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PAIDPermit No. 182 Ponca City, OK

FEBRUARY 8, 2012

Denim & Lace AgricultureWorkshop On ThursdayDENIM & LACE,” the

2012 Women in Agri-culture Conference, will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday at The Ren-fro Center on the Northern Oklahoma College campus in Tonkawa. Registra-tion is $15 per person and includes the conference, morning refreshments and lunch. For additional infor-mation, call or email Kay County Conservation Dis-trict, 580-362-2438, kayccd@conservation.ok.gov.

First Lutheran Church’s Women’s Guild VALEN-TINE SALAD LUNCHEON will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at First Lutheran Church. Tick-ets are $6 for adults and $2 for pre-schoolers and are available from Guild members, the church and school offices and at the door.

The WANDA WATSON BAND will come to Ponca City to perform a free concert Feb. 14 at Two Rivers Casino. Former Ponca City resident Dale “Bach” Bacher, key-boardist for the nation-ally known band, just returned from competing in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tenn. In 2011, the Wanda Watson Band won the BST’s Blues Challenge held in Tulsa, which gave the band the opportunity to compete in Memphis. For more information on the Two Rivers Casino concert, call 580-762-3901.

The PONCA CITY MAIN STREET 25TH ANNI-VERSARY GALA will be Feb. 17 at the Ponca Play-house, 301 South First Street. Drinks and heavy appetizers will be pro-vided by Ponca City Main Street member businesses beginning at 6 p.m., along with tours of the renova-tions at the playhouse. The awards ceremony begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person; for reservations, call 580-763-8082 by Monday.

“THOROUGHLY MOD-ERN MILLIE” will be presented by the North-ern Oklahoma College at Tonkawa at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 23. This high-spirited musical romp has all of NOC dancing the Charles-ton. Taking place in New York City in 1922, Thor-oughly Modern Millie tells the story of young Millie Dilmount, who has just moved to the city in search of a new life for herself. The performance is at the Kinzer Perform-ing Arts Center. For more information, call 580-628-6214.

“LIVERPOOL LEG-ENDS” will be presented by the Poncan Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 24. Liv-erpool Legends, the four talented musicians and actors who were hand-picked by Louise Har-rison, sister of the late George Harrison of The Beatles, are returning to the Poncan to recreate the band that changed the face of music forever. Liv-erpool Legends perform songs spanning the entire career of The Beatles and on through the solo years. With precise atten-tion to every musical detail, along with costume changes, vintage instru-ments and special effects, Liverpool Legends will make you feel like you are watching the real thing! Tickets are available by calling the Poncan The-atre box office at 580-765-0943 or online at www.poncantheatre.com.

Wanda Watson

‘Hank the Cowdog’ Coming to Poncan StageThis weekend, the Evans

Children’s Academy will pres-ent a two-act play based on the popular children’s books “Hank the Cowdog,” by Texas author John R. Erickson.

The author based his sto-ries on his own experiences working on ranches in the Oklahoma and Texas Panhan-dles between 1974 and 1981.

Performances are at the Poncan Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Satur-day and at 3 p.m. Sunday.

Since 1982, Erickson has written more than 50 humor-ous children’s mystery nov-els based on the proud but bumbling Hank and his side-kick Drover. The play being presented this weekend was adapted from Erickson’s books by Oklahoma City director and playwright Doo-bie Potter.

Some 28 area students between ages 8 and 15 will play the characters found on a Panhandle ranch, including coyotes, buzzards, cats, owls and snakes. There are a few humans, but this is a tale told by ranch animals.

One of the most innovative aspects of the production will be the costuming.

The animals and birds will be portrayed by elabo-rate and detailed mask hats, which all members of the cast

have taken part in creating.For the past dozen years,

Potter has traveled the state holding theater seminars for children on behalf of the Oklahoma Arts Council. She has served on the board of the Oklahoma Community Theatre Association and is the president of Carpenter Square Theatre in Oklahoma City,. She also has directed numerous productions for the Ponca Playhouse, including last year’s “Almost Maine.”

She describes her directing style with children as “very hands-on and involved.” Dur-ing early rehearsals, she likes to be on stage with the children, feeding them their lines and showing them move-ments and characterization. She said this helps the young actors shed their inhibitions and connect with their dia-log better than just reading it from a script.

Some children will be mak-ing their first stage appear-ance this weekend, but sever-al in the cast are experienced academy performers.

Tickets may be purchased online at www.poncanthe-atre.org, by phone at 580-765-0943 from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or at the Pon-can Theatre Box Office after 1 p.m. They are $16 for adults and $8 for children. All pro-

ceeds from ticket sales help support the Evans Children’s Academy so area students may participate in its educa-tional activities at no cost.

While the “Hank” books are written for children, adults also read and enjoy them.

The production should be fun entertainment for the entire family.

This production is made possible by the Oklahoma Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mid America Art Alliance

as well as through funding from Pat Evans, Silvertop Farm and Vineyards, Evans and Associates, ConocoPhil-lips, Eastman National Bank, Fred Boettcher Law, Ponca City Energy and Ponca City Publishing Company.

HANK THE COWDOG actors include, clockwise from left, Emily Werner, Charlie Bean, Kady Bronifield and Brooklyn Golay.

NICOLAS CENTURION and Ashley Ballinger work on their mask hats. DIRECTOR AND playwright Doobie Potter, with cast members Miranda McCarty, Savannah Skiles, Brooklyn Golay and Cassandra Heskett.

A Lot of Love, Care Help Animals Prepare for HomesBy BEVERLY BRYANT

Midweek EditorAn operation like the Ponca

City Humane Society truly depends on the kind hearts of volunteers to shelter, nurture and find homes for animals who do not have a family of their own.

Volunteer Andrew Dehn spends a lot of his time at the shelter at 900 West Prospect Avenue, helping to care for the animals.

Recently he fostered a puppy that the shelter could not take in because he was too young and not healthy enough, Humane Society Director Pam Alexander said.

“He had to be bottle fed for the first week he was fostered and has grown so much since Andrew has had him,” Alex-ander said.

Ryan Connelly comes to vol-unteer on Saturdays since she is in high school during the week, Alexander said.

“She does a great job of socializing our shy dogs like Charlie, the bassett hound,” Alexander said.

Volunteers come in all ages. Alexander has had groups of kids who come with their mothers to play with and walk the dogs.

“People are welcome to come out and just play with the animals if they are not able to volunteer on a regular basis,” Alexander said.

Some of the regular volun-teers come as a family. A grandmother named Rita and her granddaughter Zoe come regularly to visit the animals, Alexander said.

“They work very hard at socializing the dogs and grooming the ones that really need some extra attention,” she said. “They have been a great help to us and we greatly appreciate the time they spend here at the shelter. They even help us show the animals to customers when we’re really busy!”

All of volunteers are great-ly appreciated and are truly needed to make the humane society a success, Alexander said.

“People can visit our web-site, www.pchumane.org, for volunteer information,” she said.

One area the Ponca City Humane Society is working to build is a foster care pro-gram.

“There is not one in place currently,” she said. “ We are looking for people who are interested in fostering ani-mals that we cannot take here at the shelter for various rea-sons, such as socialization issues, size of the animal and lack of space at the shelter. We are looking for loving home that will not have a problem returning the animal if we find a family for them.”

She said a lot of the animals that will need foster homes have been in bad situations and will need someone with lots of time and energy to take care of them.

“Fostering may take a great deal of time and energy, but people that foster animals most often find it to be a rewarding experience,” she said. “Foster homes provide a temporary loving home environment for an animal in need and help make the ani-mal more likely to be adopted into their forever home.”

Other regular volunteers include John Novak, Mark Scharre and Carol Scott, who Alexander said come fre-quently to walk the dogs.

(See SHELTER, Page 3C)

VOLUNTEER ANDREW Dehn fostered a puppy named Teddy that the Ponca City Humane Society could not take in to the shelter, Director Pam Alexander said. “He was too young and not healthy enough for us to take. He had to be bottle fed for the first week he was fostered and has grown so much since Andrew has had him,” she said.

TEDDY HAS grown so much since Andrew has had him, Ponca City Humane Society Director Pam Alexander said. This photo provided by the shelter shows the pair now.

RYAN CONNELLY, a high school student, works with Charlie the bassett hound. Ryan volunteers on Satur-days and socializes the shelter’s shy dogs like Charlie, Director Pam Alexander said.

PAGE 2-C–THE PONCA CITY NEWS, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012

OKLAHOMA CITY — Reach Out and Read Oklahoma, part of a nationwide school readi-ness program, believes books have the power to break the chain of generational poverty, and it is important to begin reading to children as early as birth.

February is Black History Month, and the organization is encouraging parents to share the accomplishments of African-Americans with their children through the power of books.

“Illiteracy is both a cause and a consequence of pov-erty,” said Steve Davis, state director of Reach Out and Read Oklahoma. “If we are going to truly prepare our babies to enter school ready to learn, we must first make sure they can recognize let-ters, have a nurturing home environment and develop a love of reading. It is our belief that if a parent or loved one gives a child a love for books, they will develop a love for learning that will lead to suc-cess in school.”

Black History Month, also referred to as African-Amer-ican History Month, is a remembrance of the events in the history of America that has been celebrated annually in February throughout the United States since 1976. The month began as Negro His-tory Week in 1926 by Cart-er G. Woodson to educate the American people about African-American cultural background and reputable achievements.

With that in mind, Reach Out and Read Oklahoma has put together a book list of great African-American chil-dren’s books to inspire Afri-can-American children and provide them with the tools to develop strong reading skills.

Reach Out and Read Okla-homa suggests reading the following African-American children’s books:

“Heroes for Civil Rights” by David A. Adler

“Amazing Grace” by Mary Hoffman and Carline Binch

“Aunt Flossie’s Hats (and Crab Cakes Later)” by Eliza-beth Fitzgerald Howard

“Aunt Harriet’s Under-ground Railroad in the Sky” by Faith Ringgold

“Baby Says” by John Step-toe

“Chicken Sunday” by Patri-cia Polacco

“Barack Obama: United States President” by Roberta Edwards

“Black Pioneers of Sci-ence and Invention” by Louis Haber

“Afro-Bets: Book of Black Heroes” by Wade Hudson

“Amazing Peace” by Maya Angelou

“Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope” by

Nikki Grimes“Just Like Martin” by Ossie

Davis“Justin and the Best Bis-

cuits in the World” by Mildred Pitts Walter

“Mama, I Want to Sing” by Vy Higginsen

Reach Out and Read also suggests the following books for parents to read:

“Learning While Black: Cre-ating Educational Excellence for African American Chil-dren” by Janice E. Hale

“Young, Gifted and Black: Promoting High Achievement Among African-American Students” by Theresa Perry

“Motivating Black Males to Achieve in School and Life” by Baruti K. Kafele

“Black Children: Their Roots, Culture and Learning Styles” by Janice E. Hale-Benson

“The Power of One: How You Can Help or Harm Afri-can American Students” by Dr. Gail Thompson

“Through Ebony Eyes: What Teachers Need to Know but Are Afraid to Ask About Afri-can American Students” by Dr. Gail Thompson

“Marva Collins’ Way: Updat-ed” by Marva Collins

OKLAHOMA CITY — The 2012 Oklahoma Grown Farm-ers’ Market Specialty Crop Grant funds are available and applications are due Feb 17.

The grant program is direct-ed toward 100 percent Oklaho-ma Grown Farmers’ Markets.

Grant applications for the

Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and For-estry grants must be post-marked by Feb. 17.

The program emphasizes advertising and marketing. Grants can be funded up to a maximum of $2,000 for markets that were registered with the

state as an Oklahoma Grown Farmers’ Market for the last three consecutive years.

Grants can be funded up to a maximum of $1,500 for markets that were not regis-tered with the state for the last three consecutive years.

Grant funds may be used

for signage, marketing promo-tion, advertising, newsletter publishing and other (this must be with justification and prior approval by the ODAFF as solely enhancing the com-petitiveness of specialty crops before any funds are expend-ed.).

For additional information and grant forms, contact Jus-tin Whitmore at 405-522-4691.

BLACKWELL RESIDENT Areline Bolerjack, 85, has realized her long-held dream of publishing a novel, “Anna’s Song.” She will have a signing for the book at Hillcrest Nursing Center, 1210 South Sixth, in Blackwell from 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Author’s First Novel, ‘Anna’s Song’ Printed

BLACKWELL — Blackwell resident Areline Bolerjack, 85, has realized her long-held dream of publishing a novel, “Anna’s Song.”

She will have a signing for the book at Hillcrest Nurs-ing Center, 1210 South Sixth, in Blackwell from 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Published in October 2011, “Anna’s Song” is Bolerjack’s first novel, following the pub-lication of two cookbooks, “Something Special” and “Something Special II.”

The novel is based loose-ly on the life of her mother, Anna, as recalled in stories from a cousin of Anna’s.

The cousin told Bolerjack that her mother was asked to leave home when she was 17, because conditions in her family were so bad, with an abusive and hostile father and a mentally fragile mother.

After leaving home and walking 35 miles to live with an uncle in the Avard area, Anna later was hired at the Mueller farm, where she met “an entirely satisfactory man,” John Davis.

Anna later learns that her

mother has been placed in a mental institution, and she is faced with her responsi-bilities to return home and to care for her father, or staying and fulfilling her dreams.

The book is rich in the regional history of north-cen-tral Oklahoma. Anna grew up in a soddie on a farm home-steaded by her father after the Cherokee Strip Land Run in 1893. It was vastly different than the Muellers’ farm, which had many conveniences and a more privileged lifestyle.

Bolerjack once wrote a col-umn called “Something Spe-cial” in the Blackwell Jour-nal-Tribune in the 1980s-90s. She had started the novel in a writing class in the early 1950s. It was completed with the help of her niece, Barbara Wright Jones.

“Anna’s Song” is available at Brace Books and More in Ponca City or through her son, James Bolerjack. He can be reached at 580-363-1983.

Her son said Bolerjack is now a resident of Hillcrest Manor Nursing Center in Blackwell, and welcomes vis-its.

Tribe Offers Free CERT Training

RED ROCK — The Otoe-Mis-souria Tribe offers free Com-munity Emergency Response Team training Feb 13-15 at the Tribal Complex.

The two and a half day course is designed to educate participants about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact them where they live, work or play.

The Community Emergency Response Team program edu-cates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills. Using CERT training, individuals can assist others in their neighborhood, workplace or school following an event when professional responders are not immedi-ately available to help.

The primary reason for CERT training is to give peo-ple the decision making, orga-nizational and practical skills to offer immediate assistance to family members, neighbors and associates while waiting for help.

Participants will learn basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations. They will receive CERT mate-rials including a handbook and a field backpack contain-ing basic tools such as a flash-light, safety vest and a first aid kit.

People who complete CERT training have a better under-standing of the potential threats to their home, work-place and community. Com-munity organizations, church groups, school staff, large cor-porations and other commu-nity groups should consider becoming a part of CERT so they are prepared in an emer-gency situation. CERT mem-bers are better able to take care of themselves and others in the immediate aftermath of an emergency in their commu-nity or workplace.

This is the second class hosted by the Otoe-Missouria Tribe. The first class was held in the fall and had 11 gradu-ates, some of whom may be called upon in emergency sit-uations to assist first respond-ers in a variety of non-opera-tional rolls.

CERT is part of the Fed-eral Emergency Management Agency’s Citizen Corps Pro-gram. CERT programs are managed by the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security.

The Otoe-Missouria Tribe is located about 15 miles south of Ponca City and 25 miles north of Stillwater on High-way 177 in Red Rock.

To sign up for the Feb 13-15 CERT training call Jody Moore at 580-723-4466, Ext. 214 or James LeClair at Ext. 142.

Drug Modifies Cystic Fibrosis

Reading Program Emphasizes Black History Month Books

Farmers’ Market Specialty Crop Grants Available

Nine $1,000 Tuition Grants Available for Kay County StudentsOKLAHOMA CITY — The

Oklahoma Heritage Asso-ciation and Gaylord-Pickens Museum’s Scholarship Com-petition provides an opportu-nity for Oklahoma high school students to earn cash scholar-ships and tuition grants for college.

With more than $700,000 available to students state-wide, the Association offers $1,000 in cash or grants to stu-dents in each county who earn high scores on an Oklahoma history and geography exami-nation.

Kay County has nine $1,000

tuition grants available.“This program is designed

to reward Oklahoma students who have taken an interest in the rich history of our great state,” said Shannon L. Rich, Oklahoma Heritage Associa-tion & Gaylord-Pickens Muse-um president. “We hope that it also encourages our stu-dents to stay in state to attend college and remain here to live and work after receiving their degrees.”

Individual donors and Okla-homa colleges and universi-ties provide the cash schol-arships and tuition grants in

the counties of their choice. In addition to schools state-wide offering tuition grants to students in various counties, Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma Christian Univer-sity, Bacone College, South-ern Nazarene University and the University of Science and Arts have made tuition waiv-ers available in all 77 counties

The test will be given on March 3 at 15 locations across the state. Test sites in and around Kay County include Oklahoma State University in Stillwater and the Education Service Center in Bartles-

ville. Students in grades nine through 12 are eligible to take the exam, and all students must pre-register by Feb. 22. A study guide is available to help students prepare for the exam.

In addition to the Okla-homa Heritage Scholarship Competition, the Oklahoma Heritage Association offers the four-year, $10,000 John W. and Mary D. Nichols Scholar-ship. As the name implies, the late John and Mary Nichols of Oklahoma City generous-ly fund the scholarship each year. The Nichols scholarship

is given to a high school senior who has not only demonstrat-ed that he or she has paid attention in Oklahoma history classes, but also excelled in academics, citizenship and leadership. The student must also commit to attend college in Oklahoma. Students must be nominated for the scholar-ship by an adult, and the dead-line is March 2.

To see a list of scholarships available in each county, to register for the test, see full list of testing sites, to down-load a study guide or to down-load the Nichols Scholarship

nomination form, visit www.oklahomaheritage.com or call 405-235-4458. For information about becoming a scholarship donor, call Gini Moore Camp-bell, director of publications and education, at 405-523-3202.

The Oklahoma Heritage Association is a non-profit organization that preserves Oklahoma history and pro-motes pride in the state. Through each of its programs and the Gaylord-Pickens Okla-homa Heritage Museum, the Association tells Oklahoma’s story through its people.

Dr. James Royall

OKLAHOMA CITY — Children in Oklahoma are responding positively to the first disease-modifying Cystic Fibrosis drug which will dras-tically change the lives of chil-dren living with this debilitat-ing disease.

This new drug corrects the basic defect causing Cystic Fibrosis for people with CF with a particular type of muta-tion. Currently, patients on the drug are significantly improv-ing and it is possible that this therapy is on the brink of a cure for CF.

CF is a severe genetic dis-order affecting the lungs and eventually other vital organs. Although most children are diagnosed by age 2, the dis-order ultimately leads to an untimely death as a result of life-threatening lung infec-tions.

Roughly 4 percent of the CF patient population has CF due to the G551D mutation. With this specific mutation, a defective protein caused by CF does not function properly. Fortunately, the new drug suc-cessfully restores the function of the protein, which in turn improves lung function.

Dr. James Royall, M.D., CMRI C.R. Anthony Centen-nial Chair in Pulmonology and Director of the Oklahoma Cystic Fibrosis Center, under-stands the importance of vigi-lance and aggressive care for his young patients. He has ongoing research to collect data on patients with CF to better understand the illness and ultimately improve the care and survival of those with CF. The new drug develop-ment is a collaborative proj-ect including researchers

across the country. The Okla-homa CF Center is a site with-in this network of CF Centers that cooperates in the study of new drugs and therapy for CF. The Oklahoma CF Center participated in some studies that led to the approval of this new drug. Dr. Royall has been involved with researching CF for over 30 years. He came to Oklahoma 15 years ago from the University of Iowa to further his research with endowed funds made possible through Children’s Hospital Foundation, the C.R. Anthony family and matching funds from the State of Oklahoma program for endowments.

“Thirty years ago, children with CF rarely lived past child-hood. I really didn’t expect a cure in my lifetime until five years ago when we could see the first positive results from an organized research and development process of new drug discovery,” said Dr. Royall.

The state matching funds program was crucial for creat-ing the endowed chair for Dr. Royall.

“He simply would not be in Oklahoma, caring for kids with Cystic Fibrosis and other lung diseases, and participating in research programs without the state matching funds pro-gram,” said Kathy McCracken, Executive Director of Chil-dren’s Hospital Foundation.

Unfortunately, the program no longer exists and Chil-dren’s Hospital Foundation is stretching donors to fill the gap in order to recruit more specialists for Oklahoma’s children.

Although the breakthrough treatment is targeted for this specific mutation, it brings hope to all people with CF as it provides gateways to addi-tional treatments. Dr. Royall has 160 CF patients in Oklaho-ma ranging from infants to 46 years old. With this new drug, cases of CF will decrease dra-matically over the next few years.

“It has been a remarkable collaborative process that led to this breakthrough and it would not have happened without research funding,” said Dr. Royall. “My personal experience with patients in our CF Center is that this drug is working very, very well.”

Walk-in Bath Days

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Genealogists To Meet

ENID — The Garfield Coun-ty Genealogists, Inc. will meet at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 11 at the Enid Public Library in the Great Plains Room, second floor.

The speaker, Ann Pellow Rus of Pellow Monuments, will speak about tombstones. Visitors are welcome.

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THE PONCA CITY NEWS, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012–PAGE 3-C

Shelter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(Continued From Page 1C)

“We also have our volunteer, Robert Gari-gin, who pretty much serves as our mainte-nance man and does almost all of our little projects and fixes items around the shelter that are in need of repair,” she said.

Volunteer Herb Rains and his helper Chris come to the shelter to take pictures of the

animals which are used to try to find them homes.

Alexander said students at Ponca City Pub-lic Schools have been very helpful this school year in providing donations to help the shel-ter operations. Most recently, the student council coin drive held at Woodlands School raised $330.09 for the shelter.

YOUNG VOLUNTEERS recently came to the Ponca City Humane Society with their mothers to play with and walk the dogs. People are welcome to come out and just play with the animals if they are not able to volunteer on a regular basis, shelter director Pam Alexander said.

MAMMA IS a sweet, energetic black lab mix. She is very loving and needs a home with room for her to play. She is available to adopt from the Ponca City Humane Society at 900 West Pros-pect Avenue. Call 580-767-8877 for more information.

SMUDGES IS a very loving guy, the Ponca City Humane Society staff says. “He is absolutely adorable and needs someone to love him!” Call 580-767-8877 or visit the shelter at 900 West Prospect Avenue.

This Week’s Adoptable Pets

Classic Cars Club Celebrates 30th Anniversary This Year

The Classic Cars of Ponca City Car Club will celebrate its 30th anniversary this year with its Show’n Shine Car Show at Hutchins Memorial Sept. 22.

Registration begins at 10 a.m. and ends at noon, with a cost of $20 for those who pre-register and $25 the day of the show.

Car club secretary Carolyn Miller said there will be inside food and craft vendors. Awards will be presented at 3 p.m., with a Craftsman tool chest donated by Jeff Lee of Sears Roebuck and Co. as grand prize.

Classic Cars of Ponca City Car Club was founded June 10, 1982, as a club devoted to the promotion and enjoyment of the auto-mobile. Each year after the show events, the club donates funds to different organi-zations and provides Thanksgiving baskets and Christmas presents to needy citizens of Ponca City.

Charter members were Ted Powell, Steve Hawkins, Ken Freshour, Gerry Sjoberg, John Maker, Dick Lay and Carl Corbin.

The first auto show was held Oct, 31, 1982, at the TG&Y/Penney’s parking lot with a total of 51 cars entering. The club also had a cruise-in on the third Saturday of every month starting March 24, 1984, at the Dixie Dog Drive-in. For several years, club mem-bers also had indoor shows at different loca-

tions in Ponca City.In later years, car shows were held at the

KMart parking lot, Pioneer Woman Museum, Kaw Lake Overlook and, for the last several years, at Lake Ponca Park.

In 1999, the club added the all-time favor-ite Draggin’ Grand in downtown Ponca City on Friday evening.

In 2000, the club added the infamous Bar-ney Fife and the 1962 Ford (like on the TV program “Andy Griffith”).

This year Draggin’ Grand will be the eve-ning of Sept. 22, after the Show n’ Shine Car Show. Registration for Draggin’ Grand starts at 5:30 p.m. and ends at 9 M, with 10 trophy’s given during the evening. Participants in the Show n’ Shine Car Show will automatically be entered in Draggin’ Grand (regardless of year of car) which follows that evening. Entries for Draggin’ Grand only must be 1987 or older vehicles with a fee of $10 per car.

The club also participates in city events such as Veterans Day parades, Oktoberfest, Rock ‘n’ Roll Women’s Hall of Fame at the Pioneer Woman and Conoco’s 100th Anniver-sary celebration.

Miller said the club also holds a mini show for residents at a local nursing home. Club members also go as a group to eat or have ice cream at local businesses.

Schooner Car Club Plans ‘Cruzzin’ Grand’ in June

The Schooners Car Club of Ponca City has announced its plans to continue a June tra-dition in downtown Ponca City.

“One of the biggest weekends in Ponca City tourism is the first weekend in June,” said Al Moore. “The Classic Cars of Ponca City have for many years held Draggin’ Grand on the first Friday in June, and the Show ‘n’ Shine car show at Lake Ponca the next day. Because the Classics have opted to have their events in September this year, the Schooners Car Club of Ponca City wants to continue the tradition in conjunction with the other June activities in town by having

“Cruzzin’ Grand” on June 1 and a car show on June 2.

Cruzzin’ Grand will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. Cars, trucks, and motorcycles that are 25 years old and older may enter, along with cars, trucks and motorcycles of special inter-est. The cost will be $5.

The car show will be held at Lake Ponca on June 2, beginning at 8 a.m., and ending with the trophy presentation at 2:30 p.m.

For more information on Cruzzin’ Grand, call Moore at 580-716-6262. For more infor-mation on the car show, call Dave Albee at 580-763-7859 or 762-3577.

Oklahoma MainStreet ProgramsReach Milestone

OKLAHOMA CITY — Fig-ures just released from the Oklahoma Main Street Cen-ter detail year-end program totals for 2011 and one local community program hitting another private reinvestment milestone in December.

“It was a busy year for our communities,” said Linda Bar-net, director of the Oklahoma Main Street Center. “Our local programs continue to flour-ish and grow their historic downtown Main Street areas and that is directly a result of hard work by our managers and their volunteers.”

Private reinvestment in Poteau reached $15 million in December. Previously announced in October were milestones of $5 and $10 mil-lion.

“Thanks to the city of Pote-au, and our new skate park, for putting us over the top for the $15 million level,” said Main Street Program Manager Emily Weber.

Information gathered throughout the year from the 39 active Main Street Commu-nities including three urban areas includes:

•More than $75 million in both private and public rein-vestment

•More than 160 building façade renovations

•More than 85,000 volunteer hours

•More than 565 jobs•Nearly 200 business open-

ings, relocations or expan-sions.

Cumulative numbers for the entire statewide program since 1985 include:

•Nearly $850 million in both private and public reinvest-ment

•Nearly 4,000 façade reha-bilitations

•Nearly 970,000 volunteer hours

•More than 13,855 jobs•Nearly 4,430 business

openings, relocations or expansions

Under the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Main Streets across the nation operate off of the Main Street Four Point Approach — Orga-nization, Design, Promotion and Economic Restructuring.

For more information, call 405-815-5271.

Woody Guthrie Celebration Set In Tulsa Locations March 5-11

TULSA — Tulsa’s Woody Guthrie Centennial Celebra-tion will take place March 5-11 and will include an exhi-bition at Gilcrease Museum, educational programming, a conference at The University of Tulsa and a tribute con-cert, headlined by John Mel-lencamp and Arlo Guthrie.

The celebration is being presented by the Los Ange-les-base Grammy Museum, in conjunction with Woody Guthrie Publications and the Woody Guthrie Archives. It will commemorate the life and career of the Oklahoma folk music legend, his body of work and the impact on American music.

Kicking off the Tulsa cel-ebration in February is the launch of the new exhibition Woody at One Hundred: The Woody Guthrie Centennial Celebration 1912-2012 spon-sored by the George Kaiser Family Foundation.

Curated by The Grammy Museum and the Woody Guth-rie Archives, the exhibit opened earlier this week at Gilcrease Museum. It will run through April 29.

The exhibition will consist of a broad array of Guthrie’s lyrics, journals, original art-work and ephemera from Guthrie’s life. As part of this special exhibit, Guthrie’s original draft of the alterna-tive American anthem “This Land is Your Land” will be on display for the first time in Oklahoma. Additionally, a weeklong series of education-al programming, produced by The Grammy Museum, will support the exhibition.

As a special addition to the programming, the cast of the musical “Woody Sez” will be performing at Tulsa elemen-tary schools throughout the week.

“We are delighted that Gilcrease Museum has been selected as the venue for the debut of the exhibition cel-ebrating the life and body of work of Woody Guthrie. The exhibition will offer the pub-lic its first glimpse into the Guthrie Archives recently acquired by the George Kai-ser Family Foundation,” said Duane H. King, Ph.D., Exec-utive Director of Gilcrease Museum.

The George Kaiser Family

Foundation, a Tulsa-based charitable organization, pur-chased the Woody Guthrie Archives in 2011 from Woody Guthrie Publications in New York. It will create a perma-nent home for the archives and make Guthrie’s collec-tion available for research and education in downtown Tulsa.

Educational ConferenceDifferent Shades of Red, the

March 10 University of Tulsa conference, will explore Woody Guthrie’s Oklahoma roots. It will feature three panels, each with three speakers. The panels include “A Culture of Protest,” which examines the political and cultural environment that shaped Guthrie’s views; “Red Dirt Roots,” which considers Guthrie’s musical influenc-es; and “Echoes of Woody,” which addresses Guthrie’s legacy as it pertains to the Dust Bowl and Depression-era Oklahoma.

“For far too long, Woody Guthrie’s contributions have not been fully appreciated in his home state of Oklahoma. Now, 100 years after his birth, we are able to honor his musical legacy, explore his societal contributions and truly appreciate this iconic piece of state — and national — history right here in the Heartland. The University of Tulsa is thrilled to kick off this year-long celebration of Guthrie’s multifaceted life,” said Brian Hosmer, H.G. Bar-nard Associate Professor of Western American History at TU.

For more information and to register for the confer-ence, visit www.utulsa.edu/guthrie. Registration is $40 and includes lunch. National radio commentator and best-

selling author Jim Hightow-er will deliver the keynote address. Students may regis-ter for $15 and must show a valid ID at check-in.

ConcertThe pinnacle of the Tulsa

celebration will take place March 10, with the first installment of “This Land Is Your Land ~ The Woody Guthrie Centennial Celebra-tion Concert” at the historic Brady Theater.

Performing classic Guth-rie songs, John Mellencamp, Arlo Guthrie, Rosanne Cash, Del McCoury Band, The Flam-ing Lips, Old Crow Medicine Show, Hanson, Tim O’Brien and Jimmy LaFave make up the anticipated star-studded event.

Ticket prices range from $45 to $250. Tickets can be purchased at: http://protixon-line.com/

“The goal of The Woody Guthrie Centennial Cel-ebration is not just to pay tribute to Guthrie’s obvious contributions to American music, but to also broaden the national understanding of his cultural impact,” said Grammy Museum Executive Director Bob Santelli. “The line-up scheduled for the Brady Theater show in Tulsa speaks volumes about Guth-rie’s influence. It’s truly an honor to be producing this all-star event.”

The Woody Guthrie Centen-nial Celebration is one of the largest and most comprehen-sive centennial celebrations ever staged for an American music icon. For the most up-to-date information and a complete schedule of events for the nationwide Woody Guthrie Centennial Celebra-tion, visit www.woody100.com.

Anti-Littering Video Contest Votes Needed

OKLAHOMA CITY — Keep Oklahoma Beautiful needs the vote of the public to deter-mine the winners of a $750 prize aimed at ending litter in Oklahoma.

In partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Keep Okla-homa Beautiful sought entries of 30-second video PSAs from high school and college stu-dents across Oklahoma as part of its End Litter Video Con-test.

KOB is now asking all Okla-homans to vote for their favor-

ite video in each category by visiting its Facebook page (http:/ /www.facebook.com/keepoklahomabeautiful) and clicking the “Contests” link under the KOB logo. Voting ends at midnight on Feb. 20.

The winning video in each category will be used by KOB as a PSA airing across Oklaho-ma to help support its mission of improving Oklahoma’s aes-thetic, environmental and sus-tainable quality of life. The student or students who cre-ated the film will also receive a $750 cash prize.

Wellington, KS1015 N. Vandenburgh (Hwy. 160)

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Postmaster; send address changes to Ponca City News, P.O. Box 191, Ponca City, OK 74602, 580-765-3311.

Health Sciences Center Research On Ovarian Cancer a ‘Landmark’

OKLAHOMA CITY — A National Cancer Institute trial conducted through the Gynecologic Oncology Group points to an effective way to improve outcomes for women with advanced ovarian cancer.

Researchers at the Peggy and Charles Stephenson Can-cer Center at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center enrolled more patients in this pivotal trial than any other site in the world. Dr. Robert Mannel, director of the Stephenson Cancer Center and a gynecologic oncologist, is a co-author of the landmark manuscript appearing in the New England Journal of Medi-cine.

Ovarian cancer is respon-sible for the deaths of 15,000 women in the United States each year. Unfortunately, many women are not diag-nosed until their cancer is advanced.

This new research shows the drug Bevacizumab, also known as Avastin (TM), when used in combination with che-

motherapy, delays time to pro-gression in advanced ovarian cancer.

“Because the early warning signs of ovarian cancer may be subtle and ignored or missed in the early, most treatable stages, most patients will pres-ent with advanced disease. It is increasingly important for us to focus on improving

both diagnosis and treatment of this disease. This study focused on finding a way to lengthen the time we are able to keep the disease from pro-gressing,” said Mannel, who is the principal investigator.

For years, Avastin has been used to treat a variety of can-cers, including colorectal, lung, breast, kidney and glio-blastomas. It works by block-ing the growth of new blood vessels needed to feed a grow-ing tumor.

In a four-year clinical trial involving 1,873 women diag-nosed with advanced ovarian cancer, researchers set out to determine whether the addi-tion of Avastin would improve outcomes for these patients.

In the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, participants were assigned to one of three groups. The first group, which was the control group, received post-surgery chemotherapy followed by a placebo. The second group received post-surgery chemo-therapy in combination with

Avastin, followed by a place-bo after chemotherapy ended. The third group received post-surgery chemotherapy plus Avastin, followed by extended treatment with Avastin.

“The results of this study demonstrate a significant improvement in progression-free survival in the women who received Avastin with chemotherapy followed by extended treatment with Avas-tin – about four months lon-ger than women who received chemotherapy only,” Mannel said.

The study found no signifi-cant difference between the first and second groups of women, which researchers say points to the need to continue treatment with Avastin after chemotherapy has been com-pleted. However, they empha-size that further investigation is needed.

The research, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and Genentech, is published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

PAGE 4-C–THE PONCA CITY NEWS, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012

THE OKLAHOMA FARM (Farming and Ranching Matters) Foundation includes, top row, from left: Southwest at-large board member Tom Null, founder Dale DeWitt, founder Jeramy Rich, board member Tom Buchanan, Central at-large board member David VonTungeln, found-er Farm Credit of Western Oklahoma (represented by President and CEO John Grunewald) and the Comanche County Farm Bureau Board of Directors (represented by Comanche County President Don

Hankins). Bottom row, board member Mike Spradling, founder Chain Ranch (represented by Andy Hutchison of The Chain Ranch family, Executive Director Monica Wilke, Northwest at-large board member Nelda Tucker and Southeast at-large board member Bob Drake. Not pictured: founder Stockman Oklahoma Livestock, Inc. and Stock-man Livestock Order Buying, Inc. (Tom Gilliam and Bill Griffeth) and Northeast at-large board member Wade Rousselot.

DeWitts Among Founding Members Of Agriculture Advocacy Foundation

BRAMAN — Farmer and rancher Dale DeWitt and his wife Carol of Braman have been named founding mem-bers of the new Oklahoma FARM (Farming and Ranch-ing Matters) Foundation.

Established in 2011 by members of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Federation, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity is designed to enhance the awareness and understand-ing of agriculture. Its efforts include promoting and assist-ing beginning farmers and ranchers, as well as educat-ing youth interested in agri-cultural pursuits.

To achieve founding mem-

ber status, individuals, com-panies or organizations were required to make a monetary contribution to the founda-tion at a specific level. The six founding members will receive recognition on a per-manent plaque display in the Oklahoma Farm Bureau headquarters, located in Oklahoma City.

“The possibilities are end-less for what this foundation can do for agriculture, and I’m grateful for the gener-ous support our six found-ing members have shown,” said Monica Wilke, Executive Director of the Foundation. “It’s no surprise that farmers

and ranchers will step up and give when they see a mission worth fighting for.”

Dale DeWitt is a retired agriculture education instruc-tor from Kay County who cur-rently serves as Oklahoma’s District 38 Representative. Carol DeWitt is a retired cos-metologist, and together the DeWitts raise cattle near Bra-man and enjoy their children and grandchildren.

“We’re strong supporters of any organization that pro-motes educating youth about agriculture,” he said. “This foundation has great poten-tial to influence the next gen-eration.”

Dale DeWitt is a member of several organizations, includ-ing Oklahoma Farm Bureau, the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association and the Retired Teachers Association.

Other foundation found-ers include Chain Ranch, the Comanche County Farm Bureau Board of Directors, Farm Credit of Western Oklahoma, Jeramy Rich, and Stockman Oklahoma Live-stock, Inc./Stock Livestock Order Buying, Inc.

To learn more about the Oklahoma FARM (Farming and Ranching Matters) Foun-dation, call (405) 523-2300 or visit okfarmfoundation.org.

Small Grains Doing Well, Report Says

OKLAHOMA CITY — Scattered rains were seen across Oklahoma during January, according to the Oklahoma Crop Weather report issued by the USDA-NASS Oklahoma Field Office at the end of January.

A daily maximum rainfall record was set in McAlester, at 1.9 inches on Jan. 10, breaking the old record of 0.62 inches set in 1954.

A second daily record was set in Oklahoma City, at 1.52 inches on Jan. 24, breaking the old record of 0.37 inches set in 1949.

January rainfall ranged from 0.12 inches in the Panhandle to 5.32 inches in the Southeast, while the drought conditions continued around the state.

The Drought Monitor, dated Jan. 24, indicated that 68 percent of the state was in a drought, as the Panhandle and much of the southwestern parts of the state continued to experience severe to exceptional drought conditions.

Temperatures continued to be unseasonably warm for this time of year.

The high temperatures ranged from 72 degrees in McAles-ter on Jan. 20 to 79 degrees recorded in Mangum on Jan. 16.

This unseasonable warm January, along with the scattered rains, have small grain crops off to a good start. Scattered rains have supplied much-needed moisture for small grain grazing, which helped slow the feeding of hay.

While the scattered rains have helped small grains, farm ponds and lakes have seen little relief from the drought. Some ranchers continued to haul water to livestock. Topsoil moisture conditions improved slightly with 53 percent rated adequate or surplus and 47 percent rated short to very short.

Subsoil moisture conditions were rated mostly short to very short, though 27 percent of the state was rated as adequate.

Small Grains: Conditions have slipped slightly, but small grain crops continued to be rated mostly good, while the canola condition rating remained mostly good to fair. Wheat grazed was at 39 percent, three points above the five year average.

Rye grazed was at 67 percent, six percent above the five year average. Oats grazed was at 47 percent, 30 points above the five-year average.

Pasture and Range: Pasture and range conditions showed little improvement from December, with 72 percent rated poor to very poor. Ranchers were fortunate that more small grain grazing acres were available to replace the limited availability of cool season grasses.

Livestock: Conditions were rated mostly in the good to fair range with 29 percent rated poor to very poor.

Ranchers continued feeding hay and selling cattle with prices holding strong.

Rains received over January were welcomed but have done little to replenish critically low ponds with many pro-ducers continuing to haul water.

The entire Oklahoma report can be view online at www.nass.usda.gov/ok under “Recent Reports.” The national database, Quick Stats, and all USDA-NASS reports are available on the agency’s website, www.nass.usda.gov.

For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the USDA-NASS Oklahoma Field Office at 800-525-9226.

Oklahoma Livestock Relief Coalition Formed

A newly formed Oklahoma Livestock Relief Coalition was endorsed by Gov. Mary Fallin during a recent press confer-ence at the state Capitol.

The coalition will focus on providing financial resources to law enforcement entities when they are tasked with car-ing for abandoned and neglected livestock.

American Farmers and Ranchers, along with 14 other Oklahoma based companies, came together as charter members of the coalition, in order to help solve this issue by bringing in private financial contributions in hopes to eliminate mistreatment and neglect of livestock.

“Even though the OLRC centers around all of our interests in animal welfare, we need also to remind people what a drain it is on county governments to care for abandoned or neglected animals,” said Terry Detrick, AFR president. “It is money they do not have or money taken away from pub-lic services affecting us all, from child care to senior care and all of our lives in between. The OLRC is a doubly noble cause.”

The continued drought, which started during summer 2011, has weighed heavy on livestock owners and producers. Hay shortages, wildfires and rising cost of feed, challenge people to fully nourish their animals.

“We as livestock producers care deeply about the health and welfare of our animals,” Detrick said. “We feel a responsibility to do all we can to help alleviate this problem and the OLRC is now in place to accomplish that goal.”

OLRC’s mission to provide these emergency funds to law enforcement will help assure the abuse and neglect of each animal will stop, while complying with proper humane care. Concerned citizens will be allowed to make donations to assist Oklahoma law enforcement with the animal abuse cases. Contributions will be used to provide feed and other feasible emergency care for animals placed under the care of a county sheriff.

The OLRC is accepting monetary donations only. Dona-tions may be made through the Oklahoma Veterinary Medi-cal Foundation, a 501(c)(3) at www.okvma.org or send to OVMF, PO Box 14521, Oklahoma City, OK 73113. Checks can be made payable to OLRC or OVMF. For more information, call 405-478-1002.

Survey To Assess Farm Planting Plans

OKLAHOMA CITY — How will the uncertain economy affect U.S. farmer’s planting intentions in 2012? How many acres of corn do farmers intend to plant this growing sea-son?

The March Agricultural Survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statis-tics Service will survey 82,000 U.S. farmers in March 2012 to ask such questions about their plans for the 2012 season.

“Each year, the agricultural industry watches for the results of the March Agricultural Survey, which provides the first official estimates of U.S. farmers’ planting intentions for 2012,” said Wilbert Hundl, director of the NASS Okla-homa Field Office. “When producers finalize their cropping and marketing plans, this survey will be one of the most important sources of information for them,” Hundl added.

NASS will mail the survey questionnaire in late February, asking producers to provide information about the types of crops they intend to plant in 2012, how many acres they intend to plant, and the amounts of grain and oilseed they store on their farms.

NASS encourages producers to respond via the Internet, but also welcomes mail or fax responses and offers non-responding producers the opportunity for a telephone or personal interview.

NASS will compile and analyze the survey information and publish the results in a series of USDA reports, includ-ing the annual Prospective Plantings report and quarterly Grain Stocks report, both to be released on March 30, 2012.

As with all NASS surveys, information provided by respon-dents is confidential by law. NASS safeguards the privacy of all survey responses and publishes only aggregate data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified. All reports are available on the NASS web site: www.nass.usda.gov. For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the USDA-NASS Oklahoma Field Office at (888) 525-9226.

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service provides accurate, timely, useful and objective statistics in service to U.S. agriculture. The agency invites you to express your thoughts and provide occasional feedback on our products and services by joining a data user community. To join, sign in at http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/subscriptions and look for “NASS Data User Community.”

TWO SESSIONS of yoga for children will be held at the Ponca City Library on Feb. 18.

Children’s Yoga Sessions Feb. 18Two sessions of yoga for children will be

held at the Ponca City Library on Feb. 18.A class for children ages 4-7 will be held

at 10:30 a.m., and a session for children ages 8-12 will be held at 11:15 a.m. Both sessions will be held in the program room downstairs.

The classes are free, but sign-up is required because of equipment.

The Om Yoga and Pilates Studio will be providing teachers for these sessions.

“By using a balanced practice of quiet and active poses, we incorporate game playing, singing, storytelling, simple breath tech-niques and of course, a time to rest,” said Kay Smith, owner of Om Yoga and Pilates Studio. “Yoga postures and breath work will

not only develop core strength, balance and confidence, it can also reduce hyperactivity, balance emotions, improve concentration, coordination and self control. We inspire the children to use their imaginations and gain social and self awareness.

“A child’s unique personality, spontane-ity, innate joy and natural innocence and wisdom are always an inspiration ... and it’s fun,” she said

To reserve a spot or for more informa-tion, stop by the Children’s Reference Desk, email ashbysm@poncacityok.gov or call the library at 580-767-0345.

Om Yoga and Pilates Studio can be found online at www.omyogapilates.com.

Dr. Robert Mannel

Food Products Recalled

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma State Department of Health is alerting consum-ers to check for possible con-taminated food products from Allison’s Gourmet Kitchens.

The products are being vol-untarily recalled by Allison’s Gourmet Kitchens as a pre-cautionary measure due to the use of hard cooked eggs, sup-plied by Michael Foods, Inc. that were recalled because of possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.

Allison’s Gourmet Kitch-ens is advising customers to return the packages to the store where they were pur-chased for a refund. The list of recalled products contain-ing the eggs and can be found at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/.

There are currently no ill-nesses reported concerning this voluntary recall.

The symptoms associated with listeriosis depend on the person infected. Healthy adults and children typical-ly will not develop a serious illness. The symptoms may include fever, chills, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.

For a list of recalled prod-ucts visit website: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/.

THE PONCA CITY NEWS, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012–PAGE 5-C

Latest Lou Dean Book, “Boys From the Bushes” Awaits PublicationA somewhat suppressed

ambition of mine always has been to write a book. I don’t yet have a subject in mind and I recognize that it is difficult to proceed without one. Until one develops, such an ambi-tion will continue to be just a pipe dream.

But writing a book is more than an ambition to Lou Dean. She is an accomplished author of several books already. And there is one more that is fin-ished and is awaiting publica-tion.

The latest book, “The Boys From the Bushes,” talks about an era when bush track horse races were fairly common in this part of the world. One of the 30 persons highlighted in the writing is jockey Eldon Nelson, of whom I became aware about three years ago, shortly after he became the third inductee into the Okla-homa Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

Nelson grew up in Ponca City and went on to become one of the nation’s top jockeys. Among his accomplishments was a win in the 1972 Preak-ness at Pimlico Racing Course near Baltimore. In that race he was aboard the horse Bee Bee Bee, running on a very muddy track. He guided the horse to what was considered a big upset victory. He had predicted Bee Bee Bee would do well because he knew the horse ran well in mud.

It was my privilege to inter-view Nelson and write a story that appeared in the June 14, 2009, edition of The Ponca City News. I mentioned in that story that Lou Dean was writing the book that would include Nelson and other rid-ers who got their start on the bush tracks.

Well, as mentioned, that book is finished and ready for publication. But there is one thing to be resolved before printing can begin.

Ms. Dean’s work has been commissioned by the Okla-homa Heritage Associa-tion and the group needs to raise money to pay for the publication. OHA is a non-profit organization and has no funds to prepay the publish-ing of materials it has com-missioned. The group needs approximately $12,000 for Lou Dean’s book to be printed.

I had an opportunity last week to visit with Lou Dean. She told me “The Boys from the Bushes” includes bio-graphical material about Eldon Nelson and 29 other individuals who got their start on the bush tracks.

What are “bush track races?”

When I interviewed Nel-son, he told me that they were match races held on primitive tracks, long before racing on pari-mutuel tracks emerged in this area of the world.

One such track was on the old Continental Academy grounds in Ponca City, where Nelson got his start. Some bush track match races were held on country roads or any other available straightaways.

“Conoco had match races on a quarter-mile track right across from where the dog pound is now,” he told me.

“It started when some Cono-co employees got into an argu-ment about which one had the fastest horse,” he added. “So they settled their discussion by holding these match races.”

The Conoco track was a quarter-mile in length and the rider had another quarter-mile to get the horse stopped.

“If you didn’t get stopped in the second quarter-mile you would run into a swamp,” he said.

Nelson told me his sister Evelyn was stationed at the finish line on another quarter horse and she would help turn his mount around before it got to the swamp.

The Hall-of-Fame jockey has many ties to Ponca City. His parents were Glen and Adelene who lived at several addresses in Ponca. His moth-er died in 2007 at the age of 101. His daughter Eldonna Magnus lives in Ponca City and two sisters, Evelyn Greer and Velma Poplin, also live in Ponca City. His wife Betty, who passed away in 2005, was the former Betty Coffman, also of Ponca City. Betty and Eldon were married in Novem-ber 1948 at Grace Episcopal Church.

Nelson attended a num-ber of schools in Ponca City, because his parents moved around some. But he finished his schooling here at East Junior High School.

During World War II he worked in a defense plant with his mother and an aunt making pup tents.

He was 15 when he began riding on the Conoco track. He left Ponca City as a teenager to work for Woolford Farms in Kansas City, where he got introduced to bigtime horse racing.

His diminutive size, 4-foot-8, 95 pounds at the height of his career served him well. Other jockeys who were taller had difficulty keeping their weight down as they got older. I can identify with the difficulty of keeping one’s weight from bal-looning with advancing age.

“There were lots of ways jockeys used to lose weight in a hurry,” he told me. “Some would jog the track in rain suits. Others would wear the suits in their car and turn up the heater. Some would go to hot boxes or the steam area in the jocks room.”

While talking with him in 2009, he told me how he decid-ed to become a jockey.

“My parents worried about me because I never grew up. I wasn’t big enough to do anything,” he said. “I went to a picture show in Ponca City with my folks and saw a newsreel about Woolford’s horse, Lauren, that won the Kentucky Derby. I thought, ‘I’m not big enough to do any-thing else, but I can be a good jockey.’”

Woolford Farms was owned by Herbert M. Woolf, who operated a clothing store in

Kansas City. After working for Woolf, Nelson went on to work with such legendary own-ers and breeders as Calumet Farms, Christiana Stables and William S. Farish.

During Nelson’s career, he set a number of records, including one that still stands — winning seven consecutive races, which for him included six in one day.

He raced in all the major events during his career, including the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, which with the Preakness are the three races that make up the Triple Crown events.

He once finished third in the Belmont Stakes, but was quick to point out that there were only three horses in the race and that his horse finished far behind ones ridden by a pair of immortal riders, Eddie Arcaro and Willie Shoemaker.

That reminded me of my high school track career in which I frequently finished third in events that involved three participants.

But back to Lou Dean. She is known for her previous work including the book “Osage County Kids.” She also grew up in Ponca City and has writ-ten about her Osage County roots. Besides “Osage County Kids,” she has written “Angels in Disguise,” “Paw Prints in My Soul” and “Reaching for the Reins.”

A number of awards for her work have come her way.

The situation involving the Oklahoma Heritage Associa-tion having to raise funds to publish her book is a new experience for her, she told me.

“What they do is get donors to support the things they do to promote the state’s heritage,” she said. “I have donated my author’s fee to the project.”

Besides Nelson, the late Clayton Epperson of Ponca City is included in the book about the bush track riders. Another from nearby Arkan-sas City is Charlie Burr, who was the top jockey in the nation in 1957.

Lou Dean got involved in the project, she said, after Epper-son heard her speak once in Tonkawa. She kept meet-ing former bush track riders and little by little the project developed into a major one involving the biographies of 30 individuals. Hence the book “The Boys from the Bushes.”

“The thing is the people in the book are elderly. Eight have already passed on. It would be nice to have this book out before they are all gone,” she said, speaking of the need to raise money for the book’s publication.

Nelson is now 85. According to his daughter, Eldonna, he now lives in a nursing home facility in Sedan, Kan., near Cedar Vale, where he had a ranch after he retired from his career as a jockey.

“I would like for him to be able to hold this book in his hands,” Mrs. Magnus told me.

For those who might like to make a donation to the Okla-homa Heritage Association, it can be done on the group’s website, www.okahomaher-itage.com. There is a green “Donate Now” button to be clicked. One then should fol-low the directions provided. One word of caution — on the final page of submitting infor-mation there will be a line that says “add special instructions to the seller”. One should write “Boys in the Bushes” on that line to guarantee that the donation goes to the right place.

Any questions about making donations can be addressed to Gini Moore Campbell, direc-tor of publication and educa-tion at the Edward L. Gaylord-T. Boone Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum. Her toll free number is 888-501-2059. She can also be contacted through email at gmc@Okla-homaHeritage.com.

This and That About Sports

By David Miller

ELDON NELSON on Bee Bee Bee after winning the 1972 Preakness Stakes.

ELDON NELSON, center, is surrounded by jockeys in the jocks room at Remington Park in Oklahoma City after he was inducted into the Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

Author Lou Dean

ELDON NELSON as he appeared as a young jockey.

ONE OF Lou Dean’s books is “Osage County Kids” written about the Ponca City area.

School for Blind Plans Open HouseMUSKOGEE — The Oklahoma School for

the Blind Parent Teacher Organization will host the school’s annual open house and tour on Feb. 16 in Muskogee. The free event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon at the OSB campus at 3300 Gibson, Muskogee.

All interested persons attending the open house and tour will be allowed to observe students and teachers in regular classroom activities, including the latest techniques and technology used to educate students who are blind and visually impaired.

OSB is the statewide resource for the education of blind and visually impaired students in Oklahoma.

It emphasizes the Expanded Core Cur-riculum that is essential in educating stu-dents who are blind or visually impaired. This includes Braille, Abacus, Orientation and Mobility, Independent Living Skills and Assistive Technology.

Information will be available regarding specialized instructional materials that are needed in educating visually impaired stu-dents.

To arrange a tour or get additional infor-mation, contact Linda Graber at lgraber@osb.k12.ok.us or Jeanne Meyerjmijer@yahoo.com or phone the Oklahoma School for the Blind toll free number at 877-229-7136.

2601 N. 14th, Ponca CityOPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

Chapman Shoe Emporium

Steel andRegular

Toes

MANY ADDED TO HALF-PRICE RACKS!

WORKBOOTS

ALL CURRENTBoard Members

Approved theOUTRAGEOUS SALARY

of $204,000+for the Current

School Superintendent.

Their VOTING RECORDSpeaks Loudly.

They are NOT listening toYOU, the TAXPAYER,They are WASTING

Your TAXPAYER Dollars!

On February 14th, send them a message…

ElectRON HARTMANA man who listens to the taxpayers

of Ponca City SchoolsPaid for by Ron Hartman Campaign,Laura McVay, Campaign Treasurer

PAGE 6-C–THE PONCA CITY NEWS, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012

PAT BRAND was congratulated as the 2011 Billings Citizen of the Year at the recent Billings Citizen of the Year Banquet by Com-munity Chamber of Commerce President Rick Hartz.

Top Citizen

TWO ROLE models on the Cowley College campus, Anthony White and Rosi Simmons, were named Cowley College’s Home-coming king and queen during halftime of the Tiger men’s bas-ketball game vs. Kansas City last week. White is a pre-engineering major from Kansas City, Kan. He is a member of the Tiger men’s basketball team. Simmons is a graduate of Ark City High School and is majoring in psychology. Last year’s king and queen, Jor-

dan Lukert and Milissa Crawford, were on hand to pass on their crowns. Madi McGee, daughter of Brian and Jamie McGee, and Price Allen, son of Bart and Heather Allen, handled the duties of the crown bearers. Queen finalists were Rosi Simmons, Breanna Bryant, Shelby Cornejo, Katelyn Edwards and Molley Scanlon. King finalists were Anthony White, Will Austin, Clinton Meyer, Drew Palmer and John Ward.

Cowley Homecoming Royalty

PARK AND RECREATION Department employees Tony Trussell, left, and Terry Anderson installed a new bench at the Ponca City Library last week. The bench was provided by the Ponca City Main Street program.

Have a Seat!

Comedy Improvisation Show FridayWINFIELD, Kan. — The

Nine Lives Laughatorium and Good Times Improvisational Comedy Troupe will perform a community show at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Messenger Recital Hall in the Darbeth Fine Arts Center. There is no admission charge.

The theme of the show is Improv Olympics, which means the group will be split into teams and will compete against each other.

“It’s a load of laughs,” says

Allyson Moon, director of the comedy troupe. “The cool thing about the Olympics is that it feels like the compe-tition makes the show a bit more interesting. Parts of the audience may cheer a par-ticular team more, the teams battle, and there will be a winner. Audience members get to judge and score the per-formances. The judges are across the board in age and will award points.”

Troupe members include

Cody Davis, Montrose, Colo.; Jordy Train, Winfield; Justin Tinker, Las Vegas, Nev.; Chris Cole, Stigler, Okla.; and kit-ten apprentices Kelcie Par-rish, Oklahoma City, and R. J. Schnack, Tulsa.

“We know there will be a lot of youth in the audience so we try to keep a lot of group par-ticipation,” Moon says. “Some of the youth could be judges or on one of the improv teams.”

For more information about the show, call (620) 229-6272.

Woolaroc To Exhibit Early Prints of Native American Tribal LeadersBARTLESVILLE — “The

Chiefs Go To Washington,” a new exhibit in the Bunkhouse Gallery at Woolaroc, presents a collection of prints depict-ing the early Native American tribal leaders from the McK-enney-Hall Portrait Gallery of American Indians.

Before photography, the only record of the appearance of these distinguished visitors was the portraits painted by early 19th century artists. The tribal representatives they painted came from a West that knew only the occasional trapper and explorer, a land as remote to the nation’s lead-ers and the people of the East-ern cities as the distant stars.

The rarest collection of these portraits hung in the office of Thomas Loraine McKenney, Superintendent of the Indian Trade Bureau and later head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs under four presidents. During the 1820s and 1830s, many delegations of chiefs, warriors and tribal members went to Washington to visit the Great Father (the President). McKenney wanted

future generations to know how these great men of the American West looked. He arranged for artist Charles Bird King and others to paint portraits of many of the prom-inent Indian chiefs of the day, as well as warriors and other members of the visiting del-egations. The portraits were acutely accurate and cap-tured the dignity, diversity and historical relevance of the Native American people.

It is evident from McKen-ney’s correspondence cover-ing his 16 years in office that he opposed many of the poli-cies he was to implement. His travels in the West to negoti-ate treaties with Indian tribes gave him an unparalleled insight into the lives of Native Americans. He saw that land hungry settlers, government contractors and officials at the state and local levels were defrauding and betray-ing the Indian nations to an appalling extent. McKenney’s efforts to protect the Indians’ interests brought him many political enemies and he was dismissed by President Jack-

son in 1830.McKenney had always

thought it important to

share the portraits and com-bine them with a history of the tribes and leaders they

depicted. Even before his dismissal from the Bureau of Indian Affairs he had formu-lated a plan to publish cop-ies of the portraits. Working with his remaining friends at the War Department, he arranged to secretly borrow the paintings and had cop-ies painted by Philadelphia artist Henry Inman. The Inman copies were then used to make lithographs for pub-lication. McKenney spent a great deal of time and money researching the life and cul-ture of the American Indian for the first volume of “The History of the Indian Tribes of North America,” published in 1836. Two volumes were added to the portfolio in 1838 and 1844. The three volumes contain splendid lithographic reproductions of the paint-ings, accompanied by a text written by James Hall, a liter-ary pioneer of the Midwest. It is fortunate that McKenney so doggedly pursued his dream of recording the rapidly van-ishing world of Native Ameri-cans. Although some of the Henry Inman copies survive,

all but four of the original portraits that he commis-sioned were destroyed in a disastrous fire at the Smithso-nian Institution in 1865. The prints are the only record that remains.

“The Chiefs Go To Washing-ton” will be shown from Feb. 15 to May 28 in the Bunkhouse Gallery, adjacent to the histor-ic Woolaroc Lodge. Woolaroc, the ranch home of Phillips Petroleum Company founder Frank Phillips, is listed on the National Register of His-toric Places and features a world class museum of West-ern art and artifacts, located within a 3,700-acre wildlife preserve.

The ranch and museum are located 12 miles southwest of Bartlesville on State High-way 123. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for ages 65 and up, children 11 and under are admitted free.

For further information about Woolaroc, contact the Woolaroc office at 918-336-0307, Ext. 10 or 11 or call toll free 888-966-5276, Ext. 10 or 11, or visit www.woolaroc.org.

“THE CHIEFS Go To Washington,” a new exhibit in the Bunkhouse Gallery at Woolaroc, presents a collection of prints depicting the early Native American tribal leaders from the McKenney-Hall Portrait Gallery of American Indians.

Museum Association Continues Give-Away ContestThe Oklahoma Museums

Association begins its sec-ond statewide contest, show-casing Oklahoma’s museums and cultural organizations, this month with a hidden ticket giveaway.

Free passes to the Muse-um of the Great Plains in Lawton are hidden in a secret location among one of Oklahoma’s 500-plus muse-ums, historic sites, zoos and botanical gardens or historic houses.

Members of the public are invited to visit the OMA’s Facebook page for clues to

find the free tickets. Each month a new location will hide the tickets and new clues will be posted until the tickets have been found.

To win, participants must decode the clues, visit the participating museum’s wel-come desk or admission area and mention “Happy 40th Anniversary Oklahoma Museums Association” to claim the prize.

Prizes include a four pack of tickets to a family-friendly attraction in Oklahoma.

“The Western Oklahoma Historical Center & Western

Plains Weatherford Genea-logical Society are both hon-ored and thrilled to get the chance to have been the first museum to participate in the scavenger hunt,” said Kim Dresser, chairman of the board of directors.

The prize package for the month of February includes four, two-person passes to the Museum of the Great Plains in Lawton.

The Museum of the Great Plains offers numerous interactive exhibits show-casing the settlement of the Great Plains, outdoor exhib-

its including a train station, prairie school house and trading post, workshops, special events and family-friendly activities.

The museum is open Mon-day through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information please call (580) 581-3460 or visit museumgreatplains.org.

For more information about the Oklahoma Muse-ums Association or contest rules and clues, visit www.okmuseums.org or call 405-424-7757.

NERA Works WithRegional Food Bank To Fill Gap for Needy

The New Emergency Resource Agency is experiencing an increase in the need for food assistance and relies on its part-nership with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma to fill the gap.

“It’s constant, a slow steady increase and has been for the last year and a half to two years,” said Tom Short, director at New Emergency Resource Agency. “We gave away more than 300 food boxes in three hours.”

Oklahoma ranks as one of the top five states in food insecu-rity and the Regional Food Bank works with local feeding pro-grams like the New Emergency Resource Agency to distribute food and other products to those in need.

The majority of people that the Regional Food Bank and its partner agencies serve are children, seniors living on fixed incomes and working families who cannot make ends meet. The New Emergency Resource Agency is a part of the network of more than 825 charitable feeding programs in 53 central and western counties that feed more 90,000 hungry Oklahomans each week.

“Our partnership with the Regional Food Bank is how we supply a great percentage of our food,” Short said.

Established in 1980, the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma is the largest private hunger-relief organization in the state of Oklahoma. In Fiscal Year 2011, the Food Bank distributed 46.2 million pounds of food and products across the state.

Its mission of “Fighting Hunger … Feeding Hope” gives strength to the one in seven Oklahomans who do not know where their next meal will come from. For each dollar donat-ed, the Regional Food Bank is able to provide five meals to the hungry.

New Emergency Resource Agency serves about 70 house-holds each week and is located at 500 North First Street. The nonprofit is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m.

New Emergency Resource Agency is not alone; partners of the Regional Food Bank are seeing a 30 percent to 50 per-cent increase in the need for help compared to this time last year. Partnerships like the one between the New Emergency Resource Agency and the Regional Food Bank are crucial to providing hungry Oklahomans the food they need and ending hunger in the state.

For more information, visit regionalfoodbank.org or call 405-972-1111.

Senior Day At CapitolOn Feb. 27

OKLAHOMA CITY — Okla-homa seniors and senior advo-cates are invited to meet at the State Capitol on Feb. 27 to discuss the needs of the growing number of older Okla-homans.

Speaking at the event will be Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb, Insur-ance Commissioner John Doak and Oklahoma Department of Human Services Aging Ser-vices Division Director Lance Robertson.

Senior Day at the Capitol is an annual event for older Oklahomans to learn about legislation and issues affect-ing them. It provides an oppor-tunity to share ideas, needs and concerns with state legis-lators, and visit with nonprofit agencies to learn about their services.

To pre-register for the event, go to okseniorday.com through Feb. 15. Onsite registration will also be available begin-ning at 8:30 a.m. on the second floor of the Capitol rotunda. The program begins at 9:30 a.m. in the House of Repre-sentatives chamber. Exhibits open at 11:30 a.m. and partici-pants have time to visit their legislators’ offices.

Estimates for 2010 indicate that 694,024 Oklahomans are aged 60 and older. A recent census calculation shows one in six Americans 65 years and older live in poverty. Applying the new census measure near-ly doubled the poverty rate of those aged 65 years and older to 16.1 percent.

For more information, visit okseniorday.com or contact the OKDHS Aging Services Division at (405) 521-2281.

Companies ContinueParasitology Support

STILLWATER — The ani-mal health divisions of both Bayer and Novartis recently confirmed their continued financial support as industry partners of the National Cen-ter for Veterinary Parasitol-ogy at Oklahoma State Uni-versity’s Center for Veterinary Health Sciences. Located on the Stillwater OSU campus, the NCVP is one of its kind focused on working together to meet global challenges in veterinary parasitology.

Led by director Susan Lit-tle, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVM-Parasitology and Krull-Ewing Endowed Chair in Veterinary Parasitology, the NCVP strives to control parasitic diseases of animals through graduate and residency training, research initiatives and a diagnostic and consulting service avail-able to the veterinary profes-

sion worldwide.“We can’t say enough about

our partners. Since our ini-tial launch early in 2009, the National Center for Veteri-nary Parasitology has made significant progress,” says Lit-tle. “We were able to renovate laboratory and office space to accommodate training. We filled two residency positions and also have a Tulsa veter-inarian pursuing a master’s degree through the NCVP.”

Since parasites affect both animals and humans, the NCVP’s work is important to all species. Little reports that the Center provides teaching specimens to other academic institutions, captures images of a myriad of parasites for use by parasitologists around the world, and offers compre-hensive tertiary diagnostic parasitology support.

THE PONCA CITY NEWS, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012–PAGE 7-C

Every DayPrinciples Before Person-

alities, Narcotics Anonymous, 8 p.m., Harmony House base-ment (use south entrance by parking lot).

Twice a MonthFriday or Saturday

Christian Singles Group meets twice a month, for more information on time and place, call 763-5945 or 762-1295.

Every SundayCelebrate Recovery:

12-Step, Faith-Based, Recov-ery Program, Dealing with overcoming hurts, habits and hang-ups, 6-8 p.m., Hutchins Memorial Building, North Fifth Street and East Over-brook Avenue, Ponca City, for information call 580-401-5766, accepted for court-ordered participant.

Third SundayBikers Against Child Abuse

(B.A.C.A.) North Central Chap-ter, for information call (580) 716-8500.

Every MondayTOPS #308 (Take Off Pounds

Sensibly), First Presbyterian Church, 1505 East Grand Ave-nue, Ponca City, 5 to 5:50 p.m. for weigh-ins with meeting following. Contact DeeDee at 580-823-0540 or Natalie at 580-716-3059.

After Five Lions Club, 6:30 p.m., Pizza Hut, 2301 North Fourteenth Street, prospec-tive members welcome.

Ponca City Rotary Club, 11:30 a.m., Pizza Hut, 2301 North Fourteenth Street.

Gamblers Anonymous, 7 p.m., Woodlands Christian Church, Fourteenth Street and Hartford Avenue, contact (580) 761-1770.

Gam-Anon, 7 p.m., Wood-lands Christian Church, Four-teenth Street and Hartford Avenue, contact (580) 382-1950.

Friends of the NRA, 7 p.m., Ponca City Junior Rifle Club Range, contact 765-7324.

First Monday of the MonthOklahoma City Vet Repre-

sentative Harold Barse, read-justment counseling therapist, 9 a.m.-noon, Otoe-Missouria Tribal Complex Enterprise Building Conference Room.

Lions Vision Support Group, 10 a.m. at Ponca City First Christian Church, using the west entrance. Refresh-ments are served at 9:45 a.m. For a ride call 762-3263. The meetings are open to visually impaired residents.

Autoimmune Disease Sup-port Group, 5 p.m., Ponca City Senior Center, 319 West Grand, contact (580) 763-8051.

Parent Voice Groups, sup-port, education and resources to assist parents in advocating for their children who have behavioral or mental health issues, 6 to 7:30 p.m., 205 East Chestnut Avenue, child care and dinner provided, please RSVP 762-7561 Tammy or Deb.

Christian Motorcyclist Asso-ciation, 6 p.m., Pizza Hut, 2301 North Fourteenth Street.

Pioneer Genealogical Soci-ety, 7 p.m., Ponca City Library, guests are welcome, call 762-5931 or e-mail kdzehr@sbc-global.net for more informa-tion.

First Monday and TuesdayOf Every Other Month

AARP Driver Safety Class, February, April, June, August, October, December, 6 p.m., Pioneer Technology Center, classes intended for older drivers; however, drivers of all ages are eligible to attend. Most auto insurance compa-nies give discount for suc-cessful completion of classes, seating limited. Call (580) 762-3265 to register.

Monday-FridayAlcoholic Anonymous Sim-

ple Steps, Noon, Harmony House, 212 South Third Street.

First and Third MondayPonca Lodge No. 83 Meet-

ing, 6:30 p.m., Masonic Center, 1200 West Grand Avenue.

Second MondayAlzheimer Support and

Respite Group Meetings, 1 p.m., Ponca City Senior Cen-ter, 319 West Grand Avenue.

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Group, 5:30 to 7 p.m., First Christian Church, Fifth Street and Cleveland Avenue, free snack supper and meeting, activities for grandchildren provided; con-tact RSVP 762-9412.

Second and Fourth MondayPonca City After Five Lions

Club, 6:30 p.m., Pizza Hut, 2301 North Fourteenth Street. Pro-spective members welcome, information on club activities, David 765-9595 or Jerry 491-1004.

Third Monday of the MonthAutoimmune Disease Sup-

port Group, 6 p.m., Ponca City Senior Center, 319 West Grand Avenue. Contact (580) 763-8051.

Fourth MondayPM Patches and Pieces Quil-

ters’ Guild, 6 to 9 p.m., Ponca City Senior Center, 319 West Grand Avenue. Contact 762-0761.

Tuesday-SaturdayPioneer Woman Museum,

10 a.m.-5 p.m., Ponca City, (Closed Sunday, Monday and Holidays).

Every TuesdayBand Playing, 9:30 to 11:30

a.m., Ponca City Senior Cen-ter, 319 West Grand Avenue.

Prayers for the Nation, noon to 1 p.m., foyer of First Luther-an Church, 1104 North Fourth Street.

Country Notes Playing, 10 a.m.-noon, McCord Senior Center, 115 Mary Road, public welcome.

Kiwanis, noon to 1 p.m., Ponca City Country Club din-ing room.

Dragon’s Harvest Moon, story time for 3- to 6-year olds, 1 p.m., Ponca City Library. Space limited, sign up in advance.

Exercise Classes in Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan, 5:30 p.m., Assembly Center First Baptist Church, 218 South Sixth Street, with instructor Bill Goldsber-ry, no class fee/appropriate clothing required.

DivorceCare, a seminar and support group, 5:45-7:30 p.m., Master’s Touch Christian Book and Gift Store, 312 East Grand Avenue, Ponca City, information 767-1054.

Country Jam Country and Gospel Music, 6 p.m., Ponca City Senior Center, 319 West Grand Avenue.

Bible Institute, 7 to 8 p.m., Ponca City Foursquare Church, 762-2729, a non-cred-ited Broadway Bible College class taught by Pastor Blaine Herron.

Every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday

Exercise, 9:30 a.m., Ponca City Senior Center, 319 West Grand Avenue.

First TuesdayCaregiver’s Support Group

Lunch and Meeting, Noon, First Lutheran Church, 1101 North Fourth Street, Ponca City, RSVP 762-1111.

Parkinson Support Group, 1 p.m., Ponca City Senior Cen-ter, Contact Jeanette Bahjat 762-3648 for more information.

Classic Cars & Draggin’ Grand of Ponca City meeting, 7 p.m., Nazarene Church, 1900 West Grand Avenue, prospec-tive members welcome.

Second TuesdayCamp McFadden Recre-

ational Area Board Meeting, noon, Head Country BBQ Res-taurant. Public invited; for information, phone 762-9955.

Kay County Mounties 4-H Club, 6 p.m., Contact Cynthia Blevins 765-3602 or (832) 715-1558 for more information.

Schooners Car Club Dinner and Meeting, 6 p.m., Pizza Hut, 2301 North Fourteenth Street.

Silent Dinner, for Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, Sign Lan-guage Users and/or any inter-ested people, informal time to re-connect with old friend-ships and make new ones, 6 p.m., Hartford Avenue Church of Christ Fellowship Center, 1905 Joe Street.

Cherokee Strip Corvette Club, 6 p.m., Pemberton Chev-rolet, 3330 North Fourteenth Street, Ponca City, more infor-mation www.cherokeestrip-corvetteclub.com.

North Central Oklahoma Mothers of Multiples, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Ponca City Library board room, all parents of multiples welcome. For more information, call 765-2525 or e-mail NCOMOM@yahoogroups.com.

Northern Central Oklahoma Beekeepers Association, 6:45-8:30 p.m., University Center Conference Room, 2800 North Fourteenth Street, more information Todd Rivers, 763-4998 or email childofgod777@hotmail.com.

Rural Water District No. 1 Monthly Board Meetings, 7:30 p.m., Enterprise School Build-ing on Lake Road.

Third TuesdayPo-Hi Leo Club, 6:20 p.m.,

Ponca City First Christian Church, following Friendship Feast.

Children with Disabilities Family Support Group, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Opportunity Cen-ter, 2225 North Union Street, Ponca City.

Wednesday-FridayPonca City Humane Society,

11 a.m.-6 p.m., 900 West Pros-pect Avenue.

Every WednesdayPonca City Noon Lions,

11:30 a.m. lunch, noon meet-ing, Ponca City Country Club.

Bingo, Moose Lodge, 500 West Prospect Avenue, 6 p.m., concessions available.

First and Third WednesdaySoroptimist International of

Ponca City, a women’s service club, Noon, Pizza Hut, contact 763-1474 or Kathy 765-8043.

Second WednesdayGeneral Electric Retirees

Association, 9 a.m., V.F.W., Arkansas City, Kan.

Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme Garden Club, 11:30 a.m., Cann Garden home or members homes, Ponca City, brown bag lunch, Gardening Enthusiasts Welcome, for information call Jan Neylon, 767-1890 or Donna Earnest, 762-5299 or email herbs2@sbcglobalnet

Ponca City Stamp Club, 6 p.m., location, members’ homes. For information, call John Hedrick, 762-6702, or e-mail john_hedrick2000@yahoo.com.

Third WednesdayCrystal Dawn Coalition, a

Meth Prevention Initiative, 8:15 a.m., Northern Oklahoma Youth Services, 2203 North Ash Street, Ponca City.

Operation Pioneer Spirit, 1 p.m., Pioneer Woman Muse-um, 701 Monument Road, Ponca City; Organizing the day before, 10 a.m., at the museum, information, Pioneer Woman Museum, 765-6108 or Mary Anne Potter 767-1957 or oper-ationpioneerspirit.com. All patriotic citizens welcome.

Last Wednesday of Each Month

International Club, 6:30 p.m., for more information, 762-3921.

Every ThursdayOklahoma Department of

Veterans Affairs Representa-tive, 9 to 11 a.m. and noon to 2 p.m., American Legion, 407 West South Avenue. Any veteran needing assistance or has questions is welcome.

Movie on big screen in the program room of the Ponca City Library at 3:30 p.m. See in-house brochures, or call to find out what’s playing.

Open AA Meetings, 7 p.m., Ponca Tribal Social Develop-ment Center, all welcome.

First ThursdayMaster Gardeners, 9 a.m.,

Cann Gardens.Writer’s Group, 7 p.m., Cyber

Rover, 113 North Main, Black-well, information Evyonna, 763-1638.

Kay-9 Dog Training Club, 7 p.m., Ponca City Library, pub-lic welcome, contact Ruth 401-5569.

Second ThursdayPonca City Area Society for

Human Resource Manage-ment (SHRM) Chapter No. 698, noon, Pioneer Technology Center, Room B-120, contact Katy Muller 762-5935 or Mike Daugherty 765-3372.

American Legion Auxiliary Unit 14, 7 p.m., Post Home, 407 West South Avenue, all eli-gible persons invited. Contact 765-9073.

“Lean on Me” Bariatric Sur-gery Support Group, 6 p.m., Ponca City Medical Center, Conference Room B. Contact 762-1186.

Gold Wing Road Riders Association, 6 p.m., Pizza Hut, contact Daryl and Kathi Dun-ham, 762-6950.

Kay County National Alli-ance on Mental Illness, 7 p.m., 201 East Chestnut Avenue. The group welcomes anyone with a mental illness or who is interested in support, educa-tion or advocacy for the men-tally ill and their families. Contact 765-2814.Second and Fourth Thursday

American Legion Member-ship Meeting, 7 p.m., Post Home, 407 West South Avenue.

Third ThursdayInterfaith Dialogue Group

of Ponca City, call Jean Cham-bers for details, 716-4594.

Ponca City Newcomers Club, 6:30 p.m., Ponca City Country Club. Contact Teresa, 491-8863.

Kay County Chapter of the Oklahoma Anthropological Society (archaeology), 6:30 p.m., Ponca City Library, call Richard, 765-9661 for meeting programs. Guests welcome.

Kaw City Area Chamber of Commerce, 7 p.m., Community Center, 300 Morgan Square, Kaw City, see www.kaw-citychamber.org for contact information, visitors welcome.

Vietnam Veterans of Ameri-ca, Northern Oklahoma Chap-ter 750, regular meetings, 7 p.m., American Legion Post 14, 407 West South Avenue.

Kay County DAV Chapter 16, 7 p.m., 1006 West Fergu-son Avenue, Blackwell, For Benefit Questions, Call 580-363-3309, Call 580-363-3241 for other information.

Third Thursday of Every Other Month

Kay County Local Emergen-cy Planning Committee, noon, training room of Ponca City Fire Station No. 1, Fifth Street and Grand Avenue, January, March, May, July, September, November.

Fourth ThursdayHospice of North Central

Oklahoma inc. and Higher Ground Center for Loss & Edu-cation Grief Support Group, 1:30-3 p.m., 1904 North Union Street Suiit 103, Ponca City, more details 580-762-9102 or 1-800-814-9102.

Alzheimer Support and Respite Group Meetings, 7 p.m., Ponca City Senior Cen-ter, 319 West Grand Avenue.

Every FridayPonca Language Arts Coun-

cil, 1:30 p.m., Valdez Building, White Eagle, everyone inter-ested in the Ponca Language invited.

Senior Pitch, 6 p.m., Ponca City Senior Center, 319 West Grand Avenue.

Cruise Night, 6 p.m., Chap-man’s Shoes Parking Lot, North Fourteenth Street, Ponca City, Welcome hot rods, motorcycles, anyone interest-ed in the hobby, hosted by Schooners Car Club.

First and Third FridayBurger & Steak Night, 5-8

p.m., American Legion Post 14, 407 West South Avenue, Ham-burger/Cheeseburger With Fries $5, 1-Inch Thick Rib-eye With Fries $15 While They Last, Water or Tea Included, Soft Drinks and Low Alcohol Beverages Also Available.

Every SaturdayPonca City Humane Society,

10 a.m.-2 p.m., or by appoint-ment, 900 West Prospect Ave-nue.

Story Time for 0-3 Year Olds, 11:30 a.m., Ponca City Library, Children’s Area, Free, Public Welcome.

Bro. Mike’s Gospel Jubilee, 6:30 to 9 p.m. One and a half miles east of the River Bridge on U.S. Highway 60.

First Saturday of Every Month

Ponca City Regional Air-port and Ponca City Aviation Booster Club, Fly-In Break-fast, 7 to 10 a.m., Building 14, Ponca City Municipal Airport.Second Saturday of the Month

Figure 8 Stock Car Races and Demolition Derby, 8 p.m., 77 Speedway north of Newkirk. For information, call (620) 442-3250, or go to badascar.com.

Third Saturday of the MonthOsage County Republi-

can Party Meeting, 10-11 a.m., Snider’s Soda Shoppe, 102 West Main, Hominy, con-tact 918-260-5762, Everyone

welcome to attend and get involved.

Each Sunday in FebruaryPart of Black History Month

Celebrations, Free Movie (Family Oriented), 3 p.m., Doors Open 2:30 p.m., Attucks Community Center, 1001 South Twelfth Street, Ponca City.

Feb. 8-27Ponca City Public Library

Romance Book Sale, $2 for a Baker’s Dozen, romance paperback books, Sponsored by Friends of the Library.

Feb. 10Valentine Salad Luncheon,

11 a.m.-1 p.m., First Lutheran Church, Adults $6, Pre-school $2, Tickets Available From First Lutheran Women’s Guild members, Church and School Offices, and at the Door.

Feb. 11Pancakes/Sausage/Biscuit

and Gravy Breakfast, 6:30-10 a.m., American Legion Post 14, 407 West South Avenue, adults $5, children under 12 $3, children under 6 free, includes drinks.

Oklahoma Author Jamie McGuire Autographing Her Three Novels, 1-3 p.m., Brace Books & More, North Four-teenth Street, Ponca City.

Feb. 13Kay County Retired Educa-

tors Association, 11:30 a.m., Pioneer Technology Center, 2101 North Ash Street, Ponca City, Program: “Must Know Health Tips,” by Mary Allen, Pioneer Technology Center Director of Nursing, Lunch $7.

Feb. 14McCord Volunteer Fire

Department, 7 p.m., McCord Volunteer Fire Department Station, 22 Howard.

Feb. 17Burger & Steak Night, 5-8

p.m., American Legion Post 14, 407 West South Avenue, Ham-burger/Cheeseburger With Fries $5, 1-Inch Thick Rib-eye With Fries $15 While They Last, Water or Tea Included, Soft Drinks and Low Alcohol Beverages Also Available.

Feb. 20Osage Cove Volunteer Fire

Department, 6 p.m., Fire

Station, corner U.S. 60 and Keeler Road, new volunteers always welcome.

Ostomy Association of North Central Oklahoma, 7 p.m., Program To Be Decided, Still-water Medical Center, Board Room.

Feb. 25Pancakes/Sausage/Biscuit

and Gravy Breakfast, 6:30-10 a.m., American Legion Post 14, 407 West South Avenue, adults $5, children under 12 $3, children under 6 free, includes drinks.

March 2Burger & Steak Night, 5-8

p.m., American Legion Post 14, 407 West South Avenue, Ham-burger/Cheeseburger With Fries $5, 1-Inch Thick Rib-eye With Fries $15 While They Last, Water or Tea Included, Soft Drinks and Low Alcohol Beverages Also Available.

March 6-989.7 The House FM and

88.7 My Praise FM’s Annual Pledge Drive includes Giant Giveaway, 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Each Day, every hour includes Kin-dle Fire, Kindle, iPod touch, an autographed guitar, and more, call 767-1400 to volun-teer or pledge.

March 10JD & the Dozers Concert, A

Branson Type Show Country Music At It’s Finest With The Sherbon Brothers, 7:30 p.m., Hutchins Memorial Auditori-um, Presented by Ponca City After Five Lions Club, Tickets & Information 580-765-0966.

March 16Burger & Steak Night, 5-8

p.m., American Legion Post 14, 407 West South Avenue, Ham-burger/Cheeseburger With Fries $5, 1-Inch Thick Ribeye With Fries $15 While They Last, Water or Tea Included, Soft Drinks and Low Alcohol Beverages Also Available.

April 28Sports Card and Collect-

ibles Show, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Com-munity Christian Church, 2109 West Grand Avenue, Ponca City, free admission, call 580-765-9800 for more informa-tion.

Area Calendar

Romance Books in SaleThe Friends of the Ponca City Library are offering their

Baker’s Dozen loaves of romance books for the small price of $2 per loaf.

This sale will run Feb. 8-27.Each “loaf” will consist of at least 13 romance paperbacks

books selected and packaged ready to take home for the reader’s pleasure. Each loaf will have some old and some new, some thick and some thin, some by well known authors and others by less well known ones.

This is the sale for romance lovers, and the group will have an abundance of loaves for sale. They will be on a table downstairs in the reading area in front of the multimedia desk and also on the shelf upstairs across from the Circula-tion Desk.

“When you come to buy some of these, bring your old books that are lying around and donate them to the library. We will add them to the books we have for sale every day the library is open,” said Wayne Moore, vice president of the Friends of the Library. “We always welcome these donations and all the proceeds go to support the many activities provided in the library for children, as well as adults.”

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Red flowers, yellow hous-es, purple triangles.

When Lou Wilson picks up a paintbrush, no hue is off limits.

“I like watching the differ-ent colors come out,” says Wilson, a resident at Grace Living Center in Norman. “I love getting out of my room and doing things like this.”

Residents at the home can participate twice a month in art therapy sessions, and once a month in horticulture therapy. The programs are part of a belief that creative expression is vital to resi-dents’ quality of life.

“Our residents respond to the stimulation and social interaction it brings,” said home administrator Linda Austin. “This provides them with ways to connect to each other and to their caregiv-ers.”

Scientific studies suggest creative aging has health benefits, including pain reduction, better mobility and cognition, along with less depression and loneliness.

Indeed, residents who have trouble paying attention or who have memory loss often become engaged in art or

horticulture activities for an hour or more.

Art therapist Sue Sanders said art activities often trig-ger memories of happy times.

“It’s good for them to remi-nisce,” she said. “They’ll say this is what my house looked like growing up and it will prompt them to tell a story.”

Art is a powerful way to communicate thoughts and feelings. It gives people a common language, said Lavonne Maddox, activities director at the center.

“It’s a way for expression, but it’s also hands-on so there is a real sense of pur-pose and accomplishment,” she said.

Art is something many elders may have not had an opportunity to experience while young. Art classes were a luxury that was often unaffordable to families with children growing up during the Great Depression.

“The focus was more on survival than the arts,” Sand-ers said of those times.

Sanders loves having the opportunity to share the world of art with seniors now. She especially enjoys coming up with projects that tie to

the changing seasons. Since the residents don’t spend a lot of time outdoors, she said such projects connect them to the outside world.

The horticulture classes have the same purpose, and on a recent chilly winter morn-ing, Norman residents plant-ed heirloom flower seeds that will grow inside until they are ready to later be transferred

to pots or an outdoor garden.In the past, residents also

have harvested basil grown at the center, dried the herbs and used them to make pizza.

“The scent of the herbs is healing. The process is heal-ing,” said horticulture thera-pist Theresa Smith-Galoob. “It takes their mind off the ordinary and gets them back to nature.”

Austin said creative aging programs restore confidence that may begin to wane with age.

“The programs that we have here give the residents a feeling of accomplishment,” Austin said. “These programs make the elders feel that they are valuable people and that we care about what they do each day.”

PAGE 8-C–THE PONCA CITY NEWS, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012

LOU WILSON uses watercolors during an art therapy class at Grace Living Center in Norman.

Creative Aging Programs Help Elders in Many Ways

Cutting Portions Can Lead to a Healthier LifestyleNEWKIRK — Enjoy your

food, but eat less.Whether the goal is to lose

weight or embrace a healthier lifestyle, this simple, straight-forward advice can point Oklahomans — and the rest of the nation — in the right direction.

There are no good or bad foods, and in fact, there is room in the diet for every type of cuisine, said Deana Hildebrand, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Exten-sion nutrition specialist. It all boils down to consistently making positive choices.

“Some foods have more nutrients and those are the foods we should eat more often. Others have higher cal-ories and fewer nutrients, and should be picked less often,” she said. “It doesn’t mean you can never have a piece of chocolate or a cheeseburger. No food is off the table or

menu as long as it’s eaten in appropriate amounts.”

The six-word recommenda-tion to enjoy your food, but eat less is rooted in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and will serve as a key message point for the fed-eral agency over the next four months.

Through April, the USDA is increasing its efforts to encour-age Americans to focus on bal-ancing their caloric intake by cutting back on portion sizes and paying closer attention to what they are eating.

While eating less and savor-ing food more sounds fairly self-explanatory, there are tried and true ways of accom-plishing the task. Lindsay Grace, Kay County Family and Consumer Sciences Edu-cator said studying nutrition facts labels of foods to deter-mine the serving size and num-

ber of calories in each portion is a sound first step.

“Once you know the serv-ing size and calorie count, ask yourself if you honestly want to spend your calories on a par-ticular food,” Grace said. “You only have a budget of so many calories each day, so it requires you to be highly aware of what you’re eating.”

For fare that makes the cut, consumers should deliberately measure out a serving; put the package back in the cabinet, shelf or refrigerator; sit and enjoy.

Eating straight from the container can quickly lead to overeating. Similarly, dining or snacking in front of the tele-vision or computer can often inspire bouts of mindless eat-ing.

Try placing healthier options within easy reach for everyone in the household, including children, which can work as

strong prompts for making posi-tive decisions. For example, put out a bowl of fruit or keep carrots and low fat dressing in plain sight in the refrigerator.

Hildebrand suggested start-ing by completing a three-day food journal (two weekdays and one weekend day) and compar-ing the results to recommenda-tions on www.MyPlate.gov.

“A food journal helps cre-ate an awareness of what you are or are not eating. Using MyPlate as a comparison will tell you whether you’re getting enough fruits and vegetables, as well as lean proteins and whole grains,” she said.

After analyzing the food jour-nal, consumers should concen-trate on making small changes, such as having dessert only on the weekend, decreasing por-tion sizes or only drinking one soda per day.

While the MyPlate website offers a wealth of resources

such as dietary guidelines, a food tracker and sample menus and recipes, contacting a registered dietician also is an option. Grace recommend-ed checking with the Oklaho-ma Dietetic Association (www.oknutrition.org) for referrals.

“The bottom line is that it’s better to get your calo-ries from foods that are more nutrient dense,” Grace said. “Eat when you’re hungry and until you’re satisfied, but not stuffed. If you realize you’re eating out of boredom, go for a walk, read a book or fold the laundry.”

—————If you or your organization is

need of more information about healthy lifestyles, contact the Kay County Oklahoma State University Extension Office, Lindsay Grace, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator (580) 362-3194 or lindsay.grace@okstate.edu.

Good Oral Care Important For Pets as Well as Their HumansSTILLWATER — When it

comes to dental care, most people know the importance of brushing their teeth. What they may not realize is proper dental care is just as important for their pet.

Dr. Carolynn MacAllister, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension vet-erinarian, said dental care of cats and dogs is one of the most commonly overlooked areas of pet health care.

“If you notice that Rover and Tabby have offensive breath and/or trouble chew-ing, you shouldn’t over-look it,” MacAllister said. “According to the American Animal Hospital Association, approximately two-thirds of pet owners don’t provide the dental care that’s recom-mended. About 80 percent of cats and dogs show signs of oral disease by the age of three.”

What pet owners need to keep in mind is that dental problems do not affect just the mouth. Dental issues can lead to more serious health

problems, including heart, lung and kidney disease.

MacAllister said a signifi-cant cause of mouth odor is periodontal disease. Peri-odontal disease is a progres-sive disease that basically starts as a bacterial infec-tion of the tissue around the teeth. It begins as a layer of bacteria called plaque that attaches to the teeth and eventually becomes calcified into a hard substance called tartar. Plaque will continue to collect on this hard sub-stance. If plaque and tartar are allowed to spread across the teeth, inflammation of the gums eventually occurs. This inflammation is called gingivitis.

Gingivitis appears clinical-ly as swollen red gums that can easily bleed. If plaque and tartar are not removed, it eventually spreads to below the gum line where a bacmterial infection will develop around the root of the teeth. This is periodontal disease. As periodontal dis-ease progresses, the tissues

around the teeth are obliter-ated and will become loose in the boney sockets.

“It’s important for Rover and Tabby to receive proper dental care,” she said. “This involves both home care and

at least a yearly oral exam by a veterinarian. The exam usually involves evaluat-ing your pet’s whole mouth, including its gums, teeth and tongue. The veterinarian will check for tartar buildup,

teeth abnormalities, tumors and infection.”

If periodontal disease is found in the early stages, it can be treated and the pro-gression of the disease con-trolled. Regular profession-al cleaning helps stop the progression of plaque devel-opment and controls dental disease in your pet’s mouth. Regular dental exams by a veterinarian are a very important part of your pet’s health care, but consistent oral home care is a critical aspect of good dental health.

“Home care involves clean-ing your pet’s teeth by wip-ing or brushing them on a daily basis. To begin, clean the teeth and gums by gently using your finger to wipe over your pet’s teeth and gums in a circular movement with a wet finger,” MacAllister said. “Once the animal is comfort-able with what you’re doing, progress to using wet gauze wrapped around your finger. When your pet is accustomed to this procedure, move on to using a soft pet toothbrush.

You may eventually want to use pet toothpaste while you brush their teeth. Don’t use people toothpaste or baking soda as this can make your pet sick.”

It is a good idea to start home care early in your pet’s life to help ensure healthy teeth and gums for a lifetime.

The whole brushing pro-cess should take just a cou-ple of minutes and should be daily.

This small investment in time is an important step in giving the best possible care of your pet.

In addition to brushing, MacAllister suggests observ-ing your pet for signs of peri-odontal problems such as foul breath; brownish color on the teeth; swollen, red or bleeding gums; reluctance to eat and chew; or some type of growth on the gums. If you notice any of these indica-tors, have the pet checked out by your veterinarian.

OSU Agricultural Communications Services

Three Steps to Dental CareSTILLWATER — Oklahoma State University’s Center for

Veterinary Health Sciences reminds all pet owners that February is National Pet Dental Health Month and dental health is just as important for pets as it is for their owners!

According to the partners in the “Pets Need Dental Care, Too” campaign, which include the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Veterinary Dental Society, oral health is vital to the overall health of animals. Bad breath can be an indication of a more serious problem and warrants a visit to the veterinarian.

For best results, follow three simple steps:1. Take your pet to its veterinarian for a dental exam.2. Begin a dental care regimen at home in consultation

with the veterinarian.3. Schedule regular veterinary checkups.Prevent periodontal disease in your pets and provide the

optimal health care for your animals. Schedule your pets’ dental health appointment today.

OSU’s Boren Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital is open to the public and provides routine care for all ani-mals, including dental care.

Insurance Department Recovers Millions

OKLAHOMA CITY — Okla-homa Insurance Commission-er John D. Doak said recently that the Oklahoma Insurance Department had recovered nearly $4.5 million for the state’s insurance consumers during the 2011 calendar year.

Doak said OID specialists in Consumer Assistance field more than 20,000 phone calls per year. Many callers are seeking information about a licensed agent or company, while others need help under-standing various types of insurance and how they work.

Some have complaints about their existing policy or compa-ny, Doak said.

A year-end review of work in the Consumer Assistance and Claims Division found that OID personnel opened 3,094 consumer assistance files in 2011 for policyholders who had issues with their cov-erage. Consumer Assistance closed 3,506 files in 2011. Some cases opened near the end of one calendar year are not completed until the fol-lowing year.

The records show OID Con-sumer Assistance recovered $4,492,705.73 on behalf of Oklahoma policyholders and providers in 2011.

Among the larger recover-ies:

•Tornado claim disputes resolved in favor of the poli-cyholder resulted in several major settlements, including $344,842.72 for one consumer and $132,267 for another fam-ily.

•Delays and disputes in paying death benefits were resolved on behalf of con-sumers whose beneficiaries in several cases received full payouts of policies worth between $50,000 and $100,000.

•A provider received $63,428.43 in funds to cover treatments that had not been paid by insurance in a timely manner.

•A workers’ compensation arbitration settled in Decem-ber resulted in $187,500 in benefits paid to the claimant by the insurer.

Doak said Oklahomans with insurance questions or com-plaints should call the OID Consumer Assistance team toll-free at (800) 522-0071 or go online at oid.ok.gov.

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