SARASOTA, FLORIDA (November 6, 2009) – The Glenridge on Palmer Ranch, an innovative 90-acre retirement community in Sarasota, was recognized with a 2009 Environmental Improvement Grand Award in the commercial landscape management category as well as a special Judges Award from the Professional Landscape Network (PLANET), an international association serving the horticulture industry.

The Glenridge on Palmer Ranch is maintained by Glenridge  Grounds  Management,  Valley Crest Landscape Management  and Aquatic Conservation. The awards were handed out at PLANET’S 40th annual Green Industry Conference on Friday, October 30th in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Grand Award is the highest level of recognition that a property can win and the prestigious Judges Award, of which only 3 were handed out this year, is a special honor given to the best landscapes in the country for exceptional quality and craftsmanship. The awards given to The Glenridge on Palmer Ranch recognize an ongoing commitment to preserve the beauty of the natural environment as well as the quality work, water conservation, sustainability, and importance of the grounds to the total well-being of the residents.

“We are honored that The Glenridge was selected for these awards. Our grounds staff and members have worked hard to create a garden-like campus. We are all committed to re-inventing retirement living and the grounds play a critical role in the life fulfilling culture of The Glenridge Community,” said Howard Crowell, CEO.

“Glenridge members and management have made a major commitment to beautifying the cultivated 26 acre portion of the 92 acre campus. Members are able to enjoy a wide variety of flora and fauna in Glenridge’s unique natural setting, ” said Katherine Lawless, Grounds Manager. “Achieving these awards is a reflection of the efforts of The Glenridge and ValleyCrest working together to make the landscape pleasant, enjoyable and interactive for residents and guests,” said Larry Blackburn, Regional Manager, ValleyCrest Landscape Maintenance.

The Glenridge on Palmer Ranch is a Life Fulfilling Community^® that breaks the stereotypical impression of “retirement community” living. With amenities like a Performing Arts theatre, Har-Tru tennis courts, state of the art fitness center, multiple nature trails and personal garden plots, community members have many options for enjoying life at The Glenridge.

Thank you, Sarasota Magazine readers!

The guide, he learned, was a retired attorney with no marine biology experience. The experts from Mote had taught him all he needed to know. “I asked if they’d do that for me,” Gerald says. And, a plan for the future began to percolate. Two years later, Gerald retired and moved from New York’s Hudson Valley to Sarasota. The rest, as they say, is history.

Now in his 15th year with Mote Marine, Gerald has accrued more than 10,000 volunteer hours, helping in a variety of capacities. On Sundays, he is a docent in the aquarium, answers questions, shares advice and hosts tours. He also mentors new volunteers. “I have access to some of the world’s greatest marine experts, and I love it,” he says. “The research we’re doing is astounding.”

For the past five years, Gerald has also written a column in Sarasota’s local Pelican Press. Titled “Sea Watch,” the column describes the variety of organisms found in the Gulf of Mexico. “I can’t cover the whole world, but I can cover the Gulf,” he says.

When he’s not volunteering at the lab or writing his column, Gerald enjoys spending time with his wife of four years, Charlotte, whom he describes as “a beautiful woman, both inside and out.”
“Other than all that,” he adds, tongue-in-cheek, “I guess I’m not very busy.”

Today, Walter has leveraged the 28 years he spent with the Chicago Police Department into a 30-40 hour-a-week job in security. “I had a fantastic career, and I enjoyed every minute of it,” he says. “Just about everything that could conceivably happen in a big city eventually did. I saw it all.”

Even though he retired as deputy chief in 1986, Walter has never stopped working. “I still love what I do,” he says. “There’s no such thing as a bad day, as far as I’m concerned.”

Jean Vallee – a former high-fashion model – still works, as well. She spent most of her career in Chicago, modeling for both television and print, before moving to New York, where she was a designer’s model with the exclusive Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan and also worked for major accounts in the area. “I was lucky to have one of the top jobs in the high-fashion world,” she says. “I worked with interesting people and traveled a lot. It was
really exciting.”

Jean recalls the pressures of being a full-time fashion model – having to watch what she ate
and exercise regularly. “We put in long hours and had vigorous schedules,” she recalls.

Saundra, a registered nurse who worked at the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (“DVA”) for 32 years, serves on The Glenridge communications, social and health & fitness committees. She is also involved in The Glenridge Academy. Both Saundra and Lynn, a former counseling psychologist also with the DVA, are Glenridge Ambassadors, assisting the Life Planning team with visitors and prospects.

For the Overstakes, the community is an easy sell. “The overall friendliness of The Glenridge impressed us when we first visited. There’s a ‘second family’ mentality here,” they say.

“Plus,” Saundra adds, “since we both worked in healthcare most of our lives, we recognized immediately how clean and sophisticated the Health Center facilities are. It’s a model we could see ourselves in, if and when we need it.”

The Overstakes understand that it’s human nature to put off important decisions. “It’s a
gamble to wait  . . .  and a lot of times, people lose that gamble,” Lynn adds. “Moving to The Glenridge alleviates that pressure. For us, there is no second guessing and no question about what we’ll do regarding future healthcare. The answers are all right here.”

“I’m exercising at the Fitness Center, singing in the chorus, swimming laps in the pool every day, playing bridge, going to parties, attending events at The Glenridge Performing Arts Center, meeting up with friends at the cocktail lounge in the Village Commons . . . I hardly have time to breathe!” George laughs. “But I love life here — it has been a great
choice for me.”

When George decided to leave the Big Apple, he knew he wanted to be in a coastal community with a lively cultural scene like Sarasota. After visiting traditional retirement communities in the area, he noticed an energy and passion for life among members that really differentiated The Glenridge. And when he learned about the all-inclusive nature of the community’s membership, he was impressed with the value. “When I discovered all I could get for the cost of membership, there was no question it was a great deal,” George says. “Back in New York, I paid dearly for health club dues, dinners out and a cleaning service . . . not to mention healthcare. Now I have everything I need in one place — and I’m having the time of my life.”

George has put his enthusiasm for life at The Glenridge to good use, serving as president of the Advisory Council — a role that enables him to help members continually enhance programs and services. “There is so much to do here and so many wonderful people to share in the experience,” he says. “I am thrilled with my choice.”

When Warren Loranger compliments you on how you run your operation, consider it high praise. During his impressive career, the self-made businessman has led numerous enterprises to success — simultaneously owning Pella Windows and Doors Michigan, Detroit Door and Hardware Company, and Firedoors Incorporated. The Michigan native, whose passion is starting and growing companies, says, “The Glenridge has operations down to a science; they do business very much like I did. They treat employees fairly and with respect — and, in turn, their staff is stellar. PRAXEIS, their management company, has laid a very solid foundation. This I how I would run a business.”

Thank you, Warren.

A Good Financial Strategy
As you might assume of someone with Warren’s business acumen, he scrutinized The Glenridge carefully before deciding to join. “My auditor recommended The Glenridge because some of her other clients lived here — but I did my own research and surveyed other communities. This was the best,” he acknowledges. “From a financial perspective, moving here is a good strategy. Locking in future long-term care costs is just smart business. The Glenridge has both assisted living and skilled nursing services — if you ever need them — plus independent living in a setting that is far superior to anything else in the area. Plus, you’re in an atmosphere surrounded by interesting and intelligent people. This is tops as far as ‘retirement’ communities go.”

Taking No Chances
As a businessman, Warren is used to taking risks. But, he wasn’t willing to take any chances when it came to his future quality of life.

“Lots of people ask, ‘When is the right time to join The Glenridge?’ That’s something that everyone needs to decide for themselves,” Warren advises. “I wanted to take steps to start reducing stress in my life now. I’m here a couple of years before I ‘need’ to be, I think. But, I didn’t want to take any chances. I didn’t want to be on a wait list. I wanted to choose where I wanted to go. Right now, I’m in good health — but, who knows, next year something could happen. Part of being successful is anticipating what might come down the road. If you aren’t decisive and wait too long, you could miss the window.”

Time to Give Back
Still involved in several business ventures, Warren looks forward to having more time to pursue his interests in reading and painting, as well as to continue his philanthropic work. He has donated to numerous causes, and several bear his name — including the Warren Loranger Englewood (Florida) Branch of the YMCA and the Loranger Architecture Center at the University of Detroit Mercy.

“It’s my nature to help out wherever I can,” he says. “Giving back brings me the most satisfaction.”

An avid and experienced painter, Jane has recently begun working with found objects to make collages. She enjoys taking creative risks and finding new outlets for her creativity, noting that her favorite piece is always the one she is working on at the moment.

“The pleasure is in the process,” Jane says. “Right now I am painting a street scene that was inspired by my memories of growing up in Georgetown. It’s a bit romanticized, but I love reminiscing and turning the images into art.”
This artistic imagination has rubbed off on her grandchildren, who enjoy a variety of creative pursuits. In fact, during a recent visit with her granddaughter, the two stayed up until the wee hours of the morning painting and talking about art.

“It’s a way for us to relate and get to know one another better,” says Jane. “And of course, I am proud that she takes after me and is majoring in art at college.”

In addition to sharing her artistic talent with her family, Jane serves as a facilitator for art classes offered to members living at The Highlands, The Glenridge’s assisted living neighborhood. She teaches painting, collage, oil pastels and other techniques that provide the opportunity for members to be creative. Her students are grateful for her time and talent. “They recently thanked me for helping them think in a new way,” Jane says. “I think that’s the best compliment I’ve ever received!”

Whether trying a new medium, attending a performance or showing her work with one of the many local art organizations in Sarasota, Jane enjoys being a part of the cultural community at The Glenridge.

“Sarasota is a great community for the arts,” says Jane. “This week, we were treated to a wonderful performance by the local youth opera. When I think of the Glenridge Performing Arts Center and all our programs . . . I know I would never have these cultural opportunities if I wasn’t living here!”

On January 12^th, Dr. Peter Whitehouse delivered the inaugural program of the Art of Living Well speaker’s series to a capacity crowd in The Glenridge Performing Arts Center. Dr. Whitehouse is the author of The Myth of Alzheimer’s: what you aren’t being told about today’s most dreaded diagnosis. (The book is available at www.amazon.com) This year marks the 100^th anniversary of the first use of the term Alzheimer’s disease, which provided an excellent opportunity for Dr. Whitehouse to share the history and future of Alzheimer’s disease treatment from his perspective, research and work with patients.

For the over 120 community members and staff present, the highlight was when Dr. Whitehouse stated that one of the best ways to improve brain fitness and delay cognitive decline was to live in a community like The Glenridge. He explained that the community fitness programs, nutrition, empowered community culture and brain fitness program provide a synergy that gives meaning to the series title,
The Art of Living Well.

In explaining the “myth,” Dr. Whitehouse detailed five areas either misinterpreted or misunderstood:

1. Alzheimer’s is not one condition.
2. Alzheimer’s is not qualitatively distinct from a variety of brain aging processes.
3. There is not likely to be a molecular reductionist cure…though he added that he would love to be wrong on this issue.
4. Values have been distorted by scientism and capitalism.
5. More integrative approaches are needed in the treatment of cognitive loss.

For more information, visit http://www.themythofalzheimers.com/. This web site contains video segments on this topic, as well as valuable resources for caregivers.

He also previewed the positive results and benefits of the Inter-generational Charter School he launched with his wife at the Fairhill Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The school consistently exceeds educational achievement standards, and the benefits enjoyed by both the children the older adults, many of whom have dementia, and the adults themselves are spectacular. The school is a unique model of “sharing wisdom among generations.” Anyone interested can learn more about the school and its achievements by visiting http://www.tisonline.org/.

The next presentation, entitled The Truth About Florida’s Housing Market, will be on January 21, 2010 from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. at The Glenridge Performing Arts Center. The guest speaker will be Henry Fishkind, PhD. Dr. Fishkind is a principal of Fishkind & Associates and was Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Florida, where he served as director of the university’s forecasting program. His firm conducts residential real estate feasibility research. This involves price, product and supply analysis as well as extensive consumer research and focus group studies. As a result, the firm has considerable skill in analysis and interpretation of consumer preferences, behavior patterns and demographic trends.

To reserve a seat, call 941-552-5369 or register on line at www.theglenridge.com/rsvp. We anticipate a high demand for these educational programs and seating for non-members of The Glenridge will be limited.

I have been seeing emails about the Ambassadors and other Glenridge folks taking interest in marketing. I hope this energy is helpful.

Here in Crested Butte, Colorado, I’ve been busy training to work as a volunteer at Adaptive Sports, which is an organization that helps people with disabilities participate in sports and in particular the outdoor environment here in Colorado. In the winter, the effort is mostly skiing. Not long ago someone congratulated me for working at this endeavor, in spite of my advanced age. Well, I was polite, but I delivered an impassioned description of life at The Glenridge. You would have been proud of me.

Perhaps the pictures would be helpful in marketing. Our marketing emphasizes how active Glenridge members are, and these pictures speak to that. As a volunteer at Adaptive, I accompany an instructor and a student during a ski lesson. If the student is a paraplegic or quadriplegic, they must learn to ski in a sit-down ski. Among our duties, we volunteers have to learn how to assist in loading and unloading the sit-down skier on and off the chair lift. As a part of that training, we take a few lessons in sit-down skiing ourselves–just for understanding.

In the first picture, the smiles on both faces (the instructor and me) tell a story of joy for which you do not need my words. The second picture shows me actually negotiating a turn, with ski edges tipped.

One of the activities at Adaptive Sports is sled hockey. The player sits on a sled with low back support and holds two short hockey sticks. The blade end of the stick is for hitting the puck. The other end of the stick has a serrated metal edge with which the player can stab the ice to propel his sled. A person with a low- or mid- spinal cord injury is a powerful sled hockey player because of his or her well-developed upper body strength. However, one of the players, Henry, has muscular dystrophy, with weakness in all of his muscles. For him, propelling the sled was nearly impossible. To level the playing field, I pushed his sled.

Henry and I had an interesting problem. Whenever we came to a full stop, I was unable to get us moving again, because my feet could not get enough traction on the ice to move two men and a sled. Henry therefore stabbed both hockey sticks into the ice to propel us forward–slowly and weakly pulling him, the sled and me. Once we were moving, I was able to get enough traction to accelerate us to full speed. What a wonderful metaphor for giving: Henry pulled me so that I could push him.

It was unseasonably cold that evening, with a temperature of minus 5° at the beginning of the match and minus 11° at game’s end. Playing as hard as we were, we were very warm–that is, all except Henry, whose physical activity was less than ours, because he was being pushed. Not surprisingly, Henry was getting cold and took a break in the warming hut. Because he was cold and tired, he elected to enter the warming hut crawling on all fours, rather than expending the incredible effort required for him to stand up. A young family in the warming hut watched Henry as he entered. The man brought his dog over to Henry’s lap to provide heat. He told Henry to pet the dog in order to warm his hands. The puppy was bursting with joy at the attention from Henry. Once again, the eternal circle of giving: the pup gave Henry warmth, and Henry gave the pup his love.

I felt compelled to tell you this story, because the richness I experienced that evening reminds me of the spirit of my Glenridge neighbors.

Bruce
- Bruce Jackson -