Monthly Archives: January 2017

Old Lyme’s Annual Town Meeting to be Held Tonight, Citizen of the Year to be Announced

Posted on by
Reply

Old Lyme’s Annual Town Business Meeting will be held Monday, Jan. 23, at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School at 18 Lyme St.

The first item on the agenda is discussion and acceptance of the Annual Town Report for the fiscal year July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016, as submitted by the Board of Finance.

The second item is the announcement of the currently closely-guarded secret of the board of selectmen’s choice for Citizen of the Year for 2016.

Subsequent items are as follows:

  1. A request by the board of selectmen to appropriate $130,000.00 for a LED Light project, by which all street light heads owned by the Town of Old Lyme will be replaced with LED lights.
  2. A request by the board of selectmen to appropriate $110,000.00 to rebuild the Academy Lane Fire Dock.
  3. A request by the board of selectmen to appropriate $33,000.00 for the purchase of a Ford Explorer for the Town’s Public Works Department (to replace a 2003 Ford Expedition).

All residents and property owners of the Town, who are 18 or over and US citizens, can vote at this meeting.

‘Sister March’ Supporting ‘Women’s March on Washington’ in Old Saybrook Today

Posted on by
Reply

We have just heard that a ‘Sister March’ has been announced in Old Saybrook on Saturday.  This ‘Demonstration in Support of the Women’s March in D.C.’ starts at 10 a.m. on the Old Saybrook Town Green and runs through 2 p.m.

The information on the ‘Sister Marches‘ website states, “We invite anyone who’d like to demonstrate support for the Women’s March, occurring in Washington D.C. and throughout the country, to join us in front of the Old Saybrook Town Green on the day of the march, Saturday, January 21, any time between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.”

The invitation continues, “We encourage you to bring posters or banners calling for equal rights for women and for all
persons entitled to fair and equitable treatment, regardless of their sex, orientation, age, race or creed.”

For more information and to RSVP, visit this link: https://actionnetwork.org/events/demonstration-in-support-of-womens-march-in-dc?source=email&

FRA Extends Deadline for Comments on High Speed Rail Proposal

Posted on by
Reply

SECoast.org made the following announcement at 6:09 p.m. this evening: Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island has just issued a press release announcing that the Federal Railroad Administration has agreed to an extension of “at least several weeks.”  SECoast.org quotes Sen. Reed directly from his press release as follows,

” I am pleased the FRA is extending the deadline to help ensure that all voices are heard and all options are considered.  This must be an open, transparent process.  This extension will give citizens more time to offer input and it will give the FRA more time to carefully study the data and make informed decisions.  I am glad the FRA is not trying to rush the process, and I hope the incoming Trump Administration will honor that commitment,” said Reed, the Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing & Urban Development”

More information is available at here, at the Charlestown Citizens Alliance Webpage. 

Saybrook Stage Presents “The Farnsworth Invention” at ‘The Kate,’ Continues Through Sunday

Posted on by
Reply

The cast of ‘The Farnsworth Invention.’

The invention of television comes to life in “The Farnsworth Invention” live at The Kate from Jan. 19 through Jan. 22 – a fast-paced electric play written by Aaron Sorkin; who brought us such great television as “The West Wing”, “The Social Network” and “The Newsroom.” His high energy writing style makes for an enjoyable evening of theatre.

It’s 1929. Two ambitious visionaries race against each other to invent a device called “television.” Separated by 2,000 miles, each knows that if he stops working, even for a moment, the other will gain the edge. Who will unlock the key to the greatest innovation of the 20th century: the ruthless media mogul or the self-taught Idaho farm boy?

This compelling story moves at lightning speed as two very different groups attempt to transmit a moving picture at the speed of light. The play is packed with every possible emotion – love, deceit, compassion, death, ambition and power – all intertwined as these two industry giants fight for the ultimate prize of being named the father of television!

“The Farnsworth Invention” opened on Broadway in 2007 and the Chicago Sun-Times described it as “ a firecracker of a play in a fittingly snap, crackle and pop production … the drama has among its many virtues the ability to make you think at the same time it breaks your heart.” The play has a cast of over 20 people who play over 60 roles which makes for a quick moving storyline from scene to scene.

The Saybrook Stage Company is pleased to return once again to The Kate in this quick-paced drama directed by John Pike. This will be their 13th production at The Kate and will be the largest cast to take the stage to date – the more recent previous plays are Deathtrap, Rumors, The Wayside Motor Inn, Moon Over Buffalo and this past January to a sold-out audience, Noises Off.

Visit www.thekate.org or call 877.503.1286 and reserve your tickets. Also, visit www.SaybrookStage.org for more information about Saybrook Stage Company.

The Saybrook Stage Company was founded as a non-profit corporation dedicated to providing quality theater on the Connecticut Shoreline at the Katherine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center. Saybrook Stage welcomes actors of all levels and abilities – and anyone who genuinely loves the arts – to come together and share in the experience that only live theater can provide.

The actors that have been part of The Saybrook Stage Company to date have varied backgrounds and “day jobs” from teachers, artists and homemakers to lawyers, business people and judges. The Company looks forward to producing many more quality productions at the beautiful venue of The Kate and continuing to thrive in this wonderful, artistic region of Connecticut.

‘Together We Rise’ Holds Official ‘Sister Event’ to Women’s March on Washington at East Haddam, Saturday

Posted on by
Reply

The Women’s March on Washington has inspired over 370 other ‘sister marches’ to take place this coming Saturday, Jan. 21. All 50 states and Puerto Rico are confirmed to have at least one grassroots-led march on that day, as well as 55 global cities on six continents, from Tokyo to Sydney, Nairobi to Paris to Bogotá.

But if you’ve missed the bus — literally and figuratively — to DC, there is now a local opportunity to participate in a ‘Sister Event.’ Together We Rise – Building Bridges For Justice has just announced that East Haddam/Lower Connecticut River Valley is now registered as an Official Sister Event for Connecticut, along with Hartford, Salisbury and Stamford, for the Women’s March on Washington.

The East Haddam event will be a vigil to be held from 10 to 11 a.m. on Saturday.  This outdoor vigil will be at Two Wrasslin’ Cats Coffee House & Café, located at 374 Town Street in East Haddam, CT at the junction of Rte. 82 and Rte. 151.

A Still We Rise vigil has been ongoing weekly since November 2016 and is attended by a group of dedicated individuals each Saturday.  The purpose is to keep social justice issues in the forefront of our community consciousness and to stand in solidarity with marginalized groups.  From the suffrage movement to anti-war protests, vigils have a long tradition in our country as an effective form of peaceful protest.

Participants in the weekly vigil stand outside Two Wrasslin’ Cats in East Haddam.

“The gathering of men and women at the East Haddam weekly vigil is a powerful illustration of what can be done by a small group with a willingness to stand up and work for change.  A perfect example of this determination is the fact that our vigil is a Sister Event for the Women’s March on Washington—one of only four Sister Events in Connecticut,” notes Edwina Trentham, organizer of the weekly Still We Rise vigils

Theresa Govert, Co-Chair of Together We Rise – Building Bridges For Justice comments, “What happens on the national stage affects all of us, but the strength of our Nation is built in the communities of action and compassion that start at the local level.  The Women’s March on Washington is unique and powerful because it draws from grassroots movements, first time activists, seasoned organizers, and institutions to amplify our voices.”

She continues, “Over 700,000 people have registered for sister events and 200,000 people are registered to attend the event in Washington D.C., the movement total could easily be 1 million people concerned about justice and human rights. This is the community building and work we all need to do every day to strengthen our nation.”

For more information, visit: WOMEN’S MARCH ON WASHINGTON SISTER MARCHES

For more information on the East Haddam vigil, visit their Facebook page.