Beaumont News June 2018

V o lu me T h i rt y T wo , N umber 6

June 2018

Annual meeting

POPULAR LADY: Keeping up with an ever-changing digital world—and helping folks of a certain age adjust to it—is a high-risk occupation at best. Judging from the all-out applause she received at the Annual Meeting, however, IT Director Mary Huff is meeting the challenge. What brought on the applause was the announcement that after just one year in the job, she had won the Ballam Award for Management.

Good financial news, new directors, staff awards and one special round of applause for the IT wizard

By Mary Graff

The high point of Beaumont residents’ 2018 Annual Meeting May 14 was, as usual, the financial report for the previous year, in this case 2017—and as usual it did not disappoint.

“Beaumont has been, and continues to be, in very sound financial condition,” Finance Chairman Adolf Paier announced, and then he said it again: “Beaumont has been, and continues to be, in very sound financial condition!”

And in case anyone in the packed Beaumont Room might have missed the point, he added: “Beaumont is, and continues to be, one of the top financially sound CCRCs in the country.

“EisnerAmper, our outside auditors, completed their annual audit and issued an unmodified opinion.

They are very satisfied with our financial results and the

Photo by Louise Hughes

performance of Beaumont’s staff.”

Quite a few handout pages later, Dolf also announced that as he had completed his statutory six years as Finance Committee chairman, this would be his last annual-meeting presentation.

“The new Finance Chair is Jamie Bromley,” Dolf ANNUAL MEETING continued on page 5

It wasn’t easy, but Green Room fireplace looks clean again

By Linda Madara

Decades of blazing fires in the Mansion parlor (now “The Green Room”) fireplace on cold winter nights left the ornate marble mantelpiece sooty and smudged.

In recent years, when Beaumont residents were dining there, they would remark on how sad it was to have something so lovely shown off in such an ugly way.

Many suggestions were put forth for cleaning it, including Ivory soap, nail polish remover and Windex.

GREEN ROOM continued on page 4

Photo by Linda Madara

WARM GREETINGS: Dr. Eni Foo—physicist, artist and restaurateur— welcomes the Rev. Dr. George Hollingshead and other Beaumont residents arriving at the Foo home for a tour of blooming peonies followed by lunch at the Hunan Restaurant in Ardmore. Story and more pictures on Page 8.

When is a bulb green? Watt’s your answer?

(That was a hint)

By Irene Borgogno for the Green Committee

“New lamps for old!” Remember the original tale of Aladdin? New lamps for old caused him a lot of trouble.

But today, replace the word “lamp” with the word “lightbulb,” and practicing this idea becomes a worthwhile, green behavior.

We all use electricity. Small, seemingly trivial choices can have a large cumulative effect on total usage.

With lightbulbs, consumers have a choice: incandescent, compact fluorescent (CFL) or light-emitting diode (LED).

Over time, differences in electricity usage and total cost are substantial. LEDs use much less electricity and are therefore much less expensive to operate. The total cost over the lifespan of the bulb is much lower than for an equivalent incandescent bulb, despite the higher initial cost of the LED bulb. Using only 10 watts of electricity, an LED bulb can produce as much light as a 60-watt incandescent bulb.

The reason for this lies in the science behind the bulbs.

Incandescent bulbs emit light by heating a metal filament to a high temperature. Most of the electricity consumed is emitted as heat, rather than light. These bulbs are inefficient.

In a CFL, ultraviolet light (UV) is generated by running electricity through mercury gas. A fluorescent coating on the inside of the bulb converts the UV to visible light. CFLs produce less heat than incandescent lamps and therefore waste less energy, but they have a relatively short lifespan and require careful disposal.

LEDs are solid-state devices designed to allow electric currents to generate light, like a CFL, but with atomic-level structures taking the role of the mercury atom. The process is almost as efficient as with a CFL, and the solid-state device has a much longer lifespan.

These devices are well suited to mass production and now are much cheaper (for the light they emit) than the alternatives.

(Solid state devices derive from the physics of semiconductors, in the overall area of quantum mechanics.

More detailed explanation of a solid-state device is beyond the scope of this article.)

Beaumont recognized the benefits of this development in lighting choices and has been pursuing an ongoing course of replacement. Many of the Commons areas have been converted to LEDs. The areas include renovated halls, portions of the Lower Commons, and some of the dining rooms. Going forward, everything possible will be LED, including any exterior lighting upgrades.

“New lamps for old” is proving to be a very bright idea.

In Memoriam Beatrice M. Goldstein May 7, 2018

John R. Benson, MD May 12, 2018

Jeanne Cortner June 3, 2018 Members of the Beaumont Community extend deepest sympathy to their families and friends.

BEAUMONT NEWS The Beaumont News is published by the residents and staff of the Beaumont Retirement Community, 601 N. Ithan Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010

GLOWING WITH MUTUAL PRIDE, Dr. Dean (Doc) Snyder, School of Veterinary Medicine class of 1954 at PENN, and granddaughter Dr. Jane Karpowicz, School of Veterinary Medicine class of 2018, pose for the family history book on May 14 after Doc presented Jane with her degree. Dr. Jane’s brother Benjamin, who had escorted Doc to the podium, took the picture.

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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, Wistie Miller and Irene Borgogno

The Lorax spoke for the trees at Beaumont on Earth Day

(because they could not speak for themselves)

By Paige Wayman, Exercise Science intern

This year’s Earth Day event was a dance-a-thon called “Feel the Earth Move Under Your Feet.” The title of the program came about when I met with the Green Committee. We knew we wanted it to be a dancing event.

Operations Vice President Brock Nichols suggested the title from the song by Carole King.

So we had the event name, but we also wanted to have a theme. We chose The Lorax, a children’s book by Dr. Seuss.

The Lorax, in case you don’t already know, is a fictional character who points out the importance of preserving and conserving trees because of the many ways they THE LORAX, speaking from the stump of a dead

enrich the lives of all inhabitants of tree

our planet. We had printouts of the book at the party in case anyone wanted to read it.

Basically there was a lot of brainstorming and blending of ideas!

During the event Diana DiMeglio, Fitness Supervisor, read The Lorax out loud to impressed residents, while I provided a solo performance of the story in the background. Early in the event Norma Fabian, Joyce Randolph, Eta Glassman, Diana, Karen McFee, Fitness Trainer, and I provided plenty of entertainment while dancing the “Hokey-Pokey.” When several residents had to leave, Diana and I danced on for two hours, stopping

Photo by Audrey Walsh

FEELING THE EARTH MOVE UNDER THEIR FEET, while dancing to the music by Carole King, are (from left) Diana DiMeglio, Fitness and Aquatics Coordinator; Exercise Science intern Paige Wayman and residents Jennifer Morrison, Norma Fabian and Evelyn Rosen.

for nothing but a piece of The Lorax cake.

The Earth Day event was designed to encourage any and all residents to move a little, have a great time and develop a deeper understanding of the importance of caring for personal and environmental wellness.

On leaving, each resident received a thank-you plant.

We also provided information about the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), a non-profit organization that works to help conserve both animal and plant wildlife.

The WCS focuses on restoring ecosystems, re-growing species, and otherwise preventing extinction.

I had made a poster that captured the prime message of the Wildlife Conservation Society: that all plants and animals are important to our world. There was a donation box next to the poster for anyone who wanted to contribute to the WCS.

Beaumont’s face to the world gets a new look for the fall

Text and photos by Linda Madara

NEW WEBSITE ON THE WAY: The Articus team, Beaumont’s marketing consultants, arrived with their camera crew in early May to capture residents, activities and the personality of Beaumont for a new website to make its debut in the fall. Why? The trend today is to surf the web using tablets and phones as the weapons of choice.

Surfers want short text, plenty of bullets, and pictures and video clips to provide depth and clarification.

The Marketing Committee and Marketing Director Audrey Walsh agreed that now was the time for a change.

The recent shoot focused on the exercise area and WEBSITE continued on page 5

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DANCERS ACCOMPANIED BY WYNLYN JAZZ ENSEMBLE perform for a heavy video camera and frame skillfully controlled by the cameraman.

GREEN ROOM continued from page 1

was exceptionally tedious.

They discovered that the mantel had been trimmed out with dark boot polish (a commonly used substance to outline the edges of a pattern to make it more visible). This had to be removed. So were the remains of shellac, coffee, the usual pipe, cigar and cigarette smoke and even human breath that had built up over the years. It was laborious work with Q-tips, toothbrushes and a special solution that would not damage the marble.

The trio also found a lonely fork (not part of the Austin family sterling dinner set) at the very back of the mantel top, and in one small section of the carved design, a little boy is putting fruit into a basket into which someone had placed a tiny green plastic bead.

The mantel deadline was met in the allotted five days! Almost everyone seems to enjoy the new look, except that one person did say it now looked like plastic and he preferred the dirty surface.

You can’t please everyone all of the time.

The stubborn, filthy finish simply remained no matter what was done. What to do? Or do nothing?

A professional had to be called in. A small group of concerned residents did some research and discovered Adam Jenkins, a restoration expert, who was invited to Beaumont. Yes, he said, he could clean it for us, but the room would have to be closed off and he would squeeze us in between other substantially larger assignments on his calendar.

In early April, Adam and his assistant Alicia arrived. They could allot only one week to complete the job. The Green Room was deemed out of bounds to everyone except Page Gowen, who knew Adam and volunteered to be an extra pair of hands if needed. Adam immediately accepted her offer, and Page began studying and working under Adam’s watchful eye. The trio slaved away for five days from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Working on, under and between the figures carved into the marble

Photo from Adam Jenkins

Photo by Linda Madara

BEFORE cleaning begins, a century’s accumulation of dirt clings to the fireplace.

DURING the cleaning process, Page Gowen lends a hand under the tutelage of Adam Jenkins and his assistant Alicia. Note the difference in color between the clean and unclean sections.

AFTER a week of hard work, all is clean and bright except part of the hearth. It looks much better than before, but the stubborn stains probably baked into the marble.

PEGASUS ROUNDEL is front-and-center above the hearth.

Photo from Adam Jenkins

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GREEN BEAD was found in the fruit basket on the frieze.

ANNUAL MEETING continued from page 1 said with a big smile as he wrapped up, “and we continue to have very knowledgeable residents on the committee.”

Dolf ’s complete report, supporting his conclusions, will remain available on request at the Front Office.

In other business:

Sanna Steigerwalt and Ted Robb were confirmed to fill two seats on the BRCI Board. Ted, who serves as vice chairman, was eligible for a second term, and Sanna was already filling a vacancy that occurred in 2017.

Mary Schnabel, outgoing chairman of the 2018 Nominating Committee, said the committee had ratified the BRCI Board’s appointment of Bette Peterson to fill a vacancy that occurred this year.

(Other members of the BRCI Board are Birchard Clothier, chairman; Rod Ross, secretary; Michael Churchman and Jean Homeier.)

Board Chairman Birch Clothier announced the names of 2019 Nominating Committee members Norma Fabian and Tuppie Solmssen, serving the second year of their two-year terms, and new members Maryann Collett, Joyce Randolph and Susan Woolford. Wistie Miller and Marion Snyder, in addition to Mary, are completing their terms this year.

Birch also announced annual staff education awards with a new twist: Funds from the L. Rodman Page Award for Maintenance Study will be used to hire an outside consultant to provide additional customer service training for staff in the Maintenance, Housekeeping, Grounds and Security departments.

The Ballam Award for Management went to Information Technology Director Mary Huff, who drew an unprecedented round of applause after Birch explained: “Mary has been our IT director for one year, and they said she wouldn’t make it. Way to show them, Mary!”

The Biddle Award for Nursing went to two Certified Nursing Assistants: Tamila Dixon and Hafsatu Barrie. Birch described Tamila as “a compassionate caregiver who values and builds strong relationships with the residents she serves”; Hafsatu as providing care “with much love and compassion.”

CEO/ President Joe Peduzzi presented a summary of the Beaumont Fund’s activities during 2017. Major expenditures, he said, included funds for staff scholarships, employee student loan forgiveness, a new piano and a performance by members of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Details of this report, also, are available in the Front Office.

BEAUMONT FUND AT WORK: Darryl Dick, Housekeeping Supervisor (center), with Team Leaders Sulan Booker and Michael Bailey, sat down recently with Human Resources to develop a frontline training program. This program, with financing from the Beaumont Fund, is expected to provide consistent training to all members of our Housekeeping Text and Photo by Human Resources Director Mary Wells and Laundry departments.

Darryl, Sulan and Michael have all been promoted from the front line. Collectively they understand the tasks assigned to each employee in their departments. They attend regular supervision classes to expand their leadership skills.

This team has been instrumental in championing the need for onsite English as a Second Language classes for employees.

WEBSITE continued from page 3 pool, the Wynlyn Jazz Ensemble with dancing residents, the front lobby with residents and a dog passing through, and at-home interviews with a handful of residents who would submit to a make-up artist, tolerate the invasion of large cameras and exhibit steel nerves when interviewed on camera.

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MR. AUSTIN GAZES DOWN at the goings-on in his Music Room, while the still-camera assistant checks each shot as it simultaneously appears on his laptop.

Photo by Linda Madara

BN reporter with time on her hands takes time to tell us her thoughts

By Mary Schnabel These days we are very proud of our advances in science and technology. But in the case of one very important and constantly asked question, one that has an impact on all of our lives, there has been a sad lack of any kind of progress. I have pondered this; you have too. In fact, it could be called the most puzzling problem in the entire world.

This big question is: WHERE HAS TIME GONE? We hear this plaintive plea constantly and have been helpless to answer. Just think, if we could find where Time goes and get it and bring it back, we would be in control of the world’s most valuable resource.

Few of us have Time to spare. So why aren’t those people who complain of Time on their hands willing to share? Even Time himself is stingy when it comes to that.

You notice he’s reluctant to give away what we’d most like to have: more Free Time. On the other hand, we can Take Time and he seems to have no objection. Some people even Do Time, but that is another story.

TIME CRASHES result from demands of the chaotic modern world.

Photos from Internet sites

15TH CENTURY ASTRONOMICAL CLOCK in Prague, Czech Republic, has movable Medieval figures on either side.

Understandably, this isn’t a simple thing to do.

Time is tricky to deal with. I often have Time, you have Time, but irrespective of our ownership, Time just ups and goes, regardless. Most of us don’t want just any time either; we want a Certain Time, only to find that Time’s Out or Time’s Up…. Time is never In!

INFINIT Y CLOCK just keeps ticking . . . and ticking . . . and ticking . . .

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But before we begin research on where Time goes, we might need to find out whence Time Comes. We all know there is a Father Time but none of us has ever heard of a Mother Time. Yet Father produces, Time after Time.

Pretty amazing, when you think of his age. One of these days we may find ourselves Out of Time.

There is a popular theory that Father has a lady friend named Tide, who is not a good influence on him. It is said that when they are together they wait for no man.

Chances are, when he is with her, he is High Time!

One wonders how Father Time is bringing up all those little Times? They must be a very mixed bunch.

We hear complaints of Bad Times, Rotten Times, Lousy Times and yet others enthuse about Wonderful Times and Lovely Times. Can these all be his progeny?

Another puzzle is why our friends and acquaintances seem so anxious to get rid of those Good Times?

These satisfactory Times are the best kind to have and yet they are the very same that people seem happy to give away. “Have a wonderful Time” is freely and generously offered on all kinds of occasions. But it doesn’t seem to be so freely accepted. The last time someone said to you, “Have a Good Time”, did you take it? It really isn’t that easy to do. And yet, on the other hand, people are always professing they have HAD a Good Time or a Lovely Time, indicating that they once had it, but no longer do.

Where does Time Go? God only knows. The only thing we can be sure of is how he got there. Time FLIES!

Wynlyn Jazz hosts high school jam session with Musicopia Text and photos by Linda Madara

In early May, Beaumont’s resident jazzman/pianist, Marv Weisbord, hosted a small group of aspiring young jazz musicians from the Hill-Freedman World Academy in Philadelphia. They are members of Musicopia, a non-profit organization that supports school-based music programs and provides access to music education for students throughout the Philadelphia region. Along with their director/music coach, Jesse Mell, the group arrived for a never-to-be-forgotten afternoon of teaching and jamming (improvising jazz) in the Beaumont Room.

Following lunch and an hour’s Master Class taught by members of Marv’s Wynlyn Jazz Ensemble: Rob Stone, sax; Leonard Pavel, drums; David Zopf, bass; and Marv at the keyboard, the pros and students pulled out all of the stops.

With Marv and David’s musical support, the young musicians raised the roof with their sensational, exciting jazz.

Jesse and his very gifted students (Raymond Johnson, Andre Harris and Christian Harrison) did themselves proud and loud on the drums, sax and trumpet! There were huge grins all around when the afternoon came to an end with a syncopated drum roll.

Overheard from the trumpeter as the kids packed up their instruments, “Man! This was some gig! Those old folks sure know how to play!” And he was right!

COMPARING NOTES are David Zopf (on bass) with music coach Jesse Mell and Marv Weisbord on piano.

PERCUSSION: Christian Harrison makes the drumsticks fly!

BRASS: Wynlyn’s Rob Stone joins Andre Harris (on tenor saxophone) and Raymond Johnson (on trumpet).

Mykytiuks’ 60th anniversary will be at Beaumont

By Deborah Bishop

Donald and Jacqueline Mykytiuk met in graduate school at the University of Massachusetts. Jacqueline was a Fulbright scholar from France; Don was a chemical engineering major finishing his master’s degree.

They married 59 years ago after a six-month courtship and moved to Philadelphia, where Don was starting a position with Atlantic Refining; Jacqueline a teaching instructorship at the University of Pennsylvania.

Five daughters and a son joined the pair in quick succession and the corporate ladder beckoned the family to Harvey, Illinois (a research center for Atlantic), and then Jacqueline and Don Mykytiuk on to Los Angeles (which had become the headquarters for Atlantic Richfield).

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After seven years of moving across the country (including a one-month residence in Denver) the family returned to Philadelphia with ARCO Chemical. When the company decided to build a major facility in France, Don was chosen to lead the effort and Jacqueline’s background made it a natural.

The last of the six children were finishing college so the timing was perfect.

The engineering work was performed in Paris and the chemical plant built near Marseille. Two great places to live in France—Paris and Aix-en-Provence.

Returning again to Philadelphia in 1988, Don was made responsible for engineering and constructing plants in Europe, Asia and the U.S.—a lot of corporate travel.

Five of their children live scattered over the country. A daughter, Nadia Jannetta, married locally.

Adding 12 grandchildren makes for large and happy family reunions.

Tour goers revel in this flower in Dr. Foo’s garden

By Linda Madara

Question: What plant has been cultivated for more than 3000 years and has been revered as the national flower of the country of its origin?

Answer: Paeonia suffruticosa, commonly known as the Chinese tree peony. Grown as a woody stemmed shrub (trees can reach 10 feet tall), tree peonies are not pruned back in the fall after the plant drops its leaves.

With the arrival of spring, new leaf growth bursts forth from the old wood, complete with spectacular butter-plate size blooms of white, pink, red, yellow or more than one color, many boasting a light, sweet scent.

Once declared the national flower of China, the tree peony currently shares first place with the plum blossom, following a Qing dynasty’s decision in 1903.

Recently two dozen Beaumont residents visited one of the most exciting collections of tree peonies in the area, the gardens of the multi-talented Dr. Eni Foo. Dr. Foo – physicist, restaurateur and artist – was a featured artist here last summer.

The original visit had to be pushed off because our cold spring had confounded the plants and the peony buds resembled large tight marbles. “Out of something bad, something good comes”… the postponed trip 10 days later was more than worth the wait.

Dr. Foo met us as the bus pulled up to the drive.

We disembarked and, at his direction, headed off around his house. Rapidly the hill before us fell away and the entire bank became a mass of huge blooms. You could hear a collective “Ooooooh!” as the peony collection came into view.

Those choosing not to walk through the gardens mountain-goat-style (it was quite steep) remained on the deck overlooking this glorious scene and marveled at the size and color of the blossoms surrounding them.

Dr. Foo informed us that some of his peony trees were already 6 feet tall with no sign of stopping. They were among the original trees he had planted in 1989 when the Foos moved into their home. Since that time his collection has grown extensively with annual additions.

Bees buzzed in and out of the blooms transporting the pollen between neighboring plants as they visited.

This busy work on their part results in hybridizing the seeds by mixing the pollens together. As summer continues and the spent petals fall off the once-spectacular blooms, large pods form to encase and protect the seeds that are the result of the bees’ work. Some of the pods

Photos: Close-ups by Linda Madara; distance by Lynn Ayres

PEONY POWER: Upper left—Whether with complex camera (Linda Madara) or smart phone (Page Gowen) nearly everyone photographed Dr. Foo’s magnificent blossoms. Lower right photo shows only half of the blossoming hillside. The rest spreads nearly as far in the other direction.

Other species are planted among the peonies to provide color before and after their season: irises, azaleas, lilies and more.

burst open, dispelling the seeds; others wait to be picked off.

Dr. Foo carefully collects the unopened pods and stores the seeds in a plastic bag to plant in the garden in the late fall or in pots for added germination control until the seedlings are ready to be moved outside in the warm spring months.

When the seeds sprout (both those planted outside and those planted in the pots), Dr. Foo starts the long wait to see if possibly there is a new variety of tree peony that his Bryn Mawr bees have hybridized. The wait for a young plant to bloom for the first time is about two years.

Our tour was not over when we climbed back onto the bus. Fritz Lubin, one of Beaumont’s trusty drivers, whisked us down to Ardmore and the fantastic Chinese luncheon awaiting us at Hunan, the Foos’ marvelous restaurant.

No one went hungry as course after course was served: egg tofu, spring rolls, crispy fried wontons, steamed dumplings, chicken with broccoli and snap peas, Shanghai cabbage with mushrooms, shrimp fried rice, beef lo mein, fruit and what else? Fortune Cookies!

No fortune mentioned winning the lottery, but we all felt that we had been real winners on this garden visit!

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