Friday, December 5, 2025

Any Given Saturday: NRH cares for Sooner fans

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Norman Regional Health System employees take care of Oklahoma’s seventh-largest population on home football game days. Photos provided. INSET: NRHS Emergency Department Manager Stephanie Gehrke, RN, coordinates the Gomer Jones Coronary Care Unit. Photo provided.

Story by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

Five or six Saturdays each fall, some 86,000 fans invade Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium to watch the University of Oklahoma play football.
For a few hours, the surge of humanity encapsulated inside the Palace on the Prairie becomes Oklahoma’s seventh largest population.
And from dehydration to cardiac arrest, Norman Regional Health System nurses, techs, paramedics, and other employees team up to provide care inside the Gomer Jones Coronary Care Unit.
For the record, Gaylord Family Stadium can seat up to 86,112, making it the 23rd largest stadium in the world, the 13th largest college stadium in the United States, and the second largest in the Big 12 Conference, behind Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium.
Norman physician Dr. Harold Belknap established the Gomer Jones Coronary Care Unit within the Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in 1971 and continued as acting chief until 2003.
All fans who come through the door can get help for free.
“I feel like on game day, the stadium is the safest place to be in town,” Norman Regional Health System physician Dr. Patrick Cody once said.
Stephanie Gehrke, RN, emergency nurse manager, has directed the clinic for five years now.
“I thought it was a great concept because I know the clinic has been around for quite a while,” she said of coming into her role. “It’s a great service for the fans. Some of them get to head back out to the game after we get them fixed up.”
Beginning three-and-a-half hours prior to each home contest, the clinic is typically staffed by emergency department nurses, techs along with an attending ED doc, two residents, and two medical students.
Six to seven teams are gathered to operate cooling zones, which come in handy early in the season when temperatures inside the stadium can easily reach more than 100 degrees.
Runners rotate between the zones to check stock and see if anything is needed.
EMSSTAT bike medics stationed throughout the stadium can get to your seat in about two minutes, and each of those medics can handle a cardiac arrest by themselves with the equipment on their bike.
Employees within the health system are invited to sign up each year.
“It can be anyone from a unit secretary to EVS (environmental services) – anyone that is interested in going,” she said.
Gehrke said the clinic sees a bulk of heat and alcohol-related complaints from fans including falls and lacerations.
The clinic has seen heart attacks, strokes, and cardiac arrests “basically anything and everything.”
“It’s so dependent on the time of the day and the temperature,” Gehrke said. “Night games are usually better in terms of heat-related things but we could end up with … more intoxication-related complaints.”
Gehrke said if you want to stay in the stands and out of the clinic on game days follow a few simple rules.
“The biggest thing is hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, and come prepared to continue drinking water,” she said. “A lot of people do drink water before they come in and kind of forget to keep drinking it during the game and sit out there and bake in that sun.”
Comfortable shoes are a must
“Heels and flip-flops probably aren’t the most appropriate thing for a crowded stadium because they trip over the stairs and lose your balance,” she said.
Inside the clinic, personnel initiate “a lot of IVs” for fluids and give nausea medicine.
“For the clinic, we want to try to get them seen but also get them back to the game if appropriate,” she said. “We kind of push those fluids in them, make sure they can stand up and walk and drink fluids without getting sick. The majority of our job in the clinic really all revolves around hydrating people for the most part.
“The majority of the people we never see again.”
The hospital also has volunteer stretcher teams composed of young adults from local schools who might be interested in the medical field.
“They are stationed throughout the stadium so if someone were to pass out or fall they are able to put them on their stretcher and get them into the clinic,” Gehrke said. “Like Dr. Cody said it probably is one of the safest places. If you’re injured you’re going to get pretty quick care.”
Gehrke said the first game of the season saw 115 calls throughout the stadium and 54 patients were seen in the clinic.
For more information about Norman Regional Health System click here:
https://www.normanregional.com/careers

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WWII Hero Ernest Evans Memorial Unveiled

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Stephen Reagan, retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col, speaks to the 50 people attending the unveiling of the Ernest Evans Memorial in a Muskogee, Okla. park.

Story by Darl Devault, Contributing Editor

In the early hours, just after dawn on October 25, 1944, the Japanese sent the largest naval battle group ever assembled to destroy the landing of a quarter million men on Leyte. Their goal was to push the American forces off the beaches and out of the Philippines. Never had one man’s actions diverted the burden of attack from so many American service members.
The Japanese forces attempting to surprise the overmatched Taffy 3 task force in the Battle Off Samar were introduced to the unwavering courage and self-sacrifice of one of the U.S Navy’s finest. The destroyer escorts, commonly referred to as “tin cans,” were in for the fight of their lives against a superior force.
U.S. Navy Commander Ernest Edwin Evans, Commander of the USS Johnston, assured himself a place in U.S. Naval history with his courageous initiative in the face of the enemy. Before the order to attack could be issued, against a far superior force, Commander Evans fulfilled his duty to his country and his fellow man by navigating his vessel into harm’s way, deploying his torpedoes and laying a smoke screen to protect his fellow ships.
Evans’ bravery, leadership and historic sacrifice delivered the immediate first blow that let the enemy know the Americans had begun the battle. Instilling chaos within the Japanese naval ranks, his torpedoes tore the bow off the Japanese cruiser Kumano. Commander Evans relentlessly displayed the power of his crew as he continued his forward attack on the enemy.

The bronze bust of Medal of Honor winner Ernest Evans features a miniature model of his ship, the USS Johnston, firing her five-inch guns and creating a smoke screen.

This “preemptive retaliatory strike with extreme prejudice” was a product of Evans’s fierce fighting spirit.
The Japanese thought they would have a far easier beginning to any battle off Samar. They were bringing a far superior number of ships and were surprising their enemy. What they did not account for was the fighting spirit of the tin can Sailors sworn to protect the rest of Taffy 3. Echoing the war cries of their earliest Naval ancestors, the Sailors of Taffy 3 had not yet begun to fight.
Evans and his only 2,000-ton warship, the newly built Fletcher Class USS Johnston, promised to be the readiest-for-battle warship in the Navy.
As he took command at the USS Johnston’s commissioning in October 1943, Evans let his assembled crew know his intentions. “This is going to be a fighting ship,” he said. “I intend to go in harm’s way, and anyone who doesn’t want to go along had better get off right now. I will never retreat from an enemy force.”
Evans’s tactical blitzkrieg was everything a ship that size could accomplish in that short a time. The Johnston rejoined the additional frigate line of destroyer escorts as they made their torpedo runs at the far superior forces. This action meant the small Taffy 3 task force presented a “larger than real” profile in the water. Although his ship had already fired her torpedoes, Commander Evans wanted to protect his fellow sailors as much as possible with his five-inch guns, firing 800 rounds in the battle.

The USS Johnston underway headed to WWII in the Pacific on October 27, 1943, just after commissioning.

This second suicide run met with far less success against the enemy. After almost three hours of battle, the Johnston eased over on her side for 20 minutes until finally sinking. Her destruction was for a good cause. The enemy, confusing the aggression as a genuine effort made by a more significant force, broke off the attack and headed for home.
Evans earned a Medal of Honor for his courageous actions but lost his life that day along with 185 members of his crew.
As Veterans Day approaches November 11, Oklahomans proved their servicemen and women are never forgotten in a recent solemn ceremony. The emphasis was family, in both those gathered and those mentioned during the ceremony dedicating a monument to Oklahoma’s most famous Navy hero of WWII in Muskogee, Okla., on October 25, 78 years to the day after he died in the Battle Off Samar.
Several families connected with the effort to commemorate Evans’ courageous Medal of Honor defining effort made the trip to Oklahoma to attend the event.
A retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel and dentist, and Norman, Okla. resident Stephen Reagan spearheaded the effort to honor Evans. His family, including his son, an active-duty U.S. Air Force Colonel, surrounded him at the bust unveiling.
In giving credit for the final push to make the event happen after a three-year and nine-month campaign to raise funds and resources to create the monument, the mayor of Muskogee mentioned by that time he felt as if he had become a brother to Steven Reagan in the effort.
“It was a humbling experience to unveil Commander Evans’ memorial bust in the City of Muskogee,” said Muskogee Mayor Marlon J. Coleman. “Retired Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Reagan led a herculean effort recognizing Commander Evans’s role in World War II. As a graduate of Muskogee High School, Evans’ place in history is one that Muskogee should be proud of. Evans’ leadership, tenacity, and love for his country showed the Japanese naval fleet what it means to challenge American democracy—that our principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are worth dying for. Stephen Reagan is a modern-day hero, a champion of causes for Sailors such as Ernest Evans, whose legacy would otherwise go unknown or told incorrectly. I am proud to call Stephen a brother.”
University of Oklahoma Naval ROTC Commanding Officer and 30-year veteran Capt. Paul Young spoke about a typical day as a captain of a surface ship on patrol and his respect for Evans.
During historian Larry Floyd’s detailing of Evans’ life and courageous actions, he spoke of the families. He said Evans had two children with his wife during his 17-year career in the Navy leading up to that critical moment in the history of the United States Navy.
On Sept. 28, 1945, not long after World War II ended, Commander Evans was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Presented to his wife, Margaret, in San Pedro, California, the ceremony included his mother, sister and sons Jerry and Ernest Jr.
The first Navy Native American to earn the Medal of Honor, Evans is one of only two World War II destroyer captains to attain it.
Evans’ exploits have now been interwoven into the Navy legacy as his name has gone on to grace a warship and a U.S. Navy Academy building.
“I consider my work to help Muskogee honor Commander Ernest Evans one of the most significant things I have ever done,” Reagan said. “It’s a good feeling to help others. I am very proud of my three sons, their families and my wife Alice and to have Alice and all three sons present helped make it a great day for me.”
His son Col. Eric Reagan, active-duty US Air Force, summed up what he saw as his father’s motives. “Over the last three years, I’ve asked myself, ‘what interest does a retired Air Force dentist have in relentlessly pursuing recognition of a Navy ship captain?’ The answer is service,” Eric said. “My dad still serves veterans, his community, Oklahoma, and our great nation. This project was a reflection of his service. My brothers and I are proud of him, and we were so honored to be in Muskogee today to honor Ernest Evans…and our father.”
Reagan volunteers to help all service veterans to ensure they receive their full benefits from their military service with the Dale K. Graham Veterans Foundation in Norman. This event in Muskogee is just another example of the wrap-around concept of our nation’s gratitude and attention to the families left behind while their loved ones are serving and those families deprived of their service members through death. Gold Star families of the U.S. Armed Forces have lost loved ones since 1776. Nationally noted Paul Moore of Norman sculpted the bronze bust of Evans wearing his Medal of Honor. It sits atop a square black granite pedestal. Below his image at the front of the bust is a miniature model of the USS Johnston firing her five-inch guns and creating a smoke screen. The front of the pedestal features Evans’ significant dates and his Medal of Honor Citation on the back.

https://www.lindseymedicalsupply.com/

SPECIAL TO SNL: Holiday Tips For Seniors

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Joyce Clark, Executive Director of Saint Ann Retirement Center in Oklahoma City.

Story by Joyce Clark, Executive Director – Saint Ann Retirement Center

When asked what is the most significant thing that makes an elder feel loved and included in the Thanksgiving & Christmas season, most people say they desire to spend time with family. Residents of Saint Ann Independent Living were asked for ideas to help make holidays for seniors more joyful and festive. Most replies indicated seniors simply want to spend time with loved ones doing just about anything. Ideas for activities families and seniors can do together are outlined below.

THINGS TO DO TOGETHER TO BRIGHTEN HOLIDAY SEASON FOR YOUR ELDER LOVED ONES

  • Attend a Christmas ballet or theatre show
  • Hold a virtual get-together using Facetime, Zoom, Skype, or Google Meet
  • For those who have difficulty getting around or need personal assistance, hire an aide to transport & assist her at a family event.
  • Play Dirty Santa or other games
  • Take a drive to view Christmas lights
  • Enjoy a spa day
  • Write Christmas cards
  • Include the elder in meal & event planning
  • Cook favorite items in a festive setting
  • Assist with gift wrapping
  • Help decorate the senior’s home. Also, help take down & store decorations.
  • Go gift shopping with a stop for brunch
  • Play holiday music & sit by a fire while visiting
  • Assemble a holiday or family photo album or scrapbook
  • Bake cookies
  • Make holiday cards or crafts
  • Watch Christmas or home movies
  • Create a cookbook with recipes from all family members
  • Organize old photographs & share memories about them
  • If it is difficult for the senior to get out of the home, take a small festive family party to her residence.
  • Attend church or Mass on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day
  • Go caroling or have a sing-along
  • Help the senior primp for a special event or get ready together. Manicure nails, style hair, do makeup, trim long hair in nose, ear, or eyebrows, and get dressed in fancy clothes. The senior may need to rest before going to an event or some primping could be done in advance.
Saint Ann Independent Living residents agreed it is wonderful to have people stop by for a visit all year and not just during the holidays. Folks who are hard of hearing prefer personal visits over telephone calls or video chat. The residents also suggested some gift ideas for seniors:

GIFT IDEAS FOR YOUR FAVORITE SENIOR

  • Help out by shopping, running errands, picking up gifts, mailing package or cards
  • Arrange for a beautician or masseuse to go to the senior’s home
  • Postage stamps
  • Cup holder for walker or wheelchair
  • Gift card for a local grocery store, restaurant, favorite brand, Walmart, coffee, manicure, etc…
  • Crossword, Sudoku or jigsaw puzzles
  • Basket of fruit, snacks, or groceries
  • Latest book from a favorite author
  • Night lights or motion sensor lights for hallway, bedroom, bathroom
  • Coupon redeemable for running errands a few times a year
  • Note offering to do chores around the house
  • Monthly subscription for a gift box, flowers, or magazine
  • Warm & snuggly throw
  • Bidet
  • Easy-to-use mobile phone or tablet that can be used to video chat
  • Smart picture frame that allows people to upload pics, video call, or send notes
  • Amazon Echo with voice calling
  • Custom photo puzzle or calendar
  • Medical alert system
  • Memory foam or gel seat cushion
  • Adaptive devises like a long handled shoe horn
  • Large print playing cards
  • Succulents
  • Shari’s Berries
  • Bird feeder & seed
  • Wall mounted magnifying mirror
  • Fall-resistant slippers
  • Wine
  • Assortment of birthday & greeting cards with stamps
Another suggestion is to simplify traditions and routines to reduce stress and accommodate the elder’s physical or mental needs. Sometimes it is more about the people and simple things than celebrating exactly as done in previous years.
Holidays can be particularly sad for some folks. Pictures or memories may bring up tears or grief. This can be a healthy way to release normal feelings and should not be shamed. Share a safe space to remember and celebrate lost loved ones.
Joyce Clark is the Campus Director of Saint Ann Retirement Center, which offers independent and assisted living. She says watching people regain their strength, balance, and health is one of her team’s greatest rewards.
Clark encourages people to be extra careful at home getting in and out of the bathtub, where many people tend to fall. Call Lisa at Saint Ann Retirement Center, (405) 721-0747 Ext #322, if you would like more tips and helpful information. https://www.saintannretirementcenter.com/

OK HISTORY & MORE – Nov./Dec. 2022 Events

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For a full list of events/details visit: www.okhistory.org/calendar/ohs

Will Rogers Days and Motion Picture Festival November 4, Will Rogers Memorial Museum, 1720 West Will Rogers Boulevard Claremore, OK 74017. The Will Rogers Memorial Museum (WRMM) and Birthplace Ranch will celebrate the 143rd birthday of Oklahoma’s Favorite Son with the Will Rogers Motion Picture Festival. From November 2 through 5, four days of activities will be held to honor the memory of the Cherokee cowboy, philosopher, and movie actor who had starred in 50 silent movies and 21 talkies by the time of his death on August 15, 1935, in an Alaska airplane crash.

“The Music and Art of Our Oklahoma Community Saturday, November 5th.  3 PM Doors open for Art Show and Live Music (background); 4PM Music, Storytelling; 5PM Meet the Artists at the Eastlake Church, 700 SW 134th St, Oklahoma City, OK  73170. Members of Painted Sky Opera; OKC Pianists’ Club; Flute by Lauren Monteiro; Local Jazz Pianist Nathan Sobel; Local  Author Shelley White will present music. Local Artists will present original paintings, Crewel Embroidery, Quilting Exhibits, Original Jewelry designs. For more info contct Barbara Poppe, bpoppe1953@gmail.com (405)831-5343.
Blacksmithing Demonstrations with the Saltfork Craftsmen November 5, Cherokee Strip Museum and Rose Hill School, 2617 West Fir Street Perry, OK 73077. Visit the Cherokee Strip Museum in Perry to watch the Saltfork Craftsmen give a Blacksmithing Demonstration in the blacksmith shop. The demonstration will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Guests can enjoy watching the craftsmen work and will have an opportunity for safe hands-on experiences. This event is for those who enjoy watching craftsmen at work, and for young and old alike to try their hand at the craft. The forge will be lighted at 10:00 am.
Cast-Iron Cooking class Chisholm Trail Museum and Horizon Hill, 605 Zellers Avenue Kingfisher, OK 73750. The Chisholm Trail Museum in Kingfisher will host a Cast-Iron Cooking class on Saturday, November 5, from noon to 4 p.m. In this casual, fun class, students will learn to care for and cook in cast-iron cookware. Participants will create a Dutch oven delight and participate in a group meal. The class will explore historical and modern recipes while learning backyard cooking skills. This class is restricted to children ages 10 and older with an adult.
Daughter of Dawn film screening at the Poncan Theatre  November 6, 2 p.m.–3 p.m. Poncan Theatre, 104 East Grand Avenue Ponca City, OK 74601. On Sunday, November 6, at 2 p.m. the Pioneer Woman Museum and Statue will host a film screening of “The Daughter of Dawn” at the Poncan Theatre, located at 104 E. Grand Ave. in Ponca City. Rather than a set ticket price, patrons are encouraged to give a donation as admission to the screening. The program begins at 2 p.m.
Flames of Memory November 10, 5:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m. The Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library will honor veterans at a special event called Flames of Memory on Thursday, November 10, starting at 5:30 p.m. Veterans’ families are invited to place a luminaria to help light up the steps of the library. The luminaria display will stay in place for the Veterans Day parade and ceremony in Guthrie that will start at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, November 11. The guest speaker at Flames of Memory will be retired U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Gregory Slavonic, who previously served as acting undersecretary of the Navy and the assistant secretary of the Navy for manpower and reserve affairs. The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and other groups will take part. This event is sponsored by the Samuel King Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Quilting workshop with Martha Ray November 12, 9 a.m.–11 a.m. Sod House Museum, 4628 State Highway 8 Aline, OK 73716. Visit the Sod House Museum southeast of Aline for a quilting workshop on Saturday. The workshop will take place from 9 to 11 a.m. with instructor Martha Ray, and the cost is $5 per person. For more information, please contact Director Renee Trindle at 580-463-2441 or sodhouse@history.ok.gov.
Choctaw Code Talkers documentary film screening November 12, 1 p.m.–3 p.m. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive Oklahoma City, OK 73105. In honor of Native American Heritage Month, on Saturday, November 12, from 1 to 3 p.m., the Oklahoma History Center will screen the documentary of Choctaw Code Talkers. In 1918, although the Choctaw soldiers of the US American Expeditionary Forces were not considered citizens of the country, they served, using the Choctaw language as a powerful tool against the German Forces in World War I.
Rushmore Four performances at the Oklahoma History Center November 16, 2 p.m. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive Oklahoma City, OK 73105. On Wednesday, November 16, the Rushmore Four, a program featuring the presidents who appear on Mount Rushmore, will be returning to the Oklahoma History Center! Performances are scheduled for 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. There is no charge for the 2 p.m. performance, however, patrons are required to pre-register. Admission for the evening performance is $10 for Historical Society members and $20 for nonmembers.
“Hunter Trapper” living history program Fort Gibson Historic Site, 907 North Garrison Avenue Fort Gibson, OK 74434. On Friday, November 18, and Saturday, November 19, 2022, from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 1 to 3 p.m., the Fort Gibson Historic Site will hold a living history program about the practices of hunters and trappers of the area. Visitors will learn about the trade through a hands-on examination of the different animal furs and by seeing the different equipment, tools, and paraphernalia involved in making a successful hunting season.
Secrets of the OHC Research Library November 17, 12 p.m. Dive into the past with Laura Martin, Deputy Director of Research at the Oklahoma History Center, as she shares the vast historical and genealogical collections of the Research Library in this exclusive behind-the-scenes tour. You may be an archaeologist or an architectural historian, a student or researcher, a genealogist, or just someone interested in learning about your ancestors or the state of Oklahoma—the Research Library has the tools you need! From allotment records to Land Run claims, Dawes Rolls lists to Freedmen records, census documents and cemetery lists, newspapers, maps, photographs, film, and more. Learn how the Research Library can help you unlock the secrets of your ancestors and of our collective past.
Let’s Talk About It: Lonesome Dove (1985) by Larry McMurtry November 19, 6:30 p.m.–8 p.m. Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum, 1141 Pawnee Bill Road Pawnee, OK 74058. Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum in Pawnee has partnered with Oklahoma Humanities (OH) to host OH’s book discussion series “Let’s Talk About It.” The book club meeting will take place as monthly in-person and online gatherings at the museum on Blue Hawk Peak.
“Holiday Special” Kilgen Organ Performance feat. Lance Luce Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive Oklahoma City, OK 73105. On Monday, November 28, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., the Oklahoma History Center will present the 2022 winter performance of the Kilgen Organ series featuring organist Lance Luce. The theme for the concert will be “Holiday Special.” A short film and an audience sing-along are planned as a part of the performance. Lance Luce is an internationally acclaimed theatre organist.
Will’s Country Christmas December 2, 5 p.m.–9 p.m. Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch, 9501 East 380 Road Oologah, OK 74053. isit Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch in Oologah for Will’s Country Christmas on Friday, December 2, and Saturday, December 3, from 5 to 9 p.m. The ranch house will be decorated for an Indian Territory Christmas. The evening will include storytelling, Wild West shootouts, children’s crafts, 19th-century games, carriage rides, a shooting gallery, music, vendors, and food trucks.
Guthrie’s Distinctive Homes Tour and Wassail at the Carnegie Library December 3, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library, 406 East Oklahoma Avenue Guthrie, OK 73044. The Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library will be part of Guthrie’s Distinctive Homes Tour on Saturday, December 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. which gives an exclusive look inside some of Guthrie’s most distinctive homes and historic buildings, decorated for the holiday season. The Carnegie Library—a stop on the tour—is the place for tour participants to hear tales of the early days of Oklahoma’s first capital while having a warming cup of wassail.
Steamboat Heroine film screening and discussion December 10. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive Oklahoma City, OK 73105.  On Saturday, December 10, the Oklahoma History Center will feature a film screening that follows the excavation of the steamboat Heroine from the Red River and how it was transported to the Oklahoma History Center. In 1990, the sunken steamboat, Heroine, was discovered in Oklahoma’s Red River. It provided evidence of the role steamboats played in Oklahoma and how they transformed the region.
Movie Night featuring Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) December 30, 6 p.m.–9 p.m. Will Rogers Memorial Museum, 1720 West Will Rogers Boulevard Claremore, OK 74017. Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore will host a Movie Night featuring the film Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) in its theater on Friday, December 30, at 7 p.m. “Horsing Around with Will” will take place from 6 to 7 p.m., during which families can enjoy activities and crafts relating to the movie’s theme. Guests can enjoy free admission, popcorn, and drinks while watching the film. Seating is limited, so early arrival is suggested.

IN RECOGNITION: USS Oklahoma 1916-1946 – Battleship # 37, later BB-37 – attacked on 7 December 1941

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USS Oklahoma (BB-37) Passing Alcatraz prison, San Francisco Bay, California, during the 1930s. Hand-colored photograph. Courtesy of the USS Oklahoma Association, 1975. Collection of Irvin Barrett. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.
Rescue teams at work on the capsized hull of USS Oklahoma (BB-37), seeking crew members trapped inside, 7 December 1941. The starboard bilge keel is visible at the top of the upturned hull. Officers’ Motor Boats from Oklahoma and USS Argonne (AG-31) are in the foreground. USS Maryland (BB-46) is in the background. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Courtesy Naval History and Heritage Command

USS Oklahoma, a 27,500-ton Nevada class battleship, was built at Camden, New Jersey. She was commissioned in May 1916 and generally operated in the Atlantic over the next five years. In mid-1918, Oklahoma went to European waters to help protect convoys. Late in that year and in June 1919 she escorted President Wilson during his voyages to and from France. In 1921, the battleship moved to the Pacific, visiting the west coast of South America prior to joining the Pacific Fleet. During most of the rest of the decade, Oklahoma served with the Battle Fleet during its many exercises, drills and Fleet Problems. She participated in the Fleet’s trans-Pacific cruise to Australia and New Zealand in mid-1925. In the summer of 1927, she transported Naval Academy Midshipmen from the east to the west coast during their annual training cruise.
Oklahoma was modernized at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1927-29, emerging with a greatly altered appearance and notably improved battleworthiness. After brief service with the Scouting Fleet, she returned to the Pacific in mid-1930, and renewed her participation in the Battle Fleet’s activities. In July 1936, Oklahoma was sent to Europe to help evacuate U.S. citizens and others during the Spanish Civil War. She rejoined the Battle Fleet in the Pacific later in the year.
In 1940, Oklahoma’s base was shifted from the U.S. west coast to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. She was at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked on 7 December 1941. Moored outboard of USS Maryland (BB-46), she was hit by a great number of Japanese Type 91 aerial torpedoes. With her port side torn open over much of its length, Oklahoma rapidly rolled over and sank to the harbor bottom, with the loss of over 400 of her crew. Many of the men trapped in her upturned hull were cut free through the intense efforts of Sailors and civilian Navy Yard employees.
During 1943, Oklahoma was the subject of a massive salvage undertaking, involving turning her upright, patching her damages and refloating her. She was drydocked late in the year to be stripped of guns and other equipment and repaired sufficiently to make her relatively watertight. Too old and badly damaged to be worth returning to service, Oklahoma was formally decommissioned in September 1944. She was sold for scrapping in December 1946, but sank while under tow from Hawaii to California in May 1947.

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Unlock more benefits from Tricare for Life

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Steve Sibley is a native Oklahoman and Native American. He is also a retired, disabled veteran of both the Air Force and Army, and holds an MBA in Healthcare Administration.

By Steven Sibley, E7 RET/DAV, MBA Healthcare Admin Licensed and Appointed Health Insurance Agent

As a Military Retiree we enjoy many great benefits, affordable healthcare is one of them. As a civilian now working in the senior health insurance industry, I appreciate that value even more. I’ve discovered that Tricare for Life (TFL), is not just a healthcare benefit, it’s also a financial benefit. Unfortunately, many veterans don’t fully understand what Tricare for Life is or how it works. What they do know is when they need healthcare their copays are low or non-existent. As a professional in the industry, and someone on TFL, I’d like to shed some light on TFL.
TFL is a benefit that works with Original Medicare Parts A & B. Part A is for Hospital/Inpatient Care and Part B is for Primary/Outpatient Care. For retirees, TFL starts when they become eligible for Original Medicare at age 65. The big surprise comes when they discover that they are going on Medicare and that it has a much higher cost than the low premiums they had for Tricare Prime or Select. The new premium for 2023, which is for Medicare Part B, will be about $165.00 per month for most people with an average income.
Original Medicare generally only pays for 80% of the cost of care, so the remaining 20% is the responsibility of the patient. Plus, it does not cover prescription drugs, dental, or vision. The solution for many civilian retirees is to add a supplement and a drug plan. Together those premiums can cost about $200 per month and adding Vision and Dental plans will increase their monthly cost. Then they find out their plan’s premiums can increase every year.
During your 20 plus years of retirement, they’ll pay as much as $80,000 or more for each person on Medicare. Here’s why TFL is a financial benefit, there is no premium. Technically, TFL is called a “Medicare Wrap Around benefit”, practically it acts like a premium free supplement and drug plan. So, a retired military member and their spouse are not going to be spending hundreds of thousands of dollars of their retirement income on insurance premiums. It gets even better.
What most veterans on TFL don’t know is, they can access even more benefits from the Medicare part of their TFL by choosing to have it administered by a commercial healthcare company. These are called Part C plans, aka Medicare Advantage, and they must cover everything that Original Medicare does. These plans can bundle additional healthcare and wellness benefits, which may even include a Prescription Drug Plan. However, Military retirees can use special Part C plans that do not offer a drug plan, since their prescriptions are covered by TFL through Express Scripts. I am on such a plan, I pay ZERO dollars for it, and significantly reduces my Part B premium payment. It also covers Vision and Dental, so there’s no need to pay FEDVIP extra for those benefits. It also offers a host of other benefits worth hundreds of dollars a month. Using a Medicare Part C plan with TFL is like turbo- charging your benefits. These plans will also work for most Medicare eligible Veterans who use the VA for their prescription drugs. Less cost, more benefits, and money back is what we’ve earned and deserve as Veterans. Find out more and get your questions answered by giving me a call. Steven Sibley, E7 RET/DAV, 405-850-1569.

https://www.sibleyinsures.com/

Required disclaimer: We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.

Nancy Olson Livingston had a front-row seat to entertainment history

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Nancy Olson, as she was credited, and William Holden publicity still - Paramount Pictures
Cover of Olson Livingston’s book.

By Nick Thomas

Aside from the songwriters, imagine being the first person on the planet to enjoy the words and music of some of the greatest classic songs to ever appear in Broadway and Hollywood productions.
Nancy Olson Livingston did not have to imagine. As she writes in her new November autobiography, “A Front Row Seat,” her lyricist husband Alan J. Lerner and composer partner Frederick “Fritz” Loewe would regularly serenade her with their latest compositions throughout the 1950s.
“We were living in New York and I remember one time being awoken at three in the morning by Alan and Fritz who were shaking the bed saying, ‘Nancy, Nancy, you have to get up!’” recalled Olson Livingston from her home in Beverly Hills.
A bitterly cold night in the midst of a New England blizzard, the wildly excited songwriters forced her into a heavy coat, galoshes, and scarf as Lerner led his sleepy wife across the snow-covered road to their studio.
“You have to listen to something,” they insisted, depositing her in an armchair near the piano.
 The pair began acting out scenes from their new play and then performed “The Rain in Spain” to their wide-eyed solo audience. The song was one of over a dozen Lerner/Lowe classics that would be used to score the 1956 Broadway debut of “My Fair Lady” with Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews, then 8 years later on the big screen soundtrack featuring Harrison and Audrey Hepburn.
Whereas the original Broadway production continued into the early 1960s, the marriage to Lerner did not. The pair remained together from 1950 to 1957 when Lerner co-wrote songs for “Brigadoon” and “Paint Your Wagon.” But by the time audiences were enjoying his hits in “Gigi” and “Camelot,” the couple had divorced.
Fortunately for Nancy, she married Alan Livingston several years later, a union that lasted 47 years until his death in 2009. Livingston was another giant in the music world, an entertainment executive who eventually became president of Capitol Records in the early 60s. He signed an aging Frank Sinatra to a record deal, produced Don McLean’s “American Pie,” and was instrumental in bringing the Beatles to the U.S. He even co-wrote the novelty song “I Taut I Taw a Puddy Tat” and created the character of Bozo the Clown.
Unlike her first Alan, Alan number two was a faithful and devoted husband and the love of Nancy’s life. At 94, she still lives in the same house the couple built in 1965.
While certainly a dutiful hostess who supported the careers and social demands of both spouses, she also enjoyed success as an actress. Credited as Nancy Olson in film and television roles, she is often best remembered for her appearance in 1950’s “Sunset Blvd” playing the ingénue role with William Holden and Gloria Swanson. She went on to work with Holden in several more films.
“We formed a lasting friendship,” she said. “One time Alan (Livingston) and I were flying to London and were at Kennedy airport when I heard a voice calling from the other end of the hallway – it was Bill (Holden). We ran to each other and hugged which was very emotional. All of a sudden, a stranger walked up and taps us both on the shoulder and said, ‘excuse me, but this is better than watching an old movie!’”
Many more stories outlining her movie career, extensive charity work, and life married to two extraordinarily talented men are described in Olson Livingston’s book, which she divided into over 100 easy-to-read chapters.
“I could have written many more,” she says, “but each one in the book represents important moments in my life.”
Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, in Alabama, and has written features, columns, and interviews for numerous magazines and newspapers.  See www.getnickt.org.

Mercy Celebrates Milestone in Love Family Women’s Center

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Crowds cheered as construction crews lifted the final steel beam into the frame of the new Love Family Women’s Center Monday. The facility is under construction on the campus of Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City and will increase the hospital’s capacity to deliver babies by 40%.
The women’s center is being built at the northwest corner of Mercy’s campus at West Memorial Road and North Meridian Avenue. Construction kicked off in July 2021 and is on schedule to be complete in fall 2023.
Labor and delivery and postpartum services at Mercy have been at capacity for years, limiting the hospital’s ability to serve more patients. Over the last decade, Mercy has seen a 34% increase in births. The hospital, built in the 1970s, was designed to accommodate up to 3,000 births annually, but the hospital made room for a record 4,035 births last year.
“Like Mary and Joseph experienced the night Jesus was born, many days there’s just not enough room in the inn here at Mercy,” said Dr. Chad Smith, chief medical officer and obstetrician/gynecologist at Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City. “Our Mercy Birthplace team is awe-inspiring, and they do everything in their power to create as much room and serve as many families as possible. But we’re excited this building will give us much more space to serve many more families when they need us.”
The hospital currently has 43 patient rooms dedicated to labor and delivery and postpartum services. When the Love Family Women’s Center opens, that number will increase to a total of 73 patient rooms.
The four-story, 175,000-square-foot building will feature an obstetrics emergency department and the state’s first hospital-based low intervention birthing unit staffed by certified midwives. It will also serve as a hub for services designed for women of all ages, including women’s surgical recovery and physical therapy.
Three large caesarean section suites in the women’s center will connect to the hospital on the first floor via the existing hospital surgical suite. This strategic design allows for quick, safe access to additional services if medical emergencies occur during delivery.
Postpartum rooms will be on the third floor of the women’s center and connect to the hospital via a skybridge. This allows moms of babies needing a higher level of care to have direct elevator access to the existing neonatal intensive care unit on the fifth floor of the hospital.
A large conference center will host support groups and classes on everything from childbirth and infant care to CPR and more.
“What makes this building so special is the love and support from our community that made it all possible,” said Lori Cummins, vice president of development at Mercy Health Foundation Oklahoma. “They say it takes a village to raise a child. With more than 40% of this project funded through donations, it’s taken a village of generous people across Oklahoma and the country to make this longtime dream a reality.”
The Tom and Judy Love family, for whom the center is named, gave a $10 million lead donation to kick off the project, inspiring another $33 million total in donations toward the Love Family Women’s Center.

https://scissortaildermatology.com/

TSET Health Promotion Research Center Expands Their Team

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Katelyn Romm, Ph.D. is a new faculty members at TSET Health Promotion Research Center at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

Three faculty members have joined the TSET Health Promotion Research Center at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center: Katelyn Romm, Ph.D.; Erin Vogel, Ph.D.; and Meng Chen, Ph.D.
Romm comes to HPRC from George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. Her research aims to identify factors that predict substance use initiation, escalation and cessation to inform prevention and cessation efforts among individuals at greatest risk for such use, including youth and young adults, as well as minoritized populations.
Vogel comes from University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. Her research examines psychosocial influences on youth tobacco use and the use of digital tools and social media to address tobacco and other substance use among priority populations, including youth and the LGBTQ+ community. Her research program employs experimental, observational, and qualitative methods to address health disparities and emerging trends in technology and tobacco product use.
Chen joins the HPRC from University of California, Davis. Her research focuses on using computational algorithms for dynamic model fitting and the development and use of flexible dynamic models in behavioral sciences. She will work with HPRC faculty by providing biostatistics support and assisting with research study design.
According to Darla Kendzor, Ph.D., co-director of the HPRC, “These talented new additions to our team will enhance our ability to address tobacco and substance use across the state. Their research offers a focus on youth and young adults, and other at-risk populations along with advanced biostatistical expertise. Their skills offer a valuable complement to the expertise of our current faculty.”
The HPRC receives funding from the OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center via an NCI Cancer Center Support Grant (P30CA225520) and an Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust contract (R23-02).

Welcome To Tealridge!

SNL – CENTENARIANS OF OK

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Helen Grace Olson

Helen Grace Olson of Bethany was born & grew up in Weeping Water, NB. She has traveled to 43 states as an RVer, was always very active in the Nazarene church, loves fried chicken, holidays and family reunions. Her words of wisdom: Never go to bed angry with your spouse. And follow the words of Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and HE shall direct thy paths.

Frances Lovena Weger

Frances Weger was 100 in January and we’re still celebrating in Luther. She and her husband were residents of Lawton for 73 years and traveled with Campaigns for Christ on two trips to Germany and all over the U.S. She made baby quilts and wedding quilts for each of her eleven grandchildren. In her later years, she visited nursing homes, taking banana bread to the “elderly,” although she was in her 80s.

Doyle H. Clenney

World War II Army Air Corp Veteran Doyle Clenney will be 100 tomorrow, October 30! An ordained minister with the Assembly of God Church, Doyle had the special honor to preach at the historic St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Norfolk, Virginia. Doyle’s words of wisdom are the bible verse “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5). Happy 100th Doyle!

KNOW A CENTENARIAN?
If you know of a Centenarian you would like to honor, please visit
http://centenariansok.com/ and download, complete and submit our form. One of our team members will contact you directly with the next steps.

https://www.cremation-okc.com/

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