Community Update for week of 5/29/2023

May 30, 2023

Update to residents on 5/30/2023

A Big Welcome is extended to LeadingAge Ohio’s Leadership Academy

Next week on June 6 and 7, the 2023 Leadership Class (of LeadingAge Ohio) will be meeting in our Education Center as one of their four site visits. You’ll likely see them touring Kendal as well as having lunch in The Fox & Fell. On one of the days there will be a panel reflecting on Kendal at Oberlin’s “Innovation and Change.” The panel will engage a small group comprised of department heads, board members, and KORA representatives. An extra thanks to the panel participants: Rollin Conway (KORA), Gary Olin (Board), Rey Carrion, Jeni Hoover, Kim Preston, and Michele Tarsitano-Amato (Staff).

Wed. May 31 and Thurs. June 1- Racial Equity Forum: Historic Redlining and Housing Segregation in Oberlin

Join Liz Schultz, Executive Director of Oberlin Heritage Center, tomorrow, Wednesday, May 31 at 7:15 pm in the Auditorium to learn about this history and its lingering impact today. Continue the Conversation the following day, Thursday, June 1, at 12 noon over lunch in The Penn dining room. Bring your lunch (or not). Liz Schultz will join us.

Strawberry Full Moon Viewing Party

This Saturday, June 3, at 9 PM at the base of Wildflower Hill. Songs, plum wine, good times!

Family Members use of the Fitness Center

As mentioned last week, family members aged 15 and older are now welcome back to the Fitness Center Areas 7 days a week from 12:30-2:30pm, and 5:30-8:30pm. “Fitness Center Areas” means the pool, the equipment room, and the fitness/relaxation room.

• Your adult family members can join you in the Fitness Center during the DESIGNATED TIMES ONLY.
• Residents and staff are required to accompany their family in the Fitness Center spaces at all times.
• Family members must use an Accushield Kiosk to sign in and when you sign into the space, you will put the number of family in attendance with you. Accushield Kiosks can be found throughout Kendal. There is one just inside the west entry door to the Fitness Center area.
• Please take a moment to refresh yourself with the rules of the space, so that you can ensure that your family are following the rules of that area. Right now, family attendance is limited to individual use of the spaces.
• Classes are still for residents and staff only.
• New class schedules can be found on the bulletin boards in the Fitness Center areas.
• Note for family use of the Pool: Please be aware and respectful that 11:30-12:30 and 2:30-3:30 in the pool is designated for immune compromised people who need less exposure to others. When exiting the pool area, please distance yourself from others and be cognizant of others’ comfort level.

If you have any questions, please contact the Fitness Center at 440-775-9851.

Looking for more Tennis Players

(Shared by Bunny Hensley) Tennis players at any level are encouraged to come out to play on Kendal’s wonderful outdoor clay courts.  The courts have just been refinished and are in great condition. There is a standing “gathering time” of 8-9 am on M-W-F but courts are open anytime.  David Dauphine is coordinating. Please reach out to David or Bunny.

Looking for volunteers for the “Welcome to Oberlin” Sign at Maple Street & Rt. 58

You may have noticed that on the recent Keep Oberlin Beautiful Day, (May 20), the “Welcome to Oberlin” sign at the end of Maple Street never got any attention with weeding and annuals. You’ll notice that the Welcome Sign on Rt. 511 looks beautiful. It has been done by the same group of volunteers for 11 years. If you would be willing to join Grounds to help spruce up the sign at Maple Street with weeding and annuals, please contact Ryan and Facility Services. The City of Oberlin would love to see some Kendal volunteers come out for future “Keep Oberlin Beautiful Days” as in past years.

Buckeye Community Bank personnel changes

There will be some new faces working at the Buckeye Bank branch office here at Kendal. Sarah S. Smith, the Treasury Management Specialist, who has been with us for many years, will still take care of Kendal business accounts and any resident who needs her help in particular. Her phone number is 440-233-3925. But new in the office here will be Rebecca (Becky) Kelling, and Christopher (Chris) Pratt. Becky’s phone number is 440-233-3922. They look forward to working with you!

New York Times delivery changes

Subscribers to the New York Times newspaper have already been notified by the NYT that all issues of the newspaper will be delivered by mail via the U.S. Postal Service, effective this week. The NYT says, “You can expect to receive your newspaper from one to three days after the issue date. We realize this shift isn’t ideal, and we apologize for the inconvenience.” As a home delivery subscriber, you should have All Access — The Times’s full digital experience — meaning you can read the newspaper online.

How exactly this new delivery method will play out here at Kendal remains to be seen. As you know, the Oberlin Post Office has at times struggled to deliver regular mail, magazines, and packages due to labor shortages. If you decide to cancel your NYT subscription, you should call the NYT directly at 866-273-3612.

New York Times subscription increase

We were notified today that the NYT subscription fee will increase on July 3. The notice did not indicate how much the increase will be. More to be revealed…

Juneteenth celebration in Oberlin – June 17

This year’s annual Juneteenth Celebration Festival, “Marching through Station 99 to Freedom” will be held on Saturday, June 17 from 9am to 6pm. Juneteenth—originally June 19, 1865—is considered the date when the last enslaved people in America were freed. Although the rumors of freedom were widespread prior to this, actual emancipation did not come in Texas until June 19, 1865, two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Juneteenth symbolizes the end of slavery and the beginning of freedom. While its roots are in Texas, Juneteenth has become a federal holiday and a day to celebrate freedom all over the United States. Oberlin’s history of commitment to abolition and the cause of freedom makes the community uniquely qualified to celebrate Juneteenth.

This year’s Juneteenth will include lots of entertainment at the George A. Abram Pavilion on Edison Street. The Juneteenth Parade will take place at 12:00 noon beginning at Spring Street Park, featuring a band, horsemen, a clown, candy, dancers, and other fun features. For full details, see https://www.juneteenthoberlin.org/

Save the date: SafeZone Training on Friday, June 23

From 9am-noon. SafeZone is an opportunity to learn about LGBTQ+ identities, gender and sexuality, and examine assumptions. The workshop will also give you a better awareness and understanding of the LGBTQ+ community and how to be an effective ally. It will be a safe place to ask questions. This workshop provided by LGBTQ+ Lorain County is free for Kendal at Oberlin community members. Sign up will be on the Pride month bulletin board in June. 

Health News/ Statistics

Multivitamins may help slow memory loss in older adults

(Shared by Sharon Furrow) As a long-time multi-vitamin taker, I found this encouraging. Read the Washington Post article here.