Cul-de-Sac Cardio

With gyms being ruled as “out of bounds” because of the coronavirus, the workout regimens of many of our residents have suffered badly.

In order to remedy the situation, Nu-steps, bikes and portable strength stations have been made available outside by the cul-de-sac between Mary Powell and Clermont, Monday- Friday 9:30-11:45 am and 1:30-3:00 pm, weather and staff permitting.

For more information call Cathy DiSomma.

It is hoped by all that the Fitness Center will soon be open once again. If so, we will be hearing from Cathy, and new regulations will be shared with all residents.

Movie Lovers Needed

At present, daily movies are being offered each evening on our own Channel 1970. They are a joy. Movies on the big screen in the Gathering Room will be back one of these days. The Movie Committee needs input.

As conditions at Kendal begin to improve, and we may be able to meet in person, we invite interested residents to consider joining the Movie Committee.

We would also appreciate receiving suggestions of movies you would like to see. Since we are limited in choice to Netflix, library and personal collections, not all may be available. We’ll do our best!

Contact Annette Leyden or Roberta Poupon.

Dining Services Survey

The arrival of the coronavirus put a temporary end to communal dining at Kendal.

Since that time, meals have been delivered to independent living apartments. A few weeks ago a new wrinkle was instituted, residents were allowed to visit the Bistro at dinner time to see the various dishes available and then take them to their apartments. Slowly but surely the dining situation has been returning to “normal”.

Recently, Dining Services distributed a questionnaire to get resident input. They requested the following:

Please be sure to complete and return the Survey you received this week from Dining Services.  As resident services are gradually restored, your feedback is important! Your completed Survey can be placed in the menu basket in the Residents Lounge or, if more convenient,  you may leave it on the package shelf outside your apartment.

Residents are urged to fill out the survey and return it as soon as possible.

The Post Office and Us: A Legislative Alert

The present Administration is cutting U.S. Postal Service funding, which threatens timely delivery of mail and creates havoc with absentee and mail-in ballots for the general election in November.

As a first step, the newly appointed Postmaster General is eliminating overtime pay.

Also, the Administration is shortening the deadline for receipt of the 2020 Census form, although the Covid-19 pandemic has already caused serious disruption of the form’s submission. The earlier deadline may lead to substantial undercounting of residents. The federal government provides support to states based on population size, and local, state and federal election districts are (re-)drawn every decade based on population increase or decrease.

Please do the following:

1) Fill out the 2020 Census form with your personal census ID number and return it to the Census Bureau as quickly as possible, if you haven’t done so yet. If you can’t find your form, call the Census Bureau at 844-330-2020 for assistance;

2) Send a letter to our Representative and two Senators urging them to demand that the budget cuts for the USPS be rescinded and the original Census period be restored:

The Hon. Nita Lowey 2365 Rayburn Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Tel: 202-225-6506 Fax: 202-225-0546

The Hon. Kirsten Gillibrand 478 Russell Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Tel: 202-224-4451 Fax: 202-228-4977

The Hon. Charles Schumer 322 Hart Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Tel: 202-224-6542 Fax: 202-228-3027

Chats with Pamela

Pamela will hold her first two “Chats with Pamela” on Tuesday, August 25 and Wednesday, August 26 at 9:30 am. There will not be an agenda, as this is an opportunity for residents to chat and ask any questions they may have. Each session will be limited to 20 participants, with more sessions in the future. Please email or call Jordan to reserve a spot for the Zoom chat.

KoH Council Election

Biographies of 12 residents running for the 2020-2022 term have been distributed and are on the Residents Only page of this website in the Residents Council section. Please note that the 13-member Council has 7 openings this year. Candidates will present their statements on Monday evening, September 14, via Channel 1970. The election will take place from 5-7 pm on Wednesday and Thursday, September 16 and 17, in the four building lobbies. More information will be provided during the week of September 7.

Communications Blackout August 1

On August 1, there was an accident in front of Phelps Hospital when a car knocked down a Verizon pole carrying Kendal’s phone system, TV access and Internet communications, resulting in a blackout of those services for everyone.

Much of it was repaired on Sunday but we were TV-less Saturday night with one exception, Kendal’s own internal TV channel. Channel 1970 remained on, showing its normal Saturday night movie.

The phones finally came back late Monday afternoon. It was a lesson for us all on how much we rely on electronic communications.

Luckily, by the time the remnant of Hurricane Isaias arrived, all our services were fully restored. Though residents were warned about the possibility of a power outage, none resulted, and Kendal was also spared serious tree damage.

What Happens to our Recyclables?

Thanks to Sherry Persaud and Bob Michael we have the answers.

KoH’s recyclables are taken to American Paper Mills in Tarrytown, which is owned by Kendal’s contract carter.

Paper and cardboard are sold on the open market; mixed plastics, glass and metal are transported to Recommunity in Beacon, where they are sorted and cleaned and sold to buyers who manufacture new products.

Trash is incinerated at WTE (Waste to Energy), EFW (Energy from Waste), or Resco (waste to energy facility in Peekskill).

Grocery Shopping Has Returned

Shopping trips to Thornwood and Ossining will restart on Friday, August 14.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, only four residents can be accommodated on the bus at a time. However, there will be three trips to Thornwood in the morning and three to Ossining in the afternoon.

A sign-up sheet will be at the front desk, and residents must register; no walkups will be admitted. All riders must wear a mask on the bus and in the stores.

Residents will be dropped off and picked up at designated times. Our drivers are not allowed to enter the stores to look for you, so residents must make sure to complete purchases before the designated return time.

Any questions, call Ellen Ottstadt.

Climate Change Course Reminder

Professor Paul Olsen, the Arthur D. Storke Memorial Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University, will lead a course on climate change on Fridays, September 4, 11, 18, and 25 from 2:00-3:30 pm via Zoom.

If you have not yet enrolled, please contact Fran Kelly.

See course details below:

Lecture I: “The Synergism between Climate and Life”: what is climate and what controls it in the big picture; why are we not like Venus or Mars?

Lecture II: “4.5 Billion Years of Climate”: history of climate and life on Earth; major trends in climate and their origins; the age of dinosaurs; sea-level change; mass extinctions as natural experiments.

Lecture III: “Climate Change in the Anthropocene”: humans as agents of climate change; 60,000 years of human intervention; the 6th extinction; how we know what we do.

Lecture IV: “Prognosis: Prediction, Risk Assessment and Mitigation”: what the future holds; Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; climate and rising sea levels; risks, mitigation and resiliency.