It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting the historic Falls Village Canaan Historic Soc gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Falls Village, CT is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
“Bessie has been an exceptional Health Care Provider. She takes such pride in her work”
“We used Always Best Care for my mother. They provided basically anything we needed a”
“Thank you again to you, Susan and the rest of the care-givers and staff of”
“Dear Rick, Over the past three plus years, my father Joseph Ceuch has lived at”
“Heather, I just wanted to thank Always Best Care in helping to provide care for”
“My mother was bedbound for months and had serious health related issues including kidney failure.”
“I am a past client of this provider My journey with Always Best Care began”
“Our sister, Barbara has early-onset dementia , and was in sudden need of a personal”
“I am a retired registered nurse, and for several years, I have been the primary”
“I had a very good experience ! I really appreciate the service that your company,”
“My journey with Always Best Care began with a visit from the owner and office”
“Dave and staff, thank you or consistently caring and comforting my Mom. Your quality of”
“I have a very good providers from this Company”
“Bessie has been an exceptional Health Care Provider. She takes such pride in her work and truly cares about the people she is in contact with. She is dedicated, diligent, and is devoted to her job assignment. She not only takes care of my Mom, but she goes above and beyond her call of duty. Bessie has a unique ability to connect with every person she meets. No day goes by that my Mom is not pampered. Bessie make sure she's always comfortable. She makes exceptional meals for her 3 times a day, cleans her clothes, gives her showers, washes her hair and makes her look amazing every single day. Bessie is so beneficial to our family we can't imagine our family without her. I myself and my family members could never do what she does for our Mom. She has been with my mom and our family for almost 1 year and we don't know what we would do without her, she truly is a gift from God. She not only takes care of my Mom daily, nightly and weekly, she also takes care of her personal life and whatever life throws at her. She is a devoted caretaker and should be recognized with the utmost respect. Her dedication to improving the health and well-being of my Mom is commendable. You can't find anyone as special as she. Her life commitment has touched our lives through her delivery of exceptional care in a compassionate, respectful, and safe manner on a daily basis. She has become a member of our family and she has shown us the meaning of adaptability. Her strong faith in God, Forgiveness, and Believing in each other makes her the great person that she is. On behalf of our family, we would like to thank you for the extraordinary care and services your company has provided to us. Thank you for all you do”
“We used Always Best Care for my mother. They provided basically anything we needed a few hours a week, they were very thorough in asking about my mother's condition, and what were the needs that were required. It's more like bathing, medication, and companionship. We used them for about a week.”
“Thank you again to you, Susan and the rest of the care-givers and staff of Always Best Care for the outstanding service you have provided for our parents. ABC provided professional, first-class support that allowed our parents to remain in their home while relieving of us of concern for their care and is something we will never forget. You can be sure we will happily refer any family member or friend that is seeking care at home to Always Best Care.”
“Dear Rick, Over the past three plus years, my father Joseph Ceuch has lived at home assisted by the caregivers from your company Always Best Care of Greater Bristol. This letter is a personal thank you from my father and the entire Ceuch family on how your caregivers treated and attended to my father during this time. The caregivers became part of our extended family who shared in countless family events resulting in beautiful lasting memories. Caregivers Frances Boateng, Jeremy Turner, and Yanice Hernandez were awesome in their care of my father. I want to especially acknowledge Francis as a person who went above and beyond his responsibility and became part of the Ceuch inner circle. It was not uncommon for Francis on his off days to stop by during a family picnic to say hello...he is truly loved by my father. Again, I want to thank you for the loving care your caregivers provided my father. I would highly recommend your company to anyone interested in having a caregiver attend to a loved one. Thanks again”
“Heather, I just wanted to thank Always Best Care in helping to provide care for my step father, Daryl. It's unbelievable how the progression of his illness happened so quickly, however, Always Best Care was always ready to provide the level of care he needed as it increased. Most importantly, I'd like to thank his aide, Sue Malasics. She was wonderful to Daryl and took great care of his needs. I knew I did not have to worry with Sue there with him. She was always cooking wonderful homemade meals and desserts and I was happy to see how happy she made Daryl. I think she is a wonderful asset to Always Best Care. Should I know of anyone needing help in the future, I would recommend Always Best Care and Sue Malasics.”
“My mother was bedbound for months and had serious health related issues including kidney failure. My mother was also very demanding about her care and who she would allow into her home. After several attempts with various in-home care agencies my mother really responded well to Always Best Care Senior Services of Greater Bristol and we cant thank them enough for the high level of compassionate care they were able to provide during my moms final months.”
“I am a past client of this provider My journey with Always Best Care began with a visit from the owner and office manager. Soon after, I was introduced to the caregiver who would provide care for me. All 3 persons seemed very knowledgeable, experienced anf caring. I was certainly provided with quality service and much respect and compassion.”
“Our sister, Barbara has early-onset dementia , and was in sudden need of a personal care assistant until placement in a quality skilled nursing facility became available. We reached out to home health care agencies in her local area but, by this point, had already worked with several agencies for med reminders for Barbara (and 24/7 care for our Mom in another area of CT) and were a bit skeptical that that we’d find one that could provide consistent quality of care.When I spoke with Rick Downey of Always Best Care Senior Services in Bristol, he conveyed both confidence in his knowledge of health care and empathy in understanding the frustrations that families experience when seeking quality care for their loved ones. We were next contacted by their care coordinator,Heather Kozikowski, who came to our sister’s home to conduct an assessment and further explain the services offered by Always Best Care.A further testament to the exceptional quality of Always Best Care is the service and care we’ve received after Barbara is no longer a client; our thanks to Always Best Care for the excellent care of our sister, and the peace-of-mind it afforded our family knowing that she was in such kind and competent hands!”
“I am a retired registered nurse, and for several years, I have been the primary caregiver for my husbamd/ My husband suffers from dementia and is aphasic. On a Saturday morning in October of 2015, a sudden change in my health required an emergent hospitilization, which late resulted in an extensive rehabilitation stay. Upon my hospitalization, my son reached out to Always Best Care Senior Services of greater Bristol. The Always Best Care team assessed my husband, his needs, and had his care staffed within hours of my son's call. The care provided to my husband has been exceptional. The caregivers as well as the office staff have been attentive to our needs and have met all of our expectations. I would highly recommend Always Best Care to you and anyone who is in need of care for their loved one.”
“I had a very good experience ! I really appreciate the service that your company, Always Best Care, offered our family and especially the caring, loving attitude that Amber and Natalie displayed to Carol at all times. They were outstanding and you should be proud to place them in any situation with the full expectation they will represent your firm in a most professional manner. Thanks again for all your help.”
“My journey with Always Best Care began with a visit from the owner and office manager. Soon after, I was introduced to the caregiver who would provide care for me. All 3 persons seemed very knowledgeable, experienced anf caring. I was certainly provided with quality service and much respect and compassion.”
“Dave and staff, thank you or consistently caring and comforting my Mom. Your quality of care will be recommended to others. You went above and beyond what was expected.”
“I have a very good providers from this Company”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Matthies Memorial Park with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local Woodland or visit Beckley Iron Furnace State Park, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Falls Village, CT, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Falls Village, CT understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Falls Village, CT 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
FALLS VILLAGE — After a weekend fire that caused the total loss of two buildings, the Last Post Sanctuary lost not only 29 of its approximately 160 cats, but all of its bedding and linens and many pieces of machinery.Stored in the destroyed buildings was sanctuary equipment such as lawn mowers and tractors, as well as the shelter’s entire stock of extra bedding.“Everything’s been lost, our lawn movers, our tractors, you name it, it’s all gone, along with the animals,” said Last Post Business ...
FALLS VILLAGE — After a weekend fire that caused the total loss of two buildings, the Last Post Sanctuary lost not only 29 of its approximately 160 cats, but all of its bedding and linens and many pieces of machinery.
Stored in the destroyed buildings was sanctuary equipment such as lawn mowers and tractors, as well as the shelter’s entire stock of extra bedding.
“Everything’s been lost, our lawn movers, our tractors, you name it, it’s all gone, along with the animals,” said Last Post Business Administrator Susan Leach-Gregan.
“Everything was destroyed. We have enough bedding of course that we use day to day, but if we needed something extra … we have nothing,” she added.
Leach-Gregan said the fire was started by a vented wall heater, not a space heater as first suspected.
As of Sunday afternoon the sanctuary was still without power, which worried Leach-Gregan. The buildings are still running on generator power, which brings up concerns about new fires.
“The next one if we have one will be five times worse because we’ve got so many cats in these buildings,” she said.
Current and former staff members expressed their grief at a memorial service Saturday evening for the 29 lost cats, and placed wreaths on the gravesite.
“Our cat shelter manager Sheila Ball is extremely devastated since she has been with the shelter for 28 years, and knows every cat by name, she just knows everything about them,” said Leach-Gregan.
The shelter, which is normally open Wednesday through Sunday, will be open Monday and Tuesday this week to accept any donations the public is willing to drop off. Leach-Gregan said monetary donations and old and/or used but clean bedding and linens are most needed.
“We’re just trying to remain focused on the animals that we still have here. They deserve the very best, which we’ve always given them,” she said.
Donations for the sanctuary’s rebuilding fund can be mailed to Last Post Sanctuary, care of People’s United Bank, PO Box 927, Canaan, CT 06018. Donations can also be dropped off in person at the shelter at 95 Belden Street in Falls Village.
Reach Kaitlyn Yeager at kyeager@registercitizen.com or @registercitizen on Twitter. For news sent to your phone, text TORNEWS to 22700. Msg & data rates may apply. Txt HELP for help. Txt STOP to cancel.
The state Department of Public Health data recently showed that 1,053 people reside in the town of Canaan, though 1,055 residents had been vaccinated against COVID.The problem, according to DPH spokesperson Chris Boyle, came down to “a methodological issue that makes it difficult to differentiate between Canaan and North Canaan residents.”It’s actually a problem that goes back to before the U.S. Civil War, and one locals are not too keen to solve.AdvertisementArticle continues below this ad...
The state Department of Public Health data recently showed that 1,053 people reside in the town of Canaan, though 1,055 residents had been vaccinated against COVID.
The problem, according to DPH spokesperson Chris Boyle, came down to “a methodological issue that makes it difficult to differentiate between Canaan and North Canaan residents.”
It’s actually a problem that goes back to before the U.S. Civil War, and one locals are not too keen to solve.
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The town of North Canaan split from Canaan in 1858, but North Canaan residents still refer to their town as “Canaan.” People who live in Canaan call their town “Falls Village,” which is actually just a hamlet inside the town of Canaan.
East Canaan has its own post office, but is a part of North Canaan. There’s also a section of Canaan called “Canaan Valley,” and they all get confused with New Canaan, about two hours to the south.
The problem, according to North Canaan town historian Kathryn Boughton, is when out-of-towners try to get it straight. She said the people who live in these towns do actually know where they live.
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“Everybody is pretty sure where they live, except those people who come into the area and refer to Canaan as 'Canaan' and not 'Falls Village,'” she said. “You can always tell a newcomer by how they refer to the town.”
There is, of course, a lot of mail going to the wrong places.
“It's a source of endless confusion to our good state,” Boughton said. “If you send a letter to North Canaan, and then you put down ‘N. Canaan’ or even ‘No.,’ somehow the post office can't get it straight and you're likely to send your letter to New Canaan, which is clear the opposite side of the state.”
Though he did note that the state had been attributing COVID cases to North Canaan that he knew lived in Canaan, it’s not that big of an issue, according to North Canaan First Selectman Charles Perotti, beyond some mistakes with the mail.
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“Once in a while, we’ll get some mail for them and vice versa,” he said. “I live in East Canaan, so I put in East Canaan, which is part of North Canaan.”
Canaan First Selectman Henry Todd also blamed the post office. North Canaan has two branches, one labeled “East Canaan” and the other simply “Canaan.” The town of Canaan has a single post office, the Falls Village branch.
“It’s just one of those historical little things,” he said. “All of our residents seem to get home at night. It’s just one of those anomalies. We just live it.”
New Canaan, about 80 miles to the south in Fairfield County, does not owe its existence to those towns to the north, but it does owe them its name.
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“I know that New Canaan became ‘New Canaan’ because there already was a Canaan,” said Nancy Geary, director of the New Canaan Museum and Historical Society.
As for why the towns of North Canaan and Canaan divided, though Todd said “no one really knows what the great schism was all about,” Boughton believes it came down to convenience.
“The original town of Canaan was almost completely bisected by Canaan Mountain,” she said.
When the town was first settled, that mountain meant a family had to climb all the way uphill to go to church, school or the library.
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“They put the town hall there because it was the only point really that was fair to both sides,” she said. “It was extremely inconvenient for people to get to town meetings, they used to alternate town meetings between the two municipalities at somebody's house, so that every other meeting, you had to trek all the way to North Canaan, or you had to trek all the way down into Falls Village.”
The process of separation began decades before the towns officially split, when new churches were built in 1824. A new town hall was finally built in 1859, but the old names persist to this day. During interviews, Perotti, Todd and Boughton referred to North Canaan as “Canaan,” before correcting themselves.
“They argued for decades over the library,” she said. “When they finally agreed to separate, Canaan bought the books, North Canaan bought the books and paid Falls Village what they were worth.”
There have been fixes proposed, but Boughton said everyone seems to like it just the way it is.
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“Since the towns divided, every now and then people talk about changing the names and whatnot, but I don't think there's the stomach for it, really,” she said.
Todd agreed. “Everyone I’ve talked to said it’s just a bridge too far,” he said.
“I don’t want to waste two years of my time fighting to change a name only to find out it’s impossible,” Todd said.
As for why there are so many places called “Canaan,” Geary believes it’s because of the meaning. Etymologically, the word derives from Hebrew and is found in the Old Testament.
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“Canaan means the ‘promised land,’” she said.
Aug 16, 2021|Updated Aug 17, 2021 7:58 a.m.
Jordan Nathaniel Fenster is a reporter with CT Insider. He's worked as a journalist covering politics, cannabis, public health, social justice and more for 25 years. Jordan's work has appeared in The New York Times and USA Today in addition to multiple regional and local newspapers. He is an award-winning reporter, podcaster and children's book author. He serves as senior enterprise reporter and lives in Stamford with his dog, cat and three daughters. He can be reached at jordan.fenster@hearstmediact.com.
Common to our genes and sensitivities is our shared perception of beauty. Flowing waters and open pastures are beautiful. Mountain ranges and cumulus clouds are beautiful. A beauty we discover upon crossing the Dutchess County border into northwestern Connecticut are quintessential New England towns replete with the spires of Protestant churches, storefront diners, bakeries and colonial town halls. Two of these archetypical towns – Falls Village and Salisbury – have the good fortune of being linked by the Appalachian Trail....
Common to our genes and sensitivities is our shared perception of beauty. Flowing waters and open pastures are beautiful. Mountain ranges and cumulus clouds are beautiful. A beauty we discover upon crossing the Dutchess County border into northwestern Connecticut are quintessential New England towns replete with the spires of Protestant churches, storefront diners, bakeries and colonial town halls. Two of these archetypical towns – Falls Village and Salisbury – have the good fortune of being linked by the Appalachian Trail.
Falls Village is a prerevolutionary town established in 1738. Memorable hikes begin with a hearty meal. In Falls Village that is provided by Toymakers Cafe?. Memorable hikes also have remarkable views. Within the first mile of this 8-mile trek is the Great Falls of the Housatonic – a dramatic swimming and sunbathing spot for locals and venturesome visitors.
While the Appalachian Trail leaves the shores of the Housatonic River and heads up into the hills, for those preferring an alternate hike, the gravel Housatonic River Road continues to parallel the riverbank and offers a rustic stroll or bike ride for those wishing to remain among open fields and farmland.
Midway through this Appalachian Trail hike is the finest Appalachian Trail vista in all of Connecticut: Rand’s View. With pasture in the foreground, hedgerows in the middle ground and the Taconic Range in the background, this viewpoint mandates a lunch break – especially in verdant summer and in autumnal foliage.
This moderately strenuous hike concludes with a descent into the town of Salisbury, established in 1741. Memorable hikes conclude with a luscious dessert. In Salisbury that is provided by William’s Bakery.
As a place to overnight, I discovered the exquisite Manor House B&B in the little known, 1758 village of Norfolk – a historic center enlivened with the culture of the Yale Summer School of Music, nature walks up Haystack hill and Dennis Hill, and quaint eateries.
Being on the border of Massachusetts, it was an opportunity to visit the Norman Rockwell museum in Stockbridge and to attend my first concert at Tanglewood in Lenox, which featured James Taylor. Before each song, Taylor gave the background of how the song came about. I always say no matter how many times you hike a given trail, it is different each time. It seems the same is true of a song. Before the vocals of “Walking Man,” he revealed, “I always thought this song was about me. Now the older I get, I keep seeing more of my dad in this song.” He continued, “And now I see how nature and church are closely intertwined.”
I was struck by his choice of the word “church.” He could have said religion or spirituality, or practice. But when I looked around me at the thousands of concert-goers in this plein air venue sitting on our picnic blankets on the sprawling lawn, it was evident that we were all sitting in the pewless church of nature. Upon reflection, during the day as I had trekked the Appalachian Trail, the conifers on the ridgelines were bona fide spires. And no intricate stained glass rivals the opulence of this month’s bountiful mountain laurel which adorned the trail. I realized, too, that every mindful step along the path this day had been a prayer.
Skip Doyle is owner of Outdoor Skipper, a New York-licensed guide service offering hiking, biking, camping, paddling and cross-country skiing outings throughout the Hudson River Valley as well as spiritual-nature retreats. He is founder of Esopus Heritage, which serves to preserve and promote the nature and historic places in the Town of Esopus. As a volunteer for the Adirondack Mountain Club, the Appalachian Mountain Club and other nature preservation organizations, his outdoor offerings can be found at MidHudsonADK.org, AMC-NY.org and OutdoorSkipper.com; contact him at OutdoorSkipper@gmail.com
To get there, you take a little twisty country road many times removed from the main street. Then, you go around a sharp corner and wind around until you’ve reached the middle of nowhere. Sound like Litchfield County? Well, if ever there was a design that embodies the synthesis of everything this county holds dear, it’s Nancy McCabe’s humble little pocket cottage garden.Trust me, you’d never discover this garden if it weren’t for The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days. And that would be a major pity, be...
To get there, you take a little twisty country road many times removed from the main street. Then, you go around a sharp corner and wind around until you’ve reached the middle of nowhere. Sound like Litchfield County? Well, if ever there was a design that embodies the synthesis of everything this county holds dear, it’s Nancy McCabe’s humble little pocket cottage garden.
Trust me, you’d never discover this garden if it weren’t for The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days. And that would be a major pity, because finding Nancy McCabe’s garden is like stumbling on a wee bit of rural Ireland or maybe journeying back a century or two into simpler times. Don’t misunderstand: Nancy McCabe is very much in the present tense, she’s a 21st century sort of person—but her garden has a retrospective ambiance. It’s not a large garden, but it’s a quaint and intimate place. It’s the sort of garden you won’t forget. In fact, attend the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days on June 23 and your definition of a backyard’s potential is bound to be forever altered for the better. Even if you saw the McCabe garden a few years ago during the Trade Secrets tour, it’s worth a second look in late June when a whole different set of performers are on stage.
Part of the beauty of Nancy McCabe’s garden is its roots and her vision before most folks were thinking along horticultural lines. It was way back in 1980 when the McCabes first came to the cottage. And the modest little stucco workman’s bungalow must have seemed palatial compared to their former digs in the apartment above Mike McCabe’s Salisbury book store. But the setting had sentimental value because Nancy and Mike met in that shop when Nancy came searching for antique gardening books. She had studied fine art and art history, but her inclination toward the outdoors was reinforced during a stint doing research at historic gardens on the Hudson River when she earned research grants from the New York State Park Service as well as the National Endowment for the Arts in the late 1970s. That would explain why her present garden feels like it stems from a different time.
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But back when the bookstore was where she called home, she dolled up the front by planting a friendly little garden. Nothing major, “Just a small perennial garden and a Lutyens bench,” said McCabe. But despite the limited space, it clearly had personality and expression because patrons to the shop began to take notice. Important customers such as the playwright Richard Maltby Jr. and John Saladino noticed her plantsmanship. Indeed, Saladino became one of her first clients when he hired her to do landscape design for his home after three months of intensive interviews. That was her beginning in the field.
By 1980, the McCabes were feeling cramped over the bookshop, especially after their first son, Wesley, was born. So they began the hunt for a house. Not everyone would have fallen for the slightly forlorn 1790 Falls Village cottage with a stucco façade slapped over the original wood frame, but with 2.5 acres and infinite character, it looked like home to the McCabes.
For Nancy McCabe, it was all about potential, because there wasn’t much to admire when they first arrived, botanically speaking. The cracked macadam driveway was the first to go, replaced by the pocket kitchen garden conveniently huddled around the front door and footsteps from the kitchen. She gave it brick paths and found old edging tiles to give the beds definition. Some strategically placed antique terra cotta rhubarb forcers serve as focal points while echoing the sense of deep roots. And she kept her eyes peeled for the sort of plants that she needed to give the garden its charm.
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Gardeners can always sense kindred spirits. And, in Nancy McCabe’s case, when she happened to mention to an old estate gardener that she was searching for espaliered fruit trees, she was shown the mother lode. That’s how she managed to acquire the espaliered pear trees climbing a couple of stories up the house and that’s also how she obtained the espaliered apple trees that link arms to form a fence around the kitchen garden. Those espaliers are what give the place its mood. Probably 50 years old or more, they make the 32-year-old garden feel ancient. Within the beds that they embrace, lettuce, spinach, chard, parsley, cilantro, arugula and garlic grow, in addition to blossoms that impart a spark of color in the garden. But even the flowers in residence aren’t the thoroughly modern hybrids that have made the current perennial market so deadly boring. Instead, Ms. McCabe has a penchant for plants with a past. Although she wasn’t able to keep her collection of extraordinarily rare Malmaison carnations alive (and those vintage carnations were what originally brought me to Nancy McCabe years ago), she still prefers flowers with lineage —such as the lilacs on the hill that slopes down to her son’s house.
The front door garden is just the beginning because there the configuration now includes a village of little structures that underline the sense of an old homestead. Her chickens dwell in the most elaborate coop you’ll ever encounter, and the tool shed is equally whimsical. But the crowning moment comes when you round the bend and happen upon the old cypress greenhouse salvaged from the violet growers near Rhinebeck. Fit together from odd parts, the greenhouse is suffused with charm but is feeling its age, “It has some issues, but we keep doctoring it,” she admits. It reinforces the sense of another time together with the other elements immediately around the house. Arbors shoulder vines that lean on the cottage, a patio with huge antique French containers stretches away from the house and then there’s the sunken garden below the cement retaining wall built by Italian artisans to shore up the crumbling hill. Originally planned as a perennial garden, Ms. McCabe took the lower-maintenance route and filled it with boxwood buttresses instead. Purchased at less than a foot tall and costing a modest $18 when she first started the garden, they are a testimony to what time and care can do for a plant. Now in their maturity and neatly clipped into buttresses from their original “amorphous shapes,” they are phenomenal. Besides the evergreens, a few irises and hellebores serve as space holders.
Further afield there’s a wildflower garden with winding paths leading around toward the home where their second son, Sievert (who works with Ms. McCabe doing landscape design), now lives with his wife and family. And because Nancy and Mike McCabe now winter in Sante Fe, some of the focal points have a Southwestern accent, giving the property its personality. The fruit is also a departure from the norm. There’s a quince tree that bears fruit for jam; plus she has medlars that hold the world’s ugliest crop, but she insists that they’re scrumptious. And the fruit should be strutting its stuff by late June. Plus, for the tour, the dahlias around the chicken coop might be performing. And the retrospective mood will definitely be in gear for the date.
But there’s more. Nancy McCabe’s garden is just one stop in an all-star line-up. Really, some of my favorite gardens are open on this Garden Conservancy Open Day. Bunny Williams’ voluptuous, brilliant, artistic and inimitable landscape is within shouting distance of Nancy McCabe’s house. Not far away is Angela Cruger’s Lakeville garden with its walled parking court, cloistered cut flower garden, old greenhouse and majestic trees. In Washington, Linda Allard’s potager is the sort of marvel worth seeing a million times, and there are recent additions to the naturalistic gardens on the premises. In Kent, the Nixons have specimen trees and shrubs that will raise your eyebrows and help you decide what to plant and how to prune on your own property. And you don’t want to miss Barbara and Paul Robinson’s Washington ode to all things lush, lovel and liquid. I haven’t yet paid a call to Washington Hill in Barkhamsted, but it’s on my “must visit” list for the day. So I’ll see you there.
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For more information on the June 23 Open Days, go to www.gardenconservancy.org. n
May 26, 2012
By Tovah Martin
BY BUD WILKINSON | REPUBLICAN-AMERICANMore than five decades have passed since John Steinmetz of Falls Village got his first car.Amazingly, he still has the two-seat 1960 MG sports car that he obtained when he was 14 years old, growing up in Indiana. It’s a bright red MGA, a convertible model that MG built between 1955 and 1962.“My dad found it,” Steinmetz recalled earlier this week. “It was in a salvage yard. Someone was driving through the county and it was hit from behind, so it was wrecked. Th...
BY BUD WILKINSON | REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN
More than five decades have passed since John Steinmetz of Falls Village got his first car.
Amazingly, he still has the two-seat 1960 MG sports car that he obtained when he was 14 years old, growing up in Indiana. It’s a bright red MGA, a convertible model that MG built between 1955 and 1962.
“My dad found it,” Steinmetz recalled earlier this week. “It was in a salvage yard. Someone was driving through the county and it was hit from behind, so it was wrecked. They totaled the car and it was sitting in a salvage yard. We bought it for $35.”
He got the MGA at the height of the muscle car era.
“I came by it after reading a book called ‘The Little Red Car’ … about a lad in Colorado who rebuilt an MG TC with the help of local mechanic, who ended up being one of the great amateur sports car drivers. It thrilled me, and two things happened,” Steinmetz said.
“One, I told my dad I wanted to find an MG and have a sports car. At the time, there were zero sports cars in Indiana; in our county in Indiana. The other thing that the book did was it got me really excited about racing.”
Steinmetz eventually raced for almost 40 years in Sports Car Club of America events, no doubt motivated not only by the book but by the MGA. It took roughly a year to get it back on the road.
“It was hit from behind so it needed a lot of body work, but it also had a kink in the frame. We heated the frame up with a torch, tied one of the car to a pole and the other end to a John Deere tractor and stretched it out,” he said.
Metalwork had to be pounded out, too, and it needed paint. He then learned to drive on it and used it when going to high school. He got hooked on the handling.
“We were used to nothing but huge American sleds with shoes for brakes, drum brakes, and this thing stopped better, it cornered better, and it still handles very well but it is an antique car. It’s not a modern car,” he said.
The MGA wasn’t perfect. The bushings on the starter would regularly fall out, so he routinely used the crank in the front to start it.
“Sometimes I’d do it just to freak people out,” Steinmetz recalled.
Eventually, the MGA got set aside.
“I grew up in the farm area in Indiana and we shoved it into a corner in the barn,” he said. But he never got rid of it. “I just held on to it and then at some point, I realized I own the first car I ever owned and I should never let that thing go. Moving to Connecticut, it was a lot more fun here than it was on the straight roads of Indiana.”
The MGA has a 1,600cc engine rated at about 85 horsepower, with a four-speed manual transmission. Steinmetz never really knows how fast he’s going because of a broken speedometer that he’s never bothered to fix.
“I’m a little bit too much of a racer. All I really care about is what’s the RPM; never really pay attention to the speed too much,” he explained.
The needle on the speedo is currently locked at 110 miles per hour.
“It’s bounced around over the years. Sometimes it’ll be at 100, sometimes it’ll be back on zero, but (the MGA) will go 105, and we proved that when I was a kid,” he said.
Keeping the car running is easier now than it was early on.
“When I was a kid it was a very difficult. You had to send away to England to get a part, so we would rebuild or re-machine or just make whatever part we had to half the time,” he said, reporting that parts are easy to come by these days.
The MGA has become an heirloom. His son, Otto, learned to drive on it.
Steinmetz says his son was 11 when he first drove it around the family’s property, but Otto claims he was only 10. “We had to put cushions in the seat because I was too short,” he said.
Otto may be unique among his classmates at Salisbury School in that he can operate a manual transmission. “I think so. I don’t think anyone else does,” he said.
The MGA has also proven to be an investment given what it was purchased for 32 years ago.
“At the time, fixed up, it was probably worth $300, $350, maybe $400,” said the elder Steinmetz, estimating that today an MGA can cost more than $20,000, with a high-performance Twin-Cam version going for tens of thousands more.
However, it’s impossible to put a price on the MGA’s sentimental value, for Steinmetz especially when he rides in it with his son.
“It warms my heart because I think about dad,” he said, referring to his own father. “When I ride around in this thing with him, I think about dad all the time.”
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