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Taking care of your Loved One Is What We Do BEST!

It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always

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Home Care In Palermo West, ON

Home Care Palermo West, ON

They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Canadians, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in our country have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.

However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting the historic Toronto Old City Hall gets harder without someone by their side. However, as seniors grow older, sometimes they cannot live independently without someone by their side to provide care. Unfortunately, many older Canadians aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.

Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Palermo West, ON is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.

 In-Home Care Palermo West, ON

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The Always Best Care Difference

Since 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.

Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.

The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.

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TESTIMONIALS

“Thank you for hosting the Dementia Live session. I am so grateful for this opportunity to understand what my loved one is going through and learn strategies to help them cope with dementia. It was nice to be in a room of people that understand, support and can relate to the up’s and down’s of coping with a loved one that has dementia.”

Tricia
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TESTIMONIALS

“Always Best Care provided me with with very nice and practical care givers following my recent knee surgery. Will totally use them again when the other knee or something else is done.”

Bruce M.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I have terrific care for my father from Always Best Care The Personal Support Workers ensure my dad remembers to take his medication and that he has lots of food to eat and enogh to drink. The managers are good at letting me know when they have to make a staffing change for the day. I have piece of mind and I know everything is going to be alright when I am away. Thanks to Always Best Care!”

Derek B.
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TESTIMONIALS

“My husband had a stroke/brain bleed almost 3 yrs ago & we have been exposed to many agencies This particular agency had gone above & beyond to ensure ALL needs were met by finding just the right PSW for my hubby & our home environment. The personal touch provided, made both my husband & I feel that our struggles are real & the staff genuinely care. ALWAYS BEST CARE is just that... the best care. A special thank you to Coree!!”

Leslie F.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Always Best Care Senior Services helps my loved one out with bathing and meal preparation mainly, which is very important to have provided for her on a consistent daily basis. The office staff is always very consistent in getting back to me with emails and providing a helping hand. They have been extremely diligent in making sure we have the best care we can get so I’d certainly recommend them.”

Carl P.
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TESTIMONIALS

“ABC helps my loved one out with bathing and meal preparation mainly, which is very important to have provided for her on a consistent daily basis. The office staff is always very consistent in getting back to me with emails and providing a helping hand. They have been extremely diligent in making sure we have the best care we can get so I’d certainly recommend them.”

Latasha M.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I am grateful that Always Best Care is here to help me. I am not sure what they could do better. They come and help me with transportation for appointments and errands. I like that they are courteous, pleasant and everything I was used to.”

Gesa R.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I am grateful that Always Best Care is here to help me. I am not sure what they could do better. They come and help me with transportation for appointments and errands. I like that they are courteous, pleasant and everything I was used to.”

Catheryn F.
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TESTIMONIALS

“ABC has really helped ease my concerns and worries when caring for my loved one especially when im travelling. From the first connection with Steve to assigning PSWs to communicating with Coree my experience has been and continues to be amazing. Coree is exceptional in her work and always responds to our requests even on short notice. The PSW we have is also exceptional and goes above and beyond her duties. I could not have asked for more devoted help than from this company. Highly recommended. The are upfront, honest, trustworthy, and punctual. Great company.”

Deanna S.
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TESTIMONIALS

“We had a fabulous experience with Always Best Care Senior Services. We needed unexpected immediate care for my Mom and Corrie was able to get everything arranged for us right away. She was very understanding, explained everything and willing to do anything she could to help. The caregivers that helped my Mom were wonderful and made her feel very comfortable. Would highly recommend them.”

Heather D.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Amazing organization. Very pleased at every aspect. I’m over thousand miles away from my mother and I feel blessed to have this group be on call for my mother when needed. Kindest Regards, Oliver”

Oliver D.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I am a personal support worker at ABC, I’ve been working at ABC for about 10 months now. One thing I can recommend about working at ABC is that they are always available and quick to support (you).”

Goldie W.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I had to engage Always Best Care for assistance with my parents. From my first call with Steve to the PSW they assigned to help out, I have been very impressed with their service. I wont hesitate to reccommend them to anyone.”

Kushan F.
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TESTIMONIALS

“In a difficult pandemic and job hiring environment they showed up every day on time to care for my mother-in-law as she recovered from knee replacement surgery. Everyone was warm, attentive, professional and caring. They earn and deserve your business .”

Julian W.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Thank you the team at Always Best Care! They were instrumental in helping us to navigate what options we had in supporting my Dad as he recovers from a broken hip. Having them kindly answer questions helped to alleviate what is a stressful and difficult time for families. We were set-up with much needed PSW support on extremely short notice...and over the holidays too! The team has been very professional and caring in the services they have provided including adhering to safety protocols in the current environment. Additionally, they have been flexible in managing scheduling changes and have provided prompt updates as needed. Our family has been very pleased with Always Best Care Senior Services and appreciative of the peace of mind and support their services offer.”

Jennifer H.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I have been caring for my 85 year old Mom in my home for just over a year. My Mom lives with Alzheimer’s and requires assistance with most all aspects of her life. ABC was recommended to me by the LIHN and thank goodness they made the recommendation! Compared to the experiences I’ve had with other agencies they have been AMAZING! The customer service I’ve received is exceptional - they are responsive and agile working hard to ensure that I haven’t been without support throughout the pandemic. That, I think is a miracle! The caregivers are great - friendly, kind, and have taken very good care of my Mom. I can’t recommend ABC enough!”

Lisa B.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I had to engage Always Best Care for assistance with my parents. From my first call with Steve to the PSW they assigned to help out, I have been very impressed with their service. I wont hesitate to reccommend them to anyone.”

Kushan F.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Thank you to Always Best Care Senior Services for help with my grandmother after her surgery. My first panicked phone call was answered with care and calm. Their consultation and admission process was simple but thorough and they paired my grandma with a great team of caregivers. We are quite happy with their services and look forward to continuing on! Thank you Coree for bringing the heart into homecare!”

Ashley M.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I had a wonderful experience with the team at Always Best Care! I was very worried about doing this, but the team was so professional and so friendly they made me feel so much better. They took amazing care of my grandparents and made them feel just as comfortable and supported as I did. They truly were the best and I highly recommend.”

Brittany T.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Always Best Care provided excellent service for my elderly mother after she had a fall. The staff was informative, caring, empathetic, and flexible. Angela was a wonderful caregiver, very compassionate and professional. My mother was not keen on a caregiver coming but was put at ease and was very appreciative of her care. I highly recommend this agency for anyone's home care needs.”

Melissa M.

What is Non-Medical Senior Care in Palermo West, ON?

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Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.

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When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.

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The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.

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At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.

 Senior Care Palermo West, ON

Types of Elderly Care in Palermo West, ON

To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:

Personal Care

Personal Care Services

If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.

Common personal care services include assistance with:

  • Eating
  • Mobility Issues
  • Incontinence
  • Bathing
  • Dressing
  • Grooming

Respite Care Palermo West, ON
Home Helper

Home Helper Services

Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.

Common home helper care services include assistance with:

  • Medication Reminders
  • Meal Preparation
  • Pet Care
  • Prescription Refills
  • Morning Wake-Up
  • Walking
  • Reading
 Caregivers Palermo West, ON
Companionship Services

Companionship Services

Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite activities and hobbies while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Palermo Park with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.

Common companionship services include:

  • Grocery Shopping
  • Transportation to Appointments
  • Nutritional Assistance
  • Conversation
  • Planning Outings
  • Completing Errands
  • Transportation to Community
  • Events and Social Outings
Home Care Palermo West, ON
Respite Care

Respite Care Services

According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy other activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress helps reduce the risks of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local Canoe, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.

When it comes to non-medical home care, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.

If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.

 In-Home Care Palermo West, ON

Benefits of Home Care in Palermo West, ON

Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:

Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.

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Aging in Place: The Preferred Choice for Most Seniors

While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.

In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.

Here are just a few of the reasons why older men and women prefer to age at home:

How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?

Studies on aging have found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.

With the help of elderly care in Palermo West, ON, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.

Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.

Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.

For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.

More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the CBC, aging in place can be more affordable than living in a retirement home, which can cost thousands of dollars a month, with no extra care included.

In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.

With ABC's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.

 Elderly Care Palermo West, ON

Affordable Care

In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.

Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.

At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.

In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:

If your loved one qualifies, some provinces in Canada help cover costs associated with home care. Review your province's laws and benefits, and make sure your senior's financial and medical needs meet eligibility requirements.
Attendance and aid benefits through military service can cover a portion of the costs associated with in-home care for veterans and their spouses.
Many senior care services like in-home care are included in long-term care insurance options. Research different long-term care solutions to find a plan that provides coverage for senior care.
Home care can be included as part of a senior's private insurance plan. Read over your loved one's insurance policy carefully or speak with their insurance provider to determine if in-home care is covered.
Depending on the life insurance plan, you may be able to apply your policy toward long-term care. You may be able to use long-term-care coverage to help pay for in-home elderly care.

During your Care Plan consultation with Always Best Care, your Care Coordinator will speak with you about in-home care costs and what options there may be to help meet your budget needs.

 Senior Care Palermo West, ON

Compassionate Care. Trusted Caregivers.

When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.

Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.

At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Palermo West, ON understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.

Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.

Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.

Assisted Living Referral Services

While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.

Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.


Respite Care Palermo West, ON

At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.

Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:

  • Housekeeping
  • Laundry
  • Recreational Activities
  • Social Outings
  • Emergency Medical Response
  • Medication Monitoring
  • Family Visitation
  • Personal Care
 Caregivers Palermo West, ON

At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.

Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.

Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:

  • Palermo Village Retirement Residence
  • Extendicare West Oak Village LongTerm Care Home
  • Chartwell Waterford Retirement Residence
Home Care Palermo West, ON

For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.

 In-Home Care Palermo West, ON

Taking the First Step with Always Best Care

The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced ABC Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:

A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way

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A draft of your Care Plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive

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Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider

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Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.

If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.

At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Palermo West, ON 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.

When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.

 Elderly Care Palermo West, ON

Latest News in Palermo West, ON

Palermo's pursues expansion in West Milwaukee

Thanks to recent success, marketplace demands and employee growth, Palermo’s has proposed the build-out of a new 200,000-square-foot production facility, located at 3900 W. Lincoln Ave. in West Milwaukee.The state-of-the-art production facility, located just three miles west of the company’s headquarters at the former Froedtert Malt / MaltEurop site on Lincoln Avenue is slated to move forward pending approvals by the Plan Commission, CDA, and Village Board."Palermo Villa, Inc. is a dynamic, growing company and ...

Thanks to recent success, marketplace demands and employee growth, Palermo’s has proposed the build-out of a new 200,000-square-foot production facility, located at 3900 W. Lincoln Ave. in West Milwaukee.

The state-of-the-art production facility, located just three miles west of the company’s headquarters at the former Froedtert Malt / MaltEurop site on Lincoln Avenue is slated to move forward pending approvals by the Plan Commission, CDA, and Village Board.

"Palermo Villa, Inc. is a dynamic, growing company and would be a great community partner." notes John Stalewski, West Milwaukee Village President

The new facility, which will assist the company in meeting demand for both branded and private-label pizzas, is also expected to create 50 jobs for skilled workers.

“Our priority is to keep market competitive jobs local,” notes Giacomo Fallucca, CEO and Chairman of the Board for Palermo’s. “And that means growth at our company headquarters on Canal Street in Milwaukee, continuing to increase capacity at our recently added Jefferson, Wisconsin facility, and now the development in West Milwaukee.”

The expansion follows on the heels of a parking expansion project at Palermo’s headquarters on Canal Street, which was implemented to address the needs of the company’s growing employee base, which has surpassed 1200 people.

This expansion set us up for future growth opportunities at our headquarters on Canal Street.” said Angelo Fallucca, President of Palermo’s Pizza. “We continue to see demand for our pizzas increase and are being proactive to meet future needs.”

According to information released today by Palermo’s Villa, the facility will be developed and constructed by The Dickman Company, Briohn Builders and Excel Engineering. Groundbreaking is slated for this August and the expected completion date is June 2025.

Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host @LoFredrich

Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club.

When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.

Palermo’s to build new production facility at former Froedtert Malt site in West Milwaukee

Milwaukee-based frozen pizza manufacturer Palermo’s is growing once again with plans to build a 200,000-square-foot production facility at the former Froedtert Malt site in West Milwaukee.The new production facility will be built at 3900 W. Lincoln Ave., just three miles from the company’s headquarters on Canal Street in the Menomonee Valley. Approximately 50 jobs will be added with the addition of the West Milwaukee plant...

Milwaukee-based frozen pizza manufacturer Palermo’s is growing once again with plans to build a 200,000-square-foot production facility at the former Froedtert Malt site in West Milwaukee.

The new production facility will be built at 3900 W. Lincoln Ave., just three miles from the company’s headquarters on Canal Street in the Menomonee Valley. Approximately 50 jobs will be added with the addition of the West Milwaukee plant, according to a Monday announcement from Palermo’s.

“Our priority is to keep market competitive jobs local and that means growth at our company headquarters on Canal Street in Milwaukee, continuing to increase capacity at our recently added Jefferson, Wisconsin facility, and now the development in West Milwaukee,” said Giacomo Fallucca, chief executive officer and chairman of the board for Palermo’s. “The 50 new positions we will be creating are skilled labor roles which require specific training and are key roles in our manufacturing process. They are in line with our current manufacturing positions and provide market competitive wages.”

The Lincoln Avenue site was first home to Froedtert Malt & Grain, founded in 1875 by Jacob and William Froedtert. The company moved to near 38th and Grant streets in West Milwaukee in 1920. It closed in the early 2000s before being bought by Malteurop in 2008.

Last April, Dickman Development pitched a plan to replace the former site with a $28.2 million, 270,000-square foot industrial complex. Submitted plans showed existing structures on the site would be razed and replaced with two industrial facilities.

Groundbreaking on the new Palermo’s production facility is scheduled for this August and the anticipated completion date in June 2025.

“This new state-of-the-art food production facility being proposed for the old Froedtert Malt/Malteurop site on Lincoln Avenue would be a welcome addition to the industrial base of West Milwaukee pending approvals by the Plan Commission, CDA, and Village Board,” said John Stalewski, president of the village of West Milwaukee.

Palermo’s also recently began a project to expand parking lots at the company’s headquarters at 3301 W. Canal St. The 12,200 square feet of additional parking space will support recent growth and employee needs.

“The parking lot expansion help us address the needs of our current employee base which has grown to provide jobs for over 1,200 people. This expansion set us up for future growth opportunities at our headquarters on Canal Street,” said Angelo Fallucca, president of Palermo’s. “We continue to see demand for our pizzas increase and are being proactive to meet future needs.”

In September, Palermo’s began production at the former Tyson Foods processing plant in Jefferson, where it said it would create more than 200 jobs and produce 50 million frozen pizzas a year.

Old Wild West new Main Sponsor of Palermo Fc

Old Wild West is the new main sponsor on the Palermo FC jersey: the brand of the famous Italian burgers & steak house, which is part of the Cigierre - Compagnia Generale Ristorazione Spa group, will accompany the Rosanero first team in all the matches over the next two years, until June 2025.Old Wild West is a successful format that has 251 venues in Italy and abroad and employs a total of almost 3,000 people. It offers customers an experience of taste and fun at lunch and dinner, in company and w...

Old Wild West is the new main sponsor on the Palermo FC jersey: the brand of the famous Italian burgers & steak house, which is part of the Cigierre - Compagnia Generale Ristorazione Spa group, will accompany the Rosanero first team in all the matches over the next two years, until June 2025.

Old Wild West is a successful format that has 251 venues in Italy and abroad and employs a total of almost 3,000 people. It offers customers an experience of taste and fun at lunch and dinner, in company and with the family, in a highly engaging western setting that is always recognizable but never the same. The brand, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2022, has won the "Retailer of the Year" award as the best Italian restaurant served 7 times and has been nominated as the best Catering & Food chain by the National Council of Shopping Centers. It is the first time Old Wild West has engaged in top-level sponsorship in world football.

“We are very happy with this partnership and the visibility that Old Wild West will enjoy: we support those who play to achieve great goals, we believe in team spirit and the pioneering vision of a company that has big dreams, is very serious and that shares with us the positive values of sport”, said Marco Di Giusto, CEO of Cigierre spa.

“The history of Old Wild West is that of an excellence that has been able to grow year after year to establish itself nationally and internationally to be today an essential point of reference in its sector. In this sense it is an inspiration to our club and we are proud to be able to represent him in the jerseys of our players, match after match,” said Giovanni Gardini, CEO of Palermo FC.

Old Wild West is the original burgers steakhouse, easily recognizable and loved for its western settings, owned by Cigierre - Compagnia Generale Ristorazione Spa, the Italian point of reference for casual dining and the development of themed restaurants. Old Wild West is the longest standing and most developed of Cigierre’s brands with 251 restaurants – 230 in Italy, 18 in France, 2 in Switzerland and 1 in Monaco - mainly located in food courts in shopping malls or in multiplexes, as well as on high-speed roads or in big cities.

New Italian restaurant opens in West Chester

IF YOU GOWHAT: Palermo's Italian RestaurantWHERE: 6096 West Chester Road, West Chester Twp.HOURS: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays; and noon to 11 p.m. SaturdaysA new restaurant here is putting its own spin on Italy’s signature dishes.Palermo’s Italian Restaurant recently opened at 6096 West Chester Road in West Chester Twp., offering a wide array of appetizers, calzones, pizza, pasta, seafood, entrees, salads, soups and sandwic...

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Palermo's Italian Restaurant

WHERE: 6096 West Chester Road, West Chester Twp.

HOURS: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays; and noon to 11 p.m. Saturdays

A new restaurant here is putting its own spin on Italy’s signature dishes.

Palermo’s Italian Restaurant recently opened at 6096 West Chester Road in West Chester Twp., offering a wide array of appetizers, calzones, pizza, pasta, seafood, entrees, salads, soups and sandwiches.

Chefs Labi Troni and Mensur Demnika said they take pride in making their own sauces, meatballs, pizza and other fare fresh each day.

“Everything is prepared from scratch,” said Troni, who is a cousin of Palermo’s owner Meef Demnika. “Nothing is prepared ahead.”

The Italian-Euro cuisine restaurant draws on decades of family experience, most recently a Palermo’s that has operated out of Kettering since 2007.

Troni said the restaurant’s Butler County location works well for the business because there aren’t many other neighborhood Italian restaurants that make the same kind of food.

“You’ve mostly got chains around here,” he said. “Not many family-owned restaurants.”

Besides being known for friendly service, Palermo’s also is known for gladly adjusting an order as a customer sees fit or concocting a new dish on the spot.

“If they want … a different dish that we don’t have on the menu, we can make it,” Troni said.

That fits with Troni and Demnika’s ability to devise a new dish every day for a daily chef’s special.

“We try to come up with some creative ideas so we’re never boring,” Troni said.

Lunch specials are offered between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and range between $7.99 and $9.99 for pastas, sandwiches and calzones. Express lunch choices are $7.99 and take just 10 minutes to prepare. Choices include spaghetti, linguini or penne with a marinara or meat sauce option for each.

Dinner menu main courses start at $7.99 for a create-your-own cheese calzone and range in price to $23.99 for a seafood combo of shrimp, scallops and chopped clams in a red or white wine sauce. A full bar with a wine list also is available.

Top menu sellers thus far include stromboli, baked lasagna, chicken marsala and Pasta Trio, which features a piece of lasagna, a piece of chicken parmigiana and a piece of stuffed shell.

Palermo adds a new terminal as part of a cruise renaissance in Western Sicily

The facility is managed by the new West Sicily Gate company, a venture between MSC Cruises and Costa Cruises, and responsible for managing cruise terminals at four ports (Palermo, Trapani, Porto Empedocle and Termini Imerese) within the Port System Authority of the Western Sicilian Sea.Representatives at the official opening last week included the latter’s president, Pasqualino Monti, as well as Sicily Region president Nello Musumeci, Palermo mayor Leoluca Orlando, the Italian ports association president, Rodolfo Giampieri, the ...

The facility is managed by the new West Sicily Gate company, a venture between MSC Cruises and Costa Cruises, and responsible for managing cruise terminals at four ports (Palermo, Trapani, Porto Empedocle and Termini Imerese) within the Port System Authority of the Western Sicilian Sea.

Representatives at the official opening last week included the latter’s president, Pasqualino Monti, as well as Sicily Region president Nello Musumeci, Palermo mayor Leoluca Orlando, the Italian ports association president, Rodolfo Giampieri, the West Sicily Gate president Francesca Isgrò, MSC Cruises’ president Gianni Onorato and Costa Cruises’ president Mario Zanetti.

A video message was also sent by Italy's Minister of Sustainable Infrastructures and Mobility, Enrico Giovannini and the Minister for Southern Italy and Territorial Cohesion, Mara Carfagna.

Renovated Stazione Marittima

Developed from the skeleton of the former 1950-built Stazione Marittima and completely renovated internally to provide a modern structure and services to welcome cruise guests, the terminal and Vittorio Veneto quay revitalization are key elements, along with West Sicily Gate, to welcome 1.5m cruise passengers in the four ports of MedCruise member Port System Authority of the Western Sicilian Sea.

‘We have entrusted our miracle to West Sicily Gate, namely this home for cruise passengers, where we are today: the company will manage our terminals for 30 years, guaranteeing us one and a half million passengers. I wish them a good luck for the work that awaits them, the first fruits of which are already there for all to see,’ said Monti.

‘2022 traffic forecasts reveal growing figures for our port, especially now that the ships start to cruise more and more fully loaded,’ he added.

In 2019, the last pre-Covid year, the port welcomed 501,000 cruise passengers and about 200 calls. In 2022, 302 calls and half a million passengers were expected, calculated on a reduced passenger capacity, in compliance with covid protocols but this number can now be reformulated and is destined to grow, Monti claimed.

He thanked the two cruise lines and West Sicily Gate’s Isgrò and general director Antonio di Monte for their support.

Rebirth in Palermo

‘When I took the helm of the Port System Authority of the Western Sicilian Sea in 2017, the Stazione Marittima and the Vittorio Veneto were completely neglected as well as the efficiency and sustainability of nearby infrastructures. Today we have a modern cruise terminal and a Vittorio Veneto quay capable of accommodating two large cruise ships thanks also to dredging and the freeing of water spaces to allow safe maneuvers.

The nearby Sammuzzo quay has also been refurbished to accommodate a terminal for hydrofoil traffic providing a public service to the islands as well as for cruise ships,’ underlined the Port Authority president.

Western Sicily port developments

These activities are part of a wider Western Sicily ports development plan, totaling at least €1bn, for infrastructure, services and waterfront investment.

‘We have already inaugurated four terminals between Trapani and Palermo, respectively devoted to ferries, hydrofoils and cruise ships in both ports. In October we will launch work on the cruise terminal at Porto Empedocle between the Turkish Steps (Scala dei Turchi) and the Valley of Temples (Valle dei Tempi), which has already accommodated cruise ships.’

Monti also mentioned developments at the nearby Fincantieri shipyard in Palermo with its new 150,000-ton deadweight dry dock and 300mtr quay for the construction of new ships, including new generation cruise ships.

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JUST IN: Butler County Italian restaurant to expand menu, make other changes following sale

>> Remnants of Argonne Forest Park, Dayton's long-lost amusement park from the 1930s, are still visible in local MetroPark“One family, two restaurants,” Fontana told this news outlet. “We are proud to take over the West Chester location as an addition to our Palermo's family and staff.”>> ...

>> Remnants of Argonne Forest Park, Dayton's long-lost amusement park from the 1930s, are still visible in local MetroPark

“One family, two restaurants,” Fontana told this news outlet. “We are proud to take over the West Chester location as an addition to our Palermo's family and staff.”

>> PHOTOS: Double rainbow touches Miami Valley

The independent Kettering restaurant was founded in 2008 by Mefail "Meef" Demnika, who sold it in November 2017. Demnika founded the West Chester Palermo's restaurant in 2015, and sold it in 2017. He now operates Tuscany's Grill & Market in Centerville.

>> What restaurants are offering Cinco de Mayo specials today?

Fontana said his purchase of the West Chester Palermo’s is on track to be finalized by the end of the week. “I have already signed the leasing agreement,” the restaurant owner said. “I am looking at hopefully being open for take-out by the end of May, possibly sooner. And when the restrictions are lifted for restaurants to offer dine-in, that location will be ready to go.”

“My initial goal was to eventually own both locations,” Fontana said. “We have done great things for Palermo's and its reputation, and I wanted the great new vibe and upgrades to be a part of both locations to ensure the success of a great local restaurant for our Ohioans.”

>> RELATED: Palermo's Italian restaurant in Kettering to get new ownership

The West Chester restaurant’s menu will be expanded to include gluten-free options, and its Italian wine selection will be upgraded, the Palermo’s owner said.

Fontana has one other expansion in the works: A new Palermo’s Italian food truck is coming soon, he said.

>> Coronavirus: Ohio's stay at home order extended to May 29. What does that mean?

“During these difficult times, we are blessed to stay in business, and to have a strong supportive community rooting for our success,” Fontana said.

For more information, check out the Palermo's Italian West Chester Facebook page, the Palermo's Italian Kettering Facebook page or call 937-299 - 8888.

Palermo Pizza celebrating 50 years of serving West Michigan

Good pizza and hard work.For 50 years, those have been the two most important ingredients in the success of Palermo Pizza, according to Andrew L. Vitale Sr., who founded the business in 1962.Vitale opened his first Palermo Pizza restaurant on Grandville Avenue when he was 22 years old. Fifty years later, the business has locations spread across West Michigan from Grand Haven to Ionia.Vitale said opening his first restaurant was something that happened almost by chance. He was working at Kelvinator at the time, and a co-w...

Good pizza and hard work.

For 50 years, those have been the two most important ingredients in the success of Palermo Pizza, according to Andrew L. Vitale Sr., who founded the business in 1962.

Vitale opened his first Palermo Pizza restaurant on Grandville Avenue when he was 22 years old. Fifty years later, the business has locations spread across West Michigan from Grand Haven to Ionia.

Vitale said opening his first restaurant was something that happened almost by chance. He was working at Kelvinator at the time, and a co-worker who had a pizza business, Pete Conigliaro, was looking for someone to take it over. Conigliaro was planning to go back to Italy.

“The opportunity was there,” Vitale said. “He wanted to sell his store. He taught me everything I know.”

Vitale said he took the basics he learned from Conigliaro and built on them, improving and fine-tuning the recipes.

He also moved the restaurant from Grandville Avenue to a more profitable location at the corner of 36th Street and Clyde Park Avenue. After the move, his sales tripled, he said.

Five years later, he opened a location on Alpine Avenue, then one in Kentwood.

Some of those locations have come and gone over the years, but there are now seven Palermo Pizza shops, located at 9321 Cherry Valley in Caledonia, 1125 S. Beacon Blvd. in Grand Haven, 7730 20th Ave. in Jenison, 901 Gezon Parkway in Wyoming, 735 36th St. in Wyoming, 2903 Breton Road in Grand Rapids, and 401 W. Main in Ionia.

Vitale’s wife, Donna, said when the business opened in 1962, she didn’t foresee the day when they’d be celebrating its 50th anniversary.

“I’m very proud of my family,” she said.

The couple’s children all worked in the pizzerias growing up, and two of them now own their own. Their daughter Renee Mead owns the Caledonia location, and her brother Tony owns most of the rest. Their brother Andy owned the Jenison shop until he sold it to one of his employees. He now runs the Frosty Treat ice cream store next door, and owns the building that houses them both.

Renee said she remembers the days before cardboard boxes, when pizzas still came in bags.

“You couldn’t stack them – you could only carry one at a time,” she said.

Vitale said he intended to have each of his children in the pizza business, and although it didn’t quite work out that way, his daughter Laura Engstrom said all the kids learned lessons in entrepreneurship from the family business. Laura has owned her own day-care business for 30 years, and her sister Christine Ward has owned a gift shop and her own pool-monitoring business.

“I think we’ve all been self-employed our whole life,” Laura said.

The business was a family affair from the beginning. Andrew Vitale was still working at Kelvinator when he opened the Alpine location, so his parents, Mary and Tony, worked there to help him out. Donna made pizza deliveries while tending to her own business.

And whenever a new location is opening, all the siblings still get together and pitch in, they say.

The Vitales have also partnered with some cousins to found Toarmina Pizza, a chain in southeast Michigan.

“I sent (my son) Andrew to Detroit to help them get started in their first pizzeria. They’ve got 17 now,” Andrew Vitale Sr. said.

Tony said the consistency of their product and the friendliness of the staff have played a role in the business’s success.

And Renee credits their sauce – “everybody just loves our sauce,” – and their use of fresh ingredients.

“We’ve always used the best ingredients. When fresh mushrooms became available, we switched to fresh and never went back,” she said.

More information is online at palermo-pizza.com

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West Hempstead finishes 10-4

West Hempstead senior pitcher Dana Palermo closed the season with back-to-back shutout victories against Carle Place and Floral Park.J. Heck/HeraldAt the onset of the high school softball season, there were a ton of unknowns at West Hempstead. The Rams were very competitive in 2016 and had a half-dozen returnees, but the extended winter gave head coach Chris Van Kovics little time to assess his team’s strengths or get in much work on situational softball.What was apparent was the fact Van Kovics had an experienced ...

West Hempstead senior pitcher Dana Palermo closed the season with back-to-back shutout victories against Carle Place and Floral Park.

J. Heck/Herald

At the onset of the high school softball season, there were a ton of unknowns at West Hempstead. The Rams were very competitive in 2016 and had a half-dozen returnees, but the extended winter gave head coach Chris Van Kovics little time to assess his team’s strengths or get in much work on situational softball.

What was apparent was the fact Van Kovics had an experienced pitcher who was always around the plate, and more girls on the roster who were keeping their bats and gloves out of the closet and playing travel ball.

The results were positive for the Rams. West Hempstead finished in second place in Nassau Conference ABC-IV with a record of 10-4. Three of the losses were by three or fewer runs.

Other than a couple of games that Van Kovics felt his team could have pulled out, he was pleased with the performance and likes the direction the program is going in.

“This is about as good a season as I could have asked for,” Van Kovics said. “Other than the losses to Cold Spring Harbor and Hewlett, games we definitely could have won, we did a real nice job. We’re going to have very few seniors next year, so we’ll be young again. But it means we’ll have many of the same girls for three or four years. More girls are dedicated to getting better by playing outside of school.”

One girl Van Kovics won’t have back is senior pitcher Dana Palermo. While she didn’t possess the type of stuff to register a slew of strikeouts, Palermo threw strikes and kept hitters off balance. She picked up 10 wins, closed out her career with back-to-back shutouts of Floral Park and Carle Place, and was named an All-Conference honoree.

Catcher Kate Shanley had a big season at the plate and is improving on defense. Shanley hit a pair of home runs. Fellow freshman Jenna Evazi not only got the job done at the plate, she saw time in the field at second, third, short, and all three outfield positions. Evazi also hit two long balls for the Rams.

West Hempstead will lose a good one in Kelsey Reichert, the team’s senior second baseman. Reichert, who earned All-Conference recognition, was the team’s best slapper and bunter. She put up numerous multiple-hit games.

Van Kovics was also pleased with the contributions he got from freshman Danielle Cavallo at the hot corner. Cavallo hit a grand slam in the first inning of the team’s 11-6 road win against Floral Park. Sophomore Sydney Reitz and junior Laura Evazi had some solid games and will both play key roles in the future.

“I like the way we competed,” Van Kovics said. “We’re a small ball team, so we need to put the ball in play and make things happen. When we keep teams from having big innings, we’re always in games. This team was fun to watch.”

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Palermo

by Mary GrowPalermo is the only town in this series that is not in Kennebec County. The boundary line between China on the west and Palermo on the east is also the line between Kennebec and Waldo counties. It runs through Branch Mills, formerly Palermo’s main commercial center.It is not Palermo residents’ fault that they don’t live in Kennebec County. In 1760, all of Maine was organized as Lincoln County; divisions since then h...

by Mary Grow

Palermo is the only town in this series that is not in Kennebec County. The boundary line between China on the west and Palermo on the east is also the line between Kennebec and Waldo counties. It runs through Branch Mills, formerly Palermo’s main commercial center.

It is not Palermo residents’ fault that they don’t live in Kennebec County. In 1760, all of Maine was organized as Lincoln County; divisions since then have created the present 16 counties. In 1789, part of Lincoln County, not including current Palermo, became Hancock County. On Feb. 7, 1827, Waldo County was created from parts of Hancock and Lincoln counties and included Palermo.

On Feb. 23, 1827, historian Millard Howard says in An Introduction to the Early History of Palermo, Maine, (second edition, December 2015), Palermo voters unanimously asked the legislature to add them to Kennebec County. Their request was not granted.

Nor is Palermo part of the Kennebec River watershed. Instead, the town is doubly in the Sheeepscot River basin. Branch Pond and Branch Mills, on the western edge of the town, are on the West Branch of the Sheepscot, and Sheepscot Pond, which fills about a third of the southern half of Palermo, is on the main stem. The two rivers join well south of town, between Coopers Mills and North Whitefield.

A multitude of small ponds are scattered through northern Palermo; not all have names on the contemporary Google map. Named ponds include, in a northern tier and moving from east to west, Prescott, Nutter and Chisholm.

The next tier south, approximately east of Branch Pond, includes, from east to west, Bowler, Foster and Belden. South of them are Dowe Pond on the east, not far from Branch Mills; Saban Pond and to its south Bear Pond, about mid-way between the eastern and western boundaries; and Jump Pond, south of Foster Pond.

Beech Pond, near Greeley’s Corner (or Greely Corner, or Center Palermo) between Parmenter and Cain Hill roads, is the final named pond north of Route 3. South of the highway, Sheepscot Pond has a tiny nameless blue spot on the map to its northwest; Turner Pond, shared with Somerville, on its southwest; and on the southeast another blue spot identified as Deadwater Slough.

According to Howard, Stephen Belden, his wife Abigail and their son Aaron were Palermo’s first settlers, in 1769. Their second son, Stephen, Jr., was born in 1770, the first settlers’ child born in Palermo.

The Beldens chose not to homestead beside Sheepscot Great Pond, as Sheepscot Pond was then called. Howard suggests they chose a more secluded location because they were squatters with no legal title to the land and did not want visits from agents of the Kennebec Proprietors, owners of a large tract 15 miles on either side of the Kennebec River.

Howard locates the first Belden homestead only by late 20th century owners Robert and Susie Potter. Later, he said, the Beldens moved to the shore of what was then Belden, and later became Bowler, Pond.

Other people who arrived in the 1700s, according to Howard (who did a great deal of research in early documents) were Hollis Hutchins (1775), who, Howard says, settled “in the lower Turner Ridge area”; Jacob Greeley, Jr, (1777) and John Foye (1778), near Beech Pond; and Jonathan Bartlett (1788), who built the first sawmill on the Sheepscot south of Sheepscot Great Pond.

Other early names Howard mentions include Albee, Boynton, Bradstreet, Cressey, Lewis, Turner and Worthing. Ava Harriet Chadbourne’s Maine Place Names and the Peopling of Its Towns (1955) adds Bowler, Clay, Longfellow and Waters in the 1770s and 1780s. Many settlers had large families who intermarried through the generations. For example, Howard says Hollis Hutchins’ five sisters married into the Albee, Boynton, Cressey, Foye and Turner families.

The area was first called Sheepscot Great Pond Settlement. After an 1801 survey of 27,100 acres by William Davis of nearby Davistown (now Montville), it was organized as Sheepscot Great Pond Plantation. Howard says the first clerk of the plantation was a well-liked 24-year-old doctor from Vermont named Enoch P. Huntoon.

Immediately after the plantation was created, 55 residents asked the Massachusetts General Court to make it a town and to name it Lisbon. The requested name, Chadbourne and Howard explain, was part of a trend to name Maine towns after important foreign places – hence the famous Maine road sign that lists seven foreign countries honored in Maine plus Naples and Paris (but omits Belgrade, Lisbon, Palermo, Madrid, Rome, Sorrento and Verona Island).

The Lisbon on the sign is the Androscoggin County Lisbon between Lewiston and Brunswick, not the one requested in Waldo County. Lisbon was settled in 1628, its website says, and incorporated as Thompsonborough in June 1799. In December 1801 residents asked the Massachusetts legislators to change the name to something less cumbersome, suggesting Lisbon. On Feb. 20, 1802 (after Sheepscot Great Pond’s petition was filed but before the legislature acted) Thompsonborough became Lisbon.

Sheepscot voters looked for another capital. They also realized that the P. in Dr. Huntoon’s name stood for Palermo. On June 23, 1804, the Massachusetts General Court approved the incorporation of the town of Palermo. Howard wonders if local residents realized Palermo in Sicily had been an important medieval center and, in his opinion, was a better choice than Lisbon.

Early transportation in Palermo was by the Sheepscot River and by trails. One of the functions of a town government was to lay out, build and maintain roads; Howard says Palermo officials were especially active from 1805 until about 1820. The first road linking the southern settlements with northern Palermo followed a route approximated by the present Turner Ridge Road (which joins Route 3 from the south at Greeley’s Corner, east of Beech Pond); Parmenter Road (which goes north off Route 3 west of Beech Pond); and Marden Hill Road (Parmenter Road’s name north of the four-way junction with Nelson Road and Belden Road). Marden Hill Road continues northeast to connect with North Palermo Road.

The southern end of town gradually lost importance. By the 1820s, Howard mentions five centers along or north of present Route 3: Branch Mills; Greeley’s Corner; Carr’s Corner on the North Palermo Road west of Prescott Pond; Ford’s Corner, where the North Palermo and Chisholm Pond roads meet; and East Palermo, the junction of Banton Road and Route 3.

A “center” would have at least one public building and/or business and a cluster of houses. The public building might be a post office; at various times, Branch Mills, Center Palermo, North Palermo and East Palermo had one. In the 1860s, Howard says, Greeley’s and Carr’s corners each had at least one store, at least one church and a school.

Howard found that Palermo reached its greatest growth in terms of population around 1850. He cites a series of census figures: 1790, 164 people counted; 1800, an almost threefold increase to 444; 1820, 1,056, the first count over 1,000; 1840, 1,594; 1850, the highest recorded, 1,659. A gradual decline began with a loss of almost 300 by 1860. By 1890, the population was again below 1,000, at 887. Howard’s list stops at 1950, when the population was recorded as 511. A steady increase began in 1970, and the 2010 census recorded 1,535 inhabitants, almost back to the pre-Civil War high.

The 1886 Gazetteer of the State of Maine says Branch Mills was then the largest village, with eight mills. Center Palermo had a “board and shingle-mill” and a stone quarry; East Palermo had two lumber mills; and North Palermo had a factory that made drag-rakes.

One of the mills in Branch Mills was the Dinsmore Grain Company Mill, on the China side of town. The mill building and its associated dam stretched across the Sheepscot River, with access to the building from the east shore.

The first mill on the site was built in 1817 by Joseph Hacker, according to a Wikipedia article. Hacker’s son-in-law, Jose Greely, succeeded him, and in 1879 Greely took his son-in-law, Thomas Dinsmore, as a partner. Thomas Dinsmore’s son James Roscoe Bowler Dinsmore succeeded him.

The 1908 fire that destroyed most of Branch Mills destroyed the mill as well. James R. B. Dinsmore rebuilt it in 1914 as a two-and-a-half-story wooden building, shingled, with a three-story tower on the south side. Initially it was only a grist mill, in 1935 James Kenneth Dinsmore (James R. B. Dinsmore’s son) added a sawmill operation, which continued until 1960.

On Nov. 3, 1979, the Dinsmore mill was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Subsequent owners proposed reusing it, but none succeeded. Both the building and the dam deteriorated, to the point where waterfront property owners on upstream Branch Pond complained that the dam no longer kept water levels high enough for recreation. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection also objected that its water level regime for Branch Pond was violated.

By 2016, the mill owners claimed the building was too dangerous to repair. In 2017, the Atlantic Salmon Federation acquired the property, tore down the historic building and negotiated with state regulators to add a fishway for salmon and other anadromous fish to the dam.

Main sources

Howard, Millard An Introduction to the Early History of Palermo, Maine (second edition, December 2015) Web sites, miscellaneous

Note: Milton E. Dowe’s highly recommended History Town of Palermo Incorporated 1884 was published in 1954. Unfortunately, with libraries closed it was not available to this writer in time to be studied.

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