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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, February 19, 2016 | 14 n i s s e n i Bus Oakville Living it up at Palermo Village While thousands of seniors are travelling south this winter to get out of the cold, Palermo Village residents are keeping warm inside. Staff and residents recently celebrated the first birthday of the local retirement residence with a Caribbean beach party. "We just had to celebrate the everyday feeling of true warmth at Palermo," Palermo Village marketing manager Betty Jobin said. "We transformed our bistro into an island destination as a huge surprise birthday party for all of our residents to wake up to." This retirement residence is just minutes away from the new Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital. Considered to be an independent community, residents have access to restaurant-quality food on site in addition to being less than ten minutes away from shops, restaurants and banks. "You have to accept changes in your life," Palermo Village resident Dorothy Pogue explained. "I wasn't able to cope any longer in my home and I wanted to be closer to my family. Now, I get out more, I'm able to converse with everyone and we are all happy together. I couldn't have chosen a better place." Palermo Village residents are greeted every morning by sunshine streaming through big windows, an inviting dining room and friendly staff members. "It is important to our entire staff to know each resident as an individual ... what makes them laugh, their life experiences, their likes and what is important to them," Palermo Village general manager Andy Walker said. "It is our goal to make a good day a great day for each of our residents. They are family." Palermo staff work hard to provide seniors with a living option that combines a casual ambience, comfort and security. The property includes a library, bistro and bar, open dining, movie theatre, billiards and games room, salon, tuck shop and a full gym with organized classes. Palermo Village is also expecting a new bus to be delivered any day now, which will offer residents a convenient way of getting around town. "We are so proud of our new building and what we have to offer, but more importantly, we are proud of the community of positive and energetic people that have come to the village," said Jobin. Palermo Village is recognized for providing residents with independent living options, however when an individual requires assisted living services, those services are available without having to move to another suite. Residents' health and wellness are taken very seriously at the Oakville retirement residence, with a busy activity calendar and access to an on-site nurse practitioner and full nursing team. In addition, Palermo provides each resident with an emergency response pendant. Palermo Village is owned and managed by Alec and Andrea enjoy Verve Senior Living. For more information on Pal- Palermo Village's first ermo Village call Betty Jobin or Sue Wilson at 905- birthday under the sun. 582-0395 or visit www.verveseniorliving.com/ Photos by Nikki Wesley, Palermo-village/. Metroland Media Group Above: Connie and her family celebrate Palermo Village's first birthday at the Bistro Bar. Below: general manager Andy Walker gives the Village party a big thumbs up. Rona's newly renovated store makes shopping easier By Katelyn Dingman Renovations are nearly complete at the Rona Lansing store on Speers Road. The original store, described by employees as "tired looking," had not undergone any major renovation since opening its doors in 1979. Refreshing the Rona Home and Garden brand with new flooring, racking, service desks and a revised layout, the renovated store will make home hardware shopping easy for customers. "This store has been here for 30 plus years and it's really dedicated to being a part of the community and building the community around it," Rona Lansing building material manager Curtis Davies said. "We really wanted to have an impact. We want to show customers exactly where we're at now with the newly renovated store." The new showroom features complete kitchen layouts, showcasing everything from cabinets and countertops to faucets and tile. This is also where customers will have access to special order items. "The showroom is going to be unlike any of the showrooms Rona has had before," Davies explained. "If there's a general item that you don't regularly see or get off the shelf, you'll be able to come and sit down with a consultant and access special order items and services." In addition to the new showroom, the store's service areas are now front and centre, Rona Lansing assistant store manager Zelia Moffat noted. As soon as the customer walks through the doors they can direct any questions they have to staff at the service desks. Rona's exceptional service will also extend to the aisles. Sales associates will be stationed in each department on the floor to assist customers, Davies noted. In fact, with spring just around the corner, Davies said they plan to hire an additional 10 staff members. "As we're moving forward and moving into a busier season, we'll be able to service a larger client base," he added. Updated shelving will also make navigating through the store easier. With long-term employees that have been with the company for more than 30 years, Rona prides themselves on the level of custom service they are able to provide in Oakville. The renovations began in August and are expected to be complete by the end of this week. For more information on the newly renovated Rona Lansing store, call 905-844-8010 or visit www.rona.ca. From left: Paula Will, kitchen designer, Sharon Metcalfe, install sales coordinator and Elisa Wadas, sales specialistproject guide stand in the newly renovated Rona Lansing store showroom. Photo by Nikki Wesley, Metroland Media Group