2018 spring we hamag v8n1

WEDDINGS • EVENTS • FOOD • FINANCE • GARDEN

Healthy Town State of the Town: West Hartford is Vibrant and Healthy

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Vol. 8, No. 1

2018

DEPARTMENTS

8 FROM THE PUBLISHER

Happy Spring!

10 WEDDINGS

Dombek & Lynch

Graham & Kennedy

20 GARDEN

Simplify Your Life 24 FITNESS

Getting in The Swing 26 FOOD

Hartford Baking Co. 29 FINANCE

Everyone’s Tax

14 FEATURES 14

Situation is Unique

10

26

WE-HA IS VIBRANT AND HEALTHY Story by RONNI NEWTON

Mayor Shari Cantor said West Hartford ‘remains a bright light’ in the region.

29

TAKE ME AWAY

by LISA MARTIN & FAY DEHAAS

Three Unique 5-Star Cruises

44

12

ON THE COVER: Detail of a painting by artist and teacher with the West Hartford Art League, Brian Colbath. Colbath is an accomplished artist working in greater Hartford for over twenty years with numerous commissions for artwork and murals. In 2003 he won the Connecticut Watercolor Society first place award. Colbath is represented by the David James Gallery in Glastonbury, the James Stephen Gallery in Farmington, and Vanderbilt Gallery in Nantucket. v

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Call our office today to schedule your complimentary consultation so we can help you and your family with your personal needs and goals. v 10 North Main St. West Hartford 860-678-6260 valeriethomas.com

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Dedicated to Service for over 50 years Publisher Thomas P. Hickey, II tomh@westhartfordmagazine.com Creative Services Joy B. Taylor joyt@westhartfordmagazine.com Contributing Writers & Columnists Karla A. Dalley, Thomas J. Filomeno, CPA, Ronni Newton, Lisa Martin and Fay deHaas Photography Director Todd Fairchild/Shutterbug CT Contributing Photographers Ronni Newton, Amy Melvin, Blueflash Photography, Eric Brushett Photography Videography David Chmielewski/DirectLine Media

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Vol. 8, No. 1, 2018 west hartford magazine

Intern Dylan Carneiro Proofreader Tim Knecht Publishing Advisor Jonathan Moffly Print Advisor Bob Carr Website: We-Ha.com Mike Roy/Roy Web Design Principals Thomas P. Hickey, II, Joy B. Taylor, James H. Gould, III Follow us on Social Media: Facebook: West Hartford Magazine We-Ha.com Twitter: @westhartfordmag @wehartford Instagram: @westhartfordite #bestofweha. #westhartford. #weha

May 5, 2018 2:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

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we-ha.com Vol. 8, No. 1, 2018 west hartford magazine

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PUBLISHER HAPPY SPRING! At West Hartford Magazine we think you can judge our content by our cover. Joy is working with Roxanne Stachelek, executive director of the West Hartford Art League, to feature local and beautiful art on every cover. They chose the Elizabeth Park Rose Garden painting by Brian Colbath to help us all shake off the long winter and anticipate this local highlight of the warm weather! The series of attractive covers, along with our content, is sure to make them all worthy of a corner on your coffee table. #WeEaEvents are in full swing for 2018 and we are so excited to bring them to you. n The 5th Annual Taste of Elmwood was celebrated with lots of changes: The event was later in the month of February (it came on the 21st); it was on a Wednesday instead of a Thursday, and it started a half hour earlier (5 p.m.). And thanks to Stanger Stanfield Law, who hooked us up with Figure Eight Properties, the event was held in the lobby of Corporate Center West (corner of South Main Street and New Britain Avenue). n Tuesday, March 27th marks our Inaugural We-Ha-HA! Comedy Night to be held at World of Beer. None of this is possible without the continued support of Blue Back Square. n April 25th will be our first Taste of New Park, and we are in planning stages of this event. n May 23rd marks the date for our 3rd Annual Taste of Bishops Corner, which is full of new developments including an exciting new venue. n July 25th is the date of our 3rd Annual Taste of Blue Back/The Center, which is our largest event of the year and always worth the wait. n Watch for details this Fall for our 4th Annual Best of West Hartford. In the meantime you’ll be nominating and voting. n Working on a mutually beneficial date for our Events by Artisan @ Delamar. n And Prior to the Holidays we will be back at Blue Back for another We-Ha-HA! Comedy Night.

If you haven’t joined us yet at one of the #WeHaEvents, please mark your calendar and make a point of it. Please note our events do sell out, so please reserve your place as soon as you hear the news. All reservations can be made at we-ha.com/store.

Our events would not be possible without the support of our sponsors and partners so please support them as well by patronizing their businesses. Here they are, as of this issue:

Photographer Todd Fairchild worked his magic at the 5th annual Taste of Elmwood. Please visit we-ha.com for more photos.

Special thanks to our Copper Sponsors: Blue Back Square, French Cleaners, Lux Bond & Green.

Our Business Sponsors Robin Gebrian of William Raveis Real Estate, The McAuley, Sheehan Hilborn Breen Funeral Home, Valerie E. Thomas & Associates, Cruise Planners, NorthStar Wealth Partners and Central CT State University.

Special thanks to our WHMedia Group partners, including: West Hartford Magazine, we-ha.com, CT Jewish Ledger, Taylor Rental Party Plus, SnapSeat Photo Booth, Merchant Solutions, T&T DJ & Sound, Shutterbug Photography, Direct Line Media, Roy Web Design, WHsquared, Eat in CT, WFSB, Turley CT, FLOW, West Hartford Chamber of Commerce and the Town of West Hartford.

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photos: TODD FAIRCHILD/SHUTTERBUG CT

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WEDDINGS

Andrea Dombek & Daniel Lynch photos by Eric Brushett Photography, www.photographyeb.com Sparks first started flying for Andrea Dombek and Danny Lynch during their senior year in English class at Northwest Catholic High School.

Their 9-year courtship led them to their picturesque wedding day that began with a beautiful ceremony at St. Timothy’s, a spot made even more special by the fact that Danny’s parents, Daniel and Amy, were married there 31 years prior. Sadly, Daniel Lynch passed away unexpectedly in 2013.

The couple was “blown away” by the beauty of the reception at The Hartford Golf Club. “The setting was perfect to accommodate our large families on this special day,” commented the bride’s parents, Michael and Jan Dombek.

The couple honeymooned in Barbados and now reside in Stamford, CT. n Members of the wedding party: Bridesmaids: Taylor Simmons (Maid of Honor - Friend), Kelley Dombek (Sister of the bride), Lauren Dombek (Sister of the bride), Casey Lynch (Sister of the groom), Amy Lynch (Sister of the groom), Kristina Krupa (Friend), Keri Nakajima (College roommate - Friend), Groomsmen: Garrett Hickey (Best Man – friend), Jack Dombek (Brother of the bride), Luke Warren (Brother-in-law), James Randall (Cousin of the groom), Dave Gunn (College roommate), Jon Walker (College roommate), Philip Pittocco (College roommate).

Visit we-ha.com for more photos and other WEDDINGS.

Dan and his mother Amy Lynch (above); Best Man Garrett Hickey toasts the couple (right). Wedding party (below).

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WEDDINGS brought to you by Oscars Tux and Argelia Novias

WEDDINGS

Deirdre Graham & Shane Kennedy photos by Blueflash Photography blueflashphotography.com

Deirdre (Graham) Kennedy surprised Shane Patrick Kennedy with Irish bagpipes before and after their Newport, RI wedding ceremony at Saint Joseph’s Church. As their names may indicate, they come from Irish heritage, so the music was perfectly fitting on their perfect day.

Music was an important part of the wedding ceremony also. “We are both blessed to have some amazing musicians in our lives, so we asked Diana, a bridesmaid, and Edward, the Groom’s brother, to perform the communion hymn during the ceremony,” said Deirdre.

“Needless to say, there wasn’t a dry eye in the church by the end of the ceremony.”

The reception took place in The Bohlin in downtown Newport, with a view of the water, gorgeous yachts, sailboats, and a perfect sunset on Narragansett Bay. After heartfelt speeches by the father of the bride, best men (Shane’s two brothers), and maid of honor, the party got started with high energy music and dancing courtesy of DJ Action Jackson of Scratch Weddings.

The couple honeymooned at Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort and Spa on the Big Island of Hawaii.

They live in New York City, where Deirdre works as a literacy specialist at East Harlem Scholars Academy, and Shane is a vice president, account supervisor for DDB Health (Healthcare Marketing). n

RIGHT: Bride Deirdre is with her parents Dr. Tracy Brennan and Dr. Neville Graham. Groom Shane is with his mother Mrs. Nancy Renner Clear, and his father and stepmother Mr. and Mrs. Edward Kennedy III. BELOW: A sunset kiss on Naragansett Bay. Visit we-ha.com for more photos and other WEDDINGS.

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WEDDINGS brought to you by Oscars Tux and Argelia Novias

Mayor Shari Cantor, in her annual address at a sold-out Chamber of Commerce luncheon, said that the West Hartford ‘remains a bright light’ in the region, with an ‘innovation factor’ that will best position the town to manage its future.

Story and photos by RONNI NEWTON

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14 we-ha.com Vol. 8, No. 1, 2018 west hartford magazine

We-Ha is ‘Vibrant, Healthy and Fiscally Sound’

W

est Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor said she is reminded every day of how privileged she is to be the mayor of the remarkable community where she was born and raised, and she hears anecdotes every day about what makes this community special.

“This job as Mayor is my passion, but it doesn’t pay very well ... or at all, for that matter!” she joked. “But I get incredible satisfaction from it.”

Cantor addressed an audience of 200 – a sell-out crowd – at the Chamber of Commerce’s annual State of the Town luncheon Friday at the new Delamar West Hartford Hotel, providing the business community with vision for the town’s future as well as a look back at what was a somewhat tumultuous year.

Although things are neither perfect nor easy in an environment marked by fiscal problems at the state level – where a budget was not passed until months after the fiscal year began – Cantor told the crowd, “I am proud to say the state of our town is strong. West Hartford is vibrant, healthy and fiscally sound.”

Last year was a revaluation year, which impacted every property owner in a different way, and also a year in which Hartford considered bankruptcy prompting the MDC to bill West Hartford for the capital city’s share of the ad valorem tax, she said.

Then there was the budget roller coaster, said Cantor.

“In a good year it’s hard enough to predict what’s going to happen,” Cantor said, but a steady stream of proposed budgets from the governor and legislature, some of which eliminated the majority of the town’s state funding, created an enormous challenge for West Hartford, which had to pass its budget by the end of April.

Cantor spent countless hours meeting with the town’s legislative delegation – State Sen. Beth Bye and State Reps. Derek Slap, Andy Fleischmann and Joe Verrengia, all of whom were in the audience – and state leaders, and testifying before committees about how devastating cuts could be for the town.

“West Hartford is important to the region and these kind of swings make it incredibly hard to budget,” she said.

The budget passed by the town, which included $4.5 million in cuts, provided a $7 million contingency for cuts in state aid – which ultimately turned out to be right on target when the state budget that was ultimately adopted cut aid to West Hartford by about $6.7 million.

“Unlike some municipalities in Connecticut, we planned well ... we provided stability and strategic decisions in a year that could have been extremely disruptive,” Cantor said.

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Credit-rating agency Moody’s issued a negative outlook for West Hartford and 26 other communities in October, in the midst of the budget uncertainty, but Moody’s as well as Standard & Poors maintained the town’s triple-A bond rating for this month’s bond issue.

The town has recently increased its undesignated reserve fund to 9 percent, and currently has 17 percent in overall reserves, but Moody’s, which retained the negative outlook, would like the undesignated reserves to grow to 13-15 percent. “We continue to have discussions about that,” Cantor said.

As the state’s fiscal challenges continue, “we will continue to fight for ECS [Educational Cost Sharing] – our biggest share of state aid,” Cantor said, along with continuing to make tough choices.

Speaking about the schools, Cantor said, “We are unique and it’s a great and wonderful way for our children to enter the world.”

As a snapshot, children in West Hartford Public Schools this year speak 74 different primary languages at home. Per pupil spending is 128th out of 169 towns, and at the same time the town has two public high schools that continue to be tops in the nation.

“We should be an example and not penalized for our success,” Cantor said.

Highlighting some of the major transitions in 2017, Cantor noted the hiring of Matt Hart last summer as town manager following a national search. “We wanted to attract the best candidates from the region, the state, and the nation, and after four months of carefully considering all of the candidates, that is exactly what we got,” she said.

The town has just started the recruitment process for a new police chief after Tracey Gove left in late November to become chief of security for The Travelers.

Another major transition in 2017 was the West Hartford Fire Department’s taking over paramedic services. In the first year they responded to 6,000 emergency medical calls, 49 percent of which required advanced life support intervention. The average response time of 3 minutes and 13 seconds was significantly less than the former arrangement.

Management changes at Cornerstone Aquatics Center and Veterans Memorial

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Skating Rink, change to an online “omit” system for notifying the police about overnight parking requests, and the upcoming transition of the restaurant at town-owned Rockledge Golf Club to Beachland Group were also noted.

“Connecticut is facing a trash crisis,” Cantor said, which is an environmental as well as an economic issue. The town began several initiatives in 2017, including a move to weekly curbside recycling, the addition of textile and pumpkin recycling, a special cardboard and electronics recycling after the holidays, and implementation of the WasteWizard recycling app. A pilot food waste recycling program resulted in the collection of 10 tons of food waste from 130 households in just four months – which was turned into enough energy to power 750 homes for a year.

The Town Council passed two new ordinances in 2017, “to encourage development in our highest property value in town – West Hartford Center,” Cantor said.

“Incentive Zoning,” an ordinance passed following an extensive community engagement process, will enable slightly larger mixed-use buildings in the Center provided certain amenities or other “incentives” are part of the project. “This is really important for the future of the Center,” Cantor said.

In addition, the Town Council adopted an “Experiential Retail” ordinance which will

allow some of the larger spaces in Blue Back Square – such as REI, which will be vacated when the store moves across town – as well as spaces in the industrial zone to combine recreation and restaurant operations.

“Hopefully this will allow for some of those spaces to be used in unique ways,” Cantor said.

Cantor said that 40 new businesses either opened in 2017 or are poised to open soon – and the Chamber’s Economic Development Luncheon on April 26 will highlight those.

A few specifically mentioned by Cantor included the location of Friday’s luncheon.

“The Delamar West Hartford really does change the region,” she said.

In addition, The Corbin Collection is scheduled to open in mid-2018, bringing Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th, Cost Plus World Market, buy buy Baby, REI, and Shake Shack to the former Sears property in Corbin’s Corner.

Transit-oriented development is in the works with the near-completion of 616 New Park, and a community engagement process will soon begin for the former UConn campus.

“This is breaking news,” Cantor said, as she announced: “The McAuley is embarking on a lifestyle evolution.”

Trinity Health Senior Communities is making a $4.3 million investment in the property to add a fitness center, spa and

WE-HA STORIES pact of the cap on deductibility of state and local taxes (SALT) will also pose challenges.

It will be important to develop revenue sources other than income and property taxes, Cantor said.

The state’s population is decreasing, and will be further decreased by new immigration policy. “If immigration is reduced, Connecticut is going to feel it ... it’s going to affect our vibrancy [in West Hartford],” said Cantor.

Looking toward the next decade, Cantor focused on Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) and Millennials (born be-

tween 1982 and 2002).

“Millennials are the largest generation,” she said, but Baby Boomers have the most buying power.

Many Baby Boomers want to use the value of their assets – their homes – for their future lifestyles. Older Millennials are ready to buy houses and start families, in diverse communities with good schools.

“What’s an important issue is to keep attracting those Millennials who are ready, and allowing those Baby Boomers to move on,” Cantor said. West Hartford needs to

LEFT: West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor (center) with (from left) Chamber of Commerce Board Chair Dave Calibey, Mike LaBella of TDBank, and Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Barbara Lerner and Associate Director Morgan Hilyard. ABOVE: Greenwich Hospitality Group CEO Charles Mallory welcomes attendees at the Chamber of Commerce’s State of the Town luncheon to the Delamar West Hartford Hotel.

salon, outdoor dining, and a pub-style feature “The 19th Hole.” Construction is slated to begin in two weeks, Cantor said, and plans are to have it completed at the end of June.

“It’s important for us to be ambassadors for the region,” Cantor said, as there has been good news for the Greater Hartford economy such as Aetna remaining in Hartford, hiring at UTC and Jackson Labs, and great things happening with support for the start-up culture.

While crime in West Hartford is down, Cantor said, vehicle thefts are up and there has been an increase in overdoses related to the nation’s opioid crisis. “We have a growing need for social services,” she said.

“We have some challenges ahead and we all know that,” Cantor said.

The top challenges the town will face in the next five years include the state budget and the condition of Hartford’s finances, and how they will impact the town.

Coping with unfunded state mandates, fixing aging infrastructure, and the rising cost of government are also concerns.

Economic development that makes sense for the town needs to be encouraged, while at the same time maintaining a focus on traffic and transportation concerns, Cantor said.

Regionalization to increase efficiencies, health care and pension costs, and the im-

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“I’m thrilled to be at William Raveis, whose focus is

Marketing and Technology

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Robin and Raveis ... what a great combination!

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be able to allow its empty nesters to have choices.

“These two large markets are driving many new developments and looking for many of the same things – easy living, vibrancy, safety, updated appliances, and easy care,” as well as easy-to-use transportation options.

For West Hartford, there continues to be good news in the real estate market overall, with a median sales price increase of 3.68 percent and volume up 5 percent, and an especially strong market in neighborhoods close to the Center. Challenges remain, however, for sales of homes valued at $1 million and up, Cantor said.

The creation of incentive zones will help provide more opportunities and protect the quality of life.

In addition, Cantor said that recent changes in the industrial zone will appeal to and attract Millennials as well as empty nesters, citing New Park Brewing, the soon-to-open Gastro Park, and food trucks as examples.

Cantor shared numerous anecdotes of people she has spoken with who have recently moved to West Hartford – a diverse

“What’s an important issue is to keep attracting those Millennials who are ready, and allowing those Baby Boomers to move on...”

- Mayor Shari Cantor

group that includes recently-graduated engineering students from Rice University in Texas; a couple from Hartford with several children; a young couple and an older couple from Brooklyn who both noted the town’s vibrancy, walkability, diversity, and relative affordability; the director of a major medical institution who came from San Francisco; and empty nesters from more rural Farmington Valley towns.

“We have a diverse group of residents that desire what West Hartford has to offer – safety, great schools, amenities, a well-run town, and vibrancy,” Cantor said, citing the many awards and accolades that the town has won in recent years.

“West Hartford remains a bright light for the region ... a safe vibrant and diverse community with top notch schools, quality

municipal services, highly-engaged citizens, and many social and cultural events,” Cantor said.

“As we say, West Hartford has the innovation factor – smart people, caring communities, great ideas, and collaboration,” said Cantor.

Change is necessary for innovation, creativity, and improvement, she said. “We need the courage and foresight to manage the change that is inevitable.”

Cantor’s speech was so detailed that there were no questions from the audience, but as she concluded there was a rousing round of applause and a standing ovation.

This year’s Chamber of Commerce luncheon was presented by sponsor TDBank, and Connecticut Market President Mike LaBella introduced Cantor. Charles Mallory of Greenwich Hospitality Group, owner of the Delamar West Hartford Hotel, also spoke to the crowd, as did Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Barbara Lerner and Board Chair Dave Calibey.

West Hartford Community Television streamed the speech, and it can also be viewed on their website. n

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GARDEN

Simplify Your Life

Your Garden

and Simplify

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by Karla A. Dalley

n the days when I worked in retail gardening, not only was I working at the garden center for 35 hours a week, but I had a solo law practice, and my own writing and speaking business as well. Needless to say, I was busy!

So I certainly sympathized with the customers who came in and said, “I don’t have time to garden!” I would commiserate with them—but because I was also there to sell plants, I needed to change that mindset.

So I developed a positive attitude and a motto—I called myself the “lazy gardener,” and I told the customers “Oh yes, of course you have time to garden. It’s easy. Let me show you.”

I am no longer working in retail gardening—or as a lawyer—but I am still trying to be as “lazy” a gardener as possible. And with a little change in mindset, most gardeners can do the same thing.

My “lazy gardening” method uses the current ecological, sustainable and wildlife friendly practices. And it makes gardening easier. There is a whole lot less to buy, and whole lot less to worry about.

What do I do differently? First, I use no pesticides. I haven’t since I discovered that pesticides are harmful to butterflies.

When I “married” the property 24 years ago, there weren’t many butterflies, maybe one or two. After research, I discovered that butterflies were extremely susceptible to pesticides.

So I stopped using them and the butterflies came back. We now have 28 different kinds. We have 75 different species of birds.

And it is because of these birds that we have no insect problem. You do not need to spray to get rid of bugs. You need to encourage birds, because they eat insects.

We also make use of our leaves—something many folks are reluctant to do. Every autumn, when leaves fall into our garden beds, they stay right there to become mulch for the gardens. We do remove them from

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grassy areas.

In previous years, when spring came, I raked or turned them into the garden, but last spring, due to unforeseen circumstances, I wasn’t able to do that. My perennials grew in and covered over those leaves and they were barely visible. No more turning leaves in for me.

Another idea that I have been using for a few years now—and it is at the forefront of ecological (and “lazy”) gardening—is using “living” mulch (groundcover plants or moss) rather than endless bags of bark mulch. I have hated bark mulch for some time now and I stopped using it almost 10 years ago. Between my leaf mulch—and my plantings, which are mature enough to fill in—I find that I don’t need mulch.

How might this work in a new garden?

If planting a new garden, plant perennials or shrubs, and then fill in the gaps in the plantings with “living” mulch (in other words, ground cover plants, or if you are fortunate enough to have an abundance, as I do, moss).

This requires you to know a little bit about plant habits, however. Some plants are natural spreaders (think about thyme, or catmint) and some plants are clump formers. Don’t try to form a living mulch with clump forming plants unless you have a fortune to spend or you like frustration.

Other sound ecological practices include the following ideas: n Don’t amend the soil but find plants that

will grow in the soil that you have—in other words, garden in the garden you have; don’t try to make it something different; n Disturb the soil as little as possible be-

cause every time you do, you bring dormant weed seeds to life; n Don’t water once your plants are established (you will save yourself a lot of hardship—and a large water bill—with this one—but this also makes you choose the right plants for your landscape); n Use no pesticides (and that includes herbicides and fungicides); n Save your garden bed cleanup until spring (this category covers leaves and plants. If you “clean up” in the fall, you are shredding or composting butterfly larvae and native bees, as well as other beneficial insects!).

These simple things can make your garden ecologically friendly and sustainable, and will help you to become a “lazy gardener” in the process. Then you will have more time to spend enjoying the garden, not working hard in it! n Karla Dalley is a garden writer and speaker from West Hartford. kdalley@comcast.net. gardendaze.wordpress.com

Call me for a consultation. – Jeff

860-986-4282

www.jeffhodgeslandscapes.com

TRAVEL

Take Me Away...

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By Lisa Martin and Fay deHaas

W

Uniworld stateroom Uniworld S.S. Maria Theresa.

hen thinking about the cruise marketplace, while few companies rise to the top., these three companies

are the exception.

Uniqueness is what makes them stand out and quality is the measure they set – the standard for 5-star experiences. Read on to hear about their uniqueness and what they have planned to continue their prestigious ranking.

PONANT expedition ships are truly breathtaking.

When I walked along the dock and got

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my first glimpse I was awed by the look and lines of the ship.

The space was sleek and classy. Along with the 5-star environment, what makes these ships so special is that they go everywhere, including to new places many other ships do not venture to.

Ponant sends out its naturalists to find hidden gems that are untouched by other expedition lines. Helicoptered in to evaluate the flora and fauna of multiple small environments, these experts evaluate, then prepare, these sites to ensure an individualized expedition, found nowhere else.

New Ponant Expedition ships’ the Blue Eye Lounge is the first underwater lounge at sea. Guests of the four newest ships

will be able to go below deck and look out portholes, like eyes of a whale to see under the ocean. Three cameras will project live images on to digital screens while sound equipment will capture the melodies of the sea within a three-mile radius. This new multi-sensory space is at the forefront of expedition experiences.

UNIWORLD River Cruises believe you deserve the best and you get the best through their resolute focus on the details.

No request is too small; the staff will accommodate you.

These ships are hotels where each room is its own boutique room, each decorated

A bride enjoys a solo stroll on the deck of a Cunard ship.

differently with the influence of the Red Carnation Hotels. In the suite, the duvet covers, in-suite butler, and cappuccino machine ended and began my day in luxury.

Décor standouts include the Grand Staircase in the S. S. Maria Theresa and the $250, 000 worth of art in each passageway of every ship. These are each one-of-a-kind ships. Expanding the Uniworld vision is U by Uniworld, a newly designed fleet that focuses on guests 21-45 years old. Experiential and authentic explorations with longer city stays, meeting local people, farm-to-table cuisine, yoga, roof top bars, and nightclubs are the focuses of these new sleek cruises.

CUNARD’s Queen Mary II was docked in Boston – how could I not go see her?

The reputation (of the Cunard line) is the standard of Classic cruising, and glorious she is! The capacious atrium invites you with elegance as the central floral arrangement comes into view.

What makes this true ocean-liner feel so spacious is not just the layout, that even though she is one of the largest ships built, she carries half the number of people other lines do. Ballroom gowns and tuxedos are the norm for dinner, dancing and festivities.

Fencing lessons, ballroom dancing lessons, and the Planetarium are exciting. As a seasoned coastal and river cruise traveler, the idea of a trans-Atlantic sailing, being out in the ocean for a week without stopping at ports was a concern at first, but the answer to wondering: “Who am I going to meet next?” was always: “Interesting guests at my table or experts who educate me on a new topic in-depth.”

Coming this year: Fashion, Genealogy, Space, and Big Band Weeks. When planning, don’t forget that your dog will enjoy a private walking and sitting room with you and will be treated like canine royalty! n Certified Luxury and Boutique Cruise Specialists with Cruise Planners Lisa Martin and Fay deHaas can be reached at: fdehaas@cruiseplanners.com and lisa.martin@cruiseplanners.com

PO Box 271835, West Hartford, CT 06127 www.we-ha.com office: 860-508-4032

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FITNESS

Getting in The Swing Life is a journey so make it FUN

by Tom Hickey

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Tom’s session was recorded for him to see online anytime he wants to improve his game.

at least I will be better than I was before a little instruction and practice.

The cool part came when David put special gear on me that included a Velcro® belt around my waste and a device that felt like a backpack to monitor and measure my swing. All of this was recorded so it was amazing to see what I was doing right and, most importantly, to understand what I was doing incorrectly so I can work on improving it.

It’s very worth contacting David right now just to do this relatively quick analysis of your swing. And the best thing about it – I was in and out in 30 minutes!

When your session is over you get a business card with your login instructions to

view the results of your session so you can watch it at your leisure and as often as you like.

In my amateur opinion the best thing to do before you start your game this season.

Give David a call and tell him that I sent you.

Fore! See you at the tournaments again this year (on the course, and/or at the dinners)! n Tom Hickey shares this occasional fitness column from his unique point of view of as a participant in a variety of physical fitness activities. Tom is the publisher of West Hartford Magazine.

Screenshots via the GOLFTEC WEBSITE

n previous issues, I shared fitnessrelated stories and journeys with you and (if you are in my immediate circle of friends), I’ve likely dragged you to workouts as well.

This chapter of my journey is a little different.

I stopped in to extend my well wishes to the Souza family on their first anniversary of GolfTec at 1146 New Britain Avenue, (next to Pepe’s) and I thought this could be a fun feature for our spring fitness column.

At least it would be different than seeing my bright red and sweaty face after a workout.

Every year We-Ha sponsors plenty of golf tournaments and, admittedly, I do not have time to take off a day for each tournament to play (although I hope to some day soon) so I usually only attend the dinners. When I’ve been “forced” to play (usually by a client because someone else dropped out at the last minute) the only thing that saves me is that we play the “best ball” fomat. So typically, among the foursome we get one good shot off.

While joking about this with David Souza, center manager and franchise owner of GolfTec, he said my story was very common. What many don’t realize is that GolfTec can help everyone improve, from the beginner to the pro. All you need to do is see what you are doing wrong and fix it with proper instruction and practice.

So I walked in sporting just my basic casual attire (as is suggested on their website), and I didn’t even have a club because mine aren’t in West Hartford, nor golf shoes because I don’t own any. No worries, David hooked me up and sneakers worked fine for the session.

After the first couple of swings I must admit it all came back to me and I caught the bug again. Unfortunately I don’t have much time to dedicate to my game yet, but

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Celebrate inStyle!

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FOOD

West Hartford Center: Hartford Baking Co. Story & photos by ‘TWIN TASTERS’ JOY TAYLOR & AMY MELVIN

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artford Baking Company, with two locations in West Hartford, is one of the best places to meet for breakfast and lunch, plus they just introduced a new catering menu.

Twin Tasters love the brunch-like menu that includes amazing baked goods, excellent salads, and the “famous” Avocado Toast with sprouts, and radish on grain bread with an egg, is so satisfying.

Kids will be happy with the twists on the PBJ, including Honey Peanut Butter and Jelly with optional Nutella and/or banana.

There are $5 breakfast combos available until 9 a.m.: Egg & Cheese + Small Coffee, or Breakfast Pastry + Large Coffee.

Make sure you check the chalkboard for daily specials. On one visit, we lucked out with a Soppressata (Italian dry salami), Artichoke Panino which came on a yummy toasted ciabatta.

965 Farmington Ave., 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

625 New Park Ave. opens at 7:30 a.m. daily, and Mon.-Fri. until 5:30 p.m..; Sat. until 5 p.m.; Sun. until 3 p.m. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook. n More photos online at we-ha.com

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26 we-ha.com Vol. 8, No. 1, 2018 west hartford magazine

Residential and Commercial Asphalt Driveways

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DJ and SOUND CO.

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Join the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce!

Good for your business, good for the community.

Membership includes: Your business listing in our on-line Membership Directory and a new member advertisement in West Hartford Life.

Free event promotions on our Community Calendar (read by approximately 700 people each week) which helps you get to the right people for your business.

Meet West Hartford’s business leaders in a casual setting! Enjoy good food and beverage as you network through the Chamber’s Business After Hours and West Hartford Connections events.

Exclusive Chamber Rewards including member-to-member product opportunities, special offers, and innovative and competitively priced benefit solutions with CIT. Taking advantage of just one of these rewards can pay for your membership!

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For membership information, please contact Barbara or Morgan at (860) 521-2300 or e-mail membership@whchamber.com.

We look forward to hearing from you soon!

www.whchamber.com

FINANCE

Everyone’s Tax Situation is Unique

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by Thomas J. Filomeno, CPA e’re a few months into 2018. Your first batch of paychecks didn’t change all that much because of tax reform. You think – okay, maybe I’m part of that group that didn’t really get a tax cut. Then the next check hits and BAM! You’ve got a couple hundred dollars more in your paycheck.

Now you think – is this right? It can’t be that much different, can it?

The answer, as usual for taxes, is It depends. Everyone’s tax situation is unique.

The really major part of tax reform is that individual tax rates went down, which is why your second paycheck went up. Here are a few other reasons why your tax situation might change in 2018: n The tax credit for you get for each of your children is now $2,000 per child and does not start phasing out until a married couple hits $400,000 of adjusted gross income ($200,000 for all other filing status). In contrast, for 2017, the credit is $1,000 and starts to go away at $110,000 ($54,300 for single or head of household)! This means this dollar-for-dollar tax credit will provide much greater tax savings for more people than ever before. n Far fewer people will be in the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) starting in 2018. The AMT exemption was raised from $84,500 to $109,400 (from $54,300 to $70,300 for single or head of household), but the bigger news is that the exemption phase out used to start at $160,900 ($120,700 for single or head of household) and will now start at $1 million ($500,000 for all other filing statuses). That means more folks will receive the full AMT exemp-

tion and may not be stuck in AMT anymore. n The deduction for personal exemptions has been eliminated.

However, many people didn’t actually get a benefit from the exemption due to either falling into AMT or their income exceeding the phase-out limitations..

In addition, there were some significant changes to home mortgage interest. n If you already have a mortgage on your house – you fall under the old rules. You are grandfathered in. As long as your mortgage is $1 million or less, you can deduct all your interest. n If it’s more than $1 million, you can’t deduct the interest on the amount over $1 million. n If you get a new mortgage – the maximum is $750,000 of mortgage debt.

Home equity loans – Here’s where the IRS and bank definitions start to become confusing. You will read that home equity loan interest is no longer deductible. While true, that sentence uses the IRS definition and not the bank definition. Here’s what you need to know: n If you used a home equity loan to improve or expand your home, you can still deduct the interest, subject to certain limitations on the amount deductible. n If you use it for nearly anything else (a car, college, pay down credit card debt, vacation), you can’t deduct the interest any more.

The Not So Good For Nutmeggers Part This tax reform isn’t all rainbows and sunshine. There are parts that will hit some

of us hard, right in the wallet. A big one is the limit on deducting income taxes and property taxes. Starting in 2018, we can only deduct $10,000 of income and property taxes combined (not each $10,000 in total!). That could put a big dent in our itemized deductions.

A second group of deductions that go away are “miscellaneous itemized deductions.” This is that group of deductions that had to be more than 2% of your income in order for you to get a benefit. Think of out of pocket expenses your job doesn’t reimburse you for, mileage you drive for work, investment advisory fees, tax prep fees, union dues, safe deposit box, etc. Those are all gone.

This will cause more of us to use the “standard deduction.” This is the part of the bill that attempts to create the “postcard” tax return. But it has significant ramifications, as demonstrated below.

The standard deduction was almost doubled to $24,000 ($12,000 single) (up from $12,700 and $6,350). If we assume that you will have $10,000 of total state and property taxes, that leaves you with $14,000 more of itemized deductions that you need in order to be above the standard deduction threshold. Most likely, the only deductions you have left are mortgage interest and charity. If those two deductions total more than $14,000, you will likely keep itemizing your deductions. If they do not exceed $14,000 (maybe because you don’t have a mortgage), then you’ll likely take the standard deduction.

Let’s do another type of example. Assume you have no mortgage and you’re a

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FINANCE (continued) charitable family. You regularly give away approximately $15,000 per year. Add that to the $10,000 of state/property tax and you’re at $25,000 of itemized deductions instead of the $24,000 standard deduction. That’s terrific from a philanthropic standpoint, but from a tax perspective it has much less benefit that ever before. In that example, your incremental benefit of donating $15,000 is an extra $1,000 of tax deductions and your tax savings on that would be less than $400. Contrast that to the pre-Tax Reform law and your benefit from a $15,000 charitable deduction could have been as much as $6,000!

So, you ask, is there a way to increase the tax benefits of your charitable giving?

Yes, by “doubling down and skipping.”

Let’s look at the deductions over a twoyear span. What if you changed the timing of your contributions so that you “bunch” two years’ worth of them into one year?

For example instead of $15,000 per year, let’s say that in December of year one, after already contributing your $15,000 to char-

ities during the year, you “double down” and give each of one of them a second contribution equal to what you would have done in year two. And then skip any charitable payments in year two. That would give you twice as much in donations one year ($30,000) and none in year two. In year one, your itemized deductions would be $40,000 ($10k taxes plus $30k donations) and in year 2, you’d take the standard deduction, or $24,000. That’s $64,000 of deductions over two years compared to $50,000 ($10k taxes plus $15k donations = $25k per year times 2 years). That could save you as much as $5,000 pf tax just by changing the timing of the donations.

What if we took it a step further?

What if you made 5 years worth of donations all at once? Using the same math, that could save you up to $21k of tax.

Businesses received the most help. Corporate (specifically, “C” Corporation) tax rates dropped to a flat 21%. And passthrough entities (S corporations, Partnerships, Sch C / Sch E) got a mysterious new 20% deduction from their net income (to attempt to have those business taxed at a rate comparable to “C” Corporations).

We call the deduction mysterious because there is a lot about it that we don’t know yet. It’s also extremely complicated, with many different caveats and limitations. Here are some of the basics, but keep in mind your specific situation:

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1.This is an individual deduction, not a business deduction, which means that each owner calculates it for him/herself a.If married filing joint taxable income is less than $315,000 ($157,500 single), your deduction is the

lower of: i.20% of your taxable income ii.20% of your business income 2.If your taxable income is more than the above limits, the rules get really complex, really quickly. You should speak to your accountant about the specific application. But here are some generalities: a.If you make something that you can hold in your hand, you’re likely eligible for the deduction. For example, you manufacture widgets. b.However, if you provide a service, you likely aren’t eligible for the deduction.

For example, they specifically have ruled the deduction out for doctors, attorneys, accountants, actuaries and consultants, as well as “anyone who works in the financial services or brokerage industry” (among others).

People say that the only certain things in life are death and taxes. And that is totally true, but one thing that definitely isn’t certain is how the taxation will happen. That’s constantly changing and now it takes another turn. But as Judge Learned Hand said in his famous quote, “…nobody owes any public duty to pay more than the law demands.” And thankfully for all of us, Congress made most of the changes effective for 2018, so we have all year to figure out the best ways to comply with the good judge’s wise conclusion. n Thomas J. Filomeno, CPA, is President of Filomeno & Company, P.C. He can be reached at 860-760-7031 or tjf@filomeno.com.

To learn more, visit www.filomeno.com.

This article is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as the sole basis for an investment decision. Consult your financial advisor/tax/legal consultant regarding your personal circumstances before making any investment decisions.

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