January 2015 - Shenandoah Valley Westminster

Published by Shenandoah Valley Westminster-Canterbury
A Continuing Care Retirement Community
Volume XIX Number 1
January 2015
Holiday Variety Show
Continuing in the comic vein, staffers
Stephanie Chapman, Adrienne Wurth, Jim
White, Mary Kerns, Kathy Headley, and Melissa
DeHaven presented the aptly titled “Christmas
Chaos,” a frenetic version of “The 12 Days of
Christmas.”
Seven members of the Westbury Boys followed with amusing parodies of some familiar
Christmas songs.
A shift in mood ensued, when Ed Rider provided his annual reading of the classic editorial,
“Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus.”
Back to laughter, as Louise Ziluca, assisted
by Holly Hollis, deftly pantomimed a tipsy granny
in “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.”
Next, another change of pace occurred
when staff member Stephanie Landes played
the piano and sang a lovely version of “Winter
Snow.”
In a fitting finale, and in what is becoming a
tradition, Don Jones underscored the true meaning of the season with another impeccable recitation of “The Christmas Story.”
Photos of some of the performers are
shown below and on the following page.
Paul Arnold
Photo by Peggy Jackson
The annual Variety Show on December 5
in the expanded Abbey was an excellent way to
set the tone for a happy holiday season at
SVWC. The program, artfully staged by Concierge Laura Hager and performed by a talented
group of residents and staff members, included
funny skits, technical wizardry, seasonal music,
and uplifting messages.
The Canterbury Chimers led off with two
classic carols, with Amy Fielder providing a violin accompaniment to “Silent Night.”
The mood then shifted to the hilarious as
the Jingle Bell Jesters took the stage. Therapists Stephanie Ralls and Nichole Braithwaite
did their popular “puppet” routine, lip-synching
several songs. They were literally supported by
the helping hands (and feet) of six invisible
backstage staffers. The act also included a notalent dog.
The laughs continued in the next act,
when Information Technology and Security staff
surprised and delighted the audience with an
animated cartoon in which the faces of John
Ferrulli, Thomas Hahn, Marcus Varner, Damian
Nita, and Clarke Waymack were superimposed
on singing and dancing figures. (They did an
encore later in the program.)
The Canterbury Chimers Ring in the 2014 Variety Show in The Abbey
Page 2
January 2015
Westbury World
2014 Variety Show Photos
Westbury World
All photos on
this page
are by
Peggy Jackson
Published and distributed by
Shenandoah Valley Westminster-Canterbury
300 Westminster-Canterbury Drive
Winchester, VA 22603 - - - - - www.svwc.org
Phones: (540) 665-0156 800-492-9463
Co-Editors:
Paul Arnold* — Text David Greene — Layout
Associate Editor: Carl Hess — Layout
Staff Liaison: Sue McKenzie
Work Group:
Howard Allen - Patricia Baldwin - Jack Bartenstein
Joan Butler - Marcia Greene - Peggy Jackson
Edward Rider - Hartley Schearer - Lynn Young
* Contact Person
Westbury World
January 2015
$55 Million Bond Issue Approved
Having received the approval of city and
county authorities for the issuance of $55 million in revenue bonds, SVWC enters 2015 on a
firmer financial foundation, according to Chief
Financial Officer Duane Wernecke.
Approximately $16 million of the bonds will
be used to pay for the construction of additional
health care rooms and a vitality center, as well
as for the renovation and relocation of existing
facilities. The remaining $39 million will enable
SVWC to refinance its existing debt at a lower
interest rate. Consequently, Wernecke explains, the interest expense portion of our future annual budgets will be lower, resulting in
potential savings of millions of dollars.
SVWC signed a letter of commitment for
the above-mentioned $55 million with Richmond-based Union First National Bank. The
commitment includes a $39 million, 15-year
fixed-rate loan plus another $16 million variable rate loan. The reason for electing to finance
the ongoing construction in this manner, Wernecke says, is to maintain the cash reserve in
SVWC’s investment fund, which earns a higher
interest rate than the interest cost of the construction loan.
Edward Rider
Gift Shoppe Reopens
My Favorite Things Gift Shoppe is back in
business under the management of Kelly Graber and the response from residents and staff
has been positive. Many new products are
available to satisfy gift-giving needs as well as
postage stamps, household accessories and
personal-care items. Ideas and suggestions are
welcome and the Shoppe will strive to accommodate any special requests.
The Gift Shoppe is open Monday through
Friday from noon to 5:00 p.m. Volunteers are
needed who can work a few hours a week so
that hours of operation can be extended. Volunteers are also needed to take the gift cart to
the residents of Wappacomo Hall on a weekly
basis. Those interested in volunteering can call
Kelly (Ext. 390) or visit the Shoppe and talk to
her.
Page 3
Library News
Featuring Jojo Moyes
For 10 years, Jojo Moyes worked as an
English journalist, but the birth of her first child
necessitated a more stable lifestyle. Moyes began to craft novels. In 2002, after three rejections, she was finally published.
Moyes’s talent lies in her ability to create
interesting characters and plots as she discusses serious issues. Me Before You, soon to be
an MGM movie, revolves around a quadriplegic’s
desire to die with dignity. Moyes’s research and
sympathetic portrayal led the Christopher and
Dana Reeve Foundation to support the novel.
In One Plus One, Moyes’s most recent
novel, Tanzie, an impoverished math prodigy,
has to combat the stereotype that women do not
excel in math.
The aforementioned novels and several
others are featured in our library. Read a few
and you will understand why Moyes was selected to be a judge for the coveted Women’s Prize
for Fiction.
Thursday Night Programs
January 8. “Stormy Keating.” A former
member of our wait staff is back with her lively
fiddling. Come and enjoy an evening with this
talented young woman.
January 15. “What’s Happening in Medicine Today?” Winchester Medical Center’s representative will give us a glimpse of what’s new
and how SVWC is adapting to the challenges.
January 22. “Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca.” Lighten your heart with the warmth and
laughter brought by their zany humor.
January 29. “Sweden.” Resident Bengt
Farnstrom will share his native country’s glories. A smorgasbord of information and visual
delights.
All programs begin at 7:30 p.m. in the
Abbey.
Jean Trumbore
Page 4
January 2015
Furnace Mountain Next in Bistro
To begin the 2015 Bistro Concert Series, the
Furnace Mountain Band will entertain on Friday,
January 16, at 7:30 p.m.
This innovative and gifted group presents highlights of our rich Appalachian heritage with songs
that go back to the early years of mountain music.
They add songs of their own creation and some by
contemporary writers.
Danny Knicely is among the country’s top
mandolin players. He is a fourth-generation multiinstrumentalist member of a Virginia family steeped
in Appalachian music heritage. The bass player,
Aimee Curl, sings with sultry distinctiveness.
“Fiddlin’ Dave” Van Deventer adds zest and flair.
Morgan Morrison on guitar and bouzouki, also does
vocals.
The band has performed in China and Scotland as well as at festivals across the US. They are
the host band for the annual Watermelon Park Festival in Clarke County. Their music is at times lively,
even raucous, then poetic, poignant and quietly
beautiful.
The Bistro Concert Series, now in its seventh
year, has added over $22,000 to the Fellowship
Fund and $1,700 to the Employee Emergency
Fund. On average, about a third of the audiences
have been non-residents, so our community outreach is significant. In 2015, the series will shift emphasis to more classical music.
Admission is $10 per person at the door. The
proceeds help support our Fellowship Fund. The
concert series is sponsored by BB&T, and this provides added support for our Fellowship Fund.
Record Appreciation Fund
In 2014, the Employee Appreciation Fund received the largest amount of donations in its history. A total of $165,865 was distributed to current and former staff.
Elizabeth Harp
Correction
Last month’s article on the Veteran’s Day
program inadvertently omitted the fact that
there are six Marine veterans at SVWC. Our
apologies to the Corps.
Westbury World
SVWC’s Community Benefit
To round out 2014’s Resident Lecture
Series, Stephanie Landes, Director of Development and Community Relations, teamed with
Monica Hamlin, a recent Shenandoah University (SU) graduate, to give an overview on
SVWC’s Community Benefit effort.
“Community Benefit” refers to the activities and services SVWC provides – beyond its
stated mission and purposes – for the betterment of individuals not living at SVWC.
Monica graduated in December from SU
with a degree in psychology. As part of her education she shadowed Stephanie during her
final semester, helping to organize SVWC’s recording and reporting of Community Benefit efforts, while learning about the health benefits of
volunteering, especially pertaining to seniors.
The presentation gave an overview of
the efforts and accomplishments of the Community Benefit Committee, which include:
 developing a formal policy defining
SVWC’s outreach efforts;
 incorporating Community Benefit into
SVWC’s Strategic Plan;
 creating a spreadsheet to record and
report SVWC’s activities;
 conducting a survey to gain insights on
where and how SVWC residents, staff
and the the Board of Trustees are helping other organizations and
 starting to identify, through interviews
with key contacts at other local organizations, the needs of the greater community.
Results from the recent volunteering survey were reviewed. If you missed the presentation and would like to learn about the survey
findings, please contact Stephanie Landes at
Ext. 923 or [email protected].
Stephanie Landes
Westbury World
January 2015
Page 5
Christmas Contests
Dealing with SAD
The holiday door-decoration contest produced the usual array of pretty portals. The
winners, announced on December 10, were as
follows:
Wappacomo Hall: George Thilking
Dogwood Court: Hubert Martin
Winchester Hall: the Richards, the Harps,
the Grabers and the Muellers
Shenandoah Hall: Susan MacKay; Bea Adams; Bill Mills; Bart Hansen; and Raymond
Wrenn
Cottages: Amy Fielder and Margie Sheppard
The Music Therapists won the staff competition.
At the annual Christmas Party, guided by
Fritz and Jean Trumbore, there was spirited
competition among residents in the tie and sock
contests and in a new category, the best sweater. New residents Gary and Barbara Richard
scored a double win; he had the most outlandish tie and she had best seasonal socks. The
judges unanimously agreed that Jane Lee
sported the winning sweater.
With the onset of winter and its concomitant
diminution of outdoor light, some individuals experience recurrent episodes of anxiety, sadness,
negative feelings, and depression. These symptoms have been defined collectively as seasonal
affective disorder (SAD). Persons who are more
than 65 are more likely to be susceptible to SAD
because of their decreased mobility, intolerance
of cold weather and limited exposure to sunlight.
The absence of sunlight is believed to create chemical imbalances, including decreased
levels of melatonin (a hormone which helps induce sleep) and serotonin, which becomes difficult to regulate. Diminished sunlight also disrupts
the circadian rhythms that regulate the body’s
internal clock. Symptoms include: fatigue; a
change in appetite, including a craving for carbohydrates; decreased energy and excessive
sleep; weight gain; decreased sex drive; headaches; and self-imposed isolation.
To help relieve these symptoms, Blair Belkin, SVWC Nurse Practitioner, recommends eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, walking
outdoors (weather permitting), increasing wattage of indoor lighting, opening indoor blinds and
curtains, decorating with indoor plants and
brighter colors, pursuing social activities, and
avoiding too much time alone. Mind-body therapies that are recommended include acupuncture,
yoga, meditation, massage, and music therapy.
Foods that may help to improve one’s mood
include eggs, nuts and seeds, cold-water fish,
ancient grains, and green tea. In consuming
eggs, do not skip the yolk which is replete with
Vitamin B. A diet rich in B vitamins, especially B6
and B12, will help reduce the severity of depressive stimuli and to improve brain function. Remedies that require medical advice or assistance
are light therapy, medication, or a combination of
both. To obtain more information, call the SVWC
Clinic at Ext. 929.
Paul Arnold
Tie
Socks
Music
Therapists
win
SVWC
Staff
Door
Decoration
Award
Edward Rider
Sweater
Page 6
January 2015
Westbury World
From the President’s Desk
After lunch, Michael Williams, Administrator, discussed a shared-governance model for
health care services. Shared governance is a
collaborative management style that empowers
employees in the decision-making process to
help improve resident satisfaction and outcomes. This philosophy could have multiple
benefits for both our staff and the community as
a whole. More research and discussion on this
subject will be forthcoming in the months
ahead.
We ended the day by discussing the use
of technology and mobile devices in all departments. It is our goal to help streamline our processes for maximum efficiency. With the implementation of new software, we certainly have
some opportunities to explore.
As I have said before, we are blessed to
have such a dedicated and caring team of professionals leading this community. We are excited about the opportunities 2015 will bring
and we look forward to serving our residents
and staff. We hope everyone has a safe and
Happy New Year!

Photo by David Greene
On Friday, December
12, the management team
held its winter retreat at the
Hawthorne House in Summit Point, WV. Hawthorne
House is a bed-andbreakfast managed by the
Hillbrook Inn.
We started the morning by brainstorming items
and programs that could
possibly be funded through
our development efforts. In
Jeannie Shiley
May 2014, the Board of
Trustees asked that the Development Committee revise our fundraising initiatives to include an
endowment fund and to develop an approach to
raise funds for this effort. This endowment could
help fund programmatic needs of our SVWC
community that may include wellness, therapies,
training and technology. Our Director of Development will take this information back to the Development Committee for further consideration and
planning.
The management team has also been
working on ways to enhance the move-in process and transition of new residents into the
community. We have been debating whether or
not a survey would be beneficial and at what
point should the survey be conducted and by
whom. Chanda Palmer, Director of Marketing,
and Joanna Tutwiler, Director of Resident Services, will take the ideas that were shared at the
meeting and move this idea forward.
Duane Wernecke, Chief Financial Officer,
distributed and reviewed the 2015 Capital and
Operating budgets that were approved by the
Board of Trustees in its November meeting.
After lunch, we did a little team-building exercise that consisted of making homemade
chocolate candies. The chef at Hillbrook Inn
gave us a quick culinary lesson on how to make
a wide assortment of these scrumptious goodies.
The best part was that we were able to box up
the candies and take them with us at the end of
the day.
Courtyard Decoration
Westbury World
January 2015
Page 7
Pandolfi Concerts
In keeping with the holiday spirit of giving,
SVWC initiated a combined resident and staff
effort to collect food for the Congregational
Community Action Program (CCAP). The need
was significant. Before Thanksgiving, CCAP
surpassed the total number of people assisted
in 2013.
Stephanie Chapman, of SVWC’s business
office, motivated the staff to engage fully in
helping. Michael Williams of the grounds crew
took the responsibility of delivering the food to
CCAP. The community’s food drive, which began in mid-November, stood at 1,500 items as
of the deadline on December 19.
The need for donated food is ongoing. The
chapel is the central location for donations
throughout the year, and baskets are maintained there.
Larry Lawhon
Stephanie Chapman
Personable, world-class pianist Thomas
Pandolfi played to an overflow, enthralled audience in the Bistro on December 12. His program
featured Russian music, and his dynamic playing, particularly of a lengthy piece by Rachmaninov, drew a standing ovation. His performances
are enhanced by his articulate descriptions of
famous composers and their works.
Pandolfi clearly
enjoys the intimacy
the Bistro affords
and the responsiveness of its audiences. This was his
seventh
visit
to
SVWC, and he has
agreed to another
concert here in December 2015. That is very
good news for the community’s music lovers.
Photo by Howard Allen
Food Drive Results
Paul Arnold
Around the Campus
DMV2GO
DMV2GO will be on campus on Friday, January 9, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. This mobile unit
is handicapped-accessible and equipped to
process transactions such as renewing your ID
card or driver’s license, obtaining a vehicle title
or decals, and ordering disabled parking placards or plates. If you recently moved, you can
update your address on your DMV record and
update your voter registration address. The van
will be in the Winchester Hall parking lot.
New Art Exhibit
Winter’s Duo opens in the Lawrence Gallery
with a wine reception on Friday, January 16,
from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. It will be held off the
Front Lobby and all residents are invited. The
artists, Erika Ridgway and Kathy Guzman, normally exhibit in Northern Virginia. All their pieces, including Ridgway’s pottery and Guzman’s
miniatures, will be for sale. It is the perfect prelude to dinner and the Bistro concert that same
evening.
Our New Neighbors
Gary and Barbara Richard from Big
Canoe, GA, moved into 233 Winchester Hall.
Jutta Von Payr moved from Winchester,
VA, to 527 Winchester Hall.
Phil and Doris Kesecker from Berkeley
Springs, WV, moved into 434 Winchester Hall.
Sylvia Taylor moved from Winchester,
VA, to 302 Shenandoah Hall.
Dorothy Gray from Warrenton, VA,
moved into 515 Shenandoah Hall.
Classical Music Associates
The DVD program for January is Beethoven’s Piano Concerto #4 in G major, Opus
56. The pianist is Andreas Haefliger, with
Martyn Brabbins conducting the BBC Scottish
Symphony Orchestra.
Join us Tuesday, January 20, at 7:30
p.m. in The Abbey.
Page 8
January 2015
Westbury World
Chaplain’s Message
The year 2014 was challenging on various
levels as we walked together through tragedy
and loss. We also survived the pounding of the
rocks which seemed on some days that it would
never end. Besides challenges we also enjoyed
many blessings throughout the year so we end
the old year and ring in the new with gratitude for
grace, mercy and strength; all good gifts from a
loving God.
With the arrival of this new year we are given the opportunity for a fresh start and new beginnings. The phrase, “a new normal,” comes to
mind as I look ahead to 2015. I first heard the
phrase in 1989 after Hurricane Hugo did extensive damage to the low country of South Carolina. That phrase gave me hope as we faced the
challenges of recovering from such a massive
storm.
Shenandoah Valley Westminster-Canterbury
300 Westminster-Canterbury Drive
Winchester, Virginia 22603
(540) 665-0156
www.svwc.org
For this new year we face a new normal
as we look forward to the eventual completion
of our expansion and remodeling project. In
spite of the temporary noise and mess we know
that good things are on the horizon.
On a deeper level the new normal will be
learning to move forward in life while missing
friends and loved ones. Aging may bring about
some changes which cause us to have to face
a new normal in life. Certainly the very act of
moving into SVWC creates a new normal. We
can face the “new normals” of life by trusting in
the God who never changes (James 1:17).
Larry Lawhon