11 - Society Hill Towers – Philadelphia's Condo...

Pirates and Patriots TourSee page 2

Beat-the-Heat RecipiesSee page 3

Terracotta WarriorsSee page 4

Party PicturesSee page 5

In this issue…

This is an unusual month forthis column in that we have

no regular Council meeting onwhich to report! The minutesfor the July Council meetinghave not only been reportedto you, but also posted onBuildingLink (which will bea monthly occurrence). Mean-while, the August meeting hadonly one agenda item, althoughit was an important one — ourfirst review of the preliminarydraft of the 2018 CapitalBudget. Even though we aregoing to be making a verylarge investment in our HVACsystem starting next year, itis vital that we do not neglectthe condition of the Towerscomplex. This is especially truewhere we have opportunitiesto increase the efficiency of oursystems and thus reduce ourenergy consumption. Whenyou see a more fully developedversion of the capital budget,you will notice that the bulkof the major items are orientedtoward improving efficiencyand reliability.

As for the HVAC project,things are moving apace. As I reported last month, acommittee consisting of ourconsultant Howard Alderson,George Yocum from our Project Management firmWolfe-Scott, Towers General

Manager Beverly Sherman,Operations Manager DennisMcVeigh, Executive Assistantto the General Manager BrettScioli and myself meet on a bi-weekly schedule. Now thatthe Request for Proposal hasbeen distributed to constructionfirms, we use the meetingsto review progress, discuss unresolved issues, and keepthe process on track. We havemoved the date on whicha contract will be awardedslightly, from September 28thto October 12th, in order toallow ourselves more time inwhich to evaluate proposals.Shortly, you will receive noticeof an upcoming “Town Hall”meeting on November 20th,2017 at the Society Hill Sheraton at which the HVACproject, firmer cost figures,timeline, contractor selection,and other details will be discussed. Keep your eyesopen for this invitation and reminders. Your attendance andparticipation are important.

Last month, Council membersMary Purcell, J Otis Smith, andI were treated to a “behind thescenes” tour of the physicalplant of the Towers. The two-hour tour was conductedby Mrs. Sherman, DennisMcVeigh, and Brett Scioli, andtook us to the water pumps,

operations centers, transformerrooms, boilers, chilling towers,and more. Our facilities are extremely well organized, efficient, and frequently monitored. Many have beenupdated to the point that theycan be operated remotely ina pinch, and we have many redundant systems. Dennis designed or improved manyof the systems himself, andwe are grateful to him andhis staff of talented engineers.The reliability of our systems isanother reason that the Towersis a wonderful place to live.

September is always a transitional month. We lookback at a summer that wentall too quickly with sultrydays and evenings around thepool and a slightly slower pace.Thanks to Adam and his crewfor making the pool experienceeven nicer. Our pool is unmatched in the city.

Simultaneously, we look forward to fall, with new Towers activities, rediscoveredenergy, and lots of opportuni-ties to come together. As theJewish High Holy Days are celebrated starting in Septem-ber, we’ll take that opportunityto wish all of our residents, regardless of their faith, health,fulfillment, and peace. n

1| 1

by Bruce Holberg, President, Society Hill Towers Owners Association

President’s Message

SOCIETYHILL TOWERSnewsSeptember, 2017Issue 328

Photo by Bonnie Halda

Council members were treated to a “behind the scenes” tour of the Towers.

Attention All Owners

Town Hall MeetingMonday, November 20thSociety Hill Sheraton

Come hear about timeline,cost, contractor selection,and other details for the upcoming HVAC project.

22 | Society Hill Towers News

SOCIETYHILL TOWERSnews Published by

Society Hill Towers Owners’ Association285 St. James PlacePhiladelphia, PA 19106

215-923-4105

Council OfficersBruce HolbergPresident

Jerrold “Jim” MossVice President

Jeremy Siegel Treasurer

Mary PurcellSecretary

Council MembersBen AvicolliMaggie SchultzJ Otis Smith

ManagementKevin BrownPresident & CEO, CAMCO

Beverly Shien ShermanGeneral Manager

DesignJudy LamirandEditor / Designer, Parallel Design

Movie Discussion GroupThursday, October 26th,from 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. inthe community room. Movie TBA.

Ongoing Exercise ActivitiesLisa Levine offers a YogaClass on Thursdays from9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the community room.

Donna Cotzen continues tolead Exercise With Donna inour community room mostMondays and Wednesdaysstarting at 9 a.m. This is a 40 -minute exercise groupthat entails 10 minutes ofwarm-up stretching and30 minutes with the groupusing a DVD from the Aging Backwards series of MirandaEsmond White. We do a

different segment each time.Come and sample a session!Its a good workout and easyto modify to any specialneeds. We do not get upand down from the floor repeatedly in a session, butwe do do some exercisingon the floor. If you need helpgetting back up we will beglad to help. Things reallystop hurting! n

Exclusive Tour of Independence Seaport Museum

Wednesday, October 18th: “Patriots and Pirates”

Activities Calendar

Towers Residents are invited to an exclusive

“for the Towers” event atthe Independence Seaport Mu seum on Wednesday, October 18th, at 5:30 p.m.

You’ll have the opportunityto meet and listen to a shortpresentation by John Brady,the distinguished Presidentand CEO of the institution,accompanied by a brief wineand cheese reception.

Through the Museum’s new“Patriots & Pirates” exhibit,we will discover Philadelphia’sconnection to the foundingof the United States Navyand the little-told story ofAmerica’s conflict with pirateswhen it was still a very newnation. We will climb aboarda replica of the schoonerDiligence, constructed bystaff and volunteers from“Workshop on the Water,”a traditional boat shop located inside the Museum.

Nearby, the “Tides of Freedom: African Presenceon the Delaware River”

features uncovered artifactsfrom the Museum’s collection,gripping first-person accounts, and interactive elements exploring thethemes of enslavement,emancipation, Jim Crowlaws and Civil Rights.

Other exhibits include ”Rescues on the River” exploring disasters that unfolded as the Delaware developed into a wateryhighway; and “TitanicPhiladelphians,” storiesthat spotlight the personal

lives of the more than40 Philadelphians whosailed on the Titanic’smaiden voyage.

There will be a small feeof $15. Before October 10th,please register at the office,or drop off your check andcontact information at yourfront desk.

We look forward to learningtogether and getting to knowmore about this special treasure on the Delaware.Ship ahoy! n

Welcome aboard! Climb aboard the replica of the schooner Diligence.

3September, 2017 | 3

Beat the Heat with Summer Sweets

The Towers Residents “Beatthe Heat” in August with

a Summer Cook-off featuringdesserts and drinks. The eventwas held on Wednesday, August 9th, in the CommunityRoom and was well-attendedby about 30 residents. We hadsome very delicious dessertsand drinks, such as a BerriesFrozen Pie, Kulfi Ice-cream,Italian Champagne-Vodkadrink, and Fennel Juice.

The quality of the dessertsand drinks, and the enthusiasmof all of the participants and attendees, was evidenced bytwo facts: we ran out of all itemsbefore the end of the night, andthe winners were decided bya margin of a couple of votes.As one attendee put it, “therewere a number of flavors whichI have never had, but fully enjoyed. My palate was saying‘MORE’ but I restrained

myself, to my surprise.” Included below are two recipesfrom the desserts that weremade for the cook-off. If youtry these out, be sure to givea shout-out to the ‘creators’.

We will most likely hold another cook-off around Halloween, with the themeof ‘All Chocolate, Everything’.

Who said Treats are justfor Kids?!?! n

by Mansi Thakkar14 oz sweetened condensed milk

17 oz evaporated milk(or less if you like theice cream sweet)

8 oz heavy cream

1 handful of crushed almonds and pistachios(or any other flavor ofyour choice)

1 teaspoon Cardamompowder

1 teaspoon of milk with afew strands of saffronblended in

Blend the condensed milk,evaporated milk, and heavycream together and freezethe mixture for 4 to 6 hours.

Once the ice cream is semi-solid, remove from freezer andblend in the flavors of yourchoice. I used almonds, pista-chios, cardamom, and saffron,but any flavors/ingredientsshould work.

Freeze again until the icecream is hardened.

Note: Kulfi, an Indian ice creamis typically denser and hard erthan traditional ice cream.

by Roz Holberg

For the crust:2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs 1/3 cup brown sugar 4 oz butter, melted

Mix everything together.Line the bottom/sides of a 10-inch pie plate.

Bake at 350º F for six minutes.(If using a glass pie dish, reducetemperature to 325º F.)

Let completely cool.

For the filling:1 8-oz container of Cool Whip

6 8-oz containers of yogurt

(I like Dannon, fruit on the bottom. I usually use threeblueberry and three straw-berry, but any combinationthat you like will work.)

Mix yogurt and Cool Whipuntil smooth and well incorporated. Pour intocooled pie shell.

Freeze at least 12 hours.

Take out of freezer 10 minutesbefore serving.

Summer Cook-off Winners

by Mansi Thakkar

Jaydev Dave serves upthe Kulfi Ice Cream.

Mansi Thakkar Guests sample Summer Sweets Roz Holberg

Mansi’s Kulfi Ice Cream Roz’s Berries Frozen Pie

Photos by J Otis Smith


by Josh Friedman

Made in China:

In 1974, peasants digginga well near the city of Xi’an

(pronounced “shee-ahn”) cameupon the torso of a clay figure,ultimately leading to the remarkable discovery of the22-square mile tomb complexof Qin Shi Huang (“chin shoohwan-dee”), the First Emperorof China (“chin-a”).

From September 30th throughMarch 4th, you can see 10 ofthe more than 8,000 life-sizewarriors that were built to protect Qin, plus more than170 other artifacts from ancientChina, in the Franklin Insti-tute’s exhibition TerracottaWarriors of the First Emperor.

Who was Qin, and why didhe have such a massive tomb?Qin was born in 259 BCE during the Warring States period and became the kingof the state of Qin in 246 atthe ripe old age of 13. Afterconquering the six other warring kingdoms in 221,Qin declared himself the emperor as of this new unifiedempire, China (the name deriving from Qin).

In his time as head of state,Qin standardized writing,money, weights and measures,and began building the GreatWall of China to prevent invasion from barbarians. (He, too, was unable to getMexico to pay for the wall.)

Qin proved to be an unpopularruler, no surprise given thathe massacred the armies of sixstates to get the job, punishedhundreds of thousands of people through forced labor,imposed high taxes, and sup-pressed any kind of dissent.

It was only natural then forQin to devise a way to protecthimself from assassination attempts and revolution inthe afterlife, which the ancientChinese believed in. And, sincethe practice of servants beingburied with their rulers wasfalling out of favor, it was decided that clay warriorswould stand guard instead.

Construction of the tombproved a monumental featof engineering, taking morethan ten years to completeby roughly 700,000 workers(about the population of Seattle).Workers used an assemblyline process, centuries beforeHenry Ford. Some workedon the feet, others on the legs,some on the torsos, hands,and heads. Once put together,the clay soldier was put ina kiln for firing at about1,800º Fahrenheit. After cooling down, workers appliedraw lacquer and painted the warrior.

Unlike Ford’s decree that youcould get a Model T in anycolor so long as it’s black,none of the 8,000+ warriorswere the same. Each featureda different hairstyle and facialexpression, and warrior ranks

were indicated by their uniqueheadgear. In fact, the ten terracotta figures on displayshow a variety of army personnel: a general, an armored officer, a kneelingarcher, a standing archer, an armored soldier, a cavalryman,a saddled horse, a charioteer,a civil official, and a kneelingmusician.

In addition to the soldiers, Terracotta Warriors of the FirstEmperor includes more than170 other artifacts from thepre-Qin, Qin, and Han dynasties(as dynasties go, Han succeededQin), including weapons, jadepieces, bronze bells, ceremonialvessels, gold ornaments, coins,architectural pieces, and ornatebronze chariot replicas. (Allof these artifacts were madein China, beginning a trendthat continues to this day.) Theexhibition also includes detailson the ongoing conservationand preservation work at thearchaeological site.

Don’t miss these grand defendersof history who have beenstanding vigil for more than2,000 years. Their incrediblestory of survival into our mod-ern world will undoubtedlyamaze and inspire. n

Terracotta Warriors of The First EmperorStand Guard at the Franklin Institute

Each warrior has aunique hairstyle, facialexpression, and uniform.

In addition to the terracotta warriors,there are ornate bronzechariot replicas.

Workers used an assembly line to build the terracotta warriors.

Residents of Society HillTowers celebrated the end

of summer with an elegant anddelicious Champagne DessertParty. They gathered around

the champagne bowl, talkedabout their summer experi-ences and were sad that theseason was drawing to an end.The desserts were a beautiful

and delicious treat. Thank youto Towers’ employees MikeConaway and Elijah Weinberg,and Manager Beverly Shermanfor planning the event. n


Poolside Champagne Punch Party

Not Just Desserts! Photos by J Otis Smith and Fred Squires

Staff Celebration

Exceptional Kindness and Scholarships Awarded

The Scholarship Committee,comprised of Annie

Westcott, Peter Conn, WayneFranks, and William Johnson,selected two students fromamong the children and grand-children of our staff membersto receive this year’s scholar-ship awards. The awards weregiven out as a part of the an-nual staff party. Since the vari-ous members of the committeewere unable to attend, BeverlySherman had the honor ofmaking the ceremonial presentations in their stead.

The awards, in the amountof $2,500 to be applied towardscollege tuition, went to Krista

Davidson and Quyntyn Gaston.Krista is the granddaughter ofChief Engineer George Trimbur.Quyntyn is the son of SecurityOfficer Ken Pendleton. Quyntyn was accompaniedto the stage to accept his awardby both of his proud parents.Krista’s award was acceptedon her behalf by George, because a certain storm ravaging Florida interferedwith her travel plans, as itdid with so many others.

A separate award, altogetherunrelated to academics, waspresented to Sharon Gordy for “Exceptional Kindness” to herco-worker, Welton Mosby. n

Quyntyn Pendelton accepting a scholarship award from BeverlySherman, pictured with his father Ken Pendelton and his mother.

George Trimbur accepting the scholarship for his granddaughter,Krista Davidson, from Beverly Sherman and Bruce Holberg.


HVAC Bidding Begins

All of the contractors who are bidding on the upcoming HVACproject were invited to a “prebid meeting.” The contractors attended a presentation, were taken on a behind-the-scenes

tour of the facilities, and were shown the convectors withina unit in order to inspect the property first-hand and gatherthe facts they needed to generate accurate bids.

Photos by J Otis Smith


T

dl dPhs is erp HelemoH

CO

.

ffffhlf ordeiovr premiers p’ahipledahil

AND HAA HEND LOTYDDYARE REAAREGIVERSCCAREGIVERS

LOUR PROFESSIONA

eracs/deme’’

eminrypersonal laundr

enoventierp

e & farity cal

acte il eoff ee ganr-llufpandl aicden-mon

mr

sity visitlfacie rTT

e udincle trecstanssi agninid

/eparationr

m or

a entisnder

&

l l a

declun iathts viceserveriegraffffoeW.ercae mho-nilonaser

e nc

ml

-

o t

/

:ea er f

pgrace@homehelp

7-402267)(tace arG

antmesssess adeenl

aWg nAgiPCAdnaetarivpcept ace W

stenmtinoppa

..comyllpersphi

l iaem or 7271y t artus setlnd a

n igatiol

.rveianrause InrCaermTTermng-oL,yy,pa

ermm or


They don’t make them any more, but we have your wood parquet tiles!In stock – at least 3,000 feet!

You don’t have to replace your floors!You don’t have to sand your floors!

You don’t have to be inconvenienced!Call and we can beautifully repair your floors.

888-202-3794

SandFree.comWOOD FLOOR REFINISHING

Real Estate for ov A trusted name in

info|eet, Philadelphia 226 South Str

cial & Investme Residential, Commer

pluvisit our website:o view all Center City prTTo view all Center City pr

er 90 years

Philadelphia

215 922 4200|e.com o@plumerr

ent Real Estate

umerre.comoperties ity pr


CUSTOM DRAPERIES by Merritt J Salvatore

2 0 % O F F A L L S E R V I C E S

SINCE 1970 FREE ESTIMATESALL WORK FULLY GUARANTEED

Draperies Verticals Re-UpholsteryValances Shutters Drapery Cleaning

Blinds

215-547-2880 [email protected] customdraperiesbymjs.com

Washington Square Pharmacy241 S. 6th Street215-925-1466

Independently Owned

Proudly Serving Society Hill TowersFree Delivery to TowersOpen 7 Days a Week

Full Line of Cosmetics & Hair Care Products

210 LOCUST STREET 24GPHILADELPHIA, PA 19106

215-592-4657CELL: 215-280-0159


Designer-appointed Three Bedroom Plus Den, Four BathThe custom combinationof three homes boasting

jaw- dropping views of theBenjamin Franklin Bridge,

Delaware River, and CenterCity skyline. The heart of the

condominium is its greatroom that includes a double-

wide living room, diningroom, and beautifully

appointed open kitchen. The contemporary, fully upgraded kitchen features an oversized island/breakfast bar with three-person seating. There are marble and hardwood floors throughout. Additional highlights include

custom closets, two wet bars, and recessed lighting. 2,650 sf |Offered for $1,275,000

Recently Soldat Society Hill Towers

Allan Domb Real EstatePHILADELPHIA’S LARGEST SELLING CONDOMINIUM REALTOR® WE COOPERATE WITH ALL REALTORS®1845 Walnut Street, Suite 2200, Philadelphia, PA 19103 Phone: 215.545.1500 allandomb.com [email protected]

Recently Renovated Corner One BedroomRecently renovated corner onebedroom boasting panoramic

Benjamin Franklin Bridge,Delaware River, and southern

city views. This home has been completely customized with

designer finishes and appoint-ments, open chef’s kitchen,

modern bathroom, hardwoodfloors, and walls of

floor-to-ceiling windows.803 sf | Offered for $369,900

SOLD!We can sell

yours, too!

Beautifully Renovated, Corner Two Bedroom Plus Den, Two and a Half BathSeamless combination

of a corner two bedroomand one bedroom.The home boasts

floor-to-ceiling windowsin all rooms offering

Delaware River and BenFranklin Bridge views.

There is a magnificentlyupdated kitchen, family

room/den, spacious great room with a wet bar, master suite with a large walk-in closet, built-ins, and marble appointed ensuite bathroom. 1,913 sf |Offered for $950,000

SALE PENDING!We can sell

yours, too!

PENDING!We can sell

yours, too!

Selling at Society Hill Towers for 38 Years


SOCIETYHILL TOWERS

news

Society Hill Towers Owners’ Association285 St. James Place, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Some of our recent sales at Society Hill Towers

Thinking of buyingor selling a condo at Society Hill Towers?Call us. We are happy tohelp you.

Allan Domb Real EstatePHILADELPHIA’S LARGEST SELLING CONDOMINIUM REALTOR® WE COOPERATE WITH ALL REALTORS®1845 Walnut Street, Suite 2200, Philadelphia, PA 19103 Phone: 215.545.1500 allandomb.com [email protected]

3B North11BCD North

24G North14C South28E North23B South26C West26B West10E West

19BCD South8F South

PH6 South

5B North19A North4G North31C West4G South24B West29F South2B South26C WestPH5 South12G South29E South

11 - Society Hill Towers – Philadelphia's Condo...

Documents

Transcript of 11 - Society Hill Towers – Philadelphia's Condo...