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April 2018 Number 436

THE FOOLISHNESS OF GOD

“We have seen the Lord!” As Christ’s disciples heard

those words on that Easter Sunday morning some two-

thousand years ago, it must have seemed like a really

bad April Fools’ Joke. (Okay, I know that they didn’t

observe April Fools’ Day in first-century Palestine, but

just go with me.) Or, perhaps, using modern lingo, at

hearing the proclamation that Jesus was alive, they

might have tweeted out: “Fake News!” (Sorry, couldn’t

resist.) How could anyone have possibly believed the

report from Mary Magdalene and the other women that

they had seen Jesus? Hadn’t the whole of Jerusalem

witnessed his death just a few days earlier? Hadn’t they

seen with their own eyes as his dead body was laid in

Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb? It’s no wonder that Luke

24:11 reports that “these words seemed to [the

disciples] an idle tale, and they did not believe them.”

April Fools’ indeed.

Of course, we know that it was certainly not a joke.

Jesus really was raised from the dead. While many have

tried to explain away the veracity of the resurrection,

their theories fail to convince–Jesus really died (he

didn’t swoon) and no one of his motley band of

followers was either brave or clever enough to fight off

a guard of Roman soldiers to steal the body. Nor were

the women hallucinating at what they witnessed. No,

Jesus was alive! He was not there; for he had risen, just

as he said. The stone was rolled away and the tomb was

empty. No joke.

Continued on p. 3

MEET BRYAN COOPER

As of March 1, 2018, Bryan Cooper heads PVN as

Executive Director. The Village Bugle welcomes him,

and appreciates his interest in the Bugle, both past and

current issues.

Bryan brings a wealth of experience and skill to the

table. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University in

Business Management, with an emphasis on Finance.

His career includes experience with Bank of America in

Arizona and Wells Fargo in Illinois. A career change to

Healthcare Administration came next. He and his family

moved to Abilene, Texas, and from there to Dallas,

where he became head of his company’s largest

acquisition, Golden Acres. He then was CEO at the

Forum at Park Lane for four years before being

recruited by Presbyterian Communities and Services to

head up PVN.

Bryan also shared who he is by giving us a sketch of

his background, a semi-rural upbringing and a close

family. He was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho, the first in a

family of four children. He says he had two childhoods,

one in town and one on his grandparents’ farm. The two

lessons he learned from this dual childhood were One,

how to work and Two, the importance of a college

education. He spent lots of time outdoors, worked to

help raise wheat, barley, and alfalfa and to care for the

animals, especially the horses.

Continued on p. 3

Front to back: Landon, Bryan & Natalie, Garet,

Kalayna and Lydia Cooper

2 Bugle April 2018

THE VILLAGE BUGLE Presbyterian Village North

8600 Skyline Drive, Dallas, Texas 75243

Bryan Cooper, Executive Director

Mary Ann Hyde, Village Council President

THE VILLAGE BUGLE STAFF

Editor: Gary Carson

Editorial Board: Joyce Forney, Frank LaCava, Noel Pittman, Bill

Schilling, Mark Schweinfurth, Jim & Sally Wiley

Copy Editor: Sally Wiley

Assistant Copy Editor: Jim Wiley

Photography Editor: Joe Brockette

Reporters & Contributors: Pam Altizer , Barbara Baker,

Mary Jo Bourque, Jean Cheney, Loretta Dunbar, Joyce

Forney, Frank LaCava, Mary Langford, Nancy Miller, Craig

Millis, Judy Morris, Noel Pittman, Ken Rogers, Kathy Rotto,

Mark Schweinfurth, Jim Spell, Tom Standlee, Tom

Wilbanks, Jim Wiley

Photographers: Barbara Baker , Joe Brockette, Lar ry

Miller, Joy Upton

Desktop Publisher:……………..………...…Letty Valdez

Proofreaders: Ruth Maier , Nancy Miller , Dolores Rogers,

Bill Schilling, Shirley Scott

Meetings:………………………….………….…Betty Muse

Distribution: Pam Altizer , Chester Bentley, Rober t

Droke

Archivist:..…………………………….…….....Pat Pittman

named Hoblitzelle House in honor of the generous

contributions made by that foundation. Hoblitzelle

also had a great interest in the preservation of

Texas history.

In 1889 Anthony Garland Adair was born in

Queen City, Texas. He graduated from the U. of

Texas in 1914, edited several Texas newspapers,

and served in the military in World War I. He and

his wife had a son and two daughters. A. Garland

Adair had a great interest in Texas history and a

passion for assuring that young people had

opportunity to learn about leaders and heroes of the

past. It was this shared passion that forged a strong

friendship between Hoblitzelle and Adair.

Together they founded the non-profit Texas

Heritage Foundation, for the promotion of Texas

culture; Adair became Executive Director. He was

instrumental in building the Texas Memorial

Museum in Austin, where he was curator for many

years. He had many other titles, one of which was

Life Member of the Sons of the Republic.

Somehow, the Daughters of the Republic came

into possession of a brick that was part of the outer

wall of the Alamo. That group thought it only

fitting that such a relic should be given to one who

would recognize its value. And so it came about,

with Karl Hoblitzelle’s encouragement, that the

brick was presented to his friend A. Garland Adair.

Before his death, Adair had several small pieces

cut from the larger stone and mounted on small

plaques, some of which were signed by

Hoblitzelle. One stone piece he gave to his

daughter Marie, now Mrs. Mat Mathieu. When the

Mathieus moved into the Villas last year, they

donated the stone to PVN to be placed in

Hoblitzelle House. Part of the presentation

message on one of the plaques reads, “We present

to you the Crown Jewel of Texas, a fragment of a

stone from the Alamo, ‘Cradle of Texas Liberty.’”

Mary Langford

ALAMO STONE

Sitting in a dark safe somewhere on the PVN

campus is a small, square stone described as the

“Texas Crown Jewel.” What is its story and how

did it come to be at PVN? The answers to these

questions reside in a review of a very important

event in Texas history, PVN’s own history, and in

the lives of two PVN residents.

All Texans know that on March 6, 1836, in the

war for Texas independence from Mexico, 182

brave men died defending the Alamo. Established

by Franciscan Fathers in 1718 as the first Spanish

mission in San Antonio, the Alamo fell under the

onslaught of Santa Ana’s Mexican army on that

infamous day in early spring.

Forty-three years later, in 1879, Karl

Hoblitzelle was born in St. Louis, Missouri, one of

thirteen children. There was no money for college,

so Karl worked at various jobs until 1904, when he

and a brother bought several vaudeville theaters.

These theaters would later become the chain of

Interstate Movie Theaters. Karl Hoblitzelle went

on to become a real-estate investor and a well-

known philanthropist in Dallas. The Hoblitzelle

Foundation, which he founded in 1942, has aided

in the establishment of many Dallas institutions,

including the U. of Texas Southwest Medical

Center. Probably not known to many PVN

residents, one of our rehabilitation facilities is

Marie Mathieu

3 Bugle April 2018

I will grant you, however, that the message

was (and still is, by the way) utter foolishness, at

least according to the wisdom of the world. Paul

says as much himself in the opening chapter of 1

Corinthians. It does seem foolish that an all-

powerful, sovereign God would allow himself to

become a man and experience death, especially

death on a cross. And it seems even more foolish

to then say that this God-man was subsequently

resurrected after being dead for three days, just as

he predicted in the first place. One would have to

be foolish to believe such things, and Paul says we

are. But, in Christ, “the foolishness of God is wiser

than men” and “for the message of the cross is

foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us

who are being saved it is the power of God.” If this

is foolishness, then it is the good kind; the kind of

foolish we should want to be (much different from

what we’ve been discussing in our Ecclesiastes

Bible Study here at PVN!). To believe in the

message of the cross and to follow Jesus with our

lives may mean that we are to be counted as

foolish by those who do not know God. But, do

not be ashamed, for many called Jesus a fool also.

Christian musical artist Michael Card wrote a

song entitled “God’s Own Fool” for his 1985

album Scandalon. On this Easter Sunday, as it falls

on April Fools’ Day, may the chorus of that song

serve as an appropriate reminder of what we

celebrate as Christians:

So we follow God’s own fool

For only the foolish can tell

Believe the unbelievable,

And come be a fool as well.

Happy Easter to all fools young and old. May God

bless you and your families.

Rev. Brent Ashby

THE FOOLISHNESS OF GOD continued

He describes himself as “an avid soccer player

in high school.” He then served in a two-year

church mission to Argentina where he learned to

speak Castellano, which is a form of Spanish.

Shortly after returning home and starting college,

he met his wife, Natalie, during his Freshman year.

They married and began their family, with the

oldest two children Lydia, now sixteen, and Garet,

now fifteen, whom they reared while still

undergraduates. Two more children: Kalayna, now

twelve, and Landon, now ten, followed. Lydia, a

junior in high school, teaches piano and dances.

Garet is a freshman and plays tennis and soccer

and is active in Boy Scouting.

The family enjoys time outdoors hiking and

boating, as well as family time playing board

games or watching movies. All enjoy playing

sports. The two oldest children accompanied their

parents on a trip to help victims of Hurricane

Harvey in Beaumont. Bryan has served in youth

leadership for the 12- and 13-year-old boys in their

church.

When asked what he brings to PVN, Bryan

doesn’t hesitate to answer “a culture of kindness,

charity, and love.” He says that the way service is

delivered at PVN “really sets us apart.” His stated

goal is “to improve the process to make living here

a little more efficient, effective, and full of life”.

We welcome Bryan Cooper as a new but

continuing link in the PVN tradition and culture.

Judy Morris

MEET BRYAN COOPER continued

PICTURE FROM THE PAST

Age 15,

Sophomore in

high school in

Salt Lake City

DALLAS SYMPHONY CONCERTS

Arrangements for the Dallas Symphony package

have been finalized and interest is very high.

Residents who have not already signed up or those

who would like to learn about the concerts

selected and some interesting facts that may

enhance your enjoyment of the package are invited

to a brief address by Frank LaCava in the Corrigan

Auditorium on April 5, at 2:30 pm. Jena Tunnell

from the Group Sales Department of the DSO will

be present to inform residents about how they may

purchase tickets for concerts not in the package.

Details about billing and transportation will be

discussed and residents will have the opportunity

to ask questions.

Frank LaCava

4 Bugle April 2018

The Board of Trustees is composed of nine voting

members, eight of whom are PVN residents, and is

supported by seven Ex-Officio members. This

talented group manages the Foundation’s

investments of approximately forty million dollars,

which have come from generous donors and

prudent investments. Voting members serve for

three years, with the possibility of reelection to a

second three-year term. Each year the Nominating

Committee makes recommendations for the

election of new members. An individual elected to

the Board as a Trustee for two consecutive three-

year terms is ineligible for reelection for one year

before qualifying for reelection.

Billye Miars – Chair of the Board, and the

Executive Committee

The longest serving Chairman, Billye is finishing

the last year of her third term. In 2009, at the

urging of Don Leonard, she became the first

woman Chair in the Foundation’s history. In

addition to a career in banking, Billye and her

husband operated Miars Car Care Center for

thirty-five years. A resident of PVN since 2003,

Billye has served on numerous committees, in

addition to serving as Village Council President.

She confers with PVNF staff on the day-to-day

operations of the Foundation, and oversees Board

committee meetings.

Frank LaCava – Board Vice Chair

New to the PVNF Board in 2018, Frank is a

graduate of the Eastman School of Music and

served as principal trumpet and soloist for the Air

Force Band during the Korean War. He completed

his Master’s in Music Education at Florida State,

then taught as a school band director in Texas

City. He pursued a Doctorate in Educational

2018 PVN FOUNDATION BOARD

Psychology at the U. of Houston and later received

his counseling certification, screening and testing

students for admission to Special Education. He

took a three-year detour working for a regional

brokerage firm in San Antonio as a technical

analyst in the research department. Frank returned

to education, working as Director of Guidance and

Counselling for Alamo Heights School District.

Now, fully engaged and invested in our

community, Frank serves on the Editorial Board of

The Village Bugle, on the Chautauqua Committee,

and manages the DSO symphony program for

residents. He also serves on the Investment and

Nominating Committees.

Dolores Rogers -- Board Treasurer and Chair

of the Audit Committee

New to the PVNF Board in 2018, Dolores is a

graduate of The U. of Texas at Austin with a BA

and MA in Mathematics. After teaching

mathematics, primarily at Hockaday and Greenhill,

she became a CPA and joined Republic National

Bank in the Energy Division as a lending officer.

As Senior Vice President she managed Republic’s

agent role in the largest litigation and bankruptcy

cases at that time. Following a successful

settlement, Dolores became a consultant to

attorneys, providing expert-witness testimony. She

formed her own firm, The Rogers Alliance, which

later merged with PricewaterhouseCoopers. Prior

to her election as a Trustee, Dolores served as a

consultant to the PVNF ad hoc Committee on asset

reporting. Dolores serves on the Investment,

Planning and Budget, Audit, and Nominating

Committees.

Jim Wiley – Board Secretary, and Chair of the

Planning and Budget Committee serving in his

Back: Joe Roach, Jim Wiley, Brent Ashby, Don Powers, Bob Maier

Middle: Karen Gooding, Bob Symon, Frank LaCava, Margaret Ann Thetford, Cynthia Floyd, Margaret Zagurski

Front: Pat Mills, Dolores Rogers, Billye Miars, Kathy Smith, Bill Austin

Not Pictured: Bryan Cooper, Kyle Hobin, Erik Vohtz

5 Bugle April 2018

second term as Secretary, Jim holds a Fellowship

in the American Institute of Architects and a

Bachelor of Architecture from Texas Tech U. He

was the Principal-in-Charge for the Oglesby Group,

architects for the master plan and the first buildings

at PVN. Jim’s experience in design and

construction is invaluable to the Foundation,

especially when evaluating the funding of grants,

particularly those involving construction. Jim also

serves as the Assistant Copy Editor of The Bugle.

Cynthia Floyd – Investment Committee Chair

New to the PVNF Board in 2018, Cynthia is the one

nonresident voting Trustee. She is Manager,

Employee Benefit Fund Investments for Texas

Instruments, overseeing a portfolio of more than $5

billion. A second-generation TI employee, she has

worked there 30 years, including assignments in

Malaysia and India. Cynthia received her

bachelor’s degree at The U. of Texas at Austin and

her Master’s degree from The U. of Texas at Dallas.

She is a licensed CPA.

Pat Mills – Nominating Committee Chair

Serving in her second term, Pat, PVN’s Librarian,

managed some of Dallas’ most prestigious

bookstores for more than 30 years. Pat’s

background fit perfectly with PVN’s need for

improved cataloging procedures. With a friend, Pat

published a Mystery newspaper, Mostly Murder,

that was distributed worldwide. Pat holds a BA

degree from SMU.

Dr. Joe Roach is serving in his four th term

on the Board, having held positions as Vice

Chairman and Treasurer in past years. Joe evaluates

grant requests for the Planning and Budget

Committee. A pediatrician in private practice in

Dallas for fifty years, Joe holds a BA in Chemistry

and Math from Baylor U. and MD from

Southwestern Medical School, Class of 1945. Dr.

Roach is a founding member of Preston Hollow

Presbyterian Church.

Margaret Ann Thetford is serving in her

second term. Margaret Ann is a published author,

columnist, and experienced public speaker who

wrote for the Dallas Morning News for more than a

decade. She writes for The Bugle, and has served

as assistant editor. A sixth-generation Texan,

Margaret Ann is a founding member of Trinity

Episcopal Church and holds a BA from The U. of

Texas at Austin.

Erik Vohtz is serving in his third term. Erik’s

past positions include Board Chairman and

Secretary. Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Erik was

CEO of Haldor Topsoe Inc. for 35 years. He

CELEBRATE ARBOR DAY

Trees are almost a part of the PVN signature. For

many of us, the trees and walkways were part of

the attraction to move here. And trees don’t come

cheap. The estimated replacement value of our

trees hovers around $2,500,000. Maintenance runs

a tall tab, too; when one thinks of the watering,

fertilizing, and leaf-raking costs, one can see that a

high-rise facility without acres of green around it

would be much less costly to operate.

For photos of this campus in its infancy, stop

by the Administrator’s office and look at the

photos on the wall; early pictures show saplings

on my street and only an occasional mature tree

elsewhere. And what do we get in return for our

work and treasure? A habitat for creatures and

birds; better air to breathe as they absorb carbon

dioxide and put back oxygen, not to mention their

cooling effect in summertime; and the beauty of

the endless varieties of shapes, forms, and

textures.

Small wonder that Arbor Day has been

celebrated since 1872 when the state of Nebraska,

where trees provided vital windbreaks, declared

Arbor Day to be April 10. Many other countries

observe the holiday in the spring because that’s

the best time for planting trees.

So enjoy the shade and the relatively dust-free

air and the chirping of our feathered friends as you

walk the paths at PVN. And celebrate Arbor Day,

which in 2018 will be on April 27.

Joyce Forney

holds an MS degree in Mechanical Engineering

from Denmark’s Technical U. and completed

studies in Nuclear Engineering at Rensselaer

Polytechnic. Erik has experience in design,

construction engineering, and finance. He was

heavily involved in building his church in

Houston.

Ex Officio Board Members are PVN Executive

Director, Bryan Cooper; PVN Village Council

Treasurer, Don Powers; Assistant Director of

Spiritual Life, Brent Ashby; Joyce Hall Resident

Council President, Kathy Smith; Resident

Representative for Health Care Unit, Bill Austin;

PVNF Executive Director, Margaret Zagurski; and

PVNF Executive Director-Resident Relations,

Karen Gooding. Also serving the Board are

Honorary Trustee, Kyle Hobin, and Advisors, Bob

Maier and Bob Symon.

Contributed by Karen Gooding

2018 PVN FOUNDATION BOARD continued

6 Bugle April 2018

SPOTLIGHT ON PAT PITTMAN

“Good things come in small

packages,” is a saying we

have all heard, and Pat

Pittman is truly one of

them. She weighed just two

pounds at birth! She said she

fit in a shoe box, and a

dresser drawer was her first

bed. She was born in Fort Worth, the oldest of four

children, but grew up in Hurst.

Pat’s life has had many twists and turns, but

with her wonderful smile, her lovely singing voice,

and her sewing ability, along with the three bones

every woman needs to make it through life: a

backbone, a wishbone, and a funny bone, she

arrived at PVN when she married Noel on July 18,

2009, and has never looked back.

Pat is the mother of three children; Noel has

three children, and together they share twelve

grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren. In

their living room is a very special watercolor

painting of Pat’s five granddaughters in white

smocked nightgowns, handmade by Pat, (painted

by PVN’s Charles Ferguson) that caught my eye.

It led me to ask what sewing project she is most

proud of. She said it had to be the black tailored

jacket, blouse, and both long and short skirts she

pored over years ago and still wears. Presently, she

enjoys making children’s costumes and showed

me the Jesus Robe she had just finished. She also

enjoys beading, but said with a smile, “the Sew &

Sews’ bears now take up most of my time.”

Pat shares her beautiful voice by singing in

their Highlands Christian Church and our PVN

choirs. She said she used to walk and sing for an

hour every morning to strengthen her voice. Pat is

the Chairwoman of her church’s Board, and also is

on the Board of the White Rock Center of Hope on

Garland Rd. This center has a resale shop and a

clothes closet for the community, and offers

emergency financial assistance. Bill Cox is one of

their volunteers from PVN.

I began with a saying and I want to end with

one that I feel applies to Pat Pittman: “Don‘t spend

your time, invest it.” Pat certainly does invest her

time where it benefits many people within and

outside our community. Mother Teresa said: “Not

all of us can do great things. But we can do small

things with great love.”

Kathy Rotto

BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME

We took down all the old metal houses for the

martins because they were too close to trees,

broken, bent, and dangerous. We put up four

beautiful three-inch-square aluminum poles around

our lake. Each pole has twelve Purple Martin

plastic gourds. Each gourd has fourteen inches of

nest space inside.

We have been waiting and praying that our

martins would return from Brazil and nest in their

new housing. Well, we built it, and they came, and

they continue coming. On February 27, 2018, we

saw several martins. Many more have arrived and

have been choosing the perfect gourd for their

mate.

Please take a walk around the west side of the

lake and enjoy our feathered friends. If you'd like

to drive, you can park in the area where Bugle

Drive and Brush Arbor meet and watch the birds

from there. The bus goes by there and I'm sure

Aubrey or John would stop so you can watch the

action.

It's very common for the martins to be here

early in the morning and late in the afternoon.

They eat insects, and are superb fliers. Martins can

easily spend four to five hours a day on the wing

in search of insects or just plain enjoying the

thermals. Once fed, they will return to the site, sit,

and preen themselves.

Your Purple Martin caregivers are very

thankful to the PVN Foundation for their generous

gift of new equipment for our birds. Everyone

please enjoy the martins now. They leave around

the end of August.

Sue Standlee

7 Bugle April 2018

TEN SIMPLE STEPS TO A HEALTHIER YOU

1. Jump start your metabolism—eat breakfast.

Include lean protein, whole grains, fruit (better

choice than juice) and some low-fat dairy. A

healthy breakfast should start your day.

2. Keep a bottle of water handy. Sometimes thirst

is mistaken for hunger. Make sure hunger is

hunger and not thirst. Also, dehydration lowers

your metabolism.

3. For lunch, add fresh fruits and veggies to add

crunch and fiber. This will provide vitamins,

fiber, texture, color, and lower-calorie options.

4. Exercise revs up your metabolism, so start with

morning exercise to get your metabolism going

and exercise throughout the day to keep it

going.

5. Choose healthy fats. Avocado, olive oil, and

nuts have heart-healthy fats. Remember your

total fat intake is important. Keep it low.

6. Eat more complex carbohydrates. Make at least

half your grains high-fiber ones. Cut back on

the simple carbohydrates like sugar and sweets,

which are empty calories with little or no

nutrient value. Simple carbohydrates are

metabolized quickly and you will soon be

hungry again. Fill your plate with fruits,

vegetables, and whole grains.

7. Eat more fish. Foods high in Omega 3 fatty

acids can lower your cholesterol and help

prevent heart disease and some cancers.

Salmon, other fish, nuts and healthy oils such

as olive oil and canola oil are good sources of

Omega 3 fatty acids. Have fish at least twice a

week.

8. Get enough sleep. The hormone leptin is

produced in your fat cells and signals when you

are full. The hormone ghrelin is produced in

your gastrointestinal tract and stimulates your

appetite. When you don’t get enough sleep,

leptin decreases and ghrelin increases. Eating

doesn’t satisfy, and your appetite increases,

which leads to weight gain.

9. Sit up straight. Good posture allows your food

to settle and helps you feel full faster.

10. Balance your diet with fruits, vegetables, whole

grains, and lean proteins, as well as low-fat

dairy and healthy fats. Limit the high-calorie

low-nutrient foods such as desserts and sugary

beverages.

Jean C Cheney, MS, RD, LD

Concluding segment of Loretta Dunbar’s work in the

1960’s as personal secretary to Mr. Stanley Marcus.

Mr. Marcus once said, "If I had it to do over

again, I would be an archaeologist." There must be

thousands of shoppers worldwide who are happy he

gave up that notion.

Although he didn't have a hand in the actual

digging, he did manage to acquire an enviable

number of Pre-Columbian terracotta pieces, which

he displayed in a designated area of the master

library. Across from the terracotta collection stood a

selection of carved wooden artifacts from Africa,

and masks from around the world hung in an

adjacent room. While he was conjuring up fashions

for the future, he was also collecting relics of the

past.

It took me several weeks to grasp the enormous

number of collections that surrounded me. The first

time I went to a powder room, I found laminated to

the walls and ceiling a collection of twenty color

lithographs by Henri Matisse, Jr.. I discovered a

selection of Picasso ceramic plates in a toilet on the

ground level, and an original Dali hung in a third

powder room. Nevertheless, there was a feeling of

warmth about the house―not the sort of sterile,

hushed feeling you get in a formal art gallery. I

discovered important art in the most remote nooks

and crannies. His collections were so tastefully

selected and displayed that I felt each piece was just

where it belonged. A short time into my assignment,

I was able to detect any rearrangement of hanging

art―or shifting of sculptures―almost upon entering

a room.

During that first summer, each day revealed new

hidden treasures. One day, while cleaning out a

desk drawer, I discovered correspondence files

filled with friendly notes from United States

Presidents, European Princesses, stage and screen

stars, literary friends, and living contemporary

artists. I suddenly found myself glad that I did not

know of all these things at the time of my job

interview. My awe and esteem for Mr. Marcus grew

daily; he had a remarkable knack for making one

feel relaxed when in his presence.

So, what do you give the man who has

everything? For Christmas 1966, I gave him a

limited-edition miniature etching entitled "Bearded

Man."

Stanley Marcus―Merchant Prince―died on

January 22, 2002, at the age of 96.

Loretta Dunbar

REMEMBERING MR. STANLEY continued

8 Bugle April 2018

Presbyterian Village North has the welcome mat

out for a new staff member, Marvin Fisher. Marvin

is the new PVN Human Resource Manager.

Human Resource Manager, as defined by the

Oxford Dictionary, is "a person responsible for the

department or organization that deals with the

hiring, administration, and training of staff.” A job

that calls for many hats, and Marvin will wear

every one of them very well.

Human resources is a perfect career for

Marvin. He grew up in Chicago, the youngest of

eleven children. At an early age he learned about

problems and solutions from his mother. His

mother was not going to allow the same mistakes

happen to him as happened to his siblings. If a

brother got lost during a circus trip, Marvin was

not allowed to go on circus trips. If his sister

twisted her ankle on a campout, Marvin was not

allowed to go on a campout.

Marvin attended Northern Illinois U. and

earned a degree in Broadcasting. But this career

choice soon took another road when he was hired

for a job in management. His enthusiasm for this

field is evident, as he discusses his work history.

Through the years, he has worked for some of the

largest retail companies in the country, including

Toys R Us and Steak ‘n Shake. In these and other

companies he honed the skills of a Human

Resource Manager. He loved the challenge of

identifying problems and working with employers

and management to solve them. Sometimes it was

a rule that had to be changed or an employee who

needed to be reassigned. With Marvin as the

manager, both parties came out of a disagreement

feeling that they had been heard and their needs

were satisfied.

Marvin was with Steak ‘n Shake in Dallas

when they wanted him to move to a management

position in a different city. Marvin decided he

couldn't move his wife, Della, and daughter

Shaneice again, especially since his daughter was

seeking her own career as a hair designer, and in

the process of opening her own business. It seemed

that the right decision was to seek a position here

in the DFW area.

NEW HR MANAGER MARVIN FISHER

APRIL CHAUTAUQUA

Most of us recall with great fondness the popular

entertainers Edgar Bergen and his alter egos

Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd. For the

period of twenty years from 1936-1956, they

regaled us with their unique brand of humor on

radio, television, and in movies. I remember

thinking of Charlie McCarthy almost as if he were

a real person with his own unique personality.

On April 17, the PVN Foundation is

sponsoring a program of a different genre sure to

bring back our memories of this outstanding

practitioner of the art of ventriloquism. Mark

Rubben will appear in our auditorium with his own

colorful cast of characters: a Jamaican Rasta-mon,

a fortune telling Swami, a longhaired Hippy, a

tattoo-clad Redneck, and two masks that transform

audience members into unforgettably hilarious

characters.

Marc appeared on the television show,

Accidentally Famous, which was filmed before a

live audience at the HBO/Aspen Comedy Festival.

He has also appeared on Comedy Central and

Showtime. He has headlined some of the top clubs

in Las Vegas and many prestigious Comedy Clubs

such as the Catch A Rising Star and The Improv as

well as at casinos and resorts all over the world.

Who among us doesn’t enjoy an evening of

laughter? This show is certain to delight. Be sure

to pick up your tickets at the Receptionist’s desk as

a full auditorium is expected.

Frank LaCava

When he learned that PVN was looking for a

Human Resource Manager, he knew he had found

the career change that was a fit for him. Moving

his focus to a retirement community was an easy

and exciting choice. His mother had moved to a

retirement community where she is very happy. He

saw how well the staff of PVN treated the

residents; he knew that this was exactly the type of

place where he wanted to be. Now he could offer

his new employer and employees all the skills he

had acquired through the years. If a change was

needed, he would work with both parties to come

to a solution where they would both know they

were being heard and the solution would be for the

good of both parties and the whole community.

Welcome Marvin Fisher to Presbyterian

Village North.

Mary Jo Bourque

9 Bugle April 2018

Can you remember a “Top Ten Song” from your

birth year? Mine is “Without A Song.” That’s

from a time when bread was just nine cents a loaf

and the Dow was at 240 points. It was in June,

four months before the “CRASH”. Whatever else

can I remember from 1929? Not much!

“Without a song the day would never end,

without a song the road would never bend,

When things go wrong a man ain’t got a

friend, without a song. I only know there

ain’t no love at all, Without a song.”

Those 1929 lyrics by Billy Rose and E. Elisen,

and music by Vincent Youmans, still enthrall and

satisfy me and instill a feeling of continuity and

joy enough to inspire me to sing along. That is

exactly what the music therapist achieves with the

“magic” of music. For even the most demented

and “alone” of patients will respond with joy and

inspiration to songs from their youth.

Dr. Oliver Sacks wrote Musicophilia, Tales of

Music and the Brain and in it he tells story after

story of treating people with profound dementias

from Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, to brain

traumas of all kinds with MUSIC. Music of all

kinds with rhythm are particularly effective in

treating Alzheimer’s dementias of loneliness and

rigidity by re-establishing “self” by recreating a

framework of place in time when the who, where,

when and what can be restored as one listens to

the remembered music from a long-forgotten place

in his or her brain. That place is still not exactly

known, but music and rhythm are retained long

after other times and events are lost. Music is

apparently stored early and has more permanence

than other thoughts. It is hard-wired by necessity

in our survival package. Every culture ever studied

has been found to make music and among the

oldest artistic objects are slender flutes, carved

from mammoth bone, some 50,000 years ago,

24,000 years before the cave paintings of Lascaux.

Sacks reports that: “Friedrich Nietzsche continued

MUSIC AND IDENTITY

to improvise at the piano long after he had been

rendered mute, demented, and partially paralyzed

by neurosyphilitis”. Or, as with Woody Geist,

“almost every memory was gone except for music,

which he can sing with gusto. He sang Somewhere

Over the Rainbow, but afterward did not remem-

ber he had sung it.”

To begin music therapy, all that is necessary

are an MP3 player and headphones and the record-

ed music from the patient’s youth. And it can give

a severely demented, even comatose, person new

energy. Music therapy is no luxury; in many cases

it’s an essential treatment by providing attention to

lonely patients with group drum-rhythm, group

singing, and an accompanist and even dancing to

help restore their feeling of identity and self-worth.

Such things can be provided at least for a time, and

they can be repeated again and again.

PVN’s Memory Care Unit at the new Terrace

facility provides a trained Memory Care Specialist

in Lillian Adrian, who manages the activities pro-

gram for a new forty-four-bed dementia care unit.

Our own Council President Mary Ann Hyde has

been instrumental in arranging for SMU Division

of Music Therapy students from the Meadows

School of the Arts to further their education this

year by holding twice-weekly therapy sessions for

PVN’s Arbor Place and Hillcrest House residents.

They will be supervised and will receive graded

credits toward their degrees. So I visited with Lesa

Smith, the Life Enrichment Manager, during a

scheduled one-hour student-teacher therapy ses-

sion, with eight Arbor Place residents and staff.

We all participated in singing and drumming while

our junior university student sang, strummed her

guitar, and played the piano. The object is to

transport the patient to a place of contentment and

joy. Our student sang liltingly!

PVN also retains Dr. Diana Kerwin, an Alzhei-

mer’s dementia-care specialist, who will be speak-

ing on May 17 at a luncheon in the Fun and Games

Room. Her subject will be titled, “The Latest Re-

search on the Cure.” (Reservations are required.)

Also, the Dallas Symphony Association, for

the 2018 Soluna Festival, will host a “music and

the brain” seminar with the U. of Texas South-

western Medical School on May 12 at 1:00 P.M. in

SMU’s Moody Performance Hall. Tickets are

available at “mydso.com/SOLUNA.”

Mark F. Schweinfurth Mark Rubben-April Chautauqua performer

10 Bugle April 2018

Some friends were discussing the musical, The

Music Man, and its imaginary location, River City.

Meredith Willson’s inspiration for that show came

from his hometown, Mason City, Iowa. But there

were lots of Iowa towns that might have been

River City. The Des Moines River flows through

my Iowa River City hometown, Ottumwa. The

idyllic days of my childhood there were a

generation or so later than the time of The Music

Man, but Ottumwa of the 1930s and 40s was alive

with the culture of Meredith Willson’s River City.

Sure enough, Ottumwa had a pool hall. One. It was

a place teen-age boys were mostly forbidden to

enter. Oh, there was worry in the public square

when the high school son of a local pastor was

seen entering the pool hall! Oh, my! Can you

imagine! Oh, we’ve got trouble, right here in River

City. “Trouble with a capital T and that rhymes

with P and that stands for pool!”

Each Thursday night in the summertime, there

was a band concert in Central Park. People in cars

parked around the bandstand and honked their

horns when they approved of a song. The featured

singer was a soprano, Ethel Johnson; but perhaps

the star of each Thursday evening was the local

magazine/cigar shop owner and whistler, Will

Lowery. His whistled tunes really got the horns to

honking.

My River City had a Memorial Park, where

there were picnics, ice-cream socials, softball

games, and church potlucks. I don’t recall a

“footbridge,” but odds are there may have been an

occasional starry night rendezvous there, anyway.

There was a local hamburger/soda shop, Ruth

Tasty’s. If you remember the hamburger/soda shop

in Happy Days, you’ll get the picture of Ruth

Tasty’s. It was the meeting place for lunch or for

after-school ice cream for the high school kids. A

few Ottumwa friends who sometimes visited Ruth

Tasty’s included Frog, Toad, Mouse, Ducky. And

Squeaky, Stinky, and Peachie. And the ever-

popular F-Man (Fat Man), F-Boy (Fat Boy), and

Tank. Bo, Gabby, Squib, and Hoot. And Cissna,

Willie, and Fern. Down the street, Gus

Sotoropolus had a shoeshine shop and Fang

Farrington sold newspapers on the corner.

There was a library at a prominent spot at the

edge of downtown, just across from Central Park.

Perhaps there was not a librarian named Marian

there, but the rest of it, other than the dancing, was

RIVER CITY

pretty much the same as The Music Man’s library.

In the days before Google, high schoolers

crowded the library to do their research for school

papers. And to maintain silence between laughs.

Ottumwa was an interconnected community

where a child’s indiscretion was known to his

mother before he got home; where passersby

greeted a favored physician with, “Hi, Doc;”

where parents went to youth dances to “spectate”,

and where the phones were busy the next morning

discussing who was dancing with whom.

Oh, there were patriotic parades, fireworks on

the Fourth of July, and speeches by the mayors.

Maybe there were about seventy-two fewer

trombones than seventy-six, but my River City

high school marching band could still light it up!

Here’s hoping “they’re marching still right

today!”

David Lodwick

THE BIRD THAT FLEW INTO THE WINDOW

We heard a thud on our picture window when a

small Mountain Chickadee flew into it. I went

outside, picked him up, straightened out his wings

and set him upright. He blinked, slowly closed his

eyes and toppled over. Afraid that he wouldn’t

make it through the night on our deck, I placed

him in a small open box.

Early the next morning he was alert but

making no attempt to fly. I turned the box on its

side and he flew to the deck railing. He remained

there for about thirty minutes as if looking for

someone, or perhaps he didn’t know what to do.

Suddenly he flew to the nearest pine tree and I

rushed out to see that he had found his mother

who was looking for him. He flapped his wings

and his mother spiraled the branches in the most

enthusiastic and joyful greeting I have ever seen.

As I watched the excitement of the reunion of

these two birds, I could not help thinking of the

shepherd when he found the lost sheep, or of the

father when the prodigal son returned home. I had

just witnessed God’s love first hand.

Craig Millis

Go to the ant, O sluggard:

consider her ways, and be wise.

Without having any chief,

officer, or ruler,

she prepares her bread in summer

and gathers her food in harvest.

Proverbs 6:6-7

11 Bugle April 2018

PVN residents and teammates can rest easy

knowing that security officers and resident

committee members work as a team dedicated to

everyone’s safety and security on this campus.

Safety and Security Committee chairman Howard

Wahl presented a detailed repor t r egarding the

committee’s work at the March Village Council

meeting. He introduced and thanked 2018

committee members representing all areas of

Independent Living: Joan McClure (Area 1000),

Dee Forrest and Mike Sherman (Area 1100),

Steve Penrose (Area 1200 with Howard Wahl),

Ellen Shambaugh (Building 2), Jerry

McSpadden (Building 4), Paul Wilson (Mar tins

Landing), and Sammie Wester (The Villas).

Village Council Bylaws state “The Safety and

Security Committee is responsible for reviewing

existing safety and security practices and

procedures, including transportation, and

recommending changes and improvements to the

Director of Facilities Services. The Committee

shall consult with concerned residents about safety

and security issues and participate with the

Director of Facility Services in developing

solutions.”

One concern brought to the committee’s

attention was confusion in telling 911 where the

caller lives. “911 does not care about our

apartment number or mailbox,” Howard said.

“Neither does the taxi driver or pizza delivery

driver.” They need the physical location address.

Ellen suggested providing small printed labels

with each building’s address to assist residents

calling 911. A subcommittee led by Ellen, with

Jerry, Leo Lee (former committee member), and

Sammie worked with Security Manager Dallas

Astler, Lisa Englander, and Heather Ashby to

get this done. Another committee project involves

having Dallas speak to each area to address

residents’ questions, concerns, and suggestions.

“Increased communication between residents

and security helps us reach our goal,” said Dallas.

“Questions get back to me through the committee,

then the committee talks to their area

representatives. Our primary goal is safety and

security. We want everyone, campus-wide, to be

as happy as possible.” Everyone includes 470

teammates and more than six hundred long-term

residents and short-term rehabilitation patients.

TEAMWORK ON SAFETY AND SECURITY

There are ten security teammates, including

Dallas. They are Lead Security Officer Mike

Bowen, Secur ity Officers Henry McClendon,

Roy Jordan, Angelo Lewis, Curtis Moore,

Akinkunmi Coker, Shaqualeya Hawthorne,

Josiah Cline, and Charles Foote. They cover the

campus 24/7. Two officers during each shift drive

either a security vehicle or golf cart, or patrol on

foot.

During 2017 the PVN Foundation approved a

grant for an additional outside-perimeter camera

system that would ensure that the entire PVN

community fence line could be monitored at night

for security breaches. The Foundation also

provided flashlight/nightlights to residents. The

newly updated Residents Information Guide

explaining what to do in emergencies was

distributed recently.

Howard said priorities for 2018 include

improving campus signage and 911 street address

recognition, interfacing with the Dallas Police,

continued smoke-detector inspection, smart tags

for gate access, and basement-garage emergency

telephones for Martins Landing.

Residents, be watchful. If you see something,

say something, and call PVN Security 214-355-

9111.

Nancy Miller

Henry McClendon Mike Bowen

Bradford Pear Blooms at PVN

12 Bugle April 2018

ANSWER TO PICTURE

FROM THE PAST

NEW TEAM TO FORM

At PVN, residents sometimes see an unmet need

and respond to it spontaneously. That was the case

in 2012 when a handful of residents realized that

many of their friends had never completed the

paperwork needed to express their wishes for care

near the end of life. There are six documents that

need to be in the hands of family and physician so

that, if a bad accident or a stroke or heart attack

robs you of the ability to think or speak, others

will be able to follow your wishes. We call them

our “End of Life Documents.”

Dr. Bill Brown, Pat Pittman, and Joyce

Forney had each exper ienced the care of a

spouse at the end of that person’s life. When

David Kerr and his wife moved into PVN, the

timing was ideal. David was willing to join the

team and he brought with him more than forty

years of experience as an estate planner. The

committee designed an invitation to residents to

attend a meeting on “End of Life Documents”, and

about fifty people showed up. Each was given

copies of the six documents, and their importance

was explained. Then they were invited to set up a

half-hour appointment with David and bring back

the documents all filled out. Those were the basis

for fresh documents that could be witnessed and/or

notarized as needed. When participants left the

private consultation, they took with them

documents ready to be copied and distributed to

family members and doctors.

Since 2012, this program has been delivered

five times and, thanks to the PVN Foundation and

the PVN Executive Director, the notaries on their

staffs were made available without charge. David

Kerr’s services were also free, which meant an

estimated 180 residents went home very happy.

Others on the team were witnesses: Pat Pittman,

Joyce Forney, Bill Brown, and (recently) Billie

Robinson and Ann Cottingham; notar ies

Connie Scott, Mary Fields, and Karen

Gooding; and document copies and PowerPoint

presentation by Bill Brown.

We now need to form a new team. You can

make a lasting gift to neighbors at PVN by

volunteering to serve on this team. If you’re

interested, call Joyce Forney or Pat Pittman.

Joyce Forney

AN ORDINARY DAY It was just an ordinary day, not unlike many days

here at PVN. I had wandered into the dining room

with Pam Davidson for the evening meal and

chanced to sit at a table with Susan and Corbet Bry-

ant. We were having a lively conversation about

horse racing, among other things. I had been wait-

ing for the completion of two dental implants and

likely became careless in thoroughly chewing some

beef brisket. All at once a bite of food started down

and suddenly stopped. I could not swallow, could

not breathe, and could not utter a sound. I quickly

grabbed Susan’s arm, and she immediately saw my

distress. Corbet recognized this just about simulta-

neously. He rushed around behind me, and being a

stout fellow, he lifted me out of my chair while

grabbing me around the middle. With clasped

hands he exerted upward pressure just beneath my

rib cage. This effort caused the piece of food to be

expelled from my throat, and once again I was able

to breathe. This quick action not only restored

breathing, but likely saved my life. When my voice

returned, I was able to speak only a quiet “thank

you” to Corbet. What more could be said or done

after such an experience? There are no adequate

words.

This story is related here as a cautionary tale.

Be careful eating, and be aware of others when din-

ing with them. Let’s also remember the lessons

about the Heimlich Maneuver; it can be, and was, a

lifesaver.

Jim Spell

Betty

Rogers

Jim Spell and Corbet Bryant