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Brad Haskins and Brad Jr.

angelleditor on May 6, 2024

Every morning Brad Haskins and his son, Brad Haskins Jr., hop in the car and start their commute to work together. Both Brads play critical roles at Heron’s Key and have a unique relationship as father and son working within the same community.

Brad Sr. joined the Heron’s Key team six years ago and works in the maintenance department. He spends his days managing the grounds of the community and making sure all residents’ homes are beautiful inside and out.

After watching his dad working in the community for many years, Brad Jr. decided Heron’s Key might just be the perfect place to get a job as well. Brad Jr. was initially hired in 2023 as an environmental services technician. After a few months, he decided to take a full-time job as a janitor.

Brad Jr. works daily to make sure the community is spotless and sanitized. He ensures Penrose administrative offices are pristine, the bathrooms and lobby are always tidy, and maintains whatever he can to keep Heron’s Key in the best possible shape.

While Brad Jr. and Brad Sr. do not work in the same department, they find ways to spend time with one another when possible. Brad Jr. gets his dad a coffee every Wednesday and often Brad Sr. will bring his son lunch. If the maintenance team is ever short-staffed, Brad Sr. knows exactly who to call to lend a helping hand.

“Working with my dad is a really great experience,” says Brad Jr. “I am lucky that when I joined Heron’s Key, not only did I have my dad to support me, but I knew so many other people in the community already. It was a really warm welcome to my new job and made me feel like part of the team.”

At the end of the day, the Brads get back in the car and commute home to the rest of their family in Shelton, Washington. They chat about their days and fill each other in on their experiences.

When they get home, they are joined by Brad Jr.’s mom, his three other siblings, their Australian bulldog named Trixie and their cat named Harlo. Brad Jr. says there is never a dull moment in their house.

Brad Jr. was born and raised in Shelton. He graduated from Shelton High School and continues to be active in the community. When he isn’t at work, Brad Jr. coaches his younger brother’s football team and likes to build things.

Brad Jr. has a passion for helping people and hopes no matter where life takes him, he can continue to care for others.

Both Brad Jr. and Brad Sr. contribute so much to the Heron’s Key community. We are lucky to have them and who knows, maybe the other Haskins siblings will join the Heron’s Key family as well!

Meet Heron’s Key Concierge, Cheri Monroe

angelleditor on April 1, 2024

When you walk into Heron’s Key, the first smiling face you will see is Cheri Monroe, the independent living concierge.

Cheri gracefully handles all the responsibilities that come with her role as concierge. She puts the residents’ needs at the forefront of her work and focuses her attention on managing the guest room schedule, planning events, maintaining office work, communicating with current and potential residents, drafting new resident orientation packages and coordinating meetings.

While her role as the first point of contact for the community is extremely important, Cheri holds even more responsibility. She works with the emergency team to coordinate a plan in case of an accident or emergency on site. Cheri acts quickly and ensures all residents are cared for in more ways than one.

Cheri earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and film. Post graduation, she became a wedding planner at Santa Cruz Mountains where she executed over 300 weddings in three years. She then moved to the San Jose Redevelopment Agency in California where she strategized ways to increase the city’s attraction for tourists, such as turning the downtown area into a Winter Wonderland, now a long-standing tradition.

Cheri then spent the bulk of her career as a marketing consultant to many Silicon Valley companies including Netflix, Adobe and Cisco.

After a successful 15-year marketing career, Cheri took a leap to work in senior living. She has worked in senior living for about two years now and loves the ability to work with such wonderful residents. Since starting at Heron’s Key, Cheri has been amazed at how kind the residents are to the community, the staff and to each other.

When she isn’t working, Cheri loves to travel to small towns and “appetizer-hop” her way through. She spent a month traveling by train in Italy and visited more than 14 cities.

She also enjoys spending time with her husband, Preston. They had a Y2K (January 1, 2000) wedding in beautiful Maui. After 24 years of marriage, they are excited to be celebrating their recent purchase of a 4-bedroom house and adding a third roommate, Cheri’s mom, Jeannie.

Cheri is an artist at heart and has dabbled in many mediums, her favorite being sterling silver jewelry and ceramic work. She loves animals of all kinds and is even planning on getting some goats this summer! Cheri also loves listening to music, kayaking and ziplining.

We’re incredibly proud to have Cheri as part of Heron’s Key and we continue to count our blessings as we add new members to the team!

Choosing a Home at Heron’s Key Is About More Than Picking a Side

angelleditor on January 27, 2023

Once you’ve decided to make Heron’s Key your new home, your next decision is which specific residence you want. That involves selecting a floor plan, of course, and a location within the community.

The selection of homes you’ll have to choose from will depend on the availability of your preferred floor plan(s) at the time you want to move. When it comes to narrowing down your options to a top choice, you’ll want to consider a number of factors.

East Side or West?

When people visit our community to have a look around, something they may notice right away is there’s a choice—for independent living—between homes on the side facing east (which we refer to as the “campus view”) or the side facing west.

Everyone Has a Point of View

For some, the views from their chosen home is an important consideration. For others, this may not be a priority, especially if they’re engaged in activities that frequently take them away from home during the day.

Either way, homes on both sides have appealing views. Those facing west look out onto the nature preserve, whereas the campus view homes face our beautiful campus.

Edker Matthews, who lives on the east-facing side, enjoys watching the small groups of residents who volunteer to make our campus even more attractive by planting and tending a colorful array of flowering shrubs and other plants. He refers to their collective efforts as a “love affair” because, he says, it’s obvious their efforts come from the heart.

Even more, he enjoys seeing the fruits (or in this case the blossoms) of their labor, particularly during the spring and summer when the plants show off their brilliant hues. In the autumn, he says, the maples and other deciduous trees put on a glorious display, dressed in dazzling shades of maroon, gold, copper and deep orange. All throughout the year, the stand of evergreens on the other side of Borgen Boulevard is a majestic sight, especially from the upper floors.

Sunrises and Sunsets

No discussion of the views at Heron’s Key would be complete without mentioning the spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Edker is fond of watching the morning sky from his apartment as it changes from deep lavender and raspberry just before dawn to lighter shades of rose and amber as the sun rises higher in the sky. On summer evenings, he likes to sit on his balcony and watch the shadows grow as the sun sinks toward the horizon.

Those who live on the west-facing side can feast their eyes on the captivating skies that often accompany the setting of the sun—and if you’ve spent any time here in the Pacific Northwest, you know what we’re talking about!

Convenience and Accessibility

When choosing a specific home, you’ll also want to keep in mind other priorities you may have. While there isn’t a large degree of difference among our residences when it comes to how convenient and accessible they are, the subtle differences may be enough to sway your decision.

For instance, if you make frequent trips to and from your car, you might want to choose a campus view apartment that’s closer to the parking area. Likewise, if you think that you (or your partner) might someday need to live at Penrose Harbor or stay there for a while, then a campus view apartment would also be advantageous.

Your level of involvement in community activities and your mobility may also factor into your decision. As an example, residents who use an assistive device such as a walker, typically prefer living in a home that’s close to the elevator or near the dining venues. And that brings us to another topic …

Your First Home at Heron’s Key May Not Be Your Last

Moving from one residence to another is not unusual in our community, even if residents remain in independent living. The reasons vary, but Edker’s experience is a case in point.

He and his wife, Susan, had a home in the Seattle area before moving to New Mexico, where they lived for more than 15 years. They had been planning to move back to the Puget Sound area, into a continuing care retirement community, and had toured several communities during annual trips to visit their family—including at least four tours of Heron’s Key. Edker says each year they would compare a different community or two to ours, and each time Heron’s Key “continued to come out No. 1.”

The upturn in the housing market led them to move a few years earlier than they intended, and initially they chose a one-bedroom campus view apartment, which Edker says they were pleased with. When a two-bedroom apartment became available down the hall, however, they decided to move and take advantage of the extra space.

Other residents may decide their two-bedroom home is larger than they need and move into a smaller apartment. Or they might take a look at an apartment that becomes available and find they love the flooring, the kitchen or some other aspect of the home and decide to move.

Occasionally, people will choose an available residence simply to move into Heron’s Key because the timing is right for them, even if they know they will move again when another one of our homes opens up. They may want to make sure they can join our community while their health is good so they can fully indulge in our social activities and other amenities we offer.

Everyone’s situation is different, and we gladly work with individuals and couples to ensure they are happy with the home they choose at Heron’s Key no matter how many times they move.

Making Your New Home Your Own

No two homes at Heron’s Key are alike, in part because of the diversity of floor plans we offer and because the homes were built with a variety of finishes and furnishings. And, naturally, everyone decorates their home to suit their personal tastes.

But the differences go beyond that. There are times when residents want to customize their home even more—like Edker and Susan did, for example.

The previous resident had hardwood floors put in while living there, and then after Edker and Susan moved in they decided to have the kitchen cabinets resurfaced and different countertops installed. They also switched out the window treatments.

If you have an opportunity to see inside some of the occupied homes here at Heron’s Key—whether during an open house event or perhaps on a personal tour—you’ll see the loving touches residents have added and how much pride they take in their homes.

What All Homes at Heron’s Key Have in Common

Every home in our community comes with countless opportunities to enjoy the active lifestyle that’s so attractive here in the Pacific Northwest. And, no matter which home you choose, you’ll enjoy the same wealth of amenities and peace of mind that only a Life Plan Community can offer.

You’ll also live among some of the most interesting neighbors you could ask for. Residents at Heron’s Key have lived and traveled all over the world and have a fascinating assortment of experiences. Their commitment to making our community the best it can be is unwavering and unparalleled.

If you’re looking at retirement communities in Gig Harbor, Washington, we hope you’ll spend some time exploring our website. Then, if you like what you see, consider joining us at one of our upcoming events.

You can also contact us to arrange a visit, which is the ultimate way to decide if—and where—you’d like to live at Heron’s Key.

If the Home Fits

angelleditor on January 10, 2023

Incoming Residents’ Association President Gee Heckscher and his wife, Janet, found comfort in the Heron’s Key lifestyle, community and aesthetic.

Making the decision to move to a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) takes research, conversations and finding the place that fits your lifestyle. The process and complexity were not lost on Gee Heckscher who was not even considering making a move before an impromptu visit to Heron’s Key changed his mind.

“I was not in the market for moving to a CCRC, and in fact I tended to be against it,” he shares. “My parents lived at one outside Philadelphia and the atmosphere was very formal including having to dress for dinner. It wasn’t my lifestyle.”

Gee, then 81 years old, and his wife, Janet, had retired to Port Townsend 13 years prior. After receiving marketing fliers from Heron’s Key, he decided to stop in to see what it was about while on his way home from the airport. Once he arrived on campus, Gee, who is an architect and general contractor by trade, was pleasantly surprised by the spacious, bright and contemporary feel of the new building.

“It had a good feel about it, and I was given a quick tour as a walk-in,” he says. “I brought Janet down to look at it and she was impressed. We were invited to spend a couple of nights, including our dog, to get the feel of the place and the residents.”

Following their stay, Gee and Janet did their due diligence but kept coming back to Heron’s Key in their minds. Nothing else seemed to compare. Since moving to the property in January 2020, Gee has become such a regular at events that he was asked to join the Residents’ Association for a three-year commitment starting as president-elect. He will be president of the association next year and in his third year will serve as immediate past president.

“The Residents’ Association has several standing committees which oversee various aspects of resident-run communal life. The president of the association attends the non-profit Heron’s Key board meetings as a non-voting member,” says Gee, who adds that the residents are granted influence over what happens at the community.

In his role in the association, Gee regularly meets with Heron’s Key Executive Director Katie Houck, and they have ongoing conversations about life and resident issues on campus. This relationship ensures that the residents have a voice and continues to make Heron’s Key an ideal place to live.

“I think the sense of community with the residents is one of the biggest things that had us interested in Heron’s Key. As an architect and general contractor by trade, it being new and contemporary made me feel comfortable,” he says. “It’s just a great community of people and we have a lot of fun. We knew no one when we arrived and immediately found a happy and welcoming community that is easy to get involved in. There are so many things to do that retirement takes on a whole new meaning.”