Getting Fresh in Berwick

BERWICK – The Berwick Coffee House and General Store, located on Route 9 in Berwick is now under new ownership. Former owner, Peter Pastor, sold the business to new owners, John Holder and Charlene Turgeon, in July.

Holder and his fiancé, Turgeon, decided to purchase the business after Holder responded to a craigslist ad for a store manager with the possibility of ownership.  Holder was immediately attracted to the idea of managing the Coffee House and General Store.

After speaking with Pastor, Holder became convinced that buying the business was something he and his fiancé needed to pursue. Initially, Turgeon was leery of the idea. However, when she learned that the store was owned by Peter Pastor, she was sold.

“I knew Peter from the days when he owned The Bread & Butter General Store in York,” said Turgeon. “Once I knew it was Peter’s store, I immediately felt comfortable with the idea because I knew everything he did was successful.”

Turgeon brings over 15 years of customer service to the business. Paired with Holder’s 20 years of restaurant service and management, the couple felt they couldn’t go wrong.

The store will soon become known as The Berwick General Store & Deli. Holder and Turgeon felt that they wanted to change the name to bring more focus onto the deli side of the business.

“We didn’t feel that coffee house was a good description of the store,” said Holder. “We also felt changing the name would make it noticeable that the store is under new ownership.”

However, the name of the business is not the only thing that is changing about the store. According to Holder, the store started focusing on bringing a fresher quality to the deli food. They started by baking their own muffins in the store daily, having doughnuts delivered each day from Brookline Bakery, and using fresh beef instead of frozen. They have also taken a healthier approach to food preparation by cooking pizza without oil.

Turgeon said the store has a history of bringing in more revenue from the general store items than from the deli. The couple aims to change that by putting more focus on the deli service.

“We feel that there is real value in being able to have a conversation with the person making your meal verses buying a pre-packaged sandwich that was dropped off by a truck,” said Turgeon. 

Although, Holder and Turgeon are taking a "fresh" approach to some aspects of the general store, they also recognize the importance of keeping the popular items like, New England coffee, Oakhurst milk and AJ's Rush that keep customers coming back. 

“We’re still trying to carry what the locals are used to,” said Holder. “We just want to bring a fresher, healthier, quality to it.”

John Holder and his fiance, Charlene Turgeon

Reigning Cats

BERWICK – It’s no big secret that Berwick, like many other local towns, is overpopulated with feral and stray cats. Many towns choose to ignore the problem.  However, one Berwick resident has decided to take action toward alleviating the pressures that the growing homeless cat population in Berwick is putting on local shelters.  

Peg Wheeler, owner of Red Barn Pet Services, has helped organize a spay and neuter clinic for low income residents. The two “Spay Days” are scheduled for Saturday, August 24 and Saturday, September 7 at the Berwick Police Department. Residents can drop their cat off at the police department Saturday morning to be taken for treatment at a local clinic. Pets will be transported back to the police station that same day for pick up. The cost is $20 per pet. However, openings are limited.

“There have been very positive results in other towns that have implemented spay days,” said Wheeler. “If we could make this work in Berwick, we could have a big impact on the problem.”

Wheeler was inspired to take action when she saw the positive effect Rebecca Chassey from Voice for Animals had on the feral cat population at the transfer station.  Chassey trapped dozens of feral cats at the transfer station, transported them to a spay and neuter clinic, and released them to “host families” that have previously agreed to manage the wild cats. 

“Rebecca is one of those unsung heros,” said Wheeler. “She pretty much single-handedly solved what would have become a huge town problem.”

Wheeler said that her shelter has received “buckets of cats” from the transfer station, many of them sick and in need of medical care. After the cats are treated, Wheeler takes the cats to a location where they can be managed by sponsors. The cats are fed in a cage for two days at a pre-arranged location and then released on the hopes that they will remain in that area. 

“Once a cat becomes feral, it can't make the transition to domestic pet,” explained Wheeler.

According to Wheeler, most of the stray cat populations are found in areas surrounding low income housing. Currently, landlords in Berwick are not required to ask potential tenants to provide proof that their pet has been spayed or neutered. Wheeler believes that if this were a requirement, it would greatly reduce the problem. 

The Spay Days in Berwick were funded largely in part by the Animal Welfare Society’s Cleo Fund. However, Berwick Police Benevolent Association and Red Barn Pet Services also each made a $200 donation toward the cause.  It’s Wheeler’s hope that the sponsored “Spay Days” in Berwick will be an annual event.  

“If we keep chipping away at the problem we might be able to eventually eliminate the issue,” said Wheeler. “Doing nothing is not the answer.”

Source

To reserve a place in the program, qualified individuals should call the Animal Welfare Society at 207-985-3244 extension 120.