February 2013 Beaumont News

VOLUME TWENTY SEVEN, NUMBER 2

FEBRUARY 2013

Capital enhancements rising steadily from drawing board Committee hopes to have Construction date soon

By Adolf (Dolf) Paier, Chairman of the Capital Projects Committee

A brief summary of the Committee’s scope should serve as a helpful reminder. The Capital Projects Committee reviewed all major projects that had been recommended for implementation over the next seven to eight years. The projects approved by the Committee for this financing can be summarized in four major categories: ■ First, renovation of a portion of the ground floor of the main building which includes the pool, fitness area, locker rooms, library and arts and crafts room; this portion of the project includes a modest expansion of the building to accommodate an expanded and updated fitness area.

■ Second, construction of an outdoor terrace dining area next to the Grill Room on the main floor and creation of a bistro, small dining area and game room just past the mansion’s salad bar.

■ Third, renovation and updating of the entire Personal Care area including installation of a second and larger elevator.

■ Finally, upgrades to the villa emergency-call system and installation of an energy management system designed to reduce energy costs.

Based upon the recommendation of our architectural firm, RLPS, Beaumont decided to select a construction management firm to work with RLPS from the beginning of the initial specification and design phase continued on page 8

Executive Chef John Bauer called his ice sculpture of a snowflake, created for January’s Sunday buffet and nicely set off by shrimp and lemons, a “celebration of winter.” His dessert creation for New Year’s Eve was a Chocolate Delight: Strawberry in a dinner jacket, chocolate mousse, molten chocolate cake and a white chocolate roll. For more about food, see Pages 3, 4, and another photo on Page 8.

Photos by John Bauer

Letter to the Editor:

DEAR EDITOR: The January issue of the Beaumont News was very interesting with all the Christmas pictures and the mention of the grandchildren that visit and bring us so much joy. I was so surprised to see the article written during the last baseball season about my granddaughter,

Margaret. She was visiting me for lunch to celebrate her 20th birthday when the January publication of the Beaumont News hit the mail boxes. Of course, a copy was put in her birthday gift and we all had fun remembering.

—Ann Wood

And speaking of grandchildren:

Visit leaves Grandma teary and weary but happy

By Sis Ziesing

be more perfect! We had a delicious lunch on our way there and even I loved the show. Next day—guess what—the fiendish, Bridge-playing grandma had a

Kathleen, my California granddaughter, had a Fall Break from her Eastern college. It wasn’t enough time to go home, so she asked to visit me. How wonderful, but Good Heavens, what’ll I do with her for four days!

I didn’t want her to be bored to death with her ancient grandma.

She was being dropped off on the first night by a kind father of a fellow student, but not until 8:30 p.m.

Grandma has had two cocktails before dinner for at least 60 years, but eats around 7 p.m. Grandma was a good girl, stretching out her liquid consumption and enjoying a lovely delivered Beaumont dinner with her granddaughter when she arrived.

Next day—SHOPPING! Off to the King of Prussia Mall. When you’re young, mall shopping is wonderful.

When you’re old, it’s very taxing. Even she was tired after that, so we lay low until meeting some local family for dinner.

Another next day—Eureka! Had tickets to Elvis Lives at the DuPont Theatre in Wilmington. What could

Next day—guess what—the fiendish, Bridge-playing grandma had a game, but nice granddaughter spent the afternoon with a nearby cousin. game, but nice granddaughter spent the afternoon with a nearby cousin.

Back to college the next day. Her ride there originated in Swarthmore. And, in my old age, I have no clue as to how to get there. A driver was hired to take her and, with tears in my eyes, I waved goodbye. What’s better than a beloved granddaughter? How I miss her!

The deadline for the March 2013 issue of the Beaumont News will be February 8 The 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 and mgraff@BeaumontRetirement.com. Please keep a copy for yourself!

For back issues, please go to our website, www.BeaumontRetirement.com

The News enthusiastically welcomes letters from readers, including non-residents. We ask you to sign your own name, though requests for anonymity in print may be honored. Letters need not be typed (though typing is appreciated), but please write as legibly as possible and include your phone number (for the editors’ use only). Letters will be published or not, in full or in part, at the discretion of the editors.

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

Managing Editor Production Editor

E-mail letters to Mary Graff at both of her two e-mail addresses: graffs@msn.com and mgraff@BeaumontRetirement.com, or mail to her in care of Beaumont at 601 N. Ithan Avenue, Bryn Mawr 19010.

Christine Johnson-Hall

Editor Emeritus and Historian

Louise Guthrie

Photo Editor

Louise Hughes

Events Manager Proofreader Circulation Manager

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Mary Graff

Kim Norrett Jennie Frankel Barbara O’Brien

Treading the boards behind the grill

By Mary Schnabel

most three) people, “Meet you in the so a team of two Grill Room” is a work together at simple phrase that each shift. And this slips off our is where the coorditongues so often nation comes in. we hardly realize its For example, the significance. shift that works at Because, in reality, night will leave a the Grill Room is “prep list” for the more complex than next day’s shift. This it sounds. It means is a printed list, two things: the Grill showing every Room, where we single thing that is dine, and the Grill, to be used in the which is the heart Grill for lunch and and soul of the dinner the next day. place.

That long list is This amazing, scanned carefully efficient and busy by both shifts and area behind the each one alerts the counter is barely Photo by Louise Hughes other about what he acknowledged by or she needs in the those of us who Rocco Arcaro explains some of the steps in the work he loves as Jeff Kenney reads a way of supplies. enjoy the fruits of server’s order and Julia Kisia acts her part in the hours-long ballet performed twice a Coordination? I’ll its labor. More than day, every day in the Grill Room. say! any other place in By the way, all supplies come from the main kitchen.

Beaumont, it is the one that is hardly ever quiet.

Operating for lunch (seating 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and dinner Each of the cooks will occasionally have to pitch in and (5 to 8 p.m.) seven days a week, the small space works do work in the kitchen as well as the Grill so they are miracles of diversity and efficiency that is almost like a comfortable in both areas.

One fact I learned which intrigued me was the theater production.

The Grill Room Supervisor is Rocco Arcaro, the changing of the menu, which happens about every man in the toque whom we so often see working there, three months. Once Chef John Bauer, the staff and tools in hand. Rocco has been a cook at Beaumont for the Dining Committee have decided on the new Grill 12 years. He told me he always wanted to be a cook Room selections there is an intense, careful creation because he watched his two older brothers as they of every new item on the menu. This means noting worked at their jobs. One is a chef, the other a sous- each and every ingredient in each and every new chef. Rocco said he occasionally works with his brothers offering and building every one of them from the beginning. on his day off.

A rehearsal . . . that’s exactly what it is. This way, the Like so many of the other stories I have written, dealing with what makes Beaumont run, this one cooks making our meals have already practiced putting sounded so complicated I wondered if I could ever together the new salad, making a different quiche or make it understandable. Rocco, responding to the con- hot dish so they can do it quickly and efficiently once fusion he saw on my face, reassured me: “It’s really the orders begin to pile in.

A couple of times I sat at the little table in the corner very simple,” he said; “it’s just a matter of coordination.”

And that is exactly what it comes down to, which— by the Grill and just watched the drama on both sides of the counter. Written orders come in from the servers sorry, Rocco—isn’t that simple!

There are four cooks who regularly work in the Grill: and are posted on the “hot line.” Each order is taken off Supervisor Rocco, Rudy Lagasa, Julia Kisia, and Jeff by one of the cooks who then moves from place to Kenney. They divide the days and hours to keep the place following the words written on the order. There is Grill workday covered in shifts, with prep starting at 6 never a wasted motion; they know their terrain so well, it looks almost as though they could do it blindfolded. a.m. and clean-up ending at 9 p.m.

The space is way too small for more than two (at continued on page 4

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Confessions of a Grill Room Regular

By Margie Manlove

concerned when one of our number is absent, unless of course she had already told us she would be away with her daughter. We stop at friends’ tables to share news as we come in and we have long discussions at the salad bar. We welcome the irregulars, occasional Grill diners, when they join us. The more the merrier, especially on Sunday when the mansion dining rooms are closed. No reservations are necessary for four or fewer.

Some confusion is created when an unknowing irregular sits at a Regular’s regular table. The Regular is polite, though, and just goes to a different table, perhaps that of another Regular. Irregulars need not beware, as all Beaumonters are always glad to welcome and make new friends. They can even come sit with us at “our” regular table.

If you are a Grill Room Regular Frank and I see you every night. If you are not a Regular we would be glad to see you!

There are quite a few characters in this story including Frank and me but the others will not be named. It is unnecessary to name them because they all know who they are. These numerous characters are the Beaumont Grill Regulars. They have dinner in the Grill almost every night.

Some Regulars, several ladies and a couple of couples come in so early that they are often gone before many later Regulars have arrived. Most arrive between 6:30 and 7. Then there are the really late couples entering about 7:30 and a straggler who sometimes comes in as late as 7:59.

Many Regulars are so regular they usually sit at the same table every evening and have dinner with the same people. One special table of three or four men livens up the entire room with their conversation and uninhibited laughter.

If this sounds boring to you who are not Grill Room Regulars, it is not. We all know each other and are

Behind the grill . . . . continued from page 3

Once the order is completed it is placed on the top of the hot line and scooped up by the server who hurries it to the proper table.

I watched as Rocco cooked my lunch one day last month just after the menu changed. I had chosen warm seasoned salmon, wrapped in rice paper, on lo mein noodles and mixed vegetables. Because of the extensive brand-new menu, Rocco was joined by two others, Julia and Rudy.

Out of the refrigerator came the prewrapped salmon and into the oven it popped. Into the compartmented steamer on the stovetop went the noodles and, separately, the vegetables. In a few moments, into an honorably battered but gleaming frypan went teriyaki sauce, salmon, noodles and vegetables. Seconds later, lunch!

Does this sound simple to you? Not to us, but it becomes so when there are Photo by Louise Hughes capable, seasoned individuals performing Rice-paper wrapped salmon on lo mein noodles and vegetables. these tasks over and over again, day after day.

They love it, that is obvious. They told me that they resident. What luck! Both in front of the Grill counter like being there, working in full view of the diners and and behind it, there are grateful individuals . . . those acknowledging a wave or a thank-you from a grateful who serve us and those who enjoy the delicious results of their expertise.

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Fergussons bring many interests to Pasture Lane

By Jean Homeier

Fairmont Park. At the Shipley School, she organized art shows and chaired the Shipley Shops in 1973. Dudy looks forward to resuming her efforts as an oil painter here and when I asked what her chief interest is now that the move has been made, she answered immediately, “Carter!”

Photo by Louise Hughes Carter, a would-be horticulturist with Carter and Ruth Fergusson plans for espaliered camellias and pot gardens, formerly was president of Alex C. Fergusson Co., founded by his grandfather in 1885. The company produced industrial cleaning products and lubricants as well as chemicals used by dairies, meat and poultry companies, breweries and bottling plants.

A lifelong athlete, Carter is a member of the Squash Hall of Fame and The Haverford School Athletic Hall of Fame. He has been president of the Merion Cricket

When I interviewed Carter and Ruth (Dudy) Fergusson, they had moved to Pasture Lane less than two weeks before—yet their new home looked as if they had been there forever. Dudy, who studied at the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Arts, helped design their Beaumont villa and the result is delightful.

Both Fergussons grew up in New Jersey. They were married in 1949, then moved to Gladwyne, where they bought their first house from none other than Margie Manlove. After having two daughters and needing more space, they moved to Rosemont, where their third daughter was born. They later moved back to Gladwyne before coming to Beaumont in December.

After attending the School of Industrial Arts, now University of the Arts, Dudy returned to George School, her alma mater, as an assistant art teacher.

Since then her activities have been varied and many.

While World War II was still on in the Pacific, she was one of the first nurses’ aides in the Philadelphia area, ending her service in the early ‘60s at Bryn Mawr Hospital. Dudy helped start a volunteer auxiliary at Women’s Medical College, now a part of Drexel University’s medical school.

She has served on the women’s board of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts as well as on the women’s committee of the Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society. She was a guide at “Woodford” in

continued on page 6

Has putter, will learn to use it

By Peter Binzen

When Florence Scott was growing up with three siblings on Staten Island in the 1920s, that 59-squaremile isle in New York Bay was largely farmland. Her father grew fruit and vegetables and kept cows, horses, pigs and ducks on his 10 acres. “It was very pleasant living there,” Florence recalls.

After high school she trained for a nursing career in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. (Southern Staten Island, where Florence lived, is actually closer to New Jersey than it is to New York.)

Florence became a registered nurse in 1943 and soon there- Photo by Milissa Cwenar after met a soldier serving in the Florence Scott U.S. Army’s ordnance department. He was a native Philadelphian named Winfield Scott. But no, he was not related to the famous American military officer who was Commander-inChief in the Mexican War. Florence and Winfield were married in 1944. After

his Army discharge with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, they settled in Philadelphia. Winfield took a job with the Bell Telephone Company and remained with the firm until his retirement.

The Scotts had four children and lived in a five-bedroom house in Rosemont. After her husband’s death two years ago, the children, who had families of their own, encouraged their mother to move into a retirement community. At the end of December, just two weeks before her 91st birthday on Jan. 9, she did just that.

Her two-bedroom apartment on the first floor of Baldwin looks out on Beaumont’s new putting green.

Guess what her children gave their mother as a gift for moving in? An elegant putter with golf balls.

“I’ve never played golf, but I’m going to try putting when the weather warms up,” she said.

By the way, her family’s farm on Staten Island was purchased some years ago by the City of New York. It was to become a small park. The house was torn down but New York apparently ran out of money. The old farmland is now overgrown with weeds and woods.

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Start of a short story after reading Iris Murdoch’s The Green Knight and Jackson’s Dilemma

By Michael Strong

did not, as she never ate either. Jane supposed that was one of the reasons Phoebe stayed so thin.

Because Mrs. Blanding never varied, Jane knew that it being summer, there would be three kinds of tea sandwiches: watercress, cucumber and tomato. Happily, this posed no problem of choice. Tomato was too wet. The cress sandwiches were wonderful, and she detested cucumber. She had noticed that most guests preferred cucumber, and she worried that her obvious fondness for cress might make her seem, well, a bit eccentric.

She pushed the thought away, but not without reflecting briefly that she did not mind people thinking that she was sometimes a little different, but why did they so often stare at her sensible shoes. Well, few people realize how much time librarians spend on their feet.

She shivered a little, and thought how welcome a cup of hot tea would be. It would be strong, she knew, as Mrs. Blanding always let it brew longer than it should, and Phoebe never asked the guests if they wouldn’t like some additional water. “One lump or two?” she’d ask, and that was that. Jane had once asked Atkins, the downstairs maid who looked after the tea service, to fetch some hot water, annoying Phoebe and giving Atkins ammunition in her war with Mrs. Blanding over the “right” way to brew tea. Before coming to Phoebe, Atkins had been in service to a couple who could not abide strong tea, and she knew all the arguments against it. There had been a fearful row between Atkins and Mrs. Blanding, and Phoebe blamed Jane for the whole thing, and shortly after forgot about the whole matter. It still bothered Jane, however, and she might not have accepted the invitation for the weekend if Mavis had not told her firmly that she, Jane, needed a change of scene, and that the weekend would do her “no end of good.” …and so on…

This was Michael Strong’s last contribution before his death in October, appearing now with permission of his family.

The afternoon had become noticeably cooler, and Jane decided she would wear a light jacket down to tea. She was annoyed that she would have to choose between two jackets she had brought with her for the weekend. She hated choosing between things. She took both jackets out of the armoire and put them on the bed. She looked sourly at the white jacket. It reminded her of Mayfield’s, but she could not think why.

Mayfield’s Tea Shop was an Michael Strong eternity ago (wasn’t it?). Jim had embarrassed her terribly. She had gone in to Mayfield’s for tea on a sudden whim, intending to have tea by herself. No sooner had she settled at her table than Jim walked in, saw her, and sat down at her table.

It looked so arranged. He was just back from India where he had been doing something or other for several years. There had been talk of copper mining, or engineering, or some such thing, but no one knew exactly what. Jim said nothing about it, and no one was rude enough to ask him directly. In fact, Jim was not generally talkative. But he managed to talk enough at her table to embarrass her enormously. He spoke loudly enough, she thought, that everyone in the tea room could hear. It was just too much. Thinking back on it, she started to get a headache. “This won’t do,” she said half aloud, and put the white jacket back in the armoire.

She felt relieved. She had not had to choose. The choice had really been made for her. So it was the green jacket after all. This meant (she thought) that she would have to wear the yellow brooch which Damian had given to her to make up for his terrible faux pas at the Winderlys’ ball two years ago. More “ne faut pas” than “faux pas,” she had thought later. It still annoyed her that she had never found anyone (other than Mavis, of course) upon whom to spring her pun; it would have meant explaining exactly what Damian had done. And of course that wouldn’t do at all. She wondered for a moment—as she had often before— why men seemed so often to embarrass her. As usual, she came to no conclusion.

Her thoughts turned to tea, and she thought angrily that she would have to choose between scones and crumpets. Mrs. Blanding, the cook, always prepared both, and Phoebe never seemed to care. She probably

Fergussons . . . .

continued from page 5

Club and serves on the committee for the lawn tennis Prentice Cup which is played every two years, alternately in England and the United States, between teams from Oxford and Cambridge, Harvard and Yale.

In addition, he is a past president of both the Chemical Club of Philadelphia and the local St. Andrew’s Society.

A member of the famous Yale Class of ’45 W, originally composed of 1,000 young men who interrupted their educations because of World War II, he is active in the Yale alumni association.

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Staff in silver ‘20s dresses not only waited on diners at New Year’s Eve party but also did a neat Charleston on stage. From left: Samantha Mohan, Megan Cromie, Ebony Mosely, Nadia Cruz, Dining Services Director Rose-Marie Pringle, Nicollete Clarke, Caroline Lowndes, Aleesha Jordan, Taylor Thomas, Kristen Gaspari and Tiffany Williams-Lemon. That’s Adrian Carranzia taking a rest at their feet. Below, tripping it lightly, Alan Tripp with Susan Woolford (left) and Florence Lloyd with guest John Montgomery, who deserted Waverly to join us.

Photos by Kim Norrett

Mary Wells, Director of Human Resources, and Francis Gowan, Health Center resident, share smiles during Christmas Angel program in December. Jenny Hadfield, Director of Recreational Therapy, paired independent residents and staff members with residents under her care during the holiday season to help raise spirits among stay-at-homes.

Photo by Kim Norrett

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Beaumont awaits township approvals on projects continued from page 1

meet the Township’s initial documentation requirements. This process is under way with the goal of accelerating the approval process.

Beaumont’s management and the IT department are in the early stages of soliciting proposals and bids for the villa emergency-call system and the energy management system.

Discussions have begun with two possible lenders and preliminary loan proposals have been received

through completion of the project. Because of the complexity of the project, RLPS told us that partnering with a construction manager would save money and minimize the need for project redesign once construction begins. Most projects such as Beaumont’s are now done utilizing a construction manager from the start. All portions of the project’s construction, renovation and furniture will be subject to appropriate bidding processes.

Beaumont formed an ad hoc committee consisting of Robert Herd, myself, Edward Rosen and Alan Tripp, assisted by President Joe Fortenbaugh, Maintenance Director Warren Gillings and Housekeeping Director Brock Nichols, to select a construction manager. The committee interviewed three highly qualified construction management firms and selected the Warfel Construction Company of East Petersburg, Pennsylvania. Warfel has been in business for 102 years and has completed many similar projects for similar communities.

RLPS and Warfel are now in the early stages of verifying all key aspects of the areas to be renovated including actual square footage, composition of areas and materials in each location, support structures and other key elements that could influence both the cost and the nature of the renovations. At the same time, initial schematic design drawings for all areas are being prepared and reasonably detailed initial cost estimates for the projects are being generated.

The issue of when construction will begin is not known at this time. The pacing item to begin construction is receipt of all required approvals from Lower Merion Township. Beaumont management has had initial meetings with Township officials and has been informed as to a number of unanticipated but required engineering documents that need to be prepared to

Beaumont's management and the IT department are in the early stages of soliciting proposals and bids for the villa emergency-call system and the energy management system. from these lenders. After review of these initial proposals by the Finance Committee, the Finance Committee requested that management have the lenders submit alternative financing structures and consider soliciting proposals from one or more additional lenders. As previously stated, the current lending market is quite favorable and the Finance Committee is satisfied that favorable financing will be obtained.

Mr. Paier also is chairman of the Finance Committee.

IN MEMORIAM Estelle Siegel - December 31, 2012 Joan Edmonds - January 6, 2013 John Mirkil - January 12, 2013 E. Newbold Smith - January 18, 2013 Elizabeth Quay - January 18, 2013 Raymond Osborne - January 21, 2013 Sylvie Earle – January 25, 2013 Members of the Beaumont Community extend deepest sympathy to their families and friends.

Photo by John Bauer “Red Curry Lobster on Forbidden Black Rice” was cooked by Chef John himself at last month’s Tableside Dining event in the Rogers Room.

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