February 2015 Rogers County Magazine

Volume I, Number 4 www.TheRCMag.com

Looking for something fun to do?

See our Entertainment Calendar at www.TheRCMag.com CONTENTS

Wedding Traditions Valentine Origin Art World Franger Chicken HomeSchoolers Shop Talk Pets Need Homes A Better You Hugh O’Brian’s Mice The Parting Shot

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February 2015

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Wedding traditions original roots Tossing the Bouquet Originating in England, tossing the bouquet is a tradition that stems from women who used to try to rip pieces of the bride’s dress and flowers in order to obtain some of her good luck. In an effort to escape from the crowd, the bride would toss her bouquet and run away. In today’s weddings, the lucky lady who catches the bouquet is said to be the next to get married.

Giving Away the Bride During the days of arranged marriages, daughters were considered their father’s property. It was the father’s responsibility to give his daughter to the groom, and it was usually for a price. Fathers who give their daughters away today are symbolizing their blessing of the marriage.

The Wedding Ring Originating in Roman times, the wedding ring is worn on the third finger of the left hand because the Romans believed that there was a vein in that finger that runs directly to the heart. A never ending circle, the wedding ring is a symbol of endless love.

The Best Man Capturing a desired woman was the ususal custom in obtaining a bride in ancient times. The man would take along his strongest and most trusted friend to help him defend against resistance of the woman’s family. This friend was considered the best man among his friends. In England, the best man was on hand to defend the bride and groom from outside interests.

Bride on Groom’s Left In Anglo-Saxon England grooms often had to defend their brides, so the bride would stand to the left of her groom keeping his sword arm free.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and a Sixpence in Your Shoe Representing the bride’s link to her family and the past, “Something old”. is chosen by the bride who may choose to wear a piece of family jewelry or her mother or grandmother’s wedding gown. “Something new” represents hope for good fortune and success in the future. The bride often chooses

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the wedding gown to represent the new item.

“Something borrowed” is normally provided by a close friend of family member who is happily married, to lend some of her good fortune and joy to the new bride.

“Something blue” is a symbol of love, fidelity, and purity of the bride. A sixpence in her shoe is to wish the bride wealth in her future life.

The Tiered Wedding Cake It seems that many of the wedding traditions we support are tied to Anglo-Saxon English times, and the tired wedding cake is no different. Guests to the wedding would bring small cakes and stack them atop each other. Later, a French baker created a cake in the shape of the small cakes and covered it in frosting. Now known as the traditional wedding cake, most people have tiered wedding cakes.

The Wedding Bouquet Bet you didn’t know that the flowers at weddings were originally provided as a symbol of fertility. The first bouquets consisted of herbs, later, orange blossoms were included.

The Bridal Veil The bridal veil has long been considered a symbol of youth, modesty, and virginity and may have been used to ward off evil.

Bridesmaids Having a bridal party is a tradition that is consistent across many civilizations. Dressing similarly to the bride, they hoped to fool evil spirits who may come to the wedding. Today they are support for the bride during her special day.

February 2015 TheRCMag.com

Valentine’s Day origin still mysterious Depending upon who you ask or where you research, the origin of Valentines Day is mired in controversy. During the 1100s, Pope Gelasius I made an effort to change the holiday from pagan to Christian. He set the day of February 14th.

However there are at least three Christian saints by the name of St. Valentine.

One was a priest in Rome, another a bishop in Terni, and a third St. Valentine almost nothing is known about except that he met his end in Africa. Strangely, all three Valentines were said to have been martyred February 14th.

It seems that most scholars believe that the St. Valentine of the holiday was a priest who attracted the disfavor of Roman emperor Claudius II around 270. Here the factual information ends and the mythical information begins.

According to one legend, Claudius II had banned marriage for young men, believing that bachelors made better soldiers.

Valentine made it his mission to secretly marry young couples, however the Romans found out and executed Valentine.

In another legend Valentine, imprisoned

by Claudius, fell in love with the daughter of his jailer. Before his execution, he supIf things on earth may be to heaven resembled, It must be love, pure, constant, undissembled.

Aphra Behn (1640–1689)

posedly sent her a letter signed “from your Valentine.”

Most scholars feel that the most plausible story surrounding St. Valentine is one not focused on Eros (passionate love) but on agape (Christian love): and he was martyred for refusing to renounce his religion.

The Catholic Church revised its liturgical calendar in 1969, removing the feast days of saints whose historical origins were uncertain. St. Valentine was one of the holidays that was removed.

That doesn’t mean that the tradition of St. Valentine’s Day was removed. Lovers everywhere view the holiday as one that they cannot miss. it is a special time for lovers to honor each other by various means, including special dinners, Valentine cards, and candy, and a traditional time to ask that special someone for their hand in marriage.

The world needs more love so Valentine’s Day celebrations are moments in time when love outweighs all other events.

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Give me a kiss, and to that kiss a score; Then to that twenty, add a hundred more: A thousand to that hundred: so kiss on, To make that thousand up a million.

Treble that million, and when that is done, Let’s kiss afresh, as when we first begun.

Robert Herrick (1591–1674)

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By Colleen A. Baker-Huber “The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless,” JeanJacques Rousseau said of art. And as we have our year’s plans behind us it might be useful to look back in history.

And I must admit I hated history as a child, the book was small but fat and filled with nothing but type, no pictures. I memorized so I could pass the test, but really knew nothing of what I had memorized. I didn’t want to.

Then someone said, “Without art we would have no history.” That tweaked my interest and I haven’t stopped studying about art since.

“Just as eating contrary to the inclination is injurious to health, so study without desire spoils the memory, and it retains nothing that it takes in,” said Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519).

After the Dark Ages, which began after the fall of the Roman Empire and many other wars and territorial changes, communications between leaders was non-existent.

This period opened the doors to the Renaissance; a period where architecture and art made many changes.

Two men from England (an architect

and a writer) made a trip to Greece and ran across the ruins of the great Acropolis in Athens (448-432 BC), which they documented. Even concrete, which was no longer a product, came back into use.

The reliefs and statues of the time were more Byzantine and lacked the balance and poise of the Romans’ work centuries before.

“The Birth of Venus,” painted in 1485 had exaggerated form, which was painted for a patron and is remembered for the cascading hair and the exquisite body. This style was devoted more to lines that graded shading of forms, painted

by Sandro Botticelli.

Sandro Botticelli painted during the 1400’s and his work was hard to understand by art critics. The Florentine idea of depicting art was a conquest of form and space, anatomy, perspective and light.

However, later historians related Botticelli’s art to an era where the patrons were of a wealthy Florentine society and their tastes.

Leonardo Da Vinci brought a new dimension to painting where he thought in terms of light and dark, a method of modeling which no longer had figures in outlines but three dimensional bodies made visible (chiaroscuro) light and dark.

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The modern eras followed the Renaissance, which we will talk about in another article.

It seems to me that there is a pattern to all things on this planet; birth of, growth and decline. It not only appears in peoples and movements but communities and cities. They rise and fall and the artists have depicted them throughout the centuries.

How long has all this been going on?

Modern man keeps finding evidence of those before us. Recently archeologists found on an Indonesian Island, Sulawese, with cave drawings that are as old as those in Spain and France, which were dated to be 39,900 years old or older.

So where is your imagination taking you? And don’t forget to make visit your local galleries and museums; identify eras and related it not only to style but also color systems. Your creations may find their way through history and be studied centuries from now. Happy Painting!

Colleen A. Baker-Huber is a life-long artist and has taught art for over 20 years. She holds a Bachelor’s degree of Fine art from Cal Poly Pomona. She has enjoyed acceptance at The Art Affair in Laguna Beach, California for several years, and has paintings in private and public collections worldwide. If you have any questions about her art or prints you can reach her through email at cocobien@verizon.net. She is also named in Marquis’ Who’s Who of American Women and Who’s Who of Women of the World. She has a couple of websites, the newest and most complete is located at www.ColleenBakerHuber.com and fine art giclees from her work can be ordered from there. All of her work is printed by www.

GGiclee.com located in Verdigris.

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Photographer’s Art Show at Rogers County Health Dept.

The Rogers County Health Department is honored to host a showing of Wall Art by Douglas Henderson on January 13, 2015, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. They will open their doors for the public to enjoy viewing his beautiful photographic art creations decorating their walls and to meet this local professional photographer. Mr. Henderson will tell where each photo was taken along with other interesting facts and information.

Douglas Henderson is one of Oklahoma’s most prolific photographers. He is a native-born Oklahoman and of Cherokee descent. Mr. Henderson resides in Rogers County where he grew up, attended Oologah High School and RSU back when it was Claremore Junior College. He enjoys photographing and capturing local scenery at its best. However, he has also travelled the world as a photographer, working in Ecuador, Romania, South Africa, Ghana, the Gambia, Senegal, the Galapagos Islands, Uganda, and the Amazon Basin as well as all over the United States. His work has been exhibited at Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, the Oklahoma State Capitol, and Antwerp Belgium. Mr. Henderson has works published in Newsweek, the New York Times, Newsweek Japan, the National Enquirer, Oklahoma Today and many others. His photographic documentation of the African slave castles is presently being considered for inclusion in the Smithsonian. In addition, many of his photographic art creations are on display at NTC-Claremore and those at Rogers County Health Department were all taken in Rogers County. You are invited to visit his website to see more or contact him: www.douglashenderson.com.

We hope the public will attend this upcoming showing of Douglas Henderson’s photographic art at Rogers County Health Department, 2664 N. Hwy 88, Claremore, OK 74017, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 13, 2015. We will have light, healthy refreshments and Mr. Henderson will conduct a tour of our building showing and narrating his photo creations.

Wild nights! Wild nights!

Were I with thee, Wild nights should be Our luxury!

Emily Dickinson (1830–1886)

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Getting Started in Homeschooling

By Gail Nelson Homeschooling is growing by leaps and bounds, and according to the latest information, by even more than public school enrollment. So why does something that so many families seem to be doing these days, still cause such anxiety?

I think the changes that choosing homeschool for your family can bring a fear of the unknown; our minds instinctively fear the unknown because it might be dangerous. The mind craves routine, comfort, and safety, and yet that’s where we experience the least growth. We survive, yes, but we do not grow in comfort and safety. Our society was built by people who faced the unknown and found new ways of doing

things. If it weren’t for people like them, we might still be living in caves somewhere painting the walls.

No matter the reasons a family is considering homeschooling, the questions are similar. They range from, how to start, what about group activities, to what curriculum to buy, and more.

Know your rights and responsibilities The first step in this is to know the lay of the land; understand the rules and regulations, if any, and understand what your state requires from you. In Oklahoma, it’s simple – homeschooling is protected in the state constitution. There are no reporting requirements nor testing required. If your child is currently enrolled in public or pri-

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vate school, some organizations recommend sending a letter of intent to the school in order to save some hassle with possible truancy questions. Being informed is the key, know your rights and responsibilities so that you can make informed choices.

Finding your way in the maze of choices Once you know what is legally required, then you can start thinking about what to teach and how to teach. I say start thinking, because the first year of homeschooling is very much about exploring things. Learning how to learn together, how to teach; re-lighting that spark in your child can take some time, especially if they have had difficult experiences in public school.

Remember the textbooks your kids used?

They’re probably from the same company that made yours! Homeschoolers have thousands of choices for curricula. Some religious, some secular, some pro-Common Core, some independent. It’s enough to make a person’s head spin! I know that I was completely blown away by the selection, and had a hard time figuring out what to do. So I didn’t buy anything at first.

During our first year, I cobbled together everything from math and science to reading and writing. We read everything we could get our hands on, mostly aloud, and most of it was me reading to them because they had strong interests in subjects where the books were too much for them to read.

But they loved being read to, and even now that they’re both strong readers, they love for me to read to them every night.

The only thing we purchased the first year was Latin, and only because a good friend was selling it. We knew we wanted to learn Latin, and I believe that starting with a pre-made curriculum for a brand new subject was the right decision for us.

It showed us that school books didn’t have to suck. Granted, this could have backfired severely, had the books turned out to be awful, but I followed my gut and my husband handed me his credit card number.

This new and exciting subject was enough to start bringing them out of the funk into which they had descended.

Deschooling is vital If your kids have been in school, I highly recommend spending time reacquainting yourself with them. They’ll need some time to decompress from the stress of school, and re-learn how to be with you all the time.

Sometimes this is a difficult transition, so be prepared for some bumps along the way.

Spend time going to museums, tide pools, hiking trails, nature centers, and whatever else you can think of. Watch as they interact with the things you find, and watch for the See HOMESCHOOL, Page 7

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Claremore Village Senior Living Apartments celebrated their Ribbon Cutting with the Claremore Chamber of Commerce, Claremore Mayor Bill Flanagan, senior management personnel, and residents. The new senior facility features one and two bedroom units, available to those age 62 and older. A swimming pool, fitness center, library/computer center, community room and much more are all a part of the complex. All units are single story with easy access. They can be reached at 918.283.4888 or on their website at www.ClaremoreVillage.com. Be sure to tell them you saw it in Rogers County Magazine.

HOMESCHOOL, continued from page 6

subjects that make them absolutely giddy over discovering something new, because those are the things you’ll want to include, when, or if, you decide to get more formal with their education.

There isn’t anything magical about teaching, other than a love of learning and sharing what you learn. There isn’t a teacher in the world that knows everything, but when they are asked a question to which they don’t know the snswer, the best of them will say something like, “I don’t know, let me see if I can help you find out.” This phrase will be your lifeline. Get it ready, because you’re going to have more questions than a porcupine has quills! It may seem odd, given that many of us have this idea that teachers have to know their subject matter thoroughly, but since we aren’t specialists in a given field, we have to become joint explorers with our kids. By acknowledging that you don’t know everything, and that you’re willing to learn and grow, you’ll earn the respect of your kids.

When you earn their respect, things tend to smooth out. I’m not saying you should be your kids’ friend. You’re their parent, not friend; but authority figures need to be respected in order to get things done in a timely manner without (too many) fights.

During this period of decompression, also called deschooling, you should be taking the time to learn everything you can about how kids learn, various teaching philosophies, and trying to make sense

of the information so you can apply it at home.

Choosing curriculum Much of our deschooling was during the last month of summer and the first couple of months of the next school year, so I took most of the summer of no school to figure out what we were doing. You may not feel that you have the luxury of time, but it’s not really a luxury, it’s a necessity. You’ll need

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time to figure out what will work with your kids, time to figure out how much planning you want to do with school work. Do you want to write everything yourself or do you want to spend more time being with your kids? Do you feel like you need a completely planned out curriculum to keep you on track, or do you feel that you can figure it out?

I know quite a few moms who don’t spend a dime on curriculum, but spend quite a lot of time writing it for their kids. I feel like this is a double-edged sword; yes, you get exactly what you want in curriculum, but you also wind up spending a lot of time that could have been spent elsewhere if you’d bought something that was close, but adaptable. Writing your own is a little daunting if you’ve never done that before, so a lot of families use the various free resources available to cobble things together until they figure out which styles work the best. Others exclusively use free resources because they cannot afford to do otherwise. Whichever you decide is up to you, if it works for your family, do it.

The real trick is in balancing the time you’re willing to spend against the money you’re willing to spend, in order to get homeschool running the way that it needs to for your family. I choose to purchase curriculum in many cases because it saves valuable time that I would rather spend with my kids.

Bringing “public school home” is often a recipe for disaster See HOMESCHOOL, Page 10

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February 2015 TheRCMag.com SHOPTALK, continued from page 8

A good battery with an adequate charge is absolutely essential for reliable cold starting. A weak battery, or one that is rundown, may not deliver enough amps to crank the engine when temperatures plunge and the oil thickens. Cold weather can be hard on batteries, but so can hot weather because it increases water loss from the electrolyte inside the battery. That’s why batteries in hot climates usually don’t last as many years as those in more moderate or colder climates.

The battery must also be capable of providing backup power for the vehicle’s electrical accessories and electronic modules. When the engine is running, the charging system can usually produce enough current to meet all of the vehicle’s electrical needs, but when the engine is idling and the lights, heater, defroster, radio or other accessories are placing high loads on the system, additional power may be drawn from the battery if the alternator can’t produce enough juice.

And when the key is off, the battery has to provide a steady supply of voltage to any onboard modules or other accessories that need power.

When a battery is disconnected or goes completely dead, the loss of voltage can cause a variety of problems. Radio pre-

sets and seat/mirror settings are lost, and the adaptive and learned memories in the PCM and other modules disappear as well.

The PCM can forget fault codes and other diagnostic information (long-term fuel trim adjustments, the readiness status of OBDII system monitors, electronic transmission shift adjustments, etc.). Some climate control systems (1996 and up Dodge minivans, Cadillac Escalade, Chevy Avalanche and Suburban) can forget the position of flow control doors and actuators.

On late-model vehicles with controller area network (CAN) electrical systems, some modules may go into a default mode, standby mode or sleep mode, and may require pinging or reprogramming with a scan tool to restore normal function. We’ve even heard of 4×4 modules on some GM SUVs never waking up when the battery is disconnected (which requires installing a new module to fix the fault).

For these reasons, never disconnect a battery on a late-model car without first attaching a backup power source to the vehicle’s electrical system. This could be another battery, a battery charger or a “memory saver” that plugs into a power outlet. Make sure the outlet remains “hot” when the key is off, otherwise it won’t feed voltage from

the auxiliary battery back into the system.

Load Testing Load testing a battery with an adjustable carbon pile battery tester is one way to check the condition of the plates inside a battery. A load tester applies a calibrated load and displays how the battery responds. The load, which is set to half the battery’s cold cranking amp (CCA) rating, is applied for 15 seconds. As long as battery voltage remains above 9.6 volts, the battery is considered “good.” But if it drops below 9.6 volts by the end of the test, the battery may be “bad,” or the battery may have to be recharged and retested if it was not fully charged prior to the test. That’s one of the drawbacks of a traditional load test — for accurate results, the battery must be at or above 12.45 volts (75% charged) before it is load tested — otherwise it may fail the test.

Another way to check the battery is with a small handheld electronic load tester.

This type of tester does not require a fully charged battery because it only applies a small amp load to the battery. The electronics in the tester monitor how the battery responds to the load, and then the tester decides if the battery is good or bad. car battery maintenanceBattery Conductance Testers Another way to test a battery is to measure its “conductance.” A low frequency alternating current (AC) signal sent through a battery can reveal how much plate area is available to hold and deliver power. As a battery ages, its conductance declines.

Shorts, opens and other cell defects also affect conductance, so measuring conductance gives an accurate indication of battery condition.

Some battery testers use a slight variation of this technique and send a high frequency signal through the battery to measure its internal resistance.

One of the main advantages of conductance testing is that it can test batteries that are low or almost completely discharged.

Conductance testing can be done with the battery in the vehicle and without disconnecting the terminals (though the terminals must be clean and tight). If the posts or side terminals on a battery need to be cleaned (which is recommended), remember to use a battery backup to maintain voltage to the onboard electronics.

A conductance test can also be repeated multiple times on the same battery without draining the battery, unlike a traditional load test which pulls out a lot of amps. That also saves time because there’s no need to See SHOPTALK, page 9

recharge the battery before or after testing.

Some conductance testers also analyze the battery’s CCA capacity, which can be used to estimate the battery’s remaining service life. Some also allow you to measure the amps drawn by the starter while cranking the engine and analyze the charging system’s output under load once the engine is running.

If the tester reads CCA, you can also use it to diagnose bad ground connections by running a CCA test at the battery terminals, then repeating the same test using a ground point on the engine or elsewhere.

A difference of more than 25% in the CCA readings between tests indicates a bad ground.

Key-Off Current Drains If a vehicle has a battery that keeps running down, but the battery and charging system both test OK, the problem may be a key-off current drain that’s sapping the battery of its reserve power.

As a rule, the parasitic drain on most late-model vehicles should be less than 50 milliamps one hour after the vehicle has been shut off and left undisturbed. But always refer to the vehicle manufacturer’s key-off electrical drain specifications if available (some vehicle manufacturers have no published specifications).

Keep in mind that opening a door, the trunk or turning anything on can wake up various modules and start the timer countdown all over again. So, if you want to check the parasitic draw on the battery, leave the hood open (or the trunk if the battery is located in the back).

A key-off current reading above specifications means it’s time to start pulling fuses and relays to isolate the fault. Refer to the vehicle owner’s manual or a wiring diagram to identify the fuses and relays. Then pull the fuses and relays one at a time until the current reading drops. Avoid pulling the fuses for the PCM or other KAM-sensitive modules until you have checked all of the other circuits. Once you’ve found the circuit that is causing the excessive current drain, check the relay, switch, module or other components in the circuit and replace as needed.

Battery Charging Tips

• Do not turn the charger on until both leads have been connected to the battery.

Connect positive to positive and negative to negative. Do not reverse the connections as doing so may damage the charger and battery.

• Slow-charging at 6 amps or less is best because it develops less heat inside the battery (which can damage cells and increase evaporation). A slow charging rate will also break up the sulfation on the battery plates more efficiently to bring the battery back up to full charge.

• “Smart chargers” also work well because they automatically adjust the charge rate to the battery’s state of charge.

Most start out with a charging rate of 15 amps or higher, then taper off the charging rate as the battery charge comes up.

• Fast-charging a battery saves time but risks overheating and damaging the battery. If using a fast-charger, don’t use the highest setting. Use the “boost” setting only when cranking the engine.

• Refer to the battery’s reserve capacity (RC) rating to determine charging times and rates. The charging rate (in amps) multiplied by the number of charging time hours should equal the RC of the battery.

(Example: a dead battery with an RC rating of 72 will require charging at 6 amps for 12 hours.)

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Page 10 TheRCMag.com HOMESCHOOL, continued from page 7

Often, when new homeschoolers start, they try to recreate school at home. They buy wall charts and cubbies, special tables and other items to make their school room a learning environment. Now, if your child enjoys this and craves that sort of structure, go for it! But if you have the least bit of a free-thinker on your hands you may want to rethink that strategy.

I did it at first. It sucked. It was more of what they hated about school! Sitting at a desk where, when, and how they were told was not their idea of learning. My twins are interesting, to say the least. One of them enjoys Latin, the other Math. They both

received books for Christmas chosen especially for them - they were antiques, one a Latin Grammar book the other a Math book. Keep in mind that both of these books are over 100 years old, so you would think that with “kids these days,” they would sniff their noses. Not my twins. They treat those books like they are precious gemstones, and love nothing more than to sit curled up in a blanket reading these old textbooks.

My point in all this is that if I rigidly stuck to my ideas for how and where learning should happen, they would be miserable.

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They would fight every step of the way, and as stubborn as I can be, I would fight harder. Find what works for your kids, whether they’re laying upside down, hanging off the edge of the sofa reading, or laying on the floor, sprawled out with their books.

Whatever you decide, remember that the only true constant in life is change, and that which holds your kids’ attention today will bore them to death tomorrow. Don’t be afraid to change should the need arise, and be sure to include lots of free time for your kids to be kids.

Dog finds his friend Unknown Author A woman in a city in Ohio tells a very interesting story of how she learned from her dog a humane lesson which she says will stay by her during her entire life.

The dog for some time was the only pet in the family, but owing to the infringement of rats and mice upon the place, they decided to add a cat to the household.

Like many other people who have not learned to consider the value of a cat from many standpoints, as soon as her work was done the woman decided she was of no further use, and was somewhat of a nuisance.

She therefore insisted that her husband should carry the cat away to a remote section of the city and drop it, leaving it to find a home for itself, and trusting that some heart would be kinder than hers.

Her insistence brought about the desired result. The dog, who at first had not been in

sympathy with the addition of a cat to the family circle, had later become much attached to her and seemed to miss her.

Later in the year when winter had set in, the woman was one day sitting at her window, sewing. It had been snowing hard throughout the day, and she looked out upon a world of trackless white. In the distance she saw the dog floundering through the snow with something in his mouth.

When he reached the gate she discovered that it was a cat, and at the threshold that it was the puss which she had abandoned.

The dog had brought the cat safely home, carrying it well up out of the snow, without injury. Whether he found it on its way home, or whether he had searched until he found it at the place where it had been dropped, is not known. He could not tell, but the wagging of his tail was expressive of his satisfaction in having found his old friend.

LANTOW MEMORIAL Donation Status $5,700 balance $30,000 needed Bring your donations to the main branch of

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CHECKS PAYABLE TO VFW/LANTOW

February 2015 TheRCMag.com Page

Is your business hitting specific marketing objectives?

Rogers County Magazine, developed specifically to fill a need of tying Rogers County together where no other publication has, is one of the most viable marketing tools businesses in Rogers County have today.

There are specific items you need to consider when determining your marketing strategies for 2015. The first of which is defining your business objectives. There isn’t any reason to choose your tactics until you have defined your objectives.

Once you know what you want to accomplish, you must consider the strategies and tactics that are most effective in achieving your goals. That is where Rogers County Magazine comes in, because we cover a specific marketing region, Rogers County, in a manner unlike any other publication.

The key to our success is the entire reason for being, providing good news, community events and activities, inspirational and fun stories, and our readers become dedicated to receiving their monthly dose of good news. They understand that our advertisers are the reason they have a great publication to read, and also become dedicated to supporting those advertisers.

Once you begin advertising with Rogers County Magazine, readers become accustomed to seeing your marketing efforts and know exactly where to go to access your information. If they don’t see your ad there after it has been run in months previously, readers can become concerned that your business is no longer active.

In marketing, consistency is always the most important element to success. Pick your marketing medium and stick with it. Rogers County Magazine is a monthly publication, so your budget can handle a consistently run marketing program.

Give us a call today at 918.810.6036 to set an appointment to review your marketing goals and strategies. We want to become partners in your success.

Pets needing homes The Catoosa Animal Control center is a temporary home to some very special pets that are looking for their forever families. Located at 421 South Cherokee in Catoosa, you can drop by during their regular hours to see if your special friend is there. Give them a call at 918-266-0344 or E Mail: animalcontrol@cityofcatoosa. org. Hours are Mon - Fri 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and they are closed for lunch from 12- 1 daily.

Sarge is a St Bernard Mix, shown on the right. A male, he is about two years old.

He is very playful and gets along with other dogs. He loves adults and children.

The dog on the right iis a Terrier Mix, female, Her name is Shadow.

She is about seven months old. She is very sweet and playful and she gets along with other dogs. She likes adults and older children.

The black cat is a Domestic Long Hair, her name is Cassy. She is about two years old. She is very sweet but a bit shy. She is litter boxed trained.

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The kitty above is a Manx Orange Tabby, male. His name is Boe. He is very sweet and gets along with other cats. He does not like dogs. He is very social and lovable. He is litter box trained.

The dog above is a Aussi Mix, female. Her name is Shelby. She is about seven months old. She is playful and social and is a very loyal girl.

She will stay right by your side if you let her. She is not house trained.

By the time the February Rogers County Magazine is on the streets, some of these loving pets could have been adopted, but at the Animal Control Center we have new ones coming in constantly and all are needing new homes. Rescuing an adorable, loving pet can be the best decision you have ever made. Every child should have the opportunity to love and care for an animal. Give us a call.

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U.S. Marine, HOBY founder and actor

Hugh O’Brian and his mice

By Candy Richey When Bill and I lived in Washington State, we were very involved with Kiwanis, having built three clubs and being charter members of the Mount St. Helens Kiwanis Club.

One of the programs Kiwanis supports is Hugh O’Brian’s HOBY Youth Leadership program, where every high school principal receives an invitation to send one sophomore from their school to the local weekend leadership conference.

Not all high schools take up the invitation, some seem to think it isn’t important, others just think they are too busy to pick one student for the program. Whatever the reason, the high school doesn’t have to pay a dime, neither does the student. Local non-profits such as Kiwanis, Lions, VFW, Masons, etc. normally fund the program.

Hugh chose sophomores because his the-

ory was that they still had two full years of school to give back to their community before heading off to college, honing their leadership skills.

Every student who completes the HOBY seminar comes back a changed person. “We don’t tell them what to think, we teach them how to think,” says Hugh. They return home fired up to make a difference in their community.

The seminars are usually held in the spring, Oklahoma’s 2015 seminar is being held at University of Central Oklahoma May 29-31.

Check with your high school office to see if a student has been chosen, if not, get the application in as soon as possible. You can download it from www.HOBY.org.

Hugh developed his HOBY program after a 1958 two-week visit to the famed Albert Schweitzer in Africa. At the end of his trip while awaiting his plane, Schweitzer asked Hugh what he was going to do with the information he learned about giving back. He told Hugh that he had a unique opportunity, due to his fame, to do something great. By the time his planed landed back in the United States, Hugh had outlined his HOBY program and began working on it as soon as he landed. It has been in operation ever since. Our own grandson Chris Baumeister is a HOBY ambassador, as well as being a member of the HOBY World Leadership Conference in Washington D.C. in July of 2008, where he

February 2015

met not only Hugh but also Mike Huckabee who is a 1972 HOBY Ambassador. There are many more HOBY Ambassadors out there, the alumni are a veritable “Who’s Who” of American leaders.

The seminars are put on by volunteers who enlist business leaders throughout the area to help. All of these leaders provide a portion of the program by speaking with the students on various subjects. Sometimes local politicians are there, but most often speakers include the CEOs of various companies of stature in the community. Emphasis is on team building, and other activities that help students identify their own leadership skills and how to put those skills to work in the community.

Hugh also is known as the youngest ever Marine to become a drill instructor at age 17 in 1942. He is one tough man, but a gentleman all the way through.

I can say that because Bill and I have had interaction with him through Kiwanis. We also attended his 80th birthday party at his home in Hollywood, along with my mom.

She donated a painting she painted for his fund raiser.

At that birthday fund raiser, he bet one of his usual donors $5,000 that he could get the Duke to his birthday party. The guy took the bet, and shortly thereafter in walked the Duke, dressed as Rooster Cogburn.

This gentleman is actually one of the lookalikes, but he is very good, Hugh won his bet.

He is due to turn 90 April 19, hopefully he’ll have another party.

Anyway, we had an opportunity to spend some one-on-one time with him a short time before the birthday party. He was in Washington State, and was attending a conference in the Seattle area. He had stopped in our area, and needed a ride up to the conference, to which we were attending as well.

The two hour ride was an interesting inside look at the character he is.

He spent some of the ride on the phone to his wife Virginia. She was upset because inside the house was a mouse cage, and it was in dire need of being cleaned. It stunk.

He gently explained that she needed to clean the cage, and how to do it easily. She was not happy about it.

After the call he explained. “We live in the canyon and mice seem to think they need to live with us. I can’t kill them so I put them in a cage when I catch them,” he said. “I’d turn them loose back into the canyon but I’m afraid they will tell all their friends ‘hey guys come on in here, they feed us well’,” he laughed.

The big tough Marine, who has played the part of Wyatt Earp, was the gambler in The Shootist, as well as many other tough roles, won’t kill mice. Hugh is very special.

You have got to love it.

February 2015 TheRCMag.com

Headaches – a major pain!

According to the latest research, nine percent of men and 12 percent of women in the U.S. experience at least one to two headache episodes per month. And, more than four percent of the U.S. population suffers from frequent headaches, defined as headaches that occur at least 180 days a year. Needless to say, headaches have become a social and economic burden in the United States, as well as other parts of the world.

Scientists have identified over 300 causes for headaches. Various pain-sensitive structures and tissues including the skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscles, arteries, periosteal bone covering, and the upper cervical and facial nerves produce headaches when irritated or injured. Fortunately, only a handful of causes are responsible for the majority of headaches.

The most common of these headaches include: 1. Cervicogenic - problems within the neck 2. Muscle-tension- neck and upper back muscular spasms 3. Post-traumatic- following head/neck trauma, i.e. whiplash 4. Drug-induced-from analgesic overuse

5. Migraines 6. Cluster Doctors of chiropractic successfully help thousands of individuals every day obtain safe, effective, long-term relief from their headaches.

This is because most headaches have a spinal, muscular, or habitual component which the chiropractor has been trained to identify and treat. In fact, surveys show that 10-25 percent of patients initiate chiropractic care for the relief of headaches.

Headache Prevention Tips Regular spinal checkups allow you to correct any structural misalignments, faulty biomechanics and spinal nerve irritation within the upper spine before serious problems develop. Practicing a “preventative” approach as opposed to a “crisis” approach is the most effective way to stay healthy.

Proper posture and ergonomics keeps stress to the cervical and upper thoracic spine to a minimum. Proper body biomechanics keeps irritation and injury to the pain sensitive spinal tissues to a minimum.

Avoid analgesic use. While occasional shortterm analgesic use is appropriate in some cases, analgesics are not a cure and should not be used

Where are all the Americans?

A Russian arrives in New York City as a new immigrant to the United States. It’s 11 a.m. on a Wednesday.

He stops the first person he sees walking down the street and says, “Thank you Mr. American for letting me come into this country, giving me housing, food stamps, free medical care, and a free education!”

The passerby says, “You are mistaken, I am a Mexican.”

The man goes on and encounters another passerby. “Thank you for having such a beautiful country here in America.”

The person says, “I not American, I Vietnamese.” The new arrival walks farther,

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and the next person he sees he stops, shakes his hand, and says, “Thank you for wonderful America!

That person puts up his hand and says, “I am from Middle East. I am not American.”

He finally sees a nice lady and asks, “Are you an American?”

She says, “No, I am from Africa ..”

Puzzled, he asks her, “Where are all the Americans?”

The African lady checks her watch and says: “Probably at work.”

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as a long-term solution to managing headaches.

Proper headache management deals with correcting the cause of the headache and not simply the masking of symptoms. Furthermore, excessive analgesic use frequently has a rebound effect, ironically increasing the frequency and intensity of the headaches they are meant to treat.

FYI- research has shown that 60% of all chronic headaches are drug-induced.

Proper stress management. Stress is a major trigger of headaches. If you find your stress levels are excessive, contact our office. We can assist you in appropriately managing your stress levels.

Regular exercise. Routine physical activity keeps the body and mind strong, healthy and happy. A minimum of 3 times per week for 40 minutes should be your goal. Involve friends and family, mix up the activities, keep it fun and stay consistent!

Proper diet and nutrition. Providing your body with the proper fuel through proper diet and nutrition allows the body to fight off disease and function at a higher level.

Also, if you suffer from migraines be sure to avoid foods that trigger attacks - chocolate, caffeine, nuts, MSG, foods containing nitrates, and alcohol are some to avoid.

If you, a family member or friend are suffering from a headache call Hinds Family Chiropractic at 918-342-3444 for a free consultation!

Page 14 TheRCMag.com

Making dreams come true

Providing care for children St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® hosted groundbreaking for St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway® recently for the 2015 St. Jude Dream Home® Giveaway, valued at approximately $600,000.

Tickets to win the dream home and other prizes will go on sale in March and will cost $100 each. A limited number of tickets will be available.

The Dream Home will be built by Jeff Starkweather and Kirk Murdoch of Epic Custom Homes and will be located in the Stone Canyon of Owasso, who fully donated a lot for this year’s Dream Home.

Thanks to fundraisers like this one, fam-

ilies never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food, so they can focus on helping their child live.

The St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway is one of the largest single-event fundraisers for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, generating more than $290 million for research and treatment since 1991 through the construction of more than 358 homes nationwide.

If you would like to keep tabs on the home as it is built, it is located at 7031 N. Scissortail Court, in Stone Canyon.

FAQ: For more information, call 1-405366-2506 or visit www.dreamhome.org.

His name is Bobby

By Dick McGuire Don’t know how he became my best friend, but, it hasn’t stopped and it is not expected to.

When did it happen? Sometime in the beginning of our 8th grade.

Bobby and I had gone to the same elementary school since the family moved into the area while I was in the second grade. Don’t remember knowing him while at that school but had to have seen him on the school grounds and, most certainly, in the special class for students that wanted to learn to play a musical instrument. For

me, that special class at the beginning of the 5th grade as I began on the Clarinet and he on the Coronet.

Today, he and I can set together and recall many common memories that we experienced and people we knew at that elementary school, but not able to recall any memories of being together; guess it just wasn’t time for that yet to happen.

At the junior high school we attended we were in the band together starting in the seventh grade, but still no “buddyship” began. However, in the eighth grade, something happened, at some time, somewhere and for some reason, we became friends.

Why? Simply and selfishly I can say, it was supposed to happen so that my life, thereafter, was to be benefitted by his friendship.

My folks always loved knowing that Bobby was my best friend because they knew he had quality within him and, that gave them comfort.

Being at his home was very enjoyable

February 2015

for several reasons; plenty to do and his Mom was the loveliest, sweetest lady this writer knew during his young life. Once, when at his house I said, “I need to head home”. His Mom replied, “Oh, do you have to go?” I was stunned, no, shocked by those words. Later in life while attending her funeral service the preacher presented his Mom as a person that always did say those type of words when she was in conversation with anyone. Never the mind the word “anyone” because, once she had said to me, “Oh, do you have to go?” I felt as a special person in her life. Others surely enjoyed hearing her say welcoming words like that.

So why do I mention Bobby’s Mom? Just wanted you to know that the environment he was raised in contributed to his likeable, warm personality. His Dad? Also a person enjoyable to be around but, I didn’t have as much opportunity to associate with his Dad. Physically, Bobby appeared almost as a “clone” of his Dad. Really, not a bad looking package, this fellow named Bobby.

There were many happy days with Bobby that will always be remembered. However there was one sad day in the early summer of 57. I had announced to Bobby that the family was going to move across town. He was irritated and said, “don’t know how we’re going to be able to continue this friendship in the way we have”.

Bobby was right and did confirm what was bothering me, as well. The family wanted to move closer to Dad’s work location. I didn’t want to leave my “comfort zone” and this friend of mine, but what was I to do? I had to go with the family, of course.

As years went by, Bobby and I seemed to be able be together enough to remind me of his faithfulness. Of course, we made other friendships, which both he and I shared with each other when the opportunities were present. Because he had obtained his driver’s license before I received mine he showed up at my house more than I was able to be at his. His presence was always welcomed by me and my family.

Many years have gone by with us living progressive lives because of good education, marring the right girls and being blessed with wonderful children coming to the families near the same time. Enjoying vacations together in our younger family days, wonderful dinners, conversation and laughter together have been sprinkled throughout our lives. Reasons for prayer for each other and those we love have added to the depth of this wonderful friendship I have with this friend of mine, named Bobby.

February 2015 TheRCMag.com

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The Parting Shot ... Adobe Blue Window

Adobe Blue Window, available in Fine Art Watercolor Paper or as a Gallery Wrapped Canvas, 20x24” Fine Art Giclees. Photo by Candy Richey, see www.CandyRichey.com for more. Like Us on our Facebook Page at Facebook/RogersCountyMagazine and mention Adobe Blue Window to win a fine art print on Watercolor Paper.

Fat Tuesday Auction set for Feb. 17 at 6:30 benefits Youth

Spend Fat Tuesday at with Volunteers for Youth! Enjoy a Mardi Gras-themed fundraiser at Claremore Community Center to support Volunteers for Youth.

The evening will include Cajun cuisine, jazz music, a silent auction featuring recycled art, extreme musical chairs, and the main event - a live auction of repurposed and creatively redesigned furniture.

You can purchase tickets at the Chamber office (419 West Will Rogers Boulevard) for an advanced ticket price of only $15 each ($25 will get you two tickets).

Call 918.343.2530 for event questions or chair contributions.