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A round of applause

Phil “Bunk” Griffin, Guest of Honor at the Hotel Saranac grand re-opening gala, hosted by Historic Saranac Lake in 2018. (Provided photo — Historic Saranac Lake)

The Main Building at the Trudeau Sanatorium has stood empty for years. But listen closely when you walk by, and you might just hear the sound of applause coming from the dining room.

During the Sanatorium days, patients who were well enough to get out of bed dressed for dinner and walked to the Main Building for the evening meal. They sat together at large, round tables in a space that could have been a fine restaurant in the city. From the carefully prepared food to the linen tablecloths and impeccable service, everything was carefully staged to mask the reality of sickness.

Without the magic bullet of antibiotics, doctors and nurses did all they could to boost patients’ immune systems to fight tuberculosis. Fresh air, good food, rest, moderate exercise and a positive attitude were all part of the equation. Occupational therapy provided a sense of purpose. Staff encouraged relationships, attended to spiritual needs and cultivated an atmosphere where residents were treated as people rather than patients.

One person who found her health at the Sanatorium was a little lady named Lilo Guggenheim. Born in Germany, she fled the Holocaust to England and then New York City. While training as a nurse, Lilo contracted TB. She came to Trudeau to cure and then to work as a nurse.

Lilo developed a crush on another patient up at Trudeau named Mel Levine. The couple enjoyed walks together through the sanatorium grounds to sit with the statue of Dr. Trudeau. Then, for a time Mel became too sick to leave his bed. His place at the dining room table was suddenly empty. Luckily, the long days on the porch helped. One evening, Mel walked back into the dining room, and he was greeted by a rousing round of applause.

Bunk’s chair at the Downhill Grill. (Provided photo — Historic Saranac Lake)

Lilo told me that story with shining eyes some 15 years ago. Her words rushed back to me a few weeks ago. I was visiting my mother at her retirement community in Virginia, helping her recover from a fall. Gradually, she got stronger, and the night she walked into the dining room, there it was — a round of applause from the residents, an echo from another time and place.

The health of a community might be measured by how easily its citizens applaud for each other. Saranac Lake has longstanding traditions that recognize people who care for their neighbors. During Winter Carnival, we crown a king and queen. The Hotel Saranac sign lights up as “Hot Sara” for special occasions. Events throughout the year recognize guests of honor. Some people even earn a special seat at the neighborhood bar.

One person who earned all of those accolades was Phil, “Bunk” Griffin. Bunk lived out his life in our town with a keen intelligence, a quiet sense of humor, and a deep love for all Saranac Lakers. His chair at the Downhill Grill is now empty. But listen closely when you walk by, and you’ll hear the lasting sound of applause.

——

(Amy Catania is the executive director of Historic Saranac Lake.)

Lilo Levine in the Trudeau Sanatorium Taxi. Photo from “A Portrait of Healing” by Victoria Rinehart. (Provided photo)

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