VIEW MARCH 2015.pub - Vantage Point East

The
View
from
www.vantagepointeast.com
Mutual 24
Vantage Point East
Vol. 13 No. 3
March 2015
Snow draped VPE parking lot at night
President’s Message
The VPE Board of Directors, in cooperation with
the Leisure World of Maryland Corporation, has
retained the services of Carol Koendarfer as our
Property Manager effective March 2, 2015.
We hope you will all welcome Carol to her new
position in our VPE community.
No longer driving? Need to know how to get
around town? How can I use public transport at a
discount? Need free transportation? Come to the
Transit Fair in Clubhouse I on Fri., Mar. 6, from 2
to 4 p.m. in the ballroom to get all your questions
answered.
Our Community Room and lobby are Vantage
Point East's common living room, dining room
and social hall. I am somewhat disappointed that
some residents, or their guests, do not have the
common courtesy to clean up after themselves.
In your own home you pick up dropped food
and napkins off the floor. I would expect that
you do the same in our Community Room and
not expect others to clean up after you. The lobby and hallways always seem to have a tissue
or two on the floor. Please be courteous and
pick up after yourself.
Communication at VPE is always an interesting
subject. If it is important to the building to immediately inform you of a situation, we use the robo call system to keep you informed as to issues of community gate or road closures and
reduction of services in the building. Sometimes
we inform you in advance of building situations,
like filter change schedule or water turnoff so
you can plan ahead. We also post notices on
the bulletin boards.
(Continued on page 2)
February Board Actions
The following actions were taken at the February
26 meeting
The Board approved:

payment in the amount of $14,460.92 to
Contract Furniture Options, Inc. (CFO) for
final carpet selection, to be paid from the Replacement Reserve Account.

payment in the amount of $40,204.00 to
Palmer Brothers Painting & General Contractors, Inc. for completion of painting project in
the hallways per proposal #35331. To be
paid from the Maintenance Reserve Account.

payment in the amount of $1,750.00 to
DeLeon & Stang, CPAs & Advisors for completing phases I and II of the audit engagement for December 31, 2014.
The Board also voted to change all hallway lighting to higher lights, including resident door
lights.
–Marvin Franklin, Secretary
Leisure World Transit Fair
Fri,, Mar. 6 – 2-4 p.m. – Ballroom, Clubhouse I
Check out the available transportation options:
bus, van, Metro, train & car, to the grocery store,
the theater, the doctor, library, recreation center,
church or to a volunteer job!

Talk one-on-one with the actual bus planners
responsible for Metro bus schedules and service from Leisure World’s Clubhouse I. Tell
them what you want and need.

Talk to the people who conduct senior travel
training on navigating accessible Metrobus
and Metrorail public transportation.

Find out about large-print pocket guides.

Learn how to use and buy a Senior SmarTrip
Card.

Get the facts on and sign up for Connect-ARide, a free program of transportation, includ(Continued on page 7)
The VIEW from VPE
Sunset over the third fairway from green towards tee
–Photo by Sid Sussan
President’s Message
(Continued from page 1)
Speaking of bulletin boards, we only have three
boards. The board to the right of the mailboxes
is used primarily for Leisure World and VPE
business notices of importance. The board to
the left of the mailboxes is used mostly for VPE
social notices. The bulletin board on the lower
level is used for all other types of communitywide social/club and personal notices. Be informed and look at all the bulletin boards.
Recently, during the bad snow days, we discovered cars parked in other residents’ parking
spaces and in the driveways in the garage.
Please respect the garage spaces as they are
private property, and you are trespassing by
parking your vehicle in the garage. If you are
permitting someone to use your space in the
garage, please inform the Property Manager.
Please be aware that we will take some punitive
action with the perpetrators in the future.
–Henry Jordan
Please let the VPE Sunshine Committee know
of any ill, bereaved or new residents who
should be acknowledged. Call Marylin Jordan
(301) 598-0174 or Marilyn Funk (301) 5988047.
Page 2
March 2015
Railroading to Albany, New York
My daughter said, “Let’s go see Cousin Helene
in Albany.” I said, “OK. Let’s go by train.” I
booked two return coach fares on Amtrak, and a
hotel room for three nights in Albany.
As I stepped out of our cab at Union Station in
D.C., a Red Cap saw my cane. He called out,
“Sir! Stay right there!” He pushed a wheelchair
out to me. He then pushed me through the waiting crowd at the gate, along the empty platform
to the door of our coach. We were seated, and
he brought on our luggage, less than fifteen
minutes cab to train. I felt like a free citizen – no
security check! Very soon we were moving toward New York, Penn Station, where we transferred to the Empire Service, which had waited
for us across the platform. Our train was quite
late. Several dozen of us stepped across the
platform to board the waiting Empire.
State. As we approached Tarrytown, the river
widened to become the Tappan Zee, where, in
August 1945, I debarked from a troop ship in
midstream to a Piermont-Tarrytown ferry boat,
since replaced by the spindly Tappan Zee
Bridge. We progressed to Croton-Harmon, site
of New York City’s water supply, “best water in
the country.”
The Bannerman’s Castle ruins sat on its isle by
the near shore. I had been thinking the Hudson
was like the Rhine, without the castles. We
came to the West Point Narrows, where the
United States Military Academy draped over the
green heights across the Hudson.
I knew that on the heights above the railroad,
stately homes overlooked the Hudson (e.g.,
Roosevelt’s Hyde Park). Out on the river, cargo
ships and tugboats with barges were engaged in
commerce along the Hudson up to the Port of
Albany. They passed under a variety of bridges.
In public school, we used to hear about the
Catskill Mountains, and the tales of Washington
Irving. There they still are, looming above the
Hudson.
Boating on the Hudson seemed to be popular all
the way to Albany. As our three-hour journey
ended, the skyscrapers of Albany appeared. We
knew that Rensselaer Station, last stop, was not
far. Our rail trip gave us the opportunity to see
what is going on down here on our tiny Earth,
and not to be in such a hurry.
–Bernard Patlen
Shortly after we were seated, we entered the
tunnels under New York City, going north. There
were brief flashes of daylight and glimpses of the
city. Then there was light, and industrial sites
blocked the river view. Then came view-blocking
high-rise apartments. By Yonkers, the shoreline
opened to our view numerous parks and marinas
along the shore. The tree-covered New Jersey
Palisades undulated along the far-off, opposite
shore. Henry Hudson must have been amazed
by such a wide river. I was.
We passed numerous commuter/local service
stations. Passenger railway survives in New York
March 2015
B&G Committee
At the Building and Grounds Committee in
March, we discussed janitorial service contract
specs: what is being done, what is not and what
should be done. We also discussed sprinkler
heads. Should they be inspected periodically?
Residents should be reminded to notify the office to put a notice on their door if oxygen is in
use, and to notify the office to put their
names on the list if help is needed in case of
emergency.
Page 3
–Marvin Wolf, Chair
The VIEW from VPE
Wood Shop Users Group
Lovely Ladies of Leisure World
VPE resident Ted Snyder brings to our attention
the Wood Shop Users Group (one of Leisure
orld's best-kept secrets). Hidden in the basement of Clubhouse I, it occupies just over 3,000
square feet of well-organized space that's filled
with a variety of HGTV-type of machinery and
equipment.
Tools for every project
Left to right: Gloria Pearlman, Bernice Kisliuk, Zena Stoller
and Flo Golomb. Not present for pic: Barbara Pillote, Irene
Silver, Mary Telford at Cashell Elementary School.
Our annual visit to the Cashell Elementary
School was once again a huge success. The talented ladies of VPE created beautiful knitted
hats and scarves for the pre-K children who
were so delighted and happy to be able to select
their own outerwear (matching or not). Their respectful behavior was very much appreciated by
us. They thanked us with their smiles and sang
several nice songs for us. What a happy group!
Kudos to the exceptional guidance of the teacher, Gail Rosendorf ((Zena Stoller’s daughter)
and Kathy Barbieri (paraeduator), her assistant.
–Flo Golomb, Reporter
They have saws galore: a compound mitre saw,
a band saw, a table saw, and a jigsaw. Other
distinguished tools include the jointer, planer,
lathe, sander and drill press. All of these tools
are connected to a vacuum system that greedily
sucks away sawdust and sanded remnants.
Dust management!
It seems that every inch of wall space hosts a
tool you've never seen before, designed to solve
a problem you're bound to encounter.
Metalworkers are welcome. And if you're into
metalworking, there is a full metal shop in the
Wood Shop. Experienced and amateur metalworkers will not be disappointed.
Monitors guide your progress. There is a wide
selection of talent among the Wood Shop members. There is a knowledgeable "Mr. Fixit" for
every challenge. Some are easily identified by
their Monitor badge and others, disguised as
regular members, willingly offer advice and help.
The Wood Shop's position on new members is:
There's always room for one more. New members needing help get individual and group input
to move their projects forward, stimulate ideas
and unintentionally provoke new challenges.
You'll be joining approximately 140 members.
The Wood Shop also does minor repairs and accepts donations instead of payment. Take a tour.
There's always a monitor on duty
answer
questions Mon. to Fri. 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and
Sat. 9:00 a.m. to noon. Tel: 301-598-1308.
The VIEW from VPE
Page 4
March 2015
Activities Committee Report for March 2015
Singles Circuit
Enjoy Books, Movies and more!
Yoga Tuesdays – 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. – Fridays 9:00 a.m.
Chair Yoga – Fridays – 10:30 a.m.
Great Courses – Thurs., Mar. 5 – 10:30 a.m.
Matinee Theater – Tues., Mar. 10 – 1:00 p.m. –
84 Charing Cross Road with Anne Bancroft,
Anthony Hopkins and Judi Dench (99 min.)
Activities Committee – Wed., Mar. 11 – 10:00
a.m.
Crafts and Conversation - Thurs., Mar. 12 –
2:00 p.m.
Book Club – Mon., Mar. 16 – 9:45 a.m. – Light
Between the Oceans by M. L. Stedman
Singles Group St. Patrick’s Day Luncheon –
Tues., Mar. 17 – 12:30 p.m.
VPE Birthday Party – Thurs., Mar. 19 – 7:30
p.m.
Sunday Movie – Sun., Mar. 22 – 7:00 p.m. –
Last Vegas with Robert De Niro, Morgan
Freeman, Michael Douglas and Kevin Kline
(105 min.)
Bingo – Mon., Mar. 23 – 7:30 p.m.
Salon Discussion – Wed., Mar. 25 – 2:30 p.m.
Another year! Another Super Bowl! A large
crowd, abundant snacks and a shocking end.
What more could you ask?
We really enjoyed our relaxed, chocolate filled
Valentine’s evening with Shakespeare and company. A good spoof! Will Romeo ever get his Juliet?
Looking ahead: the 3 plays trip to New York is
searching for a date and final details. Our annual
Indoor Picnic is scheduled for April 19.
See you then!
–Judy Tarr, for the Activities Committee
–Cynthia Snyder, Co-chair
Calling all singles! On Mar. 17 at 12:30 p.m., to
attend the Saint Patty’s Day Luncheon in the
Community Room. Lunch will include a variety of
subs, several different kinds of salads, and coffee, tea and delicious desserts. The cost will be
$7.00, payable by cash or check. Lois Engel and
Sandra Pisciotta will chair the meeting and the
event. A flyer will follow with information about
reservations and payment. It will be good to
come and bring your single neighbor.
–Althea Steinberg
Landscape Update
At the February Board meeting, Suzie Offit was
approved as co-chair of the VPE Landscape
Committee working with Mary Telford. As you
know, Libby Yalom had been co-chair for 8
years and her dedication to the beautification of
our VPE grounds and her expertise and love of
flowers will be greatly missed.
The Landscape Committee has few concerns
during the winter season. Unfortunately we shall
be losing two Douglas firs on the berm shortly.
Our berm was built with fill and although we improved soil quality over the years, one of the
trees is in severe decline and the other, although
staked for safety, cannot be saved. McFall and
Berry will remove both of them as soon as possible and will replace them with more suitable
specimens when weather permits.
Our 2015 spring annuals, ordered in September
2014, will be a welcome sight when winter is
gone and the snow finally melts!
Fred Shapiro will be showing photographs at the
Aspen Hill Library during the month of March.
The show is titled "People and Places: Traveling
the World."
VPE residents
enjoying Shakespeare In Love
movie on Valentine’s Day.
There will be pictures that were taken in China,
Australia, Greece, Croatia, Russia, Ukraine, Italy, Germany, Mexico, Switzerland and Israel.
March 2015
–Mary Telford
Dessert was
served earlier.
Page 5
The VIEW from VPE
All in the VPE Family
Here we are in the throes of winter weather and
this is the month for spring to begin. The worst
part about the weather for me this year is not the
cold. That is the last on my short list of major inconveniences. First is the wind, followed by the
snow, the ice, the lack of completely cleared
parking spaces, carrying all the bulky clothing
around in stores and restaurants, and last but
not always least is the time it takes to put on all
the extra layers winter makes necessary. I know
I am not alone when I say, “Enough already!”
Just in case you have
not been outside this
year, and therefore
have not been in the
office, you have not
met our new Administrative Assistant for
our
management
team. It is with pleasure that I introduce
you to Sharon Palmer
-Hillman this month. While Sharon is new to
VPE, she is not new to Leisure World. Sharon
has been a Mutual Assistant in the Administration office. She does not mind the commute from
her home in Brentwood, MD. During the weeks
that we experienced the Arctic blasts and snow
and ice, Sharon was on the job every day. I believe that she is a very responsible administrative assistant. Until Carol’s return to VPE on
Mar. 2 Sharon covered the Property Manager’s
position as well. Her capability is impressive.
Sharon was born in Jamaica (the country) and
her family relocated to the United States when
she was a pre-teen. They settled near Landover,
Md. Sharon attended Northwestern High School
and Strayer University. She has almost completed her courses and will obtain her degree in
Business Management in the very near future.
Sharon lives with her husband, Martin Hillman,
and their two children. Their son is 9 years old
and their daughter is 15 years old.
The VIEW from VPE
We know that between her job, her family and
her carpooling, Sharon has very little free time,
but I will share her list of interests: family, church
(that includes a great deal of volunteer work, as
well as the worship services), gospel music,
crossword puzzles, and, lastly Farm Heroes Saga.
Sharon is a soft spoken, very lovely, peopleperson. If you have not yet met her you should
make her acquaintance because your reward
will be her gracious smile.
This winter has not been kind to several residents in VPE. Athena Vranas is recovering from
a broken leg and is in the Hebrew Home, Judy
Clark is recovering at home from her broken arm
and shoulder, and we welcome Justine Veith
home from the Brook Grove rehab center. Judy
Clark fell in the hallway and she asked me to
warn everyone to pick up their feet because she
feels the new carpet is thicker than the old one
and some of us tend to shuffle. Please join me
in wishing them all well and hoping they make a
speedy recovery.
–Althea Steinberg
Share and recycle your magazines with VPE
residents. Bring recent issues only and leave
them in the basket in the rear of the Community
Room library. They can then be enjoyed by all.
VPE deer coping with winter
Page 6
–Photo by Fred Shapiro
March 2015
On the Lighter Side
March Book Club
“I’ll Walk Alone”
Lighthouse Couple Claim
Shipwrecked Infant as Own
So your candidate lost, stocks are falling and
you are in a bad mood. What are you going to
do about it? Well as soon as a sunny day comes
your way, get outside for at least 30 minutes.
Sometimes we forget that life is full of color and
fun. Spending time outdoors can definitely improve your mood. So, why not take a walk? Get
some fresh air and get out of the apartment. All
you need is some comfortable clothes, your
keys and don’t forget your hat.
When you leave your house or building, you
need to decide which way to turn. You could
head toward your local super market, but then
you need to remember that you’ll be carrying
home your purchases. So, perhaps going
around the block or complex is a good option.
One of the dangers of going for a walk is meeting somebody else who is going for a walk. Let
me explain. You have to make just enough small
talk to work your way round the other person so
that you could continue your walk. If you plan to
go around the perimeter, you might want to
change your route at this stage, otherwise you’ll
meet that same person again on the other side
and by then you’ll be very low on small talk.
World War I veteran Tom Sherbourne brings his
young wife Isabel to Janus Rock, a remote island off the coast of Australia where he serves
as lighthouse keeper. They are happy there until
several miscarriages and a stillbirth take their toll
on Isabel’s spirits. When a boat washes up onshore with a dead man and a live infant, Tom
wants to report it right away, but Isabel sees the
baby as a “gift from God” and wants to claim her
as their own. Against his better judgment, Tom
agrees and they name the child Lucy. Returning
to the mainland when Lucy is two, they discover
that the child’s true mother, Hannah, has been
devastated by their choice. The Light Between
Oceans, a debut novel by M.L. Stedman, is being developed into a feature film. The VPE Book
Club will meet at 9:45 a.m. on Mon., Mar. 16, to
discuss the novel. All residents are welcome.
Now how do you beat walking boredom? Well
how about listening to music? You can sing
along with great opera arias while walking. Just
make sure you are out of earshot of others. Bird
watching is great. Look for robins, sparrows and
bluebirds. You can also multitask to pass the
time, e.g., don’t step on cracks, or walk backwards for a while (carefully). All this keeps you
alert. You can also plot out your week’s menu or
teach yourself to whistle or write poetry. All this
makes the task of walking easier. Please don’t
forget to keep hydrated and take water with you.
Beware, if you start a walking club, think twice
before inviting people with very strong opinions
on politics or religion.
Well, when all is said and done, sometimes it’s
better to just relax and walk alone. Perhaps just
take a deep breath and talk to God. A walk becomes more meaningful when you pass a bed of
roses and you say, “Thank you, God, for your
beautiful handiwork!”
–Zena Stoller
March 2015
Page 7
–Ruth Gutstein
Condolences
The VPE community extends condolences and
heartfelt sympathy to Barbara Halperin and family upon the recent loss of her husband
Jerry Halperin
Leisure World Transit Fair
(Continued from page 2)
ing escorted transportation, for travel to medical services, grocery shopping, errands, social activities, and more.

Ask how to use MetroAccess, a shared-ride,
door-t-door paratransit service for people
whose disability prevents them from using
bus or rail.
The VIEW from VPE
Mark These Dates!
Take Your Money Scams
In a prior issue of The View, our readers were
alerted to a couple of money scams (Internal
Revenue Service and computer problem fixers).
Here are some other money scams you should
be aware of.
You are on your computer, a message appears,
free virus check or we have detected a virus.
Just download the following and we will find and
fix all the problems. If you do, it will find viruses
and put in its own virus that will bother you forever and you will have to pay a fee to clean out
your computer of viruses. Do not download it. If
you are on Comcast for your Internet service,
Norton Security service is free. Just follow the
instructions to download it from Comcast. Otherwise, buy a virus protection program from a
known source. Not the one who just discovered
a problem magically.
You get a phone call. Something has happened
and you are being contacted by a friend or police or lawyer of a friend of yours or family member. They do not want you to call anyone else
because it is confidential. Please call them back
to send funds to the following immediately. It is a
scam. Call someone else to first check the validity of the situation. Is your grandchild really in
the Caribbean under arrest? Check with others
as to where the person is and call the local police to verify before sending any funds.
Did you get a call from an area code like 284,
649, 809 or 876? Call this number to get a prize,
call back to find out about a relative, etc. You
are assuming this area code number is the United States. However, these area code numbers
are actually outside of the United States, often in
Canada or the Caribbean and you will be
charged international rates on your phone bill. It
may be a scam. If you call back, your phone bill
will be charged at international rates.
ACTIVITIES
EVENT
TIME
Yoga
Tuesdays @ 9 and 5
Hatha Yoga
Fridays
@ 9:00 a.m.
Chair Yoga
Fridays
@ 10:30 a.m.
Great Courses
Mar. 5
@ 10:30 a.m.
Matinee Theater
Mar. 10
@ 1:00 p.m.
Crafts and Conversation
Mar. 12
@ 2:00 p.m.
Book Club
Mar. 16
@ 9:45 a.m.
Singles Luncheon
Mar. 17
@ 12:30 p.m.
Birthday Party
Mar. 19
@ 7:30 p.m.
Sunday Movie
Mar. 22
@ 7:00 p.m.
Bingo
Mar. 23
@ 7:30 p.m.
Salon Discussion
Mar. 25
@ 2:30 p.m.
COMMITTEE/BOARD MEETINGS
EVENT
DATE
TIME
Activities
Mar. 11
@ 10:00 a.m.
Communications
Mar. 11
@ 3:00 p.m.
Building & Grounds
Mar. 18
@ 1:30 p.m.
Budget & Finance
Mar. 24
@ 1:30 p.m.
Board of Directors
Mar. 26
@ 1:30 p.m.
Check your phone bill. Is there a charge on the
bill from some other phone company being billed
to your local phone company service supplier?
Did someone use your phone number to charge
a call? Did you get a call from an area code like
284, 649, 809 or 876 and returned the call?
Contact your phone company immediately to
protest the charge.
–Henry Jordan
The VIEW from VPE
DATE
Page 8
The View Crew
Suzanne Offit, Chair, Communications Committee
Althea Steinberg, Vice-Chair
Florence Golomb, Recorder
Len Silver, Editor
Tom McGrath, Layout Editor & Webmaster
Gloria Pearlman, Editorial Coordinator
Editors/Writers
Ruth Gutstein
Bernard Patlen
Ted Snyder
Zena Stoller
Sharon Palmer-Hillman, Production Manager
Contact the Vantage Point East Office
Carol Koendarfer, Property Manager
[email protected]
Sharon Palmer-Hillman, Administrative Assistant
[email protected]
(301) 598-1075
March 2015