Commun ty Matters Salina Presbyterian Manor
Colors for peace By Mary Bridges, Salina Presbyterian Manor chaplain
What memories do you have of the first day of school? I lived in the country and didn’t go to kindergarten. My family moved to town and first grade was really scary for me as I didn’t know any of the kids and I didn’t know how to ‘do’ school. Raising my hand to ask a question terrified me. The one bright spot in my first day of school experiences was always my box of new crayons. Just looking at the bright colors was exciting, and oh the endless possibilities of what I might create with them… Fear is at the heart of most of the problems that human beings have. The opposite of faith is not doubt. The opposite of faith is fear. Think about it for a moment and try to tell me any problem in the human heart that is not based in fear. In the summer of 1990, Binney & Smith, the makers of Crayola crayons, retired eight colors from their 64 crayon box and replaced them with eight brighter, bolder colors. The reactions to change – of retiring colors and using brighter colors – came quickly and primarily from adults. CHAPLAIN, continued on page 2
August 2015
Resident Leo Lake
Teacher, principal, superintendent, volunteer Leo grew up the son of a teacher in a rural area and helped his mother with school chores, such as sweeping the floors, starting the fires in cold weather and grading papers. He was pursuing business in college when a flood occurred and “wiped us out.” Money was tight and he found that he had enough hours to teach elementary school. He also found out he loved teaching. At 18 he married his wife, Dorothy, and the couple will celebrate their 65th Leo Lake anniversary this month. Over eight years, he earned a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in administration, while teaching in Great Bend, Abilene and Manhattan. He attended Kansas, Kansas State, Wichita State and Iowa State universities. A principal with exceptional organization skills mentored him and inspired him to go into administration. Leo became a teaching principal at the elementary level, an assistant superintendent in Russell for three years, then a superintendent in Hoxie and Abilene. He continued taking classes of interest life-long and especially enjoyed reading and creative writing classes. When asked the best way to learn, Leo said there is no one best way. Learning is very individual and students need be taught in the way that enables them to learn the most. Leo also said the thing he enjoyed most about teaching was the relationships with children, families and colleagues. Children he taught and their families still remember him. Colleagues were great sounding boards for strategies, shared information and helped with problem solving. Leo and Dorothy have three children, Randy, a teacher in Khartoum, Sudan; Rod (Charlene) who is a stay-at-home dad in Dallas; and, Jodi (David) who lives nearby in Abilene. LAKE, continued on page 2
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Community Matters
is published monthly for residents and friends of Salina Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at PresbyterianManors.org. Bradley Radatz, executive director Kim Fair, marketing director To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact Kim Fair, kfair@pmma.org. Telephone: 785-825-1366 Fax: 785-825-6554 Address: 2601 E. Crawford, Salina, KS 65401-2595 Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values. SalinaPresbyterianManor.org
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Community Matters August 2015
How has music been important to you? In an upcoming issue of Community Matters we will be focusing on music and its role in making our lives better. If you’ve got a story about what music has meant to you, contact Marketing Director Kim Fair and your story may be selected for an upcoming Community Matters newsletter. CHAPLAIN, continued from page 1
Royal Purple: Honor
Leonard Sweet of the Christian Globe Network, used Crayon colors as an analogy in his “Seeds for Peace,” along with the following instructions:
Teal Blue: Faithfulness
“To grow a peaceful soul and a peaceful world, sow these seeds ...
Wild Strawberry: Passion
White: Forgiveness for someone who has wronged you. Red: Prayers for someone you dislike. Green: Hospitality to a stranger. Yellow: Acceptance of someone who sees things differently. Blue: Kindness in the face of rude.
Dandelion: Humility Jungle Green: Oneness with creation. Does your faith enable you to face forward in life — or do your doubts and fears keep you looking backwards over your shoulders, expecting the worst to befall us? I invite you to open your new box of crayons as the new school year beings and color your world with peace and trust that God is with you in the colors of all the seasons of our lives.
Pink: Generosity toward someone less fortunate. Fuchsia: Compassion Vivid Tangerine: Joy Cerulean: Reconciliation LAKE, continued from page 1
Leo is a very active volunteer at Salina Presbyterian Manor and has been for many years, assisting with monthly pot lucks, hosting
events, assisting with the annual Soup Supper and most importantly, managing our wonderful library, annual book sale and purchase of new books. Thank you, Leo.
Memorial honors longtime Presbyterian Manor resident A memorial to Doris Wyatt was donated to Presbyterian Manor by her daughters, Barbara Wyatt Rosenlund and Sarah Wyatt Grant, and their families. Doris was born in February 1909, and she died Nov. 1, 2014, at the age of 105. She was a kindergarten teacher and loved children. In retirement she said, “I’ve never had time to read, but now I’m going to read everything.” And she did. Until her death, she was active and as sharp as ever. She read multiple books each month, did the newspaper crossword puzzle daily, participated in Trivia every Friday afternoon, volunteered at the reception desk three mornings a week, served on the Resident Council and was hospitality chairman, visiting each new resident. She was an artist and created in multiple disciplines. At age 104, her family gave her an iPad she used for playing word games and solitaire, and Face Timing with family-even doing a tour of her granddaughter’s historic Charleston home. The memorial is a bronze sculpture of two children reading on a park bench. The wording identifies Doris as Teacher - Matriarch - Artist.
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute classes coming to Presbyterian Manor Beginning this fall, residents at Presbyterian Manor will be able to continue learning for the joy of learning with Osher classes. Salina Presbyterian Manor is partnering with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute to offer short-term, non-credit classes designed for people age 50 and older, but open to all ages and education levels. Aberdeen Village has been hosting Osher classes for about seven years. “I wasn’t really sure how Osher classes would go over,” said Tim Allen, executive director at Aberdeen Village. “Boy, did I underestimate that. We were still thinking in a traditional way about how you have to go to class to
get a CEU, with tests and grades. But it’s not that at all. It’s really what they call ‘learning for the joy of learning.’ They offer programs and classes and experiences that aren’t just intellectually stimulating but culturally as well.” Osher classes cover a variety of topics – from the Civil War to the British Empire, to Judy Garland and the golden age of radio. “These programs appeal to our natural curiosity to learn more, but also keep people connected to the larger world as well,” said Tim. “There is always lots of discussion after a course, lots of discussion about their (resident’s) experiences but other things in their lives. It opens up dialogue and memories that they share with others. I think it kind of helps connect people with similar experiences.” Residents at Lawrence Presbyterian Manor also have benefited from Osher classes. “There are so many great classes offered,” said Rhonda S. Parks, former executive director at Lawrence Presbyterian Manor. “The diverse classes help you to think about different things and to think about things differently. Exploring new thoughts, ideas and perspectives is a good thing! Stay tuned for information about the Osher classes coming to Salina Presbyterian Manor. Salina Presbyterian Manor
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Tri-Rivers Fair and Parade
The Tri-Rivers Fair parade theme this year is “the fair is great in the Sunflower State.” The parade starts at 7 p.m. DAY? We will provide transportation, a boxed meal and watermelon. Come with us and enjoy a cold drink and watermelon while we watch the parade.
Thursday Night Cruisers
Keith Brown
Employee of the Month Congratulations to Keith Brown, Employee of the Month for July.
Keith, the dining services supervisor, has worked in dining services for three years. He also is a creative cook, and his homemade potato chips are a favorite among residents and employees. His personal goal is to return to school and earn a degree in food management, and has applied for education assistance through Presbyterian Manors of MidAmerica. He never wants to stop learning new things and how to do old things better. Keith has two step-children, Carter and Devyn, and a son, Ezra, with girlfriend Sarah Marshall, who he met at Salina Presbyterian Manor when she was a CNA. He enjoys being outside and is fond of disc golf, running, grilling, yard work and playing with the children and his 6-year-old dog, Pork Chop. His goal in life is to raise his kids to be the best people they can be and to teach them how to be respectful, open-minded and kind. Because he met Sarah at Salina Presbyterian Manor, he says “this place is pretty special to me.”
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Community Matters August 2015
The Cruisers will return for a visit on Aug. 13 around 7:15 p.m. They will parade through the parking lot first, then park and enjoy root beer floats with us.You will be able to get up close and personal with the cars. Some are vintage, some are souped up, but they are all just plain cool! Chairs will be set up on the sidewalk in the front of the building. Don’t miss this event.
Juggler to perform
Flying Debris, a local juggler, will perform for residents in the Ivory Keys Café on Aug. 14.
Birthdays celebrated Aug. 10
Birthdays, anniversaries and the welcoming of new residents will be celebrated on Aug. 10 at 3 p.m. in the Ivory Keys Café. Eric Cole will entertain us with his delightful piano music.
Travelogue planned for Aug. 17
Jean Hamilton will provide another travelogue for us, Lost in Alaska, on Aug. 17 at 3 p.m. in the Ivory Keys Café.
Accessible bus fund goal reached With the help of Soup Supper proceeds, residents and their families, employees, community donors, trusts and foundations, we have reached, and exceeded, our $65,000 goal to purchase a handicapped accessible bus for resident outings.
A total of $67,748.70 was raised, which also will enable us to have decals placed on the bus to identify it as being from Salina Presbyterian Manor. Thank you to all who supported the funding of a new bus. The bus has been ordered and is anticipated to arrive in September.