Kenny Lewis: The Mayor of Mountain Shadows Charting the Course on The Map With No Names |
The Mountain Shadows Map With No Names |
by Sheryl Wilde The discovery of the Mountain Shadows Map with No Names was made accidentally when an employee was cleaning out a shed on campus. Who knows how long the hand-drawn map had lain there, buried beneath a mound of forgotten items. Yet, as she examined it, the employee’s eyes were alight with excitement.
She realized, of course, it was a map of the Mountain Shadows campus. And, as she looked more closely, she saw the map contained all of the Mountain Shadows staples of the era. All of the houses are there. All of residents who make Mountain Shadows home, are there, on that map. And, with his flag proudly flying, Kenny, the Mountain Shadows Mayor, is there in his wheelchair, ready to help chart the course of Mountain Shadows history.
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Kenny Lewis, the Mayor of Mountain Shadows, in uniform, like his father, and
ready to chart his new life’s course. |
Mayor Kenny’s wheelchair, with personalized license plate designed by his sister, Janette. |
“Mountain Shadows, it’s a good place,” says Mayor Kenny Lewis. “I like to sit out in the sun, in front of the house, and just let the breeze hit my face.”
And, on any given day, that is where you will find Mayor Kenny, sitting in front of Birch house, with the sun on his face, and a bird’s eye view of the sprawling 5 1/2 acre Mountain Shadows campus. Sometimes you wanna go Where everybody knows your name And they’re always glad you came You want to be where you can see Our troubles are all the same
You want to be where everybody knows your name*
And in ways both small and large, over the past forty years, Kenny has helped make Mountain Shadows such a place. A place where The Map has now been charted. And everybody knows their names. |
Kenny (right), with friends, Chris (left) and Gary, enjoying a day out on campus. |
“Who does not know Kenny?!?!” says Tabitha Delgado, MSCH-SD. “Kenny knows everybody by name. Kenny knows everything. He knows things before we do!”
Stacy Sullivan, Executive Director, MSSG/MSAS, agrees, “Kenny sits in front of the house, with his buddy Gary. I’ll walk by and he tells me what’s going on. If I want to know anything, I go straight to Kenny. He’s my source. “I was talking about something the other day, and Kenny corrected me. He was right. And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, why didn’t I talk to him first?”
Adds Stacy Miller, RN, “Kenny is great. And I want people to know that, while he wants to know everything, Kenny’s not a busybody. I think that’s important to know. Kenny really cares about everyone. He wants to know you so he can help you. He wants to be sure you’re happy. Making you happy, makes Kenny happy.” |
A young Kenny, who we bet, even at this young age, wanted to know the photographer’s name and the camera’s aperture setting. |
Janette Ruiz, Kenny’s sister (aka Netnet as Kenny calls her), is uncertain of many of the details surrounding his birth.
“It was a different time then,” she says. “My mom never talked about it, but I know Kenny was born premature. I believe there was a lack of oxygen during his birth.”
Kenny has cerebral palsy and a mild intellectual disability.
“Over the years, I’ve been kind of like Kenny’s mom. He’s my favorite person in the whole world. He’s such a genuine, innocent, special soul. He’s taught me to just love everybody.
“I have Kenny’s name tattooed on me. The tattoo has his name and a flower. The flower stands for purity and innocence. That’s what Kenny represents to me.” |
Kenny enjoying a day of trout fishing at Dixon Lake. |
Janette continues: “Before Kenny moved to Mountain Shadows, he lived in a facility that was one big building, that had a bunch of beds in one big room. Kenny had to wheel himself to the bathroom. He had to get himself from the wheelchair to the toilet, and then back to his bed, by himself. “The move to Mountain Shadows was hard for him, but now he is happy there. Kenny is well cared for. He loves all of the activities, and going to all the different places. He loves going to day program.
“Kenny and his roommate, Frank, were like brothers. I think they were roommates for 20 years – in the same bedroom. Sometimes they annoyed each other, but they loved each other so much. It was hard on Kenny when Frank passed.” |
“Kenny loves Harley-Davidson motorcycles and big rig trucks,” adds Janette. “My husband used to drive them. Someday, I want to find somebody that has a Harley with a sidecar. I want to hire them to take Kenny for a ride for his birthday. That is my dream. I know he would love it. “Kenny also loves hats – cowboy, police, Navy, firefighter, Harley – he loves them all.
“One time we took him to his favorite restaurant, the Money Pit. It was Sunday and a guy walked in wearing a suit and a white cowboy hat. Kenny is always scanning everybody and he saw that man right away. He was like, ‘Oh, I love that hat!’
“I went over and talked to the guy and asked where he got his hat. I told him my brother really loved it. He said he got the hat in Mexico.
“We were leaving, and as we were about to get Kenny into our car, the guy and his family came out of the restaurant. They were parked right in front of us. Kenny saw them and was so excited! He was like, ‘Oh! I love your hat. It looks so good on you!’
“The guy came over, took off his hat, and gave it to Kenny.
“Kenny started crying. I was crying. My husband was trying not to cry. Kenny gave him a big hug. It was just beautiful. Everybody loves Kenny. And Kenny loves everybody.” |
Kenny, pictured with his mother, on his 50th birthday. |
While Janette always wanted to care for Kenny at her home, she realized it would not be possible after she took him on trip to visit family in Tennessee.
“I flew with Kenny to Tennessee. He spent the night at our house. I had never experienced that before, being with him multiple days in a row. I learned caring for him is 24/7. And I love Kenny, but it was exhausting. Exhausting! I do everything I can to make Kenny feel loved. I want to do right by him. If I was in a situation where Kenny lived with me, I would need a lot of help. A lot.
“He gets that care at Mountain Shadows. So, it’s a good place for him.
“I was an instructional aid for special needs children for 15 years. Working with special needs kids, I know people don’t do that work for the money. They do it because they care. They are not easy jobs. They are very hard jobs. So, I’m very thankful for where Kenny lives now.” |
“I’ve been working with Kenny for about 10 yeas now,” says Beatrice Smith, MSCH-SD. “I’ve learned from him patience, and strength too. Kenny has physical things he needs to do everyday to maintain his independence. Those things are difficult for him. He has medical issues, consistent pain, just from daily living. But he does what he needs to do. He doesn’t cry. He doesn’t scream. Sometimes he’ll say a very quiet ‘ow’ under his breath, but he pushes through it.
“He has to do things like turning over in bed. That doesn’t sound difficult for a lot of people. But for the people in this community, it can be probably one of the most difficult things you have to do during your day. “Of course it’s hard to watch, and I will help him if he wants me to, but again, he needs to do these things to maintain his independence. “Yes, from Kenny I’ve learned about strength.” |
Beatrice continues, “Taking care of my residents, doing right by them everyday, that’s what keeps me here at Mountain Shadows. It still makes me laugh. When I go on vacation, I still think about them and wonder what they’re doing.
“Sometimes all Kenny needs is someone to listen to him. He just wants to tell you something. Maybe it’s the same thing he told you last time he talked to you. But it’s okay.
“He asks me about my cats every morning. I can’t come up with different replies everyday, so I just say they’re okay, and I thank him for asking. It’s an everyday thing. A lot of the stuff he says is an everyday thing. But it’s not boring or irritating at all. It’s just one of the parts of the day. It’s one of those things where, if you don’t have the opportunity to listen to that anymore, for whatever reason, you’re just like, ‘Oh, I didn’t realize I would miss that so much.”
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Stacy Miller adds:
“Circus Day used to be a big deal for everyone here. Kenny loved to be the sheriff. We had a mock jail and he loved arresting people.
“He would be outside early, when they were setting up the circus. He’d make sure they set everything up right. He also loved the dunk tank. If I was in the dunk tank, he would be there. I can’t tell you how long the line used to be for trying to dunk me. And, miraculously, Kenny, or anyone else, would throw the ball, and even if it didn’t hit the target, somehow I ended up in the dunk tank. Kenny just loved it when I got dunked.”
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Gloria Mederos, Activities Director, adds, “Kenny is s a joy to be around. He loves to socialize.
“One year, we went to the California Center for the Arts for a car show. Kenny loves cars! There was a couple there and they had a low rider car. Kenny was so excited about that car. He went up and talked to them, and invited them to our Mountain Shadows car show. The lady, who was pregnant, and ready to have the baby really soon, told Kenny, ‘Yes! I’ll come to your car show!’
“Kenny asked if they would take a picture with him, and they did. No one can say no to Kenny. Everybody just loves him.” |
Kenny with his sister, Janette (Netnet), along with Janette’s husband, Richard, his nieces, great niece, and great nephew at Christmas. |
“Kenny is a staple at Mountain Shadows,” adds Arlene Galvan, MSCH-SD. “It wouldn’t be the same if he wasn’t here. He’s made his mark on a lot of people. He has such a welcoming spirit. “What we can learn from Kenny is that we are all connected in some way. I feel he’s a connector. People have certain gifts and that’s his gift. “Shannon Nolan-Arañez, CSUSM, and friend of Kenny, who developed our M:POWR art program is a good example. She and Kenny became friends through the art program and they are still friends to this day. It is a true friendship. His staff, they are friends too, but he has created connections with people beyond that.” Says Shannon, “I feel so lucky to have met Kenny. He’s one of those people you always feel connected to. He always made me feel like a superstar! I have so much love for this guy. He brings me so much joy! He’s just pure love.
“One of the things I’ve learned from Kenny is that it’s okay to be direct. If there’s an elephant in the room, Kenny will say, ‘Look at that big elephant!’ He’s taught me I don’t always have to be filtered. There’s real power in being direct and saying what is really on your mind. And he has reminded me of that, in a really pure way.” |
Kenny and his 20-year roommate and friend, Frank. |
“I’ve known Kenny for about 28 years,” says Rachel Duenas, MSOS. “He was the first participant I worked with when I started working here. We have a close bond. We’ve spent Christmas together, had barbeques for the 4th of July, and had Super Bowl parties. On New Year’s we would have apple cider and pretend it was champagne. And we’d do a champagne toast. My kids call him Uncle Kenny.
“I can be having a really bad day, or a sad day, and I’ll see Kenny and he just brightens my day. He’s always happy to see you. He’ll say, ‘Hi, Rach! I missed you! Where you been at?’ He always puts a smile on my face.” |
“Mostly, when I think of Kenny, I think about the community here,” says Stacy Sullivan. “He represents this community so well. He makes a point to know people because he genuinely cares about them.
“Kenny reminds us that it’s the small things in life that matter most. That’s how we should all be approaching life. Right now, it can be hard to feel excited about much in the world. But Kenny, and so many others here, teach you that all the noise isn’t what matters. My friends. That is what matters.
“I’m grateful I’ve had the opportunity to see the smiles, to see the excitement, to see the joy that Kenny brings to the Mountain Shadows Family.” |
Be glad there’s one place in the world Where everybody knows your name And they’re always glad you came
You want to go where people know People are all the same
You want to go where everybody knows your name*
Thank you, Mayor Kenny Lewis, for helping to put all of our Mountain Shadows names on The Map. And for making Mountain Shadows a place where we know people are all the same.
And, Kenny, we will never forget your name. *Cheers Theme Song by Gary Portnoy |
You Are Our Guiding Star! |
Watch Your Mailbox this Week
for a SPECIAL GIFT FROM OUR RESIDENTS! |
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The Mountain Shadows Foundation –
Because We CARE |
Thanks to YOUR SUPPORT, the Mountain Shadows CARE program provides recreational and social experiences to residents and participants adding meaning and richness to their lives.
It’s easy for you to help us continue to provide activities like this – activities that improve the quality of our residents’ lives in fulfillment of their dreams. Here are some ways you can help ensure these crucial activities can continue for years to come: -
Make a one-time donation today by clicking on the donate button below.
- Make a monthly or annual contribution.
- Leave a Legacy Gift.
To learn more about the Mountain Shadows Foundation Legacy Society, to include us in your estate plan, or to let us know if you have already designated Mountain Shadows to receive a legacy gift, please contact Mandy Huiras, Director of Development at: mhuiras@mtnshadows.org, or visit our website by clicking here:
Learn More About the Mountain Shadows Foundation Legacy Society Please share this story with your family, friends and co-workers to help grow our Mountain Shadows Family!
To learn more about Mountain Shadows volunteer opportunities, please click below:
Learn about Mountain Shadows Volunteer Opportunities Here |
Mandy Huiras
Mountain Shadows Foundation Director of Development
Contact Mandy today to learn more about the Mountain Shadows Foundation and how you can continue to make a difference in the lives of our residents:
mhuiras@mtnshadows.org |
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