OPTOMETRIST TELLS ROTARY OF NEW FACILITY

25 YEARS AGO – 1997

Dr. Jay LaValley spoke to the Henryetta Rotary Club on changes in the practice of eye care. Dr. Michael Brian and LaValley have just opened a new and modern building on West Main of Henryetta. According to LaValley, they are able to do most things that can be found in one of the larger urban areas.

LaValley told of when he was in optometry school, there was a limited amount of things that optometrist could do. “We could do glasses and we could do contacts,” LaValley said, “and we had microscopes to look into the eyes to see if everything was ok. We couldn’t treat, we couldn’t write prescriptions, we couldn’t treat glaucoma and we couldn’t dilate the eye. That was less than 15 years ago.”

He said things have “really changed” within the past 15 years. “During the course of when I was in school, they gave us the ability to write prescriptions and to dilate eyes.”

“When I was in school, we were trained in a lot of the different lasers,” he said. “Three months ago a judge decided that we optometrists could not do lasers but an ophthalmologist could.”

LaValley explained that there were many optometrists who were trained in the use of lasers. He explained there were several different type of lasers and different laser procedures. He said there were gag lasers which are used in cataract surgery, lasers used in glaucoma, argon lasers, and the excimer laser. The excimer lasers are the ones which are currently in the news because of the new procedures they perform.

LaValley said one of the main changes recently, is in insurance. More people are taking insurance for eye glasses and eye care he said. The new clinic, which had its open house on Monday, November 17 is a 3,800 square-foot building. Dr. Michael Brian and LaValley have designed the facility to be as modern and up-to-date as possible. They have also secured the services of an eye surgeon to come to their clinic one day a week.

Dr. John Romano, of the Triad Medical Center, will for surgical needs as they arise, he will do his surgery from Henryetta medical center. He can do cataract surgery and even repair “drooping” lids. LaValley said Romano was an excellent surgeon who could fix “plastic surgery” type problems.

The doctors now have a machine to utilize video imaging. If they suspect there is a physical problem within the eye, they can now actually take a picture of the inside of the eye.

The doctor can look through a microscope and when he sees the area he needs to look at, he can take a picture by pressing a foot pedal. The image can be stored for viewing and can even be saved for the future reference. LaValley said that when a patient came back to the doctors a year later, they could compare the old image with a new one taken then. The doctors could then make a determination of progress or degeneration.

LaValley explained that cataracts were a natural part of aging. He said it was a clouding of the lens in the eye. Surgery would remove, or clear, the cloudy part so a person could see normally again if the integrity of the eye has not diminished due to other reasons. Cataract surgery will be performed through their office but at the Henryetta Medical Center.

The new clinic is now open and Drs. Brian and LaValley have moved in after anxiously waiting this for a few months. They hope to offer a high quality service to all Henryetta area patrons.

RESTAURANTS PROMOTE DESIGNATED DRIVERS

During the month of December, over 400 restaurants statewide will be participating in Campaign Safe and Sober, a designated driver program. The campaign is organized by the Oklahoma Restaurant Association in support of December National Drunk and Drugged Driving (3D) Prevention Month.

Participating restaurants will promote responsible alcohol service in their establishments to encourage one person in a party to be the designated driver and to refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages.

Designated drivers can enjoy free nonalcoholic beverages courtesy of the participating restaurant.

ORA has provided restaurant with buttons, brochures, posters, table tents, and pocket cards to promote the program to their customers.

Pete Holloway, ORA Past President, announced the continuing program during this year’s 3D Prevention Month kick-off luncheon held November 13 at the Oklahoma City Marriott Hotel. The program continues to grow every year.

Tipsy Tow will again be available December 19 through January 1. Sponsored by AAA Oklahoma, tow service is available by calling 800-AAA-HELP.

In an effort to keep impaired drivers off the road, the Tipsy Tow program will provide a free automobile tow home, within a 15 mile radius, with up to two people.

To help Oklahomans enjoy a safe holiday season, ORA has available a free recipe guide for festive, non-alcoholic beverages. The recipes were contributed by 11 bartenders during a recent Great Pretenders Mock tail Mix-off completion. To

BERKEYS HONORED ON ANNIVERSARY

Mr. and Mrs. Joe Berkey will celebrate their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary December 3 from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. with a reception in their home in Dewar.

The reception will be hosted by their children, Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Lee of Henryetta and Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Penequine of Oklahoma City. Mr. and Mrs. Berkey were married in Henryetta December 6, 1947, and have made their home in Dewar for the past 23 years.

FORREST WEDS LT. LEWIS

Mrs. Clarence Forrest, west of Henryetta, is announcing the engagement and approaching marriage of her daughter Linda to Lt. James R. D. Lewis.

Miss Forrest is a graduate of Henryetta High School and Northeastern State College. She is now employed at Hentyetta Elementary School.

Lt. Lewis is the son of Dr. and Mrs. M. O. Lewis of Muskogee. He is a graduate of Tahlequah High School and Oklahoma State University. Lt. Lewis is now serving with the United States Air Force and is stationed in Thailand.

The wedding will be an event of December 23 at the First Church of the Nazarene.

DURBIN TO LEAD BOND

DRIVE HERE

Tom Durbin of PPG Industries, Henryetta, Has been named Henryetta City Chairman of the United States Savings Bonds program.

Announcement of the appointment was made by Lee Boerstler, Volunteer County Chairman of the south half of Okmulgee County, for the U.S. Savings Bonds program.

“U. S. Savings Bonds play an important role in the economy of Okmulgee County,” Mr. Boerstler said. “Over 25 percent of Okmulgee county families hold $7,049,000 in Savings Bonds which earn annual interest of $387,695.”

“Due to the volunteer program and cooperation of banks, news media, business, labor, etc., the cost to the Treasury Department in selling and servicing U. S. Savings Bonds is only one-fifth of one percent of sales,” Boerstler said.

75 YEARS AGO – 1947

DECKED FOR YULE SOON

Christmas decorations will go up on Henryetta streets probably Dec. 1, Joe Burnett, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce decorating committee, said Saturday.

Materials for more Main Street strings of Christmas colored lights have been ordered and should be here by then, Burnett said.

Nine strings of lights have been used in past years, and this year nine new strings with the old ones, will permit two strings to each Main Street block according to the present plan.

Tentative plans for other decorations have been made the chairman disclosed but added that none of them are definite yet. Decision on them will wait until samples of supplies arrive here, he said.

This year, as in the past, center of the decorations will be a huge Christmas tree at the downtown fifth street corner. The tree will be decorated and lighted, Burnett said.

HENRYETTA POLICE GET TWO-WAY RADIO SOON

Henryetta Police should have complete radio equipment for communication between headquarters and police car by next week, Police Chief Chester Baird said Saturday.

Part of the radio equipment ordered recently has arrived here and the rest is expected early in the week.

The radio system will be installed as soon as all equipment arrives, Baird said. The system was financed by citizen’s contributions.

100 YEARS AGO – 1922

BURRERLY WINS

SHRINERS RING

Henryetta was much in evidence in the big Shrine doings at Ada. Our local forces finally organized a full one hundred per cent, and were rewarded by a sweeping victory on the final count.

While Dr. McKinney, Noble Hughes and Noble Curry were actually in command in the order named, many other men are entitled to credit for the fine work done. And the fact that Dr. McKinney became campaign manager proves that there was nothing left but good feelings amongst the several professions.

The campaign was a somewhat stormy one. It began in a rapid and nearly sensational manner, and ended in a blaze of glory-glory for the hero, Mr. Butterly, and a large amount of reflected glory on dozens of ardent supporters from Henryetta as well as from other centers of Shrinedom.

When all the circumstances are considered, despite a loss of sleep and a consequent tired feeling the Shriners returned very happy. The ring is said to be an exceedingly beautiful one, although the editor of Free-Lance has not yet seen it.

In clearing up all the petty charges and foolish things said and done it was clearly proven even the victim was a case of mistaken identity in the case where he based his contention against the Henryetta man. When he had duly apologized for saddling the rudeness of another onto our popular bank president, there was nothing more to say.

Everybody was happy, and they sang “Hail, Hail The Gangs All Here.” Thus by the time the special reached Henryetta at three thirty Saturday morning, there was nothing required but forty winks and a good breakfast.

One thing is certain, Henryetta is on the map in all Masonic doings. Free-Lance hopes to see Bedoum temple invited to hold one of those ceremonial sessions maybe next year, and then the entire fex-wearing crowd may have a chance to see the best town in Oklahoma. Our people speak in high terms of the hospitality of the Ada people.

POLICE HAVE “HIS NUMBER”

A reckless speedster, about 5:00 o’clock Sunday evening, at the corner of Second and Main Streets, ran down J.B Dorroh, a salesman for the Boestler Bros. Wholesale Grocery Co., and it was only by a stroke of luck that Mr. Dorroh escaped serious injury.

He was struck by the car when going at such speed that he was thrown to the running board of the car and then to ground and other than a few minor bruises and scratches he escaped.

The cowardly part of it was that the man driving the car never looked to see how great harm had been done his victim but “stepped on the gas,” increased his speed and flew on his way.

Fortunately, the police have secured the number of the license tag on the car and the man will probably be apprehended and be made to answer to a charge of exceeding the limits and with reckless driving.

LADIES OF THE CU CLUX CLAN IS THE LATEST

The women organizing their robed and masked klan, says the Okmulgee Times of Sunday.

Evidence of it came to light yesterday when The Times received a letter, signed by E. C. Barefield of Duncan, Imperial Miser of the Ladies of the Cu Clux Clan, which reads as follows: “The Ladies of the Cu Clux Clan is now a reality in your city and has a good healthy membership and will be very active in your city in the very near future.

“This organization has much in common with the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan but it is not in any way connected with this noble body. In fact there is no auxiliary to the Invisible Empire.

“We are chartered in a good many states and will operate nationally. Though less than ninety days old in Oklahoma, our membership has passed the fifteen hundred mark and we are receiving hundreds of applications daily. This is a robed organization as well as masked and those eligible for membership are native born white American protestant women of unquestionable character and who believe in the tenants of Christian religion, the separation of church and state and the Chasity of the home. In fact, a cleaner nation, politically and otherwise.

“We will treat you to a parade and follow it up with a public installation. You will receive notice in advance of this event. The poison squad, an enemy of this organization, generally starts rumors against a one hundred percent American organization.

“This organization does not and will not countenance any rough stuff. We stand behind and believe in the enforcement of the law and the constituted officers. We are sworn enemy of the bootleggers, drug senders and crooks who operate in violation of the laws of the United States of America. This organization stands for everything that would make a spotless America.”