The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Benefit supports homelessness, housing coalition
HARTFORD — The Greater Hartford Association of Realtors held a fundraiser on June 6th to raise funds for the Coalition on Housing and Homelessness, a non-profit that strives to end all types of homelessness in Middlesex County, Meriden, and Wallingford, according to a press release. Event participants enjoyed great food and live music from five generous Middletown restaurants: Esca Wine Bar, La Boca, First & Last, and Mezzo Grill, organizers said. The festive evening included prizes donated by sponsors and area businesses.
GHAR thanked all who attended, sponsored, and gave to the night’s charity focus. GHAR presented a check for $3,330 to Ann Faust from the Coalition on Housing and Homelessness, which will be used to support a network of service providers that work together to streamline and standardize the process for individuals and families that are homeless to get housing. The primary goal is to focus on rapidly ending each person’s homelessness by connecting them with appropriate housing and resources as quickly as possible, members said.
“This event is a great opportunity for the Realtor community to come together to support a worthy, housing related charity,” said Joe Ercolani of William Raveis Real Estate, and one of the organizers of the event, in a statement. “Each year the event has grown thanks to the generosity of Realtors, their friends and the area Middletown businesses.”
LARC receives bank donation
TORRINGTON – LARC recently received a grant from Thomaston Savings Bank Foundation, Inc. to fund the purchase of a laptop and printer for use by LARC’s Social Enrichment and Special Olympics programs.
The equipment will improve the ability of the program coordinator to manage the myriad of activities, data collection, and reporting requirements.
“We are so grateful to Thomaston Savings Bank Foundation for this grant,” said Robin Pedone, LARC program coordinator, in a written statement. “Social Enrichment and Special Olympics programming involves detailed recordkeeping, scheduling of offsite events, overnight trips, and athletic trainings and competition. This equipment will significantly help by providing ondemand access to data where and when needed.”
LARC’s Social Enrichment program provides activities that are designed to promote a healthy life-
style, build self- esteem, foster interpersonal relationships, and increase personal growth and independence. The Social Enrichment Program also promotes emotional wellness by providing opportunities for social connections, friendships with peers, and exposure to the creative arts, according to LARC.
The Special Olympic program gives individuals the opportunity to develop physical fitness and skills and friendships with peers and within their community.
The Arc of Litchfield County is a nonprofit agency in Northwest Connecticut founded in 1964 by families to support loved ones with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
BantamWesson acquires E&L Heating
LITCHFIELD — BantamWesson, a fuel and home services company with offices in Litchfield, Waterbury and Canton, has purchased E&L Heating, which has been providing heating oil to homeowners in Oxford and surrounding towns for 32 years, according to a press release.
Ed Crowe, owner of E&L, says the sale allows him to feel confident that customers will be well taken care of as he leaves the industry. “It took a while for my wife Linda and me to find the provider we felt would treat our customers as we did — with the care they and their homes deserve. We believe we found it with BantamWesson. It was clear to us that their resources and dedication to service would keep our customers comfortable well into the future,” Crowe said in a statement.
BantamWesson president Craig Snyder said BantamWesson’s range of products and services extend beyond traditional fuel and HVAC. “We're experts at working with homeowners to reduce energy consumption,” he said in a statement. “This results in savings and contributes to conservation efforts that help the community at large. Our onestop services model offers plumbing, electrical, insulation and a range of other products and services for effective home energy management. We’re very grateful to Ed and Linda for entrusting us with their valued customers.”
For questions about BantamWesson services, call 800-992-2227.
Forbes ranks Thomaston Savings Bank #1 in U.S.
THOMASTON — Each year, Forbes conducts several ranking lists for varying industries, and this year, Thomaston Savings Bank was named not only the top in-state bank in Connecticut, but also the top overall in the country, according to a news release. This was the firstever survey of its kind by Forbes, conducted in response to the recent uptick in online banking institutions—and the resulting need for physical community banks to compete.
“It is truly an honor to be recognized as the top performing bank in the country, particularly when it relates to service, trust, delivery and overall satisfaction,” said Thomaston Savings Bank President, Stephen L. Lewis, in a statement. “We are grateful to our customers for selecting us and to our employees, who consistently uphold our values and service standards.”
Forbes, in collaboration with analytics firm Statista, performed the anonymous survey – asking more than 25,000 participants to rank banks in the region. The criteria for ranking included general satisfaction, digital services, financial advice, branch services and trustworthiness. With final scores ranging from 40 to 95.4, Thomaston Savings Bank came out on top.
Learn more at www.ThomastonSB.com/ Forbes.
Robinson earns NAR’s Military Relocation Professional Certification
NEW HAVEN — Michael Robinson with RE/ MAX Showcase has been awarded the nationally recognized Military Relocation Professional Certification, according to a news release. The National Association of Realtors awards the MRP certification to Realtors® who help military personnel, veterans and their families find housing that lets them make the best use of their benefits and serves the unique needs of military life.
When military staff and their families relocate, the services of a real estate professional who understands their needs and timetables can make the transfer easier, faster and less stressful. Realtors® who earn this certification know how to work with active duty military buyers and sellers, as well as veterans, according to the release.
“Service members may only have a couple of days to view properties and make an offer, and others might be deployed at the time and need someone who can represent them while they’re away. Working with a Realtor® who understands the singular complications that arise with military service can help make the home buying process simpler, faster and less stressful,” said National Association of Realtors® President Tom Salomone, broker-owner of Real Estate II Inc. in Coral Springs, Florida, in a statement. “The MRP certification lets home buyers and sellers know that a Realtor® knows the ins and outs of military housing benefits, such as zerodown payment loans, and the specific needs service members and veterans have when searching for their new home.”
The certification provides NAR’s members with resources to accommodate current and former military service members at any stage of their military career and is an approved elective for NAR’s Accredited Buyers Representative designation. To earn the MRP certification, Realtors must be in good standing with NAR; complete the MRP Certification Core Course; complete a reading providing background information on the military, included acronyms and understanding military culture; and complete two webinars.
For information about the MRP certification, visit www.militaryrelocationpro.org