Monthly Archives: December 2013

Retired Lyme Church Minister Donates More Than 3,000 Books to Underprivileged Children

Posted on by
Reply
Reverend Steve Burt, former minister of Lyme First Congregational Church.

Reverend Steve Burt, former minister of Lyme First Congregational Church.

Steve Burt, who served minister of the First Congregational Church of Lyme until 2012, when he retired and relocated to Florida, has donated 3,000 copies of his book, A Christmas Dozen: Christmas Stories to Warm the Heart, to the United Way of Marion County’s ‘Pajamas and Books for Bedtime’ initiative.   The organization serves 5,200 children in central Florida who are homeless, live in transitional housing, or come from low-income families.

Each child is given a book and a pair of new pajamas, which are seen as items that provide comfort, Burt said.  As word of his efforts spread, other organizations in need of book donations reached out, and he gave another 160 copies to North Lake Presbyterian Church in Lady Lake, Fla., and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Apopka, Fla.

Read the full story, Retired pastor donates more than 3,000 Christmas books to underprivileged children, written by Emily Schappacher  and published Dec. 10, 2013 on the United Church of Christ website.

New $28 Million Medical Center in Westbrook on Track to Open in April 2014

Posted on by
Reply
The new Westbrook Medical Center under construction.

The new Westbrook Medical Center under construction.

Middlesex Hospital’s new Shoreline Medical Center in Westbrook is scheduled to open its doors to receive patients, as early as April 2014.

The Whiting-Turner Construction Company of New Haven is in charge of constructing the new Medical Center in Westbrook.  The company estimates that the new facility will be finished by March 2014. Then, it will take much of April 2014 for Middlesex Hospital to furnish the new Center and install medical equipment.

Construction continues daily.

Construction continues daily.

New Center Can Expand to 60,00 Square Feet

The new Medical Center in Westbrook will initially have 44,000 square feet of working space.  However, the Center can be expanded to 60,000 square feet, if it becomes necessary.  By contrast the Hospital’s present Medical Center in Essex is just over 20,000 square feet.  On an historical note, the Essex facility has provided emergency medical care for shoreline residents for over 40 years.

The new Middlesex Hospital Shoreline Medical Center will be located on Flat Rock Place, which is just off Exit 65 of Interstate I-95.  Flat Rock Place is a four-lane access highway, which has the auto dealerships of Honda and Toyota at the bottom end and the Tanger Outlets shopping mall at the top.  The new Medical Center will be located half way up Flat Rock Place on the left hand side.

When complete, the new Shoreline Medical Center in Westbrook will have, “a whole host of diagnostic and treatment services,” according to hospital sources.  In addition, “radiological services will expand to include a new MRI testing area, and a designated woman’s imaging area.”  Also, the new Center in Westbrook will continue to provide 24/7 medical care, and it will have a helipad for emergency helicopter trips, as well as paramedic services.

The current Shoreline Medical Center on Westbrook Rd. in Essex.

The current Shoreline Medical Center on Westbrook Rd. in Essex.

Advantages of New Westbrook Location

In addition to a large roster of medical services at the new Westbrook facility, there are significant access advantages as well.  The new Westbrook center will be conveniently located, just off I-95 at Exit 65.

Also, the new Westport location will permit patients from towns, such as Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Clinton and Guilford, to have direct I-95 Interstate access to the new facility.  In addition, the residents of Deep River, Chester and Haddam, via Rte. 9, will have I-95 Interstate access to the new Center as well.

Although patients from Essex will no longer have their very own medical center right in town, it will be only be a few extra miles down Rte. 153 for Essex residents to reach the new Westbrook Center.

Holiday Openings, Closings, Recycling Routes in Old Lyme

Posted on by
Reply

Old Lyme Town Hall and the Transfer Station will close at 2 p.m. on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, and be closed on Christmas Day, Dec. 25.

The Town Hall and Transfer Station will be closed on New Year’s Day, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014.

During both holiday weeks, Wednesday’s trash will be picked up on Thursday, along with the regular Thursday route.

During both holiday weeks, Wednesday’s recycling will be picked up Thursday.  Thursday and Friday recycling routes will be picked up on Friday.

Christmas week (2013) is a Week One recycling pick up week.  New Year’s week (2014) is a Week Two pick up week.

2014 Recycling Schedules are available on the Shoreline Sanitation and Town websites.

Vista Partners with Shoreline Community Women to Sponsor “Boxes for Soldiers” Drive

Posted on by
Reply

The Shoreline Community is invited to help support and brighten the days of our troops around the globe.  Vista Vocational & Life Skills Center is partnering with the Shoreline Community Women of Clinton to sponsor a collection of items for soldiers stationed overseas from now through January 2014.

Shoreline Community Women has spearheaded this drive for several years and has sent over 1,200 boxes to our troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Cindy Stevens, chairperson of Boxes for Soldiers since 2006 says, “The troops are really happy that people they don’t know are thinking of them.”

Community members are invited to donate any of the following items:

Hand wipes, baby wipes, Wet Ones (small or individual packages are best), hand sanitizer, disposable cameras, sunscreen, non-aerosol bug repellent, individual size shampoo and mouthwash, chap stick, band aids, Advil, Tylenol, aspirin, foot powder, deodorant, beef jerky, individually packages snacks like rice crispy treats, nuts, power/protein bars, granola bars, raisins, pop tarts, crystal light/Gatorade powder drink mixes, ice tea mix, hot chocolate, dry soup mix, tea bags, instant coffee and Dunkin Donuts coffee, writing paper, note cards, envelopes, pens, Sudoku puzzles, books, current magazines, playing cards, movies on DVD, games, batteries (AA or AAA), either white or dark socks, hand and foot warmers. NO CANDY OR GUM PLEASE.

Donations can be brought to Vista’s Westbrook Campus, at 1356 Old Clinton Road or to Vista’s Madison Campus at 107 Bradley Road.

Based in Madison and Westbrook, CT, Vista Vocational & Life Skills Center is a 501©3 nonprofit organization.  Vista’s mission is to provide services and resources on an individualized basis to assist adults with disabilities to live independent and successful lives.

For more information regarding Vista, visit www.vistavocational.org