Silver Anniversary Celebration Continues At Ashlar Of Newtown

By Shannon Hicks

Ashlar of Newtown’s 25th anniversary continued with a special steel band concert and a picnic that was open to the public and well received by the residents of Newtown who joined the residents of Ashlar and the adjacent Lockwood Lodge for a summer celebration last week.

The July 16 event came midway through a year with special events that have been commemorating the silver anniversary of Ashlar, a skilled nursing facility that opened in 1972 and has expanded its square footage and services since that time. The concert was part of Ashlar’s 22nd Annual Summer Sounds Concert Series, which offers free concerts for Ashlar and Lockwood residents, as well as the public, four to five Wednesday evenings during the summer.

Last week’s concert was supplemented by a picnic dinner that had been prepared in-house and offered a choice of sandwiches (pulled pork, grilled chicken, and sausage and peppers), hot dogs, salads, cut fruit, soft drinks, and a cooler filled with ice cream treats.

Cars filled all available parking spots at Ashlar, and grounds crew staff members were quickly enlisted to help coordinate the cars that began parking along the long driveway that leads from Ashlar to Toddy Hill Road. By the time the concert began Wednesday night, those cars reached almost to the top of the driveway, which is nearly a quarter of a mile long.

Chairs had been put out for Ashlar and Lockwood residents, with more set up in the driveway and parking circle immediately in front of the building for the public. Most people brought their own seats with them, which was a smart move considering how quickly the available seating was scooped up.

After dinner, Ashlar President Tom Gutner offered a few welcoming remarks and announced the winning numbers of a few raffle tickets. Then as the sun set, the 25 members of St Luke’s Steel Band brought the sounds of the Caribbean to Sandy Hook.

The group has been performing since 1999, after Father Victor Rogers and a group of supporters from St Luke’s Episcopal Church in New Haven purchased a set of used steel drums from a band in Brooklyn.

Since then the group has attracted a dedicated membership, with many members or their families coming from the West Indies. The band rehearses twice a week and performs regularly during services at St Luke’s. They also perform for conferences, festivals, benefits, and private functions and, under the direction of coach-arranger Debby Teason and assistant director Donna Johnson, the band has fused into a group that offers a professional, polished sound from the steel drums and leads, and red bass drums and barrels played by the musicians.

Incidentally, the audience at Ashlar was treated to a concert by a group that was recently honored for the second straight year with a gold medal at the Panorama Caribbean Music Festival in Virginia Beach, Ed Mapp, the business manager for St Luke’s Steel Drum Band, said last week.

The building at 139 Toddy Hill Road opened in 1972 and was originally named Buckingham Gardens Convalescent Home. In 1982, the name was changed to Ashlar of Newtown and became part of the Masonic Charity Foundation of Connecticut, now the Masonicare Corporation — the largest nonprofit service provider for older adults in Connecticut. The Masonicare family, headquartered in Wallingford, offers retirement communities and an umbrella of health care services statewide.

In 1999 Ashlar opened Lockwood Lodge, a 44-unit assisted living community for adults 55 and over, who are independent and do not need nursing care.

In October 2000 Ashlar of Newtown was recognized by Newtown’s Economic Development Commission for its outstanding living, health, and educational services it provides to the senior citizens of the town and for its contributions to the economic community of Newtown. Then in June 2004 the newest chapter was opened when Ashlar converted one former residential wing into a nursing and rehabilitation center, offering care for adults following surgery or a serious illness.

In May of this year, Ashlar and Lockwood residents, family members and the public celebrated a 25th anniversary ecumenical service.

Ashlar’s Summer Sounds Concert Series will continue with two more evening shows. The Easton Banjo Society will perform on July 30, and then The Galvanized Jazz Band will conclude the series on August 13. While these shows won’t include dinner, the public is welcome to bring in picnic dinners of their own… and seating, just to be safe.

Between those two events Ashlar will also host its 7th annual Going Back in Time Classic Car Show and Sock Hop on Saturday, August 9. The public is also invited to this free event, which will feature a display of antique and classic cars owned by members of The Classic Nights Car Club of Monroe, information about and dogs from Greyhound Rescue & Rehabilitation, and lunch food and snacks available for purchase.