By James Coburn, Staff Writer

The regulatory challenge of working in long-term care is what appeals most to Danielle Wolfington, RN, Golden Age Nursing Home. Promoting quality is her forte.
“I love a challenge. There’s just something about having to deal with all the aspects of leadership,” Wolfington said. “At the hospital you just kind of go with the motions. There’s always a challenge here. There’s always some way to promote quality. That’s what I like.”
She has worked at Golden Age for five years. As the assistant director of nursing at the Guthrie home she is in charge of infection control and quality assurance. Wolfington was previously MDS coordinator.
She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in December at Northern Oklahoma College. She is currently in the master’s degree program for family nurse practitioner.
She worked a little bit at OU Medical Center, but was drawn back to long-term care.
She was only 16 when she became a CNA.
Today, you can see the smile in her eyes above her face mask as her admiration for coworkers shines through.
“I like the fact when I’m sitting in my office that I can hear my staff members talk to residents like they’re very close to them,” Wolfington said. “And the residents even reach for the staff member’s hand and stuff like that when they are at the window visiting. They tell their families how much they love the staff. So, it tells me that behind the scenes, they are making a positive experience. You know how tough long-term care is right now. I feel that they do the best they can to try to make situations a little better.”
Vaccinations against COVID-19 began for the residents and nursing staff on January 7.
“I think sometimes that we are too close, and it almost feels like, sometimes, that I am mad at my sister, she said with laughter,” she said.
“But you come back the next day and it’s like my family needs me.”
There are always challenges and a way to promote quality of life. She strives to make her work person-centered, she said, with preferences. Wolfington is efficient when handling expenses.
“I don’t so much like when surveyors come, but I like it when they say, ‘Oh, you did good on that,’” she continued.
In 2019 The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), the leading association for long term and post-acute care, recently held its 70th Annual Convention & Expo at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.
“That’s one thing I love to show — that you have pretty good processes and quality of life,” she said.
One thing that touches her life in a painful way is the COVID-19 pandemic, she said. Coronavirus has changed Wolfington, she explained, because almost a year has past since residents have not been able to touch their families.
“It makes me very sad,” she said. “It really does.”
Indoor visits are prohibited, however, when the weather is nice, they are able to provide outdoor visits by using plexiglass booths to shield residents from possible contamination of coronavirus. They continue to do window visits with phones and have iPads to further facilitate the process. Nurses understand the human need of togetherness among families and loved ones.
Some nurses have worked 12-hour shifts day-after-day to care for the welfare of patients.
“They don’t want their residents to be without. They don’t want us to be short-staffed. They don’t want the residents to get anything less than they normally get,” Wolfington said.
Wolfington commends the frontline of CNAs for diligent work when missing holidays, weekends, and family events in order to care for the residents. CNAs show up for work when scheduled and not spend holiday times with families.
“I know that sounds sad to say, but honestly I think that’s pretty noble to do that.”
She is frank when telling nursing students that long-term care is hard work, especially with the pandemic.
“But you help people that count on you, and they love you,” she said. “And it’s a really good feeling, so I do usually bring that up. I always tell them to reach for more. Go back to school — get promoted.”
Little things in life build to help humanity when given with love. And love is not in short supply at Golden Age Nursing Home.

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

Anytime you hear the word Santa Fe , it has to conjure up images. And if you have visited there it must illicit emotions and memories as well. With travel plans still up in the air a safe bet is a car trip, which at times can be cheaper and more reliable. My first visit to Santa Fe was in the late 1970s, when I was breaking in a new car and exploring the great American West.
Of course, I traveled a long day’s drive on I-40 West out of Oklahoma City , then took the highway 284 cut off at Clines Corners and entered Santa Fe on the Old Pecos Trail. That road soon turned into the Old Santa Fe Trail, where I drove along the narrow road with the old San Miguel Mission adobe church on my right and the famed Pink Adobe Restaurant on my left. The Old Santa Fe Trail offered a perfect first impression, as it was lined with atmospheric time worn structures, and not the modern franchise eateries and gas stations that hug the more traditional entry up north from Albuquerque, on Cerrillos Road.
I soon came into the parking lot of the relatively new, Inn at Loretto, replete in iconic Santa Fe adobe architecture. I was treated the next morning with a light dusting of snow and a hint of pinion in the air, as I pulled away from a town I’d hardly seen but ~ silently, subconsciously ~ vowed to see again. I have returned to Santa Fe many times since then and each time explored new venues with a salute to favorite places, which have become a traditional pilgrimage when visiting.
I can’t recall why I chose a one night stay at this particular hotel ~ must have been its appealing architecture and perhaps at that time availability. This time I found myself walking past the Spa and the aroma of relaxation made me regret my time on this visit was too short. My stay at the Inn at Loretto in the l970s, and in subsequent years has always been a pleasant tradition. This time was no exception.
Old traditional haunts include: the La Cantina Bar at La Sena Casa where waiters turn into opera and musical theatre singers about every ten minutes; the Pink Adobe Restaurant with its fine and sometimes spicy gourmet productions; Jackalope on Cerrillos road with its affordable southwestern flared garden and household offerings ~ along with the best and freshest string of red chili ristras in season; and the old haunts along the Plaza with its Indian jewelry market and a variety of upscale fashion shops.
New traditional offerings include the Balconies at the Plaza restaurant, which until a few years ago was the traditional Ore House Restaurant with the best and meatiest tasting salsa anywhere ~ needless to say I miss it; the Carol Kucera art gallery filled with expressive movement in colorful paintings from the personable artist; and an always must see at the top of Canyon Road the special 822 Gallery of bronzes by Joshua Tobey. These two galleries a have now moved out of Santa Fe, with others occupying their places.
Upon this recent trip I discovered the Santa Fe pickup, a free bus that circles the old town area, and is certainly a boon and must for those wanting to wander down Canyon Road as it will drop you off at the top. While my most recent autumn visit was blessed with perfect weather, I have climbed the road in scorching heat and can testify that the art is much more appealing starting at the top and meandering down.
Other must visits is the New Mexico Museum of Art and the New Mexico History Museum/Palace of the Governors – both on the Plaza; and up on Museum Hill the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture and the Museum of International Folk Art . Of course a road trip out to Tesuque with its sculpture garden and the near by glass blowing gallery can be broken up with a respite at Bishops Lodge for libations and food with a dose of historical luxury. A Santa Fe visit is not complete without a stop at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and a tasting at is elegant restaurant.
I’m not sure if it’s the upscale art and fashion shopping, the authentic New Mexican cuisine, the fresh atmosphere and the nearly unspoiled vistas, or the essence of its history that permeates the soul, which beckons a perpetual return. Probably it’s all, and yet some indescribable something else that all visitors try to describe when remembering, Santa Fe.
For more information contact:
The Inn at Loretto – https://www.hotelloretto.com/ Joshua Tobey Bronzes: https://www.joshuatobeystudios.com/ and, https://www.santafe.org

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

Stephen M. Prescott, M.D., who led the largest expansion in the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation’s history, will retire as president.
Prescott, 73, made the announcement Tuesday at a meeting of OMRF’s board of directors. Prescott was diagnosed with cancer in 2017 and said he was stepping down for health reasons. Since 2006, he has led the Oklahoma City-based nonprofit, which will mark its 75th anniversary later this year.
“The time I’ve spent at OMRF has been the capstone to a scientific career that has been immensely rewarding,” said Prescott, a physician and medical researcher. “I’ve been lucky enough to help guide this wonderful institution for 15 years. And nothing makes me happier than knowing the scientists of OMRF will continue the tradition of biomedical research excellence long after I’ve gone.”
Under Prescott, OMRF has three times earned designation by the National Institutes of Health as an Autoimmunity Center of Excellence, one of only 10 in the nation. Three life-changing drugs born at OMRF have earned FDA approval, including the first treatment for pain crises caused by sickle cell disease.
With the addition of a 186,000-square-foot research tower that included a multiple sclerosis clinic in 2011, Prescott engineered the largest campus expansion ever at OMRF. He also successfully completed a $100 million fundraising initiative that paid for that growth, then spearheaded the recruitment of more than 30 new principal scientists to fill the new labs and clinic space.
In rankings based on employee surveys, OMRF has earned a designation as one of Oklahoma’s Top Workplaces every year since the contest began in 2013. That includes a pair of blue ribbons among large employers in 2017 and 2019. During Prescot’s tenure, the foundation also received more than a dozen four-star rankings – the highest possible – from Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest evaluator of nonprofits.
“Dr. Steve Prescott’s leadership of OMRF has been transformative,” said Len Cason, chair of OMRF’s board of directors. “As a scientist and as a person, he dared not just to think big, but to transform those ideas into action. He challenged everyone at OMRF to reach new standards of excellence, and then he followed through and made sure it happened.”
Prescott was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2020. In his acceptance speech, he recalled how he’d been recruited to Oklahoma from the University of Utah’s Huntsman Cancer Institute, where he’d served as executive director. “Len Cason told me that OMRF was the right place for me. He was right.”
The executive committee of OMRF’s board of directors will name an acting successor to Prescott soon. A nationwide search for a permanent replacement will follow.
“I’ve had the great fortune to live a charmed life. I’ve spent each day immersed in medical research,” said Prescott. “When you do something you love, you don’t work a day in your life.”

All 19 Metropolitan Library System libraries welcome customers to come in and sit and stay beginning Saturday, May 1.
Sit and Stay service includes computer use by reservation, study room use, browsing and limited seating to accommodate reading and Wi-Fi usage and copy/fax/scan use. Seating will be spaced to one chair per table. Computers are limited to two (2) sessions of one-hour each per day. Masks are required for all customers.
“We invite guests to continue to come in and use the library with more services available in this stage,” Larry White, MLS Executive Director said. “With school out for most of the summer, we are glad to have more reading areas available for both students and non-students to use.”
Online programs and events via social media continue to be very popular. Other online services available are LearningExpress and HelpNow for students, “Book-A-Librarian” for general library help, genealogy help one-on-one, Hoopla and Kanopy streaming movies and tv, JobNow for job and career help and more.
Hours to the public are Mondays-Thursdays 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m., Fridays 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Saturdays 9:00 a.m – 4:00 p.m. and Sundays 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. Curbside pickup hours are Mondays through Fridays 1:00 – 6:00 p.m., Saturdays 1:00 – 5:00 p.m and from 1:00 -6:00 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, contact (405) 231-8650 or at [email protected].

by Greg Schwem

I’ll admit it: I’m a great eavesdropper. A professional eavesdropper even.
I’ve elevated myself to the pro ranks. Not only is my hearing excellent when I’m within the vicinity of your cellphone conversation or public banter, but I will go to great lengths to be near you if I feel I’m going to overhear something of interest.
I’m not stalking you; at least I don’t believe I am. Full disclosure: I’m a full-time stand-up comedian and most of my material germinates from something I hear in passing from total strangers. A perfect example? The airline pilot, waiting for an incoming flight to arrive at O’Hare, telling the recipient of his cellphone conversation that he’d crave a “tall skinny blonde about now” Turns out he was placing a Starbucks order.
I thought it was funny. So did the audience that evening.
Years ago, I was exiting Bally’s Las Vegas Hotel and Casino when a red Ferrari pulled up to the valet entrance. I paused, expecting to see a movie star or famous athlete emerge, engulfed in a sea of paparazzi flashbulbs. Instead, two males, who looked as if they had yet to experience the ordeal of driver’s license renewal, exited.
I immediately made a beeline and went back inside, hoping to overhear something of interest. Certainly, two kids in their early 20s, and in possession of an automobile costing north of a quarter million dollars, would have SOMETHING interesting to say.
My plan disintegrated when the pair sat down at a bank of penny slots machines. I’m sorry but nobody playing penny slots has anything interesting to say. Most likely they are angry or depressed, perhaps because they blew all their money on a Ferrari.
Sadly, my penchant for eavesdropping is no longer fun. The reason? I already know what you’re talking about.
The vaccine.
What else do we have to talk about? After a year without live entertainment, exotic travel destinations and succulent restaurant meals, what’s left to share with our friends? Only our vaccine status.
Sometimes I don’t even have to get within earshot to know this is the topic of conversation. If I see you pointing to your left shoulder, I know you just got the vaccine. If you are waving your arm in a circular motion, I know you experienced pain after receiving a dose of the vaccine.
Prior to the pandemic, if I heard a stranger saying, “just got my first one,” my mind raced with endless possibilities. Your first what? Promotion? Social Security check? Online dating response? But I no longer need to guess. You just got your first shot, didn’t you?
If I detect the phrase, “which one?” you can only be referring to Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson. If I hear “any issues?” I keep walking, because there’s nothing funny about sticking around listening to anyone mention their flu-like symptoms, persistent soreness or 24-hour fatigue.
What’s best for the country is the worst for me, when it comes to eavesdropping. As the vaccine becomes available to wider demographics, it’s no longer just senior citizens who are discussing it. Millennials, Gen Z and, in some states, teens are comparing their vaccine experiences, much to my dismay. It’s only a matter of time before I hear two toddlers adding words like “appointment” and phrases such as “lasting side effects” to their new vocabularies.
Don’t get me wrong, America; I’m passionate about vaccination. So passionate that, if I overhear somebody say, “I’m still on the fence…” I’m likely to stop and say, “Why are you hesitant? We have a chance to end this pandemic. GO GET VACCINATED.” Oh, sure, there’s a chance the recipient of my wrath could be talking about which highway commission candidate he or she is going to vote for in an upcoming municipal election, but I doubt it.
By the way, I have been vaccinated. But I’m not going to endlessly droll on about a single topic with everybody I’ve ever met or plan to meet.
That’s why Facebook was invented.
(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)

Covid-Delayed World Premiere of Choral and Orchestral Piece Inspires Community Collaborations, Multimedia Event on May 16

Canterbury Voices, Oklahoma’s largest and oldest community chorus, will present an original commission, Of Perpetual Solace, featuring soloist-cantor Lisa Reagan Love and the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, on Sunday, May 16, at 3:00 PM, at the Civic Center Music Hall in Oklahoma City.
The 45-minute work – in commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of the Murrah Building Bombing – was written by Oklahoma composer Edward Knight and librettist M.J. Alexander for full orchestra, cantor, large chorus, chamber choir and children’s chorus. The husband-and-wife team, who live within walking distance of the bombing site, drew inspiration from conversations with survivors.
Originally scheduled to premiere in March 2020, Of Perpetual Solace was postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and has been rescheduled for Sunday, May 16, 2021, at 3:00 PM. Canterbury, led by artistic director Dr. Randi Von Ellefson, reimagined rehearsals and performances in light of the pandemic and found a way to sing again through the innovative use of specialized singers’ masks developed by the Broadway Relief Project; socially-distanced rehearsals and safety protocols; a pared-down chorus; the OKC Philharmonic orchestra; and the power of video production, featuring clips from the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. Sibling audio/video team Matt and Pat Horton of Norman are the production team for this monumental project and helped Canterbury create this special presentation.
A large-scale, multimedia concert event, Of Perpetual Solace will also feature a 47-voice children’s chorus and 18-member adult ensemble. “I feel I’ve been preparing my entire life to write this music,” said composer Edward Knight. “It has been years in the making, and demanded that I tap deep into our shared human spirit to bring out the essence of what is good and important and lasting.”
Due to strict health and safety protocols, six hundred socially-distanced audience members will be allowed into the Civic Center Music Hall, one-third of the normally 2,400 seats. The performance will also be offered as an on-demand streaming event from May 23 to June 20, 2021.
Of Perpetual Solace progresses from darkness into light – toward an embrace of comfort, hope, and serenity. “This is the most ambitious commission we have undertaken in our 51-year history,” Pam Mowry, Canterbury’s Executive Director, said. “It is an epic work that has a profound meaning to so many of us. It was written by Oklahomans for Oklahomans, and offered to all who have dealt with grief, mourning, and recovery.”

Story and photo by James Coburn, Feature Writer

Hearing loss can be so gradual until it becomes a problem with age, said Dr. Jeni Merrick-Baker, a clinical audiologist and owner of Ears of Oklahoma, located in Oklahoma City.
Ears of Oklahoma treats a range of hearing disorders among patients older than 18.
“Everybody typically starts losing their hearing in their 40s, but we don’t notice it at first,” Baker said. “If there ever is a sudden hearing loss and you just wake up one day and the hearing is gone in one ear, then that’s an issue that you have to see an ear specialist or otologist within 24 hours to try to get that hearing back.”
Most of her clients come to Baker for problems such as ringing in their ears, otherwise known as tinnitus. Tinnitus affects about 15-20 percent of people, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is especially common in older adults.
“It’s more and more common every day,” Baker said. “We’re just seeing it so much more especially in the baby boom generation, due most likely to some loud noise and concerts.”
Baker begins her diagnosis after clearing wax from the ear canal. A comprehensive hearing test is done to learn the type of hearing loss a patient is experiencing and the best method of treatment. Hearing aids may be fitted when needed.
Family members will notice the speaker volume going up. Typically, a spouse will encourage their loved on to visit Ears of Oklahoma after noticing their husband or wife is having trouble hearing conversation at a restaurant or a place with a competing background noise. Older adults might complain that they have difficulty in hearing their grandchildren speak.
“That’s always a sign that they know there’s some loss there, just because of the range the kids voices typically fall in,” Baker said.
Recent advances in technology has made it easier for audiologists to restore more lifestyles with improved hearing.
Hearing aids are receptive to Bluetooth now. Clients wearing one can receive a phone call directly in their ears without holding the phone next to their ear. Bluetooth technology can be sent directly to the hearing aid as well.
The brain is wired to hear in stereo to process hearing. Sound is filtered for clarity before it ever reaches the eardrum.
“So basically, if the spouse is with them watching the TV, they can set the volume wherever they want,” Baker said.
An app designed for tinnitus helps to minimize ringing in the ears.
Additionally, Bluetooth technology enables the use of a bi-cross hearing aid. Sound is transferred to the deaf ear from the healthy hear.
“It gives people back the location of sound,” she said.
A rewarding part of Baker’s profession is hearing patients tell her that their life is better now after going to Ears of Oklahoma.
“They can hear in a very difficult situation — for instance in a noisy restaurant,” she said.
Research indicates that even a mild hearing loss may double the risk of dementia, Baker continued.
“A moderate to severe hearing loss triples it. And if it’s a true, severe hearing loss, you’re five times more likely to develop dementia early.”
People get their life back with restored hearing. They are no longer nervous about not saying the right thing in a conversation.
Baker looks forward to the end of the pandemic. Technology allows her to enter an office, assisted living or home to test and provide hearing aids in the comfort of home.
“That’s something that’s real exciting and I can’t wait for that to start happening,” she said.
Twenty years ago, Baker began her practice in Ardmore. She continues to have the clinic there. Baker had been with the Otologic Medical Clinic at the Hough Ear Institute for several years and decided to open her second independent practice of her own in Oklahoma City. She branched off in November to the Ears of Oklahoma location at 3400 NW 56th St., Oklahoma City.
Patients come to see Baker from many parts of the state. It’s nice to have a practice in Ardmore, she said.
“I’m one of the very few in southern Oklahoma,” she said.
Baker recommends well fitting earplugs to protect hearing during loud concerts or when exposed to loud industrial noise. Persons working in conditions of excessive industrial noise should have proper hearing protection, she advised.
Helping others to hear better is a passion
Baker has had since childhood. She had a friend growing up who had a hearing loss.
“When we’d go swimming, she had to take her hearing aids out and she couldn’t hear anything,” she said. “Ever since then I’ve had a passion to try to help people. It’s miserable not to hear birds and hear the things we take for granted every day of our life. So, to give that back to a person, and to watch them hear for the first time — things they haven’t heard — we both cry. When I put in hearing aids for the first time it’s very, very rewarding.” For more information visit www.earsofoklahoma.com or call 405-673-1327.

By Steven Sibley, MBA/Healthcare Administration

Last week I received an envelope from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). It was my Medicare Card, over 4 months from August 1st, my 65th birthday. I also discovered that, since my birthday was the 1st day of August, the effective date for my Medicare was the 1st day of July. It was news to me and I’m a Medicare agent! There’s always something new to learn about the insurance business.
It reminded of another envelope I received over 15 years ago. Just months after my 49th birthday in 2005, I received an AARP card. I didn’t know you could join at age 50 and learned something new again. Well, I had to call my mom to tell her. With tongue-in-cheek, I let her know I was about to reach the half-a-century mark. She immediately told me, “Send it back, I am too young to have a child with an AARP card!”
In 2005 mom was an active 70 year old. She had raised 5 children, had 7 grandchildren, lost her husband 20 years earlier and her second son 10 years earlier. She expected to live into her 90’s, just as her own mom did. In fact, she had a long term care (LTC) policy for that reason, but she didn’t have any life insurance. Unfortunately, only 6 months later, in April 2006, my mother passed away.
At the time I was a novice in the financial services industry, but I learned some important lessons from moms death about planning for life’s inevitable events. I learned the importance of having a will and trust. Ironically, 5 months before her death, I convinced her to update her will and do a trust. It really helped with smoothly settling her estate. I also learned about LTC. While it’s important to have, it doesn’t help if you die suddenly and never use it. Today, LTC is expensive with limited options as a standalone policy, but I learned about affordable strategies which combine LTC with life insurance. It pays when you pass and pays if you need LTC before you pass.
Now, years later, my wife and I are partners and brokers in the insurance business. She specializes in Medicare and I specialize in Life insurance, LTC and healthcare planning especially for retirement. I’ve also partnered with a team of advisors at Mass Mutual of Oklahoma. Our clients rely on us for strategies to protect their health, wealth and assets. I’ve learned having a team of advisors is immensely important, have you? You just can’t be an expert on everything, especially in these important areas of your life.
I’ve learned this at an even deeper level. I read a book daily, I believe is filled with the knowledge of the wisest man to ever live. It has 31 chapters, so for every day of the month, there’s a chapter to read. I recently gave a small paperback version of the book to my advisor partner Mike, who told me a story about a wealthy man he had met. He asked the man, “What’s been the secret to your success?” He answered, “I read a chapter from Proverbs every day and have done so my entire adult life”.
There is so much to learn about life from this book. It has changed my life and the lives of others. This is what it says about having advisors: Chapter 15:22, Without consultation and wise advice, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they are established and succeed. Chapter 11:14, Where there is no wise, intelligent guidance, people fall and go off course like a ship without a rudder, but in the abundance of wise and godly counselors there is victory. Chapter 24:6, For by wise guidance you fight life’s battles, and in an abundance of wise counselors there is victory and safety.
If you want this kind of advice concerning protection for your health, wealth and assets for your family, or your parents, please give our team a call: 405-850-1569. See us online at sibleyinsures.com.
Ps: Thanks mom, I love you and miss you.

Story by Darl Devault, Feature Writer

Randy Ross, 66, says as the mayor of Choctaw and the executive director of the Oklahoma Accountancy Board his life’s outlook was shaped 50 years ago by an important coach.
“I started wrestling when I was 9 years old in the fourth grade,” Ross said. “Compared to a lot of kids I won far more than I lost, but I never achieved my goal of a state championship in high school at Midwest City, ending up as a State Runner-up. But I won more when I got to college. including becoming the first All-American in modern times at Central State University (now the University of Central Oklahoma).”
What he also gained from those hours spent in the wrestling room is something not measured by wins or medals, but instead by learning important life lessons lasting forever, he said.
He has been called chairman, president, mayor and many other titles in different organizations. Those titles come and go, but one thing never changes—he can say “I am a wrestler.”
“I learned the discipline necessary to study for and pass the CPA exam from wrestling,” Ross said. “I learned to persevere through difficult times, through tragedies, through the highs and lows of life, to take the next step.”
His high school wrestling coach, Jim Kinyon, made a significant impact on Ross’ life on his way to coaching Midwest City High School wrestlers to the school’s first wrestling state championship 50 years ago in 1971 and again in 1972.
Coach Kinyon taught them the skills and techniques required to be successful on the mat. “Important to my future and who I am today he also understood as a coach of impressionable young men he had an opportunity to instill character traits to last a lifetime,” Ross said.
“My successes in life and my career are founded on the lessons the great sport of wrestling gave me,” Ross said. “In my career, I have fought the battles in board rooms, managed the tough political campaigns. I have weathered the insults from fans as I officiated matches. A coach or two might have had choice comments, but wrestling gave me the tools to handle mentally and physically whatever was tossed at me.”
Kinyon died in 2016, but his legacy has lived on among the hundreds of lives he positively affected through the sport of wrestling. Ross says these are the life lessons he modelled for his athletes.
Be Humble and Keep Working
There is no bigger test than competing in one-on-one physical combat. But unless you are a world-beater, there will always be someone better than you. Kinyon helped Ross make the choice to go on to compete in college.
Success in wrestling is directly proportional to the amount of training you undergo. Being physically talented is one thing, but often the outcome of a match is decided by which athlete has put more work into practice and conditioning. There is no substitute for hard work, an important lesson which helps post-wrestling. Without Kinyon’s early guidance Ross says he would not have likely been elected to the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2017.
Accountability
Wrestling is an individual sport, so accountability is everything. Wrestling is also a team sport as points are awarded at each weight class based on who won each match and by how much. After a wrestling meet the total team points decides the team victory or loss.
After weigh-in before a tourney Kinyon would go over this information with each Bomber wrestler. He explained what to expect from their opponent. Once he got to the end of the weights, he would add up the points each wrestler would likely earn. He then told the team what we needed to do to win the tournament.
This ability to use figures to give others confidence in what they are doing may well be the reason he became an accountant at UCO.
Mental toughness is as important as physical strength.
Ross was injured in a car accident in high school. Coach Kinyon worked with him create the mental toughness needed to continue to perform.
“An example of this is two days before the 1972 state tournament I came down with an intestinal bacterial infection,” Ross said. “I did not practice the next day, laid up in bed. That night Kinyon came to my house and took me to the high school to weigh. I was a couple of pounds over my 106-pound weight class. Kinyon told me what to eat and they would be by to pick me up for weigh-in the next day.”
Ross offered to let Gus Blackwell wrestle in his place, but Kinyon said “No, you helped us get this far, and if you can walk, you are going to wrestle.”
Ross took second place in the tourney, helping the team to a second consecutive state championship.
“Coach Kinyon taught me even more important than physical strength is your attitude,” Ross said. “If you allow it to, your mind will almost always give up before your body. Wrestling not only works the body but the mental aspect and controlling emotions before and during a match is a key to success and later life.”
Confidence Through Preparation
Kinyon was known for his calm demeanor during matches, often appearing as an observer, like the fans. This special mix of strong teaching skills and high-performance standards won him honors as a coach. Only coaching at Midwest City for four years, 1969-1972, Kinyon was named 1971 and 1972 Oklahoma Class 4-A wrestling coach of the year.
“I never won a state championship, the kids won the state championships,” Kinyon said in 1995. “Wrestling is a game of skills. The guy with the best skills is usually the guy who wins. If it were just strength, then all your big football players would be great wrestlers. But it is a game of skills. Once you master those skills it just comes natural to you.”
Asked to compare his mat side coaching style to his rivals Kinyon said he felt the other coaches tried a little too hard to coach during the match because they felt helpless themselves about the outcome.
“It is out of your control (once the match begins)—if you haven’t done a good job of teaching… then your athletes are in trouble,” Kinyon said in 1995. “Where you win you dual is on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday… on Thursday you lighten up a little bit, then you make weight, and you are ready for the match. The coaching is done. If you have to coach a guy—you can give him some pointers, but the real coaching is done in the practice room.”
“Once I graduated from college, I found this same mentality can be taken into any group or work setting,” Ross said. “Learning to properly prepare for any situation is extremely valuable.”
Discipline
Wrestling is a lifestyle. It requires dedication and discipline away from the mat, especially when it comes to diet and nutrition.
Nothing will tax your body more than a wrestling match and any deficiencies in your diet will affect your performance. Wrestling also requires the discipline to put in the extra 6 a.m. run or after-practice weight session if you want to be successful.
“My interaction with coach Kinyon rewarded me with exposure to all these qualities,” Ross said. “They helped spark my college studies and wrestling career to remain with me throughout my life. This preparation in life has allowed me to handle the many ways I have been stretched serving the citizens as a public figure while being the mayor of Choctaw.”

story and photo by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

Elizabeth Rogers has experienced a lot in a short period of time.
A Chiara malformation – often detected after birth – led to brain surgery later in life for Rogers, a mother of two and registered nurse.
A defect in the base of her skull allowed brain tissue to slip into her spine.
Severe headaches and neck pain led to her losing range of motion.
She could barely turn her head. The pain was unbearable.
“During the moment having that severe pain I knew there was no way I could live my life,” she said.
At the time, it seemed as if her life might be over, even though she’d only been on this earth for nearly four decades.
“Now I just feel so much better. I’m so thankful they had an operation that would actually help and not live in pain on a daily basis,” she said, looking back at the November 2019 surgery.
So at a relatively young age, Rogers had already faced what she thought might be the end.
The experience, which spawned resilience and perseverance gave her a newfound lease on life.
One she promised she wouldn’t squander.
Growing up, Rogers always wanted to be a doctor. There was something about healing others that drew her.
Growing up with a respiratory therapist for a mom, Rogers knew the hands and feet of medicine truly were at the bedside.
A lunch meeting with her mom at the hospital cafeteria solidified her path.
“Just that moment I realized my heart was in healthcare,” she said.
A nurse since 2004, Rogers has poured her passion into helping others facing their end as a clinical manager for TenderCare Hospice in Norman.
“I like to serve people. It’s my passion to help others,” she said. “I just like to take care of people.”
Owner Brian Wilson ensures that caring for seniors is the company’s passion.
As a Medicare-certified agency, the company’s focus is solely on creating comfort for both patients and their families.
Tailoring care plans to the specific desires and needs of patients is first priority, while also preparing families for the road ahead.
Compassionate nurses, aides, social workers, chaplains and volunteers are available 24-hours-a-day for on-going support. With an extensive geographic service area covering 29 counties and ability to deliver care at home, nursing home, or assisted living center, TenderCare Hospice is the choice of doctors and families across Oklahoma.
“Being a hospice nurse has really changed my outlook on life in general,” she said. “I had never had elderly care on my radar ever but when my kids got into school I thought I would try home health.
“From there, I just grew fond of the elderly. They can give you so much.” The prospect of entering hospice care frightened her.
“Once I got into it I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life,” she said. “These patients give you so much. It’s just amazing.”
“They thank us for what we’ve done but really it’s us that need to thank them. You learn that even though you’re going through hard times you’re going to get through it.”
Learning the stories behind each individual are some of the best parts of Rogers’ profession.
The joys, failures, successes and sorrows add depth to others’ lives.
“You realize they’ve gone some of the same stuff you have to go through whether it be financial, health, loss. Then you realize you’re going to be able to make it,” she said. “They teach you what life is really about.”
Rogers always tells her new nurses there’s no way you can understanding living without helping someone die. And learning how they live adds depth to your own life.
“Stories like that bring a whole lot to your life,” she said. “You realize you can get through this. This is not going to be the death of me. Other people have gone through this and it’s going to be OK. That’s probably the thing I enjoy the most about hospice, getting to know the people and learning from them.”
“It’s just an amazing field.”