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Our Stories

Resident Profile: Gerry Mazur

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

It was around the time she moved back from Florida that “the depression” settled onto Gerry Mazur. Having moved there after the death of her husband fourteen years ago, she met and wed her second husband. Sadly, he passed away as well and Gerry decided to move back up to the Hudson Valley.

“I began to miss my family,” she says. “I came back up here, expecting that my grandchildren were going to be as they were when I left — you know, small, who would come sit in your lap, say, ‘Hi grandma, read me a story.’ But fourteen years is a long time, and these kids are grown now and going out on their own.”

Gerry sank deeper into depression and she found it easy to isolate in the duplex apartment she rented. Finally, the family became involved and one of her daughters told her about The Birches at Esopus, where she’s lived for the last year and a half.

That’s when things started to turn around.

“I like it here very much,” says Gerry. “And there’s alot to do if you want to do it…I get to play bingo, and tomorrow night will be movie night. I’ve been to every one of them so far that we’ve had here. The theater is very comfortable. We had new movies and ole. Jerry Lewis was in our first movie, and we laughed so hard.”

As for the depression that had descended upon her return from Florida, Gerry says, “I finally got with people, people to talk to.”

The key, it seems, is not just being active, but being social. Being able to talk to other people has allowed Gerry to find happiness at The Birches at Esopus.

“My next door neighbors on both sides of me are very nice,” she says. She does crafts with the Residents’ Club, plays bingo on Tuesdays and Fridays, and makes sure to catch every one of the movies on show in the building’s media room. “In between, even when you walk to the laundry room, you meet people, talk to them,” she says. And Gerry gets out to the patio to visit with new friends.

“I just do what I want to do, when I want to do it, how I want to do it,” she says. “Once you’re retired, you’re pretty much on your own. Of course, it’s harder to live. You can’t go out and buy things like you did when you had a good pay check coming in, but you got to realize that life is going on, we’re getting older…we laugh here, and say ‘I’m not old, I’m getting old.’”

Brian Rubin for Birchez Associates, birchezassociates@gmail.com

A Chat with Marie Shultis, First President of The Residents’ Club at The Birches at Esopus

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

In July 2010, Rochester-native Marie Shultis finished her yearlong stint as the president of the Residents’ Club at The Birches at Esopus. Shultis worked as a team with vice president Ruth Rosu, and together the pair was able to get the first year of the building’s residents’ club off to a rousing start.

“Our goal was really to bring the residents together and to establish different programs and events that they could participate in,” says Shultis, “and we did do that over the course of a year.”

Having been founded in the summer of 2009, the club can now count over half of The Birches at Esopus’s population as members, having reached their fiftieth member in June 2010. Throughout the year, the club has hosted events to allow the community’s residents to get to know each other and participate in fun activities. The first such event was participating in the Town of Esopus Fall Festival.

“The whole town could have yard sales,” says Marie, “and so everyone here was interested in having a yard sale. Well, since it’s a secure building, it poses a problem for us to have a yard sale inside here. So in speaking with Steve and Judy Aaron about this one day when they were visiting, I voiced our desire to have a yard sale. And so, Judy says, ‘how about a tent?’ And so they very graciously put a huge tent out here in the parking area, and tables for those residents who wanted to sell their personal items.”

Marie says that the sale was a “huge success,” allowing residents to sell their items, as well as the sale of baked goods and items that were donated to the club for sale. In fact, Marie says that the baked goods table was an even hotter seller than the tables without food. “It was a winner—it was really fantastic,” she says.

The money raised went back into the club’s coffers, which, in addition to the $2 monthly dues paid by members, was able to fund other events and get-togethers for the club’s members. From pot lucks and Wintertime Comfort Food dinners, as well as their subsequent Leftover Lunches, Marie says that the club has tried to host at least one event a month.

One particularly memorable event for Marie concerned the local volunteer firefighters who make routine visits to The Birches at Esopus.

“The firemen are always visiting us, because, unfortunately, there are escapades like burnt toast and things like that occurring,” says Marie. “ Ruth and I felt it would be nice if we did something for the firemen, so we had a dinner especially for the firemen, and they could bring their wives – many of whom are members of the auxiliary – if they wished.

“They enjoyed themselves, and they said, ‘you know, no one ever does anything like this for us,’ and it made us feel good to know that we had done that for them. So we have a link there, as well as a link with the town with the yard sale.” Marie says she hopes that the club will keep hosting the dinner annually, though the decision won’t be up to her when she and Ruth pass the batons to the new officers.

Besides simply hosting these monthly events, the Residents’ Club is responsible for the twice-weekly Bingo games in the building’s community room, as well as the holiday-themed decorations that fill the community room each month, a result that came about with a combination of “Ruth’s creativity and the dollar store,” says Marie with a laugh.

And Marie is adamant about the fact that the club’s initiatives and strides weren’t her achievements alone—rather, she and Ruth Rosu accomplished it all together.

“I really want to emphasize that we were a team,” she says of her partnership with Ruth. “And it’s a large undertaking—one person can’t do it alone, can’t come up with all the ideas and whatnot. You need another individual who has ideas. I’m very lucky, because Ruth is very artistic, and she’s very creative. It was a team effort. I never knew Ruth before I moved here. We just kind of clicked. That happens sometimes.”

For profiles and stories about and by our residents, visit the Our Stories tab of each community.

Brian Rubin for Birchez Associates, birchezassociates@gmail.com

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

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: Therese Donnelly

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

TOWN OF ULSTER, NY – Therese Donnelly, born and bred in the City of Kingston, has faced a lot of tough situations in her life. As a retired operating room nurse who worked with doctors performing radical cancer surgery at Sloane Kettering, she’s no stranger to high pressure and tough times. So when her home of 16 years—an apartment in a low-income housing building—started experiencing a rash of break-ins, Donnelly knew that she had to make a move.

“My daughter wanted me out of there, with the break-ins,” she says, just before recounting one such incident. “One of the persons in my building had somebody put their foot in the window at night. Her cat hissed, woke her up, and the guy skedaddled.”

Even still, when describing the experience, she’s awfully understated.

“It was not pleasant,” she says.

When she learned that she could move into The Birches at Chambers, she gathered her belongings (which include a 60-year-old piano she still plays, sometimes performing engagements at local nursing homes) and made the move. Since then, Therese has been a lot happier.

“I have my same old furniture, I didn’t get anything new,” she says, “but it fits!”

In addition to her apartment’s spaciousness, the senior-specialized amenities have vastly improved the quality of her life.

“It’s comfortable, seniorized,” says Therese. “I don’t have to walk over the bathtub, I just walk in. I can’t get down [in the tub] because I broke my knee several years ago—can’t get in, can’t get out. So it’s nice for me, I don’t have to climb over that ridge.”

She also tries to visit The Birches at Chambers’ fitness studio about three times a week, another feature she was without at her previous apartment. And because of The Birches at Chambers’ proximity to the adjacent Chambers Elementary School, Therese is considering getting back into an activity that brought joy both to her and to kids for 12 years.

“I became a foster grandparent at the school in Kingston,” she says (having already mentioned that she has nine grandkids of her own already). “I went to the school where I had gone, because it was in my neighborhood. I helped out with first and second grade, and I helped kids read.

“The PTA gave me a nice banner I have hanging on my wall,” she says, beaming. “The kids put their hand prints on it, and their names. Recently I called three of the parents. Their children had just graduated from high school. So I called the parents’ houses to congratulate their kids. And they all told me where they were going to college.”

In the end, even though it’s only a five-minute drive away from her old apartment, it feels like many miles away to Therese. Her new apartment has enough room for her to fit the things she loves from her life, while offering her the ability to stay happy and healthy as she ages in place.

Of course, when describing her new place, Therese Donnelly relies once again on understatement.

“It’s pleasant,” she says.

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.”

Resident Profile: Delores Kurtz

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

TOWN OF ULSTER, NY – When you’re faced with the prospect of leaving a house you’ve lived in for 50 years, your emotions can run pretty high. Such was the case with Delores Kurtz, a former resident of Barclay Heights in Saugerties.

“Every time we talked about my leaving the house, there were tears,” says Delores regarding conversations with her three grown children, Cindy, Eric, and Denise.

But since she moved into her new apartment in The Birches at Chambers at the end of April, everyone seems a lot happier.

“My son visited me yesterday,” she says. “He came in and he says, ‘you know mom, I was a little leery about this move. But you know what? It was the best thing you could have ever done.’ And I was really happy to hear that.”

While it’s hard to give up a place that’s been the home of your family for five decades, it was getting too hard for Delores to stay there. She had lost her husband 12 years ago, and over the years it was tougher and tougher for her to stay in her house. Eventually, a move wasn’t just a good idea: it was doctor’s orders.

“The doctor said—I had several falls, and I had a split level—so he said no more steps,” recounts Delores. She and her daughter visited The Birches at Saugerties to fill out an application. She got on the waitlist and, in December of 2009, she got the call that an apartment was available in The Birches at Chambers.

“Thank heavens, lo and behold, I was in the right place at the right time,” laughs Delores about getting the call.

“I thought it was going to be a hard transition,” she continues, recalling her move to the apartment, “but you know it wasn’t. And I couldn’t believe it, because the first night here I slept like a log, and I’ve slept every night here like a log. I feel very secure.

“Who couldn’t love this? I feel as though I’m living in a resort, that I really and truly do. I keep thinking, when do I have to go home, not realizing—hey , this is my home! It’s beautiful. It’s everything that you could possibly want.”

Brian Rubin for Birchez Associates, birchezassociates@gmail.com