Beaumont News November 2016

V o lu me T h i rt y , N umber 4

October/November 2016

Beaumont budgets $41 million to enhance and protect its future

By Mary Graff

Building on the sound financial base described to us at budget meetings each year, and following up on the $4.5 million capital improvement projects completed in 2013-2014, Beaumont management has now formulated 10- and 20-year plans to put $41 million into renewal, enhancement and preventive maintenance projects in our nearly-30-year-old original structures.

The capital projects completed in 2014 gave us the Bistro, the new arts and crafts studio, the new library, the greatly expanded fitness center, and renovations including some updating of the Personal Care floors.

As presented by Finance Committee Chairman Dolf Paier, capital projects costing $26 million over the next 10 years, beginning in January, will include: • Replacing all stucco, windows and doors in all areas.

• General interior improvements throughout Austin, Baldwin, the Health Center, Commons areas, Grill Room and Personal Care.

• Replacing roofs, gutters and attic insulation in all areas.

• Replacing all heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in all areas.

• Installing new emergency call and access control systems.

• Restoring structural systems including exterior walls and areas where water penetration has occurred.

• Landscape enhancements.

• Replacing kitchen equipment.

• Probably replacing campus-wide generator.

Along the line, Operations Chief Brock Capital Assessment continued on page 3

Our CCRC merits CARF blessing again, but what is it and how did it come about?

By George Hollingshead RAIN FAILED TO STOP ‘FIRST EVER’ DOGGIE PARADE in September. Quincy and Abby Curran (and Ed) were anxious to get started.

More pictures on page 16.

Beaumont recently faced its biggest test in five years, the five-year re-accreditation visit from CARF International. In August, CARF came here for a three-day inspection to interview staff, board members and residents in order to evaluate how well we meet international standards of quality. Beaumont received its re-accreditation, of course, with flying colors.

Here is how it happened:

Established in 1966, CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) evaluates hundreds of continuing care communities here and abroad. Its mission is to promote continuous improvement of services to enhance the lives of the persons served. Since 2007 it has used a system designated specifically to assist CCRCs (Continuing Care Retirement Communities) like Beaumont with performance

CARF continued on page 4

Photo by Jane Ruffin

Charitable Tax Tip

A Small Suggestion

Submitted by the Beaumont Fund Advisory Board If you are required to take minimum distributions (RMD) from your IRA, and if you wish to make charitable contributions of less than $100,000, you may have income tax savings if you make the Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from your IRA. To qualify, the funds must be transferred directly by the IRA trustee to an eligible charity, like the Beaumont Fund, or any 501(c)(3) organization. Distributed amounts will be excluded from the IRA owner’s income, possibly resulting in lower taxable income for the IRA owner. However, if the IRA owner excludes the distribution from income, he may not double-dip by taking a charitable contribution deduction for the same amount. (Exclusion or deduction, not both.)

Check with your tax adviser to find out if this is advantageous for you.

If you would like to have some fun and get an intellectual kick at the same time, head over to Physical Therapy and take a look at “The Word of the Week,” posted by Christine Damico, Speech Therapist, just inside the P. T. doors. There’s a new one every Friday.

A recent post: GALLIMANFRY. Look it up!

—Mary Schnabel

Best Friends

(why I’m happy on my birthday) When we were young, you’ll remember I’m sure, We all had “best friends” and felt nice and secure.

Well, some moved away and then others just died, But a few hung around and stood fast by our side.

Now, if we get lucky as we’re growing old, We move to a place where we’re part of a fold.

Then, magically, we meet the right folks somehow— Who are more than our friends, they’re our best old friends now!

—Alan R. Tripp on the occasion of his 99th birthday 9/11/2016

Photo by Eric Van der Vlugt

In Memoriam

ALAN TRIPP POSES A QUESTION during journalist Jeff Greenfield’s October presentation in the Beaumont Room.

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 Co-Editor Graphic Designer Photo Editor Roving Reporter Events Manager Proofreader

Mary Graff John Hall Marilyn Ayres TJ Walsh Louise Hughes Wistie Miller Caitlin McDevitt Jennie Frankel

Patricia Fraser August 7, 2016

Rhoda Krug November 1, 2016

Dr. Pauline Foster August 28, 2016

Maurice Webster November 5, 2016

Barbara O’Brien October 20, 2016

Grace T. Olsen November 10, 2016

Bernice Rosenfeld October 28, 2016

Peter Binzen November 16, 2016

Members of the Beaumont Community extend deepest sympathy to their families and friends.

Starting with the December 2016 issue, the Beaumont News will return to once-a-month publication October through July, with a publication target date of about the 10th of each month. Starting with the January 2017 issue, the deadline for turning in copy will be the 20th of the previous month (Dec. 20 for the January issue) unless by special arrangement with Editor Mary Graff (Graffs18@gmail.com) or Co-Editor Lynn Ayres (marilynayres134@gmail.com). Copy should be emailed to both editors or, if emailing not possible, written or typed as legibly as possible and given to Administrative Assistant Jennie Frankel to convert.

2

David Kim concert featured violin with a personal history, new Music Room piano

The concert featured four very difficult pieces from the classical chamber music repertoire by Mozart, Prokofiev, Wieniawsky and Sarasate. The difficulty of the pieces, especially by the last two composers, showed the virtuoso skill and artistic sensitivity of the performers, and the audience showed its appreciation by prolonged, loud applause.

The violin that David Kim was playing has an interesting history, in which my husband, Eugenio Calabi, happened to play a small role. The violin was made around 1757 by J. B. Guadagnini, a well-known Italian violinmaker.

In the middle of the 20th Century, a Swiss violinist in the French National Orchestra of Paris owned it, as well as another even earlier one, made by C. Camilli. When he died, about 1963, he left both of them to a nephew, Max Engeli, a mathematician who was then a visiting lecturer at University of Minnesota, where Eugenio was also on the faculty. Engeli chose to keep the Camilli for his own son, who was studying the violin at the time, and sold the Guadagnini to Eugenio.

At that time Eugenio had just accepted the offer of a professorship at the University of Pennsylvania. He spent the summer visiting his extended family in Milan, Italy, and then returned with it to Philadelphia where he played for several years.

About 1990 Eugenio felt that his musical skills could not do justice to an instrument of that quality. It seemed that a good way of disposing of it, and at the same time being able to hear it played once in a while, was to donate it to the Philadelphia Orchestra to be played by the Concertmaster.

By Giuliana Calabi September 27 was a great day for Beaumont: A concert was scheduled in the Beaumont Room, featuring violinist David Kim, Concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

He was accompanied by Juliet Kang, who played the viola and violin, and by pianist Natalie Zhu. What made the occasion especially exciting was that we could hear for the first time the Photo from wrti.org Bösendorfer grand Philadelphia Orchestra Concertmaster David Kim piano that Beaumont

had just bought and that had just been delivered and tuned the previous day. It had arrived after yearlong efforts by several music-loving residents to replace the damaged instrument that had been used before.

possible increase, Operations Chief Nichols pointed out that The Plan is “a living and breathing document, which will continue to change and evolve along with our campus needs.”

In return, residents both present and future are expected to benefit significantly from what Operations Chief Nichols called “a proactive approach to infrastructure, campus maintenance and property enhancement, further protecting their interests and investments.”

Both President Peduzzi and Finance Chairman Paier said that even with the additional fee, Beaumont would remain financially competitive within the region.

While Beaumont’s unique advantages make it difficult to compare our community with others, President Peduzzi came up with this example:

“Our median unit, two bedrooms with den, based on 2016 single-occupancy pricing plus a $350 per unit per month capital fee, still costs $1,600 per month less than a more or less comparable unit at our leading competitor’s.”

Capital Assessment continued from page 1

Nichols said, “Some initiatives will include energy efficiency enhancements.”

Designed with the help of consultant zumBrunnen, the Campus-Wide Facility Forecast (CWFF—better known as The Plan) was revealed Oct. 5 to a packed Beaumont Room audience by Beaumont President Joseph J. Peduzzi, Beaumont Retirement Community Inc. (BRCI) Board Chairman Dr. Don Trachtenberg, Finance Committee Chairman Paier and Operations Chief Nichols.

The cost of implementing The Plan will be shared by residents living independently in villas and apartments (not the Health Center or Personal Care) by means of a $350 flat fee per unit per month, in addition to each unit’s regular monthly fee.

Figures in the summary issued to residents included an estimated increase in the flat fee of about $100 per unit per month, for a total of $450, at some (unspecified) time in the future. Explaining this

3

CARF continued from page 1 residents to know about our evaluation, she said, “Beaumont did well. The evaluation showed that we are a superior retirement community with a strong team of leaders.”

Brock Nichols, Assistant Vice President in charge of Operations, had an important part in our accreditation review. He spoke about CARF’s concern for accessibility for our residents—curb cuts, automatic-open doors, elevators, lighting, and so forth. He added some larger issues such as disaster preparedness drills for employees, including off-site evacuation plans, backup oxygen and emergency food. Our building and maintenance staff also have mandatory training sessions. Safety is a primary concern. Brock explained that success in all these areas is much more possible because it is a team effort at all levels here at Beaumont.

Seeking an evaluation of Beaumont’s services from all points of view, the evaluators also interviewed new residents, residents who have been here a long while, residents who are “second generation residents here,” and children of current residents. Others interviewed were contractors associated with Beaumont, sub-contractors and insurance carriers. Audrey Walsh, who set up these interviews, was asked how it went.

Smilingly, she said: “There were no surprises. We had very good comments from these evaluators.”

improvements.

The team of evaluators investigated our financial foundation and risk management, as well as ethics as a corporation and employer. Other areas investigated included leadership, governance, strategies, legal status, fiscal planning, health and safety, technology and more.

Joe Peduzzi showed me 20 or more binders filled with the evidence of how we meet the standards in order to receive CARF’s top rating. Joe says that by going through such an evaluation, Beaumont is held to “walking the talk.”

I spoke with Sue Kendra, Vice President of Finance, whose responsibility it was to provide CARF with all kinds of data. This was the first time that she was required to provide such substantial, detailed information. I asked her if she was nervous about the task. She said “not too nervous” because she provides much more in four annual audits where more difficult data are required.

Lynn Plasha, Vice President of Health Services, is fairly new to our staff and to the lengthy evaluation process, but she has had similar experience in former positions.

Here she had to provide details on our medical staffing, hiring process and staff training for all employees in the health department. When asked what she would like the Beaumont

Excerpts from CARF findings

By Joe Peduzzi

These are some of the strengths that CARF listed in renewing Beaumont’s 5-year accreditation: • Commitment of the board of directors and dedication and longevity of the staff.

• Unique relationship between staff and residents is like a close family looking out for one another.

• Recent upgrades to geothermal pumps increased heating and cooling capacity and reduced overall energy consumption.

• Expanded rain gardens and native grass plantings limit runoff. Beaumont has utilized a campus-wide composting program.

• Residents highly value the relationships with staff and appreciate the life challenges they face, as shown by their scholarship programs and recently-approved student loan payback program.

• Town hall meetings are held in high regard due to their format, transparency and the opportunity to ask questions.

• Beaumont is commended for its proactive approach in engaging the services of a third-party service to review the capital expenditure and maintenance needs of the community and incorporating it into a strategic, long-range financial plan.

There were also some suggestions for improvement having to do with diversity, safety and training issues, but these were already under discussion (though not yet fully implemented) before the CARF visit.

Photo by Eric Van der Vlugt

VETERAN JOURNALIST Jeff Greenfield entertained residents, visitors and staff in October but dodged efforts to get him to predict the outcome of the Presidential election. “Too close to call,” he said.

4

When summer was a-comin’ in, loudly sang our cicadas

By Irene Borgogno

Did you hear the cicadas singing this summer?

They were loud and continuous. At first, I thought my new hearing aids were amazing, but then I started seeing lots of dead cicadas on my patio. It occurred to me that this might be an anniversary year, and so it proved to be. For large parts of the Northeast, 2016 was the 17-year anniversary for Brood V cicadas. The heaviest concentration for this brood was in Ohio, but

CICADA stir-fry

By Dean ‘Doc’ Snyder

called Magicicada, which have a lifecycle of either 13 or 17 years. Most of that time is spent in an immature, underground-dwelling form called a nymph. There are about two dozen different broods of these Magicicada, each with different anniversary year of maturation and emergence. All members of a given brood mature at the same time, sing their chorus, reproduce and die. The mass emergence produces an enormous population that satisfies predators while leaving a sufficient number to reproduce.

Cicadas are large but harmless. They Photo by Mark Aanonsen, princeton.edu/~angarone/cicada do not bite or sting, and they are Pennsylvania also has a share not poisonous. They are edible, and are consumed today in of them. The most populous China, Malaysia, Burma, Latin America and Central Africa. brood in our area is Brood II, Both the nymph and the adult form are used as food. Howwhich had its anniversary in ever, comestible popularity is lacking in North America.

2013.

“In 2011, cicadas were incorporated into a single There are more than batch of ice cream in Columbia, Missouri, at Sparky’s. The 1,300 species of cicada, dis- ice creamery was advised by the public health department tributed world-wide. North against making a second batch, a suggestion with which store America mostly has a genus owners complied.” (Wikipedia)

How I almost became famous

After visiting the greenhouse late on a hot, 90degee Saturday afternoon in September, I took a shortcut home by way of the Woolford apartment.

For some reason I paused to admire Susan’s garden, which sported a proud nasturtium dressed in a blanket of very attractive blossoms in spite of the temperature and the drought-like condition of the hillside on which Photo by Richard Stephens it resided. But a close TINY SURPRISE: Orange mint moth

inspection revealed something else that caught my eye.

Adjacent to the nasturtium was a stand of mint, and on a leaf sat a most colorful moth with wings fully

extended and measuring only a half-inch across.

I was excited! Never have I seen a moth like it! Suppose it is a new variety. Anxious that I might finally have a shot at having my name in the annals of science crediting me for the discovery, I proceeded to capture the little thing. I brought it to the apartment, deposited it in one of my maple syrup jars and covered it with Saran wrap.

My next move was to call resident photographer and bird watcher Richard Stephens at dinner hour, pleading for his time to quickly photograph my rare finding (I know Barbara hates me). The photo session was a success. We were convinced that together we had documented a one-of-a-kind.

Not so! It turns out that in addition to his aforementioned hobbies, Richard is also a taxonomist. I will take his word that my little beauty with a wingspan of one-half inch already has a pedigree: i.e. orange mint moth (crambidae pyraustinae pyrausta orphisalis). Lucky that I discovered the truth.

I was about to announce the discovery of “little orange moth of Beaumont.”

5

Committee chairs share common goal:

the option of calling Beaumont “home.” For her, Beaumont is exactly that—and she is excited to work with the marketing team to share the joy of living at Beaumont with others.

Caroline Kemmerer’s passion for helping others led her to volunteer in the Health Center. While volunteering, she came more and more to appreciate what the Health Center does. From 24/7 nursing to dietary plans and activities, each resident has an individualized care plan that supports both physical and mental health. She says she was eager as she took on the job of Health Care Committee chair to work as a team with committee members and staff to raise awareness of the different aspects of Health Center care.

When it comes to ensuring the safety of residents at Beaumont, Sally Morris is not afraid to be a little vocal.

She uses a practical approach when tackling security issues and prefers to stop potential harm before a resident, staff or visitor is affected. As chair of the Safety & Security Committee, she enjoys brainstorming fresh ideas to keep Beaumont residents safe and sound.

Bertram Wolfson is the newest member of the BRSI (operations) Board. In addition to participation in the work of the Beaumont Fund Advisory Board, Bertram brings years of experience in nonprofit work to his role on the board that oversees financial matters. He founded Resource for Human Development, which provides mental health services to individuals. Under his leadership, the organization’s budget grew from $50,000 to $250 million, providing people in 16 different states with mental health care services. He says he is willing to work in retirement to see Beaumont continue to thrive and remain financially sound.

In the words of Eta Glassman, “At Beaumont we truly care about each other…we are a family.”

helping Beaumont stay ‘the best it can be’

By Paige Welby, Assistant to the Director of Resident Services

Chosen by the Nominating Committee and approved by the BRCI (policy) Board, Beaumont’s support committee chairs are central to the community’s lives and governance.

Since the new chairs took office in May, I have sat down and spoken with each of them to learn about their background and goals. Though each committee serves a different purpose, they all said—in the words of more than one of them—that they wanted to help make Beaumont continue to be “the best it can possibly be.”

For Dr. Evelyn Rosen, dining was a deciding factor in her choice to join the Beaumont community. She found the nine dining rooms cozy and homey, “inviting, not institutional.” Now, as chair of Dining Services, she says she feels that dining must go beyond food alone; it must encapsulate a total experience, serving a resident’s social as well as health needs.

An avid traveler and cook, she has sampled and prepared cuisine of many varieties.

Julie Williams has a simple goal when it comes to chairing the House Committee, which is “helping to make Beaumont beautiful.” Studying antique furniture and Oriental rugs invoked a love for decorating, along with extensive travel and exposure to many architectural styles. These styles were incorporated into her personal dwellings over the years to achieve a pleasing aesthetic.

Eta Glassman says she wants to be where the action is, and for her that is the Marketing Committee. Her work in public relations and marketing at the Boys & Girls Club and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society serve her well in an area where demand is high, as more potential residents explore

WHEELER WOODS is home to many creatures, including this unusual piebald (mottled) deer.

A genetic variation (defect) produces the piebald condition in white-tailed deer. Sally Randolph says that this doe is so tame that she’ll take food from her hand.

Photo by Sally Randlolph

6

The Go-to List for 2016-2017

MEMBERSHIP AND RESIDENT REVIEW COMMITTEE: Joseph Peduzzi, Chair, Lauren Aaronson, Social Services, Lisa Burkholder, Resident Care Coordinator, Cathy Leahy, Marketing, Heather Marozsan, Nurse Practitioner, Dr. James Morris, Medical Director, Lynn Plasha, VP Health Services, Miriam Quinn, Director of Wellness and Audrey Walsh, Director of Marketing.

By Jennifer Frankel BRCI BOARD: Dr. Don Trachtenberg, Chair, Dr. Gerri Paier, Vice-Chair, Jean Bodine, Michael Churchman, Birchard Clothier, Isaac Clothier and Edwin Robb. (The Beaumont Retirement Community Inc. Board is the policy board.)

RESIDENT SERVICES COMMITTEE: Deborah Bishop, Chair, Barbara Benson, Jean Churchman, Jeanne Cortner, Fytie Drayton, Norma Fabian, Eta Glassman, Nina Morgenstern, Sally Morris, Linda Parrotto, Bobbi Rosen, Rod Ross, Mary Schnabel, Marion Snyder, Betsy Stanton and Susan Woolford.

BRSI BOARD: Tony Parrotto, Chair, Vernon Stanton, Vice-Chair, James Egan, Joseph Peduzzi, Roland Morris and Bertram Wolfson. (The Beaumont Retirement Services Inc. Board is the operations board.)

SUPPORT COMMITTEES

SAFETY AND SECURITY COMMITTEE: Sally Morris, Chair, Jean Churchman, Sophie Donaghy, Peter Godfrey, Nell Mecray, Carol Ryan and Charles Wood.

DINING COMMITTEE: Dr. Evelyn Rosen, Chair, Birchard Clothier (BRCI Board Rep), George Hollingshead, Carole Morgan, Nina Morgenstern, David Randolph, Minney Robb and Bobbi Rosen.

ACTIVITY COMMITTEES

FINANCE COMMITTEE: Adolf Paier, Chair, James Bromley, Lon Homeier, John Lloyd, Tony Parrotto, Dr. Don Trachtenberg and James Zug.

ART SHOW: Jane Garrison, Co-Chair and Eloise Gretz, Co-Chair.

BRIDGE COMMITTEE: John Gregg, Co-Chair and Marian Lockett-Egan, Co-Chair.

GREEN COMMITTEE: Ann Louise Strong, Chair, Isaac Clothier (BRCI Board Rep), John Gregg, Dr. Frank Kampas, Roland Morris, Ann Reed, Vernon Stanton and Dr. Richard Stephens.

LIBRARY COMMITTEE: Carole Morgan, Chair, Jean Churchman, Jane Garrison, Joan Greene, Dede Shafer, Tuppie Solmssen, Betsy Stanton, Joan Thayer and Peggy Wolcott.

GROUNDS COMMITTEE: Nancy Harris, Chair, Peter Abel, Helen Ballard, Jean Bodine (BRCI Board Rep), Louise Carter, Robert Herd, Joan Thayer and Peggy Wolcott.

MUSIC COMMITTEE: John Gregg, Chair, Jean Churchman, Dr. Carlos Gonzalez, Katherine Hutchinson, Sally Miller and Dr. Robert Morgan.

HEALTH CARE COMMITTEE: Caroline Kemmerer, Chair, Michael Churchman (BRCI Board Rep), Anne Godfrey, Minney Robb, Stuart Saunders (Health Center Rep), Marvin Weisbord, Joan Yannessa and Debora Zug.

WINE COMMITTEE: Birchard Clothier, Chair, Lon Homeier, Robert Kessler, Marian Lockett-Egan, Alan Tripp, Bertram Wolfson and Susan Woolford.

HOUSE COMMITTEE: Julie Williams, Chair, Norma Fabian, Katherine Hutchinson, Grace Madeira, Leslie Wheeler and Dr. Don Trachtenberg (BRCI Board Rep).

OTHER BEAUMONT FUND ADVISORY BOARD: James Zug, Chair, Marian Lockett-Egan, Rod Ross, Paula Spiegel, Joan Thayer, Alan Tripp and Bertram Wolfson.

MARKETING COMMITTEE: Eta Glassman, Chair, Peter Abel, Marlynne Clothier, Mary Graff (Beaumont News Ex-officio), Roland Morris, Edwin Robb (BRCI Board Rep), Paula Spiegel, Dr. Don Trachtenberg and Marvin Weisbord.

NOMINATING COMMITTEE: George Hollingshead, Sally Miller, Mary Schnabel, Marion Snyder and Joan Thayer.

7

Halloween costumes: Nearly all were prize-worthy

COSTUME JUDGES: From left, washing machine (where lost socks go), Audrey Walsh, Director of Marketing; Paul McCleary, Director of Nursing; bubble-gum machine, Caitlin McDevitt, Director of Resident Services; air dancer (also known as wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube woman), Paige Welby, Resident Services Assistant.

LADY FROM THE FABLED EAST, Bunny Solomon, flirts with the camera.

ROCKET MAN AND PUMPKIN WOMAN, Frank Kampas and Irene Borgogno.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: From left, Howard Barron, Marcus Taylor, Mike Bailey and Greg Johnson defend their pizza.

NOT-SO-WICKED WITCHES: from left, Devie Andrews, Tony Starr, Sis Ziesing POLITICAL POLLSTER, Liz Dornberger, consults crystal ball to determine election outcome.

Photos by Richard Stephens, Caitlin McDevitt and Louise Hughes

8

Chefs’ garden has a good year; diners happy, rabbits not so

Fruits and flowers rewarded Beaumont’s summer gardeners

By Peggy Wolcott

Last year, Chef John Bauer and Sous Chef Mike Santangelo noted that some of the Nalle Garden plots were not being used by the residents, so they decided to use some of the available spaces to create a chefs’ garden. With organic gardening in mind, they fertilized the area with the healthy mulch provided by the Grounds Department and planned a vegetable garden. Sous Chef Mike supervised the planting of various vegetables, working within both sunny and shady areas.

Photo by Louise Hughes

SOUTHERN EXPOSURE is important for flowering and fruiting plants, and Mary Disston has what it takes to grow cherry tomatoes on her balcony.

Photo by Greg Benson

ORGANIC PRODUCE FROM THE KITCHEN GARDEN is proudly displayed by kitchen gardeners Rocco Arcaro, Laurence Reid, Chef John Bauer and Courtney Henry.

LILIES tower over owner Anne Gruenberg, giving a beautiful summer display. Orienpet lilies (a cross between oriental and trumpet lilies) can grow up to 8 feet tall and have 7-inch blossoms.

This year the garden expanded into three lots and included beets, green beans, tomatoes and eggplant, along with basil, mint, parsley and more. Chefs John and Mike were very enthusiastic about their organic plants and got the staff more and more involved in the project, including the maintenance.

With this past hot summer, keeping up with watering was quite a chore. There were also the jobs of weeding and fencing out hungry rabbits. Residents who enjoy walking in the woods or near the gatehouse had a chance to see the kitchen garden mature this past season. It was a thing of beauty.

Photo by Lynn Ayres

OLD FRIENDS: Irene Borgogno and her 40-year-old ficus benjamina. Squeezing it back inside the house for winter is always a challenge.

INSET: Irene also grows much smaller ficus carica trees that produce tasty figs and survive winter dormancy in the garage.

Photo by Paige Welby

BISTRO IN THE LISETER GARDEN, under the auspices of Chef John Bauer, was a great success.

The harvesting successes during the summer months were a great pleasure for the gardeners as well as the Beaumont residents. Those residents who were lucky enough enjoyed the harvests with the occasional dinner in the Bistro, a “Special Events in the Mansion,” Tableside Dining, or a lovely evening like a “Bistro in the Garden,” pictured here. With each special event menu, Chef John featured a different product from the garden. Beaumont residents relished these evenings and look forward to more next summer.

9

Photo by Lynn Ayres

From newcomers to neighbors

ships, which can explore places that large ships cannot.

She also enjoys traveling off-season, when she can observe aspects of wildlife that many tourists don’t see. She has seen humpback whales breeching and also “bubble netting,” which occurs when a pod of whales works together to entrap a school of herring in a ring of bubbles that they have exhaled from their blowholes. They force the fish up to the surface, open their mouths and feast. An incredible sight!

Jane says that her most hair-raising experience occurred in March 2015 while she was cruising the Inside Passage near Petersburg, Alaska, in an all-metal 20-foot boat with only three people aboard. Most tourists experience calvings, where huge slabs of ice break off the side of a glacier and become free-floating icebergs. The sight, sound and waves are exciting, but captains keep their vessels a safe distance away.

What Jane experienced, however, was far different.

As she was filming LeConte Glacier from the tiny boat, a huge bulge suddenly appeared in the water and rapidly grew in size. Then, from beneath the surface of the water, a huge iceberg emerged, creating three successive waves, 15 to 18 feet high, that could easily have capsized the boat, even though they were a half-mile away. Jane kept filming the first eruption

When the going gets rough, Mrs. Ruffin keeps clicking

By Rod Ross and Lynn Ayres

Like a number of other residents, Jane Ruffin lived nearby and knew Beaumont quite well before she decided to move here. When she first viewed her two-bedroom apartment in Baldwin, she felt an immediate connection. Although now living in a retirement community, Jane continues to pursue her three main interests: photography, wildlife, and travel.

Jane’s beautiful photographs, which include a series each on butterflies and birds, were exhibited at Jenkins Arboretum in Devon in October. In early December, she will board an 85-foot ship with a handful of passengers to see (and photograph, of course) birds, whales and wildlife. It will be her 14th trip to Jane Ruffin Southeast Alaska. She prefers small

GLACIER: LeConte’s face soars 200 to 300 feet above the water and approximately 600 feet under the water.

DOME: In the center of the photo, at the glacier/water “horizon,” a flat bulge appears on the surface of the water. The bulge grows taller, wider and more dome-like until. . .

ERUPTION: The iceberg breaks the surface, “bursting the bubble.”

10

Randolphs, Leonard and Sally, bring interests both new and old to Villa 31 on Pond Lane

By Peggy Wolcott

Leonard and Sally Randolph

After a career involving engineering, Leonard Randolph changed gears and is now a full-time student at the Wayne Art Center. He graduated from the Haverford School and was trained at M.I.T. and Penn. After 2 ½ years with the Army Security Agency in Augsburg, Germany, he pursued a career in sales and marketing of power transmission equipment. Making the most of his technical skills in his free time, he

of ice but then had to stop for safety. The captain fortunately had many years of experience and handled the boat with skill.

So what caused this? Glacier calves fall down into the water; this iceberg floated up from it. Tidewater glaciers have a “toe” of ice that grows out from the base of the glacier—under the water. In winter the toe grows, and in the spring it breaks off and floats upward, creating the swell and iceberg. This toe was estimated to be a quarter-mile long and 300 feet high.

EMERGENCE: The shape and size of the iceberg become visible (almost 90% remains submerged).

introduced radio-controlled model sailboat racing at a local swim club and an annual trebuchet contest for youngsters interested in medieval siege engines. For many years he was known around Wayne for his sports cars, including a 1958 Lotus 11 and 1966 Mini Cooper. Now, in retirement, his new passion is painting in oil and drawing in charcoal.

Sally spent over 50 years at the Agnes Irwin School.

As a student she was “super-survivor” (K-12) and returned after college (Vassar and Penn and a master’s from Villanova) to teach biology and serve as head of the science department.

For 13 years she was director of the Upper School and rounded out her career as alumnae director, retiring in 2006. She also served for 17 years on the board of the Montgomery School in Chester Springs and is currently on the board of the Boys’ Latin Charter School in West Philadelphia. As an active docent at the Philadelphia Zoo, she encourages us to go and see the Zoo’s unique trail-system, particularly the newest exhibit, the Meerkat Maze.

Leonard and Sally’s daughter Chris and her two sons live outside Grand Junction, Colo. Their other daughter, Meredith, is an architect who is married to a boat builder on Mount Desert Island, Maine. Their cousins David and Joyce Randolph live here at Beaumont.

* * *

Adventurous Jane was born in Britain, where she met and married William Ruffin, a lawyer from North Carolina.

Jane, William, daughter Amanda and son Craige left Britain for America 40 years ago. Besides raising her family, Jane volunteered for 13 years in the Entomology Department of the Academy of Natural Sciences.

NEWCOMERS continued on page 12

SEA MONSTER: Close-up view of the new iceberg. The very black ice comes from the ground under the water and is very old.

11

Portrait by Amanda Ruffin, Glacier photos by Jane Ruffin

What was Eugenio Calabi’s Conjecture?

Another resident, fascinated, explains

By Frank Kampas

Recently I have been reading The Shape of Inner Space: String Theory and the Geometry of the Universe’s Hidden Dimensions by Shing-Tung Yau. It discusses how work in pure mathematics by the author and others has turned out to be important in string theory, which is currently the main contender for the “theory of everything,” a theory which explains all the elementary particles and their interactions.

An important topic in the book is the Calabi conjecture, proposed by Beaumont resident Eugenio Calabi in 1954.

Photo by Louise Hughes In order to understand its

importance in physics, it is Dr. Eugenio and Giuliana

useful to start with our Calabi on a trip to One

three spatial dimensions Liberty Place

and go from there.

Our universe was regarded as being three-dimensional until Albert Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity in 1905.

Hermann Minkowski, a former teacher of Einstein, pointed

out that Special Relativity could be better understood if time and 3-dimensional space were joined together into 4-dimensional “space-time.” Einstein originally rejected space-time but later adopted it for his Theory of General Relativity in 1915, which explained gravity as being due to curvature in space-time.

In 1919, Theodor Kaluza wrote to Einstein, pointing out that electromagnetism could be united with gravity by adding an extra 2-DIMENSIONAL SLICE space dimension to General of the 6-dimensional Relativity, bringing the total Calabi-Yau quintic manifold to 5. In 1926, Oscar Klein

(Wikipedia)

showed that the 5th dimension could be curled up and extremely small. In other words, every point in space-time is actually a tiny circle. The Kaluza-Klein theory, as it came to be called, did not generate much interest at the time, as it generated no new predictions.

However, the idea of extra space dimensions was revived for string theory.

The Calabi conjecture in 1954 proposed the existence of abstract mathematical spaces with certain desirable properties, the details being beyond the scope of this article.

Yau confirmed the conjecture in 1977. Ironically, Yau originally thought he could disprove the conjecture.

String theory, first proposed in the late 60s, states that

CALABI continued on page 13

NEWCOMERS continued from page 11

Bill and Cassie Ross know this area well — but where is that plaque?

By Rod Ross (no relation)

Wilson (Bill) and Cassie Ross are recent occupants in Austin 365 but have long connections with the Main Line and Chestnut Hill. Cassie attended Irwin’s and Bill is an alumnus of Penn Charter. After graduation from Yale, they married and this year they celebrated their 65th anniversary.

Early in their marriage, Bill was assigned to Nassau, Bahamas, where he stayed for more than eight years, during which time their daughter, Cathy, was born. U.S. Steel used the island as the Shipping Company for iron ore coming from Venezuela and Brazil, and trade with the Netherlands, Germany and other places. Bill says, “We furnished the raw materials for U.S. Steel.”

Bill Ross

Upon reassignment, Bill and Cassie settled in Sewickley, PA, where they stayed for 49 years. Their family grew to one girl and three boys, now living in Glen Ridge, NJ; Jackson Hole, WY; Spokane, WA; and San Francisco. There are six grandchildren.

Among their many travels, Cassie says she most enjoyed sailing (on a 36-foot boat) to Newfoundland. But Machu Picchu and Galapagos were close contenders.

After World War II, Cassie’s father bought a small farm near Route 202, probably in Tredyffrin Township, and she had a horse and pony. She remembers vividly riding her horse to what Cassie Ross is now King of Prussia. Those were the days!

As a descendent of John Sharpless, a colonist who landed in 1682 somewhere close to where Ridley Creek flows into the Delaware River, Bill is intent upon finding the plaque denoting John Sharpless’s landing. We welcome Cassie and Bill’s landing here at Beaumont and wish Bill a successful emptying of his bucket list.

12

Outpouring of memorial gifts swells Beaumont Fund coffers

Happy tears, hugs, accompany scholarship awards

By Jim Zug, Beaumont Fund Advisory Board chair

By Mary Wells, Human Resources Director

The Beaumont Fund received one of its largest endowment gifts ever when Elaine Pierson Mastroianni left a very generous bequest to the Fund. The income from this endowment will initially provide four employee scholarship awards in her memory. Dr. Mastroianni was a resident at Beaumont from April 2011 until her death in October 2015.

“Dr. Mastroianni had a long history of supporting higher education,” said Beaumont President Joe Peduzzi.

“When she graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1956, Dr. Mastroianni established the E.C. Pierson-Mastroianni, Ph.D., MD ’56 Endowed Scholarship Fund, which is awarded to recipients who have lived in and were high school graduates north of the Bay City latitudinal line. During her final days at Beaumont, I spoke to her several times about her strong desire to continue to support the educational pursuits of the ladies and gentlemen who took such good care of her at Beaumont.”

When Jennie Frankel returned from a vacation in mid-September, she settled in to write over 100 gift acknowledgement letters for the many memorial gifts to the Beaumont Fund. There was an outpouring of gifts in memory of Warren Gillings, Director of Facilities, from many in the community. In addition, resident Pauline Foster’s family had mentioned the Beaumont Fund for contributions in her obituary notice, and a large number of gifts also came to the Fund in memory of resident Patsy Fraser.

Eighteen staff members received awards at Beaumont’s 24th annual Employee Scholarship Award ceremony in August.

Applauded by residents, bosses and family were:

CALABI continued from page 12 all elementary particles are actually different vibrational states of extremely tiny strings. My personal view is that the strings are more like rubber bands, since they can stretch and vibrate.

However, they can also split and join together, unlike rubber bands.

In order to encompass all the properties of elementary particles and the forces between them, string theory needs extra dimensions. One form requires 26 dimensions. Another form requires “only” 10 dimensions all together, six more dimensions than our normal space-time four.

The extra dimensions are theorized to be “compactified” or curled up into Calabi-Yau manifolds. (In mathematics, a manifold is a kind of space, not part of a car engine or the Beaumont well system that was upgraded last year.) A twodimensional slice of the K3 manifold used in string theory is illustrated.

Whether one regards these extra dimensions as actually existing or being useful mathematical constructs is probably a matter of taste. What I find fascinating is how work in abstract mathematics ended up being applied in a completely unexpected way.

Dining Services: Gabriel Bilotta, Adrian Carranza, Joann Chow, Angela Dorvill, Kayla Layne, Caroline Lowndes, Michael Wodack, Miao Wu; Food Services: Bryant McCray; Grounds: Director Mark Hritz; Maintenance: Greg Martin;

Personal Care: Lynette Hudson;

Resident Services: Lakia Archer;

Nursing: Dione Dieudonne, Sarah Doherty, Megan Henry, Tara Hopkins, Latonya Turpin.

President Joe Peduzzi and Jim Zug, chairman of the Beaumont Fund Advisory Board, source of the scholarship funds, presided. Center stage as always, however, were the award recipients, who had received recommendations from their supervisors and sponsoring residents.

The proceedings are always the same, but no less impressive for that. Many of the sponsoring residents and supervisors are always in the audience to cheer on their nominees as the employees one by one step up to the podium. After some shy admissions that this is the first time they have given a public speech, they find themselves reassured by the smiling audience as they share their inspirational journeys. The employees recount background about their jobs here at Beaumont, their areas of study and what they hope to accomplish. It is always impressive to hear their personal stories of juggling work, school and family.

Family members beam with pride as the recipients thank them for their love and support.

Following the awards ceremony there is a reception, where it is easy to observe the bond between residents and staff.

All around the reception room there are happy tears, laughter, handshakes and hugs as residents and staff co-mingle.

ACKNOWLEDGING APPLAUSE at the Labor Day picnic, Adeline Gay is joined by Dining Services’ Sam Figueroa (left) and resident Elizabeth Dornberger. Addie celebrated her 108th birthday in September.

Photo by Lynn Ayres

13

Beaumont residents visit One Liberty Place and Linvilla Orchards

ONE LIBERTY PLACE: above Jean and Lon Homeier greet Benjamin Franklin; left -Jeanne Cortner views the waterfront; Helen Gannon and the MNY Melon Center.

LINVILLA ORCHARDS: below Peter Binzen admires Mary Yurchenco’s friendly scarecrow.The trip included a seated 30-minute hayride tour of fields and orchards plus shopping at the bakery, garden center and farm market.

Photos by Louise Hughes

14

The Beech and the Boulder stand ankle to shoulder, surveying the forest as one.

and began to bury them for winter. He chose the base of the boulder for his prize nut. He was sure to find it again in such a distinctive location. But somehow, he didn’t. When spring arrived, the beechnut sprouted. The boulder offered shelter, the sprout became a sapling, and the sapling became a tree that very soon towered over the boulder. As its trunk grew wider, it began to embrace the boulder. Today their home is called Wheeler Woods, and they are an interesting sight for people walking near the footbridge over the brook.

TOWERING BEECH TREES at the northern end of the trail

PICTOGRAPHS of uncertain origin

Once upon a time, a sizeable boulder took up residence in the southeastern section of “Penn’s Woods” (Penn Sylvania, for you non-locals). It had lived there a very long time—far longer than European settlers, longer even than Native Americans. Life was slow, but boulders don’t demand much excitement. There had been enough of that with the volcanoes that created the rocks and the glaciers that carried them along, then receded and left them behind. By the present era, there were many plants and animals in the woods with the boulder, but no close friends.

Boulders lead a rather solitary life.

One day, a squirrel (or was it a chipmunk?) gathered beechnuts from the woods

But if you scramble through the underbrush for a closer look, there’s even more to see. Besides the usual lichens growing on the boulder, there are pictographs. Three items are painted on the stone: a sun, a deer, and what looks like a woman carrying a baby on her back. Were these created hundreds of years ago by the native Lenni Lenape? I’m afraid not.

SKETCH for clarification I suspect that a much more recent hand drafted the “ancient” images. The paint is too fresh, the “style” isn’t quite right, and most significantly, I discovered an artist’s paintbrush in the nearby vegetation.

But Beech and Boulder don’t care. They still embrace near the footbridge over the brook. It’s a strange kind of symbiosis, but it pleases them.

By Lynn Ayres

EMBRACE of the beech and boulder

Photos by Lynn Ayres

15

Everybody partied at First-ever Pooch Parade

Pixel Borgogno-Kampas

Tilly Bullitt Peggy Wolcott, parade mistress, bites into a “human biscuit,� pictured unchewed below.

Gracie Webb

Treats for everyone: dogs and humans.

Lily Cortner (and Jeanne)

Hawkins Gruenberg & Gadget Ballard

Photos by Jane Ruffin and Louise Hughes

Hydrant dispensed lemonade for humans (best not think too much about this).

16

Bottom row: Eloise and Max Fabian; Charley Denious (and Sue); frequent visitors Trixie and Moose (with Aunt Patsy Dushane).