LYME — The Lyme Board of Selectmen meet Monday, Feb. 1, at 3:30 p.m., at Lyme Town Hall. This is a meeting that will be held in person at Town Hall and take place on Zoom.
To view the agenda or see instructions on how to attend the virtual meeting, click here.
LYME — Lyme Public Library will host a Valentine’s Day Workshop, presented by Lori Neumann, Saturday, Feb. 6, 2 p.m.
Embellish your own treasured keepsake set of Valentine Heart tins in this fun and simple project. The kit includes three vintage style heart tins, Dresden foil borders, Valentine scraps, stickers and an Italian Coccoina specialty Glue Stick. You need only have a pair of scissors available and your imagination.
Space is limited to 15 participants and there is a $15 materials fee.
Email [email protected] to receive the Zoom link for this event.
For more information, call the library at 860-434-2272.
LYME/OLD LYME — Connecticut Audubon hosts Superb Owl Sunday on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 7, at 2 p.m.
This popular live owl event is being held virtually this year. All are welcome.
Join Mary-Beth Kaeser from Horizon Wings as she introduces these local owl species: Great-horned, Eastern Screech, Northern Saw-whet, Barred and Barn owls.
The fee for this fun hour of owls is $5.
Register at this link and you will receive your Zoom link in your registration confirmation.
All proceeds benefit CT Audubon’s education and conservation programs in the Greater Hartford Region.
HARTFORD – On Tuesday, Feb. 9, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., State Rep. Devin Carney (R-23) will join Bi-partisan Women’s Legislative Caucus Members State Rep’s Donna Veach (R-30) and Christie Carpino to host an informational webinar to discuss resources available to women- and minority-owned businesses.
Register for the forum using this link.
The webinar will feature Fran Pastore, CEO of the Connecticut Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) and is expected to cover the WBDC’s Equity Match Grant Program.
The Equity Match Grant Program provides grants to women-owned/minority-owned businesses to help businesses pivot, expand or restructure during the pandemic and beyond. Grants range from $2,500 to $10,000 for clearly defined projects that will have a measurable impact on business.
“The funding businesses receive through grants provided by the WBDC and other organizations is crucial to getting some of these businesses over the hump and to continue thriving, without them many would be forced to not just close temporarily, but forever,” Rep. Veach said. “It’s important that businesses know the type of funding is available to them in order to prevent that from happening.”
“Outreach to local businesses, especially those owned by women and minorities, is so important right now,” said Rep. Carpino. “I am excited to partner with WBDC to bring this information into the community.”
“The grants from Women’s Business Development Council are a good opportunity to women and minority-owned businesses if they need extra resources due to the coronavirus pandemic,” said Rep. Carney. “The Council is always there to assist business owners and those considering starting a business with training, education, and funding opportunities.”
Trita Parsi presents, “A New US Paradigm for the Middle East”
OLD LYME — The PGN Library hosts commuter advocate Jim Cameron, who will answer questions and offer a status update on CT transportation crisis addressing topics like:
•Will riders return to commuter rail?
•Who will pay to keep the trains running, and where will money be found for our highways?
•How will new residential / workplace trends affect CT’s economy?
Click here to register and receive a link for this virtual program.
REGULAR MEETING AGENDA
Call-In Phone: 1-408-418-9388 Access Code 24735882
As the Board will convene in the Meeting Hall with limited public access, persons wishing to listen to the meeting may call the above phone number to participate in the meeting.
- Approval of Minutes: 19 January 2021
- Communications:
- TEC Associates – Vegetation Management Plan for Amtrak Corridor
3. Appointments:
- Parks & Rec Commission – 3 Year Term – John Flower (R)
- Economic Development Commis. – 5 Year Term – Sheri Cote (U) or
Mora Rowe (D)
- Halls Rd. Impr. Committee – No Specific Term – Steven Calcagni (D)
- Rogers Lake Authority – 3 Year Term – Maneesha Joshi (D)
- Sound View Commission – Alternate – 1 Yr. Term – Frank Maratta (R), Jackie Miano (R) & Paul Orzel (U)
- Tree Commission – Alternate – 1 Year Term – Fred Behringer (R)
5. Old Business
- COVID
- COVID Cases YTD in Old Lyme
- Employee COVID Protocol
- Project Updates
- Sound View Sidewalks – Update
- Hains Park Restroom Bldg. – Update
- Grassy Hill Rd. Bridge – Discuss Options
- Ferry Rd. Sidewalk – Update
- Tantummaheag Landing – Draft Agreement
- Police Union Contract – Contract Signed
- Annual Town Meeting – Citizen of the Year, Town Report, Affordable Housing Ordinance & Change in Polling Location
- Senior Center – Use of Funds for Building Expansion Consultant
6. New Business:
- Finance Dept. – Increase hours from 30/week to 35/week
- Ethics Commission – FY 2022 Budget Request
7. Public Comment:
8. Other Business:
9. Adjournment:
Exploring the Importance of Pollinator Pathways
To register for this Zoom program, email [email protected]
You will receive a zoom link several days before the presentation.
Learn about Pollinator Pathways with eco-friendly gardening experts Jim Sirch and Mary Ellen Lemay.
Jim Sirch is Education Coordinator for the Yale Peabody Museum for Natural History. Mary Ellen LeMay owns a company that specializes in the use of natural systems for habitat restoration.
The presentation is free and open to all, brought to you by the Friends of the Lyme Public Library. For more information call the library: 860 434-2272.
OLD LYME — Old Lyme’s Duck River Garden Club (DRGC) continues to hold virtual presentations and meetings on Zoom while COVID restrictions are in place. These DRGC presentations are open to the public and require advance registration.
Virtual socials take place at 6:30 p.m., presentations at 7 p.m., followed by a business meeting for members.
Join DRGC on Monday, Feb. 22, via Zoom to hear Katherine Dugas, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) research technician, discuss current insect and plant disease conditions in Connecticut, including latest known migration of invasive Spotted Lanternfly, Emerald Ash Borer and Southern Pine Beetle.
Brush up on your insect ID skills, learn about the latest threats to our environment and what you can do to help.
Katherine is daughter of Albert and Denise Dugas of Old Lyme.
Dugas earned her Bachelors Degree from Connecticut College in 2005 and Master’s Degree from URI in 2008. She works in the Insect Information and Plant Disease Information Offices of CAES.
To register for this free program, call or email Karen Geisler, DRGC president, 860-434-5321, karen
Check DRGC’s website and the club’s public Duck River Garden Club of Old Lyme Facebook page for any changes to planned programs.
DRGC welcomes new members, who can join via the membership form on the website. For further information on membership, contact Karen Geisler. Attendance at DRGC virtual programs counts toward the required two meetings for prospective club members.
LYME — Lyme Public Library hosts an Eco-Safari of the Connecticut Watershed presented by Jim Arrigoni on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2 p.m.
The Connecticut River is recognized as one of the most ecologically and culturally important rivers on the East Coast. In this interactive webinar, conservation biologist Jim Arrigoni will take you on a virtual tour of the watershed, highlighting the flora and fauna and unique aspects of its natural and human history.
Email [email protected] to receive the Zoom link for this event.
Date: Saturday, February 20, 2021
Time: 4:00-6:00 pm
Place: Thach Preserve, 131 Brush Hill Rd., Lyme CT
To register: e[email protected]
You are invited to a walk guided by photographer Joe Standart, to experience light before and after the sun sets.
Reservations are required. Space is limited to 10 people including the leaders. Please be safe- wear a mask when meeting in the parking lot. Social distancing guidelines will be followed.
The walk is part of the Lyme Land Trust amateur photography program: Imagining Lyme – A Visual Exploration of Lyme’s Preserves, which encourages people to expand their visual awareness while highlighting the beauty of Lyme Preserves through photographs.
The deadline for submission of photos for the fall/winter season using the category “Light” is March 19, 2021. Three photos of distinction will be chosen.
Animal Tracking presented by the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center
Saturday, March 6, 2pm
In this Zoom presentation sponsored with the Lyme Land Trust, you will learn to identify the tracks of local wildlife as well as how to interpret the stories they tell. In addition, you will also meet an owl who leaves telltale tracks behind from a hunt.
Presented by the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center in Mystic, CT. Founded in 1946, DPNC provides environmental education programming for all ages on a wide variety of natural history and environmental science topics.
This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Lyme Public Library for March 2021.
Email [email protected] to register for this Zoom program.
- Science related to public health and our youth
- Marijuana industry right now
- Status of legalization of marijuana in Connecticut
Wednesday, March 10, 6:30 p.m.
The Old Lyme-PGN Library hosts a free Zoom lecture titled, “Your Carbon Footprint,” by Old Lyme resident Alan Poirier.
This event is promoted by Sustainable Old Lyme.
Sign up for the Zoom link at http://oldlymelibrary.org.
Asian Fusion Cooking Demonstration with Chef James Martell
Thursday, March 11, 5 p.m.
James Martell, the head chef at On the Rocks Restaurant at the Fox Hopyard Golf Club in East Haddam, will demonstrate how to prepare an Asian Fusion dinner as well as mocktails and cocktails to complement the dish. Learn how he makes tuna rolls, quick kimchi, and Buffalo Chicken Rangoon.
Email [email protected] to register for this virtual program and obtain the Zoom link.
Saturday, March 13 and April 17, 10:30 am:
“Forest Bathing along the Artists’ Trail”
outdoor experience with certified forest bathing guide Regan Stacey at the Florence Griswold Museum, ($45, for either on-site event).
Register at https://
OLD LYME — Do you believe that access to healthy food is important?
Do you believe that a community should support members in need?
Do you have interest in growing food and cultivating relationships between neighbors, friends and community members?
If your answer to any or all of those questions is, ‘Yes,’ then you might wish to consider joining a discussion to plan a community food garden to support the nutritional needs of the shoreline community by providing local food pantries with fresh produce.
Jim Ward, a resident of Old Lyme since 2006 whose wife attended Old Lyme schools and taught in the district, is the initiator of the project. Asked how he came up with idea for the garden, he explained, ” While I have always been interested in gardening and landscaping, my interest in the garden was initiated while I was participating in the 2020 UCONN Master Gardening Program.’
Ward continued, “As a participant in the program you are responsible for a certain amount of outreach hours and I volunteered and continue to volunteer at the Food for All garden in Clinton.”
Noting, “The atmosphere at this very successful Food Bank garden was one of a small community,” he pointed out that there were always plenty of volunteers, who between them had, “A broad range of gardening skills, from no gardening experience to master gardeners.”
Moreover, Ward emphasized, “Everyone shared their knowledge of gardening and cooking … along with local and national political conversations.”
The catalyst for trying to start the endeavor in Old Lyme was simply, in Ward’s mind, the type of community found in Lyme-Old Lyme, which Ward felt, “Would be very supportive of this type of initiative.” He therefore set out, “to replicate the Food for All garden project.’
His plan was not only wholeheartedly supported in principle by the volunteers of the Clinton garden, but he noted that in addition, “They gave me access to their records and provided advice on the daily and annual demands of the garden.”
Finding a location for the garden in Old Lyme did not prove quite so straightforward, however. Ward said, “My wife and I researched town-owned lands defaulted to the Town, but didn’t find any that were suitable and could see why many were defaulted.”
Finally, the seed of an idea evolved, when, in Ward’s words, “We thought of Town Woods as it had water, electricity, parking, restrooms, proximity to the Senior Center and it served as a hub of activity for many residents.”
Asked what has happened since the potential site was identified, Ward explained, “Through generous cooperation of the Parks and Recreation Commission and with site approval by the Old Lyme Inland Wetlands Commission, a parcel of land behind the Field House at Town Woods Park has been secured.”
He added enthusiastically, “The location, amidst the park’s organically-managed fields, with access to water, electricity and parking, is ideal.”
The timeline for starting the project is, according to Ward, “Totally dependent on funds.” he states, “With the generous assistance of the Parks and Recreation Commission, we have cleared the large hurdles of land and water, so the next big hurdle will be the fencing for the garden.”
What is his best guess for how things will progress? Ward responds, “With that being said I would love to see a fence up, some site prep, and soil testing by this fall with a small planting next spring.”
The proposal was mentioned at the Old Lyme Board of Selectmen’s meeting last Tuesday, Feb. 16, when Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal described the project as, “A really neat thing,” and “Pretty exciting.” First Selectman Timothy Griswold felt the board needed one of their members to “Prepare a checklist of what we [the board of selectmen] need to do,” and coordinate the effort between all the town boards and commissions involved. Selectman Chris Kerr agreed to take on that role.
The next step for the project is a kick-off virtual planning meeting scheduled for Monday, March 15, when, says Ward, “We will discuss organization of a non-profit, fundraising, sustainability, outreach, education and community engagement.” There are two options timewise for the meeting, 12 noon or 6 p.m.
All are welcome and he stresses, “Differing viewpoints, experience, backgrounds and ages are encouraged. No gardening experience is required.”
To register for either March 15 meeting and obtain the Zoom log-in information or raise any questions, email Ward at [email protected].
OLD LYME — Do you believe that access to healthy food is important?
Do you believe that a community should support members in need?
Do you have interest in growing food and cultivating relationships between neighbors, friends and community members?
If your answer to any or all of those questions is, ‘Yes,’ then you might wish to consider joining a discussion to plan a community food garden to support the nutritional needs of the shoreline community by providing local food pantries with fresh produce.
Jim Ward, a resident of Old Lyme since 2006 whose wife attended Old Lyme schools and taught in the district, is the initiator of the project. Asked how he came up with idea for the garden, he explained, ” While I have always been interested in gardening and landscaping, my interest in the garden was initiated while I was participating in the 2020 UCONN Master Gardening Program.’
Ward continued, “As a participant in the program you are responsible for a certain amount of outreach hours and I volunteered and continue to volunteer at the Food for All garden in Clinton.”
Noting, “The atmosphere at this very successful Food Bank garden was one of a small community,” he pointed out that there were always plenty of volunteers, who between them had, “A broad range of gardening skills, from no gardening experience to master gardeners.”
Moreover, Ward emphasized, “Everyone shared their knowledge of gardening and cooking … along with local and national political conversations.”
The catalyst for trying to start the endeavor in Old Lyme was simply, in Ward’s mind, the type of community found in Lyme-Old Lyme, which Ward felt, “Would be very supportive of this type of initiative.” He therefore set out, “to replicate the Food for All garden project.’
His plan was not only wholeheartedly supported in principle by the volunteers of the Clinton garden, but he noted that in addition, “They gave me access to their records and provided advice on the daily and annual demands of the garden.”
Finding a location for the garden in Old Lyme did not prove quite so straightforward, however. Ward said, “My wife and I researched town-owned lands defaulted to the Town, but didn’t find any that were suitable and could see why many were defaulted.”
Finally, the seed of an idea evolved, when, in Ward’s words, “We thought of Town Woods as it had water, electricity, parking, restrooms, proximity to the Senior Center and it served as a hub of activity for many residents.”
Asked what has happened since the potential site was identified, Ward explained, “Through generous cooperation of the Parks and Recreation Commission and with site approval by the Old Lyme Inland Wetlands Commission, a parcel of land behind the Field House at Town Woods Park has been secured.”
He added enthusiastically, “The location, amidst the park’s organically-managed fields, with access to water, electricity and parking, is ideal.”
The timeline for starting the project is, according to Ward, “Totally dependent on funds.” he states, “With the generous assistance of the Parks and Recreation Commission, we have cleared the large hurdles of land and water, so the next big hurdle will be the fencing for the garden.”
What is his best guess for how things will progress? Ward responds, “With that being said I would love to see a fence up, some site prep, and soil testing by this fall with a small planting next spring.”
The proposal was mentioned at the Old Lyme Board of Selectmen’s meeting last Tuesday, Feb. 16, when Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal described the project as, “A really neat thing,” and “Pretty exciting.” First Selectman Timothy Griswold felt the board needed one of their members to “Prepare a checklist of what we [the board of selectmen] need to do,” and coordinate the effort between all the town boards and commissions involved. Selectman Chris Kerr agreed to take on that role.
The next step for the project is a kick-off virtual planning meeting scheduled for Monday, March 15, when, says Ward, “We will discuss organization of a non-profit, fundraising, sustainability, outreach, education and community engagement.” There are two options timewise for the meeting, 12 noon or 6 p.m.
All are welcome and he stresses, “Differing viewpoints, experience, backgrounds and ages are encouraged. No gardening experience is required.”
To register for either March 15 meeting and obtain the Zoom log-in information or raise any questions, email Ward at [email protected].
Wednesday, March 18, 6 p.m.
“The ABCs of Pollinator Plants,” a free webinar by Suzanne Thompson, co-chair of Pollinate Old Lyme!, and the Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center.
Learn what native plants support your favorite birds and pollinating insects.
Email [email protected] for the Zoom link
Spring Equinox Flower Walk – Forest Bathing
Date: Sat March 20
Time: 10:00-11:30 am
Place: Young Preserve, Gungy Rd., Lyme CT
Contact Email: regan@
Photo by Jonnelle Yankovich
Celebrate the day on a gentle walk with periods of reflection and guided meditation. Flowers will be provided for you to carry and take home. If you wish to bring your own, please do. The walk is about 1-mile over easy to moderate terrain. Forest bathing is a supportive practice that invites us to engage with nature as we take in the restorative health benefits of being in the forest.
$30.00 per person. Registration required. Lyme Land Trust members receive 15% off with the discount code LLT15.
To register
The group is limited. Social distancing guidelines will be followed.
For more information and to view upcoming programs:
Lyme Land Trust Events
‘The Other Side of the Ice’ presented by Sprague Theobald
One Family’s Treacherous Journey Negotiating the Northwest Passage
Saturday, March 20, 3 p.m.
Sprague Theobald, an award-winning documentary filmmaker and expert sailor with more than 40,000 offshore miles under his belt, always considered the Northwest Passage—the sea route connecting the Atlantic to the Pacific—the ultimate uncharted territory.
Since Roald Amundsen completed the first successful crossing of the fabled Northwest Passage in 1906, only 24 pleasure craft have followed in his wake.
From his home port of Newport, Rhode Island, through the Passage and around Alaska to Seattle, it would be an 8,500-mile trek filled with constant danger from ice, polar bears, and severe weather
What Theobald couldn’t have known was just how life-changing his journey through the Passage would be.
Unrelenting cold, hungry polar bears, and a haunting landscape littered with sobering artifacts from the tragic Franklin Expedition of 1845 make The Other Side of the Ice a harrowing story of survival, adventure, and, finally, redemption.
Email [email protected] to register for this Zoom program.