carlisle - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-29T09:10:50Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/carlisleMeet Your Neighbor: Ed Scalonehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/meet-your-neighbor-ed-scalone2022-11-02T15:42:00.000Z2022-11-02T15:42:00.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10861044866,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10861044866,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="10861044866?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><em>Ed Scalone, a Korean War veteran and cartoonist, calls himself ‘the governor’ of the Carlisle in Lantana, where he lives. He moved from South Palm Beach two years ago after the death of his wife, Pat. <strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p>Walk into the dining room at the Carlisle in Lantana with Ed Scalone and you won’t be walking for long.<br /> Scalone stops at the first table and introduces a couple having breakfast. After the formalities are concluded, he turns to his guest and asks, “Can you believe it? He’s 100 and she’s 101. Isn’t that something?”<br /> The same scene is repeated over and over until a free table is located and we sit down. Then the stories begin: of his strict Italian immigrant father; of his stint during the Korean War (“I was never in combat,” he’s quick to say); of spending most of his working years in the investment business; and of his wife, Pat, who died two years ago, prompting his move from an oceanfront condo just a few hundred yards away in South Palm Beach.<br /> Over and over friends and acquaintances stop by to say hello because Scalone is one of those people: Either you know him or, if he has anything to say about it, you soon will.<br /> “I’m not the mayor of this place, I’m the governor,” he says.<br /> At 92, he should be slowing down, but he’s still sharp enough to dress well and make sure his fellow residents do, as well.<br /> “Some guys who have been very successful in life will come to breakfast with their shirts all wrinkled, and the wife will say, ‘Do something for him,’” Scalone says. “So, I give him a nice shirt and next thing you know he walks in and gets a standing ovation. A lot of guys here are wearing my shirts now.”</p>
<p style="text-align:right;"><em>— Brian Biggane</em></p>
<p><strong>Q.</strong> Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?<br /> <strong>A.</strong> When I finished up at Ansonia High School in Connecticut in 1948, where I was fifth in my class, a woman came and offered me a scholarship to either Yale or Dartmouth. But my father had promised his father, who had a factory called Shelton Hosiery, that I would go to work for him after I finished school. So, he wouldn’t sign the paper and I went to work there as a machinist for a year. <br />After that I found Quinnipiac University, where I had my classes in the morning and worked as a truck driver in the afternoon. I graduated in their first four-year class, then went in the Army and served in the Korean War, and when I came out I used the GI Bill to get a master’s in education and went into teaching. <br />I then met my wife, who wanted me to go to law school. But I was a crusty Italian who figured I had to work. I was even thinking about getting my doctorate and teaching at the college level, but then I got recruited by an investment firm.<br /> <br /><strong>Q.</strong> What professions have you worked in? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?<br /> <strong>A.</strong> I taught for a couple years and then worked for an investment company for more than 20 years. In 1981, at age 50, I finally opened my own office in investments. The people at the company I left kept telling me I was too easygoing, that I couldn’t make it on my own in that business, but I built it up and ultimately sold it to Jefferson Pilot in the late ’80s. I stayed in that business until 2005, when we came to South Palm Beach. If I had to do it all over I would have become a lawyer.<br /> I liked people and helped everybody I could. When I started out they used and abused me because I was so easygoing, but I made it and brought a lot of people into the business. They call me all the time to catch up. <br /> <br /> <strong>Q.</strong> What advice do you have for a young person seeking a career today?<br /> <strong>A.</strong> Find what you want to do and just do it. But the other part of my advice is pay yourself first every month and you’ll wind up pretty well off. I’m not saying I did that; I didn’t like the investment business. But I did OK.</p>
<p><strong>Q.</strong> How did you choose to make your home in South Palm Beach and Lantana?<br /> <strong>A.</strong> Back in 1999 we were renting in Singer Island, then came down and spent a season in Hillsboro Beach. My wife, Pat, said one day she wanted to take a ride up A1A and she looked at about 30 condos, and walked into the Concordia on the ocean side. They took her up to the ninth floor and she liked it but that one wasn’t for sale. We were in the parking lot talking and a gentleman came over and said his place was for sale on the same floor. We bought it from him.</p>
<p><strong>Q.</strong> What is your favorite part about living in Lantana?<br /> <strong>A.</strong> Everything is so close to us here — restaurants, shopping — and the people are so nice. Most mornings I go down to the Palm Beach Bakery & Cafe. I’m chairman of the board of the discussion group. We have a group you wouldn’t believe: multimillionaires, a CIA agent, a lady who worked for the U.N., a Bible scholar from Tel Aviv — unbelievable group. We have discussions sometimes until 3 p.m. I’m a regular at John G’s and know everybody over there, as well. It’s like being in your own neighborhood.</p>
<p><strong>Q.</strong> What book are you reading now?<br /> <strong>A.</strong> I read primarily nonfiction. I just finished Bill O’Reilly’s <em>Killing the Killers</em> and Malcolm Gladwell’s <em>The Bomber Mafia</em> about World War II. Now I’m reading <em>April 1945</em> about the end of the war in Europe. My brother-in-law from New Jersey sends me about 10 books a month. I read most of them and donate the rest to the library.</p>
<p><strong>Q.</strong> What music do you listen to when you want to relax? When you want to be inspired?<br /> <strong>A.</strong> I love Artie Shaw. I play Begin the Beguine 10 times every day. Greatest record ever made. One take, 1937. I met Tony Bennett a half-dozen times in passing, so I like his music. And what stirs me up is the British Royal Marine Band, the greatest military band in the world. I go on YouTube and play that and I cry like a baby.</p>
<p><strong>Q.</strong> Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?<br /><strong>A.</strong> When I was in Army basic training at Camp Breckinridge in Kentucky this young corporal, a couple years older than me, came along one day and said, “I need a couple college graduates for the orderly room.” In the States everything goes through the orderly room, and there’s a person who is in charge of it, and he was it. His name was Alan Saks. Brilliant guy and he became my mentor.<br /> He had inherited a family business of about 10 hardware stores. Big ones. He taught me everything to do in the orderly room, and mentored me in business. He told me, “When you come out of the Army there’s a place for you in my company.” But my father constricted my thinking and I never went to see him in Chicago.<br /> Cut to 1960 and I pick up a Time magazine and he’d just sold those hardware stores for $500 million. He became a philanthropist. He always told me to surround myself with people who are very confident, and don’t give advice unless somebody asks for it. My father never brought it out of me that I was a leader, but the Army saw something in me and I did pretty well.</p>
<p><strong>Q.</strong> If your life story were to be made into a movie, who would play you?<br /> <strong>A.</strong> Leonardo DiCaprio. Perfect. I looked like him when I was young. Good dresser, slim. I filled out this waist about 10 years ago.</p>
<p><strong>Q.</strong> Who/what makes you laugh?<br /> <strong>A.</strong> A good clean story, as I call it, or a funny joke. I draw cartoons and I laugh like hell with them. They come to me, somebody will say something. I write it down. I meet Dr. Roth, a psychotherapist, for breakfast one day a week and he has them hanging all over his office. I have a mailing list that I send them out to about 30 people.</p></div>Along the Coast: Hospitals gear up amid moves to protect seniors, others at riskhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-hospitals-gear-up-amid-moves-to-protect-seniors-o2020-04-01T18:27:53.000Z2020-04-01T18:27:53.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960951675,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960951675,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960951675?profile=original" /></a><em>Even health aides allowed to enter the Carlisle are screened for signs of illness such as a fever by staff members wearing masks and gloves. ‘We don’t want anything to happen to our residents,’ Carlisle executive director Richard Tournesy says. <strong>Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
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<p><strong>By Charles Elmore </strong></p>
<p>A region built as a haven for retirees finds itself under siege from a virus with no respect for advanced years.</p>
<p><br /> Area hospitals and senior-care communities have barred nearly all visitors and taken a host of extraordinary steps as state health records showed the first 14 deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Palm Beach County all involved residents 73 or older. That ranked as the most deaths overall in any Florida county as of March 31.</p>
<p><br /><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960951698,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960951698,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" alt="7960951698?profile=original" /></a>At Harbour’s Edge in Delray Beach, resident Nancy Flinn called herself “very supportive” of measures to stem the spread of the virus, even if they mean no more meals or activities in large groups and no visits with loved ones except by phone or computer.</p>
<p><br /> “The average age here is 88,” Flinn said. “I’m in my late 70s. They’re handling each of us as a jewel that has to be protected.”</p>
<p><br /> County deaths associated with the virus included eight men and six women ranging in age from 73 to 94, according to data the Florida Department of Health posted March 31. Three of them were known to travel, to Egypt, Germany, France and New York, and four had known contact with a confirmed case.</p>
<p><br /> Among cities with confirmed cases of coronavirus infection, Boca Raton (103 cases as of March 31), Boynton Beach (83) and Delray Beach (72) all ranked in Florida’s top 20. Also reporting confirmed cases: Lake Worth Beach (37), Lantana (6) and South Palm Beach (1).</p>
<p><br />The virus poses a threat to everyone, but its most relentless pressure has fallen on seniors.</p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960951479,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960951479,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960951479?profile=original" /></a><em>South Palm Beach resident Denise Bach takes clean clothes and prescriptions for her mother at the Carlisle Palm Beach in Lantana on March 28. Because the facility closed to visitors during the coronavirus crisis, Bach had not seen her mother in more than two weeks. <strong>Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p><br /> A 92-year-old man who said he lives alone in Delray Beach told U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-West Palm Beach, in a teleconference March 26 he was concerned about getting help buying groceries. She and others on the call issued reassurances such help is available.</p>
<p><br /> Options include dialing 211 for Helpline Palm Beach/Treasure Coast, a telephone hotline designed to connect people with social-service agencies. Its services also include helping people who are feeling mental and emotional stress during the crisis.</p>
<p><br /> Walking outside can be fine, but it is important to try to stay about 6 feet away from others, officials said.</p>
<p><br /> “There’s no question for senior citizens and for medically vulnerable people, this is much, much more deadly than the seasonal flu,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said.</p>
<p><br /> All of this hits home in a region where the median age exceeds 65 in several municipalities, according to U.S. Census data that acknowledges varying margins of error: Briny Breezes (74 years), Manalapan (66.5), Highland Beach (65. 7) and South Palm Beach (65.6). </p>
<p><br /> Other local towns and cities also surpass the national median age of about 38 years old: Ocean Ridge (58.9), Gulf Stream (54.5), Boca Raton (48.5), Delray Beach (46), Lantana (43) and Boynton Beach (41.5).</p>
<p><br /> Nancy Messonnier, director of Centers for Disease Control’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said about the virus, “Starting at age 60, there is an increasing risk of disease and the risk increases with age. The highest risk of serious illness and death is in people older than 80 years.”</p>
<p><br /> Even before a state-ordered visitor ban, the Carlisle Palm Beach in Lantana had undertaken a series of precautions to protect its more than 230 residents, from curtailing group activities to building up supplies of soap, sanitizers and wipes, said executive director Richard Tournesy. “We don’t want anything to happen to our residents,” he said. </p>
<p><br /> A notice on the facility’s website says new admissions and tours have been suspended.</p>
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<p><strong>Hospitals begin to adapt</strong></p>
<p>Hospitals face their own set of challenges. Delray Medical Center, with 512 beds, became the area’s first hospital to ban visitors, on March 20.</p>
<p><br /> “We are happy to assist our patients with virtual visits via their personal devices,” the hospital’s website said.</p>
<p><br /> Spokesman Ryan Lieber added, “Our clinical leadership will work with families on an individual basis for compassionate care situations including pediatrics and end-of-life.”</p>
<p><br /> At some hospitals, personal devices are also being encouraged for use by potential patients before they go inside the hospital itself. In addition, tents have been prepared on the grounds of at least two local facilities to assist with screening and other measures.</p>
<p><br /> For example, a patient’s first interaction could be through a smartphone, computer or tablet at 400-bed Boca Raton Regional Hospital and 467-bed Bethesda East in Boynton, affiliated with the Baptist Health South Florida system. Doctors say Baptist Health’s Care on Demand app can be a potential “front door” for people seeking care.</p>
<p><br /> “It’s very important that patients are advised properly, especially when they need to come into hospitals and emergency departments for care,” David Mishkin, medical director of Baptist Health Care On Demand, said in an advisory on the hospital’s website. “We can guide them through our tele-platform.”</p>
<p><br /> Florida Surgeon General Scott Rivkees said in early March that health officials expected “most individuals with COVID-19 will have a mild case” and perhaps 80% can be “home-treated,” the website noted.</p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960952082,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960952082,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960952082?profile=original" /></a><em>Staffers in protective gear check in a patient at the Bethesda East emergency room on March 29 in Boynton Beach. The hospital is using an app to evaluate and advise people before they decide to come in. <strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p><br /> Medical authorities nationwide have expressed concern that people with mild symptoms might inadvertently spread the virus in emergency rooms or urgent-care offices also populated with the “worried well,” making it all the more challenging to provide prompt treatment for those who might have more severe cases.</p>
<p><br /> Hospital staff will employ “specific protocols when a patient does meet (COVID-19) criteria for an in-person evaluation based on their assessment on our tele-platform,” Mishkin said, referring to Care on Demand. “We’re going to guide them by notifying the facility, working with our infection control team and the Department of Health to make sure that it’s done in a very safe and smooth manner.”</p>
<p><br /> Baptist Health spokeswoman Georgi Morales Pipkin said, “Some patients are able to self-quarantine, and others may need additional care, according to their condition.”</p>
<p><br /> Delray Medical Center’s parent company, Tenet Health, said in a statement that it has “made preparations to handle the expected surge in patients presenting for emergency evaluation of COVID-19, and we have the proper care protocols to care for the subset of patients needing hospitalization while minimizing exposure to our staff.”</p>
<p><br /> Meanwhile, Frankel told constituents, “You are the best defense against the virus.”</p>
<p><br /> Keeping a safe distance from others, washing hands often and cleaning frequently handled surfaces have become familiar advice, with the CDC reminding: “The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus.”</p></div>Lantana: Town acts to retain upkeep duty for Nature Preservehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/lantana-town-acts-to-retain-upkeep-duty-for-nature-preserve2019-10-30T16:27:47.000Z2019-10-30T16:27:47.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Mary Thurwachter</strong></p>
<p>Before the Lantana Nature Preserve was created in 2000, the property’s buyer — who purchased 13.4 acres to build the Carlisle adult congregate living facility next door — agreed to pay $400,000 to design and construct the park. The agreement stipulated that the Carlisle would be responsible for maintenance and upkeep at the 6.5-acre park on East Ocean Avenue.<br /> The Carlisle chose to pay the town to do the maintenance. However, that arrangement isn’t reflected in the legal documents.<br /> At its Oct. 28 meeting, the Lantana Town Council voted to continue with the status quo and to amend documents to reflect that.<br /> “I think we need to retain control because I don’t want to have something that isn’t acceptable,” said Mayor Dave Stewart. <br /> The payment from the Carlisle for 2019 is $55,324. The annual budgeted amount is $32,000, with the remainder to go to updates such as a new roof on the gazebo and rebuilding the nature trail. The town, as detailed in the original sale agreement, can’t spend more than the amount Carlisle contributed for the preserve.<br /> “Over time, projects have been deferred due to budgetary constraints,” said Town Manager Deborah Manzo. The planned asphalt pathway, expected to cost about $60,000, is one example. Hurricane Irma severely damaged the shell rock path two years ago. Since then, the council has debated various materials for rebuilding the path and, in June, agreed on asphalt.<br /> Nature Preserve devotees prefer the shell rock, but council members dismissed it as too easily washing away.<br /> Since Irma, the park has suffered from neglect and has been overgrown with weeds and invasive vegetation.<br /> Rebuilding the path and cleaning up invasive vegetation aren’t the only concerns. Hypoluxo Island resident Media Beverly, who looked into the town’s financial records for the preserve, said if all the deed requirements were met since 2002, there’s approximately $433,000 unaccounted for in financial records.<br /> “I’m speaking on this issue because the town requested $8,750 from the Friends (of the Nature Preserve) to remove exotic plants from the Nature Preserve,” she said. “The Carlisle has spent $50,000 to design and $350,000 to build, plus about $863,000 to maintain the preserve. That’s $1.26 million they’ve invested to beautify the town of Lantana.”<br /> Beverly said she was not suggesting the money is missing or was mishandled, just that some income and expenses were never posted to the preserve. <br /> “Any money remaining after expenses has to still be there somewhere,” she said. “There’s a lot of money in the town’s general fund that belongs to the Nature Preserve. Let’s find it and put it in a special revenue fund so we can move on with the invasive plant removal and pathway reconstruction.”</p></div>Health & Harmony: Motivational speaker focuses on the good in growing oldhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/health-harmony-motivational-speaker-focuses-on-the-good-in-growin2018-01-31T17:07:31.000Z2018-01-31T17:07:31.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960773887,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960773887,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="600" alt="7960773887?profile=original" /></a><em><strong>ABOVE:</strong> Professional speaker Myra Goldick uses a motorized chair to counter the effects of post-polio syndrome, for which she had surgery. Her lecture series focuses on living life to the fullest at any age regardless of adversity. <strong>BELOW:</strong> A Carlisle resident asks fellow resident Goldick a question. She believes gratitude, forgiveness, happiness and a positive attitude can make aging a wonderful experience. <strong>Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960774452,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="500" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960774452,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960774452?profile=original" /></a></p>
<p><strong>By Lona O’Connor</strong></p>
<p>Plenty of people preach that the post-retirement years are a boon. But for sheer credibility, almost nobody can top Myra Goldick.<br /> Born in 1943, she grew up poor. Her single mom supported her and her brother. She got polio at age 10. Over the next decade, she recovered the ability to walk with only a slight limp. She married, had two children and made a successful career in the cosmetics industry. <br /> Through more than her share of obstacles, she has persevered.<br /> “How you react is one of the most important things in the healing process,” she told an audience at the Carlisle senior residence in Lantana, where she lives. “Attitude is everything. You don’t have any extra responsibilities. This is the time to follow your dreams. We don’t just have to fade away. Let your imagination run wild.”<br /> Goldick is launching her latest career as a motivational speaker. An intrigued audience filled the seats in the Palm Room at the Carlisle.<br /> “I see that many of you came back after Myra’s program last month,” said Karen Delgado, director of resident programming at the Carlisle. “I think that’s because you’re in awe of Myra.”<br /> Goldick was resplendent in a scarlet pantsuit. She wore her black pillbox hat at a jaunty angle. In addition to her other endeavors, Goldick was for a time a hat designer on Seventh Avenue in New York.<br /> She started her talk at the front of the room but soon moved down the center aisle to draw out stories from the others. <br /> “I take the audience on a journey through the first part of my life,” she said. “When I’m finished with that, I want them to open up about their joys and fears.”<br /> She may be the speaker, but her point is that the listeners are the stars.<br /> “We’re beautiful, we’re fabulous, we’re seniors,” she said, stopping by the row where Lila Fagenson sat. Fagenson is a volunteer at Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League in West Palm Beach. She is a matchmaker for cats and humans.<br /> “It’s gratifying to pair a cat with someone,” she said. <br /> After some prodding from Goldick, Fagenson, a widow, revealed that the matchmaking has rubbed off on her. She said she has started a romance with a neighbor, Larry Mosse. <br /> “When I came here I never thought I’d meet anyone,” said Fagenson. “I have found the second love of my life and I’m very happy.”<br /> Others in the audience have been working with seniors whose memory is fading, or with abused and neglected children, or in schools with students who have special needs. <br /> Ruth Early lost her husband two months after they moved to Florida from California. Now she’s launching a poetry appreciation group. <br /> “I like starting something new and exciting,” Early said, pitching her new group, and added, “I hope you will all become my friends, if you are not already.”<br /> Others brainstormed ideas to lure isolated neighbors out of their apartments, a common problem in senior communities. It’s a well-established fact that isolation is harmful, especially to seniors.<br /> “How do we make them believe that?” Fagenson asked. <br /> “Get them talking, even if what they say is negative. We need more ambassadors.”<br /> For the rest of the hour, Goldick moved up and down the aisle, seeking affirmations and ideas. <br /> Gloria Potter, seated next to Fagenson, suggested starting a chapter of the League of Women Voters. <br /> “Look, an idea was born tonight,” said Goldick. “I am proud to be a part of the most educated, most informed and most powerful generation of seniors. Never silence your voice. I love you all.”<br /> Despite her apparent recovery, it turned out that polio was not finished with Goldick. In the middle of a busy life, with a husband, two children and a career, she had just written a book. That’s when she found out she had post-polio syndrome. <br /> She had been having trouble walking when she watched a segment of 60 Minutes about post-polio syndrome.<br /> “They said polio could put people back in wheelchairs,” Goldick recalled. “I cried so hard, because I knew that was what was happening to me.”<br /> She found out that polio never really goes away. It can travel up the spinal cord and attack the brain.<br /> She would undergo a risky surgery to prevent her from being paralyzed from the neck down. <br /> In March 2017, Goldick’s husband died. <br /> “In four weeks, I lost my house and had to move,” she said. After a search she found the Carlisle to be the right fit for her. <br /> “I made it a point to get involved with this community. It’s very open, like an extended family. They helped me heal.” <br /> She’s gearing up to write another book, for “older people who have not really thought about the future and when they do, they are frightened.”<br /> With the aid of her motorized chair, Goldick is planning to take her talks on the road, offering her services to the many senior communities in the area. <br /> “I do want to present this to condos and adult communities,” she said. “There are so many widows and widowers. It took me a while to get over the death of my husband and get my thoughts together. Now I’m strong again. I’m back and I’m raring to go.”</p>
<p><em>For more information, visit <a href="http://www.myragoldick.com">www.myragoldick.com</a>.</em></p>
<p><em>Lona O’Connor has a lifelong interest in health and healthy living. Send column ideas to Lona13@bellsouth.net.</em></p></div>Carlisle allows some residents to return on Fridayhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/carlisle-allows-some-residents-to-return-on-friday2017-09-14T15:23:00.000Z2017-09-14T15:23:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505401358403_17316">The Carlisle retirement community on Ocean Avenue in Lantana had power Wednesday, Sept. 13 following Hurricane Irma and had staffers working to dry out apartments on the east side of the building that had water damage from the hurricane. A few trees limbs littered the east parking area.The Carlisle will allow residents of the first second and third floors to return at 9 AM Friday. Other residents might be able to return this weekend, depending on the progress of the cleanup.</div>
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<p style="text-align:right;"><em>—Willie Howard</em></p></div>Lantana: The Bard of The Carlislehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/lantana-the-bard-of-the-carlisle2017-08-30T15:41:07.000Z2017-08-30T15:41:07.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960735091,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960735091,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="600" alt="7960735091?profile=original" /></a><em>Gerson Fabe shows some of his works at The Carlisle Palm Beach. He shares a new poem daily with his fellow residents. <strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><span class="font-size-6">Poet sets reality and romance to rhyme</span><br /><span class="font-size-6">(and is rewarded with an eager audience)</span></p>
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<p><strong>By Willie Howard</strong><br /><br /> Whether he’s poking fun at our culture’s loss of civility or delving into his imagination to create wistful romantic images, Gerson Fabe enjoys writing poems and sharing them with fellow residents of The Carlisle Palm Beach, a senior living community in Lantana.<br /> When Carlisle residents arrive in the dining room for breakfast, many of them find something special on the pressed white tablecloths — sheets of paper bearing the headline “Poem of the Day.”<br /> Fabe, who turns 96 this month, studied writing in New York, where he was a life insurance agent. He started writing poems and short stories after he retired and moved to Boynton Beach more than 30 years ago.<br /> Fabe translates thoughts into rhyming stanzas of poetry on a computer in his fourth-floor apartment at The Carlisle. Words from television spark some of his ideas. Sometimes, he begins a poem, shelves it — and finishes it later.<br /> In addition to poetry, Fabe has published a collection of short stories titled <em>Short Stories for Trips of All Sizes</em>. Each story has a suggested reading time, listed in the index.<br /> Born on Sept. 28, 1921, Fabe grew up in Cincinnati, where he worked for his high school newspaper. <br /> After studying mechanical engineering for two years at the University of Cincinnati, Fabe learned that what would become the Air Force needed men with mechanical backgrounds during World War II.<br /> Fabe had become a pilot before entering the Air Force, so after 13 weeks of training at Yale University, he became an Air Force test pilot. <br /> He was the first to fly planes after they’d been repaired. Partly because of his careful preflight inspections, Fabe never had to ditch a plane during his six years in the Air Force.<br /> Flying emerges as a theme in some of his poems, such as <em>Come Fly With Me</em>, a romantic piece written in 1996, the year Fabe lost his wife, Joan. <br /> Other Fabe poems, such as <em>The Lament of Old Age</em> and <em>Through the Fog</em>, address the effects of aging. <br /> “Any poem that deals in some way with age everybody loves because they see themselves as the poem unfurls,” Fabe said.<br /> Fabe started sharing his poems with other residents after moving to The Carlisle three years ago. After finding a few copies of his poems in the dining room at breakfast, residents began to ask for them.<br /> He usually prints 25 copies of his daily poem and distributes them at breakfast. <br /> “Everybody seems to love them,” Fabe said, noting that some residents walk up to him with their hands out, expecting a copy.</p>
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<p><span class="font-size-4">Poems by Gerson Fabe</span><br /><br /><strong>The Lament of Old Age</strong><br /><br />My stamina and I <br />Are no longer speaking.<br />My left knee joint<br />Is loudly creaking.<br />But I’m glad to be here.<br /><br />My blood pressure<br />Whirls out of sight.<br />My eyes can’t tell<br />If it’s day or night.<br />But I’m glad to be here.<br /><br />My right arm ignores<br />My other hand<br />My heart is pumping<br />To beat the band.<br />But I’m glad to be here.<br /><br />My kidney ignores<br />The plight of my liver<br />And I’ve been totally rejected<br />As a whole blood giver<br />But I’m damn glad to be here.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Through the Fog</strong><br /><br />Memories flit in and out of a fog<br />That grows denser as we age<br />The moment in which they reveal <br /> themselves<br />Is as swift as just turning a page.<br /><br />A segment of the past appears, <br /> then<br />Drifts away in the blink of an eye.<br />Although you see them for but an <br /> instant<br />You live it again as if it had just <br /> gone bye.<br /><br />Pleasant memories are always<br /> welcome<br />but sometimes leave the mind <br /> agog.<br />Then of course there are the other <br /> kind<br />These we’ll wish back into the fog.</p></div>Lantana: Activities, amenities animate Carlisle residentshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/lantana-activities-amenities-animate-carlisle-residents2012-11-29T14:47:31.000Z2012-11-29T14:47:31.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960418466,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960418466,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="524" alt="7960418466?profile=original" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960418466,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><em>Richard and Lillian Goldman relax in the foyer of the Carlisle. <strong>Photos by Libby Volgyes/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
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<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>By Libby Volgyes</strong><br /><br /> Ruth Knox is still glowing a bit from the morning political discussion. A lively, animated group had gathered to discuss the previous evening’s vice-presidential debate. Peppered among talk of Hillary Rodham Clinton and the environment, the group broke down the age-old question: Do you want experience or youth? <br /> Knox, 87, loves those weekly political discussions, relishes good conversations filled with peppery zingers and a chance to think, discuss and get her brain working overtime. In the three years she’s lived at the Carlisle Palm Beach in Lantana, they’re one of the highlights.<br /> “There comes a time when you have to look in the mirror and realize you cannot do what you want to do, and the Carlisle provides location and services and all that comes with living in retirement,” Knox said.<br /> So, lured by location, among other things — the ocean breeze wafts lazily across A1A to Carlisle residents — she packed up her condo at the Rapallo along the Intracoastal Waterway in West Palm Beach and moved 9 miles down the street. <br /> For residents of the spacious establishment across from the Ritz-Carlton Manalapan, their future just got a little easier with the Carlisle’s expansion plans.<br /> Currently, the Carlisle has 60 assisted-living apartments and 250 independent-living apartments. In about four months, it will start the process of transitioning to 80 assisted-living apartments, 146 independent-living apartments and 54 “memory care” — Alzheimer’s- and dementia-specific housing for seniors. <br /> “It’s going to be awesome for our residents because it means they never have to move. This is their last move,” said Natasha Deonath, director of sales and marketing. “It’s huge. As our residents age, we’re trying to find ways to accommodate their needs.”</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960418274,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960418274,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="467" alt="7960418274?profile=original" /></a><em>Myrtle Singer gets a kiss from Sammy, her Chinese-crested powderpuff. Singer’s needlepoints grace the Carlisle’s hallways.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><br /> You first become introduced to Myrtle Singer, 91, as you walk the halls of the Carlisle: Her elegant needlepoint hangs in the hallways with other talented residents’ artwork. <br /> Singer moved in 11 years ago with her husband, Eddie, and Sammy, their Chinese-crested powderpuff. Sammy was the first dog at the Carlisle and only a puppy when they moved in, and while he attracted a fair amount of attention from the dog lovers (the Carlisle accepts all sorts of pets), all Myrtle was concerned about was being there with Eddie, the love of her life. <br /> “I was happy that I had my husband with me. That’s all I really cared about,” she said. They had moved from their custom-built home in Manalapan on A1A close by.<br /> Eddie helped make the transition easier, and though he has since passed away, she has her daily routine down pat.<br /> Every morning, she rises early to walk Sammy and then sets him down by the pool while she does laps. A lifelong swimmer, she traded in the lakes of Maine and Atlantic Ocean swims — where she was always afraid of the sharks — for the more sedate tempo of the Carlisle’s swimming pool. <br /> “They have a gorgeous pool. I’m in there every morning,” she said. <br /> Myrtle attends discussions on current events and is learning canasta. She has performed in the Drama Club’s Steel Magnolias and loves theater, musicals and dinner outings — and everywhere she goes, she brings Sammy. <br /> Out in the foyer is a younger couple who moved in a few months ago. Richard Goldman is reading the newspaper as his wife, Lillian, is knitting an afghan. (Both declined to give their ages.)<br /> They’ve been married more than 60 years and are inseparable.<br /> “We always go to their movies, whether we like ’em or not,” Richard said.<br /> “Their movie theater is beautiful; it’s very comfortable too,” Lillian adds. <br /> The state-of-the-art movie theater features special headphones for people who have difficulties hearing. <br /> “People that can’t hear say ‘I’m not going to go (to the movies) because I wouldn’t hear it and enjoy it,’ ” Deonath said. “It gets them out and enjoying it.” </p>
<p style="text-align:left;">So far, the Goldmans are still figuring out which activities to participate in, but they already know one thing they do like. <br /> “The people are nice. The help is lovely,” Lillian said, to which Richard added, “We’re crazy about them.” </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>About the Carlisle Palm Beach</strong><br />Date opened: 1988<br />Address: 450 E. Ocean Ave., Lantana<br />Price range: Independent living ranges from $2,395 to $6,995 per month, and assisted-living suites range from $1,995 to $6,995 per month. There also is a one-time community fee that starts at $5,000. A range of fees is based on size of apartment and services provided. <br />Staff size: More than 100 employees.<br />Special features: State-of-the-art movie theater featuring headphones for people with hearing difficulties, dining room, two card rooms, mini putting green, dog park, resort-style pool, café that serves lunch, library, beauty salon, gym, Internet lounge, wellness center that provides physical therapy, occupational therapy and a doctor’s office with an on-site physician, restaurant with private dining. <br />Restrictions, qualifications: None.<br />Average age: 79-84<br />Residents: 325<br />Information: 533-9440 or SeniorLifestyle.com<br /><br /> <strong> </strong></p></div>Lantana: Carlisle seeks changes for senior communityhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/lantana-carlisle-seeks-changes-for-senior-community2012-10-03T16:09:48.000Z2012-10-03T16:09:48.000ZDeborah Hartz-Seeleyhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/DeborahHartzSeeley<div><p>Some changes are in store for residents of the Carlisle, a six-story senior living community at 450 E. Ocean Ave., in Lantana.<br /> Senior Lifestyle Corp., owner of the luxury retirement community since March 2011, plans to make adjustments to better meet the needs of aging residents, according to Jerrold H. Frumm, executive vice president. <br />
“The reality is most people who live at the Carlisle require some care, and a lot of third-party caregivers are used now,” Frumm said during the Sept. 10 meeting of the Lantana Town Council.<br />
Senior Lifestyle won town approval on a plan to reduce the total number of units at the Carlisle and to add amenity space. The senior living home at Ocean Avenue and A1A, which consists of three residential buildings, was originally designed to house 250 independent-living apartments and 60 assisted-living units. With the approved changes, there will be 144 independent units and 54 assisted-living units.<br />
The reduction in units in the western building (for assisted-living residents) would happen when existing first-floor apartments are replaced with common service areas including a dining room, activity and lounge space and administrative offices.<br />
In another building, the reduction of units on the second and third floors will provide some flexibility to accommodate residents who have or develop dementia.<br />
Also winning council approval was a request to put kitchens or microwave ovens in units that don’t have them now.<br />
The Carlisle sits on property once owned by the town. In 1997, when the property was sold, the town drew up restrictions and covenants outlining what could be done there. <br />
— Mary Thurwachter</p></div>Proposed changes to Carlisle move to councilhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/proposed-changes-to-carlisle-move-to-council2012-08-29T18:30:00.000Z2012-08-29T18:30:00.000ZDeborah Hartz-Seeleyhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/DeborahHartzSeeley<div><p>Changes may be in store for the Carlisle, the high-end, six-story senior living community at the corner of A1A and Ocean Avenue in Lantana.</p>
<p>Up for discussion at the Sept. 10 Lantana Town Council meeting will be a request from the Carlisle to reduce the number of units from 310 to 280.</p>
<p>The number of independent living units would go from 250 to 226, and the number of assisted living units would decrease from 60 to 54. </p>
<p>Dave Thatcher, the town’s development services director, said that “because of market changes and demands for different kinds of units,” the Carlisle is asking for amendments to the town’s covenants, a special exception, and a variance request to allow for kitchen facilities or microwave ovens in 144 of the independent living units and 136 of the assisted living units.</p>
<p>Currently, kitchens are only permitted in some of the units, Thatcher said. </p>
<p>The Carlisle sits on property once owned by the town. In 1997, when the property was sold, the town drew up restrictions and covenants outlining what could be done there, Thatcher said. That’s why the amendments and a variance are needed.</p>
<p>The town’s plan review board gave a “thumbs up” to the proposal, Thatcher said. </p>
<p>Now it’ll be up to the Town Council. </p>
<p><span><i> </i></span><i>— Mary Thurwachter</i></p>
<div><i> </i></div></div>Wedding vows renewals at the Carlisle, Lantanahttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/wedding-vows-renewals-at-the2011-03-02T20:52:20.000Z2011-03-02T20:52:20.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960319869,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960319869,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="576" alt="7960319869?profile=original" /></a><em>Anita and Sid Eagle, married 69 years, were among 10 couples who renewed their wedding vows on Valentine’s Day at The Carlisle Palm Beach in Lantana. Cantor Bill Wood presided. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></div>