Tidewell Embraces Creativity, Service

Tidewell Hospice offers hospice and end-of-life care in Bradenton and Sarasota, among other locations in the region.

How to help: Tidewell Hospice volunteers offer various types of support, including patient care, writing about legacies, running errands, food shopping and more, said Irene Henderson, administrative director of volunteer services.

"They provide respite for family members so that they can get away and have some time for themselves to recharge or attend special events," said David Glaser, director of Tidewell's communications. Volunteers sit vigil with patients who are actively dying. In short, we couldn’t do what we do without the support of our many dedicated volunteers."

There’s also a complementary services department where volunteers do expressive art projects, she said, which includes making CDs, DVDs, painting, or dictating stories so volunteers can write books or poetry for them.

“At Christmas time, we’ll make Christmas cards to give to their children or help make gifts,” Henderson said.

The program has pet therapy, humor (clowning), music, massage, reiki, horticulture therapy, aroma therapy and expressive arts, Glaser said.

"We have volunteers who help in our offices and provide administrative assistance. Volunteers serve as greeters in all seven of our hospice houses. We have many volunteers who visit patients in their homes, in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and hospice houses," he said.

All that requires supplies, which is where the need kicks in.

All those supplies — pens, colored pens, pencils, paper — we rely on donations of actual material or money for materials for the patients,” Henderson said. “Anything you can think of, our staff and volunteers can help make projects for our patients.”

These projects help distract patients from the problems they face, she said.

“They can say, ‘I forgot about my pain and nausea that I had for the last hour,’” Henderson said.

Oils and lotions are needed for caring touch and massage, she added.

Tidewell also has Tidewell Honors where the organization hosts pinning ceremonies to recognize veterans who are patients, she said.

For cash/check donations, put “Please donate to Complimentary Services” in the memo line to fund these programs, Henderson said.

Or send donations with attention to Irene Henderson to fund the volunteer programs and supplies. Envelopes are available at each site to submit donations, too.

The Hospice House has a Treasures Thrift Shop in Brandeton’s Pebbles Springs Plaza at 5917 Manatee Ave. W. The store funds Tidewell and patient programs as these extra programs do not receive Medicare or third-party payer funding, she said.

“We’re always looking for donations from dishes to clothes to furniture to books, CDs and jewelry,” she said.

What better time for holiday leftovers?

A good time, this lull between Christmas and New Year’s, to tidy up the old email inbox, phone messages, and court summonses and find out what’s on your minds.

First of all, best of the season to all. And, in the spirit of inclusion, I urge this wish with equal feeling upon all my fellow beings, be ye Regular, Oily or Dry and Damaged. I know. That’s large-minded of me but I’ve always been the kind who sees beyond the shampoo category to the human being inside. Oh, here, take my hanky.

Second, thanks to every one of you who has read this column over the past year, even if only to find the secret coded messages that some believe are encrypted in it, possibly holding the answer to the European debt crisis as well as up-to-the-minute traffic updates and chess tips.

Several of you commented on last week’s column about Audrey Traini’s painting, for which I modelled as the Hatter figure in her tea party tableau. It hung in the Louvre in Paris for four days earlier in December.

Among the remarks, John Henley’s taught me something I never knew.

“Now here is the bone of contention,” writes John. “There is NO character called the Mad Hatter.

“Why do I know this? Because I had a company in the U.K. and I wanted to call it Mad Hatter Jokes and Tricks but didn’t want to run afoul of copyright laws so I actually went to an exhibition of Lewis Carroll books and was allowed to look through a first edition of Alice in Wonderland.

“There is the Hatter but absolutely NO Mad Hatter. People have spliced Mad as a Hatter or Mad March Hare onto the original name, but, as a character, the Hatter is just that, the Hatter. So, in the nicest possible way, please accept this email as an update.

“Other than that, Jeff, I love the picture.”

Some of you asked what you could do to help with Robin McKee’s building of a new roof for his friend Maurice Rondeau. I wrote about that in the fall and how Robin arranged the shingles on part of the roof to form a smile.

Well, the SAGE and Main programs at Strathcona School came through big time, donating roofing supplies to Robin and now the job is done. Maurice’s house is dry again.

Congratulations to Martin Hering. You may remember him as the fellow who so faithfully and beautifully restored the Hambly House, a classic example of Streamline Moderne architecture, in Westdale. I wrote about this in the spring. Since then he has received quite a bit of ink and Internet coverage, and in November the Hambly House won a 2011 Urban Design and Architecture Award.

Volkswagen Jetta is one cool customer

Every now and then, from the performance and design-dominated world of motoring, comes a car that takes us by surprise because of its sheer simplicity and commitment to what cars were meant to do in the first place: Get us from A to B.

A reliable car with an engine that produces upwards of 100 horsepower and an automatic tranny is what I would call an ideal car, especially for the hectic city of Dubai.

In addition to sufficient power and reliability, a good fuel average and air conditioning that cools the car quickly in summer are factors you need to keep in mind when choosing an affordable family sedan.

A few days with the 2011 Jetta made me realise all of the above are second nature to this sedan from Volkswagen.

Cost is key

Affordability is the key feature of the Jetta, which has a starting price of around Dh69,400, and although it is priced slightly higher than its Japanese rivals in the same segment, it makes up for this by offering a smooth German motoring experience.

The Jetta comes with a 2.0-litre engine that produces 115 brake horsepower. Agreed, that's not a lot but the attractive part about it is that it offers premium build quality for those who don't care too much about how powerful the engine is.

I took the Jetta on a trip to Abu Dhabi from Dubai. I was curious about how it would feel on a slightly long-distance run rather than the tiresome city driving it is built for.

On the highway the Jetta was smooth and composed. The 2.0-litre engine provided sufficient power and acceleration to keep up with frequent lane changes. However, although the Jetta isn't technically underpowered, it lacks the aggression and quick acceleration needed to remain a contender in the fast lane.

Driving the car in the city was a walk in the park for the Jetta with its front-wheel-drive system helping manoeuvre the car with minimal understeer. The wheel had a good grip and felt nice and snug, and although the car feels a lot heavier than it actually is (a European car trait), the overall handling is good.

Given the fact this is a city car, it would have been great if it came loaded with a navigation system, but then again, a portable GPS unit isn't very expensive these days.

The Jetta accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in a little more than 12 seconds. While point A to point B motorists won't fret about this, its appeal would surely have been greater if it could do this in a few seconds less.

Great for going the distance

The interior is nicely finished - like any other Volkswagen sans the luxury bits. The overall feel and appeal are similar for the entire range of models.

The seats are firm and supportive and legroom is not bad at all for a car in this segment. Long-distance runs don't induce any significant travelling fatigue on the Jetta.

The sound system on the Trendline variant that I got to test drive isn't terribly impressive and the first thing I would do if I got a Jetta for myself is go for an audio upgrade.

The exterior, especially the rear end, bears a strong resemblance to its Audi cousins and it really does stand out as a well-designed car. The front grille and headlights bear the latest VW family design complete with 16" Navara alloy wheels.

One of the car's highlights is its air conditioning. The day we went to Abu Dhabi the temperature was hovering in the high 40s but the Jetta's dual zone air conditioning cooled the inside in a matter of minutes.

Parking assistance is via a voice and graphical guidance and although most cars these days have a rear camera, I really didn't miss it. The car's size is perfect for parking in tight spots.

Fuel average is one of the Jetta's strong points and what most buyers in this segment are really interested in. Especially for those who do a lot of driving, this really is perfect for the daily commute.

Service and maintenance schedules are in multiples of 10,000kms, so it really is hassle-free motoring compared to most Japanese cars that need servicing every 5,000kms or so.

So if you are looking for a comfortable vehicle for city commuting, or if you do a lot of driving around, check this one out.

Common Council Items of Interest

For those of you who can't make it to the weekly Common Council meeting, following

is the briefing. From this week's meeting as provided by the council:

The Council adopted a resolution sponsored by Ellicott District Council Member

Darius G. Pridgen requesting of the City of Buffalo's Departments of Law, Police,

and Permits & Inspections work collaboratively with the Common Council to create a

Reference, in a "Frequently Asked Questions" ("FAQ") format, which the public,

Council Members, and potentially all elected and appointed officials, could consult

concerning appointments to City Boards, Commissions, Committees and Task Forces.

Elected and appointed officials, citizens, and candidates interested in serving on

City Boards, Commissions, Committees and Task Forces frequently question what

qualifications, if any, are required for appointment to such positions. Although

some City Boards, Commissions, Committees and Task Forces do have clear and well-

established qualification requirements and appointment procedures codified in

Federal or State law, the City Charter & Code, or as part of a previously adopted or

approved Common Council Resolution, the existence of such guidance is frequently not

generally known nor easily obtained for those that are untrained. In some instances,

the elected or appointed officials charged with appointing individuals are under

significant pressure to make appointments in a timely manner, however there may be

little if any guidance relating to the potential candidate's qualifications. The

Council maintains that the FAQ Reference for appointment to City Boards,

Commissions, Committees and Task Forces would ensure that prospective appointees are

qualified, prepared, and willing to take on the responsibilities associated with

serving on the respective bodies.

The Council adopted a resolution sponsored by Fillmore District Council Member David

A. Franczyk giving permission to the Despensata Corporation to hang approximately 85

banners on light poles along Broadway, Fillmore Avenue, Peckham and Paderewski

Streets, as well as the side streets surrounding the perimeter of the Broadway

Market and Corpus Christi Church on Gibson, Lombard, Clark and Sears Streets. The

banners will promote and celebrate the Easter shopping season and Dyngus Day

activities in the neighborhood and will be hung on April 11, 2011.

The Council approved a Capital Budget Amendment that designated $450,000 to

Infrastructure Improvements in the South Common Council District. The funds were

initially designated for the Nevilly Court Field Turf Project and will now be used

to repave and improve the infrastructure on Marilla Street, Zollars Avenue, Ashton

Place, and South Park Ring Road.

The Council approved a resolution sponsored by South District Council Member Michael

P. Kearns requesting of the City of Buffalo Planning Board, that they work closely

with the Department of Management Information Systems ("MIS") to identify properties

that have received a landmark, landmark site or historic district designation, and

to catalog them in a centralized location on the City's website. The Council is also

requesting of the City of Buffalo Department of Assessment and Taxation that they

also work closely with the City Preservation Board and MIS to have any landmark,

landmark site or historic district designation included with all publically

available assessment information. A property with a landmark, landmark site or

historical designation carries with it a degree of owner responsibility to ensure

that any alterations to the property are appropriate to the historical, aesthetical,

architectural, archaeological, educational, economical, or cultural heritage of the

City of Buffalo, New York State, or the United States of America. However, when

these properties are transferred, new owners are may be unaware of their property's

unique designations and may be at risk of performing property alterations that could

have a detrimental effect on City efforts to retain and preserve historically

significant properties. Currently, a listing of the properties that have received

landmark, landmark site or historic district designation is not easily accessible by

the public, nor is such information stored on one central location on the City of

Buffalo website, nor included with a property's assessment information. The Council

maintains that it is essential to inform new property owners of their properties

historic designation in order to preserve properties that are of major significance

to the history and culture of the City of Buffalo.