ESSEX/LYME/OLD LYME — On Tuesday, March 15, the Connecticut River Museum will host a presentation via Zoom by Dick Shriver of Old Lyme titled, The Connecticut River … Past, Present, and Future. The event is free and starts at 6 p.m. All are welcome.
The Connecticut River experienced a long and peaceful past until the industrial revolution. This was followed by years of abuse, then partial recovery, and finally the river has a bright outlook today.
Shriver illustrates the 12,000 year history of the Connecticut River to the present, paying special attention to the abuse of the river during and following the Industrial Revolution.
He then acknowledges those in government, who established the present-day regulatory apparatus, that has helped clean up the river’s water.
Finally, he highlights the good works currently underway for the long-term benefit of the environmental and ecological health of the river.
Shriver has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering.
He has held executive positions in government and industry having been assistant secretary of the US Treasury Department and Senior Vice President of Chase Manhattan Bank.
He was professor of Business Finance and Marketing at the International Management Institute in Kiev, Ukraine.
He is Provost Emeritus of the European College of Liberal Arts (now Bard College, Berlin), and also currently serves as head coach of girls’ varsity lacrosse at Old Saybrook High School.
OLD LYME — The public is invited to a Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony celebrating The Stumble Inne on Thursday, March 17, at 3 p.m. The ceremony will mark the opening of the restaurant’s new pool room. All are welcome.
The Town’s Economic Development Commission (EDC) is kickstarting its new ribbon-cutting program with The Stumble Inne, which opened last summer but has unveiled a new pool room this week.
“We have several new businesses we are offering a ribbon-cutting program to, but wanted to begin with The Stumble Inne, even though they opened several months ago,” said EDC Chair Cheryl Poirier. “The Caramante family has invested in Old Lyme, and we wish to support them in this endeavor.”
Jim and Cyndi Caramante, who also owned The Hideaway, opened The Stumble Inne in the summer of 2022 to capture a younger audience. The Stumble Inne features live music on the weekends, trivia and karaoke nights, and the new game room complete with a pool table.
In addition to the EDC commissioners and barring urgent cancellations to schedules, Old Lyme’s three selectpersons and State Representative Devin Carney will be on hand to commend The Stumble Inne on its investment in Old Lyme.
Special for St Patrick’s Day, The Stumble Inne will be open from noon to midnight with menu additions including a corned beef dinner.
The Stumble Inne is located at 90 Halls Rd. in the Old Lyme Marketplace and can be reached by phone at 860-434-2342.
For more information about the venue, follow The Stumble Inne on Facebook.
OLD LYME — On Saturday, March 19, Public Art for Racial Justice Education (PARJE) hosts a free Community Mapping workshop in three sessions, which will look at opportunities and resources in Old Lyme and New London with an emphasis on equity.
Community engagement specialist Brianna Harlan will lead three sessions to discuss in-depth how the town of Old Lyme (a homogeneous, primarily white community) contrasts with New London (its neighboring, culturally-diverse city).
The first session is from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. and is for New London residents.
The first session is from 12 to 1 p.m. and for Old Lyme residents. Register for this free, virtual session here. In this event, participating residents will identify assets and opportunities in their neighborhoods, create “maps” of their community, and discuss hyper-local examples of racial inequity. This event is specifically for Old Lyme community mapping.
Th final session is from 1 to 2 p.m. and will bring all the participants together in a virtual environment.
These sessions will foster a deep understanding of where attendees live in relation to their neighbors. Local residents will gain a sense of responsibility for their resources and become informed advocates for equitable communities.
Harlan is an artist and activist best known for her work Black Love Blooms, which she performed at last year’s New London Dream Market. She is also a trained community leader, working with AmeriCorps, NeighborWorks America, Creative Capital, and Adobe.
Harlan currently works as a creative, community organizer and strategist for several community initiatives around the country including City University of New York’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Incubator.
For more information, visit www.racialjusticeart.org/map
ESSEX/LYME/OLD LYME – On Sunday, March 20, Essex Winter Series (EWS) will bring the Resurgam Quartet to the stage for its third concert of the season, the annual Fenton Brown Emerging Artists Concert. These young, talented, Hartford-based musicians will offer an exciting repertoire of music by Borne, Piazzolla, Schumann and Schubert arranged for saxophone.
The concert is scheduled to take place at Valley Regional High School in Deep River, Conn.
The EWS 2022 season will conclude on Dec. 18 with January 2022’s rescheduled concert featuring the world-renowned Brentano String Quartet and Mihae Lee, piano.
Concerts begin at 3 p.m. and are general admission. For tickets visit www.essexwinterseries.com or call 860-272-4572.
As a precaution for our audience, artists and staff, health guidelines will be followed and may include, among other safety measures, the presentation of vaccination proof and mask wearing.
The EWS 2022 season – its 45th – is generously sponsored by The Clark Group, Essex Meadows, Essex Savings Bank, Jeffrey N. Mehler CFP LLC, Tower Laboratories Ltd., BrandTech Scientific, Inc., Masonicare at Chester Village and WSHU Radio. Funding also comes from the Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA), the Connecticut Office of the Humanities (CTH) and Community Foundation of Middlesex County.
OLD LYME — On Monday, March 21, the Town of Old Lyme will hold a Special Town Meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the Meeting Hall of Memorial Town Hall, 52 Lyme St., in Old Lyme.
The following agenda items will be discussed and may be taken to a vote:
1. To approve the appropriation of an amount not to exceed $45,000 to fund the preparation of a Local Transportation Capital Improvement Plan grant application, to prepare easement documentation for a pedestrian bridge and a walking trail to the Florence Griswold Museum and to fund engineering and legal services to prepare a Village District Zoning Overlay. See Appendices 1 and 2 at the foot of this article for more information.
2. To approve the utilization of the Standard Allowance for American Rescue Plan Act funding reporting purposes.
3. To approve the funding of a request from the Ledge Light Health District in the amount of $21,622.15 (1% of Old Lyme’s American Rescue Plan funding) to help the District respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The funding will be paid from American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds received by the Town.
4. To approve the funding of an amount not to exceed $20,000 to retain the services of George E. Krivda, Jr. to administer the Town of Old Lyme’s small business and non-profit American Rescue Plan grant program. The funding will be paid from ARP funds received by the Town.
5. To approve an AMENDED AND RESTATED DEED OF CONSERVATION RESTRICTION 311.50-ACRE PARCEL, which amends a Deed of Conservation Restriction from David Sears McCulloch and Jean Adair McCulloch to The Nature Conservancy of Connecticut, Inc., its successors or assigns, dated on or about December 29, 1999 and recorded at Book 260, Page 1007 of the said Land Records, subsequently assigned to Jean A. McCulloch Farm LLC, having been approved by a judgment of the Superior Court on June 4, 2021, providing for the following specific amendments:
a. Paragraphs 3.3 (a), (b) and (c) of the Deed of Conservation Restriction are hereby amended by adding the following at the end of each section: “except as required to construct parking in the three areas shown on the maps in Exhibit B, such parking to be made of permeable surface material and designed in consultation with the Conservancy.”
b. Paragraph 3.3 (e) is hereby amended by adding the following at the end of the section: “except for the placement of sanitary garbage pails or bins and to erect environmentally sound composting toilets as required for the responsible management and in order to protect the conservation values of the property.”
To authorize and empower the First Selectman to sign, execute, receive, deliver and record, on behalf of the Town, the AMENDED AND RESTATED DEED OF CONSERVATION RESTRICTION 311.50-ACRE PARCEL, and such other instruments and agreements as are required to carry out the foregoing resolution.
A copy of the AMENDED AND RESTATED DEED OF CONSERVATION RESTRICTION 311.50-ACRE PARCEL may be examined at the office of the Town Clerk of the Town of Old Lyme during the Town Clerk’s ordinary business hours.
Appendix 1:
HALLS ROAD Improvements COMMITTEE
Short-term Financing Needs March 21, 2022
Approved by Board of Selectmen & Board of Finance: January 18, 2022
- LOTCIP Grant – Application for grant $13,500 (BSC Group)
To assist in preparing LOTCIP Grant for sidewalk and other streetscape improvements. Proposal includes engineering drawings to show where and how new streetscape & safety improvements are to occur along Halls Road. These documents will also be used to provide specific direction for any future Construction Documentation. This grant application is the first formal submission of plans to CT DOT, and the first chance to receive official approval / disapproval for each plan element. - Graybill Easement /survey $7,000 (BSC Group, not to exceed)
To secure an easement on the east bank of the Lieutenant. James Graybill has generously offered to grant an easement to the Town of Old Lyme to provide access to the old Lieutenant River bridge abutment on his property for a future pedestrian bridge. A pedestrian bridge over the Lieutenant has consistently been among the most favored potential improvements in public discussions and town-wide surveys. It will allow safe pedestrian and bicycle travel between Lyme Street and the Halls Road district, with views of a beautiful stretch of the Lieutenant River. Mr Graybill has also offered to include in the easement the path of a future trail to the Florence Griswold Museum. Such connections are great opportunities to integrate Old Lyme’s business district with its Arts District, one of Old Lyme’s definitive assets. It is important to secure this easement now, both to ensure future access to the bridge abutment and to make it possible to apply for grants to defray the costs of building the bridge and trails on the east side of the river. - Halls Road Overlay District – Zoning Attorney $10,000 (TCORS Bill Sweeney)
– Planning Consultant $ 9,000 (BSC Group, not to exceed)
To complete the work of creating new zoning supporting the recommendations of the Hall Road Master Plan. The previous Village District approach to new zoning created un-looked-for burdens for existing property owners. The new approach is to allow the old C-30s zoning to remain, and to create a Halls Road Overlay District (HROD) as an alternative. Those who wish to can use the HROD to pursue different, and more profitable, new developments in line with the Master Plan. These include mixed use (commercial & residential), apartments and townhomes. The HROD also brings retail development up to the street to create a walkable town center along Halls Road. The change simplifies the new zoning regulations to some degree, but it is important that they be complete, accurate, and legally correct before submission to the Zoning Commission. This requires professional help, which this allocation will pay for. It should be noted that some of this work has already begun on a good faith basis.
$39,500 Total of 1 – 3 above
Contingency Allowance $ 5,500
$45,000 Total Request
Appendix 2:
HALLS ROAD Improvements COMMITTEE
March 2022 NEXT STEPS
- Halls Road Overlay District – prepare documents for town’s application to Zoning Commission
- Target Date April 2022 with final approvals possible by July 2022
- Overlay District to provide new opportunities to property owners and future developers aimed at bringing commercial up to Halls Road and allowing apartments and town homes.
- C-30S Zone remains, unless an applicant choses to use the Overlay District.
- Grant Applications – to help fund Public Improvements along Halls Road. Timeframe for grant process can be 2 – 4 years.
Public Improvements include: Sidewalks, Pedestrian Lighting, Landscaping, Crosswalks, Pathways, and a new bridge over the Lieutenant River allowing pedestrians and cyclists to avoid the motorway bridge.
Grant opportunities currently seeking:
- October 2022 – Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program (LOTCIP) Grant – BSC to assist in preparation. Application to include engineering drawings that will define and detail scope of streetscape improvements. CT DOT formally considers our design concept with this grant.
- Possible funding of $2.5 million.
- The LOTCIP Grant program is currently 2 years out from application. We are aiming to apply for this in fall 2022 to get into the application queue with a goal to be awarded funding by 2024/25.
- Additional grants that would contribute funds toward the sidewalks and pedestrian bridge not likely to be covered by the LOTCIP Grant:
- November 2022 – CT Trails Program.
- January 2023 – CT Community Challenge Grant.
- October 2022 – Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program (LOTCIP) Grant – BSC to assist in preparation. Application to include engineering drawings that will define and detail scope of streetscape improvements. CT DOT formally considers our design concept with this grant.
Seek other grants available for multi-modal connectivity and trails.
- Design Drawings – With Grants Awarded the town can engage professionals to create final construction documents. Timeframe: 1 year from RFQ to final documentation.
Implementation – Seek and receive bids for construction, award project, and begin construction of roadway improvements. Requires prior grant funding and town-funded design documents (as above) and town approval of total funding package. Timeframe: TBD.
OLD LYME — The Duck River Garden Club (DRGC) of Old Lyme will hold its monthly meeting and program on Wednesday, March 23, at Memorial Town Hall on Lyme St in Old Lyme. A social is held at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7 p.m. A business meeting for members is held at the conclusion of the program.
The March program is “Spring Wildflowers” presented by Margery Winters. Connecticut is home to a myriad of spring wildflowers, and Margery will help us to learn how these flowers got their names, why they are special, where to find them, and why they bloom each spring.
Winters is the Assistant Director of Roaring Brook Nature Center located in Canton, Conn., Vice-President of the Simsbury Land Trust, and a long-time member and Past President of the Simsbury Garden Club.
Guests and potential members are always welcome to DRGC programs, and no registration is needed.
Contact Karen Geisler at (860) 434-5321 for further information.
OLD LYME — On Wednesday, March 23, at 6:30 p.m., the Old Lyme Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library hosts local author and artist, Spencer Reece, who will present, All the Beauty that is Still Left: A Poet’s Painted Book of Hours, via Zoom. All are welcome to this free presentation.
Devotional poet, priest, and National Book Award nominee Spencer Reece found himself with family in Old Lyme to wait out the pandemic.
Seeking happiness amid the difficulties of this new situation, he channeled change into art; producing 50 vibrant watercolors inspired by his life journeys and his reflections of faith. Each painting faces a quote from an acclaimed writer or spokesperson that has inspired him, becoming a poet’s painted “Book of Hours”.
Register here to receive the Zoom link for the presentation.
For more information about the library, visit www.oldlymelibrary.org or call (860)-434-1684.
NEW LONDON/LYME/OLD LYME — Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) will host a COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Thursday, March 24, 2022, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at its New London office. The Moderna vaccine and a very limited supply of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine will be available for anyone 18 years or older who needs a 1st or 2nd dose or is eligible for a booster dose.
Other vaccination clinics, including those for 5- to 17-years-old, are available with LLHD’s partner Griffin Health. All three vaccine brands will be available. Visit the LLHD website to find a clinic near you. https://llhd.org/coronavirus-covid-19-situation/covid-19-vaccine/covid-19-vaccine-find-a-vaccination/
The following groups are eligible for a booster shot:
Individuals who received the Moderna vaccine:
- Severely immunocompromised at 1 month or more after their initial series.
- Everyone 18+ at 5 months or more after their initial series.
Individuals who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine:
- Severely immunocompromised at 1 month or more after their initial series.
- Everyone 12+ at 5 months or more after their initial series.
Individuals who received the J&J vaccine, booster shots are recommended for those who are 18 and older and who were vaccinated two or more months ago.
All clinics are free and open to the public. No appointment, insurance, or ID is needed. No one will be turned away for lack of insurance or identification.
Ledge Light Health District continues to provide weekly COVID testing opportunities in Groton, New London, Stonington, and Waterford. Visit the LLHD website for more information at https://llhd.org/coronavirus-covid-19-situation/covid-19-testing/
Community members and businesses are urged to access up-to-date information regarding the pandemic from reputable sources, including the Ledge Light Health District website (www.LLHD.org), Facebook (@LedgeLightHD), Twitter (@LedgeLightHD), and Instagram (@LedgeLightHD).
Ledge Light Health District – LLHD – serves as the local health department for East Lyme, Groton, Ledyard, Lyme, New London, North Stonington, Old Lyme, Stonington and Waterford, Connecticut. As a health district, formed under Connecticut General Statutes Section 19a-241, LLHD is a special unit of government, allowing member municipalities to provide comprehensive public health services to residents in a more efficient manner by consolidating the services within one organization.
OLD LYME — On Tuesday, March 29, at 7 p.m., the Old Lyme Affordable Housing Commission will host a second, online community workshop in order to continue the discussion about the state-mandated Affordable Housing Plan for Old Lyme. All are welcome.
At the first workshop, background information, the results of a local housing study, examples of affordable housing, and initial thinking about a strategy to meet the needs of the community were discussed.
The second workshop will focus on a proposed strategy and action plan that will meet the state requirement to, “Specify how the municipality intends to increase the number of affordable housing developments in the municipality.”
All Old Lyme residents are encouraged to join the workshop and add their voices to the discussion.
Connection information for the meeting can be found here.
OLD LYME — Today, Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS) students are holding a car wash from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in front of LOL Middle School.
No appointment is required. All are welcome.
A $25 donation is suggested. All donations will benefit the Safe Grad event held on the night of graduation for LOLHS Seniors.
The car wash is being coordinated by LOLHS Senior Nick Adeletti.
LYME — In honor of Earth Day, the Town of Lyme and the Lyme Public Hall & Local History Archives are sponsoring a town-wide annual clean-up of local roadsides, from Friday, Apr. 1, through Friday, Apr. 22.
On Saturday, April 2, there will be a Lyme Public Hall Open House from 12 to 3 p.m. — bags will be available for pick-up.
Free trash bags, recycling bags and gloves will be available at Lyme Town Hall, Lyme Public Library and the Hadlyme Country Store.
Full bags of litter or recyclables may be left by the side of the road — the Lyme Town Crew will pick them up. Be sure to wear bright clothing and only pick up litter during daylight hours.
For more information, contact Chris McCawley at 860-575-7741 or email [email protected].
OLD LYME — Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School (LOLMS) presents Mary Poppins Jr. Friday, April 1, and Saturday, April 2 at 7 p.m. in the LOLMS auditorium.
Use the QR code below to order tickets or visit https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/62956
There will also be a matinee performance on Sunday, April 3, at 1 p.m.
This evening, Friday, April 8, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., Peter Drake, Provost of New York Academy of Art, will present an Artist Talk and Live Drawing Demonstration at Lyme Academy of Fine Arts. The event is free and all are welcome.
Drake was appointed Provost in January 2018 and previously served as the Dean of Academic Affairs since 2010 at the New York Academy of Art.
Drake continues to be a Thesis Advisor having previously taught at Parsons the New School for Design, the School of Visual Arts, and the Maryland Institute College of Art.
As a visual artist his work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions throughout the US, China and Europe, including solo shows at Linda Warren Projects (Chicago) and District & Co. (Dominican Republic) and group shows at Bernarducci Gallery (New York), Sloan Fine Art (New York / LA) and the Phoenix Museum of Art.
He has curated exhibitions for the New York Academy of Art, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Parsons and the Drawing Center. He is the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including a fellowship from the New York Foundation for the Arts, a National Endowment for the Arts Award and a MTA Arts for Transit Public Art Commission.
His work is the public collections of the Whitney Museum, the Phoenix Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, the Achenbach Collection and the Los Angeles County Art Museum.
Drake maintains a studio in DUMBO, Brooklyn through the Two Trees Cultural Space Program and is represented by Bernarducci Gallery, New York and Linda Warren Projects, Chicago.
This artist talk is made possible by the generous support of the Robert Lehman Foundation.
Guests will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. The Lyme Academy of Fine Arts has removed the mask mandate for students, staff, faculty, models, and visitors inside its buildings.
The health and safety of guests are of the utmost importance. CDC guidelines are regularly monitored and the Academy’s policies adjusted accordingly.
OLD LYME — Whose Children Are They? is a documentary featuring teachers, parents, and front-line experts, who explore what is happening in US Public Schools today.
It will be shown in Old Lyme on Friday, April 8, at 6:30 p.m. at the Shoreline Church, 287 Shore Rd.
Call 401.286.2650 for more information.