FYI
I
n this issue, Pat Doyle explains how peer groups are used to benefit us all in the Kendal system. Now that Project Renew is finished, we will host meetings of several of these groups during the rest of the calendar year. Norman Sissman interviews some more of Kendal’s luminous nonhuman residents. Steve Kanfer recounts the history of one of America’s most endearing philosophers. Deborah O’Keefe takes the occasion of our recent Independence Day to reminisce about a memorable celebration of this holiday she attended, several decades ago, in rural Vermont. Marian Weinberg sends in a photograph of the CAFA Committee at work, with a verse of appreciation for it. Muriel Fox tells us of the background and work of another stellar Kendal Dining Staff member, Luis Fernandez. And Jerry Trupin gives more information about our neighboring flock of sheep in Rockwood Park, including some details about their stomachs that may be hard to digest completely. Horst Berger was the photograph editor this month. He took the photo of some fantastic plants that were grown on the patio last summer by Jane Beers and Cobb Stewart, which appears on the front cover. The reverse of the front cover is a tree in Florida snapped by Ruth Fenton. Inside of the back cover are two views of the new Kendal library recorded by Horst; and on the back cover, some hay bales in the Rockefeller Preserve made an interesting pattern for Martin Smolin. As most of you will remember, we take a break for August. We wish you all a healthy and enjoyable summer! We’ll be back with the September issue; as always, we welcome contributions (memories amusing or serious, personal anecdotes, opinions, histories of something that interests you, reviews of books or any of the visual arts, and more), and we are more than willing to help you, in any way you wish, to formulate your contribution.
Norman J. Sissman
1
Standing Pat Over the remaining months of this year we are going to be hosting four Kendal system peer groups. It occurs to me that residents may not know a great deal about the peer group model and its benefits to all the Kendal communities. So, herewith is a bit of explanation. One of the most powerful aspects of the Kendal system is the commitment to engagement among all staff (and residents) to find the best ideas and to share them systematically throughout the organization. The team at the Kendal corporate office in Kennett Square plays a big role in this – since they sit at a point of intersection among all the communities. But what makes Kendal, as a system, so special is that the generation of ideas and “model practices” does not reside only at the corporate office – it is a shared activity of all of us in the system. And that’s what the “peer groups”are all about. In every discipline, through the good offices of the relevant person at Kendal Corporation, all the folks in leadership positions convene regularly – sometimes in person, sometimes on the phone or via “webinar” – to share ideas, ask for assistance with thorny issues, learn from outside experts, set agendas for shared efforts to advance model practices in areas of importance, and identify opportunities to work together rather than in silos to move our communities forward. These are called the peer groups. There are official peer groups in dining, facilities, environmental services, finance, health services, marketing, human resources, philanthropy, and information technology. The Executive Directors also come together as a peer group. And there are emerging peer groups being developed – for example as we are seeing more and more Kendal communities with Chief Operating Officers, and that group is beginning to meet regularly. The power of these groups to identify great ideas, develop great practices, and help every community solve problems is exceptional. It avoids a great deal of re-inventing wheels…breaks down silos…and often leads to really significant innovation. For the last two years, Kendal on Hudson has been very limited in our ability to host these meetings – the construction, and resulting limited space, hampered us. Now with the completion of construction, we will host the Executive Directors, human resources, information technology and marketing peer groups before year end. There is a bit of inconvenience to residents that goes with hosting these groups since they do use our public spaces for 2 or 3 days – sometimes the Gathering Room,
2
sometimes the PDR, sometimes both – depending on the size of the group and the agenda. But the value to the community of this program is immeasurable. So, we hope you will be patient as we host these groups over the next few months, knowing that they are focusing on problems and opportunities that will ultimately benefit Kendal on Hudson and all its residents.
Patricia Doyle
Overheard in the Bistro The meows and yelps of some Kendal pets, requesting mention in Overheard in the Bistro, are still resounding, so here is another column devoted to them. It will be the last on this subject, which I hope is reassuring to those not particularly interested in this type of material! We’ll start with a canine this time: Milo Maven, our Marketing Office pooch. Milo is a Yorkshire terrier, a “long-legged” type, weighing about nine pounds, as compared with the “standard” Yorkshires who are smaller, and the “teacup” variety who are even smaller, at around three to four pounds. Milo is an alert spunky little fellow who frequently spends his days in Gemma’s office and happily greets all visitors. This is a bit remarkable considering that he had what apparently was a traumatic puppyhood. Around the age of one year, Milo was abandoned by his unknown original owners and tied to a fence post in front of the Ardsley Police Station. The police found a foster caretaker for him in Tarrytown who was a long-standing customer of the Bark and Meow pet shop, located on South Broadway. When the foster caretaker decided to look for a permanent home for Milo, she mentioned it to the pet shop owners, serendipitously at the same time that Gemma, who also patronizes the Bark and Meow, expressed her desire for a new dog. Voila! – Milo has lived with Gemma ever since. Milo is smart; he knows about twelve words, among which are his favorites, “biscuit” and “cookie” (which are, of course, invariably followed, after they are mentioned, by a piece to eat). He is also, according to Gemma, a positive factor in attracting potential residents; in fact, one newcomer who entered Adirondack specifically requested that she receive visits from 3
Milo after she settled in. Milo has received a Therapy Dog Certificate and thus provides comfort and enjoyment to many residents in Clearwater and Sunnyside. He is a valued member of our community. On the feline side, I introduce you, first, to Feathers and Slinky Bermas. Both are “rescue” cats coming to the Bermas’s from a veterinarian friend in Great Neck who was active in neutering many stray cats on Long Island. Feathers, a lovely gray girl, was adopted in early infancy and is now about 14 years old. Some years later, wanting to maintain an old tradition of always having two pets, the Bermas requested a more mature cat so as not to have to deal with time-consuming kitten training. Thus Slinky entered their home. In retrospect, the Bermas’s feel that going for an adult was a bit of a mistake, since the two females have never bonded, to say the least, and altercations are almost daily (shades of the Hart pets, described in this column several months ago). Slinky was named because of her habit of stretching, thus resembling the metal spring-like toy of the same name. The photograph, sent to me by Lin, is of Feathers telling off her cat sitter! Here is one interesting anecdote involving one of these cats. When a Bermas daughter finally became pregnant after years of not wanting children, she asked her young niece to suggest a name for her new in-utero cousin; the recommendation was “Feathers.” It was not accepted, although Lin wonders if the eventual name of the child, Tamier Pincus Goldberg, was that much of an improvement over “Feathers”! Such are the roles that pets play in our lives! The next pussycat that I interviewed was Tommykins Leyden. She is a preternaturally self-confident and handsome three-year-old calico, with piercing green-yellow eyes. Improbably, she is a native of Qatar (in light of the current psychological state of our country, I hasten to assure you that she has never had any identifiable connection to Islam or to any terrorist group). She attached herself one day, as a kitten, to Eleanor Leyden (Annette’s daughter, who recently took up permanent residence in Annette’s apartment) by simply walking into her home in the American compound in Doha, where Eleanor was on a two-year stint teaching French and Spanish in local schools. In fact, many of the Leyden cats, through the years, have been brought home by Eleanor from countries such as Bangladesh and China, where she also taught languages; and before that, over many decades, the Leydens have continually had cats (numbering now, cumulatively, over fifty), most of whom were introduced to the Leyden home by all three of the Leyden daughters. Tommykins was brought here partly because she wouldn’t leave Eleanor and partly to replace a departed companion of a late Leyden Kendal cat, Gazpacho. After I admired Tommykins’ svelte body, I learned that she had 4
been a bit overweight (so much so that she temporarily acquired the moniker, “Princess Plumpkins”), but this has been corrected by a special low-calorie veterinarian chow formula, at no small cost to her mistresses. From my observations, Tommykins is well worth whatever this investment amounted to; she is a totally charming companion. Last, for this column and for this series, I introduce you to the sisters Hannah and Holly Pennell. These almost completely black beauties (each has only a small white spot on her chest) have piercing light-green eyes and are models of rectitude, at least when I was visiting them. I know that this may not be suitable material for publication in a family magazine like Kendal View, but there is a strong suspicion that their father is their older brother! One of the bits of evidence to support this is that both ladies have supernumerary digits (extra toes), a characteristic of their brother (I recall that extra digits acquired a kind of legitimacy, if not actually cache, some years ago, when they appeared in most of Ernest Hemingway’s feline menagerie in Key West). Hannah and Holly come from Chatham, New York, where their mistress and master have a beloved and frequently visited country home. The sisters have lived up to what I have learned about conflicts that arise when two feline females share the same apartment space; although their altercations are pretty much limited to who gets to sit in the most desirable perches, and the spats are brief and relatively infrequent. Both of them are fond of traversing an ingenious round: exiting the Pennell’s patio door, observing what birds and other items of interest can be seen from the porch, and then leaping up to re-enter the apartment through Peggy’s office window which also looks out on the patio. They make this circle again and again. I know of several Kendal pets I have not included, and I am sure there are others unknown to me. As I have done before, I apologize for their omission, but I feel I should move on to other subjects when we return in September. I have been greatly impressed with the great joy these many pets have brought to their owners, and I thank everyone for generously sharing stories with me. Norman J. Sissman Here is another in my occasional series of trivia questions: Most of us are familiar with the most prevalent bird on our Kendal campus, the American robin; and we have frequently seen how each hops across our swards, frequently stopping and cocking her head before poking her bill into the ground to pull up a juicy earthworm snack. The question is how the robins “decide” where the worms are. The answer will appear at the end of my next column.
5
Of Mouse And Men On an evening in 1927 a Midwestern filmmaker desperately scribbled, “God Help us put this thing over—we are sincere and deserve it.” Seldom has a petitionary prayer been answered with such speed and magnanimity. “This thing” was an animated short, Steamboat Willie, introducing a rodent with immense ears, a bulbous snout, and an air of genial mischief. His original moniker was Mortimer. But at the last minute, Walt Disney decided his creation needed a more informal name. Aided by Walt’s falsetto voice, Mickey Mouse became an overnight celebrity. There had been other animated creatures before him—Krazy Kat, Oswald Rabbit (an early effort by Walt), Felix the Cat. But none had the mouse’s infectious charm or his economy of line. Worldwide, audiences squeaked with delight whenever he lit up the movie screen. Maurice Sendak, doyen of American children’s books, was born the same year as Mickey. Decades later, he recalled the thrill of their first encounter: “An ingenious shape, fashioned primarily to facilitate the needs of the animator, he exuded a wonderful sense of physical satisfaction and pleasure—a piece of art that powerfully affected and stimulated the imagination.” Other artists—many of them painters whose works were displayed in major museums—became unofficial Mousketeers. Marxist muralist Diego Rivera theorized that future historians would “find that Mickey Mouse was one of the genuine heroes of American art in the first half of the 20th Century, in the calendar anterior to the world revolution.” German refugee painter George Grosz declared Mickey Mouse cartoons to be “art in every sense.” Thomas Hart Benton incorporated Mickey’s image in his eightcanvas cycle, “The Arts of Life in America,” along with portraits of Native Americans, opera singers, and jazz musicians. Novelists chimed in. E. M. Forster noted, “At present Mickey is everybody’s god, so that even members of the Film Society cease despising their fellow members when he appears.” Graham Greene praised Fred Astaire’s performance in Top Hat as “the nearest approach we are ever likely to have to a human Mickey Mouse.” Aldous Huxley sought an audience with Disney, attempting to find the philosophy behind Mickey’s magic. “Hell, Doc,” replied Walt, indicating his drawing board and the staff behind him. “I don’t know. We just try to make a good picture. And then the professors come along and tell us what we do.” Three generations later, the academics are still at it. The most percipient of them, Gary Apgar, an emeritus art lecturer at Princeton, Brown, and the Université de Lyon, has just published a lavishly illustrated study, Mickey Mouse: Emblem of the American Spirit. 6
In it we watch Mickey, like many another Hollywood celebrity, rise from humble origins, climb to the peak of his profession, emcee of a TV show and presenter at the nostalgia-laden amusement parks of Disneyland and Disney World. But he lingers too long on center stage and turns into a symbol of commercial avarice and military misadventure. During the 1960s James Mitchener, author of Tales of the South Pacific and Hawaii erupts: “One of the most disastrous cultural influences ever to hit America was Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse, that idiot optimist who each week marched forth in Technicolor against a battalion of cats, invariably humiliating them with one clever trick after another. I suppose the damage to the American psyche by this foolish mouse will not be specified for another 50 years, but even now I place much of the blame for Vietnam on the bland attitude sponsored by our cartoons.” A generation later, Kurt Vonnegut reviles the Bush administration as “those who have taken over our federal government, and hence the world, by means of a Mickey Mouse coup d’état.” Left-leading French newspapers add their own venom, picturing the new president, Nicholas Sarkozy, as a sellout wearing Mickey Mouse ears on a visit to the Paris Disneyland. In time, however, these images and accusations are replaced by very different pictures and references. Mstislav Rostropovich plays his cello at Checkpoint Charlie encouraged by Mickey, spray-painted on the shattered Berlin Wall. Robert Langdon, hero of The Da Vinci Code, wears a Mickey Mouse watch, “as a daily reminder to remain young at heart.” Madonna lolls in bed wearing round black ears, and painters like Philip Pearlstein, Andy Warhol, and Roy Lichenstein offer their own post-modern takes on Mickey. So does the U.S. Post Office, which puts the mouse on five different stamps. Nearing his 90th year, Mickey has not only outlived his adversaries, he has conquered them. Emerson famously advised his readers that if they built a better mousetrap people would beat a path to their doors. Walt Disney wisely ignored his advice. Instead of a better trap he built a better mouse, and the world paved a superhighway to his property.
Stefan Kanfer
7
The Bristol Parade: 4th of July in the Green Mountains This year I missed the outhouse race. It was over before I got to Bristol and people were wandering around on the village green, waiting for the parade to start. Years ago my boys loved the Fourth of July outhouse race, where six or seven booths on wheels would be pulled around the green by strong young men with mustaches and cheered by hundreds on the sidewalks. The outhouses were built to strict specifications and had to contain one person sitting inside while two others pulled the structure. My children especially admired the labels on each outhouse’s banners and decorations, like THE YELLOW STREAK and THE BROWN BOMBER. The long wait before the race started would be put to good use: back in 1983, I remember, one thirtyish man standing on a pickup truck consumed a six-pack and a half in the hot sun between 8:15 and 9 AM. The posters this year said: “8: Outhouse Registrations” “9: Outhouse Race” “1030: Parade — Vermont Air National Guard ‘Flyover.’ This parade will include floats, bands, firetrucks, Horribles, Shriners, & Lots More.” I had the morning free and, drawn by the Horribles and the Shriners, headed to Bristol over the green Vermont fields from town and up the mountain. At the edge of the village there was a coin drop for some charity—two serious men wearing generic uniforms were holding jars. I dropped in a few quarters for whatever it was. The world was in a dubious state and I was hoping life in the hills was maybe not as nasty and brutish as in some other spots. The day was humid and dull beige. People swarmed on the Bristol green buying or selling, chatting or standing around looking inscrutable. At one booth a portly citizen was grilling long meatloaf-like, squashy rectangles, and painting them with a sticky sauce. I asked what these things were made of. “Blended Italian meat and spices”; but he wouldn’t say what kind. I didn’t buy one. You could also eat Knights of Columbus Fried Dough or “Foster’s Frys Burgers and Dogs Too!” Or rainbow ices from the “Aloha Shave Ice” booth, in deep strange colors like navy blue and tangerine.
8
Children crowded the “Shoot till U Win” booth, $1, trying for green and white stuffeddog prizes. There was a more than adequate supply of hand decorated thumbtacks, neon shoelaces, and homemade play dough. One booth was doing a good business selling baseball caps bearing messages like “It takes studs to build houses” and “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Fords.” I stopped a while at the gemstone table and bought a tiny purple stone ($1) for a friend having a fiftieth birthday: “Fluorite Octahedron—Promotes Mental Clarity.” The
crowd was drifting toward the edges of Main Street, so I found a place leaning against a hydrant. I thought maybe I should have bought a Fluorite Octahedron for myself too. Plaid shirts went by and slickers and suspenders; a Maui T-shirt. People slowed their swirling and began to settle. Men with tie-dyed headbands and braids, others with sleeveless undershirts, drooping dark or reddish mustaches. Teenaged girls in peasant dresses and combat boots. A man dwarf holding the hand of a little boy dwarf. Lots of zippy-looking old people. Some young people wore sweatshirts from Middlebury College down in the valley. A thin pale farmer stood next to my hydrant. He held a black baby in his tattooed arms and carefully adjusted its cap; he nodded at me and smiled proudly. Finally the microphone squeals and announces, “Please stay back. We have 11 or 12 marching bands and they’re WIDE! If you stay out of the way your feet won’t get run over.” A big platform on a truck holds a half dozen wooden chairs, mikes, speakers, and an M.C. The Master of Ceremonies is a young woman with short dark hair and a yellow slicker jacket. Her voice is loud and cheerful, sensible. “The theme this year is the Olympics. Our judges are Tom, Glenda, and Angie — They’ll be judging for relevance to the theme, originality, and completeness. They’ll use a system of 100 points. . . . Hey, remember the raffle for Sherry Anne, to help with her medical costs. “Looks like the streets are pretty full now. . . . Here’s Ben and Jerry’s truck selling Peace Pops to benefit the Firefighters’ Scholarship Fund. Now I want everybody to be enthusiastic through this whole parade! I want CLAPPING! I want CHEERING!. . . . They really are coming now, folks.” A man near me with a plaid shirt and a corn cob pipe remarks pleasantly “Finally got the goddam parade going.” “I believe this is Bristol’s 42nd year of doing the parade, but I’m not really sure of the year. Does anybody know?” Nobody seems to know. “Here comes the police and the Parade Marshal Hap Smith in a very sporty convertible—Hey this is a SPORTY SPORTY car— Give Hap Smith a big hand for all he’s done for Bristol. His wife is in the car , and his son too—came all the way from Texas. . . . Now there’s the Bristol stage coach with THREE horses. . . Lots of politicians here today— don’t forget to vote.” The crowd watches respectfully as a series of undistinguishable fire departments and American Legions walk by. The whole parade is in very slow motion, full of pauses. “There’s our Selectman now, Buzz Bouvier. Let’s give him a big hand, folks. . . .There’s JOEL! Hi Joel! . . . Got some skateboarders here. They’re doing their thing—give them a hand! . . . WE HAVE June Perlee and Maud Moss—and MARTHA! Hello, Martha. They’re playing the spoons and the fiddle. “Here’s the Church of Jesus Christ now — and the children — give the children a big wave!. . . . Now there’s the horses for the 4H Club . . . . Mr. Leahy is here. Thanks for coming, Mr. Leahy. . . .We have some Boy Scouts now — they’ll receive a badge for being 9
in this parade. . . . WE HAVE Bart Simpson and Batman coming now. . . .Look at the Vermont tractor pullers and Minnie Mouse. Whoa baby, you’re looking good today!”People seem more excited about Bart Simpson and about June Perlee and her spoons than they are about Senator Patrick Leahy, but they don’t particularly mind him either.The senator strolls along wearing a pleasant expression. “This is Mike Ross’s well-drilling stuff now, and that is SOME TRUCK. . . . Here’s the Vergennes elementary school band. . . . And these two lads on bikes — give them a big hand. . . . Claire Catrip with his ’55 Chevy! Looking good, Claire! . . . That float’s from Rocky Dale Nurseries. . . . Oh — the Bennington Riflemen are coming. They’ll stop and do a little show, so don’t be surprised. . . . I don’t know what that tan thing is but it looks evil. Oh thanks — a tank retriever, is it?” A few shots are heard and the riflemen move on. “And we have the Lincoln Fire Department. Nice haircut! We were getting our haircuts at the same place yesterday. . . . That’s the Bristol Band there on the tractor trailer.” Sousa sounds drift from the float. “They play in the gazebo every Wednesday night, so come out and see them.” “Hey, we have Miss Vermont —just elected last night. What’s your name? — It’s Nicole Gentry, folks, and she’s being driven around by Bob Ledoux and family. . . . And we have some horses here — very pretty. Hi! . . . Just for a minute look up — it’s blue sky, people! Terrific!…. Here comes the Addison Fire Department. You know, I’ve noticed no fire truck is the same — EVERYBODY’S DIFFERENT! . . . Now that’s the New Haven Fire Department. They were one of the winning entries in the Outhouse Race. Congratulations!” After a pause, she says, “Well, that’s it, folks. I hope you enjoyed yourselves — Wait a minute — maybe it’s all over? Nope, somebody’s messed up. Hold on a minute.” The crowd shifts around a little, resigned not impatient. A child behind me says, “Mom, can I get my face painted?” “With what? You want money? You don’t want us to eat this week? “Now the father speaks: “I’ll tell you, I’ll get my can of spray paint and paint your whole body, free.” The child giggles. “Something must have happened, people, but it’s NOT OVER YET!” A man next to her announces: “It’s a whole one-third still to come!” People stand peaceably for about ten minutes laughing and joking, wandering to food stands. A float finally approaches, inching along. The M.C. resumes, “Hey, it’s cave men and dinosaurs. . . .And here’s the rock band Encore. They’ll be playing on the Rec Field this afternoon. EVERYBODY do a little dancing in the streets! Everybody clap your hands—boogie boogie. “This is the Monkton Fire Department now. The float was made by Gussie LeBron. . . . This looks like a MINI DUMP TRUCK! And a Dune Buggy!—It’s purple. . . .And this is Hill Automotive—they were the Outhouse winner, folks—two years, back-to-back champions. . . We have Bill Wisell here, our local representative. Hi Bill! . . . Ed Lafayette with his horses and a bunch of his friends. . . . Here’s the Special Olympics float—they’ve just been organized here. Give ‘em a big hand! 10
“That’s it now. Let’s give the Bristol Parade Committee a big hand. . . . The chicken barbecue’s starting in about 20 minutes. Happy Fourth of July. Stay and hear the band in the gazebo and eat good food.” The crowd starts milling again, looking benign and somehow admirable—not thrilled but not cynical—having stood in the summer morning with their friends for an hour and a half looking at regular cars, trucks, animals, and people. Some of the people here are heavy and some are thin and some don’t have perfect teeth; they don’t look like Californians but they wouldn’t want to. I walked to my car past Spring Street, and Pleasant, Elm and Maple and Pine. I had to head back to town, and would miss the gazebo music and the barbecue. It occurred to me that I had not made a contribution for Sherry Anne’s unexplained medical costs and the booth was way back at the other end of the green, past the crowds. I decided that her friends were looking out for her. She seems to be in very good hands, and I hope things turn out all right.
Deborah O’Keefe Written 1993 – revised 2016
INVINCIBLE “From dawn of day ‘til set of sun..” CAFA’s work is never done! Walking up and down our halls See the ever changing walls: Sometimes paintings, photos too, Or a quilt may come to view. They’re also asked for furnishings new, Tho’ often they’re not listened to! Appearance of areas that all can see Is their faithful responsibility. So, if placing an object is your intent, In a public space—better get consent! They’re working and watching everywhere. Even when they are not there! With admiration, Marian Weinberg
11
Luis Fernandez: A Man for All Seasons When we talk about the warm relations between Kendal on Hudson residents and staff, our favorite examples are in the dining room. Despite frequent pressures and surprises, our needs are handled there with efficiency and helpfulness. Mika Burgos, our Dining Room Manager, is a major reason for this success; Mika was interviewed in Kendal View in March, 2014. Hearty applause should also be given to Assistant Dining Room Manager, Luis “Lou” Fernandez. Luis will be especially busy in the months ahead during Mika’s maternity leave. Like Mika, Lou has a knack for solving assorted booking and staffing problems with smiling resourcefulness. He says that Mika especially taught him the art of “patience.” He enjoys helping her with special Kendal catering assignments in addition to our daily service. Lou started here as a cook in November, 2012. He was later promoted to kitchen supervisor. When he heard that Kendal was bringing back the position of Assistant Dining Room Manager he interviewed with Mika and Gower and landed the job. Lou was born across the river in Orangeburg, Rockland County. His father had been a chef for more than 25 years in Asturias, Spain. At the age of 80 he still cooks for the family. Lou’s mother is Cuban-born. After studying physical education for three years in SUNY Cortland, Lou obtained a B.A. degree in Restaurant Hospitality Management from the Culinary Institute of America in 2010, with an elective in Health Care. He supported his studies by working as a cook, server, and bartender at the Pearl River Hilton. He has also worked as a line cook at the Four Seasons in Palm Springs and the luxurious Breakers in Palm Beach. At the CIA, Lou prepared a senior project observing Kendal on Hudson. Their group of four seniors studied not only our food service but also our housing, nursing, and health care. Expert consultant for this project was KOH operations director Gower Lane, who is also a CIA graduate. Gower witnessed Lou’s PowerPoint presentation and later offered him a job after graduation. (Gower still lectures at the CIA, and this year Lou took his place there.) Lou worked with our previous executive chef Sean Whelan, to whom he gave his recipe for paella, and now feels a special affinity with our new executive chef, Jonathan Carafa. “We’re both the same age, we’re both bald, and we both have twin sisters.” (Lou’s twin is a speech pathologist in Peekskill.) Lou is engaged to marry occupational therapist Gabrielle Broadley on October 8. Lou will do most of the cooking but will teach his bride how to cook. To help pay back his student loans, Lou works in his spare time as a private caterer and personal chef in Rockland and Bergen counties. Yes, he would accept assignments from Kendal friends. He dreams of opening a catering hall and sandwich shop one day. 12
Lou walks around with a small notebook in his back pocket, for writing down reactions and suggestions from residents. “The staff here is greatly interested in resident feedback, both good and bad. Mostly, it’s good.” Every Monday the Dining Services staff holds a meeting that’s attended by Gower, Jonathan, Mika, Lou, and sous chefs Eddie and Mark. Carlene Robinson also participates on behalf of the health center’s dining services. They frequently review together the comment cards from residents. In addition to his interest in the comment cards, Lou also likes to walk around the Bistro and Formal Dining Room for feedback from diners. Lou is intrigued by chef Jonathan’s increasing efforts to serve up food in individualized small batches and “A la Minute” cooking in the Bistro as well as the Formal Dining Room. Like Jonathan, he wants our dining experience to be “as close as possible to a fine dining restaurant.”
Muriel Fox
Baa, Baa, Baa We have some new neighbors. No need to notify the Welcoming Team, though; these are four-legged creatures. Since 2014, Rockwood Hall, the part of the New York State Park Department’s Rockefeller Preserve that’s just to Kendal’s north, has used sheep (in past years goats joined them) to mow the grass and possibly control the spread of invasive vines and undesirable plant life. In June, this year’s flock of wooly friends returned to work. The sheep started out in a pen along the lower trail --- that’s the one closest to the river and is easily reached from Kendal. However, they’re moved to other areas on a regular basis to avoid overgrazing. You can spot where they are at any time, by noticing the temporary wire enclosure that’s used to pen them in and keep us and other predators out. (You can faintly see the fencing in Martin Smolin’s excellent photograph of the grazing sheep on the back cover of June’s Kendal View). Sheep are the perfect lawnmowers; they’re voracious grazers – they have to be. The original vegans, their diet is composed almost entirely of grasses, although they can eat some twigs and small shrubs. The secret of their ability to derive nutrition from their 13
diet is their digestive system. Sheep are classified as “ruminants’ (mammals that ferment their food in a specialized stomach prior to digestion, principally by microbial actions. The process typically requires the fermented cud to be regurgitated and chewed again). It is often said that sheep (and cows, goats, deer and other ruminants) have four stomachs. That’s not really accurate (the Merriam-Webster On-Line Dictionary incorrectly defines a ruminant as “an animal that has more than one stomach and that swallows food and then brings it up again to continue chewing it”). Ruminants actually have one four-chambered stomach, not four stomachs. Rough Diagram of a Ruminant’s Stomach (the anatomical “top” is on the right):
Food first enters the rumen and reticulum, mixes with saliva and is passed back and forth between the two sections gradually forming a cud, which is regurgitated for further chewing. When sufficiently degraded, the food passes into the omasum where water and many of the inorganic mineral elements are absorbed into the blood stream. The final chamber, the abomasum, is the only true stomach, quite comparable to the single stomach we have. Meanwhile our sheep are blissfully nibbling on Rockwood Hall’s greenery, unaware of the evolutionary miracle taking place inside them. There are two other seasonal visitors: Cody Beck, the professional shepherd employed by Stone Barns, who lives in a movable shed in Rockwood Hall just about 24/7; and Stanley, the guard dog. Stanley is a Maremma, a breed that originated in Tuscany about 1000 years ago. He’s been here each year. He’s in the pen with the sheep at all times, generally lounging in the shade, but he springs into action when he senses possible trouble, usually a visitor who comes too close with a dog. The Rockefeller State Park Preserve now has coyotes, but Stanley is too much for them. Coyotes are a threat to small pets that visitors allow off-leash in violation of the Preserve rules. 14
Sheep have a long history as lawn-mowers at Rockwood Hall. William Rockefeller, who was the main owner of the property before it became a park, had as many as 100 sheep mowing his grass a hundred and twenty years ago, as did many of his neighbors. Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed Rockwood Hall’s landscaping, also used sheep as mowers in his more famous projects, including Central Park and Prospect Park. Our new neighbors are Tunis sheep, an heirloom breed that originated in North Africa. Stone Barns Center, the winter home of the herd, currently has two other breeds, Finn Dorset and Shropshire. There are about 20 ewes and 20 lambs in this year’s flock. The American Tunis evolved from sheep that were imported in the late 1700s and early 1800s. These sheep were cross-bred with other European breeds to improve meat quality. The first documented Tunis on our shores were a gift to the United States from the ruler of Tunisia, the Bey of Tunis. Tunis were Thomas Jefferson’s favorite breed of sheep. Unfortunately this flock has become susceptible to a vicious lethal virus, so their days here may be numbered (the virus does not affect humans). The current use of sheep at Rockwood Hall started in 2014 when a mixed flock of goats and sheep was introduced. Kendal residents have been aware of the sheep from the beginning. A New York Times article at the time of their introduction mentioned that Kendal resident Nancy Siegel and her daughter, Lesley Korzennik, were walking in the park and looking at the sheep. It quoted Lesley as saying, “The sheep are the stars of the show. I really like that it’s the ecology thing, and it’s super fun to see where they’ve grazed and how zany they look going up the steps.” Water tanks are nowhere in sight. Susan Antenen, manager of the Rockefeller Preserve, who provided background material for this article, notes that sheep evolved in desert settings and need much less water than cattle. Water in the plants they eat usually suffices to keep them hydrated. There is another connection between the sheep and Kendal: the project is funded jointly by Stone Barns and the Kendal Residents’ Local Charities Committee. Get out there and introduce yourself! Jerry Trupin
15
Kendal View Staff Co-editors: Joan Oltman, Norman J. Sissman Editorial Committee: Gloria Cooper, Sue Phillips Photography Editors: Caroline Persell, Horst Berger Advertising and Billing: Norman J. Sissman, Hubie Wilke, Jim Wood
16
BETTY AMICO 914-962-5475 Seniors Transition Services, LLC strans1@gmail.com Reduce the Stress of Downsizing SERVICES OFFERED • Assist You/Your Family in Vacating Apartments • Pack Charitable Donations • Obtain Estimates from Movers • Achieve Maximum Tax Benefit • Work Within Your Time Frame Insured Call for Free Estimate 914-962-5475
www.ambins.com PERSONAL INSURANCE Auto Insurance Homeowners Insurance Personal Umbrella Jewelry and Artwork Insurance Condo/Co-op Renters Insurance Watercraft And More!
BUSINESS INSURANCE
Cyber Liability General Liability Insurance Pollution Liability Business Property Restaurant Marine Coverage Employment Practices Liability Business Umbrella And More!
ADDITIONAL COVERAGE Group Benefits Life Insurance Term & Whole Life Insurance Buy/Sell Insurance Key Man Insurance Disability Insurance And More!
JoAnne Murray jmurray@ambins.com 24 South Broadway T: (914) 631-4353 Tarrytown, NY 10591 F: (914) 631-2930
Bookkeeping and Administrative Services in Your Home! Do you need help paying your bills? Getting your tax records together for the Internal Revenue Service’s deadlines? Dealing with long term care or medical insurance companies? I am located in Ossining, New York. For an in home consultation, please call: Joel Schaindlin at (914) 920-1997, or jschaindlin@gmail.com REFERENCES AVAILABLE
Dentistry, as with other health services, is rapidly changing. Technology is constantly improving, allowing us to deliver quality care in less time and with less stress. Most importantly though, dentistry is still an art as well as a science. As a health service, the patient care is provided not only by the doctor, but by the entire office staff. Dentistry as a health service means properly placed restorations and courteously answered phones. Rapidly changing technology will not change this philosophy of service.
Peter J. Zegarelli, DDS - General Dentistry 87 North Broadway • Tarrytown, NY 10591 • 914-631-1800 Website: www.drzegarelli.com • Email: info@drzegarelli.com The Zegarelli dental office has been located in Tarrytown since 1982. We have been serving KoH residents since the Kendal opening day in 2005.
BOSTICK, MURPHY & COMPANY CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS P.C. Individual, Business, Trust and Estate Tax consulting, planning and return preparation We will meet at your home, office or at our location in Mount Kisco William G. Bostick, CPA, CVA Patricia A. Murphy, CPA, CVA, CFP, CHFC, PFS, CGMA 113 SMITH AVE. MT. KISCO, NY 10549 (914) 666-6336 (914) 666-0396 fax pmurphycpa@aol.com
We can assist you with your hearing loss, hearing aids, nasal and throat problems, and allergies. Michael Bergstein, MD, FACS
Salvatore Taliercio, MD
Board Certified in Otolaryngology, Balloon Sinus surgery and Sleep apnea
Jill Zeitlin, MD
Board Certified in Otolaryngology, Specializes in Hearing Services
Fellowship Trained Laryngologist, Voice and Swallowing Disorders
John County, MD, FAAAAI
Board Certified in Allergy and Immunology
Jessica Comparetto, MA, CCC-A licensed audiologist
358 North Broadway, Suite 203 • Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591 Tel: 914-631-3053 • Fax: 914-631-2807
Ear, Nose, Throat and Allergy care in YOUR neighborhood!
Call us today. See us today!
The
Phelps
Community
Pharmacy
One-Stop Pharmacy Shopping Prescriptions Medical Equipment l Sundries Our friendly, professiomal staff take the time to get to know each customer. We do more than fill prescriptions. We provide the best in over-the-counter and post-surgical supplies. So stop by, say hello, and let us know how we can help you. Open Monday - Friday
l
9 am - 6 pm
Located on the first floor of the 777 Building on the Phelps Campus Jos
eph
Parking is free! Pa
ter
no
ste
r, M
S,
P H E L P S MeMorial Hospital Center RP
H
pHarMaCY
777 N. Broadway on Route 9 at Route 117
l
Sleepy Hollow, NY
www.phelpshospital.org
(914) 366-1400
Keeping the Kendal community mobile with one-stop auto repair services COMPLETE SYSTEMS ANALYSIS - ALL CARS BRAKES TIRES COOLANT HEAT/AC EXHAUST ALIGNMENTS STEERING SUSPENSION & MORE! Call today for an appointment:
Mickey Keegan, Owner
mickey@mickeys-automotive.com As always, free pick up and delivery for all Kendal residents
P H E L P S Donald R. Reed Speech & Hearing Center
Comprehensive care close to home at Phelps Memorial Hospital Center
914-366-3010
Institute for Voice and Swallowing Disorders Craig H. Zalvan, MD Laryngologist
914-366-3636 777 North Broadway Suite 303 Sleepy Hollow, NY
Hearing Testing Hearing Aid Dispensing Comprehensive Care of Voice and Swallowing Evaluation and Treatment of Speech and Language Disorders Van Tassel
Cleaners
Your Great Expectations... Can Be Filled.
GRAPE EXPECTATIONS
Wine and Liquor Merchant
“Better Cleaners For Those Who Care”
Family Owned And Operated Since 1929 We serve over 70 Kendal customers, so you have probably seen our white and red lettered delivery truck making the rounds to all four residential buildings. Dependable delivery and pickup of laundry, dry cleaning, clothing repairs and adjustments.
Turn Around Service 631-7787
A few doors from C Town. Free parking in the back away from traffic. Knowledgeable and friendly staff will answer questions and help you select from the largest and most unique display in the Rivertowns. ❖ Competitive pricing and discounts. ❖ I look forward to having you join our many Kendal customers. John Sarofeen, Proprietor
Tel. 914-332-0294
92 N. Broadway, Tarrytown, NY
Westchester’s Finest Clockmaker since 1951
Harnik Bros. J E W E L E R S
Enrico Hair Care, Inc. Enrico Hair Care, Inc. Mondays EnricoMondays cuts and styles Tatianacuts consults on color Enrico and styles and TatianaTuesdays consults -on color Wednesdays Ida does pedicures by appointment Hairstyling by Kim Wednesdays Wednesdays through Fridays Hairstyling by Kim Maria does manicures Wednesdays Fridays Thursdaythrough and Fridays - Maria does manicures Hairstyling by Toni Fridays Thursday and Fridays Christina doesHairstyling pedicures, manicures and hair. by Toni
Call Callfor forappointments appointments 523-6382 922-1057 523-6382 or or 922-1057
Specializing in Watch Repair • Clock Repair Jewelry Repair & Remodeling Battery and Band Replacements Tall Case • Ships • Atmos • Carriages
Museum Quality Restoration Since 1951
All Work Done On Premise Free Estimates Pick Up & Delivery
914.631.3224
Harnik Bros. Jewelers 6 North Broadway, Tarrytown, NY 10591
WINNER: WINNER:
Top Top 100 100 Chinese Chinese Restaurants Restaurants in in the the USA USA 2007 2007 We’ve We’ve been been serving serving the the community community since since 1990. 1990. Special thanks to our many patrons Special thanks to our many patrons for for years years of of support. support. We’ll We’ll continue continue to to serve serve the the best best quality quality & & most most nutritious food with less oil, less salt & less nutritious food with less oil, less salt & less starch starch for for the the years years to to come. come. “Your “Your health, health, Our Our Mission.” Mission.” 17 17 Main Main Street Street Tarrytown, Tarrytown, New New York York 10591 10591 (Located (Located on on the the corner corner opposite opposite the Music the Music Hall) Hall)
Monday Monday -- Saturday: Saturday: 11am 11am -- 11pm 11pm Sunday: Noon Sunday: Noon - 11pm 11pm
Tel: Tel: 914.332.1625 914.332.1625 // 1640 1640 Fax: Fax: 914.332.1644 914.332.1644
FREE FREE DELIVERY DELIVERY
Tarrytown Floral Design For For the the past past 8 8 years years Kendal Kendal Residents Residents have have chosen us to have their fresh chosen us to have their fresh flower flower arrangements arrangements delivered delivered to to friends friends near near and and far. far. Orchids, Orchids, tropical tropical plants, plants, blooming blooming plants, plants, and and kosher baskets, along with some surprises kosher baskets, along with some surprises from from our our new new expanded expanded space space next next time time you you call. call. Each Each order order is is hand hand delivered delivered throughout throughout Westchester or by FTD Westchester or by FTD all all over over the the USA. USA. Do Do come come in in and and see see our flowers for our flowers for yourself. yourself. Open Open 7 7 Days Days a a Week Week •• Call, Call, Click Click or or Come Come In In 7 7 South South Broadway Broadway in in Tarrytown Tarrytown 909-6393 909-6393 tarrytownfloraldesigns.com tarrytownfloraldesigns.com
Where Better Hearing 10% OFF Means Better Living Why Why choose choose an an AudigyCertified™ AudigyCertified™ professional? professional? BBoard-certified oard-certified doctors doctors of of audiology audiology C Comprehensive omprehensive hearing hearing evaluations evaluations Tinnitus Tinnitus treatment treatment Hearing Hearing aid aid orientation orientation
M Multiple ultiple manufacturers— manufacturers— because because one one brand brand does does not fit all not fit all 75-day 75-day evaluation evaluation period period 3-year extended 3-year extended warranty warranty 3 3 years years of of batteries batteries
the the purchase purchase of of new new hearing aid(s) for hearing aid(s) for Kendal Kendal on on Hudson Hudson residents* residents* * Not to be combined with * Not to be combined with other offers. other offers.
914.290.4849 Julie Julie B. B. O’Shea, O’Shea, Au.D., Au.D., Owner, Owner, Doctor Doctor of of Audiology Audiology Patricia Patricia A. A. Martucci, Martucci, Au.D., Au.D., Doctor Doctor of of Audiology Audiology Donna Donna T.T. Ronan, Ronan, Au.D., Au.D., Doctor Doctor of of Audiology Audiology Debra Debra Skorney, Skorney, Au.D., Au.D., Owner, Owner, Doctor Doctor of of Audiology Audiology Jennifer Ratner, Au.D., Doctor of Audiology Jennifer Ratner, Au.D., Doctor of Audiology Lidis Lidis Pacheco, Pacheco, HIS HIS
Visit Visit us us online online at at Hearing-Care.org Hearing-Care.org
785 785 Mamaroneck Mamaroneck Ave Ave •• White White Plains, Plains, NY NY 10605 10605 Free Free Parking, Parking, Handicap Handicap Accessible Accessible
Angels on Call is pleased to announce that we have opened a satellite office located right here at Kendal on Hudson in the main building on Level C
Angels on Call has been a favorite of Kendal
Call 845-628-2255 today to discover why residents for over 10 years
Offering multiple services to augment the lives of you and your loved ones RN/LPN Services In-Home Assessments by qualified RNs Medication Pours HHA/Companion Services Attentive and experienced Home Health Aides carefully supervised and monitored by an RN Assistance with Personal Hygiene and Grooming Nutritious Meal Planning and Preparation Medication Reminders Companionship Respite Care Exercise Additional Services Escorts to Doctor Appointment/Shopping/Errands Conscientious Pet Care and Plant Care General Tidying and Trash Removal* Laundry and Linen Changes
Angels on Call, a passion for providing quality homecare to extend the independence of all Kendal residents
Call 845-628-2255 or email us at info@aochc.com today to experience the best that home health care has to offer
* Angels on Call is not a home cleaning service. However, if such services are required, we would be delighted to make an appropriate referral