Stonecrest

Small world, lots of love

chris.wagner@starbanner.com — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 04:00:00 GMT

Bill Pierce spent a good portion of his birthday going up and down a ladder. He was painting the lanai that day (Oct. 24) and, of course, his six kids and many grandkids called him throughout the day and evening with birthday wishes.

He also climbed down the ladder to take my call, and although I did bid him well, I was calling to follow up on chance meetings he and his wife, Lue, had encountered on their summer trip to Michigan this year. More on that later.

Incidentally, when I asked Bill about his "special day" - and a milestone at that - his reply was probably typical for men: He said, "Oh, it's just another day."

Except for the paint job, the only other thing on his agenda was a meeting with the shuffle board folks, supposedly at 6 p.m. at the Crest Club pavilion. I say "supposedly" because close friends Jim and Linda Elling, along with Steve and Sharon Pruszynski (with wife Lue's knowledge), had party plans in the works. Incidentally, the planners even made up and delivered to the Pierces a false flyer announcing the nonexistent shuffle-board meeting.

Fifty or so of us had assembled at the pavilion when the Pierces arrived for their "meeting." After "Happy birthday!" shouts, four of my favorite things followed: hugs, picture-taking, cake and singing. By the way, in preparing this column, I asked Lue if she thought Bill would mind if I mentioned his age, to which she said, "Oh no. Not at all. He is very proud of being 75."

Going a step further, I asked Lue how long they had been married. "Fifty-five years this past June" was her astounding reply, which opened the door for many more questions. For instance, how did they meet?

Seems they lived about 10 houses apart back then, on the east side of Detroit. As youngsters, they'd played hopscotch and baseball together with other neighborhood kids but were not particularly close at that time.

When Lue was in her mid-teens, she was going to a family member's 16th birthday party. Her mother suggested she invite "Billy, that nice German boy down the street."
Lue remembers saying, "Oh yeah, he's kind of cute." So she called him with the party invitation, to which he replied, "Who are you again?" Not to be discouraged, Lue successfully refreshed his memory, and the date was made. When Billy came over the day of the party, he rang the doorbell, and Lue - the cute blonde girl from his childhood - opened the door.

Anyway, that's the way Bill remembers it, and he later confessed to Lue that his initial thoughts were "Holy mackerel, has she changed!" She was no longer a little kid.
They have been an item ever since. Fast forward a few years to the latter part of 2003. That's when the Pierces moved to Stonecrest and immediately got involved with community events. They volunteer and participate in many club activities not the least of which is the Drama Club. They will be appearing in the club's productions come Nov. 16 and 17, and their four daughters have made arrangements to be in the audience. (Remember Stonecresters, tickets go on sale today in the library.)
Now, about their trip back home to Michigan this past summer, it seems that visiting with old friends wasn't all that happened. Giving the old line "Haven't we met somewhere before?" a real workout, here's what happened.

Having lunch at the Beach Grill in St. Clair Shores, Mich., Lue ran into Stonecresters Hank and Genie Tribu, and then soon after she encountered Rick and Karen Gluski and then ex-Stonecresters Dave and Darleen Nowak.

But wait, there's more. Traveling back home, they stopped in Berea, Ky., for lunch. A gentleman came up to Bill, glad-handed him and asked, "Didn't we work together in the tower at Metro Airport?"

By the way, Bill and Lue are retired entrepreneurs. They were publishers and owned Roggers Printing in Harper Woods, Mich. So Bill told the fellow "no," he hadn't worked at Metro, to which the man said "maybe it was Bishop Airport." About this time, the connection was made by the man's wife, declaring Stonecrest the common denominator.

The Pierces then sat down and shared lunch with Stonecresters Doug and Barbara Lott.

What are the chances? The chances are pretty good that Bill and Lue Pierce would be recognized, which has a lot to do with what I've already said. They voluntarily contribute much of their time here at Stonecrest, truly giving back to our community and making it an even more fun place to live.

In brief

Probably considered semi-newlyweds to the Pierces, watch this space for interviews with Stonecresters celebrating 50 years of marriage.
You need to sign up now if you plan on joining the Garden Club on its Dec. 4 trip to Cypress Gardens (cost is $50). The club also is planning a holiday party for Dec. 4. Sign up early. The next meeting is Nov. 9, with a guest speaker from Interiors by Decorating Den who will share holiday decorating tips.
"In Her Shoes" is the movie presented tonight by the Computer Club's Cinema One. Residents are invited, and for a buck's donation, popcorn and soda are provided.
The Genealogy Club meets in the library at 9 a.m. on Wednesday.

Joyce Crile covers Stonecrest for the Summerfield Press. To reach Joyce, call 307-0447 or e-mail joyceccc@yahoo.com.

Photo Caption: Bill Pierce poses with Linda Elling, left, and Sharon Pruszynski. The ladies threw him a surprise party Joyce Crile/Special to Summerfield Press

Neighbors shine in toy-themed play

chris.wagner@starbanner.com — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 05:00:00 GMT

I've always wanted to write about an entrepreneur because I love the sound of the word, plus the fact that I know how to spell it. However, what has come to my attention is seriously more urgent than merely showing off my vocabulary (or lack of it).

It has come to my attention that the proprietor of a local toy store is considering selling her establishment, which could put the future of her "toys" in jeopardy.

I first heard the rumor of the sale from Polly, who works for the owner. The rumor turned out to be fact. After I checked it out, I had the privilege of listening to the "Noise of the Toys" - the play the drama club is now rehearsing.

OK. It's only make believe and now that the cat - or make that the Lyin' Lioness (Marilyn Dueffert) - is out of the bag, you will be amazed at how our neighborly actors and actresses "play" their parts while on the shelves of the toy store. I'm talking about Wyatt Burp (Bill Koontz), Forest Stump (Julius Haberman), Hulky Hero (Bob Marshall), Batty Man (Lou Romasco), whining Baby Doll (Bill Pierce), Exercise Babs (Lue Pierce), Rin Tin Tin Girl (Char Crawford), Bride Babs (Vella Marshall) and Ditz Babs (Phyllis Demopoulos). These characters are only about a corner of the shop.

There are many more Stonecresters toying around in this production. Polly Pleasant (Georgia Schommer) told me that tickets will be sold Nov. 3 and 4 in the library (for Stonecrest residents only). The $5 price is worth it, just to see if the normally sweet and always friendly Paula Brandon can pull of being as "grouchy" as Gertie, the store owner.

But wait - there's more.
A certain health institute is having a bit of a chaotic time with a mysterious visitor.

The emergency room's receptionist Lila (Terry Koontz) tries to keep order - that is, when her nail polish finally dries. In addition, in her own way, head nurse Carol Hasaway (Jean Clark) also tries.

However, things get silly when the "ERR" also is visited by the likes of a hypochondriac (Mary Romasco), a bratty kid's mother (Sharon Egan), a new intern (Jerry Sandaker) and Dr. Smelby (Wayne Nock, with a strange odor) - not to mention that mysterious caped figure, whose real name is "I-am-not-telling."

Dedicated caregiver Nurse Noble (Sharon Pruszynski) plays it straight in a funny scene where she is releasing accident prone Mrs. Bigbill (Drexel Kalavitz) from the hospital, then readmitting her, which involves a dialog containing a lot of "sign here, and here, and here, and É." Well, you get the picture.

"Noise of the Toys" and "Chicago ERR" are one act plays directed by our Drama Club president Karen Fanta. The productions are Nov. 16 and 17, and many of the actors and actresses will do double duty by appearing in both. The plays are full of surprises: not the least of which was when I found that petite little Terry Koontz and Georgia Schommer could both let out huge, gigantic, blood curdling screams when needed - you had to be there.

I had the fun of attending rehearsals to watch these hard working folks and I swear, I ended up laughing out loud more than once. I know you will, too. Matter of fact, I'll even guarantee that in writing - by signing here, and here, and here and here É.

In brief
Daylight saving time ends Saturday night. Be sure to turn your clocks back an hour or be early all day Sunday.

The next Ladies Luncheon is Nov. 6 and will feature a presentation by AAA called "Resort Highlights & Beyond." Deadline to sign up for the luncheon is Monday.

There will be a basic/beginner roundtable held for Computer Club members at 1 p.m. Monday in the Crest Club. This is a question and answer session, and more experienced computer members will be on board to help. Sign-ups are not required - members only need to show up.

Joyce Crile covers Stonecrest for the Summerfield Press. To reach Joyce, call 307-0447 or e-mail her at joyceccc@yahoo.com.>

Stonecrest ladies have it down to a tee

chris.wagner@starbanner.com — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 05:00:00 GMT

Another Nifty Niners Invitational goes down in history. Under the flawless leadership of league president Donna Hoskins, the event went on without a hitch - thanks to her many loyal and hard-working followers. Can't possibly name them all, but for sure Lori Dutton, Debbie McCray, Genie Burg, Pat Martin, Lue Pierce, Mary McEntee, Mary Slagle and Emmy "Emiko" Kuehn worked hard enough to get their names in this silly column.

There were many others who donated prizes, muffins and goodies for the breakfast, as well as their time in serving on the various committees.

The day was perfect, and ladies from all over the tri-county area participated.

The winners this year posed a rather unique problem for Marv Lessin, our golf director at Stonecrest. Seems three teams came in tied for first with a 38. The usual match of cards worked for figuring first place; however, the second and third match couldn't break the tie. Therefore, the old, reliable flip of the coin happened - making third-place winners out of Lori Dutton, Jody Freeman, Sandi Walls and Muriel Alsobrook.

Walking away with second place were Jan Stotlemyer, Marcia Finnegan, Roni Grucza and Lynn Tyndall. Lynn, from Kings Ridge, also achieved the closest to the pin on No. 6.

Also, the 2006 fall invitational champions were Pam Thomas from Harbor Hills, Annette Carini from Oak Run, Wanda Bolle from Eagle Ridge and Stonecrester Patricia Oplinger.

Longest driver on No. 4 was Sandy Arbuckle, who hails from Royal Oak.

Stonecrester Sue Rice and team members Betsy Boyd and Linda Noel correctly identified all of the word/slogan puzzles - without the help of their fourth player, Mary McEntee. Mary is credited for coming up with all of the puzzles so she couldn't participate. Mary also supplies the monthly brain teasers in our monthly Cornerstones.

Pulling together an invitational of this size - and doing it successfully - takes a lot of work from a lot of folks. Included in that group were many husbands who helped with such things as golf cart arrangements and sign postings. In addition, several SLGA 18-hole ladies helped with the breakfast, including Bev Benjamin and Judy Zyskowski. Judy is fairly new to Stonecrest and was still on a "high" from her Oct. 5 ace. She achieved her first ever hole-in-one that day using a 4 iron on No. 6.

It's great to see so many of us senior women golfing. Years ago, "ladies" not only didn't golf, but they knew little about the game. Some misconceptions about the language of golf were recently sent to me:

Caddy - two women talking about a third who was not there to defend herself.

Chipping - time to get nails done again.
Double bogie - "Casablanca" followed by "African Queen"

Fairway - splitting the lunch bill evenly.

Greens - lunch eaten when a cheeseburger is what we really want.

Water hazard - giving the kids too much to drink before a road trip.

Wedge - bathing suit that's too tight.
And my own personal favorite: Good Lie - weight on our driver's license.

In brief
The Drama Club is well into rehearsals for its fall productions of "Chicago ERR" and "Noise of the Toys," two one-act plays to be presented Nov. 16-17. Mark down the dates and watch this space for more details.

The Pebbles Club's annual Halloween party is scheduled for Saturday. For a mere $5, chicken, soda and rolls will be served along with a potluck array of salads and desserts. Ghosts and goblins are encouraged to check the sign-up book to see if space is still available.

At several members' request, the Computer Club has added a digital camera workshop to its schedule of classes. The first will be held Oct. 26. Sign-up is required, and the class size is limited to 10 members.

Joyce Crile covers Stonecrest for the Summerfield Press. To reach Joyce, call 307- 0447 or e-mail her at joyceccc@yahoo.com.>

Sweet Stonecrest surprise

chris.wagner@starbanner.com — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 04:00:00 GMT

Best man, bridesmaid, ring boy, flower girl and photographer. That's the roundup of the usual suspects at a wedding. But at the recent betrothal of Maureen Cesaitis and Craig Mourton, their friend Bob Coffey was all of the above.

Maureen and Craig's plans were to get married on Tybee Island, Ga., with only their good friends Caren and Bob Coffey in attendance. Unfortunately, at the last minute, Caren could not make the trip. However, Bob accompanied the happy couple.
The wedding, by the way, was smokeless. Seems that it was sort of a condition of Maureen's that Craig stop smoking before she would do the deed. As a sign of solidarity, and as a real gesture of friendship, the Coffeys also successfully quit smoking at the same time, which was about three months ago.

But the Coffeys weren't done yet. Unbeknownst to the newlyweds, Bob and Caren had enlisted the help of our very own party magician, activities director Marian Whitehead, to plan a surprise reception at the Crest Club. The room was decorated peachy with "beachy" touches in colors of citrus green and magenta. The 90 or so guests consisted of the couple's golfing buddies (Craig is a golf professional) along with members of Stonecrest's Investment Club, of which Maureen is a member (she is a financial management wizard), plus various family and friends.

Now how did they get them into the Crest Club for the party? Well, Caren is an artist and an active member of Stonecrest's Art Association. It was under the pretext of coming to see her most recent work on display at the clubhouse that successfully got Mo and Craig in the door.

They were greeted by a few dozen cameras, a loud recording of "Here comes the bride," a red carpet leading to a beautifully decorated trellis and - best of all - dozens of guests creating an arch with golf clubs, under which the couple entered the room.
It was awesome. With champagne glasses held high, Bob offered a toast to the couple after Caren first offered a tidbit about the success of the affair. Obviously impressed with all her husband had accomplished, it was evident that what dazzled her most was that he hadn't blown the surprise. Actually, Caren's exact words were,

"It's hard for Bob to keep his mouth shut."

The couple will honeymoon in November aboard a cruise. (By the way, about 10 Stonecrest couples also are booked on the same cruise, but not necessarily as part of the honeymoon. One couple in particular, though, will be celebrating a very significant anniversary. Watch here for details.)

Craig is also a published writer and his latest article appears in this month's Ocala Magazine. Titled "Foreplay," he has created his dream golf course, consisting of his favorite 18 holes, where they are and why they made the list. Stonecrest's own challenging second hole made the cut. The article has a wonderful photo of Craig keeping his head down while following through and can be seen by searching with his name at ocalamagazine.com.

In brief The Democratic Club will meet at 4 p.m. Tuesday in the Crest Club. There will be a guest speaker, and all Democrats and Independents are welcome to attend. If you are interested in joining this club, the dues are $10 a year.

The Michigan Club has a sweet idea. From 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday they will be holding a festival of desserts at the Crest Club. For a dollar a pop (or pie or cake), indulge your sweet tooth with your favorite autumn dessert.

The Ladies Traveling Billiards season begins Oct. 27. Ongoing practice sessions are held every Monday from 1 to 3 p.m. Gals are invited to check out this fun adventure.
Joyce Crile covers Stonecrest for the Summerfield Press. Contact her at 307- 0447 or joyceccc@yahoo.com.

Nifty Niners go 18 and to the beach

chris.wagner@starbanner.com — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 05:00:00 GMT

At the annual "SLGA invites Nifty Niners" golf outing last month, most of us ended up at the beach. No, I don't mean in the sand traps - nor do I rule them out completely. But that's not what I mean.

The event was billed as the 18-Hole Ladies Beach Party, to which members of the Nifty Niners were invited. Since I'm a "Niner," I was thrilled to participate - especially since my foursome came in seven strokes under par.

(Darn it. I just can't do it! I was really going to go with that - but it's a lie.)
We came in seven over par, which isn't bad - but did not take us to the winner's circle. However, I do call to your attention to the fact that, since this is my column, I don't always have to tell the truth - but the honest truth, however, is that we had a wonderful day of not winning.

In my foursome was long-hitter Char Crawford. I spent a lot of time standing with my mouth hung open, watching her drives. I mean, this gal can hit - and she is so humble about her ability. A classy lady. And while on the subject of classy ladies, Carolyn Roberto, the other SLGA member of our group, meets that criterion. She, too, hits a mean ball.

Finishing our foursome was my fellow Niner, Debbie McCray, who is no slouch either and was having an excellent day. Go Debbie!

So why didn't we win the darned thing? Although it was a scramble, we were required to use a certain number of drives from each player - meaning that we couldn't use only the best ones from the best hitters. No problem far as Debbie, Char and Carolyn's drives were concerned. Mine however, are never, ever, ever long - which, by the way, made me the most consistent player in our group.

Coming in first after a match of cards were Betty Noble, Dee Ward and Betsy Weske. Second place went to Donna Biondo, Marcy May, Kathy Sames and Jan Stotlemyer, and third was Cathy Canton, Audrey Malloy, Helen Osier and Judy Zyskowski.
Lunch followed at the Crest Club, where everyone was dazzled by the array of salads and desserts prepared by members of the SLGA. With compliments to talented decorators Dianne Hughes and Ruth Tanner, each table's centerpiece depicted the beach. For instance, real sand and shells spilled out of beach pails, and there were "see de" fish. Make that CD fish - made from CDs. Very clever.

You had to be there. So glad I was. In brief The Computer Club will present "How to Buy A Computer" at their Oct. 9 meeting. All residents, not just club members, are welcome to attend.

Cinema One's movie tonight is "RV" with Robin Williams. Doors open at 6 p.m. and a dollar donation covers popcorn and soda.

Joyce Crile covers Stonecrest for the Summerfield Press. To reach Joyce, call 307- 0447 or email her at Joyceccc@Yahoo.com.

Three at a time's a charm

chris.wagner@starbanner.com — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 05:00:00 GMT

The odds are astronomical. Therefore, the thought of having triplets - and identical ones at that - didn't even enter their minds.Marge and Dick Horning's son, Jeff, and his wife, Janet Shander-Horning, were already parents to Mallory, 9, and Andrew, 6.But at age 40, Janet decided to have just one more baby. Shortly after confirming her pregnancy, the doctor detected more than one heart beat and predicted twins. Just a few weeks later, however, it was confirmed she was carrying triplets.

Tentative touring

chris.wagner@starbanner.com — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 04:00:00 GMT

There will be singing, dancing, instrumentals and comedy. In addition, Sonny Lerner said that he "plans for it to be fast-paced and filled with enthusiasm." I'm referring to our Variety Show, for which Sonny is the director, with assistant directors Emma Hopkins and Dodie Biggins. The show is scheduled for March 29, 30 and 31, 2007, which sounds like a long time away, but it "ain't." Not when you consider all the work involved.

Flu clinic a model of organization

chris.wagner@starbanner.com — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 05:00:00 GMT

Marian Whitehead, Stonecrest's activities director, is organized, very much so at that. So, I wasn't surprised when I attended her organized Organizational Meeting for the fall flu shot clinic to be held for residents here at Stonecrest - not surprised, but very impressed. She even made a scale model of the clinic's physical set-up, including welcoming red carpets. (On anther note, Marian is well known around these parts for her clever and creative talents.)

Attending the meeting were 21 volunteers who will assist in running the clinic, most all of whom are repeats who had done the deed last year. Kudos to them for their willingness to give their time to our community - it involves three days of hard work and concentrated effort.

This will be the fifth year that Marian has run the clinic and, each year, she gets a better handle on how to run things. It takes a lot of planning and is anything but a shot in the dark. At this particular meeting, any problems that might have been encountered last year were discussed and solutions worked on.

One hitch, however, has nothing to do with how the clinic is set up. It has to do with the social nature of Stonecresters. During the clinic, we "shot-getters" might see folks we haven't seen in a while; so, a quick "How've you been?" turns into not only a lengthy conversation but a bottle-neck in the flow of things. Therefore, we should keep in mind that socializing, unfortunately, is sort of out of place here.

One might think the actual procedure is simple. You come to the Crest Club, fill out a form, get registered, get shot, get orange juice and then get on with your day.

Actually, before we are out the door, we will have been to as many as eight different stations set up in the clinic - all manned with volunteers to help us along the way. And, there will be as many as a thousand of us seniors going through the process during the three days, which are Oct. 1, 2 and 3. Please note, however, that neighborhoods will be scheduled at intervals, and residents should make every effort to adhere to the times set. This way, no one has to wait too long. About those volunteers: Many not only worked the clinic last year but have been involved all five years, and I don't doubt that one reason for their return has to do with the efficient manner in which Marian handles things. If you do take advantage of this clinic, please be sure to acknowledge our good volunteers. Sandra Vance and Maureen Tonner will be among those giving the shots.

Clinic assistants are: Betty Drake, Bob O'Dell, Doris Spurk, Cheryl Dungan, Kathy Martin, Loretta Hanhurst, Marie Jones, Sandy Reeves, Marlys Forbrook, Mary Arterburn, Ruth Prentice, Sharon Egan, Shirley Steele, Tom and Marlene Walsh, Roy and Linda Courtney, and Ol and Delores Laakso.

Interestingly, at this organizational pow-wow, Marian formed a four-person administrative team to oversee next year's clinic (under her guidance). Team members are Cheryl Dungan, Sandra Vance, Mary Arterburn and Loretta Hanhurst. And, yes, vaccine has already been ordered for 2007.

Now that's being organized. Joyce Crile covers Stonecrest for the Summerfield Press. To reach Joyce, call 307-0447 or e-mail her at Joyceccc@Yahoo.com.

Library volunteer's love of books is matched only by her dedication

chris.wagner@starbanner.com — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 05:00:00 GMT

I can't throw them away - not even one. Could you?" Joyce Ryan asked. We were talking about books in general, and those in our Stonecrest library in particular. Joyce has been taking care of our hardcover books even before a "library" existed here.

A Yankee in the Lone Star State

chris.wagner@starbanner.com — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 04:00:00 GMT

Texas. I've been there a few times. The state is very much a part of me. My father was born there. Often, during my growing-up years, we'd take family vacations there. Years later, somewhere around the mid-1970s, my husband, Gary, who was a plant manager with the Nabisco Corp., accepted a transfer to Denison, Texas, where he manufactured Fleischmann and Blue Bonnet margarine.