V o lu me T wen t y N i ne , N umber 7
October 2015
Hot news about phones from Information Technology By Robert Catalano, IT Director
At Beaumont we strive for the best, so in the best interest of Beaumont we are updating the Beaumont phone system. Over the past few years we have enjoyed good phone service from our provider; however, since a flawed upgrade about six months ago, the level of service has decreased. As a result of our new partnership with Health Signals and Net Carrier, located in Lansdale, we expect to get onsite service and support, double (100 MB) our Internet connection for all residents, all new phones for the staff, directory and group messaging, just to name a few of the features. All of this is to be provided as soon as next month with no change in costs to Beaumont for the next three years. Most important, we will be getting a fast and reliable phone system. We should not have to worry about our phone system; it should just be there and work.
Photo by Jonathan Kolbe
HARVEST from Beaumont's first kitchen garden was shared by rabbits and squirrels, but still some veggies remained for the residents. See page 8.
Photo by Chef John Bauer
'DIZZYINGLY ENGERGETIC' was one observer's description of Victoria Wyeth's presentation on her grandfather, the artist Andrew Wyeth, earlier this month. Here, hamming it up in Granpa's working apron, Victoria wowed residents and guests who packed the Beaumont Room.
Inside
Civil War battle at sea recalled........................ Page 3 Time to review health insurance...................... Page 3 Two new members elected to BRCI Board..... Page 5
Praise from President Joe
Scholarship ceremony 'best yet'
Now that the dust from the weekend of the Pope’s visit has settled, I would like to thank members of the staff of Beaumont for their hard work and dedication in helping make this historic weekend a successful event. Every department played an invaluable role in making the services over the weekend seamless and business-as-usual. All-in-all, a total of 100 employees worked on the campus at various times over the weekend. Thank you again for all your efforts.
By Mary Wells, Human Resources Director By all accounts, this year’s Beaumont Awards ceremony was the best yet. We celebrated 24 employees who are continuing their education with the assistance of the Beaumont Scholarship Fund. This year’s venue was changed from smaller quarters to the Beaumont Room because the event has become so popular. More than 100 staff and residents gathered to hear this year’s winners speak. The speeches were all unique, and provided insights showing how hard the staff work to balance college and career. Many thanked both their managers and the residents for their support and encouragement. It was wonderful to hear about the diverse programs that our staff are attending. Former scholarship winners Caitlin McDevitt and Timothy (TJ) Walsh returned to give thoughtful speeches on how their scholarships helped them during their college years. Caitlin is now working at Beaumont as Assistant to the Marketing Director, Audrey Walsh, and Audrey’s son TJ is a higher education administrator, mental health counselor and artist. Following the ceremony, staff and residents enjoyed mingling and having their pictures taken together. One resident said she looks forward to this ceremony every year. She praised Beaumont for the connection that exists between residents and staff, adding that she enjoys watching the younger staff members mature in their positions. Here are the scholars and their departments:
— Joe Peduzzi
Photo by Louise Hughes
DR. JOHN CARSON HEARD Louise Hughes was planning a craft class for staff members and that she needed seashells. He said his late wife always collected seashells when they went on vacation to Sanibel, and he would be glad to donate the collection. Here Administrative Assistant Jennie Frankel demonstrates one of the results.
In Memoriam Carol Allen August 17, 2015
Resident Services: Lakia Archer
Marguerite Spinelli September 25, 2015
Dining: Hayden Auguste, Adrian Carranza, Joann Chow, Lauren Devinney, Deron Dixon, Breyonna Hand-Muir, Kate Johnson, Jasmine Lopez, Caroline Lowndes, Octavia Millwood, Ebony Mosley, Jeremy Richardson, Briana Sterling and Eyram Tsikata
Members of the Beaumont Community extend deepest sympathy to their families and friends. 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 Editor Associate Editor and Production Manager Assistant Editor Graphic Designer Photo Editor Roving Reporter Events Manager Proofreader Circulation Manager
Health Care Center: Jessica Goldhahn, Latonya Turpin and Dana Williams Personal Care: Keisha Dixon, Althea Johnsona and Alex Ramirez
Mary Graff John Hall Ginny Rivers TJ Walsh Louise Hughes Wistie Miller Kim Norrett Jennie Frankel Barbara O’Brien
Wellness: Gretchen Shelton Accounting: Kristin Szoke
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Nursing: Megan Henry
Time for residents to review their health insurance
By Jeanne Drumheller, Wellness Center Director For those on Medicare, the annual opportunity to re-evaluate your prescription drug coverage has arrived. Open Enrollment occurs each year, Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. With few exceptions, Fall Open Enrollment is the only time you are permitted to change your Medicare coverage. There is no requirement to review your Medicare D prescription drug plan every year; however, it is highly recommended even if you are satisfied with your current coverage. In 2016, there is a choice of 26 different drug plans in the Montgomery County 19010 zip code. Your medicines or your plan’s formulary may have changed since you enrolled in your current plan. Also, the premium or deductible may have increased or, in some cases, your current plan may not be offered next year. Everyone is encouraged to give this careful consideration to assure you will continue to have the best coverage available for your prescription needs. Please be aware that some retirement plans are changing also. This is the time of year to be looking for documentation from your current plan, often called an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) and/or Evidence of Coverage (EOC). These documents will tell you about any changes in cost or coverage for next year. Carefully review any communication you receive from your current insurer so you don’t miss any important notices. Please note that Fall Open Enrollment for Medicare is different from Open Enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace which begins Nov. 1. The Marketplaces are not meant for people with Medicare, who must use the Fall Open Enrollment Period to review and make changes to their health coverage. To explore your options for 2016, you will need to have your red, white and blue Medicare card handy and a complete list of your medicines. There is an easy to use
Civil War battle at sea recalled Carol Allen was a passionate champion of Civil War remembrances, for which she was often teased but greatly respected. This was the last story she wrote before her recent death, printed now with permission of her husband, David.
By Carol Allen In our fourth annual study of the Civil War, at its 150th anniversary, we went to sea with Jane Garrison, retired museum docent and cochairman of the Art Committee. Many important battles were fought by the armies of the Mississippi, the Cumberland and the Potomac rivers. General Meade’s victory at Gettysburg was balanced by General Grant’s capture of the Mississippi River fort at Vicksburg on July 4, 1863. But the Civil War was also fought on oceans around the world. One of the most famous battles was the sinking of the Confederate raider C.S.S. Alabama by the Union sloop-of-war U.S.S. Kearsarge off the northern coast of France in June of 1864. The conflict was so close to shore that the French people could follow it from the cliffs. Edouard Manet (1832-1883) painted the battle shortly thereafter. Jane showed us a slide of the large painting of the action. The original painting hangs in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The C.S.S. Alabama had been a most successful raider for the Confederate cause. She attacked and sank more than 60 Union merchant ships. The U.S.S. Kearsarge was built in New Hampshire, and named for a nearby mountain. She was larger and had more powerful guns and a protective “vest” of iron
Health continued on page 7 chains on her midship. She scored a direct hit on the Alabama’s steam engines and coal supply. Another blow to her bulkhead caused her demise. The U.S.S. Kearsarge survived and remained in service protecting the U.S. merchant fleet around the world. Unfortunately she hit a reef off the coast of Nicaragua in 1884 and was not recoverable.
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Committees and Boards: The Go-To list for 2015-2016
Grounds Committee Nancy Harris, Chairman; Peter Abel, Helen Ballard, Jean Bodine (BRCI Board Rep.), Louise Carter, Bob Herd, Joan Thayer and Peggy Wolcott.
The fall season is not strictly speaking the start of a new year, but to many of us it feels like one. So here is a fresh start at enabling residents both new and old to find the current go-to board and committee members they may need. This updated list will be good (with inevitable minor changes) until elections take place at the Annual Meeting in May.
Health Care Committee Dr. Gerri Paier, Chairman; Anne Godfrey, Margie Manlove, George Miller, James Morris, M.D., Stuart Saunders (Health Center Rep.), Dr. Don Trachtenberg, Joan Yannessa and Debora Zug.
By Jennie Frankel, Administrative Assistant BRCI 2015–2016: Dr. Don Trachtenberg, Chairman; Jean Bodine, Michael Churchman, Birchard Clothier (Secretary), Isaac Clothier, Dr. Gerri Paier (Vice Chairman) and Ted Robb.
House Committee Marian Lockett-Egan, Chairman; Frank Boyer, Norma Fabian, Sally Herd, Katherine Hutchinson, Grace Madeira, Lee Pierson and Dr. Don Trachtenberg.
BRSI 2015–2016: John Woolford, Chairman; James Egan, Norma Fabian, Roland Morris, Anthony Parrotto, Joseph J. Peduzzi (Beaumont President) and Vernon Stanton (Vice Chairman).
Marketing Committee Alan Tripp, Chairman; Marlynne Clothier, Eta Glassman, Mary Graff (Ex-officio, Beaumont News), Roland Morris, Anthony Parrotto, Ted Robb, Dr. Don Trachtenberg and Marvin Weisbord.
SUPPORT COMMITTEES
Nominating Committee George Miller, Chairman; Dr. John Carson, Fytie Drayton, John Gregg, Sally Herd, Dede Shafer and Joan Thayer.
Admissions and Resident Review Joseph J. Peduzzi, Chairman; Lisa Burkholder (Resident Care Coordinator), Renee Connolly (Nurse Practitioner), Caitlin McDevitt (Marketing Assistant), Jeanne Drumheller (Wellness Center Director), Lynn Plasha (Vice President of Health Services), James Morris, M.D. (Medical Director), and Audrey Walsh (Marketing Director). There are no residents on this committee.
Resident Services Eta Glassman, Chairman; Peter Binzen, Deborah Bishop, Jean Churchman, Barbara Clothier, Jeanne Cortner, Mary Disston, Fytie Drayton, Linda Parrotto, Bobbi Rosen, Evelyn Rosen, Mary Schnabel, Marion Snyder, Joan Thayer and Susan Woolford.
Dining Services Committee Joan Roberts, Chairman; Birchard Clothier (BRCI Board Rep.), Fytie Drayton, John Lloyd, Barbara O’Brien, David Randolph, Bobbi Rosen, and Elizabeth Webb.
Safety and Security Alfred Rhodes, Chairman; Michael Churchman (BRCI Board Rep.), Peter Godfrey, Nell Mecray, Sally Morris, Mary Carol Ryan, Joan Thayer and Charles Wood.
Finance Committee Adolf Paier, Chairman; James Bromley, Lon Homeier, John Lloyd, Dr. Don Trachtenberg, John Woolford, and Jim Zug.
ACTIVITY COMMITTEES
Green Committee Ann Louise Strong, Chairman; Quartie Clothier (BRCI Board Rep.), John Gregg, Dick Maass, George Miller, Roland Morris, Ann Reed and Dr. Richard Stephens.
Art Committee Jane Garrison, Co-Chair, and Eloise Gretz, Co-Chair. Committees continued on page 5
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Committees continued from page 4
Jean Bodine, Ted Robb, elected to BRCI Board
Bingo Resident Services Department
By Sinclair (Sis) Ziesing
Music Committee John Gregg, Chairman; Jean Churchman, Dr. Carlos Gonzalez, Katherine Hutchinson, Dick Maass, Sally (Wistie) Miller and Dr. Robert Morgan.
The all-important Beaumont Retirement Community Inc. (BRCI ) Board welcomed two new members by election last May, Jean Bodine (already serving by appointment) and Ted Robb. Jean, originally from Minneapolis, graduated from Smith and married a Philadelphia guy, Jim Bodine. They were much engaged in volunteer work, even while rearing four children. Jim, a prominent Philadelphia banker and former Jean Bodine state Secretary of Commerce, died in 2005. Jean still volunteers at Christ Church and at an elementary school in town where she helps with reading in first and second grades. Ted Robb is a native Philadelphian. He graduated from Penn after serving in the Korean War. He then worked for a German company, a maker of foil products, where he was vice president of marketing. For many years he has been a trustee of the Pennsylvania chapter of Ted Robb the Nature Conservancy, and he is planning a presentation here about the work of that agency at the end of this month.
Wine Committee Birchard Clothier, Chairman; Lon Homeier, Marian Lockett-Egan, George Shafer, Alan Tripp, Bertram Wolfson and Susan Woolford. Library Committee Carole Morgan, Chairman; Margie Baird, Jean Churchman, Jeanne Cortner, Jane Garrison, Joan Greene, Alida Lovell, Sally Morris, Barbara O’Brien, Dede Shafer, Marsha Solmssen and Peggy Wolcott. Bridge Committee Devie Andrews, Co-Chair; Sally Herd, Ann Reed, Marion Snyder and Sinclair Ziesing, Co-Chair. Flower Committee Sally Herd OTHER COMMITTEES Beaumont Fund Advisory Board Jim Zug, Chairman; Dr. Gerri Paier, Bobbi Rosen and Alan Tripp.
Dining Committee Chair talks about her work
By-Law Review Committee Birch Clothier, Chairman; Jean Homeier, Resident Representative, John Lloyd, Finance Committee Representative, Mary Schnabel, Resident Representative, Vernon Stanton, BRSI Board Representative, Dr. Don Trachtenberg, BRCI Board Chair, Ex-Officio, John Woolford, BRSI Board Chair, Ex-Officio, Joseph Peduzzi, President, Ex-Officio, and Audrey Walsh, Director of Marketing, Ex-Officio.
By Joan Roberts
When Mary Schnabel invited me to join the Dining Committee, I was pleased to be involved with something so close to all of our lives at Beaumont. Later, when Mary asked me to chair the committee, I took it on with more than a little trepidation, knowing the challenge of trying to fill her shoes. My two terms have been interesting and rewarding, due in no small part to the people with whom I have served. Dining Committee continued on page 7
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From newcomers to neighbors
Villa 53 couple both star as volunteers; he, a veteran of cooking for the poor, already serving on Dining Committee
import and export of people!” Meanwhile David got a job teaching in the Philadelphia public schools and eventually started work as a private investor. It was then that Joyce and David reconnected, got married and, with Joyce’s young son, moved into a rented apartment in West Philadelphia. When David’s mother moved to Beaumont, the younger Randolphs relocated to Hannah’s house in St. Davids with son and young daughter in tow. Now both are “retired,” quotation marks intended. David has for years been working actively with the Church of the Redeemer in many capacities. He recently worked almost full time helping to kickstart a summer camp at St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church in North Philadelphia. The camp includes 20 kids, 10 volunteers and five paid staff. Joyce volunteered for 10 years at Radnor Memorial Library, helping coordinate their enormously successful book sale. Held twice a year, that event has netted the library the tidy sum of $75,000 annually. She still works once a week in the Green Room at Bryn Mawr Hospital and has been helping out in the Beaumont Health Center. David is a new member of our Dining Committee and is well qualified for the job. Through the Church of the Redeemer, he has been cooking with a group of volunteers for several years. Called “Food For Friends,” this group produces about 130 meals a week, four times a month. They cook the food and freeze it, after which it follows a chain of distribution through other churches. He says he loves Beaumont food!
By Mary Schnabel
David and Joyce Randolph
Photo by Greg Benson
Beaumont is proudly keeping track of the increasing number of second-generation residents who are making homes here, the same place their parents once lived. Joyce and David Randolph have been added to that group and, as of this writing, were beginning to see the light of day from under their cartons and boxes. Before their move to Villa 53, David was almost a daily visitor here, both while his mother, Hannah Randolph, was living, and also since then. Joyce is a Japanese-Canadian by birth. She was born in an internment camp run by the Canadian government during World War II, where her parents and two older brothers were already interned. After the war her family settled in Toronto, where Joyce attended the University of Toronto. After graduate school she came to the U.S. and a teaching position in the German Department at Columbia University. There she became friends with David, who was studying German at the college. After Columbia, they went separate ways; David for a six-month sojourn in Greece and Joyce to Philadelphia, where she found a job at Penn, first on the faculty and eventually with its International Programs, working to help provide services and resources for students and faculty interested in an exchange with another school abroad. When I remarked about what a great job that must have been, she agreed and added, “I dealt in the
Multi-talented teacher now living in Baldwin with laptop and cat By Jean Homeier Marilyn (Lynn) Ayres, a lifelong Philadelphian, moved to Beaumont in May from Foxhill Farm, an over-55 community in Delaware County. She and her 14-yearold cat, Dinah, are happily settling into Baldwin. After earning both a Bachelor’s degree in English and a Master’s in Education from Temple, Lynn com-
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Ayres continued on page 7
Dining Committee continued from page 5 In case you were wondering: No, neither the committee nor I tell Chef John how to cook. He is well qualified, or he wouldn’t be here. He is, however, open to suggestions, either from the committee or from the residents. (And none of us would attempt his ice sculptures!) Creative ideas for future special parties and celebrations come from Rose-Marie Pringle, Director of Dining. Chef John plans the menus for these, with the approval of the committee. One important function of the committee is to be the conduit between the residents and the staff. Comments, compliments and complaints can be reported to any member of the committee, and will be discussed at the following meeting. We try to address Joan Roberts your concerns, and get back to you with timely and satisfactory answers, whether the issue is portion size, seasoning, cooking method—broil, bake, or fry—or anything else. The Dining Committee’s agenda is not merely about food. It is about the whole dining experience, including the table décor (flowers, linens, lighting). Some of you may remember when the main issue was the dress code, and whether or not men’s jackets and ties were required or optional. This led to the present system based on the calendar—Labor Day to Memorial Day, and the reverse—jackets required in the winter, not in the summer, and ties optional all year ’round. In our efforts toward a modern-day approach, balancing decorum with comfort and informality, the committee has established guidelines designed to avoid offense and please as many as possible. We count on residents to make their guests aware of these guidelines, for the comfort of all. The Dining Committee is a small group, and many have expressed an interest in joining it. I realize that this has nothing to do with my sparkling personality, but everyone wants to have some say in what we eat, and how we eat it. I hope that all who wish to serve on the committee will eventually have the opportunity to do so.
Ayres continued from page 6 pleted a second Master’s, this time in School Administration at Villanova. Her working life has been with the Philadelphia schools, first teaching English and later computer at Overbrook High School. After that she joined the Philadelphia School District's Central Administration Office as liaison between the Budget Office, Human Resources and 100 middle and high school principals, to this interviewer, an unbelievably challenging job. Using hisMarilyn (Lynn) Ayres torical and current data about each school, Lynn projected student enrollments for the following year. Her projections then determined each school's allotment of teachers, support personnel, supplies and so forth. The Budget Office calculated the number of teachers needed (10 English, 7 Math etc.), and Human Resources filled the positions requested. Lynn's "after school interests" include travel, reading, photography and writing. She has already joined the creative writing group and become a welcome contributor to the Beaumont News. Her first article is scheduled to appear in the November issue. (And maybe I shouldn't divulge this, but…she is also a "Baby Boomer," joining a very select, small group here at Beaumont!)
Health continued from page 3 website, called the “Plan Finder Tool,” on Medicare.gov, or you may call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) for help. For Beaumont residents and members of our Future Residents Club, convenient access to personalized help understanding your options is available. Just call the Wellness Center to schedule an appointment during Medicare Fall Open Enrollment to meet with our Insurance Liaison for assistance.
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When are dirty hands becoming to a chef ? Read on! By Ginny Rivers
Rabbits like green beans more than tomatoes, which partly explains why homegrown heirloom and steak tomatoes, but not homegrown green beans, enhanced our late summer meals this year in the Mansion and Bistro. Once they finished off the green beans, rabbits devoured most of the eggplants; they disdained the jalapeno and poblano peppers in this past summer’s kitchen garden. The pumpkin just died. “Fried in the hot weather,” said Executive Chef John Bauer. (And with a grudging apology to the rabbits, Rich Stephens did report seeing a squirrel departing the garden with a tomato in its mouth.) Chef John Bauer Our special tomatoes and the surviving two eggplants owe much to Sous Chef Mike Santangelo, who tilled, planted, weeded and nurtured the vegetable garden, which is tucked in among the residents’ plots across from the Gatehouse. His efforts were the first step in fulfilling Chef John’s plan for an exclusive kitchen garden at Beaumont. That plan is rooted (pun intended) in the Napa Valley’s French Laundry restaurant, famous for serving fresh produce from its own bountiful garden, as well as its finished meals. “I grew up gardening,” said Mike. “The family grew tomatoes and other vegetables in our back yard in Swarthmore. It’s great to be able to come here and put in a couple of hours outside before going into the kitchen.” This is his 13th year at Beaumont and his first producing vegetables for our kitchen. Next summer, the two chefs may grow Italian and
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Japanese eggplants that are sweeter than the eggplants we are used to. And Chef John may have succeeded in his hope to create a new garden just outside the kitchen, where more of the kitchen staff can help with the work. Beaumont residents have been supplying the chefs with their own homegrown herbs (basil, parsley, thyme, tarragon, oregano and lemon grass) along with arugula, cherry tomatoes, occasional cucumbers, squash and baby lettuces. These homegrown items have inspired and enhanced the recent menus for Tableside Dining, the Mansion and the Bistro. Chef John is enthusiastic: “It’s wonderful to have these very fresh ingredients that haven’t been sprayed or fertilized,” he said. “The fresh-picked flavors can’t be matched. And nothing tastes as good as these freshly picked herbs.” Having met several times with members of the Green and Dining committees, with reinforcement from his professional colleagues and other sources, Chef John has become a staunch advocate of buying food grown locally, when available. He is buying more and more fresh food from the Philadelphia area “Common Market” supplied by local farms. He describes Common Market corn, whether fresh or frozen, as excellent, but unfortunately, not available for long. He says the Common Market also provides gluten-free and special vegetarian items, including a locally grown trumpet mushroom that delighted Bistro steakophiles recently.
Sous Chef Mike Santangelo