Volume Twenty Eight, Number 2
February 2014
Photo by Jim Luther Dr. Clayton Kyle and Tony Starr celebrated New Year’s Eve with fellow residents and guests at dinner dance in the Beaumont Room. More pictures on Pages 4 and 5.
Bylaw review, town hall meetings planned
By Mary Graff
A full review of Beaumont’s bylaws and plans for monthly town hall meetings “to improve communications and increase transparency” in Beaumont affairs were announced last month by Joe Peduzzi, embarking on his first full year as Beaumont’s President and CEO. He began the bylaw review immediately with a presentation in three parts describing in detail the existing mechanics of governance at Beaumont, which is believed to be unique among retirement communities in that it is cooperatively owned and governed by its residents. Parts I and II were presented last month; Part III will be presented at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12.
“It is clear that some changes in the bylaws are needed after 25 years,” Joe said, explaining his timing. “But before we start considering changes, it’s important that everybody understand what it is we have to start with.” The town hall meetings are scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday Feb. 27 and 2 p.m. on the last Thursday of each month thereafter. Joe said that the current bylaws will be reviewed, and recommendations made, by a committee consisting of one member each from the BRCI and BRSI boards and one or two other Certificate Members. These recommendations will go to the full BRCI Board for approval. After a professional legal review they will go finally to the membership, where passage will require a majority vote. Joe’s own summary of Part I of his “mechanics” presentation appears on Page 3. Complete transcripts of Parts I and II are available in the Administration office. A transcript of Part III will be available after the presentation Feb. 12.
Letter to the Editor
Ann Louise Strong honored for work on Chester County Housing Authority
DEAR EDITOR: I thoroughly enjoyed Margie Manlove’s food tales in the January issue and am reminded of one searing tale of my own cooking. Shortly after being appointed to the faculty at Penn, I invited my dean, G. Holmes Perkins, and his wife, Georgia, to come to our home for dinner along with another couple. What would be sophisticated enough and delicious enough to please and even impress the well-traveled and well-fed Perkins’s? Michael and I had recently returned from a visit to what many thought the world’s finest restaurant, Baumanière in Les Baux, France. I had brought home with me a recipe for baby leg of lamb. The lamb was boned and the space created was filled with lamb kidney. I am not a kidney lover, but this lamb, including its herbs and garlic, had been superlative. Nowhere could I find baby lamb so I bought the smallest leg that I could find and prepared it as directed by the recipe. It emerged from the oven looking and smelling perfect. I cut into my serving and found raw kidney. Horrible! The Perkins’s quietly dug the kidney from their servings and placed it on the edge of their plates. I was mortified. I never tried the recipe again.
Ann Louise Strong and Dale P. Gravett, executive director of the Chester County Housing Authority, were honored last month as the Chester County Commissioners paid tribute to the authority for 50 years of building and managing housing for low-income county residents. Ann Louise became the first chairman of the authority 50 years ago after negotiating with the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the then county commissioners to form the authority, whose first housing project, in West Chester, won HUD’s first-ever urban design award.
— Ann Louise Strong The BN is published monthly 10 times a year, October through July. Contributions are welcome, provided they are the contributor’s own work. The deadline for each issue is the 10th of the preceding month. E-mail to Mary Graff at graffs18@gmail.com and mgraff@BeaumontRetirement.com, or hand in at the Front Desk.
Photo by Kim Norrett CORRECTION: In the January issue, in a picture of hardhatted residents touring Beaumont construction sites, we misidentified Nancy Harris. We apologize to the real Nancy, pictured here on New Year’s Eve. BEAUMONT NEWS The Beaumont News is published by the residents and staff of the Beaumont Retirement Community, 601 N. Ithan Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
In Memoriam Ann Grange, January 7, 2014 Shirley Robinson, January 8, 2014 Elsie Butterworth, January 15, 2014
Editor Assistant Editor and Production Manager Graphic Designer Photo Editor Events Manager Proofreader Circulation Manager
Members of the Beaumont Community extend deepest sympathy to their family and friends.
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Mary Graff John Hall TJ Walsh Louise Hughes Kim Norrett Jennie Frankel Barbara O’Brien
Mechanics of governance at Beaumont, Part I
cation by the support committee chairman. A resident whose request is denied may appeal the decision to the full support committee, and ultimately, in extraordinary cases, to the BRCI Board. Any request to a support committee requiring expenditure of unbudgeted Beaumont Community funds must be approved by the Finance Committee and ratified by the BRCI Board. After each meeting, each support committee must report its decisions to the BRCI Board and post an abstract of its monthly report in the Minutes binder maintained in the Library. (During construction the binders are housed in the Administrative Office.) Complaints must also be presented in writing to the appropriate committee or subcommittee. The committee or subcommittee will consider the complaint and either refer it to the President for appropriate action or offer to work with the resident to solve the problem. If the resident does not agree with the committee’s, subcommittee’s or President’s decision, the complaint may be referred to the BRCI Board as the final authority. The Beaumont Retirement Services Inc. (BRSI) Board is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. The BRCI Board contracts with the BRSI Board to handle the operations of the community. All members of the BRSI Board are appointed by the Board itself. The IRS requires that at least one member of this Board come from outside the Beaumont Community. The President of BRSI is responsible for the dayto-day operations of Beaumont and reports to the BRSI Board.
By Joseph Peduzzi, President and CEO
Beaumont’s Certificate Members make up Beaumont Retirement Community Inc. (BRCI). BRCI has a Board of Directors which is composed of qualified residents who are elected by Certificate Members. The BRCI Board, also known as the policy board, may exercise all such powers of the corporation and do all such lawful acts and things required to be exercised and done by its members. Current members of the BRCI Board are Dr.Don Trachtenberg, Chairman; Dr. Geraldine Paier, Vice Chairman; Mr. Birchard Clothier, Secretary; Mr. Robert Herd, Treasurer; Mr. Michael Churchman; Mr. Isaac (Quartie) Clothier; and Mrs. Roberta Hollingshead. The BRCI Board has 10 support committees: Admissions and Resident Reviews, Dining Services, Finance, Green, Grounds, Health Care, House, Marketing, Resident Services and Safety and Security. Currently there is also one ad hoc support committee, the Capital Projects Committee. Additional support committees can be established at the request of, or with the approval of, the BRCI Board. The purpose of BRCI support committees is to make important contributions to the welfare of Beaumont through participating in the governing process, providing constructive input to improve the ongoing service functions of Beaumont, and monitoring the fiscal and physical health of the community. BRCI support committees have the responsibility to make decisions that benefit the majority of residents, do not infringe on or deny the basic rights of the residents, contribute to the beauty of the campus and add to the contentment of the residents and the harmonious relationships among them. Requests should be presented to the appropriate committee or subcommittee in writing. The committee or subcommittee will evaluate the request and either deny it or recommend its approval. Each subcommittee of any support committee is granted the authority to decide the merit of all written requests pertinent to its particular area, providing that all proper previously established guidelines are followed and that such decisions are consistent with earlier decisions. Affirmative decisions are contingent upon the prompt verbal ratifi-
Jim Luther, the BN’s newest contributing photographer, with Beaumont RN Bernadette Novitski on New Year’s Eve.
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Celebrating the New
Jean and Mike Churchman.
Quartie Clothier and Grace Madeira.
Members of the Beaumont Dining Services staff (from left): Dining Services Director Rose-Marie Pringle, Monae Smith, Sarah Hackenshaw; Octavia Millwood, Caroline Lowndes and Assistant Dining Services Director Photo by Mary Graff Samantha Mohan.
Photo by Jim Luther
Ann Louise Strong, George Miller and Ginny Rivers.
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w Year at Beaumont
Right: Dining Services Supervisor Lee-Anna Lopez
Barbara Pottish.
Photo by Jim Luther
Staff Photos by Jim Luther
Barbara and John Benson.
Photo by Jim Luther
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Photo by Jim Luther
From newcomers to neighbors
States, where they lived at first in Germantown and had two children, a boy and a girl. Both the Picks had a strong interest in art education, and in 1969 they enrolled in a series of courses at the Barnes Foundation in Merion. Marcelle became close to the director, Miss Violette de Mazia, and became involved in the de Mazia Foundation, which continues to offer classes in schools and to independent groups such as Villanova College—even, at one time, in Graterford Prison. Marcelle also ran Miss de Mazia’s household for many years, as well as being a co-trustee of the foundation with the late Esther VanSant. She still serves on the foundation board. Dr. Pick died some years ago. Marcelle no longer has family in France, but she has traveled all over Europe as well as to Nepal, a special favorite, and to India and Russia. Marcelle is a board member of the Lower Merion Senior Citizens and the Wilma Theater in Philadelphia, and was president of Ohara Ikebana for nine years. She has also taught Ikebana at the Philadelphia Flower Show. Now that she is somewhat settled in Baldwin, she is looking forward to more trips to Richmond, Va., to visit her children: Isabelle, who is the director of Religious Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, and Christopher, a psychology manager for “Specialists on Call.” She is also looking forward to enjoying her two grandchildren and her “grand-dog” in Virginia.
Beaumont welcomes Ikebana expert By Barbara O’Brien
Mrs. Marcelle Pick came to Beaumont just before Christmas. Her arrival was not, however, the peaceful one she had envisioned. Her Devon house had sold very quickly, and her contractor had not finished the work she was having done in her new apartment. Beaumont to the rescue! Mrs. Pick cannot say enough in praise of the staff, which whirred into action and finished the job so that she could move in. Marcelle is originally from Troyes, France. She was working in a London hospital as a nurse-supervisor when she met and married Dr. Ernest Marcelle Pick Pick, a specialist in mammography. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Pick was asked to host Dr. Gershon Cohen from Einstein North in Philadelphia. Within a year, the Picks had moved to the United
Her trip to Haverford bank put paid to robber’s career
saying that she had just been held up by a man wearing a mask and holding a gun. “There he goes!” she added as she pointed to a man with a kerchief between his teeth running past the bank’s front window. It was the man I had seen outside just a few minutes earlier. The bank manager ran out after him but shortly lost track of him somewhere near the train tracks. Since his face had been covered by the kerchief during the holdup, the teller had not seen his face. The bank shut down, the police arrived followed by the FBI, and I soon found myself sitting in the back seat of a car looking through volumes of mug shots. I couldn’t say that any of those photographs really looked like the man I had seen leaning so casually against that wall. The FBI agents thanked me, took my name and address and I went home with a story to tell my family—and later, my friends. Nearly a year later, I received a phone call informing
By Rena Burnstein
It was a balmy afternoon in June 1962, clear blue sky and lots of errands to be done getting ready for a family trip. As I pulled into the parking lot at the Bryn Mawr Trust, Haverford Branch, I noticed a man casually leaning against the bank’s exterior brick wall. He was noticeable to me because he seemed, even at first glance, to be out of place in that suburban shopping mall along the Main Line railroad tracks. Well, never mind, I thought. I needed to get traveler’s checks for our upcoming trip. It was almost 3 p.m. I entered the bank and went directly to the office which handled the traveler’s checks. I had been in that space only a few minutes when a teller burst in breathlessly
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Bank continued on page 7
Eagles fans, don’t despair!
Photo by Mark Surkin An ugly truckling spoiling the view of a winter wonderland? No way! Villa residents rejoiced each time the snow plow passed last month, giving thanks for the seemingly tireless crews who kept Beaumont’s walks and roadways clear.
We are all too familiar with the old cliché “There’s always next year.” Let’s look forward to another winning year with Coach Chip Kelly, quarterback Nick Foles and running back LeSean McCoy. 2013 was the rookie year for both Coach Kelly and Nick Foles. Remember those past years with Norm Van Brocklin, Ron “Jaws” Jaworski and Donovan McNabb? My enthusiasm for football began many years ago when I attended the Washington Redskins game at Griffith Stadium with my father. “Slinging” Sammy Baugh was quarterback and Dick Todd the star halfback. Yes, the Eagles came to town under the legendary skills of Sid Luckman, quarterback. One big difference occurred in those contexts. All players were expected to play both offense and defense. The coaches called on many “subs” on every play. It was fun to watch the Redskins marching band play “Hail to the Redskins.” The band was composed of men from all local businesses dressed in dark red suits and wearing Western Indian headdresses with long white feathers flowing down their backs. It certainly was a halftime treat! Good luck Philadelphia in 2014! — Jane Garrison
Bank continued from page 6 me that a man had been arrested and was being charged with several bank holdups. Could I identify this individual as the robber I saw at the Bryn Mawr Bank in Haverford? The image of his face had remained clear to me and I agreed to try. In a way, his face was remarkable. It sort of reminded me of W.C. Fields; it was distinctive, with a large nose and a ruddy, coarse complexion. I was brought to a room which had a two-way mirror through which I could observe, without being seen, the individual who had been arrested. He looked like the man I had seen outdoors, on a sunny June day, but I couldn’t be sure in that artificial light and looking through glass that he was the person with the distinctive complexion I remembered. I couldn’t be sure—and I said so. O.K. We agreed to try an in-the-flesh approach, which was done a week or so later. A scenario was devised for me to view the prisoner standing in what looked like a cage set in a large well-lit room that had
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several desks in it. I was to come into the room casually and appear to be interviewed at one of the desks. My line of vision was direct and clear. He was certainly the man I saw in Haverford that day last June. On June 11, 1963, Joseph Roach was tried for taking $10,905 from the Haverford Branch of the Bryn Mawr Trust Company. I was one of the witnesses called to testify. He was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to 25 years in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Francis Van Dusen. Roach was already serving a 30-year sentence for an armed robbery of East Girard Savings and Loan in October. That sentence, handed down by a visiting judge from Oklahoma, had made headlines in Philadelphia’s Evening Bulletin as “the stiffest sentence a bank robber ever got here in U.S. District Court.” The judge said, “We take bank robbers pretty seriously in Oklahoma.” I took identifying a bank robber in court in Pennsylvania pretty seriously as well.
Mike’s Roundup By Mike Bailey, Housekeeping
What was done in the past shall remain in the back, It’s now 2014, could you imagine that . . . A lot of good memories, a lot of good times, A few and I mean a few Dull moments came around. A fresh new start or the closing of a chapter, Whatever it may be, We’ll go thru it together. For example, the stages leading to new birth: January 5, around 6:38, Jenny Hadfield Couldn’t spare the wait So out came Danielle Odessa, While Nick started to faint. Like the New Year’s ball That Rose-Marie nearly made, As she raised her glass, to simply celebrate, Who would have guessed It would be for her new grandbaby, Isaiah Christopher, who came after twelve. The month of love, Like some shall say, Liz Walsh got engaged With a marriage on the way. Two family engagements in just one year— Congrats to Audrey Walsh, Our Marketing dear. To all who are reading I want to say “thanks.” You keep me motivated With all your compliments.
Above: Jenny Hadfield’s baby Danielle Odessa. Left: Rose-Marie Pringle and grandson, Isaiah Christopher. Below: Audrey Walsh’s daughter Liz with new fiancé Tim Hartman.
“Don’t worry about biting off more than you can chew; your mouth is probably a whole lot bigger than you think.”
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