Monthly Archives: July 2013

New Underage Drinking Prevention Campaign Launched in Lyme, Old Lyme

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Lyme-Old Lyme’s prevention coalition, Community Action for Substance Free Youth (CASFY), announces the launch of a new media campaign aimed at parents and all adults.

CASFY's newest anti-alcohol campaign.

CASFY’s newest anti-alcohol campaign.

“While underage drinking has decreased in Lyme-Old Lyme among school age youth according to our data, it is still our Number One youth drug problem,” reports Karen Fischer, CASFY’s Prevention Coordinator.  “All adults in our communities play a very significant role in preventing underage drinking.  CASFY members chose our new campaign with the objective of reinforcing adults to do the right thing and protect all of our youth.”

Community members will see posters of hands with the message “To Get to Alcohol, Kids Have To Get Through Us.”  Shoreline Sanitation trucks and road banners will display a message specifically for parents:  “I Will Be a Parent [Not a Bartender.]  The Majority of Parents Say “No” to Underage Drinking.”

Mary Seidner, Director of Lymes’ Youth Service Bureau, is optimistic about reducing underage drinking.  “CASFY has been keeping a steady drumbeat of messages to youth and adults about the risks of underage drinking and what can be done to prevent it.  It is encouraging to me that more and more parents report that they are calling the parents of their teens’ friends to check on monitoring plans for parties and sleepovers.”

Glenn Bair, a parent member of CASFY, observed, “Parents seem to feel more empowered to discuss their family’s rule of “no underage drinking” with their own children, their children’s friends and their parents, too.  We want more parents to have these conversations to sustain the gains we have made and further decrease alcohol use among our teens.”

Julie O’Brien, another parent member of CASFY, says, “I’m not hearing adults say that underage drinking is “just a rite of passage” nearly as much as in the past.  And I think the majority of parents have gotten the message that allowing drinking at home and “taking away the keys” not only increases drinking but also puts parents in legal jeopardy.”

Martin Lane, Old Lyme police officer, stresses that all youth and adults in the community should know underage drinking laws.  “CASFY sent all parents of Lyme-Old Lyme High School students a summary of Connecticut’s underage drinking laws, including the penalties for youth who use and adults who either provide alcohol to underage youth or allow underage drinking on their property.  We also sent a summary of marijuana laws.  All high school students received the same information.  Many were unaware of the jeopardy to their families if they made the wrong decision about drinking and drugs.” (Copies of the laws are available at lysb.org.)

“I can’t emphasize enough how the whole community has pulled together to work on keeping our youth safe,” said Mrs. Fischer.  “School personnel, selectmen, town librarians, police officers, firefighters, members of the business community, parents, youth—the cooperation and collaboration is outstanding.”

A CASFY banner displayed on a sanitation truck

A CASFY banner displayed on a Shoreline Sanitation truck

The Coalition would especially like to thank Old Lyme resident John Morrison and his company Connecticut Sign for many hours of work on this project and his generous in-kind donation that reduced the cost of the campaign.  CASFY also deeply appreciates the cooperation of Gary Yuknat of Shoreline Sanitation for donating the use of his trucks for the campaign graphics.

Funding for the media campaign is from a federal grant through the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut.  It is licensed from Middlesex County Substance Abuse Action Council.

Local businesses and others wishing to participate in the campaign by displaying campaign images either on posters, flyers, websites or Facebook pages should contact Karen Fischer, 860-434-7208 or email fischerk@childandfamilyagency.org.

The Mission of the Community Action for Substance Free Youth (CASFY) is to prevent and reduce alcohol and other drug use among youth by collaborating with the community to raise awareness, modify social norms, educate youth and adults, initiate policy change and promote healthy activities.  All youth and adults who live or work in Lyme or Old Lyme are invited to join in their efforts.  Contact CASFY through lysb.org or call 860-434-7208.

Fire Up the Grill for the Fourth

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Who can resist a tasty burger on the fabulous Fourth?

Who can resist a tasty burger on the fabulous Fourth?

I am working on the assumption that you will be firing up the grill tomorrow, July 4, for a gorgeous, dry and warm Fourth of July party at your house.  And that you will be serving hamburgers.

If your Fourth is like mine, things have changed since the days when I was a child.  In truth, my parents did not have a grill.  My aunt and uncle did have a grill.  They kept kosher at their home and one Fourth party they didn’t realize that the kosher hot dogs were covered with plastic.  Those hot dogs didn’t make it to the plates.  Later on, as a young mother and wife, we grilled burgers and hot dogs.  I’m not sure we had a lot of sides and, since I didn’t really learn to cook until I was in my late twenties, I probably bought potato and macaroni salad.

Once grilling became so popular, we grilled lots of things, from fish and chicken to stone fruit and pineapples, which we served with homemade ice cream.  Today, some people are nervous about rare burgers and nitrite-filled hotdogs.  Worse still, some of my friends are vegetarians and some of their children are, too.  One or two are vegans.  So this column is about two things—a perfect hamburger and a luscious grilled eggplant.  For me, I’ll be serving both at my next barbecue.

How to Cook a Great Burger

Yield: 4 hamburgers

1 one-half pounds excellent ground chuck *

Sea salt or kosher salt to taste

6 toasted rolls (preferably fresh hard rolls)

1. Turn grill to hot and close the lid.  If you are using a charcoal grill, add charcoal, light them with a chimney stuffed with newspapers and light the charcoal.  Charcoal should be gray before you begin the burgers.

2. Cut the ground chuck into six pieces and lightly turn the pieces into balls.  Again, lightly, pat them into patties.

3. When grills are hot, open lids and place burgers onto the grill.  Do not use a spatula to push down on the burgers and do not flip them until you can turn them without losing half the patties on the grill.  Flip the burgers only once.  Sprinkle with the flipped burgers, to taste.  (If you are adding cheese, add after you have flipped the burgers.)  If you like your burgers rare or medium rare, this whole operation will take no more than four minutes on the first side, maybe one on the second.)

4. Place hamburgers on toasted rolls and serve immediately. (This is a time when you don’t want to let the meat rest.  I love my burgers when the juice makes the bottom of the roll a bit wet.)

Coal-Roasted Eggplants

From “Into the Fire” by Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hersheimer (Bon Appetit, July 2013)

Yield: 4 servings

Prepare a hardwood-charcoal fire in a grill.  Let coals cool to medium heat (coals should be covered with ash and glowing red with no black remaining).

Place two small eggplants (about 1 pound total) directly on coals and cook, turning occasionally, until skins are blackened and flesh has collapsed, 10 to 15 minutes.  (Alternatively grill on the grate of a gas or charcoal grill over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes.)  Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and let cool slightly.

Carefully remove skins from eggplants, leaving stem intact.  Place eggplants on a wire rack set inside the same rimmed baking sheet and let stand 30 minutes to allow excess water to drain.  Just before servings split lengthwise and serve with the best extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle coarse salt for a simple side.  Or, since space is at a premium, buy a copy of the new Bon Appetit and make one of three sauces: Yogurt and Sumac Sauce, Smoky Tomato Sauce or Lime-Mint Sauce (or, for that matter, a good marinara sauce).

Search Suspended for Missing Fisherman Off Griswold Point

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The search for a 58-year-old man missing in the mouth of the Connecticut River has been suspended.    He was fishing from a boat Sunday evening with another man and two children, all of whom have been rescued.  A major search was launched for the missing man, involving the US Coast Guard, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and local police and fire departments.

Click to read the latest on this developing story on The Day.com.