Author Archives: Jerome Wilson

Convincing Boaters to Rent, Rather Than Own? It’s an Uphill Battle …

Posted on by
Reply

It is hardly a contest.  The favored way by more than a hundred fold and more, is that boaters along the eastern Connecticut shoreline prefer to own their own boats, rather than rent them.

Take for example the very modest boat rental program at the Brewer Pilots Point Marina in Westbrook.  Whereas there are literally hundreds of slips for boat owners keeping their own boats at this marina, there are only two boats that are available for rent at the marina.

Brewer’s Boat Rental Plans

That’s right, amidst hundreds of boat owners renting slips at the marina, Brewers offers only two boats that are for rent.  They are:

  • a 24- foot Key West, center console, motor boat
  • a 24-foot Sea Ray Sundeck motor boat.

To rent these boats, Brewers has set up a Brewer’s Boating Club, which offers boat renters a number of rental options.  The top of the line of these plans are the Skippers Plans, which offer peak season boat usage, and which vary in price from $3,775 to $5,375 depending on boat usage.  Next, down the line is the Captain’s Choice Plan for $6,295, which offers “Nearly Limitless membership features,” with “weekend reservation privileges… ”

Then there are the club’s Weekday Plans, including a Windward plan for $4,095 a season, and a Weekday Per Diem Membership Plan, which offers a 5-hour weekday usage for $395.

The complexity of these varying plans is challenging.  However, Kit Will, Brewer’s personable, Pilots Point Sailing and Charter Director can explain it all.  He can be reached at 860-575-8329, and at kwill@byy.com

One of the points that Kit Will makes is that belonging to the Brewers Boating Club is, “a good stepping stone to boat ownership.”  He, himself, is a professional boat captain, who has over 25,000 miles of off-shore racing experience.

Pilots Point Marina's Kit Will aboard a 24 foot Key West center console, motor boat for rent

Pilots Point Marina’s Kit Will aboard a 24 foot Key West center console, motor boat for rent

A Simpler Boat Renting Option

Certainly, a far less complicated way to rent a motor boat along the Shoreline can be found at the Westbrook Marine Center, located at 533 Boston Post Road in Westbrook.  The co-owner of the operation is the affable Tasha Cusson, who owns it with her husband.  The advantage of renting a boat here, according to Tasha, “is that you just get in and go.”

The boats offered for rental at the Westbrook Marine Center are:

  • an 18 foot May-Craft Skiff, which has a five person capacity, and which is powered by a 90 horsepower outboard motor with a fuel tank of 42 gallons
  • a 20 foot Hydras Sports Vector, which has a passenger capacity of six persons and is powered by a 225 horse power engine with an 85 gallon fuel capacity.
Westbrook Marine Center's 20 foot Hydra-Sport Vector motor boat for rent

Westbrook Marine Center’s 20 foot Hydra-Sport Vector motor boat for rent

The rates for boat rentals at the Marine Center are easy to understand.  The 18 foot boat rents for $330 for four hours, and $495 for eight hours.  The larger 20 foot boat rents for $365 for four hours, and $560 for eight hours.  Also, on occasion the boats are rented for a longer term at “a special lower rate,” according to Cusson.  In addition to the rental charges, boat renters are required to fill up the fuel tanks of their rental boats before returning them.

Cusson notes, “Most people know boats, who rent from us.”  As for those who are less familiar with boats, she says that a boat rental, “is a fantastic opportunity to try out boating.”  Before every boat rental, the renter is briefed from an extensive check list.  Furthermore, Cusson says that she does not rent her boats to everyone.  “I have turned people away,” she says, adding, “The personal safety of the renter is the key.”

Cusson also comments that possessing a State of Connecticut Safe Boating Certificate is not a necessary qualification for renting a boat in the state.  However, her judgment, as to whether or not the Marine Center wants to rent the boat to a particular person, sees it as a necessity.

She also noted that she had a number of rentals over Father’s Day weekend.  The number to call for a boat rental is 860-399-8447.

Next week we shall profile three typical boat owners, who pay handsomely for their seasonal boating slips, but are grudgingly happy to do so.

Treasured Items (With a Pleasant Price Tag) Abound at Estuary Council’s Thrift Shop

Posted on by
1
A large collection of ladies' blouses and slacks

A large collection of ladies’ blouses and slacks

Betsy Cote’ may be slight of build, but she has large responsibilities at the busy Thrift Shop of the Estuary Council in Old Saybrook.  The Council’s building is located at 210 Main Street, right at the back of the shopping plaza.  The Thrift Shop is on the first floor of the Council building.

Working under Cote’ at the Thrift Shop are 70 volunteers, who take shifts at the check-out counter and around the store helping others.  There are always at least three of the volunteer staff members on the floor, when the shop is open.   By far most of the volunteers are women, although there is a sprinkle of males.

Donations into the Thrift Shop are first sorted by item.  The shop accepts donations of houseware, plates, cups and saucers, silverware and clothing.  When Cote’ was asked to give her definition of houseware, she said, “Anything in the house.”

No Electrical Items Accepted

However, if you have to plug in your donation, be advised the Thrift Shop does not accept electrical items.  The most popular item at the Thrift Shop, according to Cote’, is puzzles.  At the shop, the puzzles for sale range in size from 1,000 pieces down to 300 pieces.  Most popular are 500 piece puzzles, and like the rest, “they go fast,” says Cote’.

The “Dollar rack” is always popular

Also, balls of yarn are a popular item among Thrift Shop shoppers, as is the sewing area, which offers a plethora of buttons in jars, and even a collection of zippers.  Also on hand are place mats, napkins, washcloths and towels.  There are sheets as well of various sizes.

The motto of the Thrift Shop is, “If you would not buy it, we would not sell it,” Cote’ says.  She, herself, is the only paid employee at the Thrift Shop, at a modest salary.

“Everything is really going great here,” Cote’ says.  As for the Thrift Shop, “It is very successful.”

One thing that Thrift Shop customers should realize is that the Thrift Shop does not wash nor dry clean any of the items that come in as donations and are for sale.  Cleaning is left up to the customer, who purchase the item.

“But will the fit?” that is the question

“Wacky Wednesdays” for Super Bargains

One thing that brings in lots of customers is “Wacky Wednesday” specials.  Kept a secret until the day of the event, on a recent Wednesday all articles of clothing were half price.

The Estuary Council’s Thrift Shop is open on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., and Saturdays it is open from 9 a.m. to 12:35 p.m.  The shop is closed on Sundays.

Volunteers at the shop on weekdays work in two shifts, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.   All are volunteers.

Cote’ tells the story that once someone donated, literally, a truck load of sheets, and the Thrift Shop sold them all.  Customers made table cloths out of the sheets, lining for draperies, and some even made skirts out of the sheets.

Cote’ stressed that that they try to keep the Thrift Shop “neat and clean.”  She also says that it is, “A fun place to work,” and that, “You meet great people.”

As for shop-lifting at the Thrift Shop, it may happen in very rare cases.  As for the volunteers at the checkout counter, Cote’ says that she never once doubted their honesty.

Meals On Wheels: Signature Program of Old Saybrook’s Estuary Council of Seniors

Posted on by
Reply

It is difficult to get your hands around the many helpful services that the Estuary Council of Seniors provides to senior residents of its nine member towns in eastern Connecticut.  These nine fortunate  towns served by the Council are Lyme and Old Lyme along with Old Saybrook, Westbrook, Clinton, Killingworth, Essex, Deep River, and Chester.

IMG_6750

Chef of Estuary Council, Stuart Tedesco, cooking “Meals on Wheels”

One undertaking that is certainly in the forefront of the Estuary Council’s services to seniors is the delivery of prepared “hot” and frozen meals to those in need.  These meal deliveries are made to needy seniors in the Council’s nine member towns, as well as to seniors in Madison.  If you happen to live in one of these towns, the number to call to enroll in “Meals on Wheels” lunch and dinner programs is 860-388-1611.

However, meal deliveries are strictly limited to persons who are

  • over 60 years of age
  • no longer able to prepare a meal for themselves
  • can no longer shop for food.

However, a recipient is not required to have a doctor’s prescription to establish that she or he is eligible for an at home meal delivery.

Donation Requested of $3 a Meal

A donation of $3.00 a meal, payable at the end of each month, is requested under the program.  Noon meals on weekdays are delivered “hot,” and a typical “hot” lunch might consist of meat loaf, potatoes and beets, accompanied by coffee, milk and a fresh apple or pudding for desert.

Evening meals delivered for weekdays, and noon and evening meals delivered for weekends, are frozen and must be heated by recipients.

Summing up the service, the Estuary Council’s Nutrition Coordinator, Peggy Barrett, says, “We serve two meals a day, seven days a week, for every person who is a part of this program.”

Hundreds of “Meals on Wheels” Are Delivered

All of the meals delivered under this program are prepared at the Estuary Council’s well equipped kitchen in Old Saybrook.  Supervising the entire food preparation operation is Stuart Tedesco, Food Service Manager/Chef of the Estuary Council of Seniors.

Tedesco says that the “Meals on Wheels” service is, “the best kept secret in the area … we still serve good tasting quality food for $3.00,” she says.

The totals of the number of “Meals on Wheels” delivered by the Estuary Council is impressive. On a single weekday, according to Nutrition Coordinator Barrett, 141 “hot” noon meals will be delivered by Council volunteers to needy seniors.  These “hot” lunches are served to the previously noted member towns, as well to seniors in the non-member town of Madison.

Early morning packers of “Meals on Wheels, Ted Pigeon and Scotty Pepe

In addition to the delivery of “hot” meals at noon on weekdays, the Estuary Council also delivers to entitled seniors weekday evening meals, and noon and evening meals on the two days of the weekend.  However, these meals are frozen and must be defrosted by the recipient.

The meals to be distributed are first put together each weekday morning from a pool of 20 volunteer packers.  Then, from a pool of 70 volunteer drivers, the meals are personally delivered to the homes of the seniors who are a part of the program.

“Meals on Wheels” volunteer, Katharina Youll making a delivery

Other Programs for Seniors at Estuary Council

In addition to the “Meals on Wheels” program, there are a host of other programs, offered by the Estuary Council of Seniors, which deserve mention.  Among them are the Café lunches, which are offered every weekday in the Estuary Counsel’s main dining room.  One special feature of the Café lunches is that before the meal those attending stand and recite the Pledge Allegiance to the Flag. (The words are listed below.)

Also, there is a thriving thrift shop on the lower floor of the Estuary Council’s main building, which has racks of women and men’s apparel as well exquisite place settings and literally racks of sportswear.

The Estuary Council also has a Medical Transportation service that takes seniors to their medical appointments, either at doctors’ or dentists’ offices, or to medical facilities, such as Hartford Hospital and Yale/ New Haven Hospital.  Round trips for medical appointments taking less than five hours have a suggest donation of $35.  For trips over five hours the suggested donation is $70.

There are also a staggering number of special programs, which take place at the Council’s Old Saybrook headquarters.  They range from free health check-ups to senior physical fitness classes, and from Yoga classes to the meetings of the Quilt Club.

Meals delivered (left to right) Katharina Youll and recipients Ann and Thomas Perrone

Meals delivered (left to right) Katharina Youll and recipients Ann and Thomas Perrone

New York City Developer Puts Iconic Windmill Property in Essex Up For Sale

Posted on by
Reply
Want to buy a windmill for almost $2 million?

Want to buy a windmill for almost $2 million?

With a price tag of $1,925,000, New York City developer, Frank J. Sciame, Jr., is offering to sell a notable Essex landmark, the windmill at Foxboro Point.  Listing materials assert that the sale is a, “Once in the lifetime chance to own the windmill.”

They continue, “This unique waterfront [property] is one of the most recognized features on the Connecticut River.  It is comprised of multiple floors of living area including, a living room, wet bar bedroom, full bath and more.”

The listing materials also state that the property has on the third floor a master bedroom with a full bath, a second floor a kitchen, and a first floor a dining room.  There is also a full, unfinished basement with hatchway.  Real estate property taxes are listed in the materials as $15,441.

Windmill Not an Historic Building

Although many locals on the shoreline think that the windmill is a historic structure, it was actually built in 1967.  As for further details about the property, it has shingle siding, a basement water heater and is connected to public water.  It also has baseboard heating and electric sewer and septic.

The listing agent of the property is Colette Harron of William Pitt, which has an office in Essex.

Senate Republican Staff Attorney Prepares Summary of Provisions of New Gun Law

Posted on by
Reply

A summary of the provisions of Connecticut’s new “Gun Violence Prevention and Children’s Safety” law has been prepared by Mike Cronin, Esq., a Staff Attorney of the Senate Republicans.  The summary, dated April 5, 2013, is available on the Connecticut Senate Republican’s website.

Using a question and answer format, the summary is a guide as how to obey the new gun control law. Typical questions posed in the summary include:

Do I have to give up any of my presently owned guns? How does the new law affect the sale of assault style rifles? Hand guns? Shot guns? What are the new registration requirements for assault style guns, and what are the new limits on ammunition purchases?

Private Guns Sales Covered by New Law

Also, the summary notes that the new gun control law requires a background check for firearm sales, including private transactions.

Here is one of the twenty-four questions asked and answered in Attorney Cronin’s guide:

Q. If I already own a large capacity magazine, can I still use it?

A. Yes. If you legally possess large capacity magazines prior to the passage of this bill you can still use it in your gun. If you are at home or at a target range or shooting clubs, you can load as many bullets as the magazine can hold. Anywhere else, you can only load 10 bullets in the magazine.