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Friday, September 5, 2008

Cafe Tazza in Sharon Now Open!

It took a lot of work.....but the new Cafe is up and running!!!

Located on my Sharon office property is the only coffee bar/sandwich shop in Sharon.

The transformation from Little Brick Pizza to Cafe Tazza is complete.
Chef-Owner Katie Affronti has done a beautiful job redesigning the small brick building to accomodate her Italian style cafe. The scrumptious selection of food and beverages, includes Cappucino, Hot Chocolate, and Tea, plus a variety of treats including homemade pies, muffins and gelato!

Left, Liz is waiting for a customer to pick a delicious treat.
So when you come to Sharon, stop in and treat yourself and then come visit me.






















































































































































Friday, July 25, 2008

Kent Sidewalk Festival August 7th-10th

Come see Kent during the sidewalk sales days. It is a blast to meander around stopping to chat with friends and people who you often don't get a chance to catch up with during the rest of the year.

So grab a coffee or cool drink and stroll the village. Remember that for every dollar spent locally helps our towns all the more.

Enjoy summer!

Please click on the picture to view the video of last year's Sidewalk Festival...

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Quiz Night! - Music Teasers in Kent

QUIZ NIGHT- SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW MUSIC???
My wife Karren and I sponsored a Quiz Night last month as a fundraiser for the Kent Community Fund.

The premise is a well researched assortment of crazy questions to be answered by a team of four to see who is the best and the brightest.

The theme this time was Music. Easy you say until you are trying to recall whether Sanford and Sons or Barney Miller TV theme song is playing.

Once again the talents of the Diane and Clive Lodge came to challenge over 20 teams to a litany of wild questions that involved listening to riffs from a live guitarist ( great job Chris Lynch) to watching 40 year old video clips of the bands from the 60's (Pre- MTV), to unscrambling anagrams ( see below and try your luck).....

The questions and format take 6 months to compile and the pace is fast with a well trained crew keeping the raucousness in the Kent Community House in check. Not easy when dinner and libations is BYODB.

The highlight was a video montage tribute from Clive to his wife Diane on her 50th Birthday with clips from friends and family in England and all over the world. Diane's tears of joy as her fifty years of memories flashed across the huge screen to cheers and hoots from the crowd were touching. It was a lovely tribute. And every guy in the place hated Clive for his romantic and creative surprise. As they say in England...Good show ole boy!

So here are a sample of ideas for you to see if you should try Quiz Night next time around! Good luck and if you want the answers, let me know....

Smelliest Poop Tent

This was how we began the night.....Quiz Night continued into the late evening with roaring laughter and the usual shenanigans.

Other anagrams for well known singers included :


Wierd Rude Racoon
Alienate Frogs
Anal Toe Lice
Soaks Urinals and.....
Sweaty Hair Odor

Can you guess any of the above? (email me your answers ).


Captain Clive- Grand Master of Ceremony!













Back Country Outfitters' Anne McAndrew, Dave Fairity with teammates Frank and Patrice Galterio and
Lauren Alley.











Jeff Galusha celebrates with his wife Kendra while Steve Penner wonders how he knew the answer. Teammates Steve and Kathleen Robey cheer his brilliance.







Diane shows off the Booby Prize- Note my team did even not place. It was a poor showing.









Chris Lynch ripping out snippets of songs where you need to guess the artist and song.

















Friday, May 2, 2008

Kent Political Hotbed!?



Last Friday Kent was a hotspot for political activity. Downtown was abuzz waiting for President Bush to arrive at the Kissenger residence for a fundraising event. $10K got you a picture which would help raise funds for some guy who'll be running for our Congressional seat. So with this visit ofcourse came the media, protestors and onlookers.




I happened to be only a few properties away from the Kissenger estate during the lunch hours. What amazed me was all the hardware that was needed just for this event. There were "no parking" signs stapled to a tree every twenty feet for at least a mile. All the culverts near the road to the Kissenger property had been cleaned days before. The Wednesday before this Friday luncheon Kent was buzzed by two large copters that looked like the president's. I was told there were snipers in the woods around the property who had taken up post. While outside taking photos of a house the sounds of helicopters was everywhere. I saw two large gunships fly over three times each loaded with what appeared to be missles.




It was the first time I had seen so many State Troopers in Kent at one time. And boy were they busy runnig about here and there. I am now satisfied that we have budgeted enough money on out Trooper line in the Town Budget.




Speaking of budget it seems ludicrous to me that all this financial effort went into one meal. I know that the President was scheduled to speak a group in Hartford and that from Hartford to Kent is a short distance and that the guy who'll be running had to pay for the President's ride from Hartford to Kent. But come on there must have been at least a million dollars spent on this visit with all the cops, secret service, helicopters and fuel.

All this for a lunch.




At the same time down in the village of Kent apparently about a 150 protestors marched in protest against President Bush and his policies towards the war in Iraq specifically. I got this photo later in the day. I came to understand that the marchers had no permit for the float and there for left it at the side of the road as a billboard.




On a personal note my wife Karren and our daughter Hazel were in town to watch when Hazel asked Karren why and what were the protestors marching against. After being told Hazel noted that she was against war. So they jumped in with the marchers. Like I said Kent is a politcal hotbed.












Friday, February 15, 2008

Bain Skating Party

On a very cold, blustery and snowy Sunday we hosted out annual Bain skating party. The kids, parents and friends skidded, slipped and sped around the ice with 70’s music blasting above the shrieks and shrills. The wind and snow was whipping outside seen through the large bank of windows at west end of the rink. By 5:00 the storm had subsided and a brilliant red sunset could be seen down the valley. Thanks again to Back Country Outfitters for their rental services. Hope to see you next year.



































Friday, February 1, 2008

Anniversary Note and Blog Kick-Off


20 Years ago my wife Karren and I took a leap of faith leaving Manhattan to live and work in the hills of Litchfield County. Seeking a small town to raise kids close to New York but out of the fray of suburbia, we settled in Kent CT. Litchfield County had the perfect blend of natural beauty, dynamic people and a place we could make a difference. The real estate market here was rich with history, colorful people and an opportunity to grow. And funny as things works out, our life here has been fabulous, even better than we ever dreamed.

Fast forward to 2008 and three kids later we have plenty to be thankful for. We have numerous friends, plenty to keep us busy and we even get to “play” in New York City more than we did when we lived there. My career has flourished too and, for this, I thank you- my friends, clients and customers. The people whom I have met and the good friends I’m made, among those who decided to live here in the country, all agree that this area is a very special place in the world.

Karren and I have loved being involved in town and carrying on the tradition of lending a hand in your own community. Over the years I have been actively involved with The Park and Recreation Department, The Board of Finance, and The Lions Club while also coaching sports and being a strong, vocal advocate for the arts and community programs.

Karren, a Family Therapist in Kent, is a long-standing chair of the Board of Education, is an EMT volunteer, and has been an enthusiastic, successful event promoter for the Volunteer Fire Department and Board of Education.

Together, we feel blessed being able to contribute to our community and to help enhance Kent and the surrounding areas. In large part we would not have been able to create such a wonderful home for our three daughters Roxanne, Rachel and Hazel without your business and ongoing support. Thank you.

Looking ahead, 2008, while still new, is turning into an exciting anniversary year for me. I was very fortunate to be involved in the recent sale of the Treetops Estate on North Spectacle Lake http://www.bainrealestate.com/listing-detail.php?id=3414. What feels best about this transaction is that I had predicted, when I first sold it to a gentleman 13 years ago, that this property could become one of the landmark estates in the area.

Back then it was a run-down trailer camp on a hundred acres. But despite its deteriorated condition, it did have tremendous potential. The trees, landscaping, setting and beachfront were all in place so all that was required was the requisite effort to create a very special estate. I was fortunate to be able to share this vision with a client who, also, appreciated its potential. In the end, what was especially gratifying to me was that he and his family then carried that vision forward to create one of the most spectacular properties in Litchfield County.

Thirteen years later, to sell this completed vision to but another family, who now has their own beautiful piece of country life for their clan’s gathering spot, was icing on the cake.

On this high note, as I begin the next twenty years of my career I look forward to the future with excitement and enthusiasm. I will continue my efforts to help people who live and work in the city find a special place where they can escape and relax, if only for the weekend.

Please know that I appreciate the referral of friends and associates as I truly enjoy assisting them in finding their own ‘spot of country’. I’ve discovered that, at the end of the day, that’s what makes real estate still fun and challenging for me. Call it affirmation of my decision to move up here 20 years ago, I guess.

Now, with my move to the country validated, I look forward to continuing in real estate and enjoying all the towns I work in with great friends, good clients and loyal customers. I have started this blog to track my next twenty years, I hope you enjoy it and return to it often. Thanks again!