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The Birches at Chambers Blog

Scary Stories come to The Birches

Sunday, October 31st, 2010

Ulster, NY 10.29.10 – Chambers School elementary students, all members of the Nature Club, accompanied by Club member Charlotte Adamis and parents walked over after school for a Halloween gathering at the community room of The Birches at Chambers, the senior housing community that adjoins the school property. Greeting the students were residents of both The Birches at Chambers and Chambers Court, many of whom in costume, ready with treats for the students. The students showed off their costumes,chatted with residents and entertained with a scary reading of Scaredy Cat, Splat! by Rob Scotton.

The new book, a recent acquisition to the library, was read without prior rehearsal by two of the students to much laughter and applause. In the picture to the right, club mentor and school librarian Adamis speaks to some of the audience. Even the parents got into the spirit of the event sporting costumes — some scarier than the children’s! The event was one of several intergenerational activities with the neighboring school’s Nature Club.

Sheriff Van Blarcum on the beat

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

October 11, 2010 – Sheriff Paul Van Blarcum kept a group of 50 seniors in rapt attention talking about the role of the Sheriff’s office and issues of senior safety. Introduced by the Senior Advocate for the Birchez Communities, Alice Tipp, the Sheriff found several familiar faces in the room — some from the job, and one, Joe Vanacore, who had served on the Onteora school board with Van Blarcum.

Van Blarcum warned the audience comprising residents of The Birches at Chambers, Chambers Court and neighboring Seven Greens never to give credit card information over the phone. “Ask them to mail you information,” said the Sheriff, reporting that the callers rarely bother. Van Blarcum reported one popular scam against seniors has been a caller claiming to be a grandchild needing money for a medical emergency or to make bail. One local area resident lost close to $4,000 in such a scam he said.

The internet is also a source of scams and not just for seniors. Van Blarcum talked about local residents receiving emails from someone they knew claiming to be abroad and needing finances to get home. Van Blarcum gave many examples of the role of technology — both in creating crimes and in fighting them. A recent shooting near Onteora High School was solved in a couple of hours based on the work of members of the URGENT team and technology. “Within a short time, a computer line up of suspects was being shown to local residents — without them having to travel.”

Van Blarcum profiled the role of the Sheriff’s office and engaged in a discussion of community policing when a resident brought it up. “Wherever possible, officers can be assigned close to where they live,” Van Blarcum said as an example of effecitive community policing.

The Sheriff’s appearance promises to be the first in a series of presentations at the Birchez communities brought by law enforcement. Upcoming sessions will include CarFit and techniques for senior self protection.

County Executive Mike Hein Meets with Senior Residents

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

Town of Ulster, 8/30/2010: Mike Hein joined the Senior Residents of The Birches at Chambers in their Community Room for a lively and informative discussion on senior resources and programs that are available through Ulster County. “Too often these resources are untapped, and the people who need them the most don’t know how to tap into services,” said Hein. (Alice is shown to the right of Mike Hein in the lead photo.)

Organizer of today’s event is Alice Tipp, the Senior Advocate for Birchez Associates, who services their four affordable senior communities in Ulster County. Alice works to coordinate services with the over 325 seniors who live at The Birches at Chambers, The Birches at Esopus, The Birches at Saugerties, and Chambers Court. Alice Tipp served as a county legislator for thirty years and is not shy in getting the right resources to “her” residents. “I am delighted that the County Executive took the time to be with us today. His enthusiasm is contagious and I know we all learned a great deal today,” said Ms. Tipp. Also welcoming Mike Hein were Steve and Judy Aaron the principals of Birchez Associates who built and manage The Birches at Chambers.

The Q&A portion of the program hit some topics outside the scope of strictly senior resources. Mike Hein in response to questions about taxes spoke of the need to consolidate services that are now duplicated between towns and the county. Following the formal presentation, the County Executive had the opportunity to speak briefly with many residents. Included was Joe Vanacore, a World War II Vet, who is concerned about the level of veterans’ benefits especially as he is dependent on a wheelchair these days. (Joe was recently featured in the book The Liberators: America’s Witnesses to the Holocaust by Michael Hirsh for his work with General Patton’s Tank Corps in liberating death camps in Germany.)

Harold Schumann, another resident, spent eleven years bouncing from hospitals to nursing homes before finding the appropriate ADA compliant, fully handicapped accessible home at The Birches at Chambers. He spoke to the County Executive about how happy he is now that he’s settled in his own apartment.

The Birchez Associates website, www.Birchez.com, has links on their communities pages to the resources Mike Hein spoke of in the Ulster County Care program, in addition to a variety of senior related, local recreational, historic sites, and more. To visit one of the links pages, click here.

Editor’s Note: Michael P. Hein, Ulster County Executive, was one of the presenters at the dedication of The Birches at Chambers on July 8th. For a video of his remarks, click here.

Resident Profile: June Diamond

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

Having served as the executive secretary for four different mayoral administrations in the City of Kingston for over 20 years, June Diamond knows a thing or two about how tough it can be to juggle lots of responsibilities and still keep people satisfied.

“I enjoyed working for the city,” says June. “People would come in, upset and mad, and I would make them happy when they left. And they usually did leave happy.”

That’s why she appreciates her new home at The Birches at Chambers so much: she’s fully aware of the delicate balancing act it takes to make a place like that run while keeping residents content.

“I admire Steve and Judy Aaron, for the foresight and the compassion they have for senior citizens,” she says. “I mean, look at this place! They make sure everything is perfect. Look at just what Judy did with interior decorating—it’s wonderful. And Steve—man, he’s on top of everything.”

June and her husband, Charles (formerly the Postmaster for the City of Kingston) have lived locally their whole lives, so when Charles lost the ability to walk due to Parkinson’s disease, The Birches at Chambers and its ADA and senior-friendly amenities were the solutions to many of their problems.

“Here, the wheelchair can go right into the bathroom,” says June. And the handicapped accessible shower helps her take care of Charles with greater ease. She adds that the building’s features allow her peace of mind should she need to leave the apartment.

“For me, it’s hard to get out,” she says. “Lots of times I do leave the apartment in the afternoon, because Charles will nap in the afternoon and I know he’s safe. I think that’s something else that Steve did, was ensure everyone that they would feel safe. They have emergency cords in the bedrooms and the bathroom, if need be. We haven’t needed to use them, but they are there.”

June goes on to say that even if she can’t go out, her new home has enough amenities that all her needs will be taken care of easily.

“I like all the facilities that are available. I like the idea that I don’t have to go outside to get my mail or newspaper. Laundry rooms are just down the hall. Other places, you have to outside to do all this.…You get one snowy night or day, and you’re confined. Here, you don’t have to worry about going out because everything’s right here. I really like that.”

The fact that she and her husband can afford to live in The Birches at Chambers on their fixed incomes is part of what impresses her so much about the building.

“Here’s how I feel about this place, and I think they should use it as a motto: it’s elegant living at affordable prices,” she concludes with a laugh.

June spoke at the dedication of The Birches at Chambers in July. To see — and hear — her remarks, click here.
Brian Rubin for Birchez Associates, birchezassociates@gmail.com

Su Casa, Mi Casa

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

Yes, I know that the traditional phrase is Mi Casa, Su Casa which translates to My House is Your House. But for Judy Wells Aaron, the phrase truly is “Your House, yes, but I care as if it was My House”. Spouse and partner of Birchez Associates’ Managing Member Steve Aaron, Judy creates the interior decorating and landscaping vision at the company’s extraordinary, affordable senior properties. These roles are in addition to her corporate responsibilities.

I was giving a tour at the latest gem among the Birchez communities, The Birches at Chambers. We had arrived at the media room where residents will view recent releases and great classics on a theater quality screen and listen to scores on an accompanying state-of-the-art sound system, designed by Steve and Judy’s son, Josh Aaron.

One guest commented on the movie-themed artwork surrounding the theater foyer. “Where can you find this theater art?” was the question. I realized the guest had just started to appreciate Judy’s sense of caring for the communities that Birchez had created. (It should be noted that there was also fabulous, movie-themed pieces hanging outside the media room at The Birches at Esopus, completed last year.)

I next pointed out the adjoining kitchenette designed to service the media room – a place to make popcorn, keep beverages cold, for sure. But you could serve a small party from this well appointed space.

Then it struck me. The ultimate demo of the lengths Judy will go to! I opened the door to the stairs. (Bear in mind most visitors will take the elevator to the media room, not the stairs to the lower level. ) In a small stairwell one might expect to find empty or more likely cluttered with junk is a delightful vignette. A voluptuously shaped lacquered chest, topped with a tasteful cluster of silk flowers, is on view. Above, Marilyn Monroe observes approvingly from a series of photos. So Hollywood, so sweet outside such a media room, so Judy!

Contributed by K.J. McIntyre, Director of Marketing, Birchez Associates LLC, kjmcintyre@birchez.com

Aging in Place: Birchez Associates’ Commitment to Health & Wellness

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

“It’s getting pretty hard to do things that I normally would’ve done.” Those are the words of Alice Goldstein, a resident of The Birches at Chambers in the Town of Ulster. In the last few years, Alice was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, the incurable, degenerative disease that could take away her ability to walk without assistance. Alice even reports that she’s beginning to lose some of the ability in her hands.

So it’s come as quite a relief that The Birches at Chambers features fully adaptable, ADA-compliant amenities.

“If I do get in a wheelchair, the counter can be pushed back, so that’s great,” she says. “That was one of my concerns, as a person who’s facing the possibility of being in a wheelchair. It gave me great comfort to know that I don’t have to move out of this apartment.”

Ensuring that residents can stay in their homes and maintain their independent lifestyles is one of the core philosophies upon which Birchez Associates is built — aging in place (for a video on that commitment, click here). Each and every apartment in the building has the capability to be adjusted to accommodate for changes in residents’ mobility.

But the commitment to maintaining residents’ wellness doesn’t stop at their apartments’ doors. The Chambers at Birches and Esopus both feature a fully equipped fitness center, which, along with a trainer who specializes in age-appropriate exercises and stretching, is free of charge to residents. This is a result of a strategic alliance forged by Steve Aaron with Kingston’s Signature Fitness owner Joe Perry. One-on-one appointments can also be set before or after open hours with the trainer, Barbara Devine, for a small fee.

“You can do all the exercises you need or you want,” says Joe Vanacore, a World War II veteran who lives on the first floor of The Birches at Chambers. Joe worked in the construction business for fifty building stairs, but these days he uses a motorized wheelchair to get around, making stairs simply impossible. Fortunately, the building is constructed for the ease of its residents, no matter what their method of movement. Elevators cut out the need for stairs, while convenient access to mail, garbage, and laundry on each floor provides opportunities for residents to continue living independently.

Of course, when the need for medical assistance or advice arises, that’s covered, too. Birchez Associates has formed a strategic alliance with Elant, Inc., a not-for-profit healthcare organization that provides a nurse with regular office hours at both The Birches at Chambers and The Birches at Esopus. The nurse can be consulted, free of charge, regarding any medical questions a resident may have, including drug interactions. Small, personalized touches—like being given cards with medical information gathered during sessions for future visits — help residents take control of their health and make better decisions to help them live better lives.

The end result of these and other amenities is that residents are given a place they can truly call “home.” Many of the people living in Birchez Associates’ communities are lifelong residents of the Hudson Valley, and have had to face tough financial times where they had difficulty making ends meet on fixed incomes. The communities built by Birchez Associates give them the option to stay in the area they’ve lived their whole lives, stay close to their families, while giving them the peace of mind that comes with affordable rent and adaptable, top flight amenities (just click here to see a video on our amenities) .

Joe Vanacore says it best when he recalls first laying eyes on his new home: “When I saw this apartment, I said, ‘this is it, I’ll never move again.’”

Brian Rubin for Birchez Associates, birchezassociates@gmail.com

Worth the Wait: Why Wait Lists Work

Monday, July 19th, 2010

It’s true: the wait lists are long for Birchez Associates’ senior affordable housing communities. But don’t despair! When we have an opening at a property, we go down the list of those who have checked that property on their application. Sometimes the people who are contacted aren’t quite ready to make a move, giving more opportunities to people lower down. For example, an applicant has planned a long visit with fer grandchildren, another applicant needs to sell his home before moving. . .

On top of that, when Birchez has a new property, we reach out to the wait lists at our existing communities. That’s why some people on the waiting list for The Birches at Saugerties were able to find apartments in The Birches at Chambers. And others chose to stay on the wait list at The Birches at Saugerties. No penalty for declining the new property.

Even more important, the wait lists themselves can help create new affordable senior housing. Case in point: New York State agencies can use wait lists as a region’s proof of need when they decide where to allocate funding. The senior population in Ulster County continues to grow, and with it the need for affordable housing grows as well. If local, state, and federal agencies can see hard proof of that need, funding will help fill that gap. New York State Senator John J. Bonacic spoke of the need for affordable housing at the recent dedication of The Birches at Chambers in the town of Ulster. Here are the Senator’s comments click here.

So what are you waiting for? Sign up for the wait list! It may not be as long a wait as you think…

Resident Profile: Joe Vanacore

Friday, July 9th, 2010

TOWN OF ULSTER, NY – Joe Vanacore, a native of Jamaica, Queens, has had the kind of experiences in his life that most people only read about in books. And, in fact, when it comes to Joe, you can actually read about his exploits as a tank driver in Patton’s army in The Liberators, a book published in 2010, written by Michael Hirsh.

“We surprised Patton himself in terms of what we did to the enemy,” recalls Joe of his time spent in the European Theater of War. “We never lost a fight to the enemy, and he started giving us all the dirty work because he could depend on us to do the job.”

As a tank driver, Joe got a first-hand tour of Europe—with the majority of his sights seen through the tank periscope—and, with the use of his bulldozer-modified tank, personally busted in the gates of the Ohrdruf concentration camp, located near Weimar, Germany.

As a veteran, Joe was chosen to open the recent dedication of The Birches at Chambers by leading the Pledge of Allegiance.

In the years after the war, Joe kept working hard, making his living in the construction business and moving up to Shokan in 1955 with his wife.

After over 40 years in Shokan, the couple made their way to Kingston because of health issues. “My wife got pretty sick. So we got her a bed at Golden Hill, and she died there only a month later.”

Since then, Joe had moved into a senior complex in Kingston, a place that didn’t have much going for it, in his eyes. “The buildings were very cheesy, cheap,” he says. Worse, this veteran didn’t feel safe there. So two months ago, after a recommendation from his granddaughter in the real estate business, Joe moved into his new apartment in The Birches at Chambers.

“Let’s put it this way,” he says of his new home. “In the last 25 years, I moved about four times, maybe longer than that. When I saw this apartment, I said, ‘this is it, I’ll never move again.’

“I find it very nice. They keep you occupied. You got a gym downstairs with a trainer, you can do all the exercises you need or you want. You got the art room for arts and crafts, you got the computer room, you got a movie room, you got a card playing room. Just name it—everything is happy. The people are really satisfied. I have never heard anybody say they didn’t like it.”

Part of what makes Joe’s home so good is the personal attention provided by the staff and management, particularly Birchez Associates’ founder and managing member Steve Aaron and his wife Judy.

“Their objective here is to make the people happy, and keep them happy. And it’s not easy to do, when you’ve got that many old people,” he says with a laugh. “They’ll complain about the air, for crying out loud.

“But he takes care of it, Steve. He doesn’t let any complaints get by him.”

Brian Rubin for Birchez Associates, birchezassociates@gmail.com

Resident Profile: Gerald Haskin

Monday, July 5th, 2010

TOWN OF ULSTER, NY, July 1, 2010– When you ask Gerald Haskin about his life, you’ll get a lot of information in return: he’s worked plenty of jobs since growing up in Mayville, NY, including working for the Grange League Federation (or GLF, which later became Agway), selling cars, delivering mail, selling life insurance, and even firing the boiler of a milk factory. He’s fathered five children with his wife of 64 years, with whom he shares an apartment in The Birches at Chambers. And there’s the Purple Heart he earned while serving in the Pacific Theater during World War II.

Of course, while he tells you all of this, Gerald says, with general understatement, that it’s a “pretty uneventful life.”

These days, Gerald takes things a bit slower. A few years ago he underwent an operation to remove calcium deposits in his lower vertebrae, a problem that was keeping him from getting around on his feet too well. While he’s still not as quick as he used to be, Gerald is finding his apartment’s close proximity to the building’s amenities quite convenient. “We ended up on the second floor,” he says. “With the laundry room, the elevator, and the trash room all close by.”

Gerald and his wife moved to the Hudson Valley area about five years ago to be closer to their daughter, son, and grandson, all of whom live in the area. Prior to moving into The Birches at Chambers, the couple lived in a senior housing development in Kingston. While it was a nice place to live, Gerald says that the building’s age drove the utility costs way too high.

“It was about 40 to 50 years old,” he says of his old home. “And it had those old metal windows. And 40 or 50 years ago, they were probably a great thing. Back then nobody worried about what was going to happen to them 30 or 40 years later, with keeping them up. So when the wind blew outside, you felt it. The air conditioning system was that old and the heat was the old electric baseboard on the floor. We ended up with an electric bill of $250 a month.”

But now he’s living in a new apartment—and it’s brand new, which is one of the best things about living at The Birches.

“My son, he said, ‘oh, you’ll like it,’” recalls Gerald of hearing about The Birches at Chambers. “‘You’ve got about just as much room as you had in the other place, and it’s all new, so you can’t lose. And you won’t have a $250 electric bill!’ he adds with a laugh. The Birches at Chambers average electric bills are closer to a tenth of what Gerald used to spend – and the heat’s included in the rent.

Brian Rubin for Birchez Associates, birchezassociates@gmail.com

Resident Profile: Alice Goldstein

Saturday, July 3rd, 2010

TOWN OF ULSTER, NY – The last few years have been tough for Alice Goldstein. In 2003, her husband Paul lead them to move from Wisconsin to Stony Brook, Long Island, for a work opportunity. But the Glenford, NY, native was less than pleased with her new home.

“I could not get used to the congestion and the traffic,” says Alice of Long Island’s infamous highways. “So we moved upstate, to Salt Point, across the river in Dutchess County. Unfortunately, Paul took ill and died in 2007, leaving Alice—who had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis—reeling. She was able to stay with two of her six children, bouncing from place to place, unable to get sure footing, until she finally moved into her new apartment at The Birches at Chambers in May.

“I did what I had to do, and I survived. It’s been a rough road for me since my husband passed away. But now, my life has kind of straightened out,” says Alice.

Since moving to The Birches, a sense of stability and independence has returned to Alice’s life.

“I have multiple sclerosis, and it’s getting pretty hard to do things that I normally would’ve done. I’m losing the ability of my hands already,” she says. “I get around in here. There are no steps. If I want to go upstairs, the elevator is there. Walking is good for me but I’m not good at walking in busy areas because I have trouble hearing due to the MS. So it’s good for me to be able to walk around here safely and not on the streets.

“In other words,” she says, summing it up, “my children are not worried about me.”

The fact that her apartment—like every apartment in The Birches at Chambers—is handicapped-ready helps give Alice peace of mind for the future.

“If I do end up in a wheelchair, the kitchen counter can be pushed back (to provide full handicapped accessibility), so that’s great. I don’t have to move, and that was one of my concerns, as a person who’s facing the possibility of being in a wheelchair. It gave me great comfort to know that I don’t have to move out of this apartment.”

These days, Alice doesn’t drive quite as much as she used to. That’s why she’s looking forward to relying on both the UCAT bus and Citibus out of neighboring Kingston, both of which make regular rounds through The Birches at Chambers direct to local shopping areas and key connecting points.

“I’ve never used any public transportation or anything like that, so a couple of the people that do use it here, they’re going to take me to get used to it,” she says.

After spending a few years with uncertainty every day, Alice says she now feels relief whenever she walks through the main foyer into the building. “I walk in the door, and it’s home for me,” she says. “That’s how I’ve come to feel now—every time I open that door, and I walk in, I’m home.”