WHO KNEW? HOW WE TAKE CARE OF OUR LOUNGE RESIDENTS

L ong, long ago (in fish years) on May 7, 2014, a home-within-a-home was installed in the

Montgomery Place Lounge. It was specifically designed for the care and comfort of our aquatic residents. What followed were weeks of positioning gravel, corals, and plants; testing the filtration and aeration equipment; balancing the salt-water chemistry and adjusting the “climate” controls. Finally, our first arrivals, two cute little clownfish, took up residence in the northwest corner of the Lounge. You can read all about how it came to be in the August 2014 issue of the Messenger.

Now, three years later, we have a thriving community of finned friends in our aquarium, with new residents moving into the tank on an accelerating schedule. Before I give you their names, le t’s ta lk a bi t about their deluxe accommodations at Montgomery Place. If you spend a few minutes observing you’ll see that the aquatic residents share communal facilities, although each has a favorite place to retreat and sleep amongst the rocks and plants. Unlike the temperature in our building, water temperature is automatically controlled to within one degree of ideal. Aquarium Maintenance and Design provides housekeeping services every two weeks; they have been offering this service since we first purchased our aquarium. Not only do they vacuum the gravel and clean the glass and test and rebalance the water

chemistry, but they completely remodel the tank with fresh rocks and plants on every visit. Our own staff promptly handles any mechanical maintenance problems. The residents’ monthly rental agreement provides one gourmet meal per day of succulent brine shrimp, with a vegetarian option of tasty kelp salad for those so inclined. While the Lounge residents are obviously unable to use the Raspberry Bus for field trips, they certainly don’t lack for entertainment. In addition to frequent visits by the human residents, our finny friends enjoy reserved seating for Wednesday Hewson Swift concerts, Saturday Round Tables, DVD lectures, weeknight movies, and other special events. They even get to watch the weekend f e a t u r e movies. . . twice! Here’s a list o f o u r c u r r e n t m a r i n e inhabitants: Percula Clowns—These residents are bright orange with black and white stripes. They were originally inhabitants of the Great Barrier Reef. Interestingly, all Clowns are males when born; then some develop into females as they mature. In the aquarium, the larger fish is the female.

MONTGOMERY MESSENGER

The Newsletter of the Residents of Montgomery Place Retirement Community 5550 South Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois, 60637

June 2017, Vol. 27, No. 6 www.montgomeryplace.org/category/news/messenger/

continued on p. 2

June is bustin’ out all over!

page 2 JUNE 2017

Fish from p. 1

Yellowtail Damsel—This brilliantly blue-colored denizen of the sea is a native of the shallow coral lagoons of Indonesia. It is noted for its peaceful nature and ability to get along with its fellow aquarium residents. Blue Tang—The blue tang sports a vibrant electric-blue body dressed with bold black markings that resemble a painter’s palette, and thus is also known as the palette surgeonfish. Originally a native of the reefs of Indonesia, it loves to swim really fast, darting here and there around the tank. Yellow Tang—A recent arrival from Hawaii, this active swimmer glides in near constant motion, serving as the official tour guide of our aquarium. It’s a dedicated vegetarian and loves nibbling on sheets of seaweed, which we suspend from the “veggie clip” on the side of the tank. Longnose Hawkfish—A few minutes’ observation will reveal that this South American native would rather perch than swim. Be patient and you may witness a “yawn,” which looks like nothing so much as one of those old-fashioned heat-on-the-stove ladies’ curling irons opening up. So there you have it. Any questions? Yes. You said these residents of our

Lounge pay rent to Montgomery Place.

What do they use for currency?

Why. . . sand dollars, of course! Chuck West

RUMMAGE SALE, JUNE 28-30

Wednesday, June 28, noon to 5p.m. Thursday, June 29, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Friday, June 30, 9 a.m. to noon We need your help to make this rummage sale the best one ever! 1. Do your spring cleaning and donate all those great treasures from your apartment. Bring them to apartment 401 or call Abel at extension 4090 for help in moving them. We ask that large furniture be moved to the East Room on the day of the sale. 2. Help us staff the rummage sale. Between June 14 and June 28 we need help with sorting, pricing the items in apartment 401, and getting them ready for the sale. During the sale, we need people to help sell the items in the East Room. The volunteer signup sheet is on the bulletin board, or call me at 4638. 3. Come and buy at the sale! In the past, many people have found great items for themselves and their families.

Laurieann Chutis, Coordinator, Rummage Sale

WELCOME, PHIL!

T he Messenger staff is delighted to welcome Phil Hefner as an editor. Phil and Neva moved to Montgomery Place

in early 2011, and that September Phil began serving as the Messenger’s official proofreader. He is well qualified for his new position; he edited Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science, for 20 years. The July issue will be the first with Phil at the helm.

Paula Givan, Kyoko Inoue, Barbara Wilson

JUNE 2017 page 3

OUT AND ABOUT

Editor: Kyoko Inoue

Contributors: Bernice Auslander,

Laurieann Chutis, Paula Givan, Phil Hefner,

Evi Levin, Muriel Rogers, Dorothy Scheff,

Bernie Strauss, Chuck West, Barbara Wilson,

Anne Zeidman

Staff Contributors: Deborah Hart,

Chaplain Lin Sanford Keppert

Artwork: Nate Kalichman

Layout: Carolyn Allen

Production: Dino Celik

Proofreader: Phil Hefner

Calendars: Barbara Wilson

Editor Next Month: Phil Hefner

continued on p. 4

build on its humble beginnings, this unique showcase of quality art, community spirit, and historic appeal now attracts more than 20,000 visitors annually. ♦ Wednesday, June 7, 10 a.m. Chicago Botanic Garden. This is a wonderful time for flowers—perennials, bulbs, and flowering shrubs are all in their glory. Come to see what’s blooming, and enjoy some time out of doors. Free. ♦ Wednesday, June 7, 5:45 p.m. All Access Concert. The Lincoln String Quartet will perform music by Mendelsohn, Mozart, and Debussy at Buntrock Hall at Symphony Center. Free. Tickets available on the bus. ♦ Fr iday, June 9 , 12:30 p .m. Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Series A. Manfred Honeck conducts Mozart masterpieces with guest artists Paul Lewis, piano, and Regula Muhlemann, soprano. Tickets required. ♦ Saturday, June 10, 1 p.m. Northlight Theatre, Relativity. In 1902 Albert and Mileva Einstein had a baby daughter. After 1904 she was never seen or spoken of again. Forty years later, a repor te r in te rviews Einstein about this mysterious piece of his past, revealing shocking secrets about his family and his personal life. While the reporter questions Einstein on his theory of relativity and his decisions, she also poses a query of her own: to be a great man, does one first need to be a good man? Tickets required. ♦ Sunday, June 11, 1 p.m. TimeLine Theatre, Paradise Blue. This is the latest in Dominique Morisseau’s cycle of plays about Detroit. It is 1949 and the Paradise nightclub is contemplating a buyout offer for the city’s urban renewal plan. The inhabitants of the club ponder their futures and try to decide how much to risk for a better life. Tickets required. ♦ Wednesday, June 14, 5 p.m. Grant Park concert. Carlos Kalmar and the Grant Park Orchestra open the 2017 season with the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto featuring Vadim Gluzman. The evening starts with Alfvén’s Festival Overture and a medley of the best-known music from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. Free.

CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE

T he Out and About column tells you about the upcoming bus trips for theater, music,

museum visits, lectures, shopping, lunch and other special events. Stated times are when the bus leaves Montgomery Place. Once you have signed up for transportation, make a note on your calendar. If it turns out that you can’t come, take your name off the list as soon as possible. Please arrive promptly for the bus. “Tickets required” means that you are responsible for getting your own ticket. See the concierge desk if you need help getting tickets. ♦ Saturday, June 3, 1 p.m. 57th Street Art Fair. The first 57th Street Art Fair was organized in 1950 by Mary Louise Womer, a silversmith from Kansas City, and a committee of 15 dedicated individuals. Today, around 200 artists from all over North America set up shop on 57th Street on the first full weekend of June. Continuing to

page 4 JUNE 2017

Out & About, from p. 3

♦ Wednesday, June 21, 12:45 p.m. CSO rehearsal of Friday’s program with Riccardo Muti. Free ♦ Friday, June 23, 12:30 p.m. Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Series B. Riccardo Muti conducts Italian opera masterworks with Riccardo Zanallato, bass, and the Chicago Children’s Choir. Tickets required. ♦ Saturday, June 24, 6 p.m. Grant Park outdoor c o n c e r t . T h e s e a s o n h e a t s u p w i t h Khachaturian’s fest ive Armenian Piano Concerto with American pianist Conrad Tao, along with Stravinsky’s heroic masterpiece, The Firebird. The evening begins with the Midwest premiere of David Schiff’s Infernal, a jazzy tribute to Stravinsky’s Firebird. Free. ♦ Friday, June 30, noon. Greek Islands Restaurant. This month’s lunch outing will take us to Greektown, to a longtime favorite restaurant. The menu is extensive, prices moderate, atmosphere friendly and welcoming.

Bernice Auslander

JUST HANGIN’ I’m just hangin’, the man said. There in my backyard, I recalled the lines, socks pinned by their toes, shirts by their tails. Just hangin’ (out). A side of beef came to mind, impaled on a hook in the butcher’s cold storage room. Just hangin’ (in). I saw the Old West, gallows, trap door sprung, poor guy’s body still in sway, just hangin’ (in). Now before my eyes, Indiana Jones, the precipice and rocks below. By his fingertips, just hangin’ (in). Friend on her deathbed, life sustained by a very slender thread, just hangin’ (in). Sitting with grandkids around me—“we’re just chillin’, Gran’dad”—in my day, we said, “just hangin’ (out).” “Me, too,” I said to the man— “just hangin’.”

Phil Hefner

JUNE BIRTHDAYS 6/1 Corazon Woodruff

6/2 Jonathan Alperin

6/3 Jan Moore

6/8 Jean Eckenfels

6/20 Gene Gressley

6/21 Emery Percell

6/22 Rebecca Jarabak

6/26 Geraldine Trammell

6/27 Bob Uretz

6/27 Margy Hamilton

6/28 Zelda Star

JUNE 2017 page 5

NEW ARRIVALS

Bernie and Carol Strauss moved into apartment 509 (phone 4635) on December 15, 2016. Carol is a native of Waterloo, Iowa, where she and her family were townies, not farmers; she says she would have no idea how to get milk out of a cow. Her family moved to Phoenix, Arizona, just in time for her senior year in high school. She got the best score on a statewide test and, as a result, was trained in public speaking. Her family moved to California while Carol returned to Iowa, where she earned her BA in chemistry from Cornell College, where both her parents and her maternal grandparents had met. She rejoined her family in California and began work as a secretary to a Nobel Prize winner at Caltech. Meanwhile, Bernie was growing up in the Bronx. He attended Stuyvesant High School and the City College of New York. He knew he wanted to be a scientist by the time he was in high school, and volunteered at the New York Botanical Garden. At the end of the war he was a cadet at the US Merchant Marine Academy and was assigned to army transport, circumnavi-gating the globe to bring troops home. He went to Caltech and “the most progressive biology group in the country” for graduate work in molecular biology. He began a long association with George Beadle, later president of the University of Chicago, at Caltech. He and Carol met at a dance on campus and married 67 years ago. The couple went to Austin, Texas, where Bernie was a postdoc for two years and Carol was a member of the local League of Women Voters. Daughter Leslie was born there. Next came eight years at Syracuse, where sons David and Paul were born. The Japanese were trying to reestablish their foreign contacts, and Bernie was invited to an international meeting on genetics that they organized after the war. The meeting

led to a year on sabbatical in Japan, where Bernie was a Guggenheim and Fulbright fellow. The Strausses moved to the University of Chicago in 1960. Bernie considers himself fortunate to have been in at the beginning of the field of molecular genetics. The family spent sabbatical years in Australia and England, and Bernie spent four months as a visiting professor at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. In addition to research, Bernie did some administration and a lot of teaching. He says teaching human genetics to non-science majors was the most fun; “they asked uninhibited questions.” A year after the move to Chicago, Carol, who had been working in school libraries, started library school and earned a master’s degree in library science at Rosary College (now Dominican University). She then worked as a librarian for twenty years and retired just in time for the year in England. Carol took her cello everywhere and always found orchestras and chamber groups to join. In Japan she learned to play the samisen (something like a banjo), having met her teacher at a Japanese PTA meeting. Carol has been active in the University of Chicago Service League for more than fifty years. She sang with the Encore Chorale in the winter/spring semester this year. Bernie started piano lessons at the age of 74; his advice to others is to start at age five. He records textbooks for people with dyslexia and visual impairments. He’s been an add i t ion to the Fr iday Nigh t Speakers ’ Committee. The Strausses’ daughter Leslie lives close by in Hyde Park. Paul is a civil rights lawyer in Chicago. David graduated from MIT and has remained in the Boston area. He is the grandfather of the Strausses’ two great-grandchildren. It seems odd to say welcome to the Strausses, because it seems as if they’ve been here for years. So I’ll just say we’re all so glad you’re here!

Paula Givan

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William Gnatz moved into apartment 1104 (phone 4394) on December 28, 2016. Bill was born in Belleville, New Jersey, along the banks of the Passaic River, just north of Newark. He left Belleville after high school in 1945 for service in the Marine Corps. After two years of sea duty, he was released into the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) at Princeton University, from which he graduated. He continued his studies at the University of Chicago Divinity School for the next two years, receiving the equivalent of a Master of Arts degree. He worked for three years as a carpenter, and returned to the U of C as a graduate student in the Department of History with an emphasis on the Civil War. In 1961 he received an MA in US history and began teaching at the Chicago City Colleges. While in graduate school, Bill married and subsequently had three children, all of whom are successful in their chosen fields. Mary, Bill’s third wife, died in 2015. Bill has been doing sculpture since his high-school days, and did castings in bronze while attending the University of Minnesota, where his wife was pursuing a degree. He also works in plasticine, clay, and wood. His main creative activity today is drawing interesting subjects he finds in his current environment. At Montgomery Place, Bill participates in the art class and enjoys watching movies, particularly old ones. He reads novels of all kinds and has begun to attend the various book activities as well. Welcome, Bill! Enjoy the activities we have to offer here and continue your special art work!

Evi Levin

FROM THE CHAPLAIN

G reetings from the Office of Pastoral Care. After enjoying some time away from the

usual routine, our interim chaplain, Reverend Shawn Schreiner, has returned to the office and the pulpit. While she was away I did my best to keep things organized and running smoothly, and more importantly, as part-time chaplain, to serve your spiritual needs wherever you reside at Montgomery Place—in an Independent Living apartment, in a Catered Living apartment, or in a skilled nursing suite. Though I have served as the chaplain for the Healthcare Pavilion for three years, I am still slowly learning names, especially the names of residents of the Independent Living apartments. However, the more often I interact, the better I get at knowing each of you by name, and the happier I am in my work. I am a “people person,” and building relationships brings me great joy. I invite everyone to stop in the office of pastoral care to introduce yourself and let both Chaplain Schreiner and me know how we might best serve your spiritual and religious needs. If you are curious to know more about my personal formation as a pastor, stop in the Library—a full bio was included in the August 2014 issue of the Messenger. I hope for a safe, healthy, and joy-filled June for each of you. Thank you for sharing your lives and allowing me to serve you with my gifts, graces, and friendship.

The Reverend Lin Sanford Keppert, Pastoral Associate and

Chaplain of the Healthcare Pavilion

JUNE 2017 page 7

Each time we identify an opportunity to implement resource efficiency, we reinvest those savings into other programs and offerings. Just as the savings from our recent debt refinancing are being reinvested in our capital programs, the savings garnered from using this Google Grant are being reinvested in our marketing and public relations programs. We continue to seek methods of business resource efficiency. We challenge ourselves to find ways to improve service delivery, improve communications, and enhance amenities. Some methods involve use of technology and new creative offerings in the marketplace. Often we just focus on you, our most important customer.

Deborah Hart, Executive Director/CEO

R e s o u r c e

efficiency…allows

us to create more

with less and to

d e l i v e r g r e a t e r

v a l u e w i t h l e s s

input. www.ehi.eu

E fficient resource utilization is commonly associated with natural resources and efforts

to reduce our carbon footprint, reuse items in creative ways, or recycle items into new products. But one element that applies to business involves evaluation of methods and technology to accomplish improved results for a lower cost. I would like to share with you one way in which Montgomery Place has incorporated resource efficiency to gain improved results. For the last several years, Montgomery Place has invested in digital technology for our website to increase our marketing lead base, garnering about 400 “hits” or “views” per month. Not all hits result in inquiries, but hits are needed to get to inquiries. A member of our sales team then contacts people who inquire to determine their level of interest and appropriate fit to be a lead. Many hits on a website are based on click-through from a Google search. So if you search for “retirement Chicago” on Google, your results will suggest Montgomery Place. If you click through to view Montgomery Place, you are a hit! In early 2017, we applied for and were awarded a Google Grant for Nonprofits. This grant makes it possible for organizations like us to increase the number of hits through Google AdWords (words like “retirement Chicago”). Since we activated our account using the Google Grant in April, we have increased our hits to more than 4,000 in a month as compared to about 400 in some prior months—at a cost reduction of 90%. So our resource efficiency is phenomenal!

NEW YORKER READERS

T he New Yorker Readers will meet on Saturday, June 24, at 2 p.m. in the

LLLC. The article to b e d i s c u s s e d i s “Margaret Atwood, t h e P r o p h e t o f Dys topia” in the April 17 issue. Her 1 9 8 6 n o ve l , The Handmaid’s Tale , has now been made into a TV series on Hulu. Frieda Stillerman will lead the discussion. If you need a copy of the article, please call me at 4647.

Dorothy Scheff, Chair, New Yorker Readers

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OUR ENVIABLE PIANO

G uest artists who play on our East Room Steinway piano are always eager for a return

engagement to play on it again; it’s just that good! Montgomery Place was fortunate to have it lent to us back in 1992 by then-resident Maria Piers. She was a retired psychologist, social worker, author, and educator, who founded the Chicago School for Early Childhood Education, later named the Erikson Institute. Born in Vienna, Austria, to musician parents, she earned a PhD from the University of Vienna, came to the United States in 1938, and pursued further studies at Northwestern and the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis. She had been educated in a Montessori school herself, which led to her interest in children’s education. Residents heralded the first of a series of “live” concerts on the Maria Piers piano on September 20, 1992, with Martha Faulhaber (who still occasionally plays for us) at the keyboard. These recitals continued until September of 1997 when Nancy Kruse and the Music Committee decided to purchase the piano from Maria Piers’s estate. The piano was in need of maintenance and repairs, and several residents contributed to a renovation fund under the direction of the Music Committee. A brass plaque on the wall near the

piano lists the contributions as a memorial to Jane West Hutchison and Emogene Hyde Rust. A new piano bench was also purchased. In October 1997 the instrument was shipped off to Steinway in New York City for appropriate work, which included completely new action, restringing, refinishing, and installation of a new sounding board. Local pianist Elaine Smith, visiting in New York, saw the piano laid out in pieces at Steinway. The repairs took about seven months, during which time a rental piano sufficed for recitals in the East Room. According to a Messenger article written by former resident Hewson Swift, our piano is a Parlor Concert Grand (Size C) that weighs 900 pounds and is 7 feet 5 inches long. Its frame was cast in New York City in 1918, completed in 1921, and sent to Lyon & Healy in Chicago. The renovated piano was played and inspected by pianist Alexandra Eames in New York in May, and she performed its inaugural concert in the East Room in August 1998. Hewson Swift continued to watch over the piano with an eagle eye for the rest of his life. No one was permitted to set a cup or dish on it, and it was faithfully monitored and maintained. Former resident and pianist Marj Benson continued the watch and made certain that the piano was tuned regularly. Joyce Swedlund now has taken over that job. We, and the Hyde Park community, are grateful to all the residents who over the years have provided us with such a lovely instrument to enjoy.

Barbara Wilson

JUNE 2017 page 9

HEWSON SWIFT CONCERTS

T he four Wednesdays during June will be filled with varied concerts, three on CD and

one DVD. ♦ June 7, a newcomer will be introduced by Renée Lubell. Russian pianist Dmitry Paperno, now teaching at DePaul University, will be playing the Busoni transcription of Bach’s Chaconne, followed by works by Beethoven, Schubert and Brahms. ♦ June 14, Stan Moore will share the seldom-heard Russian opera Khovanshchina by Mussorgsky on DVD with English subtitles. He will play Acts I-III of this five-act opera from a performance at the Licieu opera house in Barcelona. ♦ June 21, violinist Pinchas Zukerman will perform the violin concertos by Brahms and Bruch with the London and Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestras under Zubin Mehta. Presented by Dorothy Scheff. ♦ June 28, we will hear the famous Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky, which caused a riot when first performed in 1913. Presented by Nate Kalichman. The concerts named in honor of former resident Hewson Swift take place in the Lounge every Wednesday at 7 p.m. Everyone is cordially invited!

Evi Levin, Chair, Hewson Swift Concerts

OUR “LOST” HARPSICHORD

M ontgomery Place once housed a beautiful harpsichord owned and protected by

resident Marj Benson, an outstanding pianist and musician. Marj was active in the musical life of Hyde Park. She was a founder of the Music Teachers of Hyde Park and was very involved in Montgomery Place’s music programs. Her husband, a physician, had built and decorated this beautiful instrument for her. She treasured it and played it daily. She frequently worked up a concert about an hour in length, which she performed for residents. Because of the harpsichord’s delicate sound, the performances were held in her apartment, too small to hold a big audience. So Marj would schedule three concerts for which we residents made reservations, maybe ten listeners at a time. The acoustics were perfect, as were the performances. Marj left the harpsichord to the University of Chicago Early Music Department. When she died, the harpsichord left, too. We often wondered if it was used, protected, and valued by the students. When Van Bistro played the cello with Elaine Smith at the piano on a Sunday in April, he mentioned his connections with the Early Music Group at the university. So I asked him about the harpsichord. He was happy to report that it is used well; the students love it and there is a faculty member to teach. The tuners and technicians whom Marj used continue to care for it. Marj would be pleased.

Dorothy Scheff

MUSIC IN THE EAST ROOM ♦ Sunday, June 4, 1 to 7 p.m. Students of the Music Teachers of Hyde Park in their annual Performathon. ♦ Tuesday, June 6, 7 p.m. Montgomery Singers singalong. ♦ Sunday June 11, 2 p.m. Wendy Morgan, vocalist, and her group in a special program.

Muriel Rogers and Kyoko Inoue,

Co-chairs, Music Committee

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but I think that’s because they suppose all movies have to be taken seriously. One favorite theme was to find precursor scenes in older musicals, for example, Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse in The Band Wagon. There are many web pages drawing analogies between La La Land and various classic musicals. The one I recognized was in the dream sequence at the end when the two main characters are dancing along the Seine: shades of Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron floating to “Our Love is Here to Stay” in An American in Paris. There was some comment on how Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone don’t match the technical dance expertise of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly and their partners. I’m sure I saw Emma Stone take off her shoes before one dance scene, but maybe not. At least it’s an excuse to repeat Ginger Rogers’s comment that she did everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in high heels! Of course we are a long way (like about 50 years) from the musicals we remember. That requires a different ending from the “boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl” formula. So in this case boy and girl separate at the end because of their careers, but remain fond of each other. The critics thought that was a great ending. I confess I liked the old formula, but am thankful for a movie I could just enjoy, even if it’s clear I viewed it at a superficial level.

Bernie Strauss

NOTES ON LA LA LAND

O ur Saturday night movie started even before the title and credits, with a scene that might

seem outlandish even for a Hollywood musical. A Los Angeles highway, having degenerated into a parking lot, so frustrated the stalled drivers that they emerged from their vehicles and broke into a highly choreographed, acrobatic dance. Let me assure you, at least a part of this scene was not so outlandish—in fact Carol (aka my wife) had trouble watching it because of the painful memories. Years ago, on a visit to family in the Los Angeles area, we had arranged tickets to the Getty Villa Museum in Pacific Palisades. If you look at a map of the area, you will see that several thruways all merge just before the single highway past the museum, and we are pretty sure that was the section of highway used in this film. No, we didn’t get out of our car to do a little jig; our tickets were timed and it was a close call. That scene wasn’t so outlandish to Californians. I enjoy looking at movie reviews, but only after seeing the film (among other things I generally have to find out what aspects of the plot I’ve missed!). La La Land, which accumulated a number of Oscars, but not , as you wil l remember, the Oscar, engendered a variety of critical response. Some critics loved it, others hated it. A major objection by those who hated it seems to be that the movie was too enjoyable,

PLAYREADERS

P layreaders will take place on Tuesday, June 13 at 7 p.m. in the East Room. The play we

are reading, ’night, Mother, by Marsha Norman, won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and was a nominated for a Tony Award.

Anne Zeidman, Chair, Playreaders

JUNE 2017 page 11

BOOKLOVERS

I n May, 15 members of Booklovers had a lively discussion on the first half of Ron

Chernow’s Alexander Hamilton. This biography inspired Lin-Manuel Miranda to write the musical. On June 5, at 3:30 p.m. in the LLLC, we will discuss the second half of the book, starting with Chapter 20. Anne Zeidman will be the discussion leader. All are welcome! Book Club in a Bag, a service that lends our group ten books each month, has developed a new 2017 list of books for our future selections. I will put this list in your in-house mailboxes. Please review it and at our June 5 meeting be prepared to recommend two books from that list. Our book selection is usually available on audio! If you have a visual or physical handicap (too difficult to hold a book), the Talking Book Center, federally funded through the National Library Service, will provide an audio machine, books, and magazines through the mail. Call me at 4638 if you are interested in applying for this, or want to get our featured book.

Lauriann Chutis, Chair, Booklovers

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS

T he June meeting of the Le a gu e o f Wo m e n

Voters will be its annual meeting and will be held downtown at the Union League Club on Saturday, June 17 at 9 a.m. Sessions on business and program issues will be held in the morning. A lunch will follow at noon. The keynote speaker will be Barbara Flynn Currie, our representative to the state legislature. She will discuss the budget impasse and what strategies are being considered to overcome the current crisis. Please call me at 4647 for information about transportation and costs.

Dorothy Scheff, Chair, League of Women Voters

Bernard Greenberg

IN MEMORIAM

FRIDAY NIGHT SPEAKERS

T he Friday Night Speakers programs start at 7 p.m. in the East Room, and usually run for

one hour. Everyone is invited to attend. Audience questions and discussion follow each presentation. The schedule for June features very interesting speakers on a variety of topics. ♦ June 2, Robin Kelly, member of the US House of Representatives from our district. “Congressional Update.” Introduced by Alex Elwyn. ♦ June 9, Stewart Herman, who recently finished a multi-year project to make his Minneapolis house eco-friendly. “Living in Netzero—a Very Special House.” Introduced by Phil Hefner. ♦ June 16, to be announced ♦ June 23, Zoheyr Doctor, U of C Astronomy a n d A s t r o p h ys i c s , Ka v l i I n s t i t u t e fo r Cosmological Physics, “A Tour and Discussion of the Philosophy of Science.” Introduced by Alex Elwyn. ♦ June 30, to be announced.

Phil Hefner for the Friday Night Speakers Committee

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Poitier, as a rebellious, yet musically talented, student. Also stars Glenn Ford. Film received four Oscar nominations. 1 hour 45 minutes. Presenter: Evi Levin. Documentary Film:

♦ June 1, Henri Cartier Bresson: The

Impassioned Eye, 2003. As he reviews his portfolio of iconic images and notable figures, the notoriously press-shy Cartier-Bresson offers insights into his legendary career. 1 hour 12 minutes. Presenter: Phil Hefner. Foreign Language Films: ♦ June 22, A Separation, 2011. Iran. Focuses on an Iranian middle-class couple who separate, the disappointment and desperation suffered by their daughter because of the egotistical disputes and separation of her parents, and the conflicts that arise when the husband hires a lower-class caregiver for his elderly father, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. First Iranian film to win an Oscar. 2 hours 3 minutes. Presenter: Evi Levin. ♦ June 27, Marius, 2013. France. Based on a play by Pagnol, the film takes place in Marseilles, where the love story of Marius and Fanny plays out against the background of Marius’s desire to sail to faraway l a n d s . 1 h o u r 3 3 m i n u t e s . Presenter: Renée Lubell.

Phil Hefner for the Film Discussion Committee

JUNE FILMS

C ome down to the Lounge at 7 p.m. every Monday

and selected Thursdays for fi lms on the big screen, introduced by members of the Film Discussion Committee. If you prefer, watch them on your TV, Channel 4. Popcorn and lemonade are served in the Lounge on Monday nights. This month, we offer two foreign-language films. Monday Films: ♦ June 5, Julie and Julia, 2009. Comedy-drama contrasts the life of chef Julia Child in the early years of her culinary career with the life of young New Yorker Julie Powell, who aspires to cook all 524 recipes in Child’s cookbook. Directed by Nora Ephron, starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. Streep was nominated for an Oscar. 2 hours. Presenter: Evi Levin. ♦ June 12, Come Back to the Five & Dime,

Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, 1992. An all-female fan club of actor James Dean reunites in 1975 in a small Woolworth’s five and dime store in a small Texan town. Through a series of flashbacks, the six members also reveal secrets dating back to 1955. Directed by Robert Altman, stars Cher, Kathy Bates. 1 hour 39 minutes. Presenter: Alex Elwyn. ♦ June 19, Rain Man, 1988. The film tells the story of an abrasive and selfish young wheeler-dealer, Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise), who discovers that his estranged father has died and bequeathed all of his multimillion-dollar estate to his other son, Raymond (Dustin Hoffman), an autistic savant, of whose existence Charlie was unaware. Hoffman won an Oscar. 2 hours 13 minutes. Presenter: Phil Hefner. ♦ June 26, Blackboard Jungle, 1955. Social commentary film about teachers in an interracial inner-city school. It is remembered for its innovative use of rock and roll in its soundtrack and for the unusual breakout role of a black cast member, future Oscar winner and star, Sidney

7 PM

JUNE 2017 page 13

SPECIAL EVENTS IN JUNE

FRIDAY 2 7:00 P.M. EAST ROOM FRIDAY NIGHT SPEAKER ~ ROBIN KELLY (P, 11)

SATURDAY 3 1:00 P.M. BUS TRIP HYDE PARK ART FAIR (P. 3)

SUNDAY 4 1-7 P.M. EAST ROOM MTHP STUDENTS’ PERFORMATHON (P. 9)

TUESDAY 6 12:45 P.M. BUS TRIP WALGREENS 1ST TUESDAY 10% SENIOR DISCOUNT (P. 3)

WEDNESDAY 7 10:00 A.M. BUS TRIP CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN (P. 3)

5:45 P.M. BUS TRIP CSO ALL ACCESS CONCERT, BUNTROCK HALL (P. 3)

FRIDAY 9 12:30 P.M. BUS TRIP CSO SERIES A CONCERT MOZART MASTERPIECES (P. 3)

7:00 P.M. EAST ROOM FRIDAY NIGHT SPEAKER ~ STEWART HERMAN (P. 11)

SATURDAY 10 1:00 P.M. BUS TRIP NORTHLIGHT THEATRE, RELATIVITY (P. 3)

SUNDAY 11 1:00 P.M. BUS TRIP TIMELINE THEATRE, PARADISE BLUE (P. 3)

2:00 P.M. EAST ROOM VOCALIST WENDY MORGAN (P. 9)

WEDNESDAY 14 5:00 P.M. BUS TRIP GRANT PARK MUSIC FESTIVAL (P. 3)

FRIDAY 16 7:00 P.M. EAST ROOM FRIDAY NIGHT SPEAKER ~ TBA (P. 11)

SUNDAY 18 NOON-3 P.M. DINING ROOM FATHER’S DAY BUFFET

WEDNESDAY 21 12:45 P.M. BUS TRIP CSO REHEARSAL (P. 4)

FRIDAY 23 12:30 P.M. BUS TRIP CSO SERIES B CONCERT, MUTI/ ITALIAN OPERA (P. 4)

7:00 P.M. EAST ROOM FRIDAY NIGHT SPEAKER ~ ZOHEYR DOCTOR (P. 11)

SATURDAY 24 6:00 P.M. BUS TRIP GRANT PARK MUSIC FESTIVAL, FIREBIRD (P. 4)

WEDNESDAY 28 NOON-5 P.M. EAST ROOM RUMMAGE SALE (P. 2)

THURSDAY 29 9 A.M.-5 P.M. EAST ROOM RUMMAGE SALE (P. 2)

FRIDAY 30 9 A.M.-NOON EAST ROOM RUMMAGE SALE (P. 2)

NOON BUS TRIP GREEK ISLANDS RESTAURANT (P. 3)

7:00 P.M. EAST ROOM FRIDAY NIGHT SPEAKER ~ TBA (P. 11)

page 14 JUNE 2017

REGULAR EVENTS IN JUNE

MONDAY

8:00-9:00 AM BUS TRIP FITNESS WALK, MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & INDUSTRY

9:30-10:30 AM THERAPY ROOM WELLNESS CLINIC WITH WELLNESS STAFF

12 9:30 AM BUS TRIP MARIANO’S GROCERY STORE

19 9:30 AM BUS TRIP HYDE PARK PRODUCE

10:15-11:15 AM LLLC POETRY GROUP

11:30 AM-NOON EAST ROOM PHYSICAL FITNESS

1:00&1:30 PM BUS TRIP LIBRARY & ERRANDS/WHOLE FOODS

5, 19 2:15-3:15 PM LLLC DINING COMMITTEE

12, 26 3:00-4:00 PM EAST ROOM TOWN MEETING

5 3:30-4:30 PM LLLC BOOKLOVERS GROUP (P. 11)

5, 19 4:00-4:30 PM EAST ROOM GADGETS Q&A WITH DINO

5 5:20 PM PRIVATE DR FRENCH SPEAKERS’ DINNER TABLE

12 5:20 PM PRIVATE DR GERMAN SPEAKERS’ DINNER TABLE

7:00 PM LOUNGE/CH 4 FILM DISCUSSION GROUP MOVIE (P. 12)

TUESDAY

9:30-11:00 AM STUDIO PAINTING & DRAWING CLASS

6 10:00-11:00 AM LOUNGE ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE

10:00 AM-NOON GAME ROOM HYDE PARK BANK

11:00 AM-NOON EAST ROOM MEDITATION

6, 20 1:00-3:00 PM THERAPY ROOM AUDIOLOGIST KATE HOPKINS

20 1:00 PM BUS TRIP TRADER JOE’S

27 1:00-3:00 PM THERAPY ROOM AUDIOLOGIST EVA LOPEZ

1:30-2:00 PM POOL WATER FITNESS

2:00-3:00 PM EAST ROOM CURRENT EVENTS

3:30-5:00 PM CAFÉ / LOUNGE WINE & CHEESE SOCIAL

6 7:00-8:00 PM EAST ROOM MONTGOMERY SINGERS SINGALONG (P. 9)

13 7:00 PM EAST ROOM PLAYREADERS (P. 10)

27 7:00-8:00 PM LLLC SHORT STORY DISCUSSION GROUP

JUNE 2017 page 15

PLEASE NOTE: Any event listed without a specific date or dates occurs

on that day of the week every week.

Events listed with specific dates occur on those dates only.

21 8:00-9:00 AM EAST ROOM EAST HYDE PARK COMMITTEE

8:00-9:00 AM BUS TRIP FITNESS WALK, MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & INDUSTRY

9:30-10:00 AM LOUNGE TAI CHI

14 11:00-NOON LIBRARY LIBRARY COMMITTEE

11:00-11:45 AM CHAPEL MIDWEEK EUCHARIST

11:30 AM-NOON EAST ROOM PHYSICAL FITNESS

7, 21 1:00 PM-2:00 PM GAME ROOM FRIDAY NIGHT SPEAKERS COMMITTEE

1:30-2:30 PM THERAPY ROOM WELLNESS CLINIC WITH WELLNESS STAFF

7:00-8:00 PM LOUNGE HEWSON SWIFT MUSIC SERIES (P. 9)

THURSDAY

9:30 &10:00 AM BUS TRIP TREASURE ISLAND AND FARMERS MARKET

8 9:30-10:30 AM STUDIO ART COMMITTEE

10:00-11:00 AM GAME ROOM RESIDENTS’ SUPPORT GROUP

1 11:00 AM LLLC MESSENGER MEETING

22 NOON-1:00 PM DINING ROOM JUNE RESIDENTS’ BIRTHDAY LUNCH

1:30-2:00 PM POOL WATER FITNESS

1:30-2:30 PM LOUNGE COOKIES & CONVERSATION

1:30-2:30 PM STUDIO KNITTING & CROCHETING GROUP

2:00-3:00 PM CHAPEL ROMAN CATHOLIC COMMUNION

1 2:30-3:30 PM EAST ROOM FILM DISCUSSION COMMITTEE

8 2:30-3:30 PM LLLC MAINTENANCE/HOUSEKEEPING COMMITTEE

8 3:30-5:00 PM EAST ROOM HAPPY HOUR

1 7:00 PM LOUNGE/CH 4 DOCUMENTARY FILM (P. 12)

8 7:00 PM LOUNGE/CH 4 EVENING MOVIE

15 7:00-8:00 PM EAST ROOM RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

22, 29 7:00 PM LOUNGE/CH 4 FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM (P. 12)

WEDNESDAY

page 16 JUNE 2017

REGULAR EVENTS IN JUNE

FRIDAY

8:00-9:00 AM BUS TRIP FITNESS WALK, MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & INDUSTRY

9:30-10:30 AM THERAPY ROOM WELLNESS CLINIC WITH WELLNESS STAFF

10:00-11:00 AM LOUNGE/CH 4 DVD SERIES: GREAT UTOPIAN & DYSTOPIAN

WORKS OF LITERATURE

2 11 AM-3:45 PM THERAPY ROOM PODIATRIST JOANNE DAVIS

11:30-NOON EAST ROOM PHYSICAL FITNESS

1:00-4:00 PM STUDIO OPEN STUDIO

4:45-5:30 PM CHAPEL SHABBAT SERVICE

7:00-8:00 PM EAST ROOM FRIDAY NIGHT SPEAKERS (P. 11)

SATURDAY

8:45-NOON BUS TRIP KAM-II/RODFEI ZEDEK TRANSPORTATION

9:30-10:30 BUS TRIP 61ST ST FARMERS MARKET–EXPERIMENTAL STATION

10:00-11:00 AM LOUNGE SATURDAY ROUND TABLE

17 9:00 AM LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS (P. 11) THIS MONTH ONLY

24 2:00-3:00 PM LLLC NEW YORKER READERS (P. 7)

7:00 PM LOUNGE/CH 4 WEEKEND MOVIE

SUNDAY

9:00 AM-1:00 PM BUS TRIP CHURCH/SYNAGOGUE TRANSPORTATION

10:45 AM-1:00 BUS TRIP ROCKEFELLER CHAPEL

11:00 AM-NOON CHAPEL SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION

7:00 PM LOUNGE/CH 4 WEEKEND MOVIE/ENCORE PRESENTATION