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Prior to the $8 million redesign, the Brannan Park Assisted Living Community was an independent retirement facility. Following the completion of the extensive renovations, Village Concept's Brannan Park Retirement will now offer 100 state-of-the-art assisted living units and 27 memory care units. "We're honored to be able to introduce ourselves as part of the Auburn community and invite our new neighbors to see all the wonderful features in the Brannan Park Retirement remodel," said Stuart Brown, Village Concepts CEO. "Village Concepts has gone the extra mile to create an accessible and energy efficient property that anticipates our residents' every need." Brannan Park Retirement, at 2901 I St. NE Auburn, is the latest addition to the Village Concepts community network throughout Western Washington. For more information about Village Concepts and Brannan Park Retirement's open house, visit www.villageconcepts.com or call (888) 548-6609. " ["post_title"]=> string(51) "Brannan Park Retirement receives extensive facelift" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(7) " " ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["ping_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(51) "brannan-park-retirement-receives-extensive-facelift" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2016-10-03 16:16:29" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2016-10-03 23:16:29" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(43) "https://villageconcept.wpengine.com/?p=8053" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } [1]=> object(WP_Post)#3037 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(8025) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "2" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2016-09-26 13:16:12" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2016-09-26 20:16:12" ["post_content"]=> string(680) " The executive team at Village Concepts Retirement Communities headed over the mountains for the third annual corporate retreat at Suncadia Resort for seminars, workshops, and an awards ceremony. Congratulations to Alder Ridge Senior Apartments, Riverside East, Harbor Tower Village, Pioneer Village Senior Apartments, Spiritwood at Pine Lake, Sound Vista Village, Country Meadow Village, and Mill Ridge Village for receiving President’s Awards recognizing your excellence in staff, customer, and occupancy achievement! " ["post_title"]=> string(81) "Village Concepts Recognizes Executive Team For Achievements At 3rd Annual Retreat" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(7) " " ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["ping_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(74) "village-concepts-recognizes-executive-team-achievements-3rd-annual-retreat" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2016-09-26 13:16:12" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2016-09-26 20:16:12" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(43) "https://villageconcept.wpengine.com/?p=8025" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } [2]=> object(WP_Post)#3042 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(8021) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "2" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2016-09-12 11:44:12" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2016-09-12 18:44:12" ["post_content"]=> string(1705) " Mickey Donnan was born Sept 12th 1922. At 94 years old, he’s dedicated his life to being kind and giving back to the community, simply because it makes him happy. A former merchant marine, he volunteers every week at the local history museum as well as in the gift shop of his former retirement community. Even after moving to a new community, he kept his volunteer position because he didn’t want to let them down. Mickey has lived a full and inspiring life. He married the love of his life, Carlie Donnan, and they even lived on a boat together from 1992 to 1998. He has three loving children named Phoenix, Leland, and Brian who all live in different states, only one being in Washington. Mickey has witnessed some pretty incredible events, too, like being among the first to walk the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco in 1937. But while life is filled with immense happiness, there is also some tragedy. Mickey’s wife, Carlie, passed away in 2002, just months before their 60th anniversary. He hasn’t seen his children all together in years, and while giving back to the community brings him happiness, his car isn’t in the best condition to be driving. In his retirement community, Mickey is known as the person who always brings joy to others, so we wanted to do something special for him. Watch as we give back to the man who has spent his life giving to others! Talk It Up Foundation is a non-profit 501C3 that brings acts of kindness to those most in need when they least expect it. Visit www.talkituptv.com for more info. " ["post_title"]=> string(54) "Sound Vista Village resident featured on Talk It Up TV" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(7) " " ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["ping_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(21) "mickeys-birthday-wish" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2016-09-12 11:44:12" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2016-09-12 18:44:12" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(43) "https://villageconcept.wpengine.com/?p=8021" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } [3]=> object(WP_Post)#3093 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(7971) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "2" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2016-08-02 16:24:18" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2016-08-02 23:24:18" ["post_content"]=> string(1533) " High Point Village was awarded the Washington State Association of Senior Centers Community Connection Award 2016 for consistently going above and beyond to meet the needs of their community's seniors. WSASC honors outstanding individuals, organizations, and programs at their spring conference every year. Nomination by The Enumclaw Senior Center: "High Point Village has a long history of supporting The Enumclaw Senior Center and all of the seniors in our community. Since 2009, High Point Village has provided van service to area seniors to our Center on Fridays when our van service was reduced. They provide the van, the driver, and make a distraction in their workday to help our Center for the past seven years. High Point Village has hosted the Enumclaw Senior Center Annual Volunteer Party for the past six years in their beautiful facility-their cook providing a great breakfast buffet, with treats, table decorations, and music. This is such a great gift to our Senior Center and to our volunteers! High Point Village opens up their doors and activities to area seniors for Bunko, Men's Poker, Bingo, and evening cocktails creating an open environment for all. High Point Village is always willing to bring their old fashioned popcorn cart down to the Senior Center to make any of our special events that much more special!"   " ["post_title"]=> string(59) "High Point Village awarded WSASC Community Connection Award" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(7) " " ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["ping_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(59) "high-point-village-awarded-wsasc-community-connection-award" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2016-08-02 16:24:18" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2016-08-02 23:24:18" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(43) "https://villageconcept.wpengine.com/?p=7971" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } [4]=> object(WP_Post)#3094 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(7937) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "2" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2016-08-02 11:43:12" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2016-08-02 18:43:12" ["post_content"]=> string(2021) " ISSAQUAH, Wash.  -- About 60 residents at the assisted living facility Spiritwood in Issaquah eagerly watched the Democratic National Convention’s biggest night Thursday.  Some of the women say that, growing up, it never crossed their minds that a woman might someday be nominated for president by a major political party. “At this age I keep hoping that that would happen. I don’t know if I gave it a whole lot of thought when I was younger” said Clinton supporter Sandie Hagan. “Probably didn’t even think about it,” said Trump supporter Barbara Allen. Hagan, 72, says in her day, girls were rarely sent to college. “Often parents thought, well, we’ll send John to college and after all she can get a husband, whatever their daughter’s name might be,” said Hagan. To put it simply… “We don’t have to just be moms,” said Hagan. That’s why active Republican Party member Barbara Allen says this historic moment, the first female presidential nominee of a major party, crosses party lines. “We have to keep an open mind. I think it’s wonderful that a woman is being nominated for president,” said Allen. A generation gathered in the dining hall watching yet another historic moment in their long lives. The excitement and awe of this latest American accomplishment was not overlooked by the men in the room. “I am more confident that she can probably pull off what she has to pull off during the process,” said Clinton supporter John Neary. And Thursday night that possibility that never crossed their minds as young girls might finally come true. “It’s way past time for a woman to have the chance to be the head of our country,” said Hagan. Spiritwood staff say they’ll continue these watch parties for the upcoming debates between Clinton and Trump and, of course, on election night. " ["post_title"]=> string(74) "Local senior citizens reflect on Hillary Clinton’s historical nomination" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(7) " " ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["ping_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(68) "local-senior-citizens-reflect-hillary-clintons-historical-nomination" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2016-08-02 11:43:12" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2016-08-02 18:43:12" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(43) "https://villageconcept.wpengine.com/?p=7937" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } [5]=> object(WP_Post)#3198 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(7933) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "2" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2016-07-28 14:43:11" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2016-07-28 21:43:11" ["post_content"]=> string(3917) " " ["post_title"]=> string(77) "Mill Ridge Village resident to throw first pitch at PLU Night at the Rainiers" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(7) " " ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["ping_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(64) "mill-ridge-village-resident-throw-first-pitch-plu-night-rainiers" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2016-07-28 14:43:11" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2016-07-28 21:43:11" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(43) "https://villageconcept.wpengine.com/?p=7933" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } [6]=> object(WP_Post)#3039 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(7925) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "2" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2016-07-19 10:08:30" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2016-07-19 17:08:30" ["post_content"]=> string(1009) " BOTHELL, WASH. - A Bothell teen chose a retirement home as the venue for her Sweet 16 party. “Helping people makes me happy,” said 16-year-old Lily Giroux. She visited about 30 people at Riverside East Retirement in Bothell on Friday. “Young girl, 16 years old who is willing to share birthday cheer,” said 90-year-old Norma Stoutenburg. “A lot of folks, they may not have grand children or they may have grandchildren, but they don’t live nearby.” Lily said she came here to gain wisdom from those who have lived fuller lives – and to keep the seniors company. The group played word games and the crowd sang happy birthday to the Woodinville High School student who will be a junior come fall. " ["post_title"]=> string(51) "Bothell teen celebrates Sweet 16 at retirement home" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(7) " " ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["ping_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(48) "bothell-teen-celebrates-sweet-16-retirement-home" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2016-07-19 10:08:30" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2016-07-19 17:08:30" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(43) "https://villageconcept.wpengine.com/?p=7925" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } [7]=> object(WP_Post)#3077 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(7893) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "2" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2016-07-05 16:10:15" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2016-07-05 16:10:15" ["post_content"]=> string(5491) " People are living longer than ever before, but the youngest among us have little idea what it’s like to get older. And at a time when extended families live farther apart and many adults have no children, there are fewer natural bonds between people of different ages. Yet no matter what sort of family they’re from, there are ways young and older people can enjoy time together. One pioneering Seattle program is netting national attention as it celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2016. The Intergenerational Learning Center at Providence Mount St. Vincent in West Seattle is the setting for Present Perfect, an upcoming documentary film that shows how 125 preschool children mingle each weekday with the 400 older adults who live at “The Mount.” The film’s Kickstarter campaign helped generate interest from People, Good Housekeeping, “The Today Show,” MTV, and many more media organizations. “When you’re young, you just never think you’re going to be old,” filmmaker Evan Briggs says in a TED Talk about her upcoming movie, which follows the funny, sweet, and sometimes sad interplay among the children and their elders, whose average age is 92. Tiny, smooth hands and well-worn ones work together to make a colorful cloth parachute jump up and down. A young boy repeatedly and patiently corrects a man who can’t quite get the child’s name right. It’s all part of life at “The Mount,” where elders delight in the presence of young children, and preschoolers learn about the aging process. “Many of our residents are widows or widowers and can become lonely,” says Providence Mount St. Vincent administrator Charlene Boyd, who helped create the intergenerational program. “Their adult children may still be working, so they may not get to see them as often as they would like. Having the children be close by seems to make our residents feel as though they are still part of a community.” The social benefits run both ways, as the elders experience a renewed sense of self-worth and purpose as they become role models and pass along their wisdom to a younger generation. “We wanted this place to be a place where people come to live, not come to die,” adds Boyd. “It’s about normalcy. It’s normal for someone to use a wheelchair or a walker and that’s just part of life. It’s not out of sight, out of mind. It’s right here. These kids see that every day and they’re not afraid.” Play is at the root of intergenerational fun, and it’s a key ingredient in a new program that has recently launched at Spiritwood in Pine Lake, a Village Concepts community in Issaquah. Partnering with Lake View Music Together, the local affiliate of a national program, Spiritwood is offering ongoing intergenerational music experiences for children birth through age 7 and the adults who love them. Both groups benefit because music boosts youngsters’ brain development…and it helps keep aging brains young, too. “The part of the brain that handles music deteriorates remarkably slowly as we age,” says Tracy Wills, director of corporate development at Village Concepts, a third-generation family business that serves more than 1,400 residents in 16 Washington senior living communities. This is true even among people in memory care, “who’ve actually been able to sing along to their favorite songs, remembering past parts of themselves,” Wills adds. The Lake View Music Together program dovetails with other musical offerings through Village Concepts University, where residents are able to take collegiate classes and even earn degrees as lifelong learners. Travel is another way the generations can enjoy time together, and Road Scholar is a leader in this area, with 155 intergenerational trips listed on its website. Whether kayaking the Lower Columbia River, traveling to newly open Cuba with a college-age grandchild, or digging for dinosaur fossils in Utah, the trips promise adventure and lasting memories. Says Mike Zoob, who has been on nearly 100 Road Scholar trips to 54 countries, “Time spent with one’s grandchild experiencing new things, particularly when it’s just the grandparent and grandchild, creates a priceless opportunity for bonding with and learning about each other. And then there was the pleasure of watching my granddaughter try things outside of her normal experience. I now have the challenge of staying in good enough shape to attend programs with my three other grandchildren. That’s something I look forward to very much.” For more information: Providence Mount St. Vincent 206-937-3700 washington.providence.org Spiritwood at Pine Lake 425-313-9100 villageconcepts.com Road Scholar 800-454-5768 roadscholar.org Julie Fanselow lives in Seattle and enjoys spending time with people of all ages in her part-time jobs as a ballpark host and bookseller. An award-winning magazine editor and travel guidebook author, she occasionally blogs at surelyjoy.blogspot.com. " ["post_title"]=> string(16) "All Together Now" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(7) " " ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["ping_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(16) "all-together-now" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2016-07-05 16:10:15" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2016-07-05 16:10:15" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(43) "https://villageconcept.wpengine.com/?p=7893" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } [8]=> object(WP_Post)#3335 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(7840) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "2" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2016-05-31 17:43:15" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2016-05-31 17:43:15" ["post_content"]=> string(3990) " [caption id="attachment_7841" align="alignleft" width="400"] Nick Grossi of Issaquah was wounded when his squad took a direct hit from a German shell during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. Picture by Greg Farrar, The Issaquah Press[/caption] Issaquah resident Nick Grossi was 18 years old when he got the call to serve his country. It was 1943 and Grossi was a student at O’Dea High School. He was drafted to fight for the U.S. Army in World War II and then shipped off to California for training. “I was too young to be scared,” the 91-year-old Spiritwood at Pine Lake resident said, “but I didn’t like the fact that I couldn’t finish high school.” He would eventually get that diploma, but not before an 18-month service stint that resulted in a Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his bravery during the infamous Battle of the Bulge. The largest battle the U.S. Army ever fought began in December 1944. All appearances suggested that World War II was coming to a close before the German army launched a counteroffensive attack. Adolf Hitler’s surprise invasion attempted to split the Allied armies in northwest Europe. “The Germans had made a breakthrough on the front line, that’s why they call it the Battle of the Bulge,” Grossi said. Grossi, a member of the 80th Infantry Division, worked in a heavy weapons company. He stood about 1,500 yards behind the front lines and manned the 81mm mortar. Someone closer to the action would wire him information on where to shoot the mortar shells. He was wounded when his squad took a direct hit from a German shell. As Grossi’s lap was bleeding and wracked with shrapnel, he ventured back to headquarters to alert superiors about the attack. It’s one of the reasons he received a Bronze Star. “Don’t ask me how I did it, because I was hurt pretty bad,” he said. That was what Grossi called the “bitter end” of his combat career. He was wounded badly enough that the Army sent him back to a hospital in England. When he thinks back to that time, Grossi remembers the soldiers who lost their lives, the cold and the snow. “We lost a lot of people in that,” he said. “It was a real severe battle all the way around. We were fighting in the snow, sleeping in the snow and wondering when this horrible war was going to end.” It ended in 1945. A rehabbed Grossi was back with his 80th Infantry Division in Luxembourg. They were in a theater watching a Bette Davis movie when the news broke. “They stopped the movie and said that the Germans had given up. The war was over,” he recalled. “Everybody got up from their chairs and yelled and screamed and we all left the movie.” When Grossi returned home, O’Dea High School basically handed him his diploma after all he’d been through, he said. He went on to study business at Seattle University and worked for the Boeing Co. for nearly 40 years before retiring. He raised four boys on Mercer Island with his wife Ginny. The couple moved to Spiritwood at Pine Lake in Issaquah about a year ago and recently celebrated their 55th anniversary. While his medals are proudly displayed on a room in his apartment, Grossi said he wouldn’t wish his wartime experience on anyone. “I have always been against wars,” he said. “What we went through was awful, awful, awful. It was terrible.” Memorial Day is a time to remember those that have put their lives on the line for freedom, he said. He still finds it surreal when strangers come up to him and thank him for his service. “I always thank them,” he said. “I appreciate that. I didn’t realize that I was making history.” " ["post_title"]=> string(60) "Battle of the Bulge veteran ‘was too young to be scared’" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(7) " " ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["ping_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(33) "battle-bulge-veteran-young-scared" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2016-05-31 17:43:15" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2016-05-31 17:43:15" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(43) "https://villageconcept.wpengine.com/?p=7840" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } } ["post_count"]=> int(9) ["current_post"]=> int(-1) ["before_loop"]=> bool(true) ["in_the_loop"]=> bool(false) ["post"]=> object(WP_Post)#3114 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(8053) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "2" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2016-10-03 16:16:29" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2016-10-03 23:16:29" ["post_content"]=> string(1323) " Village Concepts, a third generation family-owned business helping seniors thrive in retirement and assisted living communities throughout the state, recently completed its total remodel of Auburn's Brannan Park Retirement in coordination with Marathon Development of Bellevue. Prior to the $8 million redesign, the Brannan Park Assisted Living Community was an independent retirement facility. Following the completion of the extensive renovations, Village Concept's Brannan Park Retirement will now offer 100 state-of-the-art assisted living units and 27 memory care units. "We're honored to be able to introduce ourselves as part of the Auburn community and invite our new neighbors to see all the wonderful features in the Brannan Park Retirement remodel," said Stuart Brown, Village Concepts CEO. "Village Concepts has gone the extra mile to create an accessible and energy efficient property that anticipates our residents' every need." Brannan Park Retirement, at 2901 I St. NE Auburn, is the latest addition to the Village Concepts community network throughout Western Washington. For more information about Village Concepts and Brannan Park Retirement's open house, visit www.villageconcepts.com or call (888) 548-6609. 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