It's Hard To Say Goodbye!

Last Friday we had a farewell sendoff for one of our staff members, Jamie. Friday was his last day and we are certainly going to miss him! Jamie first moved to Salem Green in 1997, and some years later he began working for the apartment community as well, eventually working here for 8 1/2 years! Originally Jamie started working for us on the grounds, but after a year switched to doing maintenance.

Jamie told us that he will miss the friends he made here at Salem Green. Hopefully his new opportunity will give him plenty of time to do the things he loves: fishing, going to the movies, biking, and hanging out with friends.

For his last day we had a farewell party and presented Jamie with a card from all the staff, balloons and a Dairy Queen ice cream cake. We'll miss having you around Jamie!

Reminder: RSVP For Salem Green's Poolside Party!

Each of our residents received a visit to their apartment from one of our staff yesterday. We were giving out a resident appreciation gift bag, and a reminder to RSVP for Salem Green's Poolside Party next Tuesday. We'll post the reminder below; call today to let us know if you'll be able to make it to the BBQ. Hopefully you'll be "mooved" to call or email us with your response!

Now That's A Way To Make An Entrance!

Daniel, one of our staff members, has been making grand entrances around Salem Green. Um, that is, he's been making entrances look grand! Daniel has been very busy laying ceramic tile in the main and side entrances in the 1465 building and the main entrance in 1475 building. He's done a great job and the entryways are looking great!

This is quite a process. First Daniel had to pull up the carpet and base, then the floor needed to be cleaned and prepped. After the preparations were made he laid mastic, which is an adhesive on which the tile was then laid. Then the tiles are arranged, spacers are inserted between them to hold the tiles in place. The tiles have to set for 24 hours before the next step can be completed. After a full day, the grout is then applied. Once the tile is cleaned up, the grout needs about 12 to 24 hours to set before cleaning, and then the work is done. Voilà! A grand entrance!

Daniel hard at work, showing us his tiling skills.

The new tile and grout have to set, and then it'll be cleaned.

The entrance is looking good!

Get Your Fair Fare In Farmington

Have a hankering for corn dogs and cheese curds and you just can't wait until the State Fair? Not to worry, our very own Dakota County Fair is in full swing and goes until Sunday, August 12. Located at the county fairgrounds in Farmington, the Dakota County Fair has something fun for everyone.

Check out the schedule for all the events happening at the Fair, and there's a lot of them, including a tractor pull tomorrow and bull riding on Thursday, both at the grandstand. Plus there's a band or entertainment lined up each evening.

For more information about the Dakota County Fair visit the website here.

Rides and food at the Dakota County Fair.

Where else can you catch a Mutton Bustin' event?

Three Cheers For Fun Month!

August is a month for fun, really! August is National Family Fun Month. What are you going to do this month for fun? Here you can find some other fun holidays in August and we’ll share some suggestions for family fun this month.

August 3rd –Watermelon Day 
Watermelon Lime Frosty (or Margarita) makes 2
3 cups watermelon, cubed and frozen
1 ripe banana, peeled and frozen
2 tablespoons agave nectar or maple syrup
Zest from 2 limes
Juice from 2 limes (about 4 tablespoons)
1/2 cup water

Blend all ingredients until smooth, adding more water as needed to keep the mixture moving. For margaritas: add 3-4 shots of silver tequila. You may want to add more watermelon than called for to thicken this up, or to make the drink appear more pink.

August 10th –S’mores Day
Did you know you can make S’mores in the oven? Just take a baking sheet, line with foil, assemble s’mores without the top graham cracker and bake until marshmallows are soft and chocolate starts to melt (you have to watch these closely it doesn’t take long at all) then just take out of the oven, top with the other graham cracker and enjoy!

August 31st –Trail Mix Day 
Plan a little fun activity with the kids or even a small family get-together and have a trail mix bar. Everyone brings their own container to take home and they can create their own trail mix wither they want to indulge in the sweets or get a nice variety of healthy nuts and seeds to start their diet off right.

Minnesota State Fair- August 23-Sep. 3 
Prices: Adults (13-64): $12, Seniors (65 & over): $10, Kids (5-12): $10
Children (Under 5): Free
It’s almost a requirement to be a good “Minnesotan” to attend the State Fair every year and don’t we love it!? Get ready for lots of fun, good entertainment and the food; oh the food... there’s nothing like it. For more information visit: www.mnstatefair.org.

Visit the Minnesota Zoo or the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory 
-The Minnesota Zoo is featuring their Dinosaur exhibit now until Sep.3 daily 9:30am-5:30pm. See fifteen of the huge animatronic dinosaurs on the Zoo’s Northern Trail. There is an additional $4.00 cost to see this exhibit, but it’s well worth it! For more information visit www.mnzoo.com
-Visit Como Park on any Wednesday in August and listen to FREE live music! Check out their Groovin’ in the Park Concert Series. For more information visit www.comozooconservatory.org.

Happy Birthday Tony!

Today the staff at Salem Green celebrated Tony's birthday. Tony is a painter for Salem Green and you'll often see him around the community sprucing up the buildings and getting apartments ready for our new residents with a fresh coat of paint.

On July 16th Tony turned 23. He's lived at another Condor Corporation community, Lexington Heights, for a long time, although he's worked for Condor for just over a year now. For his birthday Tony said that he was going to a family get-together with his grandparents to celebrate, and that over the past weekend he had gone out to dinner with some friends to mark the special occasion.

Of course, we wouldn't let such a wonderful event go unnoticed here at Salem Green. Tony got to enjoy an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen with his co-workers.

Happy birthday, Tony!

Tony even shared his ice cream cake from DQ with his co-workers!

Cool Tips For Hot Weather

Boy is it hot outside! Below are some tips to stay cool and safe from the Red Cross:

• Never leave children in a vehicle for any period of time during heat waves. The temperature inside a car can increase 19 degrees in 10 minutes, and it will continue to rise. 

• Check on family, friends and neighbors, especially those who live alone or who do not have air conditioning. Are we ever lucky to have air conditioning at Salem Green! If your air conditioning is not working properly please the office and let us know.

• Stay out of the sun if possible, especially in the middle of the day. Exposure to direct sunlight can increase the heat index by 15 degrees. 

• Drink plenty of fluids, but leave the alcohol and caffeine behind. Drink hydrating liquids regularly, even if you don’t feel thirsty. 

Have a cool and safe summer from your staff at Salem Green Apartments!

Recipe For A Perfect Summer: Lemonade And Sun

Hot Summer days are upon us and it's the perfect weather for a cool lemonade! One of our staffers was looking for that perfect home-made lemonade and we thought you'd enjoy the recipe as well. It's the perfect drink to enjoy by the pool at Salem Green (in a plastic pitcher and cups, of course!)


Old - Fashioned Lemonade recipe 

Ingredients
6 lemons
1 cup white sugar
6 cups cold water

Directions
1. Juice the lemons to make 1 cup of juice. To make your labor easier, FIRMLY roll the lemons between your hand and counter top before cutting in half and juicing.

2. In a gallon pitcher combine 1 cup lemon juice, 1 cup sugar, and 6 cups cold water. Stir. Adjust water to taste. Chill and serve over ice.

Use in a clear pitcher and add a few slices of lemons for decoration!

For a twist try:

8 cups cubed seeded watermelon
1 cup fresh strawberries, halved
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup white sugar
2 cups water

Directions
1. Combine the watermelon, strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, and water in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Add a strawberry and lemon slice to glass for decoration!

Did You Know? There Are More Holidays in July than Just the 4th!

July Holidays

July 4^th- Independence Day

We all know what this one is, and many of us look forward to it all year! Independence Day is a day to commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.  The Declaration was signed on July 4, 1776, which declared the United States of America’s independence form the Kingdom of Great Britain.  Throughout the USA, there are many celebrations held in most cities which typically include fireworks, parades, armed forces ceremonies and carnivals. How did you celebrate?

July 15- Tapioca Pudding Day

No questions about what you are supposed to do this day, EAT TAPIOCA PUDDING!  Tapioca pudding is a great treat for a hot summer day.  If you haven’t tried tapioca pudding, go ahead and try it today, the most common flavors are vanilla and chocolate.  Fun Fact: Tapioca is made from the starch of a cassava root; the starch forms tiny soft balls in the pudding which gives the pudding a unique texture. 

July 19- Flitch Day

Flitch Day is a holiday that is rooted in an old English custom.  Since the year 1104, any married couple that could prove via a trial that they had been faithful and loving to each other for one year would win a prize of sorts.  The prize was a half of a pig which at the time was called a flitch of bacon.  Supposedly this is where the term “bring home the bacon” originated.  Even to this day they hold flitch “trials” but now they only hold the trials once every four years. 

July 20- First Day of Ramadan

Ramadan is noted as an Islamic tradition.  It is known as one of the 5 pillars of Islam and is a mandatory fasting period.  Muslims believe this month is a month of revelations of God to mankind because the first verses of the Qur’an were written by the Islamic prophet, Muhammad during this time.

July 22- Parent’s Day

Founded in 1994 by Former President Bill Clinton; Parent’s Day was established for "recognizing, uplifting and supporting the role of parents in the rearing of children." So celebrate, parents!

Important Days in History for the Month of July:

Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California, 1955

Amelia Earhart and her airplane were lost in Pacific Ocean, 1937

The first All-Star baseball game was played in Chicago, 1933

The first man (Astronaut Neil Armstrong) to set foot on the moon, 1969

Bank robber John Dillinger was shot and killed by F.B.I. agents outside a Chicago theatre, 1934

Benjamin Franklin became Post-Master General and the Postal Service was established, 1775

Where To Get Your July 4th Ooohs & Aaahs

The weather is shaping up to be a warm and delightful Independence Day this coming July 4th. So just where can you find some fantastic fireworks to fill your yearly quota of ooh and aah exclamations? Glad you asked, we've put together a list of quite a few communities around Salem Green where you could go to enjoy bright, multicolored explosions.

COTTAGE GROVE:
Celebrations kick off at 6:00PM at Kingston Park with a family style picnic, games and food on Wednesday, July 4th. The Cottage Grove Lions will be selling Cold Stone ice cream, candy, hotdogs, brats, plus pop and water. Fireworks will begin at dusk.

EAGAN:
Celebrate the Fourth of July with Eagan's FunFest which starts Tuesday, July 3rd at 8:00AM. The celebration features a carnival, poker tournament, two different parades and concerts every night at the Eagan Community Center festival grounds located at 1501 Central Parkway. Watch for Fireworks at 10:00 PM on July 4th.

MINNEAPOLIS:
The Minneapolis "Red, White & Boom" celebration on the Minneapolis Downtown Riverfront begins Tuesday, July 3rd with a 5K Fun Run at 6:30PM at Father Hennepin Bluffs Park. You can listen to live music and watch movies in the Nicollet Island Pavillion starting at 7:00PM with the band "Romantica" and a showing of "Captain America" at 9:00PM.

On July 4th, the day begins with the TC Half Marathon at 6:30AM on Historic Main Street. Then four stages featuring live music kick off at 3:30PM, family activities and entertainment start at 6:00PM at Father Hennepin Bluffs Park, and finally, fireworks at 10:00PM.

There are also celebrations at Powderhorn Park which start at noon with live music, food vendors and a fireworks display at 10:00PM. The park is located at 3400 15th Avenue South.

More information about the Minneapolis events can be found at this website.

MENDOTA HEIGHTS:
The Mendota Heights City Council is partnering with Mendakota Country Club to sponsor a fireworks display for the community. The fireworks will be launched from the Mendakota Country Club beginning about 10:00PM.

ST. PAUL: Harriet Island
Watch fireworks at dusk on the 4th of July launched from Harriet Island, which begins at dusk.

STILLWATER:
Fireworks will be displayed on July Fourth. The celebration will be held at 10:00PM at Pioneer Park.

WOODBURY:
Fireworks will be held at Ojibway Park at 10:00PM. There will be music and entertainment before hand, starting at 7:00PM with country band Darlene & the Boys. Ojibway Park is adjacent to Woodbury High School, located at 2665 Woodland Drive.

 Have a safe and happy Independence Day!