Wallingford Regional Office Gifts Personal Care Boxes to Shelter

Wallingford (December 2010) – Pearce Real Estate President and CEO Barbara L. Pearce is pleased to announce that the Wallingford Regional Office generously donated personal care boxes to the Wallingford Emergency Shelter. The items collected included toothpaste, long-sleeved shirts, tote bags, pens, gloves, hats, scarves, deodorant, hand sanitizer, lotion, tooth brushes, shampoo, conditioner, soap, combs, decks of cards, etc. They were wrapped up as holiday gifts for the homeless. “The H. Pearce Company is grateful that we have employees who are so ready and eager to serve the community,” says Pearce.

“There is a wonderful group of people in that Wallingford office and they are always willing to step out and reach out to the community when the community is in need,” says Diana Reilly, Associate Director of the United Way of Meriden & Wallingford. Reilly says that in United Way’s eight years of working with H. Pearce’s Wallingford office they have always been great at stepping up and coming up with creative ways to serve the community year-round, and especially during the holiday season.

The Wallingford Emergency Shelter provides clients with three meals a day, cots, showers, and bed clothing. John Bruce, case manager at the shelter, shares that the extra frills and goodies that come generously from different organizations make the clients feel good because they know that someone is thinking of them. “We’re full to capacity with fifteen clients who will be here till Christmas and they will receive [the personal care] boxes Christmas or Christmas Eve, says Bruce. “They will be appreciative because they will be receiving items they probably wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. Thanks to the Wallingford office for reaching out and getting involved.”

For more information about the United Way, go to their website: www.liveunited.org.

Congratulations Nelly Odenwaelder!

Congratulations Nelly Odenwaelder on your 30 year anniversary as a CRS designee! A Certified Residential Specialist is a REALTOR® who has earned certification from the Council of Residential Specialists by completing a rigorous course of advanced training and by meeting significant experience requirements.

Announcement: Vincent Celentano

Vincent Celentano is working with our new mortgage partner. He is ready to handle all the mortage needs for your clients, your family, and even you!

Vincent can be reached at (860) 989-2159 or by email: pmvtmandrake@mac.com.

Tip-A-Firefighter 2010

Paul Januszewski, resident firefighter of H. Pearce's Wallingford office, will be participating in Tip-A-Firefighter 2010. He will be serving dinner, alongside local career firefighters, at Outback Steakhouse. Please attend and show your support! Bring your family and friends!

Event Details:
December 15 & 16, 2010

5-9 p.m.

Outback Steakhouse
345 Washington Ave.
North Haven, CT 06473

Proceeds will benefit the Atlantic Regional Firefighters Burn Foundation, which financially supports camps that specialize in accepting children who are burn survivors.

For additional information, you may also visit: http://arffbf.org/.

Shoreline Regional Offices Coat Drive Benefits Harbor Health and Town of Clinton

Guilford (December 2010) – Pearce Real Estate President and CEO Barbara L. Pearce is pleased to announce a fruitful conclusion to the H. Pearce Real Estate Company Shoreline Regional offices’ 21st annual coat drive. “The H. Pearce Company is thrilled that we were able to provide a necessity to the community in this chilly holiday season,” says Pearce.

The coat drive was conducted from November 1 to 30, with drop offs in both Clinton and Guilford. The offices collected just under 200 coats for all ages. These coats were donated to Harbor Health Clothing Bank in Branford, which supports the Guilford and Branford communities for individuals and families in need, and to the Town of Clinton - Social Services, where they will be given to Clinton residents in need of winter clothing. Nanette Pastore, manager of the Guilford regional office, says, “It was a great effort that yielded an incredible result!”

“Working with these offices is a good experience because it’s beautiful when people donate to those in need. The stuff we usually get is not up to par, sometimes dirty and we have to throw it out. But the coats we received from the drive were great!” said Joan McFarlane, coordinator for the Harbor Health Clothing Bank. Over 8,000 people, not including children, utilize the clothing bank which offers everything from adult and children’s apparel to household appliances.

H. Pearce Company Realtors Cocoa Café Benefits the Guilford Food Bank

Wallingford (December 2010) – H. Pearce Company President and CEO Barbara L. Pearce is pleased to announce that the Guilford and Clinton offices held their Annual Cocoa Café on Friday, December 3rd in conjunction with the Guilford Tree Lighting and town festivities. Hot chocolate and peppermint sticks were served to the large crowd that gathered on the Town Green. “Though the weather was chilly, it felt great to gather together to celebrate and serve the town of Guilford. The hot chocolate didn’t hurt, either!” said Pearce.

Donations totaled over $200. The recipient of the donations was the Guilford Food Bank.

“We personally want to thank all of those individuals who so generously donated. It was a continuation of a wonderful tradition,” said Nanette Pastore, manager of the Wallingford Regional office.

Hospitalito Atitlan

Ray Baldelli and his partner, Ron Nichols, were recently invited to the dedication of the Hospitalito Atitlan in Guatemala, which they started supporting in 2004. They were recognized as the first donors who had faith in a second effort for the rebuilding of the hospital. The hospital at Lake Atitlan was destroyed just months after opening in the 2005 mud slides that also claimed the lives of over 2, 000 local villagers.

The director of the hospital said their gift allowed for the purchasing of land in a geologically safe area, giving the fundraising for rebuilding its first tangible base from which to work and also giving hope to those wanting to rebuild a dream – people whose mission was the care of the local indigenous peoples. The three-year fundraising program proceeded with major grants coming from Starbucks, universities (hospitals), and various other donors of all levels. It eventually culminated with a $750,000.00 matching pledge from a donor in Dallas who is referred to as the Angel of the Hospital.

The hospital fills a need for basic and emergency care geared to women and children and fundraising is ongoing. The photos show the hospital with a finished emergency care ward. The second floor offices, meeting rooms, and classrooms are near completion. And an addition for longer patient stays will be started within a year. Fundraising is ongoing.

Says Baldelli, "One nice touch was 'plaques' placed throughout the hospital recognizing donors. Unlike in the USA where plaques are usually constructed of metal, these were hand embroidered using local traditional methods and motifs. Quite wonderful. The day proved to be very festive and exciting for everyone."

Dana's Latest Theatrical Endeavor

Pictured above: Dana DellaMonica, Guilford office

This December, Dana DellaMonica of H. Pearce's Guilford office, will be showcasing her acting chops once again. Make sure you support her!

A Merry Mulberry Street Musical
directed by Brian Bianco (music by Jeffrey Lodin, lyrics by Bill Squier, book by Lou Ursone)

The Dressing Room Theatre
Curtain Call Inc.
1349 Newfield Avenue
Stamford, CT

Evening Showings
December 2nd, 3rd, 4th - Doors open at 7 p.m., show begins at 8 p.m.
December 9th, 10th, 11th - Doors open at 7 p.m., show begins at 8 p.m.
December 16th, 17th, 18th - Doors open at 7 p.m., show begins at 8 p.m.

Matinees
December 5th ,12th & 19th- Doors open at 1 p.m., show begins at 2 p.m.

Cabaret-style seating - BYO Everything.

Tickets available at (203) 461-6358 ext. 13 or at www.curtaincallinc.com.

21st Annual Shoreline Regional Offices Coat Drive

Wallingford (November 2010) – This year will mark the 21st year the H. Pearce Real Estate Company Shoreline Regional Offices will host their annual coat drive.

Donations can be dropped off at the Guilford and Clinton offices throughout November, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The drive is an incredible opportunity to help those in need within our own communities. Please donate jackets and coats that are in good condition.

Drop off Locations:
Guilford
88 Broad St
203.453.2737
guilford@hpearce.com

Clinton
16 West Main St., Suite D
860.669.4617
clinton@hpearce.com

Dave DeBlasi joins H. Pearce Wallingford Regional Office

Wallingford (November 2010) – H. Pearce Real Estate Co. President and CEO Barbara L. Pearce is pleased to announce that Dave DeBlasi has joined the company’s Wallingford Regional office as an agent.

Prior to joining H. Pearce, DeBlasi worked for several years in the auto industry, in new and used car sales, receiving many sales and customer satisfaction awards.

DeBlasi has lived in Wallingford for most of his life and has a soft spot for animals. He belongs to the Doberman Rescue Unlimited (DRU) and the Internet Miniature Pinscher Service, Inc (IMPS). He loves to cook and in his free time races his car at Lime Rock Park on track days. He also enjoys working on fixing and fabricating cars and home repair. In the past, he has worked with Habitat for Humanity in south Florida and is currently in training for the Miami Marathon coming up in January 2011.

Dave DeBlasi can be reached at the H. Pearce Company Wallingford Regional Office at 203.265.4866 extension 501 and at ddeblasi@hpearce.com.

Gary Corso, DiDi Strode, Olivia Martson Complete CAR’s Appraisal-1 Program

New Haven (November 2010) – H. Pearce Co. President and CEO Barbara L. Pearce is pleased to announce that Gary Corso and Urban Specialists Olivia Martson and DiDi Strode, of the New Haven office, recently completed the Connecticut Association of REALTORS® (CARS) Appraisal-1 program.

The program is centered on residential appraisal and provides training in appraiser techniques to determine values for loans, sales, and insurance; and teaches residential appraisal formulas and how to evaluate competitive properties. The Connecticut Association of REALTORS® represents over 17,000 real estate professionals. The association is dedicated to enhancing the ability of its members to conduct their business successfully while maintaining the preservation of private property rights.

Gary Corso can be contacted at 203-776-1899, ext. 702, or email: gcorso@hpearce.com. DiDi Strode can be contacted at 203-776-1899, ext. 728, or email: dstrode@hpearce.com. Olivia Martson can be contacted at 203-776-1899, ext. 705, or email: omartson@hpearce.com.

Wallingford Regional Office Cereal Food Drive for Master’s Manna Was a Success

Wallingford (November 2010) – Pearce Real Estate President and CEO Barbara L. Pearce is pleased to announce that the Wallingford Regional Office’s October Cereal food drive for Master’s Manna was a success. Over 60 boxes of cereal were collected from the office. “The H. Pearce Company feels honored that we were able to provide much-needed aid to an organization that does such admirable work,” says Pearce.

“They [Wallingford office] did a fabulous job,” says Cheryl Bedore, President of Master’s Manna. “Everybody was so upbeat and so excited. They were bubbling over and they should have been because they did a phenomenal job. All of that cereal will be used tomorrow when we have our food pantry open.”

Master’s Manna offers a variety of services to individuals and families that have fallen on hard times. The non-profit organization has become an imperative and integral part of the Greater Meriden/Wallingford area. Currently, their food pantry serves 300 families per week. “To date, we have served over 3,200 individuals- from the beginning of the year through the last day of October,” says Bedore.

For more information about Master’s Manna, go to their website: www.mastersmanna.org.

Maureen Campbell attends Relocation Directors Council® Conference

North Haven (November 2010) – Barbara L. Pearce, President of H. Pearce Real Estate Company (parent company of Pearce Plus Relocation) is pleased to announce that Maureen Campbell recently attended the fall conference of the Relocation Directors Council® (RDC) in Seattle, Washington.

This year’s conference theme was “Robust Vision = Compelling Results.” Over 100 relocation professionals from across the country gathered in Seattle to address concerns facing today’s mobile work force. Speakers examined the need for creative solutions to the declining real estate values, the prolonged recession, high unemployment numbers, and reluctance to relocate. Representatives from the corporate, relocation management, and real estate sectors addressed policy trends and shared creative solutions.

In addition, an afternoon of Learning Zones focused on compelling issues for relocation and real estate professionals in today’s challenging economic times.

Attendees interacted with corporate and relocation management representatives at the organization’s celebration of RDC’s 30th Anniversary.

Campbell currently serves on the board of RDC®. The Relocation Directors Council® sets the standard of excellence for real estate relocation professionals. Its Corporate and Relocation Management Company Advisory Councils work in conjunction with the Board of Directors to promote the highest ethical and performance standards in the industry. Its membership is comprised of 250 relocation professionals, representing over 5,000 real estate offices and 215,000 sales associates nationwide. RDC® affiliates have become the trusted source for up-to-date market information, best practices, industry specific education, and extraordinary relocation service. As members of Worldwide ERC®, RDC® member services span the globe.

To learn more about RDC or to locate an RDC member, visit their website at www.relocationdirectorscouncil.com.

Maureen Campbell can be contacted at 203-281-9315, or email: mcampbell@hpearce.com.

Lori Ann Trovato joins H. Pearce Wallingford Regional Office

Wallingford (October 2010) – H. Pearce Real Estate Co. President and CEO Barbara L. Pearce is pleased to announce that Lori Ann Trovato has joined the company’s Wallingford Regional office as a sales associate.

Trovato is a master specialist in floral design and uses her eighteen years of experience to create custom interior floral designs to stage residential properties. She is also a home sales specialist for the elderly. A graduate of Lyman Hall High School, Trovato currently attends both Gateway and Middlesex Community Colleges and is focusing on elder real estate. Prior to joining H. Pearce, Trovato worked at William Raveis Real Estate and at Mezzanotte Law Firm in Wallingford as a paralegal.

The fifth-generation Meriden native is a member of the PTA and volunteers with the Hartford Children’s Theatre and the theater program at her church. She loves hiking, gardening, fishing and acting.

Lori Ann Trovato can be reached at the H. Pearce Company Wallingford Regional Office at extension 504 and at ltrovato@hpearce.com.

H. Pearce Musical Instrument Drive Provides the Saint Martin de Porres Academy with Much-Needed Instruments

North Haven (October 2010) – From May 17th to May 28th, H. Pearce Company ran a musical instrument drive for the Saint Martin de Porres Academy in New Haven. The drive called for people to donate unwanted instruments and unused supplies (reeds, corks, swabs, etc.). The drive certainly helped the Academy’s Instrumental Music Program as some of the instruments donated included a drum set, clarinets and flutes. H. Pearce Company President and CEO Barbara L. Pearce says, “In this day and age, every child deserves a musical education and H. Pearce was thrilled to be able to help those students in need.”

The Saint Martin de Porres Academy is an independent tuition-free school in the Hill neighborhood of New Haven for children of low-income families. The Academy’s Instrumental Music Program provides students with the opportunity to learn wind or percussion instruments; they must practice each day in school for a half hour. The students put on an annual Christmas concert and an end of the school year concert. They also play at various donor events and other special events throughout the school year. The Academy has the largest contingent of students participating in the All-State Regional Band concert in March. Students are also currently playing in a regional band.

“Music is an integral part of our curriculum,” says Allison Rivera, President of the Academy. “Every student in the building plays an instrument, [and] there are sixty-one students total. All of [the] instruments that we use are [from] donations. We are constantly seeking donations. H. Pearce was wonderful to do a drive for us. The instruments we received will enable our students to play.”

Rivera says that, ideally, Saint Martin de Porres Academy would be able to provide graduating students with instruments. She stresses that the need for instruments (and money for their routine repair and refurbishment) is ongoing.

To make a donation: Allison Rivera, President of Saint Martin de Porres Academy, can be contacted at 203-772-2424, ext. 11, or email: president@saintmartinacademy.org.

Diane Briganti Earns e-PRO® Certification

North Haven (October 2010) – H. Pearce Co. President and CEO Barbara L. Pearce is pleased to announce that Diane Briganti, a Realtor® with H. Pearce Real Estate’s Branford Regional Office, recently earned her e-PRO® Technology Certification from the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). She also completed the Web 2.0 and Social Media course. With more than 80% of consumers beginning their real estate research online, e-PRO®-certified agents have the experience and the expertise to meet today’s consumers’ demands.

NAR created the e-PRO® Technology Certification Program in 2000. The comprehensive and interactive e-PRO® certification course is presented entirely online; it is designed to provide real estate professionals with the technology tools needed to assist consumers in the purchase or sale of a home. The course was recently revised to include segments on Social Networking and Web 2.0 marketing that will continue to transform the real estate business.

Upon completion of the course, graduates join a distinguished community of highly skilled and continuously trained professionals that represent only four percent of REALTORS® in the country. Consumers can identify the e-PRO® through the exclusive e-PRO® Internet Professional logo. The skills graduates gain from the course enable them to provide clients with information on properties for sale, local communities, and the local real estate market.

“The real estate industry has undergone a fundamental change over the past several years,” Briganti said. “A majority of consumers are taking the time to conduct their own research prior to contacting an agent. In turn, real estate professionals must be knowledgeable of how technology can assist them in serving the needs of the buying and selling public. It only makes sense to work with a REALTOR® who is up to speed on today’s technology.”

Diane Briganti can be contacted at 203-481-5343, ext. 409, or email: dbriganti@hpearce.com.

Art Corda joins H. Pearce Shoreline Regional Office

Clinton, CT (September 2010) – H. Pearce Real Estate Co. President and CEO Barbara L. Pearce has announced that Art Corda has joined the company’s Shoreline Regional office as a Realtor®.

With a master's degree in instructional technology and a 6th year certificate in library science, Corda has been a coordinator of TV/Communications and the director of a library. Prior to joining H. Pearce, Corda was also the Director of Facilities at Gateway Community College.

Corda has lived in Westbrook for over 13 years. He has been a coach for the Park-and-Rec’s soccer, basketball, and little league baseball programs. He spends his free time gardening, exercising, reading, and with the Westbrook Elks club. You may recognize him as a Parishioner at St. Mark the Evangelist Church in Westbrook.

Art Corda can be reached at the H. Pearce Company Shoreline Regional Office at (860) 669-4617 ext. 210 and at acorda@hpearce.com.