News Release Story

NEWS FROM

 

For more information contact

Emma M. Hernandez

Mountain East Medical Center

(307) 214-2661

emmaherpr@memc.org

For release after 8 a.m.

Monday, May 4

NEW HEAD OF PURCHASHING TAKES OVER

 Mountain East Medical Center (MEMC) promotes Johnny Toler to head of purchasing.

             Johnny Toler served as assistant head of the purchasing department and has been in that position for 13 years. He said, “The hospital means a great deal to me and my family, and I will give my best efforts to making our purchasing department the best.” Toler is invested in the quality and success of the hospital to help serve patients with unsurpassed excellence.

           Hospital administrator Harry Illscott says, "I know that Johnny Toler is a person we can all depend on . . . I have great faith in him and in this hospital.”

            Toler is committed to raising the quality of products used at the hospital to promote excellence in all areas.

            He served in the pharmaceutical department until he was promoted to the purchasing department 13 years ago. His experience and dedication to the hospital prove that he is the right man for the job. He will ensure that patients continue to receive the best care possible with the best equipment and products to make their visits comfortable and effective.

            More information about MEMC and this transition is available on the hospital’s website at www.memc.org.

Props for My School

    

Photo Journalism Story

Unexpected Blessings of a Stay at Home Order

            

            Kim Baptist Church in Kim Colorado is taking advantage of the stay-at-home order to fully renovate their church building for the first time in 50 years. Pastor Mark Bell and his wife MaryAnn move the pews to clean the carpets. It is a perfect opportunity to clean carpets since the worshippers are temporarily not meeting in the building due to the COVID-19 virus and the stay-at-home order.

The order is now set to go through April 30^th. They know that this is a great chance to get the painting done too. The church members have been wanting to repaint for a while before COVID-19 happened. While cleaning and prepping the walls to paint, they discover some beams under the floor that desperately need to be fixed. So, they and the volunteers from the church start fixing the floor.

They take the old 70’s paneling down before they paint, and they find drywall. The members decide to re-texture the walls. The more projects they do, the more they realize that the other rooms need the walls re-textured too. The more donations that come in the more that they can do.

The church has many enthusiastic volunteers who are working on these renovations. They are priming the walls. They learn that beautiful hardwood is under the old carpet in the baptistry. They check the office floor to see if there is hardwood there too. They find hardwood and pull up the old carpet.

Next, they focus on the stage. It needs to be rebuilt, just like the beams under it. As the men are rebuilding the stage, the women repaint and update the bathrooms. The volunteers realize that if they are going to rebuild the stage they will need to modernize the wiring and sound system.

They build a new sound system, repaint the speakers and build an audio/visual booth to run the sound system from. Soon they will replace the ceiling and the doors. The sound booth is equipped with everything that one needs to run the PowerPoints, microphones, speakers and music. All media will run through this booth.

Pastor Mark and his son Josh Bell paint and detail the speakers for the sound system. They also take this time to sand and re-stain the pulpit and the trim for the audio/visual booth. The sunny desert weather is perfect for getting all these smaller detailed projects done.

Now they are deciding on what color the new chairs will be. They will replace the old red pews to make people more comfortable during the services. They also discuss the option of adding sliding barn doors to the front of the sanctuary. The design team has been working hard to make sure everything is modern and beautiful.

This project is estimated to last another week and a half. The stay-at-home order turned out to be a blessing for this small-town church as they were able to modernize and make their space more efficient.

Broadcast

Is Peanut Butter Bread the New Pandemic Food?

Peanut Butter Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups milk

1/2 cup peanut butter

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

Mix together dry ingredients. Add the milk and mix. Then mix in the peanut butter. Put the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 1 hour.

(T.T. Brown, 2020)

Slug      Peanut Butter Bread                                             Page                    1                Directions                                                                          Script
TWO SHOTS    Video of making the bread. :40	(2 shot)   (s) Good afternoon, I’m Emma Hernandez. *****       Is Peanut Butter Bread the new pandemic food?       Reddit users seem to think so. Peanut butter bread is making a comeback after 80 years, as stores are running out of bread and yeast during the COVID-19 pandemic.       Many are wondering what to do about the lack of bread, and peanut butter bread may just be the answer. This week Reddit users are raving over and baking this 1930s Depression Era loaf, since it requires no yeast, simple ingredients and is easy to make.        Unlike sourdough, which is hard to master and takes hours to make, peanut butter bread is a quick bread that anyone can make using ingredients they already have in the kitchen.                 Peanut butter bread uses only 6 ingredients and requires no kneading. What’s the rising agent? 4 teaspoons of baking powder. In the absence of yeast, this handy ingredient is probably already nestled in your pantry. It’s as easy as: mix and bake.	1

Slug      Peanut Butter Bread                                             Page                    2                 Directions                                                                          Script
2nd SHOT HAVE LOAF ON TABLE TO REFERENCE Show recipe list at the end.	People are saying this bread tastes not-to-sweet and they slather it with jam, for deconstructed PB& J’s, chocolate, butter or make it into French toast. Others added chocolate chips for a sweet breakfast treat.    Allergic to peanuts or dairy? This recipe can successfully substitute almond butter and almond milk.                   If you are wondering what to do for your next project at home during time of social distancing and you can’t find any bread, peanut butter bread may just be the delicious answer you’ve been looking for.	2

References

Brown, T. T. (2019). I made peanut butter bread from the 1932. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/Old_Recipes/comments/cqwuq1/i_made_peanut_butter_bread_from_the_1932_five/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf.

Eby, M. (2020). Reddit is obsessed with this no-yeast peanut butter bread, and you will be too. MSN. https://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/foodnews/reddit-is-obsessed-with-this-no-yeast-peanut-butter-bread-and-you-will-be-too/ar-BB12rrBn.

Jameson, M. (2020). People on Reddit are obsessed with this peanut butter bread recipe from the 1930s. Buzzfeed.  https://www.buzzfeed.com/melissaharrison/peanut-butter-bread-recipe-reddit-review.

Puhak, J. (2020). Reddit users rave about peanut butter bread recipe: here's how to make it. FoxNews. https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/reddit-pandemic-peanut-butter-bread-recipe-reddit.

Travel Story

A Journey Back in Time

   Historic Smith Island, MD, charms travelers looking to relax and enjoy the beauty of the Eastern Shore. Take a step back and enjoy the refreshing experience of being immersed in a peaceful and rare way of life.

            Smith Island is nestled in the heart of the Chesapeake Bay, 12 miles from shore. It is rich with beauty, delicious cuisine and history. “Smith Island now has 240 year-round residents, spread between the villages of Ewell, Rhodes Point and Tylerton” (Smith Island). Tylerton is separated by water from the other two towns.          

Morning Commute by Missy Evans
Tylerton, MD 2009

This remote Island can only be reached by passenger ferry. Step into the boat and feel the saltwater spray as you breathe in the fresh, rich ocean air. The 45-minute boat ride reveals the rich beauty surrounding the Island, from the everchanging, frothy water, to the plethora of wildlife and lonely, abandoned buildings in the marshes. Smith Island is known for its breathtaking sunsets and sunrises, as the sun scars the sky each evening with the vibrant colors of the rainbow. 

Smith Island by Missy Evans
Tylerton, MD 2016

Professional photographers, hobbyist and tourist alike, enjoy the rustic shanties, the classic fishing boats, geometric crab pots, curious sea life and variety of birds. All adventurers can appreciate these beautiful sights by chartering a boat or kayaking through this gem of nature.

 One does not have to get in a boat to enjoy walking around these three picturesque towns. All exploration is done on foot because this Island does not have cars! On Ewell, there are bike and golf cart rentals which are the primary ways of travel. Tylerton, lacks rentals but being less than a ¼ mile long there is not much need! (And many times, if needed, one can catch a ride with a friendly islander on their golf cart).

Tylerton is an important stop on this visit. It is the home of Drum Point Market, the crab co-op and charter boat opportunities to fly fish, explore and go “proggin’” (treasure hunting in the marsh). At Drum Point Market travelers can enjoy some famous crab cakes, locally caught, picked, and prepared. The sizzling hot, fried ball of goodness captures the taste buds. The blue crab is famously “sweet” buttery and flaky and lacks a “fishy” flavor. Or treat yourself to their special soft crab po’boy sub.

Top it off with the state dessert Smith Island cake, 8-10 layers of fluffy melt-in-the-mouth cake covered in super-fudgy cooked chocolate frosting.

A quick jaunt down the road leads to where the ladies pick and package the crab meat that the “menfolk” bring in from the bay that day. Sounds of laughter, conversation, and sometimes vibrant singing adorn the crab co-op as the ladies pick the crabmeat.

Tylerton is not the only place to explore, a quick 15-minute boat-ride takes travelers to Ewell, the biggest town on the Island. There you will find the Inn, more homestyle southern seafood restaurants, the museum, ice cream, and other attractions.

Founded in 1608, (Historic Smith Island). Smith Island has kept many “old-timey” traditions and even the old Elizabethan dialect! Step back in time as you experience crabbers, and oystermen working on the water. Celebrate the Springtime blessing of the boats, the historic annual Camp Meeting in August or the fun 4^th of July party!

Though they are a good time, parties will not get too wild as the Island traditionally has always been “dry”, so it is strictly BYOB, “discreetly” (Smith Island). Most functions are put on by the Methodist church.

            Whether the adventurer rents a house on Tylerton, stays at the Inn on Ewell or comes for the day, Smith Island is worth the visit. For more specific information about attractions and accommodations please check out: visitsmithisland.com for all the latest travel knowledge.

Sunset by Missy Evans
Tylerton, MD 2016

References

Missy Evans (2016) Photographer. MD: Island Life Photos.

(n.d.) Smith Island: A true community in the heart of the Chesapeake Bay. Retrieved April 2020. http://www.visitsmithisland.com/discover.html.

(n.d.) Historic Smith Island: From the age of pirates…to the twenty-first century. Retrieved April 2020. http://smithisland.us/history.htm.

All photos, unless otherwise noted, are used from Creative Commons.

Live Event Story

Not at Risk Always Exposed

How A Police Family Faces Pandemic

A police family in Wyoming copes with the reality that they most likely will be exposed to and possibly contract the COVID-19 virus, despite none of the members being in the “at risk” category.

Ashton Hernandez’ job as a police officer has him exposed to the public and public places during this global pandemic outbreak. With the case count for coronavirus rising, it is only a matter of time before Officer Hernandez comes into contact with the virus.

 Officer Hernandez has two young sons, Jude, 4, and Noah, 2, and does his best to avoid and socially distance himself from the public but some contact is inevitable. He continues to keep up personal cleanliness on calls by sanitizing, hand washing as frequently as possible, staying cautious, wearing gloves and a mask. He believes that these precautions will continue to keep himself and his family safe from the virus.

The police department has cut down on some contact by doing briefings through group chats. They also have the officers work over the phone as much as possible.

            Instead of focusing on the negative of the situation, the Hernandez family is embracing the fun side of social distancing. Jude is especially thankful for the school closures.

He has been keeping up his schooling which is also incorporated into his daily activities. Jude has faith that his dad will be just fine and that everyone will be safe. “Daddy will get the virus and kill the virus” (Jude). Noah, who is too young for school, continues to learn through play. He enjoys the sunny days outside in the backyard with his brother and playing inside with his toys.  

The Power of Yet

The Power of Yet

“Yet I will [choose to] rejoice in the Lord;
I will [choose to] shout in exultation in the [victorious] God of my salvation!
The Lord God is my strength [my source of courage, my invincible army];
He has made my feet [steady and sure] like hinds’ feet
And makes me walk [forward with spiritual confidence] on my high places [of challenge and responsibility].” (Habakkuk 3:18-19, Amplified Bible)

Yet. The tiny but powerful word that Habakkuk uses to indicate his choice to rejoice. Habakkuk is a tiny, three-chapter, book of the prophets in the Old Testament. At first glance, it seems to be full of doom and questions about God’s goodness. Basically, it’s a downer. Habakkuk learns that God is going to punish Judah, and he will use a bigger and more ungodly nation to do the punishing. War, famine, starvation, and all the things that accompany a national takeover are in Habakkuk’s future. He wonders why God is using evil people to punish Judah, and if the evil nation will be punished. He also learned that God would eventually deal with the evil nation. Habakkuk seems overwhelmed with emotions. He starts his prayer trembling and ends with rejoicing. He makes the choice to rejoice. He knows terrible things are coming, worse than you or I will probably (and hopefully not) ever see in our lifetimes. Nevertheless . . .even still. . . YET, he praised God. Amos B. Walls shares an analogy about opals that aptly describes Habakkuk’s response:

Hold the opal up to the light, and it has nothing but a yellowish tinge. . . Let me tell you the secret of the opal’s beauty. The stone is filled with fissures — minute rifts in its substance, too small to be seen by the eye, yet not too fine to be seen by the light. These fissures catch up the light, beat it back and forth between their sides, and break it up into its constituent colors, very much as a prism would do. And so the stone, out of what might seem to be a flaw or blemish, draws its wonderful crown of beauty. Have you ever seen opalescent men and women?. . . Christians make the very shattering of their body, and the flaws in their fortune, a trap for God's sunlight They catch in these clefts of misfortune the rays that come from heaven. They toss them back and forth and from side to side of their seamed and fissured lives, and lo! we see them glowing with a beauty far more wonderful than any opal of earth, or any rainbow of heaven. (Walls, 2011)

What was Habakkuk reflecting off of his misfortunes (present and future)?

1.      That God was his salvation.

2.      God was his strength.

3.      God would give him confidence, peace and steadiness to overcome adversity.

Habakkuk remembered that God has already won! Salvation and eternity are sure, and the trials of earth are temporary. He also realized that God would provide him strength, confidence and steadiness to face the challenges ahead. This is the power of yet. Yet takes the situation and says “nope, this isn’t over” in this case, he chose to trust and rejoice!

            Frozen 2 has a relevant song that the Princess Anna sang after she realized she was going to have to do something that was right, but it came with great personal cost, just after she lost everyone she loved.  In the last part of the song she sang:

I won't look too far ahead
It's too much for me to take
But break it down to this next breath, this next step
This next choice is one that I can make
So I'll walk through this night
Stumbling blindly toward the light
And do the next right thing
And with the dawn what comes then?
When it's clear that everything will never be the same again
Then I'll make the choice to hear that voice
And do the next right thing. (Anderson-Lopez & Lopez, 2020)

Habakkuk could have easily sung those same words. When you are overwhelmed and joy seems far away, almost mythical, there are a few practical things you can think about and do to help yourself overcome.

·         Take one step at a time. Choice by choice, do the next right thing.

·         Remember: God is going to give you the strength to make those little choices and get through the challenge. It’s supernatural.

·         Remember: Eventually, it will pass. God is your salvation.

·         Breathe, bathe, eat, take care of yourself, even when it seems too much, or not worth it. Give yourself a fighting chance.

·         Pray. A LOT. Say little prayers all throughout the day.

God does sometimes allow more than we can handle (that’s how we grow) so that we will rely on his strength, just as Habakkuk did. Joy is a mental battle. Banish negative thoughts. Replace them with verses of truth. Start with Habakkuk’s praise. Choose to use the misfortunes to reflect the beauty of God’s light. Choose the power of yet.

Dear God,

Please help me to remember to choose the power of yet: to trust You and rejoice in You even when things are hard. Please give me your strength and help me to take one step at a time to face the day. Thank you for leading me and giving me your confidence and steadiness to confront my problems.

         Amen.

Stay Joyful,

Emma 😊

References

Anderson-Lopez, K. and Lopez, R.  (2020) “The next right thing.” Performed by Kristen Bell as Anna. Disney. https://www.disneyclips.com/lyrics/frozen2-the-next-right-thing.html.

Holy Bible. (2015) Amplified Bible (AMP). CA: The Lockman Foundation.

Walls, A. B. (2011) Constant joy. The Biblical Illustrator. Biblesoft, Inc. Electronic Database.
https://biblehub.com/sermons/auth/walls/constant_joy.htm.