Beaumont News - November 2021

V o lu me T h i rt y F ive , N umber 4

November 2021

With fall flourishes, Beaumont welcomes residents back

By Joseph Peduzzi, President and CEO

Every October, residents return from their summer away with fanfare at the ‘Welcome Home’ dinner party. The event on Tuesday, October 19, was a particularly special occasion, as the Beaumont community joined together for the first large-scale, sit-down celebration since February 2020. Both the Resident Services and Food and Beverage teams went above and beyond to make this event extra special for Beaumont’s residents.

From the first step into the Beaumont Room, the fireplace, adorned with festive florals and glimmering candles, provided a warm welcome. Staff from Dining and Resident Services departments greeted residents with genuine excitement and offered a specialty cocktail full of fall flavors: Apple Cider Fizz. Guests gathered around satin-covered tables, bedecked with artfully arranged centerpieces, styled by Philadelphia based Papertini Floral.

Laughter and chatter filled the room as residents noshed on their first course, a bruschetta trio plate. The dining team ensured that drinks were flowing and dashed about the room filling wine glasses.

PRESIDENT’S

CORNER

PRESIDENT'S CORNER continued on page 2

Spooky fun

Photo by Paige Welby

For Beaumont's first, large-scale, sit-down celebration since Covid began, extravagant measures were put in place. Beautiful florals marked the festivities.

Photos by Linda Madara

Getting into the spirit are Greg Johnson of housekeeping (right),

Jennie Frankel, Executive Assistant (far left), Engineer Paul Conboy (left), Jack Collett, Pat Ross, daughter Jane Ross Jennings, and Roderic Ross (top left), and Resident Services’ Caitlin Gardner and Pat Ross.

Friendship Circle focuses on new residents, topics

By Vick Kelly

The Friendship Circle program began in January of this year. We have now held 13 meetings and plan to continue having meetings as long as residents remain interested.

The first 6 meetings were by special invitation only to residents new to Beaumont in the years 2019 and 2020.

More than half of the 33 new residents attended at least one circle. The early meetings were limited by Covid-19 restrictions to 10 people, comprised of 4 longer term residents and 6 new residents. As we went around the circle one person at a time, each resident spent several minutes introducing themselves. Most shared stories of their families, their work history, their interests, and why they came to Beaumont.

Meetings 7-11 were open to all Beaumont residents.

Another 30 or so residents, new and long term, attended these meetings where the goal continued to be the sharing of stories. However, at the last two of those meetings, the conversations turned more to topics related to living at Beaumont. The Friendship Circle facilitators: Barbara Benson, Marlynne Clothier, Jack Collett, Eta Glassman, Dorothy Weisbord, Bert Wolfson and I, along with BRCI chair Leslie Wheeler, then met to discuss the future of circle meetings.

Because of their popularity, we decided to continue holding Friendship Circles but to have meetings with two separate objectives.

In the first kind of meeting, the original objective

of Friendship Circles to introduce new residents and longer term residents to one another, especially as the pandemic and other factors limit socialization, will continue. They will be called “New Resident” meetings. New residents will receive personal invitations to these meetings, which will take place every 3-4 months depending on how many new residents have settled in. The second kind of meeting will be known as “Beaumont Topics” meetings. They will focus on any number of things unique to living at Beaumont. They will take place once or twice each month.

The 12th and 13th meetings were centered on a “Topic” specific to Beaumont. The first took place on September 28. The topic was “WHO TO CALL: WHY, WHEN AND WHERE.” We decided to limit the size of the circle to 15 or so residents in order to allow each person a chance to speak and to help keep the circle small enough for us to be able to hear each other clearly. Since 25 people signed up for that meeting, we repeated the topic in the 13th meeting on November 4 and invited those from the waiting list first. Please keep your eye on the bulletin board and weekly reminders from Resident Services for future Friendship Circle topics. There will be a New Resident Friendship Circle on Dec. 2. If you have ideas or questions concerning Friendship Circles, please contact me at 215-920-4654 (cell) or by email at vickkelly79@gmail.com.

PRESIDENT'S CORNER continued from page 1 The main course, a carved rack of lamb, was perfectly cooked and generously portioned. A decadent dessert, apple cider crème brûlée, anchored the meal, leaving the residents with a night to remember and plentiful anticipation of future celebrations.

In Memoriam Helen Collings October 14, 2021

Devereux Andrews November 11, 2021

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

Editor Assistant Editor Production Manager Designer Photo Editor Contributing Editor New Resident Editor Quality Control Index Manager Consulting Assistant Editors

Photo by Paige Welby

Florals and candles adorned the Beaumont Room fireplace, providing a warm welcome to residents.

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Marion Laffey Fox Beverly Wilson Christine Johnson-Hall TJ Walsh Louise Hughes Linda Madara Betty Matarese Jennifer Frankel Nancy Harris Mary Schnabel, Jean Homeier, Peggy Wolcott, Wistie Miller

In the Health Center garden, wedding bells ring

By Marion Laffey Fox

A vague hint of impending rain hung in the air over Beaumont’s gardens on the afternoon of October 9. This was especially true above the festively decorated area outside the Health Center, where colorful seasonal blooms enlivened the greenery.

Happily, no moisture marred the ensuing festivities, as the joyous wedding of Dan Biddle and Sara Ellen Rimel evolved as an utterly enchanting event, that happily included Dan’s 100-yearold mother, Frances Biddle, who has been a Health Center resident for the last year. Before that, she and her late husband Edmund R. (Randy) Biddle, a professor at Widener University, resided in Villa 84, for 31 years.

To make it happen, the bride and groom accepted Beaumont’s Covid restrictions. “We held it outside, kept everyone masked, served no food or drinks and kept the grand total to 12 adults and a toddler,” said Dan. “My brother Steve was best man; Sara’s sisters Liz and Barb escorted her down the “aisle,” and Liz’s husband George Schott, formerly a professional photographer, took great pictures.” Included in the guest list were Dan’s daughter, Ellery Roberts Biddle, her husband Ben Rohrer and 18-month-old Cleo, who, understandably stole the show.

“The whole point was to make my mom part of it,” said Dan. “And she was—cheerily decked out in a multi-colored silk scarf that belonged to my late wife, Cindy Roberts.” Dan's daughter Ellery had gently draped the scarf around her grandmother's neck.

During their vows, the couple promised to “Support each other’s work, while not letting work dominate our lives as it once did.” They also vowed “to be there for the people we love our families and dearest friends. Walk new trails together literally and figuratively.

Have fun together.”

The happy event united two former students at

the University of Michigan who worked on The Michigan Daily, the school’s newspaper, together more than 40 years ago. Her reporting career included the Miami Herald, Washington Post and The New York Times for 26 years. He was a Neiman Fellow at Harvard University who worked at The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, then spent more than three decades at The Philadelphia Inquirer, where he and two other reporters won a Pulitzer Prize in investigative reporting in 1987. Dan was married to Cindy Roberts for 35 years before she died of pancreatic cancer in 2016. Today, Sara also works on various publications at Boston University, and Dan, who teaches journalism to high school and college kids at University of Pennsylvania, is co-authoring a new textbook on journalism ethics.

Frances Biddle, who was thrilled with the festivities said: “I wanted them to be happy and wished they would have a wonderful happy wedding.” After little Cleo toddled over and spontaneously handed her a flower from a bouquet, everyone there knew her wish had come true.

Photos by George Schott

Newlyweds Sara Ellen Rimel and Dan Biddle chat with Dan's daughter Ellery Roberts Biddle and 18-month-old Cleo (left).

Cleo and her grandfather Dan Biddle enjoy flowers in the Health Center garden (top right).

Mother of the groom Frances Biddle waves, alongside friend, Barbara Davis, next to groom's son-in-law, Ben Rohrer.

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Jim Zug wins 80+ U.S. National Squash age group championship

Beaumont resident Jim Zug won the 80+ U.S. National Squash Age Group Championship at the new National Squash Center near Drexel University on October 24. It was his 22nd national squash championship, but first in the softball singles squash game. All the others were in hardball singles and doubles.

He beat Michael Gough, the No. 1 ranked 80+ player, and a former winner of the Worlds 75+ in Hong Kong, and the British Open 75+ in London, in a very tight five-game match: 11-9, 9-11,11-9, 9-11, 11-9.

The U.S. National Squash Singles Championships were held at the newly opened Arlen Specter National Squash Center at 33rd and Powelton Avenue, in the former historic Armory.

This facility opened October 2 with the US Open for men and women pros.

This was their second major tournament, of around 150 players, in age groups from 40+ to 80+ in five-year intervals.

The Squash Center, which cost $35 million, is a wonderful coup for Philadelphia.

It has 18 singles courts, two exhibition courts with large galleries, two doubles courts, fitness center, 18 coaches' offices for national team players and the offices of US Squash, which has relocated from NYC. The 80+ age group had five entrants.

As the surprise of victory sank in, Zug recalled an incident that took place eight or nine years ago when he was playing in the over-50 doubles league against John Shellenberger of Bala Cynwyd. “After the match, which I had just won, it came

Indian Summer

By Bette Peterson

Surely this is the autumn of the heart.

October’s fires burn across the hills.

An equinoctial storm has marked the start Of a new season.

Frost in morning chills The purple asters. Let us, in this brief Pause between ebbing green and rising flame, Recall the early promise of the leaf So richly kept by summer when it came.

With laser focus, Jim Zug competes in the match (top).

We have no right to sorrow, who have known Such golden days. The cycle of the years Is never-ending. Always birds have flown South on the wind; this is no cause for tears.

Love has recurrent seasons of its own.

Color is deepest in a flower full blown.

Jim Zug Jr. (left), Jim, and Jim's wife, Debbie, are all smiles after the win. up that I had recently moved to Beaumont. At which John, in his 50s, jokingly exclaimed, ‘I can’t believe that I just lost to a guy who lives in Beaumont!’’’

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All the way from California, meet the Broaches

By Joan Roberts

Brighton, England. She is an enthusiastic gardener who cultivated a rose garden in California with over 80 different varieties. If the word gets out, she could find herself snapped up by any one of the groups of trowel-wielding women in the Philadelphia area.

After his work with GE, Bill served for 20 years as one of the panel trustees Barbara Broach for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Oakland, California. He enjoyed tennis for many years until hip trouble limited his play. Now he enjoys his bridge games instead.

The Broaches have been married for 61 years and have three children and nine grandchildren. Their son Mark who works in finance in Connecticut, is an avid ultimate Frisbee player, and shares his parents’ love of bridge.

Elise, who also lives in Connecticut, has published more than 20 children’s books and teaches creative writing at Yale.

Mary, their youngest, lives nearby in Wynnewood, works in consulting, and is a co-founder of the women’s organization Impact100 Philadelphia.

The Broaches are a welcome addition to Beaumont!

Not all the residents of Beaumont come in from the Philadelphia area, or even from the East Coast.

Two California transplants, William (Bill) and Barbara Broach, moved into Apartment 137 on the first of May, after spending 42 years in Lafayette, a town near San Francisco.

Neither of the Broaches began life in California. Barbara is from Indiana (near Fort Wayne) and Bill is from Georgia, and has the soft Southern accent to prove it. He is definitely not a “rambling wreck from Georgia Tech,” but he has an engineering degree from there.

Barbara’s degree is from Mount St. Joseph UniBill Broach

versity in Ohio. The two met when Bill was working for General Electric in Indiana and living in a bachelor pad called The Hermitage, which was obviously not for hermits.

Barbara taught in elementary school, third and fourth grades, both public and private, and managed the family’s seven moves around the United States and to

The Health Center — A major reason for gratitude

By Mote Howard

In the last issue of this publication, I wrote an unstintingly favorable review of the nonmedical staff that we constantly interact with. In this issue I discuss a more complex situation. If we need snow shoveled it is obvious when the job is successfully completed. If a nurse is dealing with a resident with mental challenges, there is no simple way to judge the results, only a relative measure.

In gathering information, I started with helpful Marjorie Harding, Director of Nursing for the last five years. Prior to this she had a similar post at Inglis House, formerly known as The Home For Incurables. She hires, monitors, and trains the 69 nurses employed here. She asked several to speak to me. I suspect those she picked were among the stars.

Among them, Ryan Sholinsky is our respected nurse practitioner. He has acted as an adjunct to the physicians who serve Beaumont and has also lectured to us on subjects such as back pain that were very informative.

He enjoys dealing with us—a big plus.

Elizabeth Eckrich, RN, is the lovely nurse I remember fondly from my brief stay in the Center following a knee transplant. The pleasant memory persists even though I suffered the embarrassment of needing her to give me an enema. By coincidence, 20 years ago when she was a kid she babysat for some of my grandchildren, a family favorite serving three generations. A reason she gave for enjoying her job is that she gets to know many interesting residents because she interacts with them longer than would be the case in a hospital.

Katiato Mansara, a native of Sierra Leone, is now an American citizen. She has been here almost three years after a two-year nurse training course in Delaware. As a practical nurse, she is on the front lines, each morning checking patients’ vital signs, administering meds, listening to requests and complaints. She enjoys helping people in spite of the challenges and expressed gratitude to the director for enhancing her skills.

Dolores Hill is a restorative aide. As the title implies she helps patients maintain the gains they achieved

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HEALTH CENTER continued on page 6

Fitness Center staff triumphs over Covid-19

By Diana DiMeglio, Fitness & Aquatics Director

The actual impact of the coronavirus was keenly felt by all staff and patrons of Beaumont’s Fitness Center. While centers all across the country quickly closed their doors in March 2020, the staff at Beaumont anxiously waited to see what the future might bring.

We scrambled to connect with what other similar communities were contemplating.

Early on we spent substantial time supporting other departments and creating virtual programs to help residents who were missing their exercise regimens.

We recorded exercise videos for channel 1971 and stuffed mailboxes weekly with handouts that people could safely follow at home. We spent lots of time in the health center assisting with videos, using the interactive IN2L system, doing pet therapy with bunnies and helping residents exercise.

As the first Covid-19 cases emerged, we adapted to new rules, and as the numbers increased, we again carried on, supporting the front desk, creating wellness opportunities like horticulture projects and providing temporary distraction for all. A Virtual Road Race in June was a great success.

However, without our group exercise schedules

we were all starving for comfortable routines. Once case decreases were recorded in July, we reopened under strict protocols.

Some IL residents came, others could not, and others bought their own equipment. We happily stayed open without another interruption.

As staff and residents received their vaccines, we relaxed somewhat, then flash forward to today, when we are fully open.

Over the grueling months we learned that we are resilient, adaptable and determined.

Self-care is not self-indulgence.

Family and friends matter.

Technology and digital solutions are here to stay. Our community and fitness center will always be a source of strength here at Beaumont.

We spent lots of time in the Health Center assisting with videos, using the interactive IN2L system, doing pet therapy with bunnies and helping residents exercise.

HEALTH CENTER continued from page 5 in therapy and assists in ongoing exercise management. A charming lady, she has been here 33 years. Her husband and a daughter also work here. A few years ago the family was honored for seventy years of service to Beaumont!

She loves the residents, a blessing for us.

What are the negatives? Sixty-nine nurses serve a population in the

The Pause*

By Bette Peterson

Time does not stand still Yet our lives have Been changed immeasurably The past four months.

Beaumont quarantine means Staying in our fifty acres, But what do we do with This change of pace?

Some rightfully experience Loss, anxiety, fear, pain, and worry.

Others may decide to muse on What to change as we go forward.

Re-evaluation of our lives is a must.

We are all connected.

Living on the edge forces One to take stock of one’s life Our purpose in life, what you do, What you give, what you love, What you need to survive, What’s essential and what isn’t?

*Written in August 2020

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Center that is usually around 30 patients, 24 hours a day. Fifty percent of the patients have some degree of cognitive impairment.

An additional 20 percent plus have significant physical problems. These two groups are there for the long haul. The rest are there for shorter stays such as recovering from an operation, a fall or a stroke. Ideally each patient would have a “concierge” nurse to always be available. That is not possible financially. It is easy to understand why a patient can be frustrated in the wait for a nurse’s response to a call button. The bladder can be an impatient organ.

On the other hand, it is also easy to understand a nurse’s frustration that she can’t be in two places at once.

Personally having the patience of a five-year-old, I am in awe of our nurses’ ability to deal with their challenges. I believe the group deserves our gratitude and praise for their patience with their patients!

Discovering mushrooms in the woods

By Jane Ruffin

The fall is the very best time to look for mushrooms. Sometimes one can go into a wood and smell them. This may sound odd, but a healthy soil has a sweet and earthy aroma. This is the scent of geosmin, a byproduct of soil microbes, called actinomycetes. These microbes decompose the tough plant and animal residues in and on the soil and bring nitrogen from the air into the soil to feed the plants. An unhealthy, out of balance soil smells sour or metallic.

Over the years I have found a number of different mushrooms in Wheeler Woods. Linda Madara took this photo (top left) a couple of years ago of a Turkey Tail mushroom.

Do you think it is well named?

There are many different species of the Amanita group of mushrooms (first two photos at right). The red one with white spots is in this family and it is very poisonous. There are others that are edible. Photos at far right on this line are some other mushrooms I found in the woods.

Here are some turkey tail mushrooms that I have found.

Caesareae stirps Hemibapha

Blusher Mushroom

Fairy Fingers

Golden-gilled Gerronema

Do not eat any wild mushrooms unless you are 100% sure they are edible.

Look along the base of trees and you may find Chicken of the Woods. Every year I have seen them growing around the bottom of the big Oak tree next to the gate house.

Photos by Jane Ruffin

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Treat yourself to a walk in Wheeler Woods Spacious new views thanks to restoration project

By Ann Baruch

Jim Ward and his crew finished the removal of 80 ash trees ahead of schedule on October 29 and the invasive plants that were treated this summer by Weeds, Inc. are clearly not happy! These are the very big first steps for the Wheeler Woods Restoration Project.

Treat yourself to a walk in Wheeler Woods and enjoy the beautiful new views through the forest.

The project is being 100% funded by gifts from members.

Contributions received through the Beaumont Fund’s annual appeal last spring totaled approximately $94,000. Since then, thanks to some very generous gifts, the total in the Wheeler Woods restricted fund has reached $222,940. The cost of the ash tree removal was $140,000 and treatment of invasives was $23,250.

Because of the interest in this project and the knowledge that there are significant expenses ahead of us we decided to invite all members to make a gift to Wheeler Woods this fall. Hopefully all residents have received a letter from a member of the Wheeler Woods Stewardship Committee (WWSC) by now. We understand that many members would like more information about how their donation might be used and prefer to wait for a more detailed plan.

This project is exciting and very challenging in its complexity. To date we have identified 18 separate projects within the big project! The Management and the WWSC are working with project manager Jim Baney and landscape designer Julie Devuono to identify, prioritize, and develop the best plan and budget for each component. We are learning constantly, and each step informs the next one. As we move forward, we receive valuable guidance and support from senior staff at neighboring gardens and arboretums. We are committed to a thorough and inclusive process.

Felled ash trees wait to be picked up.

Photo by Jane Ruffin

A robin feasts in Wheeler Woods.

Photo by Ann Baruch

Among the items we’re considering: • • • • • • •

Deer management and control Trail improvements Additional viewing sites Stormwater runoff and erosion The entrances to Wheeler Woods Plant material (canopy and understory trees, shrubs, and herbaceous material) Noise buffers

We are confident in our process and the expertise of our professional advisors and look forward to spectacular results that will bring joy and pride to our residents and serve as an attraction to future residents.

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Photo by Ann Baruch

Joan Bromley admires a newly hatched Monarch butterfly.