Growing up, what did you want to be? Salvation Army Senior Center – Warr Acres

I wanted to always work in an office. I always liked typing. Norma Bellamy

I leaned more towards office work because in high school I took shorthand, typing and bookkeeping. Alie Faye Johnson

When I was little I wanted to be a beauty operator. I did all my cousins’ hair. Cheryl Wilson

I think I wanted to be a nurse and I was, working in oncology and chemotherapy. Lynn McKinnon

by Mike Lee, Staff Writer

What started as an idea to benefit a handful of seniors has blossomed into an annual event impacting the lives of hundreds in our community.
The Salvation Army 4th Annual Senior Living Fair will be held on Thursday, April 30 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Salvation Army Chesapeake Energy Center of Hope, 1001 N. Pennsylvania, Oklahoma City.
The Senior Living Fair, presented by Well Preserved Advisory Group and Senior News & Living, strives to spread hope by providing resources that empower older Americans to be more positive, active and physically fit.
“We’re excited to be able to showcase so many organizations in one place that can be a resource to senior citizens,” said Lisa Sydnor, senior programs manager at The Salvation Army Central Oklahoma. “We have nearly 60 exhibitors for this year’s fair who can enhance and empower our seniors to live fuller lives.”
Sydnor had the idea of inviting local service providers to come and show her seniors what they could offer them.
“I thought I could bring eight people in,” Sydnor said.
The idea was a hit from the very beginning with 12 exhibitors showing up that first year. The event has grown to be worthy of the the 18,000-seat Chesapeake Energy Arena.
The Senior Living Fair is free to the public, thanks to sponsors like Brookdale Senior Living, and includes exhibits for health and wellness, housing, Medicare information, insurance, aging-in-place, and fun ways to stay active.
Exhibitors for this year include the Oklahoma State Attorney General, Legal Aid of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Police Department, Oklahoma City Fire Department, Valir, Sunbeam Family Services, RSVP of Central Oklahoma, AARP, Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, Seniors on the Move and many more.
“We are doing this with no budget,” Sydnor noted. “Quite frankly I think it’s so popular because it’s a God thing. This was never supposed to be more than six people talking to seniors at one location. Now we have 60 vendors and expect more than 300 people.”
The event has continued to grow because seniors are finding value in it.
With everything from Zumba, to Tai Chi to line dancing almost everyone can find something to entertain them.
“I think because they know they’re going to have fun and we have staff floating through and inviting people to come to our centers,” Sydnor said, noting lunch is provided.
The Salvation Army Central Oklahoma operates five senior centers throughout the Oklahoma City metro. The centers are open every weekday to seniors ages 55 and older. Seniors have the opportunity to socialize, enjoy lunch and participate in numerous activities that include Bible study, exercise classes, crafts, dancing and much more.
“Our goal is for anyone who comes to the center to feel like they’re in their own home, relaxed and have good friends and company,” Sydnor said.

The INTEGRIS James L. Hall, Jr. Center for Mind, Body and Spirit and the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum are hosting a private reception and presentation in remembrance of the 20th Anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing.
With the recent expansion of the Memorial, guests will enjoy private tours, wine, hors d’oeuvres and music followed by a presentation from the Center’s Murali Krishna, M.D.  Krishna, president and chief operating officer of INTEGRIS Mental Health and president and co-founder of the James L. Hall, Jr. Center for Mind, Body and Spirit, was on the front lines that day and days that followed. “I have seen it with my own eyes,” recalls Krishna. “Oklahomans are the kindest people on earth. I have seen acts of kindness, acts of compassion – nowhere could top it. I have seen Oklahoma City rise to vibrancy following the acts of terror on April 19, 1995.”
In honor and service of the Oklahoma Standard, Krishna will share his insights and recognize our city for the resilience and growth it has demonstrated during the last 20 years.
The event will take place Thursday, April 23 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, 620 N. Harvey in Oklahoma City.
Ticket cost is $50.00 per person, $500.00 per sponsorship. Victims, family members, survivors and rescue workers are invited to Krishna’s presentation free of charge. Reservations are required. For more information, please contact the INTEGRIS James L. Hall Jr. Center for Mind, Body and Spirit at 405-713-9950.

by Mike Lee
Staff Writer

Billie Upshaw, RN, has spent the bulk of her career serving residents in long-term care facilities in Kansas. She traveled from border to border to different facilities each week and then did it all again on Monday morning.
Even though former employers may have operated in a different way, Upshaw has always prescribed to the philosophy that every patient is unique.
That’s why she’s so excited about her new role as wellness director with the soon-to-be opened Heritage Point OKC in northwest Oklahoma City.
“It’s not cookie cutter. You meet where that resident is,” she said. “I read a quote somewhere that said that if you’ve met one person with dementia you’ve met one person with dementia. You can’t say ‘this is the way they are, this is what we do.’ There’s not a perfect answer unless you make it that way for them.”
Upshaw is excited about getting in on the ground floor at Heritage Pointe – which is designed after a similar facility in Overland Park, Kansas and will be a sister to a similar residence to open next year in Tulsa.
When owner Kip Pammenter talks about the residents at his Heritage of Overland Park memory care residence he uses their first names.
The president of a company that specializes in Alzheimer’s and memory care knows that’s the only way you can truly make a difference in someone’s life. Getting to know each and every client and meeting them where they are is the hallmark of Pammenter’s successful approach to person-centered care.
Upshaw likes working for someone with that philosophy. She also believes in tailoring care to the individual.
It’s a unique concept in today’s take-it-or-leave it memory care market.
“Each family comes in with their our circumstance and their own issues and that’s their focus,” Pammenter said. “The relationship blossoms and they tie into other families. There’s a lot of empathy. Families are going through the same issue and families lend support to each other.
“They help each other and they help us.”
David Thompson serves as Pammenter’s vice president of operations.
“Really what we’re trying to do – big picture – is the person-centered care approach,” Thompson said. “We want to know what their routines are, what their interests are and how do we give them meaning and purpose and relationships and enjoyment each day in a lifestyle.”
Dealing with the effects of Alzheimer’s disease and trying to understand available care options can be extremely challenging for families.That’s why Pammenter designed Heritage Point to work with families to envision a better way to live with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia related impairments.
Pammenter wants to truly reinvent Alzheimer’s care and what life should be like for seniors with cognitive challenges. The focus is on each individual resident; knowing who they are and what they love to do…and then finding activities that have meaning and purpose.
Heritage Point will offer a smaller, home environment that promotes dignity, respect and love. A dedicated team of experienced and caring staff understands the importance of developing close personal relationships with residents and becomes an extended part of your family.
Professionally trained care staff, along with the expert guidance of the medical director, offer an unmatched array of services and life activities to create a home that supports each individual person.
“People trust you to take care of their loved ones and sometimes it’s easier for you to take care of them because you’re taking them where they’re at,” Upshaw said. “We want to remember those things that are good and positive in their life but dementia is a robbing disease. It takes away the person and the things that have always been important to them but sometimes you can circle around and get back to that and those are the moments you live for.
“It’s a horrible disease. I hope we can cure it. I would be glad to be put out of a job. I’ll go find something else to do.”

Story and photo by Jason Chandler, Staff Writer

Jonette Dunlap continues to feel an altruistic calling as a retired school teacher.
Her life had been dedicated to children and she wanted to see more of them prosper and experience the beauty of life. Six years ago, she discovered being an advocate for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), would provide a stepping stone for many more children that she has mentored and acted in their best interests.
The goal of a CASA is to advocate for children and teenagers during a child custody court proceeding due to their legal guardians’ alleged abuse and neglect. Dunlap hopes that more retired school teachers will consider volunteering as a CASA.
“I have a passion for this,” Dunlap said. “It’s being able to take what I did as a teacher involved in the child’s life, but only so far, and go with them further, and be able to be an active advocate for their situations.”
A judge is looking for a neutral third-party opinion to cover bureaucratic concerns. They want someone to give an objective point of view to what would best serve the children, said Alex Corbett, CASA volunteer recruiter and training facilitator.
DHS is mandated by statute to attempt the reunification of the child and legal guardian if there is a glimmer of hope. CASA is not bound by that law when advocating.
There are currently 174 active CASA volunteers in Oklahoma County, he said. During the course of a year, there are typically 240-250 active volunteers on one or more cases, he added.
Corbett refers to Dunlap being a rare breed — a super CASA. Dunlap accepts the maximum work-load of five cases.
“By putting a cap on the number of cases a CASA volunteer can serve on — the wisdom being that the CASA volunteer comes to know the children, families and the core situation much better than the DHS worker has the time to do,” Corbett said. “The DHS workers want to, but they don’t have the time to dig as deeply in the case as what a CASA volunteer can do.”
Dunlap cautioned that there are not enough CASA volunteers to serve the growing needs of children in Oklahoma County. The ideal situation would be to have a CASA on every case, for every child that enters the custody of the Oklahoma County DHS system.
“That way we could make sure that all areas are being covered,” Dunlap continued. “And as Alex was mentioning, the DHS workers are very good, but they only have a certain amount of time. So we step in and fill some of those gaps. We can make more visits. We do have more time to go to the schools.”
As a teacher, she would make home visits and see families living the way most people would not consider as normal. She could not do anything about it, Dunlap said. But as a CASA, she is empowered to advocate for at-risk and deprived children in the custody of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.
“We follow them along through that time in custody,” Dunlap said. “With my particular background, I always look at that education.”
Many children are far behind literacy standards when entering the DHS system. These children become even further behind in their education when being placed in different areas of custody or for therapies in different patient facilities, she said.
Providing opportunities to change a child’s life is also uplifting for Dunlap.
“Being there to see their eyes light up. That’s the main thing,” Dunlap said. “Seeing them have hope and being able to make a difference in their case; my reward is when I’m able to change something that was not getting taken care of in the way it should have been.”
She recalls a case when a boy was supposedly home-schooled. But it was found that at the age of 8, when he entered DHS custody, he had been without any schooling. The boy knew nothing about math or spelling.
“As an 8-year-old he had to start in the first grade,” Dunlap said. “He started behind. He is still behind but making some strides to catch-up,” Dunlap said. “That is a success story because I’ve spent time with him, taking him to the library and tutoring him in reading.”
Education is sparking the boy’s curiosity to learn and engage in life, when before, he was very quiet because he could not read at all.
“He now is very proud to be able to read some little beginning books,” Dunlap said.
Reading is so important to one’s life because illiteracy impacts a growing prison population in Oklahoma.
“If you are interested in children, and you like making a difference, CASA is a great place to do it,” Dunlap said. “You pretty much have control of your time and the only things that are fixed in stone are the court dates. So you’re expected to be there with your child and have a report written for the court.”
The volunteer is supported by an advocate supervisor who accompanies the CASA in all court proceedings, Corbett said.

by Mike Lee, Staff Writer

Head down to Bricktown on any given night and you’ll see families riding on a water taxi along the Riverwalk.
You’ll probably see people coming and going from any number of restaurants that have moved into the revitalized area within the past 15 years.
Head a little farther north along West Reno and you’ll hear the chants from more than 18,000 screaming fans inside the Chesapeake Energy Arena pulling for the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder.
It wasn’t always this way and it wasn’t always this good for Oklahoma’s capital.
Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett wants people to never forget that. That’s the reason behind Cornett’s nearly four-year labor of love Oklahoma City: The Boom, the Bust and the Bomb which opened at Harkins Theater on April 10 with four showings daily.
“When I was elected mayor over 10 years now I knew about and was proud of Oklahoma City’s history but I think I also assumed every city had a history that wasn’t all that unique from Oklahoma City,” Cornett said. “As I spoke more and  more about Oklahoma City’s life experience of the 70s, 80s and early 90s I realized over time our city’s history was unique.”
“The highs of the the 70s and the lows of the 80s added on with the emotional burden of the Oklahoma City bombing those are significant elements on a city’s timeline and we saw them all in a relatively short period of time.”
Cornett holds that the good times the city is experiencing right now are a direct result of the trying times.
“I want them to understand how we got to where we are today,” Cornett says.
Cornett parallels his movie with the story telling style of the late Paul Harvey, who was born in Tulsa in 1918 and made a career telling people “the rest of the story.”
“He would tell you some things that went on before that that had a significant relevance that you probably never knew about. That was the rest of the story,” Cornett says. “That’s kind of what this movie is. You look at Oklahoma City today and see the city we have … well, this is the rest of the story. This is the story of the city that didn’t have any of these things and what it went through and how it never gave up.”
Cornett’s full-length feature film tells the story of Oklahoma City’s rise and fall from 1970 to 1995.
In Cornett’s eyes, no other city has a story like this. From being formed in a single day, to playing for the NBA Championship, Oklahoma City has ridden the triumph-to-heartbreak roller coaster for a good part of its historic life.
Oklahoma City:The Boom, the Bust and the Bomb, examines the most critical time in our city’s history. It centers on a pivotal 25-year period.
From the oil boom of the 1970’s to the failure of Penn Square Bank in 1982 to the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in 1995, this inspiring film sheds light on the darkest days of Oklahoma City – and the people who refused to give up.
“Just like people are shaped by their life experiences, cities are as well. And the city we have today is a direct result of some incredibly tumultuous times,” Cornett says. “I want the next generation and those who have moved to the city since 1995 to understand the events that have shaped Oklahoma City in the 21st century.”
Cornett says he interviewed 20-25 people in piecing the story together. “It’s an amazing story and I think people will leave the theater inspired.”
Cornett interviewed people from all walks of life
“I saw the emotions of the camera crew, young people that didn’t know anything about these things and I saw their reaction and I thought this was just as powerful of a story as a I hope it would be,” Cornett said. “I don’t think the next generation has any idea what we went through.”
Cornett said he’s received “incredible feedback” from people his age and older.
Running a city and working, Cornett spent the better part of three years working on the movie. It took him a single year just to write the script.
To rent the movie instantly on any device or purchase the DVD, go to www.okcmovie.com.
“I think it’s a better story than people realize and there’s an emotional aspect to it as well,” Cornett said. “I think people are really going to enjoy it.”
When it seemed like things couldn’t get worse – things got worse. This is the inspiring story of Oklahoma City.
And if things go well Hollywood could be calling. Cornett already has his eye on recutting the film for a major motion picture audience.