Monthly Archives: May 2016

Over 70 Boats, Yachts Navigate Into Essex for Spring Boat Show, May 13-15

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The first CT Spring Boat Show in Essex features some of the newest boats on the market including center consoles, fishing boats, luxury cruisers, sport and sail boats.

The first CT Spring Boat Show in Essex features some of the newest boats on the market including center consoles, fishing boats, luxury cruisers, sport and sail boats.

The Connecticut Spring Boat Show, sponsored by the Yacht Brokers Association of America, is expecting over 70 boats to journey from as far away as Maine to attend the first annual 2016 Spring Boat Show. The exhibition is set for May 13-15, at Brewer Essex Island Marina in Essex, and is attracting interested boat buyers from Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island and beyond.

“Brewer Essex Island Marina could possibly be the most intimate place in Connecticut to have a boat show,” says Tom Pilkington of Prestige Yacht Sales. “Where else can show-goers look at their favorite boats in the water, visit land exhibits, and explore the town of Essex, which is filled with its own maritime heritage? With boats ranging in size from 20 to 75 feet, sail, power, new and used, there will be a boat for every taste and budget.”

Visitors attending the free show will enjoy seeing a wide range of new and brokerage, power and sail models. Boating gear, accessories and service companies will also be on site.

Sails Up 4 Cancer, a non-profit organization based in Connecticut, will be at the show, raising money through food and beverage sales to benefit their organization. SU4C has been dedicated to supporting cancer care, education, prevention and research along the Connecticut Shoreline.

Also featured the same weekend in the historical town of Essex will be the annual Burning of the Ships parade. This nautical-themed event commemorates the worst day in Essex’s history with the famous ‘Loser’s Day Parade’. Sailing Masters will be joined by other regional fife and drums corps for the parade.

The parade and boat show offer individuals and families an opportunity to experience local sailing history and the flipside of today’s latest and greatest technology in the boating industry.

The free show is open to the public on Friday, May 13, from noon to 6 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, May 14-15, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Visit www.ctspringboatshow.com for specific event details and parking info.

School Budget Passes Easily in Both Towns, Turnout Extremely Low

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With voter turnout so low, it was the end of "a painful day" for poll workers after the votes had ben counted at the Cross Lane Fire House

With voter turnout so low, it was the end of “a painful day” for poll workers after the votes had been counted at the Cross Lane Fire House.

Voters in both Lyme and Old Lyme today overwhelmingly approved the Lyme-Old Lyme school board’s proposed $33,470,376 budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year, which represents a 2.84 percent increase over the current 2015-16 budget.  The total vote numbers across both towns were 368 supporting the budget and 184 against, representing almost exactly a 2 to 1 majority in favor of the budget.

Looking at the results by town, in Old Lyme there were 267 Yes votes to 150 No votes while in Lyme, 101 Yes and 34 No votes were recorded.

A delighted Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser commented to reporters gathered at the Cross Lane Fire House to hear the result, “We appreciate the continued support of both communities for the budget.”

Tired poll workers at Cross Lane Fire House were glad to clear away their tables at the end of the evening, with one describing it as “a painful day,” because voting had been so slow.  Turnout was likely one of the lowest on record with the total number of voters in Old Lyme today representing a mere 8 percent of the 5,211 registered voters in town.

Old Saybrook First Selectman Fortuna Chastises Both Parties for Current Budget Mess 

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Old Saybrook First Selectman Carl Fortuna. Photo from LinkedIn.com

Old Saybrook First Selectman Carl Fortuna. Photo from LinkedIn.com

In an exclusive interview with Old Saybrook First Selectman Carl Fortuna, Jr., on May 2, Fortuna, a Republican, castigated the leadership of both parties for putting the state of Connecticut, “into a budgetary mess.” Fortuna expressed particular alarm that the state’s budgetary shortfall will be over $1.5 billion, “and that’s for this year alone,” he stressed.

“That is $1.5 million,” Fortuna repeated.
Furthermore, Fortuna said that in the next two years, the state’s budgetary shortfall would reach over $4 billion. He commented that a contributing factor to the state budget’s shortfall is, “Retired civil servants are living longer and longer.”

Vote on Lyme-Old Lyme Board of Education’s Proposed $33.5M Budget for 2016-17

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With voter turnout so low, it was the end of "a painful day" for poll workers after the votes had ben counted at the Cross Lane Fire House

With voter turnout so low, it was the end of “a painful day” for poll workers after the votes had ben counted at the Cross Lane Fire House

The polls are open today from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Lyme and Old Lyme for residents to vote in a referendum on Regional District 18 Board of Education’s budget proposal for the fiscal year July 1, 2016.  Residents can vote respectively in the Hamburg Fire House in Lyme and the Cross Lane Fire House in Old Lyme.

In April, the school board voted to present a $33,470,376 budget for the 2015-16 fiscal year, which represents a 1.83 percent increase over the current 2014-15 budget.

The referendum result will be reported on LymeLine.com immediately after it is announced.

Essex First Selectman Needleman to Declare State Senate Candidacy Today, Challenging Linares

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Essex First Selectman Norman Needleman

Essex First Selectman Norman Needleman

Essex First Selectman Norman Needleman (D) will announce his candidacy for the 33rd State Senate District at a press conference to be held Tuesday, May 3, at 5 p.m. in the Gelston House in East Haddam.

Needleman, a Democrat who is currently serving his second two-year term as Essex First Selectman, will challenge incumbent Art Linares (R), who is completing his second two-year term as 33rd District State Senator and is running for a third term. Linares is Assistant Minority Leader of the state senate.

Apart from Lyme, the 33rd senate district includes the towns of Chester, Clinton, Colchester, Deep River, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Old Saybrook, Portland and Westbrook.