Monthly Archives: December 2015

Have You Voted Yet? Help Braiden Secure a Spot in Next Week’s Final on NBC’s ‘The Voice’!

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A message from Braiden.

A message from Braiden.

Last night Lyme’s Braiden Sunshine sang his heart out in NBC’s  ‘The Voice’ as one of the Top 9 finalists on the program. His rendition of “Amazing Grace” was truly amazing and now more than on any occasion previously, he needs our votes and VOTING CLOSES AT NOON TODAY!

You can safely wager that the whole population of Lyme and Old Lyme, Connecticut, was watching — and rooting for — him, but he needs votes because tonight four contestants will be eliminated to reduce the number to the four finalists who will sing again next week to determine the overall winner.  The five who will be eliminated will be determined bu yesterday and today’s voting.  So — if you haven’t done so already — get you fingers ready to vote and then VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!!

Here’s how: there are four voting platforms:

  1. The Voice app on your phone
  2. Twitter:follow Braiden.sunshine
  3. The Voice Facebook page
  4. NBC.com/thevoice website

Each platform will accept up to 10 votes from each viewer.

Additional votes can be cast with an iTunes purchase:

If you download the song performed on the show, it counts as one vote, but if the song is in the Top 10 at the close of voting, iTunes votes are multiplied by 10.

Lyme-Old Lyme students gather to send a message to Braiden Sunshine, who will compete again in 'The Voice' tonight.

Lyme-Old Lyme students gather to send a message to Braiden Sunshine, who will compete again in ‘The Voice’ tonight.

After being lured to New Jersey by his mom, Elizabeth Sunshine, on the pretext of visiting a car show, 15-year-old Braiden  – a sophomore at Lyme-Old Lyme High School – sailed through the Blind Auditions with Blues Traveler’s “The Mountains Win Again.”

He joined Team Gwen [Stefani]  and then proceeded to win the Battle round with “No One Is To Blame,” by Howard Jones. After undergoing an image change along the way and sporting a new hairstyle (no more boyish curls, instead sleek, straight hair) and wearing a snappy suit, he simply cruised through the Knockout round with Michael Bublé’s “Feeling Good.”

Four weeks ago, Braiden sang Bread’s classic “Everything I Own” in the Live round and then learned on Wednesday’s results show, in his mom’s words, “… that after America voted, Braiden was one of the two members on his six-artist team to receive the highest number of votes from the nation and therefore he was put through to the Top 12.”

The fairytale continued when Braiden’s performance of Styx’s ”Renegade” pushed his recording to #1 on iTune Rock Charts and earned him a place in the Top 11 group.

LOLHS_sheet

Lyme-Old Lyme High School students hung the traditional sheet at the tennis courts to send their message of support to Braiden.

Members of the high school have been showing their support for Braiden in numerous ways including honoring him with the traditional sheet on the tennis court fence.

Asked how he felt about being selected to be in the Top 12, Braiden responded, “It is incredibly exciting. And humbling that I was chosen to stay by the American public. It makes me so happy to know that people are enjoying what I love to do. I love the people here that are so supportive.”

Braiden continued, “I am so happy to represent Connecticut and would love to stay here so if you could please download the free Voice app and vote for me every Monday night after the show. You get 10 votes on the Voice app and 10 more on NBC.com and if you purchase the song on ITunes it also counts as a vote.”

Congratulations, yet again, to Braiden on this incredible achievement!

The whole town is again rooting for you  …

Editor’s Note: Click here to read a great article about Braiden published by APlus.com.

Celebrating a Year of ‘Pearls and Plaid’

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The charming exterior of 'Pearls and Plaid" in Haddam, Conn.

The charming exterior of ‘Pearls and Plaid” in Haddam, Conn.

Just a few weeks ago, on Nov. 12, local Haddam boutique “Pearls and Plaid” celebrated its first birthday. The store is located just a few shops down from the Goodspeed Opera House by the Haddam Bridge, making it a popular destination for tourists as well as regular townies.

The tiny store is packed with clothing draped on walls and mirrors, spread on top of and underneath chests and drawers, and hung on pipes. Kristin Lemley, who is both an employee and sister of owner Caroline Lemley, comments,“From the start she (Caroline) really didn’t want it to be a typical clothing store with racks and shelves. We wanted it to be interesting to look at and always changing.”

A peek inside the store.

A peek inside the store.

Kristin, who lives in Essex while sister Caroline is a Killingworth resident, has followed the project from the very beginning.  She notes enthusiastically, “I think the store is unique because of the wide variety of people who shop there,” adding to prove her point, “Parents will come in and buy things for their eight-year-old daughters … but my grandma also shops there.”

The store’s professed style is, “Where northern prep meets southern charm,” and its inventory certainly lives up to its logo. Rompers, dresses, jewelry, and various accessories are the most popular items in the store, and new items arrive just as quickly as the old ones sell out.

A veritable treasure trove of items are always on sale at competitive prices.

A veritable treasure trove of items are always on sale at competitive prices.

‘Pearls and Plaid’ is a great example of the local businesses that are the heart and soul of our small communities. These businesses bring the community together and provide a more intimate experience than larger scale corporations. Just as we rely on them to bring character to our local communities, they rely solely on our support to maintain their status.

Let’s commit to keep the charm and personality in our small towns by supporting ‘Pearls and Plaid’ and all the other small businesses in our local area to ensure many more anniversaries are celebrated!

Editor’s Note: Pearls and Plaid is located at 4, Norwich Rd., East Haddam, CT.  Its regular opening hours are Tue-Fri: 12 to 6 p.m., Sat: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sun: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, Call 860.876.7328.

See Amazing Winter Sports Movie at Lyme-Old Lyme HS Tomorrow; Benefits LOL Education Foundation

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Ski-ing in the Alaska Chugach

Ski-ing in the Alaska Chugach

Get ready for winter and come to the Lyme-Old Lyme High School auditorium on Wednesday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. to see an amazing film from Warren Miller Entertainment called ‘Chasing Shadows.’

This film features todays top winter athletes skiing in Alaska’s Chugach, the Chilean Andes, Utah’s Wasatch and the mightiest of them all, the Himalaya. Glimpse into the world of the US freestyle team and snowsports on the fringe like monoskiing, powsurfing and speed riding!

Tickets are $10 and each person receives a free lift ticket to Sugarbush Resort in Vt. Attendees will also be entered in a drawing for a chance to win lift tickets to Killington, Mad River Glen, Okemo and Mt Southington. Cool ski gear and swag will also be given away.

All proceeds to the event benefit the Lyme Old Lyme Education Foundation. For information and to reserve your tickets online, go to this link or you can purchase them at the door. The show starts at 7 p.m. and doors open at 6 p.m. Be sure to come early to enter in the door prizes and get a good seat.

For more information about this event, contact Brian Greenho at briangreenho@gmail.com or visit Lyme Old Lyme Education Foundation.

Sunshine Sings Tonight in “The Voice’ Semifinal; Viewing Party at Lyme-Old Lyme HS Open to All

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A message from Braiden.

A message from Braiden.

Churches normally steer clear of recommending which way to vote, but yesterday morning, prior to starting his sermon, the Rev. Dr. Steve Jungkeit of the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme urged his congregants to vote for another member of his flock … and it was none other than Braiden Sunshine of Lyme!

Braiden sings again this evening on NBC’s ‘The Voice’ at 8 p.m.  This sophomore from Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS) has made it all the way to the semifinal of the show.

There will be a viewing party this evening sponsored by Lymes’ Youth Service Bureau and open to the whole community  in the LOLHS auditorium. Doors open at 7:45 p.m.  Admission is free.

Five of the nine remaining contestants will be eliminated based on tonight’s performances so tonight — more than any previous night — Braiden needs our votes to advance to the final. So here at LymeLine.com, we’re delighted to show our support for him by sharing information about how to vote for Braiden.

There are four voting platforms:

  1. The Voice app on your phone
  2. Twitter: follow Braiden.sunshine
  3. The Voice Facebook page
  4. NBC.com/thevoice website

Each platform will accept up to 10 votes from each viewer.

Additional votes can be cast with an iTunes purchase:

If you download the song performed on the show, it counts as one vote, but if the song is in the Top 10 at the close of voting, iTunes votes are multiplied by 10.

Voting is open for 14 hours, starting at 10:01 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 16.

Vote while the show is in progress on Monday using the voice app.

Voting closes at noon on Tuesday.

Congratulations, yet again, to Braiden on this incredible achievement!

The whole community is yet again rooting for you tonight …

Editor’s Note: Click here to read a great article about Braiden published by APlus.com.

SECWAC Presents Topical Program on Europe & Islam

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LogoThe Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council (SECWAC) presents Professor Eileen Kane of Connecticut College speaking on “Europe and Islam: A Brief History of a Long Relationship” on Monday, Dec. 7, at the Crozier Williams Student Center, Connecticut College, New London.

An introductory reception begins at 5:30 p.m. and the presentation at 6 p.m. An optional dinner follows the presentation.

Kane teaches courses on European, Russian, and Eurasian history at Connecticut College, and her research focuses on the relationship between Russia and the Middle East. She received her B.A. in History and Russian from Brown University, and her Ph.D. in History from Princeton.  She is the author of Russian Hajj: Empire and the Pilgrimage to Mecca (Cornell, 2015), which traces the history of the hajj (the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca) under Russian rule (1840s-1920s), as part of the broader story of global European imperialism.  Signed copies of the book will be available for purchase immediately following the presentation.

Milt Walters, SECWAC’s Chairman, indicated how fortunate the organization is to have a scholar of Kane’s caliber share her views on the “global Islamic migration at this time of historic refugee displacements”.

A dinner follows immediately after the presentation for a limited number of members and guests at the Crozier Williams Student Center, Connecticut College. To attend the dinner, a reservation is required – call 860-912-5718 or email info@secwac.org to make your reservation. A vegetarian option is available but it must be reserved.

All reservations must be received 24 hours prior to the program. Bring your check payable to SECWAC or for the total number of your reservations at $35 each.   Courtney Assad will collect money on registration to obtain name tag. Credit card payments can also be made at check-in. At the same time, dinner tickets will be given for each reservation to be collected by the server as confirmation of payment.

SECWAC is a membership organization. Guests are welcome; call 860-912-5718 or email info@secwac.org to reserve a guest pass.

Upcoming Program: Professor Stephen Flynn, Northeastern University, will speak on “Extreme Weather, Pandemics, and Terrorism: Bolstering Societal Resilience in the Face of 21st Century Mayhem” at the Old Lyme Country Club on Jan. 25, 2016.

The Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council (SECWAC) is a regional, non-profit membership organization affiliated with the World Affairs Councils of America and fosters an understanding of issues of foreign policy and international affairs through study, debate, and educational programming.  Their principal activity is to arrange 10 Speaker Series Meetings a season which provide a forum for nonpartisan, non-advocacy dialogue between members, U.S. policy makers and other experts on foreign relations (http://www.secwac.org).