December message from Kelly

Dear Friends,

Tis the season for joy and kindness! As we plummet forward into 2025, we each have an opportunity to make someone’s holidays bright. It is truly better to give than to receive. Whether you reach out to an old friend or a new acquaintance to say hello or mail a card to someone local or someone far away, the gift of thoughtfulness and time is sure to add joy.

For many, the holidays can bring sadness. It is a time when we miss those we love who are no longer with us. It is the time when the distance between family and friends seems the greatest. There is no better time to reach for our inner joy and spread it to everyone we see. It is a smile across a crowded diner, a hand opening the door, an extra moment to listen to a neighbor talk about a grandchild.

At Bartlett Woods, we are fortunate to have a community of family around us every day. We are blessed to break bread and share laughter. I wish for all that you shine your own light and spread your joy and kindness. And, of course, enjoy your special recipes that you typically only make during this special time of year.  For me, it is Martha Washingtons (see recipe below). I remember my mother and my grandmother before her making them every Christmas. Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without them. Whichever holiday you celebrate, give from your heart.

Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah!

Best regards,

Kelly

 

Recipe for Martha Washingtons

1 (14 ounce) bag sweetened flaked coconut

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups powered sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 ½ cups of chopped pecans

For Dipping Chocolate:

1 (12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips plus 2 tablespoons Crisco

Combine everything but the dipping chocolate ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator, roll into balls and place on parchment paper or baking sheets. Place balls into fridge while you melt the chocolate.

Melt the chocolate, stirring frequently. Quickly drop the balls one at a time into the melted chocolate and toss with fork to fully coat. Lift out, letting the excess chocolate drain. Place balls on parchment paper or baking sheet to set. Makes about 6-7 dozen.

Continuum closes, reception for artist January 3, 2025

 The Art at Bartlett exhibition program is pleased to present a free public Closing Reception, featuring 97-year old resident artist Constance Kiermaier on Friday, January 3rd, 2025 from 4-6PM at Bartlett Woods Retirement Community, 20 Bartlett Drive in Rockland, ME. Her current show, “CONTINUUM: Old and New Works by Constance Kiermaier” will close after the weekend.  The exhibition is one part classic Kiermaier mixed media objects, and one part called The Portrait Project. Light refreshments will be served. Parking is limited to unmarked spaces, the driveway and along Talbot Avenue.

Constance has been our beloved resident teacher for many years,” confirmed Kelly Osborn, Executive Director at Bartlett Woods. “The arts are important at Bartlett Woods. Celebrating the close of this survey exhibition and learning about her life’s work is a privilege for all of us.  We hope to see many friends and make new ones at our upcoming Artist’s Talk”                                                                                                                                                  

Ms. Kiermaier’s constructions, paintings and prints are personal, mysterious, and timeless. Crafted with great skill, each piece demonstrates a refusal to be limited by material, method, or subject. Additionally, she is showing a new series of pastel portraits of some neighbors at Bartlett Woods, specifically those 95 years of age and older. The artist, herself 97 years old, is included with a self-portrait. “The Portrait Project’ began as a series of self-portraits to be given to each of my children,” confirms Constance. “This effort evolved into capturing the likenesses of some neighbors who are 95 and above, up to 100 years old! I believe it is vital for people our age to be noticed. This is an important issue for me.”

Constance Kiermaier is a graduate of the School of Fine Arts, Yale University. She has shown her work throughout the USA, including: Rhode Island School of Design, Yale University, National Academy of Fine Arts, Center for Maine Contemporary Art, and the Portland Museum. She has received many awards, including a fellowship from the New England Foundation on the Arts/National Endowment for the Arts. She was raised in Virginia, lived in Connecticut, Tenants Harbor, ME, has called Bartlett Woods home since 2016.

About Bartlett Woods Retirement Community: Founded in 1998, Bartlett Woods Retirement Community is a 501(c)3 55+ apartment facility featuring 58 one and two bedroom apartments with Amenities and Respite rental options. Led by Executive Director Kelly Osborn, and a staff of nearly 40, Bartlett Woods is one of the smallest communities in Maine, offering independent living as well as a full spectrum of support services and lifestyle enrichments. Located in Rockland, the art capital of Maine, Bartlett Woods provides convenience, accessibility, stimulation, and advocacy for individuals, couples, and their families. For further information, visit www.bartlettwoods.com or call 207 593 1608.  –end–

Press Release about the launch of The Green Bartlett Fund

December 12, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact Kelly Osborn, Executive Director 207 593 1259, kosborn@bartlettwooods.com    Photos attached, and others available.

26-year old Midcoast Retirement Community Launches

THE GREEN BARTLETT FUND

Efficiency Main Grant to be supplemented by community partners

(Rockland, ME) — Bartlett Woods has been approved for partial funding from Efficiency Maine to install a sophisticated, commercial next-gen heat pump HVAC system throughout the 3-story facility. This system will move Bartlett Woods into the future. Not only will the upgrade reduce costs and be easier on the environment, but it will also solve issues with the current system, which does not provide even heating to the 58 apartments and numerous common spaces within Bartlett Woods, located at 20 Bartlett Drive (off Talbot Avenue) in Rockland, ME. THE GREEN BARTLETT FUND was recently launched to raise support to match the grant funding, and generous donors and sponsors are now actively being sought.

This new system, installed by Efficiency Maine-qualified SolarLogix, LLC of Searsport, ME, will add layers of safety, comfort and affordability for residents. Compared with other heating systems, this sophisticated heat pump HVAC system is less expensive, greener, and provides heating that is more efficient. With the solar system just installed by Sundog Solar, also of Searsport, ME, and paid for by Bartlett Woods, the addition of heat pumps will move Bartlett to green innovation and sustainability. The electricity generated by the new solar panels will power the entire heat pump system. As one of the smallest not-for-profit retirement communities in Maine, Bartlett Woods strives to inspire other community organizations to improve efficiency and lower carbon footprint.

Bartlett Woods’ Executive Director, Kelly Osborn, explains: “As one of very few retirement communities in Rockland and surrounding towns for the past 26 years, Bartlett Woods is looking to the future, with a goal of ensuring sustainability for many years to come. Bartlett Woods is dedicated to providing affordable housing options for seniors in the Mid Coast area of Maine. As the cost of living continues to rise, Bartlett Woods recently invested over $400,000 in the installation of rooftop solar panels. These panels will lower carbon footprint, lower energy costs, and potentially increase property value while ensuring affordable housing for seniors. Bartlett Woods is committed to the people and the community of Rockland and the surrounding area. As the cost of living for older adults continues to rise, it is imperative that Bartlett Woods take the necessary steps to reduce the cost of providing housing. It is estimated that the green project, including both the solar panels and the heat pump installation, will reduce the cost of heating and cooling by more than 50% each year. The solar panels are expected to generate enough energy to cover the entire cost of operating the heat pumps. This reduction in energy cost will reduce the percentage of rental increases that Bartlett Woods would need to enact to cover the rising costs of living.

“U.S. News profiled 112 Assisted Living communities near Maine. Assisted living facilities, also called residential care or personal care communities, are for older adults who need help with daily activities such as medication management, personal hygiene and dressing. The median cost of assisted living in the Maine area is $8,712 a month, according to Genworth’s 2023 Cost of Care Study. This is $3,362 a month higher than the national monthly median of $5,350.”

More about Bartlett Woods and THE GREEN BARTLETT FUND:  Bartlett Woods is one of the most affordable Assisted Living/retirement communities in Maine. The monthly cost ranges from $4,159 to $6,755. The average cost to live at Bartlett Woods is well below $8,712 per month. Investment in clean, green energy is a huge step to ensure that elderly individuals in the community continue to have access to affordable living that meets their needs and provides a safe, comfortable home. The heat pump project will cost approximately $1 million; however, Bartlett Woods has been approved for $673,932 in funding from Efficiency Maine. Bartlett Woods will need to match the award with $315,968.

Bartlett Woods is currently looking for business sponsors and individual supporters to consider contributing to The Green Bartlett Fund. Sponsorship opportunities are described in full on the organizations’ website, or by calling 207-593-1259. Bartlett Woods would appreciate any level of support to improve the facilities, the lives of residents, and access to affordable living. Checks in any amount may be payable to Bartlett Woods Retirement Community, or visit the website to securely make a donation online through PayPal.

For further information, visit bartlettwoods.com, or call 207 593 1608.

About Bartlett Woods: Bartlett Woods Retirement Community, founded in 1998, is a 501(c)3 non-profit, age 55+ apartment house featuring 58 one- or two-bedroom apartments, with customizable rental options. Led by Executive Director Kelly Osborn and a staff of 40, Bartlett Woods is one of the smallest communities in Maine yet offers many personalized healthcare support services and lifestyle enrichments that continue to set a new standard in active adult living. In 2023, Bartlett Woods celebrated 25 years of service to the Midcoast community. Located in Rockland, ME, visit www.bartlettwoods.com or call 207-593-1419.

 

 

–end–