October 19, 2021

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Old Lyme Board of Selectmen Candidates Respond to Our Questions

October 19, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Photo by Elements Digital on Unsplash.

OLD LYME — In keeping with our now almost 18-year tradition and in the interests of increasing voter knowledge prior to the upcoming election, we posed three questions in writing to the four candidates for Old Lyme Board of Selectmen, who will be on the ballot in the Nov. 2 election.

There is no contest for the Lyme Board of Selectmen, where the three incumbents are unopposed

The questions were:

1. Why are you running for the Old Lyme Board of Selectmen?

2. What is your opinion of the Resolution Declaring Racism a Public Health Crisis, which was originally proposed by Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal in August 2020 as a document that the Old Lyme Board of Selectmen should approve? It remains unsigned — please indicate whether you would be willing to sign it, if elected.

3. What do you consider are currently the three most important issues in Old Lyme that require the attention of the Old Lyme Board of Selectmen, (with the exception of the Resolution on Racism discussed in Question 2)? Describe how you would move forward on each issue, if elected.

We gave a 300-word limit for the response to each question to which each candidate strictly adhered: we are most appreciative of that.

We are delighted that all the candidates responded to our questions in a timely manner. We thank them sincerely and are pleased to publish their responses today accompanied by their respective biographies, for which we gave a 100-word limit, and photos.

We would also like to state that — again in keeping with our long-held policy — we will not be making any candidate endorsements.

Click on the links below to read each candidate’s responses:

Candidates for Old Lyme First Selectman

Timothy C. Griswold (R – Incumbent)

Martha Shoemaker (D)

Candidates for Old Lyme Selectmen

Jim Lampos (D)

Matthew Ward (R)

Filed Under: Headline News, Old Lyme, Politics, Town Hall

Region 18 BOE ‘Meet the Candidates’ Event Will Be Held In-Person Tomorrow, Also Live-Streamed and Recorded

October 19, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Photo by Robinson Recalde on Unsplash.

LYME-OLD LYME — Lymes’ Youth Service Bureau (LYSB) and the Lyme-Old Lyme Chamber of Commerce are hosting an in-person, Meet the Candidates for Board of Education event on Wednesday, Oct. 20, starting at 7 p.m. at Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School.

LymeLine.com is proud to sponsor the event and all are welcome.

The eight candidates running for the Old Lyme open seats on the Region 18 Board of Education (BOE) will give prepared statements and answer questions posed by the Event Moderator, Attorney John A. Collins III of Suisman Shapiro Attorneys at Law.

Three Old Lyme incumbents on the current Region 18 BOE — Chair Diane Linderman, Treasurer Jean Wilczynski and Rick Goulding — have chosen not to seek re-election. Old Lyme incumbent Martha Shoemaker is seeking reelection.

Lyme incumbent Stacey Leonardo (D) is also not seeking re-election.

The eight candidates running for the four, four-year-term Old Lyme seats are:

  • Marisa Calvi-Rogers, (D)
  • Mona Colwell, (U) Endorsed by Old Lyme Republicans
  • Laura Dean-Frazier, (U) Endorsed by Old Lyme Republicans
  • Jason Kemp, (D)
  • Alexander Lowry, (D)
  • Michael Presti, (R)
  • Martha Shoemaker, (D), incumbent
  • Christopher Staab, (R)

Anna James (D), who is unable to attend the event, is running uncontested for the open Lyme seat.

Many thanks to all the readers, who submitted questions for possible use at the event. A significant number was received – far more than can be asked within the event’s timeline. The event planning committee will be solely responsible for selecting the questions asked at the event.  There will be no questions taken from the floor.

The program will be livestreamed on the Region 18 BOE YouTube channel at this link. It will also be recorded and posted at the same link for future viewing. Note: this is a new link from that previously announced.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 2.

For further information, contact Mary Seidner at mseidner@lysb.org or 869-434-7208.

Filed Under: Community, Headline News, Politics, Schools

Oct. 18 COVID-19 Update: Three New Cases in Old Lyme, One in Lyme Take Cumulative Town Totals Respectively to 435, 131

October 19, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Photo by CDC on Unsplash.

LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Report issued Monday, Oct. 18, at 4 p.m. by the Connecticut Department of Health (CT DPH) shows three new confirmed COVID-19 cases in Old Lyme compared with Friday’s number, taking the town’s cumulative total of cases to 435. 

Lyme also reported a new case taking its cumulative total to 131 cases.

The state does not issue reports over the weekend nor on public holidays. The next report from CT DPH will be Tuesday, Oct. 19, at around 4 p.m.

On Aug. 26, Old Lyme’s cumulative case total stood at 372, meaning there have been 63 new cases there since that date. Meanwhile, Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 indicating 17 new cases have also been confirmed there during the same period.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools started the new academic year Aug. 26.

COVID-19 Cases in Lyme-Old Lyme Schools

This is the latest information that we have with the most recent cases first — there may have been further updates, however, which we have not yet received.

On Wednesday, Oct. 5, Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser informed the school community that a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Lyme-Old Lyme High School had been reported the previous evening.

On Thursday, Sept. 16, Neviaser informed the school community that a previously reported positive case of COVID-19 is now impacting Mile Creek School and Center School.

On Monday, Sept. 13, a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School, which had been reported the previous day, was announced.

On Wednesday, Sept. 1,  a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Mile Creek School was announced.

On Tuesday, Aug. 31, Neviaser informed the school community that late on Monday, Aug. 30, a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Lyme-Old Lyme High School had been reported.

On Saturday, Aug. 28, Neviaser informed the school community that late on Friday, Aug. 27, a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Lyme School had been reported.

In all cases, contact tracing was completed and those individuals who needed to quarantine were notified. They will be able to return to school following their quarantine period. All other students and staff will continue to attend school as scheduled.

Fatalities Due to COVID-19 in Lyme, Old Lyme

There is no change in the number of fatalities reported in either Lyme (0) or Old Lyme (3).

The first two fatalities from Old Lyme, which were reported in 2020, were a 61-year-old female and an 82-year-old male. Details of the third, which was reported in 2021, have not been made available.

Visit this link for our Oct. 14 update, which includes statewide data.

Filed Under: COVID-19, Headline News, Lyme, Old Lyme

Caryn B. Davis of Lyme Shares ‘A Photographer’s Vision,’ Tonight to Offer Inspiration for ‘Imagining Lyme’ Photo Program

October 19, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Caryn B. Davis

LYME — Join award-winning photographer Caryn B. Davis for a presentation of her landscapes from the natural world and to celebrate the Lyme Land Trust’s photography program, Imagining Lyme. Davis’s presentation will take place Tuesday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m. in the Lyme Public Library Community Room.

Davis will show images of gardens and also some from her recent trips to Antarctica and Yellowstone National Park.

She will explain how the natural world influences her creative process with particular attention to composition, learning the rules and then breaking them, the artistry of abstract images verses realistic, and how using different focal lengths within the same scene can yield different compositional results.

To register for the program, email education@lymelandtrust.org

Davis is a Lyme resident, who has specialized in architecture, interiors, garden and travel photography for over 20 years. Her career has spanned the globe taking her to over 50 countries. She is also a prolific writer with articles that have been featured in the New York Times, Town & Country, Lonely Planet, Conde Nast Traveler, Fine Art Connoisseur, New Zealand Geographic, and others.

Davis has produced two commissioned photography books, A Connecticut Christmas: Celebrating the Holiday in Classic New England Style, and the newly-published Connecticut Waters: Celebrating Our Coastline and Waterways. She is currently working on her third book due out in 2023.

Editor’s Note: Visit this link to read a review of ‘ Connecticut Waters: Celebrating Our Coastline and Waterways’ by LymeLine.com publisher Olwen Logan.

Filed Under: Community, Lyme, Top Story

Red Ribbon Week Encourages Everyone to Take Stand Against Drug Misuse, Starts Saturday,

October 18, 2021 by Leave a Comment

LYME/OLD LYME — Lymes’ Youth Service Bureau (LYSB) and Lyme/Old Lyme Prevention Coalition (LOLPC) are planning a number of activities to celebrate Red Ribbon Week, which is set for Oct. 23 through Oct. 31.

The week is aimed at uniting youth, parents, schools, and communities in order to take a stand against drug misuse. As part of this year’s observance — which will be themed “Drug Free Looks Like Me” — the Upstanders Club at Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School (LOLMS) is hosting a Door-Decorating Contest and other Red Ribbon events, and LYSB will be aglow in red lights for the week.

Also, a National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day event is planned for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23, at the Old Lyme Fire House. This drive-through collection event, which is held in partnership with local law enforcement, will give residents an opportunity to safely dispose of expired, unused and unwanted medications.

On Thursday Oct. 28, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., the LOLPC is sponsoring a virtual workshop titled, The Dangerous Truth About Today’s Marijuana: Johnny Stack’s Life and Death Story.

Laura Stack, best-selling author and public speaker, will share the story of her son Johnny’s marijuana addiction from a mother’s point of few, a poignant chronicle of shocking descent from innocence to eventual suicide. This important event is free and registration to obtain the Zoom link for the presentation is available at this link or at www.lysb.org.

These events are supported by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award funded by ONDCP.

Editor’s Note: For more information about Red Ribbon Week or the Lyme-Old Lyme Prevention Coalition, contact Alli Behnke, MSW, MA at abehnke@lysb.org.

Filed Under: Community, Headline News, Lyme, Old Lyme, Schools, Top Story

Oct. 15 COVID-19 Update: New Case in Old Lyme Takes Cumulative Total to 432, Lyme Holds at 130

October 17, 2021 by Leave a Comment

LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Report issued Friday, Oct. 15, at 4 p.m. by the Connecticut Department of Health (CT DPH) shows one new confirmed COVID-19 cases in Old Lyme compared with Thursday’s number, taking the town’s cumulative total of cases to 432. 

Lyme meanwhile, maintained its cumulative total at 130 cases for the fifth consecutive reporting day.

The state does not issue reports over the weekend nor on public holidays. The next report from CT DPH will be Monday, Oct. 18, at around 4 p.m. and will include weekly updates.

On Aug. 26, Old Lyme’s cumulative case total stood at 372, meaning there have been 60 new cases there since that date. Meanwhile, Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 indicating 16 new cases have also been confirmed there during the same period.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools started the new academic year Aug. 26.

COVID-19 Cases in Lyme-Old Lyme Schools

This is the latest information that we have with the most recent cases first — there may have been further updates, however, which we have not yet received.

On Wednesday, Oct. 5, Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser informed the school community that a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Lyme-Old Lyme High School had been reported the previous evening.

On Thursday, Sept. 16, Neviaser informed the school community that a previously reported positive case of COVID-19 is now impacting Mile Creek School and Center School.

On Monday, Sept. 13, a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School, which had been reported the previous day, was announced.

On Wednesday, Sept. 1,  a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Mile Creek School was announced.

On Tuesday, Aug. 31, Neviaser informed the school community that late on Monday, Aug. 30, a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Lyme-Old Lyme High School had been reported.

On Saturday, Aug. 28, Neviaser informed the school community that late on Friday, Aug. 27, a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Lyme School had been reported.

In all cases, contact tracing was completed and those individuals who needed to quarantine were notified. They will be able to return to school following their quarantine period. All other students and staff will continue to attend school as scheduled.

Fatalities Due to COVID-19 in Lyme, Old Lyme

There is no change in the number of fatalities reported in either Lyme (0) or Old Lyme (3).

The first two fatalities from Old Lyme, which were reported in 2020, were a 61-year-old female and an 82-year-old male. Details of the third, which was reported in 2021, have not been made available.

Visit this link for our Oct. 14 update, which includes statewide data.

Filed Under: COVID-19, Lyme, Old Lyme, Top Story

Wildcats Celebrate Senior Day with Scoring Bonanza Against Montville in Inaugural Game on New Turf Field

October 17, 2021 by 1 Comment

Aggie Hunt blasts the ball into the net for the second goal in Saturday’s game against Montville. All photos by Elizabeth Mauro.

OLD LYME — It was a huge day in her first season as coach for Kendra Flaherty’s Old Lyme soccer girls.

Celebrating the Seniors with the Old Lyme’s unique and time-honored tradition of decorated sheets.

Saturday was not only Senior Day, when the seniors are honored at their last home game of the regular season, but it was also the team’s first game on the brand new, all-weather field at Lyme-Old Lyme High School … and the team set out to celebrate both events with no holds barred.

Ella Curtiss-Reardon kicks the ball past the Montville keeper for the Wildcat’s third goal.

The girls came out onto the field exuberantly and by the end of the game had put a total of five goals past the Montville keeper, while their opponents had yet to find the net.
In the first half, Abby Manthous started the scoring after 14 minutes off an assist from Kate Walsh.
Next to score was Aggie Hunt with 11 minutes left in the half and assisted by Alexis Fenton.

Hannah Britt displays some deft footwork during the game.

One minute later, Ella Curtiss-Reardon scored the ‘Cats third goal unassisted and then the fourth came from Kate Walsh assisted by Lyla Powers.

Maddie McCulloch prepares to make a shot.

After the scoring bonanza in the first half, Old Lyme slowed things down in the second half but still managed to add a fifth goal after 13 minutes when Alexis Fenton stepped up and drove a penalty kick home.

Wildcat goalie Rhyleigh Russell (in pink) came in for the injured Olivia Kelly and made five important saves.

Old Lyme keeper Olivia Kelly made one save before leaving on the game with an injury. She was replaced by Rhyleigh Russell, who went on to make five saves for the Wildcats.
Filed Under: Lyme, News, Old Lyme, Sport, Top Story

Musical Masterworks New Season Launches Harmonious Transition From Arron to Lark as Artistic Director; Opening Concert in Old Lyme, Saturday

October 16, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Musical Masterworks Artistic Director Edward Arron waves during the Zoom interview recently conducted by Suzanne Thompson for this article.

OLD LYME — Musical Masterworks is back with live concerts and audiences next weekend — and this 31st season of chamber music concerts is special on multiple fronts.

This season’s five concerts will be a farewell tour for cellist Edward Arron, who has served as Artistic Director for 13 years. A soloist with major orchestras and chamber musician throughout North America, Europe and Asia, Arron has garnered recognition worldwide for his elegant musicianship, impassioned performances, and creative programming. 

The Juilliard graduate was for 10 years the artistic director of the Metropolitan Museum Artists in Concert, a chamber music series created in 2003 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Museum’s prestigious Concerts and Lectures series.

He has been a University of Massachusetts Amherst Music Department faculty member since 2016, after serving on the faculty of New York University from 2009 to 2016. He tours and records regularly as a member of the renowned Ehnes Quarter.

Tessa Lark, who is Musical Masterworks Artistic Director-designate and will take over the role for the 2022-23 season, waves during the Zoom interview recently conducted by Suzanne Thompson for this article.

This season also is a settling-in for the series’ Artistic Director Designate, violinist Tessa Lark. This budding superstar in the classical realm, who first performed on Musical Masterworks stage almost a decade ago, will become Artistic Director with the 2022-23 season.

The 2020 GRAMMY nominee in the Best Classical Instrumental Solo category, recipient of a 2018 Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship and a 2016 Avery Fisher Career Grant and winner of the 2012 Naumburg International Violin Competition also is a highly acclaimed fiddler in the tradition of her native Kentucky.

Lark delights audiences with programming that includes Appalachian and bluegrass music that inspired composers have written for her. She also has started composing.

Edward Arron plays the cello while his wife Jeewon Park accompanies him on the piano during a previous Musical Masterworks concert. Photo credit: Musical Masterworks.

The 2021-22 season marks a return to live performances before audiences in the Meeting Room of the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme. While Musical Masterworks artists and fans improvised last year with a series of professionally-recorded performances by the artists in the church hall and remote viewing for patrons, there is nothing comparable to the magic of experiencing world-class performances in this consummate sanctuary for classical chamber music. 

Add to that, for the first time in 16 years of the series, a harpsichord will be on stage. No wonder the Sunday, Oct. 24 performance sold out two weeks ahead of the concert. Tickets for the Saturday, Oct. 23 performance are still available but must be ordered in advance.

Sitting down recently – via Zoom – with Arron and Lark, they expanded on what is in store for this season and beyond.

The founder and first Artistic Director of Musical Masterworks was legendary pianist Charles Wadsworth. Photo credit: Musical Masterworks.

“I was honored to be invited to be a part of this concert series,” said Arron, recalling his first Musical Masterworks appearance in 2005. Legendary classical pianist Charles Wadsworth, director of chamber music at the Spoleto Festivals in both Italy and Charleston, S.C., and founder of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, was the series’ first artistic director. 

“I learned a lot from Charles, we laughed a lot and made some great music together. It was a dream in the back of my head to run such a concert series some day.” 

Musical Masterworks brings together talented, world-class classical musicians to play an inspiring collection of works, some perhaps never presented together before, others completely new and some older. 

Wadsworth must have recognized a kindred spirit in Arron as someone with an extensive knowledge of the chamber music repertoire, who both knew and performed with many other talented musicians and also had a passion for putting together musical programs. Arron served as assistant artistic director for two years before Wadsworth retired, and took over the helm in his early thirties.

“There are several stages to the great pleasures of this job,” Arron said. “First, dreaming up the music that you would like to play and the combination of dear friends that you would like to put together to play these pieces.”

He continued, “People had to trust me, that we could give them something entertaining. I also felt I had to earn the trust of this audience to put it into proportion and to create a context of an afternoon well-spent. Charles before me did that and I enjoyed searching for that balance. It was such a nourishing part of my life, being able to dream of programs and render them.”

Arron saw similar talents and interests in Lark, who he admires for her creative programming as well as her masterful delivery. Driving from Detroit to Massachusetts in a COVID-impacted travel schedule, he had time to ponder which performer connected best with Musical Masterworks audiences. 

Publicity shot of Musical Masterworks Artistic Director-designate, violinist Tessa Lark.

“Tessa lights up the stage wherever she goes, and people fall in love with her, in addition to that, I observed that Tessa was falling in love with this place, too,” he said. Speaking directly to her (since both were on-screen simultaneously), Arron said, “Tessa, every time you returned to Musical Masterworks, you genuinely connected back with these people who you had met there and to the stage. That seemed a harmonious thing.”

Lark, who lives in New York and travels much of the time to perform — in locations as far away as The Netherlands and Australia, and including Seattle, Santa Fe and Tulsa in the US — welcomes the Old Lyme venue for its acoustics, charm and the ability for musicians and audiences to connect.

“It’s equal part intimate and grand, it is just so hard to find that combination especially for chamber music, and to get into the music nitty-gritty. Every subtlety that the group has, that has been worked out, can be appreciated by every audience member. That is such a rarity,” Lark said enthusiastically.

She added, “I love that it is bright and sunny, all of the visual aesthetics match the spirit of the place, and the sounds of the music-making, it is such a beautiful harmony of the senses.”

“It acoustically and aesthetically one of the most magical places to play,” said Arron, continuing, “Returning year after year, it’s beautiful you can see the seasons changing as you go through the concert season. In the fall, you see beautiful foliage outside, in the winter concerts you see the winterscape, then you see and hear the spring unfolding, [and then] they often open the windows for that final concert.

Arron noted, “The acoustic is really clear and warm, the audience sits in a way where you can see each other’s faces. There is a particularly special connection. The people in the audience become friends, all of these elements come together – you’re among friends, you’re playing to friends, with friends, there are a lot of elements to look forward to.”

Edward Arron describes the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme as “One of the most magical places to play.” Photo credit: Musical Masterworks.

“I just adore that a musician can be free to play what they love in that beautiful space, and because Ed has instilled so much trust, the audience will come,” explained Lark.

Arron describes his selections for the 31st season as “a bit daring and unconventional,” but still promising to be familiar and entertaining. 

The opening concert features the debut of harpsichordist Paolo Bordignon, alongside violinists Jesse Mills and Lark in a program of Baroque delights that served as the inspiration for Stravinsky’s ballet, Pulcinella.

In December, pianist Orion Weiss, violinist Amy Schwartz Moretti and violist Nicholas Cords perform a program of glorious piano quintets, from Dvorak, Shostakovich and Brahams to Rag-Gidon-Time for String Trio, composed 25 years ago by Giya Kancheli from Republic of Georgia.

In February, celebrated guitarist Colin Davin performs Bach, Schubert, plus a piece by contemporary composer Vivian Fung, a past fellow classmate of Arron’s.

In March, two Musical Masterworks veterans flutist Tara Helen O’Connor and pianist Adam Neiman play works by Haydn, Prokofiev, Zwilich and Weber, with Arron.

The final farewell program, in April, by Arron and his wife, pianist Jeewon Park with Lark and her fiancé, double bassist Michael Thurber, features Handel/Halvorsen, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff and Appalachia Waltz by Mark O’Connor.

Editor’s Note: For further information on the 31st season of ‘Musical Masterworks’, details of all the performances, and ticket purchase options — including for Saturday, Oct. 23 — visit this link. 

Filed Under: Arts, Headline News, News, Old Lyme, Top Story

‘Wee Faerie Village’ Returns to Old Lyme’s Florence Griswold Museum Through Oct. 31, ‘Balloon Art Day’ Planned for Oct. 23

October 16, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Visitors of all ages are in awe of the Florence Griswold Museum’s Wee Faerie Village. Photo by Sean Flynn

OLD LYME — After postponing Wee Faerie Village last year due to COVID, the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme presents FOLLY WOODS: Awesome Wee Faerie Architecture Along the Artists’ Trail on the grounds of museum’s 12-acre campus from Oct. 1 through 31.

Visitors follow a map to explore 23 miniature wonders handcrafted by artists, designers, and faerie-aficionados. This annual event with its family-friendly walking trail has come to signify an enriching outing for visitors of all ages.

In past years, the Museum has greeted between 10,000 and 17,000 visitors during this family-friendly outdoor exhibition.

This year’s Wee Faerie Village is the 12th anniversary of the Museum’s annual outdoor creative installations. The theme, FOLLY WOODS is a playful, miniaturized take on ornamental buildings popular on country estates, parks, and gardens in the 18th and 19th centuries. They are often inspired by classical architecture of ancient Greece or Rome, but can borrow elements from all over the world—for example, Egypt, India, and Japan.

Visitors of all ages will enjoy the artists’ whimsical creative skills as they learn about different architectural styles from across the world.

Each Wee Faerie House is unique and demands close attention to take in all the intricate details.

Special Events

As part of its Wee Faerie Village exhibition, adults and families with children can enjoy a month of faerie-themed events. These events are included in admission. Visit www.FlorenceGriswoldMuseum.org for more information.

Saturday, Oct. 16
11am to 4pm
Pirate Day
Free with Museum Admission
Come meet the Free Men of the Sea, arrr-fully good re-enactors who bring the myths and history of pirates and privateers to life. Visiting FOLLY WOODS for one special day only. Ask questions, pose for photos, and learn something new!

Saturday, Oct. 23
11am to 3pm
Twisting the Day Away: Balloon Art by April
Meet April, the balloon twisting artist who can conjure anything from her palette of colorful balloons. Ask for a wand, a sword, or a cartoon character, and watch it appear before your very eyes. A wonderfully colorful addition to FOLLY WOODS!

Sunday, Oct. 24
Noon to 3pm
Jolly Day in FOLLY WOODS
Free with Museum Admission
Enjoy a fun and jolly day in FOLLY WOODS with Joe Howard, entertainer extraordinaire—stilt walking, magic, and comedy to delight all ages. Fun for the whole family! Rain date: Saturday, October 30.

Sunday, Oct. 31
10am to 4pm
Halloween Fun in FOLLY WOODS
Dress up as movie stars, faeries, or wizards (or anything you like!) and frolic through FOLLY WOODS. Boo-tiful fun to be had for the whole family.

Editor’s Note: For more information, visit https://florencegriswoldmuseum.org/wfv2021/

Filed Under: Arts, Old Lyme

Learn to Row an Irish Currach in Old Lyme Today

October 16, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Learn to row an Irish currach on Saturday, Oct. 15, at Hains Park in Old Lyme.

OLD LYME — Learn to row Irish … remember, you don’t need to be Irish to row Irish!

Readers are invited to try out the ancient art of Irish Currach Rowing, Saturday, Oct. 16, at Hain’s Park, Rte. 1/Boston Post Rd. in Old Lyme from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

An Irish currach is a traditional vessel made of wood lathe and covered in canvas. Currachs date back several thousand years.  They were used for trade among islands, between islands and mainland and along coastal mainland villages. The relatively light (for their size) fishing/trade boats, which could withstand high swells, have been streamlined in design for rowing competitions.

Veteran and newcomer rowers are all welcome. Pre-register before Oct. 15, and sign the waiver. Request the forms from row.currach.nl@gmail.com. Pre-register and also take an introductory lesson to receive a free team t-shirt.

The organizers suggest that attendees should bring gloves.

There is no obligation to join the group — simply come and try out currach rowing. Free coffee will be available to rowers and newcomers.

For more information, contact row.currach.nl@gmail.com

This event is sponsored by New London Currach Rowers with support from the Ancient Order of Hibernians of New London County and the Irish Coastal Club.

Filed Under: Old Lyme, Sport

Oct. 14 COVID-19 Update: Lyme, Old Lyme Both in Gray (Lowest) Case Rate Zone for First Time Since July, But Statewide Number of Towns in Red Zone Increases

October 15, 2021 by Leave a Comment

This map, updated Oct. 14, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Old Lyme and Lyme are both in the Gray (lowest) Zone. Only cases among persons living in community settings are included in this map; the map does not include cases among people who reside in nursing home, assisted living, or correctional facilities.) Map: Ver 12.1.2020 Source: CT Department of Public Health Get the data Created with Datawrapper. Details in italics are the same for each of the maps included in this article.

LYME/OLD LYME — Updated with Ledge Light information issued Oct. 15. The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Thursday, Oct. 14, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT-DPH) for data as at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 13, has good news for both Lyme and Old Lyme. This report includes the weekly update, which is issued each Thursday.

The report shows that Old Lyme has moved down from the Orange (second highest) Zone for the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19, in which it was placed last week, to the Gray (lowest) Zone, where Lyme has been since mid-September. The last time both towns were in the Gray Zone was July 22, 2021.

See detailed description of all four zones in italics below.

Connecticut’s daily positivity rate, however, has increased from 1.70 percent last week to 2.23 this week.

Reflecting that marginal increase in the positivity rate statewide, the latest average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks (see map above) similarly shows the number of towns in the Red Zone also marginally increasing from 37 last week to 40 this week.

Old Lyme reported no new, confirmed COVID-19 cases Thursday, Oct. 14, compared with Wednesday, Oct. 13, keeping Old Lyme’s cumulative total of confirmed cases at 431 for the ninth day in succession.

Lyme also reported no new cases on Thursday, Oct. 14, and therefore maintained its cumulative total of 130 for the third day in succession.

Both Lyme and Old Lyme reported Average Daily Case Rates of less than five this week,

On Aug. 26, the cumulative total of cases in Old Lyme was 372, meaning 59 cases have been confirmed since that date. Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 meaning 16 have also been confirmed there during the same period.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools re-opened to students Aug. 26.

The Gray category is defined as when the Average Daily Rate of COVID-19 Cases Among Persons Living in Community Settings per 100,000 Population By Town is less than five or less than five reported cases.
The Yellow category is defined as when the Average Daily Rate of COVID-19 Cases Among Persons Living in Community Settings per 100,000 Population By Town is between five and nine reported cases.
The Orange category is defined as when the Average Daily Rate of COVID-19 Cases Among Persons Living in Community Settings per 100,000 Population By Town is between 10 and 14.
The Red category is defined as when the Average Daily Rate of COVID-19 Cases Among Persons Living in Community Settings per 100,000 Population By Town exceeds 15.
In all cases, this rate does not include cases or tests among residents of nursing home, assisted living, or correctional facilities.

Weekly Report from Ledge Light Health District (LLHD)

Editor’s Note: We have now received the LLHD report for this week. 

Stephen Mansfield, LLHD Director of Health,  prefaced the weekly LLHD report sent out Oct. 15, with these words, “We are happy to see a slight decrease in the number of new COVID cases.”

He added though, “It is imperative that we remain diligent in our mitigation strategies. We strongly advise everyone to wear masks indoors in public settings, regardless of vaccination status”

Mansfield also noted, “We have scheduled reoccurring COVID vaccination clinics at Ledge Light Health District every Wednesday.”.

The nine towns included in the LLHD show:

  • three in the Red Zone: Ledyard, Waterford and North Stonington;
  • three in the Orange (second highest) Zone: East Lyme, New London and Groton;
  • three in the Yellow (second lowest) Zone: Stonington;
  • two in the Gray Zone: Lyme and Old Lyme.

Vaccination Rates

Vaccination rates in Lyme and Old Lyme are encouraging with 86.5 percent of the population in Lyme having received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and the equivalent number for Old Lyme being 75.8 percent.

Percentages for the fully vaccinated are 82.0 for Lyme and 74.9 for Old Lyme.

These rates remain among the higher percentages in the state.

COVID-19 Cases Over Time: Dec. 2020-Aug. 2021

The following maps show has the picture of COVID-19 cases has gone from an almost totally red map back in Dec. 2020 to an almost all-gray map on June 17, 2021 and then back to a map with all colors represented in substantial number again.

Oct. 7

This map, updated Oct. 7, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Old Lyme has moved down to the Orange (second from highest) Zone while Lyme remains in the Gray (lowest) Zone.

The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Thursday, Oct. 7, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT-DPH) has good news for Lyme but slightly improved news for Old Lyme.

The report showed that Old Lyme had moved down from the Red (highest) Zone for the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19, in which it was placed the previous week, to the Orange (second from highest) Zone.

Lyme was still in the Gray (lowest) Zone and had had no new cases confirmed since Sept. 13.

Other signs were much more positive for our towns, with Lyme maintaining an Average Daily Case Rate of 0 (same as last week) while Old Lyme’s was 11.7 (down from 20.5 on Thursday last week.)

Connecticut’s daily positivity rate had increased from 1.26 percent last week to 1.70 this week.

Also, statewide, the latest average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks (see map above) had continued to slow with 37 towns now in the Red Zone, which was 20 less than last week’s total of 57.  On Sept. 2, the total was 91 so the trend was clearly downward, and it has now surpassed the most recent record low of 39 reported on Aug. 12.

Old Lyme reported no new, confirmed COVID-19 cases Thursday, Oct. 7, compared with Wednesday, Oct. 6, keeping Old Lyme’s cumulative total of confirmed cases at 431 for the second day in succession.

Lyme also reported no new cases on Thursday, Oct. 7, and therefore maintained its cumulative total of 129 for the 21st day in succession. There was a blip on Oct. 4 and 5, when the state reported a new case in Lyme, but the state has now corrected that error.

On Aug. 26, the cumulative total of cases in Old Lyme was 372, meaning 59 cases have been confirmed since that date. Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 meaning 15 have also been confirmed there during the same period.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools re-opened to students Aug. 26.

Sept. 30

This map, updated Sept. 30, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Old Lyme remains in the Red (highest) Zone while Lyme has moved down to the Gray (lowest) Zone.

The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Thursday, Sept. 30, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT-DPH) for data as at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29, had good news for Lyme but continuing bad news for Old Lyme.

The report showed that Old Lyme remained in the Red (highest) Zone for the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19. This was the fourth week in succession that Old Lyme had found itself in the Red Zone.

Lyme, meanwhile, had fallen from the Red (highest) Zone, in which it was placed last week, into the Gray (lowest) Zone.

Other signs were much more positive for our towns, however. Lyme now had an Average Daily Case Rate of 0 (down from 18.5 on Thursday last week) while Old Lyme’s was 20.5 (down from 22.5 on Thursday last week.)

Lyme had no new cases confirmed since Sept. 13; Old Lyme’s cumulative total has held steady since Sept. 27.

Statewide, there was also good news. Connecticut’s daily positivity rate stood at 1.26 percent down from 2.28 percent on Thursday last week.

Also, statewide, the latest average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks (see map above) continued to slow with 57 towns now in the Red Zone, which is 24 less than last week’s total of 81.  On Sept. 2, the total was 91 so the trend is clearly downward, although it is still up from the 39 reported on Aug. 12.

Old Lyme reported no new, confirmed COVID-19 cases Thursday, Sept. 30, compared with Wednesday, Sept. 29. keeping Old Lyme’s cumulative total of confirmed cases at 426 for the fourth day in succession.

Lyme also reported no new cases on Thursday, Sept. 30, and therefore maintained its cumulative total of 129 for the 14th day in succession.

On Aug. 26, the cumulative total of cases in Old Lyme was 372, meaning 54 cases have been confirmed since that date. Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 meaning 15 have also been confirmed there during the same period.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools re-opened to students Aug. 26.

Sept. 23

This map, updated Sept. 23, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme have moved into the Red (highest) Zone.

The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Thursday, Sept. 23, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health  (CT-DPH) for data as at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22, showed the following:

Both towns remained in the Red (highest) Zone for the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19. This was the third week in succession that both towns had found themselves in the Red Zone.

Lyme had an Average Daily Case Rate of 18.5 (down from 43.2 on Thursday last week) while Old Lyme’s was 22.5 (down from 30.3 on Thursday last week.) A rate over 15.0 places a town in the Red Zone.

Connecticut’s daily positivity rate stood at 2.28 percent down from 2.93 percent on Thursday last week.

Statewide, the latest average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks (see map above) had continued to slow marginally with 81 towns now in the Red Zone, which is three down from the  previous week’s total of 84.  On Sept. 2, the total was 91 so the trend was undoubtedly downward although it was still up significantly from the 39 reported on Aug. 12.

Old Lyme reported no new, confirmed COVID-19 cases Thursday, Sept. 23, compared with Wednesday, Sept. 22. keeping Old Lyme’s cumulative total of confirmed cases at 419. This was the first day that there had not been a single new case reported in a 24-hour period in Old Lyme since Aug. 26.

Lyme also reported no new cases on Thursday, Sept. 23, and therefore maintained its cumulative total of 129 for the fourth day in succession.

On Aug. 26, the cumulative number of cases in Old Lyme was 372 meaning 47 cases had been reported since that date, while 12 had also been confirmed in Lyme during the same period.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools re-opened to students Aug. 26.

Sept. 16

This map, updated Sept. 16, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme have moved into the Red (highest) Zone.

The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Thursday, Sept. 16, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health  (CT-DPH) showed the following:

Both towns remained in the Red (highest) Zone for the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19. This is the second week in succession that both towns found themselves in the Red Zone. See detailed description of the zones in italics below.

Lyme had an Average Daily Case Rate of 43.2 while Old Lyme’s was 30.3. A rate over 15 places a town in the Red Zone.

Connecticut’s daily positivity rate stood at 2.93 percent, down from 3.36 on Thursday last week.

Despite this poor situation locally, statewide, the latest average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks (see map above) remained relatively constant over the past week with 84 towns now in the Red Zone, which was only one higher than last week’s total of 83.

Old Lyme reported four new, confirmed COVID-19 cases Thursday, Sept.16, since the previous CT DPH report issued Wednesday, Sept. 15. This means Old Lyme’s cumulative total of confirmed cases rose to 411, while Lyme reported no new cases and therefore kept its cumulative total at 129.

On Aug. 26, the cumulative number of cases in Old Lyme was 372 meaning 39 cases have been reported since that date, while 12 have also been confirmed in Lyme during the same period.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools re-opened to students Aug. 26.

Sept. 9

This map, updated Sept. 9, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme have moved into the Red (highest) Zone.

The Daily Data Report issued Thursday, Sept. 9, by the Connecticut Department of Health (CT DPH) showed the following:

These 47 towns were in the Orange (second highest) Zone: Avon, Bethlehem, Bloomfield, Branford, Bridgeport, Brookfield, Burlington, Colchester, Danbury, Durham, East Haddam, East Lyme, East Windsor, Easton, Ellington, Fairfield, Farmington, Greenwich, Groton, Hamden, Killingly, Killingworth, Lebanon, New Milford, Newington, North Canaan, Old Saybrook, Pomfret, Portland, Salem, Shelton, Sherman, Simsbury, Somers, South Windsor, Southbury, Stamford, Stonington, Suffield, Tolland, Washington, West Hartford, Wethersfield, Willington, Wilton, Windsor Locks and Woodstock.

These 19 towns were in the Yellow (second lowest) Zone: Bethany, Bethel, Canton, Clinton, Coventry, Darien, Essex, Guilford, Haddam, Madison, Mansfield, New Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield, Thompson, Westbrook, Westport, Winchester and Woodbury.

These 20 towns were in the Gray (lowest) Zone: Andover, Barkhamsted, Bridgewater, Canaan, Chester, Colebrook, Cornwall, Deep River, Eastford, Goshen, Granby, Hampton, Hartland, Kent, Middlefield, Morris, Norfolk, Roxbury, Scotland and Weston.

All other towns in the state, including Lyme and Old Lyme, were in the Red (highest) Zone.

Sept. 2

This map, updated Sept. 2, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Lyme is still in the (lowest) Gray Zone, while Old Lyme has moved back down into the Yellow Zone.

The map above is from Sept. 2 when 91 towns were in the Red Zone, which is down one from 92 a week ago on Aug. 26, but still up significantly from 73  on Aug. 19, and 39 on Aug. 12.

Connecticut’s seven-day positivity rate stood at 3.36 percent, down from 3.52 last week.

Old Lyme had fallen to the Yellow (second lowest) Zone along with 10 other towns. This total of 11 towns is unchanged from last week, when Old Lyme was in the Orange Zone.

Lyme was in the Gray (lowest) Zone. This was the 24th straight week for Lyme in the Gray Zone. Again, this total of 20 towns in the Gray Zone was unchanged from last week.

Forty-seven towns were in the Orange (second highest) Zone.

Aug. 26

This map, updated Aug. 26, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Lyme is still in the (lowest) Gray Zone, while Old Lyme has moved back down into the Yellow Zone.

The map above is from Aug. 26, when Old Lyme was in the Orange (second highest case rate) Zone with a daily case rate per 100,000 of 10.8. Other towns in the Orange Zone, which are within the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD), were East Lyme (12.4), North Stonington (13.7) and Stonington (14.2).

Towns in the Red Zone in the LLHD were Groton – Town & City (15.6), New London (31.1), and Ledyard (25.9). Locally, Norwich, Montville and Waterford were also categorized as red, but they are not in the LLHD.

Eleven Connecticut towns were in the Yellow (second lowest) Zone down from 20the previous week. Locally, these included Deep River, Old Saybrook and Haddam.

The remaining 20 towns in the state, including Lyme, were in the Gray (lowest rate) Zone. This was the 23rd straight week for Lyme in the Gray Zone.

Aug. 19

This map, updated Aug. 19, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Lyme is still in the (lowest) Gray Zone, while Old Lyme has moved back into the Orange Zone.

The map above is from Aug. 19 when Old Lyme was back in the Orange (second highest case rate) Zone with a two-week case rate per 100,000 of 11.7. Other towns in the Orange Zone, which are within the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD), were East Lyme (10.4) and Stonington (12.7).

Almost 50 towns in the state remained in the Orange Zone, which was around the same number as the previous week including non-LLHD members Westbrook, Old Saybrook, Chester, and Salem locally.

Towns in the Red Zone in the LLHD were Groton – Town & City (15.6), New London (26.3), Ledyard (21.0), and North Stonington (17.9). Locally, Norwich and Waterford were also categorized as red, but they are not in the LLHD.

Less than 20 Connecticut towns were in the Yellow (second lowest) Zone down from 40 the previous week. Locally, these included including Deep River, Essex and East Haddam.

The remaining 20 towns in the state, including Lyme, are in the Gray (lowest rate) Zone. This was the 22nd straight week for Lyme in the Gray Zone.

Aug. 12

The map below is from Aug. 12 and shows that Old Lyme had fallen out of the Orange (second highest case rate) Zone into the Yellow (second lowest) Zone — but only by a fraction. Old Lyme’s two-week case rate per 100,000 was 9.8 — if it were 10.0, then it would have still been in the Orange Zone.

Towns in the Red Zone, which are within the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD), included New London, Ledyard, Stonington and North Stonington. Locally, Norwich and Waterford were also categorized as red, but they are not in the LLHD.

Other towns in the red category included Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Cheshire, East Haven, Easton, Hartford, Meriden, Middletown, New Britain, New Haven, North Branford, North Haven, Norwich, Plymouth, Stamford, Thomaston and Waterbury. At least three of these towns — Easton, Hartford and Thomaston — were in the Red Zone for the second consecutive week.

Almost 50 towns were in the Orange (second highest case rate) Zone — up from 33 the previous week — including Westbrook and Salem locally.

Old Lyme joined the Yellow (second lowest) Zone along with around 40 other Connecticut towns, including Old Saybrook, East Lyme, and Essex.

All remaining towns in the state, including Lyme, along with Deep River and Chester, were in the Gray (lowest rate) Zone. This was the 21st straight week for Lyme in the Gray Zone.

This map, updated Aug. 12, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Lyme is still in the (lowest) Gray Zone, but Old Lyme has moved into the Orange Zone.

Aug. 5

The map below is from Aug. 5 when six towns were in the Red (highest case rate) Zone (the previous week’s number was four) and 33 in the Orange (second highest case rate) Zone — the previous week’s number was four.

The towns in the Red Zone were East Hampton, Easton, Hampton, Hartford, Hartland, North Stonington*, and Thomaston.

There were 33 towns in the Orange Zone including Old Lyme, Waterford, New London, Groton, Ledyard and Stonington, all of which are in the Ledge Light Health District, as are the towns denoted with an * in the other zones.

East Lyme* had reentered the Yellow (second lowest) Zone along with more than 50 other Connecticut towns.

All remaining towns in the state, including Lyme*, were in the Gray (lowest rate) Zone. This was the 20th straight week for Lyme in the Gray Zone.

This map, updated Aug. 5, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Lyme is still in the (lowest) Gray Zone, but Old Lyme has moved into the Orange Zone.

July 29

The map below is from July 29, when four towns were in the Red Zone –Harland, Salem, Bozrah and Sprague — and four towns were in the Orange Zone — Easton, East Hampton, Ledyard and Thompson.

Old Lyme had reentered the Yellow (second lowest) Zone along with more than 50 other Connecticut towns. All remaining towns in the state, including Lyme, were in the Gray (lowest rate) Zone. This was the 19th straight week for Lyme in the Gray Zone.

This map, updated July 29, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Lyme is still in the (lowest) Gray Zone, but Old Lyme has moved into the Yellow Zone.

July 22

The map below is from July 22, when two towns, Franklin and Salem, were in the Red Zone (indicating the highest rate of COVID-19 new cases), which is up one from the previous week, and Andover remained in the (second highest rate) Orange Zone (down from two towns last week.)

Eight towns were in the Yellow Zone (indicating the lowest but one rate of COVID-19 new cases), which is up from two last week. They were Clinton, East Hampton, Manchester, Newington, Stonington, Westbrook, Windsor and Windsor Locks.

This map, updated July 22, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

July 15

The map below is from July 15, when one town, Franklin, was in the Red Zone (indicating the highest rate of COVID-19 new cases) and another two, Salem and Andover, were in the (second highest rate) Orange Zone. New Hartford and Griswold were in the Yellow Zone (indicating the lowest but one rate of COVID-19 new cases.)

This map, updated July 15, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

The map below is from July 8, when New Hartford was the sole town in the Yellow Zone.

This map, updated July 8, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

The map below is from July 1, when Marlborough and Prospect were in the Yellow Zone.

This map, updated July 1, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

The map below is from June 24, when Somers, Prospect and Bolton were in the Yellow Zone.

This map, updated June 24, shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

This is the June 17 map, when just one town, Bolton, was in the Yellow Zone.

This map, updated June 17, shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

For comparison, the map below is from June 3 and shows one town, Waterbury, in the Orange Zone and 21 towns in the Yellow Zone, down from 48 the previous week. The towns in the Yellow Zone were: Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bloomfield, Brooklyn, Coventry, Cromwell, Derby, East Hartford, East Haven, Granby, Hamden, Hartford, Manchester, New Britain, New Haven, New London, Putnam, Rocky Hill, Shelton, Waterford and Windsor.

This map, updated June 3, shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the previous two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

Below is the map from May 27 that showed one town in the Red Zone, Putnam, and 10 towns in the Orange Zone.

This map, updated May 27, shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme were still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

Compare the maps above with the one we published Dec. 18, 2020 to see the remarkable progress that has been made with controlling the spread of the virus through expansion of vaccination rates and improved mitigation strategies.

Map of Connecticut dated Dec. 17, 2020 showing both Lyme and Old Lyme now in the CT DPH-identified ‘Red Zone.’ This is defined as when the Average Daily Rate of COVID-19 Cases Among Persons Living in Community Settings per 100,000 Population By Town is over 15.

The following link provides centralized access to Connecticut COVID data: https://data.ct.gov/stories/s/COVID-19-data/wa3g-tfvc/

Filed Under: COVID-19, Lyme, News, Old Lyme, Top Story

Oct. 13 COVID-19 Update: No New Cases in Either Town; Old Lyme Holds at 431, Lyme at 130

October 13, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Photo by CDC on Unsplash,

LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Report issued Wedesday, Oct. 13, at 4 p.m. by the Connecticut Department of Health (CT DPH) shows no new confirmed COVID-19 cases in either Lyme or Old Lyme compared with Tuesday’s number of 130 and 431 respectively.,

Old Lyme maintained its cumulative total at 431 cases for the fourth consecutive reporting day. Lyme’s had increased to 130 on Tuesday.

The state does not issue reports over the weekend nor on public holidays. The next report from CT DPH will be Thursday, Oct. 14, at around 4 p.m. and will include weekly updates.

On Aug. 26, Old Lyme’s cumulative case total stood at 372, meaning there have been 59 new cases there since that date. Meanwhile, Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 indicating 16 new cases have also been confirmed there during the same period.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools started the new academic year Aug. 26.

COVID-19 Cases in Lyme-Old Lyme Schools

This is the latest information that we have with the most recent cases first — there may have been further updates, however, which we have not yet received.

On Wednesday, Oct. 5, Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser informed the school community that a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Lyme-Old Lyme High School had been reported the previous evening.

On Thursday, Sept. 16, Neviaser informed the school community that a previously reported positive case of COVID-19 is now impacting Mile Creek School and Center School.

On Monday, Sept. 13, a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School, which had been reported the previous day, was announced.

On Wednesday, Sept. 1,  a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Mile Creek School was announced.

On Tuesday, Aug. 31, Neviaser informed the school community that late on Monday, Aug. 30, a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Lyme-Old Lyme High School had been reported.

On Saturday, Aug. 28, Neviaser informed the school community that late on Friday, Aug. 27, a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Lyme School had been reported.

In all cases, contact tracing was completed and those individuals who needed to quarantine were notified. They will be able to return to school following their quarantine period. All other students and staff will continue to attend school as scheduled.

Fatalities Due to COVID-19 in Lyme, Old Lyme

There is no change in the number of fatalities reported in either Lyme (0) or Old Lyme (3).

The first two fatalities from Old Lyme, which were reported in 2020, were a 61-year-old female and an 82-year-old male. Details of the third, which was reported in 2021, have not been made available.

Visit this link for our Oct. 8 update, which includes statewide data.

Filed Under: COVID-19, Lyme, News, Old Lyme

Oct. 12 COVID-19 Update: One New Case in Lyme Takes Cumulative Total to 130; OL Holds Steady at 431

October 13, 2021 by 1 Comment

Photo by CDC on Unsplash,

LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Report issued Tuesday, Oct. 12, at 4 p.m. by the Connecticut Department of Health (CT DPH) shows one new confirmed COVID-19 case in Lyme over Friday’s number of 129, taking the cumulative total for the town to 130. This is the first new confirmed case in Lyme since Sept. 13. (The CT DPH previously reported a new case in Lyme on Oct. 4, then deleted it on Oct. 6.)

Old Lyme maintained its cumulative total at 431 cases for the third consecutive reporting day.

The state does not issue reports over the weekend nor on public holidays so Tuesday’s report is the first since Friday, Oct. 8. The next report will be Wednesday, Oct. 13, at around 4 p.m..

On Aug. 26, Old Lyme’s cumulative case total stood at 372, meaning there have been 59 new cases there since that date. Meanwhile, Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 indicating 16 new cases have also been confirmed there during the same period.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools started the new academic year Aug. 26.

COVID-19 Cases in Lyme-Old Lyme Schools

This is the latest information that we have with the most recent cases first — there may have been further updates, however, which we have not yet received.

On Wednesday, Oct. 5, Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser informed the school community that a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Lyme-Old Lyme High School had been reported the previous evening.

On Thursday, Sept. 16, Neviaser informed the school community that a previously reported positive case of COVID-19 is now impacting Mile Creek School and Center School.

On Monday, Sept. 13, a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School, which had been reported the previous day, was announced.

On Wednesday, Sept. 1,  a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Mile Creek School was announced.

On Tuesday, Aug. 31, Neviaser informed the school community that late on Monday, Aug. 30, a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Lyme-Old Lyme High School had been reported.

On Saturday, Aug. 28, Neviaser informed the school community that late on Friday, Aug. 27, a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Lyme School had been reported.

In all cases, contact tracing was completed and those individuals who needed to quarantine were notified. They will be able to return to school following their quarantine period. All other students and staff will continue to attend school as scheduled.

Fatalities Due to COVID-19 in Lyme, Old Lyme

There is no change in the number of fatalities reported in either Lyme (0) or Old Lyme (3).

The first two fatalities from Old Lyme, which were reported in 2020, were a 61-year-old female and an 82-year-old male. Details of the third, which was reported in 2021, have not been made available.

Visit this link for our Oct. 8 update, which includes statewide data.

Filed Under: COVID-19, Lyme, Old Lyme

Old Lyme Soccer Girls Crush Westbrook 5-0

October 11, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Freshman Kate Walsh passes the ball to senior Abby Manthous in Monday’s game against Westbrook. All photos by Elizabeth Mauro.

OLD LYME — Playing on their home field Monday afternoon, the Old Lyme girls emphatically defeated the Westbrook Knights 5-0.

The scoring started in the first half when Alexis Fenton scored a goal off an assist from Livie Bass with 28:22 left on the clock. Fenton then reversed roles and made the assist off which Kate Walsh scored the second goal with 7:23 left in the half.

With the score at 2-0 at the half-time whistle, the game could still have gone either way.

Stephanie Mauro (#18) scored the third goal unassisted.

But Steph Mauro tipped the balance when she opened the scoring in the second half with an unassisted goal just 15 seconds after the whistle was blown.

Callie Bass then scored a goal off a pass from Kanon O’Haru with 11 minutes left.

Zoe Eastman-Grossel rounded off the scoring with seven minutes left when she netted a goal off a pass from Kate Walsh.

Freshman goalie Oliva Kelly had four saves for Old Lyme.

Old Lyme is now 6-0-4.

The Wildcats next game is Thursday, Oct. 14, at home against Hale Ray.

Filed Under: Lyme, News, Old Lyme, Sport

Oct. 8 COVID-19 Update: Old Lyme Falls From Red (Highest) to Orange (2nd Highest) Case Rate Zone, Lyme Stays in Lowest; One New Case in OL Takes Cumulative Total to 431, Lyme Holds at 129

October 9, 2021 by Leave a Comment

This map, updated Oct. 8, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Old Lyme has moved down to the Orange (second from highest) Zone while Lyme remains in the Gray (lowest) Zone. Only cases among persons living in community settings are included in this map; the map does not include cases among people who reside in nursing home, assisted living, or correctional facilities.) Map: Ver 12.1.2020 Source: CT Department of Public Health Get the data Created with Datawrapper. Details in italics are the same for each of the maps included in this article.

LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Thursday, Oct. 8, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT-DPH) for data as at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, has good news for Lyme but slightly improved news for Old Lyme. This report includes the weekly update, which is issued each Thursday.

The report shows that Old Lyme has moved down from the Red (highest) Zone for the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19, in which it was placed last week, to the Orange (second from highest) Zone.

Lyme, meanwhile is still in the Gray (lowest) Zone and has had no new cases confirmed since Sept. 13.

See detailed description of all four zones in italics below.

Other signs are much more positive for our towns, with Lyme maintaining an Average Daily Case Rate of 0 (same as last week) while Old Lyme’s is 11.7 (down from 20.5 on Thursday last week.)

Connecticut’s daily positivity rate, however, has increased from 1.26 percent last week to 1.70 this week.

Also, statewide, the latest average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks (see map above) has continued to slow with 37 towns now in the Red Zone, which is 20 less than last week’s total of 57.  On Sept. 2, the total was 91 so the trend is clearly downward, and it has now surpassed the most recent record low of 39 reported on Aug. 12.

Old Lyme reported no new, confirmed COVID-19 cases Thursday, Oct. 7, compared with Wednesday, Oct. 6, keeping Old Lyme’s cumulative total of confirmed cases at 431 for the second day in succession.

Lyme also reported no new cases on Thursday, Oct. 7, and therefore maintained its cumulative total of 129 for the 121st day in succession. There was a blip on Oct. 4 and 5, when the state reported a new case in Lyme, but the state has now corrected that error.

On Aug. 26, the cumulative total of cases in Old Lyme was 372, meaning 59 cases have been confirmed since that date. Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 meaning 15 have also been confirmed there during the same period.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools re-opened to students Aug. 26.

The Gray category is defined as when the Average Daily Rate of COVID-19 Cases Among Persons Living in Community Settings per 100,000 Population By Town is less than five or less than five reported cases.
The Yellow category is defined as when the Average Daily Rate of COVID-19 Cases Among Persons Living in Community Settings per 100,000 Population By Town is between five and nine reported cases.
The Orange category is defined as when the Average Daily Rate of COVID-19 Cases Among Persons Living in Community Settings per 100,000 Population By Town is between 10 and 14.
The Red category is defined as when the Average Daily Rate of COVID-19 Cases Among Persons Living in Community Settings per 100,000 Population By Town exceeds 15.
In all cases, this rate does not include cases or tests among residents of nursing home, assisted living, or correctional facilities.

Weekly Report from Ledge Light Health District (LLHD)

Stephen Mansfield, LLHD Director of Health,  prefaced the weekly LLHD report sent out Oct. 9, with these words, “We are happy to see a steadily decreasing number of new COVID cases.”

He added though, “It is imperative that we remain diligent in our mitigation strategies. We strongly advise everyone to wear masks indoors in public settings, regardless of vaccination status”

Mansfield also noted, “LLHD encourages everyone 12 and older to get vaccinated. Information regarding vaccination opportunities and other relevant information can be found at Ledge Light Health District | Promoting Healthy Communities (llhd.org)

The nine towns included in the LLHD show:

  • two in the Red Zone: New London and Ledyard;
  • three in the Orange (second highest) Zone: Old Lyme, Waterford, and Groton;
  • three in the Yellow Zone: East Lyme, Stonington and North Stonington;
  • and Lyme all on its own in the Gray Zone.

Vaccination Rates

Vaccination rates in Lyme and Old Lyme are encouraging with 86.83 percent of the population in Lyme having received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and the equivalent number for Old Lyme being 79.28 percent.

Percentages for the fully vaccinated are 81.9 for Lyme and 74.9 for Old Lyme.

These rates remain among the higher percentages in the state.

COVID-19 Cases Over Time: Dec. 2020-Aug. 2021

The following maps show has the picture of COVID-19 cases has gone from an almost totally red map back in Dec. 2020 to an almost all-gray map on June 17, 2021 and then back to a map with all colors represented in substantial number again.

Sept. 30

 

This map, updated Sept. 30, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Old Lyme remains in the Red (highest) Zone while Lyme has moved down to the Gray (lowest) Zone.

The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Thursday, Sept. 30, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT-DPH) for data as at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29, had good news for Lyme but continuing bad news for Old Lyme.

The report showed that Old Lyme remained in the Red (highest) Zone for the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19. This was the fourth week in succession that Old Lyme had found itself in the Red Zone.

Lyme, meanwhile, had fallen from the Red (highest) Zone, in which it was placed last week, into the Gray (lowest) Zone.

Other signs were much more positive for our towns, however. Lyme now had an Average Daily Case Rate of 0 (down from 18.5 on Thursday last week) while Old Lyme’s was 20.5 (down from 22.5 on Thursday last week.)

Lyme had no new cases confirmed since Sept. 13; Old Lyme’s cumulative total has held steady since Sept. 27.

Statewide, there was also good news. Connecticut’s daily positivity rate stood at 1.26 percent down from 2.28 percent on Thursday last week.

Also, statewide, the latest average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks (see map above) continued to slow with 57 towns now in the Red Zone, which is 24 less than last week’s total of 81.  On Sept. 2, the total was 91 so the trend is clearly downward, although it is still up from the 39 reported on Aug. 12.

Old Lyme reported no new, confirmed COVID-19 cases Thursday, Sept. 30, compared with Wednesday, Sept. 29. keeping Old Lyme’s cumulative total of confirmed cases at 426 for the fourth day in succession.

Lyme also reported no new cases on Thursday, Sept. 30, and therefore maintained its cumulative total of 129 for the 14th day in succession.

On Aug. 26, the cumulative total of cases in Old Lyme was 372, meaning 54 cases have been confirmed since that date. Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 meaning 15 have also been confirmed there during the same period.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools re-opened to students Aug. 26.

Sept. 23

This map, updated Sept. 23, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme have moved into the Red (highest) Zone.

The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Thursday, Sept. 23, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health  (CT-DPH) for data as at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22, showed the following:

Both towns remained in the Red (highest) Zone for the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19. This was the third week in succession that both towns had found themselves in the Red Zone.

Lyme had an Average Daily Case Rate of 18.5 (down from 43.2 on Thursday last week) while Old Lyme’s was 22.5 (down from 30.3 on Thursday last week.) A rate over 15.0 places a town in the Red Zone.

Connecticut’s daily positivity rate stood at 2.28 percent down from 2.93 percent on Thursday last week.

Statewide, the latest average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks (see map above) had continued to slow marginally with 81 towns now in the Red Zone, which is three down from the  previous week’s total of 84.  On Sept. 2, the total was 91 so the trend was undoubtedly downward although it was still up significantly from the 39 reported on Aug. 12.

Old Lyme reported no new, confirmed COVID-19 cases Thursday, Sept. 23, compared with Wednesday, Sept. 22. keeping Old Lyme’s cumulative total of confirmed cases at 419. This was the first day that there had not been a single new case reported in a 24-hour period in Old Lyme since Aug. 26.

Lyme also reported no new cases on Thursday, Sept. 23, and therefore maintained its cumulative total of 129 for the fourth day in succession.

On Aug. 26, the cumulative number of cases in Old Lyme was 372 meaning 47 cases had been reported since that date, while 12 had also been confirmed in Lyme during the same period.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools re-opened to students Aug. 26.

Sept. 16

This map, updated Sept. 16, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme have moved into the Red (highest) Zone.

The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Thursday, Sept. 16, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health  (CT-DPH) showed the following:

Both towns remained in the Red (highest) Zone for the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19. This is the second week in succession that both towns found themselves in the Red Zone. See detailed description of the zones in italics below.

Lyme had an Average Daily Case Rate of 43.2 while Old Lyme’s was 30.3. A rate over 15 places a town in the Red Zone.

Connecticut’s daily positivity rate stood at 2.93 percent, down from 3.36 on Thursday last week.

Despite this poor situation locally, statewide, the latest average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks (see map above) remained relatively constant over the past week with 84 towns now in the Red Zone, which was only one higher than last week’s total of 83.

Old Lyme reported four new, confirmed COVID-19 cases Thursday, Sept.16, since the previous CT DPH report issued Wednesday, Sept. 15. This means Old Lyme’s cumulative total of confirmed cases rose to 411, while Lyme reported no new cases and therefore kept its cumulative total at 129.

On Aug. 26, the cumulative number of cases in Old Lyme was 372 meaning 39 cases have been reported since that date, while 12 have also been confirmed in Lyme during the same period.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools re-opened to students Aug. 26.

Sept. 9

This map, updated Sept. 9, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme have moved into the Red (highest) Zone.

The Daily Data Report issued Thursday, Sept. 9, by the Connecticut Department of Health (CT DPH) showed the following:

These 47 towns were in the Orange (second highest) Zone: Avon, Bethlehem, Bloomfield, Branford, Bridgeport, Brookfield, Burlington, Colchester, Danbury, Durham, East Haddam, East Lyme, East Windsor, Easton, Ellington, Fairfield, Farmington, Greenwich, Groton, Hamden, Killingly, Killingworth, Lebanon, New Milford, Newington, North Canaan, Old Saybrook, Pomfret, Portland, Salem, Shelton, Sherman, Simsbury, Somers, South Windsor, Southbury, Stamford, Stonington, Suffield, Tolland, Washington, West Hartford, Wethersfield, Willington, Wilton, Windsor Locks and Woodstock.

These 19 towns were in the Yellow (second lowest) Zone: Bethany, Bethel, Canton, Clinton, Coventry, Darien, Essex, Guilford, Haddam, Madison, Mansfield, New Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield, Thompson, Westbrook, Westport, Winchester and Woodbury.

These 20 towns were in the Gray (lowest) Zone: Andover, Barkhamsted, Bridgewater, Canaan, Chester, Colebrook, Cornwall, Deep River, Eastford, Goshen, Granby, Hampton, Hartland, Kent, Middlefield, Morris, Norfolk, Roxbury, Scotland and Weston.

All other towns in the state, including Lyme and Old Lyme, were in the Red (highest) Zone.

Sept. 2

This map, updated Sept. 2, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Lyme is still in the (lowest) Gray Zone, while Old Lyme has moved back down into the Yellow Zone.

The map above is from Sept. 2 when 91 towns were in the Red Zone, which is down one from 92 a week ago on Aug. 26, but still up significantly from 73  on Aug. 19, and 39 on Aug. 12.

Connecticut’s seven-day positivity rate stood at 3.36 percent, down from 3.52 last week.

Old Lyme had fallen to the Yellow (second lowest) Zone along with 10 other towns. This total of 11 towns is unchanged from last week, when Old Lyme was in the Orange Zone.

Lyme was in the Gray (lowest) Zone. This was the 24th straight week for Lyme in the Gray Zone. Again, this total of 20 towns in the Gray Zone was unchanged from last week.

Forty-seven towns were in the Orange (second highest) Zone.

Aug. 26

This map, updated Aug. 26, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Lyme is still in the (lowest) Gray Zone, while Old Lyme has moved back down into the Yellow Zone.

The map above is from Aug. 26, when Old Lyme was in the Orange (second highest case rate) Zone with a daily case rate per 100,000 of 10.8. Other towns in the Orange Zone, which are within the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD), were East Lyme (12.4), North Stonington (13.7) and Stonington (14.2).

Towns in the Red Zone in the LLHD were Groton – Town & City (15.6), New London (31.1), and Ledyard (25.9). Locally, Norwich, Montville and Waterford were also categorized as red, but they are not in the LLHD.

Eleven Connecticut towns were in the Yellow (second lowest) Zone down from 20the previous week. Locally, these included Deep River, Old Saybrook and Haddam.

The remaining 20 towns in the state, including Lyme, were in the Gray (lowest rate) Zone. This was the 23rd straight week for Lyme in the Gray Zone.

Aug. 19

This map, updated Aug. 19, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Lyme is still in the (lowest) Gray Zone, while Old Lyme has moved back into the Orange Zone.

The map above is from Aug. 19 when Old Lyme was back in the Orange (second highest case rate) Zone with a two-week case rate per 100,000 of 11.7. Other towns in the Orange Zone, which are within the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD), were East Lyme (10.4) and Stonington (12.7).

Almost 50 towns in the state remained in the Orange Zone, which was around the same number as the previous week including non-LLHD members Westbrook, Old Saybrook, Chester, and Salem locally.

Towns in the Red Zone in the LLHD were Groton – Town & City (15.6), New London (26.3), Ledyard (21.0), and North Stonington (17.9). Locally, Norwich and Waterford were also categorized as red, but they are not in the LLHD.

Less than 20 Connecticut towns were in the Yellow (second lowest) Zone down from 40 the previous week. Locally, these included including Deep River, Essex and East Haddam.

The remaining 20 towns in the state, including Lyme, are in the Gray (lowest rate) Zone. This was the 22nd straight week for Lyme in the Gray Zone.

Aug. 12

The map below is from Aug. 12 and shows that Old Lyme had fallen out of the Orange (second highest case rate) Zone into the Yellow (second lowest) Zone — but only by a fraction. Old Lyme’s two-week case rate per 100,000 was 9.8 — if it were 10.0, then it would have still been in the Orange Zone.

Towns in the Red Zone, which are within the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD), included New London, Ledyard, Stonington and North Stonington. Locally, Norwich and Waterford were also categorized as red, but they are not in the LLHD.

Other towns in the red category included Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Cheshire, East Haven, Easton, Hartford, Meriden, Middletown, New Britain, New Haven, North Branford, North Haven, Norwich, Plymouth, Stamford, Thomaston and Waterbury. At least three of these towns — Easton, Hartford and Thomaston — were in the Red Zone for the second consecutive week.

Almost 50 towns were in the Orange (second highest case rate) Zone — up from 33 the previous week — including Westbrook and Salem locally.

Old Lyme joined the Yellow (second lowest) Zone along with around 40 other Connecticut towns, including Old Saybrook, East Lyme, and Essex.

All remaining towns in the state, including Lyme, along with Deep River and Chester, were in the Gray (lowest rate) Zone. This was the 21st straight week for Lyme in the Gray Zone.

This map, updated Aug. 12, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Lyme is still in the (lowest) Gray Zone, but Old Lyme has moved into the Orange Zone.

Aug. 5

The map below is from Aug. 5 when six towns were in the Red (highest case rate) Zone (the previous week’s number was four) and 33 in the Orange (second highest case rate) Zone — the previous week’s number was four.

The towns in the Red Zone were East Hampton, Easton, Hampton, Hartford, Hartland, North Stonington*, and Thomaston.

There were 33 towns in the Orange Zone including Old Lyme, Waterford, New London, Groton, Ledyard and Stonington, all of which are in the Ledge Light Health District, as are the towns denoted with an * in the other zones.

East Lyme* had reentered the Yellow (second lowest) Zone along with more than 50 other Connecticut towns.

All remaining towns in the state, including Lyme*, were in the Gray (lowest rate) Zone. This was the 20th straight week for Lyme in the Gray Zone.

This map, updated Aug. 5, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Lyme is still in the (lowest) Gray Zone, but Old Lyme has moved into the Orange Zone.

July 29

The map below is from July 29, when four towns were in the Red Zone –Harland, Salem, Bozrah and Sprague — and four towns were in the Orange Zone — Easton, East Hampton, Ledyard and Thompson.

Old Lyme had reentered the Yellow (second lowest) Zone along with more than 50 other Connecticut towns. All remaining towns in the state, including Lyme, were in the Gray (lowest rate) Zone. This was the 19th straight week for Lyme in the Gray Zone.

This map, updated July 29, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Lyme is still in the (lowest) Gray Zone, but Old Lyme has moved into the Yellow Zone.

July 22

The map below is from July 22, when two towns, Franklin and Salem, were in the Red Zone (indicating the highest rate of COVID-19 new cases), which is up one from the previous week, and Andover remained in the (second highest rate) Orange Zone (down from two towns last week.)

Eight towns were in the Yellow Zone (indicating the lowest but one rate of COVID-19 new cases), which is up from two last week. They were Clinton, East Hampton, Manchester, Newington, Stonington, Westbrook, Windsor and Windsor Locks.

This map, updated July 22, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

July 15

The map below is from July 15, when one town, Franklin, was in the Red Zone (indicating the highest rate of COVID-19 new cases) and another two, Salem and Andover, were in the (second highest rate) Orange Zone. New Hartford and Griswold were in the Yellow Zone (indicating the lowest but one rate of COVID-19 new cases.)

This map, updated July 15, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

The map below is from July 8, when New Hartford was the sole town in the Yellow Zone.

This map, updated July 8, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

The map below is from July 1, when Marlborough and Prospect were in the Yellow Zone.

This map, updated July 1, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

The map below is from June 24, when Somers, Prospect and Bolton were in the Yellow Zone.

This map, updated June 24, shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

This is the June 17 map, when just one town, Bolton, was in the Yellow Zone.

This map, updated June 17, shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

For comparison, the map below is from June 3 and shows one town, Waterbury, in the Orange Zone and 21 towns in the Yellow Zone, down from 48 the previous week. The towns in the Yellow Zone were: Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bloomfield, Brooklyn, Coventry, Cromwell, Derby, East Hartford, East Haven, Granby, Hamden, Hartford, Manchester, New Britain, New Haven, New London, Putnam, Rocky Hill, Shelton, Waterford and Windsor.

This map, updated June 3, shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the previous two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

Below is the map from May 27 that showed one town in the Red Zone, Putnam, and 10 towns in the Orange Zone.

This map, updated May 27, shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme were still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

Compare the maps above with the one we published Dec. 18, 2020 to see the remarkable progress that has been made with controlling the spread of the virus through expansion of vaccination rates and improved mitigation strategies.

Map of Connecticut dated Dec. 17, 2020 showing both Lyme and Old Lyme now in the CT DPH-identified ‘Red Zone.’ This is defined as when the Average Daily Rate of COVID-19 Cases Among Persons Living in Community Settings per 100,000 Population By Town is over 15.

The following link provides centralized access to Connecticut COVID data: https://data.ct.gov/stories/s/COVID-19-data/wa3g-tfvc/

Filed Under: COVID-19, Lyme, Old Lyme, Top Story

Girl’s Soccer: With Six Goals in Four Games, Fenton Continues Her Scoring Ways as Old Lyme Defeat H-K

October 9, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Alexis Fenton has been a major feature in Old Lyme’s scoring success this season.

LYME/OLD LYME — The Old Lyme girls notched another victory this past Thursday (Oct. 7) afternoon moving to a season record of five wins, four ties and no losses. Playing Haddam-Killingworth (H-K) away, and although down one goal at the end of the first half, Old Lyme ended the game with a 3-1 victory.

H-K scored the lone goal in the first half off a deflected corner kick.

Then in the second half, Old Lyme’s Kate Walsh scored off an assist from Steph Mauro within the first five minutes in the second half. Alexis Fenton followed with an unassisted goal with seven minutes left to play and Ella Curtiss-Reardon scored the final goal off a ball from Kate Walsh with 3:21 left in the game.

Freshman goalie Olivia Kelly made seven saves for Old Lyme.

On Monday, Oct. 4, the Wildcats faced East Hampton away, where again, although level 1-1 at the half, they came through to secure a 2-1 victory.

Fenton scored less than a minute into the game from a pass by Ali Kyle. Then East Hampton scored off of a corner kick that went into the goal off an Old Lyme player with 22 minutes left in the half.

Fenton scored with a ball over the goalie’s head after a through ball from Lyla Powers in the second half to win the game.

This time, Kelly had nine saves for Old Lyme.

The previous Thursday, Sept. 30, the girls drew at home 0-0 with Cromwell, with Wildcat goalkeeper Kelly making eight saves for Old Lyme and junior Lily Kenney having six for Cromwell.

Going all the way back to Tuesday, Sept. 28, Old Lyme — playing at home — met Coginchaug and ended the game with a emphatic 3-0 victory and moreover, all three goals were scored by the same player, namely, Alexis Fenton.

The half-time score was 1-0 after Fenton scored unassisted with 26:53 left on the clock.

Fenton scored another goal in the second half, again unassisted, and this time with 36:15 minutes remaining.

Completing her hat-trick, Fenton scored a third time, but assisted by Callie Bass on this occasion, with 11:03 minutes to play.

Meanwhile, Kelly had six saves for Old Lyme, while junior goalie Emma Samperi made nine for Coginchaug.

Filed Under: Lyme, News, Old Lyme, Sport, Top Story

Oct. 6 COVID-19 Update: CT DPH Corrects Lyme’s Cumulative Total Back to 129, One New Case in OL Takes Its Total to 430

October 7, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Photo by CDC on Unsplash,

LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Report issued Wednesday, Oct. 6, at 4 p.m. by the Connecticut Department of Health (CT DPH) shows one new confirmed COVID-19 case in Old Lyme over Tuesday’s number of 429, taking the cumulative total for the town to 430.

The data shows that in Lyme, however, the cumulative total of cases has been reduced from the 130 reported Monday, Oct. 4, and Tuesday, Oct. 5, to 129. This means that there have now been no new confirmed cases in Lyme since Sept. 13. We have been unable to obtain any information regarding how a previously confirmed case (the 130th) was subsequently deleted by the CT DPH.

The state does not issue reports over the weekend. Its next report will be Thursday, Oct. 7, at around 4 p.m..

On Aug. 26, Old Lyme’s cumulative case total stood at 372, meaning there have been 58 new cases there since that date. Meanwhile, Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 indicating 15 new cases have also been confirmed there during the same period.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools started the new academic year Aug. 26.

COVID-19 Cases in Lyme-Old Lyme Schools

This is the latest information that we have with the most recent cases first — there may have been further updates, however, which we have not yet received.

On Wednesday, Oct. 5, Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser informed the school community that a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Lyme-Old Lyme High School had been reported the previous evening.

On Thursday, Sept. 16, Neviaser informed the school community that a previously reported positive case of COVID-19 is now impacting Mile Creek School and Center School.

On Monday, Sept. 13, a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School, which had been reported the previous day, was announced.

On Wednesday, Sept. 1,  a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Mile Creek School was announced.

On Tuesday, Aug. 31, Neviaser informed the school community that late on Monday, Aug. 30, a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Lyme-Old Lyme High School had been reported.

On Saturday, Aug. 28, Neviaser informed the school community that late on Friday, Aug. 27, a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Lyme School had been reported.

In all cases, contact tracing was completed and those individuals who needed to quarantine were notified. They will be able to return to school following their quarantine period. All other students and staff will continue to attend school as scheduled.

Fatalities Due to COVID-19 in Lyme, Old Lyme

There is no change in the number of fatalities reported in either Lyme (0) or Old Lyme (3).

The first two fatalities from Old Lyme, which were reported in 2020, were a 61-year-old female and an 82-year-old male. Details of the third, which was reported in 2021, have not been made available.

Visit this link for our Sept. 30 update, which includes statewide data.

Filed Under: COVID-19, Lyme, News, Old Lyme, Top Story

Old Lyme RTC Hosts ‘Sunset on the Sound’ Picnic to Kick Off Campaign Season

October 5, 2021 by 2 Comments

Special guests at the Old Lyme RTC picnic included (from left to right) Mike France, candidate for US Congress, 2nd District; State Representative Holly Cheeseman; former Connecticut House Minority Leader Themis Klarides; and State Representative Devin Carney.

OLD LYME — The Old Lyme Republican Town Committee kicked off the campaign season with its annual picnic Sept. 12 at Griswold Point. A crowd of more than 200 attended “Sunset on the Sound,” which featured a barbecue dinner, live music, and a silent auction, as well as the opportunity to meet candidates for office in Old Lyme.

Former gubernatorial candidate Bob Stefanowski (left) chatted with State Rep. Devin Carney (R-23rd) at the picnic.

State Representative Devin Carney and State Senator Paul Formica were among the local officials at the picnic, which also welcomed special guests Mike France, the Republican candidate for the 2nd US Congressional District; Themis Klarides, the former Connecticut House minority leader; state GOP chair Ben Proto; and 2018 gubernatorial candidate Bob Stefanowski.

Republican candidates for the Old Lyme Board of Selectmen, Matt Ward (left) and Tim Griswold (incumbent First Selectman) shared a smile.

The main objective of the event was for attendees to get acquainted with the women and men, who are running for local office in this November’s election.

Board of Finance candidate Judith Read (left) and Zoning Board candidate Sloan Danenhower (center) chatted cheerfully with Barbara Crowley.

Vicki Lanier, RTC nominating chair, commented, “We are proud to put forth such a strong and diverse slate of candidates who will represent the town’s various constituent groups,” adding, “The full ticket reflects a solid mix of municipal experience, community service, and voter affiliation.”

Guests at the picnic enjoyed browsing the silent auction.

Over the next few weeks candidates and supporters will be knocking on doors and greeting voters at various locations in town.

The Republican-endorsed candidates for the Old Lyme seats on the Region 18 Board of Education gathered for a photo. From left to right are Mike Presti, Laura Dean-Frazier, Mona Colwell, and Chris Staab.

For more information about the GOP-endorsed candidates for November’s election, visit www.OldLymeRTC.org.

Filed Under: News, Old Lyme, Politics, Top Story

Oct. 4 COVID-19 Update: First New Case in Lyme Since Sept. 13 Takes Cumulative Total to 130, Two New Cases in OL Increase Total to 429

October 4, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Photo by CDC on Unsplash.

LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Report issued Monday, Oct. 4, at 4 p.m. by the Connecticut Department of Health shows two new confirmed COVID-19 cases in Old Lyme taking the cumulative total for the town to 429.

One new case was also reported in Lyme where the cumulative total of cases rises to 130. This is the first new confirmed case in Lyme since Sept. 13.

The state does not issue reports over the weekend. Its next report will be Tuesday, Oct. 5, at around 4 p.m..

On Aug. 26, Old Lyme’s cumulative case total stood at 372, meaning there have been 57 new cases there since that date. Meanwhile, Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 indicating 16 new cases have also been confirmed there during the same period.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools started the new academic year Aug. 26.

COVID-19 Cases in Lyme-Old Lyme Schools

This is the latest information that we have with the most recent cases first — we believe there have been further updates, however, which we have not yet received.

On Thursday, Sept. 16, Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser informed the school community that a previously reported positive case of COVID-19 is now impacting Mile Creek School and Center School.

On Monday, Sept. 13, a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School, which had been reported the previous day, was announced.

On Wednesday, Sept. 1,  a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Mile Creek School was announced.

On Tuesday, Aug. 31, Neviaser informed the school community that late on Monday, Aug. 30, a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Lyme-Old Lyme High School had been reported.

On Saturday, Aug. 28, Neviaser informed the school community that late on Friday, Aug. 27, a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Lyme School had been reported.

In all cases, contact tracing was completed and those individuals who needed to quarantine were notified. They will be able to return to school following their quarantine period. All other students and staff will continue to attend school as scheduled.

Fatalities Due to COVID-19 in Lyme, Old Lyme

There is no change in the number of fatalities reported in either Lyme (0) or Old Lyme (3).

The first two fatalities from Old Lyme, which were reported in 2020, were a 61-year-old female and an 82-year-old male. Details of the third, which was reported in 2021, have not been made available.

Visit this link for our Sept. 30 update, which includes statewide data.

Filed Under: COVID-19, Lyme, Old Lyme

First EEE Positive Mosquitoes Confirmed This Year in Voluntown; Southeast CT Residents Advised to Take Appropriate Precautions

October 3, 2021 by 2 Comments

HARTFORD — (10/02 Press Release Issued By CT DPH) The Connecticut Department of Public Health is advising residents in southeastern Connecticut to protect themselves and their children from mosquitoes to reduce the chance of contracting eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus.

Mosquitoes trapped in the Pachaug State Forest in Voluntown on Sept. 23 have tested positive for EEE. These results represent the first EEE positive mosquitoes identified in the state by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station this year. 

The mosquitoes were Culiseta melanura, a predominately bird-biting species, and Ochlerotatus canadensis, a mammal-biting species.  Connecticut residents are reminded to protect themselves from mosquito bites and mosquito-borne diseases.

“We encourage residents of southeastern Connecticut to take simple measures such as wearing mosquito repellent and covering bare skin, especially during dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active,” said DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD. “While the detection of EEE virus is of concern, it is important to remember that we do not expect to see a lot of mosquito activity in the month of October.” 

Eastern Equine Encephalitis is a serious but rare illness caused by a virus that is transmitted by mosquitoes. Mosquitoes can only acquire the virus by feeding on infected wild birds. In most years, the virus is found only in species of mosquitoes which feed on birds, but occasionally the virus can be passed on to other mosquito species known to bite people and horses. 

The virus cannot be passed from person to person or from horses to humans. The risk of mosquito-transmitted diseases such as EEE virus usually increases through the late summer and early fall. Mosquitoes are active until the first heavy frost.

Infection with EEE virus can cause serious illness affecting the brain. Symptoms include high fever, headache, stiff neck, and decreased consciousness. The disease is fatal in 25-50 percent of cases and many of those who recover experience lasting health problems.

Individuals with symptoms suggestive of EEE infection should contact their physician immediately. No human vaccine against EEE virus infection or specific antiviral treatment for clinical EEE virus infections is available.

To reduce the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes residents should:

  • Minimize time spent outdoors between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
  • Be sure door and window screens are tight-fitting and in good repair.
  • Wear shoes, socks, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for long periods of time, or when mosquitoes are more active.  Clothing should be light colored and made of tightly woven materials that keep mosquitoes away from the skin.
  • Use mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors or in an unscreened structure and to protect babies when outdoors.
  • Consider the use of mosquito repellent, according to directions, when it is necessary to be outdoors.

Connecticut Mosquito Management Program

The State of Connecticut Mosquito Management Program is a collaborative effort involving the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES), the Department of Public Health, the Department of Agriculture, and the University of Connecticut Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science. These agencies are responsible for monitoring the potential public health threat of mosquito-borne diseases.

The CAES maintains a network of 108 mosquito-trapping stations in 87 municipalities throughout the state. Mosquito traps are set Monday through Thursday nights at each site every 10 days on a rotating basis.

Mosquitoes are grouped (pooled) for testing according to species, collection site, and date. Positive findings are reported to local health departments and on the CAES website at http://www.ct.gov/caes/mosquitotesting.

For information on EEE and other mosquito-borne diseases, what can be done to prevent getting bitten by mosquitoes, the latest mosquito test results and human infections, visit the Connecticut Mosquito Management Program web site at https://portal.ct.gov/mosquito.

Filed Under: Lyme, News, Old Lyme, Outdoors
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