Dear Savvy Senior,

I understand that a portion of my Social Security benefits may be taxable when I retire. Can you tell me how to calculate this? Ready to Retire

Dear Ready,
Whether or not you’ll be required to pay federal income tax on your Social Security benefits will depend on your income and filing status. About 35 percent of Social Security recipients have total incomes high enough to trigger federal income tax on their benefits.
To figure out if your benefits will be taxable, you’ll need to add up all of your “provisional income,” which includes wages, taxable and non-taxable interest, dividends, pensions and taxable retirement-plan distributions, self-employment, and other taxable income, plus half your annual Social Security benefits, minus certain deductions used in figuring your adjusted gross income.
How to Calculate
To help you with the calculations, get a copy of IRS Publication 915 “Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits,” which provides detailed instructions and worksheets. You can download it at IRS.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p915.pdf or call the IRS at 800-829-3676 and ask them to mail you a free copy.
After you do the calculations, the IRS says that if you’re single and your total income from all of the listed sources is:
* Less than $25,000, your Social Security will not be subject to federal income tax.
* Between $25,000 and $34,000, up to 50 percent of your Social Security benefits will be taxed at your regular income-tax rate.
* More than $34,000, up to 85 percent of your benefits will be taxed.
If you’re married and filing jointly and the total from all sources is:
* Less than $32,000, your Social Security won’t be taxed.
* Between $32,000 and $44,000, up to 50 percent of your Social Security benefits will be taxed.
* More than $44,000, up to 85 percent of your benefits will be taxed.
If you’re married and file a separate return, you probably will pay taxes on your benefits.
To limit potential taxes on your benefits, you’ll need to be cautious when taking distributions from retirement accounts or other sources. In addition to triggering ordinary income tax, a distribution that significantly raises your gross income can bump the proportion of your Social Security benefits subject to taxes.
How to File
If you find that part of your Social Security benefits will be taxable, you’ll need to file using Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR. You also need to know that if you do owe taxes, you’ll need to make quarterly estimated tax payments to the IRS, or you can choose to have it automatically withheld from your benefits.
To have it withheld, you’ll need to complete IRS Form W-4V, Voluntary Withholding Request (IRS.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw4v.pdf), and file it with your local Social Security office. You can choose to have 7 percent, 10 percent, 12 percent or 22 percent of your total benefit payment withheld. If you subsequently decide you don’t want the taxes withheld, you can file another W-4V to stop the withholding.
If you have additional questions on taxable Social Security benefits call the IRS help line at 800-829-1040.
State Taxation
In addition to the federal government, 13 states – Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia – tax Social Security benefits to some extent too. If you live in one of these states, check with your state tax agency for details. For links to state tax agencies see TaxAdmin.org/state-tax-agencies.

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.

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), representing more than 14,000 nursing homes and assisted living communities across the country that provide care to approximately five million people each year, released the following statement in response to the pending COVID relief package.
The following statement is attributable to Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of AHCA/NCAL: “While we appreciate the difficulty in reaching a bipartisan compromise, we are disappointed that Congress could not strike a deal that recognizes the dire situation our long term care residents and staff are facing right now. Due to soaring community spread, nursing homes are experiencing a record-breaking number of cases and deaths—worse than the spring. Even with a vaccine on its way, it will likely take months to fully vaccinate our residents and staff, as well as the remaining public. Facilities will not be able to return to normal for some time, meaning providers need ongoing support with PPE, testing and staffing.
“Meanwhile, nearly two-thirds of long term care facilities are operating at a loss, and the additional funds slated for the Provider Relief Fund for all heath care providers in this legislation are minimal. Hundreds of facilities are in danger of closing their doors permanently and uprooting the frail seniors they care for. Congress must do more in the new year by directing specific aid to long term care. We owe it to our nation’s seniors and our health care heroes.”

Three Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientists were recently recognized for excellence at the American College of Rheumatology meeting, the world’s largest annual conference for the field.
OMRF senior research assistant Sherri Longobardi received the Sjögren’s Foundation’s Outstanding Abstract Award for her work in identifying new methods for diagnosing Sjögren’s syndrome, where immune cells attack moisture-producing glands, causing symptoms that include severe dry eyes and dry mouth, fatigue, joint pain and rashes. There are currently no approved treatments for the illness.
Current blood tests to diagnose Sjögren’s look for biomarkers found in just 60% of patients, making the disease challenging to detect, and a lip biopsy is often required to confirm a diagnosis. Since beginning her research in 2016, Longobardi has identified eight new markers, paving the way for a blood test with accuracy rates as high as 93%.
Darise Farris, Ph.D., who mentors Longobardi at OMRF and holds a $2.7 million Sjögren’s grant from the National Institutes of Health, noted the work is a major step forward in the field. “This a significant discovery that could better diagnose patients and save a large portion from a painful lip biopsy and extensive testing.”
OMRF scientists Eliza Chakravarty, M.D., and Melissa Munroe, M.D., Ph.D., were also recognized for outstanding abstracts at the meeting. Their separate projects focused on better understanding aspects of the autoimmune disease lupus.
Chakravarty helped lead a multi-site NIH trial to determine whether patients can safely stop taking a lupus medication — mycophenolate mofetil — associated with numerous side effects. The study determined that patients with stable disease may be able to stop the medication without added risk of disease flare.
Munroe’s project examined specific inflammatory and regulatory imbalances in the blood that may help clinicians better predict and identify which relatives of lupus patients will go on to develop the condition.
“The American College of Rheumatology meeting is a gathering of the brightest minds in the field,” said OMRF Vice President of Clinical Affairs Judith James, M.D., Ph.D. “The recognition of these investigators and their teams is yet another nod to OMRF’s critical work in understanding and treating autoimmune diseases.”

Chronic pain can be quite common among older adults as they face conditions such as arthritis and neuropathy. Treating pain in older adults requires special considerations, however, especially when it comes to opioids.
The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center recently received a $2.5 million federal grant to tailor methods of treating chronic pain to the older adult population – with an emphasis on decreasing the use of opioids – and to disseminate those best practices to primary care clinics across Oklahoma. The grant is from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the lead federal agency charged with improving the safety and quality of America’s healthcare system.
In recent years, the OU Health Sciences Center has made significant contributions to the medical profession’s understanding of the risks and benefits of using opioids to treat chronic pain. However, much of that work has focused on the general population, rather than older adults specifically. This grant will allow physicians and researchers to concentrate solely on older adults, and to establish standards of pain management that prioritize non-opioid medications and treatments.
“The older population has a much different relationship with opioids than the younger population does,” said one of the grant’s three principal investigators, Zsolt Nagykaldi, Ph.D., Director of Research for the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine in the OU College of Medicine. “In the younger population, the No. 1 problem is typically misuse, while in the older population, the bigger problems are interactions between opioids and other medications and other health conditions, as well as a higher risk of falls.”
There are numerous reasons for limiting or avoiding opioid prescriptions in older adults, said co-principal investigator Steven Crawford, M.D., Senior Associate Dean for the OU College of Medicine. Metabolism slows as people age, which can increase the effects of opioids. Conditions like emphysema and sleep apnea complicate the use of opioids, Crawford said, and other medications may interact poorly with opioids. Opioids also cause constipation, which can affect the body’s systems and eventually lead to serious issues.
However, there are many alternatives to opioids. Non-opioid medications may be an option, although care must be exercised with anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, which can damage the kidneys and increase the risk of internal bleeding, among other complications, Crawford said. There are many non-pharmacologic possibilities, such as physical therapy, topical agents, acupuncture, massage, meditation and exercise. Those are also important options if patients are decreasing their opioid use slowly over time.
“Regular physical activity is very important for managing chronic pain because pain gets worse if people sit for a long time,” said geriatrician and co-principal investigator Lee Jennings, M.D., Chief of the Section of Geriatrics in the Department of Medicine, OU College of Medicine. Jennings is also director of the Oklahoma Healthy Aging Initiative (OHAI), which provides gentle exercise opportunities and falls prevention classes (including via Zoom) across Oklahoma. OHAI’s free programming will be emphasized as part of the overall program.
“It’s not easy to treat older adults with chronic pain, so this grant will allow us to help patients and their physicians to understand and have access to alternatives to opioids,” Jennings said. “It’s very important to have safe opioid prescribing practices and to make sure that patients understand the risks, but we have to think through other ways to manage pain. It’s not always possible to make someone totally pain-free, but we also don’t want to put someone at risk for a fall because they’re taking a medication that has a sedating effect. We want them to continue doing the activities that enrich their lives. We don’t want people to stop doing the things they enjoy because that can lead to social isolation and loneliness, which ultimately leads to poorer health.”
Because primary care clinics provide most of the care for older adults with chronic pain, the OU Health Sciences Center will be working with up to 50 clinics across Oklahoma. Community panels, comprised of both patients and clinicians, will provide insight into the needs specific to each area. The OU Health Sciences Center has an extensive network of relationships with rural clinics across the state to share best practices and provide hands-on assistance; this grant will enable further outreach on a topic that’s important to many Oklahomans.
“New medical guidelines, if they follow the natural course of things, can take years to become wedded into the practices of clinics,” Crawford said. “This type of program allows us to accelerate that process by working with clinics to improve the quality of life for their patients.”

Oklahomans should feel confident in receiving either of the vaccines.
Still, we know there is a lot of mis-information out there. The Mayo Clinic debunks many of the most common myths below.
Myth: The COVID-19 vaccine is not safe because it was rapidly developed and tested.
Fact: Many pharmaceutical companies invested significant resources into quickly developing a vaccine for COVID-19 because of the world-wide impact of the pandemic. The emergency situation warranted an emergency response but that does not mean that companies bypassed safety protocols or perform adequate testing.
To receive emergency use authorization, the biopharmaceutical manufacturer must have followed at least half of the study participants for at least two months after completing the vaccination series, and the vaccine must be proven safe and effective in that population. In addition to the safety review by the FDA, the Advisory Committee on Immunization has convened a panel of vaccine safety experts to independently evaluate the safety data from the clinical trials. The safety of the COVID-19 vaccine will continue to be closely monitored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA.
Myth: I already had COVID-19 and recovered, so I don’t need to get a COVID-19 vaccine when it’s available.
Fact: There is not enough information currently available to say if or for how long after infection someone is protected from getting COVID-19 again. This is called natural immunity. Early evidence suggests natural immunity from COVID-19 may not last very long, but more studies are needed to better understand this. Mayo Clinic recommends getting the COVID-19 vaccine, even if you’ve had COVID-19 previously. However, those that had COVID-19 should delay vaccination until about 90 days from diagnosis. People should not get vaccinated if in quarantine after exposure or if they have COVID-19 symptoms.
Myth: There are severe side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines.
Fact: There are short-term mild or moderate vaccine reactions that resolve without complication or injury. Keep in mind that these side effects are indicators that your immune system is responding to the vaccine and are common when receiving vaccines.
Myth: I won’t need to wear a mask after I get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Fact: It may take time for everyone who wants a COVID-19 vaccination to get one. Also, while the vaccine may prevent you from getting sick, it is unknown at this time if you can still carry and transmit the virus to others. Until more is understood about how well the vaccine works, continuing with precautions such as mask-wearing and physical distancing will be important.
Myth: More people will die as a result of a negative side effect to the COVID-19 vaccine than would actually die from the virus.
Fact: Circulating on social media is the claim that COVID-19’s mortality rate is 1%-2% and that people should not be vaccinated against a virus with a high survival rate. However, a 1% mortality rate is 10 times more lethal than the seasonal flu. In addition, the mortality rate can vary widely and is influenced by age, sex and underlying health condition.
You cannot get COVID-19 infection from the COVID-19 vaccines; they are inactivated vaccines and not live vaccines.
While no vaccine is 100% effective, they are far better than not getting a vaccine. The benefits certainly outweigh the risks in healthy people.
Myth: The COVID-19 vaccine was developed as a way to control the general population either through microchip tracking or nano transducers in our brains.
Fact: There is no vaccine “microchip” and the vaccine will not track people or gather personal information into a database. This myth started after comments made by Bill Gates from The Gates Foundation about a digital certificate of vaccine records. The technology he was referencing is not a microchip, has not been implemented in any manner and is not tied to the development, testing or distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Myth: The COVID-19 vaccine will alter my DNA.
Fact: Injecting mRNA into your body will not interact or do anything to the DNA of your cells. Human cells break down and get rid of the mRNA soon after they have finished using the instructions.
Myth: The COVID-19 vaccines were developed using fetal tissue.
Fact: Current mRNA COVID-19 vaccines were not created with and do not require the use of fetal cell cultures in the production process.
INTEGRIS Health is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.

Story and photos by Darl Devault, Feature Writer

Some outdoor activities come with social distancing, such as hiking, kayaking, bicycling, while Jeeping is an everyone activity because your effort is as simple as driving. Jeeping offers the automatic added benefit of a COVID-19 safe recreational outing enforcing social distancing.
You can travel far to Jeep off-road or as close as nearby country roads. At Outdoor Powersports Offroad Park at Crossbar Ranch near Davis, Okla., drivers have many trails to choose from within the 6,500-acre park. While touring road and trails of Crossbar’s granite canyons you realize there are many places to enjoy being outdoors away from people.
Edmond, Okla. resident, and retiree, Rob Walker, 65, wants to increase his Jeep activity. He explains you do not have to rule the off-road world. You can simply take advantage of what it offers, immersion in nature and social distancing. He insists seniors who take up the 4-wheeling off-road lifestyle will likely continue it long after vaccines make traveling safe again.
“Isolated in your vehicle, a person driving a Jeep cannot get close to anyone without intending to get close,” Walker said. “I took a five state Jeep tour in June to Moab Utah with caution, finding if you camped in the outback you had to consciously work to get within social distance of someone. This, and it being the area’s offseason, made it safe to have a wonderful outing.”
Jeep travel and exploring provides enthusiasts with plenty of opportunities for recreation. Seniors looking for a zero COVID-19 risk reality on vacation can enjoy camping and the outdoors. (Story continued below)

From the increased sale of four-wheel drive off-road vehicles, insiders say this contingent of outdoor enthusiasts has been growing fast for many years.
Although magazine and television ads often portray Jeep owners as young and affluent, many retirement privileged seniors are learning the skills needed to enjoy what many see as rugged car camping.
Jeeping, also called off-road four wheeling, is the predominant name for the activity in America. Every year new enthusiasts create more demand for the continued strong growth in the already phenomenally large number of places to go off road.
Although you will occasionally see high-end Jeeps on the trails, the usual choice for locals is stock models These have enticed many new adventurers into the sport.
They enjoy the feel of control over rough roads. Jeeps allow them the stability and ease of getting up and over rugged obstacles. Every area has trails of with varying degrees of difficulty.
These off-road activities began soon after WWII with advances in the machinery became high tech. This has revolutionized the quality and lowered the need to be outstanding drivers for the recreational Jeeper. Jeeping provides opportunities for all ages, shapes, and sizes of folks, no matter their physical ability or driving level.
Jeeps have gone from being bare bones, WWII surplus workhorses, to having versatile number of uses. Many Jeeps are now used for a weekend, week, or longer, self-supported camping trip in the rugged parts of America.
Although using the word Jeep because they are often called Jeep trails, readers need to know many vehicles are every bit as rugged. Honda Ridgeline, Chevy Blazer, Honda Element, Toyota 4Runner, Subaru Outback, and Nissan Pathfinder, just to name a few, will work just as well.
All these rugged vehicles are easy to maneuver and stable. They all provide the feeling of being in control of something that glides effortlessly through the outdoors. This gives even the newbie the confidence to slip into the seat and go off road.
With all the automobile builders offering Web sites with tours of their products, you can comparison shop. Look around, do not buy the first vehicle you try.
For seniors, the attraction of doing what they have been doing for five decades or so, driving, has prompted many to try the sport now.
Everyone knows how to drive. Seniors can create haunting memories of their adventurous experiences off road, immersed in nature and enjoying the comforts of home while camping in the evening. The vehicle allows for the effortless hauling of all the camping gear needed to make a campsite as comfortable as you care to make it. Remember, you are not backpacking. You can bring along a small generator to combine the experience of camping with a little glamor and you have Glamping with spatial distancing.
If you choose to rent a Jeep at your adventure area, you can still pack your vehicle full of camping luxury for transfer at the rental site.
If you are brand new to the world of glamorous camping, search the Internet for ideas. In a world where public transportation is being shunned for its tight quarters with other people, you are in charge of who and how you associate with others.
“I advise anyone planning to go off road and camp in an area to first go online to the many web sites detailing the area and weather predictions,” Walker said. “Our national weather service provides this info to help promote its weather awareness agenda.”
Walker says fellow seniors who go off road need to slow down, let some air out of the tires at your destination to make the going smoother and admire the scenery.
As newcomers to the activity, many seniors can easily find out if they enjoy Jeeping by renting one for a day trip.
Seniors are living longer and have time to do things. Retirement is a time to explore. Figure out if this activity interests you. Is this how you want to spend your free time?
Walker recommends that seniors set some short-term goals and be thinking about their long-term goals. The short-term can be a trip to Crossbar. The long-term is perhaps a multi-day trip to Big Bend National Park at our southern border in Texas. You can think of both simultaneously.
All the major Jeep destinations offer Web sites describing rentals and trails. Canyonlands Jeep Adventures provides a complete overview of the sport. The U.S. National Park Service has a site allowing you find a place to go car camping and can help you get permits for certain camping spots.
Ending on a safety point, when in doubt, back out! If you are traveling on a trail or trying to maneuver around something that you are not comfortable with, do not do it. For more information visit www.rideyourlifestyle.com.

Hospice nurse grateful to help COVID-19 patients

Story and photo by James Coburn, Feature Writer

Candy O’Neal’s biggest challenge in today’s nursing environment of COVID-19 has been the transition of caring for home-bound patients to those living out their final days in a nursing home, she said. She had to give up her previous patients up to another nurse to only work in one facility.
But O’Neal is used to being flexible in her career with a history in medical surgical care, emergency room care, and clinical nursing. Hospice is all about comfort and quality of life.
“Right now to me, this COVID stuff has kind of put people into a depression,” said O’Neal, RN case manager at Companion Hospice in Guthrie.
O’Neal understands the need to quarantine COVID patients to a room. But it has caused them more weight loss and cognitive changes. (Story continues below)

“It’s not getting out in the dining areas — not getting to have activities — not seeing their loved ones. Having a parent or a child come visit through a window that you can’t open is not the same. They’re lacking that though, and so that’s been pretty hard on them.”
O’Neal wouldn’t change being a nurse. She knows that she is making a difference in life the best she can. Helping families cope with their loved ones facing a terminal illness is heartfelt for O’Neal.
“This team here works well together. We all get along — all of us. And that’s hard to find,” said O’Neal, who has worked as Companion hospice nurse for nearly three years.
A friend of hers who is now a nurse practitioner had been trying to recruit O’Neal to Companion for a couple of years before she accepted an interview. At first she was hesitant to accept being a hospice nurse who answers families’ hard questions about an impending death. After three weeks she accepted her new journey in life.
“Something just told me to do it,” she said. “And so I did, and honestly this has been the best decision I’ve made. It changed my outlook on life. I feel like I’m the one that feels rewarded from this. It kind of makes me emotional. I feel like we both end up at peace if that makes sense.”
Oftentimes people ask O’Neal how she endures being a hospice nurse every day. She is helping people make a transition in life during a profound time of need in their lives.
“I’m helping them comfortably pass over. But you not only care for the patient — you care for the families a lot,” she explained. “We do a lot of close interaction with the families.”
Helping families brings a continuity of care that O’Neal cherishes. She learns so much about their lives and what brought them to their present point in life, she said.
Hospice care does not focus on waiting for a family member to pass on. It’s more of a celebration of life and what life has meant. The nurses meet their patients in whatever state of mind they are experiencing in life.
There are some patients that she has had a few years. They are re-certified for hospice as long as they continue to decline, she said.
“I get really attached to my patients. It’s hard not to,” O’Neal said. “But it’s almost like losing a family member. You get close to them when you see them two or three times a week, and then as the disease progresses you may see them every day.”
Her endurance in being a nurse stems from when she decided to become a nurse during her early twenties. She was studying to become a veterinarian when her grandparents became sick. She was told her grandfather was dying of cancer.
“I thought I already like doing it for animals. I think I want to do it for people,” she said.
O’Neal was auditing courses in nursing school when her grandfather passed away. She took a break from her nursing studies after he died and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in veterinary school. She had a baby. Her family needed her, so she shifted her career to work as a medical assistant in the office of Dr. Todd Krehbiel, who persuaded her to go back to school to earn a nursing degree. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing at Langston University.
During the holiday season, O’Neal says she is thankful for life itself and that her family and friends are all healthy during a time of uncertainty.
“Right now, it’s uncertain even though we wear masks everywhere, you still don’t know,” she said. “I’d say I’m grateful for holidays but I’m really just thankful for life because right now there’s a lot of people that are struggling.”

Story and photos by Darl Devault, Feature Writer

Seniors athletes have reached a point in their lives where they are resilient and persistent. Because of early morning fog those were certainly the watchwords for the recent Oklahoma Senior Games cycling events October 10 held at Lake Stanley Draper October.
Athletes train to peak for big events. A resilient athlete is tested when they need to train through a date they have set on their calendar to again attempt a peak performance a month later. The whole series of statewide events that make up the Oklahoma Senior Games were pushed back a full month because of concerns over COVID-19.
The 60 senior cyclists who gathered the morning of the event displayed even more persistence and resilience as they waited through a two-hour fog delay before starting their events. (Story continues below)

For athletes who got up early to eat properly to begin racing at 8 a.m., this two-hour delay made it even tougher to perform at their best.
One new-to-the-Senior-Games racer made all the right adjustments. Terri Stadler went pedal stroke to pedal stroke over the hilly terrain with the men to win the 44K road race women’s division. The Edmond resident showed she is a well-conditioned and experienced racer. She dominated her new 60-64 age range to stay in the lead pack until the final sprint with male racers from many adjoining states.
Many of the cyclists who started in a mass start travelled from out of state to qualify for the November 5-18, 2021 National Senior Games to be presented by Humana in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The 50 and over bicycle racers were hoping to place first through fourth place at this year’s games so they could qualify for those Nationals.
“Oklahoma offers many of these of riders racing today a chance to qualify for nationals because several states have cancelled their events because of the concerns of COVID 19,” said Kathleen Fitzgerald, OSG state director. “It is surprising at first, how far they will travel to qualify for nationals, until you talk to them. Then you realize these are really competitive older folks who want to stay fit year-round as cyclists.”
The 22K and 44K road races drew the most contestants at Draper, while the 5K and 10K time trial events also saw many of the same road racers participate.
For the time trials, many rode expensive specialty time trial bikes. They began their race against the clock in one-minute intervals. Starting order was from youngest to oldest starting with males and ending with females.
The events observed U.S.A Cycling rules. The races went off without any wrecks or mishaps throughout the day.
In the time trial events, riders were not allowed to draft (take pace behind another rider) closer than 25 meters ahead, or two meters to the side. If anyone had broken this rule, they would have received a time penalty.
Both road race distances and the two time trail distances offered dual opportunity for qualifying for nationals. Again, qualifying in any event at the 2020 event earned the athletes the right to compete at Nationals in 2021.
The Games this year provide 27 sports venues, some with variations, which offer athletic training opportunities and social interaction. Along with the competitions, the Games supply healthy lifestyle educational information for seniors.
In a recent article published by the Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health online, bicycling is described as providing important physical benefits. First, it is an aerobic workout, which for seniors is the heart of any health plan, pun intended. Cycling, therefore, is good for their heart, brain and blood vessels.
Cycling is easy on joints, Dr. Safran Norton says in the article. He says that unlike walking, cycling is good for anyone with joint paint or age-related stiffness.
Bicyclists use their largest muscle group, the legs, which helps them build muscle while toning other muscles needed to keep them balanced and steer the bicycle.
These benefits carry over into everyday activities while helping cyclists build bone density, says Dr. Norton.
Greater Fort Lauderdale, Florida will host the 2021 National Senior Games, the largest multi-sport championship event in the world for adults 50 and over. More than 10,000 qualified athletes, accompanied by an estimated 15,000 visitors, are expected to compete in 20 medal sports in 2021.
The National Senior Games, begun in 1987, has 54 affiliated qualifying member games in North America promoting wellness and active, healthy lifestyles for older adults.
The Oklahoma Senior Games grew to more than 1,000 50+ athletes last year. Two Native American nations joined sponsors to help to conduct the many activities needed to allow the Games to run smoothly September through October. The Chickasaw and Cherokee Nations are underwriting the Games for the first time in 2020.
The Games promote healthy lifestyles for seniors through education, fitness with the spirited competition of sports and recreational games. This goes along with inspiring everyone to embrace health while enjoying the value of sports related exercise.

When Mary Schneeberger’s 100-year-old pecan tree snapped during October’s ice storm, part of her heart broke right along with it.
“It lost a major portion of its trunk and its future is in jeopardy,” said Schneeberger, who lives in Oklahoma City’s Mesta Park neighborhood. “It’s just a beautiful tree that adds so much to the house and the property. I was devastated.”
But her boyfriend, Adam Cohen, offered up a silver lining thanks to coworkers at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. Cohen, OMRF’s senior vice president and general counsel, knew that foundation scientists Patrick Gaffney, M.D., and Michael McDaniel had decades of experience as woodworkers. (Story continues below)

“I called Pat and Mike and they hurried over to look at the tree,” said Cohen. “They each told Mary they thought they’d be able to make her keepsakes from the wood.”
Gaffney said he thought he could fashion some tables, while McDaniel would aim for a selection of salad bowls and vases. “We’re very excited, because we’ve seen their work, and they’re both incredibly talented craftsmen,” said Cohen.
But Schneeberger’s silver lining will take time. Like science, woodworking has its roots in patience.
Gaffney and McDaniel recently wrapped two years of work on nearly 30 original tables, bowls and vases from an ailing sweetgum tree. The diseased tree belonged to Gaffney’s senior lab manager, Kiely Grundahl.
“Sweetgum is a challenging, unpredictable wood to work with,” said McDaniel, whose work from the tree is on display at The Art Hall in Oklahoma City through Nov. 30. “But once I saw it had a fungus, all kinds of possibilities and options started racing through my head.”
Under the right conditions, fungal growth in wood results in a sought-after feature called “spalting.” The natural decaying process develops unique coloration, dark lines and patterns in lumber. Art, meet science.
Divided between the artisans, the wood from Grundahl’s tree was stored for a year to allow spalting to continue and for the lumber to dry. For Gaffney and McDaniel, the wood proved a boon for all the extra time spent around the house in 2020.
Like most of OMRF’s workforce, Gaffney spent the early days of the pandemic working from home. If he got stuck on a research problem, he’d head out to the small woodshop in his garage to do some thinking while sanding slabs or treating the wood from Grundahl’s sweetgum. “I think it even made me more productive with my science. It was the perfect place to think,” he said.
McDaniel also finds respite in the craft. A self-taught woodworker, he fell in love with the hobby when a storm knocked down several Kentucky coffeetrees on his property.
“Every step is rewarding and peaceful in its own way. It’s honestly not too complicated, just time-consuming and requires creativity when things don’t go as planned. Part of the fun is finding the beauty in the chaos,” McDaniel said.
Gaffney and McDaniel’s garages are now full of future projects. Oklahoma City officials estimate the recent ice storm generated 100,000 tons of debris, and the pair got plenty of calls.
OMRF’s Cohen said he knows it may be years before he and Mary see what beauty can be found in the storm’s damage, but it will be well worth the wait.
“If Pat and Mike are able to take a moment of loss and transform it into something beautiful Mary can treasure,” he said, “that will make her immensely happy.”

OKLAHOMA CITY ZOO MOURNS DEATH OF MALE INDIAN RHINO, ARUN

The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden is sad to announce the death of male Indian rhino, Arun, 30. Caretakers discovered Arun in the Zoo’s rhino barn at Sanctuary Asia on Thursday, October 29 at approximately 7:30 a.m. when they arrived to start their day. Arun came to the OKC Zoo in 2019 from the Fort Worth Zoo as part of a breeding recommendation through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros Species Survival Plan (SSP) and was paired with the Zoo’s Indian rhino Niki, 12. They are the parents of the Zoo’s week-old, female rhino calf born on Friday, October 23. (Story continues below)

Caretakers reported that Arun had exhibited some abnormal behavior in being less eager to participate in training over the last few weeks. However, he still participated in blood collection practices almost daily, and his most recent bloodwork came back normal. The Zoo’s veterinary team will conduct a necropsy (animal autopsy, including histopathology) to help determine the cause of death. The median life expectancy for Indian rhinos according to the AZA’s Species Survival Statistics is 30.2 years.
“Arun was a great rhino and ambassador for his species who had a special connection with our caretakers and guests alike,” said Rachel Emory, OKC Zoo’s curator of elephants and rhinos. “Though we are sad by his loss, we know Arun’s legacy will live on through his daughter. We look forward to watching her grow and are hopeful she too will contribute to the survival of this species through a successful breeding program.”
Weather permitting of 50 degrees or warmer, Shanti, Niki and her calf will be on view at Sanctuary Asia. Niki and baby will have outdoor access to a secluded habitat area viewable to guests riding the Elephant Express tram.
Native to India and Nepal, Indian rhinos, also known as greater one-horned rhinos, can weigh more than 3,000 pounds. These impressive animals are known for their single horn and tough skin that resembles body armor. Indian rhinos are currently listed as “vulnerable” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Through successful conservation programs, Indian rhino populations in the wild have increased to more 3,600 animals. However, there is a continuing decline in the quality of their natural habitat and the species continues to be illegally hunted for its horn.
The OKC Zoo is helping save Indian rhinos by supporting the International Rhino Foundation’s efforts to protect vulnerable and critically endangered rhinos and their habitat in India with money from the Round Up for Conservation Fund. The Zoo’s Round Up for Conservation program encourages guests to donate their change from any Zoo purchase to help protect wildlife and wild places around the world. Members of the Zoo’s American Association of Zookeepers chapter have also raised more than $373,000 for rhinos in Asia and Africa through its fundraising efforts since 1990.
Zoo fans are invited to post favorite photos and memories of Arun on social media at Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
The Oklahoma City Zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Advance tickets are required for all guests and ZOOfriends members and can be purchased at www.okczoo.org/tickets. Zoo tickets are limited each day to ensure safe social distancing among guests. Located at the crossroads of I-44 and I-35, the OKC Zoo is a proud member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the American Alliance of Museums, Oklahoma City’s Adventure District and an Adventure Road partner. Regular admission is $12 for adults and $9 for children ages 3-11 and seniors ages 65 and over. Children two and under are admitted free. Stay up-to-date with the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and by visiting Our Stories. Zoo fans can support the OKC Zoo by becoming a member. Memberships can be purchased at ZOOfriends.org or any place admission is sold in the Zoo’s Entry Plaza during regular business hours. To learn more about this event and Zoo other happenings, call (405) 424-3344 or visit okczoo.org.