V o lu me T h i rt y T wo , N umber 4
April 2018
April Fool
Photo by Lynn Ayres
SURE ‘N’ TWAS a glorious St. Paddy’s Day at Beaumont after the Front Office folk led by Prez O’Peduzzi sneaked down and dyed the Pond green.
Beaumont Fund Advisory Board discloses goals under discussion By Joe Peduzzi, President & CEO
Having helped finance the construction of additional parking spaces now taking place around the campus, the Beaumont Fund Advisory Board has been discussing what it wants to do next. After considering current needs, and consulting the Beaumont Retirement Services Inc. (BRSI) Board, the Beaumont Fund board members have released the following list. Board Chairman Jim Zug said residents’ comments and suggestions (and donations) would be welcome. Anyone interested in supporting these projects can discuss further details with me. Music Room Restoration—The focal point of the Mansion is the combination Music Room and library with its 25-foot vaulted ceiling and organ. The elaborate paintings in the ceiling were done by an Austrian court BEAUMONT FUND continued on page 6
Photo by Jane Ruffin
FOURTH SNOW STORM IN MARCH: See story on page 7 and pictures on page 8.
New Director of Nursing combines work with studies
DEAR READERS:
In the March issue, in Evelyn Rosen’s article “Hidden Foods of Beaumont,” she mentioned that one can get cinnamon toast for breakfast. “Breakfast?” a reader wrote. “We can get breakfast?” Yes, of course you can! A resident or guest can get a hot breakfast by ordering in advance from Dining Services. Breakfast is available per request, between 8 to 9:30 a.m. in the Bistro. You can get a breakfast-type meal in the Grill Room when it is open. Coffee, tea and pastries are usually available in the Bistro bar starting at 7:30 a.m. and until 2 p.m.
By Lynn Plasha, Vice President of Health Services
Spring Canvas With brush and palette April now Captures the line of Leaf and bough Slowly the picture Takes the hue Of sun-bright-amber Sky-clear blue This unframed canvas, Primed by cold, Shines with forsythia’s Sudden gold Flashes of color Shimmering Earth is a landscape Signed by spring! —Bette K. Peterson
Photo by Ted Madara
HAPPY CUSTOMER Jake Bean of the Grounds Department shoulders his purchases at the Community-Wide Yard Sale, leaving behind some of the $2,167.25 the sale earned. Louise Hughes of Resident Services, who organizes the annual sale, said the proceeds benefit Beaumont employees, helping cover oneof-a-kind needs not addressed by the Beaumont Fund.
Having officially celebrated one year as the Director of Nursing in the Health Center, Marjorie Harding has already developed a successful training program for the Health Center staff and continues to work on new programs to improve resident care and outcomes. Her career reflects her passion for nursing and a penchant for professional growth. Before joining us at Beaumont, Marjorie spent 15 years at Inglis House, a long-term-care community based in Philadelphia that specializes in services to adults with severe neurodegenerative physical disabilities. Marjorie Harding She started as a nurse unit manager, was promoted to Director of Nursing and ended as a community administrator. During her tenure there she was designated as an MS Nurse Specialist by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Born in Jamaica, Marjorie moved to the U.S. during the 1980s. She trained as a licensed practical nurse at the Presbyterian Medical Center of the University of Pennsylvania and went on to receive an associate’s degree in nursing from Delaware Community College and a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Hahnemann University Hospital. Most recently she received an MBA from Eastern University and is now working toward a master’s degree in nursing, hoping to become a nurse practitioner. She is married and has three grown sons.
BEAUMONT NEWS The Beaumont News is published by the residents and staff of the Beaumont Retirement Community, 601 N. Ithan Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
In Memoriam Diana Tilghman March 24, 2018
Executive Editor Mary Graff Managing Editor Lynn Ayres Deputy Executive Editor and Production Manager John Hall Graphic Designer TJ Walsh Photo Editor Louise Hughes Contributing Editor Linda Madara Quality Control Jennifer Frankel Index Manager Nancy Harris Consulting Assistant Editors Mary Schnabel, Jean Homeier, Peggy Wolcott, Sis Ziesing and Wistie Miller
Members of the Beaumont Community extend deepest sympathy to her family and friends.
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Is there hidden life in Austin mansion? BN contributor sneaks, listens and reports
Text and photos by Lynn Ayres
The Club Room has a pair of griffins on its fireplace. Since they are lion/eagle hybrids, they might easily Have you ever been in a haunted house? Are fly wherever they want to go. But do they? Nighttime you sure? workers have reported hearing wings flapping in the At night we all notice creaks and groans, which corridors. They attribute the sound to bats, but searches we dismiss as “house sounds,” but in some houses, espehave turned up nothing. cially large ones with lots of nooks and crannies, super The Bar across from the Club Room has less natural activity is suspected. frightening figures on its fireplace: a pair of cherubs Beaumont’s most striking feature is the Austin playing horns. Perhaps this explains faint music somemansion. The stone walls, gables and massive chimneys times heard in this area. Security guards in the lobby are solid and imposing—like a fortress or castle—and think it has something to do with mice in the organ. gargoyles perched on the sides of the building add an Perhaps the most overlooked area—in two senses eerie, medieval quality. of the word—is the Hostess Stand. Residents seldom look up towards the ceiling, but if they did, they would see other beings looking down. Two carved figures recline on the inglenook arch. They have curly-toed shoes and hold what appear to be wands. One of them has an owl. Are they dark elves? Their leering scowls are disquieting, and some dining staffers have confessed to being afraid of them. Nighttime activity reports are “NAUGHT Y” PICTURES in the Green Room depict nymphs and fauns at play. sporadic and inconclusive, but I’m convinced that the carved figures enjoy midnight wan Inside, the high ceilings and grand central derings to visit friends, share gossip and make music. staircase emphasize the spaciousness and elegance of the The elves are the best dancers, but they also cause the mansion—although there are also hidden back stairs, most mischief. Early morning staffers have found things oddly shaped attics, and spooky cellars. The main-floor moved around or sometimes missing altogether. A few rooms contain massive fireplaces carved with plants, swear that some of the carvings even change places, and animals and people. What stories they could tell! Some people believe they do. The Oak Room (the original Austin dining room) lives up to its name, with paneled walls, a hand-carved fireplace, and built-in furniture for food service and storage. An oak china cabinet boasts two carved figures, and two more adorn the mirror over the fireplace. They appear to be Renaissance representations of Greek herms, those squared pillars with carved heads on top. Beaumont’s figures have arms and torsos, but their “legs” are pillars. People walking through the mansion late at night have reported unusual sounds coming from this area. Could the carved figures have got free to move around? Walking would be difficult, A TOUCH OF MALICE: A dark elf casts spells as he reclines on the inglenook arch. but perhaps their non-legs spring like pogo sticks. WANDERING continued on page 4 What fun!
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Two years after filming, Al Gore talk on climate change packs Ballam Theater
tors can be designed to avoid that problem, but that the equipment would be very complex and could be uneconomic. Another question concerned the dangers of new battery technologies for storing electricity. Richard said that rapid charging of batteries for electric cars requires currently impractical rates of energy transfer; a substantial investment in infrastructure will be required. The discussion veered to the energy stored in these batteries. Lithium ion batteries have, in the past, caught fire. Those batteries have been improved, but they still contain a dangerous amount of energy. I noted that the same is true for gas tanks; we have had 100 years to work out safe practices, so explosions are rare, but a pound of gasoline vapor packs more punch than a pound of TNT. Ted elaborated on a point made in the video, that rising temperatures have caused animal life to move away from the equator. He said that The Nature Conservancy is working on establishing pathways for this to happen. One result of the northward shift of plant species, he said, is that most maple syrup now comes from Canada. In response to a question about Beaumont’s geothermal systems, Richard said that our systems use heat pumps and differ from geothermal systems in places like Iceland, where there are volcanoes. Our systems take advantage of the fact that the temperature several feet into the ground varies much less with the seasons than does the air temperature. Heat is transferred from the ground to living units in winter and from the living units to the ground in summer.
By Frank Kampas for the Green Committee
A talk by Al Gore, the politician turned Nobel Prize winning environmentalist, videotaped in February 2016, filled the Ballam Theater in February 2018—two years later. It was followed by discussion that lasted as long as the half-hour film itself. The Green Committee, which presented the video, was encouraged by the turnout and the display of interest during discussion. In his talk, entitled “The Case for Optimism on Climate Change,” Gore updated his audience on developments since his 2006 movie, “An Inconvenient Truth.” After first offering evidence of a large increase in the number of very hot days, he said that on the other hand, the cost of renewable energy installations had dropped far enough to make good business sense. As of 2015, he said, wind turbine and solar panel installations had far exceeded projections made a few years previously. The talk was videotaped by TED (short for Technology, Entertainment and Design), a nonprofit organization which began as a conference in 1984 and now offers talks on a wide variety of subjects, from science to business and global issues. Two physicists on the committee, Rich Stephens and I, led the discussion, along with Ted Robb, a semi-retired trustee of the Pennsylvania chapter of The Nature Conservancy. I started the discussion by offering a historical perspective. The first suggestion that carbon dioxide in the atmosphere can raise the temperature of the earth’s surface came in 1824, was modeled mathematically by 1896 and has been well established for more than a century. In reply to questions about nuclear fission and fusion as power sources, I replied that fission reactors produce radioactive waste products that are still dangerous after thousands of years. Richard noted that fusion reac-
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Al Gore, who was U.S. Vice President from 1993 to 2001, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 jointly with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Richard Stephens has a doctorate in solid state physics from Cornell and has worked on controlled fusion. Frank Kampas has a doctorate in physics from Stanford and has worked on solar energy.
WANDERING continued from page 3 I’m beginning to believe it. After photographing the Oak Room figures, I returned a few weeks later to check some details, and a figure that I had thought was on the china cabinet was now over the fireplace. Hmm. One room is a bit different from the others. The Green Room inhabitants are not part of the nightly frolics. Their heritage is Classical and their fireplace is white marble. Naturally, they feel superior to the others. Besides, they are already having their own fun, night and day. The fireplace frieze shows a never-ending Bacchanal,
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with naked nymphs and goat-footed fauns and satyrs making merry. The tipsy participants don’t have to leave their marble structure to seek amusement elsewhere. They have wine, women and song from dusk till dawn. I’ve been told that a number of Beaumont residents won’t sit near the fireplace because of the “lewd” display, but apparently it didn’t bother the Austins, who used the room as their formal parlor to entertain guests. So, have you ever been in a haunted house? Are you really sure?
Irish dance students win hearts at St. Patrick’s Day Social By Irene Borgogno
Beaumont’s St. Patrick’s Day Coffee Social offered tea sandwiches, Irish coffee and a display of Irish step dancing. Six colleens from the McDade/Cara School of Irish Dance, ages 5 through 11, provided a vigorous and entertaining display. They were joined briefly by a little boy who clearly wanted to get in on the action. Scant information is available about dance in pre-modern Irish society. The tradition of round dances probably began with the Norman invasions in the 12th Century, and dance movements show the influence of French quadrilles and English country dancing. The hornpipe rhythm associated with Irish dance developed by the 18th Century, and traveling dancing masters spread the tradition in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The touring lessons were performed in physically restricted areas, like table tops, resulting in a dance style wherein arms were held rigidly at the sides and there was no sideways movement. These lessons are easily recognized as precursors of the step dancing popularized at the end of the 20th Century via productions such as Riverdance, the traveling theatrical show. The version of Irish step dance that is recognized worldwide these days is characterized by a rigid upper body and intricate footwork, conducted while standing high on the balls of the foot. Upper Right: Betsy Rhodes and Dublin native Helen Gannon congratulate the dancers. Upper Left: Teacher encourages youngest dancer to join the quartet lined up in soft, laced ghillie shoes. Bottom Left: Fancy footwork for step dancing requires hard shoes. Little brother ran across the floor to join the dancers but was caught by his dad. Below: Barbara Ladd and Sydelle Kessler. Residents’ photos by organizer Louise Hughes Dancers’ photos by Linda Madara
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BEAUMONT FUND continued from page 1 artist, as were the murals in the original dining room, now called the Oak Room. The 2,300-pipe player organ was built by the Aeolian Organ Company of New York and installed in 1914. The ornately carved pipe case is made of knotless maple and Italian walnut. Funds received will help preserve this fundamental part of Beaumont history.
The original purpose of the Beaumont Fund was to offer residents assistance in the event of personal financial hardship, to provide for the needs of the Health Center, to offer employee scholarships to qualifying staff and to finance major improvements to the community. Over time, the list of funds has expanded based upon donor designations and the list of purposes has expanded to include enhancing the quality of living at Beaumont. In 2012, Bruce Mainwaring, former Chair of the Beaumont Fund Advisory Board, asked his fellow residents to participate in a matched giving challenge. Mr. Mainwaring offered to match up to $500,000 in cash gifts or bequests with a minimum gift of $10,000. The hope was to reach $1 million for capital projects to benefit Beaumont Retirement Services, Inc. In 2014, the Mainwaring Challenge successfully raised $969,000 in cash and bequests which did establish the Future Capital Projects Fund. The BRSI Board voted that the funds should be used to improve the geothermal system in the Common Areas of our community, which was completed in 2016, and to create additional campus parking, which will be accomplished this spring.
Beaumont Room Sound System—Optimize the acoustical performance and sound quality within the Beaumont Room for musical concerts, educational lectures and meetings. Ballam Theater Enhancements—Enhance the theater experience through the installation of state-of-the-art audio and visual technology while preserving the theater’s attractive appearance. Implementation of Medical Technology— Install the latest medical information technology. Redecoration of Resident Rooms in the Health Center. Landscape and Wheeler Woods Enrichments—Make the grounds at Beaumont even more beautiful through landscaping projects and promote forest regeneration and dead wood control. Continuing Education/Training for Staff.
Zumba Gold is back by popular demand
By Diane Dimeglio, Fitness and Aquatics Coordinator
Zumba Gold classes have returned to Beaumont, scheduled to take place over 12 weeks from 9 to 9:50 a.m. every Wednesday from March 7 to May 23, at the request of resident aficionados. Zumba is an aerobic fitness program featuring movements inspired by Latin American dance; Zumba Gold is a lowimpact version, not too hard on the joints, especially designed for older adults. The dance is performed primarily to Latin American dance music. Founded in the late 1990s by Colombian dancer and choreographer Alberto “Beto” Perez, Zumba classes are said by their promoters to be taken weekly by approximately 15 million people in over 200,000 locations across 180 countries. The choreography usually incorporates hip-hop, soca (Caribbean), samba, salsa, merengue and mambo. However, all instructors incorporate their own personalities into their classes. Beaumont instructor Beth Ladenheim received her degree in Dance and Movement Therapy from Hahnemann University in 1985.
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ZUMBA ENTHUSIAST Bernice Solomon shows how it’s done.
Photo by Audrey Walsh
Snowbirds dodge snow here, dodge snow there, then come home to March and 4 nor’easters
By Joan Roberts
Leaving for a trip is hectic enough, especially Two days later, after decompressing in a nice for someone as disorganized as I am, but going in hotel, we joined the Serenity, which by that time had early January (Christmas tree still up, no thank-you shed her snowsuit and welcomed us to two weeks of notes written, wreaths still in place) is a special lovely cruising. challenge. This does not apply to my traveling Sanna had cruised the Panama Canal before, companion, Sanna Steigerwalt, who is always packed but it was new to me, and I had for years carried the up and ready to launch days ahead. youthful notion that all those locks raised the level of Nonetheless, the canal, and that the neither of us was prepared Atlantic and Pacific were for the curve that winter somehow at different threw at us as we geared levels, and what would up for a cruise through happen when they met the Panama Canal. Our at the bottom of South flight to Fort Lauderdale America? for embarkation had been There are now two scheduled for January 5, passages of locks, the but was moved up two original one inaugurated days without prior noin 1914 and the new one tice. True to the weather in 2016. Both raise ships pattern playing out in the 85 feet above sea level, winter of 2018, a major cross the Continental Disnowstorm had set its vide, and lower them back sights on the Philadelphia to sea level on the other region, threatening to tie side of the Isthmus. The up every airport east of old one, which our ship the Mississippi, or so it took, has lock gates that seemed. A frantic phone swing like doors, “mitre call from our travel agent, gates.” The new one— on the morning of January wider and deeper—has Photo by Richard Stephens 3, notified us that we had gates that slide, rather like late-season snow on page 8.) to leave for Fort Lauder- SNOWBIRDS of a different kind. (See more pocket doors. dale immediately or risk being unable to fly and miss There isn’t space here to go on about the ing the ship. extraordinary human resources that created the Stumbling home from the eye doctor, the first original Panama Canal, and the tragic loss of thouof two appointments on my calendar, I took this news sands of human lives from insect-born disease in with all the grace and decorum of an enraged two-yearthe process. Experiencing the transit today is endlessly old. However, our long-suffering travel agent managed fascinating, and I took far too many pictures of the to secure us two seats on a plane and we were off. water rising and falling, the gates swinging open and It was just as well that we left when we did, and closed, and the little “mules” (engines) that guided our headed for Florida instead of the alternative embarkaship in transit. The closeness of the sides of the ship tion point, which was Charleston, South Carolina. to the walls of the locks provided some excitement, One of our fellow passengers, who had chosen the and it didn’t hurt that we had the luxury of watching latter, proudly displayed a photo on her cell phone of from the ship’s cozy Palm Court while sipping a cup our ship, the Crystal Serenity, docked in that hapless of tea. southern city with her deck deep in snow and display Then, after missing all that snow, came home, ing a fine snowman. March, and four nor’easters.
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“NEITHER SNOW . . . NOR GLOOM OF NIGHT . . .” keep Beaumont couriers from their appointed rounds, helping residents keep to theirs. Above: Using a telephoto lens, Richard Stephens took this nighttime photo of the bus from the top floor of Baldwin, camera aimed over the tops of Middle Road villas toward the end of Pasture Lane. Fat flakes that characterized the fourth storm gave photographers rare chance to capture falling snow. Near right: Snow on the first day of spring covered witch hazel blossoms; photographed by Jane Ruffin. Lower right: After second nor’easter, Mary Graff took photo of Graffs’ patio showing exactly how much snow had fallen. Far right: Snow-clad trees stand to attention for Jane Ruffin.
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