T
FYI
he explanation of why the managing editor edited this issue of Kendal View is given by Norman Sissman on the next page: after fourteen years he is retiring as editor and Pat Taylor will take over. In this issue, Sue Phillips interviews three residents who each teach a language class to Kendal residents. The versatile Anne White – KoH’s liaison with our local government, new treasurer of the Residents Council, photographer of the back cover of a recent issue –displays still another talent in a poem about life as a lemon ice. Deborah O’Keefe gives us a fond glimpse of Chappaqua, where she lived for 42 years before coming to Kendal. A new program involving the auditing of classes at Pace is described by Pat Taylor. Muriel Fox focuses on two residents who are much-loved by the Kendal community: Ed Hanin and Jerry Gold. In his interviews with Kendal’s four financial gurus, Bill Smethurst points up the oversight and initiatives they provide that keep KoH on a sound financial basis. Her quartet of color photographs shows how a larva becomes a butterfly in an article by a relatively new resident, Priscilla Blakemore, and the inhouse satirist, Gene DuBow, explains the similarities and differences between Kendal and its neighbor, Sing Sing Prison. Co-photo editor Caroline Persell selected and processed the four covers. She also took the cover photo one summer’s day atop the Met Museum Roof Garden of an exhibit by Berlin-based artist Alicja Kwade. The inside front cover is Martin Smolin’s “Rope on a Boat.” Arthur Brady’s view of orchids on the inside back cover was taken at the New York Botanical Garden last spring – just to cheer us up as we go into winter. The back cover is the first photograph by a staff person that we have ever run: a sunset by Aji Kaleekkal-Mathew of the Kendal dining staff.
Pat Taylor
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Welcome to the New Kendal View Editor I am sure that many of you are aware by now that I am stepping down as editor of Kendal View. As I age, the time and effort required for this job have increasingly interfered with my attending to more personal projects that I want to complete while I’m still around. My involvement with this journal over the past fourteen years has been exciting and rewarding, and I am deeply grateful to so many of you for your invaluable contributions and encouragement. I will continue to write my column, “Overheard in the Bistro,” although it will no longer appear on a regular basis. Since its inception in 2005, there have been three editors of Kendal View: Aline Benjamin, Joan Oltman, and me. Now it is time for the fourth, Pat Taylor, who has been managing editor for three years. Pat has edited this issue and will be editor full-time beginning in 2020. I wish her, and our wonderful supporting staff, great future success.
Norman J. Sissman
Kendal View Staff Editors Norman J. Sissman Pat Taylor Managing Editor Pat Taylor Editor Emerita Joan Oltman Editorial Staff Gloria Cooper, Eugene DuBow, Doris L. Eder, Muriel Fox, Edith Litt, Deborah O’Keefe, Sue Phillips, Bıll Smethurst Photography Editors Arthur Brady, Caroline Persell Advertising Norman J. Sissman
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One Great Idea: Three Language Classes Among the numerous high quality and enjoyable educational offerings at Kendal are opportunities to learn or brush up on three foreign languages: French, Spanish, and Italian. A class in each is given every week -- each taught by a resident with a long involvement in the language. Mimi Weare was born and spent her childhood in France. She came to the United States around the age of twenty-five, fluent in English after majoring in it at the Sorbonne. Although she doesn’t consider herself a professorial type, she decided, after living at Kendal for a few years, to lead a French conversation group. Ten to fifteen residents now attend the sessions every Monday afternoon from 3:30 until 5:00. People share diverse stories about trips in New York, movies they have seen, art, dance, memories, their amazing grandchildren, with one member sharing her Quaker activities. They even have discussed the activities of butterflies. Occasionally, members of the group have enlivened their time together with French poetry and play-acting. During the second half of the sessions, Mimi reads fiction or essays in French: Participants say they enjoy her “real” French accent. Then, one by one, they have the opportunity to translate what has been read. Some of the books have been: “Lettres de mon Moulin” by d’Alphonse Daudet, “La Maison Tellier”, by Guy de Maupassant, and “L’Homme qui Plantait des Arbre” by Jean Giono. Currently the group is tackling “Les Cerfs-Volants” by Romain Gary. These selections provide a look at French culture, traditions, history, and humor. The immersion in French, with the guidance of a teacher who is still deeply connected with French culture and literature, makes the experience very rich. Harriet Barnett moved to Kendal about ten years ago and about a year later began teaching a weekly class in Spanish to ten to fifteen residents. “To be honest,” she says, “when I moved to Kendal, I thought I’d moved to heaven because of the strong interest here in other languages and the respect for teachers. My goal is to give members of my Spanish class a working knowledge of the language so they can enjoy reaching out to the many Kendal staff members who speak Spanish, as well as being able to use it elsewhere.” Harriet was a Spanish teacher in Dobbs Ferry elementary and junior high schools for thirtyfive years until her retirement. She had begun as a volunteer when no language was taught at the elementary schools, and was so successful that parents of youngsters not in the language classes asked for more. Harriet was soon teaching Spanish in both schools. As it turns out, she was the teacher of a large number of children whose parents eventually became fellow KoH residents. Harriet does not focus on grammar, but more on comprehension of words and phrases involved in everyday living. She begins each class with a brief review of the Spanish for days, weeks, or numbers. Then she establishes a topic for that week’s lesson, ranging from parts of the body to such subjects as home furnishings, neighborhood sites, or travel. Play-acting is another technique she uses. Sometimes students read current articles written for Spanish speakers, understanding them through cognates and other clues without translating every word. Harriet continues to be active in the foreign language field, running workshops for language department chairs in schools in Westchester, Putnam, and Rockland counties. 3
Arthur Brady moved to Kendal with his wife, Lynn, in May 2017, and became our Italian teacher several months later. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Art heard the Italian his grandparents spoke when they didn’t want him to understand what they were saying. When he studied Latin and French in high school, he discovered that the study of other languages was fascinating and fun. A year before he graduated from high school, his family moved out West; eventually he got his BA in French and Spanish from the University of Texas and his MA from the University of Colorado. After he and Lynn were married, Art got a doctorate in both languages from Middlebury College in Vermont. His forty-year teaching career was mainly in Nyack High School; he also taught at a number of local colleges. A resident at Kendal asked Art if he would teach a class in Italian; he said he would try it. Eight to ten students have been attending his class. Most knew some Italian in the past; a few spoke it with their families. All love the Italian language. In the class, he asks students to create short dialogues or stories in Italian. They read this work to the class; then he rereads it to the class and asks the class to translate the work, phrase by phrase. Art types up the vocabulary from these class activities and e-mails it to each student. The next assignment is usually included in this mailing. Students have also read short works in Italian. They then read these works aloud and translate them. They have also listened to an Italian opera and some Italian songs. The Italian texts always accompany these activities. Art said that students seem to enjoy this class; he certainly enjoys teaching it. So: Enrichir votre intellect. Aprender una lengua nueva es bueno para la salud. Unitevi a un gruppo linguistico a Kendal!
Sue Phillips
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Life is Like a Lemon Ice ife is like a lemon ice, L slidin’ down easy, sweet and tart, on a summer afternoon. elting in the heat of sun and tongue, M no saving it for later, no savoring the flavor once it’s gone. So just cut loose and let that luscious lemony confection linger on your tongue until it disappears. Life is like the grains of sand slippin’ down through the narrow neck of an hourglass. arking time, at first the flow seems slow M but then appears to speed up as it nears the end. ife too will run its course, but no one knows L how long until it’s done. So let it flow and fill it up with curiosity and love and zest unbounded. Life is like the light of day, diminishing as summer’s verdant canopies of leaves turn shades of yellow, red and umber in the fall, and spiral to the ground to form a crackling carpet under foot. Raked up, they offer heaping mounds for children to cavort in. oon snow will bury all beneath a frosty coverlet. S So too, the elements will have their way with you and me, as hour by hour the darkness overtakes the light of day. hen I was young, my father used to tell me W “Do It Now!” He chanted “DIN, DIN, DIN” and I hated it, but now I understand. So don’t delay. Whatever moves you, Do It Now.
Anne White 5
Glimpses of Chappaqua This year on Memorial Day I drove over to Chappaqua for the annual parade. We lived there 42 years; this was maybe the 30th Memorial Day that I stood on a crowded sidewalk watching the parade wind down King Street hill – school bands, scouts, organizations, officials marching; police cars and fire trucks rolling by toward a ceremony on the grass circle by the train station. It doesn’t sound thrilling, but somehow it always is, especially when Bill and Hillary stroll past among the officials, waving. They moved here after leaving the White House, and have been seen reading stories to little kids in the library (Hillary) or schmoozing with locals in Starbucks or the Little Store Deli (Bill). Chappaqua, population around 18,000, is a 15-minute drive from KoH, north of Pleasantville. It is beautifully green and hilly, with ponds and hiking trails; peaceful but not boring, and prosperous but not ostentatious. There’s a healthy diversity of people here, and stimulating activities. Good restaurants. Library and senior programs. Farmers Market. Take It or Leave It Shop (usable stuff donated by residents, to be taken by anyone who wants it, even non-locals); Strawberry Festival; plays and concerts at the new Performing Arts Center on former Reader’s Digest property. Horace Greeley’s historic house offers workshops and exhibits. One lively event is the Children’s Book Festival outdoors in the fall. Long tables are covered with piles of books; you can talk with the 100-plus authors of the books and get autographs. Residents appreciate the historical feel of Chappaqua, with 18th and 19th century houses – now modified and enlarged but still occupied. Most of these are along woodsy Route 120, where the first settlers – Quaker farmers from Long Island – built the Friends Meeting House in 1754. From the road now you can see the Meeting House (expanded in the 1800s and still in use) along with the graveyard from that era and at least ten houses nearby that were built in the mid-18th and 19th centuries. While these are more modest than the estates and mansions in, say, Irvington, they are comfortably settled in the landscape, drawing together the four centuries they have witnessed. This old Quaker area, roughly, formed the original downtown. Some other old roads are known to have been built on top of Indian trails, such as Hardscrabble Road going north-south, a little west of the Saw Mill River Parkway. The new village center, today’s downtown, grew up after 1846: the railroad line had been creeping north from New York City and that year reached Chappaqua. The train station was built a mile and a half east of the old Quaker village. General stores and a hotel appeared near the station, and churches and taverns. In the 19th century, there were a few businesses, like the barrel factories for shipping vinegar and pickles, and the cider mill. In the later 19th century, farmers would often take in summer boarders. Occasional disasters have been coped with, like the flood inundating the low-lying village in the 1970s. Some people managed to cross through town in rowboats. The Saw Mill River branch downtown was later fixed to prevent more floods. By 1900 commuting had become easy. All farms were gone by the l900s. Public schools were originally tiny “common” schools, supplemented by a few private academies. In 1929 a large public school was built in the village with classes through eighth grade; later a high-school level was added. 6
In 1957, a real high school opened north of the downtown. There are now three grammar schools, two middle schools, and one high school. The Chappaqua school system developed an excellent reputation, attracting even more home buyers to the growing town. It was now decidedly suburban. The most famous and beloved homeowner in Chappaqua’s history was Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune. Greeley fought for women’s rights and against slavery, and supported Lincoln’s election. In 1853 he bought land near the village, built a house there for his family, and started a farm. (He loved to chop wood.) In 1872 Greeley ran for President against Grant, and lost. And that autumn brought other, shocking events: In October his frail wife died; soon after, he learned he had lost control of the Tribune stock; he collapsed and died at 6l years of age. A statue of Greeley stands near an exit of the Saw Mill Parkway, gazing over the town. Farther north, an important piece of Chappaqua appeared on a hill above the Parkway, near the high school. DeWitt and Lila Wallace created the Reader’s Digest in 1922 in Manhattan. By the next year their new magazine was growing; they moved it to a space over a garage in Pleasantville. By l936, circulation ws one million. Soon the Wallaces bought property in Chappaqua, but retained the Pleasantville P.O. address because of its bucolic, folksy sound. They built a Georgian-style brick buildng with a white cupola. This original building became familiar to readers: it served as the magazine’s logo in the 40 international editions, when this was the world’s largest-circulation magazine. As magazines fell on hard times, though, the property was sold and in 2009 the remaining Reader’s Digest organization moved to New York. The old Digest property, renamed “Chappaqua Crossing,” now contains Whole Foods, a fitness gym, some stores, and a theater for the performing arts. The 700,000 square feet of Reader’s Digest office space is being developed and will include apartments, some in the affordable category. A visit to Chappaqua could include a pause at the pond in restful Gedney Park, and a drive down Route 120 to see the l8th and 19th century houses of the original Quaker settlement. Downtown there is delicious food at Susan Lawrence caterer/café or onion soup and succulent mussels at Le Jardin du Roi on King Street hill, a casual spot with garden tables outside. It’s opposite the Horace Greeley House, now the Historical Society. Gray Williams, the Town Historian, is head author of an interesting, short history/photo book called New CastleChappaqua and Millwood. (That good series describes local towns in 50 states.) He also wrote a big, beautiful book called Picturing Our Past: National Register Sites in Westchester County. I will gladly lend my copy to anyone who is interested.
Deborah O’Keefe 7
School Days, Kendal Style Eleven residents returned to school starting on September 5 at Pace University, the pioneers in a new program that involves auditing classes during the school’s fall semester. The idea for such a program had been in the works for several years. During that time, a KoH committee led by Fran Kelly and John Sorice met several times with Pace officials. When the school hired its new President, Marvin Krislov, in the summer of 2017, they found a receptive ear. Dr. Krislov previously had been President of Oberlin College, which has a very close relationship with Kendal at Oberlin. After several planning meetings with the Kendal committee, Dr. Krislov was invited to speak to residents on January 28, 2019, about Pace University in Westchester. That night he announced the new Pace/Kendal Partnership, including the opportunity for Kendal residents to audit classes at the Pleasantville campus at no cost. When its fall curriculum was finalized, Pace sent Kendal an extensive list of classes to audit in Accounting, Art, Education, English, Environment, Heath and Wellness, Technology, Marketing, and Philosophy. Interested residents chose their first and second preferences. Specific classes were assigned, and an orientation session was held at Pace on August 23. At this meeting, President Krislov and Kendal Interim Executive Director Steve Fishler spoke about the significance of this new initiative both for Kendal and for Pace. How has it gone thus far? As Penny Brome (Kendal class of 2005) put it, “I have always wanted a connection between Kendal and a local college, and now we have one. I signed up as soon as it was possible to audit a course called Philosophy of Happiness and so far I am indeed happy with it. It’s fun being with college students on a pleasant campus and luckily, I can hitch a ride with fellow student Jeff O’Donnell. It’s an interesting course with a lot of student interaction. I like the way Professor Len Mitchell draws them in. By Christmas, we should all have a well-thought-out philosophy of life!” Another resident, Len Andrew, enrolled in the Naturalist class led by Angelo Spillo, Director of Pace’s Nature Center, who has taught at the school for 41 years. His report: “As a first assignment, each student was given the name of a naturalist to research and asked to prepare a paper to present to the class. The textbook has excellent writings by famous naturalists. And the class will have several outdoor sessions, including a visit to the organic garden on campus. It sure is fun being a student again.” Speaking for Kendal, Fran Kelly said, “We are delighted with residents’ response and look forward to making plans for the spring semester in the next few months.” Pat Taylor
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Ed and Jerry, An Inspiring Couple Kendal has many long-lasting couples here. One of the longest-lasting couples – and arguably the most popular pair for invitation to dinner parties – consists of Ed Hanin and Jerry Gold. Ed and Jerry have been together 65 years, and they’ve been married eight years. They tied the knot officially on September 30, 2011, after same-sex marriages became possible in New York. Ed and Jerry were original founding residents of KoH. Jerry’s coworker at the New York Public Library, Edwin Holmgren, told them that he and his wife Priscilla were considering a move into a Kendal CCRC about to open in Westchester County. He referred them to a New York Times article about the new community. They attended a meeting in Manhattan, and Jerry was especially pleased to learn about Kendal’s Quaker origins and values. “My brother-inlaw and sister-in law both happen to be Quakers,” says Jerry, “and they gave me a feeling that Quakers deserve our trust.” At the meeting, they asked the Kendal representative if there would be any problem with admitting a same-sex couple and were assured that there is “no problem” with sexual orientation at any Kendal facility. They signed up with the understanding that if they felt uncomfortable here they could leave after six months. They’re still here, and very comfortable. Jerry was appointed to the Nominating Committee that chose our first Interim Residents Council. Ed joined the pre-opening By-Laws Committee, and drove conscientiously to committee meetings in Westchester from Manhattan. Ed served on the Interim Residents Council when KoH opened. Jerry’s hearing began to deteriorate seriously at the age of 50. This led him to early retirement at age 55 from his job as Business Manager for the New York Public Library. Deafness has influenced Jerry’s life in many ways. Fewer trips to New York City for plays and concerts. (Movies with closed captions are especially welcome now.) No more committee meetings at Kendal. Otherwise, his health is good at age 92. “Life here would be perfect if I weren’t deaf. The staff is great – I can’t believe how helpful they are.” Ed has remained active in KoH activities He served three terms on the Kendal on Hudson board of directors, including two years as chair, and then a term on the board of our parent Kendal Corporation. He took on the chairmanship of the committee that supervised our Project Renew renovation. This project originated because of a need for better care for residents with cognitive problems. They created the new Sunnyside facility to provide a homelike, wanderingsafe atmosphere for residents with dementia. Also, Project Renew expanded assisted living in Adirondack by ten beds – now providing 34 attractive apartments. Adirondack residents still can participate in dining, lectures, concerts, and other activities enjoyed by people in Independent Living. The Clearwater facilities were also expanded and improved. Two additional benefits of Project Renew are a new Gathering Room and a much-appreciated Residents Lounge. (Continued on page 14)
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KoH Financial Gurus Kendal on Hudson is virtually unique among retirement communities in the United States. It overlooks the mighty Hudson River, abuts a beautiful preserve for walking and absorbing tranquil beauty, has great eats and delightful apartments – but above all, it has nifty residents and an efficient and well-trained staff. It also neighbors an active and efficiently run hospital, well equipped for elderly patients. One of the most important things that make this retirement paradise possible and viable are the superb financial controls, oversight, and initiatives provided by Kendal‘s in-place staff and resident members of the Finance Committee of the Kendal Board. At the present time the most important of these are two staff members, Jean Eccleston, the Chief Financial Officer, and Bridget Reilly, Director of Finance, and two residents, Hank Schacht and John Sorice, who serve very actively on the Finance Committee of the Board. KoH is extremely fortunate to have this wonderful and compatible team at its disposal. As a result Fitch, the well-known rating agency, has awarded KoH a triple BBB rating with a stable outlook. (This is as high a rating as a relatively small retirement community can achieve; AAA and AA ratings are reserved for large public corporations such as IBM.) The high rating is in a very large part due to our financial staff leaders and the members of the Board’s Finance Committee. We are fortunate to have Jean Eccleston as our Chief Financial Officer. Because of a family consideration, Jean came to us from Florida where she was the CFO of a much larger not-forprofit lifeplan community. At Kendal she has built and supervised a team of financial managers that is most rare if not unique amongst retirement communities. One of our residents who has had very broad experience with financial managers of large corporations told me that he never met a better qualified or more capable CFO than Jean. Wow! Bridget Reilly, the Director of Finance at KoH, works with Jean on special projects and financial compliance, correspondence reporting, and a multitude of other projects that come up in the course of business. She and Jean complement each other perfectly. It’s a pleasure to see how they mesh at a budget meeting. Supporting these two staff virtuosi is the Finance Committee of the Board. Among them are two quite remarkable residents who had great managerial and financial experience before coming to KoH – Hank Schacht and John Sorice. Hank Schacht has had an exemplary career in practically every aspect of management and finance. After graduating from Yale (where he was later a trustee for many years) and with distinction from the Harvard Business School, Hank and this writer managed the personal investments of the Irwin Miller family in Columbus, Indiana. Hank went on to become the very successful CEO of the Cummins Engine Company, based in Columbus.
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Later, after taking early retirement from Cummins, he went on to become the founding chairman/CEO of Lucent Technologies. He also became a director of a number of prominent financial and investment companies, many of which he is still associated with to this day. Hank‘s companion on the Finance Committee is fellow resident John Sorice, who is also a director of the Kendal on Hudson Corporation. John graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Engineering and then was the supply officer aboard a supply cargo ship in the Pacific as World War II was ending. He also attended the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania. John worked for the Shell Oil Company for many years and then the Olin Corporation. We are very fortunate at Kendal to have such superb financial minds and energetic personalities on our team at KoH. As we enter a period when the indications point to a serious decline in manufacturing and an impeachment process is underway, knowing that Koh is financially sound and improving is very important to its residents. It might be noted that at the present time, residential apartments are at 90 percent occupancy, and health care occupancy is very close to its optimal level.
Bill Smethurst
The Residents Council Budget Advisory Committee met with the financial gurus (John Sorice excepted) to discuss Kendal’s 2020 budget. Clockwise from left: Pat Taylor, Hank Schacht, Jeff O’Donnell, Anne White, Bridget O’Reilly, Jim Wood, Steve Fishler, Janet Schloat, Gretchen Engler, Jean Eccleston, Bob Sanders, Edith Litt. 11
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Coming to Kendal after spending 19 years as a volunteer docent in the live butterfly exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History, I was delighted to have a terrace where I could set up my own butterfly garden. I sprinkled a whole packet of parsley seeds in a 36-inch by 8-inch planter in June. The resulting thriving parsley patch attracted a female black swallowtail whose eggs hatched in July. On August 5, five fully grown larvae left the planter and set off to find a spot where they could pupate. Three formed their chrysalides on the wall next to the terrace door. The other two disappeared, pupating somewhere off my terrace. Ten days later, the adult black swallowtail butterflies emerged and, after pausing a few hours to stretch and dry their wings, flew away. The larvae of each butterfly species depend on a host plant, and the female of each species will deposit her eggs only on the plant that her larvae will eat. Black swallowtails are easy to raise because their host plant is parsley. My photos of the process are on the facing page: A) LARVA. This fully grown caterpillar has eaten its last bite of parsley and is leaving the planter to form its chrysalis. B) PUPA or CHRYSALIS. Amazingly, the two-inch long caterpillar formed this one-inch long pupa. C) ADULT BUTTERFLY, side view showing its antennae, proboscis, and legs. D) ADULT BUTTERFLY, dorsal view. Its wing pattern identifies it as a female. More detailed information about butterflies can be found at this Website:
Butterflies at Home: butterfliesathome.com
Penn State Extension: extension.psu.edu provides a useful chart of host plants and the butterflies that depend on them.
Priscilla Blakemore
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(Continuation of Ed and Jerry, An inspiring Couple from page 9) Ed currently serves on the One Future Committee, the Music Committee, the Loss Committee, the Saturday Opera Committee, the Kendal Chorus, with Kendal Singers who perform on New Year’s Eve and Fourth of July. He chairs the Transportation Advisory Committee. Though born in Tianjin, China, in 1932, Ed was an American citizen because his parents (father born in Russia, mother in Latvia) had moved to the United States before his birth. His father, who did business in China, was imprisoned by the Japanese during World War 11 until released in a prisoner exchange. Ed grew up in Miami Beach, then San Francisco and New York City. He earned a B.A. at City College, then an M.D. at NYU, after which he worked as a psychiatrist at St. Vincent’s Hospital. In addition to treating patients, Ed has always been involved in administration. He served as medical director of St. Vincent’s Westchester for 19 years until retiring in 1992. He then worked at St. Vincent’s in Manhattan until permanently retiring in 1995. He served as president of the New York State Psychiatric Association, Speaker of the Assembly of the American Psychiatric Association and as a member of APA’s board of trustees. Jerry grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After service in World War 11, he earned a B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley, then a Master of Library Science degree at Columbia. One reason he moved to New York was his love of the theatre. Alas, now he can’t attend because of his increasing deafness. How did Ed and Jerry meet? At a party in Manhattan. Jerry was leaving just as Ed was entering. They talked to the end of the party, then at Jerry’s apartment. Despite their different backgrounds, they marveled at how much they had in common. They’ve been together ever since, except for two years when Ed served in the Army at Fort Benning in Georgia. While Ed completed his education, Jerry paid the rent and Ed did the shopping and cooking. Jerry never could cook. After 9/11, Jerry decided to look for a retirement community, persuaded that nobody would care for a person who lived alone in New York. Ed underwent a similar epiphany while managing the care of an elderly cousin. Both agree that life at Kendal makes them feel safe and secure. They love the people here and the sense of community. As Jerry puts it, “Kendal is there for you if you need it.” They gave up a rent-stabiized Manhattan apartment with gorgeous views. They have never regretted it.
Muriel Fox
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The Neighbors Is there any similarity between the benefits new residents at Kendal on Hudson receive and those the newly arrived at Sing Sing Prison are greeted with? Yes! Each, no matter the reason for moving to a new residence, acquires new neighbors. There is, indeed, this similarity, but there are also differences. The Kendalites are mostly highly intelligent and well-educated and are there by choice, while the Sing Singites, no matter their education and intelligence levels, would rather be elsewhere. However, both groups must learn to deal with close-living people. Kendalites are way out in front as far as warm reception is concerned. They are greeted by a welcoming committee using friendship-inspiring first names plus invitations to something called wine & cheese get-togethers. Those who reside a couple of miles to the north are met by representatives of the State who inform them of a set of rules that absolutely must be lived up to. No wine. Cheese eaters have a different meaning for prisoners so that’s not usually something they like to be referred to as. (For the uninitiated, rats eat cheese. Human rats snitch.) As far as dinner is concerned, the newbie Kendalites are often invited to small dinner groups in the Formal Dining Room. Men are requested to wear jackets. The prisoners wear dark green and don’t have to wait for an invitation. A sort of part prison guard/part Maitre’d assigns them to a seat. At this point, the lives of the two groups diverge. The prisoners have very regularized 24-houra-day lives, while the Kendal folks, after they get out from under the boxes left by the movers, start getting to know the neighbors and are on their own. As in most group settings, there is an informal getting-to-know-you process and the “birds of a feather” flocking begins to take place. In a relatively short time, the newbie isn’t so new anymore, and people get to know each other. Former schools they’ve attended, children, and past locations get talked about. Maybe the same thing happens at Sing Sing. Maybe other things a bit more secretive and private are discussed. Another item mentioned frequently is a famous person who lived where the Kendalite used to live and, perhaps, some of the glory and fame rubs off on the one relating the story. Almost everyone who lived in Chappaqua has a Clinton story though maybe they once saw Bill pass by in a car. One Kendalite who had lived in Nyack always mentions the American artist Edward Hopper, even though he never laid eyes on him and didn’t know who he was until long after Hopper died. He also talks about Helen Hayes, the great lady of the American stage, though he only saw her once from a distance in a store. So what? So let’s talk about famous people. Even if you come from a place that had none, you’re in luck living in Sleepy Hollow. You have many neighbors you didn’t know you had, even if they are dead and gone. They’re here! The Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is the final resting place of many of the well-known. For instance, Andrew Carnegie, who was a Scottish-American industrialist, business magnate, and philanthropist.
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Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans in history. You may not have known Andy personally, but how about Washington Irving? Most of your acquaintances will know him, but if they don’t, you can talk about the Headless Horseman and invite them to Sleepy Hollow for Halloween. Samuel Gompers is an in-ground resident. But given the sad state of America’s unions these days, many people might not know he was the founder of the AFL. William Conant Church is another neighbor. He was the cofounder of the National Rifle Association (NRA). Make sure in mentioning William that your listener is of a certain political inclination and is engaged in making a certain country great again. You wouldn’t want to leave out Harry and Leona Helmsley when talking about denizens of a cemetery that is famous. Harry was an American real-estate billionaire whose company, Helmsley-Spear, became one of the country’s biggest property holders, owning the Empire State Buildng and many of New York’s most prestigious hotels. After he died, his zillions fell into the hands of his wife, Leona Helmsley. Leona was famous for another reason. After allegations of nonpayment were made by contractors hired to improve Helmsley’s Connecticut home, she was investigated and convicted of Federal income tax evasion and other crimes in l989. Although she initially received a sentence of sixteen years, she was required to serve only nineteen months in prison and two months under house arrest. During the trial, a former housekeeper testified that she heard Mrs. Helmsley say, “We don’t pay taxes; only the little people pay taxes,” an aphorism which identified her for the rest of her life. The Sing Singers, not to be outdone, have their own available list of famous former neighbors if they wish to brag. The well-known bank robber, Willie Sutton, was a guest at one time. He didn’t care for the neighbors or the neighborhood so he escaped. Louis “Lepke” Buchalter, the head of Murder Inc., would have liked to escape but his lease ran out when he was electrocuted. The same went for the spy Julius Rosenberg and his wife Ethel. Your Kendal neghbors don’t have the Lepke problem. Mostly their leases run out naturally. And it’s unlikely that they achieved fame by robbing banks, by spying for foreign countries, or by murdering anyone. What we can say about our Kendal neighbors is that they’re interesting, smart, warm, and helpful. And that they are free to enjoy the views of the Hudson River and eat with whomever they please. Aren’t we lucky?
Eugene DuBow 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
The Zegarelli dental office has been located in Tarrytown since 1982. We have been serving KoH residents since the Kendal opening day in 2005.
Ninety-One North Broadway Tarrytown, NY 10591 (914) 631-0983 www.coffeyfuneralhome.com NANCY COFFEY • MICHAEL COFFEY A Family-Operated Business Serving Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow Since 1911 Pre-Planning Available
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 Joseph DePietro, MD Board Certified in Otolaryngology, Balloon Sinus surgery and Sleep apnea
Fellowship Trained Laryngologist, Voice and Swallowing Disorders
Jill Zeitlin, MD
Mark Davis-Lorton, MD
Board Certified in Otolaryngology, Specializes in Hearing Services
Adult and Pediatric Allergist
Licensed Audiologists
Jessica Comparetto, MA, F-AAA Lucia Khoder, AuD, CCC-A, F-AAA Rebecca Bieker, AuD, CCC-A, F-AAA
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!
Book Online, Anytime!
Phelps Hospital invites you to participate in our free programs for seniors: • • • • • • • • • •
Socialize and learn at Breakfast Club Stimulate your cognitive skills with Mind Games Receive free screenings and health information with Senior Steps Learn about underlying causes of illness with Functional Medicine Keep your balance with Fall Prevention and Tai Chi For information, contact Understand bone loss with Osteoporosis Education & Support Ellen Woods at Gather with your peers at Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Group 914-366-3937 or Gain insight into retirement savings with Elder Law Series ewoods3@northwell.edu. Navigate health insurance with Demystifying Medicare Search for life’s meaning and purpose with the Spirituality Program Plus, special events throughout the year
Powerful Innovation, Compassionate Care
FYO Accounting & Tax Services
914-631-8868 Keeping the Kendal community mobile with one-stop auto repair services
Mickey Keegan, Owner mickey@mickeys-automotive.com
WE SERVICE ALL CARS
In-home service Tax Preparation & Planning Bookkeeping Filing & Organizing • Bill Paying • • • •
Owner: Jean Mayer, EA
Serving residents at Kendal on Hudson since its opening. 914-862-2305
jean@crotontax.com
FRONT END SPECIALISTS · TIRES WEEL ALIGNMENT & BALANCE EXHAUST REPAIR · HEAT/AC COOLANT · BRAKES · AND MORE!
25% discount to Kendal residents.
Free Pick-Up and Delivery for All Kendal Residents www.mickeys-automotive.com
Off-Season Tax Special: Provide your prior year tax returns and receive a free review, consultation, and fee quote. No obligation.
Your Great Expectations... Can Be Filled.
GRAPE EXPECTATIONS
Wine and Liquor Merchant 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. Tuesday Enrico does hair color/cut and styling Mondays Sandra does mani/pedi and waxing Enrico cuts and styles and Tatiana consults on color Wednesday Wednesdays Kim does hair color/cut and styling Hairstyling by Kim Thursday Wednesdays through Fridays Toni does hair color/cut and styling Maria does manicures MariaThursday does manicures and waxing and Fridays once aHairstyling month, by by appointment Toni Fridays Friday Christina does pedicures, manicures and hair. Toni and Andi do hair color/cut and styling
Call Callfor forappointments appointments 523-6382 523-6382 or or 922-1057 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 Premises Free Estimates Pick Up & Delivery
914.631.3224
Harnik Bros. Jewelers 6 North Broadway, Tarrytown, NY 10591
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Nonprofit, Nonsectarian. Established 1849
Community mausoleum, traditional in-ground burials, natural burial grounds, private family mausoleums. 540 North Broadway ◆ Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591 914-631-0081 ◆ www.sleepyhollowcemetery.org Kendal ad 2018.indd 1
Powerful Innovation, Compassionate Care
3/1/18 10:03 AM
Advanced treatment options, leading edge research and expert care – right here in your neighborhood. Whatever your healthcare needs may be, we’ll welcome you into our community of people caring for people.
701 North Broadway Sleepy Hollow, NY 914-366-3000 phelpshospital.org