NORTH CANAAN — The long-awaited opening of Community Health and Wellness Center’s (CHWC) facility on East Main Street has arrived.
After more than a decade of planning and collaboration with community partners, CHWC’s North Canaan goals have become reality. The ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, May 10, ushered in a new era of healthcare for the Northwest Corner.
CHWC CEO Joanne Borduas spoke on the monumental achievement and what it means for the people of the region, saying the new center “welcomes everyone through the door without stigma and without discrimination. And for that, we are so grateful.”
Adding to its standalone centers in Winsted and Torrington, CHWC’s new facility in North Canaan is open to the roughly 17,000 residents in the Region One towns and Norfolk.
Foundation for Community Health (FCH) worked alongside CHWC throughout the process. Director Nancy Heaton spoke at the ribbon cutting and recalled an email she sent to regional leaders and medical professionals in 2007 to discuss healthcare opportunities in the Northwest Corner. She identified the need for a comprehensive medical center and Heaton was “more than a little bit emotional” to see the new facility open its doors 17 years later.
“I believe that this center can and will contribute toward improving the health and well-being of all the communities. Not just North Canaan, but all the surrounding communities.”
Joanne Borduas speaks before approximately 100 attendees for the ribbon cutting of the new health center in North Canaan.John Coston
The new center will offer integrated medical and behavioral health services, providing a one-stop destination for comprehensive care.
“Rural healthcare is a crisis and a challenge across this country,” said State Rep. Maria Horn (D-64) to the roughly 100 attendees of the ribbon cutting. “These people matter. They all matter, and they all deserve healthcare and we’re going to make it work.”
“Today’s ribbon cutting ceremony for CHWC’s new regional healthcare center marks the official start of a chapter deeply rooted in equity, access, and affordability,” said First Selectman Brian Ohler. “As a small rural community we are so thankful and honored that CHWC and its leaders chose North Canaan as their hub for such a critical resource.”
An open house will be held Saturday, May 11, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to introduce the community to its new wellness center.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, or to schedule an appointment for either primary care or mental health services starting in early June, call (860) 362-5101.
Joanne Borduas and artist John J. Hodgson, who painted the art seen here inside the regional health center. Riley Klein
Donald Polk, right, performed “Flight of the Bumblebee” at Cornwall Consolidated School’s winter concert. A video posted online by his mother has garnered millions of views.
“The support has been overwhelming,” said Donny Polk, Donald’s father, continuing to say that the experience has “opened Donald’s eyes to the possibilities of music.”
For his part, Donald — whose many interests include cooking, painting and theater — said he can now see himself “doing music in the long-term.”
Of particular fascination for Polk’s new legion of fans was his mastery of circular breathing, with many of the video’s comments expressing awe at his execution of the difficult technique. Circular breathing requires wind instrument players to use their cheeks as a sort of bellows, pushing air from the mouth while inhaling through the nose, creating an uninterrupted stream of air through the instrument.
The technique is known to take months to properly grasp. For Donald, however, it came naturally.
Donald Polk learned circular breathing by watching a YouTube video.Photo by Sava Marinkovic
“I looked up a YouTube tutorial,” he said. “It didn’t take too long to learn.”
To learn the piece itself, Polk utilized a practice routine taught to him by his middle school music teacher, Alicia Simonetti-Shpur.
But Simonetti-Shpur insisted that all credit is due to Donald.
“He is very motivated, he sets his own goals,” Simonetti-Shpur said, remarking that the viral performance has become a source of pride for all of Polk’s peers, who are “all paying attention to the view counts.”
Looking to garner even more views, Donald now plans to build a YouTube channel off his TikTok fame. Remaining humble even in the spotlight, Donald says he’ll continue to learn, challenge himself, and perform for others all because “it’s fun.”
The original recording of Donald’s performance can be found on Tamara’s TikTok, at tiktok.com/@maidenpaint. Donald’s own YouTube channel can be accessed at youtube.com/@DonaldPolkIII-u8k.
