Grande Villa Backyard BBQ Draws Large Crowd

 

July 27, 2022

The Grande Ville Retirement Apartments in Chinook held a Back Yard Barbeque on Tuesday, July 19 to show appreciation for its tenants. The event was well attended with most tenants in attendance as well as plenty of family and friends. Burger, Hot Dogs, a large variety of salads, fruit and chips made up the menu. The Stonebroke String Band featuring Kelsey Harwood, Tim Whitney and Gabe Harry making his debut on the Bass Guitar entertained the gathering through the evening.

Nick and Audrey Turner took over operation of the Grande Villa in January of 2020 and jumped headfirst into making the facility the very best it could be. In the two short years that Nick and Audrey have been owners they have certainly made their mark on the Apartment complex. Making it a point to put the tenants needs first and respond to their requests was a priority from the start and if you ask the tenants currently living in the facility, they would say they have done that.

When the Turners took over the facility one of the first things Nick stated was, "My wife and I are very excited to take on this project and look forward to getting to know every one of our residents as well as becoming involved in the community of Chinook." Well, they certainly have done that. Nick is now teaching at Chinook High School after previously working at the Hartland Colony as an elementary teacher, and their kids attend Meadowlark Elementary. They have made themselves readily available to the tenants and are on site nearly every day.

The Grande Villa has been a fixture in the community since it began operating in 1979. The original concept of a Retirement Apartment facility meant to serve the needs of its tenants in performing their day-to-day activities. The Grande Villa is privately owned by the Turners but does operate with a HUD agreement. It is a great place to live for the elderly, handicapped or otherwise challenged individuals that are still capable of managing their individual needs and rent is based upon individual income minus any medical expenses to determine their adjusted gross income.

One of the best features of the Grande Villa is its location, just a block and a half from two banking institutions, the grocery store, hardware store, senior center, One Health Clinic and the Post Office. Each apartment, which includes both one and two bedroom units, has all the necessary appliances and laundry services are available. The building also includes 24-hour surveillance. All these features are fantastic, but what the Turners have done to show their commitment to the tenants has really made a difference.

Since taking over the Turners have fixed the elevator, done extensive maintenance and repair throughout the facility, update appliances where needed and have made themselves readily available to the needs of each individual tenant. There is an emergency number posted on the bulletin board, business cards and letters delivered to the tenants monthly that serves as a means to report issues immediately. The consensus among the residents is that the Turners have done a great job in responding when these issues are brought to their attention. "It use to be we would make a list and turn it in, but then nothing would happen. Nick and Audrey do a great job getting things taken care of right away," said a first floor resident. Another added, "Water leaks or plumbing issues are taken care of right away, regardless of the time of day. Any water damage as a result is fixed right away, new sheet rock, paint, whatever is needed."

The Turners recently cleaned all the hallway and recreation room carpets and completely redid the back parking lot with new asphalt. The landscaping is very well maintained and many of the residents have commented about how nice it is to be able to enjoy both the front and back yards during the summer days.

The Turners said at the start they wanted to get to know each of the tenants personally as well as being good tenants themselves to the community of Chinook, "After living in Chinook for our first year we wanted to do something for our residents and their families to show our appreciation. Seeing everyone together enjoying the nice weather and good company made it very worthwhile. We want the Grande Villa to be part of the community and want our residence to know how much we appreciate them," stated Nick. "Gabe, Kelsey and Tim did a great job keeping everyone entertained all night long as well!" The Back Yard Barbecue was a huge success and really brightened the day of every one of the tenants that enjoyed the festivities.

 
 

Powered by ROAR Online Publication Software from Lions Light Corporation
© Copyright 2024