Monthly Archives: October 2016

Acclaimed Local Author Benn Reads From His Latest Novel at Lyme Library Today

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bluemadonnaLyme Library will host a Book Reading and Signing by James R. Benn for his most recent novel, “Blue Madonna,” this Saturday, Oct. 8, at 2 p.m.

Call 860-434-2272 to register or email programreg@lymepl.org

Benn will read from and sign copies of his 11th Billy Boyle mystery, Blue Madonna, the plot of which which Kirkus Review describes in the following way, “Sentenced to three months, hard labor, Billy Boyle can avoid his punishment by partaking in a dangerous mission on the eve of the Normandy invasion.”

Kirkus Reviews continues,“Benn’s 11th Billy Boyle mystery has snappy dialogue, satisfying action scenes, and much interesting history about D-Day”

Copies of Blue Madonna will be for sale at the program.

The library is located at 482 Hamburg Rd./Rte. 156, Lyme, CT 06371

Artist Jan Dilenschneider Featured in Exhibition at Lyme Academy

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"Trees with broken color" by Jan Dilenschneider

“Trees with broken color” by Jan Dilenschneider is a signature painting from the exhibition opening today at the Sill House Gallery in Old Lyme.

Artist Jan Dilenschneider, just back to the U.S. from acclaimed exhibitions in Paris and Monaco, will exhibit upwards of 20 recent works in a major exhibition in the Sill House galleries on the Old Lyme campus of Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts of the University of New Haven.

The exhibition, “The 4th Dimension,” will open on Friday, Oct. 7, with a reception with the artist from 5 to 7 p.m. and is part of Lyme Academy College’s Center for Arts Programming fall events. The exhibition, in the 1817 federal-style Sill House, will be on view through Nov. 12. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The exhibition is free and open to the public.

“We at Lyme Academy College are very proud to be exhibiting Jan’s exquisite paintings,” said Todd Jokl, campus dean. “Her sensitivity to the lushness, the colors and movements, of the landscape at a certain moment both reminds us of those great painters who first memorialized the Old Lyme area and also looks beyond the moment she captures so imaginatively to the timeless qualities of light and color.”

A classic work by Jan Dilenschneider.

A classic work by Jan Dilenschneider.

In Paris and Monaco, Dilenschneider’s landscape paintings met with critical acclaim. She was the only living American artist who had her work displayed at the recent European Art Fair – Monaco. Marguerite d’Aprile, director of the Center for Arts Programming at Lyme Academy College, noted, “We are quite honored and pleased to host an artist with such an extensive international exhibition record. Ms. Dilenschneider’s paintings, in both subject and color, breathe life into her landscape canvases.”

In an ideal marriage of art and place, Dilenschneider’s vibrant landscape paintings, inspired by a passionate confluence of impressionist and expressionist styles, speak precisely to the Old Lyme landscape that gave birth to American Impressionism.

This idyllic setting is as appealing to artists today as it was when viewed over a century ago by Barbizon School painter Henry Ward Ranger, who called it a “landscape waiting to be painted.” The landscape of Long Island Sound outside her studio windows in Darien, Conn., has provided a similar inspiration for Dilenschneider’s work.

Dilenschneider will also be giving a gallery talk at the exhibition site on Thursday, Oct. 27 (reception 6 p.m. to 7 pm; lecture at 7 p.m.).  The talk is open to the public ($15 per person) and seating is limited. Reservations must be made by contacting Kristen Brady at 860 434 3571 ext. 121kbrady@lymefs.newhaven.edu.

The exhibition and gallery talk are highlights of the fall schedule of the Center for Arts Programming. For more information about the fall schedule of classes, lectures, film screenings and special exhibitions, visit http://www.lymeacademy.edu/index.php/community-engagement.

Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts is a college of the University of New Haven.  Its mission is to educate aspiring artists through a rigorous studio curriculum rooted in figurative and representational art.  The college offers a comprehensive liberal arts education essential for advanced critical and creative thought.  For more information, visit: http://lymeacademy.edu/

 

Nancy Larson Foundation Opens Applications for 2016 Education Scholarships

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The Nancy Larson Foundation is currently accepting applications from college upperclassmen and graduate students preparing to be elementary school teachers.

The Nancy Larson Foundation, which is headquartered in Old Lyme, is dedicated to helping promising students majoring in elementary education.

Since its inception in 2006, the Foundation has awarded more than 50 scholarships to students across the country.

Eachyear the Foundation awards at least five $1,000 scholarships to deserving college students who excel in the classroom and their communities.

Nancy Larson is the author of two nationally successful curriculum programs: Nancy Larson® Science K–4 and Saxon Math K-4.

She feels that it is critical to support the development of young teachers who shape children’s minds and better position our country to become a leader in science and math.

“We want to provide a helping hand to aspiring teachers who have worked hard to position
themselves for anoutstanding career,’’ said Larson. “The Foundation works to positively affect the quality of education forthousands of students taught over the lifetime of our Nancy Larson Foundation Scholars.” Juniors, seniors, and graduate students who have declared an elementary education major are invited to apply.

They should submit a personal narrative about why they want to teach and what will make them excellent teachers.

Applicants are also asked to include community service activities as well as experiences they have had working with children. Applications are accepted from Oct.1 through Nov. 15, 2016. Applications must be completed in full and postmarked by Nov. 15 to be considered.

Scholarship recipients will be notified by Dec. 31, 2016.

Larson, a former teacher and curriculum director, has dedicated her life to advancing elementary education. Her original Saxon Math K–4 program  was developed because teachers needed a classroom-­tested math program that would prepare children for advanced math classes. In recent years, Nancy has used the same approach to develop Nancy Larson Science for kindergarten through fourth grade students.

The program was written to provide in ­depth science content in an easy-to-­teach format.

To learn more about the Nancy Larson Foundation and this scholarship opportunity, visit http://nancylarsonfoundation.org.

The Nancy Larson Foundation, founded in Old Lyme, CT, has a history of 10 years awarding prospectiveelementary educators scholarships to encourage and support their education. The Nancy Larson Foundation awards scholarships to the top entries.

For entry deadlines and requirements, or more information on the Foundation, visit http://nancylarsonfoundation.org.

Buy a Pie! Lyme-Old Lyme Class of 2017 Parents Host Safe Grad Pie Sale

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pie-clip-art-pie_cherry_desserts_2929pxParents of theLyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS) Class of 2017 are now taking orders for fresh pies, tea breads and cookie dough from Bishop’s Orchards in Guilford, Connecticut.

Deadline for orders is Nov. 8 for Nov. 18 delivery — just in time for the holidays!  Check out the Safe Grad website which has a link to the order form. 

There is a great tradition in Lyme-Old Lyme that for many years, parents of the LOLHS senior class have hosted an all-night “Safe Graduation Party” for the senior class. The goal is to provide a safe, substance free party in a “secret location” where students have the opportunity to share food, music, entertainment and memories with their classmates. For as long as these parties have been provided for our seniors, the community has enjoyed trouble-free graduation nights.

While the party is hosted entirely by parents of seniors, it takes a community effort to help our children remain safe and supervised while celebrating this wonderful milestone. Funding for the party comes entirely from fundraisers, donations from local businesses, organizations, parent and individual contributions.

Although LOLHS and the Regional School District 18 Board of Education support this event, they do not contribute any financial support. The parent organizers rely on fundraisers and donations from parents of seniors and the community to make this event a success.

Groundbreaking Ceremony Celebrates Start of Long-Anticipated Sound View Improvement Project

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From left to right, Sound View Improvement Committee members Bonnie Reemsnyder, Frank Pappalardo, Jim Lampos, and MaryJo Nosal dig a ceremonial shovel in the sand at the groundbreaking on Hartford Ave. held Oct. 3.

From left to right, Sound View Improvement Committee members Old Lyme First Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder, Sound View Commission Chairman and SVIC member Frank Pappalardo, SVIC members Angelo Faenza, Jim Lampos and Rob Haramut (from RiverCOG), and Old Lyme Selectmen Mary Jo Nosal and Skip Sibley dig a ceremonial shovel in the sand at the groundbreaking on Hartford Ave. held Oct. 3.

The sun shone brightly as town officials, Sound View Improvements Committee (SVIC) members, design and construction personnel and a handful of Sound View residents cheerfully gathered at the flagpole at the foot of Hartford Ave. for a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction on the long-awaited project to upgrade the street.

Old Lyme residents originally approved $877,000 for the project back in July of this year but this past Tuesday (Sept. 27) increased the amount approved to $911,100 to allow for the bids having come in higher than expected. The improvements comprise the reinstatement of horizontal parking on Hartford Avenue, sidewalks expanded from 3 ft. to 6 ft., lighting, plantings, bike racks and the addition of curbs and bump-outs.

A view up Hartford Ave. looking north prior to the start of the project.

A view up Hartford Ave. looking north prior to the start of the project.

The town expects to receive 80 percent reimbursement on the current project and is still exploring ways to fund the reinstatement of a park (named Sound View Green) and upgraded restrooms, which were originally included in the plan but have both now been removed due to budget overruns.

Construction is scheduled to start Monday, Oct. 10.

Construction is scheduled to start Monday, Oct. 10.

Asked how she felt now that the start of construction is finally imminent, Old Lyme First Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder, who also served on the SVIC, responded enthusiastically, “I’m delighted and can’t wait to see everything accomplished.  It’s going to be wonderful and also a great place to walk.”  She commented, “People have been talking about this since I became a Selectwoman in 2003,” adding, “For decades, we’ve talked about this [Sound View] being a ‘diamond in the rough.’ People are tired of talking about it – they want to see some action.”

The theme that the groundbreaking represented the culmination of years of work by many people was echoed repeatedly with Sound View Commission Chairman and SVIC member Frank Pappalardo saying, “It’s been a long time coming … it’s tremendous that we’re actually starting the project.”  He noted that the project represented, “A lot of hard work by a lot of dedicated people.”

From left to right,Ken Golden from B&W Paving and Landscaping, Sound View Commission Chairman and SVIC member Frank Pappalardo, Old Lyme Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal, Kurt Prochorena Principal and Civil Engineer from the engineering design firm The BSC Group, Stuart Greacen and Ed Steward from WMC-the project inspection firm.

The design and construction project personnel gathered for a photo, from left to right,Ken Golden from B&W Paving and Landscaping, Old Lyme Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal, Kurt Prochorena, Principal and Civil Engineer from the engineering design BSC Group, and Stuart Greacen and Ed Steward from WMC, the project inspection firm.

The project’s designer was the BSC Group of Glastonbury, Conn., and its principal Kurt Prochorena, a civil engineer, also noted the evolution of the project had taken a long time but pointed out, “It’s going to really improve the character of the area.”

Recalling that the eight-member SVIC had started meeting every two weeks back in 2014, SVIC Chairman and Old Lyme Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal said, “I am extremely gratified by all the efforts of the [SVIC] committee, the Sound View Commission, residents, town officials and the BSC Group, who have brought this project to fruition. It’s hopefully the start of other great things in this area.”

Sound View residents (from left to right) Frank and Patty Pappalardo, Shirley Annunziata and Joann Lishing are all smiles at the conclusion of the groundbreaking ceremony.

Sound View residents (from left to right) Frank and Patty Pappalardo, Shirley Annunziata and Joann Lishing are all smiles at the conclusion of the groundbreaking ceremony.

Sound View residents Shirley Annunziata and Joann Lishing, who have both lived in Sound View for many years, were on hand to enjoy the celebrations.  Annunziata mentioned that her family has owned in property in Sound View for some 95 years and was the first of Italian descent to buy in the area. Lishing repeated the much used phrase of the day, “This has been a long time coming,” before noting with a broad smile, “I’m so excited. It’s going to be beautiful!”