V o lu me T h i rt y O ne , N umber 6
June 2017
Keeping Wheeler Woods healthy requires vigilance, hard work and sometimes harder choices By Irene Borgogno
STEWARDSHIP FOREST. The modest sign that marks the entrance to Wheeler Woods also marks a commitment to responsible action in an environment with conflicting goals. Forest stewardship is a concept put forth by the Natural Lands Trust. The primary goal is to enhance the health of the forest, enabling it to regenerate itself while providing food and shelter to its denizens, both resident and migratory. Beaumont consists of 50 acres, of which 24.5 acres can be described as undeveloped or woodland. An initial Stewardship Plan was completed in 1994, and updated in 2012. HEALTH. A healthy forest consists of four robust levels of vegetation: canopy (tallest trees), understory (smaller trees), shrubbery, and herb layer. The most important sign of health is the forest’s ability to regenerate and maintain itself. Thin growth, absence of regeneration, lack of diversity of plants and preponderance of exotic (non-native) plants are all signs of poor health and degraded forest ecology. PROBLEMS. The most common problem is the
RECIPE CONTEST And the winners are . . .
By Evelyn Rosen, Dining Committee Chair
This spring, following upon Mary Schnabel’s “First Ever Recipe Contest” at Beaumont in 2010, the Dining Committee decided to launch another contest. From the beginning of March until the beginning of
Forest photos by Lynn Ayres
DAPPLED SUNLIGHT filtering through the leaves illuminates the built-up trail base, softened with wood chips.
HARD CHOICES: Young, healthy non-native trees are marked for sacrifice to preserve the health of the forest.
presence of invasive exotic plant species. These plants use space, nutrients and water that could support native plants. They out-compete native plants, courtesy of the absence of natural enemies. Native animals and insects are not adapted to use exotics, which are therefore less beneficial for them than native plants. FOREST continued on page 4 May, the recipes poured in. Seventy were submitted to Chef John. He offered them as weekly and daily specials in the Mansion and Grill. How lucky we were to have tasted these time-tested recipes. Every soup, salad, entrée, side dish, and dessert added to the fine culinary standards of Beaumont. After the last recipe was submitted on May 3, the Food and Beverage team gathered to choose the winners, selecting them according to their taste and texture, ingredient compatibility, and popularity.
CONTEST continued on page 2
CONTEST continued from page 1 Starters Hot Soup – Bean, Barley & Mushroom – Bobbi Rosen Cold Soup – Cucumber & Yogurt – Bernice Solomon Salad – Thai Chicken Salad with Hoisin Vinaigrette – Page Gowen Entrées Beef (tie) – North African Beef Stew – Jean Homeier Mexican Meatballs – Nina Morgenstern Poultry – Honey Baked Chicken – Joyce Randolph
Seafood (tie) – Clam Casserole – Pat Ross Seafood Bruschetta over Perch – Jane Ruffin Ham – Grilled Ham Steak with Curried Fruit – Cassie Ross Vegetarian – Hungarian Hearty Vegetable Soup – Marian Lockett-Egan Side Dishes Scalloped Tomatoes – Ann Reed Sesame Cauliflower – Rosalinda Madara Mashed Cauliflower – Virginia Rivers Dessert Mixed Berry Crisp – Irene Campbell
Eta Glassman confesses
Here is one of the recipes. Others will follow in future issues.
I was never a good cook. I could blame it on my mother, who never cooked. My parents worked in a dress store and we went out to dinner. I went to boarding school and consequently have no memories of anyone cooking. When I was married I had no idea how to cook. My friend Marlynne Clothier taught me to make marinara sauce. I served it for dinner. My husband said, “Where’s the pasta?” Who knew I was supposed to add that? Then Marlynne taught me to make burnt chocolate icing. When I made it for Howard, he really thought I burned it. As a new bride, I invited my brother-in-law for dinner. I made Swedish meatballs; they could have been golf balls. That meal is still a joke in our family. Many years later I invited a male friend for dinner; his wife was away. I don’t remember what I served, but he complained he was still hungry and I was embarrassed. He never returned. It was Thanksgiving. I made a turkey and basted it with so much orange juice it could have gone swimming. Then there was the noodle casserole that I
A refreshing chilled soup for a hot summer day
Cucumber Soup
By Eta Glassman
from Bernice Solomon 2 cucumbers, chilled, peeled, seeded – roughly chopped 2 cloves garlic – chopped 2/3 cup sour cream 1 cup plain yogurt 3 tablespoons fresh dill – cut up fine 1/4 cup (or more) walnuts – chopped – salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Place chopped cucumbers, garlic, yogurt and sour cream in blender or food processor. Mix well. Add cut-up dill, salt and pepper. Mix well. Chill. When serving, garnish with chopped walnuts and sprigs of dill. Serves 4. made for company in a foil pan. It was so heavy the noodle pudding fell on the floor. I scooped it up and we ate it anyway. A while ago in Florida, I invited a couple for dinner and to play bridge. I made chicken breasts. The more
CONFESSION continued on page 5
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
In Memoriam
Mary Graff John Hall Marilyn (Lynn) Ayres TJ Walsh Louise Hughes Wistie Miller Caitlin Gardner Jennie Frankel
Henry Hallowell June 11, 2017
Dr. Elias Burstein June 17, 2017
Members of the Beaumont Community extend deepest sympathy to their families and friends.
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Sparkmans: New to Beaumont, but well known on the Main Line
By Rena Burstein
I visited Dr. and Mrs. Sparkman in Villa 58 on a beautiful Spring morning three weeks after their move. Although they said many pictures still needed hanging, they seemed to be quite settled in and very comfortable here, where they already know a number of residents. That is no surprise since Thorne and Marby have lived in the area most of their married life. Thorne, born in the South, grew up in Bryn Mawr, where his father Dr. Thorne and Marby Sparkman was rector of the Church of the Redeemer. He attended Episcopal Academy, Harvard University and Temple University School of Medicine. After 45 years of clinical practice and teaching in internal medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, he retired five years ago to go saltwater fishing, sailing and birdwatching on Cape Cod, where the Sparkmans have a house in Chatham. Marby, raised in Pittsburgh, graduated from Smith College, where her major interests were religion and art. Her community involvement has included volunteer activities for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and WHYY,
Inc., where she served on the board for many years. Professionally, she served as a program officer for the Eisenhower Fellowships and as the communications consultant at the Templeton Foundation. The Sparkmans have a daughter and two sons: Elliot Walker, who lives in Wayne; Thorne III in Bristol, Rhode Island, and Alexander, who lives in Rowayton, Connecticut. And then there are seven grandchildren, ranging in age from 4 to 18, and Raleigh, a West Highland terrier, who is in residence at Villa 58. With a shared love of gardening, the Sparkmans are impressed with the gardens they have seen among the villas here and have been looking forward to what happy surprises might emerge in their new garden this year. Music is a part of their lives, as well. Thorne was a singing member of the Orpheus Club and continues to sing in church choirs when time permits. Thorne remarked that he was currently reading a historical biography of Alexander von Humboldt, a 19th Century naturalist, explorer and scientist. He is interested in the ways in which the practice of medicine evolved, which includes some of the problems resulting from the extensive use of electronic communication, as well as the positive advancement of diagnostic and treatment capabilities. He also expressed his firm belief in the benefits of humor and empathy in treating patients. A lectureship in Spirituality, Religion and Medicine has been established in his name at the University of Pennsylvania.
Spitzers pull up deep roots transplanting to Baldwin but keep family close
with tables and chairs scattered about the room and people assembling. It was the evening of a Wine Tasting, about which the Spitzers had no idea. It just so happened that Tuppie Solmssen and I were sitting at one of the tables and quickly realized that these two strangers needed assistance. After various explanations and introductions, Jean and Stanley Spitzer wined and dined with a group of people who, the very next day, were to be close neighbors on third-floor Baldwin! Both are native Philadelphians. Jean graduated from Penn and then taught fifth grade for a number of years at Penn Wynne School. She retired after she married and the children began arriving. Stanley went to Swarthmore College and graduated as an engineer. He quickly got a position with the Honeywell Corporation, but after two years decided on a change of career. He applied to Hahnemann Medical School and became a Professor of Medicine and a cardiologist! He retired
By Mary Schnabel
Dr. Stanley and Jean Spitzer started their life here at Beaumont by getting lost. The evening before they were to move, they checked on some last-minute details in their new apartment, 324 Baldwin Hall. On their way back to the front lobby, they Dr. Stanley and Jean Spitzer found themselves in the Music Room. It looked a bit unfamiliar to them,
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SPITZERS continued on page 5
FOREST continued from page 1 diversity, but the understory, shrub and herb layers are dominated by exotic invasive species. Unit 1 provides food and shelter to a wide variety of wildlife. Dead native wood provides shelter for animals and nutrient reservoirs for other plants, and it is left where it falls. Exotic wood is mostly removed: some is turned into woodchips, and some is used as firewood. Inadequate self-regeneration is exacerbated by an overabundant browsing deer population. The most emphatic recommendation is gradual removal of exotic plants from all layers. There is a ranking of undesirability, primarily reflecting prolific self-seeding. NATURAL SCULPTURE evolves as dead tree Exotics very stumps rot. high on the list of undesired plants are Norway maple, amur cork tree, ailanthus, and Japanese honeysuckle. Currently, there are many young Norway maples in Wheeler Woods marked with green paint, designated for removal. While the Norway maple is attractive, it is a prolific producer of seeds and a robust survivor. Another recommendation was trail improvements to handle erosion issues, remediation of which had become a labor-intensive annual event. This was accomplished several years ago by installation of a crushed concrete subsurface, which compacted into a dense, extremely stable foundation. The material for this work was supplied from demolition and reconstruction work on the Blue Route, a happy convergence of recycling and use needs. A soft top surface is provided by wood chips. UNIT 2, as defined in the Plan, consists of large trees with open lawn area, the pond and the meadow around the pond. Invasive plant removal tops the list of stewardship activities for Unit 2, but here the recommendation is to leave exotic deadwood, which is better than no deadwood. UNIT 3, the smallest area, is the Vale. The area is described by the Plan as being of little benefit to wildlife. It had been expensively maintained as rough lawn, mowed every 2 weeks during the growing season. The Review recommended reducing mowing to
THE STEWARDSHIP PLAN identifies existing problems and provides recommendations regarding options for tackling them. Corrective actions can be complicated by deceptive appearances: expanses of pachysandra in Wheeler Woods are pleasing to the eye, but they inhibit germination of native tree, understory and shrub seeds. Corrective action is also complicated by competing needs: wild grape vines grow robustly, smothering shrubbery and understory trees, but the songbirds feast on the harvest of grapes. Every stewardship action requires assessment and choice. Beaumont’s participation in the Stewardship Forest concept originated in a recommendation from the Grounds Committee. Initially, funding assistance was available from the state. Over the years, funding diminished and disappeared, but the effort to implement the recommendations continues. A review conducted in 2012 was positive, but many improvement possibilities remain. This is not unexpected. The problems are tremendous. As stated in the review: “A ubiquitous problem encountered in the stewardship of natural lands in southeastern Pennsylvania — and increasingly recognized as a threat worldwide — is the presence of invasive plant species.”
“Corrective action is complicated by competing needs: wild grape vines grow robustly, smothering shrubbery and understory trees, but the songbirds feast on the harvest of grapes.” Beaumont staff have battled invasive plants by cutting vines and removing invasive trees and shrubs in all areas. Herbicides are used, but sparingly. The problems are too large for herbicides to be a good solution: the target plants have good natural defenses against the chemicals, while desirable native plants that have managed to survive amongst the prolific exotics are generally much more susceptible to the herbicides. A similar problem arises in trying to use black-plastic sheeting to kill unwanted plants slowly, by depriving access to sun and water. Exotics are more likely to survive than natives. Three areas were defined in the original Stewardship Plan. UNIT 1, naturally occurring tulip tree/beech/ maple forest, is the largest area and represents about half of the entire Beaumont property. Aerial photographs from 1942 show mature forest, so this area is as close to undisturbed native growth as can be found on the property. The canopy layer is healthy and has good native plant
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FOREST continued on page 5
FOREST continued from page 4 once a year, in March, to turn the area into meadow. Part of the area is being allowed to become meadow-like; the mowed part remains as the dog park.
installed on many trees, and a display board has been
placed near the Nalle Gardens, to provide current informational alerts about seasonal happenings. TREE ID GUIDES identify species and describe characteristics. Left — American sweetgum, a native species. For this year, efforts Right — Norway maple, an invasive exotic. will be addressed to stream bed restoration in the area The Plan recommended installation of tree ID near the gatehouse. Moving water and erosion are guides and trail markers, to enhance enjoyment by human perennial issues in any woodland setting and usually visitors to the woods. Tree identifiers have recently been need immediate remediation. SPITZERS continued from page 3
CONFESSION continued from page 2 I cooked them the worse they got. I called Sylvia in Washington, I called Barbara in Philadelphia and once again I called Marlynne. “Throw out the chicken,” she said. “Go to the market and buy a cooked chicken!” It was 5 p.m. They were coming for dinner at 6. I sped over to the Publix Market and stood there as the chickens went round and round on the skewers. Finally they were done. I grabbed the chicken and drove home. My friends loved the chicken. It was the best they ever ate! My latest adventure was at Beaumont. Someone asked me during Passover to make fried matzah. Beat a dozen eggs. Soak the matzah crackers in hot water. Drain the matzah, add it to the eggs and fry everything in butter. I served the dish along with maple syrup or jelly. No one commented, which was nice of them. They did all like the cookies that my girlfriend made for dessert! I give up. The one thing I am really good at is vodka on the rocks with lime. I’ll stick with that!
eight years ago, after 47 years on the job, and was recently granted emeritus status and honored as a longstanding staff member. The Spitzers lived for 60 years on Bryn Mawr Avenue in Penn Valley, where they raised three daughters and a son. Three of their children live in the area and one is close by, in Washington, D.C. Both Jean and Stan enjoy sports and answered yes to my question about golf. But if you want to put sparkle in their eyes, just mention skiing! It was their favorite family sport. They skied all the good spots here in the East, but once they discovered the slopes out West, they were hooked. Vail was their beloved ski area and the place to which they returned most often. Their other special spot is their house on Long Beach Island in New Jersey. It’s not snow skiing, but it’s a glorious place for them to be together with their family, which now includes 10 grandchildren, in the sun and surf.
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The hidden cats of Beaumont
Beaumont canines become known quickly. Since they have to be walked a few times a day, it’s hard to miss them. We even had a dog parade in their honor. Felines, on the other hand, are the hidden pets of Beaumont. They don’t have to be walked. In fact, they don’t much like it. Trotting along beside their owners is just not their thing. A cat parade? You can’t herd cats. Cats are not as effusive as dogs, but they do enjoy the company of their humans. For the most part, they are low-key, low-maintenance pets. All of their needs can be managed inside a house or apartment. As the late feline Truly Trachtenberg put it in an article in the November 2009 Beaumont News: “We possess distinct advantages over our major and very public competitors, the dogs of the world. Consider perhaps the best of all being that we don’t have
Resident cat speaks up
By A. Nony Puss, Translation by Sis Ziesing All cat photos by Kathy Hesington
You know there’ve been many stories about dogs published in the Beaumont News. I admit that mostly they’re very nice animals, and that they’re devoted to their owners. However, something has been missing— cats! Left: CAMUS MORGAN Right: DIDO MORGAN
As a resident cat, I feel we’ve been stiffed. I have been in touch with some other resident cats and I want you to know how important we are to our families. I first visited Camus and Dido, who live with Carol and Bob Morgan. Camus is a true socialite, being a Tonkinese, which is half Burmese and half Siamese. He is 11 years old and mostly enjoys sitting in the sun. Dido, who is two years old, says “Hey there! I’m just an ordinary black cat.” Her idea of fun is watching stink bugs on the ceiling and pouncing on them when they fall. FREDDY AYRES
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to be walked in rain, snow, freezing cold, or boiling heat. We are extraordinarily fastidious in our bodily functions, defiling only a little box of sand, and requiring no heinous toileting pick-up after us. We are green animals, not needing the daily use of plastic bags, as do our loud barking neighbors. We do not get “doggy odor.” We do not attack mailmen. We can be left home alone overnight without fear of death or massive destruction. In short, we are a very civilized group.” Because cats are quiet and not out on display every day, few people even know they are here, unless one is spotted on a windowsill. So in this issue we hear from the quiet, dignified, hidden cats of Beaumont. — Lynn Ayres Next I called on Burmese Chocolate Winsor, who is so grateful that Donna rescued him. He tells me he adores her, but loves to tease her by rushing out the door if she’s not careful. One of his destinations is next door, where orange MR PICKLES GREGG Freddy Ayres lives. Lynn took him in after he’d lived alone for quite some time, as his previous owner was ill and not at home. His former name was Fraidy (as in “fraidy-cat”), but Lynn changed it to Freddy when he stopped hiding in the closet. When Chocolate appears, Freddy wants to play, but naughty Chocolate rejects his offers of friendship. I then had a visit with Mr Pickles Gregg, who said that he is just an ordinary four-year-old black cat. John rescued him from the Francis Vale Home, and Pickles thanks him every day. He told me his favorite pastime is sitting in the screened balcony, observing everything that goes on in the quadrangle. [This visit took place before the death of John Gregg on June 1. Pickles now Left: CHOCOLATE WINSOR Right: KITT Y ROYER
RESIDENT CAT continued on page 7
RESIDENT CAT continued from page 6
MR WHISKERS LUTHER
By Peg Wolcott
lives with Lynn Ayres and Freddy—Ed] I last called on Sparky Driscoll, a totally beautiful sevenyear-old male of many different colors—should have been a girl! Sparky told me he loves to explore his hallway and added, “Grace can only get me back by rattling my kibble bag.
SHADOW CLOTHIER
“I also have fun jumping on the bridge table when she has friends over for bridge. Poor Grace sure has patience!” I have more friends here that make their families happy, but Peg Wolcott, who masterminded the dog parade, needs room for her additions.
More cats come out of hiding
Seeking out more of Beaumont’s hidden cats, I found these: Roxy commands the home of Julie Williams, and Little Meggie resides with Ned and Gracie Madeira. Ann Bloom has two long-haired, blue-eyed Ragdolls called Bubba and Willie. James Luther has a long-haired, blue-eyed Himalayan called Mr Whiskers, who described his life with “THE BOSS” in the May/June 2016 Beaumont News issue. Interestingly, black cats seem to be favorites in
Beaumont. Obviously, their owners do not find them unlucky. Besides those already mentioned, Ann Clothier has a black cat suitably named Shadow. Beaumont pioneer Mary Yurchenco’s black cat is named Amber, which seems odd until you realize that the cat’s eyes are amber. Bob and Sally Herd’s black cat belonged formerly to their daughter, who was born on August 4, exactly 100 years after her great-great-grandmother. In her honor, the cat was named Emma Louise Brown.
How did the Cat Table get its name? Sunshine and Marmalade live on in memory
tell me the history of the table. Almost two decades ago, she said, two cats began coming to the Sun Porch doorstep. One (in due course) was named Sunshine, and her larger brother became Marmalade. Residents liked having the cats nearby and fed them; then SUNSHINE, original Cat Table cat, at age 18 others got into the act, and Beaumont unofficially adopted them. At one point, the cats were even provided with a dog igloo on a pallet to protect them from the elements. Despite kindness and care, Marmalade passed away after nine years. Sunshine stayed around seven more years, but when she got quite old, Kathy decided to take her home with her, where Sunshine lived for two more years. After all this time, the table in the Sun Porch is still called the Cat Table, and some grounds workers still call the courtyard Sunshine’s Courtyard.
By Lynn Ayres
One of my favorite dining spots in Beaumont is the Cat Table, located next to the door leading from the Sun Porch to the outside. Beyond the door is what I think of as a secret courtyard, a verdant, peaceful area enclosed by the Mansion on one side and Baldwin apartments on the other three sides. The view from the Cat Table is lovely. THE CAT TABLE in the Sun Porch I asked Operations Assistant Kathy Hesington, Beaumont’s cat historian, to
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Amid a lush and lovely spring, a carnivore still has to eat
Text and photos by Lynn Ayres
Several weeks ago, I witnessed something rathin 30 miner extraordinary. As I was working at my computer, I utes.) glimpsed something streaking past my window. Its size, But I digress. The shape and speed led to a quick conclusion: fox. first extraor But that was not the extraordinary thing. Foxes dinary thing often visit my little corner of Beaumont. And it is literally a corner—an L-shaped inside corner, with apartments about the fox on the south and west and lawn on the north and east. was that its RED FOX in thick winter attire is easy to spot when shrubs and trees are leafless. coat was There’s lots of wildlife here. My neighbors feed the birds mostly brown, not red, although the distinctive white tail and (unintentionally) those notorious birdseed thieves, tip was clearly visible. the squirrels. If this is the fox that was Prey animals attract predators. afflicted with mange, it We’ve had many certainly looked a lot visits from hawks that better than the last time I saw it. Its fur had pounce on birds with grown out, and it was such speed and ferocbright-eyed and bushyity that they leave an tailed. explosion of feathers on the ground after The fox was also on they have carried a mission. Although I away their dinner. had not seen a squirrel Foxes like to run past my window, I surmised that one was pounce, too, but they can’t drop from the involved. I hurried into rooftop on unsuspect- EXPLOSION OF FEATHERS indicates that a hawk has had a successful hunt. the living room to look ing birds or follow out the patio door. To my surprise, the fox was climbing them if they take flight. Rodents are easier to catch, and one of the burning bushes! It continued climbing and thrashing around for a minute or two and then leapt out my inside corner location prevents escape on two sides. of the shrub. I quickly returned to the bedroom to watch There are six huge burning bushes in front of my patio. I have mixed feelings about them. They prevent a as it pursued a squirrel across the lawn. Fox caught squirrel wide, clear view, but they do give me privacy, and I can at the base of a tall maple, and that was it. I’m sorry for the squirrel but elated that the fox still see the birds. (One afternoon I counted nine species had the strength, stamina and agility to catch its natural prey. And who knows? It may have been a vixen with kits in her den, and more than one life may have depended on that squirrel. But nature is frivolous. A few days ago, I saw the fox again. I would have missed it except that a crow began to caw much louder and more raucously than usual. Soon, another crow joined in. I looked out the window, and there was the fox pursuing a rodent. The crows were warning all the local wildlife that a predator was among them. The crows kept harassing the fox, who abandoned its prey and ran back where he had come from, with a crow in hot pursuit overhead. FOX RUN: Google Satellite view looks down on Baldwin’s inside corner You win some; you lose some. and the fox’s route.
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