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Joanne Borduas, CEO of Community Health and Wellness Center, State Senator Paul Honig (D-8) and Shawn K. Frick, CEO of the nonprofit Community Health Center Association of Connecticut, during a recent legislative reception in Hartford.
“The fact that we have reached an agreement with the state’s Department of Social Services is a step in the right direction.” — Joanne Borduas, CEO, Community Health and Wellness Center
NORTH CANAAN — A network of 17 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) in Connecticut, including three in the Northwest Corner towns of North Canaan, Winsted and Torrington, will receive a long-awaited funding boost in Medicaid reimbursement rates to the tune of $80 million over the next three years.
In making the July 16 announcement, Governor Ned Lamont (D) and Connecticut Department of Social Services Commissioner Andrea Barton Reeves unveiled a three-year plan to boost rates for the centers that service 440,000 people across the state each year.
The decision follows more than 18 months of unsuccessful negotiations between an advocacy group representing Federally Qualified Health Centers and the state Department of Social Services (DSS) to boost reimbursement rates.
As a result of the long-standing stalemate, the not-for-profit Community Health Center Association of Connecticut, on behalf of the state’s 17 federally qualified health centers, had filed a Declaratory Ruling Request with DSS in March over its failure to comply with federal law to compensate the health centers appropriately.
That filing has since been withdrawn, reported Joanne Borduas, CEO of Community Health and Wellness Center, which operates facilities in Torrington, Winsted and North Canaan.
“The fact that we have reached an agreement with the state’s Department of Social Services is a step in the right direction,” said Borduas, who also chairs the Connecticut Health Center Association of Connecticut’s board of directors.
The state had a timeline of 90 days to respond to the Declaratory Ruling Request. “The next step could have led to a lawsuit,” noted Borduas. However, since an agreement was reached, the request, she said, was pulled on July 10 and is no longer in effect.
Borduas said the FQHCs serve the largest number of Medicaid patients in the state and Connecticut has had some of the lowest Medicaid rates compared to other states. “The bottom third nationally,” she noted.
“It has been difficult to maintain services and access for our community. Many of us have faced scaling back or eliminating services and have dealt with workforce reductions in an effort to keep our doors open and maintain our commitment to our patients and the communities we serve.”
As a result of the low Medicaid reimbursement rates, CHWC had to make the difficult decision to suspend dental services, said its CEO.
“Now that we understand what the new rates will be, we are able to go back and re-evaluate getting dental services back up and running, though on a smaller scale.”
Dental services, Borduas explained, are one of the highest cost services to run and to recruit for. “We will continue to evaluate business models that will contribute to appropriately addressing patient needs while ensuring financial sustainability.”
The agreement, she said, increases Medicaid rates over the next three years and “gets us to 2023 costs. It begins to close our payment gaps, which will contribute to our long-term financial stability and help us keep our doors open serving nearly 60 percent of the state’s Medicaid patients.”
The deal clarifies the process for these centers to request rate adjustments based on the scope of services they offer and authorizes collaboration between the state and the centers to develop alternative payment models.
“While Republicans in Congress are defunding Medicaid and raising health care costs for all Americans, here in Connecticut we are making key investments in primary care, dental and behavioral health,” said Lamont in making the announcement.
DSS Commissioner Reeves referred to the state’s FQHCs as “essential partners” in delivering high quality, affordable health care to all residents.
The plan, said Borduas, envisions a more systemic approach to future rate hikes to prevent stagnation of reimbursements as has happened in the past.
“Medicaid rates have not been rebased since 2007 for all core services of medical, dental and behavioral health, with the exception of those FQHCs who have submitted rate requests to DSS over the years for adding services that meet the state’s requirements for a rate increase,” she noted.
The new agreement, she said, “will certainly help close our payment gaps and make providing care to our most vulnerable populations, those that are insured by Medicaid in particular, more affordable,” said Borduas.
“We are hopeful that we can continue to work with DSS to ensure our Connecticut FQHCs are able to carry out their missions to create healthier communities for a long time to come,” added Borduas.
The agreement also changes the appeals process for FQHCs to align with other Medicaid providers beginning Jan. 1, 2027.
Shawn K. Frick, CEO of the Community Health Center Association of Connecticut, noted that “patients across the state will benefit from this investment in primary care.”
Carter “Carrot Cake” Lindley set off on the AT in Georgia back in March. By mid-July he was hiking through Salisbury.
Businesses, locals and thru hikers have formed a sort of symbiosis, a relationship that benefits all parties.
The Appalachian Trail, starting in Springer Mountain in Georgia, spans more than 2,000 miles to Mount Katahdin in Maine. A small portion of the trail runs through Connecticut, connecting to towns like Kent, Cornwall, Salisbury and Norfolk.
There are many locations around the Northwest Corner where it is common to spot hikers on foot, catching their breath or grabbing a bite to eat. In meeting them, one can come to learn that many have “trail names,” or nicknames given to them en route, each with a unique story behind it.
At the benches outside of LaBonne’s Market in Salisbury was Joseph “Tags” Guigliano refueling with a sandwich and pasta salad. Tags, who got his trail name simply by tagging along with another group of hikers, is from New Jersey and started southbound from Bear Mountain State Park in New York a few weeks ago. “I went in there and I restocked on a bunch of stuff. I bought like 10 packs of ramen. Calorie dense things that can be cooked in about one to two minutes is very important,” he shared.
Joseph“Tags” Guigliano said sometimes rain is welcome on the trail, especially when it’s hot.David Carley
Also at LaBonnes was Carter “Carrot Cake” Lindley from Wisconsin who started his journey in mid-March, departing from the trailhead at Springer Mountain and heading north. He had only just received this trail name, which he earned after a week-long craving of carrot cake on the trail.
Carrot Cake was hiking with a non-profit called Warrior Expeditions that sponsors the hike for veterans that have been deployed in a combat zone at some point in their career. He said, “I’ve basically applied to this company and got accepted into the program. They outfit me with all my gear, they provide a monthly stipend for both food and footwear, and basically just help me a bit along the way. That’s what got me interested, was finding this company that was willing to support me.”
The weather this summer, from heat to hail, has proven to be a challenge for hikers. Tags explained he started his journey during a heat wave, which “was pretty rough just going in cold turkey.” Oddly enough, rain can be a saving grace, he said. “It gives you a chance to get wet, wash all the sweat off, cools you down.”
Carrot Cake said the East Coast weather has taken some getting used to for a Midwesterner. “The heat and the humidity has been just absolutely brutal for me. I’m not used to this. I got snow, rain, hail, freezing, fog, a whole bunch of stuff at the beginning of the trip, and this has been really tough.”
Towns like Salisbury provide essentials for restocking a hiker’s pack, but just as necessary are the boosts in quality of life. “I love a good bougie coffee,” admitted Carrot Cake, who recommended the Mountainside Cafe in Falls Village. He said businesses like the Mountainside Cafe “know the drill” when hikers come in, noting they go “above and beyond” for them.
Also in Falls Village is the newly opened Off the Trail Cafe, which is, as the name suggests, popular with hikers.
Hiking gear is a common sight outside the entrance of Off the Trail Cafe in Falls Village.David Carley
Stopping at the cafe in mid-July was Jeff “Bluey” Lewis who said, “Towns are everything. Little cafes and places like this are just a little taste of the real world, something you can eat that’s not dehydrated or coming from a package.”
“The people in the town are always awesome too,” Bluey continued, “Sometimes you need a ride somewhere that’s not on trail and someone will give you a hitch to or from. Sometimes people let us camp in their backyard or let us wash off somewhere. People are really kind, and that’s super important.”
The people Bluey mentioned are ones like Colter Rule, also interviewed at the Off the Trail Cafe, who just came from talking with a group of hikers inside. He described himself as a “trail angel,” someone who offers rides, meals and a place to shower to hikers.
Northeast Regional Law Enforcement Education Association leads skills-based events for Troop B cadets.
NORTH CANAAN — Welcome to the minor leagues of policing.
Troop B in North Canaan offers a free cadet program for ages 13 to 21 that teaches basic police work and an array of life skills.
“There’s a stigma that only people who want to be cops go to the cadet program — and that’s not necessarily true,” said Trooper Joshua Wedge of Troop B, who helps lead the program.
Named Post 1903, after the year the Connecticut State Police was founded, the program began as an offshoot of the Boy Scouts. Today, it is overseen by the Northeast Regional Law Enforcement Educational Association, alongside 51 similar programs across the region.
The year-long program meets once a week, usually on Thursdays, but it’s flexible based on the cadet’s schedule.
Eight cadets regularly attend, typically at the Troop B headquarters in North Canaan. For those hailing from afar, sessions are also held at Oliver Wolcott Technical High School in Torrington.
“We try to help our kids learn many different life skills and stuff that’s not just applicable to police work,” Wedge explained. “Things like public speaking, first aid, CPR, and even just how to give a firm handshake and make eye contact.”
Cadets learn the basics of police work: reviewing case law, understanding boundaries, and practicing how to respond to real-world scenarios.
Each year NERLEEA organizes three major events: Skills Day, Stations Day and a weeklong Police Academy.
On Skills Day cadets participate in classroom lessons and hands-on activities, such as Patrol Responses, Tactical Response, and Crisis Intervention.
Troop B cadets attend a police academy event with the Northeast Regional Law Enforcement Education Association.Provided
Stations Day is a judged competition, testing cadets on scenarios such as robbery response, felony stop and DUIs.
In July a select few cadets earn their way to attend a week-long “paramilitary-style” Police Academy, according to the NERLEEA website.
There, cadets wake up at 5:30 a.m. With each year a cadet returns, the program grows more demanding and intense.
The trip to the Academy costs $710, but this year local businesses stepped up to cover $310 of the cost for each cadet.
Community involvement is a major part of Post 1903. Cadets volunteer at over a dozen events annually, from toy drives to parking duty at the Goshen Fair.
The program offers a path to a career in law enforcement if the cadets want.
For example, Sergeant Richard Peck was a cadet with Troop B before becoming a Fairfield Police Officer in 2014, and he now helps run the Fairfield Cadet Program.
But if cadets don’t pursue police work, they still walk away with lifelong skills.
“We’ve had a couple of kids who were absolutely terrified and frozen when talking in front of people,” said Trooper Wedge. “And now they’ll sit there for six hours at an event and talk to every single person that comes by.”
In the end, it’s not just about shaping future officers — it’s about helping the cadets step confidently into life’s big leagues.
Snapping turtles can grow more than 18 inches in length with a distinctive shell. They are typically found near freshwater environments.
CORNWALL — In the humid summers of Litchfield County, it’s not uncommon to see turtles traversing away from their home bodies of water to find the perfect place to dig a nest and lay their eggs. Alongside the smaller and more colorful painted and box turtles, however, northeast America is home to a creature that looks like it belongs better to prehistoric earth than the modern-day suburbs.
Snapping turtles have a lineage dating back before the dinosaurs, and their size and strength make them intimidating. They are the classic ambush predator, laying wait in the depths to snatch up unsuspecting fish.
But they’re also quite misunderstood; very rarely do they attack humans unprovoked.
As they come onto land in the spring and summer, it’s important to both be aware of the risks they pose and recognize that, like any other creature, they are just trying to survive.
Tim Abbott, executive director of the Housatonic Valley Association, first encountered a snapping turtle when he was 6 years old. “When I was a kid, I thought I could ride on that turtle,” he said.
Nowadays he suggests that the average person definitely should not try to do so; in fact, he doesn’t recommend touching a snapping turtle at all. Their necks are longer than they appear and can bite in a wide area, including around their own shell.
If one encounters a turtle in their backyard, Abbott said, “Let it be.” It is likely looking for a good place to lay its eggs, usually in gravel or shallow soil, and will return to water after. Keep pets away from it, don’t fence it in or mow around it; the eggs will survive on their own and the babies will dig themselves out after fully developing.
It gets more complicated if a snapping turtle appears on a road where cars are passing by. In that situation, Abbott said his first concern is, “Am I safe to stop — not from the turtle, but from other drivers?” On a busy road, a speeding car is much more dangerous than a turtle, and even though it might feel wrong, it is safer for everyone to leave a turtle on a road that has low visibility or high speeds.
If it is safe to stop, don’t harass the turtle. Instead, one can indicate to other drivers there is a hazard. Abbott does not recommend lifting a snapping turtle, and he especially warns against putting fingers near the front half of its body; this is within its reach. The tail is also not a good handhold, as pulling on it can damage its spine.
Snapping turtles do not hunt humans and will usually avoid them if possible, but it is harder for them to maneuver on land. If approached, they may feel threatened, which is when they will attack.
Summer is one of the most important times in a snapping turtles’ year, as while they lay a high volume of eggs, few survive to adulthood. Once these turtles hit a certain size they are relatively safe from predators, but before they can be picked off by a number of other animals. Since they also take a long time to reach maturity, it’s actually rather rare for a turtle to lay eggs, so it’s important to give them the space they need.
As the summers grow warmer and the winters wetter, the factors that affect a snapping turtle’s life and longevity are constantly changing. Now, more than ever, it is important to be mindful of the other creatures that inhabit this beautiful state alongside us.