January 2015 Rogers County Magazine

Volume 1, Number 3 www.TheRCMag.com

January 2015

Happy New Year!!

2015 Calendar of Themes ... See Page 2

Lantow Brothers

Part II

Page 2 Others Must Charge for Bad News but...

Good News is WHAT’S INSIDE! Art World HomeSchoolers Shop Talk Moving Forward Franger Chicken A Better You The Story of Vi The Parting Shot

Page 6 Page 11 Page 8 Page 4 Page 6 Page 8 Page 12 Page 15

Are we going to see snow this winter?

See page 15 Always Available Online at

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Part 2 of a 2 part story

Robert & Norman Lantow’s graves in France tended continuously

By Candy Richey Most of our soldiers who were killed in Europe, especially around the DDay invasion timeframe, were buried at the American Cemetery at Colleville-Sur-Mer, Normandy overlooking the English Channel and Omaha Beach. 9,386 soldiers to be exact. There is one additional soldier from WWI buried there as well. Two of those American soldiers were from Claremore, and were brothers. There may be many more brothers buried there, but for Robert and Norman Lantow, their graves reside side by side.

While visiting the cemetery a fellow 101st Airborne soldier David Glen,

noticed the Lantow brothers’ graves.

While their date of death is different, Robert was June 13, 1944 and Nor-

man was November 11, 1944 (Veterans Day), they were laid to rest together. When you reflect on the logistics

January 2015

required to make this happen, with so many soldiers losing their lives during this time, and the fact that they were killed in totally different areas and five months apart, it is an enormous statement of caring by the United States armed services.

Glen, who served with the Screaming Eagles from 1968-1969, was moved by the tribute for the two brothers. He then met a local Frenchman, Jean Bernard Valogenes, who had been tending the graves since 1946. Valogenes and his son bring flowers on Memorial Day and other occasions and ensure that the graves are well cared for. He is now getting his son involved to ensure the tradition of continued care for these two soldiers’ graves.

Valogenes lives in St. Mer Eglise, not far from the Normandy site.

Valogenes asked Glen if he could get some soil to sprinkle over the brothers’ graves. Soil from Claremore was sent a couple of years ago and has since been scattered over the graves, giving a meaningful tribute.

What we are is God’s gift to us.

What we become is our gift to God. The Rogers County Magazine is published monthly by the First of the Month with up to 20,000 copies distributed throughout all of Rogers County and including Pryor, and the parts of Owasso and Collinsville that are in Tulsa County. It is available for free pickup all month long.

Publisher Bill Richey Editor Candy Richey Delivery Josh & Feline Brackett Call for 918.810.6036 or email us at rogerscountymagazine@gmail.com for story & advertising information

January 2015 TheRCMag.com

William Lantow served courageously in Korea

By Candy Richey Hill 902. Some battles are remembered by the general public, some are not. Hill 902 was one that is readily remembered by those who fought there. William Lantow, the youngest of the four Lantow brothers, is now gone (June of 2013), but he fought gallantly on Hill 902, and was taken prisoner.

His story is one of survival under extreme circumstances.

Lantow had been with his unit just over three weeks and had experienced a few skirmishes. In the Ka-san area near the 38th Parallel, a battle raged from September 1 to September 15, 1950. Known as the Battle of Pusan Perimeter, the Hill 902 activity was just one part of the Pusan Perimeter action.

The battle ended in a victory for the U.S. and Republic of Korea forces, and many areas of activity where different units were involved resulted in a host of personal stories of heroism. Such is the case of William Lantow.

Perched on the lower regions of Hill 902 was George Company of the First Marine Regiment and Pfc. William Lantow. Air observers had identified a large body of enemy soldiers moving down toward the hill from the north. Orders were issued to Lantow’s unit to get position on the hill in order to repel the advancing enemy and their unit moved out.

Up the hill they went, a nasty, gravel and granite base with lousy footholds and huge jutting boulders, ensuring most of the men had cuts and scrapes as they ascended the hill. After rising to the top of the hill, sweaty and out of breath, the order came in to dig in for the night. Looking across the valley to numerous other hills, the North Koreans were nowhere in sight.

Men were scattered throughout the crest, with the first squad digging in on a point overlooking everything, and spread down toward the other units.

Lantow was with this group, about 130 yards from the main unit. Split off and not visible by the other units, first squad had a great view of the area they were defending.

Lantow and his partner Bill with the BAR gun were dug in, and Bill took the first watch, borrowing Lantow’s M-1.

The M-1 made for an easier watch over the BAR which is cumbersome and not a good watch weapon. “Bill had his back propped against the side of the hill at the open end of the tent with my M-1 in his lap, and the BAR beside him when I got into my sleeping bag.

I kept my clothes on,” Lantow recalled for Leatherneck Magazine.

“I fell right off to sleep. The next thing I knew was when the burp gun opened up and some slugs went through the tent. I got out of my bag and jumped towards Bill who was still kind of sitting against the bank. It was pretty bright; there was a lot of moon light; it must have been around 9:30 p.m. or 10 o’clock. I grabbed Bill and tried to shake him, he wasn’t asleep, I could feel the blood,” Lantow recalled.

He tried to get his partner off the BAR which he had fallen over, when he couldn’t he reached for the M-1. “My hand got knocked away, there was a Chinese standing over me with a burp gun, and he’d slammed me on the arm with it. I thought for sure he was going to shoot me, too.”

There were about 15-20 other soldiers around him, when the soldier stuck the muzzle of the burp gun hard into Lantow’s stomach as he stood up.

After some conversation by the Chinese soldiers, the first one whacked him in the head and then forced him down the hill. Lantow stated the while there were a lot of the Chinese soldiers around him, with one group setting up a mortar station, they “seemed a little fouled up.”

There was one soldier in front of Lantow, with four or five others behind him escorting him back to their lines.

“They seemed to be in a hurry to get me up over the next ridge. None of them spoke any English but they kept pushing me from behind and hurrying me up,” Lantow remembered. They seemed to be in such a hurry to get him back, that they never searched him.

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Lantow recalled being very scared as they were heading back to the Chinese lines, but then he felt a grenade in his dungaree pocket and felt a little better about his situation. As they topped another ridge, the lead soldier hollered something back to the ones in the rear.

They gathered and surrounded him while they held a heated discussion.

“While they were chattering I looked around: there didn’t seem to be as many on this side of the ridge as were on the other. I said to myself, ‘It’s now or never!’ said Lantow.

“I pulled the pin and tossed it underhanded so it landed right near their feet. I dove off to one side and down the ridge. Right after I hit the deck the grenade blew,” he said. “I heard ‘em screaming as I guess I wounded some of them. I took off at a run down the slope and into the valley.”

After he had run a hundred yards or so, he dropped to the ground making an effort to get his bearings and figure out which way to proceed. Several times the soldiers walked past his position, which he changed a few times.

“After a while I started to make my way back over the ridge toward our See WILLIAM, page 5

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The Year Moving Forward

One thing that is undeniable about Rogers County Magazine, is that we are different. January may be traditionally the time to take a look at the year previous, but we aren’t going to do that.

We are looking forward to 2015, and in looking forward, we are planning for the first full year of our publication.

The main thing we are planning, other than tremendous growth, is to have every issue themed to what is happening in the month we cover.

This month, January, is themed with ‘A New Start, celebrating the new beginnings surrounding us. This also reinforces our entire mode of looking forward.

February will be “Love is in the Air” due to Valentine’s day arriving on the 14th, and the following Tuesday is also special as it is Mardi Gras, the ‘Fat Tuesday’ prior to Ash Wednesday and the season of finding something to give up for Lent (for all the Christians out there). President’s Day is also the 16th, so lots happening.

The March theme will be “Springing Forward” which will be featuring the activities surrounding the new growth and eruption of green, Spring planting and Spring Cleaning. Also Monday, March 2 is Read Across America Day, so a great thing to do is to give books to elementary students encouraging them to read more. You would be amazed at how many children third grade and younger who have no books at home. March 8

Daylight Savings Time restarts. March 17 is also St. Patrick’s Day, a day of celebration for many. Notice our main purpose in existence of bringing good news and positive stories to everyone makes our themes even more emphatic.

April kicks off with Easter on the 5th, and in both March and April Spring Break is anticipated by students all over the country. A great day to celebrate is Thomas Jefferson’s birthday on the 13th, which makes a great day to celebrate our Constitution, one of the most positive documents ever written. April 22 is also Oklahoma Day, a day we can all be thankful that we are Oklahomans. So the theme for April is “Great Things in Bloom”.

May is my personal favorite month, mostly because the weather is getting warm and my birthday falls there as well. However for marketing purposes, Candy’s Birthday is probably not the most beneficial, so our theme will be “Honoring Mothers” and all that they do for us. Keep in mind Cinco de Mayo, the Mexican holiday is the 5th.

More importantly, May is the month of Memorial Day observed on the 25th this year and as is the tradition, the local Veterans of Foreign Wars, as well as other organizations, will be holding ceremonies at the local cemeteries honoring Veterans who have protected through their lives and helped ensure our precious freedoms.

January 2015

June’s theme is “Celebrating Dads and the Start of Summer” with all kinds of summer related stories and events being featured. The annual observance of the D-Day landings will be marked with the 71st anniversary. In the same patriotic vein is the annual Flag Day Observance on the 14th. Be sure to have your flags waving proudly for both days. Father’s Day is observed June 21, so make sure your Dad is tops on your list.

July kicks off with fireworks for the annual Independence Day celebration on the 4th. It falls on Saturday this year, and for some stupid reason the national calendar I checked has it being observed on the 3rd. Doubt that will happen, except for the fact that the entire weekend will be in celebration. Our theme will be “Some Like it Hot!” and it should be interesting the stories we get for that one.

August is one month in our year where there are no national holidays, but Senior Citizens Day is celebrated on the 21st so we will be making our August Issue one “Dedicated to Seniors”.

Senior health, retirement activities and funding, and other issues of great interest to seniors will be all on the docket.

There will also be the annual restarting of school in August so we will have a sub-theme of “Back to School”.

September brings Labor Day on the 7th, but lots more is happening than the official ‘End of Summer’. The 11th brings Patriot Day and the observance of the 14th anniversary of the attacks on America that have succeeded in changing some of our way of life. The National POW/MIA Recognition Day is the 18th and the 27th brings Gold Star Mothers Day. These two observances are traditionally handled by the local VFW, and in Claremore the Post and Auxiliary generally have a public ceremony, the date of which is to be announced. With See MOVING FORWARD page 5

You can get everything in life you want, if you will help enough other people get what they want.

January 2015 TheRCMag.com MOVING FORWARD, continued from page 4

WILLIAM, continued from page 3

all this in mind, September’s theme will be “The Act of Patriotism”.

October 12 is Columbus Day and the of course Halloween is the 31st.

October is most often thought of as the start of Autumn, and of course the ghosts and goblins of Halloween color the month. We have decided that the theme for October is “The Colors of Fall”.

November’s main event of course is Thanksgiving on the 26th, but we also have Election Day on the 3rd and Veterans Day the 11th. Because all of the events have to do with our freedoms, our theme will be “Giving Thanks for Veterans and Patriots.” Of course the annual Claremore Veterans Day Parade will be on the 11th, and organizers for the parade are working hard to include even more patriots in the parade.

“Celebrating the Joys of Childhood” will be our December theme. Prayers, wishes and dreams of children worldwide come to their pinnacle in December, so it seems logical to dedicate our December 2015 issue to children.

Every issue will feature stories and events that follow the theme, as well as all of the good news that is happening all over Rogers County. Be looking for your Rogers County Magazine near the first of every month, and remember copies will be available all month long through our pick up sites. You can also see the current issue on our website at www.TheRCMag.com.

Thanks for supporting our publication and the advertisers who make it possible. Be sure to patronize those advertisers you see in our pages. They are the reason that good news comes to you at no cost.

lines.” He heard 105 fire zipping toward the Chinese, not falling on him but close enough he wished he still had his helmet.

He watched the action for a bit, trying to determine the best way to get back to his company without getting shot, by the Chinese or his own Marines. “It got pretty cold in that valley,” he said. “The 105s hadn’t let up any and I stayed there and shivered and prayed and shivered and prayed.” After a long time, at least it seemed very long to Lantow, the sun began to break the night sky. He started crawling up the hill where his unit was, staying on the ground. He crawled and crawled and then saw one of their unit’s big gun emplacement. The gun was firing toward the place where they were overrun the night before, and Lantow began yelling who he was, and to let him through during the loading periods.

Finally the gunners heard him and he ran the final distance up the hill and over the gun emplacement, then found his way to the command post and reported in. “It was good thing that I got back through the line right after sunrise, the Corsairs started working over the valley I was in as soon as it was light,” he said. The commanding officer was surprised to see him, he had thought the entire platoon had been wiped out.

William Lantow served in Korea. His three older brothers all served in World War II. Two out of four made it home.

The new monument planned for Lantow Field at Claremore High School will be honoring all four brothers, as all four were heroes in their particular part of the war. Four local sons who

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answered their country’s call to service.

Two of whom paid the ultimate price, the other two left with memories and questions of why they made it back, when so many others did not. The monument is a reminder to everyone why it is called Lantow Field, and to bring a fitting tribute to the four brothers who willingly served to keep us free.

Donations are being accepted at RCB Bank, Claremore’s Joe Ronnie Hooper Memorial Veterans of Foreign Wars (1717 W. DuPont Ave., Claremore, 74017). Make checks payable to VFW/ Lantow. It is tax deductible and every penny is important as $30,000 is the target amount for the project. About $5500 has been collected so far, so there is a lot to go.

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This time of year everyone is thinking of a brand New Year with better things to come. It is also that time of year when we look back and take stock in the plans we made a year ago. And for the artists,”Did we complete all we planned and did we paint a new painting everyday, every week or? How many art shows did you enter? How many will you add this year or remove?”

Andrew Wyeth said, “Really, I think ones art goes only as far and as deep as your love goes.”

Edward Hopper said, “No amount of skillful invention can replace the essential element of imagination.”

I work with many artists and I see the real artist come through once in awhile. All too often we copy instead of create. When you set your year’s plans be certain to include time to reassess your art. Take some time to look back in history at the “great artists”, it may help to inspire your create meaningful paintings.

Workshops are always a great motivator. If you don’t take some workshops, or at least attend some lectures on art, visit your local museums. California presented 40 artists each year, for many years at workshops. It was a great way for new artists as well as the experienced ones to try new techniques or mediums to expand ones repertoire.

Cheap Joe’s in South Carolina offer a variety of workshops each year.

Jerry Yarnell in Skiatook offers workshops at his studio. Robert Burridge also has workshops on the coast in California and he is often at the workshops in Carolina.

There are periods dedicated to styles in art forms such as Stone Age Art (c.2, 500,000-3,000BCE) followed by the Bronze Age, Iron Age then Medieval Art. The Medieval period in art started 350-1300 CE. The Byzantine Art, Irish Early Christian, then the Romanesque period and Gothic art, which

January 2015

ended around 1300, followed these periods. There would be three more art periods before the 20th Century Art and Architecture would bring in a totally new design style.

Frank Lloyd Wright, Antoni Gaudi, Louis Sullivan, Victor Horta, Peter Behrens, and Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier were famous architects the first part of the 20th Century, and were know for making use of the new materials. They built skyscrapers and vertical designs and more of the new materials dominated the designs.

The Russians and German architects chose a different path but the Chicago School of Architecture developed innovative styles that incorporated Art Nouveau and Art Deco designs.

Oklahoma has many Art Deco styles; the Bavinger House designed by Bruce Geff is a combined mixture of nature and architecture. Tulsa has several buildings of the Art Deco style, including the beautiful Boston Avenue Methodist Church downtown.

Deco designed buildings in the Tulsa area are very well known and highly treasured. The Oklahoma Historical Society is housed in a building designed

by William A Wells. The architecture is studied in architectural schools everywhere.

One of my favorite Art Deco architects is Antoni Gaudi from Spain, he really emphasized the nature and architecture style of Art Deco. The Basilica de La Sagrada Familia (photo at left) is a cathedral in Barcelona, Spain, which was designed and started in 1882. The original architect died shortly after starting the building, and Gaudi took over and lived and breathed the building until his death. While the structure was still unfinished at his death in 1926—only one transept with one of four towers was built—the extraordinary structure has a final completion target date of 2026, to mark the 100th anniversary of his passing. The story is fascinating and if you would like to read more this is an excellent website for reference. http:// www.sagradafamilia.cat/sf-eng/docs_instit/historia.php Take time to see the designs and style of some of the places in Oklahoma City and if you are traveling look up some See ART WORLD Page 7

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Art World continued from page 6

of the famous designs in architecture wherever you are going, as well as the local museums and art galleries. One doesn’t always think of buildings as art objects, and the designs of the gardens.

In France you often see photos of the Versailles complex, where the architecture is beautiful, and there are many huge paintings inside from many old masters.

The end of December and the beginning of January brings many opportunities to get your year in order and plan for your accomplishments. Some may not pan out, but that will give you an opportunity refocus and have a definite direction of your talents.

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.

See more of Sure Lick d. Hown at www.surelickhound.com © Franklin Shruggs, and and Franger Chicken www.frangerchicken.com © Melody Brunsting, the authors. The cartoons are a regular feature in Rogers County Magazine and will be featured each month.

Some people ask the secret of our long marriage. We take time to go to a restaurant two times a week. A little candlelight, dinner, soft music and dancing. She goes Tuesdays, I go Fridays.

Red Skelton

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January 2015

January 2015 TheRCMag.com

God is busy Are you protected?

Have you ever wondered if there is anything more you could do to protect you and your family from the nasty flu virus?

We believe that there is more that you can do! The medical community is in agreement that the number one way to fight the flu virus or any other virus for that matter is by having a strong immune system! The bad part of having a healthy immune system is that it Is not something you can buy and you can’t go get a pill from your local pharmacy.

The trick to having a healthy immune system is through diet, exercise, stress management and Chiropractic care.

Here in Oklahoma the flu begins to rear its’ ugly head around November and begins to dissipate sometime around March. The CDC (Centers for Disease control) says that one in every five Americans will be infected with the flu this season. The flu virus has the characteristic body aches, fever, chills, cough and fatigue. So are you prepared for flu season?

Along with above mentioned preventative measures, Chiropractic care may provide the boost to your immune system that you need. Many research stud-

ies have shown that regular Chiropractic adjustments can have a great impact on the function of your immune system.

In these studies, researchers found that people who had regular adjustments had the ability to stay healthy and avoid things such as the flu and the common cold.

Chiropractic care boosts the immune system by increasing the body’s natural resistance by removing the interference to the nervous system allowing for proper bodily function. Preventing viruses such as the flu is just one of the many positive effects of regular Chiropractic adjustments.

At Hinds Family Chiropractic we recommend that you eat a healthy diet, exercise, find healthy ways to release stress and receive regular chiropractic care.

If you are interested in receiving more information on Chiropractic care and what it can do for you please call our office at 918-342-3444.

Simple.Natural.Health Hinds Family Chiropractic 222 E. Blue Starr Dr., Claremore OK 74017. 918-342-3444 www.hindschiropractic.com facebook.com/hindsfamilychiropractic

A United States Marine was attending some college courses between assignments. He had completed missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. One of the courses had a professor who was an avowed atheist and a member of the ACLU. One day the professor shocked the class when he came in he looked to the ceiling and flatly stated, “God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I’ll give you exactly 15 minutes.” The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop.

Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, “Here I am God. I’m still waiting.” It got down to the last couple of minutes when the Marine got out of his chair, went up to the professor, and cold-cocked him, knocking him off the platform. The professor was out cold.

The Marine went back to his seat and sat there, silently. The other students were shocked, stunned, and sat there looking on in silence.

The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the Marine and asked, “What the heck is the matter with you? Why did you do that?” The Marine calmly replied, “God was too busy today protecting American soldiers who are protecting your right to say stupid stuff and act like an idiot. So, He sent me.”

Don’t be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.

11 car-care tips that save gas

By Larry Banzet Fill up with a lower-octane gasoline.

Buy the lowest grade or octane of gasoline that is appropriate for your car. Unless your car requires premium gasoline, filling up your car with highoctane fuel is a waste of money. That pricey premium fuel won’t boost your car’s fuel economy or performance in the least, so skip it.

If you’re not sure what grade of fuel works best for your car, open up your owner’s manual and take a look. As long as your engine doesn’t knock or ping when you fuel up with regular unleaded, you’re good to drive on this much cheaper gas. Passing on pricey premium gasoline could save you hundreds of dollars a year.

Don’t top off. Don’t bother topping off when filling your car’s gas tank.

Any additional gas is just going to slop around or seep out. Why waste your money paying for gas your car won’t use? Stop pumping at the first indication that your tank is full when the automatic nozzle clicks off.

Tighten up that gas cap. Gas will evaporate from your car’s gas tank if it has an escape. Loose, missing or damaged gas caps cause 147 million gallons of gas to evaporate each year, according to the Car Care Council.

So be sure to tighten up that gas cap each time you fuel up your car.

Go for the shade. The hot summer sun that makes the inside of your car feel like a sauna also zaps fuel from your gas tank.

“If you let your car bake in the sun

there’s going to be a greater amount of evaporative emissions that take place than if you park in the shade.

So park your car in the shade of a building or tree whenever possible.

And buy a good windshield shade. A windshield shade blocks sunlight and helps to keep heat out of the inside of your car.

Use your garage for your car. Got a garage? Clear it out and make room for your car. Parking in your garage will help your car stay warm in winter and cool in summer, and you won’t have to depend as much on your gasguzzling air-conditioning or defroster when you drive.

Pump up your tires. Don’t get caught driving on underinflated tires.

Underinflated tires wear down more quickly and they also lower your car’s gas mileage.

“Tires that have low pressure offer more resistance so the engine is going to work harder to keep the car at 60,” Your car’s gas mileage may plummet by as much as 15 percent. Driving on underinflated tires may also reduce the life of your tires by 15 percent or more.

Check your tire pressure once a month. Buy a digital gauge and keep it in your glove box. Compare the pressure in your tires with the recommended pressure listed in your owner’s manual and on the placard in your car door. Then inflate your tires as needed. Be sure to check tire pressure when your tires are cold. A good time

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is early in the morning after your car’s been idle overnight.

Keep your engine in tune. Fixing a car that is out of tune or has failed an emissions test can boost gas mileage by about four percent. So be sure to give your car regular tune-ups. You’ll also want to watch out for worn spark plugs. A misfiring spark plug can reduce a car’s fuel efficiency by as much as 30 percent.

Replace air filters. Keep a close eye on your engine’s air filter. When the engine air filter clogs with dirt, dust and bugs, it causes your engine to work harder and your car becomes less fuel-efficient. Replacing a clogged air filter could improve your gas mileage by as much as 10 percent and save you 15 cents a gallon. It’s a See SHOP TALK page 13

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Project LAUNCH working to coordinate services for children The staff of Project LAUNCH is working diligently to coordinate and improve access and availability of services for infants and young children in Rogers County. The team is busy planning workforce development trainings for service providers, as well as a parenting program for community members. The Rogers County Health Department is pleased to welcome and introduce the Project LAUNCH Team.

Trena Hickinbotham, Rogers County Local Coordinator for Project LAUNCH, is excited about working with the community to promote excellent services for young children and their families.

She comes to the health department with both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Elementary/Early Childhood Education and is a Certified Child and Parenting Specialist. Trena has worked as a Child Development Specialist providing parenting information

for families in Oklahoma since 1988.

In 2011 she obtained a level three Infant Mental Health Endorsement from the Oklahoma Infant Mental Health Association. This certification indicates her knowledge to promote the delivery of high quality, culturally sensitive, relationship-focused services to infants, toddlers, parents, and other caregivers of young children. Trena is busy using her vast experience and knowledge to coordinate Project LAUNCH in Rogers County.

Amanda Etheridge is the Psychological Clinician for Project LAUNCH. She holds a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and is working towards her Infant Mental Health Endorsement from the Oklahoma Infant Mental Health Association. Amanda lives in Verdigris and is married with two young children. She has a passion for working with children and

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enjoys this opportunity to work with families.Her previous experience working with adolescents and their families in an inpatient setting will be a valuable asset for Project LAUNCH. Amanda is enthusiastic to partner with the Rogers County community to provide therapeutic services to children birth through eight and their families.

Kittie Haddox provides Project LAUNCH’s clerical support. She started in March 2014 after being a stayat-home mom for 19 years. Kittie is married and lives in Claremore with her two sons, Taylor and Chad. She previously worked for Rogers County Health Department, but chose to stay home and raise her children when her oldest son was almost two. Kittie loves cooking, reading, photography, and spending time with family and friends. She states she is grateful for being able to return to the health department and thankful for having the opportunity to work with a marvelous team while expanding her knowledge of area services. She is looking forward to a great future with Project LAUNCH. The Rogers County Health Department is proud to welcome Project LAUNCH staff. This grant funded program will be providing workforce development starting on December 8th.

This training is specifically for service providers who will be providing mental health consultation in lower elementary schools and child care facilities in Rogers County. In addition, the team will provide a trauma informed in-services training in January for the lower elementary teaching staff of Verdigris and Justus-Tiawah. Another plan for the spring of 2015 is to bring the internationally acclaimed Circle of Security parenting program for mental health providers to offer Circle of Security in Rogers County.

Project LAUNCH is also a subcommittee of Rogers County’s Healthy Community Partnership and continues to seek input and collaboration from community members. If you have questions or wish to be involved, please contact Trena Hickinbotham at Rogers County Health Department, 918-3413166 or email her at trenah@health. ok.gov.

January 2015 TheRCMag.com

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We Get Letters!

Inspiring Creativity in Your Kids Regardless of your reasons for deciding to homeschool, most people worry first about the scholastics. Math, reading, writing, history, science, etc, are all big on the list of questions for new homeschoolers; so much so that they sometimes forget one of the biggest benefits of homeschooling: the ability to be creative in how you learn. You don’t have to be a terribly “crafty” person to be creative, the truth is that we are all creative in different ways.

It’s one of the hallmarks of the human species!

We are able to adapt like no other species, except perhaps the coyote.

Often, when someone says they’re not creative, they mean they’re not an artist. They mean that they don’t fit the accepted definition of a creative person, and so they by default are not creative. But if you have ever substituted in a recipe, solved a problem for which you did not see an obvious solution, or managed to juggle the 5,000,000 things we homeschoolers juggle on a daily basis, you are creative.

“Many of life’s failures are experienced by people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” – T. Edison Kids are creative by nature; they haven’t been taught that if they’re not good at drawing, they’re not creative.

They haven’t become jaded, and generally have a wide-eyed view of the world that should make us jealous.

All that’s needed is for them to be released from the fear of failure so often cultivated in our society. Thomas Edison, while probably very similar in personality to Steve Jobs, was not afraid of failure, in fact he felt that each failure was one step closer to success! We need to get out of the mindset that failure is bad, failure is learning. If you aren’t failing spectacularly from time to time, you aren’t really putting your all into it. The greatest benefits are often derived from the greatest risk. Teach your kids that failure is good, that when you have done absolutely everything in your

by Gail Nelson

power and it just doesn’t work, that you can take what didn’t work, eliminate it from the equation and move forward with new knowledge.

If your kids are interested in: ··STEM, pick up broken remote control cars, old computers, and other discarded tech and let them experiment. Many kids love tinkering, and it’s not just the boys. Never assume that your daughter isn’t interested just because she likes dolls; maybe she’d like to build a doll that moves and talks. Some of the servos, gears and other pieces from remote control toys are perfect for doing this. ··like art, make sure they have a good supply of art materials on hand.

You never know when they might be inspired to a masterpiece, and pick up old wrapping paper, scrapbooking supplies and other things that could be incorporated into their art. Don’t restrict them to plain old paper. ··always seem to be distracted by some random idea, make sure they have an idea book with a pencil. At all times. Both of my twins must have an idea book handy because their minds are always going. Before we instituted the idea book, they would stop school lessons dead in their tracks to tell me about their latest idea. While I love hearing about them, it really derailed the school day and frustrated me. Now, they know they have permission to take a moment, draw or write their idea in their book, and we get back to work without a problem. ··love to create art, inventions, or anything else, find competitions for them. They may just find that the thrill of competition is intoxicating Gail Nelson is a mom to four children, two of whom are homeschooled. She teaches violin and viola, and wrote Teach Your Kids Music in 12 Weeks. As Editor-in-Chief of Learning Tangent Homeschool Magazine (www.learningtangent.com), she oversees the daily operations of the magazine, and lends moral support and shares information with current and potential homeschooling parents. She can be reached via email at info@learningtangent.com.

Dear Gail, Our family recently moved to Claremore and I picked up a copy of the Rogers County Magazine. I read your HomeSchoolers article and have been really praying about this option for my two kiddos.

First, I am wondering if you could please send me a copy of your article to send (email/forward) to a few of the other mom’s I know. It’s so authentic and refreshing so I would LOVE to share.

In fact, your article may be the very push I needed reaffirming how and why I should not doubt myself. Thank you for the breath of fresh air!

Kristal Picolet Editor’s Note: Copies of the Rogers county Magazine are always availble. If your local stop has run out, give us a call and we will get you the copies you need.

Any system that takes responsibility away from people, dehumanizes them.

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The story of Vi

Memorable characters come through our lives

By Dick McGuire It was in the mid 90’s that Grandma call me to say that her good friend Vy had a couple of burial lots in the Tulsa Memorial Park Cemetery and were no longer needed. Grandma asked if Linda and I would be interested in considering talking to Vy about them.

It happened that Linda and I had

discussed the subject because we were approaching the age needing to consider where we would want to be buried. So, it was good timing for Vy. When she called, Vy gave me a reasonable price and I said yes, but Vy said she wanted to show me the location within the Memorial Park before I was to make a final decision. Our arrangement was to meet the next day at the Park’s office and go from there to the location of the burial lots.

I had never met Vy before, but when I did, Vy was as she should have been; maybe only 5 feet tall, rounded shoulders and gray haired as any 86 year old Jewish lady would be.

She had a sweet smile and disposition; made me want to hug her as I would my own grandmother.

She began to talk about her family as soon as I helped her into my car.

“Now, go up there”, she said as she pointed to the hill located just south of the office we had just left. A right turn here and a left turn there got us to the point she said was just below the location of the burial lots. As I helped Vy out of the car and began walking up the gentle slope she was quite in the way that certainly told me she was traditionally respectful to all those previously departed that she was to pass on the way to the top

January 2015

of the hill.

Once we reach the top, Vy said, “Well we’re here; now look over there” as she pointed to the valley in the Park to the east. “Isn’t that pretty with the winding road through the tall trees. It’s such a beautiful sight, don’t you think?” “ Yes Vy, it is”, I said.

“However, the one thing about this location I don’t like,” said Vy, “is the noise of the traffic on Memorial Drive.

Does that concern you?” “I don’t think so,” I said, “but if I should get hungry I could just go across Memorial and get something to eat at that grocery store.” Vy didn’t seem to pick up on that delivery of my humor.

Vy looked down at the headstones that were around us and begin to point to one then another as she named who was where. “My husband is over there and those two places are my daughter and her husband. Now, right here are the two lots I want to sell. They are right next to where I’ll be buried, does that bother you any?”

Vy asked. I wasn’t gonna let this opportunity go by, so I answered, “Vy, only if you have cold feet.”

There was silence as I looked down at this sweet, sincere little Jewish lady.

But soon her gray haired head slowly row up to the point that her eyes were meeting mine.

I witnessed a facial expression that began to brighten as though her face was birthing a new star. From this traditionally respectful little being came the most wonderful, hardy laugh that filled all the lower heavens; Vy finally realized the comic environment we had been producing and shared together as though we were on a Vaudeville stage.

My moments with her were too short, but they had rewarded me with this memory of Vy. Vy lived in Rogers County as did my Grandparents. My family and I still live in Rogers County.

January 2015 TheRCMag.com

J.M. Davis Museum to close January for renovations The J.M. Davis Arms and Historical Museum, the world’s largest arms museum, will close for building renovations for the month of January 2015.

The museum, located at 5th street and J.M. Davis Blvd. in downtown Claremore, opened in June of 1969.

In 2015, the building will under go a $346,200 renovation, which will include roof repairs, new entrance doors, and restroom upgrades. The funding is part of the state’s Capital Improvement Plan for fiscal year 2015.

“These projects are great news for the museum and Claremore,” said Davis Museum Executive Director Wayne McCombs. “These updates will help keep the museum a world class attraction for Oklahoma tourism.”

The J.M. Davis Arms and Historical Museum is the world’s largest privately

held arms museum with nearly 14,000 weapons and a total of 50,000 artifacts on display.

“Due to the kind of work being done on the museum’s roof, the gas and electric units will be moved and the power shut off for periods of time. Water will be shut off from time to time for work to be completed in the restrooms,” stated McCombs. “So for the safety of visitors, the museum will be closed during the month of January.”

During that month, museum staff will be finish several new projects, including a large World War I display that will feature local veterans. The museum is scheduled to open to the public on February 2, 2015.

For more information call the Museum at 918-341-5707.

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SHOP TALK, continued from page 9

good idea to have your engine air filter checked at each oil change. The Car Care Council recommends changing your car’s air and oil filters every three months or 3,000 miles or as specified in your owner’s manual.

Use the right oil. You can improve your car’s gas mileage by one to two percent by using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil. Opt for motor oil with the words “energy conserving” on the API performance label. This oil contains friction-reducing additives.

Don’t skimp on maintenance. Be serious about auto care. Your car’s performance depends on it!!!!!!!!

Larry Banzet is the owner of Boomer’s Auto Repair, one of the most respected repair shops in Claremore.

He can be reached at 918.342.1030, Boomer Auto Repair shops are located at 815 W. 1st St. and 16251 S. Hwy 66, Claremore.

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January 2015

Big Mud Puddles and Sunny Yellow Dandelions

Why dogs lives are short

Author Unknown When I look at a patch of dandelions, I see a bunch of weeds that are going to take over my yard.

My kids see flowers for Mom and blowing white fluff you can wish on.

When I look at an old drunk and he smiles at me, I see a smelly, dirty person who probably wants money and I look away.

My kids see someone smiling at them and they smile back.

When I hear music I love, I know I can’t carry a tune and don’t have much rhythm so I sit self-consciously and listen.

My kids feel the beat and move to it. They sing out the words. If they don’t know them, they make up their own.

When I feel wind on my face, I brace myself against it. I feel it messing up my hair and pulling me back when I walk.

My kids close their eyes, spread their arms and fly with it, until they

Author unknown Being a veterinarian, he had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Fred. The dog’s family, Bob, his wife, Dani, and their six-year-old son, Jamie, were all very attached to Fred, and they were hoping for a miracle.

After he examined Fred he found he was dying of cancer. The vet told the family nothing could be done for Fred, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As they made arrangements, Bob and Dani told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Jamie to observe the procedure. They felt as though Jamie might learn something from the experience The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Fred’s family surrounded him. Jamie seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on.

Within a few minutes, Fred slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Fred’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. Everyone sat together for a while after Fred’s death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Jamie, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ‘I know why.’

Startled, everyone turned to him.

What came out of his mouth next was stunning, nobody had ever heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, “People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right? Well, that takes time.” The six-year-old continued, “Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.”

fall to the ground laughing.

When I pray, I say thee and thou and grant me this, give me that.

My kids say, “Hi God! Thanks for my toys and my friends. Please keep the bad dreams away tonight. Sorry, I don’t want to go to Heaven yet. I would miss my Mommy and Daddy.”

When I see a mud puddle I step around it. I see muddy shoes and dirty carpets.

My kids sit in it. They see dams to build, rivers to cross, and worms to play with.

I wonder if we are given kids to teach or to learn from? No wonder God loves the little children!

Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.

I wish you Big Mud Puddles and Sunny Yellow Dandelions!!!

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.”

Some people don’t understand why we help animals in need.

We don’t understand why they wonder.

January 2015 TheRCMag.com

The Parting Shot

Page 15

Caribbean Pier

Caribbean Pier, 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 Caribbean Pier to win a fine art print on Watercolor Paper.

Farmer’s Almanac says near average temps They are usually right, and for over 200 years, I really don’t know how they do it. However, the Farmer’s Almanac is predicting basically average temps and precipitation for January.

Whether we will see the snow on our front cover or not seems to be doubtful, but when you publish a monthly magazine, you have to take a chance and see if your snowy photograph on the front comes to be.

However, it does make a pretty front page, and so if you want to know the truth, that is really why we put it there.

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January 2015