THE STONERIVER SCOOP
WELLNESS CHALLENGE
Unleash Your Competitive Spirit
Lace up your sneakers and put your step counters to the test because the Wellness Challenge kicked off yesterday! 🎉 This is not just any wellness activity; it’s a thrilling team-building experience that you won’t want to miss! We’re super excited to have you all join in, and there are awesome prizes up for grabs! Each week, participants will be entered into a raffle, and at the end of the month, we’ll crown our grand prize winners for the overall team, as well as individual male and female champions!
Throughout the entire month of March, we’re challenging each and every one of you to rack up as many steps as possible! Whether you’re strolling during lunch breaks, enjoying outdoor walks, or engaging in fun activities after hours – every step counts!
We’ll be keeping a close eye on all submitted steps to determine our individual winners. For the overall team, we’ll calculate the average steps to ensure a fair competition since team sizes may vary. Remember, all steps MUST be submitted by your team captain every Monday to ensure they count towards your team’s total.
Let’s make this a fun and friendly competition! Get ready to step it up and show what you’re made of! 🏃♂️🏃♀️
Each property has its own dynamic team, and our corporate office has divided into three powerhouse squads. I’m excited to share with you the names of our creative teams, each brimming with energy and innovation!
- Concord Ridge – “Tator Trots” led by Team Captain Samantha Cahoon
- Inverness Cliffs – “Cliffs Step Squad” led by Team Captain Lexus Bowman
- Magnolia Grove – “Step Crushers” led by Team Captain Liz Perry
- Terraces – “Not Fast, Just Furious” led by Team Captain Jake Metcalf
- Vital – “Vigorous Vitals” led by Team Captain Raquel Gutierrez
- WildForest – “Wild Forest Rangers” led by Team Captain Derrian Moore
- One Highland 1 – “Walking the Walk” led by Team Captain Emily Jordan
- One Highland 2 – “Red Hot Chili Steppers” led by Team Captain Summer Higgins & Ada Short
- One Highland 3 – “Pace Invaders” led by Team Captain Kristy Medley
Employee News
New Hires and Promotions
New Hires:
Let’s give a warm and enthusiastic welcome to our amazing new hires! 🎉 We can’t wait to see the incredible contributions they’ll make!
- Cameron Givianpour, Legal Intern
- Kat Crawford, SRPM Regional Manager
Property News
Canned Food Drive Contest
From March 1st to 31st, we’re hosting an exciting food drive across various StoneRiver communities and our Birmingham headquarters!
As an added incentive, the community that donates the most items will be treated to a fabulous complimentary lunch as a reward for your incredible generosity and dedication to fighting food insecurity.
We encourage donations of the following items: non-perishable canned goods, dried pasta, rice, healthy breakfast cereals, 100% fruit juices, and jarred sauces. Your contributions will play a vital role in helping to alleviate food insecurity in our area. Thank you for being a part of this amazing initiative!
Property Operational Tips
Prep your Property for Spring
With the weather warming, now is the perfect time to begin preparing your property for Spring and the increased activity that comes with it. Your amenities will soon be full of residents and guests (both two- and four-legged), so check out the list below for a few ways to get a head start on setting your community up for success this Spring!
Check the Grilling Area and Other Outdoor Amenities
Come spring, residents will be excited to head outside and enjoy picnics in the warm weather. Therefore, ensure your grills are set up in advance to avoid residents asking whether they are available. Remove all debris, scrape the racks, and stock charcoal or gas tanks, along with any other items you may need. Check for chipped paint or screws and nails that need to be resecured or replaced on porches, play equipment, and other surfaces. If you have hammocks on your property, be sure to check the threading, hook supports, and other components.
Check Your Signage
Take a close look at your signs to determine if they require any maintenance. Are they in need of a fresh coat of paint, thorough cleaning to remove dirt and grime, or repairs to their lighting for improved visibility?
Examine Building Exteriors
As the weather warms up, it’s time to examine the building exteriors. As you inspect your property, remember to check gutters, trim, decks, and porches that may need a touch-up. You can easily paint the windowsills if they have chipped paint. Pressure washing can also make a big impact on siding and sidewalks that have turned dingy during the winter months.
Check out the HVAC System
Be sure to schedule your filter changes with your residents, and ensure your team has all the supplies it may need to get started.
Plan Community Events
Spring is arguably one of the busiest times of year for your community. Therefore, it’s a great time to welcome new residents and bring people together. You can set up a community picnic, pet-friendly happy hour, or even do a trivia night!
Prepare your Pool
Schedule any required operating licenses or permit inspections. Be sure to order supplies you may need to open.
HR Corner
Maximize Your Tax Savings: Review Your Federal and State Withholdings
2024 is underway and a great time to review your federal and state tax withholdings. The IRS encourages all taxpayers to review their federal withholding at least once a year to make sure they are not having too little or too much tax withheld. If you withhold too little, you may owe taxes and a penalty when you file your return.
Changes that might impact your withholdings:
- Birth or adoption of a child
- Marriage or divorce
- Increase in your itemized deductions
- A new job or a second job
- Purchase of a new home
You can use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator to help you decide if you should make a change to your withholding. This online tool will provide a step-by-step guide to check your withholding and will provide recommendations to help you determine the correct amount to withhold.
You can update your tax information by accessing your LandrumHR employee portal anytime throughout the year. You will be prompted to enter your username and password. Please reach out to Jennifer Fields if you can’t remember your Username.
This Month’s Celebrations
Spring Forward: Tips to Ease Your Transition into Daylight Saving Time
Millions of clocks across the United States will revert to daylight saving time this month. Clocks will “spring forward” one hour on March 8, causing most people to lose an hour of sleep. It won’t be until Nov. 1, the first Sunday of November, when we will fiddle with our clocks again to “fall back” to standard time.
Every spring, we “spring ahead” an hour to help us make the best use of daylight during the summer. We certainly enjoy soaking up those extra hours of sunlight after the fact, but it can take a few days to adjust to daylight saving time. But believe it or not, daylight saving time doesn’t have to wreak havoc on your sleep routine. Luckily, you can face the time change head-on by making a few simple adjustments to your routine.
Reconsider your bedtime: Try going to bed 15 minutes earlier, starting two to three days before the time change. This will help ensure you are well-rested before the clock changes, so any resulting ‘sleep debt’ will feel less extreme.
Shift your wakeup call: A few days before daylight saving time, set your wakeup time to 30 minutes ahead. This will narrow the difference and make it easier for you to adjust to the time change.
Readjust your routine: Take advantage of your earlier start by shifting your activities to an earlier schedule, including dinner, exercise, and bedtime.
Trick your brain: The brain relies on visual cues to determine what time it is. Another option is to set a wristwatch 15 minutes ahead each day before daylight saving time to provide a visual cue.
Get Ready to Go Green: Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Fun and Flavor!
By the time March 17 rolls around, most of us are more than ready for a reason to celebrate something! The days are getting a little longer, there’s the faintest hint of spring in the air, and you start to see signs of St. Patrick’s Day all around. The grocery store stacks up cabbages and brisket, bakeries break out their soda bread, and you realize you probably need to find something green to wear before you get pinched. There are plenty of enjoyable St. Patrick’s Day activities to consider, such as watching a classic Irish film, setting a slow cooker with corned beef and cabbage, or attending a parade!
When Will Spring, Well, Spring?
Let’s go ahead and give it up for Spring. Coming in hot right after winter, it’s probably one of the most anticipated seasons. Between the vibrant flowers, warmer weather, extra light in the evenings, and an abundance of holidays like Easter, Spring brings joy and renewal. But there’s just one question… when is the first day of spring in 2026? This year, the First Day of Spring falls on March 20th, which is a Friday!
Birthdays
Wishing a very Happy Birthday to all of the March birthdays:
- 3/1 – Jeff Wallace (WildForest)
- 3/5 – Nino Yu Tiamco (Corporate)
- 3/8 – Caroline Donovan (Corporate)
- 3/8 – Summer Higgins (SRPM)
- 3/17 – Isaac Kelman (Pecan Springs)
- 3/18 – Elizabeth Perry (Magnolia Grove
- 3/19 – Jose Alcantara (Terraces)
Anniversaries
- 1 Year – Sam Ess (Corporate)
- 1 Year – KaShayla Crumpler (Concord Ridge)
- 1 Year – Brandy Cullins (SRPM)
- 1 Year – Shelby Brenner (198 Milltown)
- 1 Year – James Dawson (198 Milltown)
- 1 Year – Kenneth Warren (198 Milltown)
- 1 Year – Aubrey Adamek (Terraces)
- 1 Year – Terry Mutta (Vital)
- 1 Year – Jennifer Fields (Corporate)
- 10 Year – Colin Moorhouse (Corporate)
Have an Idea?
Would you like to share your stories, ideas, or comments to feature in our upcoming publications? Kindly send your request and a member of the newsletter committee will get in touch if chosen.
