Home Care In Hebron, CT

What started as a hobby for a Hebron couple quickly turned into something more.

Starting as a pandemic project, the Pinebrook Candle Co. now sells 20 scents year-round with more seasonal items. Started by husband and wife Zack and Shawna Winakor, the home–based company predominately makes paraffin-free candles, sold in jars or beer cans, and offers other aromatic products, like room sprays.

Larger companies tend to make their candles with paraffin wax, as it’s a cheaper substance. Pinebrook Candle uses soy wax and a smokeless cherry wood wick, which leads to the $22 price tag for a glass jar candle, Zack said.

A premium product

“People are willing to pay a premium, with a consideration that the product they’re also getting is a premium,” he said.

The couple’s interest in candles started when they were looking for their first home in 2019, as they were confused why they were seeing black soot on the ceilings of some houses. The realtor told them it was caused by paraffin candles and other home fragrances, and that the substance could be bad for your health, Zack said.

The decision to actually make candles came from Zack in early 2021. After he had been working from home for some time, he told Shawna about the idea while she was on the floor playing with their daughter, and she was surprised, she said.

“I laughed in his face, and then I was like ‘Oh wait, you’re serious,'” she said.

Then, the two of them watched tutorials and had plenty of attempts with candles until they made ones they felt comfortable enough giving to their friends and family, Shawna said.

All of the products are made by Zack and Shawna Winakor themselves. They both work stressful jobs, and being able to make candles at home is a source of stress relief. All the candles are made in batches of six, and they try to keep around two dozen of each scent in stock at a time. The couple makes around 200 candles a week, Zack said.

From the very beginning of the business, the two have hit the ground running, taking turns taking care of the children and making candles when they get home from their social worker day jobs. The two entrepreneurs also took advantage of social media marketing during the pandemic, and built a brand quickly, Zack said.

“We’re running full speed until we can’t anymore,” he said.

Pinebrook Candle Co. products can be bought online or from their stand at farmers' markets or craft shows. The candles are currently sold in 15 stores around the state, including DiRoma Home and Garden Center in Griswold, where Shawna Winakor worked at one point. The store likes to sell locally made goods, so the store tried them, General Manager Maria Landry said.

“We brought them in as a favor for her, and we do very well with them,” she said.

Why choose a soy candle?

Along with preventing soot, customers may prefer soy wax candles for a more relaxing atmosphere, and because they tend to have cleaner scents, Landry said.

“They come back for more and more,” she said. “Buy them as gifts, have them around the house.”

The Winakors also credit Jennifer Marozzi, owner of Fresca Tequilar Bar and Grill in Colchester, for helping them out and giving them advice, Night Owl Woodworks in Colchester for making custom candleholders and shelving, and Shawna Winakor’s cousin for helping with the logo and label design.

Expansion plans

The Winakors still want to grow their brand, especially as they have just moved to have a better candle-making space in their home. The goal is to make the candle making a full-time job for at least one of them, Shawna Winakor said.

“This has become way more profitable and way more successful than we ever thought,” she said. “I think sometimes we feel a little over our head, in a good way.”

Zack Winakor wants to add soaps and maybe even lotions to the product line. Shawna Winakor said she’s interested in at least trying dish soap, but said they have to be realistic, as it’s the two of them making all of the Pinebrook Candle Co. products.

Going into 2024, the Winakors are also interested in helping with fundraising opportunities, Shawna Winakor said.

With this growth, having financial freedom for themselves and their kids keeps the Winakors going. If the company is able to stay around long enough, it could be a good first job for their young daughters. However, the elder 3-year-old daughter is already helping out, unwrapping the peppermint candies used to decorate the peppermint mocha candles, Zack Winakor said.

“Even if it just teaches them something about owning your own business, responsibility, networking, how to speak to people,” he said. “These are invaluable skills, and they don’t teach that in school."

ELLINGTON — Plenty of people have stories about the "big game" they played as youths and the impact it's had on their lives. But Al Vogel says he and his friends' experience 50 years ago was unique.

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So much so that Vogel says everyone he's talked to over the years who played youth football for the Ellington Roadrunners, not just in 1973 when the team played a memorable championship game against the Hebron Rams, remembers this big game.

"It was a heartbreaking loss for us," Vogel said. "But the Rams were a good team and someone had to lose."

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After both the Roadrunners and the Rams won their respective division championships earlier that year, they met again on Nov. 4, 1973 for the Eastern Connecticut Midget Football Conference championship. In an intense game, Hebron won 26-20.

Almost 50 years later, the current Ellington Roadrunners and Hebron Rams will meet at Dick Gunn Field in Robert Tedford Memorial Park on Sept. 10, where all alumni of the teams and their cheerleaders have been invited for a reunion and celebration.

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Vogel, a lifelong resident of Ellington who just retired from his business as a cabinet maker, will be attending and is looking forward to seeing old friends from a team of which he said he was extremely proud to be a member.

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"Everyone played their heart out," he said about the championship game. He gives credit to the players being skilled enough to play in the championship against Hebron to the late Richard "Dick" Kenneth Gunn, the team's head coach at the time and for whom the field is named.

Vogel said Gunn carefully trained the players to do their best on the field. "He always coached us for the next game so, by the time we got to the championship, we were well prepared."

In fact, Vogel said, it was Gunn who encouraged him to play youth football and started the Roadrunners in Ellington over 50 years ago, along with Ellington's Little League and basketball programs, and the Shamrocks football league in Vernon.

"I had Coach Gunn for midget league basketball, which I started when I was 8 years old," Vogel said. "I didn't know much about football and was a little nervous about playing it but he told me I'd be good and he was right."

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Gregory Gunn, the coach's son, was also a member of the 1973 team.

Now living in Ashford, where he's retired from the University of Connecticut's information technology department and is currently working as a substitute teacher in the state's technical high school system, Gregory Gunn vividly remembers the details of the season and the Nov. 4 game, which he said was "billed as the Super Bowl" of the conference.

"I reminisce with teammates some 50 years later, even to this very day," Gunn said. "It's always a good conversation about great memories."

Gunn said playing for the Roadrunners was a family event for the Gunns. In addition to being coached by his father, Gunn said his mother, Louise, ran the concession stand and was a cheerleading coach for the league.

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His sister, Gina, was a cheerleader for the team, and his brother, Gary, who was just a baby in 1973, was strolled on the sidelines during the games that year by Gunn's aunt and uncle.

Gunn actually came up with the team's name.

"My favorite cartoon was the Roadrunner," he said, adding that he was watching cartoons as a child in his family's living room when his parents asked what the team should be named. "How about the Roadrunners?" Gunn recalls asking.

It was a group of dedicated volunteers that made everything happen for the kids who played and cheered, Gunn said. "I'm forever grateful to all of them."

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One of those volunteers was Tim Forbes, who was a Roadrunner from 1971-72. In 1973, he began helping out as an assistant coach. "There will never be another Coach Gunn," he said. "He created a program for all of us out of his love for sports that gave us a leg up so we knew what we were doing when we got to high school."

Forbes, who grew up in Ellington and now lives in California where he recently retired from a career in sports management, said it was because of Gunn's commitment to preparing young athletes in the youth leagues that Ellington High School was state champion in several sports for years.

Forbes said he mainly worked with the B and C teams, ages 10-11 and 8-9 respectively, on basic skills, and his role with the A team for ages 12-13 was to provide moral support from the sidelines.

He still remembers the 1973 team that played Hebron.

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Ellington Youth Football and Cheer President Matt Marcil said the board members are still working with the Hebron Rams organization on the final details of activities for all the divisions that played in 1973 and have been welcomed back to the upcoming game.

Gregory Gunn will definitely be in attendance. "In the end, it's not as much about the 1973 Northern Conference championship team as it is about all those that have contributed selflessly to this organization and others that do the same in their communities," he said. "What's better than watching the current Roadrunner players and cheerleaders in action on a Sunday at Dick Gunn Field? That's what I'm most looking forward to on Sept. 10."

Gina Gunn, who lives in New Jersey where she works for the American Red Cross and plays bass guitar and sings with a band, will be there as well and singing the national anthem. She was a mascot for the Roadrunners when she was 5 years old, later becoming a cheerleader for the teams and helping her mother at the concession stand.

When cheerleading practices were over, Gina Gunn said she often threw passes with the players. One day, she hurt her finger while playing with her father and her mother forbade him from letting her play football anymore. In response, she said, her father started a flag football program with the Parks and Recreation Department.

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"My father supported all of us," Gunn said. "He was big into football but my brother, Gary, was more interested in golf and soccer, so my father started to read books about soccer and then coached it."

What stands out for her during the years she was playing sports and cheerleading, Gina Gunn said, is that Ellington residents then and now provide tremendous support for youth sports. "The entire community gets together, not just parents, to cheer the athletes on."

Hebron Parks and Recreation hosted the first Farmers’ and Artisan Market of the season at Hebron Elementary School, on a chilly June 3.

Parks and rec staff were promoting a Hebron Trails Passport at the entrance to the market. The purpose of the event is to get folks exploring the trails that Hebron has to offer. There are seven different trails, and participants who hike at least four and stamp their passports can earn a water bottle, which they can collect at the July 1 market. Contact parks and rec at 860-530-1281 to obtain a passport.

Hebron Parks and Recreation is also hosting a number of fun and interesting specialty camps this summer. Contact the department for more information.

Among the vendors at the first market of the new season was Genevieve Paradis, d.b.a. Paradis Pastries. It was her first time at the market. Paradis said that after 22 years in the working world, COVID prompted her to ramp up her baking. After a brief return to her job post-pandemic, Paradis decided to focus on baking full-time.

“Now it’s what I do,” she said.

Paradis produces all manner of baked goods, including vegan and gluten free, and is always happy to fill special orders. Check out Paradis Pastries on Instagram or Facebook, or contact Paradis at [email protected].

Also a new vendor on June 3, Genessa Zickefoose was representing her company, The Mother Hive LLC.

“I started studying herbalism formally during COVID, in 2020,” said Zickefoose.

Zickefoose produces small-batch, organic herbal teas, and offers holistic health coaching at her home office in Amston. She specializes in women’s health education.

“I can help with all stages of life,” she said.

As a shamanic practitioner and certified yoga instructor, Zickefoose can help with stress reduction and much more. For more information, check out her website at themotherhive.com. The business also has a presence on Facebook and Instagram.

Pamela Giuffrida was at the market promoting her business, Georgebunny’s Boutique, and selling her handmade vegan soaps.

“Ten percent of the proceeds go to help animals in need,” said Giuffrida, noting that the business is named for her much-loved cat.

Check out Georgebunny’s Boutique at www.georgebunny.com, or on Facebook.

The Hebron Farmers’ and Artisan Market will be held throughout the summer. The next market is scheduled for July 1 at Hebron Elementary School, from 9 a.m. to noon.

With the growing problem of recruiting and retaining firefighters, area volunteer fire departments are looking at new ways to fill their rosters.

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Chief Peter Starkel of the Hebron Fire Department, which has about 30 members, including 15 active members, said that there was a general decline even before the COVID pandemic, with many of the volunteers leaving due to other commitments.

"Many of our folks work multiple jobs, greater family commitments," Starkel said. "Sports are year-round now. Folks' free time is not what it used to be. Downtime is so infrequent. A lot of people need it to recharge."

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Starkel said his roster has decreased by over 50% in the past 10 years, leading to more work placed on fewer people, which then leads to burnout.

"There are good days and bad," Starkel said. "We do OK, but we're not immune to times where we're short staffed and have to rely on our mutual-aid partners."

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Starkel said on the weekends, the department is short staffed and it has the bare minimum handling calls. He said the staffing size fluctuates based on the time of year and time of day. In the evening, he said, there is more help available due to personnel being home from work.

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Starkel said that the town offers incentives to those who want to volunteer.

"The town has a tax abatement for volunteers that meet certain requirements. They get a reduction in property taxes," Starkel said. "There's a point system for responding to emergencies, attending training. They receive a stipend check at the end of the year."

Starkel said the department is using social media and mailers to reach out to potential recruits. The department has also been trying to do more regionally, including a joint recruitment event on Thursday at the Main Moose in Columbia.

Representatives from the Andover, Columbia, Coventry, Lebanon, and North Windham fire departments, as well as Hebron, were in attendance.

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Though the department recruits throughout the year, Starkel said larger events like this tend to attract more potential volunteers.

"We're taking part in this event because it's a larger audience," Starkel said. "Typically at a larger event, there's maybe half a dozen inquirers. Of those, one or two come to fruition."

The Coventry Fire Department has an active roster of 52 volunteers, including 10 females, 15 volunteers who are certified in fire and EMS services, and six junior members who are under the age of 18, but Fire Chief Bud Meyers said the department could use more members.

"If I were to put a number on how many volunteers we would need to maintain the services currently being provided to our citizens, it would be an additional 50 to 60 qualified EMS members," he said.

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"Like most volunteer fire departments across the country, recruitment and retention is an area of high focus for the Coventry Fire Department," Meyers said. "We typically receive anywhere from one to four applications a month from individuals interested in joining the department."

Meyers said that the amount of time required to get certified is a common hurdle for new applicants.

"An entry level firefighter 1, or EMT course requires over 150 hours of training," he said.

Meyers said the firefighters and EMTs in his department are provided various incentives to promote retention and response.

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"These incentives include nominal paid per-call stipends, Length of Service Award Program (LOSAP), workers compensation and supplemental insurance coverage, as well as covering tuition fees for a variety of fire and EMS courses," Meyers said.

Though the Manchester Fire Department is a paid department and not volunteer, Manchester Fire Chief Daniel French said that there is a hiring challenge across the spectrum in public safety and it is harder to attract and retain employees.

The Manchester Fire Department is a combination of firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics. French said the EMT and paramedic recruits must have their certifications prior to joining the department, and once they are accepted into the department, they receive firefighter training.

During the department's recent round of hiring, French said, only five females were hired, but one included a chief officer and a lieutenant.

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French said the family aspect of the fire department keeps its employees together.

"We work hard at having a strong culture," French said. "Every two or three years, the town negotiates contracts. In the meantime, we work on putting a high priority on being one of the best in terms of service delivery, having leadership culture, and a family atmosphere. It attracts a lot of folks."

On Earth Day, April 22, the Hebron Pollinator Pathway Group sponsored a workshop at the Raymond Brook Preserve centered on ways to identify and control invasive plant species.

“We are all about preserving and restoring habitat for pollinators that are now in decline,” said Michele Sinkez, founder of the pollinator group.

In existence since 2019, the group has sponsored a number of initiatives, including a pollinator garden at the Preserve, another near the Old Town Hall, and a “No Mow May” event.

The group had brought in Rose Hiskes, from the Connecticut Invasive Plants Working Group, to lead a walk around the preserve, identifying invasive plant species and instructing workshop participants on how to most effectively control them.

“Invasives out-compete native plants,” explained Sinkez, noting that pollinators rely upon native plant species in order to survive.

Often possessing extensive root structures, invasives are able to out-compete native plants because they have no natural predators here, according to Sinkez.

Hiskes didn’t have to go far to identify her first invasive species – it was everywhere along the preserve’s walking path. Identifying a patch of invasive mugwort, Hiskes then pointed to a large area covered by heavy, black plastic. The plastic had been placed by the pollinator group in order to eliminate a patch of invasive weeds.

“It is a good, passive way to suffocate [the invasives] and make a place for your natives,” said Hiskes.

Sinkez explained that the plan was to leave the plastic down until the end of the summer, at which point seeds from native plants would be planted to produce a patch of plants more healthy for the pollinators.

Hiskes later stopped at a tree that had been strangled by the oriental bittersweet vine. Its heavy stems had wrapped several times around the tree’s trunk as the vine made its way upward.

“I call this the botanical python,” said Hiskes, noting that the vine is very prolific, and a prolific seed producer.

It produces berries which birds eat, excreting out the seeds and spreading them far and wide.

Hiskes suggested a “cut-and-paste” method of dealing with the vine. Late during the growing season, cut the vines so that the top portion will die off. Paint the bottom portion while the plant is still active so that the herbicide is drawn down into the roots, hopefully killing them. Hiskes suggested a poison ivy treatment for homeowners to treat the bottom portion of the plant.

The Connecticut Invasive Plant Group has identified 10 species of plant that are of most concern in the state: Japanese Knotweed, Oriental Bittersweet, Japanese Barberry, Multiflora Rose, Mugwort, Garlic Mustard, Autumn Olive, Common Reed, Mile-A-Minute, and Swallow Wort. Additional information regarding identifying these plants and the best methods to control them can be found at https://cipwg.uconn.edu/ under the 2018 symposium presentation entitled “Connecticut’s Invasive Plant Management Calendar: The Top 10 Invasive Plants.”

The Hebron Pollinator Pathway Group encourages everyone to participate in No Mow May by leaving your lawnmowers in the shed until the beginning of June. The goal of No Mow May is to pause mowing during the month of May, allowing flowers to bloom in your lawn to help early-season pollinators. Late winter and early spring is a time when floral resources are often limited.