In the LymeLight: A Legal Victory and a Scholar-Athlete

Celebrating Neighbors Whose Stories Brighten Lyme and Old Lyme

Welcome to In the LymeLight. From inspiring feats to everyday deeds, we recognize the people with ties to our community whose dedication makes a difference.

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Suisman Shapiro attorneys Kristi Kelly and Kyle Zrenda, along with the firm’s municipal law team, recently secured a significant Connecticut Supreme Court victory on behalf of the Town of Groton.

The attorneys, who live in Old Lyme, said the decision has implications for municipalities statewide. Suisman Shapiro also serves as legal counsel for Old Lyme.

The court ruled that retired Groton police officers are not entitled to Health Savings Account (HSA) contributions provided to active officers, finding that HSAs are not part of health insurance “coverage or deductibles” guaranteed under a 2008 pension agreement. The decision reversed earlier lower-court rulings and prevented what the firm described as potentially costly consequences for Groton and other towns.

Kelly said the ruling brings important clarity to public sector labor agreements and protects taxpayers from unintended expenses.

“The decision avoids the expensive and disruptive impact that the earlier rulings could have had on municipal budgets and labor practices, avoiding the imposition of hundreds of thousands of dollars in unintended supplemental benefits upon Groton’s taxpayers without the Town’s legislative body approval,” she said.

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Old Lyme’s Gannon Haley, who is in his junior year at Hamilton College in Clinton, NY, was recently named to the 2025 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) fall All-Academic Team for football.

The recognition honors sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher.

Haley, who is studying economics, is a graduate of Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford.

The NESCAC, established in 1971, includes 11 colleges and universities in the Northeast, and sponsors 27 conference championship sports.

Hamilton is an NCAA Divsion III school with 29 intercollegiate varsity teams.

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Do you know a neighbor worth celebrating? Awards, accomplishments, and quiet acts of kindness all belong in the LymeLight. Please share your suggestions by emailing editor@lymeline.com.