Shawnee Outlook by Shawnee Outlook

Teacher Parade | Organizations Respond to COVID-19

Books to Go

APRIL 20

Vol. 17 Number 2

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SHAWNEE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT We will be conducting Storm Siren tests on Saturdays at 12:00 noon. This will only be on clear, sunny days and the test will be 1-2 minutes. In a true activation the sirens will sound for 3-5 minutes. Always be weather aware.

REMINDER FOR ALL CITIZENS KEEP YOUR DISTANCE!

To ensure everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s safety, we are routinely cleaning and sanitizing our facilities.

Keep a safe distance between yourself and others.

For more information, visit:

coronavirus.health.ok.gov

The CDC is recommending at least 6 feet in public areas. Avoid shaking hands as a social greeting.

#SafeDistance

Please cover your mouth and nose if you must leave the house. Stay home if you can stay home.

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www.ClassenMedicalComplex.com Jeanie K. Johnson Simpson, PA-C PA Simpson received her Bachelor of Science degree from Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Biology and Chemistry. She received her Masters of Medicine from the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Physician Assistant program in 2005. PA Simpson resides in Shawnee with her husband, Chris and two daughters, Gracyn and Evy. PA Simpson has been practicing Family Medicine for over 14 years. She moved her practice to Shawnee in February of 2018 from Seminole. She treats all aspects of family medicine and especially enjoys pediatrics, diabetes and dermatology. For the past several years, PA Simpson has also been performing cosmetic procedures such as Botox and Juvederm injections as well as laser therapy, through her own company Lily Kate Aesthetics, LLC. CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT 4

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CONTENTS

APRIL 2020

FEATURES 9

Lifetime of Hard Work Leads to Success as Student, Pro, Coach

Over the Fence: The Importance of Experts in Crises

Teacher Parade

Read Across America Comes to Shawnee Schools

22 26 30

Small, Everyday Choices Can Have Big Health Impact

Bethel Acres Tag Agency

Okie Icon Media

Managing Editor

David Dinsmore

Advertising Sales

Brad Carter

Creative Direction

Kelsey Walker & Fawn Wilson-Olivarez

Cover Photo

David Dinsmore

Writers

Andrea Beck Jamie Bergsten David Dinsmore Brandon Dyer Danielle Mason-Rains Ann McDonald Angela Rowland

Distribution

The Shawnee Outlook is delivered FREE by direct mail to 25,000 homes and businesses.

PO Box 1365 Shawnee, OK 74802 E-mail: info@shawneeoutlook.com

DEPARTMENTS 6 KEEP THE CHANGE 6 NUTRITION 101 24 SONIC CONTEST 25 SHAWNEE HISTORY 29 THE BRIGHT SPOT

Local Organizations Respond to COVID-19 Pandemic

APR

Publisher

To Advertise, call Brad at (405) 445-3033.

Valentine Insurance Group Grows From Decades of Customer-Focused Service

2020

2008

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Volume 17, Number 2 Shawnee Outlook is a publication of Okie Icon Media. ÂŠ 2020 Okie Icon Media

Articles and advertisements in Shawnee Outlook do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the magazine or Okie Icon Media. Okie Icon Media does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. The acceptance of advertising by Shawnee Outlook does not constitute endorsement of products, services, political candidates/parties or information. We do not knowingly present any product or service that is fraudulent or misleading in nature. Shawnee Outlook assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials.

olverine Storage

Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Saturday 10am-1pm North of Hardesty Road & Hwy 102 www.shawneeoutlook.com

KEEP THE CHANGE

Fun at Home with Kids C

oincidentally, this was my planned topic this month, but it seems all the more relevant in the current climate. Whether you’re quarantined, considering homeschool or just looking forward to summer, there are so many resources for stay-at-home fun (and education) with your kids. • Pinterest – Search for “quarantine activities” and you will discover a world of fun ideas. Find Lego challenges, easy science experiments and backyard activities to draw your kids away from their screens. • Internet Learning – ABCMouse/Adventure Academy, TypingClub. com, ProdigyGame.com, Duolingo and Khan Academy are just a few of the many educational websites and services available. My kids use these on a daily basis to sharpen their educational prowess. Many of these are free or available for a low monthly cost. • Podcasts – There are so many cool podcast options to listen to with kids. Find a great list at my-little-poppies.com/podcastsfor-children. If you’re looking for Christian programming for kids, check out the Odyssey Adventure Club from Focus on the Family. For a monthly fee, it offers online and mobile access to every episode ever published. We always keep a few downloaded for listening in the car. • Board games –Did you know board games could be educational? Many games are created with learning in mind. Check out mylittle-poppies.com/gameschooling for a list of resources and excellent game options. Also, visit bicyclecards.com for rules to countless card games to play with any deck you have at home. • Dollar Tree – Want actual workbooks? There are so many cute options in the school aisle at your local Dollar Tree. • Read – Simply reading aloud to littles or designate quiet reading time for older kids can help bolster educational performance. Remember, kids are made to entertain themselves. If nothing else, try turning off the TV and letting them get bored. They may find something amazing and creative you never even thought of. If you’d like to read more about my frugal journey, scan the QR code to visit my blog on the topic!

Angela Rowland is an OBU graduate and a stay-at-home mother of four. She enjoys finding new ways to stretch the paycheck and even posts some of her favorite tips and deals on her blog (steadfaststeward.blogspot.com)

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NUTRITION 101

Kitchen Involvement, Role Modeling Helpful in Getting Kids to Eat Veggies

ntroducing fruits and vegetables to kids can be difficult no matter the age. Sometimes the problem is the smell or the texture, or an older sibling saying how gross it is can deter some kids before they even get to try it. It seems like this has been an ongoing battle since the dawn of time. Trying to convince a 5-year-old that asparagus is good for him is not the easiest task as a parent. If the parents themselves are not fans of vegetables, then the task just became twice as hard. I like to have a rule at the table that we are not allowed to say words like gross or yuck. Having this rule gives my younger child the ability to make his own decision if he likes the taste or not without being influenced. Having kids help in the kitchen can also be really beneficial. I recommend taking them to the store with you occasionally and let them pick out one new fruit or vegetable. You both can decide together how you want to prepare it, and then let the child help in some way either by washing, seasoning, stirring or setting the timer. Children like to help any way they can. The child is then more than likely to try the new food because they had a helping hand in it. Research shows that it can take up to seven times for a child to taste a food before they decide if they like the food or not. Don’t give up just after a couple of tries, but above all, the biggest thing I have personally seen to help our children’s diet is just by eating it myself. If I am snacking on broccoli and hummus, they are going to be very interested in the snack and want to try it. Yes, we care about our children’s health, but we have to also think about how we are modeling this behavior.

No Mayo Slaw This is a quick recipe you can keep in the refrigerator and add to different recipes all week. The week I made this, I added it to tacos, salads and wraps. Adds a refreshing crunch to your dish. Ingredients: ½ head of cabbage 2 carrots 1 jalapeno 1 bell pepper

1 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp rice vinegar 1 tbsp olive oil Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Wash all vegetables. Place the cabbage, carrots, jalapeno and bell pepper into a food processor. Depending on the size of your processor, you may need to separate this into two separate batches. Once you have it all diced up, place the vegetables in a bowl. Add sugar, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper on top and stir until well combined. Store in the refrigerator. Nutritional Information per serving: Makes: 8 servings (½ cup each) Calories: 47 Total Fat: 2g Saturated Fat: 0g Sodium: 40 g Carbohydrates: 7g Dietary Fiber: 2g

Cholesterol: 0g Protein: 1g

Nutrition 101: The food processor can really be your friend when it comes to vegetables. It can be a handy tool for children, too, and a great time to let them help in the kitchen. Let the child throw the vegetable in while teaching them to not stick their hand all the way down the hole. Children (and adults) seem to do better with shredded vegetables as well for some reason. Having the vegetables shredded also makes it easier to add to multiple dishes. Andrea Beck, a registered dietitian and personal trainer, received her master’s degree in nutrition and dietetics from the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. She offers personal training through an online class and nutrition services through SSM Health St. Anthony in Shawnee. For inquiries, you can contact her at Andrea.beck1@ssmhealth.com or through her Facebook page, Nutrition and Exercise 101 with Andrea.

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Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic the Absentee Shawnee Tribal Health System has made the following adjustments to better serve our patients. For questions or appointments please call ahead.

www.shawneeoutlook.com

MEALS

We are providing meals morning and afternoon on Mondays and Thursdays each week to children 18 and under. Information about our meal delivery routes and times is available at tinyurl.com/shawneemeals

DISTANCE LEARNING

Our Continuous Distance Learning Plan began on April 6. Each week students will receive a calendar of activities to complete. These calendars are available online at tinyurl.com/shawneelearning

PRINT CALENDARS

will be given out every Thursday on morning and afternoon meal delivery routes. Print calendars are also available at Shawnee Walmart and Homeland on Independence. The print calendars also can be picked up on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays at each SPS school site by appointment.

WE ARE HIRING!

Current job openings are available on the employment link on the SPS website (www.shawnee.k12.ok.us).

THANK YOU TO THE SHAWNEE COMMUNITY FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF OUR DISTRICT! 8

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Lifetime of Hard Work Leads to Success as Student, Pro, Coach by Jamie Bergsten

ot many high school or college basketball teams in the state could claim happiness with how the season ended. Either an early playoff loss – or the lack of playoff finality itself – brought many teams’ hopes to an abrupt end. Wendi Wells, the coach of Shawnee’s Lady Wolves, was no exception. She and her teams have tasted sweet victory before, and she’s eager to get back there again as soon as she can. Wells grew up 100 miles to the west in Fort Cobb as Wendi Willits, daughter of Gene and Judy. To say she was a gym rat is an understatement. "In small towns there isn’t much to do, so you play every sport that’s offered," Wells said. "We would hang out at the gym and play pick-up games with whoever was there.” Gene Willits never coached any of his daughter’s teams, but he was instrumental in shaping the player she became. “I always played for other coaches, but he was harder on me than any coach could’ve been," Wells said. "He held me to higher standards than all my coaches. He would take what I did in games, and anything that wasn’t perfect, we’d work on it for hours until I could get it right.” That mindset carried over into physical training as well. “On days when I didn’t want to get up and practice, he’d remind me that somewhere other kids

were getting up, and if I didn’t get up too, they’d pass me by,” she said. Starting in sixth grade, no matter the weather, they’d run four miles every other day. "I lifted weights all the time too, so that I could play and finish through the physicality of the game and not get worn down from that contact as the season progressed," Wells said. As her high school career at Fort Cobb-Broxton was coming to a close, she had big decisions to make. “I had a lot of offers but ultimately took my five official visits to Arkansas, Texas, OU, Baylor and Stephen F. Austin," Wells said. "For most of them, we’d hang out and go to parties, and that’s not me. On my visit to Arkansas, we went bowling and to a Christian bookstore because a player needed to pick up a book. I felt the most comfortable then. As a Christian myself, it impressed me that the Arkansas players were so strong in their faith that they weren’t putting up a front and were willing to let me see that side of them.” Willits enjoyed great success as a Razorback, breaking many of their offensive records and finishing her career as the No. 2 three-point scorer in SEC history. She was also the recipient of the Ed Steitz Award, given to the nation’s top three-point shooter. This led to her uniform and headband hanging in the National Basketball Hall of Fame

Wendi Wells built a career out of discipline and attention to detail throughout as a player in high school, college and WNBA and now as coach of the Shawnee High School girls basketball team. Photos submitted

for the next year. “I’ve been very lucky to win some individual awards, but overall, looking back, the things that mean the most were the team accomplishments," Wells said. "At Arkansas, we were and still are the lowest seed (at No. 9) to ever make it to the Final Four. I keep in contact with quite a few of my college teammates even now. You’re with those girls for hours every day. They become like family.” Willits also played one season in the WNBA for the Los Angeles Sparks, which won the league championship that year. Before arriving in Shawnee as a Wells, she coached for three years at the University of West Georgia. However, a desire to be closer to family brought her here first as an assistant coach and then at the helm, leading her teams to great success. “A highlight of my coaching career is winning Shawnee’s first girls basketball state title," Wells said. "We were the undefeated 2012 state champs at 29-0 and the 2013 runner-up." > www.shawneeoutlook.com

Two players from that era, Kelsee Grovey and Taylor Cooper, were named to the Daily Oklahoman Super 5 team. Several former players have enjoyed stellar college careers, with Wells easily naming almost 20 offhand. "I love seeing how the girls come in so nervous and just watching them grow into confident, independent women," Wells said. "I love when they come back and tell me about everything they’ve accomplished since graduating.” That being said, the game she’s always loved is not the same now as when she began coaching. “When I first started, players would trust you and just do what you told them to do," Wells said. "Now, I have to tell players what to do and then explain in detail why it’s important that they do it that way. I have to break down the details of the game much further. That isn’t a bad thing, because when you have a veteran team, they know the game inside and out, and then you can just make small adjustments. It’s become one of the things that college coaches tell me they love about our players, how they just understand the game so well.” She admits, however, that that sort of system can be overwhelming for incoming freshmen players. “They’re on information overload the whole year,” she said. “Over time, it seems like everyone still wants to win, but they want the game to be more exciting. It needs to be more of a transition game, with pressing, lots of attacking and shooting threes.” Wells also has concerns about the future. “The thing that worries me the most about Shawnee girls basketball is complacency," she said. "We’ve

Coach Wendi Wells led Shawnee’s girls basketball team to its first-ever championship in 2012.

been fortunate to have some really good teams, and that was because those kids were so competitive and driven to be the absolute best. My fear is that kids come to Shawnee and just expect that will happen for them, and they won’t be willing to work as hard. They have to realize that those things don’t just happen.” Many coaches have influenced the way Wells does her job today, and she said she’d be lying if she picked just one. “I’ve had some amazing coaches, and you can always pick up something from everyone," she said. "Obviously, from my dad, I learned how to be competitive, work hard and never

expect anything to be given to you. Earn everything. My college coaches, my coach in L.A. … I learned from all of them. “Then there’s coach (Steve) Freeman. When I first started, he was such a great wealth of knowledge, especially working on in-game matchups and situations and using those to our advantage. Now we have in-depth conversations over multiple scenarios, what-ifs, etc. He’s also become a dear friend through it all.” Freeman – who led Dale to two state titles in the early ‘90s – is now Wells’ assistant as well as a member of the Oklahoma Girls Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

What kind of athlete is Wells looking for today? “I encourage all of my players and even my own kids to play multiple sports," Wells said. "Most kids I see don’t want to work on the details of the game. They just want to shoot around. I spent hours working on footwork, shooting off the backboard angles, learning how to ‘fix’ my own shot if I was in a slump. I embraced and loved the fact that I was working so hard that other people couldn’t or wouldn’t work out with me. It gave me so much confidence going into games." That drive to win is still alive in Wells and, she hopes, in her future teams as well.

OBU Music Preparatory Department Summer Lessons Piano • Voice • Guitar and more!

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ENROLL NOW

okbu.edu/prep

BEST WISHES

TO AN ESTEEMED COLLEAGUE & LONGTIME FRIEND

After 31 years of dedicated service, Shashindra Shetty, MD will retire from SSM Health Medical Group April 30th, 2020. Since 1989 after leaving his private practice as a Primary Care Physician and joining the Shawnee Medical Center Clinic, Dr. Shetty has been an exceptional partner and friend to the community. His loyalty to the medical profession for 43 years and commitment to providing the highest quality of care to his patients has been invaluable to the Shawnee community. We are honored by his choice to spend 31 years with us.

3315 Kethley Shawnee, OK 74804 SSMHealth.com

Thank you, Dr. Shetty, for your exceptional service and best of luck in your future endeavors.

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Over the Fence:

By Brandon Dyer, Executive Director of Community Renewal of Pottawatomie County

The Importance of Experts in Crises

t’s springtime in Oklahoma. Which means it’s time to refresh our memory on phrases like “hook echo,” “Val Castor,” “wind shear” and my personal favorite, “The Gentner.” We Okies suddenly become armchair meteorological experts and seem to know more about “Those Terrible Twisters” than the trained professionals themselves. I remember when I was in the fifth grade at Washington School south of Farrall that Gary England came to our school to talk twisters. It was a big deal. There was no voice trusted more by Oklahomans than Gary’s when it came to severe weather. If Gary said it, it was true. If he said take shelter now, we ran to the cellar. It didn’t matter if the sirens were blowing or not. Tornadoes are easy to take seriously because we can see them. We can see the direct result of their destruction instantly. Prior to multiple news stations having high definition cameras attached to helicopters showing live footage of tornadoes and destruction, we had to trust a trained professional that danger was at hand. We had to trust that precaution was indeed necessary. The truth is, each spring the odds are greatly in our favor that a tornado is not going to cause damage to our own home, but the danger is still real. We pay close attention to the experts, and we take necessary precautions, no matter how over-the-top their coverage appears at times. Why do we do it? Why do we listen, even if from a distance, and take necessary precautions? Because their expertise saves lives. Only God knows how many Oklahomans would have perished over the past 40 years if it weren’t for the early warning systems put in place by experts like Gary England. By now, we have all become fa-

Brandon Dyer

miliar with terms like “COVID-19,” “pandemic,” “flatten the curve” and “social distancing.” But it seems like we are having trouble finding a single voice we can all trust. By my observation, some of us are taking this pandemic quite seriously, maybe even to a panic level, while others do not seem to be concerned at all. To some degree it makes sense. We cannot see this threat with our eyes. Cause and effect are more difficult to link together for the casual observer like myself. The good news is we have trained professionals in this field of study as well. We have doctors, scientists and epidemiologists who spend their entire careers studying disease and disease mitigation protocols. Yes, it’s true. Much like our local meteorologists, they do not always agree on the finer points of the danger. They do not always precisely agree on the severity of the situation or exactly how many people are likely to become infected. However, there is no one better to trust in times like this with our health than the professionals in this field. When I was in Mrs. Karen Wall’s

microbiology class as a junior at Shawnee High School, I learned a valuable lesson. To be honest with you, she tricked us. We came to class like normal and carried on with our learning like it was a typical day. What we didn’t know was that she had sprinkled invisible dust all over our tables. After about 15 minutes of class, she turned out the classroom lights and turned on the black lights. Suddenly everyone’s hands, clothes and faces glowed with the now, not-so-invisible dust. You see, unknowingly, we had come in contact with the dust and spread it all over ourselves and to each other without even knowing what we had done. Now at that time, Warner Bros. had just released “Outbreak” starring Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo and Patrick Dempsey (Dr. McDreamy for “Grey’s Anatomy” fans) about an Ebola outbreak in 1989. Many of us had seen the movie and had been scared to death by the reality of such an epidemic occurring in our lifetime. Mrs. Wall didn’t need to say another word. We got it. In fact, I became a pseudo-germa-

phobe for several years as a result. Countless times, I have gone to my shelter when Gary told me to or when I heard the sirens. Very few times did I actually feel like my family was in immediate, critical danger, but I listened to the experts and we were safe. In such an unprecedented time as this, let’s listen to the experts. If they tell us to stay home as much as possible, let’s do it. If they tell us to wash our hands a seemingly absurd amount of times, let’s do it. If they tell us to practice social distancing, let’s do it. Does it seem over the top at times? Does it seem awkward? Yes. However, the thing about prevention is, you can never really prove it worked. You just get to the end, shrug your shoulders and enjoy the outcome you were hoping for. Crisis averted. You might even feel like it was unnecessary because the tragedy didn’t occur. That’s the outcome we are hoping for. That’s what success looks like in these trying times. May we all heed the warnings of the experts. It could save lives. Maybe even your own. www.shawneeoutlook.com

TEACHER PARADE When the Oklahoma Department of Education voted to close school buildings and move to a distance learning approach for the rest of the academic year, teachers across the state realized they did not get a chance to say a proper goodbye to the students they had come to know since late last summer. As a result, educators from schools in Shawnee and beyond organized various “teacher parades” that drove through neighborhoods they serve. Students, parents and caretakers stood along the routes to wave, say thanks and effectively say goodbye for the year with signs and sidewalk chalk. “I am so incredibly proud of our staff during this very challenging time,” said April Grace, superintendent of Shawnee Public Schools. “The energy, enthusiasm and excitement about reconnecting with their students has been amazing. The spirit week events, the volunteers to help us get meals prepped and delivered, the parades, the Facebook read alongs, etc. Our entire staff has shown tremendous resiliency and compassion during this time. I truly believe every crisis holds within it an opportunity to grow, if we embrace it. I believe our staff is embracing the opportunity to grow not only as educators, but as people. I have been so impressed with their willingness to jump in and do anything we have asked. It has been amazing to watch them find so many ways to say ‘I love you’ to their students and the community.”

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Read Across America Comes to Shawnee Schools by David Dinsmore

Sen. Ron Sharp – a former teacher and tennis coach in Shawnee – reads to a class at Shawnee Early Childhood Center as part of the Read Across America event on March 6 organized by the Shawnee Public Library. Photos by David Dinsmore

efore schools in Shawnee joined others across the country in shutting down for the rest of the academic year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was another nationwide event that made its way through the early education and elementary schools in early March in Shawnee. Local Pioneer Library System staff members joined forces with volunteers from across the community to inspire young students to get excited about reading as part of the Read Across America program at an event at Shawnee Early Childhood Center. Volunteers for the event included community leaders, firefighters and police officers, Shawnee middle school and high school students, Friends of the Library, Pi Beta Phi members, Junior Service League members, City of Shawnee representatives, state legislators and more, said Mary Sims with the Shawnee Public Library. The kids at Shawnee Early Childhood Center also received a special visit from the Cat In The Hat and Glarfield, Pioneer Library System’s mascot. Volunteers gathered to spend some time reading to different classes before handing out a new book 18

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for each kid to take home. Sponsors of the Shawnee Early Childhood Center event were Shawnee’s Junior Service League, Shawnee Friends of the Library, the Pi Beta Phi Philanthropic Organization and the Pioneer Library System Foundation. “It’s an honor to see so many of our members engaged in a community project like Read Across America,” Junior Service League president Amanda Johnson said. “The children light up when we walk into the room to read to them. As an employee of First United Bank, it’s exciting to walk into a room and have children interact with a banker or a police officer or a State Representative in a positive and encouraging way. Through an event like this, the students can see that adults from every area of our community care about them.” The National Education Association started its Read Across America program as a way to “motivate kids to read, bring the joys of reading to students of all ages and make all children feel valued and welcome” according to the program’s website. The program tries to identify books that feature characters and stories that they can see themselves in as well as those that might be different to help them learn how

someone else sees the world. The event first came to Shawnee in 2012 at the Shawnee Early Childhood Center, Sims said. Two years ago, it expanded to the pre-k and kindergarten classes at Pleasant Grove Elementary and Grove Elementary. This year, the library was able to hold events at the latter and also Horace Mann Elementary, but spring break at Pleasant Grove delayed its event prior to the closure of schools in Oklahoma in March. Sen. Ron Sharp is no stranger to leading a classroom full of students as a former teacher and tennis coach in Shawnee. “I look forward to participating in this special program every year,” he said. “I always taught older students during my time in the classroom, but I enjoy interacting with younger students and seeing their excitement at story time. “Instilling a love for reading at a young age is crucial to helping students be successful throughout school and in life. Hopefully, they never lose that excitement for reading.” For some organizations, this event not only helps kids get excited about reading but also gives

them a chance to build positive relationships with the students. “Being involved with Read Across America gives me another reason to be around the kids and show them that we (officers) care about them and are here to help them,” said Cpl. Vivian Lozano-Stafford with the Shawnee Police Department. Read Across America not only provides educators and institutions like the Shawnee Public Library with resources and ideas to get kids’ noses into books. With school now taking place at home for the remainder of the academic year, the program can also provide a lot of insight into how to keep kids inspired to read now and throughout their lives. Here are some guidelines and tips provided on the Read Across America website for parents and caretakers of beginning and soon-to-be readers: Read together every day – You can read the morning news at breakfast, share a story after supper or cuddle up for a book at bedtime. A daily reading routine is something everyone can look forward to. Talk and build vocabulary – Interesting conversations build vocabulary, language skills and knowledge about the world. Talk is a child’s best source of exposure to new words and ideas. Model reading – Kids want to do what the grown ups do. Make sure your kids get to see you reading and hear you talk about it. Point out print – Read and talk about the words you see in the world around you. There’s lots to read – signs, recipes, cereal boxes, instruction manuals, bus schedules, news, maps and menus. Visit the (digital) library – Under normal circumstances, take advantage of all the books, materials, story times, programs and resources your local library has to offer. While physical locations are closed, there are digital resources available through the Pioneer Library System and OKC’s Metropolitan Library System, which will grant electronic library cards for some Shawnee residents. Visit pioneerlibrarysystem. org and metrolibrary.org for more information. Create a reading-rich home – Provide a special shelf or basket for kids to keep their own books and one for library books. Make sure there are quiet, comfortable places to read. Encourage your child’s reading – Praise the efforts of a soon-to-be or beginning reader. Make sure

Volunteers from the city administration, fire department, police department, middle and high school and civic organizations dedicated some time to read and hand out books for Read Across America at Shawnee Early Childhood Center.

schedules of older readers include time for reading for pleasure. Start reading traditions – Beyond bedtime stories, consider a special birthday book, holiday favorites or a regular family read aloud night. Let kids choose books – Offer titles that explore your child’s interests, expand horizons and offer exposure to different kinds of writing. Show them there are books where they can see themselves and books where they can see the worlds of others. Make everyone comfortable – Find a spot to read together where you are both comfortable. Sometimes kids have to move around to be comfortable. Be an active reader – Use expressive voices for characters, make sound effects and point things out in the text and illustrations when you read aloud. Discuss what you read – Give your child enough time to absorb the story and look at the pictures as you read. Think aloud about what you are reading and looking at and encourage your child to do the same. Ask questions when you read – Ask your child to guess what comes next. Ask open-ended questions that help them relate to characters or events in the book. Let your child get involved and ask questions too–interruptions are okay.

Encourage re-reading – Repetition helps kids learn. Re-reading favorite books and poems helps kids make meaningful connections between themselves and books. Connect reading and writing – Write your own reading material, like a story about your life, a story featuring your kids or a story kids make up. Make media matter – Connect kids with appropriate technology – videos, apps or games – that help them learn new words and interesting things about the world. Get help – If you have concerns about your child’s language development, hearing or vision, see your child’s pediatrician as soon as possible. Make reading an experience – Link life experiences with books, like a trip to the zoo and books about animals or planting a garden and reading “The Ugly Vegetables” by Grace Lin. Have fun – Your idea of fun may differ from your child’s, so appreciate your child’s special joy for learning new things. Try different approaches, such as having them read to you or acting out a favorite story. Even something as simple as a story time outside can make reading together livelier and more memorable for you and your child. 8:00 AM 9:30 AM

In April of 1925 a small group of believers began to meet in the space of a broom factory here in Shawnee on North Rich Street, just off Main. This April Liberty Baptist Church is celebrating 95 years of: Being led by the Spirit of God

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Valentine Insurance Group Grows From Decades of Customer-Focused Service

by David Dinsmore

ody Valentine and his team had received personal requests for years. His family’s company, Church Insurance Specialists, has provided coverage for faith-based organizations in Oklahoma since 1976, but that was the extent to which its services would reach. However, that did not stop some clients and associates from asking if the group could also help with their homeowners, auto and other insurance needs. By January 2019, the requests had increased to the point that Cody and Seth Valentine – who had been running Church Insurance Specialists – began bouncing around the idea of Valentine Insurance Group to handle personal lines of insurance. “We had to ask ourselves, ‘If this many people want to work with us, why shouldn’t we do what we can to help them out?’” said Cody Valentine, president of the Valentine Insurance Group located at 720 E Independence. They spent the next six months identifying people they could bring into the group to help get it operational as well as carriers they could represent to give their clients the best options, Cody Valentine said. They wanted to make sure the team brought with it a long and varied history working with personal lines of insurance to ensure the new company got off on the best footing. By late summer, they really began rolling out their services to clients. The standards of service the Valentine Insurance Group provides for its clients comes from the experience the team brings both professionally – which Cody Valentine said pushes close to 100 years cumulatively among the members of the group – and from their experience as insurance clients themselves. “It’s interesting as an insurance agent to have to buy insurance,” Cody Valentine said. “Even myself, I would go to somebody else to buy my homeowners, my auto policy. I remember thinking the couple of times I did it that I didn’t enjoy the process. Nobody explained my coverage to me – whether that’s because they knew I was an insurance agent, I don’t know – and I had several occasions that I thought to myself that I really didn’t get the customer service that I thought I would get.” Reflecting on those experiences helped drive some of the decisions that led to the formation 22

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The Valentine Insurance Group uses nearly 100 years of combined industry experience to create a personalized environment where customers can have their questions answered and understand all of their options for personal lines of insurance like homeowners, auto and more offered by a wide variety of carriers. Photo by David Dinsmore

of Valentine Insurance Group. He wanted to be able to make sure his team explained the coverages and options to each client so they can make a decision that makes the most sense for them instead of making it a one-time transactional relationship. Cody Valentine said one of his favorite aspects of his job is being able to provide education for his clients regarding their insurance options and what the available policies can provide for them. “Everybody’s going to be a little different,” said Seth Valentine, secretary and treasurer of Valentine Insurance Group. “Being able to provide a service and product that matches their need is the most important thing to us. “Tackling that for each individual makes us feel like we are really providing them a good service.” The Valentines’ experience working with Church Insurance Specialists for more than a decade each gave them a leg up in understand-

ing the operational side of running an agency, Cody Valentine said. However, identifying carriers they wanted to represent and working out the details of being able to offer their products took some time. A distinct advantage for independent insurance companies comes from offering policies and products from a variety of carriers rather than specializing with just one, said Betty Phillips, vice president of the Valentine Insurance Group. When customers call looking for coverage, the company can pull information from about six different companies to figure out the best options. “We look at how many we end up with, look at the numbers and see which ones have the best premiums, which ones have the right coverages,” Phillips said. “We might bring to the client the two best … and help them weave through what fits their needs the best.” For Phillips, it’s this type of customer service

that has kept her working in the industry, especially with independent agencies that can help clients that don’t always fit the standard mold that more corporate carriers seek. She enjoys working with clients who are not as familiar with buying insurance by helping them not only understand where to start with their first policy but how their age and life changes can help get them better options in the future. “We get to watch people grow up with us,” Phillips said. “We love the people part of this.” Phillips also likes clients to know they have more of a say about what “bells and whistles” go into each of their policies by comparing multiple options, she said. Even if they don’t have a preference, knowing what is available can help people make decisions they didn’t realize they could when it comes to covering their homes or automobiles. Phillips first came to work with the Valentines as a member of the Church Insurance Specialists team in 2012, but her experience in the industry reaches back to 1988. She started working in personal lines early in her career, but she transitioned to commercial lines of insurance for 16 years as she continued working locally. During the early stages of Valentine Insurance Group’s development, Phillips harnessed her experience to research what was needed to

meet requirements to represent different carriers to help get contracts in place for their personal line customers. She worked with Valentine Insurance Group’s certified insurance service representative Terry Rodgers, with whom she first worked in 1988 and has been colleagues intermittently ever since. “We had our favorite companies we liked to work with in all our years of insurance,” Phillips said. “We knew which ones do a good job, are easy to work with, are customer friendly and those kinds of things.” Providing this level of customer service comes naturally, Cody Valentine said, because of the team’s experience working with Church Insurance Specialists. The work with that niche market requires regular communication with the churches they insure and building relationships beyond the initial policy purchase or annual renewal. Those elements of forming and maintaining relationships with clients translate from that side of their business to the new personal focus of Valentine Insurance Group. “It is almost an expectation,” said Cody Valentine, who added that customer representative assistant Kennzie Mendoza has also played a big role in rounding out the new team. “We wanted to essentially bring what we provide our clients on the church insurance side to our personal

lines environment.” As graduates of Tecumseh High School, there is an added benefit for the Valentines to being able to provide this new level of service to the community where they have called home, Seth Valentine said. “Stepping out into the personal lines side of things will help us expand and be a bigger part of the local community,” he said. “I’ve been in a lot of different spots in Oklahoma as we’ve traveled most of this state, and the people around here are second-to-none.” Though Church Insurance Specialists operates within Shawnee, they service churches across the state and kept their focus broad to meet the needs of those clients. The formation of Valentine Insurance Group gives them the opportunity to have a bigger footprint by providing personal lines of insurance beyond just churches to the people who live and work here. It also provides a new way to get involved in local civic and development leadership to help continue to grow Shawnee. “We have our hands and lives in all of the schools and churches here in Shawnee,” Phillips said. “We really are faith-based, communityminded and ‘people people.’” For more information, call (405) 273-2412 or visit valentineinsurancegroup.com.

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SHAWNEE HISTORY

Strict Measures Also Taken in Shawnee During 1918 Spanish Flu, 1922 Smallpox Outbreaks by Ann McDonald, Courtesy Pott Co. Historical Society Member

here have been health disasters since the beginning of time, but Oklahoma hasn’t been around for most of them. Still, until vaccines were invented, our ancestors endured many, including what was called the Spanish Flu in 1918. Shawnee wasn’t hit as hard as most places, probably due to the rural landscape. World War I was in full swing with soldiers traveling from camp to camp, living in close quarters and going home on leave before boarding ships for Europe. When the final tally was counted, almost as many soldiers died of disease as they did in battle. Eight men from Shawnee, including a St. Gregory’s College professor, were disease casualties. It was October before the flu began to show up in Shawnee, and it was first thought the town was experiencing a less dangerous form because patients appeared to recover. Then they realized it wasn’t the flu doing the most damage but the pneumonia that followed. The city’s physicians closed “picture shows, pool halls and all other public places.” Schools were closed temporarily, and then it was decided to keep everyone at home so churches, libraries, theaters, clubs and lodges also closed. The mayor shut down the grocery stores, bakeries and drug stores except for a few hours a day. Medical authorities informed the public to not use common drinking vessels, make full use of the sunshine, wash hands thoroughly, cover one’s mouth when coughing and sleep as much as possible. There were no public funerals in case the deceased might have died from the flu. The National Guard flushed the streets and sewers, and men who gathered on the street to smoke, chew and spit were ordered to cease the practice. More than 3,000 masks were made by the Red

This old factory building became known over the years as the “pest house” after use 100 years ago as a detention hospital during local epidemics. Photo submitted

Cross, and when City Hospital was full, a temporary hospital was set up in the First Presbyterian Church. Precautions were taken, and the citizens abided by them. Fatalities did occur, but most were attributed to pneumonia. A Shawnee doctor’s son, a cook at the City Cafe, a truck driver, a 5-year-old boy and the mother of eight children were recorded as local victims of the disease. Although an official total of deaths was not announced for Shawnee that October, the percentage was far below what occurred across the rest of the world. The Spanish Flu was a worldwide disaster, and four years later, a smallpox outbreak in Shawnee was somewhat confined. It was more brutal because contact with those infected caused immediate infection.

One January evening in 1922, a local driver for the Shawnee Ice Co. happened upon a man lying at the intersection of Kickapoo and Highland. The man was very ill, so he was taken to City Hospital where he was diagnosed with smallpox. Almost immediately the disease spread, especially among the hospital personnel. At first, the news was kept from the public to prevent panic in hopes the problem could be contained within the hospital. When employees began to die, their families spread the word. Finally, the announcement was made, schools were closed and everyone was offered a vaccine. Reports were that 7,000 received the injection that first week. Officials decided to move all smallpox patients out of the hospital and chose an empty building on

Slover Street. It had been built as a wire factory some years before then used as a hay barn but was empty at the time. It was designated the detention hospital. The total casualties weren’t recorded but the man found on the road, the driver who picked him up and at least four nurses died within the first few days. The building that became to be known in Shawnee mythology as the "Pest House”was not built as an isolation unit for the hospital. It was used occasionally for another five years for contagious disease but never as home for the insane or a boarding house for those badly mutilated from World War I as some rumors have suggested. It sat empty for many years, myths and legends persisting as the city tried to sell it. Finally, it was demolished, and the scary building on the hill was a story of the past. www.shawneeoutlook.com

MENTAL HEALTH

Small, Everyday Choices Can Have Big Health Impact

pring is here and that means warmer weather and more outside activities. For some people, this means thinking about moving their regular exercise routine outdoors. According to the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults need at least 150 minutes of moderately intense physical activity each week. That might sound unobtainable – especially to someone who is not currently engaging in any physical activity – but this can be broken down into manageable time blocks. Let’s say that an individual works Monday through Friday at an office job from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a one hour break for lunch. Twenty minutes of that break could be spent walking outside around the office building or in the parking lot. Do that every day during the week, and this individual has already reached 100 minutes out of the recommended 150. That leaves the weekend to tackle the last 50 minutes, which could easily be accomplished in a single group fitness class or long bicycle ride. Of course, physical activity does not have to take place in a group fitness class or even the gym setting at all. There are several simple ways to incorporate movement into everyday life. Pack up the kids and head to the local park and let everyone run, swing or toss around a Frisbee. Oklahoma has dozens of hiking

trails across the state. Spend a Saturday hiking with friends or family. Don’t forget to include your pets in your activities; they need exercise too. Take your dog for a walk or jog or play fetch with him in the backyard. Spring in Oklahoma does not mean clear skies and sunshine every day, so on those rainy days, grab a friend and head to the mall for indoor walking. Often, we think that we need to work to the point of exhaustion during each exercise session, but that is simply not true. There is a time and purpose for more intense workout sessions, but most people can benefit greatly from exercise like the examples above. The most important thing to remember when deciding on a physical activity is to make sure that it is something that is sustainable for you. The best exercise is the one that you are going to stick with and enjoy. If you need more ideas and tips on physical activity, check out ShapeYourFutureOK.com, a website providing Oklahomans free resources on how to make healthy choices in everyday life. The Get Active tab on the website provides a list of physical activity ideas as well as a short quiz to help you determine what type of exercise best suits you. NOTE: Make sure that you clear it with your primary care physician before beginning any new exercise regimen.

Danielle Mason-Rains is a consultant for the TSET Healthy Living Program in Pottawatomie County. She works with businesses and worksites to help them develop health and wellness policies for their employees. Danielle holds a Master of Arts in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma. Her community involvement includes serving on the executive board of the Shawnee Rotary Club, volunteering with Community Renewal and teaching group fitness classes. 26

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First United is a financial services organization dedicated to helping you protect and make the most of your assets. But we’re a lot more than that. Banking and finance are what we do, not who we are. We meet others where they are and help them get to where they want to be. We share lifelong relationships by giving our time and our hearts to our communities. We make a difference in the lives of others by inspiring and empowering all to spend life wisely. Spend life wisely is a holistic approach to life that encompasses Faith, Financial Well-Being, Health and Wellness, and Personal Growth.

Spend life wisely; that’s not a slogan. It’s our promise.

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THE BRIGHT SPOT Amid the bad news and bickering out there, sometimes it’s nice to read a little encouragement. The Bright Spot is a space to share some inspiration or reassurance with the community through poetry or prose. If you have an idea or something to brighten someone’s day, submit it to editor@shawneeoutlook.com.

State of Mind

By Patrick Breen

Have you ever noticed most people are followers, but followers of whom or for what? Most of the times in my life I get myself in trouble when my “state of mind” is choosing to follow someone for some reason that does not work out for me or solve my problems but rather fits only their ideas. First of all, we need to change our heart in order to change our mind. Our state of mind wants to be a leader because we really feel we know better what we need than the one doing the leading. Praying about our goals can probably get us to a better state of mind rather than just following old habits. Our greatest victories usually come after a failure. We then make a paradigm shift. We have a different way of seeing ourselves as we relate to God and to others. We then get closer to our real self, giving us confidence to be our own leader. We have made a commitment to who we really are as God made us. With God's help we become happier

and more self-reliant. Our "state of mind" comes with a changed human heart. With the paradigm shift, we are eternally changed.

Sammi Rae

By Kay Lynne Vance

Once there was a little girl, Her name was Sammi Rae. She never really liked it much. "Why can't I be 'Lisa Faye'?" But as the years went along, Her parents taught her right from wrong. "That person who you are inside: She's the one you must not hide." You have a gift of being helpful; Strong and sure, never fearful! You're very good at what you do; Some of us don't have a clue! I thank my God who placed you here. He's the One who makes you dear!

Climbing a Hill

By Kay Lynne Vance

Sometimes my life seems just like climbing a hill. I look ahead and think, Okay, I can see the top; I'm almost there! Then, when I reach that top, it's very much like climbing stairs. Behold, ahead is another 'top'! Slowly, I approach that top and discover yet another 'top' on ahead. But the final top is still out of my sight; in that 'unknown zone.' I can't really see

the whole hill at once ~ I'm only seeing one little hill, one step of the big hill. It's as though God is teaching me a lesson here. Only He can see the whole picture of my life. He wants me to just stay focused on Him; always reaching forward on the One Path that will bring me to Him. Then the whole picture of my life will be complete. The great challenge is to not be distracted along the way with trials, disappointments, failings, and such; just rest in Jesus and keep following Him! Only Jesus is truly "The Way, The Truth, and The Life!" Only Jesus!

Winning the Race By Sheila Hughes

Don't ever count yourself out Until the complete race is done If you just continue forward One day the struggle will be done. One foot in front of the other The terrain will always seem uphill That the climb just makes us stronger The bigger shoes that we can fill. Never give up; never give in. Keep your speed at a steady pace. After all, we are all just runners In this life called the human race. No one's stronger, and no one's bigger Than the level of their self belief. The winning of any race, it seems Is that the act of entering, it was even conceived.

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HELPING HANDS

Local Organizations Respond to COVID-19 Pandemic F or the last few weeks, communities across the nation have hunkered down while waiting to hear that the spread of the novel coronavirus and the disease it causes has begun to slow. Whether it’s business and school closures or concerns for high-risk patients and family members, the measures taken by state and local officials have impacted nearly every resident. However, it is not lost on many that just as they are impacted, they also can make an impact. As a result, organizations, individuals and groups have spent the time organizing local responses to help their neighbors weather this figurative – and given the season, maybe even literal – storm. Here is a roundup of local efforts found by the Shawnee Outlook staff, but if you know of any efforts to help those in need in this community, please share them with editor@shawneeoutlook. com or through facebook.com/shawneeoutlook.

Virtual Diaper Drive Legacy Parenting Center is in need of diapers and wipes. SCI Supply will be running a virtual diaper drive. You can help supply Legacy Parenting Center with the resources families in our area need from home. A bundle of diapers and wipes for $40 will provide diapers for one child for one month. How to participate: 1. Call or message SCI Supply at (405) 275.3851 and mention the Virtual Diaper Drive. 2. Complete your purchase of diapers (sizes 3, 6, and newborn) and wipes for local families over the phone. 3. Let SCI Supply deliver your order directly to Legacy Parenting Center.

Gateway to Prevention and Recovery Any community member can contact our Shawnee office at 273-1170 ext. 0 MondayThursday, between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m.-3p.m. and speak to a behavioral health professional free of charge.

Community Renewal Community Renewal is providing a list of resources that it updates every weekday. Visit 30

www.shawneeoutlook.com

From staff reports

communityrenewal.org to find a link to its resource page.

Facebook facebook.com/stanthonyshawnee/ for updated information on our visitor policy.

Life.Church

United Way

If you’d like to support Digital Missions and the COVID-19 Response, you can give directly to these funds through the Life.Church app or at www.life.church/giving.

United Way Worldwide has begun a COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund. Visit unitedway.org/recovery/covid19 for more information.

Immanuel Baptist Church Visit ibcshawnee.org/serve-coronavirus or call (405) 273-2105 for opportunities to serve, such as: Signing up to deliver groceries, prescriptions, DVDs and other essentials to those in need. Sew face masks for health care providers. Make care packages for health care providers. Providing free to-go meals from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. every Thursday at Mission Shawnee at 126 S. Center St.

Oklahoma Blood Institute

Mission Shawnee Mission Shawnee is providing its first-ever at-home learning kit. Community members can help us reach more students without access to educational resources by purchasing a kit for a child in need. Each kit costs $25. We are working alongside Shawnee Public Schools to tailor the kits to follow each grade level curriculum for the remainder of the year. Each kit gives students hands-on reading and math manipulatives, S.T.E.M experiments, social emotional curriculum, arts & crafts activities and basic school supplies. All kits include guided instructions for parents and students to be able to engage in learning together.

Shawnee Forward The organization is gathering and posting information for local businesses to help understand the impact of the current crisis and where they can find help. Visit shawneeforward.com.

SSM At SSM St. Anthony Hospital - Shawnee, the safety of our patients, visitors, employees and physicians are our top priority. During this crucial time, we ask our community to visit our website www.ssmhealth.com or follow us on

Blood donation typically takes only about an hour, and one donation saves up to three lives. Appointments can be made by calling 1-877340-8777 or clicking here or visiting a donor center listed below: Ada – 1930 Stonecipher Blvd. Central OKC – 901 N. Lincoln Blvd. Edmond – 3409 S. Broadway, Ste 300 North OKC – 5105 N. Portland Ave. Please be aware of and observe all local distancing guidelines and social restrictions when deciding how to donate.

American Red Cross The Red Cross is seeking people who are fully recovered from COVID-19 and may be able to donate plasma to help current patients with serious or immediately life-threatening COVID-19 infections or those judged by a healthcare provider to be at high risk of progression to severe or life-threatening disease. People who have fully recovered from COVID-19 have antibodies in their plasma that can attack the virus. This convalescent plasma is being evaluated as treatment for patients seriously ill with COVID-19. Historically, convalescent plasma has been used as a potentially lifesaving treatment when new diseases or infections develop quickly, and no treatments or vaccines were available yet. The Red Cross has been asked by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to help identify prospective donors and manage the distribution of these products to hospitals treating patients in need. If you’re fully recovered from a verified coronavirus (COVID-19) diagnosis, please review information and fill out the Potential Donor form at redcrossblood.org. A Red Cross representative will follow up with prospective candidates to confirm eligibility.

We express our gratitude for our dedicated team of healthcare providers for continuing to work and see patients during these difficult times. We commend our teams willingness to keep seeing patients as their need arises and that we are able to provide both Home Health care and Hospice throughout the COVID crisis.

Enriching the lives of our patients and their families every day.

Heartland Home Health Care • Accredited by Accreditation Commission for Health Care • All RN On Call Staff

Heartland Hospice Services

• Home Care Elite 2004 - 2016

• SHP Best Hospice Caregiver Satisfaction Superior Performer Award 2016, 2017 and 2018 • All RN On Call Staff • Volunteer Program Supports Families and Veterans

• Best of Shawnee Award 2016, 2017 and 2019

• Bereavement Programs open to the public year round

Phone 405-214-6441

Phone 405-214-6442

heartlandhomehealth.com/Shawnee heartlandhospice.com/Shawnee www.shawneeoutlook.com

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Over the Fence: The Importance of Experts in Crises