Category Archives: Old Saybrook

Shelter Me Calendars Benefit Animal Shelters Throughout State

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The delightful cover of the Shelter Me calendar.

The delightful cover of the Shelter Me calendar.

The Shelter Me project, a photographic fundraiser for local animal shelters was started by former Lyme resident, Karen Stevenson. Now in its fourth year, Shelter Me has expanded to raise money for nine different animal shelters/rescues in the state.

This year they welcomed a new addition to the project from Coventry. Tara Farm Rescue, a nonprofit animal sanctuary, is a home for unwanted, neglected and abused horses, cows, pigs, rabbits, chickens, goats, dogs and cats. The animals are rehabilitated, and when possible, placed in adoptive homes. This year’s calendar features Phoebe from Tara Farm, the first ever pig to be photographed for the project (see photo below.)

The Shelter Me project has been selling calendars and photographic prints to raise money for these great rescues, but this year they expanded to also offer notecards (see photo at left.) With all proceeds donated to the shelters, you can enjoy the beautiful notecards knowing you’re also helping out animals in need. The notecards come in themed packs of four featuring dog, cat, duck, farmyard or equine-themed images.

There is also an eight card “shelter pack,” which features a variety of animals. On the back of each card is the animal’s name, the shelter they came from, and a short description of Shelter Me so that the card’s receiver knows a donation was made through the purchase of the notecard. Notecards have been very popular and will be available year round.

And it’s not too late to purchase a 2013 calendar. They are a modern art calendar featuring photographs from each of the nine shelters. This year’s cover image features “Q-Tip” from the Meriden Humane Society. Other images of note are Ashley and Taco (from Beech Brook Equine Rescue in Mystic), who are miniature donkeys with Taco having been born to Ashley just one day before the photo shoot.

And at Pet Animals Welfare Society (PAWS) in Norwalk, Dottie was photographed, who is a blind cat and the first special needs animal to be featured in the calendar.

Other shelters and rescues that the project supports are Forgotten Felines in Clinton, the Majestic Waterfowl Sanctuary in Lebanon, Ray of Light Farm in East Haddam, Greener Pastures Rescue in Salem and Hop-A-Long Hollow in Norwalk.

For more information about the Shelter Me project visit www.thesheltermeproject.com

To place an order, visit their Etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/shelterme

The July page from the Shelter Me calendar, featuring Tara Farm's pig, Phoebe.

The July page from the Shelter Me calendar, featuring Tara Farm’s pig, Phoebe.

Torgersen Says, “Bye, Bye, Bowerbird!”

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Co-owners of The Bowerbird, Jen Torgersen (right) and Chris Kitchings pose for a photo in the popular store.

Co-owners of The Bowerbird, Jen Torgersen (right) and Chris Kitchings pose for a photo in the popular store.

It’s part of the fabric of Old Lyme –“people would string us up if we closed,” quips co-owner Chris Kitchings. She’s talking, of course, about The Bowerbird, the extremely popular and highly successful gift store on Hall’s Rd. in Old Lyme.

But the winds of change are blowing amongst the tree-trimmings, cards, toys and so many more “Impulsive Necessities,” for which the store is renowned. Jennifer Torgersen, who has co-owned the store with Kitchings since its humble beginnings on Lyme Street in May 1989, is retiring.

She explains, “My family is scattered,” noting her husband has been living and working in Washington D.C. area for several years now and her children are variously located in Nicaragua, California and Denver. “It’s got to the point that’s it’s been long enough,” she states emphatically and so she has made the difficult decision that her last day will be Dec. 31 of this year.

Torgersen looks back fondly on the 24 years she has spent working with Kitchings. Asked how The Bowerbird came about, both women laugh and Torgersen recalls, “It was the first day of Kindergarten in Old Lyme and [her son], “Kristo got off the bus and said he’d just met his best friend.” The friend in question was Kitchings’ son Charlie and thus began the friendship between the two young mothers, which ultimately blossomed into The Bowerbird. And, for the record, and perhaps indicative of the success their mothers would enjoy, those two Kindergarten friends are still best friends today.

Back in the 80s, Kitchings had already concluded that Old Lyme “needed a gift store in town,” because there was “no place local” to buy gifts – at that time, the nearest gift store was in Guilford. But she didn’t share her idea with anyone until Torgersen came into her life as a result of their son’s growing friendship.

With a lifetime of retailing experience, Torgersen helped Kitchings turn the latter’s seed of an idea into reality. Torgersen had previously been a buyer for Lord and Taylor, but when they opened their first store in the 400 square foot premises opposite the Lyme Street Firehouse, which subsequently became The General Store, both women “shared everything” serving together as ‘Jacks of all trades.’

Over the years, however, they started “to play to their strengths,” says Torgersen, developing a division of responsibilities that involved Kitchings “Running everything behind the scenes” and Torgersen being the “Visual merchandiser out front.”

Asked how they arrived at the charismatic store name, Torgersen responds that they were “floating names around, looking for something unique,” when she suddenly mentioned the bird found only in New Guinea and northern Australia, in which the males of the species, according to Wikipedia, “build a structure and decorate it with sticks and brightly colored objects in an attempt to attract a mate.” Torgersen had recently returned from living in Australia and so was familiar with the bird.

As they researched further, the friends discovered that the all-black bird was, “a bit of a playboy, but also a smart bird, who redecorates if it doesn’t work out.” The name seemed perfect in every way, but as Torgersen says with a broad smile, they broke every rule in the branding book as they simply picked the name they liked without regard to defining the whole brand.

Enter Rob Braunfeld of Hadlyme, who dropped by one day to see if the store would sell his postcards and ended up with a contract to design their signature bowerbird. Subsequently, he has designed all their advertising and, according to Kitchings, has given, “Personality to the bird” with his charming designs.

The tiny store on Lyme Street soon outgrew itself and the women went looking for new premises. Kicthings recalls approaching Matt Prosser, the owner of the Old Lyme Marketplace, and asking about the store previously occupied by Brown’s Hardware. He told them unequivocally, “You don’t want that space,” but Kitchings insisted and not only did they operate in it successfully for the next seven years, but in 2000, they opened another major expansion to the store on Halls. Rd..

Did they ever imagine that The Bowerbird would become so successful becoming effectively a household name? Kitchings doesn’t hesitate for a second in her response, “Absolutely,” she says firmly, continuing cheerfully, “We never had any doubts.”

And the secret to their success? Kitchings responds thoughtfully, “We taken risks … and we’ve probably worked much harder than most people would want to work.” Both women note that have used computer technology since the very beginning of their venture, recalling the Apple 2C on which they originally recorded inventory, although they hand-wrote the sales tickets at that time. Now the store has 10 computers and five check-outs, but they still “track everything,” and significantly – and a key ingredient in retail success — “know how the stock moves.”

Asked how she plans to continue without her colleague of so many years, Kitchings explains that the business is structured legally as a partnership and so, in order to retain that status, she is naming her husband Ken as a partner and giving him a share of the business. She says with a chuckle that she doesn’t expect him to be more than a silent partner, since he is currently intimately involved in the re-establishment of the Old Lyme Inn as a major dining and entertainment spot in town.

Kitchings notes “Retail is at a critical juncture – we feel we’re still making a contribution. This was our biggest year yet for our online business.” The store has been widely recognized both as the best Gift Shop in Connecticut for four consecutive years by Connecticut magazine and nationally for their significant level of charitable donations. Kitchings remarks that The Bowerbird has donated over $62,000 to various charities from their 20 years of charging a nominal sum for gift-wrapping. She notes, “That’s really community helping community – we were one of the first stores to do a charitable program like that.”

As for Torgersen, she plans on moving down to Alexandria, Va., to live again full-time with her husband, Tom, and have time to visit her children and grandchildren – or, in a nutshell, to have, “a little more freedom.” First she has to sell their house in Old Lyme, which will go in the market in the New Year, and notes she’s pretty much booked through January and February. Her goal is to move “all the flotsam and jetsam” out of Old Lyme in the early part of 2013 and to be in Virginia by late spring.

Torgersen hopes folk will drop by the store this week to reminisce and say goodbye to her: Kitchings adds that a farewell extravaganza is planned for Torgersen in January.

Kitchings says the greatest challenge of losing her partner of 24 years will be not having someone round “who knows the minutiae of the store,” or who, Torgersen jokes, “… can finish her sentences!”

Essex Meadows Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary This Year

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The impressive portico at the entrance of Essex Meadows.

The impressive portico at the entrance of Essex Meadows.

Essex Meadows, located at 30 Bokum Road in Essex, is widely regarded as a treasure in our midst. This year “The Meadows,” as everyone calls it, will celebrate its 25th anniversary. We therefore decided to try and give readers a perspective into how the Meadows operates and why it has achieved nationally recognized stature as a retirement community

We submitted some questions to the Meadow’s Director of Marketing, Susan Carpenter. Our questions are in bold face type, and Carpenter’s answers follow each question … so let us begin:

1) How many residents in total are there at Essex Meadows?

There are approximately 240 residents. Several live in Essex year round, and many maintain second homes in places like Fishers Island, Florida, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

Essex Meadows resident Jean Ryan by the entrance Christmas Tree at the Meadows.

Essex Meadows resident Jean Ryan by the entrance Christmas Tree at the Meadows.

2) How many residential apartments, and how many individual homes, are there at the Meadows, and what is the size and layout of each category?

We have 183 apartments, 13 cottages, and 45 skilled nursing beds in our Health Center. Two thirds of the apartments, and all of the cottages, feature two bedrooms and two bathrooms, and they range in size from 1,050 to 2,400 square feet. We also offer several different one bedroom layouts, some with dens, ranging from 600 to 900 square feet. Some of these have one bath while others offer 1 ½ baths.

3) What are some of the amenities at the Meadows, such the golf course (How many holes?), library and dining room?

Our Executive Golf Course is a “par three,” and it is home to the annual Essex Fire Department Golf Tournament. We also offer croquet, walking trails, and a large garden area with raised and traditional flower beds for our outdoor enthusiasts. For those who prefer indoor activities we have a swimming pool, fitness center, art studio, library, Pub, and woodworking shop.

C. Allan Borchet, former Chairman, Residents Council of Essex Meadows and model shipbuilder.

C. Allan Borchet, former Chairman, Residents Council of Essex Meadows and model shipbuilder.

4) Anything else?The Community has everything you need for an active lifestyle right at your fingertips. The Niagara Bank has a full service branch right on campus. Next door to the bank is “Meadowmart,”our full service in-house grocery store, which is entirely run by resident volunteers. We carry the best and most inexpensive selection of greeting cards in town. Great bridge mix too.

5) What are the categories of care at the Meadows, such as ordinary resident care and assisted living care?

Our apartments and cottages offer independent living with the security of knowing that our licensed Assisted Living Program can step in to provide supportive services as health needs change. These services can include neighborly services such as walking your dog or watering your plants, to more complex health services including assistance with medication management and help with a resident’s activities of daily living.

6) What services does the Meadow’s Health Center provide?

For the past three years our Health Center, which provides professional clinical services and nursing care, has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top skilled care facilities in the country. The Health Center offers short term rehabilitation, respite care, long term custodial care, and Hospice services. Hospice is also available in our apartments and cottages for those whose end of life decision is to remain at home.

7) What kind of health care professionals are there on duty, or on call, at the Meadows on a given day?

We have professionals, both on the independent living side and the skilled nursing side. Our staffing patterns vary according to acuity or need. Our staffing levels are significantly higher than State regulations require. Angela Christie and Kathleen Dess are responsible in these areas. Kathleen is the Administrator of our Health Center, while Angela is the Director of Resident Health Services.

From left to right, Essex Meadow’s senior staff: Angela Christie, Director of Resident Health; Susan Carpenter, Director of Marketing Services, and Kathleen Dess, Administrator of the Health Center, gather for a photo in the Residents’ library.

From left to right, Essex Meadow’s senior staff: Angela Christie, Director of Resident Health; Susan Carpenter, Director of Marketing Services, and Kathleen Dess, Administrator of the Health Center, gather for a photo in the Residents’ library.

8) What is the ownership structure of the Meadows?Essex Meadows is a family owned business incorporated in Iowa. The board of directors visits quarterly to meet with the residents and the management team. Essex Meadows is managed by LifeCare Services, LLC.

9) Who is the Executive Director of the Meadows?

Our Executive Director is Jennifer Rannestad. We also have management input from an active Resident’s Council and various resident committees.

Jennifer Rannestad, Executive Director of Essex Meadows, at the entrance of Essex’s premier retirement community.

Jennifer Rannestad, Executive Director of Essex Meadows, at the entrance of Essex’s premier retirement community.

10) What are the cost arrangements at the Meadows for buying and selling the apartments and separate homes?In addition to payment for meals and necessity of life services, our popular Return-of-Capital plan has been offered at Essex Meadows since it opened its doors in 1988. Residents and/or their estates receive a large portion of their original Admission Payment back after their cottage or apartment has been resold.

11) Is there another ownership alternative for residents?

Yes, the Flex Plan is our newest financial option to maximize choice and flexibility, when it comes to retirement planning. For those who prefer a plan that demands less up front capital, the Flex Plan offers a reduced Admission Payment. While there is no return of capital to the estate, a resident has the ability to continue to control his or her assets and invest their savings as they wish.

12) What are the specifics of the cognitive test that applicants to the Meadows must take before they are accepted as residents?

Our health-evaluation process requires that paperwork be completed by an applicant’s physician as well as a meeting with our Director of Resident Health Services. In addition to asking an applicant about their general health and activities of daily living, we use standardized cognitive scales in our evaluation. The Mini Mental Status Exam and St. Louis University Mental Status Exam are two such examples commonly used by life-care communities and long term care insurance providers nationwide.

13) Is there a review process of the cognitive test results?

The results of this health-evaluation process are reviewed with the Essex Meadows Medical Director. The results of the interview will be considered along with the information that is provided by the applicant’s physician.

14) Who has the final say in accepting a new resident at the Meadows?

Each applicant must meet both medical and financial criteria for residency. It is the role of Executive Director to review both the medical and financial information for each applicant to make a decision for occupancy consistent with the admission policy established by our Board of Directors.

15) Who assumes the risk of paying for the long-term care of residents?

Because Essex Meadows is a life-care community, the financial risk of long-term care is a cost shared by the whole community. Therefore an individual resident does not have the financial exposure of having to pay the high costs of nursing home care should those services be needed. Some residents consider this an alternative to long term care insurance when planning for future health care costs.

16) What do you view are the unique aspects of Essex Meadows that average nursing homes might generally not provide?

The Essex Meadows provides a beautifully appointed residential atmosphere, a resident centered approach to care, and is well staffed. These are just a few of the reasons as to why Essex Meadows provides exceptional care, as well as specialized services in its adjoining Health Center.

17) Are there any other benefits to residents at Essex Meadows, which you feel deserve to be mentioned?

We believe that our residents are the most wonderful and unique part of our lifestyle benefits. Furthermore, residents have generously organized and administered a scholarship fund for Meadows’ employees and their children. To date, the scholarship fund has provided over 400 grants, totally more than $750,000.

18) Do Essex Meadows residents take an interest in the Town of Essex?

Our residents have a great love of the Essex community. They are lifelong learners, patrons of the arts, and protectors of the environment. Essex Meadows is involved in the general community creating partnerships and relationships with those organizations that our residents would also support as individuals.

Essex Meadows has also been a great corporate contributor and supporter of the Connecticut River Museum, the Community Music School, the Essex Winter Series, the Ivoryton Playhouse, the Essex Library, FISH, the Essex Garden Club, Essex Child & Family Services Agency, the Essex Fire Department, Ivoryton Illuminations, the Essex Rotary Club, Essex Land Trust, the Essex Historical Society, and many others.

19) Have there ever been any marriages between residents at the Meadows, or any other “human interest” stories at the facility.

There have been no marriages, but the creation of many deep and meaningful friendships. One of the most interesting aspects of the Meadows is that despite the geographical diversity of its residents before coming to the Meadows, many residents have social connections dating back to their childhood days, college years, summer camps, vacations, board memberships, private clubs and the like.

As for “human interest” stories, we have residents Art and Peg Howe, who engage in ice cutting on Squam Lake in winter, Jean Luberg and her tandem sky diving, published authors such as Nicole Prevost Logan and Jeanne West, and many very talented and successful people at Essex Meadows. They all have wonderful stories to tell, including two of our residents who celebrated their 105th birthdays this past year.