The Buzz: ECAR officially opens its new headquarters in Norwich

The Eastern CT Association of Realtors , also known as ECAR, has officially opened its new headquarters at 35 Connecticut Ave. in Norwich. The grand opening was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, July 12, attended by Congressman Joe Courtney , State Sen. Cathy Osten , ECAR President Molly Bruno , Angela Adams of the Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce, and Tony Sheridan of the Eastern CT Chamber of Commerce.

The ceremony featured speeches, followed by tours of the newly renovated facility. The building, purchased by ECAR in January 2022, is situated in the Norwich Business Park. RCA Construction led the extensive renovation that now includes state-of-the-art professional development areas and improved accessibility, making it a central hub for Realtors in Windham and New London counties. Other local businesses including Rie & Co, Blooming Blinds, Hyde Park Landscaping , and WB Mason contributed to the overall design of the project.

The ECAR Building Task Force, comprised of past presidents and commercial Realtors, played a pivotal role in the project. Members included Mat Lisee (chair), Molly Bruno, Dan Contino, Greg Hanner, Melissa Giangrasso, Marilyn Lusher, Norm Peck, Norm Krayem, Bonnie Nault, Andrew O'Reilly, Tom Switz, Paula Turley, and John Vincent .

For more information about ECAR, visit https://www.easternctrealtors.com/.

People & Places

Former Lyme Times columnist Kathy Connolly has received the 2024 Media Awards Silver Laurel Medal of Achievement for the newspaper columnist category, presented by Garden Communicators International, also known as GardenComm .

This national award recognizes individuals and companies that achieve the highest levels of talent and professionalism in garden communications. The 2024 competition had 126 entries in 39 possible categories. Silver Medal recipients represent the best in their category and will now compete for Gold Medals in their category.

Connolly received the Silver Laurel Medal of Achievement for her Green & Growing column, which has been an ongoing series in The Day and Shore Publishing media since 2013.

Connolly is an Old Saybrook-based landscape designer who specializes in naturalized designs, low-impact landscape techniques, and native plants. She works with homeowners, municipalities, garden clubs, state parks, businesses, and others. She also gives about 30 talks annually for various organizations throughout southern New England.

The full list of winners will be available on the GardenComm website following the 2024 Annual Honors & Awards event on Aug. 28.

Linda C. Grelotti of East Haddam has joined Suisman Shapiro Attorneys-at-Law as Chief Operating Officer. She will also practice law as an attorney for the New London firm in the area of civil litigation.

Grelotti served as Deputy Chief Clerk of the New London Judicial District for 12 years. She was admitted to the CT bar in 2003, and is also a registered patent attorney, licensed before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Grelotti received her J.D. from Quinnipiac University School of Law in 2003. She completed her undergraduate work at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, graduating in 1999 with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering.

Linda served on the Board of Directors for the New London County Bar Association for six years before serving as president from 2021-2022. In her spare time, Linda enjoys musical theater and traveling.

Suisman Shapiro is the largest law firm in eastern Connecticut, serving the community for over 75 years with a wide range of legal services. To reach the firm, call (860) 442-4416 or visit www.suismanshapiro.com.

Edwin Lobo of Mystic has been name a Retail Lending Originator at Chelsea Groton Bank . In this position, Lobo will work with customers throughout Connecticut and Rhode Island who are in need of a variety of lending solutions, from traditional mortgages to first-time homebuyer and affordable lending programs, to specialty financing and home equity loans.

He is certified by the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System & Registry and is fluent in both English and Spanish.

Previously, Lobo was the Assistant Branch Manager of Chelsea Groton’s Groton branch where he assisted customers with their daily banking needs, taught financial wellness programming, and worked closely with local community members. He graduated with an associate’s degree in business from Three Rivers Community College in 2021 and is currently enrolled at Eastern Connecticut State University .

Karen Warfield is out with a new historical fiction novel, “The Emancipation of Hannah Faythe Winslow: A Woman's Journey in Colonial America.” It is now available for pre-sale on Amazon.

The literary fiction has historical facts woven throughout with themes of deception and restoration. After the 1637 Mohegan and Pequot War, orphaned Hannah is left with a vile and amoral man who evades the local magistrates under the guise of establishing a plantation in southeastern Connecticut.

Warfield, who lives in Norwich and is a founding member of the Norwich Historical Society, is available to talk about the novel’s research at book clubs. To reach her, phone 860-887-8683.

Nancy D. (Seely) Butler of Waterford, an international speaker and founder of Above All Else, Success in Life and Business , is taking her mission of global empowerment to Ukraine by delivering training programs aimed at improving the mental health and well-being of individuals affected by the ongoing war.

This initiative addresses the severe stress and loss of motivation many Ukrainians are experiencing due to the conflict. The 10-day online training program focuses on emotional wellness and health, empowering participants to take control of their lives and build a positive future. Since its inception, the program has been delivered 70 times, reaching predominantly women aged 40-50, with no fee to participants.

A dedicated doctor is part of the team, ensuring the content is both comprehensive and beneficial.

A delegation from the Australian state of Victoria toured the region on last month as part of its visit through the tri-nation security partnership between the U.S., United Kingdom, and Australia known as AUKUS .

AUKUS is intended to build business and education partnerships that will eventually result in Australia building its own nuclear submarines to help defend the Asia-Pacific region. Specifically, the agreement calls for a rotation of U.S. submarines to be deployed from Australia in 2027, the sale of Virginia-class submarines to Australia starting in the 2030s, and Australia building and delivering its first nuclear-powered AUKUS submarine to the Royal Australian Navy in the 2040s.

Over the past several years Congressman Joe Courtney has been instrumental in building this relationship. Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut President and CEO Tony Sheridan , along with Anne Evans of Universal Strategies Limited, arranged the meeting between the Australian delegation and community leaders at the Chamber’s Innovation Center in downtown New London.

Among the attendees were: Mayor Michael Passero , City of New London; state Sen. Martha Marx , state Sen. Cathy Osten and state Sen. Heather Somers . Also, there were representatives from: the Connecticut Wind Collaborative, General Dynamics Electric Boat, Universal Strategies Limited, Southeastern CT Enterprise Region, Connecticut College, Hudson Housing Capital Three Rivers Community College, Mohegan Tribal Nation, Norwich Community Development Corporation, Mitchell College, Chelsea Groton Bank and Pfizer Inc.

Once again, service members and honorably discharged veterans worldwide will enjoy free access to NBCUniversal ’s full coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, courtesy of the Army & Air Force Exchange Service and Comcast NBCUniversal.

Military members will be able to stream all the action from Paris using their personal devices and computers through ShopMyExchange.com. The Paris Olympics take place July 26 to Aug. 11.

Service members can access NBCUniversal’s coverage from their computers or personal devices by visiting NBCOlympics.com (desktop) and the NBC Sports App (U.S. only) and choosing the Exchange as their service provider. Additional information is available at https://www.shopmyexchange.com/fullpage/staticcontent/specialty-pages/olympics2024.

The United Congregational Church of Westerly ’s Pollinator Gardens have been designated as a Certified Wildlife Habitat.

Located at 9 Castle Hill Road in Pawcatuck, this certification was granted by The National Wildlife Federation on June 21, 2024. The gardens are also part of the Pollinator-Pathways Project in the United States, including the Stonington Pollinator Pathways. The gardens are also recognized by the Million Pollinator Gardens Project, an international initiative promoting pollinator habitats around the world.

The church has meticulously cultivated its land to support pollinators, featuring diverse gardens with a labyrinth serving as the focal point, symbolizing the divine presence. These gardens are a testament to the church's commitment to eco-friendly gardening, which includes reducing lawn mowing, conserving water, planting native species, eliminating invasive plants, and practicing organic gardening.

To learn more about the United Congregational Church of Westerly and its gardens, please visit https://www.uccwesterly.org.

While most folks are enjoying leisurely vacations this summer, nine high school Girl Scouts from across Connecticut will get a crash course in college life and organizational learning at Girl Scouts of Connecticut ’s 2nd Annual Camp CEO at Quinnipiac University in Hamden from July 22- 26.

“Part of our mission at Girl Scouts of Connecticut is to help Girl Scouts build their leadership skills and to guide them to become our future women leaders of tomorrow,” said Elicia Pegues Spearman , Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Connecticut.

The program is open to Girl Scouts entering the 9th – 12th grade this fall. Participants will work with college professors and the Dean of the Business College at QU from Monday through Thursday to develop a business project. They will form teams, brainstorm ideas, and develop their pitches that will be officially presented to their families on Friday.

Work Vessels for Vets of Mystic this month presented a $6,000 fly-fishing raft and gear to an injured veteran. Staff Sergeant Matt Tempesta of the Massachusetts Army National Guard was activated to serve in Afghanistan in 2010 where he sustained service-connected injuries. He has turned his life experiences from leadership in the military to a passion for fly-fishing.

Matt is an ORVIS certified fly-fishing tour guide, as well as a qualified fishing instructor. His guide business, Tempco Fly Fishing, is up and running with the vessel and gear from Work Vessels for Vets. Matt also works closely with nonprofit groups to assist fellow injured veterans such as Project Healing Waters and Rivers to Recovery.

John Niekrash , president and co-founder of Work Vessels for Vets, said the nonprofit is all about helping an injured veteran find a new life as a civilian entrepreneur. He and other recent awardees were honored July 19 at the nonprofit’s annual Oysters on the Dock party at Mystic Oysters in Noank. Visit WorkVesselsForVeterans.org to learn more.

Opportunities

Independent homecare agency Assisted Living Services, Inc., in Cheshire, Westport and Putnam is ensuring that all caregivers get away this summer, while getting paid by the state.

Assisted Living Services is a credentialed provider for the Adult Family Living/Foster Caregiver program that helps frail elderly individuals remain living in private homes instead of moving into assisted living communities or nursing homes. This program works by providing financial assistance and support for family members or friends that act as both primary in-home caregivers of an elderly individual.

For more information, visit www.assistedlivingct.com.

The Buzz is a weekly roundup of business news compiled by Business Editor Lee Howard. To get in The Buzz, email businessbriefs@theday.com. To easily access urls cited in print, go to www.theday.com and type “The Buzz” into the search bar.