OMRF scientist Rizwan Qaisar has been awarded an Irene Diamond Fund/AFAR Postdoctoral Transition Award in Aging.
The award, presented by the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) with support from the Irene Diamond Fund, will provide $120,000 in flexible transitional funding to Qaisar, who is researching age-related muscle loss called sarcopenia at OMRF. Postdocs are individuals conducting research after finishing their doctoral studies and are pursuing further training and a well-defined career path.
AFAR is a leading nonprofit dedicated to advancing healthy aging through biomedical research. The goal of this program, according to AFAR, is to provide portable and flexible transitional funding for senior postdoctoral fellows as they develop and negotiate for faculty positions and research programs. The award provides full-time research training and grant support. Founded in 1981, AFAR has awarded more than $175 million in grants to investigators and students across the U.S., Ireland, Israel, Italy and the United Kingdom.
“By giving these postdoctoral fellows this extra boost at a critical moment in their career path, AFAR is helping create a research pipeline that is essential to advancing better therapies for age-related diseases and discoveries that will help us all live healthier and longer,” said Jeremy Walston, M.D., Chair of the 2017 Selection Committee for the Irene Diamond Fund/AFAR Postdoctoral Transition Awards in Aging.
At OMRF, Qaisar works in the Aging and Metabolism Research Program with under the guidance of Program Chair Holly Van Remmen, Ph.D. looking specifically at the role of oxidative stress, or free radicals, in the long-term deterioration of muscle. Qaisar researches potential interventions for the disease pathways for sarcopenia, specifically the activation of the SERCA ATPase.
Qaisar earned his Ph.D. at the University of Uppsala, Sweden. His academic focus was looking at the mechanisms of muscle aging, and evaluating potential therapies to counter age-related weakness and muscle loss.
“I am extremely grateful and honored to receive this award,” said Qaisar. “This funding will provide me with a real opportunity to push my research forward and make a difference for our aging population.”

Dear Savvy Senior,

Are there any special Medicare programs that help seniors with their medication costs? My 74-year-old mother, who lives primarily on her Social Security, takes several high-priced drugs that sap her income even with her Medicare drug plan.  Looking for Assistance

Dear Looking,
Yes, there’s a low-income subsidy program called Extra Help that can assist seniors on a tight budget with paying for their premiums, deductible and co-payments in their Medicare (Part D) prescription drug plan.
Currently around 10 million people are receiving this subsidy, but another two million may qualify for it and don’t even realize it. They’re missing out on hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars in savings each year.
Changes in the law make it easier than ever to qualify for the Extra Help program. Even if your mom applied and didn’t qualify before, she may be eligible now. The amount of additional assistance she would receive depends on her income and assets. If she qualifies for help, she’ll pay no more than $3.35 for a generic drug and $8.35 for a brand-name drug in 2018.
To get the subsidy, your mom’s assets can’t be more than $14,100 (or $28,150 for married couples living together). Bank accounts, stocks and bonds count as assets, but her home, vehicle, personal belongings, life insurance and burial plots do not.
Also, your mom’s monthly income can’t be more than $1,538 (or $2,078 for married couples). If your mom supports a family member who lives with her, or lives in Alaska or Hawaii, her income can be higher.
In addition, the government won’t count any money if your mom receives help for household expenses like food, rent, mortgage payments, utilities and property taxes.
How To Apply
There are three ways to apply for Extra Help: online at SSA.gov/prescriptionhelp; by calling Social Security at 800-772-1213; or by visiting her local Social Security office.
The application form is easy to complete, but you’ll need your mom’s Social Security number and information about her bank balances, pensions and investments. Social Security will review her application and send her a letter within a few weeks letting you know whether she qualifies.
If your mom doesn’t qualify for Extra Help, she may still be able to get help from a state pharmacy assistance program or a patient assistance program. Visit BenefitsCheckUp.org and click on “Medications” to search for these programs.
Other Medicare Assistance
If your mom is eligible for Extra Help, she may also qualify for help with her other Medicare expenses through her state’s Medicare Savings Program.
State Medicaid programs partner with the federal government, so income and asset qualifications vary depending on where she lives. Medicare Savings Programs will pay her entire Medicare Part B premium each month. Some also pay for Part B coinsurance and copayments, depending on her income. Contact your mom’s state Medicaid office to determine if she qualifies for benefits in her state.
You can also get help through her State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), which provides free one-on-one Medicare counseling in person or over the phone. To locate a SHIP counselor in your area, visit ShiptaCenter.org or call the eldercare locator at 800-677-1116.

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.

I ran a red light without realizing it, and oh, what consequences I’ve suffered.
Everyone knows it’s dangerous to look at the sun. I didn’t know the dimness of my room in the nursing home where I live would turn me into a bat, ill equipped to handle bright sunshine. Light, long my friend, has become my enemy.
I fell in love with light as a child, relishing the long summer days where the sun shone late into the night. I lived in Maine, where the sun rises earlier than anywhere else in the United States, and I took advantage of the release from winter’s doldrums.
That changed when I moved into a nursing home, with only my window to mark the passing hours. I rarely go outside, but one day I decided to record a radio interview in the backyard. My aides set me up under a spacious tree at midsummer.
As soon as I rolled into the bright sunshine, I went blind. Unlike when I was younger, the lens of my eyes failed to adapt to the additional light. As long as I was outside, a white haze replaced the words and pictures on my computer screen.
I started having problems when I was indoors as well. The doctor said it was a consequence of growing older. The more I thought about it, I decided it also came from the eyestrain of constantly looking at a computer.
I earned my vision problems with every passing year. How many days have I passed with the white-faced monster as my constant companion? The dark confines of my room have only made it worse. If I heard reports about potential eye strain, I ignored them, a self-made victim of the “it won’t happen to me” syndrome.
I didn’t just ignore those reports, I also misread God’s traffic signs. Instead of paying attention when flashing lights warned me to “slow down,” I continued full speed ahead. When the color turned red, I stopped writing—but remained on the computer to read or chat with friends.
My computer consumption turned into an obsession with unexpected consequences.
A series of disasters kept slowing me down. Computer files disappeared. A false heart attack alarm sent me to the hospital for three days. My computer crashed, and then I struggled with the learning curve on the new machine.
In response, I worked harder. My computer remained on all hours of the day or night, because I saw no alternative between a full stop and work. I knew God didn’t want me to quit writing. Somehow my present weakness would showcase God’s strength.
After much mourning, meditation, and messing around, I realized the simplicity of the solution. Just pay attention to God’s stoplights.
Perhaps because I’d spent a dozen years mostly writing with a red light, I cherish the green lights. And lately, God has blessed me. I’ve committed to paid writing opportunities over the next year, as well as my monthly column.
God showed me that didn’t mean I should write without ceasing. I tend to say “yes” when asked to write something, even for free. Instead I should pause to consider the warning signs and proceed with caution. Sometimes I should refuse altogether.
I’ve also learned to limit time spent on my computer. I set a timer for an hour and focus on writing. When the alarm goes off, I close the computer for fifteen minutes. There’s plenty of writing, pre-writing, planning, and researching I can do without my computer. Sometimes I even write longhand as I did at first, while riding a bus to work.
Red lights are the hardest for me to put into practice. When my brain turns to mush, I no longer fight my need to rest. My goal is to stay off the computer all day Sunday. The Lord’s my work and my rest that day.
The funny thing is, when I pay attention to God’s traffic lights, I get more done than ever.
Green, Yellow, Red

Walk-a-thon for the needy,
God always says go
But He may signal
a change to slow
For protection, He
pulls full stop

Refresh and renew
at God’s rest stop
Pursue His leading
when He says go
Searching, seeking,
switch to slow

What wonders are missed
in the rush past slow
Labor in the fields
until the Boss says stop
Protected and fed,
then alarm sounds go
Go in love, slow to anger,
until the day we stop

Falls are major cause of death from injury to older citizens. May is Better Hearing and Speech month so why is our Central Oklahoma Chapter of Hearing Loss Association of America concerned about Oklahoman’s health? Most people don’t realize it but the inner ear is the major control center for balance and hearing loss often occurs in the inner ear. COCHLAA encourages you to see an audiologist for a hearing exam. If you are experiencing symptoms such as: people don’t talk loud enough, people tell you that you play the TV too loud, you miss children’s laughs, you don’t hear the door bell or phone ring, they all signal the possibility of hearing loss. Contact COCHLAA at 405/717-9820, someone will be happy to answer your questions. Visit the Hearing Helper’s Room at 5100 N Brookline, Suite 100, here in Oklahoma City for a no obligation consultation.
One sad reality of a fall is that if you have fallen your chances of another fall are greatly increased. A fall can reduce a person’s ability to be self-sufficient, it can reduce the ability to earn an income, and can cause physical and financial hardships. Once again the old adage is good advice; an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Here are some steps to help prevent falls:
Get your hearing checked. Good hearing helps you notice sounds that can warn of danger.
Keep your vision sharp. Have your eyes checked yearly to make sure your prescription is correct.
Exercise regularly. This can help improve strength and balance.
Know your meds. People who take four or more medications may be at risk of falling. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about potential side effects.
Identify (and address) home fall hazards. About half of all falls happen at home. Poor lighting, clutter, slippery bathroom environments, and more pose potential hazards.
Make stairs and thresholds safer. Use contrasting colors at steps or thresholds—for example, on dark wooden floors, paint the edge of the steps a lighter color.
Keep emergency numbers in large print close by. Consider bringing a phone with you into the bathroom or wearing an emergency alert wristband or neck pendant should a fall occur.
Visit our website for more information. www.OKCHearingLoss.org

by Vickie Jenkins, Staff Writer

Rosemary Helderle is a Licensed Practical Nurse at AllianceHealth Deaconess Hospital. With a bright smile and personality to match, I knew the Rehabilitation Unit was the perfect place to find Rosemary working; caring for others. It takes a special kind of person to work with the patients and Rosemary shows a real concern as she assists a patient back to their room.
The purpose of Rehabilitation is to restore some or all of the patient’s physical, sensory and mental capabilities that were lost due to injury, illness or disease.
Rosemary spent some of her earlier years in Pennsylvania, where she spent a lot of her time teaching and mentoring to multiple nurses. “I love to teach others,” she said. “I still teach and mentor some of the nurses. I think I will always have a little bit of that ‘teacher’ in me,” she says with a smile. Rosemary has spent 44 of those years doing what she loves to do; taking care of others as a nurse. “It’s the job I love to do,” she says. “I can’t see doing anything else.”
I asked Rosemary why she became a nurse and if anyone had any influence on her decision. “Oh, ever since I can remember, I wanted to help people. I must have been 18 or 19 years old when I knew I wanted to be a nurse. I set my goal and made it. I decided to become a nurse on my own and knew I would carry through with it,” she commented.
“What advice would you give to someone if they wanted to go into the medical field?” I asked Rosemary. With a definite, positive answer, she replied, “I would tell them to set their goal high and go for it. A nurse has to be caring, understanding, patient, be a listening ear, and be helpful to anyone that needs help. It’s the little things that count and they all add up to being a nurse,” she replied. I have a feeling that she had just described herself because the qualities that she listed for a good nurse were shining through.
“What is the favorite thing about your job here at AllianceHealth Deaconess?” I ask Rosemary. “I have to say I like, no, I love taking care of the patients. Here in Rehab, we take care of all different ages, young and old alike. The staff that I work with is great. We all work together as a team and that makes a big difference. I have to give a shout out to our manager, Lori Stewart, RN, BSN. She is wonderful. We all want the best for our patients. We will all go the extra mile for someone and we always get the job done. We work together and we do our best.”
Asking Rosemary what her greatest reward about her job was, she replied, “I would have to say when our patients comes back after they have recovered, and tell the nurses, ‘thank you’ for helping them get better. That is a true blessing. It’s not like we have to hear it or anything but it makes us all feel so good if we get praised for doing what we love to do. It gives the nurse and patient a special bonding and it is really nice when we can communicate and understand each other.”
A typical day at the hospital varies day-to-day for Rosemary. “Sometimes, our days are so hectic; we can’t seem to catch our breath. Other days, we seem to be moving in slow motion,” she says with a laugh. “That is when we don’t have that many patients,” she adds. “Also, I am one of the few nurses here, maybe the only one that continues to wear my nurse hat. You know, the little white hat?” she asks me. “Oh, I don’t have it on today so you won’t get a picture of me wearing my hat,” she adds with a laugh.
When Rosemary is not working, she likes spending time with her husband.
Her hobbies include arts and crafts, working out at the Y and gardening. “They are all very relaxing to me,” she says. “I don’t like to miss out on any of them.”
A big thank-you to nurses everywhere for giving your time and tender loving care to patients. What would we ever do without you? THANK-YOU!

by Bryan Painter

CARNEGIE – If it’s possible for a person and a place to share a path through their lives, that person is Jeannie Hileman and that place is the Carnegie Gin.
The Carnegie Gin, managed by Hileman, has produced and persisted through literally the best of times and the worst. The Carnegie Gin was established in 1925. This most recent crop, 2017, ranked as the 11th best in state history in terms of production. That means the Carnegie Gin, although it has taken on different looks through the years, has been around for eight of the top 11 best cotton crops in Oklahoma dating to records of 1894, and also eight of the 11 worst cotton crops in that time span. Right now, Hileman is experiencing some of the best times in recent cotton history.
Not only was last year the 11th best in state history, this next crop of Oklahoma Upland Cotton will be planted on 16 percent more acres than in 2017, according to a United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service prospective planting forecast.
However Hileman, who started working at the gin in 1990, has seen several of the worst years: seven of the worst 11 to be specific. Consistently optimistic, she notes that during the drought that began in Oklahoma in about October 2010, “We really did not have the problems most did. We had underground irrigation wells to pull us through those bad years. We were the largest gin in the state for three years.”
Regardless of the circumstances, good or bad, Hileman greets each day with the same pleasant, unforced grin.
“During the really lean years, I was the only employee,” Hileman said. “I would have to recruit a new gin crew every year. During the years 1997-2000 we never ginned 1,000 bales in a year. In 1998 we only ginned 204 bales. It was really hard keeping the doors open, trying to make payroll until we would get our first seed check. There was a time when I had six payroll checks that couldn’t be cashed until the revenue started coming in. I enjoyed my work and my farmers and wanted to see it through.”
Strong friendships
Jeannie met Randall Hileman during her junior year in high school, at a local drive-in called Ski Boy, where she worked in Fort Cobb. They were a match from the start she said and were married on Dec. 11, 1971. At the time, he was farming as part of his family’s operation. They continued to expand the farm. The Hilemans raised cattle and at one time had hogs. They also grew wheat, peanuts, cotton and milo. More importantly they also raised a son Aaron and a daughter Sadie.
Fast-forward to 2008.
“We were decorating for Sadie’s junior prom when Randall decided there was something seriously wrong with him,” Jeannie Hileman said. “In June of 2008 we were told he wouldn’t see Sadie graduate unless he got a lung transplant. Talk about heartbreaking, stressful, emotional rollercoaster. Barnes-Jewish Hospital was where he needed to be.”
St. Louis was quite a distance from western Caddo County in Oklahoma. Plus, Randall would have to live within two hours of the hospital. There was a list of qualifications he had to meet before being placed on the transplant list. He checked everything off on his list. His health got better, but his lungs had gotten worse. They were ready to place him on the transplant list.
He would need a caretaker to move to St. Louis with him. Jeannie couldn’t leave her job because Randall’s insurance was through the gin. Aaron had a 4-year old and one on the way. Sadie had graduated, so Sadie and Randall moved to Missouri in July.
While the gin and Hileman have traveled a winding business path together, they’ve also meant more to each other than that.
When Randall became ill, the community had a fundraiser to help with living expenses. Monsanto donated chemical that Jeannie’s producers purchased at an inflated price. Helena Chemical Co. purchased plane tickets for her to visit her husband and daughter.
“Many of my cotton producers helped us so much, financially and emotionally,” Hileman said. “I have helped with many charitable benefits, but this was the hardest. It is much easier to help someone, than to have to accept the help. Most people will be on the transplant list for over a year before a match becomes available. We really did not know what God had planned for us, but we just had to put it in his hands. I had moved them in and helped them get settled, came home to start the wait. I was home less than a week when he got the call, ‘We have lungs for you.’” Aaron, his son Hayden, and Jeannie headed that way, and Randall was already in surgery when they arrived.
“Everything went great, and the rest is history, eight years and two grandsons later,” she said.
Christmas money
In 1990 Hileman was handling the bookkeeping for her husband and his brother when the board of the Carnegie Gin asked if she wanted to hire on to do some seasonal work with farm records. It was an opportunity for “Christmas money.”
She liked it and decided to stay. Others moved on, and Hileman became office manager and by 1995-96 was the gin manager. Consider that 1995 is tied for the third worst cotton year in Oklahoma in production. Things didn’t get a lot prettier: 1996 is the sixth worst, 1998 is the seventh and 1999 ranks eighth.
She was trying to hold on until genetics and more advanced protection against pest and weed threats arrived. “We were going to get rid of boll weevils, bollworms and weeds, but we just didn’t believe we were going to be able to hold onto our cotton gin long enough for all of those things to happen,” Hileman said in an interview with Southwest Farm Press.
They did hold on. How?
“Pride, determination and of course stubbornness,” she said.
Part of that holding on also included Farmers Co-op Gin selling to Farmers Co-op Mill and Elevator in 2002, she said. Hileman continued on as gin manager.
When you travel a path with someone or in this case something, you look out for them. Hileman was determined to take care of the gin.
“Anytime that you lose your infrastructure, you lose a piece of something you can’t get back,” she said. Hileman said the closest gin is roughly a few dozen miles away.
“It would have been hard for my producers to have transitioned to cotton if we didn’t have a gin,” she said. Times got better. The Carnegie Gin has had some record breaking crops in recent years.
Just months ago Carnegie Gin’s new plant opened. However, even the best of times can be challenging.
“This past year has been rough on everyone,” she said. “We started harvest 2016 in the middle of October, and we weren’t finished when the board, general manager and I flew out to North Carolina to look at the gin we purchased for here in Oklahoma. It has been non-stop ever since. We are now running both gins 24/7. I am really excited to have the opportunity to upgrade to such a modern plant.”
At this point, the path Hileman is traveling with the Carnegie Gin appears headed for success.
“I think this new cotton gin is a sign that cotton is here to stay,” she said.

by Vickie Jenkins, staff writer

One of the residents at Heritage Assisted Living has been getting a little extra attention lately. Not only is he an all-around-good-guy but he has reached a milestone in his life. He is 100 years young! His name is Jack Bryant, a Navy Veteran who served his country in WWII.
Born in Oklahoma City, OK, Bryant likes to share his stories about his life. When Bryant was six years old, his mother had some medical issues and at the time, it was best for Bryant to move in with his grandmother. “I loved my grandmother very much and she took care of me. Her house was 3 blocks from the grade school and 4 blocks from junior high so I was within walking distance so it worked out great for me.”
“When I was six, I didn’t mind the walking to school, even though the 3 blocks seemed much longer back then,” Bryant said. “They didn’t have anything like a bus,” he added. “It didn’t matter what the weather was like. Even if it snowed, all of the kids in the neighborhood walked to school.”
“I was around 8 years old when I became a working boy! I delivered The Daily Oklahoman newspaper!” he said in a stern voice. “Now, back then, the only form of news was the newspaper. The paper ruled everything! If someone wanted to buy a house or buy a car, they would look at the newspaper. That’s just the way it was.”
“I enjoyed living with my grandmother. She was set in her ways but she allowed me to ‘be myself.’ She showed me how to treat others, teaching me respect. She allowed me to make my own decisions, teaching me responsibility. She taught me that my opinion mattered, teaching me how to stand up for myself. I’ll have to say, living with my grandmother was the best thing that could have happened to me. She taught me about life.”
At age 14, Bryant moved back in with his parents. His folks moved several times over the years and he graduated from Classen high school in Oklahoma City, OK.
The next thing I knew, Bryant started talking about cars. “My first car was a Ford Model A. I’ll never forget that ole thing. I was driving all over the place at the age of 15! Age didn’t matter back then,” Bryant paused for a moment, setting up tall and straight with pride in his voice and said, “You know, I drove for 85 years and never got a ticket.”
Going down memory lane, Bryant began talking about how he met his wife, Ella. “I was in the Navy, stationed at Daytona Beach, Florida. The USO was in town and they were having a dance that night. A friend and I were coming back to our barracks when we heard music in the distance; coming from the big building across the street. My friend mentioned that he was going to go check it out and he wanted me to come along. I didn’t really want to and we argued a few minutes and then, I figured I would. So, here we go, off to the dance! As we got closer to the building, the music was louder and louder…and then, I stood in the doorway. When I entered the room, there were men on one side of the room and women on the other. We were to choose who we wanted to dance with. I saw a pretty, young woman glancin’ my way and I walked over and asked her to dance. That’s how it all started,…she was the girl of my dreams and it wasn’t long after, we got married. I can remember the details of that dance like it was yesterday,” he said. “The rest is history. We were married for 71 wonderful years.”
Bryant was in the Navy for 3 years. After getting out of the military, Bryant worked for B.C. Clark Jewelers here in Oklahoma City. “Ella and I lived in the Village area, raising 3 boys there. Those were some of the best times of my life,” Bryant said.
Bryant is a kind, individual, storyteller that lived a good life and continues on. Serving his country in the U.S, Navy, Veteran of WWII, married to Ella for 71 years and enjoys spending time with his sons and their families as often as he can.
Bryant has made many friends along the way and will continue to do so.
A heartfelt thank you to Jack Bryant and all of the Veterans that served their country! You made a difference in our lives. Thank you!

Last November, INTEGRIS held a ground-breaking event to ceremonially kick-off construction of four different metro area INTEGRIS micro-hospital facilities. Work will occur at all four locations simultaneously, and our chain of micro-hospitals will be known as INTEGRIS Community Hospitals going forward because each location will include ER services as well as rooms for inpatient care. Upper floors within the four buildings will include physician and specialty clinics.
The photos below illustrate early phases of construction for INTEGRIS Community Hospital – Council Crossing located in northwest Oklahoma City. Construction crews tell us – if weather and wind cooperate – all concrete walls for the NW Expressway & Council Rd. location should be in place by the end of this week. Obviously, much work lies ahead, however we are on schedule to open the facility in February 2019.
In Moore, work crews will begin placing walls at our I-35 & South 34th Street location before the end of April. Structural steel is also visible from Interstate 40 at our Del City location near Sooner Road. Construction will begin in May at the OKC West location.
INTEGRIS Community Hospitals are being welcomed by leaders and families in each area. Excitement is growing as people begin to see the facilities take shape. We look forward to offering these easily accessible, high-quality health care service centers to our care continuum in the next 12 to 15 months.

Photography and Text by Terry “Travels with Terry” Zinn t4z@aol.com

How does one in 700 words or less describe all the variety of attractions that Westchester County New York holds? Well, one doesn’t, or better yet can’t. But in a quick visit I did enjoy all my stops along the very convenient ribbon of parkways that can speed you from one historic landmark to another or to another delightful dining experience.
My oasis for this visit was the expansive and convenient Doubletree in Tarrytown. With an extensive breakfast buffet with hot egg option included, you can be off and touring quickly on your own schedule. A good night’s rest is mandatory to supply you with the energy you will need each day. This Doubletree in Tarrytown delivers.
The 19th century was a period of political and technological change in America. Romanticism dominated the arts, and as the movement emphasized the appreciation of nature, imagination and emotion, the Hudson River Valley became the center of painting and architecture. Wealthy patrons commissioned the construction of mansions in a variety of styles along the bluffs of the river from New York City to Albany. Lyndhurst is one of these. Overlooking the Hudson River in Tarrytown, New York, Lyndhurst is one of America’s finest Gothic Revival mansions. Former New York City mayor William Paulding, merchant George Merritt and railroad tycoon Jay Gould were all its inhabitants.
Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate is a must tour. This expansive mansion and grounds tour is a popular attraction and you must make reservation for your visit at the Phillipsburg Manor Visitor Center, and a courtesy bus will take you from the ticket outlet and gift shop up the hill and around the circular drive. Personal cars are not permitted. The proprietors of this property are quite proud of their charge to preserve while sharing this American palace so be prepared for enforcement of strict rules while touring. The art gallery, if on your tour, gives one pause as to the real meaning of what is art and what is not?
The cottage of Washington Irving’s, Sunnyside, is a delight to tour or if you come too late for a formal tour, just grazing the grounds and setting, next to the Hudson and railroad track, is a fun meandering. Further investigation in to the life and contributions of Irving, is enlightening to see his influence of the times in which he lived. Not only giving us the tales of Sleep Hollow and the Headless Horseman, but coining such words we take for granted today, such as Gotham- referring to New York City. The Sleepy Hollow cemetery is a wealth of frozen history with such notables residing there as, Elizabeth Arden, Andrew Carnegie and William Rockefeller. Roaming its hill expanse, one can meander to the Old Church and cemetery, and down to the reconstructed Headless Horseman Bridge.
If you feel over loaded (and you shouldn’t) with historic places, modern entertainment at the Westchester Broadway Theater should be on your itinerary. They produce professionally presented musicals in a dinner theatre style. While just exploring the parkways and byways of Westchester and without planning one may happen upon a delightful restful moment. We came upon the Red Hat On The River bar and restaurant cozied up to the massive Hudson River. It’s curiosity quenching moments like this spontaneous beverage stop that the well-traveled embrace and relish as special memories.
But for a top of the sky, upscale dining option few can compare to the 42nd, atop the Ritz Carlton in White Plains. The cocktail lounge with spectacular views of the Hudson valley, setting sun and downtown, and the accompanying several restaurants, are the “in” place to dine in the center of Westchester County
Just when I thought we had experienced the best of Westchester dining, an evening setting sun cocktail and appetizers of Portabella mushroom and a Risotto at the historic Castle on the Hudson, offered us its plethora of charmed atmosphere as we sat on the outside patio of this mansion. While we were relaxing and recounting our few days of adventure, a pair of young dear wandered on the lawn beneath our table, as if on cue, having their dusk appetizer of young sprouts. Westchester County has its magic and is a grand entry into the Historic Hudson Valley, with many more locales, mansions, and dining experiences awaiting the discriminating traveler. www.westchestertourism.com

Mr. Terry Zinn – Travel Editor
Past President: International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association
http://realtraveladventures.com/author/zin