News

Good Shepherd Village Celebrates

May 22, 2008 -  “New Beginnings” was the theme of the evening, when more than 150 guests attended a casual evening of Hors d’oeuvres, Cocktails and Entertainment at Endwell Greens Golf Club.  The party was hosted by Good Shepherd Village in celebration of reaching the goal of over 70% of the community being reserved.  Future residents and guest had an opportunity to meet their neighbors; nametags were color coded by cottage or apartment locations, programs at each table listed future residents by name and residence number.

Mike Keenan, President/CEO welcomed the group and updated everyone on the community’s progress.  Balloons, door prizes and music by DJ John “Yanni” made the atmosphere festive.  “Celebrity” Bob Thomas entertained us by leading a game of trivia. Bob came up with a list of questions about local history, which brought some lively competition between tables. 

The evening was a success as new friendships and re-acquaintances start the foundation of our community.

First of Two Properties Purchased

The closing for the property that will soon be Good Shepherd Village at Endwell was completed.  It is with great pride that we recently added our very own “sold” sign on Farm to Market Road.  Now everyone will know where Broome County’s Premier CCRC is located.

April/May 2008 Newsletter Available

The current issue of our newsletter was just mailed. It is available here, or by calling the Hospitality Center.

Hospitality Center Open Saturdays

Due to the tremendous response from the community, we will be open on Saturdays from 9:00 to 5:00.  This is a great option for people who work during the week or happen to be shopping in the plaza!

Planning Board Approves Project

In a unanimous vote by the Town of Union planning board, Good Shepherd Village moved one step closer to becoming a member of the Endwell community.

Plans for the 120-acre continuing care retirement community were approved at a December 18 board meeting following an extensive review process. Construction is scheduled to begin in June or July 2008.

Before then, Good Shepherd Village must secure at least 108 deposits from future residents and submit a financial feasibility study to the State of New York. Just two months after the start of the deposit process, the Village has already received deposits on over half of the planned cottages and apartment homes. The high level of interest in the community far exceeded initial expectations. Construction is scheduled for completion in January 2010 when the first residents are expected to move in.

“This approval is only the beginning,” said Good Shepherd Village President Mike Keenan. “We’ve worked closely with the planning board and town employees to resolve concerns voiced by our future neighbors. We assure everyone that Good Shepherd Village will act as a cooperative and productive member of the community.” 

Earlier this year, the Town of Union planning board declared Good Shepherd Village free of negative environmental impacts. In August, the Village received approval from the Continuing Care Retirement Community Council of New York State as the state’s first fee-for-service retirement community. The designation means that residents will pay only for long-term care services when they require them, instead of paying higher monthly fees in advance for high-level healthcare services they may never utilize.

"Taste of the Village" Event

Forget what you think you know about retirement community dining.

That was the message from planned Continuing Care Retirement Community Good Shepherd Village at a “Taste of the Village” event held recently for future and potential residents. The two-hour, invitation-only dining experience showcased a variety of foods that will be available to residents when the community is complete, including prosciutto-wrapped grilled asparagus, penne with white wine garlic clam sauce, and marinated melon kebabs.

For many, the event was the first look inside a dining experience that goes beyond taste-tempting food. When completed in 2010, the 120-acre community outside Binghamton, NY will include eateries that place more control in the hands of diners and are designed to become social and emotional hubs for residents.

“People have a lot of misconceptions about retirement community food and the typical retirement community dining experience,” said Good Shepherd Village President Mike Keenan. “Not only is the food delicious and diverse, but residents here will have choices and the dining areas will exceed everyone’s expectations.”  

The “Taste of the Village” offerings were prepared by Morrisons Senior Dining, a retirement living culinary specialist that will operate Good Shepherd Village’s dining services. Morrisons Senior Dining serves over 370 communities nationwide and is valued for its emphasis on creating dining experiences designed to meet various individual tastes.
Upon completion, Good Shepherd Village will feature several dining areas, including formal options, a marketplace and a more relaxed pub area.

“Today’s retirees want dining options that mirror what they’re already accustomed to, either in their home or at a restaurant,” said Monty Jhaveri, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Development at Morrisons Senior Dining and a key figure behind the design the Good Shepherd Village dining experience. “The Good Shepherd Village dining areas are designed to be more than just a place to eat. They’re a part of the social fabric of the community.”

Flexibility in purchasing meals will also be a top priority at Good Shepherd Village. Unlike other communities that require residents to use a certain number of meals each day or week, Good Shepherd Village residents will be given a dining card, with money that can be used to purchase meals whenever they want at any of the dining locations. The card can also be used for take-out meals, catered events, guest meals, or to purchase uncooked foods for in-home preparation. 

Good Shepherd Village Plans Advance

On June 12, 2007, the Town of Union Council passed resolutions, which will allow GSV to proceed to the next phase of completing the first Fee-for-Service Continuing Care Retirement Community in New York. The council approved a change in zoning and the preliminary development plan for a Planned Unit Development.

Depositors Take a Road Trip

What do you get when you combine good friends, good food and gorgeous weather?  A great time!!  Over 120 prospective residents of Good Shepherd Village boarded 2-chartered buses for a day trip to the Lilac Festival in Rochester, NY.  It was a beautiful day to enjoy the over 1,200 Lilac bushes, including the unusual yellow lilac.  We enjoyed a delicious buffet lunch at one of Rochester’s favorite restaurants where friends of past and future had a chance to relax.

While in Rochester, we stopped for a tour of Cloverwood, a retirement community in Pittsford that was designed by the same architects and builder as Good Shepherd is using.  The Cloverwood tour was conceived to give our depositors a “feel” for what to expect in a full service community.

We toured a model cottage and apartment as well as the Village Center with many of the amenities we will offer at GSV.  The tour was impressive and many participants were commenting they wished ours would be ready tomorrow!!

Many thanks to Paul Phillips Executive Director of Cloverwood and his staff who took time from their busy schedule to organize our 3 large groups on simultaneous tours!  In gratitude to the resident’s of Cloverwood, for opening their community to so many visitors, Mike Keenan President/CEO of GSV presented a $200 donation to the Cloverwood Library Fund.

Events like this are one of the many benefits of being on the Priority Reservation List!  Don’t be left out of the fun!!