Communications Roadrunner Articles for 2024

2024 TOPICS INDEX – AND WHEN

• Auxiliary – January 14
• Battery Disposal – February 4
• Battery Update – April 14
• Beatitudes Cracker Crust Quiche – Filler
• Blackboard Party – February 11
• Bright Sunday – March 31
• Contract Dispute Ended – January 21
• Curana – February 11
• Did you know – January 14
• DirecTV Channel Tuning – March 31
• Eat a Frog – January 7
• Fifth Wednesday – January 14
• Girl Scout Cookies – January 28
• Goodbye March, Hello April – March 31
• Life Enrichment Outings – March 17
• LifeLong Learners Registration – January 7, 14
• Lots of Little Things – March 3
• May Reminders – May 3
• Not on my Watch – March 24
• On the  Road Again – April 28
• Telephone Tree – April 14
• 2 B or not 2 B – February 4
• To Drive or not to Drive – April 7
• To Key or not to Key – Feb 25 – Redacted
• Touchtown Update – January 28
• Valentine’s Day & Statehood Day – Feb 11
• Willie Nelson – April 28

2024 May 3 Roadrunner – Submitted April 28 to Jon for Review

May Reminders

By the time you are reading this, it’s too late to purchase a ticket for the Auxiliary Spring Luncheon, but don’t miss the event, which is Monday May 6.

LifeLong Learners is gearing up for their Summer Session. There will be a Back of the Bistro Information Table on Tuesday May 7, Registration will be one day only on Monday May 13 in the Life Center, with the first class on Monday May 20^th. For those new to Beatitudes, LLL is a huge educational opportunity started by Mim Hoover and Dosia Carlson. Cynthia Cielle is now the Resident Lead with Jon Schilling as the Staff Liaison. Course Catalogs are delivered to the door of each resident.

Also starting this week is the new GroovyTek support schedule. They will now be available five days a week, from 12:00 N until 5:00 pm. Their desk is located right outside of the library in the Town Hall Plaza building. The Thursday 2:00 Touchtown Ambassador schedule will be discontinued now that we have this extra technical assistance available. GroovyTek can help with computers, laptops, printers, Alexa devices, and mobile phones. You should fill out a work request by calling x18492 for help with your TV, telephone, refrigerator, appliances, lights, and plumbing.

2024 April 28 Roadrunner – Submitted April 20 to Jon for Review

On the Road Again

You’ve probably heard of this song title. I have no doubt that you’ve heard of the singer who made that song popular. Willie Nelson. Bill Chase and I took the Phoenix Light Rail from Beatitudes all the way to Central Mesa, and then took an Uber to the Amphitheater to hear Willie play. It was quite an eventful evening. It’s also the first time in about 25 years that I was up after midnight! I knew the singer was old, but Willie Hugh Nelson was born on April 29, 1933 – making him 91 years old. He wrote his first song at 7 years of age, and joined a local band at age 9, and produced his first record at age 12. Over his career, which spans nearly a century, Willie has written over 2,500 songs, published 250 record albums and has appeared in over 25 films. He is now touring with his kids and grandkids. It’s people like him who inspire me to be a better person. Not necessarily writing songs and performing, but making a difference and giving back. We can’t all perform world tours, and perform late night concerts 100 days out of the year, but we can join the Beatitudes Telephone Tree by calling Didi Cruz at x18526, attend Life Enrichment meetings to help plan outings by calling Cynthia Cielle at 602-705-9688, writing an article for the Roadrunner Extra and give it to Carole Vendrick (x15362) or learn how to play chess by calling Aldo Lizzul at x15548, recycle your batteries, or simply attend a Town Hall or Residents Council on the first and second Wednesday of every month at 2:00 in the Life Center. My wife was a life-long Girl Scout and she told me one of the mottos was “Always leave your campsite better than when you found it.” That’s a great lesson to live by. Make a difference.

2024 April 19 Roadrunner – Submitted April 14 to Jon for Review

Copy to Cindi Aune as her name is mentioned in the article.

Judy, Barbara, Pat, Bill and Carol

I did a quick search in Touchtown and came up with the following numbers: There are 17 Judys on Campus, 16 Barbaras, 16 Pats, 12 Anns, 20 Bills or Williams, 12 Carols, 17 Dons, 20 Marys or Marilyns. There is only one Zina, Vincent, Sybil, Shelene, Mory, Melba, Leroy, Felecia, Carlotta, Arnold, Aldo, and Adela. Our parents set us on a path when they named us. Some are unique due to their names, and others are part of a group, and need to stand out on their own. One of the benefits if being in a group is camaraderie. By the time you read this, the Judy Club has just finished their luncheon in Elaine’s. I believe there is also a Barbara Club. Maybe it’s time for you to start a club of your own. Even a club for residents with unique names would be kind of cool. If you would like to discuss the possibilities, start with Cindi Aune at x1 8473. Regardless of your name, know that you are a unique individual, with unique gifts. How boring the world would be if we were all the same. Feel free to be yourself and to express yourself without fear of reprisal, but please allow others to be theirselves as well.

2024 April 12 Roadrunner – Submitted April 7 to Jon, Didi, Cindi, Cynthia and Ken for Review

A New Volunteeer Opportunity for Mobility Challenged Residents

Many times we want to become part of a volunteer group, but frequently have difficulty with the challenges of getting out, attending meetings, getting to meeting rooms, and so forth. We now have a critically needed service that might be exactly what you were looking for.

All it takes is the ability to dial a phone and talk to people. The task is outing, meeting, and event reminders. Our goal is to have a group of helpful residents that would rotate the task of making these calls.

This is right in line with the mission of Didi Cruz’s Care Corp. The process is easy, anyone with an upcoming event and a registration list will get the information to Didi. Didi will coordinate getting the information to you. You will reach out with the telephone call.

This is a great way to meet new people, without the risk of falling, or catching the flu. If you really hit it off with someone, you may want to meet them in the Bistro, but that’s not a requirement, just an optional benefit.

If you are interested in participating, please call Didi Cruz at x18529 or 602-544-8529.

On a different topic, you may remember my goal was to get 100 pounds of batteries into our recycle container outside the gift shop. In March Beatitudes Residents put 112 pounds of batteries into the container for recycling, rather than sending them to the landfills. Way to go Residents!

2024 April 7 Roadrunner – Submitted March 31 to Jon for Review

To drive, or not to drive? That is the question.

Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows (and inconvenience) of outrageous transportation schedules, or to join arms in solidarity, and not opposing end them. To drive. To beep no more. And by beep – to say we end the heart-ache of accidentally running over a small child, or single mother, due to vision not quite as sharp as it once was. By reflexes not as quick as they once were. To beep. Perchance to scream. Ay, there’s the rub. For with that beep, we put a stop to accidentally causing the death of someone through no fault of their own. To force them to shuffle off their mortal coil. Take pause. There’s the respect that makes calamity of so long a life.

OK. Shakespeare I am not. The point though is well-founded. With growing older comes the responsibility to take accountability for our actions. There is a convenience to being able to drive ourselves when and where we would like. Beatitudes Transportation does an incredible job of getting us to our appointments, picking up prescriptions, and taking us on a variety of lunch outings. Uber, Lyft, and similar services complete the picture, making it not just cost-effective, but a good decision for our fellow human-beings.

At the Information Station (hallway in Town Plaza, on the way to the exercise room) is a handout that gives nearly a dozen options for alternate transportation. At least give it the consideration it is due. Is your convenience worth the risk for driving around a 3,000 pound weapon. Think about it.

2024 March 31 Roadrunner – Submitted March 24 to Jon for Review

GOODBYE MARCH, HELLO APRIL

Many American churches are resurrecting an old Easter custom begun by the early Greek Christians — “Bright Sunday” or “Holy Humor Sunday” celebrations are on the Sunday after Easter. For centuries in all Christian faith traditions, the week following Easter Sunday was observed by the faithful as “a day of joy and laughter” with parties and picnics to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. This week on Readers Theater our own Rev Judy Green-Davis delivers a Holy Humor service.

Life Enrichment has announced two great events for April. On the 19^th we will once again have a Street Fair in the Central Park Mall. There will be live entertainment, and lots of other activities. Another event in April is a trip to Desert Botanical Garden. Watch the Roadrunner for details in a couple of weeks.

Curana has started to move into their new medical office located at the west end of Plaza South building, but it will be a few months until they are ready for patients in that new facility. Until then, for standard visits, you can get house calls in the comfort of your own home. For more urgent matters, you can call Dispatch Health. For situations even more dire, don’t hesitate to dial 911. This will notify both Beatitudes Security and the fire department.

Listen to the Michelle and David show “B Informed” every Tuesday through Saturday at 2:00 on Channel 1-2 for current information. The easiest way to get to Channel 1-2 is to use your DirecTV remote and press the “1” button. After that, press the “CH” button up twice.

2024 March 24 Roadrunner – Submitted March 17 to Jon for Review

For the LE Lunch Outing at Applebees on March 26, call x12905 to reserve a seat on the bus.

In Studio (every Thursday at 9:00 am in AGR) we talk about many things affecting the campus, and leading us in directions that are both good and bad. Last week, we talked about bullying, bad mouthing, discrimination and other non-acceptable behavior. During our discussion, the phrase “Not on my watch” surfaced. It is an idiom that means “under my watchful eye.” It is often used to express a sense of objection about a particular situation or statement.

The origin of the phrase is unclear, but it is believed to have originated in military contexts, where soldiers would use it to reassure their comrades that they were keeping a close eye on the situation. Over time, the phrase has evolved to be used in a wider range of contexts, such as community or workplace settings.

The phrase “not on my watch” can be seen as a declaration of commitment or dedication to ensuring that a certain event or outcome does not happen, or at a lesser level, that you don’t want to participate. Overall, the phrase is a powerful statement that signifies a sense of responsibility, protection, and vigilance. Badmouthing residents or staff? “Not on my watch.” General hate speech? “Not on my watch.” Even Trump or Biden rants… “Not on my watch.” It’s OK to have opinions, but if it even comes close to hate speech, we can do without it. You don’t have to use those exact words, but we are all living here, most of us for the rest of our lives. Let’s make it a community where everyone can get along.

2024 March 17 Roadrunner – Not submitted for review

Zoo and other Life Enrichment Outings

A couple of new things are happening over the next couple of weeks. The first one, on Tuesday, is the first LifeLong Learners “Meet the Staff” presentation in the Agelink Great Room. Also on that day, the new housekeeping schedule goes into effect.

On a different topic, Life Enrichment has a great outing planned for March 28. A trip to the Phoenix Zoo. Cindi Aune has negotiated a special price for Beatitudes. Rather than the $25 entry cost, it will be only $12 per person, and will include a trip on the train that goes around the entire zoo. If you are interested, call Cindi at x18473 or 602-335-8473 from your mobile.

Another trip that you can talk with Cindi about is an April trip to Desert Botanical Garden. Watch the Roadrunner for details in a couple of weeks.

For the LE Lunch Outing at Applebees on March 26, call x12905 to reserve a seat on the bus.

2024 March 10 Roadrunner – Submitted March 3 to Jon for Review

A Year of Rebranding and Expanding

2023 brought Coreworks to Beatitudes, and Community Engagement is going strong with Wakeup on Channel 1-2. Jon and Mollie start out every new week with a Morning Wakeup, and review of the activities and events happening in the upcoming week.

I’ve heard of two residents who say that their Beatitudes Channels are not working. If this applies to you, please call x18492 and fill out a work order.

Another name that you may be hearing soon is ύniguest. They do many of the information touch screens you may see in your doctor’s office, or hotel lobbies, and even McDonald’s. They saw Touchtown as a great opportunity to serve the Baby Boomers. Our cute little t with the hat may be going away. The ύniguest logo is a ύ with a dot over top of it. We are also expanding Touchtown to include a family app. This means that your family can stay informed of what is happening at Beatitudes, without having full access. New (future) residents are also getting the app, once their deposit is paid. This way, they can start enjoying life at Beatitudes sooner, rather than later.

Last thing: Part B of the LLL Spring Session begins this coming week. If you see something you would like to attend, please contact Barbara Bauer at x15567 for late registration.

2024 March 3 Roadrunner – Submitted February 26 to Jon for Review

Lots of Little Things

There are many little, but important, things happening in the upcoming week. Starting March 1, you can pick up your AARP Tax Prep Registration Packet from the front desk. Saturday March 2 is First Saturday in the Garden. Stop by to take a look at our new garden beds which are now fully accessible. On March 4 there is an Alzheimers and Diabetes Lunch and Learn in the Life Center at noon. Also on the 4^th is a new performance time for Anna Chepikova who now plays on the First Monday of the month. Life Enrichment Committee meets on the First Tuesday of the month at 10:15, and The Beatitudes Ukulele Class plays a recital of eight songs in the Plaza Club at 4:00 pm on Friday. Finally, tickets to the March 11 Beatitudes Auxiliary Membership Luncheon are on sale in the Bistro, but ONLY UNTIL March 7. If ever there was a time for you to get out and start doing things, this week is it. See you around the Campus!

2024 February 25 – Submitted February 20 – REDACTED

To Key or Not to Key? That is the question.

OK, Shakespere I’m not. This is an important topic though – especially for our Plaza North and Plaza South neighbors. The locks on all stairway doors have been changed. Your building key will no longer let you back into the building. If you go out, and the door shuts behind you, you will have to wait to be rescued or take the stairs down to ground level. This is permanent, and is effective immediately. Security will lock stairwell doors some time after 9:00 pm, and unlock them about 5:00 am. DO NOT use stairwell doors during the locked hours, unless you can safely navigate the stairs.

While nobody has been caught (I don’t think) behind the locked door, one person (I’ll call her Jill) recently did go out after 9:00 pm, and was not able to get back into the building. Your building key SHOULD still work with the main entry doors, just not the stairwell doors. Jill (remember Jill?) has been a resident here on Campus for about two years, and had never had the opportunity to test her key. After all this time, she found out it did not open her building door. PLEASE TEST YOUR KEY IN THE MAIN DOOR. To test your key, put it into the lock and turn it. If it turns, you are probably good to go. If it does not turn, talk with Security.

About two years ago, another person had forgotten their key, and locked themselves out at about 2:00 in the morning. They did not realize there is a phone outside the main entry doors to PS/PN. You can always pick up that phone and dial 0 for Security after hours. If you need a replacement key call the staff at x18492 and they will route your request to the proper department. Note: There may be a charge for a replacement key.

As mentioned above, stairwell doors will be unlocked about 5:00 am, and will be locked for the night some time after 9:00 pm after which your key will not work.

Now, something that will include everybody else: Admin Town Halls and Resident Council Meetings are being recorded for broadcast on Channel 1-2. The Admin Town Hall will replay every Saturday at 8:30 am and Monday at 11:30. Residents Council replays every Saturday at 11:00 am and Monday night at 7:00. If you do not get Channel 1-2, call x18492 for that problem as well. They will help you out.

2024 February 18 Roadrunner – Submitted February XX

Admin Town Hall and Residents Council presents on the first and second Wednesday of every month. This month, they talked about things on the campus ranging from the Internet and Food, to Facilities, Occupancy, Future expansion and the upcoming addition of Curana to Campus Medical Care. It was actually quite informative. If you missed them, all is not lost. Communications is putting some of the more critical presentations on Channel 1-2. Michelle and David started their program at the beginning of the CoVid crisis. It has become a standard here at Beatitudes. They air every Tuesday through Saturday at 2 pm and from 4 until 7 pm. The Admin Town Hall will replay Saturday at 8:30 am and Monday at 11:30. Residents Council replays Saturday at 11:00 am and Monday night at 7:00. Readers Theater, Musical Events, Church Services, and movies are peppered throughout the week. You can see a TV guide for each day on your TV or on the Feed Button of Touchtown. If you don’t know how to tune to Channel 1-2, just ask the Ambassadors or Groovy Tek, and they can help you. They can also help you and your family access to Touchtown.

2024 February 11 Roadrunner – Submitted February 7

Things never seem to slow down here. This coming week we have Curana giving a presentation and sign-up in the Life Center on Monday. They will be setting up offices in the old MVP office. The best news is that you don’t have to give up your favorite primary care doctor. You can use Curana as the need arises. It will help, however, if you exist in their records before you need them, so don’t miss this presentation Monday morning.

A fun thing going on is a Blackboard Party outside of Community Engagement on February 12 at 2:30. Their new offices are in Plaza South right next to the MVP office. Contact Cindi Aune at x8473 if you want to know more.

February 14 is Valentine’s Day and Arizona Statehood Day. We became a state in 1912 becoming the 48^th state. Our first governor was George Wylie Paul Hunt, who settled in Globe, Arizona. He was fairly progressive and supported women’s suffrage, secret ballots, income tax, free silver coinage, and compulsory education. Hunt was also an opponent of capital punishment and a supporter of organized labor.

Beatitudes Cracker Crust Quiche

To make the crust, crush 4 packs of Bistro crackers and mix with 2 TBL softened butter plus 2 TBL oil. Mix well, then press lightly (don’t pack) into the bottom of a small lightly greased casserole dish.

• ½ C Bistro Spinach Casserole or creamed spinach or hash browns
• 1 TBL sugar or sugar substitute
• ¼ C diced onion
• zest and juice from one orange
• ½ C shredded cheese
• 2 eggs
• ½ C milk

ALL ABOVE ITEMS CAN BE PURCHASED IN THE BISTRO

• ½ C AP Bisquick – fold in lightly – don’t over mix

1. Make sure you’ve emptied your oven, then preheat oven to 350º
2. Combine all listed ingredients (except Bisquick) and mix well
3. Fold in Bisquick, then pour into prepared casserole.
4. Bake for 35-45 minutes – Internal temperature should be about 170º
5. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from dish.

2 B or not 2 B

We’ve all seen the Beatitudes [B] by now. This time the B is about batteries. The Battery Safe Disposal program is going very well. In December, we had 85 pounds of batteries that were collected and sorted. 15 pounds of those batteries contained hazardous metals such as Mercury, Cadmium, Manganese, Lithium and Lead. If thrown into the trash, these metals eventually leach into the groundwater. A surprise fact that I learned since starting this program three years ago, is that ALL HEARING AID BATTERIES contain hazardous materials and should not be thrown in the trash. The only batteries that are safe to throw in the trash are Alkaline and Carbon batteries, but the type is so small on most batteries, it is difficult to tell which are safe and which are not. The good news is that we make it easy for you. If you put all of your batteries into a plastic bag or similar container, and bring that container to the Bistro occasionally, you can deposit them in the Safe Disposal Bucket in the hallway leading to the Gift Shop. We will sort them for you. They are then labeled and given to Maintenance, who takes them to Home Depot for reclamation or other safe disposal. My goal for the short month of February is to collect 100 pounds of batteries. Please help me by doing your part.

2024 January 28 Roadrunner – Submitted January 22

Touchtown Update and Girl Scout Cookies

January 31 is the rollout date for the new Touchtown interface. Yes, there will some confusion, but overall I feel this is a good move for our Community App. Although none of the Ambassadors have seen the new interface, we have seen photos. They promised it will be the same functionality, with a new “FEED” button, that will give you everything happening in order. That’s really about all that will change, so don’t get too worried about it. However, because there will a bit of a change, the following day at 2 pm in the Bistro, we will have a fully staffed Touchtown Help Desk, with six Ambassadors there to help you explore the new technology. Stop by and we’ll show you some of the new features.

Also coming up – – – January 31 is the Fifth Wednesday, and February 2 is Groundhog Day. As a means of celebration, we will join Bill Murray in his hilarious movie adventure called Groundhog Day. The movie will be shown in the Life Center at 2:00 pm. Popcorn and peanuts will be served.

The following day (February 3) is Girl Scout Cookie Day. The scouts will be in the Bistro on Saturday from 11:00 until 2:00 selling boxes of cookies for $5 and $6. Please bring cash or a credit card. No B-Cards for this event.

Oh… and I know I am going out of order, but I just thought of this at the last minute… Thursday, February 1 at 10:15 in the Admin Conference Room, near the Welcome Center, is the monthly meeting for Life Enrichment. Please try to join us.

STEVEN COLBERT FANS REJOICE!

After a six week contract dispute, a resolution was reached. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, sent a letter telling the two warring factions that it was unacceptable to deprive the fans of watching the playoff. The contract was resolved two hours before kickoff, and Channel 12 is now in full operation.

On other TV News – Channel 1-2 specifically – Beatitudes Reader’s Theater is in full swing with five episodes weekly; The Town Hall and Residents Council videos are being shown as well. We also have four church services (including a rebroadcast of the services held here) and three movie selections rotating through the channel. Michelle and David will continue to keep you informed and amused every Tuesday through Saturday. There are two new features: a New Resident Orientation video Sunday and Monday evenings, and a Weekly Morning Wakeup by Jon and Mollie every Sunday, Monday and Tuesday mornings.

You can see the daily TV guide on Channel 1-2, and also by going to Touchtown and then to the Video icon. The weekly TV guide is down at the bottom.

On a less sedentary note: The first class of LifeLong Learners will be held on Monday, January 22. If you missed registration, you can call Barbara Bauer at x15567 (or 1-602-544-5567) and if there is still room in the class, you can register with her.

January 14 – 20, 2024

Did you Know?

The membership cost for Beatitudes Auxiliary is $20 per year per person. A Benefactor Membership is $40. Additional donations are tax deductible. There are membership envelopes in the Library, at the Information Station near the Bistro, at the Backstreet Boutique, and at other stations around the Campus. One hundred percent of the money raised by the Auxiliary goes back into the Community.

There is more that is new here at Beatitudes. Life Long Learners is having their registration for the Spring Term 2024 this Monday January 15^th and on the 16^th. Classes fill up quickly, so if there is something that you really, really want to take, show up early. The cost for one, two, or five classes is the same: $35.

There is also a Life Enrichment Fifth Wednesday event happening this month. Since February 2 is Groundhog Day, we thought that it would be fitting to watch Bill Murray yet again on the big screen of the Life Center. Popcorn and peanuts will be served on January 31 at 2:00 pm.

January 7 – 13, 2024

According to a famous quote attributed to Mark Twain, “If the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that that is probably the worst thing that is going to happen to you all day long.” Put in simpler (and less gross) terms, get your most difficult task out of the way as early as possible so that it doesn’t hang over your head all day and you know, even on an off day, that you accomplished something. What that task is is up to you. The truly important thing is to start your day with a feeling of accomplishment rather than procrastinating for as long as possible.
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LifeLong Learners is having their registration for the Spring Term 2024 on January 15, 16. You should receive your course catalog right about the time you are reading this article. LifeLong Learners “Back of the Bistro” will be staffed to answer any questions you may have about the Spring Term on January 9 from 10 am until 12 N.

182 Words

Robert Andrews