May 2016 Evergreen - UT Houston Retiree Organization

Page
Editor: Henny van Dijk
www.uthro.org
June 2,The Federal Reserve Bank
The hulking building on Allen Parkway that
houses the Houston branch of the Federal Reserve Bank
of Dallas was built shortly after the terrorist attacks of
Sept. 11, 2001, which apparently explains its unfortunate
lack of curb appeal. The original idea behind the design of
Michael Graves was for it to be open and inviting, to project the idea of an institution that was stable and secure,
yet inclusive. Instead, after the attacks it had to meet certain minimum security requirements. And that meant 30
percent more concrete and steel in a building that now
screams "Stay out," rather than "Come on in."Which is a
pity, because it's worth taking a peek inside.
You will only get to see a fraction of the 300,000square-foot building , but in the bank's spacious visitors
center you will find displays that explain the history of the
Federal Reserve System and how it works, the economic
history of Houston, and how U.S. currency has evolved
over the years. And you will get a glimpse, through bulletproof windows, of the heart of the bank's business - the
cash operation. In a given year, it handles more than $50
billion in cash, which would explain the need for all that
security. The cash is processed through high-speed machines that make sure the bundles are all of the same denomination, detect counterfeits, and separate out notes
that are no longer fit for circulation. Those are automatically shredded. The currency is stored inside a huge vault,
68 feet high. Each of the vault's doors weighs 17 tons.
Despite appearances to the contrary - the imposing edifice, the bronze eagle at the entrance, the flags, the
security, the name - the federal reserve banks are not a
branch of the federal government. Come and explore the
nation's financial system. Just don't let the lack of curb
appeal put you off.
Adapted from an article by Tony Freedman
May, 2016
Because of the increased security after 9/11 UTHRO will
have to submit a list of those who intend to participate.
Please get this information to either Tena Lummus or
Barbara Kelly before May 10. Their info is on page 4.
The tour starts at 10 AM, so our bus will leave
OCB promptly at 9 AM due to numerous construction
downtown. We will have lunch afterwards at Treebeards.
The buffet luncheon runs you between $9.50 and $10.50
p.p. After lunch a tour of nearby Christ Church Cathedral
is planned.
Some Treebeard historical perspective
If you were adventurous enough to trek through a
somewhat neglected Market Square in 1978 you
might have come across the original Treebeards on
Preston street. They soon outgrew the original location and made the move to Travis street and the Baker-Travis
Building, from circa 1861, the second oldest building in Houston.
In 1980, they moved to their current location facing Market
Square Park.
The “Cloister” became a Treebeard location when the clergy of
Christ Church Cathedral asked them to operate the food service
in the church's restaurant. We began serving Treebeards' menu in
the unique setting of the church's social hall and adjoining courtyard in 1981.
Some background on Christ Church
Fever, fire, near dissolution, dogged determination against staggering odds and - above all - unshakable faith. The history of
downtown's Christ Church Cathedral, is in many ways the story of
Houston. One of the oldest structures in downtown Houston,
erected in 1893, Christ Church, with its gothic revival styling and
sandstone parapets, is a cathedral of bells.
Allan Turner
The two sights we will visit on
June 2 after the Federal Reserve Bank is a luncheon date
at Treebeards-”The Cloister”
and the Christ Church Cathedral both on 1117 Texas Ave.
In this Issue
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
A Visit to the Federal Reserve Bank
Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
Trip to Liberty Opry; Mini Mural Tribute
Something Completely Different
May, 2016
The Evergreen
Page 2
Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program at School of Nursing
Imagine having the power
to transform the life of an
individual or the lives of
many individuals by transforming a broken system.
Transforming the lives of
vulnerable older adults living in nursing homes and
assisted living facilities is
precisely what long-term care ombudsmen do every day
as they advocate to improve the quality of life and quality
of care of long-term care residents in Houston and Harris
County. The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is
housed in the School of Nursing; it is the only such program housed in a university and consists of a team of
eight full-time paid ombudsmen and nearly 80 volunteers
who work to ensure that the rights of the residents are protected and their needs are met.
The job of an ombudsman is not an easy one, but
it can be very rewarding states Carmen Castro, Program
Manager. She often quotes Mother Theresa’s “the miracle
is not that we do the work, but that we are happy to do it”.
Just how rewarding? we let certified volunteer ombudsmen, Jackie Friedman tell you:
"About eight years ago I read an article about the
Ombudsman program. Although I was working full-time at
the Medical School and was volunteering at MD Anderson
on the weekends I was not looking for another volunteer
opportunity. But the idea of helping a largely invisible
population intrigued me. So I signed up for the training,
and was surprised at my actual experience. What I expected was all elderly, somewhat demented, and perhaps
lonely group of people whom I doubted I could help, and a
mostly indifferent staff. I also guessed correctly that nobody would have even heard of the Ombudsman program.
In fact, I still call it the best kept secret in long-term care.
What I have experienced as an ombudsman has
been surprising: Residents of all ages, including people
under 40 who have had strokes and injuries; a sizeable
population of serious mental illness; residents who could
move back into the community; and hospice patients. As
expected I see a lot of loneliness and isolation. For the
many residents who have no family or are estranged from
them, our weekly visits are the only ones they get. And
most are afraid to voice their complaints for fear of retaliation. While some facilities have nurses, therapists, social
workers and aides who genuinely care about the residents
that is not necessarily the norm. So we as ombudsmen
help to bridge the gaps. We're trained to investigate and
resolve complaints and to educate residents of their rights.
We connect high-achieving residents with the Houston
Center for Independent Living, an agency that helps people move back into the community.
I love being an ombudsman for many reasons: I
have a schedule, I feel needed; residents and staff are
happy to see me and seek my help; I feel respected and
appreciated, especially by the Ombudsman staff.”
In Harris County, the long-term care ombudsmen touch the
lives of over 11,000 nursing home residents living in the 95
nursing homes in the area.
To become a Certified Volunteer Ombudsman, you
will need to complete a 36-hour internship over the course
of 90 days, which includes two full-day classroom sessions, at least three shadowing visits with a staff
ombudsman, and some self-guided study from a manual
that we provide. After certification, 12 hours of continuing
education annually are required. Once you complete the
first training session, you will be assigned one facility in
your preferred area and will serve as an ombudsman intern
before being certified by the State of Texas.
If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to contact our office. You may call 713-500-9931 or
email us at [email protected]. You can also find
out more about our program by visiting our website at
http://nursing.uth.edu/coa/ombudsman/.
Carmen Castro, Program Manager
This is a call to action for those who have contemplated some
additional ways to not only help those who can’t always help
themselves but probably even more important to enrich their own
lives by volunteering in this great effort to be a voice for those
who are often not heard!
Henny van Dijk
UTSD Houston ASDA Chapter wins
The University of Texas School of
Dentistry’s Chapter of the American Student Dental Association (UTSD Houston
ASDA) won multiple awards at ASDA’s
2016 Annual Session in Dallas, where
chapters from 65 dental schools competed for recognition
in a variety of categories.
UTSD Houston ASDA won the Outstanding Membership
and Communications Award, second place in the Crest
Oral-B Community Dentistry Awards, and was one of five
nominees for Ideal Chapter of the Year.
UTSD Houston President Andrew Naeger was
named National Delegate of the Year — an honor bestowed by the Executive Committee (comprised of leaders
from all 65 ASDA chapters) on the basis of personal dedication and outstanding achievement.
Thirty-two students from UTSD Houston attended
the annual session, and Naeger said each has come back
with a renewed sense of pride for organized dentistry.
“We’re aware that our school’s support is the number one
reason for this success,” he said. “We’re very grateful for
that. It’s been a team effort to make this possible, and I’m
proud to serve with great student leaders here at UTSD.
We look forward to another strong year as we continue to grow our chapter and increase the importance of
organized dentistry among our classmates.”
ASDA has posted the complete list of winners and also
shared a Flickr album featuring the Gold Crown Awards
ceremony.
By Rhonda Whitmeyer
May, 2016
The Evergreen
Mini-Mural Project Honors...
Page 3
July 16, Liberty Opry
photo by Meredith Raine
On a Sunday afternoon in mid-March, two urban
artists, armed with cans of spray paint, gathered at the
corner of Fannin and Braeswood to honor the memory of
a hero who made his own indelible mark on the Texas
Medical Center. Over the next five hours, Anat Ronen and
Pilot FX worked to transform a plain traffic signal control
cabinet into a mini mural bearing the iconic image of the
late James H. “Red” Duke, Jr., M.D. (Nov. 16, 1928-Aug.
25, 2015).
The Project, directed by UP Art Studio, is designed to bring art to unexpected places, instill civic pride
and enhance Houston’s urban landscape. In its pilot
phase, Houston City Council Member Larry V. Green of
District K supported the creation of 31 mini murals on traffic signal control boxes, but agreed to expand the project,
which allowed for the mural near UTHealth’s University
Center Tower. Though the mural was unveiled on March
13, Ronen reports it is not quite finished. She has plans to
paint an image of the renowned surgeon and medical
educator’s beloved dog Jake on the back of the traffic
signal control cabinet.
Adapted from an article by Meredith Raine
UTHRO’s Endowment Fund
The UTHRO Endowment for Healthy Aging is
heating up! This is our legacy. $7,170 has
already been given for our permanent endowment to benefit UTHealth’s patient care,
$7,170
education and research for the aging population and their caregivers.
Our goal is
$25,000 minimum (including pledges) to be
raised during the next 5 years.
Any amount is welcome from members and our friends.
Contributions can include memorial gifts, gifts and more.
Please send your gift to:
$25,000
c/o Ms. Angela Randolph
UTHealth, Office of Development
P.O. Box 1321
Houston, TX 77251-1321
To insure your intention is met, please write “for UTHRO
Endowment” on the memo line of your check.
We are “Seniors Helping Seniors”.
Rick Bebermeyer, Endowment Committee Chair
For those of us alive and rocking during the fifties
and sixties (and you know who you are) this event will be a
nostalgic trip to yesteryear when Elvis was King or a group
of young lads from Liverpool changed the music scene forever. I remember dancing and gyrating to the tunes of Bill
Haley and his Rock Around the Clock on a wood floor at a
camping in Holland. The music was vibrating, loud and
catchy and seemingly very much alive and kicking. The
booming bass line or searching sax solos were the drivers
behind R&R as were the free spins and twirls of the dancers;
American Bandstand became the “must see and
hear” of our generation. I still remember the first TV appearance of the Beatles in Holland in June ’64 and when established stars like Ella Fitzgerald recorded their “All My Lovin’”
we knew we had our own “songbook.” Liberty Opry does
tributes to the 50s & 60s on a regular basis and the shows
are fun and I dare you not to tap your feet or start dancing
in the aisles, because it still moves.
If you would like to go back for an evening to those
days, sign up for the trip before June 15. The show will cost
you $15.00 pp and is non-refundable after July 1.
The bus will leave OCB at 4PM for the hour long drive to
Liberty TX where we will have dinner first at Casa Don
Boni’s Mexican Restaurant in Liberty. You can park your
cars in the OCB visitors lot where they will be pretty secure.
To make your reservations write a check for $15 pp
to Barbara Kelly (info on page 4) and remember no refunds
after July 1. Then call or e-mail Tena Lummus or Barbara to
RSVP:
Barbara Kelly—[email protected]—281-933-3634
Tena Lummus —[email protected] — 832-288-3085
It will be a “rockin’ night out!”
UTHRO
The University of Texas Houston Retiree Organization
1851 Crosspoint, Suite 1.204
Houston, TX 77054
To update your address or phone number
please contact us at 281-933-3634
And Now For Something Completely Different...
Highlighting two impressive exhibits in Houston’s Museum District
The Art Deco vehicles
which form the "Sculpted in
Steel" exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts prove
exactly that -- beautifully
constructed - they are as
much works of art as
modes of transport. Characterized by the use of luxurious
materials and clean lines, the Art Deco aesthetic dominated
the worlds of architecture, fashion and cars on a global
scale between the first and second world wars. The 14 cars
and three motorcycles on show at the exhibition demonstrate the elegance of this era, with concepts such as aerodynamic design and chrome detailing. Car bodies were
blessed with shiny curves, while finer details such as grills,
hood ornaments and windows were inspired by airplanes,
using industrial materials. "Sculpted in Steel" will be at the
Museum of Fine Arts, to May 30.
Tickets for Seniors $18 pp
Burke
Baker Planetarium
Travel through the
cosmos as high-resolution
video technology projects images of planets, stars, meteors, solar systems and entire
galaxies on the domed surface – named one of the six best planetariums in the
United States. The dome theatre is also used to train
NASA Space Shuttle astronauts in identifying starfields!
Opened in 1964, the Burke Baker Planetarium has presented astronomical programs to millions of visitors from
school groups to the general public. The SkySkan starfield
projector is the most advanced in the world, simulating
stars, planets, comets, nebulous objects and other special
effects, able to carry audiences from the Big Bang to the
nucleus of a cell. A wonderful trip through the universe,
definitely worth a visit.
Tickets for Seniors $ 8 pp
UTHRO OFFICERS 2016
President
Peggy O’Neill
Vice-Pres
Tena Lummus
Secretary
Ted Jones
Treasurer
Barbara Kelly
Web Administrator Sherri Orioli
3107 Wroxton Road, Houston, TX 77005
1209 Modena Dr., Pearland, TX 77581
9219 Brahms Lane, Houston, TX 77040
15714 Barbarossa, Houston, TX 77083
713-666-1075 [email protected]
832-288-3085 [email protected]
281.217.3076 [email protected]
281-933-3634 [email protected]