To the Editor: I am writing to report that Old Lyme’s American Rescue Plan Committee (ARPC) has met its goal and delivered a set of recommendations to the Board of Selectmen (BOS) on the distribution of $2,162000 in funds awarded to the Town by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021. Note that we understand that these are only our recommendations and that the BOS will … [Read more...] about Letter to the Editor: Old Lyme’s American Rescue Plan Committee Delivers Recommendations to OL BOS for Allocation of $2.1M ARPA Funds, ‘Dream Team’ Committee Acknowledged
A View from My Porch: The Shady History of Connecticut Tobacco — The Finale
It’s been a little while since the publication of Part 1 of The Shady History of Connecticut Tobacco , but during that hiatus, there has been other remarkable news covered in the media. Decisions regarding COVID mitigation were moved to municipal leadership, including school superintendents. Judge Ketanjii Brown Jackson, who was nominated to the Supreme Court by President … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: The Shady History of Connecticut Tobacco — The Finale
New CDC COVID Vaccination Guidelines for Moderately to Severely Immunocompromised Mean a 4th Dose for Many
The Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) announced new vaccination guidelines in mid-February, focused specifically on the “moderately to severely immunocompromised” population, updating their recommendations from last summer, when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the CDC recommended that the immunocompromised receive an additional, or third dose of the … [Read more...] about New CDC COVID Vaccination Guidelines for Moderately to Severely Immunocompromised Mean a 4th Dose for Many
CDC Announces New COVID Tool to Determine ‘Community Levels’; All CT Counties, Except Middlesex, Now Classified as ‘Low Spread Potential’
LYME/OLD LYME -- As we know, both the CDC and Governor Lamont have determined that decisions regarding mitigation and prevention of COVID-19 have been “driven down” to local decision makers, who have been provided reliable data and information. For example, LymeLine has reported on decisions made by Superintendent Ian Neviaser regarding masks in LOL schools. The reason for … [Read more...] about CDC Announces New COVID Tool to Determine ‘Community Levels’; All CT Counties, Except Middlesex, Now Classified as ‘Low Spread Potential’
A View from My Porch — The Shady History of Connecticut Tobacco, Part 1: The Age of Discovery to the Jamestown, Virginia Colony
It’s been a while since my last View, which was A Primer on The American Rescue Plan. Since then, I have spent some time thinking about tobacco; and frankly, that’s a subject on which I have rarely, if ever, reflected. Then again, it’s not COVID, or its aftermath; and has nothing to do with the events of Jan. 6, 2021, or their aftermath. To explain, Christina and I saw … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch — The Shady History of Connecticut Tobacco, Part 1: The Age of Discovery to the Jamestown, Virginia Colony
Letter to the Editor: Update on Old Lyme American Rescue Plan Committee’s Community Survey
To the Editor: Thank you very much for supporting these efforts. There has been considerable activity on the community survey since your recent coverage (published December 13th.) By yesterday morning, December 15, we had already received 270 online surveys completed by residents, businesses, and/or organizations. We have not yet had any submissions of the paper survey that is … [Read more...] about Letter to the Editor: Update on Old Lyme American Rescue Plan Committee’s Community Survey
A View From My Porch: A Primer on the American Rescue Plan, What’s Happening to the Money in Old Lyme
Over the past several months, the regional media have covered American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding decisions made in several Southeast Connecticut communities. On July 26, the New London Day carried the headline, “American Rescue Plan Funding Floods Southeastern Connecticut.” Even before that, on June 15, Old Lyme’s First Selectman Timothy Griswold reported, “The American … [Read more...] about A View From My Porch: A Primer on the American Rescue Plan, What’s Happening to the Money in Old Lyme
Letter to the Editor: ‘Driving Doughnuts’ on Phoebe’s Front Lawn is Appalling Act of Vandalism, We Don’t Need ‘Anti-Booksters’ in Old Lyme
To the Editor: Have you visited the newly renovated Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library? Mostly completed by springtime, with hours and access slightly impacted by COVID; I’ll relate the reaction of my four-and-two-thirds-years-old grandson, Hunter (he’s very precise), who has been a regular, occasional visiting patron of the library for nearly two years. “Wow! This is … [Read more...] about Letter to the Editor: ‘Driving Doughnuts’ on Phoebe’s Front Lawn is Appalling Act of Vandalism, We Don’t Need ‘Anti-Booksters’ in Old Lyme
A View From My Porch: Continuing the Tikka Saga — with Slides of Trips to the UK
Clearly, we all need a break; this lighter essay is mine. In August, LymeLine published a recipe for chicken tikka masala from Lee White cooked in an "Instant Pot.” We made the dish, pictured below, with her recipe and found it to be an authentic and tasty interpretation of the “British staple.” Christina and I enjoy the aromatic spices, and have some “history” with … [Read more...] about A View From My Porch: Continuing the Tikka Saga — with Slides of Trips to the UK
A View from My Porch: Not Your Grandma’s Community Hospital
The healthcare landscape has changed remarkably in Connecticut. You may have noticed some name changes, new signage, and that “opportunities” for care have increased to a level that rivals access to coffee. In this essay, I’m going to review this new landscape, and consider why it developed. My goal is to help the reader make sense of Connecticut’s new, and still evolving, … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: Not Your Grandma’s Community Hospital
A View From My Porch: An Extra Inning for ‘I See Great Things in Baseball’ — The ‘Phenom’ and More Thoughts
This has been an unusual summer. Christina and I have been very “COVID – cautious” and, of course, fully vaccinated. We’ve postponed or canceled trips, missed Brimfield, both May and July, and probably Sept. And so, I retreated to my secure baseball space, and drafted this essay. There’s a lot of baseball jargon here. In 2019, LymeLine published a series of essays on … [Read more...] about A View From My Porch: An Extra Inning for ‘I See Great Things in Baseball’ — The ‘Phenom’ and More Thoughts
Op-Ed: Connecticut May Have ‘Reopened,’ Be ‘Returning to Normal’– But Don’t Criticize the ‘Still-Masked’
In May, Connecticut's COVID-19 protocols for masks and face coverings were relaxed to coincide with newly-modified Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations, and the new, less stringent, rules then became effective statewide. Masks are not required for anyone outdoors, and the “vaccinated” are not required to wear masks indoors. Conversely, the … [Read more...] about Op-Ed: Connecticut May Have ‘Reopened,’ Be ‘Returning to Normal’– But Don’t Criticize the ‘Still-Masked’
A View from My Porch: Epic Poems of Folk and Rock Part 3 — The Rock and Roll War
Editor's Note: This is the third column by Tom Gotowka under the heading, 'Epic Poems of Folk and Rock.' Find Part I at this link and Part II at this one. I continue the “epic poems” theme in this essay, but shift to the epic works of conflict; focusing on the rock and roll genre, as influenced by the Vietnam War. In review, Part 1 presented several works of folk music … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: Epic Poems of Folk and Rock Part 3 — The Rock and Roll War
A View From My Porch: Epic Poems of Folk and Rock Part 2
In my previous essay, I discussed a few contemporary works of folk music, that, in my opinion, are natural successors to the epic poems of antiquity. I continue the “epic poems” theme in this essay, but shift to the epic works of conflict; focusing on the rock and roll genre, as influenced by the Vietnam War, which remains in my memory as a chaotic and tragic period of American … [Read more...] about A View From My Porch: Epic Poems of Folk and Rock Part 2
A View From My Porch: Epic Poems of Folk and Rock, Part I
In this essay, I posit that many works of contemporary folk and rock music are the natural successors of the epic poems of antiquity. In support of that hypothesis, I begin with a brief review of the epic genre; and then, discuss a few contemporary works that I feel meet the epic standard. The Epic Poem: An epic is a long, narrative poem that chronicles the extraordinary … [Read more...] about A View From My Porch: Epic Poems of Folk and Rock, Part I