November Holidays

November is an exciting month! It is the start of the holiday season and everyone seems to be traveling somewhere. All of these holidays can bring added stress as we prepare for them, but they are also occasions for joy as they are great opportunities to spend quality time with those you love. We've already passed two big days: All Saints Day and the end of Daylight Saving Time - but there is so much more coming in November.

Here's your list of reasons to celebrate this month

November 11th - Veterans Day

Originally called Armistice Day, we celebrated the cease fire that ended the “Great War” now known as The First World War (WWI). The war ended on November 11th 1918 at 11:11 (11/11 at 11:11). The first official Armistice Day was observed with the U.S., England, and France each burying an unknown soldier at 11:11 on November 11th 1921. President Eisenhower changed the holiday to Veterans Day in 1954, as a national holiday to honor all of our U.S. soldiers who have valiantly served or died in any wars or conflicts.

November 21st - The Great American Smoke Out

No need to wait another month and a half to start your New Year’s resolutions. Since 1977 The American Cancer Society has been encouraging all smokers to snuff out the cigarettes on the third Thursday of November. With a short term goal of extinguishing the “butts” for one day, their obvious long term goal is to give smokers the boost to kick the habit for good.

November 27th - Hanukkah

Wow, that’s early! Hanukkah is in November this year! This holiday begins on the evening of November 27th and lasts until Thursday, December 5th. The fact that it overlaps Thanksgiving is actually quite unusual. It's so unusual that it's not expected to happen for another 77,798 years. This has prompted some Jewish Americans to combine the two holidays and dub it "Thanksgivukkah."

Hanukkah commemorates historical events that took place in 168 B.C. According to the Talmud, one of Judaism’s central texts, Judah Maccabees and the other Jews who took part in the re-dedication of the Second Temple witnessed a miracle. Even though there was only enough untainted olive oil to keep the menorah’s candles burning for a single day, the flames continued flickering for eight nights, leaving them time to find a fresh supply. This wondrous event inspired the Jewish leaders to proclaim a yearly eight-day festival.

November 28th - Thanksgiving Day

The first Thanksgiving was 1621 between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans. The feast lasted 3 days and was a time to be thankful for a bountiful fall harvest, and to thank the natives for their kindness. Thanksgiving as a national holiday today has evolved quite a bit over the years. The Continental Congress declared the first national Thanksgiving holiday in 1777 following the American Victory at Saratoga. In 1789 George Washington was the first President to proclaim a day of Thanksgiving. He set aside November 26th (a Tuesday not a Thursday) as a day to thank God for our new Constitution. 

November 29th Black Friday

A shoppers dream (or nightmare)! Black Friday seems to be starting earlier and earlier each year. This day is called Black Friday because many retailers operate in the red, or in debt all year long, that is until the Holiday shopping season where there ledgers are finally in the black.

Schmidt Lake Offers Beautiful Views For Salem Green Residents

Schmidt Lake really adds beauty to Salem Green's grounds. We have some wonderful views all year long. In the summer the lake is adorned with green trees all around it and the water is calm and peaceful. And each winter we get to watch as the lake slowly freezes over and becomes a winter wonderland. The trees will be frosted and the frozen surface of the lake will be covered in wind-swept snow that creates interesting patterns.

Autumn around Schmidt Lake is no less spectacular. The trees are filled with bright colors as they drop their leaves. Last week were able to enjoy a spectacular scene with the area covered in a blanket of fog. The combination of mist and colorful tree leaves was a special treat. We were able to get some great photos and we'll post them below. Enjoy!

Meet Your New November Neighbors!

Please give a big welcome to your new neighbors here at Salem Green Apartments. We had some awesome new residents move in at the beginning of the month and they were all great about smiling for the camera as they came to move into their new homes.

We think all of our residents are important and are so glad each of you chose to make your home at Salem Green. We asked your new neighbors why they chose Salem Green and you can see their responses below.

Ron and Kathryn chose Salem Green Apartments because they think we have a perfect location and it brings them closer to work.

Ron and Kathryn

Leticia decided to move to Salem Green because her friends referred her here. (Thanks, Leticia's friends!) Remember, you can get a referral bonus of $500.00 off one month's rent if you refer a new resident to us and they move in! So let your friends, family, and coworkers know how much you like living at Salem Green Apartments!

Welcome to Salem Green, Leticia!

Some residents come to us for the view. Mark decided to move in because he loves being by the lake.

Community Manager, Julie, welcoming Mark to Salem Green.

Anne and Eric said that one of the draws to Salem Green was all the unique floor plans they could choose from.

Anne stopping by the Salem Green office to pick up her set of keys.

Remember To Set Your Clocks Back Tonight

The end is nigh - for Daylight Saving Time. Remember to set your clocks back tonight before you go to bed. Technically Daylight Saving Time ends at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 3, but we recommend adjusting your clocks before your head hits the pillow.

With it getting dark outside so early now, we want to make sure all of our yard and parking lot lights are in working in order. If you happen to notice any that are not lit please let the rental office know. We do regular checks on the lights but always appreciate our watchful residents who help us keep our communities safe.

Enjoy the extra hour of sleep (hopefully...)!

Spectacular And Spooky! Lots Of Fun At The Salem Green Halloween Party

We had a wonderfully spooky time at Salem Green Apartments this week! Thank you to everyone who came to our Halloween Party on Wednesday. It was such great fun to see all of your cute and spooky costumes. At the party we handed out some goodies and had some kid-friendly activities, as well as a "photo-shoot" area where we got some great pictures of our residents' costumes. Plus the Salem Green staff got into the spirit (spooky choice of word, right?) of the holiday and dressed up in some fabulous costumes. We'll post some of those photos below, and you can see even more on our Facebook page.

As you can see, life at Salem Green is lots of fun!

Coloring activities at the Halloween Party

Don't put your hand in there!

Janelle and Ava

Julie, our Community Manager, dressed as a hippie, and her daughter Josie, a mini-Minnie Mouse!

Pin the tail on the Skeleton game at the Halloween Party

Pin the tail on the Skeleton game at the Halloween Party

Ronda and her awesome witch costume, right before she spun around and disappeared in a puff of smoke!

Relax And Have Some Fun At Salem Green's Indoor Pool

It may be cold outside but the indoor pool is a perfect way to relax and pretend you are on an island far, far away from the cold, the rain (and eventually the “S” word that most of us dread….snow!). 

OK, it may not offer the sand between your toes or the warmth of the sun, but the indoor pool is definitely a great alternative. Swimming is an excellent way to exercise, refresh after a long day, or to have a fun day hanging out with friends. Definitely take advantage of our indoor swimming pool. 

Our maintenance team recently replaced the heater so it is perfect temperature, just for our resident’s enjoyment! Rain or shine, the pool is open everyday from 8:00 a.m. -10:00 p.m..

The indoor pool at Salem Green.

Jump on in, the water is great!

Steve demonstrating his mad skills during the water heater installation.

Staff Spotlight - Getting To Know Hector

For this edition of our Staff Spotlight series we would like to introduce you all to Hector, one of our building caretakers here at Salem Green Apartments.

Hector was born and raised in Buenos Aires Argentina, in a small town called Claypole. There he met his wife Mariela. They have been married for 23 years and have 5 kids: Flavio (27), Priscila (22), Steve(19), Carlolina (16) and Bianca (12). Hector loves spending time with his family. He also enjoys going out to dinner, going to church and also shopping. The most important thing to him is just spending as much time as possible with his family. 

Hector loves working at Salem Green because of the residents and the staff members. He loves that that the residents appreciate his hard work. If you see Hector around Salem Green be sure to say hello and thank him for all of his hard work!

Hector, a Salem Green caretaker, loves spending time with his family.

Meet Pieter - World's Toughest Salem Green Resident

How tough are you? Pieter, one of your neighbors here at Salem Green Apartments, is pretty tough! In fact he has decided that to test his mettle he needs to run the Toughest Mudder, and obstacle-filled running event. It's not even your typical Tough Mudder - the Toughest Mudder is the most extreme and, well, toughest, obstacle-laden course the organization does all year. It is a 13 mile course with 35 super-charged obstacles in which the participants try to complete as many laps as possible in 24 hours.

Pieter has wisely been training for this event, which takes place November 16 & 17. The event website cautions that only those in peak physical and mental condition should even think about trying to do this! Part of his rigorous preparation for this race has been raising money for equipment and costs related to the race. If you would like to learn more about Pieter, or make a donation, visit the Facebook page he's set up for this.

According to the event's website, the Tough Mudder events have raised over $5 million for the Wounded Warrior project which supports thousands of U.S. soldiers who return home injured.

If you see Pieter around Salem Green he'll most likely have his running gear on and headed out to train. Give him a friendly wave and a word of encouragement!

Trunk or Treat!

Have you ever gone up to a car trunk and yelled "trick or treat"? If normal, door-to-door trick-or-treating is just not exciting anymore, then you'll have to try out Trunk-or-Treat event tomorrow evening!

Emanuel Lutheran in Inver Grove Heights is hosting a fun halloween event in their parking lot. There will be cars parked and they will have their trunks open and decorated in all kinds of ways, and kids can go from care to car and "trunk or treat!" There will also be carnival games, food and drinks for purchase, and some prizes.

Plus if you bring a non-perishable item for their food shelf they'll give you a free carnival ticket!

Trunk-or-Treat

Time: Friday, October 25th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. 

Location: Emanuel Lutheran Church, 2075 70th Street East, Inver Grove Hts, MN 55077

Phone: (651) 457-3929

Website: http://emanuellutheranchurch.org/#/welcome/trunk-or-treat

Meet Scott, Your New Neighbor!

We would like to introduce you all to your new neighbor. Scott recently moved to our apartment community here at Salem Green. Most recently he was living in Burnsville, and he grew up in Apple Valley, so he knows Dakota County pretty well! Scott has two awesome sons, Tyler (10) and Jacob (7). Tyler and Jacob love animals, playing video games and picking on each other (as brothers tend to do). On the weekends when they are all together they always have a movie night. Scott’s favorite movie is the classic “Goodfellas” but he says the boys have quite a few years until they can enjoy that movie with Dad. When Scott has free time he likes to play golf, watch movies and sleep. Scott said he decided to call Salem Green his new home because he loves how quiet and relaxing it is.

We are excited to welcome you to Salem Green! Thank you for calling Salem Green your new home.

Scott with his sons, Tyler and Jacob.