A 5-year Certificate of Need to build a new, state-of-the-art nursing home to replace the aging, 120-bed Geer Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on the campus of Geer Village Senior Community in North Canaan has expired.
“The project became no longer feasible.”
— Shaun Powell, CEO/CFO of Geer Village
NORTH CANAAN — A five-year effort by Geer Village Senior Community to either build a new, state-of-the-art nursing home or renovate its existing, aging facility has ended with the expiration of its $22.5 million Certificate of Need, issued in 2018 by the state Department of Social Services.
Although the original certificate was valid through July 2023, Geer was granted a five-month extension to the end of 2023 to either re-apply as is or with modifications.
Christine Stuart, Department of Social Services deputy director of communications, confirmed last week there are currently “no CONs pending for Geer. The one they had pending expired in 2023 and they have not resubmitted.”
Shaun Powell, Geer’s CEO/CFO, said devastating fallout from the global pandemic, including rising construction costs, supply chain issues and a decline in consumer demand which “decimated the long-term care industry” contributed to Geer’s decision to scuttle both the original plan to construct a new nursing home on the campus or to renovate its aging 120-bed facility.
The original, two-phase project was being supported through a $2.2 million grant from the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management (OPM) to cover costs for design work and architectural plans.
Under the original proposal, the new 80,000 square foot nursing facility would have been situated on the southern 45 acre portion of the North Canaan campus.
Phase Two called for converting the original nursing home into 30 affordable residences similar to the one-bedroom apartments currently offered at Beckley House on campus.
“We were close to shovel ready,” Powell said. “We started the design phase as the pandemic unfolded” and the quest to obtain HUD financing was underway. Supply chain issues, said the Geer administrator, raised the cost of the project by about 20%.
“HUD requires guaranteed maximum pricing,” Powell said. “However, supply chain issues prohibited vendors from offering that, so the project became no longer feasible.”
Dispelling rumors of a sale
In recent years, Geer Village has downsized its assets, including the liquidation of most of its real estate holdings.
“Being a landlord is not the nature of our business,” said Powell, noting that “the entire nursing home industry is in consolidation.”
In fall of 2020, during the height of the pandemic, Geer also permanently shuttered its Adult Day Center after 42 years of providing seniors across Northwest Connecticut with an alternative to more expensive home care.
Powell dispelled recent rumors which surface periodically that Geer is looking to sell its operations.
“As of right now, Geer is not actively seeking to sell but is pursuing marketing collaboration to increase campus census and get the word out about available services,” the Geer CEO explained.
The current campus census is in the 70% to 73% range, he said, slightly lower than the state average.
Connecticut’s nursing home occupancy rate has been declining in recent years.
According to OPM statistics, after a sharp decrease in occupancy from 2019 to 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the average nursing facility occupancy rate in Connecticut was 84% as of Sept. 30, 2023.
Future plans hinge on pending state report
Powell did not rule out the future possibility of a scaled-down renovation focusing on a reconfiguration of nursing home rooms and available beds at the circa 1969 facility.
“Connecticut is currently re-evaluating the geographic long-term bed capacity across the state,” he said. “The results will in part drive ultimate bed capacity.”
Future changes in bed capacity and/or major building modifications, he said, would require a new certificate from the state.
“Any structural changes would be confined to the current footprint of the building,” he said.
At the time of Geer’s $22.5 million certificate, the nonprofit organization also received a $2.2 million grant from the state OPM for design work on the original construction project.
According to OPM spokesman Chris Collibee, the Nonprofit Grant Program is 100% reimbursement based, so no entity receives funding for work not already completed.
“Geer was awarded $2.2 million but only received $802,343.61 and never drew down the remaining $1,397,656.39,” said Collibee. “That amount was unencumbered and part of the total $35.5 million made available to fund Round 9 of NGP.
Geer Village is a nonprofit organization encompassing five 501(c)(3) entities: Geer Village Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Geer Village Lodge, Geer Village Corporation, Geer Village Beckley House and Geer Village Foundation.
Debra A. Aleksinas
Packages of kratom that were on the shelf at Smoker’s Choice in North Canaan.
“The withdrawal can be brutal for some people.”
— Jana Wu, Mountainside Treatment Center
NORTH CANAAN — Kratom products are disappearing from smoke shop shelves across the Northwest Corner after Connecticut classified the substance as a Schedule I controlled drug, effectively banning its retail sale.
Long marketed as a legal herbal supplement and widely sold in smoke shops, convenience stores and gas stations across the region, kratom is now being removed from store shelves as retailers move to comply with the state ruling.
Kratom is a plant-derived substance made from the leaves of a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. In the United States it has been sold as a powder, capsule or drink additive and promoted by some users as a way to manage pain or ease opioid withdrawal symptoms.
The change became official Feb. 24 when the state’s Legislative Regulation Review Committee unanimously approved regulations placing kratom on Connecticut’s controlled substance schedule.
“We’ve been watching the rise in kratom dependency across the United States for several years, and Connecticut becoming the seventh state to schedule it is a significant policy shift,” said Jana Wu, director of clinical integration at Mountainside Treatment Center in Canaan.
Concerns about kratom use and dependency have surfaced in the region, as clinicians in the Northwest Corner report seeing increasing numbers of patients seeking help for kratom use or withdrawal.
Providers at Mountainside, High Watch Recovery Center in Kent and clinicians with the McCall Behavioral Health Network in Torrington have previously noted the substance’s growing presence in treatment settings across the region.
Supporters of the ban, including state representatives and the state Department of Consumer Protection, cited public health risks and the need to keep unregulated substances away from children, often referring to it as “gas station heroin.”
“Many of the patients we see initially began using kratom to manage anxiety, chronic pain, or withdrawal from other substances, believing it to be a safer alternative, but over time developed tolerance and dependence,” Wu said. “The withdrawal can be brutal for some people. As access changes, it will be critical to ensure that individuals already using kratom daily have accurate information, medical guidance, and access to detox and treatment resources.”
Sharp rise in admissions
Wu noted that sudden bans such as the one involving kratom can also create risks for people who are already dependent, potentially triggering withdrawal and pushing some toward more dangerous opioids.
Mountainside reported a sharp rise in kratom-related treatment admissions. Internal data from the treatment center show 67 clients were admitted for kratom use in 2024, rising to 184 admissions in 2025.
According to the center’s clinical data, patients presenting with kratom use also show higher rates of underlying mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression and ADHD.
Clinicians say kratom use is also appearing among younger adults, including college-aged users. At Mountainside, patients presenting with kratom use tend to skew younger than the overall treatment population, with many in their mid-20s.
Concerns about youth access, unregulated sales
State officials said the move to ban kratom in all its forms was driven by concerns about unregulated sales and youth access.
“These substances pose a significant public health risk, particularly to children, as they have been widely available for purchase by people of all ages, with no regulation, testing, or other public health protections,” said Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli in a statement announcing the ruling.
Lawmakers on the committee said the vote reflected bipartisan concern about the drug’s accessibility.
“Kratom is dangerous to our kids. It doesn’t belong in places where they can easily access it,” said Rep. Christie Carpino (R-32), co-chair of the Legislative Regulation Review Committee. “Today we took a bipartisan vote to keep it away from our kids and other individuals unaware of the harm it can cause.”
Mountainside has hosted a free, open-to-the-public kratom recovery support group since 2023, offering a space for people to discuss how the substance is affecting their mental and physical health, relationships and finances.
While the group has drawn participants from across the country and internationally, clinicians said they are now seeing a growing number of Connecticut residents joining in search of information and support, reflecting the drug’s increasing presence locally.
Kratom products being pulled from shelves
Kratom has been marketed in the United States as a supplement that some users say helps manage pain or ease opioid withdrawal symptoms. It has no approved medical use and is not prescribed by physicians.
State officials say kratom products have been widely available in Connecticut at gas stations, convenience stores and smoke shops, often without age restrictions, testing requirements or product labeling standards.
In addition to kratom and its derivative 7-hydroxymitragynine, the updated controlled-substance schedule also adds several other substances, including bromazolam, flubromazolam, nitazenes such as isotonitazene, tianeptine and phenibut, drugs that officials say have raised concerns among health and law enforcement agencies.
The law allows regulators to reconsider the classification in the future if new research establishes a verified medical use for kratom.
Retailers across the Northwest Corner are expected to be affected as stores move to comply with the new classification.
State officials say they will work with local law enforcement and health agencies to implement the change and educate retailers about the new classification.
The ban means that law enforcement officials in the state will treat kratom the same as other substances that are considered to be dangerous and addictive with no accepted medical use, such as heroin or MDMA, a synthetic drug commonly known as ecstasy.
It also prevents kratom products from being sold in the state, and people could face drug charges related to the possession or distribution of kratom.
Following the ban, the Canaan treatment center reported that Wu was visiting Connecticut gas stations and smoke shops “where kratom products are being pulled from shelves in real time as retailers rush to comply with the state’s new classification.”
Patrick L. Sullivan
Effie and Angaza Mwando at Hunt Library Feb. 26.
FALLS VILLAGE — Leaders of Our Culture Is Beautiful (OCIB) — Effie and Angaza Mwando and Shawn Matel — led students from the Lee H. Kellogg School on a lively tour of Black history Thursday, Feb. 26, at the David M. Hunt Library.
Effie Mwando said she and her husband Angaza started the organization, which is based in Torrington, about five years ago. Matel, meanwhile, is a long-time OCIB volunteer.
The group brought a wide range of materials — dolls, books, posters, percussion instruments — and kept the presentation lively, handing out prizes and taking questions.
Angaza Mwando gave a quick lesson on the djembe drum, which he said is made of wood with a goat skin drum head.
He showed the students how to get three distinct sounds.
First was a “bass,” a low-pitched sound created by striking the center of the drum head with the hand.
A “tone,” a sharper, higher-pitched sound made by striking the edge of the drum head.
And the “slap,” which is just what it sounds like.
The presentation also highlighted many prominent Black figures, including James Brown, James Baldwin, LeBron James, Rosa Parks, Katherine Johnson and Maya Angelou.
Patrick L. Sullivan
SALISBURY — At the Board of Selectmen’s regular meeting Monday, March 2, First Selectman Curtis Rand said the current municipal budget proposal for 2026-27 includes a spending increase of 4.4%
The selectmen and the Board of Education will present their initial budget proposals to the Board of Finance during a remote meeting on Thursday, March 12, at 6 p.m.
The budget draft, labeled “Draft #2,” includes total expenditures of $9,618,325, an increase of $413,223 or 4.4%.
The proposal includes 4% raises for Town Hall employees (but not the selectmen). Some employees are getting more than 4% to reflect additional hours and/or responsibilities.
Comptroller Joe Cleaveland noted that the municipal spending proposal does not include education spending, either at the town level or for the Region One school district, or revenue projections. There are also adjustments to be made for a couple of town departments before the presentation to the finance board.
Earlier in the meeting, Rand said that the state’s Department. of Administrative Services (DAS) plans to close the Torrington transfer station on June 30, a year ahead of schedule.
Salisbury recently voted to join the Northwest Resource Recovery Authority (NRRA), a group of northwest Connecticut towns with the idea that the authority would take over the Torrington transfer station.
Regarding a proposed pedestrian tunnel underneath Route 44 at the Salisbury School, Rand said the town’s attorney is working on a legal agreement that makes it clear the town is not responsible for building or maintaining the tunnel.
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Ruth Epstein
Jessie MacDonald Lawrence, a North Canaan native, has been appointed administrative aide in the selectmen’s office at Town Hall.
NORTH CANAAN — It’s Jess times two at the selectmen’s office at Town Hall. Jessie MacDonald Lawrence has been named by First Selectman Jesse Bunce as the new administrative aide.
“We’re all learning together,” she said this week, as she and her assistant Teri King Aitken greeted visitors and worked through the stream of paperwork that comes with running a town office.
The selectmen’s office serves as a “hub” at Town Hall, she said, working closely with personnel from all the departments. She is responsible for getting out all minutes and agendas, paying bills and creating the monthly newsletter, among many other tasks.
Lawrence was chosen from a pool of more than 90 applicants. The last aide left in November and former Selectman Christian Allyn and Aitken, who worked in the tax collector’s office for 25 years, stepped in on a temporary basis for a few months until a permanent person could be named.
Lawrence is a hometown figure, having grown up in Canaan. The daughter of Tammy and George MacDonald, she graduated from the Explorations School in Winsted and has worked in customer service since then. She owns a photography business and loves capturing local events through her lens. In her spare time, she plays on a co-ed softball team.
“Some people have been surprised to see me here,” she said.
She is enjoying the job and looks forward to working with what she calls “the team” in years to come.
As for the present, “I’m here to keep Jesse in line,” she joked.
Christine Bates
The Kent Hills Condominium at 80 North Main Street was built in stages between 1971 and 1987 and features townhouses and apartments. Sales and prices have increased recently.
KENT — The 12-month trailing median price for a single-family home in Kent increased to $607,500 for the period ending Feb. 28, 2026.
The figure marks a 28% increase from the $475,000 median recorded for the 12 months ending February 2025, and up from $483,000 for the comparable 12-month period ending February 2024.
The unit sales of single-family homes in Kent on a 12-month rolling basis remained within their historic range.
A total of 28 single-family homes were sold in the 12 months ending Feb. 28, 2026, compared with 29 sales in the period ending Feb. 28, 2025, and 32 sales for the 12 months ending Feb. 29, 2024. Historically, annual sales of single-family homes in Kent typically range between 25 and 35 transactions.
Inventory of all homes remains limited. As of early March, there were seven single-family homes on the market. Of those, four were listed above $1 million with only one residential property listed below the current $607,000 median price. No residential condos are listed for sale. Six parcels of land are listed on the MLS ranging from $340,000 to $590,000. Summer furnished rentals are now hitting the market for $6,500 to $30,000 per month.
Condo prices also appreciated over the past year.
The 12-month trailing. median price for a condo in Kent increased to $439,000 for the period ending February 28, 2026 — its highest point in 20 years. This peak marks a $100,000 increase from the $ $349,000 median recorded for the 12 months ending Feb. 28, 2025, and from $289,000 for the comparable period ending Feb. 28, 2024.
The sale of condos accelerated during this same period with a total of nine units sold in the 12 months ending Feb. 28, 2026, compared with only three sales in the period ending Feb. 28, 2025, and four sales for the 12 months ending Feb. 29, 2024
February Transfers
13 Cobble Heights Road – 4 bedroom/3.5 bath new Tudor style home on 8.14 acres sold by Otto Penzler to Tian and Peter Gao for $1,375,000.
16 Stone Fences Lane – 3 bedroom/2.5 bath Cape on 2.77 acres sold by Virginia and James Blackketer to Frank DiNapoli for $625,000.
January Transfers
80 North Main Street, Unit B5UA4 – 2 bedroom/2 bath condo built in 1974 sold by Susan Forbes Markowitz to Richard and Leslie Lillien Levy for $423,000.
25 North Main Street, Unit U4- Commercial Condo sold by 25 North Main Street LLC to Pathway Performance Group LLC for $220,000.
Kenmont Road – 63.5 acres including 20.5 acres of vacant residential land and 43 acres of forest sold by Kenmont Kenwood LLC to Rachel Fitch LLC for $1,200,000.
349 Kent Road -3 bedroom/2 bath home built in 1930on 9.3 acres sold by Deborah Ann Executor of Estate of Willam Blank to Christopher and Lynn Harrington.
December Transfers
311 Kent Road – 3 bedroom/1.5 bath home built in 1947 sold by Virginia and Pierfillipoto Lauren Dipaolo for $577,000.
39 Treasure Hill Road – 2 bedroom/2 bath home built in 1979 on 24.9 acres sold by Claire Irving to Michael and Shannon Anderson for $1,133,000.
441 Seager Mountain Road - 2 bedroom/2 bath ranch sold by Federal National Mortgage Association Fannie Mae to Daniel Powers for $425,500.
November Transfers
18 Mountain View – 3 bedroom/2 bath Cape on 1.59 acres sold by Todd and Sharon Cipolla to Edgard Roberto Puente and Gabriela De La Olivia for $515,000.
30 Studio Hill Circle – 3 bedroom/3.5 bath home built in 1989 sold by David and Deborah Bain to Michael Lynch Trustee 30 Studio Hill Revocable Trust for $1,055,000.
80 North Main Street, Unit #B1UA1 -2 bedroom/2 bath Condo sold by Martin and Kathleeen Lindenmayer to Zeng Lingbo for $400,000.
3 Chase Hill – 2 bedroom/1 bath Cape of 780 square feet sold by Natalie Reid to Ryan and Mary Heacox for $265,000.
80 North Main Street, Unit U10 – 2 bedroom/1.5 bath Condo sold by Susanne Edgerly to Nancy Macklin for $440,000.
80 North Main Street, Unit B4UA1 – 2 bedroom/2 bath Condo sold by David Sturges to David Cashner and Christopher Jordan for $280,000.
80 North Main Street, Unit U06 – 3 bedroom/2 bath condo sold by Julia Sanmartini Trustee Julia Samartini Trust to Susan Forbes Markowitz for $545,000.
* Town of Kent real estate transfers recorded between November 1, 2026, and February, 2026, provided by Kent Town Clerk. Transfers without consideration are not included. Current market listings from Smart MLS. Note that recorded transfers frequently lag sales by a number of days. Compiled by Christine Bates, Real Estate Salesperson with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Licensed in CT and NY.
Lakeville Journal
The following information was provided by the Connecticut State Police at Troop B. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Train strikes truck in Cornwall
On the morning of March 3, a Kenworth tractor trailer belonging to Thomaston Oil and Propane Inc. was parked on Railroad Street in West Cornwall while making a propane delivery to a residence. While parked, a Housatonic Railroad Company freight train was traveling northbound on the adjacent tracks and eventually struck the truck, which was determined to be parked too close to the rails. The train was reportedly moving at about 10 miles per hour at the time of contact. There were no injuries reported in the incident and both the truck and train could be driven from the scene. The truck operator was issued a written warning for improper parking.
Vehicle rolls on Millerton Road
On the evening of March 3, Manpreet Singh Multani, 33, of Canaan was driving on Millerton Road just south of the intersection with Lovers Lane in Sharon when the car drifted onto the shoulder, struck an embankment and rolled over, coming to rest upright in the roadway after striking a utility pole. Multani denied medical attention but the vehicle, a Toyota RAV4, was towed from the scene. Multani was issued a written warning for traveling too fast for conditions.
Icy road spin-out
At around 9 a.m. on March 5, Tonya Roussis, 56, of East Canaan was driving south on Salmon Kill Road in Salisbury, just north of the intersection with Farnum Road. While traveling, her Volkswagen Tiguan Sport lost control on the icy roadway and slid into a tree. The vehicle was towed, but Roussis was uninjured. She was issued a written warning for traveling too fast for conditions.
Lakeville Main Street crash
Near midday on March 5, Sophia Yan, 31, of Kingston, New York was driving west on Route 44 near downtown Salisbury when she lost control rounding a curve, causing the Subaru Outback she drove to veer off the road and strike a utility pole. Yan was uninjured though the vehicle was disabled in the crash. She was issued a written warning for failure to maintain lane.
The Lakeville Journal will publish the outcome of police charges. Send mail to P.O. Box 1688, Lakeville, CT 06039, Attn: Police Blotter, or send to editor@lakevillejournal.com
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