Community Update for week of 1/2/2023

January 4, 2023

Update to residents on 1/3/2023

Happy New Year!

Today’s news update is very brief as we are just gearing up again after the holidays. Best wishes to everyone for a wonderful 2023. And extra thanks for the offers to house anyone who might have been displaced from their home due to weather-related problems.

Next Coffee Hour

Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 9:30 in the Fox & Fell or attend by Zoom.  https://kendal-org.zoom.us/j/83441685533

Masks Still Required in Public Areas and in the Stephens Care Center

This is a reminder that masks are still required in the public areas of the Heiser Community Center and in the Stephens Care Center. For residents passing through the Stephens Care Center, per Federal Medicare Requirements, you are still required to check in at the kiosk on a daily basis to answer the COVID screening questions and have your temperature checked.  Please be sure to wear your Screening Pass Sticker prominently to display that you have been screened as required – and wear a mask, of course!  

Oberlin Comprehensive Plan – Community Survey

The City of Oberlin has initiated a process to create a COMPREHENSIVE PLAN which will guide the City of Oberlin for years to come. Please take the COMMUNITY SURVEY to help inform the comprehensive plan. Your perspective is crucial regarding housing, land use, economic development, mobility, sustainability, quality of life, and so much more! Go to the project website to take the community survey and provide your input! www.oberlincomprehensiveplan.com

Retirement Rule Changes in the Secure Act 2.0

(Bruce D. Steiner and Denise Appleby) New law includes significant changes to the rules for individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and employer plans. Read the full article.

The Seven Wonders of the World: A Test for a Wise Little Girl

Start your new year off with this wonderful perspective!  https://youtu.be/UAjf0Rmub_4

Dinning Update

Greg Zehe, Director of Hospitality Services & Assoc. Administrator

Continuing in the Fox & Fell

After assessing our situation and considering the staffing challenges we continue to face; we have decided it would be best to continue to serve both lunch and dinner in the Fox & Fell for a longer period. We are using several strategies to recruit the culinary staff we need for the Langston lunch, and this will help to right-size the operational demands to match the culinary staff we have now.  Breakfast will continue to be offered in the Langston without change. Residents and staff who wish to carry out at lunch will have that option available to them just as we do now.

Carryout Container Recycling Update

Information on two of the “full-size” containers you will see in use:

• One is off white in color with a textured exterior surface, the inside of the top has the ECO label on it and is marked as commercially compostable. Please DO RETURN these to the Langston conveyor belt and we will put them in our commercial compost. This is a container we will continue to use.
• The other is light gray in color with a smooth exterior surface, the top is labelled EARTHCHOICE. It is not recyclable or compostable and should be disposed of in the trash. This container was sent to us as a substitutefor the ECO container we normally use.

A big thanks and appreciation to all residents

A big thanks and appreciation to all residents for your understanding during the challenges of these past few weeks.

• Residents who called/emailed letting us know they were out of town, or willing to skip laundry service to make things a bit easier on the team during the holiday weeks.
• Knowing that the Christmas snowstorm weather made it impossible for staff to be outside pushing carts around, everyone was understanding and happy with linen service provided the day before if so requested. Thank you! – Crystal Hall

Wisdom

“You must learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t possibly live long enough to make all of them yourself.” Sam Levenson (Shared by John Elder)

Covid News/ Statistics

Governor Mike DeWine’s regular COVID Press Conferences: https://ohiochannel.org

Omicron Subvariant XBB Jumps to 18% of US COVID Cases

Here’s a report taken from several sources on the new XBB variant and its expected spread. (Shared by Don Parker)

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/986094?src=wnl_tp10_daily_221228_MSCPEDIT&uac=325325HK&impID=5041341