VOLUME TWENTY FIVE, NUMBER NINE
NOVEMBER 2011
Audrey pitches in When the village of Bryn Mawr held a community celebration recently, honoring 19 of its institutions that are more than 100 years old, Beaumont Marketing Director Audrey Walsh was on the spot to help with the honoring. Here she is giving her all to what was billed as an “olde-time game” called “Graces;” elsewhere she handed out shopping bags with the Beaumont logo and answered questions about our Beaumont community. “Hopefully we will be able to celebrate Beaumont’s 100th someday,” Pooh Gephart, Dean of Students at the Baldwin School, told Audrey. Photo by T.J. Walsh
New committees making their bow By Mary Graff Members of two newly reconstituted resident committees have begun putting their heads together on the Beaumont scene: a new Committee for the Beaumont Fund and a reconstructed Resident Services Committee. In the careful words of President Joe Fortenbaugh, who does not wish to raise the specter of gimlet-eyed fund raisers chasing their fellow residents through the halls, the former will be discussing “means of communicating opportunities for Beaumont residents and others to make tax-deductible donations to fund general or specific activities, including deferred giving.” The trustees traditionally do not directly solicit for the fund, Joe emphasized, nor do they deal with finances or act upon any financial matter regarding it, financial matters being solely within
the purview of the Beaumont Retirement Services, Inc. (BRSI) Board, to which the committee will be responsible. Peggy Mainwaring, already a trustee of the Beaumont Fund, will be heading that committee temporarily. Other members are Barbara Clothier, Pauline Foster, Raymond Freudberg, Geraldine Paier, John Place, Bobbi Rosen, Edward Rosen, and Alan Tripp. The Resident Services Committee has been closemouthed so far about the ideas they have been continued on page 4
INSIDE: Touring battlefield at Gettysburg, Page 3 Pioneers toast longevity, Page 4 When butterflies turn bad, Page 8
DEAR EDITOR: It’s a wild neighborhood here in the outer reaches of Baldwin. Last week, while I was reading on my third-floor terrace, a none-too-sober humming bird flew right past me and into my apartment. Yikes! Open screen door! And shortly thereafter a tiny sparrow, slamming into a window, ended it all “paws up” on said veranda. Then there’s
the manic woodpecker who daily attacks my delicious window frame. It’s so close I can see its little black-andwhite speckled head. What! With all the trees? And best (or worst) of all, at 5 a.m. I can sometimes hear a fox wailing like a banshee in extremis. Is it in heat or celebrating a night on the town? Or both? I must say though that on moonlit nights it’s a delight to see the deer come to tidy up the bird seed. Good show! —Liz Dornberger
DEAR EDITOR: A few nights ago, about 8:45 as I was preparing for bed, there was a sputtering, cracking and popping noise coming from my 28-inch bedside lamp. It wasn’t just the usual noise one sometimes hears when a light bulb burns out, and aside from that, all the lights and two clocks were off and the MedScope emergency box had stopped flashing. The room was dark except for the TV light. There was an odor of burning, and I was scared. I called Charlie Koch at the front desk, knowing that Maintenance was probably gone for the day but hoping that someone might help me. Sure enough, Charlie arrived and unplugged the lamp from the surge protector strip, pressed a little button on the side of the strip, and all the lights came back on. I hadn’t had the
nerve to touch anything, and I certainly didn’t know about the little button. I was so grateful! Now I could go to sleep in spite of the burn odor. Early next morning, much to my surprise, Paul Conboy from Maintenance was at the door. He wanted to check out anything that had fire attached to it. He took the lamp apart, and I could see that the entire wire down through the lamp was burned. He said the surge strip had done just what it was supposed to do. Thank goodness for that! Now I want surge strips everywhere. Paul took my lamp away, fixed it, and brought it back a new lamp. What a service! I have been told many times that somebody up there is watching out for me, but it is good to know that Beaumont is also watching out for me. —Ann Wood
Letters to the Editor:
Summer is gone and with ered my summer reading, chosen from two book it the lists and suggestions groups’ selections. They were Dostoevsky’s “The for summer reading which Brothers Karamazov” (729 pages) and “Team of descend on us from all sorts Rivals” by Doris Kearns Goodwin (750 pages, about of mass media and from per- Abraham Lincoln’s cabinet). Well, fall has arrived, the sonal book groups. What is it intrigues of the Karamazov brothers have been disBy Rena Burstein about summer that stimu- cussed and put to rest, while Lincoln’s cabinet lates the act of reading a book, preferably a light one? remains so far unread. What have book groups The X 20XX issue of Beaumont News will be Xxxx XX. The Newsatpublishes 10 Is it, deadline perhaps,for thethe image of sitting onthe a lounge chair wrought? Certainly not aBeaumont lazy summer the beach. editions a year from October to July before taking a summer hiatus. Please sign your story and either turn it in at on a beach while simultaneously acquiring the requiOh, well—next summer I’ll take a light-weight paperthe front desk or better, if you can, e-mail it to Mary Graff at graffs@msn.com. Please keep a copy for yourself! site summer tan? back (or two) to wherever I can find a comfortable lounge For back issues, please go to our website, www.BeaumontRetirement.com Two days before summer officially started I gath- chair.
Summer reading
BEAUMONT NEWS
The deadline for the December 2011 issue of the Beaumont News will be November 5. The Beaumont News publishes 10 editions a year from October to July. Please sign your story and either turn it in at the front desk or better, if you can, e-mail it to Mary Graff at graffs@msn.com. Please keep a copy for yourself!
The Beaumont News is published by the residents and staff of the Beaumont Retirement Community, 601 N. Ithan Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
Managing Editor Production Editor Editor Emeritus and Historian New Residents Editor Photo Editor
For back issues, please go to our website, www.BeaumontRetirement.com
Events Manager Proofreader Circulation Manager
2
Mary Graff Christine Johnson-Hall Louise Guthrie Jean Kirk Louise Hughes Kim Norrett Jennie Frankel Barbara O’Brien
No languid tourists these, Beaumonters pay close attention to the workings of a “Napoleon” 12-pounder cannon. That’s Gettysburg guide Bill at rear center, Cynthia Drayton to his right, and to her right Jean Bodine (very new resident). Next are (face not shown) Lillian Lefevre; standing behind her, Hap Aller; and to Mrs. Lefevre's right, with big pearls, Elizabeth Royer, and to her right, Dr. Jay MacMoran. Photo by Louise Hughes
Gettysburg: Good food, good guide and ghosts By Carol O. Allen
The next morning dawned sunny and breezy, still warm for the battlefield tour with the professional guide. We started at the recently opened visitors’ center with the History channel’s Gettysburg program, the museum, and the magnificent (42 x 375 feet) cyclorama repaired (it took 5 years) and expanded with a three dimensional foreground. We ate lunch outdoors, checked out the capacious bookstore and boarded the bus with our genial professional guide who kept us alert with his “groaners.” Bill explained it all. We draped ourselves on a “Napoleon” 12-pounder cannon while Bill showed us the sequence and rhythm of the 5-minute dance to fire artillery. We stood in formation where Lee watched Pickett’s Charge. We rode along the Federal lines past many monuments to stop at Little Round Top. We climbed in and around the ancient glacial rocks to experience the importance of the high ground. Bill showed us the magnitude of the southern forces which threatened to engulf the northern army. On that high note, we dropped off our 5-star guide and headed home in our 5-star bus with our 5-star driver and 5-star Beaumont shepherdesses with treats, arriving at Beaumont 5 minutes early. The 5-star staff carted us and our baggage to and from the bus. The trip was exhilarating, perfect in every way. It was an honor to participate in history, ironic to celebrate such sacrifice in such luxury.
On a cloudy morning, 28 of us set off for an overnight trip to Gettysburg to tour the town and Civil War battlefield. Nearing the battle’s sesquicentennial in 2113, the park and town are ready for the onslaught of tourists. With the support of the Gettysburg Foundation and the cooperation of the National Park Service, the new $103 million visitors’ center welcomes all to the largest battle fought on this continent. We traveled west on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and south on Route 15 to the college town. The ride was smooth, and Kim Norrett and Louise Hughes offered snacks, juice and water. Like Lee’s army, we approached from the north. After a generous and delicious lunch at the Pub on the square, we toured the Eisenhower home just as it was when the former President and Mamie finished their renovations 56 years ago. A small museum reminded us of Ike’s many years of service to our country and the world. We stood outside and appreciated the farm’s gorgeous 360-degree vista of green fields, trees and blue hills. Back in town, we rested before a delectable meal at the Gettysburg Hotel and then joined the evening’s ghost tour. As we walked, the guide’s narrative helped us to understand the effect of living in a battlefield with snipers in the attics and wounded soldiers getting their limbs amputated in churches and other large buildings turned into hospitals—eight minutes to saw off an arm, 12 minutes for a leg. Scarred brick walls still bear witness to the action. 3
Beaumont pioneers recall toughing it out in the early days By Mary Graff
Wearing pinkand-white orchids and sipping pink champagne, 11 of Beaumont’s longestresiding residents were gathered together for a celebratory “Pioneers’ Dinner” in the Billiard Room last month by hostess Sarah DaCosta, who immediately declared it an aboutto-be annual event. “Pioneer” was defined as anyone who had been in residence since 1987 (dirt roads and no food) or 1988, the year of the official opening. “If you wanted to eat that Photo by Robin Daye first year,” said Gloria Stickel, “you Left to right around the Pioneers Dinner table in the Billiard Room last month are Jane Andress, Marjorie Helmetag, Gladys Monier, Adeline Gay, Helen Stephens, Sarah DaCosta, Mary Yurchenco, Mary Page, Gloria Stickel, Frances cooked.” President Joe Etheringon, and Louise Averill. All have been at Beaumont since 1987 or 1988, and two of the diners are going on 103 years old. Fortenbaugh fretted a bit over the timing when he dropped in long enough was no reason Beaumont should not have as good to join in the reminiscing. He said he thought that a 25th meals as the Cricket Club.” “Yes,” said Joe, “and I remember that my first anniversary might have been worth waiting for. Sarah DaCosta countered that March 23, 2013 was complaint was that the portions were too small and the still a long way away and she thought any anniversary next complaint was that they were too big.” Dinner that night, from shrimp cocktail to one of at this point was “just a wonderful occasion for a party.” “I guess you’re right,” he agreed, but took a firmer Dining Services Director Rose-Marie Pringle’s elabostance in response to a suggestion that he provide rate cheesecake inventions, was acclaimed just right! Dom Perignon Champagne the next time around. ”No,” he said. New committees . . . . continued from page 1 Mary Page remembered that health care was so sketchy at first that when she got a big splinter (“It was discussing, but a recent brainstorming session caused so new there were splinters everywhere”), there wasn’t Joe to remark afterward, “This is a stellar committee!” even a tweezer to be had. Her husband, L. Rodman Kim Norrett, Director of Resident Services, defined the Page, had to go to his workbench for a tool to pull it committee’s main purpose as “to reach out to new members upon arrival and ensure that they are made out. Joe remembered firing half the managers in his first to feel welcome and informed.” The committee members are Jeanne Cortner and year (that was 22 years ago and he was 38, with Susan Woolford, co-chairmen; Peter Binzen, Betty Bole, “mostly brown” hair.) Dr. John Carson, Barbara Clothier, Fytie Drayton, Patsy Sarah DaCosta remembered serving on the first Fraser, Ray Freudberg, Eloise Gretz, Lillian Lefevre, Dr. Dining Services Committee: “Lincoln Gries, a good cook himself, was the first Jay MacMoran, Jan Miles, and Ed Rosen, in addition to chairman,” she said, “and I remember his saying there Louise Hughes, Beaumont’s newly named Trip Coordinator and Beaumont News chief photographer. 4
Behind the artwork on the walls by Marian Lockett-Egan, chairman of the House Committee
“The bridge and stairwell presented an opportunity to add some different media to the collection. The prints on copper metal in the bridge will not fade in the ample natural light. They work with the narrow window shapes, and their natural elements mesh with the view of the gardens outside. In the stairwell is a print of a painting by Chrzanowski on vinyl which creates a large ‘window’ in the close industrial space. The image was selected to illustrate what you might see if there were an actual window, the birches which can be seen from the bridge windows.” Lindsey also worked in some special pieces we already had that were done by former residents Kathryn Leslie and Thelma Schmitt. These can be seen on the walls surrounding the Lattice Porch, along with the lovely re-matted and re-framed needlepoint by our own Bobbi Rosen.
With a major facelift of common areas at Beaumont two-thirds complete, many residents have asked me how the artwork came to be chosen. This is my answer: As the House Committee was busy selecting lighting, carpets, paint colors, and fabrics for re-upholstering, Lindsey Felch of AXIS Fine Art Services was researching and developing plans for art pieces and wall hangings. Her research started with acquiring an in-depth understanding of Beaumont and the Mansion. In Lindsey’s own words: “Beaumont is incredibly unique. The Austin Mansion, constructed in 1912-1914 by Bailey and Bassett, is a Jacobean marvel mansion of stone . . . The basis for the collection is as if the Austin family were starting an art collection when the house was built and added to it gradually over the years. “They would have had the means to travel and acquire original oil paintings from well known European artists from the 1800s such as Camille Pissaro (1830-1903), Paul Cezanne (1839-1906) and Auguste Renoir (1841-1919). These paintings would be beautifully framed and vary in subject matter and size. The oil paintings now hanging are painted in the spirit of these masters and others by skilled artists who at times add and subtract from the original, making them not true copies. . . .
We now have both the third and first floors completed; the second floor is slated for completion in 2012. The many complimentary comments that have been made by residents are summed up in those of Peggy Campolo: “. . . What fascinates me is that many of these paintings, while not copies of anyone else’s work, are done by artists in the style of some of the old master painters whose names and works we all know so well. “These days, I find myself taking detours when I do errands so I can look at paintings.When all the halls are decorated, I will be getting a good bit of exercise! Both my husband and I enjoy walking guests through our new ‘hall galleries’ and showing them one more of the many reasons we are glad we came to Beaumont. “I am sure all of us will remember that when we were decorating our former homes it was sometimes difficult to please even two people at the same time. I am in awe of our decorating committee members who have the daunting task of trying to please a whole group of people who surely do not all agree about home décor or art. For myself, I can only say thank you to them. I’m glad I don’t have to do their job.”
Photo by Louise Hughes Left to right, Katharine Place, Anna Wood and Marian Lockett-Egan with an oil painting from the collection.
5
Thank you Peggy, for your kind words!
From newcomers to neighbors By Jean Kirk
Barbara and Quartie Clothier both grew up in the Philadelphia area. Barbara graduated from The Shipley School and Briarcliff Junior College. She then went to New York and into retail training at Tobe Coburn and Bonwit Teller, from which she was rescued by Quartie. He went to Chestnut Hill Academy and graduated from St. Paul’s School and Princeton University. He also graduated from Penn Law School and was a partner with Dechert Price & Rhoads and practiced law for 40 years there. Barbara loves match-making and has had much success at it. She completed her college education at Rosemont College and received a Master’s in Counseling from Villanova University, which she Photos by Louise Hughes practiced professionally for several years, often in Barbara and Quartie Clothier cut the ribbon on their villa. underprivileged neighborhoods. Quartie was on the Board of Directors of Strawbridge for 40 years, has been on its Women’s Board for 40 and Clothier for 21 years and was Chairman of the years and its President at one time. She currently Board of The Shipley School. He has been Rector’s volunteers at the Information Desk at the hospital. She is probably best known for her leadership of Warden at his church and has been engaged in pastoral care work for many years, helping friends, former the steering committee for the Vassar Show House for 40 years. This was a highly successful money raiser clients and patients at Beaumont’s Health Center. Quartie, with other residents, will be teaching a Bible for the Vassar scholarships and a very popular Study group at Beaumont. For years he traveled to showcase for interior designers’ talents and the Lancaster County to volunteer in mediation work. Then viewing public. Polly has a great many friends at both Barbara and Quartie gave up their volunteer work Beaumont and cousins Mitsie and R.T. Toland and to bring up three orphaned Hoffie Dolan. Polly has four children and eight grandgrandchildren ages 11, 13 and children. * * * 15. Now all have graduated from college and are on their Madeleine Wyeth grew up in Tuxedo Park, New York. own. The Clothiers have a son, She graduated from Miss Hall’s School in Pittsfield, a daughter and five other Mass. After school she settled in New York City and grandchildren. worked in operations for Pan American Airways and later at Bonwit Teller in the custom order department. * * * She married Mark Cresap, who became CEO of Polly Toland grew up in Westinghouse Corp., and they lived in Sewickley, a New York City and Westbury, suburb of Pittsburgh, for 17 years. After his death, she Long Island. She was riding Polly Toland married Stuart Wyeth and moved to Villanova. horses almost from the time she Madeleine was on the was born, as was the whole family. Her father played Women’s Board of the Bryn polo. She graduated from Miss Hall’s School in Mawr Hospital for 20 years. Pittsfield, Mass., and Vassar College. She took her She enjoyed playing tennis horse to Vassar. and golf and still enjoys Polly and her husband met through their mothers, bridge. She spent winters in who were friends. For a short time they lived in Delray Beach, Florida, for Washington, D.C., when her father, Harold Talbott was many years. Madeleine has a Secretary of the Air Force under President son, a daughter, two grandEisenhower. When she came to the Main Line she conchildren, one great-grandchild tinued to ride and fox hunt with the Radnor Hunt. and five stepchildren. She has been a volunteer at the Bryn Mawr Hospital Madeleine Wyeth 6
Photo by Louise Hughes
Off to the races
Studying their picks for the next race on last month's trip to the Delaware Park Track are Margie Manlove, Shirley Robinson and Mary Spence.
Adirondacks . . . . continued from page 8
But this was not the daintily shy and randomly fluttering creature of Mikey’s 12-year-old summertime dreaming. She—I’m sure it was a she—formed an attachment to John that would not be gainsaid. Suddenly, “Get it off me!” John cried, leaping to his feet. “Get it off now!” Chris found a stick and tried, gently, to detach the fragile insect. And tried. And tried. And kept trying. The butterfly just clung more tightly. “I could feel its jaws sinking into me,” John only half-jokingly protested later, as the human females around him told and re-told this story, choking with laughter. Eventually it did transfer its hold to the stick and John started to walk away. But no! The butterfly spied him out of the corner of her compound eye and after him she flew. Over the uneven ground fled John; close behind, the butterfly followed. He darted left; so did she. He darted right; so did she. This way and that they went, John glancing over his shoulder, trying not to trip, to see the butterfly still in pursuit, expressing determination in every aerodynamically controlled flutter of wing and quiver of pointy antennae. Finally the butterfly sank to the ground, and John caught his breath. “Of course,” he said, eyeing the two Beaumont News editors laughing together with his aunt on the bench, “this is all off the record.” Too late, John. “The Day the Butterfly Chased John” has already all but replaced in grateful memory “The Day We Left Underwood Behind.”
Photo by Louise Hughes
Veggie whopper It might not have been the world’s biggest zucchini ever (they’ve been recorded at up to 65 pounds), but when Beaumont Housekeeper Renée Gorman found this one in her garden, she was proud of it. She gave it to Blair and Lynn Ives, who gave it to their son and his wife. Neither its weight nor its ultimate fate were known for sure when this issue went to press.
IN MEMORIAM Roberta Bell October 8 • Cecily Clark October 24 Members of the Beaumont Community extend deepest sympathy to their families and friends. 7
Photo by Christine Johnson-Hall Glittering in afternoon sunlight is mile-long New Pond, at Underwood, in New Russia, New York, in the Adirondacks, a part of the world much loved by vacationing Beaumont residents including, besides the Graffs, John and Elsie Butterworth and Fytie Drayton.
From the Adirondacks, a true (though unauthorized) story By Mary Graff, with Christine Johnson-Hall
yellows, and just-pastBouncing in the silver peak oranges of the leaves Jeep over the steep and with mountains arched rocky dirt road, we had behind. driven up to New Pond one Four of us got out to last time from our fishing admire the view—Chris cottage at Underwood to Johnson-Hall, production enjoy the fading fall colors manager of this publicaand to say goodbye. I had tion; her husband, John, pointed out landmarks, their Aunt Kathy and like where Bill and I used myself. Bill was still at to stand or sit with our home. rifles in deer season, and We were sitting on a log told stories, like the time bench on the grassy otters ate the fish we had verge of the pond when a strung to a tree root while Photo by Kathleen Neary Monarch butterfly settled we ate our lunch nearby on the back of John’s skyand we didn’t know it until Monarch butterfly temporarily alights on Chris—long enough for a photo—before continuing its pursuit of John, too fast for unprepared blue Phillies T-shirt (with we pulled the stringer up pitcher Roy Halladay’s out of the water with camera to follow. name on the back), opening and closing its orangenothing on it but bones. (The next day, as we trolled around the pond, three and-black wings prettily. Chris and Aunt Kathy otters had followed our progress through the trees on reached for cameras; I just gazed in admiration as it shore sailing playfully over logs, obviously hoping for lingered, poking its tiny proboscis into the cotton shirt. more.) I remembered the day years ago when I found a 12We were closing the cottage, which had been in my family 103 years. A long weekend of packing and year-old nephew making up a little song as he tended memories. The day was sunny and crystalline crisp, his worm supply on our back-porch woodpile: “At and as the Jeep reached the top of the hill, New Pond Underwood, at Underwood, the days go by like shone like glass, mirroring the burnt reds, mustard butterflies. . .” continued on page 7
8