Main Street Community Foundation is 15!

The Main Street Community Foundation, which offers corporations, families and individuals a way to set up special funds and leave a legacy in their hometown for generations to come, is turning 15.
The foundation has an interesting history, which I included in a story for Wednesday's edition of The Bristol Press (http://www.bristolpress.com/). It all started because some local philanthropists and community-minded folks like Bob Merriman, Tom Barnes, John Smith, Terry Fletcher, Ed Lorenson and others decided that the area needed a community foundation.
It's great when a good idea truly takes flight and that's what happened here. Through the Main Street Community Foundation, families, companies and individuals can offer specific scholarships or grants to people and to non-profit organizations. There's nothing else just like it in the area.
The Foundation serves Bristol, Southington, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth and Wolcott.
A gala affair, silent auction and public auction at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington on Sept. 24 marks the anniversary bash. Tickets are $125 and are available from the foundation's office at 200 Main St. or by calling them at (860) 583-6363. Black tie optional, and foundation President Susan Sadecki promises a fun evening with dancing to a Motown band, good food and a few surprises.

The Croc Is Back!

Yesterday I wrote a story for today's edition of The Bristol Press about how the New England Carousel Museum is bringing back the wonderful tradition of the Crocodile Club to Lake Compounce.
The "club meetings" were one of the most interesting, fun and charming events I discovered after moving to Connecticut in 1993 to work for the Press. I loved going to the Crocodile Club and attended every year. I even went while on maternity leave, bringing my infant son. I think he should be on record in Stretch Norton's book as the youngest Crocodilian!
Anyway, it's a great tradition. I will miss the late, great Stretch Norton, because he and the club were interchangeable in my mind. But Stretch had a lot of support to pull off the party every year, so I've no doubt some of them will lend a hand to make it happen this year. It's hard to imagine it going on without him, but then again, it's a very cool legacy for Stretch to have. I'm sure the museum will do everything it can to make sure his presence is felt.
The photo above is an old one of the Casino at Lake Compounce, where the Crocodile Club always meets. Jerry Brick, the general manager of the park, is donating the Starlite Ballroom and furnishings and Dave and Mike Pasqualicchio at Nuchie's are handling the traditional meal of barbecued lamb, potatoes, sweet potatoes, sliced tomatoes, watermelon and a beer.
Louise DeMars at the museum tells me that Tom Barnes has the secret corn recipe (how did he get that???) and that Jack Driscoll is in charge of cigars, so it seems they're on track for a wonderful time.
So mark your calendars for August 31. Tickets are $50 and are available from the museum, or on its website: www.thecarouselmuseum.org.

Bristol Hospital Made Money Last Year

Despite the truly lousy economy, Bristol Hospital, which has been in the red every years for too many years -- CFO Peter Freytag guessed seven years -- made money last year. Bravo to the hospital for doing the impossible. Their profit was less than $10,000, but I give them a lot of credit for turning the ship around and moving in the right direction. Here's what I wrote after the annual meeting:

BRISTOL -- For the first time in years, Bristol Hospital ended its fiscal year in the black.

Especially given the dire economy, the hospital’s overall profit of about $8,000 “was a substantial improvement for the organization,” said Peter Freytag, the hospital’s chief financial officer.

Freytag called the accomplishment a “direct result of how everybody’s worked” to control costs.

The hospital’s chief numbers cruncher didn’t speak at the annual meeting Thursday, but President Kurt Barwis and Cary Dupont, who gave the auditor’s report, praised Freytag’s work in front of the audience of about 200 at the Clarion.

Mark Blum, who chairs the hospital’s finance committee, said the organization’s fiscal condition is steadily improving, despite the challenging economy. The hospital grew revenues from patient services by 5 percent and controlled expenses, Blum said, by staffing according to volume and reducing overtime.

The hospital also cut in half the losses from operations and reduced its bad debt, according to Blum.

“It was a very difficult year,” said Barwis, with unemployment rising and many more people without insurance. Still, the hospital did what it said it would, said Barwis.

“We actually made budget,” said Barwis.

The first quarter of the hospital’s last fiscal year, which started in October 2008, was strong, said Freytag.

“The bottom literally dropped out in January,” he said.

Freytag said he’s not expecting a banner year this time, with the hospital already behind. He said the census at Bristol Hospital is down, mirroring hospitals all around the state.

“It has the makings of another difficult year for us,” said Freytag.

Barwis, who spent a lot of time last year fighting a potentially devastating plan for a new University of Connecticut hospital in Farmington, made a point of thanking Bristol’s state lawmakers.

“Our local delegation has worked hard for us,” said Barwis. “They rallied support around our concerns.”

Barwis noted the public fight the hospital had with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield over reimbursement rates. That battle still goes on, though less publicly, and Barwis reminded audience members that the hospital still accepts Anthem insurance.

Barwis said businesses can’t take on more health care costs.

“Employers can’t pay any more and the costs just keep going up,” said Barwis. He said it’s getting to the point where hospitals may not be able to provide their workers coverage for all the services they provide.

Medicare payments to hospitals will be reduced, said Barwis, who said change is already here.

“On the ground, each and every day, health care reform is happening,” said Barwis.

The hospital’s response, said Barwis, is to provide efficient, quality care, keeping it on a path to success no matter what health care reforms take place.

Tom Barnes, who chairs the hospital’s governance committee, urged everyone to do what they can to support the hospital.

“The hospital really is in my mind the most important asset we have in our community,” said Barnes.

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