Volume Twenty Eight, Number 3
March 2014
Photo by Dr. Richard Stephens Grounds crew members, in one vehicle or another, hauling salt or sand or shovels, were the most visible of our hard-working staff during recent storms, but there were many others. See story below and Meeting Page 6.
Behind the storms, before and after them, ‘one fully active machine’
By Mike Bailey, Housekeeping
As Mother Nature greeted us with blustery cold days and nights to match, slippery sleek roads under piles of snow, the response from most at first was a wondering whispered chatter. How will routines be kept? Within the building, windows were covered with frost, doorjambs sealed with ice, making it hard to even take a good look at the outside. Reports were coming in with news from all over, power outages, some roads closed because of accidents and trees that seemed to have fallen over.
While so many wondered, dedication and teamwork took over. Teams were gearing up, machines and trucks, staff with shovels, the kitchen and generator were really heating up. Preparation is key, so the staff prepared to help handle whatever might come of this storm (and the next). Some stayed the night while others came early in the morning. Chef gathered his staff and executed a game plan, while Dining and Dietary ran the halls to make sure that demand was met. With new visitors and recent ones coming in as refugees from power loss, Housekeeping got together to ensure their stay was like they never left home. Concerned calls came pouring in from family members all at once, so Maintenance paired in twos, did physical resident checks. There was still a lot to be done, so we were still working in groups. Grounds made it possible for people to Behind the storms continued on page 3