My favorites are the foliage colors and of course the temperature and the weather.

Rosa Knight

I can work in my garden again and there’s no mosquitoes.

Melanie Wright

The coolness and the Oklahoma State Fair.

June Cavendish

OU football and tailgating.

Vicki Bailey

For the past week, I have been scouring drug stores searching, without success, for a greeting card I plan to mail to Erramatti Mangayamma and her husband, E. Raja Rao.
The card I’m looking for would say, “Congratulations! What the hell were you thinking?”
On Sept. 5, Mangayamma gave birth to twin girls. This event alone may not be card-worthy, as women give birth every day. But not all of them are 73 years old.
With an 80-year-old husband.
Mangayamma, who is from Andhra Pradesh, India, is believed to be the oldest woman ever to give birth. Unable to conceive since they were married in 1962, the couple approached Dr. Sanakayyala Umashankar, who reportedly agreed to administer one round of in vitro fertilization to Mangayamma.
As someone whose second child was conceived via IVF, I know the risks involved with implanting multiple eggs into a woman’s body. Before doing so, our fertility doctor wanted us to be aware we could end up with not one child, but an entire litter, and were we OK with that?
We ended up with one but, with an infant and a kindergartner to care for, we were routinely exhausted by midday. At the time, my wife was 36. I was 39. Roughly half the ages of Mangayamma and Rao.
Don’t get me wrong, having a baby is a joyous occasion. But do new parents who are well into their years of Social Security eligibility, IRA withdrawals and entry into retirement communities REALLY know what they are getting themselves into? Mrs. Mangayamma, you do know that you can’t go to bed until your new girls have drifted off, right? I’m 56 and my bedtime is approximately 9:30 p.m.
Your infants’ bedtimes should be approximately, oh wait, infants don’t have set bedtimes. Never mind.
Mr. Rao let’s discuss your duties as a first-time dad. Are you OK with assembling two cribs, two strollers and, nightly, bathing two slippery babies? The latter requires very steady hands. I’m not making any assumptions about your manual dexterity but just yesterday, my fingers unexplainably twitched, causing me to drop a full glass of water. Just saying.
Now, new parents, let’s flash forward a few years. I’m not sure how popular youth sports programs are in India, but my girls started playing soccer and softball when they were 6. Mr. Rao, how are your coaching skills? At 86, will you be up to teaching a team of giggly first-graders how to execute a corner kick? Will you be able to frantically wave your arm in a circular motion, signaling your lead runner should round third base and head for home? Are you confident you can perform both those feats without crumbling to the ground, having pulled something?
Also, be ready to argue with opposing coaches who may have different views about athletic development. Sports have changed considerably since you grew up in the good old 1950s.
Finally, let’s not forget that you sired two girls. It’s worth noting that, sometime around 2030, both will be entering those hormonally charged years that, for parents, are about as pleasant as repeatedly biting your tongue in the exact same spot. Mrs. Mangayamma, you’ll be 84 while your husband will be 91. Better pray you both suffer from hearing loss by then; it’s the only way you’ll be immune from the sounds of slamming bedroom doors, screaming arguments about who-took-whose pair of Justice shorts and shouting matches involving bathroom time.
Also, both likely will have radically different dietary restrictions by then. The only thing they will have in common is their disdain for your dinner of choice: Jell-O and soup.
Well, I’ve probably given too many opinions. I’m sure that, after more than 50 years of yearning for children, you two will make amazing parents. Enjoy the experience because it goes so fast. In the blink of an eye, they’ll be out of college and on their own.
And, at 94 and 101, you’ll be empty-nesters.

OGE Energy Corp. will join forces with United Way of Central Oklahoma during its annual fundraising campaign to double new, first-time company contributions.
“United Way agencies provide such valuable services to our communities, and we’re only as strong as the communities we serve,” said Sean Trauschke, chairman, President and CEO of OGE Energy Corp. “We identified this as a way to help support and grow the missions of these agencies where we live and work.”
This opportunity comes at a critical time as United Way of Central Oklahoma begins fundraising efforts for 57 local nonprofits, serving hundreds of thousands of clients each year who need us more than ever. The gift will help Partner Agencies serve more central Oklahomans by providing life-saving services to those in need.
“OGE Energy Corp. is known for giving back in big ways, and we are truly grateful that they thought of United Way – that says a lot about the caring nature of their organization,” said Debby Hampton, United Way of Central Oklahoma president and CEO. “It takes all of us to make this a more compassionate community, and OGE’s support is one of the big puzzle pieces that makes that possible throughout central Oklahoma.”
Donations may be made online at unitedwayokc.org or by giving through your workplace campaign.
About United Way of Central Oklahoma
United Way of Central Oklahoma researches human needs within the communities of central Oklahoma and directs resources to accountable health and human services agencies to meet those needs by improving the health, safety, education and economic well-being of its most vulnerable citizens. For more information about United Way of Central Oklahoma, please visit unitedwayokc.org or call (405) 236-8441.

Each year, across the country, thousands of educators, caregivers, health and aging professionals, and older adults focus their efforts on one goal: preventing falls. That’s why the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) is partnering with the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and the Falls Free® Coalition to celebrate Falls Prevention Awareness Day, Sept. 23. This year’s activities will focus on the teamwork needed to prevent falls effectively.
Every second of every day in the United States an older adult falls, making falls the number one cause of fatal and nonfatal injury among older Americans. Every week in Oklahoma, approximately 124 adults age 65 and older are hospitalized and 11 die from a fall. Acute care hospital charges alone total more than $250 million a year.
Falls are not a normal part of aging, and an individual has the power to prevent them. The OSDH offers the following tips on simple tips to prevent falls:
Exercise regularly. Exercises that improve strength, balance, and coordination are the most helpful in lowering the risk of fall-related injuries.
*Speak up. Talk to your doctor about fall risks and prevention. *Ask a doctor or pharmacist to review both prescription and over-the-counter medications for side effects and interactions. The way medications work in the body can change with age. Some medications or combinations of medications can contribute to drowsiness or dizziness, which increases the risk of falling. *Have vision screenings at least once a year. The wrong prescription eyeglasses or health conditions, such as glaucoma or cataracts, limit vision and may increase the risk of falling. *Reduce hazards in the home that may lead to fall-related injuries. *Keep floors clean and clear of clutter where people walk.
*Maintain adequate lighting throughout the home, especially near stairways. *Remove throw rugs or use non-skid throw rugs in the home, and use non-slip mats in the bathtub or shower. *Install handrails on stairways and grab bars in bathrooms. *Keep regularly needed items in easy-to-reach places that don’t require the use of a step stool.
The Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance program has been proven to reduce the risk of falls. Throughout Oklahoma, many individuals have been trained as Tai Chi instructors and teach Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance classes to older adults. This exercise program focuses on improving functional abilities, such as balance and physical function, to reduce fall-related risks and frequency of falls. Oklahoma seniors are invited to join one of the more than 90 open Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance classes across the state.
To receive more information on classes and how to prevent falls, contact the OSDH Injury Prevention Service at (405) 271-3430 or visit http://falls.health.ok.gov.

Oklahoma City Zoo is exclusive stop in OKC for the Adult Swim series’ “Don’t Even Trip Road Trip” tour

You won’t need a Mr. Meeseeks to make the perfect Date Night a reality. After a successful introduction in June, the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden is pleased to announce the return of Date Night on Monday, October 14, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
The Zoo will be open exclusively for adults 21-and-older to explore, enjoying the beautiful Oklahoma fall with a multitude of activity options, including a special appearance by the Rickmobile, making its only Oklahoma City stop on the nationwide “Don’t Even Trip Road Trip” tour. The Rickmobile is like the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile, but instead of a hotdog, the vehicle is shaped like Rick and Morty’s mad scientist, Dr. Rick Sanchez. It opens to reveal a mobile merchandise shop, with t-shirts, figurines, toys and more from Rick and Morty and other classic Adult Swim series. The Rickmobile mobile shop accepts only credit/debit cards for purchases, no cash or checks.
“Rick and Morty is an absurdly awesome animated series and we’re thrilled to host the Rickmobile’s only stop in Oklahoma City,” said Greg Heanue, OKC Zoo chief marketing officer. “The Zoo’s successful Date Night event series connects adults with wildlife in bold new ways, so hosting the wildly popular series’ tour at this event makes complete sense.”
In addition to Rick and Morty team trivia, Date Night attendees can explore the Zoo, attend a sea lion presentation, sing along with karaoke, play outdoor games, ride the endangered species carousel and enjoy drinks at multiple locations throughout the park. Special menus will be featured at Zoo eateries.
Date Night tickets are now available at okczoo.org/datenights for $25. Each ticket includes one free drink. Food is not included. No one under 21 years old will be admitted. Official federal, state or tribal identification showing both date of birth and a photo is required for entry. Attendees are welcome to dress as their favorite characters from the series, but no face masks or weapons (real or fake) will be allowed.
Rick and Morty is an animated series from Dan Harmon (Community) and Justin Roiland that follows a scientist and his grandson through a multiverse of adventure, calamity and comedy. Its upcoming fourth season premieres on Adult Swim in November.
Wubalubadubdub… don’t miss Date Night fun featuring the Rickmobile at the OKC Zoo! The 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. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Regular admission is $11 for adults and $8 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, Instagram and YouTube or by visiting the Zoo’s Blog. To learn more about these and other happenings, call (405) 424-3344 or visit okczoo.org.

story and photos by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

On Sundays strangers gather at New Heights Baptist Church on the city’s south side and sing their praises to the Lord.
But each Monday night, Capitol Hill alumni get together at New Heights to sing in praise of Albert “Ozzie” Ossenkop.
Randy Parsons directs Ozzie’s Capitol Hill Alumni Choir, a group composed solely of individuals taught by the local choral legend.
Members are either Ossenkop’s former students, their spouses or those he taught in church choirs.
Membership is by audition only and encompasses Capitol Hill students from 1963 to 1972.
“But we all auditioned 50 or 60 years ago,” Parsons laughed. “Ozzie was a great showman, a great choral director and taught us not only the love of music but he loved all of us.
“He made us feel special.”
The choir started after a couple of large reunions honoring their former director. Hundreds of students came out of the woodwork for those.
Ossenkop taught for 34 years and passed in 2011 at the age of 89.
During the later years, the group gathered each Christmas to serenade him at Legend at Rivendell.
“Many of the choir stayed in touch and would come to visit and still consider him like a father,” Parsons said. “As he aged our love for him probably increased because we could care for him a little bit like he cared for us.”
But when Ossenkop passed there was a void.
A couple of alumni got the idea of gathering members to sing for the lighting of the Stockyards Christmas tree.
“That’s what got us started and now we are the official choir of Stockyards City and we sing every year at the lighting,” he said. “We figured if we were going to do this let’s do this with the songs Ozzie taught us.”
The choir doesn’t just sing, it performs Ossenkop’s original arrangements he taught back in high school.
This will be the fourth season for Ozzie’s Capitol Hill Alumni Choir, which performs around 14 shows yearly.
In late August, the group performed at the Capitol Hill Alumni Association Annual Banquet.
One of Ossenkop’s students made it all the way. Tenor Chris Merritt has performed all over the world from Carnegie Hall to London’s Royal Opera House.
Ossenkop took his choirs all over as well. Disneyland, Montreal, San Antonio – Ossenkop’s choirs toured performing his annual Musical Extravaganza, a collection of show tunes he arranged.
Member Cheryl Tolsen was part of Ossenkop’s last choir. Coincidentally, her mother was in Ossenkop’s first choir.
“The alto doesn’t fall far from the tree,” Parsons joked.
On Monday nights you’ll find Kathy Perkins, Class of 1968, accompanying the choir on piano the same way she did in high school.
Following Labor Day, Parsons said the group will look to add more members. Anyone who was taught by Ossenkop is welcome to join this month to begin work on the group’s Christmas performances.
Carol Netherton (Class of 68) serves as the group’s secretary and treasurer.
“He was just full of vitality and vivaciousness,” she remembered. “I don’t know anybody who didn’t like him. He was like a father to so many.”
Alana Stephens (Class of 69) described her mentor as ‘“a big old teddy bear.” Seeing Ossenkop each morning at 7:25 a.m. was always a treat.
“He really was interested in all of us kids,” Stephens said. “He wasn’t just a teacher.”
Ossenkop’s expectations were straightforward: no smoking, no drinking, be an A+ person.
Even decades later, when Ossenkop would see one of his students he could tell them what voice part they sang and even remembered details about their families. “One teacher’s influence has been multiplied over all these years and is still being multiplied,” Parsons said. “Nobody pays these people to come. They have to put up with me but they come week after week, year after year. We enjoy each other but our main motivation is we want to honor the guy that started it all.”
Ossenkop left an indelible mark on every member of the choir.
Juanita Gasaway (Class of 1968) still has two pictures of Ossenkop on her cell phone. The first is of him holding her first son in 1970. The second was Ossenkop holding her son’s son in 2010.
“He had a heart of gold,” Gasaway said.

Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill on that enhances requirements for health care providers who perform mammograms to notify patients about their test results. The measure is part of Oklahoma’s ongoing efforts to fight breast cancer.
Known as Nancy’s Law, the legislation is named for Nancy Simpson of Edmond, who lost her life to breast cancer in 2018 at the age of 69. The law focuses on dense breast tissue, which can interfere with efforts to detect breast cancer.
“Mammograms are vital tools for detecting breast cancer,” said Sen. Adam Pugh (R), Edmond, who co-authored the bill. “But for some women, they may not tell the whole story. Nancy’s Law will equip those women with the knowledge they need to take charge of their health and, in some cases, save their lives.”
Dense breast tissue affects as many as half of all women and can obscure basic mammography scans, making cancer more difficult to detect. Under existing Oklahoma law, if a patient is found to have dense breast tissue, when she receives her mammography results, the health care facility that performed the mammogram must advise the patient of this fact and provide information on additional testing options.
The new legislation requires those mammography results and notification to be emailed to the patient if she so elects.
“Our wives, mothers, sisters and daughters depend on breast screening to detect cancer,” said the bill’s co-author Rep. Lewis Moore (R), Arcadia. “This new measure will give more Oklahoma women the chance to live their lives cancer-free.”
Simpson worked for 30 years as a laboratory technician at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, searching for effective ways to control fats that play a major role in heart disease and stroke.
Although she underwent yearly mammograms, Simpson’s dense breast tissue hid her cancer until doctors discovered it at stage 4, when it was too advanced to respond to treatment. At the end of her life, she wrote a letter to Pugh and Moore that served as the catalyst for the new legislation.
“Nancy dedicated her career to helping make discoveries to benefit people she would never know,” said OMRF President Stephen Prescott, M.D. “Even in the fight for her own life, she did what she could to ensure that future generations of women could take control of their own breast health and live longer.”
“We are so grateful to Sen. Pugh and his staff for what they’ve done in Nancy’s memory,” said John Simpson. “Nancy was a caring, empathetic person. She would love knowing that Nancy’s Law will save lives.”
“This law is a major step for women’s health in Oklahoma,” said Stitt. “It ensures that all women can take advantage of advances in breast cancer detection and treatment that can spell the difference between life and death.”
Nancy’s Law will take effect Nov. 1.

Women’s Veterans Monument Sets the Standard for Honoring America’s Best

Story and photos by Darl Devault, Feature Writer

With the privilege and opportunity approaching of honoring all military service on upcoming Veterans Day more than 300,000 women have volunteered to serve our country in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The little known Del City monument created as America’s only inclusive bronze monument honoring women veterans patriotically illustrates this pride.
Dedicated in 2014, this Women’s Veterans Monument honoring the two million women who have served and are serving in the armed forces is our nation’s first inclusive-of-all-services tribute.
Sculpted by Luther, Okla. artist Joel Randell, the monument honors women who today make up 16 percent of the enlisted forces, and 18 percent of the officer corp.
In the years since its unveiling, this first-of-its-kind public art has engaged the art community. Oklahoma’s most famous illustrator and fine art painter, Mike Wimmer, sought out the monument as a visitor.
“Joel Randell celebrates the poise, dignity and strength of the women serving in our armed forces,” Wimmer said recently. “Its patriotic expression of figurative realism gives honor to the women who stand up with uncommon valor to serve and protect their nation, community and family. He captured every figurative detail in meticulously representing and honoring the achievements of real women in their chosen branch of military service.”
The polished black granite monument depicts five bronze slightly-larger-than-life uniformed Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard women.
It also features an Oklahoma Army National Guard uniformed woman speaking with a little girl inquiring when she can serve. The mother and daughter are sitting at a reflecting pool before the mother’s departure to serve her country.
The centerpiece is the servicewomen in intricately-correct dress uniforms and caps. They are facing outward in a circle, holding hands. Planners said this represents the strength and unity between them to form a symbol of strength and purpose around a flagpole with a large American flag.
An all-woman committee of eight veterans guided the artist during the $1.5 million project, spending three years planning the monument.
The women, who had attained all levels of military rank and responsibility, designed the overall look and paid attention to the greatest detail. They made sure their service uniform depictions could pass any critical dress inspection a fellow veteran might make of the bronze statues.
Oklahomans SSgt Laurel “Chip” Chambers, MSgt Barbara L. Curry, Capt. Jennifer Grant, Sp4 Linda Kiselburgh, SMSgt Deborah L. McQuillar, AZCS Carolyn Mischke, SSgt Dorothy Rimbold and Lt. Col. Julie Wende served on the committee.
The monument stands in Patriot Park, the site of several veterans’ memorials and monuments and a Veterans Day ceremony each year opposite the Del City Community Center just off I-35. In 1995 the city built the first monument to honor all of Del City’s war dead since World War II. A Fallen Soldier Battle Cross honors veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. A Blue Star Mothers Memorial joined the Vietnam War artwork and soldier mausoleum in 2011.
This newest monument—to those who take the oath to serve their country, allows Del City citizens and leaders to make a strong statement that women veterans deserve honors. This monument says ladies do their share—from the initial historical commitment to provide support, to the now dangerous duty of combat. The folks from this small city next to Tinker AFB celebrate the patriotism that binds them to the goal, keeping America free.
By depicting a youth conversing with a role model, the monument also conveys the multigenerational relationship between women who have served and now younger generations.
With owner John Free Jr., supervising, The Bronze Horse Foundry in Pawhuska, Okla., cast the monument’s bronze figures.
“These seven patriotic figures in one masterpiece are really something,” Free said after installing the statues. “People really like that the artist researched these subjects so strongly for accuracy, because this bronze art is going to stand here forever.”
One Lawton, Okla. combat veteran saw firsthand how a fellow female soldier made the ultimate sacrifice in combat.
Eleanor McDaniel, 67, a veteran of Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield as the first Comanche woman to serve in U.S. combat as the highest-decorated Comanche woman recalled Army Spec. Lori Ann Piestewa. Piestewa, a Hopi, died after an ambush in March 2003 in Iraq.
Piestewa was the first Native American woman killed in combat on foreign soil. McDaniel said the monument honors the sacrifices of all military women, whether in combat or during peacetime.
“This monument is well deserved and long overdue,” McDaniel said in 2014. “Other communities should follow the example. Recognition of this magnitude for our women in the military is uncommon, but many extraordinary women have served and deserve that recognition. I am deeply grateful to the people of Del City and all those that made it possible to recognize and honor the service and sacrifice of all the women of the U.S. military.”
Arizona’s government renamed Squaw Peak in the Phoenix Mountains as Piestewa Peak in 2008 and renamed the freeway that passes nearby in her honor.