V o lu me T h i rt y O ne , N umber 4
April 2017
Bobbie, just off the lobby, offers treasures for sale By Mary Graff
A merry-go-round that really works. Unique baby’s sweaters worthy of heirloom status. Soft toys to teach a toddler the alphabet or numbers. A small pottery unicorn with space inside to hide tiny things. Stuffed critters that sing and dance and tap their toes with panache. Tissues, batteries in several sizes and a whole bank of greeting cards for all occasions with humor Photo by Lynn Ayres but no dirt and MERRY-GO-ROUND lights up and goes round and round to familiar tunes; push a button and get Christmas no big carols instead. price tags either, though there are a few one-of-a-kind works of art that cost a little more. Plus a helping hand to navigate the clutter that results not from a lack of sophisticated marketing skills, but from the sheer boundless enthusiasm of the genie of this cave. Long-time manager Bobbie McElroy asked the BN please not to use her picture, so you have to go there to meet her. If she’s off on a shopping trip, usually a volunteer is there to help – though more volunteers are needed. A myth persists to the effect that Bobbie’s so good she doesn’t need help, but she does. And it’s a plum of a job. Volunteers get not only the satisfaction of help-
Photo by Louise Hughes
PHILADELPHIA FLOWER SHOW: Mary Ryan and Tony Starr inspect the tulips, the most iconic product of the Netherlands, the theme of this year’s show.
Photos by Louise Hughes
UNIQUE BABY SWEATERS AND HATS, hand-knitted for many years by pioneering resident Sally DaCosta, are now being supplied by Sally’s daughter, Carolyn Borlo, using some of Sally’s patterns and some of her own. Sizes for newborns through about 4 years.
ing reel in profits to benefit the Health Center, but also, especially if they are new residents, a stress-free way to meet new friends (and chat with old ones). BOBBIE continued on page 8
Dear Editor,
Dear Editor,
Beaumont’s now tidy and appealing Gate House, just recently sold, used to be a clubhouse for my sons and their next-door playmates, and sometimes others. When he discovered the place at age 11 (1975), Matt Rivers recalls he was sure the dilapidated, longvacant building was haunted, particularly when he and playmates found the basement held a large, long-dead tree that had grown to the basement ceiling. It could not possibly have grown there without supernatural assistance, they reasoned. (Although now he can understand that the broken basement windows did let in light and water.) The boys used the house as a hangout to escape from watchful eyes at home, until the youngest graduated from Harriton and they all went off in new directions. They would be surprised to see how very attractive the inside of their old haven has become.
Every Thursday we have dinner with our mother, Sis Ziesing, in the Beaumont Grill Room. It’s a very special time for us, and while we (of course) absolutely love being with our mother, we also have come to particularly look forward to enjoying Chef John Bauer’s wonderful seared salmon dish with caper-and-tomato sauce. It is positively delicious! The salmon, paired with rice and a nice side of asparagus and steamed spinach, is our “go-to” Thursday meal, and we frequently remark that we have never experienced such a tasty and satisfying salmon dish, even in some of the best restaurants in the area. So whatever you’re doing, Chef, please keep up the good work! We look forward to enjoying it each week. Gratefully, Cindy & Grace Ziesing
— Ginny Rivers
PIZARRO, A BOTTLE-NOSED DOLPHIN, interacts with Sanna Steigerwalt (touching his nose) and Joan Roberts (giving him a hug) in the British Virgin Islands. Their cruise ship, the Viking Star, visited several Caribbean Islands, including Tortola, where they visited Dolphin Discovery, a popular attraction. The ladies reported that the dolphin’s skin feels like smooth leather and is warm to the touch because he is a warm mammal, not a cold fish.
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
Congratulations to Rose-Marie Hines, Director of Dining and Dietary Services, on her marriage to Shaeun Hines on March 17, 2017. Best wishes for a long and happy life together.
Mary Graff John Hall Marilyn (Lynn) Ayres TJ Walsh Louise Hughes Wistie Miller Caitlin McDevitt Jennie Frankel
2
Opera Night is over at least for now, but memories of the ovations linger
decades. At various times during dinner a bell is rung, and guests listen to one of the waiters or waitresses (all talented opera singers) perform arias, usually accompanied by recorded music. The practice began as a sales gimmick for the RCA Victor company to sell records, but has carried on longer than the company has. Taking up the challenge of duplicating singing waiters and waitresses, Tuppie Solmssen mined YouTube for her Photo by WRTI 90.1 FM favorite singers and arias. She chose VICTOR CAFÉ began as a record shop and transformed into a successful venue for opera videos of Anna aficionados. Netrebko singing the Brindisi welcoming aria from La Traviata to open the evening, Plácido Domingo with Nessun Dorma, Maria Callas singing to the chaste goddess of the moon from Norma, Luciano Pavarotti and friends in the Rigoletto quartet, Elīna Garanča and Roberto Alagna in the climax of Carmen, and the triumphal march from Aida to close the evening. Marvin Weisbord and Eta Glassman worked with the crack Beaumont technical team to make sure the Bistro boomed with video and musical quality, and together with Tuppie and others produced a playbill that explained what it was they were all singing about! And just as at the Metropolitan Opera, there were ovations! Someone asked, “Will there be an encore?” The committee is thinking about it.
By the Beaumont Ad Hoc Opera Committee
On January 9 the Beaumont Ad Hoc Opera Committee brought a Philadelphia spectacle, the Victor Café, to Beaumont, with dinner and video clips from eight operas for a sold-out and enthusiastic Bistro audience. “It was terrific,” said one guest. “I really didn’t know much about opera before. I loved it.” Inspiration for the event came from a Beaumont-sponsored trip to the real Victor Café in South Philadelphia. Someone on the trip said, “Wouldn’t it be fun if we could do this at Beaumont?” Somebody else said, “Well, why not?” Photo by Audrey Walsh So what is ITALIAN MENU ON VICTOR NIGHT the Victor Café? featured a dessert of Italian bread pudding The short answer with warm cherries, topped with a scoop of rum gelato. is that it is an Italian restaurant in South Philadelphia. The real answer is that the Victor Café has been an opera lover’s treat for
Doc says ‘Sorry’ to marauding chipmunk, who was only trying to plant for the future
By Dean ‘Doc’ Snyder
All summer Mr. Chipmunk and I played tag in the greenhouse. I would not have objected, but he insisted on digging around in various potted plants and leaving a mess. All my attempts (flinging brooms, squirting with the hose, yelling, etc.) were of no avail, and for all I know he spent the winter hibernating somewhere in the greenhouse. Now I know just what “Chippie” was up to. He was searching for the perfect spot in which to pay his respects to the Man Above for providing him with a winter supply of acorns, yielded by the oak tree adjacent to the greenhouse. I know his intentions. By planting an acorn, he was assuring a new supply of acorns for generations to come.
The attempt was a success. I have now transplanted a proud oak seedling, which I hope will someday aid in fulfilling his mission. I will never know how the guy wisely selected the lemon tree container versus any one of the other plants with a projected shorter life span, but so far, so good. Most assuredly neither of us will live to see the plan to maturity, but I will hold up my end as long as I am able. My next step is to relocate the seedling oak to a permanent residence and hope for the best. DOC’S SAPLING casts a small shadow now, but he and “Chippie” take the long view.
3
Jennifer Stephenson: a CNA who loves to laugh
Jennifer warmly welcomes new residents, quickly making them feel at home. Her connection with our residents is what Jennifer says she values most about her important work. Jennifer uses every skill she has acquired during her career at Beaumont to mentor new staff. She says she feels blessed to have had the opportunity to work with so many long-term-care professionals during her career. How does she keep her spirits up in a CNA’s sometimes demanding role? She loves to laugh, she said. Jennifer also says when she starts her shift she has a song in her soul that she hums. Jennifer says that while we cannot hear her hum, she feels that the song comes out in her work. Jennifer is a treasured role model and we thank her for her continued compassion and dedication to our staff and residents.
By Mary Wells, Director of Human Resources Jennifer Stephenson, Certified Nurse Assistant, began her Beaumont career 25 years ago when her mother, then working at Beaumont, told her a full-time day shift position had opened up. Jennifer quickly applied and was offered the position. She starts her day at 4:30 a.m. You may find her in the Fitness Center by 6 a.m. before the start of her 7 a.m. shift. Although she has always worked day shift, she fills in for other shifts when she is needed. At the time she was hired, Jennifer had one child. Since her employment with Beaumont, she and her husband have grown their family to include three more children. She beams when you mention her family!
Katie’s done a lot in her 25 years here
held now for 18 years. With fewer hours left in her day for Beaumont, she transferred to our Security Department and can be found at the front desk on some Saturday evenings. Katie is an employee who is willing to help in any way she can. She learned how to use a snow blower and has helped in snow removal. She also learned how to drive a 15-passenger bus. When Dietary was shortstaffed, there was Katie setting up meal service. Katie also kept everything in order during a leave of absence for the Dining Administrative Assistant. Katie met her husband at Beaumont while they were both employees. Her employment with Beaumont outlasted her marriage, but they have three handsome sons who keep them both busy. We congratulate Katie on her many achievements and thank her for her continued commitment to Beaumont.
By Mary Wells, Director of Human Resources A little over 25 years ago, Katie Fasoldt had a month off between college semesters and needed a job. Her stepbrother thought he could get her some hours where he worked, in Beaumont’s Dining Services Department. Although she had worked in restaurants for years, Katie had never waitressed. Luckily for us, she was a quick study. She returned the following summer and has been here ever since. She did manage to also work in Alaska for seven summers canning fish! With the help of the Beaumont Scholarship Fund, Katie was able to obtain a master’s in special education. Upon graduation, she became a full-time special education teacher for the City of Philadelphia, a job she has
THE WAY WE WERE: The mansion’s front entrance was not always where it is today. Right: The aerial photo shows the music room at the left and then the front porch and portico. Left: The watercolor by M. Cole is dated 1986, just as the Beaumont project began. The portico sheltered visitors as they emerged from their cars. The front porch wrapped around, giving access to the front door and the door to the Music Room. The old front door is located at the entrance to the dining rooms, between the two atriums. The vestibule has a mosaic tile floor, and the doorjamb has the original doorbell. — Lynn Ayres
4
Longtime staff honored for service 25-YEAR EMPLOYEES— Katie Fasoldt (Security) and Jennifer Stephenson (Health Services) receive recognition from President/ CEO Joe Peduzzi, BRCI Chairman, Dr. Don Trachtenberg and BRSI Chairman Anthony Parrotto, who posed with every group.
20-YEAR EMPLOYEES— Alex Ramirez (Personal Care), Samantha Figueroa (Dining Services), Vivian Singleton (Dietary) and Lawrence Reid (Kitchen)
15-YEAR EMPLOYEES— Michael Santangelo (Kitchen), Ingrid Valentine (Housekeeping), Sharon Caliste (Housekeeping), Nonh Keokanya (Housekeeping), Kerriann Campbell (Dietary), Audrey McNeishie (Personal Care)
10-YEAR EMPLOYEES— Marcus Taylor (Housekeeping), Tamara Burrell (Dietary), Susan Kendra (VP-Finance and CFO), Julia Kisia (Kitchen)
Photos by Louise Hughes
5
Kellys settle in Baldwin after 40 years in Wyndmoor By Sis Ziesing
Vernon and Sharon Kelly moved into Apartment 311, Baldwin, a few months ago from Wyndmoor, where they had lived for 40 years. They chose Beaumont, they say, because they felt it was the best retirement home in the country! Vernon is called Vick, a play on the initials of his full name, Vernon Charles Kelly Jr. The nickname was created by his mother, who inserted the “i” to make it clearly proSharon and Vick Kelly nounceable. He grew up in Baltimore and attended the Gilman School, Williams College and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He interned at Stockbridge, Massachusetts; returned to Philadelphia with a fellowship in child psychiatry at the Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic, followed by a residency in general psychiatry at The Institute of Pennsylvania Hospital. He started his private practice in Ardmore in 1975 and is still working part time. Vernon is a co-founder and former chair of a nonprofit educational organization, the Silvan Tomkins
Patricia Bodo settles in Austin By Mary Schnabel
My hour with Patricia Bodo turned out to be very pleasant indeed because she invited me to come to her apartment, 366 Austin Hall, to conduct this interview. Pat didn’t need to explain that she has been a resident here for only a few months because her beautiful rooms were not only bathed in sunlight but they looked so fresh and new; it was a dead giveaway. Pat explained that before moving here she had lived in Wynnewood, on Wickfield Patricia Bodo Road. That was where she had resided for 50 years and had raised her four children. She speaks of how fortunate she is to have her three sons and a daughter all living close by. And I can certainly
6
Institute. He has traveled extensively, lecturing on various aspects of human emotions, and has written on these same subjects. On the lighter side, he is interested in photography and golf. He was a three-time senior golf champion at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. Sharon grew up in Darien, Connecticut, but when her father was transferred, they lived in Brazil for a while during her high school years. She graduated from Goucher College in Baltimore and earned a master’s in education at Chestnut Hill College. She met Vick in Baltimore, but as a couple they got off to a somewhat slow start. A mutual friend wanted them to meet, and Vick finally asked Sharon out on a New Year’s Eve. She refused, saying she’d rather babysit three nephews! At last they got together and were married in 1969. Sharon was a first-grade teacher for 25 years, served on various church committees and volunteered at the Historic Fair Hill in North Philadelphia, where she still serves in reading programs and nature tours. She also volunteers at the Julia de Burgos School twice a week. She is interested in sewing, quilting, knitting, and gardening. In October, she planted 200 daffodil bulbs in the Nalle Garden. Vick and Sharon have two daughters, Molly and Hanna. Molly is local, living in Wayne with her chef husband. They own Christopher’s Restaurant in Wayne and have two teenagers, a boy and a girl. Hanna is the chief of GI oncology at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, is married to a doctor and has twin girls.
gather from what she says of them that they are a good and devoted bunch! Her eight grandchildren are still around also, the youngest almost ready for college. William Bodo, Pat’s husband, died three years ago. He spent his life working in New Jersey for the company that was slowly developing and expanding into the huge RCA Corporation that it is today. Pat says he was there in the early days, to help it grow. Pat majored in history in college and loves to read. I asked her if, because of that early interest, she prefers to read history. “No,” she replied, “I read anything I can get my hands on.” She has already discovered our Library and is thrilled at all she finds there. Although she is a bridge player, she isn’t quite ready to restart that hobby until she has been here a bit longer. There is still a Bodo house in Ocean City where Pat spends the summers and where her family gets together for big family gatherings. She loves the shore and the ocean but is delighted, she says, that she now has another home and family here at Beaumont.
Memo to April 15 Taxes This year I paid no income tax On certain holdings I possess: Having an equity in wind, A lien on each day’s loveliness. I shared a mortgage with the sun, Collected interest from the sea. The autumn rains and winter snows Paid extra dividends to me. I watched my revenues increase, The total of my balance mount. Now more than I can ever spend Is credited to my account. — Bette Keck Peterson Photo by Elizabeth Hartman
Happy employees earn Beaumont an award
BABY MAKES FIVE in his family and three in ours: Marketing Director Audrey Walsh holds her first grandchild, Timothy G. Hartman III, who will soon be calling her Gigi (pronounced Jeejee). Timmy was born on March 8 to Audrey and Tim Walsh’s daughter Elizabeth and her husband, Tim Hartman. That makes five Tims around the table at family events: Baby Timmy, two grandfathers named Tim, Daddy named Tim and Uncle TJ (the T being for Tim) Walsh. Then there’s the Beaumont News family: Gigi (Mrs. Tim) prints the BN on the big copier in the back of the Front Office. Grandfather (Poppop) Tim Walsh keeps the copier in shape. And Uncle TJ is the BN’s graphic designer.
By Mary Wells, Director of Human Resources
Nearly 600 people enjoyed great food, drink and networking opportunities at Vie on North Broad Street on March 23 in celebration of the 8th annual Philly.com Top Workplaces Awards. One hundred twenty-five local companies including Beaumont were recognized for receiving high scores from their employees in areas such as direction-setting, training, benefits, communication, etc. The rankings for the small, midsize and large companies were revealed at the event, and were featured in a special section in The Inquirer on Sunday, March 26. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross shared his insights into leading a diverse workforce with difficult jobs, along with reflections on how small personal connections can make a big difference. He received a standing ovation. The event’s presenting sponsor was The Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia. RIGHT: REPRESENTING BEAUMONT at the event were Crystal Jones, Claire McDonald, Dione Dieudonne, Dolores Hill, Patricia Valenza and Sonya Clarke.
RIGHT: SOFT CENTIPEDE PUZZLE with its own zip-up carrying bag helps toddlers learn numbers. Check the gift shop for similar items.
7
By Bobbie McElroy
The ABC’s of the Beaumont Gift Shop
During the occasional quiet times in our Beaumont’s small but substantial Gift Shop, a few of the staff members had a good time composing this alphabet of the amazing number of items available to its customers. Here it is, from A to Z. A – B – C – D – E – F – G – H – I – J – K – L –
animals, address books blouses, bridge supplies clocks, cookies, candy, cards, canes decorative plates earrings, eyeglasses flashlights, frames, flasks, flowers glasses, gloves handbags, hand lotion, hand-knit sweaters individual assistance jewelry, jackets, jellybeans key chains, Kleenex lipstick, Life Savers
M – N – O – P – Q – R – S – T – U – V – W – X – Y – Z –
mirrors, manicure sets, mixed nuts necklaces, notepaper Our pleasure in serving you! pillboxes, pretzels, puzzles quilts (small hanging) raincoats sweaters, slacks, shirts, soap toilet paper, ties, tape umbrellas vases, Vaseline, Velamints watches, wallets, wrapping paper Xmas cards young-looking fashions zipper sweaters and jackets
Gift Shop hours are Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The Gift Shop can always use more helpers. Volunteering is fun, worthwhile and a great way to meet people. Proceeds from sales benefit the Health Center.
TOYS FOR CHILDREN, GROWNUPS TOO: John Lloyd, a resident whose wood carvings sell through the shop, holds stuffed turtle that moves his head, mouth and cane and taps his toe to the tune of Irving Berlin’s Puttin’ on the Ritz, the song that made Fred Astaire famous.
SOMEONE’S SPECIAL DAY COMING UP? Volunteer Diane Page chooses a card. Photos by Louise Hughes
NEED A RAINCOAT? Volunteer Jane Lillie displays a rack of them.
BOBBIE continued from page 1 Not to mention a chance to sit down between customers and contemplate the array of clothing for oneself, gifts for all ages and just plain stuff one might need. Or even to chat with the genie herself. This is Bobbie: Born in Binghamton, New York, Bobbie came to Pennsylvania when she was 9 and her father was appointed chairman of the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. Educated at Shipley and Penn, she worked part time in the children’s department at Bonwit Teller as a requirement of her studies as a Wharton undergraduate. She became an assistant buyer in the department full time after her graduation with a bachelor of science degree in economics and accounting. After marriage and three children of her own,
8
a daughter and two sons, she found herself having to care for a husband who had been severely injured in an automobile accident. With children at Episcopal and Shipley, Bobbie had to go to work to pay the bills. For more than 20 years she owned and managed a children’s shop in Bryn Mawr. She took over the Beaumont gift shop in the early 1990s after the death of Anne Gibbons, who had started the shop and had been running it with Bobbie’s part-time help. She now has nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, with a seventh due in August. She has a private clientele of persons she helps with taxes and other paperwork, serves as secretary and treasurer of several local organizations, and only once so far has forgotten to bring the creamed onions to her family’s Thanksgiving dinner.