Life Under The Willow Tree Podcast By The Podcast Group at Willow Valley Communities cover art

Life Under The Willow Tree

Life Under The Willow Tree

By: The Podcast Group at Willow Valley Communities
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About this listen

 Podcasts designed by Willow Valley residents, for Willow Valley residents, their friends & families. These podcasts are about Willow Valley residents and the people and events that surround them. Art Career Success Economics Entertainment & Performing Arts
Episodes
  • E171: WV Green Master Plan Phase I: Repeat from June 2023

    E171: WV Green Master Plan Phase I: Repeat from June 2023
    Jul 10 2025
    Host: Carol MacAllister Description: This Podcast is a repeat from June, 2023. Joel Schock, WV Grounds Manager, tells us about WV’s Green Master Plan. That means how WV plans to create areas in our highly manicured landscape that will nurture pollinator habitats, sequester more carbon, and promote natural fauna for our Central Pennsylvania environment. Water gardens, wildflower gardens, and the culling of invasive species are all in the plans. Joel has welcomed the input of WV residents, many of whom are Master Gardeners, while balancing our organizational branding as exquisitely maintained properties. This versatile, highly experienced man is the right man for this complex job. This is an opportunity to review Phase I of the Green Master Plan, as Joel will update us on July 8, 2025, on the progress and challenges of WV's efforts to support Mother Nature.
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    23 mins
  • E170: A Japanesse-American's WWII Experience

    E170: A Japanesse-American's WWII Experience
    Jul 3 2025
    Host: Carol MacAllister Guest: Richard Masayoshi Ikeda Description: On 2/21/1934, it was Richard’s 8th birthday when his father was taken away by the FBI. In the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor, 12/7/1941, the emotional hysteria that followed led the government to label all citizens of Japanese ancestry “enemy aliens.” Most lived on the West Coast and were American citizens. With no due process, they were incarcerated in 10 “relocation” centers throughout the West. In all, 110,000 people lost everything and were housed in horse stables and tarpaper shacks on land unfit for human habitation. Richard’s father went to Santa Fe, NM, while the rest of the family joined 9,000 others in Jerome, Arkansas. Richard recounts his life there and the mindset that enabled them all to make the best of their circumstances, all the while proving their loyalty to America by excelling in all they did. From picking beans for $ 0.35 a bushel to an illustrious 40-year career as a polymer physicist at DuPont, Richard’s tale is one of pragmatic intelligence, resilience, and determination.
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    26 mins
  • E169: Staff to Resident: Carolyn Mellinger’s Enduring Impact on Willow Valley

    E169: Staff to Resident: Carolyn Mellinger’s Enduring Impact on Willow Valley
    Jun 26 2025
    Host: Carol MacAllister Guest: Carolyn Mellinger, former WV staff, now Resident Description: Carolyn Mellinger was a former staff member and is now a current resident of Willow Valley. The conversation centers on Mellinger's foundational role in establishing numerous programs and services at Willow Valley from its inception. She recounts her journey from a waitress to the first activities director, detailing how she initiated key offerings, such as mail delivery, resident handbooks, and activity programs, by actively listening to and collaborating with residents, thereby fostering a strong volunteer culture. The discussion also explores the evolution of the community's organizational structure and its prudent financial management, offering valuable historical context and a unique insider's perspective on Willow Valley's development.
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    27 mins
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