Free program offers help for those recovering from loss of loved ones

If you have experienced the death of a loved one, grief is the normal and natural response to loss. INTEGRIS Hospice provides on-going grief support.
Conducted by certified grief specialist, Marla Mercer Cole, MS, LPC, the six-week free evening program provides a step-by-step approach for those who wish to resolve their loss issues and move beyond their grief toward a richer quality of life.
Program Dates: June 17 – July 22 (Monday evenings) from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. at INTEGRIS Cancer Institute, 5911 W. Memorial Road in Oklahoma City in Conference rooms D and E, southwest entrance.
To enroll for the session: Call 405-603-1708. Programs are free of charge; space is limited.
Marla Cole is a licensed professional counselor specializing in the field of grief and loss. As current vice president of Mercer Adams Funeral Service in Bethany, she also directs the aftercare program for families they serve and oversees community relations.
Normal grief responses include appetite loss, difficulty sleeping, feelings of guilt or regret, lack of concentration, mood changes, numbness or crying.

Anybody else think of the 90’s space jam theme song when you read the subject line? … no? Just me? OOOkkkaaay 🙂
Anywhoo— I came to remind you that Whodunit is a PERFECT reason to gather up a group of guys & gals from work, church, hobbies, sports or… research?
(what?!–I was trying to rhyme with Church! plus.. I mean, people research sooo still fits.) LOL
YO HO HO- check it out below!!
Who is YOUR group? Car club? Sunday school sistaaas? good ole Frat House bro’s? Bridesmaids? It’s been too long. Get. Them. Together! Send a group text, facebook thread or… do it the old fashioned way- call them! Better yet- show up unannounced and knock on their door (GASP Nobody does THAT anymore!) Get your people, your tribe and bring them to the show!…Yo!
Get your tickets at whodunit.net or by calling 405-420-3222
Cattlemen’s Steakhouse – FRIDAY, June 21st, July 19th, August 16th
Teds Escondido – FRIDAY, June 28th, July 26th
whodunit.net 405-420-3222
FAQ- When we have a group coming to Whodunit-how do we make sure we sit together?
Whodunit- easy peasy! No need to show up early to ‘save seats’. Whodunit’s host team ensures that your group sits together. Just be sure to include your group name when you purchase your tickets! We prompt you with the question “If you’d like to be seated with another party, please enter the group name here” Badda-bing! badda boom- put your group name in the box and you are ready to rock!
Ask about our private corporate events & house parties, book us for your church or school fundraiser.

Dear Savvy Senior,

I need to locate a good in-home caregiver for my 83-year-old mother. What’s the best way to find and hire one? Looking for Care

Dear Looking,
Finding a good in-home caregiver for an elderly parent can be challenging. How can you find one that’s reliable and trustworthy, as well as someone your parent likes and is comfortable with? Here are some tips that can help.
Know Your Needs
Before you start the task of looking for an in-home caregiver, your first step is to determine the level of care your mom needs. This can pinpoint the type of help she’ll need. For example, if she only needs help with daily living tasks like shopping, cooking, doing laundry, bathing or dressing, a “homemaker” or “personal care aide” will do.
But, if she needs health care services, there are “home health aides” that may do all the things a homemaker does, plus they also have training in administering medications, changing wound dressings and other medically related duties. Home health aides often work under a nurse’s supervision.
Once you settle on a level of care, you then need to decide how many hours of assistance she’ll need. For example, does your mom need someone to come in just a few mornings a week to help her cook, clean, run errands or perhaps bathe? Or does she need more continuous care that requires daily visits or a full-time aide?
After you determine her needs, there are two ways in which you can go about hiring someone. Either through an agency, or you can hire someone directly on your own.
Hiring Through an Agency
Hiring a personal care or home health aide through an agency is the safest and easiest option, but it’s more expensive. Costs typically run anywhere between $14 and $25 an hour depending on where you live and the qualification of the aide.
How it works is you pay the agency, and they handle everything including an assessment of your mom’s needs, assigning appropriately trained and pre-screened staff to care for her, and finding a fill-in on days her aide cannot come.
Some of the drawbacks, however, are that you may not have much input into the selection of the caregiver, and the caregivers may change or alternate, which can cause a disruption.
To find a home-care agency in your mom’s area ask for referrals through friends, family or doctor’s offices, or use the Area Agency on Aging’s home-care locator service at PayingForSeniorCare.com – click on “Find Quality, Affordable Care.” In addition, Medicare offers a home health compare tool at Medicare.gov/HomeHealthCompare to help you find and compare home health care agencies.
You also need to be aware that original Medicare does not cover in-home caregiving services unless your mom is receiving doctor’s ordered skilled nursing or therapy services at home too. But, if your mom is in a certain Medicare Advantage plan, or is low-income and qualifies for Medicaid, she may be eligible for some coverage.
Hiring Directly
Hiring an independent caregiver on your own is the other option, and it’s less expensive. Costs typically range between $12 and $20 per hour. Hiring directly also gives you more control over who you hire so you can choose someone who you feel is right for your mom.
But, be aware that if you do hire someone on your own, you become the employer so there’s no agency support to fall back on if a problem occurs or if the aide doesn’t show up. You’re also responsible for paying payroll taxes and any worker-related injuries that may happen. If you choose this option make sure you check the aide’s references thoroughly, and do a criminal background check, which you can do sites like eNannySource.com.
To find someone, ask for referrals or try eldercare-matching services like Care.com or CareLinx.com. Or, for a fee, an aging life care expert (see AgingLifeCare.org) can help you find someone.
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.

Kathy Shaw of Oklahoma City was less than six months out from treatment for breast cancer when she learned that she had nodule on a lobe of her lungs that was cancerous.
It was more than she could bear to think about. She had just undergone a double mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation, and the idea of undergoing another major surgery was disheartening. She was told that lung cancer surgery would involve a large incision, the spreading of her ribs to access the lungs and a lengthy hospital stay and recovery.
“I went ahead and made the appointment for the surgery, but in my heart, I didn’t feel like I would go through with it,” she said.
Instead, she began looking for another option. That search led her to J. Matthew Reinersman, M.D., a thoracic surgeon at Stephenson Cancer Center at OU Medicine. Reinersman and his colleague Subrato J. Deb, M.D., are the only two surgeons in Oklahoma who specialize in a minimally invasive surgery for lung cancer called VATS – Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery. The surgery, which requires only three small incisions, removes the cancer while giving patients a much shorter hospital stay, less risk for complications and faster recovery.
“I had the VATS surgery, and I went home after two days,” Shaw said. “I think I took one or two pain pills, but I didn’t experience what I would call real pain. Because of the procedure and Dr. Reinersman, my recovery has been pretty remarkable.”
Reinersman has been performing VATS for patients with lung cancer since he arrived at Stephenson Cancer Center four years ago. Studies have shown VATS to result in outcomes that are just as good as those in a traditional, open surgery, but with all the benefits of a minimally invasive procedure.
In the traditional procedure for removing cancers of the lung, surgeons make a large incision on the patient’s side and push apart the ribs to reach the lungs. This results in significant pain for the patient and a hospital stay of at least five to seven days, which then leads to greater risk of pneumonia, blood clots and infections.
During VATS, Reinersman makes three small incisions to insert a tiny camera and his surgical instruments. The camera transmits images of the lungs onto a video screen to guide the surgery. Depending on the location of the cancer, he may remove a small part of the lobe, the entire lobe or more of the lung. Nearby lymph nodes also are dissected to ensure the cancer has not spread.
“The advantage is that we can get patients out of the hospital as soon as one to three days after the procedure,” Reinersman said. “They have less pain, fewer side effects and can return to their normal activities faster.”
The reduction of pain is a significant advantage of VATS. Patients having open surgery for lung cancer usually receive an epidural catheter in their backs for pain control. Pain must be managed because patients need to be able to take deep breaths and cough to lower their risk of getting pneumonia – something they won’t do as well if they are hurting. Because VATS is minimally invasive, no epidural catheter is needed and pain is greatly minimized. Surgeons also use nerve blocks to provide long-acting pain control in the nerves that run along the ribs.
“When I see my patients back in the clinic a couple of weeks after surgery, they’re usually taking little to no pain medicine and they’ve resumed doing most of the things they want to do. It’s really gratifying,” Reinersman said.
Reinersman considers VATS for any patient with lung cancer, but the best candidates are those with Stage 1 or 2 cancer, he said. VATS is also preferable for patients who have borderline lung function because the procedure is easier for them to tolerate than an open surgery.
In Shaw’s case, she has never been a smoker. About 20 percent of people diagnosed with lung cancer are non-smokers, Reinersman said.
“That shows the importance of lung cancer screening and early diagnosis and treatment,” he said. “It’s not a death sentence. If we can catch it early, we can get them through it. We’ve done hundreds of VATS surgeries here.”
Many surgeons will use VATS for simple surgical procedures in the chest, but Reinersman and Deb are experts in its use for removing lung cancer, a more technically complicated surgery. The surgeons also are unique because they focus solely on surgeries of the chest and esophagus, whereas many cardiothoracic surgeons focus mostly on the heart.
OU Medicine is also the only institution in Oklahoma that submits its lung cancer surgery data to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database, where it can be viewed by the public. OU Medicine’s two-star rating is equivalent to that of larger institutions like Mayo Clinic and M.D. Anderson.

It is the distinct pleasure of the Troy and Dollie Smith Wellness Center at the INTEGRIS Cancer Institute to invite you to our 25th annual art exhibit dedicated to the curative powers of creativity and to all whose lives have been affected by cancer.
The exhibit showcases all forms of art including fiber, graphics, oil, watercolor, mixed media, photography, pottery, sculpture, writing and poetry. Register art by Monday, July 8, 2019. Deliver art by Friday, July 19. Pieces will be displayed from July 25 through Sept. 6, 2019.
Artists of all ages wishing to express how their lives have been affected by cancer will have their work on display. The pieces may be by individuals or collaborative, done by professionals as well as first-time artists.
In lieu of a 10 percent sales commission, there will be a nominal $10 registration fee for each piece submitted (limited to two entries only) per artist. Registration proceeds will benefit the INTEGRIS Foundation’s Art Therapy fund to help continue the exhibit dedicated to all affected by cancer.
The registration fee will be due from the artist on the art drop-off day, Friday, July 19, 2019 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Registration fees will be accepted in cash or a check made payable to INTEGRIS. Registration of art is available at integrisok.com/celebration-of-life or by calling 405-773-6600.
OPENING RECEPTION
Artists, cancer survivors, families and friends will be recognized at the 25th annual Celebration of Life Art Show and Opening Reception on Thursday, July 25, 2019, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the INTEGRIS Cancer Institute, 5911 W. Memorial Road, Oklahoma City, OK 73142. To RSVP for the event, please call 405-951-2277.

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

Dodge City has long been on this Okie’s bucket list. It took this long to get there as its really not on the way to anywhere, which is good because Dodge City has modern conveniences yet has still preserved and promoted its popular western romance of the 1870’s.
Dodge City has developed its own catch phrase: “Get Into Dodge.”
Of course that is an ironic take on the wild west phrase of a lawman to an outlaw of, “Get Out Of Dodge.” I say, referring to one of the City’s heroes, “Wyatt Earp Never Had It So Good.” This popped into my brain during my trip’s final dining experience at Prime on the Nine restaurant, while reflecting on the good experiences had in Dodge.
Overlooking a golf course, the Prime on the Nine restaurant, offers the highest of service and food to informed tourists and locals. www.primeonthenine.com
If you have followed my articles for some time, you know I like the traditional dining experience of Martini, and perfectly cooked tender local steak to medium plus. The Prime Rib, risotto, tasty goat cheese starter and the five star tiramiso, were a real treats. This elegant venue with a window table, filled my requirements to perfection and the perfect closing meal to my 3 day visit to Dodge City. Truly Wyatt Earp in his short stay in Dodge, “Never Had It So Good.”
Another outstanding dining experience is the Central Station Bar & Grill, www.centralstationdc.net where you have the option of dining in an authentic 1950 railway car. With a salute to the rails that opened up Dodge City to the cattle markets, its only proper to order a steak as well. I devoured a rib eye steak, side salad, sweet potato fries with onion rings. With four kinds of steaks to be mesquite grilled or with other choices including chicken varieties there is something to satisfy your western appetite. Despite being there on a very popular night, the service and quality of my meal did not suffer. To top off the entree the hot apple cobbler delight dripping with caramel and ice cream was an exquisite and unexpected finale. This venue also offers a dance floor and sports bar amenities as well as guest entertainers.
For a quick casual fix, the homemade pizza while you wait is offered at Dodge City Brewing, www.dodgecitybrewing.com, but closed on Monday and Tuesdays. To hear how vodka and gin is distilled, visit the Boot Hill Distillery, www.boothilldistillery.com with tours and tastings available. More interesting than the process is the building’s history and location on top of Boot Hill cemetery. The Vodka is mild and mixes well while the Gin is heavy on botanicals sold at a premium price.
You must save time to tour the Boot Hill Museum, www.boothill.org/, where a large new museum building is in progress. http://www.boothill.org/construction-update The Museum hosts an extensive gift shop with artifacts and memorabilia upstairs. The best part of admission is being able to walk into a replicate of the Old Dodge City wooden store fronts, including the Long Branch Saloon, complete with bar and piano. Other stores offer remembrance of shops that might have been in old Dodge City on front street. Walking back and forth on the wooden board walk you might feel a moment in old west time.
A walking tour of the town takes you by many of the bronze statues remembering many celebrities made famous by the Myth of Dodge city. Of course there is Wyatt Earp and even Matt Dillon.
I drove up from Oklahoma City on what is casually called the Northwest passage on state highway 270 and 183. While the online map suggested a drive time of 4 and 1/2 hours its more like about 6 hours,but worth it for the destination and a chance to see the unspoiled landscape of western Oklahoma, accented by a few wind farms. A mirage when first approaching Dodge City you see a large hill covered in black. At first you wonder what vegetation or mineral causes the blackness, and soon you see it is a massive panorama of black cattle, the prime resource of Dodge. All of this can be explained if you take the trolley tour, which also goes through the remaining inhabited buildings of Fort Dodge. Also you can learn about the founding of Dodge, the Santa Fe Trail, the cattle industry and the impact of the railroad.
I happily stayed and the conveniently located Best Western North Edge Inn, where my first story room had an exit just feet away from my parked car. Of course they offer all the amenities you expect from a Best Western including the free morning breakfast to start your sight seeing off right.
And you too may come away from Dodge never having had it so good.
So much to see and do in Dodge City so please check out more at: http://www.visitdodgecity.org

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

Do you have cramping in your legs while walking or at rest? Is it difficult for you to walk long distances? Do you have restless, cold or pale legs or feet? Do you have hair loss in the lower legs, infections or wounds that take a long time to heal or fungal infections of the toenails? You may have peripheral artery disease (PAD).
Peripheral artery disease is the narrowing or hardening of the arteries that carry blood to your limbs. Arteries are the blood vessels that carry oxygen rich blood to all the tissues in the body. Arteries can develop plaque buildup on their walls as we all get older. The plaques are generally a combination of cholesterol, fat, scar tissue and blood clots. Calcium deposits may also develop. This plaque progressively blocks blood flow to the limbs. In the legs, this reduced blood flow can cause cramping and pain.
Men and women over the age of 50 are most prone to peripheral arterial disease. Incidence becomes increasingly common with each year of life – men are affected earlier, but women catch up quickly. People with diabetes, high blood pressure, smokers, people with high cholesterol, obesity, sedentary lifestyle and genetic predisposition are at increased risk for developing this disease.
Diagnosis is determined with careful history and physical exam of an individual. Simple screening methods can include blood pressure measurement of the wrist and ankle or an ultrasound exam. In some instances a CT, MRI or arteriogram exam may be required.
Symptoms or consequences of the disease include pain, cramping in the legs with exercise or movement. Burning pain, numbness, tingling in the feet, and wounds or infections that are slow to heal or do not heal may also be present. Pale, blue, or cold feet may also be a sign of PAD.. If peripheral artery disease is left untreated or treated too late, it can lead to amputation of the toes, feet or legs.
PAD is preventable!
* Smoking – never start, or if you still smoke – QUIT!
* Diabetes – it’s very important to work with your primary healthcare professional to control your diabetes with a combination of medication, healthy diet, lifestyle modification and weight loss.
* Cholesterol – manage with medication, healthy diet, and exercise
* Overweight – manage with diet modification, weight loss, regular exercise
This disease can be treated surgically or with a minimally invasive procedure through an IV placed into the artery of the wrist, arm, foot, or groin. Treatment can include angioplasty or atherectomy. Angioplasty is the use of special balloons of various sizes that are used to expand an artery to its normal size. The balloon is removed after treatment is complete. Atherectomy removes plaque from the artery wall similar to a “roto-rooter” removing buildup from pipes. This can be achieved with different devices which incorporate cutting blades or lasers. Another method of treatment includes placement of stents which are used in select situations to expand an artery to its normal size and hold it open with a “scaffold”. Stents are permanent implants.
This can be treated by select cardiologists, vascular surgeons and interventional radiologists. If you feel that you may be at risk for PAD, or have some of the symptoms, you should consult your primary healthcare professional to screen for it, and to discuss treatment options.
You are also welcome to call our Vascular Center to schedule a prompt and free consultation. You can contact us at 405-608-8884. We are a specialized center staffed with highly experienced professionals, including a Vascular/Interventional physician, dedicated to treating PAD on an outpatient basis using the latest proven technology to combat this epidemic.
Dr. C.V Ramana is a vascular and interventional radiologist with more than 20 years of practice experience. He has expertise in all areas of vascular and interventional radiology. Dr. Ramana has a Ph.D from Yale University and MD from CWRU in Cleveland, Ohio where he subsequently completed his fellowship in Vascular and Interventional Radiology at the Cleveland Clinic.

by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

For a few short weeks this summer, children with disabilities from across the region will gather in Norman to celebrate just being kids.
It’s a highly-anticipated annual affair carried out at JD McCarty Center for Children with Developmental Disabilities and it’s known as Camp ClapHans.
And for registered nurses Andrea Gunter and Terisa Denwalt it will be a time to witness pure joy.
Last year was Gunter’s first experience with camp. She had worked part-time at the residence houses before getting the invite to come down to the onsite camp facility next to the center’s lake.
“It’s different and there’s just so much diversity,” Gunter said. “It’s like a whole different thing than I’ve ever done before. It’s a lot of fun. It’s more of a relaxed environment, the kids are here and everybody is having a good time.”
“You’re just here to give meds and help everything go smoothly.”
A military wife, Gunter was no stranger to moving around the country. She worked in a lot of different types of nursing settings.
After taking a year off she started looking around for another setting.
“I get to work part-time and it’s just great,” Gunter said. “Every time I get a job in nursing it’s like this is my favorite job.”
Denwalt is working her first camp this summer. Working orthopedic oncology for 20 years she went into schools two years ago to help with special needs children for a change.
“Going through nursing school 22 years ago we did a class project and we all went to volunteer for the Special Olympics and I just kept doing it after that,” Denwalt said. “I’ve always kind of been involved and thought I would end up in this area and then the opportunity just came up.”
Children have always had that pull.
“I just love playing with the kids and talking to them,” Denwalt said. “There’s no negative feelings out there. It’s a total positive. You don’t ever hear about people in this line of work complaining about their job like they do everywhere else.”
Gunter has already given her some pointers. But the main thing to remember is just have fun.
“It’s an enjoyable experience because the kids bring so much joy to you that you just want to try and give them as much joy back,” Gunter said. “You’re here as the nurse and in a lot of nursing settings in the hospital your patients know they need the nurse. They don’t need us. They’re here to have fun.”
Gunter enjoys watching the counselors getting kids ready each morning while she’s doing her med pass.
“They are so good and it’s so fortunate the kids have these opportunities,” Gunter said. “In the school system they may stand out or feel different a little bit. Here they’re just kids. Some kids come back every year so you have kids that see each other every summer that have been coming for years. They’re just so happy to see each other. It’s sweet.”
Marketing Director Greg Gaston said historically camp registration is complete within hours of opening.
Gaston said years ago parents began downloading the camp registration forms from the center’s website and completing them in advance.
“Then they’ll send it in at 12:01 a.m. the day registration opens,” Gaston said with a chuckle.
Camp ClapHans is a residential summer camp for kids with disabilities ages 8 to 18 and is an outreach program of the McCarty Center.
Five camp sessions are offered each summer. The camp is located on the center’s campus and features two cabins and an activities building that are located next to an 11-acre lake.
Activities for campers include archery, arts and crafts, canoeing, fishing, horseback riding, talent shows and swimming.
Each camper is assigned to a counselor with the camper/counselor ratio of 1:1.
Staff members are typically university students working toward a degree in allied health-care fields (physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology); special and general education; outdoor recreation; nutrition; and other related fields. Prior to camp, staff members attend training.
The camp opened in 2013 and is named in honor of Sammy Jack Claphan, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and an Oklahoma native. Sammy played football for the University of Oklahoma and graduated with a degree in special education. Afterward, he played in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns and the San Diego Chargers. After retiring from football, Sammy returned to Oklahoma and became a coach and a special education teacher. Sammy died in 2001 at the age of 45.
For Denwalt, the expectations for her first camp experience are simple.
“Something to come back to every year really,” Denwalt said. “I want it to be something I enjoy and they enjoy me and take a little break from the hardcore stuff.”

Story and photos by Darl DeVault

Oklahoma Senior Games cycling competitors gathered Sunday, September 16 last year at the Lake Stanley Draper Marina to stage for their either one lap or two lap races starting north around the lake. Many of the 55 cyclists who started racing at 8 a.m. in a mass start travelled from out of state to qualify for the 2019 National Senior Games in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
“Oklahoma offers many of these Texas riders racing today another chance to qualify for nationals,” 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 and 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 last year at Draper, while the 5K and 10K time trial events that started at noon and 1 p.m. saw many of the same road racers participate.
The 22K course, one clockwise lap around Draper, saw the group stay together. They finished almost together on the long downhill that sweeps from the south to the finish near the road that leads into the marina. Many of the racers continued for another lap around Draper to contest the 44K category.
The 40 and over bicycle racers were hoping to place first through fourth place at last year’s games so they could qualify for the 2019 National Senior Games in New Mexico. Those games just took place June 14-25.
Many of the same racers, trying to qualify for Nationals, lined up again at noon or 1 p.m. to start an individual 5K or 10K time trail on an out and back loop north on the lake road. The cyclists, many riding specialty time trial bikes, 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 and 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. Qualifying in any event at the 2018 event earned the athletes the right to compete in either or both their respective events at Nationals.
2019’s events for 40+ cyclists will take place Saturday, September 21 at the lake with a similar schedule as last year. Entry Deadline is September 7 this year and staging will again be at the marina at 8301 SE 104th. Street.
Divisions will be contested in recumbent, Paralympic Upright, Paralympic Handbike, Paralympic Tandem and Paralympic Tricycle if enough racers enter those categories,
Racers 40+ can go online to okseniorgames.com for more information or call (405) 821-1500.
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.

Story and photos by Darl DeVault

Retired and just now decompressing from a 39-year career teaching high school art in the Greater Tulsa area, Osage Nation member Clancy Gray says creating his own Native American art is truly rewarding at age 70.
Making that transition to full-time fine art modern master translated into more sales of his jewelry, paintings and sculptures the first weekend in June at the 33rd Red Earth Festival.
At the three-day event in downtown Oklahoma City at the Cox Convention Center Gray sold several of his important works and had his best show ever. Gray said the extra attention lavished upon his art by the board of directors of Red Earth naming him 2019 ‘Red Earth Honored One’ sparked a successful sales weekend.
“Being the Honored One this year afforded me so many privileges that it just seemed natural that more people wanted to buy my work,” Gray said. “We set it up with the t, who is also an Osage Nation member, mayor to stop by the booth after he and his family were a part of the parade Saturday morning. I showed his family around the booth and we talked for about 10 minutes. I was excited when he came back by my booth after looking around for an hour and bought a painting of a bison his son really liked.”
That Honored One status, after Gray has exhibited at the Festival for 32 of its 33 years, put his art out front, in an expanded double-size booth nearest to the entrance to the juried art show.
Gray said that even though he was halfway across the state from his Broken Arrow home, his two sons, his brother and sister and many friends coming by or helping made him feel more at home than ever at Red Earth. The Honored One recognition is for a Native master visual artist whose support of Indian art has been substantial throughout his life.
Gray entered four items in the juried art portion of the show and collected two ribbons for top three placings. And again, in the truly rewarding vein, one of his first-place sculptures from three Red Earths back sold on Saturday.
Owners of one of Oklahoma City’s prominent CPA firms, T.C. Burgin, stopped by the booth and purchased Scout, a heroic size bronze horned toad, for the new office building they will open in the fall.
Osage Nation member and bronze casting legend John Free Jr. cast several of the horned toads at his Bronze Horse Foundry in Pawhuska, Okla. Free is famous for capturing the artist’s real goal in their work by applying some of the most skilled patinas in the crucible industry.
Gray said Free’s ability to create a life-like patina to the bronze sculpture brings his horned toad Scout to life. He explains Scout’s name in that the horned toad represents what Native Americans would often use to help locate their game while hunting. During a hunt, if they were not finding their prey, they would pick up a horned toad and say a prayer. When the hunter put the horned toad down, and it scurried off, that was the direction they would start in to continue their hunt.
“It is a privilege to get to work with John Free and his group at the Bronze Horse Foundry.” Gray said. “I always say that sculpting success is a two-part process, the artist who first creates it in clay and the foundry master who duplicates it in bronze for them.”
Gray’s traditional and contemporary influenced jewelry reflects Gray’s fondness for vivid color, texture, and asymmetrical design. The silver jewelry is often the most collected of his work, and leads to the most commissions. This nationally collected master silversmith has won many awards in exhibitions and museum shows.
Gray’s paintings sold well at Red Earth as well. His building up depth from the canvas in the impasto style has elevated his status in the Native American art world. He uses a palette knife to apply vivid acrylics, giving the paintings intensity that allows light to animate the focus of his work. This signature style allows Gray to create a modern ruggedness. He says he works to celebrate the light’s colorful and reflective sparkle built up in focused areas.
By creating a ceramic glaze depth with skillful repetitious palette strokes of the water-based acrylic paint, his paintings are dynamic and unique. Those high-gloss highlights have a richness of color that captures the eye, whether portrait or figures, still life, or landscape.
In retirement Gray says he now has more time to reflect on the achievements of his art students. He taught in Tulsa at McLain High School for 17 years and East Central High School for 18 years. He finished his teaching career at Edison High School after three years.
The insightful artist and teacher insisted his students master the basics of composition and design. He then encouraged them to create original works, rather than just copying ideas or pictures they saw. Gray has guided the beginnings of many art careers. More than 5,000 students graduated from his 39-year influence at those three schools.

“I tried to model strong basic skills, so as they learned those skills it would take them anywhere they wanted to go as artists.” Gray said. “Our schools supported them so the best and brightest could go on to win many art competitions in the state and nationally.”
Gray also made the students’ academic progress an important part of their art educations. The result was a highly productive teacher who helped many students receive college scholarships and awards
“We had student artists earn important scholarships, and become award-winners in art competitions and students whose work is now shown in galleries,” Gray said. “We had high expectations, we really wanted them to grow as much as possible as artists along the way.”
Gray says his passion for teaching and creating a nurturing educational setting for all his students was a given. After his double major in art and physical education, Gray went on to earn a master’s degree in education at the University of Central Oklahoma.
During his long career he also coached boys and girls soccer, boys baseball, girls softball, boys and girls cross-country and boys and girls swimming.
Gray says that one of the best features of retirement is the satisfaction of seeing how his many students’ talents evolve. He enjoys following his former students’ progress as they adapt to create great art in their growing careers.
He says that spark of excellence often stimulates him to keep up with his own art career. No longer constrained to a teacher’s schedule, he has found that requests to put on exhibits have come more often now.
“Being named 2019 Honored One at Red Earth has been one of the highlights of my recent retirement,” Gray said. “I had not danced in 35 years and was proud to dance in step as part of the procession at the beginning of the dance contests in my role as this year’s Honored One.”