10/2/23 post: TVAB residents with physical disabilities (hearing, blindness, immobility, etc) and mental disabilities should inform the Burlington Fire Department of their special needs. Contact David Sharpe on the general non-emergency line at 336-516-7359 or via email to dsharpe@burlingtonnc.gov. The caller should ask the Fire Department to keep their needs information on file. It will be entered into the department's system and will alert the responders whenever they receive an emergency call to the indicated address, including where the occupant is usually located/confined in the dwelling. Pam F. 9/25/23 post: Garden home middle of night smoke alarm beeping? Call security and tell them you are turning it off and someone can change battery during daylight hours. Then take a broom handle and push the button on the alarm. It will stop beeping for 7-8 hours. Be sure to contact Lisa in the morning to get battery changed. If on the weekend, call security, tell them they need a ladder. (Note: if you push the button it will send an alarm to security, so make sure you let them know to ignore It.) Another tip: keep a note on your calendar of the date all batteries changed so you can remind facilities when it is time again. Pam B. 9/13/23 post: Management has encouraged residents to feel free to reach out to its leadership team if they have a question or concern. That's a reassuring invitation. If you do so and subsequently think our population at large might benefit from what you find out, please email me or the blog. (Blog's email address is in the above Welcome header.) Jennifer Y. 9/4/23 post: The following list of local restaurants will probably not wind up in "Helpful Tools" in the Resident Manual, but Pam B mentioned that she compiled this restaurant list for new residents who are moving into TVAB from outside the area. As a webmaster of this blog, I thought everyone might appreciate having this information. Our thanks to Pam B. Jennifer Y. A FEW RESTAURANT RECOMMENDATIONSPlease call to confirm hours. Most have Facebook pages.Pregos Trattoria (Italian), 422 Huffman Mill Rd, Burlington. 336-586-0292Il Centro Alimentari (Italian deli) 3290 S. Church St., Burlington. 336-350-8544Mykonos Grill (Mediterranean), 2253 S. Church St., Burlington. 336-222-1141Michelle’s Kitchen & Table, 2461 S. Church St., Burlington. 336-584-8441La Fiesta Restaurante Mexicano, 1824 S. Church St., Burlington. 336-227-0144La Cocina Mexican, 3932 S. Church St., Burlington. 336-792-6009King Chef, Chinese takeout, 2948 S. Church St, Burlington. 336-585-0588Victoria’s Pizza, 2948 S. Church St., Burlington. 336-524-0115Little Italy, 1441 University Dr., Burlington. 336-584-7317Simply Thai & Sushi, 2041 Timberlake Station, Elon. 336-584-3838 (patio dining)Taaza Indian Bistro, 3252 S. Church St, Burlington. 336-524-0488Pho Bar, (pho soup, Pad Thai) 3275 S. Church St., Burlington. 336-639-7558Burlington Beer Works, 103 E. Front St., Burlington. 336-525-6383 (outdoor area)Tanner’s Wine Bar, 102 E. Front St., Burlington. 336-270-9536Red Bowl Asian Bistro, 140 Walden, Burlington. 336-586-1988The Village Grill, 580 Huffman Mill, Burlington. 336-584-1497Grill 584 – casual steakhouse – 710 Huffman Mill Rd, Burlington. 336-584-0479Root, 110 W Lebanon, Elon. 336-792-1081Tangent, 116 W Lebanon, Elon. 336-524-6766The Mark at Inn of Elon $$$, 605 N. O’Kelly Ave., Elon. 336-586-0329Saint Jacques $$$$ - Burke Manor Inn (French), 303 Burke, Gibsonville. 449-6266Steve’s Garden Market & Butchery – smokehouse & deli – 329 W. Harden St, Graham. 336-226-4078 (outdoor area)Saxapahaw General Store, 1735 Saxapahaw-Bethlehem Church Rd, Saxapahaw. 336-376-5332 (outdoor area)Ines Argentine Bakery (flan, empanadas, tres leches cakes), 112 W Main, Gibsonville. 336-447-4249Reno’s Pizza & Italian, 119 E Main, Gibsonville. 336-449-9220Pete’s Grill, comfort food buffet, 137 Piedmont, Gibsonville. 336-449-6122 7/19/23 post: For TVAB excursions that involve shopping or meals to be paid for by the excursion participants, you would be wise to take enough cash to cover the activities -- that is to say, "Don't depend on the establishment taking credit cards." Lots of establishments/venues have stopped taking plastic. Jennifer Y. 5/5/23 post: This post updates the information provided below of 12/14/22 about Lakeside Dining. Reservations for the week ahead can now start on Fridays. Jennifer Y. 4/30/23 post: 1. Start a scholarship fund for dining room employees. My mother’s retirement place in Ct had one and it was very successful. The high school staff were given scholarship money depending on the amount of time spent working. Once in college they continued to work on their vacations when they were home which helped other staff members. They became part of the Evergreen Woods “family “ as many would work for 4-6 years in order to secure annual scholarship money. The residents contributed personally to the fund as well as the main company. It might be a great incentive to hire and retain waitstaff. It worked very well in Ct. 2. Offer a meal refund for those with 15 meals if they were off campus for the entire month . There is no way they can use any of their meal plan if off campus for a full month. As the general average age of incoming residents may be getting a smidge younger, they may be traveling more or going to second homes for longer periods of time. It would be nice to offer this as it is offered to the 30 meal plans if they are away 14 consecutive days. I hope these ideas will become a possibility for discussion. I understand the meal refund option may need to be discussed prior to fixing the 2024 budget. But at $6 a day and the small number of people that would ask for the credit , I don’t think the budget would take a great hit. It would be one more nice option for our new and present residents to even up the meal plan credits a little more for those who have 15 meals and not 30. Thank you for your consideration in these ideas. Linda G. 1/23/23 post: Regarding seating in Edith Street Cafe (ESC): ESC's largest table is the 8-top closest to the windows. Since reservations are not required in ESC, notify Dining if you know ahead of time that you'll need a large table. (Maybe you've got family visiting, etc.) Otherwise you'll have to hope for an open 6-top (easier at lunch than at dinner). If you've got more than 6 in your party, you'd need to request the 8-top, since I've observed servers holding to the 6 max at the other large tables.... not adding a seventh chair. Another tip: ask at the host/hostess if you can join a table or start a new table so that others entering may join you, versus being led to a 2-top and eating alone.... that is if you'd prefer not to eat alone. Jennifer Y. 12/14/22 post: Recent changes to making dining reservations: 1) No longer required: having to provide the names of your tablemates when initially calling for Lakeside reservations. This change means you can find out your success in getting a reservations before contacting potential dining companions. 2) Calls for reservations for the week ahead can start anytime on Sunday morning; i.e., calls before 8:00 a.m. WILL be accepted. Jennifer Y. 12/5/22 post: The menu information below in this post may not be selected for the Resident Manual. I do not know if it will ever be provided on the Portal somewhere. This blog post appears in this "Not Yet in Manual" category, plus "Tips About the Portal." Just over a year ago, a hardcopy packet from Dining was distributed to all residents with the then-new "5-week rotating menu" and a "Vegetable Blend Description" sheet that the Dining Committee requested. That description sheet explained some menu terminology. We've had several move-ins since then, and I don't know what information they're given in the first days they're here. Plus, some of us may not be able to find that sheet of paper of a year ago. Here's the information:5 Way Blend: corn, peas, carrots, green beans, lima beans. Prince Edward Blend: green beans, wax beans, baby carrots. California Blend: broccoli, cauliflower florets, carrot coins. Cape Cod Vegetables: broccoli, orange and yellow carrots, sugar snap peas, cranberries. Ratatouille: zucchini, squash, eggplant, tomatoes. Key Biscayne Blend: green beans, yellow and orange carrots, red peppers. Bermuda Vegetables: broccoli, green beans, carrots, peppers. Oriental Blend: broccoli, peppers, carrots, mushrooms, snow peas. Hoppin John: diced ham, peppers, black-eyed peas, rice. Jennifer Y. 12/4/22 post: If you only receive the special SARA alerts on your phone, that means you didn't provide Michelle B. any of your other contact info, such as text or email. If you find SARA's phone voice difficult to understand, adding text and/or email will have the SARA system send you the same message there as well. With that additional contact method, you'd get a written message that you can READ. Jennifer Y. 12/3/22 post: Cottage Residents: Our Property Committee recently discussed the fact that many cottage people are leaving their outside flood lights on all night. In order to save energy and enhance security, I replaced my front flood with a motion-sensing adapter kit. They’re available at Lowes or Home Depot for $30-40, and Facilities will install. Dave M. 12/2/22 post: PHONE SYTEM TIP: To forward calls coming into your home phone to another number (for example, your cell phone), press *72 plus the 10-digit number to receive your home calls. To unforward, press *73. Pam F. 12/2/22 post: PHONE SYSTEM TIP: When you're away from home and wonder if any voicemail messages came in, here's how to find out: 1) Dial your own home phone number. 2) When your outgoing voicemail message starts, press the star key (*) on your phone pad. 3) The prompts will then ask for your PIN. 4) The prompts will tell you if you have any new messages and how to hear them. (Editor's note: if you use your own answering machine and NOT the voicemail feature of the community's phone system, you'll need to follow your unique answering machine's instructions for accessing any messages.) Jennifer Y. 7/18/22 post: If you sell or give away your car, don't forget to remove the "tag master" gate opener from your windshield. 7/9/22 post: The policy that Cone had in place stating that ONLY Cone-employed caregivers were permitted to accompany residents in TVAB vehicles is no longer in place due to Well-Spring's “taking over.” Residents who require assistance to and from appointments can now be accompanied by a non-Cone caregiver. 7/7/22 post: Powered mobility devices should not go onto the pool deck. Doing so is a safety hazard. Tires can leave marks on the deck that have to be removed by Facilities staff. Park the device outside the pool's double door entrance and use the pool's special wheelchair for entry into the pool area. 7/7/22 post: Unlike the former alert system via Everbridge/Cone, the new SARA alert system is different in a major respect: previously residents had provided Administration with their chosen hierarchy of contact methods. The system would try the first one and if not acknowledged; would then try the second. If no acknowledgement for the second, it would go to the third, etc. Some recipients chose to NOT acknowledge a phone call because they had difficulty understanding the oral message on the phone ... they'd wait for a text or email that could be read. SARA does not require acknowledgement; therefore, it will send the alert to all desired contact methods simultaneously. Jennifer Y. 7/5/22 post: In today's Dining Committee, Arthur stated that sometimes the sides listed with each Lakeside entree may be interchanged with those of a different entree. Sometimes not. You can ask. Jennifer Y. 4/9/22 post: As a reminder from the Library Committee, books in the Religious and Inspirational categories were moved into the Meditation Room. This includes books meant to help those who are grieving. All books in this room should be checked out and returned in the Main Library using the same procedures as books in the Main Library. Dave P. 2/21/22 post: Please use this topic to share what information you sought in the October 2021 Resident Manual but could not locate. If you think some missing information would be helpful and "manual worthy," share it here. When we finally get the Resident Portal going, I'm told the Resident Manual will "go up" on the Portal. We can try to make it as complete as possible. JY 2/18/22 post: Eagle Eye on the monthly calendar (4th Monday) is a special offering by Life Enrichment for residents who have vision challenges. Life Enrichment staff reads the calendar to interested residents, helping them sign up for those events requiring sign-up. Jennifer Y. 2/18/22 post: Residents may be interested in participating in the Alamance County's public library system's "Red Bag" program. You don't have to go to the library itself (nearest one is the May Memorial Library in downtown Burlington) to check out and return library books. Call Life Enrichment and/or the library itself to learn details. Jennifer Y. 2/18/22 post: If you live in a cottage and lose power due to an outage, make sure you have at least one corded phone. If all your phones are cordless, power is needed for them to function. (Note: This pertains to your unit's "land line," not your cell phone.) Jennifer Y. 2/18/22 post: For cottages, unless you have a generator, a power outage means no heat. Gas furnaces and hot water heaters require electric switches. Jennifer Y. 2/18/22 post: There are defibrillators placed at strategic locations in the community. Jennifer Y.