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Meet Your Neighbor
Erwin Levy
Erwin Levy was born in Garzweiler, Germany. For generations his family raised cattle and operated a butcher shop in the small village. His father was an officer in the German army during WWI. His life was forever changed when Hitler came to power in 1933.
Erwin's younger sister and both parents were sent to, and subsequently died in Nazi concentration camps. Erwin was part of the 'Kindertransport' program and at the age of 15 he was sent to England. He worked on various farms for the next five years while awaiting his VISA to the U.S. He says that while he had little money and no education in England, he was happy there and had many friends.
Late in 1943 his VISA was granted and Erwin made his way to the United States. In 1944 he was drafted into the U.S. Army. He had a long career there, 32 years of service in the army and active reserve. His basic training was at Camp Gordon, GA. While living in Germany under Hitler, he was denied any form of education, which had to be rectified. Prior to his acceptance to Officer Candidate School, he had to complete his GED and become a US citizen. By age 21 he was in command of a floating unit specializing in counter intelligence and involved in investigating and researching prospective defendants of the Nuremberg War Crimes trials. He worked in civilian clothes as well as military uniforms and carried ID making him a German citizen, completing a great number of complex intelligence and psychological warfare related tasks in Germany and neighboring countries.
Upon returning to the U.S. in 1948 he became an active reservist, attending national security seminars, Command and General Staff College and many other high level military schools.
His retirement rank? Colonel.
In 1951 he married and for many years ran a very successful wholesale business. He has three wonderful children, three loving grandchildren and is expecting a great grandchild next year.
Erwin's hobbies include photography, computers and gardening. He enjoys classical music. He is a member of the World Affairs Council and the CATO Institute and enjoys extensive political research.
He has traveled all over the globe, every country you can imagine and seen most of the national parks. In retirement Erwin likes having the time to be in "continuous learning mode". He attends lectures on politics, economics and world affairs whenever possible.
A believer in community, Erwin has been a board member of a Jewish congregation for many years. He has donated countless hours of volunteering with organizations to feed the homeless and his most recent appointment is right here at the Towers as a board member.
He attributes his success to hard work and determination, discipline and perseverance.
What does he enjoy most about the Towers lifestyle? That the available opportunities for activities are endless. It is almost impossible to find time to do nothing.
In closing Erwin shares a heartfelt wish with us, that things had been different so many years ago for his parents and sister...he misses them still.
Please come see the Library of Congress interview on DVD with Erwin Levy on his incredible life. It will be shown on Thursday, October 13th, 7pm in Lortscher Hall. | |
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Towers Troupers
Stagehands |  | |
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Greetings!
Here is your October Newsletter from the Towers at Laguna Woods Village. We hope you'll find articles of interest and please feel free to forward it on to any of your friends.
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Board News -
There was much accomplished at the Board meeting of September 15. Colonel Erwin Levy was appointed by the Board to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Darrell Haskell. On his appointment to the Board, Colonel Levy joined the Directors at the table. The Board reviewed Old Business. There are three Policies pending final approval. The Dress Code Policy, Motorized Wheelchair Policy, and the Pet Policy have all been reviewed by the Board and copies of the final revisions are available in the library.
Please remember that if you choose to dine in the Crystal dining room, the dress code is more formal, dressed-up attire. No food is to be taken from the dining rooms at any time. This includes doggie bags of leftovers.
Motorized Wheelchairs are not to be driven faster than low speed in the building when others are around and not to be driven faster than medium speed when traversing open areas within the building.
The Pet Policy is written to promote the safety of residents as well as pets. There is a six-foot leash limit and pets should be carried in the elevators. The reason pets should be carried is that their little feet can be stepped on or run over in a crowded space. There is also a very real risk of the doors closing with you on one side of the door and your pet on the other side. Stretched leashes can also be a trip hazard. The Board reminds you to be safe and keep your pets safe. All three Policies are posted in Lounge One and available in the library.
The Board instructed Staff to dispose of two used organs that had been donated to the Towers years ago. These instruments have not been played or maintained in several years.
The second floor bathroom remodel continues to be very dramatic. There was a slight delay for abatement of the old tile and for ordering additional cap tile but the changes are dramatic. Progress continues and we anticipate a completion date of early October.
Reminder: Residents may use the laundry facilities from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. When you use the machines, write your unit number on the board. Please do not remove someone else's laundry from the machines. |
Hollywood Revisited - October 15, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. in Lortscher Hall
Oh the bygone days of dazzling Hollywood! Leading men and beautiful women sang, danced and dressed their way into our minds and hearts. Greg Schreiner has for many years collected the most glamorous and recognizable of the Tinsel Town costumes, from the robes of kings and queens to Mae West's flirty frocks. With a wealth of costumes within his reach, Greg has formed a troupe of extraordinary performers adept at creating a stunning visual and auditory stage production.
 Filled with countless memorable moments, you will be transported back to a time when no amount of glitz was too much and show-stopping was the trend of the day. This talented team of vocalists, musicians and dancers will conjure up visions of opening nights when Garland and Andrews sang, Bing crooned and Hope joked like no other. You will hear fascinating tales about the stars, the costumes and the movies that showcased them. As the costumes change, so do the shows. No two shows are ever alike.
Please join us for fun, friends, glitter and glam.
Refreshments are included in the $15.00 admission. We will be serving champagne and non-alcoholic sparkling beverages.
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Weekly Activity Schedule
To keep up to date with the Towers activities Click here! The weekly activity schedule is at the bottom of the page and updated weekly. You'll never be in the dark about what's going on at the Towers! If you have any activity requests or suggestions, please contact JoAnn Cramer or Pam Peeler at 949-597-4250. |
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Homemade Fig Bars
Ingredients:
- Cooking Spray
- 1 cup quick-cooking oats
- 1 cup bran cereal
- 1/4 cup Whole-wheat flour
- 1 cup walnut pieces
- 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped stemmed dried figs
- 1/2 cup nonfat milk
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 large eggs
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Place the oats, cereal, flour, walnuts, figs, dry milk, cinnamon and ginger in food processor; coarsely chop.
Add the honey and eggs pulse until well combined.
Transfer the mixture to the pan; spread evenly with your fingers. Bake until lightly browned around the edges, about 20 minutes. Cool in the pay for 15 minutes, then cut into 16 bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or wrap individually and freeze for up to 3 months.
Servings: 16 |
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Towers Troupers
Behind the Scenes
This November a group of Towers residents, the Towers Troupers, will be performing a stage show reminiscent of the old 'Laugh In' television series. Their variety show dubbed 'Smile In', will be performed live in Lortscher Hall, the sets and backgrounds created solely by the Towers Troupers stagehands. This is no small task, but our troupers are more than able.
With any number of acts from singing and dancing to spoken word, there is a lot of behind the scenes work to be done. Trees need leaves and flowers, cars are built from the ground up, scripts written or re-written and babbling brooks need a touch of shimmer and shine. Even a painted replica of an old time juke box now adorns the stage.
Often writers and set designers go almost unnoticed...after all, it is the actors, dancers and comedians that enhance the scenery, add the subtle nuance and inflection to the written word, but we all know that without a tireless group of painters, pasters, playwrights, costume designers and engineers, those actors, dancers and comedians would not be nearly as dazzling. Here's to the unsung heroes, those who, behind the scenes, set the stage with a little more whimsy for all the rest of us to enjoy. |
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The Board Needs YOU!
If you have time to volunteer for the Towers please contact Chris Dibley in the Administration office at 597-4228. |
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