GARAGE DOOR NOTICE!
A contractor for Facilities Services has been checking, and repairing or adjusting as needed, all of the cottage garage doors. This should make them easier to open when the power is off.
Work started in the 1100 block, and is continuing. Once your garage has been checked we recommend that you test to see if you can open it power-off — and if not, what more is needed.
RVM data
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RPG Meetings
UPCOMING MEETINGS are listed in reverse chronological order by:
Date/time, with specification of:
Medium/location, Topic, Invitees (general or specific), Convener (w/contact info)
Agenda and/or Background documents are linked, if available
PAST MEETINGS are listed in chronological order by
Date/time, with specification of:
Medium/location, Topic, Invitees (general or specific), Convener (w/contact info)
Meeting recording, minutes and/or report, as well as agenda and/or background documents, are linked, if available
UPCOMING MEETINGS
27 Oct 20, 1:00 pm, Zoom, Future Plans, Core Team + guests, Bob Walden (503-488-9879)
Background attachments: Coordinator Roles and Missions (pdf file); Skip’s Note on Neighborhood Surveying; Skip”s Neighborhood Log; Local Disaster Checklist
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PAST MEETINGS
— 29 Sep 20 video
Zoom, Bob Walden (503-488-9879
Area Coordinators Evacuation Debriefing — 17 Sep 20 — video
Zoom, Bob Walden (503-488-9879
Reflections from Afar
Notes from the Complement’s ace roving correspondent, writing under the nom de pandemic:
By Nonie Tenck —
Episode 1
Living away from the Manor while caring for my sick friend (hereafter referred to as Friend), leaves me feeling quite exposed. The Manor itself is a bubble protected from the Outside World, then we all have our own smaller bubbles inside that. Here I’m completely unprotected. No, that’s not true. It’s that the mask wearing and frequent hand washing assume far greater importance.
When I go out for my walk I pull up my mask as soon as I see someone coming, and guess what — the oncomer does the same! People around here are so considerate. The clerks in the grocery store; the helpers in the stores (brought in especially for the holidays? Or hired to provide jobs for some of those out of work because of the pandemic?); the clerks and nurses at the doctor’s offices; neighbors coming by with cookies and holiday greetings — everyone. But rather than having to remember to phone in my meal orders every day at the Manor, here I have to think of menus, go grocery shopping, help fix meals, then clean up. Quite a challenge, unaccustomed as I am. No more lounging around in sweats all day. Every day here seems to be something that requires looking presentable. Life is far less predictable here. But that’s probably a good thing. I’m thoroughly dislodged from my rut, and I have a new perspective on living through these times. Hooray for fresh views.
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Episode 2 — On the Road (still)
This morning I took my friend to her pre-op appointment with the cancer surgeon. When we got to the head of the check in line, the girl behind the counter peered around my friend and asked “Is she here with you?” nodding at me. Then she motioned me to come forward, and I had to answer all the questions too.
When we got to the doctor’s waiting room the nurse met us and took us right in- no waiting at all! She was very chatty as she took my friend’s weight, blood pressure, and temperature.
When the doctor came in he said he couldn’t stay long because it was a busy day. But after he did the physical exam and determined that all looked good to proceed with the surgery as scheduled on the 31st, he appeared more relaxed and took his time explaining exactly what he would be doing during the surgery and what she could expect afterwards. However, there still could be a last minute change either as to time of day or even the date of surgery If there is no ICU bed available for just in case.
Tomorrow is a teleMed appointment with the anesthetist.
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Nonie’s Third Epistle to the Manorites: Christmas Eve
A cheerful Bewick’s wren came out to greet me on my walk in the woods this morning.
Bewick Wren
Well, I say morning, but it was almost noon because I spent most of the morning putting together a double batch of banana bread and struggled really hard to get semi-hardened glued together bird seed out of a bird feeder that had been neglected far too long outside in alternating rain and sun. I’m SO over housework!
We sent Son out at eight o’clock this morning to do last minute grocery shopping, and he had to stand in line outside in the cold for a full hour to get into the store. Glad it wasn’t me. After he got back and the groceries were all put away and the banana bread was baking, Friend started making a batch of Pecan Lace cookies and Son started work on our fancy Christmas Eve meal. It’s barely a two-butt kitchen, so that’s when I went on my walk, leaving strict instructions about when and how to take the one large loaf and four small banana breads out of the oven. Now they’re cooling. Then we’ll wrap the little ones up as gifts for friends who’ll be stopping by (outside – masked) this afternoon. Whew. I’m ready for a nap already and it’s just past noon. The pace is killing me.
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Episode Last — Returning to campus following a two week hiatus
By Nonie Tenck
Driving back from Portland in a rental car on New Years Eve, I was ambivalent about returning home after having been away for two weeks. We had decorated the house with fifty years of Christmas ornaments and then taken it all away again before Friend’s hospitalization. Now I was tired of being away, of having to plan meals and clean up afterwards, of listening to someone else’s choice of news channels, of constantly tripping over a dog who wanted to be in the middle of things, of not having readily available a new book to read in the from Manor library, of not having a convenient place to do my exercises, of not having the right knitting needles readily to hand. I was looking forward to returning to my comfortable rut, but I wondered: was I was going back to such a predictable routine that I would feel I was in a cage?
Living at the Manor is so easy. We ARE awfully well protected here, especially in the high rise buildings. I hardly have to take care of myself; I have become lazy. In some ways my independence is limited: I am told to mask, and if I forget, my neighbors remind me. I am told to keep my distance. Only one person in the elevator at a time. No gatherings with friends. My meal options are laid out for me. My shopping options, my exercise options and my recreation opportunities – all are limited.
The same Covid limitations exist elsewhere, but it felt like the individuals I came into contact with (however briefly) when I was out walking or at the grocery store or visiting the doctor’s office with my sick friend — all had thoughtfully chosen to wear masks and limit their contacts. Here, some of the thinking part of it is done for us. I don’t know. It just feels like in some ways we exist within an artificial bubble, our own small world. Of course, one of the huge benefits is that the incidence of Covid here is much much lower than at many other retirement communities.
Being on the road was marvelous. The ever changing landscape felt liberating. I saw skeins of geese overhead and the occasional hawk on a tree. Cars and trucks whizzed by around me. Alternating showers and clouds and brief periods of sunlight required flipping the visor down and ducking my head as I swung it to the side. I was out in the real world for a short time. I had a most welcome taste of freedom before turning in the rental and returning to my little living space and my little circle of friends.
P.S. Friend called me on New Years Day to report that her four-hour surgery was successful. A fitting beginning for a new and better year ahead.
Disasters, Past and Future
The Featured Lecture — at 7 pm on Tuesday, October 13, 2020, ERIC DITTMER will present a lecture on RVM Channel 900:
Preparing for Disasters – Earthquakes, Lessons From Recent Fires
The lecture will be followed by a remote Q&A session, featuring both Eric Dittmer and Drew Gilliland, RVM Director of Facility Services
Eric Dittmer is a geologist and Professor Emeritus, Southern Oregon University. He is an expert on the geology, hydrology and environment of the Rogue Valley. His current focus is on earthquake awareness and preparedness, on which he frequently lectures and is interviewed. He is extensively involved in community service; among the positions he has held are: Jackson County Health Advisory Board; State of Oregon – Ground Water Advisory Committee; Bear Creek Watershed Council; Oregon Stewardship Board Member, current chair; and Former Greenway Foundation Board Member. In addition to teaching at SOU, he has been a Medford School Board member, a 4H leader, and a volunteer teacher at Griffin Creak School. He was named Conservationist of the Year, 2013, by the City of Ashland. On a slightly different note, his interests include bicycles and old motorcycles, and he held a land speed record at Bonneville Salt Flats (class J/GT) for 16 years.
The Great ShakeOut is a world-wide program of earthquake drills, aimed at building awareness and encouraging preparation. To find out about local efforts, click here. Many educational materials are available, as well as a chance to demonstrate solidarity with other prepared people by signing up as an Official Participant.
There is a lot of flexibility in your choice of participation, but the conventional approach is take the appropriate response at the designated earthquake simulation time — 10:15 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15. If you are indoors, the suggested response is Drop, Cover, and Hold on! — drop to the floor, get under something sturdy (table, desk, or bed), and hold on to it. If there is nothing to get under, get next to something sturdy. CAUTION: some of us are in conditions such that dropping to the floor is not advisable. If that is your situation, use visualization instead. And, it is OK to plan in advance — that’s not cheating, it’s part of the point of the exercise.
General Disaster Preparation needs to be more than a one-and-done exercise. Over time, memories fade and supplies may deteriorate, so the Residents Preparedness Group looks for review and reminder opportunities. The Great ShakeOut is a good one, and not just because of its topic. Fall is a good time to reflect on the onset of winter, which calls for some different emergency responses than might be appropriate in summer. This year we suggest a look at power outages — which are likely to accompany earthquakes, storms, fires, or seemingly, to just happen. If you have to go for a protracted period without electricity, what will you do for light? Or warmth? Worthwhile things to think about before it gets dark and cold. Oh, and if you may want to open your garage, click here.
You Are Not Alone
YANA
(A program by residents for residents)
By Willi Zilkey
A good friend left flowers at my front door the day Bob died. I’ll never forget that act of kindness. In 2018, she and I decided to extend this thoughtfulness to everyone who experiences a loss in our community. The group was named YANA, You Are Not Alone.
A creative photographer in our community prints note cards for us and another resident artist rendered the photo we use on our cards to reflect the sadness we share.
One member of the team, the Canary, notifies the appropriate team member of a death in our community. Another member happily creates a small flower arrangement. A note of sympathy is written to accompany the flowers. Contact with the grieving resident is made to acknowledge their loss and ask for a convenient time to deliver the flowers and note.
This is a simple kindness. It is our privilege to let grieving residents know they are not alone. When one of us leaves, we all grieve.
This worthwhile project is sponsored by the RVM Residents Council.
Review Items
REVIEW ITEMS
The forms or documents linked here are proposals or drafts that are being considered for incorporation into RPG documentation — which includes both preparedness advice for residents, and guidance for coordinators and other RPG workers. They are posted here so that members of the community can evaluate their utility and make suggestions for modifications or improvements.
Please note: The items listed here have been drafted with the cottages in mind; in the interests of both relevance and consistency we need to know if and how they need to be modified for use in the towers, and whether there are cottage-tower differences so great that a different approach is necessary.
You may submit your comments via the forms at the end of the document, or by Email to rpgrvm@gmail.com.
1. Local Disaster Checklist: Suggested as a form to be used by Neighborhood Coordinators for their initial post-disaster evaluation. Would be completed for each location of damage or injury, and transmitted promptly to the Area Coordinator for further transmission.
2. Local information form. Intended to elicit information from residents that will help coordinators evaluate risk and needs. Data, or an appropriate summary,to be kept at the Neighborhood, Area and central RPG levels, and should be updated annualluy or whenever a perceptible change occurs.
3. Skip’s Village Center Dr Neighborhood Log. A sample of the propose neighborhood record, produced by the approach outlined in item 4 (below).
4. Skip’s note on neighborhood surveying. Guidelines for Neighborhood Coordinators in completing the log form in item 3 (above).
5. Wildfire Emergency Evacuation Tips.
6. Draft Go-Bag options for various individual abilities and situations (Also open for review on the public Prepare page)