By Katie Carns



“We call this place ‘the Hilton.’” The place to which resident Chuck Clegg refers is Amber Park Assisted Living Community, located on Hill Road in Pickerington. Soft jazz plays as you walk under chandeliers in the lobby, past hallways adorned with paintings of European villages, antique maps and cockatoos -- into the room where Chuck and four other residents sit. These hallways lead to places such as the library, a pool table, laundry rooms and to Gary Barlow’s hair salon, where he is available to residents and outside clients Tuesday through Sunday. “I’ll tell you something,” Chuck continues, “you’ll have to look real hard to find something wrong with this place.”

Chuck has been at Amber Park since it opened its doors nearly one year ago, and he will be at the one-year anniversary party Sunday, October 17. The event, open to all, will last from 12 P.M. to 2 P.M. and will feature live entertainment from Johnny Pond and the Diamond Brothers Band, door prizes and an All-American Buffet, including the likes of “Honey Stung Fried Chicken” and Apple Brown Betty.

Like the Hilton, Amber Park features chef-cooked meals, though three daily beats a continental breakfast. They are generally served in the dining room, but as resident Jeanette Henne explains, today day is special. On this particular day the Reds are in the playoffs so the staff has agreed to deliver dinner to the rooms of residents who do not dare miss a single pitch.


For more information about Amber Park, including their Temporary Stay Program, visit their website here or call (614) 834-3113, and feel free to attend their one-year anniversary party October 17.


Sitting to Jeanette’s left is Hank Turner, and to his left is his wife of 63 years, Laurene. Their apartment is the one with the sign on the door that reads, “One old goat and one nice person live here.” The sign was a gift from their son, who Hank assures was scolded for calling his mother an old goat. Amber Park apartments, which are either studio, one-bedroom or two-bedroom, vary architecturally. Jeanette tells us that her friend Esther’s is perfect for her, as it has an alcove fit for the display of the greeting cards she designs. Another resident, artist Rita Boyce has plenty of room in her apartment to hang her paintings, which she once showcased at Amber Park. As Rita discusses the experience, which she says was “just thrilling” for her, Maintenance Director Trent Cochenour walks by.

This sparks Jeannette to talk about Amber Park’s staff. She says, “Everyone around here has a smile. Trent always does his work with a smile.” He once adjusted both Jeannette and Rita’s door peepholes to their shorter-than-average eye level for them. Sitting next to Chuck is Community Relations Coordinator Joyce Hoskingson, who Chuck says “does one heck of a job,” which includes but is not limited to dancing and running in the Violet Festival Parade. Other staff members include nurses and even dog walkers. Next to Joyce sits Kathy Dulin, Activities Coordinator, who continues to be amazed that she is paid for the fun she creates and in which she participates at Amber Park.

Evidence of her work resides in the lobby on the Activities Calendar. On October 20 from 9 to 11 A.M. residents can attend a flu clinic. At 9:30 A.M. on October 21, residents can go to the pumpkin patch. Every Monday at 2 P.M. residents can watch Monday Movies. Other activities include Silver Sneakers, a program to keep residents fit, poker games and trip to Olive Garden. Last month, some residents traveled to Wheeling, West Virginia to go to the casino and soon they hope, perhaps Chuck most of all, to attend Oglebay Park Resort in the same city.

Another activity, that was held this month, on October 7 at 3 P.M. according to the calendar, is the chat with Executive Chef Art Cline. At the meeting Chef Art listens to compliments, suggestions and bits of what he calls “tough love” from the residents. At one such meeting, Chef Art made the promise that he’d never serve bologna and cheese sandwiches. He later broke his promise when residents let him in on the secret that they love bologna and cheese sandwiches. Chef Art is also the mastermind behind Sunday brunch, which for the small price of $6 residents’ families and friends may join.

Chef Art served his first meals to only four residents. Today, Amber Park is at 55% capacity. “Now I have 51 more family members,” he says. When asked to pick his favorite memory in his 8 months at Amber Park, Hank replies, “the people.” He continues talking, but, like a sister, Jeanette interrupts him to say “we’re family.” Jeanette’s favorite memory occurred during her first dinner at Amber Park. “It’s hard when you don’t know a soul,” she says. She sat alone at dinner, but it was not long until Esther came to sit with her. “That meant so much to me,” she says. Kathy also mentions her first experiences at Amber Park. “I started 6 months ago and everyone was so nice,” she says,” I wondered when it would change. And it didn’t.”