique history in relation to the Civil War in Indian Territory and the Battle of Honey Springs.
“Recruited in Kansas refugee camps in the spring of 1862, the First Indian Home Guard was a unique Civil War regiment,” said Johansson. “Comprised of whites, refugee Muscogee Creeks and Seminoles, and African Creeks, the regiment served in a variety of military operations from 1862–1865. Notable actions that the unit engaged in included Locust Grove, Fort Wayne, Cane Hill, Prairie Grove, Honey Springs and many smaller encounters. This presentation will explore the regiment’s background, its composition, notable personalities, military actions, relations with the federal government and the postwar era,” Johansson continued.
Johansson is a native Oklahoman and graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU). After completing her bachelor’s degree at OBU, Johansson attended the University of North Texas where she earned a master’s degree in library science and a doctorate in United States history. She has written three books about the Civil War west of the Mississippi River, and co-edited two volumes of the papers of Will Rogers. Her most recent book, “Albert C. Ellithorpe, the First Indian Home Guards, and the Civil War on the Trans-Mississippi Frontier,” was honored with the Founders Award given by the American Civil War Museum in recognition of “excellence in the editing of primary source documents.” Johansson especially enjoys traveling to historic sites and visiting used bookstores with her husband, Richmond, an English professor at Northwestern Oklahoma State University.
After the presentation, visitors will have the opportunity to tour the Visitor Center’s exhibits, view the new “Battle of Honey Springs” film, buy newly stocked items from the gift shop, and tour the largest Civil War battlefield in Oklahoma.
For more information regarding the presentation and Honey Springs Battlefield, please email [email protected] or [email protected], or call 918-617-7125.
Honey Springs Battlefield is located east of U.S. Highway 69 between Oktaha and Rentiesville. The Visitor Center is located on a hill within close proximity to the Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame in Rentiesville. Take the second left after reaching the Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame Museum (driving from the west).

by Greg Schwem

Aw, heck, let’s just work one day a week.
I mean, we’re all overstressed, burned out, mentally exhausted and up in arms that receiving paychecks requires us to do something other than attend spin classes whenever we feel like it. Never mind that our parents, their parents, and their parents’ parents clocked in at 9 a.m. and left at 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. True, there was no such thing as Zoom to haunt their weekend plans; but there also wasn’t a “Bring Your Dog to Work” day at my dad’s office.
We demand a shorter work week. We want Dolly Parton to sing, “Workin’ 9 to noon, ’cause three hours should be plenty; Boss, my brain is fried, although I’m still in my 20s…”
Bosses and even politicians appear to be learning the new lyrics, or at least humming the tune. Last July, Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) introduced a bill amending the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, reducing the standard work week from 40 to 32 hours. The bill is currently languishing in the House and the chances of it remaining there will only intensify if Congress decides to take Fridays off.
Meanwhile, a nonprofit pilot program, 4 Day Week Global, is encouraging companies to sign up and participate in shortened weeks. The website contains a petition, seeking 100,000 signatures from employees who favor working less, even naming specific companies and the number of employees who have already signed. When I checked, the petition had received 114 signatures from Amazon workers, a figure I found shockingly low considering the guy who kept dropping packages at my door the week prior to Christmas appeared to be working about 100 hours a week.
The site points to companies like crowdfunding platform Kickstarter and fintech startup Bolt, which have switched to four-day workweeks. It also posts studies with phrases like “productivity increase” and “laser focused employees” as proof that a three-day weekend is an idea whose time has come.
So, why stop there?
If workers are “laser focused” working four days a week, imagine how sharp they would be if they worked three days? Or two? Or even one? Let’s try it. I hereby present to you a company that requires employees only produce eight hours of weekly work. I’ll call it Slack.
Wait, that company already exists. My bad. Let’s call it Slacker. That’s a movie but not yet a Fortune 500 company.
Before my company is besieged with applications from enterprising workers who want to change the world providing it doesn’t conflict with thrice weekly Pilates sessions, please be aware that working for Slacker does have some drawbacks.
During your one day of employment, you cannot break for lunch.
Red Bull and other energy drinks are forbidden. If you need a “jolt” before starting your weekly eight-hour shift, you’re probably not going to fit in at Slacker.
Don’t even think about asking for paid vacation.
You will be required to work in an office, which will not contain clocks of any type. I don’t need Slacker employees, on their way to the parking lot to begin their six-day weekends, saying, “Man, I thought 5 o’clock would NEVER get here.”
Calling in sick is allowed, but sick days must be made up in full. That’s right, if you’re sick one day, you must work TWO days the following week. If that makes me a tyrant of a boss, just remember there are plenty of jobs available at Kickstarter, where your workload will quadruple!

I will pay you an honest wage, but don’t expect a 401(k) or profit-sharing plan of any type. You’ll have plenty of free time to become a Bitcoin millionaire.
Finally, I will not offer a health care plan, but I will provide gym memberships. Slacker employees are expected to use their off time to stay in shape. I don’t need any workforce members unexpectedly dropping dead on their off days.
From boredom.
Kids be warned; the Great Elf Retirement may soon be upon us.
(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 Amazon.com. Visit Greg on the web at 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 www.gregschwem.com)

By Nick Thomas

The movie world was shocked when the body of 43-year-old Natalie Wood was found floating lifeless in the ocean off Catalina Island on the morning of November 29, 1981. Forty years later, sister Lana still can’t accept that the incident was nothing more than a tragic accident.
Natalie’s watery demise remains one of Hollywood’s enduring mysteries recently resurrected in Lana’s “Little Sister: My Investigation into the Mysterious Death of Natalie Wood” published last November, 40 years after the beloved actress’s death (see www.amazon.com/Lana-Wood/e/B001KDRGZ8?).
Despite a morbid fear of drowning, Natalie would often go boating with husband Robert Wagner but, according to Lana, remained especially terrified of “dark ocean water.”
“How did she end up in the sea at nighttime?” asked Lana from her home in Los Angeles. “The circumstances remain a question for many people. I wanted to present the facts about her death in this new book, including the police and coroner’s reports, as well as a new witness who heard screams that night.”
Natalie and Wagner, along with fellow actor Christopher Walken, had embarked on a weekend cruise aboard Wagner’s motor yacht skippered for the trip by Dennis Davern. Although the group had been drinking and the couple apparently argued, Lana doesn’t believe her sister merely fell overboard or that she tumbled into the water while attempting a nighttime launch of a dingy attached to the boat to leave after the argument.
While no one on board at the time has ever been charged with involvement in Natalie’s death, speculation on how Natalie got into the water the night before her body was discovered continues to haunt her sister.
“I wrote another book (in 2011) that looked at Natalie’s life and happier times,” recalled Lana. “But the new book wasn’t as easy to write because I’d get emotional and have to walk away from it periodically.”
Both sisters were close, having been thrust into acting by their mother. But each took a different career path with Natalie working mostly in film to reach true superstar fame while Lana embraced the television route and enjoyed modest success in films such as the perky Bond girl Plenty O’Toole in “Diamonds Are Forever.” And while Lana may have lived in her famous sister’s shadow, she appears to have been comfortable in that shade.
“Natalie loved being a movie star,” said Lana. “Any time she left home, she would put on her make-up, do her hair, and dress impeccably because she never wanted to disappoint when out in public. While I enjoyed working, I didn’t want to be scrutinized everywhere I went or be constantly photographed. I didn’t seek that fame.”
She is, however, still convinced there’s more to the story of her sister’s death.
“I don’t know if the truth will ever come out,” she says. “I hope my book will keep people probing for answers and keep Natalie’s memory alive.”
Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, in Alabama, and has written features, columns, and interviews for numerous magazines and newspapers. See www.tinseltowntalks.com.

Every year many elderly and vulnerable adults become victims of financial exploitation. Financial exploitation is defined as illegal or improper use, control, or withholding of property, income, or resources.
Many people fall victim to financial exploitation at the hands of both strangers and family. This crime is a felony under Oklahoma law. Penalties include jail time, thousands of dollars in fines, and restitution.
Signs of financial exploitation can include, but are not limited to the following:
• Unusual bank activity • Change of statement delivery address • Unpaid bills • Unexplained withdrawals or transfers • Large purchases that don’t fit the persons income level
How to protect against financial exploitation: • Estate planning • Choose a Power of Attorney ahead of time • Consult an Elder Law Attorney If you or someone you know are experiencing financial exploitation contact Adult Protective Services (APS). 800-522-3511 or okhotline.org
The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is in place to advocate for elderly Oklahomans who reside in Long Term Care facilities. As our aging population grows, so does the need to make sure our loved ones are being cared for. If you have question or concerns regarding Resident’s Rights in a long term care facility there are several ways to contact an Areawide Aging Agency Ombudsman. Call 405-942-8500 to speak to an Ombudsman Supervisor, visit the agency website at www.areawideaging.org, or find us on Facebook.

Dear Savvy Senior, Can you give me a brief rundown of Medicare’s enrollment choices along with when and how to sign-up? Approaching 65

Dear Approaching,
The rules and timetables for Medicare enrollment can be confusing to many new retirees, so it’s smart to plan ahead. Here’s a simplified rundown of what to know.
First a quick review. Remember that original Medicare has two parts: Part A, which provides hospital coverage and is free for most people, and Part B which covers doctor’s visits and other medical services, and costs $170.10 per month for most enrollees in 2021.
When to Enroll
Everyone is eligible for Medicare at age 65, even if your full Social Security retirement age is 66 or later.
You can enroll any time during the “initial enrollment period,” which is a seven-month period that includes the three months before, the month of, and the three months after your 65th birthday. It’s best to enroll three months before your birth month to ensure your coverage starts when you turn 65.
If you happen to miss the seven-month sign-up window for Medicare Part B, you’ll have to wait until the next “general enrollment period” which runs from Jan. 1 to March 31 with benefits beginning the following July 1. You’ll also incur a 10 percent penalty for each year you wait beyond your initial enrollment period, which will be tacked on to your monthly Part B premium. You can sign up for premium-free Part A, at any time with no penalty.
Working Exceptions
Special rules apply if you’re eligible for Medicare and still on the job. If you have health insurance coverage through your employer or your spouse’s employer, and the company has 20 or more employees, you have a “special enrollment period” in which you can sign up. This means that you can delay enrolling in Medicare Part B and are not subject to the 10 percent late-enrollment penalty as long as you sign up within eight months of losing that coverage.
Drug Coverage
Be aware that original Medicare does not cover prescription medications, so if you don’t have credible drug coverage from an employer or union, you’ll need to buy a Part D drug plan from a private insurance company (see Medicare.gov/plan-compare) during your initial enrollment if you want coverage. If you don’t, you’ll incur a premium penalty – 1 percent of the average national premium ($33 in 2022) for every month you don’t have coverage – if you enroll later.
Supplemental Coverage
If you choose original Medicare, it’s also a good idea to get a Medigap (Medicare supplemental) policy within six months after enrolling in Part B to help pay for things that aren’t covered by Medicare like copayments, coinsurance and deductibles. See Medicare.gov/medigap-supplemental-insurance-plans to shop and compare policies.
All-In-One Plans
Instead of getting original Medicare, plus a Part D drug plan and a Medigap policy, you could sign up for a Medicare Advantage plan instead (see Medicare.gov/plan-compare) that covers everything in one plan. Nearly half of all new Medicare enrollees are signing up for Advantage plans.
These plans, which are also sold by insurance companies, are generally available through HMOs and PPOs and often have cheaper premiums, but their deductibles and co-pays are usually higher. Many of these plans also provide coverage for extra services not offered by original Medicare like dental, hearing and vision coverage along with gym/fitness memberships, and most plans include prescription drug coverage too.
How to Enroll
If you’re already receiving your Social Security benefits before 65, you will automatically be enrolled in Part A and Part B, and you’ll receive your Medicare card about three months before your 65th birthday. It will include instructions to return it if you have work coverage that qualifies you for late enrollment.
If you’re not receiving Social Security, you’ll need to enroll either online at SSA.gov/medicare or over the phone at 800-772-1213.
If you need help, get a copy of “Get It Together: Organize Your Records So Your Family Won’t Have To” at Nolo.com for $17.50 for the downloadable versions, or $20 for a printed copy.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

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*As of 2022-01-27 at 7:00 a.m.