Sounds of Stonebridge: Recent Episodes
Neil Schwartz
During the Coronavirus crisis, stay up to date with news, notes and general information to keep us all connected.
Today, June 5, 2020, aside from being National Donut Day, is also the last episode of the Sounds of Stonebridge Podcast. Fridays are also "Financial Friday" of the Sounds of Stonebridge, with Ken Nemery. On today's episode, we discussed whats going on out there from an economic and investing standpoint. It started off by discussing today's unemployment figures, which were much better than anyone anticipated. Both Ken and I were surprised by that situation, although many retail businesses are starting to open back up. We both hoped there is nothing being buried in the numbers to make things look better. As I like to say When you hit bottom, there is only one way to go and that is up. Ken went on to further discuss some of the leading edge indicators that he looks at and what people can focus on with respect to making sound investment choices. Ken feels that we still have a number of hurdles to get over but that things are off to a good start in terms of economic and financial recovery. Jeff Hall, our Director of Golf popped in at the end for a proper send off to the Sounds of Stonebridge. After 43 episodes, I forgot about a half episode, I hope that we were able to inform and entertain residents here at Stonebridge. We had over 20 guests join us and I hope that we were able to give people a little laugh and diversion during the Covid-19 crisis. Thanks again to my co-hosts, Jean Frankel, Jeff Hall and Don Gould. This is Neil Schwartz, the host of the Sounds of Stonebridge Podcast signing off. I will see you around the neighborhood.
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On the penultimate episode of the Sounds of Stonebridge, Jean Frankel and I addresed a number of varied and un-related topics. Jean first wanted to remind everyone that we need to adhere to the existing guidelines in the Clubhouse. They were put in for a specific reason and based on the results so far, they appear to be accomplishing their objectives. So, think twice before you table-hop to see friends at a nearby table. It may make them feel uncomfortable as we get through this together. Jean then went on to ask me about my trip to the Apple Store at Wellington Square Mall. Aside from trips to the supermarket and drug store, this was my first real venture out into the wild. I have to give kudos to the Apple Store as they were very efficient, followed the guidelines and also set up some additional procedures to make customers feel safe. In order for me to complete my exchange, I never had to walk into the store. I never felt anything but safe throughout my entire transaction. Frankly, I have never been in and out of the Apple Store so quickly. We then turned our attention to the current situation with the death of George Floyd. Jean works with many of the biggest universities and colleges in the USA and it is interesting to hear how they are handling the backlash that has been created and what they can do to make things better at their respective schools. I know this has been said before, but hopefully we are looking at some sort of defining moment in this ongoing situation. Tune in tomorrow for Financial Friday with Ken Nemery. It will also be the final show for the Sounds of Stonebridge so we may have a few surprises.
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Episode 40 of the Sounds of Stonebridge featured Jeff Hall getting us up to speed with some of the upcoming plans for the golf program. They plan to re-start the MGA and LGA golf programs as a way to make up for the various league and team events that have been cancelled as a result of the Covid-19 crisis. By the time this airs, we will have all received an email explaining the plan in the short term. The golf department will continue to use its virus prevention guidelines that include social distancing and avoidance of touching things where the virus could be transmitted. Jeff mentioned there is one positive by-product of the new guidelines. Jeff added that the pace of play has picked up because peoople have less time time to talk amongst themselves and socialize. Unfortunatly for me and others, another by product of the crisis and general situation going on around us right now is distraction. Both Jean Frankel and I discussed how tough it has been to keep our focus and attention while playing a full round of 18 holes. Jeff added that he has the same issue at times. Jean went on to speaking about some of the things that she and Barry have started to integrate back into their lives. Barry went down to get Jean's car serviced and of course Jean and Barry have been eating in the dining room twice a week. I had to bite the bullet and go turn in my leased car and pick up another one. I have to admit that I was a little uncomfortable being out of the house for that long of a period. This will be the last week for the Sounds of Stonebridge Podcast, so the last shows will be Thursday and Friday.
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Fridays are Financial Fridays with Ken Nemery on the Sounds of Stonebridge Podcast. Ken is over 35 years of working on Wall Street and in various investment capacities. Today we started off talking about a number of specific topics that relate very much to many of the residents here at Stonebridge. Both the CARES and SECURE acts offer a number of changes and options for investors. It's important to speak with your investment advisor to best understand how you might be able to take advantage of the changes in rules and options. June 1st is the start of Hurricane Season in South Florida and once again, there are a number of potential financial implications and opportunties that you may be able to take advantage of. Ken's had one good piece of advice for all of us not matter what your financial and investment situation. Make sure that you have all of your important papers in one place, and protected by a water-tight plastic bags or some sort of waterporoof container in case things get bad fast and you have to make plans to leave our homes for some reason. We also discussed some of the potential outside influences on the economy amd the stock market which have to be considered before making any sort of investment decisions.
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On this episode of the Sounds of Stonebridge, we invited our neighbor and attorney, Irwin Aronson to join us. Irwin specializes in labor law and has some unique perspectives about how the Coronavirus crisis has changed the employee-employer relationship, in both the short and long term. We discussed issues ranging from privacy to how employers are going to find the right balance between keeping their employess and families safe, while also finding the best route to re-engaing with suppliers and of course consumers. Jean wanted to get into the subject of employers making masks a mandatory item for employees at various industries and how they will be able to enforce those rules. Irwin indicated there are questions that he is dealing with at the moment that had not been on his radar previously. Things are changing so fast and without guardrails in some cases making every decision one that has not been made before. He was quick to remind us however that many of the labor organizations that he works closely with like the Teamsters, food processing plant workers and many others stayed on the job and worked through this crisis so that we all could get the day-to-day items we need to exist. Maybe take a minute and thank someone like a truck driver making a delivery or that cashier at Publix for being there for us when we needed them most by continuing to work during this crisis. Tomorrow is "Financial Friday" with Ken Nemery, on the Sounds of Stonebridge.
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On Episode 37 we got very golf intensive. First we all expressed our dismay over the weather putting a real damper on all of our plans. Speaking for myself, I was realy looking to getting out and playing some golf and also playing in the special Memorial Day event that had been created by the Golf Department. We received over 4" of rain over the weekend. Before we got going, both Jean F. and I discussed going up to the 'drive by' birthday event that the club did for Herb Kanter's 97th birthday on Sunday. We then moved on to "The Match II" as it is known. By all acounts and the terrible weather, it was a complete success. The event raised over 20 million dollars for Covid-19 relief efforts. It was the most watched golf event on cable TV with an average of 5.8 million viewers. That does not count the people that may have recorded it on their DVR or watched it via one of the many streaming services that carried the match. The match also set records for sports betting on any golf event. That record was achieved before the 15th hole. There are a bunch of other statistics that you can check out at Yahoo Sports or ESPN.com. Personally, I was all geeked out over the tricked out golf carts that the players drove around in. They are being sold and and we discussed how much each cart might fetch for chartity. If you didn't watch it, sit down and roll back TNT using Replay TV and watch it. Pay careful attention to the special tribute that was done right before the players tee'ed off by Erie Johnson. Ok, I will admit it, I got a tear in my eye. On Thursday of this week, Irwin Aronsim will join us to discuss some of the privacy implications that are being tested during the crisis as well as some of the issues that are being raised by employers and employees about going back to work in a safe environment.
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Fridays have become Financial Fridays on the Sounds of Stonebridge Podcast. Our guest this week was Mark Ruben, The Exective Director for Israel Bonds here in Palm Beach County and our neighbor at Stonebridge. Before we got to Mark, we gave a birthday shout out to Herb Kanter. Herb will be 97 years old on Sunday and there will be cake and a little celebration by the golf staging area on Sunday at 3pm. Just in case, bring a mask with you and don't forget about social distancing. Herb is our oldest and longest living resident member. Herb has given so much to Stonebridge over the years and this is a great way to thank him and have some birthday cake, my personal favorite. Palm Beach County has opened up a new Covid-19 testing site at FAU. Anyone 12 years and older can get a test without a doctor's prescription. After we got through the housekeeping, we then turned our attention to guest Mark Ruben and discussing how Israel bonds can be a great investment option in this very difficult investment environment. They are a great investment and can be used as a great gift to celebrate a a family event or just a great way to say thank you to someone. They can also be used as a great tool to help finance any sort of special donation that you might want to make. Mark went on to discuss so many places where Israel Bonds have been able to provide a sold investment tool. Don't forget to sign up for the great memorial Day Golf Event from the Golf Department. There will be Hot Dogs and Hamburgers available on course during the event for purchase as well beer/wine for purchase during the event. On Tuesday, we will welcome Gene Barnett to the show. I want to wish everyone a great Memorial Day Weekend.
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On this episode of the Sounds of Stonebridge, Jean Frankel and I spent the bulk of the show making observations from the first week of the latest phase of the new more relaxed guidelines. Jean was able to quote some interesting national poll numbers about how Americans feel about a wide variety of subjects as it relates to getting back into some of their regular habits and patterns. The poll was done by Quinnipiac University. Almost across the board, Americans are not running out of their homes all that quickly to resume their lives. I also spoke about my experience getting my first haircut since the stay at home order has been relaxed. I felt very safe and confident that the place I go was using proper sanitary guidelines. They let fewer people into the shop at one time, had fewer chairs and also made everyone wear masks. There was also no exceptions. What was also very interesting is that on my way out, I was asked to fill out a form with my name, address and phone number for contact tracing purposes. I know there are people that might object to that but I think it is a great idea. Contact tracing is one of the steps that we will need to ramp up if we ever hope to get things back to the New Abnormal" as I like to call it. Tune in tomorrow for Financial Friday. Tomorrow's guest will be Mark Rubin.
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The Sounds of Stonebridge has now moved to a 3 day a week schedule. Today's show was dominated by all of the changes that the club is implementing as we move to the next phase in re-opening following the height of the Covid-19 crisis. There are changes all around. Jeff Hall started off talking about golf. There won't be that many changes out of the golf department. The range is now open for all practice. You don't need any sort of reservation before using the range for practice. You can now come up to the golf staging area 45 minutes before your scheduled tee times for practice. There is no need to rush. Last, on Saturday, we will be going back to double tees. Jeff feels with the 10 minute splits, we should avoid the issues that we have occassionally run into when earlier golfers turn. At the end of the show, Jeff then made an announcement about a special event that will take place on Monday, Memorial Day. It starts with a morning or afternoon shotgun, While there are still some details that need to be finalized, from what Jeff laid out so far, it will be fun. John Ianotti is also going into his bag of tricks in order to serve food and drinks during and after the event, of course staying within the social distancing and related guidelines. Jeff also updated the new guidelines for the Fitness Center. Sally has also created some creative solutions with new outside classes while keeping things safe for everyone. Don't forget that you need to call the Pro Shop to make a reservation to use the gym, 561-488-0808. Last, Jean and I discussed the idea of transparency and how critical it is in the re-opening process. Don't forget about the new show schedule.
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Friday's have become Financial Friday (s) on the Sounds of Stonebridge Podcast. Before we got into the main part of Episode 32, I wanted to take some time to thank one of our original hosts, Don Gould. Don has been an inspiration to me when it comes to my podcasting career overall and I will miss working with him a regular basis. Don is not totally going away, just won't be on the show on a regular basis. We then moved on to Financial Friday (s) with Ken Nemery. Ken has over 35 years of experience on Wall Street and he brings this experience and insights to the show. We focused on the subject of investing for income in a zero interest market. Ken mentioned a few strategies that he is using with his clients. We discused what investments will pay off in this market and how it's critical to pay attention to the fundamentals and key signals being sent out by the economy in general and also things like the stock market and other key indicators. We then turned our attention to the news of the morning which was that domestic retail is down -16.4%, continuing the downward trajectory from March. May looks slightly better bit will still be down even as the country starts to get through the first 2 phases of the re-start following the Covid-19 crisis that lingers on and may for some time. On the upcoming Financial Friday (s), we will look at some specific investment catageories and places to put your money during these times of uncertainty. The Sounds of Stonebridge will be droping down to 3 days a week starting this upcoming Monday, May 18th. You can catch the show on Tuesdays, Thursday and Friday.
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Jean Frankel, Jeff Hall and I welcomed Mike May, freelance golf writer and sports industry veteran to episode 32 of the Sounds of Stonebridge Podcast. I first met Mike whe he was working for the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Assoc, (now known as the SFIA). They were the former owners and hosts of the "Super Show", which for anyone that has been there knows, it was an amazing trade show. Mike has been traveling across the U.S.A and other destinations worldwide writing about some of the best golf destinations in the world. Mike has played some of the greatest golf courses that you may not have heard of. While we all know the big names like Pine Valley, Augusta, Pebble Beach and Torrey Pines, there are courses all over this country that have amazing stories behind them. Mike also discussed the "South Florida Golf Trail" and told some of the stories behind the courses that make up this group. Mike then told a great story about his visit to Royal St. Georges in England, which is the site of next year's Open Championship. Before we closed the show we did a lightening round and asked everyone about their favorite golf movies. Jean went with Bagger Vance, Jeff went with Tin Cup, there is something personal there, just ask Jeff about it. Mike May and I had the same choice of the Greatest Game Ever Played. If you have not seen it, I highly reccomend it. It is a wonderful story about Francis Ouimet, who is 1 of the 5 amateur golfers that have won the U.S. Open Golf Championship. This weekend we get back to some live sports on Sunday with the big challenge match between Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Rickly Flowler and fellow Oklahaoma State grad, Mathew Wolff. All proceeds from the event go to support some of the charities and organizations providing assistance to the front line medical and healthcare professionals.
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Episode 31 of the Sounds of Stonebridge Podcast started off with Jean Frankel talking about her experience having dinner last evening with Barry at the club. It was Barry’s Birthday BTW. She went into great detail about the experience and said that while it felt a bit weird in the beginning, as the night wore on things seemed normal and relaxing. She said the food, service and attention to safety were excellent. Check out her post on the Stonebridge Facebook Forum. We then went on to talk about live sports coming back and the various challenges it presents, the least of which is how the fans feel about coming back into a stadium or other large venues. We went back to Jean to discuss the implications on America’s colleges and universities. They have a great to deal worry about, plan and try to make this new abnormal situation work for college students. That’s all for today. Time to go play golf. Tomorrow a golf writer friend of mine will be joining us. He is going to talk about some of the best golf experiences.
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On episode 30 of the Sounds of Stonebridge Podcast, we asked former Outside Associate and New Full Member, Fred Neikrug to join us. Fred is a former Hospital Administrator in the City of Chicago. Fred worked at some of the busiest hospitals in Chicago and has dealt with all sorts of crisis and disaster situations from SARS to a major train collision. He mentioned there is a playbook for dealing with these sorts of situations, although this is what some call "a black swan" event and something that is hard to plan for. He talked about how they re-allocate resources to ensure they maintain a high level of care for every patient. We have also seen the dedication of our medical and healthcare workers on the front lines of this pandemic and Fred confirmed that every one of these people are dedicated to what they do and are focused on patient care and getting people better. We also discussed the stress that an event like this put on a hospital as they are not able to perform elective surgical procedures which make the hospital large sums of money and generally pays the bills. Jean Frankel also mentioned that she and her husband Barry are going to the club for dinner tonight. She will give us a full report on what it was like in the dining room the first night it will be open for members.
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As the club starts to move into phase 1 of re-opening, we were joined on the podcast by the President of the Stonebridge Board of Governors, Jim Colucci. Jim started out by giving his background and what has led him up to this point professionally and personally. Jim litterly went from the frying pan to the fire as he had to get right on things with the Coronavirus situation changing almost hourly. Jim said that John Ianotti and his staff have really been the backbone here at Stonebridge during this active pandemic crisis. The appear to be everywhere to make this situation as best as could be, given the circumstances. As the show was being recorded, I receved a note from John Ianotti that outlined many of the details regarding the phase one re-opening. The club will try to get back to some semblance of regular operations, going over and above some of the phase 1 guidelines set by the county. We will be reducing capacity to 25% of normal in all dining and eating spaces. They plan to utilize the Tiki Bar as much as possible. There will strict social distancing along with enhanced cleaning procedures. The dining room staff will all wear masks and gloves. Members coming into the club will have their temperature taken and must be wearing a mask before they can get seated. Of couse you can remove your mask to eat and talk. In addition, there will be no table hoping allowed. The club will continue to offer drive up service for take out orders, although the nightly cut off will be earlier so that the dining room staff can focus on the memners that opt to eat in the club house.
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Don Gould and Jeanne Frankel had the morning off, so today's episode was left to me, Jeff Hall and Ken Nemery, our weekly expert on Financial Fridays. First, it appears as though our desire for live sports are getting closer to realization with 2 golf matches on May 17th and the following week on May 24th. Jeff Hall discussed both matches that are being played to support the various funds and charities that are set up to help with Covid-19 expenses for many of the first responders, medical professionals and other essential workers that have gone above and beyond to keep us safe and in many cases well fed. Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson will team up to take on Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff in a skins game on May 17 that will be televised live from Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Fla. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson's $10 million charity golf match is set for May 24. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will play in a charity event that will take place on May 24 at 3 p.m. Eastern. The event will feature NFL stars Tom Brady and Peyton Manning and also offer $10 million for Covid-19 relief efforts. We then turned our attention to Ken Nemery for Financial Fridays. We first talked about market volitality and how the potential of a meat, chicken and pork shortage could contribute to stock market and financial market volitality. We also discussed some of the motivators that drive investors and how much emotions can play in investment decisions. Ken went back and looked at previous downturns in 1987 and then again in 2008. He went on to explain why those downturns are different from what we are experiencing today. Lasy, I accidently left out the Blue Angel flyover on Friday May 8th at 1pm.
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Episode 27 of the Sounds of Stonebridge took us around the globe to Shanghai, China. Eric, an associate of Len and Julia Hornstein joined us today to talk about what life is like now as China has already made the pivot back to re-opening the country. They are about 6-8 weeks ahead of the US. As background, Shanghai is a city of 30 million people, and about 620 miles away from Wuhan, the epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic across the world. When it became early on that the virus was easily transmittable from person - person, the Chinese government took some very agreesive actions ro curb the spread. These actions were able to limit the spread outside of Wuhan to just over 600 total cases with only 6 deaths in Shanghai, Eric said that for the most part, life has gotten back to normal. People are out in the stores, restaurants and even shopping malls are open with people wearing masks, gloves and maintaning their best efforts at social distancing. The Chinese government has also set up rigerous testing procedures complete with contact tracing. The Chinese government also did something that was directly designed to stimulate consumer spending activity. Every week, each Chinese citizen is getting a coupon for 45% off in either a restaurant or retail store. It must be used during that week. New coupons are going to get issued weekly for the next month or so. Again this is a great way to get people out of their homes and back in retail establishments and restaurants. Maybe the US government can stop playing the blame game and start thinking up some ways to stimulate the consumer economy, which makes up 70% of the total. Tune in tomorrow for "Financial Friday" with Ken Nemery.
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On, Episode 26 of the Sounds of Stonebridge, Jean, Don and I welcomed addiction specialist, Brynne Hawrylak. Aside from being a childhood friend of Jean's, Brynne works specifically with medical and healthcare professionals. Once the peak of the Covid-19 crisis has passed, many of the medical and healthcare professionals will need a great deal of attention from a mental health standpoint. As Brynne discussed, those on the front lines are going through a wide range of emotions during the crisis, times 5. Some will suffer from thoughts of guilt for leaving their familes and helping others during this crisis. Others will be overwhealmed with the amount of suffering, worry, death and depression that comes along with being on the front lines of a situation like this. Brynne went on to explain that many of these folks will experience various versions of PTSD. While we usually associate PTSD occuring in those that are involved in the military and have seen action on the front lines, this war on the Covid 19 Virus is no different. After these experiences, healthcare, medical and first responders may have a tough time integrating back into their normal lives and patterns for a wide variety of reasons. Brynne says they are expecting an Increse in the number of these folks turning to alchohol or even drugs as a way to help them get through this and before they ever realize it, they are addicted and facing another demon weighing heavily on them. After that we lightened things up a bit. I asked Don about the intrusive nature of the press as I was watching episode 6 of the Michael Jordan, "The Last Dance" documantary. I am guessing that some athletes also experience a different form of PTSD once they are out of the limelight and back into society, so to speak. Don't forget to tune into tomorrow's episode with Eric from Shanghai, China. They are now 2 weeks into their lift of the stay at home order and maybe this will give us a bit of insight into what we can start to expect here. And don't forget about "Financial Friday" with Ken Nemery.
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We got off to a quick start on Episode 25 of the Sounds of Stonebridge Podcast. Right out of the gate, Jean Frankel started discussing some of the books she has been reading including one written by Jonathan Schwartz. Donny chimed in that he knew Jonathan when he was a Sports Anchor in NY. Apparently he now has a YouTube show that delves in what it's like to be cooped up. We then ventured off into talking about NY radio and some of the legacy radio stations that we all listened to when we were youunger. As a Philly boy, My station of choice was WMMR, a sister station of WNEW in NY. Where ever you are from, you can most likely name your favorite radio station and disk jockey. Don also spoke about his friend, and D.J. from I think ABC in NY, Dan Ingraham. He is one of the origional pop D.J. (s) that I can remember. Put yur memories of your favorite radio growing up into the comments section. Don't forget about tomorrow's show, when we are speaking with an addiction expert that works specifically with nurses and other health care professionals. Thursday, Eric from Shanghai, China is back and don't forget about "financial fridays" with Ken Nemery. send in your question to soundsofstonebridge@gmail.com
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The Sounds of Stonebridge, Episode 25, opens with a review of this past weekend. This was the first weekend that the golf course was open and members were able to play in our normal Saturday groups. According to Jeff, everything went very smoothly. Everyone did what they were supposed to do to maintain a safe environment for members and staff. Jeff also went on to describe how this week, the golf shop is planning to get a slight venue change. The shop will be re-located outside and feature great specials on apparel and shoes, all in a safe, social distancing environment. Just a reminder, if you want to take advantage of the great specials, bring a mask and a pair of gloves. Jeff has a plan for returns and other aspects of the shopping experience while maintaining proper safety guidelines. On the course, there 2, Holes in One this week, both on the 7th hole. Congrats to Len Hornstein and Michael Greenberg for this great achievement. We then talked about how some of the states are planning to start the re-opening process. Based on all of the reseach I have seen, I am not sure how many American's feel comfortable getting out there just yet. We have a great lineup of guests and special shows this week. On Wed, we will be speaking to Brynne Hawrylak, an addiction specialist that works almost exclusivey with medical and healthcare professionals. On Thursday, Len Hornstein's associate from China will be back on. And Friday, kicks off our new weekly "Financial Friday's" with Ken Nemery. Please send in your questions and we will be sure to ask them to any of our guests. Send your questions to: soundsofstonebridge@gmail.com
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Ken Nemery was our special guest on episode 23 of the Sounds of Stonebridge Podcast. Ken has over 38 years of experience on Wall Street investing and advising others on investment strategies and opportunities. However, before we got to Ken, my co-host Don Gould revealed that he had obtained a new "super power". Apparently Don finally learned about one of the features built into his earphones that gives him the ability to hear like Superman. He regaled us with stories from his most recent walk around the neighborhood. One we got past this, we were able to get to our guest, Ken Nemery. Ken gave his observations and insights as he sees the current economic situation. He explained what has been going on financially since the Coronavirus Pandemic crisis became a big story in the USA. Ken also discussed an investment strategy based something known as ESG. ESG investing looks at those socially responsible companies that are focused on issues like Environmental, Social and Governance focus. Last, Ken discussed some of the changes and options that the CARES Act has opened up for investors. Ken is truly someone that I would call an expert in the field. Please don't forget about the Stinging Together Ridgewood fund raising project. They are making wrist bands and with all of the money raised going to support and help the medical & healthcare workers. Check out the link here: https://sites.google.com/view/stringingtogetherridgewood
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On Episode 22 of the Sounds of Stonebridge Podcast, we were joined by Francine Fish, President of the LGA. Before we got to our conversation with Fran, Jeff Hall first gave his feedback from the yesterday's staff appreciation parade for all the staff have done and continue to do during the Coronavirus Crisis. He said it was very emotional and everyone was very appreciative. Next, Jeff gave an update on Day 1 back on the golf course. He said yesterday there were over 150 rounds booked out of a max capacity of 180. Jeff said that for the most part things went very well, but there are still a few small issues that need to be fine tuned. The biggest thing is that members need to remember the social distance guidelines especially in places like the golf staging area. We then turned out attention to Fran. Of course this year's LGA and MGA seasons were cut short due to the Coronavirus crisis. She talked about the LGA and how the first goal of the group is to have fun and enjoy the time on the golf course together. Fran went on to discuss how the LGA is able to accomodate golfers of all levels with 18 hole, 12 hole and 9 hole groups. There is something for every level of golfer. She encourages all women to give it a try, and not worry about their level of play or experience on the golf course. Next we wanted to remind everyone about the Stinging Together Ridgewood fund raising project. They are making wrist bands and with all of the money raised going to support and help the medical & healthcare workers that have literally saved our collective butts during the crisis. Check out the link here: https://sites.google.com/view/stringingtogetherridgewood and get bands for your whole family. Just google: stringingtogetherridgewood and up will come info aong with a report from CBS 4 in NY. Tune in tomorrow when Ken Nemery will be talking about the economy and investing during the crisis.
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On Episode 21 of the Sounds of Stonebridge, we woke up to a beautiful day in South Florida. While the sun was out and it was a mild 78 degrees, the important thing is, I saw human life out on the golf course this morning. Jean Frankel reported she woke up to an empty house. As one might suspect, her husband Barry was out on the course waiting for his turn to get back into the swing of things, so to speak. The shocker of the morning came from Don Gould, when he told us that he was not planning to play golf till this coming Saturday. There are just some things in this world that cannot be explained, you can now add that the list. I'm also happy to report that from what I saw, everyone was in their own carts and maintaining their social distance and following the guidelines. On today's show, Nancy Aronson, (aka Tinker Bell), that is a nickname that I gave to her that has stuck, joined us on the show to talk about her passion aside from Irwin, which is the Technion of Israel. The best way to think about the Technion is imagine, MIT, Stanford Business School, Cal Tech and Harvard Business School all rolled into one. The Technion is the epicenter of engineering, medical research, development of new technologies and so much more combined with an entrepreneurial element to help many of these inventors turn their inventions and innovations into reality. The Technnion is actively engaged together with medical researchers and scientists from around the world to develop new technologies to help slow the spread of the Covid 19 virus and also very active in developing news tests and a vaccine. Nancy is on the board of the American Technion Society and is very devoted to the cause and also helping to get the word out here in the USA. I highly reccomend going on their website at www.ATS,org to learn more. During the podcast I mentioned a fund raising effort for medical and healthcare workers that is being done by the students at Ridgewood High in NJ. One of my business associated but more important, closest friends brought this to my attentionThey are making wrist bands with all of the money raised goingto support and help the medical & healthcare works that have literally saved our collective butts during the crisis. Check out the link here: https://sites.google.com/view/stringingtogetherridgewood and get bands for your whole family. Just google: stringingtogetherridgewood and up will come info aong with a report from CBS 4 in NY.
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As it turns out, E-20 of the Sounds of Stonebridge turned out to be a special episode, and not just because of our guest, Jeff Newman. Yesterday, Palm Beach County Mayor, Dave Kerner announced the county's plan to open many of the recreational oriented facilities to residents starting tomorrow, April 29th. Golf is included in this new order. But before we get to that, we were joined by Jeff Newman. Jeff is very well known around Stonebridge for the many things he does both for the club and the community. Jeff discussed his philosophy around philanthropy and why he does all of the things that he does together with his wife Judy. Jeff works very closely with the Jewish Federation(s) both in Philadelphia where he is from and also down here in Boca Raton, where he splits his time. During a crisis like what we are facing, the South Palm Beach Jewish Federation has been feeding those people that are not able to get out and care for themselves. Jeff said that on any given day, there might be over 100 volunteers pitching in to help out. Plus, they are providing funds for people like single mothers that need help with utility and related bills. After that, Jeff Hall gave a good rundown of the rules and guidelines that we will use here at Stonebridge as we are able to get back on the golf course starting Wed April 29th. It's gonna be a bit of a crunch early till the golf staff can get into the swing of things. Jeff stated that we will be adhering to the guidelines that the county has set and in some cases might even exceed them as his first goal is the safety and health of the the members and his staff. Right now you best bet to grab a tee time is to send in an email or call the Pro Shop
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On today's episode of the Sounds of Stonebridge Podcast, Eric, a business associate of Len Hornstein's called in live from Shanghai, China. He was able to give us a first hand account of what is going on over there as the Coronavirus crisis appears to be winding down. There have been very few, if any new cases and the Chinese government has relaxed most of the lock down and social distancing restrictions that were put into place there. Eric did tell us that places that draw big crownds like the movies and sporting events are still not opening. He also indicated that most if not all people are wearing masks and gloves when they go outside. We were not able to ask if this was being done on a volunteer basis or if it is government mandated. Either way, it does sound like the Chinese people are not taking any extra risks with their health as thiings start to get back to normal. Changing subjects, we found out that our own Don Gould appears in Episode 4 of the Michael Jordan Last Dance documantary on ESPN. He comes in at about 17:52 for about 4 seconds. Don't blink or look away as you might miss it. On tomorrow's show, Jeff Newman joins us to talk about a number of the projects that he works on and how they are being affected by the Covid-19 crisis.
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Episode 18 brought together the original 3 members of the cast: me, Don Gould and Jeff Hall. First I want to thank them for their assistance, dedication and enthusiasm for the Sounds of Stonebridge Podcast started with the Covid 19 crisis. Our goal was to provide a little bit of information and diversion from the day to day routines. Frankly, it's like free therapy for me. Today's show featured Meryl Topchik discussing how she decided to raise money for those medical people that are the front lines of the crisis. Meryl's efforts have raised over $13,000 which includes her match of money raised by residents. There was also a $5,000 donation made by someone here at Stonebridge that prefers to remain anonymous. We don't know who you are but thank you. Our healthcare workers have stepped up and shown what true courage, dedication and devotion to other people looks like when they are needed most. The next time you see someone in scrubs or related clothing make sure to say "Thank You" and let them know how much you appreciate them. Maybe also say thank you to the check out person and stocker at Publix or even the mail carrier too. Also don't forget that extra thank you to our staff here at Stonebridge for being there for us in any way they can. We then went off and talked a little bit about the biggest non-event in sports as I like to call it, The NFL Draft. This year it took on a whole new meaning and importance as the draft was done virtually with teams, college players being drafted and even the Commissioner of Football, Roger Goddell all in their homes. America is starved for live sports and this had to take the place for a bit. Check out our Director of Golf, Jeff Hall. Jeff has made it no secret that he is a big fan of the Phila. Eagles and he didn't let us down.
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We had a special guest join us on Episode 17 of the Sounds of Stonebridge Podcast. My daughter, Melissa joined us from her apartment in NYC. She has been stuck in her apt for a little over a month. We learned about what life is like at the epicenter of the Covid 19 crisis here in the USA. Jean then talked a bit about Masterclass.com. Jean is currently taking a class at the moment that explores what it takes for people to be happy. If you talk to Melissa, the word wine might come up. If you ask Donny what makes him happy of course golf is his mantra. For me, I have this dark cloud hanging over me because I don't have a hole in one. I recently calculated that since I started playing golf at 6 years old, I have made at least 12,000 attempts and so far have come up empty. When it does happen, I hope to go viral with my planned celebration. Tune in for tomorrow's show, Friday 4/24 as Ken Nemery will be our guest. Ken works with Wells Fargo Advisors and has some interesting perspective and viewpoints about the economy and the state of investing in the midst of the current Covid 19 crisis. if you want to send in some topic ideas or would like to be a guest on the podcast, send an email to soundsofstonebridge@gmail.com
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Today's episode of The Sounds of Stonebridge Podcast got off to a good start with Marc Silverman joining the usual cast of characters. Marc is of course the President of the Stonebridge POA. Marc has an incredible background in providing off site and virtual business services for the medical community. He knows a thing or 2 about working virtually. We spent some time talking about some of the newer technology that we can use to get the best quality and even WIFI signals in our homes. Google and Amazon have highly rated whole house or mesh based WIFI systems. Check them out. We then kicked it over to Jean and Jeff to discuss last evenings Boca Raton City Council Meeting. Unfortunately, thanks to some miss-information on Twitter, the meeting was just an open discussion or something they called a "workshop" session to hear from residents and others about what to do with respect to relaxing some of the current conditions for business owners and residents. What we did learn is the three contiguous counties of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach will enact in unison with one another, which the group agreed seemed to make some sense. No date has been set as of yet for this "soft opening" but all counties agreed to let the medical professionals make the determinations. There is a little bit more information located here https://miami.cbslocal.com/2020/04/21/broward-officials-relax-coronavirus-restrictions-soft-open/
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Episode 15 of the Sound of Stonebridge went Real Estate intensive with Laurie Scherer, of The Scherer Team real estate group. The Covid-19 virus pandemic has affected every aspect of our lives, and the real estate market will be no exception. In fact, according to Laurie, selling real estate in a social distancing environment is going to present a lot of challenges. She also mentioned that the crisis will make people re-consider some of their plans and thinking with respect to buy or selling their homes. I asked Donny if he planned to watch "The Last Dance" documentary, the multi-episode documentary on Netflix. Apparently, Donny is not the biggest fan of Jordan and says he doesn't consider him to be the GOAT. He tends to lean towards Lebron James. At 6pm tonight, The Boca City Council is convening a special meeting tonight at 6pm to discuss loosening the essential/non-essential list of businesses that can open sooner than later. One of the businesses that made the list are private golf courses like Stonebridge. It goes without saying there will be some very strict rules with respect to social distancing and other issues regarding the spread of the virus. If you want to tune in, go to: https://myboca.us/Calendar.aspx?EID=5421 and then you can stream the meeting. You can also catch the meeting on Hotwire Channel 395. Tomorrow we are going to talk with Marc Silverman about some of the important technical issues revolving around working from home using expanded internet bandwidth with Zoom meetings and other services that have become increasingly popular.
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On this episode of the Sounds of Stonebridge Podcast, we met one of our newer members, Larry Boritz. Larry is a former NYC Police Sgt. One of his areas of expertise became helping people stay safe which has led him to his second career of teaching the various Martial Arts. Larry owns the martial arts dojo that is just north of Stonebridge on 441, next to Angelo's Pizza and Dunkin Donuts. Larry also discussed how he has moved many of his classes and private lessons online. We also discussed how gyms and related fitness facilities have been given the green light to open during phase 1 of the re-opening plan. The issue is, will the general public come back so fast? 40% of members have indicated they are not anxious to get back into gyms so fast. Jeff Hall also gave us an update of the golf situation in Palm Beach Count. Over the weekend, there was an online petition circulated by many of the clubs in the area to allow members to resume playing golf sooner than later using strict social distancing, sanitary and common sense guidelines. We will have to see how those discussions progress.
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Disregard what I said at the top of this episode. It is in fact episode 13. Apparently, I can't count. On today's episode of the Sounds of Stonebridge Podcast, Lynn Baron, the co-chair of the entertainment committee came on to talk about a variety of subjects that are near and dear to all of our hearts here at Stonebridge...our great events and entertainment. Lynn discussed this year's closing event "Under the Sea" theme along with the menu. Lynn mentioned this was going to be an outdoor-indoor style event where cocktails and hor douvres started by the pool with the festivities then shifting inside. Lynn then went on to explain how they go about selecting the events for us each season. Jeff then updated us on the PGA Tour's plan to restart the golf tour in June. The first 4 events will be played with no galleries. The first event with galleries is not scheduled till the middle of July. Speaking of golf, there was an interesting piece on golfdigest.com about playing golf during a pandemic and the moral dilemna that it creates for many. https://www.golfdigest.com/story/playing-golf-during-a-pandemic-might-be-safe-but-is-it-right As far as an update for activities here, that will of course be dictated by the Governor and Mayor of Palm Beach County. We have a packed week of great guests for next week's podcasts so don't miss an episode. as always, you can email us at soundsofstonebridge@gmail.com Last, we had some slight technical issues so we apologize for that.
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On today's edition of the Sounds of Stonebridge Podcast, we welcomed Herb Lehman, M.D. Aside from our neighbor here at Stonebridge, Doc Lehman was a critical care and ICU surgeon. Most recently, before moving to Stonebridge, Herb was the Director of Critical Care at St. Joseph's Hospital in Syracuse NY. Herb was able to provide us with a first hand account of what it must be like on the front lines for medical professionals during the Covid-19 crisis. Herb was in the thick of the last worldwide pandemic during the H1N1 crisis. He was able to relate much of what he experienced then to what is happenning now with Covid-19. Co-host, Jean Frankel also asked Herb, what it must be like dealing with the situation with a shortage of Personal Protective Gear. (PPE)? Jeff Hall broke up the discussion asking Doc Lehman if there was more pressure standing over a 4 foot putt to make a new personal best or working with a critical care patient in an ICU? I think you know the answer. If you have a medical related question for Dr. Lehman, please send an email to soundsofstonebridge@gmail.com I will be sure that he gets it. Lynn Baron will join us tomorrow. Saturday 4/18 was supposed to be the closing event of the Stonebridge season and I know Lynn was a big part of the team that had some incredible plans for the event.
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It's hard to imagine that we are now up to Episode 11 of the Sounds of Stonebridge Podcast. I want to thank all of the guests that have come on the show along with our co-hosts. We continue to get good feedback from listeners. Today, we spoke with MaryLou Schimel, PH.D about how we can insulate and maintain a high level of mental health during the Coronavirus Crisis. Jean Frankel asked MaryLou about how we can prepare ourselves for the eventual re-opening and re-establishing of life once the stay at home prders have been lifted. Will people be able to resume most, any or just some aspects of their regular lives? If you have a question or comments, email us at soundsofstonebridge@gmail.com On tomorrow's show, Our neighbor, Herb Lehman, M.D. will join us and talk about what life is like in ICU's and hospitals in general as they deal with this crisis. Herb can go back to the H1N1 pandemic, in 2009/2010, and give a first hand account of life on the front lines. On Friday, Lynn Baron joins us on the show.
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In this episode of the Sounds of Stonebridge Podcast, we brought one of our outside associate members, Elliott Frieberg on to update us on what life is like for the associates during the Covid-19 crisis. Like most of us, he is anxious to get back to his regular routines, and of course golf. But like all of us, we are each learning something about ourselves that we just didn't know or had not considered. It's funny how difficult situations give us a chance to hit the "reset button" in many ways according to my co-host Jean Frankel. Jeff Hall updated us on what happened this day in history, spoiler alert, it was pretty historical. Jeff also discussed some putting videos that he and Corey, our head golf professional, produced they plan to post on Youtube. We can all use a little putting help, no matter how good you are, so I reccomend watching them for sure. Tune in tomorow for a discussion with MarylLou Schimel PhD, our in house "shrink". While Jeff Hall has been giving us drills for our bodies and our golf games, MaryLou will give us some drills and strategies for our brains during the crisis. Tonight's dinner menu looks great. If I didn't have so much in the way of leftovers, there might be Crabcakes in my future. Click here to check out tonight's dinner menu
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On Episode 9 of the Sounds of Stonebridge Podcast, we featured our new and improved format. Over the weekend, I saw some of my fellow members and listeners walking the "oval" and they suggested we get a little less sports intensive and gear the shows towards a bigger cross section of Stonebridge residents. It was also suggested that we add more female voices to the show than just Don, Jeff and me. So in this episode, we invited Jean Frankel to come back on and discuss a wide variety of topics. We discussed using this time at home to accomplish some of those aspirational things that we have always told ourselves we wanted to do but have not, virtually of course. This was inspired by a segment that I saw on CBS Sunday Morning about virtual guided tour visits to America's amazing National Parks. I plan to go virtully visit Zion National Park this week. If you want to learn more about this, click on the following link: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/visiting-our-national-parks-online/ I also challenged Don Gould to learn how to bake me a birthday cake as I know Donny doesn't cook. Later this week our resident Psychoanalyst, MaryLou Schimel will be back for a second visit. Thursday, Herb Lehman, MD will come on the show and discuss what it's like in emergency rooms across the country as that was his speciality. Some of you will be hearing from me to come on the show.
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After the informational section that kicks off Episode 8, we opened the show up with a bit more of our co-host, Don Gould. As usual, he did not dissapoint. The guys and I touched on a wide variety of subjects today including what happened on this date in history, as well as some related sports experiences. As a Philly boy, I talked about my first visit to Monument Park at Yankee Stadium. Donny told a story about Yankee great Phil Rizutto and Jeff told a great story about Zack Johnson, while in the middle of his last round of the 2019 Masters, he asked his caddie to stream Tiger's final round on his phone so he could watch, while Zack finished up his round. While I can't be certain that it might be some sort of USGA or PGA rules violation, I think it really underscores the kind of respect and appreciation that the tour players have for Tiger. Don't forget to send in your comments, topic ideas or even come n the show. soundsofstonebridge@gmail.com Have good weekend!
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On episode 7 of the Sounds of Stonebridge, the boys and I celebrated the first day of the Masters with a spirited review of our favorite shots and highlights from this historic and iconic sports event. . Our resident golf historian, Director of Golf, Jeff Hall led the discussion. Donny and I each chimed in with our Master's memories. if you have a Master's moment, please send them in to us at soundsofstonebridge@gmail.com , we promise to read them on the air. I also talked about some of the things we are watching in the Schwartz house on TV during this period at home. If you have a good topic or would like to be a guest, please send us an email.
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On today's episode of the Sounds of Stonebridge, we are joined by our fellow Stonebridge member MaryLou Shimel. MaryLou is a board certified Psychoanalyst, with over 45 years of experience. The boys and I went around the horn to ask Doc MaryLou a number of questions about how to maintain our mental health during this Coronavirus crisis. She also gave some good tips for reducing anxiety during our time at home. Don't forget to email in comments, suggestions for topics or if you would like to be a guest on the show. soundsofstonebridge@gmail.com
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In episode 5 of the Sounds of Stonebridge Podcast, we spent the majority of the show discussing what professional and college sports might look like once we are through this Covid-19 crisis. On today's show, Don, Jeff and I were joined by our Stonebridge neighbor, Jean Frankel. Jean has worked closely with the NCAA in the past and brought her "A Game" with a lot of great information and thoughts on this subject. The disussion was lively as Don and Jeff offered up some great insights and a lot of fun as usual. It's all just guesswork so far, but fun to talk about. If you have comments, questions or topic ideas please send an email to soundsofstonebridge@gmail.com
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In this edition of the Sounds of Stonebridge, Don, Jeff and I touch on a wide variety of topics including how Jeff has been explaining the current siuation to his 5-year old daughter, along with some more information on the SuperSpeed golf training program. Donny gets us up to date with life on Stonebridge Blvd every morning as he takes his mornng walk. We have a great show ready for episode 05 as we plan to talk with Jean Frankel about what live sports and other live events with large numbers of people might look like in the future. If you have a question or topic suggestion, please send it to: soundsofstonebridge@gmail.com
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This is a bonus episode of the Sounds of Stonebridhe that is devoted to many of the things that the club and dining staff are doing to make life more palatable here at Stonebridge during this Stay-At-Home situation we are in as a result of Covid-19 Pandemic. If you want to email us, just send to soundsofstonebridge@gmail.com
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In today's episode, the boys and I are joined by Len Hornstein. Len talked about his "virtual happy hour" that he did using the Zoom platform. Jeff Hall talked about the upcoming golf match between Tiger and Phil, and we find out exactly how Don got his start in broadcasting. You need to hang in for that. We also discuss the upcoming menus and using Stonebridge ToGo.
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On E02 of The Sounds of Stonebridge, We agree to use the official peace sign as our greeting to one another. This suggestion comes to us from Anthony Cioffi. The boys and I also talk about missing our favorite sporting events and more.
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Welcome to episode 01 of he Sounds of Stonebridge podcast. My co-hosts, Don Gould, Jeff Hall and I will come to you 5 days a week. Our goal is to discuss important information, news and just have a few laughs and keep us all connected during this time of the Coronavirus crisis. Each episode will be available on the Stonebridge Facebook Feed. If you have suggestions or comments, please email the show at soundsofstonebridge@gmail.com
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