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If this is your first visit, welcome! This site is devoted to my life experiences as a Filipino-American who immigrated from the Philippines to the United States in 1960. I came to the US as a graduate student when I was 26 years old. I am now in my mid-80's and thanks God for his blessings, I have four successful and professional children and six grandchildren here in the US. My wife and I had been enjoying the snow bird lifestyle between US and Philippines after my retirement from USFDA in 2002. Macrine(RIP),Me and my oldest son are the Intellectual migrants. Were were born in the Philippines, came to the US in 1960 and later became US citizens in 1972. Some of the photos and videos in this site, I do not own. However, I have no intention on infringing on your copyrights. Cheers!

Saturday, July 27, 2024

Newton's Restaurant Noise and Its Health Effects

The other day, I was reading an article ( see article at bottom of the Page) on the health effects of loud and excessive  Restaurant Noise from the Washington Post💚. It reminded me of our own restaurant- the Newtons here at THD. 

For the last year since I moved here at THD, I heard numerous complaints both from old and new residents that noise level at Newton's at Dinner Time is so loud we could barely hear each other. There has been numerous suggestion from residents how to improve the acoustic as well as the cooling system( arctic mode) of Newtons. But as of today, I do not foresee a solution to the problem.

Today, with more new residents checking in ( July and August months) the dining room is always full to capacity at dinner time. I estimated that the total THD residents should be around 115-120.  The capacity of Newtons restaurant is well below 100. Luckily a few residents prefer to eat in their apartments, but at Dinner Time Newton's inside is filled to capacity and the noise level is bad. A few residents have hearing problems, so they choose to eat alone in the corner tables. 

When the weather is nice and not too hot, about a dozen residents  avail themselves with outdoor dining( 2-tables for 4, and 1 table for 3) with no noise problem hearing dining conversations. However, in order to get these outdoor seats, one must be there by 4:45PM if not earlier. You can not reserved the seats unless you have an outside guest. 

Inside The Newton's Restaurant at Dinner Time- Filled to Full Capacity-Out Door Tables Available during Summer Months and Good Weather

Here's the summary of the article on restaurant noise and its bad health effects to both Patrons and Staff. 

From The Washington Post on the Noise Level from Restaurants:
"It’s still noisy out there( Restaurants) and Wang and other experts point to mounting evidence that excessive noise is more than a minor inconvenience. Our brains have a tough time sorting through the cacophony in crowded dining rooms, which can influence our behavior. Multiple studies show that prolonged exposure to noise has physical effects such as increased anxiety and fatigue. Taken together, these effects can make the restaurant experience more taxing than relaxing for patrons, and they can leave staff drained from a long day straining to offer service while risking permanent hearing damage.

Experts are advocating for standards that would not only alleviate customer complaints, but also protect the health of patrons and staff members. And with the number of people dining out slightly declining after a pandemic rebound, restaurateurs should have more motivation to try new technologies and materials to suppress noise and lure more diners to their tables.   For details visit:         

💚https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/interactive/2024/loud-restaurant-noise-health-effects/?media_type=image&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=acq-nat&utm_campaign=content_engage&utm_content=WAPO_DRX_CONTREM_COUSA_FB_SO_WTRF_CONTNTFEED_SITEV_30030DCPC_1PCD_XXXX_REGNSBEX4PV30_X1865_COUSA_AXXEN_FBIGOA_RNS1_CT_EN_PG_NFDYNDY&utm_id=6581145427827&utm_term=6581145428227&fbclid=IwY2xjawEQnn9leHRuA2FlbQEwAAEdm702kdeFLcCM5MY56ZwZOb-WComVXsGGkOtoI6XRu2tvxREjUbk1XPut_aem_JrYi2HxJzJ0XP5TtqVsMlw

5 comments:

Phil Paris said...

David - Many thanks for this article on noise in the dining room. There must be some solutions to the problem. Maybe we should hire a noise expert to make some recommendations. Is there such a thing? Anyway, keep up the good work. Phil Paris

Jane W. said...

Dining with friends should be an enriching experience. In Newton’s, the challenge to hear or be heard negates that experience. I don’t pretend to be any kind of expert, but research tells me the problem is solvable. How awesome that would be for all of us!

David B Katague said...

Phil, I appreciate your comments. The solution to the problem here at THD that required funding must get the approval of the CFO, Rachel Ryan. I feel if a group of Residents ( instead of just one person) approach her, we may able to solve the problem sooner. I will be glad to lead a group of residents to present the problem to her during her next visit here at THD.
Rachel was able to solve the problem with the new chairs on the Activity Room by providing back pads purchase.

Jane W. said...

Dining with friends is considered a delightful social experience, but becomes a challenging & frustrating experience when diners struggle to hear or be heard, which is the case as relates to Newton’s. I am no expert on how to remedy this problem, but my research indicates it is entirely possible to do so. Thanks to you, David, for initiating a potential ‘fix!’

Anonymous said...

Dining with friends is considered to be one of life’s most enjoyable social occasion. Not so at Newton’s! It’s a frustration because of the challenge to hear or be heard! Thanks for being our advocate! I am NOT in any sense, an expert of acoustics, but research tells me much can be done in this area to make dining a pleasant occasion. Jane Williams

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