The Beacon. February City Clu\! Foun^_^ F_\ru[ry 1, Volume 11, Number 10

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1 The Beacon February 2016 Volume 11, Number 10 Open Your Hearts In 1992, the Interfaith Hospitality Network was created by a group of volunteers as a rotating shelter to address the gap in services for homeless families with children. Area religious congregations provided space in their buildings for families to sleep and volunteers to provide dinner and support. In 2002, St. Joseph Mercy Health System agreed to lease Alpha House to IHN for $1/year, where families have a safe place to re-group and focus on securing stable housing. During the month of February, we re inviting City Club members to Open Your Hearts and contribute new items chosen from the following list. Some of these items will be used by families while they are in the shelter, and some will be given to them in Blessing Baskets to help them get started when they leave for permanent housing City Clu\! Foun^_^ F_\ru[ry 1, 1951 Member News Welcome New Members! Patricia Chatas -Large Laundry Baskets -Radio Alarm Clocks -Pillows -Twin Sheet Sets -Plastic Twin Mattress Covers -Baby Monitors -High Efficiency Light Bulbs -Accordion/Expandable files (with multiple dividers) for important papers -Day planners -Bathroom Mats/Rugs - Shower Curtains (fun colors/patterns would be a special treat!) -Tool Kits -Cleaning Supplies (window cleaner, all-purpose cleaner, laundry detergent, etc.) -Front Door Mat -Mop / Broom/ Dustpans -First Aid Kit (family size) -Socks, Underwear and T-Shirts (all sizes for infant, toddler, children and women) A barrel will be located in the entryway to the Club for your convenience. Please deposit your donated items in the barrel. Should you prefer to offer a cash donation, please make your tax deductible check out to Alpha House and leave it at the front desk. We appreciate your opened hearts. Jeanne Hernandez Community Outreach Committee Chair Washtenaw Avenue Ann Arbor, Michigan

2 From the President Brrr! It sure got cold outside, but the warmth of friends and fun (I m currently enjoying the Genealogy Class conducted by Connie Olson and Ronnie Meade) and good food at the Club is my antidote of choice and available five days a week! I hope you will join me for our State of the Club meeting on Wednesday, February 3, at 10:30 a.m. As there are no items on the agenda requiring a vote this year, we can spend a relaxed hour with good news regarding the year to date. I will entertain you with details of what s going well for us (practically everything), what needs to improve (member recruitment), and what we re doing about it. Our General Manager, Greg Fleming, will provide a report on the much needed capital improvements made last summer and fall, our increased events business, and other activities. Our Treasurer, Ronnie Meade, will report on finances to-date plus projections through the end of our fiscal year (April 30). Please take advantage of this opportunity to socialize with friends and, of course, stay for lunch afterward (reservations appreciated). Thanks to your generous support, we are gradually reducing our reliance on member donations. If the Way Forward 2016 effort can raise $112,000 between now and the end of our fiscal year, April 30, and without any unforeseen detriments, we will neither make a draw upon our Line of Credit nor require early dues payments from the Endowment Fund. By avoiding these actions, we will begin the new fiscal year without loan repayments and the costs associated with them. The Way Forward 2016 has been kick-started once again by Susan Smith s magnanimous offer of $30,000 to match donations at the Sustainer Level of $3,000 or more. If you are not able to contribute at the Sustainer Level, a suggested donation of $200 (or more) will push us to our goal and, of course, a gift in any amount will be greatly appreciated. With this reduced ask, your Board of Directors wants you to realize the difference you have made toward the financial health of the City Club. Even as we improve the Club s benefits to members and the community, we are gradually diminishing our annual fundraising goal. Please check the Beacon for the many activities scheduled this month, details regarding the annual Open Your Heart Campaign beneficiary - Interfaith Hospitality Network/Alpha House, the upcoming Motown Party with the Rick Lieder Band on February 19, and please save the date, March 11, for the Downstairs Downton Dinner. Last, but definitely not least, Ann Arbor City Club member Karen Valvo was recently appointed to the bench of the 15th District Court. Congratulations are in order (as well as a subtle humming of Here Comes the Judge?) when you next see Karen. Pat Amort, President City Club Reads WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17 3:30 P.M. Selection: H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald Where: Tea served in the Carrothers Dining Room Reservations are required by Monday, February 15 DOWNSTAIRS DOWNTON DINNER A farewell to the program we loved Friday, March 11 6 p.m. Cocktails 6:45 Dinner Period "downstairs" attire optional. Open to members and their guests. A Downton Abbey inspired menu will be served. Please make your reservations by Monday, March 7 2

3 CHECK IT ***H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald*** CityClubReads selection Daily Lunch Service 11 a.m. 1:30 p.m. (Monday-Friday) Drinks & Snacks in the Pub 1:30 5 p.m. (M, Tu, Th, F) Thursday Evening Dinner Service 5 7 p.m. Friday, February 5 First Friday Happy Hour 4-6 p.m. in the Pub Friday, February 12 Valentine s Day Lunch 11:30 a.m. See page 4 for full menu options! $18 inclusive Reservations required by Wednesday, February 10. No regular lunch will be served this day. Thursday, February 18 Thursday Travelogue: California Dreamin Dinner 6 p.m. / Presentation to follow See page right for full details. Tuesday, February 23 It s Your Birthday Luncheon 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Calling all February birthdays! Come celebrate at the Club with complimentary birthday cake for all. Regular lunch menu available. Wednesday, February 24 Lunch & Learn with John Branch 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. See page 4 for more information. Thursday, February 25 Dinner and a Movie Night at the Club Dinner at 5 p.m. Movie at 7 p.m. Stay to watch The Door after enjoying a dinner of your choice from our dinner menu. Complimentary popcorn! Due to events at the City Club, lunch will be served in the Pub only on the following dates: Monday, February 8 Thursday, February 18 Don t forget to make reservations! Call , ext. 1, or rachael@annarborcitycluborg This selection was announced in January. It is the first nonfiction choice for this program. If you read the book, or even if you don t, please join us for tea and scones and discussion at the Club at 3:30 on Wednesday, February 17. There is no charge, but reservations are required by February 15. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman recent acquisition Translated from Swedish, I found this novel captivating from the first paragraph. My favorite sentence in the book is He stands at the counter of a shop where owners of Japanese cars come to purchase white cables. Can you guess what kind of shop that would be? For those who enjoyed The Door by Magda Szabo, please join us on 2/25, Movie Night, to watch the film made from the novel and see how Helen Mirren does Emerence! Come up and see me sometime, Marian the Librarian Thursday Travelogue California Dreamin February 18, 2016 Dinner 6:00 Presentation to follow Linda Atkins and Tom Kenney will share their photos and stories from several trips that they made to California between 2005 and Their travelogue will feature stops in San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon, Yosemite, Mono Lake, Lake Tahoe, and more! Please join Linda and Tom for an enjoyable evening! 3

4 Lunch & Learn With John Branch Date: Wednesday, February 24 Time: 11:30 a.m. Member Cost: $25 inclusive No Thanks, I ve Had Enough Sheep Brains : Developing Your Cross-Cultural Competence John Branch currently teaches a variety of marketing and international business courses at the undergraduate, M.B.A., and executive levels, and serves as the Academic Director of the Ross School of Business s part-time MBA program. From he also acted as the Director of Educational Outreach at the University s William Davidson Institute, which focuses on emerging and transitional economies. Professor Branch has been involved in a variety of European Union and other government-funded development projects, most notably in the republics of the former U.S.S.R., including Kyrghyzstan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Dr. Branch has also advised numerous international companies, including Anheuser-Busch, British Telecom, Cargill, Mercedes Benz, Oracle, Dell, Coca-Cola, Michelin, and Nestlé. Special Thanks to our Lunch & Learn Presenting Sponsors Lunch & Learn Menu Stuffed Pork Loin Tender pork loin stuffed with dried apricot, celery, sage, and walnuts with a cider brown butter served with roasted root vegetable and new potato hash. -Or- Vegetable Pot Pie a medley of winter vegetables in a light sage cream topped with puff pastry. Chef s Choice Dessert Valentine s Day Luncheon 11:30 a.m. Friday, February 12th Menu Choose between: Roasted Airline Chicken breast with marsala demi glace, topped with wild mushroom sauté. Served with horseradish whipped potatoes and sautéed green beans with pomegranate. Or Locally made butternut squash ravioli with a brown butter sage, toasted walnut, crisp sage, sundried tomato, and Danish bleu. Dessert Michigan Cherry Pie $18 Inclusive THERE WILL BE NO REGULAR LUNCH THIS DAY! Upcoming Travel Club Events Day Trip in Dearborn Wednesday, March 9 Leave City Club 12:15 p.m. Return 7:15 p.m. Docent tour of the Arab American National Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate Guided tour of the Islamic Center of America Dinner at Alameer Visit to Shatila Bakery for coffee and pastries Please bring a scarf to cover your head at the Islamic Center of America. Bring Cash for optional bakery and gift shops. Member $65 Non-Member: $75 Tour of Art House Thursday, May 12 Save the Date! Art House is an 1872 Gothic Revival home in the historic Brush Park neighborhood near downtown Detroit. The interior preserves original fireplaces, over-mantle mirrors, woodwork, wall coverings, decorative plaster, Minton tiles, parquet floors & etched glass. With period furnishings & collections of art & artifacts, it is truly one of Detroit s hidden treasures. More information coming soon! For questions and payment, contact Mary Greulich at

5 Cinema at the City Club Make your dinner reservations and join us for a viewing of The Door Helen Mirren, Martina Gedeck, Károly Eperjes Thursday, February 25 7 p.m. Evening Book Discussion Group The Evening Book Discussion Group will meet on Thursday, February 11, 2016 at 5:30 p.m. February s selection is The Warmth of Other Suns written by Isabel Wilkerson. We meet in The Pub for dinner and a lively discussion about the book. Reservations for dinner are suggested but if you find that you are free on short notice---we would be delighted to have you join us. If you would like more information, please call me at (734) The Flea Market can use your help! In addition to needing items you no longer need, we are beginning to think about all the volunteers needed to make our Flea Market a success. We hope you will start thinking about this as well. We will need table monitors (people to keep their eyes on the merchandise and answer questions), greeters, and wrappers, as well as people to help set up before (Thursday, March 31) and pack up after. Please consider volunteering some time before and during the sale which starts Friday, April 1 (members and guests only) and will be open to the public Saturday, April 2 from 9:00-4:00 and Sunday, April 3 from 12:00-4:00. This is our biggest fundraiser, and the money raised is crucial to our Club s well -being. There will be sign-up sheets at the front desk soon, so look for them and SIGN UP! Book Discussion The Book Discussion Group will meet at 10:30 AM on Friday, February 19. The book will be Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon. Everyone is welcome to join us. Suzanne Powell Chair An aspiring writer finds inspiration in her tough-minded new housekeeper, leading her to investigate the woman's past where she uncovers dark and painful secrets. Based on the novel by Magda Szabó. Upcoming Gallery Exhibit We hope you have enjoyed our membership exhibit. It will come down Feb 15, so still time to see it. The February exhibit will showcase Judith Mason-MacComber s oil paintings titled Scenes of Michigan. Below is her artist statement: Judith Mason-Macomber grew up in Evanston, Illinois. She prepared herself to paint by stealing one of her mother s bed sheets, crayoning a design of fish around the bottom and making a dirndl skirt. Her friends thought this was terrific. Her mother not so much. Later, in Chicago, she worked as a freelance photographer, while a student at the Illinois Institute of Technology and The School of Art Institute of Chicago. Her studies brought her into the orbits of photographers Aaron Siskind and Harry Callahan, as well as sculptor Henry Bouris. Judith credits painter Richard Koppe as a chief influence in encouraging her interest in representation at a time when those artists who practiced it were considered Paleolithic. Outside the academy, she worked in advertising for eighteen years, supporting her daughters and in 1996 moved to Oregon to paint the Western Landscape. In 2009 Judith moved to Ann Arbor where she joined the Ann Arbor Women Artists and the Painting Section of the University of Michigan Faculty Women s Club. She now focuses on Scenes of Michigan. She has exhibited all over the country, and her works are in many private collections. (She continues to paint creatures, including people and a few fish, but not usually on her clothes). Mary Bachman Publicity for the Art Committee Don t Forget!! Ann Arbor City Club State of the Club Meeting This Wednesday, February 3, :30 am CITY CLUB MEMBER KAREN VALVO APPOINTED TO THE BENCH IN 15TH DISTRICT COURT! CONGRATULATIONS! 5

6 Connections: Spotlight on Joan Bentz Joan Bentz was born in Reading, Pennsylvania and then lived briefly in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The family returned to Reading and Joan attended local schools really local, as Joan lived only a few blocks from the schools she attended from second grade through college. At Albright College Joan carried out a double major in biology and chemistry. Life was not all test tubes and dissections as she met her future husband, Rodney, then a pre-med student. They became engaged during senior year. After graduation Rodney went to the University of Pennsylvania Medical School while Joan went to Reading Hospital where she studied laboratory medical technology and qualified to become a medical technologist. This certification led to a position at Smith, Kline, and French (now GlaxoSmithKline) the pharmaceutical firm in Philadelphia where she worked on finding a drug to inhibit the biosynthesis of cholesterol. This was both important and exciting work because of the invidious effect of cholesterol on heart attacks and strokes. After three years in Philadelphia, Joan and Rodney moved to Ann Arbor for Rodney s internship and residency in Internal Medicine. Joan also worked in Internal Medicine doing research on the allergens and antibodies in ragweed. (Many thanks from hay fever sufferers.) As the Vietnam War was in progress, Rodney was drafted and Joan was excited at the prospect of traveling to new and different places. As luck would have it, he ended up at Valley Forge Army Hospital in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, not more than 35 miles from where she grew up! Of course, it was nice to be near family and old friends. The family grew to three with the birth of a son. After Rodney s tour of duty was over, the Bentz s returned to Ann Arbor where Rodney worked in pulmonary critical care medicine. Eventually, Rodney went into private practice at St. Joseph s Hospital. The birth of a daughter brought the Bentz family to number four. Joan took advantage of social opportunities in Ann Arbor as well as opportunities to volunteer. She joined the Faculty Women s Club and the St. Joseph s Medical Auxiliary and worked in the gift shop. She later became treasurer and president of the organization. Joan developed an interest in bridge and in 1978 she joined the Ann Arbor City Club. She took classes and played bridge eventually earning the rank of silver life master. But bridge was far from her only involvement. She worked on the Home Tour and the Flea Market, the White Elephant table was her specialty, and served as secretary of the City Club Board. Joan notes how much more popular bridge has become since she first joined the Club. At that time there was only one sanctioned game at the City Club and now there are four. [A sanctioned bridge game is a game of duplicate bridge which uses a director and enables participants to earn points from the American Contract Bridge League.] There were only two sanctioned games city-wide and now there are five. Joan like many others enjoys the wonderful people she has met at the Club. She is both hopeful and optimistic about the future of the Club because of its very talented staff, the General Manager, in particular, and devoted members. She expects it to last for a long, long time. Libby Birdsall For the Membership Committee Our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Louise Anderson Low Former City Club Member Clarice Arnett Granddaughter of Member Betty Arnett 6

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8 1830 Washtenaw Avenue Ann Arbor, Michigan The Beacon President: Editor: Patricia Amort Kylista Geiger Photograph by Dale R. Niesen Round Island Lighthouse Round Island, Straits of Mackinac, Michigan Upcoming Events March 2016 Wednesday 2 Dine & Discover: Richard Primus 6 p.m. Friday 4 First Friday Happy Hour 4-6 p.m. Wednesday 9 Day Trip in Dearborn 12:15-7:15 p.m. Friday 11 Downstairs Downton Dinner 6 p.m. / 6:45 p.m. Thursday 17 St. Patrick s Day Dinner 5 p.m. Tuesday 22 It s Your Birthday Lunch 11:30 a.m. Wednesday 23 Musicale 10:30 a.m. Thursday 24 Cinema at the City Club 7 p.m. Sunday 27 Easter Brunch 11 a.m. April 2016 Friday 1 Flea Market: Members Only Sale Saturday 2 Flea Market 9 a.m. -4 p.m. Sunday 3 Flea Market 9 a.m. -4 p.m. Wednesday 6 Member Appreciation Dinner Wednesday 20 Musicale 10:30 a.m. Thursday 21 Travelogue 6 p.m. / Presentation to follow Tuesday 26 It s Your Birthday Lunch 11:30 a.m. Wednesday 27 Lunch & Learn: David Lam 11:30 a.m. Thursday 28 Cinema at the City Club 7 p.m. Friday 29 Clayton Lewis Artist Reception 8