March 8, 2021

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Carbon Footprints? Poirier Discusses Yours, Its Impact and How to Reduce It, Wednesday

March 8, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Alan Poirier

OLD LYME — Ever wonder how big a footprint you are leaving?

Join the Old Lyme-Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library Wednesday, March 10, at 6:30 p.m. for a virtual informative discussion with local resident Alan Poirier to learn more about the subject of carbon footprints.

Whatever your motivation, you can help reduce global warming with the choices you make each day. Everyone can contribute to improving the environment for future generations.

Poirier is a career scientist now retired from Pfizer Inc.

Click here to register for this free, virtual (via Zoom) program. All are welcome.

This event is co-sponsored by Sustainable Old Lyme.

Filed Under: Headline News, Lyme, Old Lyme

Coral Reefs are Topic of Opening Virtual Lecture in RTPEC’s 2021 CT River Series, Thursday

March 7, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Dr. Mark Hixon presents a virtual lecture on coral reefs Thursday, March 11. This virtual lecture is hosted by RTPEC and free of charge, but registration is required in order to obtain the Zoom link.

LYME/OLD LYME  — Throughout the past challenging year, the Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center (RTPEC), which is is part of Connecticut Audubon Society, has still found many ways to continue its work in environmental education, conservation, research, and advocacy.

It has offered small group programs like bird walks and owl prowls, a virtual Connecticut River ecology course, seasonal nature crafts for kids via Zoom, and more.

The RTPEC continues its mission with the announcement of their Spring 2021 Connecticut River Lecture Series.

A mainstay of the organization’s adult programming, the Connecticut River Lecture Series introduces scientists, researchers, writers, and artists who inform us about the biodiverse coastal and estuarine ecosystems of our region and planet.

In 2021, the RTPEC will celebrate the series’ seventh year with Zoom presentations from three prominent scientists, each focusing on a critical environmental issue. The programs are free, but registration is required and space is limited.

All the programs start at 6 p.m.

Thursday, March 11
Coral Reefs: Rainforests and Canaries of the Sea
Mark Hixon, Ph.D., Professor in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa.

Dr. Mark Hixon

A leading expert on coral reefs, Dr. Hixon will discuss what is happening to them, why they are important, and how we can help preserve them.

Mark Hixon is the Sidney and Erika Hsiao Endowed Chair in Marine Biology and Chair of the Zoology Graduate Program at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. His research analyzes what determines the number of fish in the sea, how so many species naturally coexist, and how marine reserves and artificial reefs help conserve sea life and enhance fisheries.

A Fulbright Senior Scholar, Aldo Leopold Fellow, and Fellow of the International Coral Reef Society, Dr. Hixon serves on the editorial boards of multiple scientific journals. Past chair of both the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee for NOAA and the Ocean Sciences Advisory Committee for the National Science Foundation, Mark has given TED talks and appeared on the PBS TV show “Saving the Oceans.”

 

Details of the second lecture are as follows:

Thursday, April 8
Butterflies: Monarchs, Migrations, and Conservation
Robert Michael Pyle, Ph.D., conservation biologist and author of The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Butterflies, will be interviewed by Evan Griswold.  

As a foremost authority on butterflies and other invertebrates, in 1971 Dr. Pyle founded The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, an international nonprofit organization that protects the natural world through the conservation of butterflies and all invertebrates and their habitats.

Evan Griswold will interview Dr Pyle about his life’s work on invertebrates and monarch butterfly migration and conservation.

Robert Michael Pyle grew up and learned his butterflies in Colorado. He earned his Ph.D. in butterfly ecology at Yale and worked as a conservation biologist in Papua New Guinea, Oregon, and Cambridge, England.

He has written 22 books including The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Butterflies, winner of the 1987 John Burroughs Medal for Distinguished Nature Writing and the 2007 National Outdoor Book Award. His book about Pacific Northwest forests and origins of the legends of Sasquatch was recently made into a movie.

Dr. Pyle has also published a book of poetry and his newest book, Nature Matrix, is a collection of essays, expressions of a life immersed in the natural world.

Evan Griswold, a Yale School of The Environment/School of Forestry classmate of Dr. Pyle’s, is a former Executive Director of the Connecticut Chapter of the Nature Conservancy and a prominent Connecticut conservationist.

Details of the third and final lecture are as follows:

Thursday, April 29
The Secret Life of Plankton: The Base of the Marine Food Web
Hans Dam, Ph.D., Professor in the Department of Marine Sciences at the University of Connecticut

Plankton, a single cell organism, is the base of the marine food web. Hans Dam will speak about the evolutionary ecology of plankton and its vulnerability to climate change. He will describe the macro-power of its micro-organisms and his efforts to better understand the invisible life teeming in a tablespoon of river or Sound water.

Hans Dam is a biological oceanographer interested in the ecology and evolution of planktonic organisms: tiny creatures that control the biology of the sea. His current research focuses on how copepods, the most abundant animals on Earth, adapt to the ocean’s warming and acidification.

Another area of work is the evolutionary “arms race” between grazers and toxic plants. Dr. Dam has published more than 100 papers and trained a generation of oceanographers. He has also spent 20 years advising the State of Connecticut about water quality in Long Island Sound.

This year’s Lecture Series includes a special offer: a dinner available for pick-up on the day of the event prepared by renowned chef Ani Robaina, formerly chef to the Gates foundation, and currently owner and chef at Ani’s Table. The cost is $75.

For additional information and Zoom registration, visit https://www.ctaudubon.org/rtp-programs-events/ or call 860-598-4218.

Filed Under: Lyme, Old Lyme, Outdoors, Top Story

Basketball Update: Old Lyme Boys Steal Last Minute 50-47 Win Over Coginchaug

March 7, 2021 by Leave a Comment
LYME/OLD LYME — In a thrilling game played away Saturday in the Coginchaug gym, the Old Lyme boys ultimately outlasted Coginchaug 50-47 in a tightly contested Shoreline Conference game.
Caden Monte his a jump shot with less than a minute to go to give Old Lyme the lead at 48-47 and Jacob Ritchie added two free throws with five seconds left for the final victory.
Coginchaug had a last second look at three points on the buzzer, which would have tied the game, but — for the Coginchaug fans — excruciatingly, it bounced out.
Leading the Wildcats was Jacob Ritchie with 16 points, Colbe Andrews was close behind with 13 and Frank Sablone added 10.
Coginchaug was led by AJ Defilio with 17 points, Tyler Garratson 13, and Jaysen Penney 11.
The boys meet Valley this evening away with a 5:30 p.m. tip-off.
Filed Under: Lyme, Old Lyme, Sport, Top Story

March 5 COVID-19 Update: Cumulative Cases in Old Lyme Rise by One to 283, Lyme Holds at 89

March 7, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Friday, March 5, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health(CT DPH) for data as at 8:30 p.m., Thursday, March 4, shows that cumulative cases (confirmed and probable) since the pandemic began increased by one in Old Lyme to 283 but showed no change in Lyme at 89 when compared with the previous day’s numbers.

The next CT DPH Daily Data Report for Connecticut will be issued in the afternoon of Monday, March 8.

Old Lyme – Cumulative Cases Up One

Old Lyme has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 277 confirmed COVID-19 cases and SIX probable cases, making a TOTAL of 283 cases.

This represents an INCREASE of ONE in the cumulative number of confirmed cases and NO CHANGE in the number of probable cases compared with those reported Thursday, March 4.

The total number of Old Lyme residents tested is 4,744, up eight from the previous day’s number of 4,738.

Lyme – No Change in Cumulative Cases

Lyme has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 82 confirmed cases and 7 probable cases, making a TOTAL of 89 cases.

This represents NO CHANGE in the cumulative number of confirmed or probable cases compared with those reported Thursday, March 4.

The total number of Lyme residents tested is 1,275, an increase of three over Thursday’s number of 1,272.

Old Lyme Now in Gray (Lowest) Zone for Two-Week New Case Rate, Lyme Remains in (Highest) Red Zone

The report issued Friday, March 5, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) for the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks contains good news for Old Lyme … but not Lyme.

This report is issued daily, but only updated weekly on Thursdays. The most recent report was updated Thursday, March 4: the next updated report will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, March 11.

It shows that Old Lyme has moved from the (second lowest) Yellow Zone down into the (lowest) Gray Zone reflecting an even lower case rate than the previous week.

Unfortunately, Lyme remains in the ‘Red Zone’ — the category with the highest rate of new cases.

(Four zones are specified by the CT DPH — see details below)

Overall, the report contains good news for the whole state with the number of towns in each Zone increasing this week in every case (the previous week’s figures shown in parentheses):

  • 18 (10) towns are now in the (lowest case rate) Gray Zone
  • 10 (7) are in the (lowest but one) Yellow Zone
  • 36 (28) are in the (second highest case rate) Orange Zone.

All the remaining towns are in the Red Zone, but this represents a dramatic improvement from the map published in November when every town in the state was in the Red Zone.

This report shows that Old Lyme now joins 17 other towns — Barkamsted, Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Canaan, Chester, Colebrook, Cornwall, Eastford, Franklin, Hartland, Morris, Norfolk, Roxbury, Scotland, Sharon, Voluntown and Warren — in the Gray (lowest rate)  Zone.

The Yellow (second lowest rate) Zone includes Bolton, Canton, Easton, Farmington, Granby, New Hartford, Plymouth, Tolland, Woodbury and Willington.

  • 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.

More Detail on Two-Week Case Rates

LLHD Director of Health Stephen Mansfield

On Thursday, March 4, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) also issued their latest weekly report of COVID data for the municipalities within their District. Ledge Light Director of Health Stephen Mansfield prefaces the report with the comment, “We are encouraged to see relatively steady numbers within our jurisdiction.’

He stresses, however, “Although we are making great strides with our COVID vaccination program, it is still imperative that we remain diligent in our mitigation strategies.”

The latest two-week case rates announced Thursday, March 4, for the period 2/14 to 2/27 per 100,000 population (compared with the previous two-week case rate for 2/07 to 2/20) have fallen in both Old Lyme and Lyme.

The two-week case rates are as follows:

  • Old Lyme from 6.8 to 4.8
  • Lyme from 24.4 to 15.3

The same report shows that the case numbers in Week 1 and Week 2 respectively and recorded for the period 2/14 to 2/27  (compared with the previous two-week case rate for 2/07 to 2/20 shown in parentheses) are as follows:

  • Lyme had 2 (5) cases in Week 1 and 3 (3) in Week 2
  • Old Lyme had 2 (4) cases in Week 1 and 3 (3) in Week 2

This data was updated March 4, 2021. The next Ledge Light Weekly Data Report for its District will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, March 11.

Three Fatalities in Old Lyme Since Pandemic Began, None in Lyme

According to the report mentioned above, there have now been THREE fatalities in Old Lyme. Asked Tuesday, Feb. 9, for details of this third fatality, Ledge Light Health Department Director of Health Stephen Mansfield responded, “We have not been notified of any recent deaths in Old Lyme. Keep in mind that that report is compiled by the Connecticut Department of Public Health; deaths are not reportable to local health districts.”

He added, “I can’t speak for their data sources.”

The two fatalities from Old Lyme previously reported in 2020 were a 61-year-old female and an 82-year-old male.

No fatalities have been reported in Lyme.

Connecticut Hospital Occupancy

At the request of several readers, we are adding a new report today showing the respective rates of hospital occupancy at local hospitals. The data for this report is obtained from the Connecticut Hospital Occupancy Report published weekly by the CT DPH and extracted from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) facility-level data for hospital utilization aggregated on a weekly basis (Friday to Thursday).

[table id=10 /]

Editor’s Note: The state issues a COVID-19 metric report daily around 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, which includes current data up to the previous evening. In light of the serious rise in Coronavirus cases, we publish a new weekday update reporting confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in Lyme and Old Lyme. 

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

Planning Continues for 2021 White Elephant Sale, But No Final Decision Yet on Whether it Will Happen

March 7, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Will the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme’s White Elephant Sale take place this year?

OLD LYME — They kept it going through World War II, but last year — for the first time in 83 consecutive years — the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme had to cancel their White Elephant Sale (WES) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Asked if this year’s sale was going ahead, Bob Davis, who has been chairing the WES for some 20 years, said by email, “We are currently in a holding pattern waiting to see the impact of the vaccination program, the state’s approval of large crowds and the final approval of our ministers.”

He continued, “The WES Board met in December, as usual, to plan for this years sale. We looked at shifting the dates to late summer and fall to buy us time; but either Christ The King church parking was unavailable or we ran into other organization’s events and a fall venue with folks back to school and work is not practical for a two day sale.”

Davis added, “With that, the board decided to keep to our original schedule of July 9 and 10 [for 2021.]”

He concluded by explaining that the WES Board would continue, “… reserving tents, parking, banners, etc. hoping for the best.”

Expressing an optimistic air, Davis said, “Those eligible for vaccinations, hopefully will be receiving them soon and we can look forward to some normalcy in our lives with the WES.”

Editor’s Note: We will update this information as further decisions are taken regarding whether or not the WES will take place.

 

Filed Under: Community, Old Lyme, Top Story

Death of Francis J. “Frank” Purdue Announced, ‘a Life Full of Love and Joy’

March 5, 2021 by Leave a Comment

OLD LYME — Francis J. “Frank” Purdue passed away peacefully Feb. 12, 2021, holding his wife, Maria’s hand, at Middlesex Hospital after a short illness. Born March 8, 1933, in New York to Francis and Viola Purdue.

Frank is survived by his wife, Maria, and his six children, Frank (wife Linda), Maureen (husband John), Susan, Edward (wife Carole), Pamela (husband Paul), Gina (husband Garth); and 18 grandchildren …

… Frank lived a life full of love and joy.

Visit this link to read the full obituary published Feb. 18, in The Day.

Filed Under: Obituaries, Old Lyme

A la Carte: Apples for the Asking

March 5, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Photo by Pierpaolo Riondato on Unsplash.

This was another fun food week.

I am, as I mentioned before, tired of my own food. With few exceptions, I am eating my own food almost every day since the end of last March. Oh, sure, some takeout, but it is expensive and not a whole lot better than what I can make at home.

Okay, it can be a whole lot better than I can make at home.

But BTP (before the pandemic), I rarely ate three meals a day, so these days my own food can be caloric, way more caloric, like including chocolate chip cookies I’d frozen warmed up in the microwave.

So this week was nice.

My friend Richard Swanson dropped me off some homemade hot dogs (I never knew anyone who tried to make his own hot dogs). I put the hot dogs into a lightly toasted piece of challah and added some Gulden’s mustard. It was really good. He also made his own mile-high chocolate cake and left a slice of that, too.

Earlier that day, my neighbor and friend, Sue O’Farrell, asked if I liked apple sauce. Who doesn’t like apple sauce?

After dinner she also sent warmed apple crumb dessert. That was good, too. She gave me the recipe for her applesauce. And I found another recipe for baked apples I’d not made.

Here they are.

Apple Sauce

From Sue O’Farrell

5 pounds of apples, peeled, cored and cut up
1 cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cups fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Place all the ingredients into a slow cooker set on high for 4 hours. When it was cooled for about 30 minutes, she used an immersion blender to puree the applesauce. (I do not have a stick blender, so I pureed it in my Ninja when the sauce was cooler.) 

Baked Apples

[From some magazine(!), October, 2017]

Yield: 4 servings

4 small Honeycrisp apples, cored and seeded, bottom intact
4 tablespoons softened butter
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cardamom
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ cup chopped walnuts

Mix butter and spices together and fill each apple with butter mixture. Place on a baking pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, until apples are tender. Great with ice cream.

Lee White

About the author: Lee White has been writing about restaurants and cooking since 1976 and has been extensively published in the Worcester (Mass.) Magazine, The Day, Norwich Bulletin, and Hartford Courant. She currently writes Nibbles and a cooking column called A La Carte for LymeLine.com and the Shore Publishing and the Times newspapers, both of which are owned by The Day. She was a resident of Old Lyme for many years, but now lives in Groton, Conn.

Filed Under: Nibbles, Old Lyme, Top Story

Letter to the Editor: Proposed Gas Station/Convenience Market on Halls Rd. Raises Many Concerns

March 5, 2021 by 9 Comments

To the Editor:

Re: Proposed Service Station Complex on Halls Rd.

We recently learned that Big Y Foods, Inc. is planning to develop the open parcel of land that lies between Treasures and the Essex Savings Bank on Halls Road into a large gas station and convenience market complex.

The open parcel, which is owned by the bank, is contiguous with another bank-owned parcel that fronts on Neck Rd. (Rte. 156). Both are for sale and, if linked, would provide access and egress on two of Old Lyme’s (already) busiest thoroughfares. The Halls Road “raceway” already connects, in less than three quarters of a mile, two busy entrance/exits to I-95 North and South. Old Lyme’s roads are already burdened by cars, trucks, and buses seeking alternate routes, when backups occur on the interstate,

I have been involved in the past in drafting certificates of need applications for Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford. I know that we took great care to demonstrate that a proposed expansion of service was unique and not redundant of other readily available and existing services.

I don’t believe that the approving process for this project is required to consider redundancies. However, that said, Halls Road already has a Shell gas station, which, coincidentally, had also proposed a convenience store expansion.

Further, both Andy’s Deli & Market, and the Big Y World Class Market, already serve different segments of Old Lyme residents and visitors shopping for groceries and prepared foods. Thus, Old Lyme is already well-served by two high quality organizations.

We patronize both, and interestingly, for the same reasons. We are known, by name, in both stores; and both provide us with the feel of a small-town local market.

However, the difference is that the supermarket’s customer base will not be largely compromised by the new convenience market.

In contrast, I know that Amish and Neha Shah, Andys’ owners, feel that the proposed facility would compete with their customer base, and probably, as part of a much larger organization, offer broader products and services at lower prices than they, as sole proprietors, can provide. They are very concerned that their small market and relatively small margins, could not sustain any significant new competition.

Further, I don’t think, based on the meetings that I’ve attended, that this proposed gas station and convenience market complex can possibly be consistent with the master plan that is still in development by Old Lyme’s Halls Road Improvements Committee. Finally, we don’t need to put existing local businesses at risk by approving redundant services; and Halls Road’s ability to support increased traffic from I-95 is very limited.

Sincerely,

Thomas D. and Christina J. Gotowka,
Old Lyme.

Filed Under: Letters, Old Lyme, Top Story

March 4 COVID-19 Update: Lyme Stays in (Highest) Red Zone for Two-Week Case Rate, Old Lyme Falls to Lowest (Gray); Cumulative Cases Climb in OL to 282, Lyme to 89

March 5, 2021 by Leave a Comment

This map shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. The Town of Old Lyme has moved into the {lowest) Gray Zone while Lyme remains in the (highest) Red 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.)

LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Thursday, March 4, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health(CT DPH) for data as at 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 3, shows that cumulative cases (confirmed and probable) since the pandemic began increased by one in Old Lyme to 282 and by one in Lyme to 89 compared with the previous day’s numbers.

The next CT DPH Daily Data Report for Connecticut will be issued in the afternoon of Friday, March 5.

Old Lyme Now in Gray (Lowest) Zone for Two-Week New Case Rate, Lyme Remains in (Highest) Red Zone

The report issued Thursday, March 4, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) for the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks contains good news for Old Lyme … but not Lyme.

This report is issued daily, but only updated weekly on Thursdays. The most recent report was updated Thursday, March 4: the next updated report will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, March 11.

It shows that Old Lyme has moved from the (second lowest) Yellow Zone down into the (lowest) Gray Zone reflecting an even lower case rate than the previous week.

Unfortunately, Lyme remains in the ‘Red Zone’ — the category with the highest rate of new cases.

(Four zones are specified by the CT DPH — see details below)

Overall, the report contains good news for the whole state with the number of towns in each Zone increasing this week in every case (the previous week’s figures shown in parentheses):

  • 18 (10) towns are now in the (lowest case rate) Gray Zone
  • 10 (7) are in the (lowest but one) Yellow Zone
  • 36 (28) are in the (second highest case rate) Orange Zone.

All the remaining towns are in the Red Zone, but this represents a dramatic improvement from the map published in November when every town in the state was in the Red Zone.

This report shows that Old Lyme now joins 17 other towns — Barkamsted, Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Canaan, Chester, Colebrook, Cornwall, Eastford, Franklin, Hartland, Morris, Norfolk, Roxbury, Scotland, Sharon, Voluntown and Warren — in the Gray (lowest rate)  Zone.

The Yellow (second lowest rate) Zone includes Bolton, Canton, Easton, Farmington, Granby, New Hartford, Plymouth, Tolland, Woodbury and Willington.

  • 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.

More Detail on Two-Week Case Rates

On Thursday, March 4, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) also issued their latest weekly report of COVID data for the municipalities within their District. Ledge Light Director of Health Stephen Mansfield prefaces the report with the comment, “We are encouraged to see relatively steady numbers within our jurisdiction.’

He stresses, however, “Although we are making great strides with our COVID vaccination program, it is still imperative that we remain diligent in our mitigation strategies.”

The latest two-week case rates announced Thursday, March 4, for the period 2/14 to 2/27 per 100,000 population (compared with the previous two-week case rate for 2/07 to 2/20) have fallen in both Old Lyme and Lyme.

The two-week case rates are as follows:

  • Old Lyme from 6.8 to 4.8
  • Lyme from 24.4 to 15.3

The same report shows that the case numbers in Week 1 and Week 2 respectively and recorded for the period 2/14 to 2/27  (compared with the previous two-week case rate for 2/07 to 2/20 shown in parentheses) are as follows:

  • Lyme had 2 (5) cases in Week 1 and 3 (3) in Week 2
  • Old Lyme had 2 (4) cases in Week 1 and 3 (3) in Week 2

This data was updated March 4, 2021. The next Ledge Light Weekly Data Report for its District will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, March 11.

Lyme – Cumulative Cases Up One

Lyme has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 82 confirmed cases and 7 probable cases, making a TOTAL of 89 cases.

This represents an INCREASE of ONE in the cumulative number of confirmed cases and NO CHANGE in the number of probable cases compared with those reported Wednesday, March 3.

The total number of Lyme residents tested is 1,272, an increase of seven over Wednesday’s number of 1,265.

Old Lyme – Cumulative Cases Up One

Old Lyme has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 276 confirmed COVID-19 cases and SIX probable cases, making a TOTAL of 282 cases.

This represents an INCREASE of ONE in the cumulative number of confirmed cases and NO CHANGE in the number of probable cases compared with those reported Wednesday, March 3.

The total number of Old Lyme residents tested is 4,738, up 10 from the previous day’s number of 4,728.

Three Fatalities in Old Lyme Since Pandemic Began, None in Lyme

According to the report mentioned above, there have now been THREE fatalities in Old Lyme. Asked Tuesday, Feb. 9, for details of this third fatality, Ledge Light Health Department Director of Health Stephen Mansfield responded, “We have not been notified of any recent deaths in Old Lyme. Keep in mind that that report is compiled by the Connecticut Department of Public Health; deaths are not reportable to local health districts.”

He added, “I can’t speak for their data sources.”

The two fatalities from Old Lyme previously reported in 2020 were a 61-year-old female and an 82-year-old male.

No fatalities have been reported in Lyme.

Connecticut Hospital Occupancy

At the request of several readers, we are adding a new report today showing the respective rates of hospital occupancy at local hospitals. The data for this report is obtained from the Connecticut Hospital Occupancy Report published weekly by the CT DPH and extracted from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) facility-level data for hospital utilization aggregated on a weekly basis (Friday to Thursday).

[table id=10 /]

Editor’s Note: The state issues a COVID-19 metric report daily around 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, which includes current data up to the previous evening. In light of the serious rise in Coronavirus cases, we publish a new weekday update reporting confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in Lyme and Old Lyme. 

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

Basketball Update: Playing N. Branford, Girls Continue Winning Streak, Boys Victorious in Gritty Game

March 5, 2021 by Leave a Comment

OLD LYME/NORTH BRANFORD — The boys and girls teams both defeated their North Branford opponents last night, the girls playing away while the boys, for whom it was senior night, were at home.

In Coach Kaczor’s words, the boys, “… hung on to beat a scrappy North Branford team 58-51.”

Read a full report of the boy’s game published in The Day at this link.

The girls faced a tough challenge down at North Branford but ultimately secured their seventh win a row and advanced to a 7-1 record. The final score was 51-44.

Emily DeRoehn had 16 points and 10 rebounds while Sam Gray notched 12 points and Emma McCulloch seven points and 10 rebounds.

After the game, coach Don Bugbee told LymeLine, “This was a very hard fought battle from start to finish. The girls earned this win for sure. Congrats to them all!”

The Junior Varsity girls also defeated the Thunderbirds winning 46-36. Sophomores Alexis Fenton and Hayley Cann had respectively 16 and 12 points. Freshman Ava Roth added nine.

The girls face Valley Regional Monday, March 8, at Old Lyme on their Senior Night. Tip-off for Varsity is 5:30 p.m. and JV at 4 p.m.

Filed Under: Lyme, News, Old Lyme, Sport

Unplug This Weekend! Plenty to Enjoy for All Ages in Lyme/Old Lyme — Without Devices

March 4, 2021 by Leave a Comment

The Lyme-Old Lyme community is invited to join the upcoming ‘Unplugged Weekend’ and turn off all devices in favor of connection, reflection, and quality time.

LYME/OLD LYME — Why not join the Lyme/Old Lyme community in an Unplugged Weekend this coming Saturday and Sunday, March 6 and 7?

Lymes’ Youth Service Bureau (LYSB) invites you to de-stress and take a ‘time-out’ from technology and social media. The intent is that this is a weekend to consciously turn off our devices in favor of connection, reflection, and quality time.

Stop by the LYSB porch with your children to pick up a fun activity sheet to help birds find nest-making materials as well as some displays that are easy to replicate. This activity is offered by Pollinate Old Lyme! and the Lyme Pollinator Pathway.

Check  out all of the other fun family unplugged activities, which include making seed bombs, family beach clean-up, and a family beginner bird walk at Watch Rock Preserve.

Mary Seidner, LYSB Executive Director

Mary Seidner, LYSB Executive Director, tells LymeLine.com, “During the pandemic, all of us (including kids) are using screens more than ever. Stress levels among youth are high, and we are seeing more anxiety, depression and other mental health issues cropping up.”

She notes, “We created the first Unplugged Weekend back in November 2020 with the middle school administration in an effort to reduce stress among youth and families in our community, and to get our kids to step away from social media for one weekend.”

Explaining how that weekend came about, Seidner says, “We put out a call to local nonprofits to join us, and the response was strong. We have a variety of activities and adventures for kids and families to get outside during the upcoming weekend and enjoy some time away from social media, and simply de-stress.”

She also points out that this will be a homework-free weekend for students of Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School.

Seidner emphasizes, “This collaboration shows our kids how much our community cares about them. We hope that having another Unplugged Weekend will encourage our community to turn off our devices in favor of connection, exploration, and quality time during quarantine and social distancing.”

Visit this link to view a listing and full details of all the events and opportunities on offer in Lyme and Old Lyme this weekend.

Choose some (or all!) of the following activities:

Filed Under: Lyme, Old Lyme

Old Lyme Kindness Committee Names Gretchen Knauff as February’s ‘Kindness Award’ Winner

March 4, 2021 by 1 Comment

Gretchen Knauff proudly displays her Old Lyme Kindness Award. Photo submitted.

OLD LYME — The Town of Old Lyme Kindness Committee has awarded its February 2021 Kindness award to local resident Gretchen Knauff.

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down so many of our normal activities in the spring of 2020, many of our senior citizen residents needed help. Together with the Lymes’ Youth Services Bureau, the Town of Old Lyme created a link on its website for residents who might need help, and also for those who could give help. 

One senior in particular, Ethel Chatkin, needed assistance.

Due to her age and a medical condition, her doctor advised her to not leave the house. With no immediate family nearby to help, she did not know how she would be able to take care of herself, especially in the early phases of the pandemic shutdown. 

She reached out to the Town, which was able to connect her with Knauff.

Chatkin says of Knauff, “She is the best … she is just wonderful. I don’t know what I’d do without her.” Knauff began helping Chatkin by buying her groceries.

Chatkin recently celebrated her 92nd birthday, and Knauff helped coordinate a Zoom celebration for Ethel with 38 friends and family members.

What started out as a resident helping another resident has developed into what Chatkin describes as a “marvelous friendship.”

Asked to comment on the award, Kindness Committee Chair Michelle Noehren says, “The Kindness Committee is delighted to celebrate Gretchen Knauff for helping a neighbor in need during these difficult times.”

Filed Under: Community, Headline News, Old Lyme

March 3 COVID-19 Update: No Change in Lyme or Old Lyme Cumulative Cases Since Tuesday

March 4, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Transmission electron microscopic image of an isolate from the first U.S. case of COVID-19, formerly known as 2019-nCoV. Photo courtesy of the CDC.

LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Wednesday, March 3, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health(CT DPH) for data as at 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 2, shows that cumulative cases (confirmed and probable) since the pandemic began were unchanged in Old Lyme at 281 and Lyme at 88 compared with the previous day’s numbers.

The next CT DPH Daily Data Report for Connecticut will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, March 4.

Lyme – No Change in Cumulative Cases

Lyme has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 81 confirmed cases and 7 probable cases, making a TOTAL of 88 cases.

This represents NO CHANGE in the cumulative number of confirmed or probable  cases over those reported Tuesday, March 2.

The total number of Lyme residents tested is 1,265, an increase of one over Tuesday’s number.

Old Lyme – No Change in Cumulative Cases 

Old Lyme has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 275 confirmed COVID-19 cases and SIX probable cases, making a TOTAL of 281 cases.

This represents NO CHANGE in the cumulative number of confirmed or probable cases compared with those reported Tuesday, March 2.

The total number of Old Lyme residents tested is 4,728, up four from the previous day’s number.

Old Lyme Now in Yellow (Second Lowest) Zone for Two-Week New Case Rate, Lyme Remains in (Highest) Red Zone

The report issued Tuesday, March 2, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) for the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks contains good news for Old Lyme … but not Lyme. This report is issued daily, but only updated weekly on Thursdays. The current report was updated Thursday, Feb. 25: the next updated report will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, March 4.

It shows that Old Lyme has moved from the (second highest) Orange Zone down into the (lowest but one) Yellow Zone reflecting an even lower case rate than the previous week. Unfortunately, Lyme remains in the ‘Red Zone’ — the category with the highest rate of new cases. (Four zones are specified by the CT DPH — see details below)

Overall, the report contains more good news for the whole state with the following data for this week (the previous week’s figures shown in parentheses):

  • 15 (10) towns are now in the (lowest case rate) Gray Zone
  • 7 (4) are in the (lowest but one) Yellow Zone
  • 28 (16) are in the (second highest case rate) Orange Zone.

All the remaining towns are in the Red Zone. This is, however, a dramatic improvement from the map we published back in November when every town in the state was in the Red Zone.

This report shows that Old Lyme now joins six other towns — Middlefield, Waterbury, Burlington, Bolton, Tolland and Granby — in the Yellow (second lowest rate)  Zone.

The Gray (lowest rate) Zone includes Bridgewater, Canaan, Cornwall, Goshen, New Hartford, Norfolk, Scotland, Hartland, Barkamsted, Eastford, Franklin, Lisbon, Pomfret, Roxbury,  and Warren.

  • 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.

Three Fatalities in Old Lyme Since Pandemic Began, None in Lyme

According to the report mentioned above, there have now been THREE fatalities in Old Lyme. Asked Tuesday, Feb. 9, for details of this third fatality, Ledge Light Health Department Director of Health Stephen Mansfield responded, “We have not been notified of any recent deaths in Old Lyme. Keep in mind that that report is compiled by the Connecticut Department of Public Health; deaths are not reportable to local health districts.”

He added, “I can’t speak for their data sources.”

The two fatalities from Old Lyme previously reported in 2020 were a 61-year-old female and an 82-year-old male.

No fatalities have been reported in Lyme.

More Detail on Two-Week Case Rates

On Thursday, Feb. 25, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) also issued their latest weekly report of COVID data for the municipalities within their District. Ledge Light Director of Health Stephen Mansfield prefaces the report with the comment, “We are encouraged to see a moderate decrease in cases for the 6th consecutive reporting period, and are hopeful that this trend will continue.”

The latest two-week case rate announced Thursday, Feb. 25, for the period 2/7 to 2/20 per 100,000 population (compared with the previous two-week case rate for 1/31 to 2/13) has fallen in Old Lyme but increased in Lyme.

The two-week case rates are as follows:

  • Old Lyme from 11.6 to 6.8
  • Lyme from 21.4 to 24.4

The same report shows that the number of cases in Week 1 and Week 2 recorded for the period 2/7 to 2/20  (compared with the previous two-week case rate for 1/31 to 2/13 shown in parentheses) is as follows:

  • Lyme had 5 (2) cases in Week 1 and 3 (5) in Week 2
  • Old Lyme had 4 (9) cases in Week 1 and 3 (7) in Week 2

This data was updated Feb. 25, 2021. The next Ledge Light Weekly Data Report for their District will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, March 4.

Connecticut Hospital Occupancy

At the request of several readers, we are adding a new report today showing the respective rates of hospital occupancy at local hospitals. The data for this report is obtained from the Connecticut Hospital Occupancy Report published weekly by the CT DPH and extracted from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) facility-level data for hospital utilization aggregated on a weekly basis (Friday to Thursday).

[table id=10 /]

Editor’s Note: The state issues a COVID-19 metric report daily around 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, which includes current data up to the previous evening. In light of the serious rise in Coronavirus cases, we publish a new weekday update reporting confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in Lyme and Old Lyme. 

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

March 2 COVID-19 Update: Cumulative Cases in Lyme up One to 88, Old Lyme Holds at 281

March 3, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

LYME/OLD LYME — (3/2 Update: Lyme total corrected in title) The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Tuesday, March 2, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health(CT DPH) for data as at 8:30 p.m., Monday, March 1, shows that cumulative cases (confirmed and probable) since the pandemic began increased by ONE in Lyme to 88 but held steady in Old Lyme at 281.

The next CT DPH Daily Data Report for Connecticut will be issued in the afternoon of Wednesday, March 3.

Lyme – Cumulative Cases Up One

Lyme now has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 81 confirmed cases and 7 probable cases, making a TOTAL of 88 cases.

This represents an INCREASE of 1 in the cumulative number of confirmed cases and NO CHANGE in the number of probable cases over those reported Monday, March 1.

The total number of Lyme residents tested is 1,264, an increase of two over Monday’s number.

Old Lyme – No Change in Cumulative Cases 

Old Lyme now has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 275 confirmed COVID-19 cases and SIX probable cases, making a TOTAL of 281 cases.

This represents NO CHANGE in the cumulative number of confirmed or probable cases compared with those reported Monday, March 1.

The total number of Old Lyme residents tested is 4,724, up 6 from the previous day’s number.

Old Lyme Now in Yellow (Second Lowest) Zone for Two-Week New Case Rate, Lyme Remains in (Highest) Red Zone

The report issued Tuesday, March 2, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) for the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks contains good news for Old Lyme … but not Lyme. This report is issued daily, but only updated weekly on Thursdays. The current report was updated Thursday, Feb. 25: the next updated report will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, March 4.

It shows that Old Lyme has moved from the (second highest) Orange Zone down into the (lowest but one) Yellow Zone reflecting an even lower case rate than the previous week. Unfortunately, Lyme remains in the ‘Red Zone’ — the category with the highest rate of new cases. (Four zones are specified by the CT DPH — see details below)

Overall, the report contains more good news for the whole state with the following data for this week (the previous week’s figures shown in parentheses):

  • 15 (10) towns are now in the (lowest case rate) Gray Zone
  • 7 (4) are in the (lowest but one) Yellow Zone
  • 28 (16) are in the (second highest case rate) Orange Zone.

All the remaining towns are in the Red Zone. This is, however, a dramatic improvement from the map we published back in November when every town in the state was in the Red Zone.

This report shows that Old Lyme now joins six other towns — Middlefield, Waterbury, Burlington, Bolton, Tolland and Granby — in the Yellow (second lowest rate)  Zone.

The Gray (lowest rate) Zone includes Bridgewater, Canaan, Cornwall, Goshen, New Hartford, Norfolk, Scotland, Hartland, Barkamsted, Eastford, Franklin, Lisbon, Pomfret, Roxbury,  and Warren.

  • 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.

Three Fatalities in Old Lyme Since Pandemic Began, None in Lyme

According to the report mentioned above, there have now been THREE fatalities in Old Lyme. Asked Tuesday, Feb. 9, for details of this third fatality, Ledge Light Health Department Director of Health Stephen Mansfield responded, “We have not been notified of any recent deaths in Old Lyme. Keep in mind that that report is compiled by the Connecticut Department of Public Health; deaths are not reportable to local health districts.”

He added, “I can’t speak for their data sources.”

The two fatalities from Old Lyme previously reported in 2020 were a 61-year-old female and an 82-year-old male.

No fatalities have been reported in Lyme.

More Detail on Two-Week Case Rates

On Thursday, Feb. 25, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) also issued their latest weekly report of COVID data for the municipalities within their District. Ledge Light Director of Health Stephen Mansfield prefaces the report with the comment, “We are encouraged to see a moderate decrease in cases for the 6th consecutive reporting period, and are hopeful that this trend will continue.”

The latest two-week case rate announced Thursday, Feb. 25, for the period 2/7 to 2/20 per 100,000 population (compared with the previous two-week case rate for 1/31 to 2/13) has fallen in Old Lyme but increased in Lyme.

The two-week case rates are as follows:

  • Old Lyme from 11.6 to 6.8
  • Lyme from 21.4 to 24.4

The same report shows that the number of cases in Week 1 and Week 2 recorded for the period 2/7 to 2/20  (compared with the previous two-week case rate for 1/31 to 2/13 shown in parentheses) is as follows:

  • Lyme had 5 (2) cases in Week 1 and 3 (5) in Week 2
  • Old Lyme had 4 (9) cases in Week 1 and 3 (7) in Week 2

This data was updated Feb. 25, 2021. The next Ledge Light Weekly Data Report for their District will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, March 4.

Connecticut Hospital Occupancy

At the request of several readers, we are adding a new report today showing the respective rates of hospital occupancy at local hospitals. The data for this report is obtained from the Connecticut Hospital Occupancy Report published weekly by the CT DPH and extracted from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) facility-level data for hospital utilization aggregated on a weekly basis (Friday to Thursday).

[table id=10 /]

Editor’s Note: The state issues a COVID-19 metric report daily around 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, which includes current data up to the previous evening. In light of the serious rise in Coronavirus cases, we publish a new weekday update reporting confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in Lyme and Old Lyme. 

Filed Under: COVID-19, Lyme, Old Lyme

Death Announced of Joanne Trawicke Centola of Old Lyme; Loved Living on Rogers Lake, Volunteered at High Hopes

March 2, 2021 by Leave a Comment

OLD LYME —  Joanne Trawicke Centola, 73, of Old Lyme, passed Feb. 24, 2021, due to complications from heart failure. Born June 3, 1947 in Waterbury, Joanne was the only child of the late John D. and Anna B. Trawicke.

She grew up in Meriden and spent her summers on Rogers Lake in Old Lyme …

… Joanne always loved living on Rogers Lake and moved there full-time in 2005. To her family, she was affectionately known as “Lake Girl.” She enjoyed boating, water skiing and ice skating when she was younger and boat rides, paddle boarding and even tubing with her grandchildren as she got older …

… Joanne also enjoyed volunteering at High Hopes Therapeutic Riding, Inc. Center in Old Lyme …

Visit this link to read the full obituary published Feb. 28, in The Day.

Filed Under: Obituaries, Old Lyme

Basketball Update: Both Teams Meet Morgan – Girls Win Sixth Game in a Row, Boys Lose 62-47

March 2, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Coach Don Bugbee talks to his team during a time-out in a recent game. Photo by Hildie Heck.

LYME/OLD LYME — The Old Lyme girls pulled off a solid 56-40 victory against Morgan on Monday, winning their sixth game in succession and advancing to a stellar 6-1 record.

Senior Sam Gray had 23 points including four three-pointers and five rebounds. Fellow senior Emily DeRoehn notched eight points, 11 rebounds and seven assists while Ali Kyle added eight points.

Coach Don Bugbee told LymeLine after the game, “This was an excellent team effort and win for the girls against a very good Morgan team.”

The Old Lyme Junior Varsity (JV) girls maintained their unbeaten 5-0 record with a 48-27 win over Morgan.

Sophomore Alexis Fenton scored 21 points with three three-pointers and freshman Ava Roth added 10 points.

The girls play away at North Branford, Thursday, March 4, with a JV tip-off at 4:30 p.m. and Varsity at 6 p.m.

An Old Lyme player looks to pass the ball in fourth quarter action from Monday evening’s game against Morgan played in the Lyme-Old Lyme High School gym.

Despite a strong second quarter in which they outscored Morgan 18-13, the Old Lyme boys could not get ahead of their opponents at any point in the game. The final score in Morgan’s favor was 62-47.

Top scorer for the Wildcats was Jacob Ritchie with 16 points. Colbe Andrews added nine points and Frank Sablone six. Zach Johnson had an outstanding 25 points for Morgan.

Gracious in defeat, Old Lyme coach Kirk Kaczor told LymeLine after the game, “Morgan had a great performance.”

Filed Under: Lyme, News, Old Lyme, Sport

March 1 COVID-19 Update: Both Lyme, Old Lyme Show Increase in Cumulative Cases; OL Up Two to 281, Lyme Up One to 87

March 1, 2021 by Leave a Comment

LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Monday, March 1, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health(CT DPH) for data as at 8:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 28, shows that cumulative cases (confirmed and probable) since the pandemic began increased by two in Old Lyme to 281 and by one in Lyme to 87.

The next CT DPH Daily Data Report for Connecticut will be issued in the afternoon of Tuesday, March 2.

Old Lyme – Cumulative Cases Up Two

Old Lyme now has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 275 confirmed COVID-19 cases and SIX probable cases, making a TOTAL of 281 cases.

This represents a INCREASE of TWO in the cumulative number of confirmed cases compared with those reported Friday, Feb. 26, and NO CHANGE in the cumulative number of probable cases reported the same day.

The total number of Old Lyme residents tested is 4,718, up 26 from the previous day’s number.

Lyme – Cumulative Cases Up One

Lyme now has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 80 confirmed cases and SEVEN probable cases, making a TOTAL of 87 cases.

This represents an INCREASE of TWO in the cumulative number of confirmed cases and a DECREASE of ONE in the number of probable cases over those reported Friday, Feb. 26.

The total number of Lyme residents tested is 1,262, an increase of four over Friday’s number.

Old Lyme Now in Yellow (Second Lowest) Zone for Two-Week New Case Rate, Lyme Remains in (Highest) Red Zone

The report issued Monday, March 1, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) for the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks contains good news for Old Lyme … but not Lyme. This report is issued daily, but only updated weekly on Thursdays. The current report was updated Thursday, Feb. 25.

It shows that Old Lyme has moved from the (second highest) Orange Zone down into the (lowest but one) Yellow Zone reflecting an even lower case rate than the previous week. Unfortunately, Lyme remains in the ‘Red Zone’ — the category with the highest rate of new cases. (Four zones are specified by the CT DPH — see details below)

Overall, the report contains more good news for the whole state with the following data for this week (the previous week’s figures shown in parentheses):

  • 15 (10) towns are now in the (lowest case rate) Gray Zone
  • 7 (4) are in the (lowest but one) Yellow Zone
  • 28 (16) are in the (second highest case rate) Orange Zone.

All the remaining towns are in the Red Zone. This is, however, a dramatic improvement from the map we published back in November when every town in the state was in the Red Zone.

This report shows that Old Lyme now joins six other towns — Middlefield, Waterbury, Burlington, Bolton, Tolland and Granby — in the Yellow (second lowest rate)  Zone.

The Gray (lowest rate) Zone includes Bridgewater, Canaan, Cornwall, Goshen, New Hartford, Norfolk, Scotland, Hartland, Barkamsted, Eastford, Franklin, Lisbon, Pomfret, Roxbury,  and Warren.

  • 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.

The next CT DPH Weekly Data Report for Connecticut will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, March 4.

Three Fatalities in Old Lyme Since Pandemic Began, None in Lyme

According to the report mentioned above, there have now been THREE fatalities in Old Lyme. Asked Tuesday, Feb. 9, for details of this third fatality, Ledge Light Health Department Director of Health Stephen Mansfield responded, “We have not been notified of any recent deaths in Old Lyme. Keep in mind that that report is compiled by the Connecticut Department of Public Health; deaths are not reportable to local health districts.”

He added, “I can’t speak for their data sources.”

The two fatalities from Old Lyme previously reported in 2020 were a 61-year-old female and an 82-year-old male.

No fatalities have been reported in Lyme.

More Detail on Two-Week Case Rates

On Thursday, Feb. 25, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) also issued their latest weekly report of COVID data for the municipalities within their District. Ledge Light Director of Health Stephen Mansfield prefaces the report with the comment, “We are encouraged to see a moderate decrease in cases for the 6th consecutive reporting period, and are hopeful that this trend will continue.”

The latest two-week case rate announced Thursday, Feb. 25, for the period 2/7 to 2/20 per 100,000 population (compared with the previous two-week case rate for 1/31 to 2/13) has fallen in Old Lyme but increased in Lyme.

The two-week case rates are as follows:

  • Old Lyme from 11.6 to 6.8
  • Lyme from 21.4 to 24.4

The same report shows that the number of cases in Week 1 and Week 2 recorded for the period 2/7 to 2/20  (compared with the previous two-week case rate for 1/31 to 2/13 shown in parentheses) is as follows:

  • Lyme had 5 (2) cases in Week 1 and 3 (5) in Week 2
  • Old Lyme had 4 (9) cases in Week 1 and 3 (7) in Week 2

This data was updated Feb. 25, 2021. The next Ledge Light Weekly Data Report for their District will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, March 4.

Connecticut Hospital Occupancy

At the request of several readers, we are adding a new report today showing the respective rates of hospital occupancy at local hospitals. The data for this report is obtained from the Connecticut Hospital Occupancy Report published weekly by the CT DPH and extracted from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) facility-level data for hospital utilization aggregated on a weekly basis (Friday to Thursday).

[table id=10 /]

Editor’s Note: The state issues a COVID-19 metric report daily around 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, which includes current data up to the previous evening. In light of the serious rise in Coronavirus cases, we publish a new weekday update reporting confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in Lyme and Old Lyme. 

Filed Under: COVID-19, Lyme, Old Lyme

Feb. 26 COVID-19 Update: No Change in Cumulative Cases in Lyme at 86, Down One in Old Lyme to 279

March 1, 2021 by Leave a Comment

LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Friday, Feb. 26, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health(CT DPH) for data as at 8:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 25, shows that cumulative cases (confirmed and probable) since the pandemic began held at the previous day’s numbers in Lyme at 86 and decreased by one in Old Lyme to 279.

The next CT DPH Daily Data Report for Connecticut will be issued in the afternoon of Monday, March 1.

Old Lyme – Cumulative Cases Down One

Old Lyme now has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 273 confirmed COVID-19 cases and SIX probable cases, making a TOTAL of 279 cases.

This represents a DECREASE of ONE in the cumulative number of confirmed cases compared with those reported Thursday, Feb. 25 and NO CHANGE in the cumulative number of probable cases reported the same day.

The total number of Old Lyme residents tested is 4,692, up 12 from the previous day’s number.

Lyme – No Change in Cumulative Cases

Lyme now has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 78 confirmed cases and EIGHT probable cases, making a TOTAL of 86 cases.

This represents NO CHANGE in the cumulative number of confirmed or probable cases over those reported Thursday, Feb. 25.

The total number of Lyme residents tested is 1,258, an increase of seven over Thursday’s number.

Old Lyme Now in Yellow (Second Lowest) Zone for Two-Week New Case Rate, Lyme Remains in (Highest) Red Zone

The report issued Friday, Feb. 26, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) for the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks contains good news for Old Lyme … but not Lyme. This report is issued daily, but only updated weekly on Thursdays. The current report was updated Thursday, Feb. 25.

It shows that Old Lyme has moved from the (second highest) Orange Zone down into the (lowest but one) Yellow Zone reflecting an even lower case rate than the previous week. Unfortunately, Lyme remains in the ‘Red Zone’ — the category with the highest rate of new cases. (Four zones are specified by the CT DPH — see details below)

Overall, the report contains more good news for the whole state with the following data for this week (the previous week’s figures shown in parentheses):

  • 15 (10) towns are now in the (lowest case rate) Gray Zone
  • 7 (4) are in the (lowest but one) Yellow Zone
  • 28 (16) are in the (second highest case rate) Orange Zone.

All the remaining towns are in the Red Zone. This is, however, a dramatic improvement from the map we published back in November when every town in the state was in the Red Zone.

This report shows that Old Lyme now joins six other towns — Middlefield, Waterbury, Burlington, Bolton, Tolland and Granby — in the Yellow (second lowest rate)  Zone.

The Gray (lowest rate) Zone includes Bridgewater, Canaan, Cornwall, Goshen, New Hartford, Norfolk, Scotland, Hartland, Barkamsted, Eastford, Franklin, Lisbon, Pomfret, Roxbury,  and Warren.

  • 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.

The next CT DPH Weekly Data Report for Connecticut will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, March 4.

Three Fatalities in Old Lyme Since Pandemic Began, None in Lyme

According to the report mentioned above, there have now been THREE fatalities in Old Lyme. Asked Tuesday, Feb. 9, for details of this third fatality, Ledge Light Health Department Director of Health Stephen Mansfield responded, “We have not been notified of any recent deaths in Old Lyme. Keep in mind that that report is compiled by the Connecticut Department of Public Health; deaths are not reportable to local health districts.”

He added, “I can’t speak for their data sources.”

The two fatalities from Old Lyme previously reported in 2020 were a 61-year-old female and an 82-year-old male.

No fatalities have been reported in Lyme.

More Detail on Two-Week Case Rates

On Thursday, Feb. 25, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) also issued their latest weekly report of COVID data for the municipalities within their District. Ledge Light Director of Health Stephen Mansfield prefaces the report with the comment, “We are encouraged to see a moderate decrease in cases for the 6th consecutive reporting period, and are hopeful that this trend will continue.”

The latest two-week case rate announced Thursday, Feb. 25, for the period 2/7 to 2/20 per 100,000 population (compared with the previous two-week case rate for 1/31 to 2/13) has fallen in Old Lyme but increased in Lyme.

The two-week case rates are as follows:

  • Old Lyme from 11.6 to 6.8
  • Lyme from 21.4 to 24.4

The same report shows that the number of cases in Week 1 and Week 2 recorded for the period 2/7 to 2/20  (compared with the previous two-week case rate for 1/31 to 2/13 shown in parentheses) is as follows:

  • Lyme had 5 (2) cases in Week 1 and 3 (5) in Week 2
  • Old Lyme had 4 (9) cases in Week 1 and 3 (7) in Week 2

This data was updated Feb. 25, 2021. The next Ledge Light Weekly Data Report for their District will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, March 4.

Connecticut Hospital Occupancy

At the request of several readers, we are adding a new report today showing the respective rates of hospital occupancy at local hospitals. The data for this report is obtained from the Connecticut Hospital Occupancy Report published weekly by the CT DPH and extracted from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) facility-level data for hospital utilization aggregated on a weekly basis (Friday to Thursday).

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Editor’s Note: The state issues a COVID-19 metric report daily around 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, which includes current data up to the previous evening. In light of the serious rise in Coronavirus cases, we publish a new weekday update reporting confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in Lyme and Old Lyme. 

Filed Under: COVID-19, Lyme, Old Lyme

New PARJE Organization Plans to Confront Racial Injustice with Public  Art 

March 1, 2021 by Leave a Comment


OLD LYME/NEW LONDON, CT: A new group has been formed with a mission of employing public art to spark conversation and stimulate education on what it means to be engaged in antiracism

Public Art for Racial Justice Education (PARJE) is a broad-based, interracial, non-partisan, non-sectarian group consisting of volunteers from various communities around the shoreline region. These communities include Old Lyme, Lyme, Old Saybrook, East Lyme, Essex, Deep River, Norwich and New  London.

Building partnerships with surrounding communities is an additional focus of the group’s stated mission.

The origins of the group can be traced back to the tragic killing of George Floyd last May. Shortly after that, when the nation was still reeling from the tragedy, Rev. David Good, Minister Emeritus of the First Congregational  Church of Old Lyme and Rev. Jack Madry of the Madry Temple in New London started to discuss ways to bring communities together to address the scourge of racial injustice.

Commenting on the use of public art to help achieve this goal, Rev. David Good explains, “Public art will not solve systemic racial injustice, but it would be a public affirmation that, on the one hand, this is the country we are, and, on the other, this is the country we are endeavoring to become.”

Public Art for Racial Justice Education is working with educators, museums, civic groups, faith communities, art galleries, and concerned citizens to concentrate on providing opportunities for community engagement. Numerous virtual meetings have been held bringing together a diverse group of artists, activists, administrators and more, who share a common goal and are systematically working through a complex series of steps to make it a reality.

The group believes very strongly in the ability of public art to educate about the history of Black,  Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC). There will be a high priority on selecting BIPOC artists while also working side-by-side with others, trained and untrained, and those of all generations, races and ethnicities.

PARJE is committed  to commissioning artists to create public art appropriate for each site and locality selected, beginning with Old Lyme and New London.  

Thanks to the fiscal sponsorship provided by the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut and a groundswell of support from many individuals and groups, PARJE is advancing its goal of bringing together the sometimes disparate communities of Old Lyme and New London with art. The intent is to provide conversation and education on what it means to be engaged in antiracism.

Short-term plans include renovating underused public spaces with murals. Two artists are currently working to create a diptych (a two-panel painting intended to function as a traveling exhibition), which is slated for completion in May and will be used in schools, or any public space, to tell the controversial story of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama.

The diptych project also intends to illustrate the possible future of the bridge supporting efforts currently underway to rename it after civil rights activist, John Lewis, who would have been 81 this February. 

PARJE has begun working with elected officials from both Old Lyme and New London to consider public programs  that would enhance the function of the public art. This involves presenting the full history of this area by exploring the connections to racial injustice throughout its own local past.

New London City Councilman Curtis  Goodwin, an advisor to the Public Art for Racial Justice Education group, comments, “As people around the world demand the  dismantling of racist systems, this project is timely and colorful. Art remains an underutilized and underfunded vehicle that can spur change and build future leaders needed in the world.”

He adds, “I am encouraged by witnessing two  towns of contrasting makeups take an intentional approach to use art to join the call for racial justice.”  

From the displacement of indigenous communities to the use of slave labor in the whaling industry, PARJE leaders point out that the the local region, along with many others across the nation, has been actively complicit in – and not passively just home to – various racial injustices.

Public Art for Racial Justice Education aims to provide opportunities to examine or reexamine some of these events. As the US struggles to confront systemic racism, PARJE will focus on engaging artists from all disciplines to create public art aimed at addressing not only contemporary issues but also their origins.

The decision to prioritize hyperlocal examples of racial injustice is a considered decision by PARJE in the hope it will encourage communities to take ownership of their involvement in some of these incidents and also celebrate their locally-based, lesser-known BIPOC historical figures.  

Editor’s Note: For more information about Public Art for Racial Justice Education, visit their website follow PARJE on Facebook at Facebook.com/Public Art for Racial Justice Education and Instagram @racialjusticeart. To inquire about joining PARJE, email racialjusticeart@gmail.com.

This article is based on a press release from PARJE.

Filed Under: Community, Lyme, Old Lyme, Top Story

Lyme-Old Lyme HS Students Win Major Awards in 2021 CT Scholastic Art Contest

March 1, 2021 by Leave a Comment

‘Paige’ by Lyme-Old Lyme High School senior Connie Pan received a prestigious Gold Key in the 2021 Scholastic Art Awards. Pan also won the ‘Best in Portfolio’ award.

LYME/OLD LYME — Four Lyme-Old Lyme High School students (LOLHS) will be recognized this evening at the 2021 Connecticut Scholastic Art contest’s virtual awards celebration, which celebrates the work of talented young artists in the state in grades 7 through 12.

Senior Connie Pan was awarded the Best in Portfolio award as well as Gold Keys in both the Drawing and Portfolio categories. She also earned one of two cash scholarships from Connecticut Woman Artists, as well as a scholarship offer from the University of Hartford Art School.

‘Rosenberg #2’ by LOLHS senior Olivia Bartlett was awarded a Gold Key in Mixed Media for the piece above. She also received a Gold Key in the Portfolio category and a Silver Key in Mixed Media.

Senior Olivia Bartlett earned Gold Keys in both the Portfolio and Mixed Media categories, and a Silver Key in the Mixed Media category along with a University of Hartford scholarship offer.

‘Mr. Cheney’ by Aidan Powers received a Gold Key in the Digital category.

Senior Aidan Powers earned both a Gold Key and an Honorable Mention in the Digital Media category, and senior Marina Melluzzo earned a Silver Key in the Ceramics and Glass category.

‘Invasion’ by Marina Melluzzo won a Silver Key in the Ceramics category.

Asked his reaction to the remarkable number of top awards earned by his students, LOLHS Art Department Chair William Allik told LymeLine exclusively, “We are very proud of both the winning students and several others whose portfolios were not included in this year’s show.”

He continued, “The jurying is inherently subjective, but this was a great year for Olivia Bartlett and Connie Pan — portfolio students whose work couldn’t be more different, yet who both show the development of traditional skills that we value here at LOLHS.”

Allik added, “Connie Pan is one of our top students academically, and this Best Portfolio award is a great validation of her choice to consider studying art in college. Our students don’t always get up [to Hartford] to see the competition, but the virtual exhibition is allowing all to see this year’s show.”

‘Catfishing’ by Connie Pan was included in her award-winning portfolio.

In light of the vastly increased accessibility the online nature of this year’s show has offered, Allik noted, “I hope they consider maintaining an online exhibit alongside future physical shows.”

‘Clown to Clown Conversation’ by Olivia Bartlett was included in her portfolio.

The Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art Awards Program is sponsored by the Connecticut Art Education Association and is an affiliate of The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.

Student artwork is juried by professional artists and university art faculty and selected on merit for inclusion in a statewide art exhibition usually held ‘in person’ at the Hartford Art School, but this year the event has been hosted exclusively online due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Beyond the honor of being chosen for this highly selective exhibit, students are eligible for Gold or Silver Keys and Honorable Mention awards in each of 17 media categories.

The winners of Gold Keys will subsequently have their artwork submitted digitally to the National  Scholastic Art Awards where they will be juried against Gold Key winners from all 50 states. In a reflection of the extremely high standards adhered to by the jurors, only eight portfolios in the Connecticut contest were awarded Gold Keys this year.

This year’s show can be viewed online at www.ctartawardsexhibit.net

Editor’s Notes: i) Here at LymeLine, we send hearty congratulations to all the exceptional artists, who were either award-winners or participated in the contest.

ii) This article is based on a press release issued by Lyme-Old Lyme Schools.

Filed Under: Arts, Lyme, Old Lyme, Schools, Top Story
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