Monthly Archives: January 2014

Trust for Public Land Offers Rare Opportunity to Hike ‘The Preserve’ Today

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Photo by Bob Lorenz. Kate Brown of the TPL speaking to a group of hikers participating in the Nov. 16 Preserve hike.

Photo by Bob Lorenz. Kate Brown of the TPL speaking to a group of hikers participating in the Nov. 16 Preserve hike.

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) offers two more public hikes in the 1,000 acre ‘Preserve’ today, Saturday, Jan. 11, at 10 a.m. and noon.  The public is not usually allowed access to the privately-owned 1,000 acre forest, so take advantage of this opportunity to see the property for the first time, or discover something new in the ever changing woods.

The hikes scheduled for December were cancelled due to the weather.

The TPL reached a purchase agreement with current owners, River Sound Development, LLC, and is working to realize that purchase by June, 2014.  While the TPL secures funding sources for the purchase, they have planned public hikes to share the experience of this last, large uninterrupted tract of coastal forest located between New York and Boston.

Dress for the day’s weather and a walk on wide, sometimes rocky, and possibly snow-covered trails.

Hikers will meet at the M&J Bus lot, 130 Ingham Hill Rd., Old Saybrook (across from Pasta Vita) to catch the shuttle due to limited parking at the trailhead.  There is no charge for this event.

Members of the TPL, Old Saybrook Land Trust, Essex Land Trust, Connecticut Fund for the Environment, and naturalists lead the 90-minute hikes.

In case of inclement weather, the hikes will take place Sunday, Jan. 12.

For information or to RSVP, contact Kate Brown, TPL Project Manager, 203-777-7367 ext. 5 or kate.brown@tpl.org, or visit oslt.org.

Old Lyme Historical Society Opens Campaign to ‘Buy The Grange’

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The Old Lyme Grange building on Lyme Street

The Old Lyme Grange building on Lyme Street

The Old Lyme Historical Society (OLHS) is looking into an opportunity to purchase the Old Lyme Grange building on Lyme Street.  This historic building lends itself well to the Society’s current needs as a permanent exhibit space, lecture hall, and venue for community meetings and receptions.

The OLHS has started a  ‘Buy The Grange’ campaign.  By donating to the campaign, you will be helping the Society to fulfill its mission to collect, preserve and interpret the rich history of Old Lyme and its environs in this historic building.

The Old Lyme Historical Society is a non-profit corporation and recognized by the IRS for 501©3 status.  Tax-deductible donations can be sent to the OLHS @ P.O. Box 352 Old Lyme, CT. 06371.

Talking Transportation: Top Ten Things I Like About Metro-North

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Despite what you may think, I don’t hate Metro-North.  Sure, I am outspoken about its many failings, but always with a goal of making it better.  So, to prove I’m really a fan of the railroad, I’m kicking off the year with my “Top Ten Things I like about Metro-North”:

10)  New Stations:  Reflecting expanded demand for rail commutation, CDOT added new stations (and parking) at West Haven and Fairfield Metro in recent years.

9)  Lost & Found:  Metro-North runs one of the biggest and best Lost & Found operations in the country handling, over 50,000 items a year.

8)  Package Tours:  You might not realize it, but the railroad offers all sorts of package deals for big-city events, combining train tickets, admission and even hotel stays.

7)  The Bar Cars:  Metro-North is the only commuter railroad in the US that still offers patrons a bar car.  There are only a handful of bar cars left, soon to be retired and possibly not replaced, so enjoy ‘em while you still can.

6)  Online Tickets:  You still can’t buy a ticket on the train using a credit card, but you can buy them online (and receive them by mail)… and they’re even cheaper (by 2%) than purchasing them at a ticket machine or Grand Central.

5)  The TrainTime App:  Forget about those old paper timetables and get yourself the new TrainTime App (for iPhone, iPad and Android).  Not only does it show train times, but track numbers, any delays, fares and station information.  And it’s free!

4)  Expanded Schedule:  The trains may be running slower, but there are more of them than ever before.  Service on weekends has been expanded as ridership has grown and more cars were added to the fleet.

3)  Grand Central Terminal:  There is no more beautiful rail station in the world. And for the next 269 years it will be managed by the MTA, parent of Metro-North.  Their renovation of the station completed in 2007 has turned a station into a destination.  The shops, restaurants and open spaces are the envy of commuters everywhere… especially the poor “Dashing Dans” on the LIRR who arrive in the squalor of Penn Station.

2)  The new M8 Cars:  Years late in their design and delivery, the newest cars in the Metro-North fleet are clean, comfortable and much appreciated.  With power outlets at every seat (and someday even WiFi), the first 300 of the M8 cars on order are proving themselves dependable even in winter weather.

1)  On Time Performance:  No matter how great the destination, how comfortable the train or how expensive the fare, nothing matters more to commuters than getting to their destination on time.  Until recently, Metro-North had an enviable on-time performance in the upper 90%’s, a number I’m confident they can achieve again.

For each of the items mentioned above Metro-North deserves credit.  Can each be improved?  Sure.  But let’s see the glass as more than half-full and give the folks at the railroad their due.

I still love Metro-North.  I just want to be able to love it even more.

About the author: JIM CAMERON has been a Darien resident for 22 years.  He was a member of the CT Rail Commuter Council for 19 years and still serves on the Darien RTM.  The opinions expressed in this column are only his own.  You can reach him at Jim@MediaTrainer.tv  

 

 

Country School Robotics Team Wins Two Awards at State Robotics Championship

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Members of The Country School’s Wise Guys Robotics Team at the First Lego League State Championship in December. Pictured, front row, left to right, are: Andre Salkin, Gordie Croce, Robbie Cozean, Ben Iglehart, Aidan Chiaia, and Joseph Coyne. Back row, left to right, are Nate Iglehart, Liam Ber, Emmett Tolis, and Coach Heather Edgecumbe. Missing from the photo is Sarah Platt.

Members of The Country School’s Wise Guys Robotics Team at the First Lego League State Championship in December. Pictured, front row, left to right, are: Andre Salkin of Old Lyme, Gordie Croce, Robbie Cozean, Ben Iglehart, Aidan Chiaia, and Joseph Coyne. Back row, left to right, are Nate Iglehart, Liam Ber, Emmett Tolis, and Coach Heather Edgecumbe. Missing from the photo is Sarah Platt.

Members of The Country School’s Wise Guys Robotics Team won two awards at the First Lego League state championships held at Central Connecticut State University in December.  Of the 51 teams participating, the Wise Guys won a First Lego League core value award for Innovation and a second award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for the way they worked together to come up with an innovative solution to a problem. The IEEE award was accompanied by a $200 cash prize.

This was the second year that The Country School (TCS) has fielded a robotics team and the second time a TCS team has qualified for the First Lego League Connecticut state championship.  The team qualified during a competition held in Old Lyme in the fall.

In addition to the Wise Guys, The Country School also fields a team called the Archimedes Owls.  Nineteen students in grades 5- 8 participated on the school’s two robotics teams.  The Country School also offers a summer robotics camp and hosts periodic Robotics Nights on campus for the broader community.

According to the First Lego League (FLL), the FLL Innovation Award is presented to a team that is “empowered by their FLL experience and displays extraordinary enthusiasm and spirit.”  The award from the IEEE was presented to five teams who displayed an innovative solution to a problem caused by nature’s fury.  The Country School team chose to focus on how towns can clear roads and clean up after blizzards in a safe and effective way.

The Wise Guys remembered how hard it was for Connecticut towns to recover from last February’s blizzard. Team member Sarah Platt, an 8th Grader, interviewed John Bower, Director of Emergency Management for the town of Madison, to try to identify the biggest issues the town had to deal with during the blizzard. Team members then came up with a plan for a robotic plow which, while plowing, would send snow into a container. There, the snow would be melted down to water, which would later be deposited in a safe area.

The Wise Guys are coached by Country School science teacher Heather Edgecumbe of Madison.  In addition to Sarah Platt, a Madison resident, team members include Andre Salkin of Old Lyme (6th Grade), Gordie Croce of Killingworth (6th Grade), Robbie Cozean of Madison (6th Grade), Nate and Ben Iglehart of Guilford (both 6th Grade), Aidan Chiaia of Guilford (6th Grade), Joseph Coyne of Madison (7th Grade), Liam Ber of Westbrook (8th Grade), and Emmett Tolis of Madison (7th Grade).

The Country School, founded in 1955, is a coeducational, independent day school serving students in PreSchool through Grade 8. At The Country School, a rigorous academic program is accompanied by a commitment to hands-on learning and discovery and a focus on the whole child. The robotics program is part of the school’s commitment to advancing 21st century skills through STEAM, or integrated science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.

Learn more about Robotics and other STEAM offerings at The Country School by visiting www.thecountryschool.org/steam.

The Country School will also have a special STEAM focus at its Open House on Sunday, Jan. 26, from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Learn more at www.thecountryschool.org/openhouse.