Monthly Archives: February 2018

Lyme Ambulance Association Donates AED to Lyme Library

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Andy Smith (left) President of the Lyme Ambulance Assoc. Board of Directors, presents an AED machine to Jack Sulger of Lyme Library. Photo by Frank Yaskin, 2017.

Lyme Ambulance Association Board of Directors President Andy Smith (left) recently presented an Automated External Defibrillating (AED) machine to Jack Sulger, President of the Lyme Library Association, for use in the Lyme Public Library.

Automated External Defibrillating machines are now found in most public buildings as they are simple to use and can prevent sudden cardiac death.

This donation program is part of Lyme Ambulance Association’s commitment to the Lyme community.

Old Lyme Church Rings Bell 17 Times in Memory of Those Killed in Parkland, Fla.

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The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme where the bell will be rung 17 times this afternoon in memory of the 17 individuals shot and killed in Parkland, Fla., last Wednesday.

The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme (FCCOL) held a bell-ringing vigil on the front lawn of its church Sunday afternoon, Feb. 18, ringing the bell in its steeple 17 times, once for each of the victims of the recent mass shooting in Parkland, Fla.

In announcing the community vigil, FCCOL Senior Minister Steve Jungkeit said: “In times past, bells were used in small New England villages as a way of drawing people out of their homes to announce times of worship, celebration and mourning – but also as a way of sounding an alarm, of calling a community to action.”

He continued, “We invite the entire Old Lyme community to come out of their homes and join us, as we remember the 17 individuals who lost their lives to the recent gun violence in Parkland, Florida. The somber tolls will not only remind us of each precious life lost, they will also serve as an alarm, calling us to attention as a community – providing loud, resonant, insistent reminders of the insanity of firearms in this country.”

He concluded, “As a country, we need the clarion call of a bell to rouse us from our national slumber. We need to improve our society and change the way we live.”

The church held vigils after the mass shootings in Las Vegas, Nev., and Sutherland Springs, Texas.

Atty. Kelly of Old Lyme Succeeds in Appeal for US Veteran Denied Benefits

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Attorney Kristi D. Kelly

Attorney Kristi D. Kelly, who works for Suisman Shapiro of New London and is an Old Lyme resident, recently prevailed in an appeal on behalf of a client for Veterans Disability Benefits filed with the Department of Veterans Affairs. The veteran applied for service-connected disability benefits in 2014 and was denied service-connection for his claimed ailments at that time.

The denial was appealed in 2015 and has been pending for approximately two years. Attorney Kelly successfully obtained service-connection for all of his ailments and recovered $166,248.13 in back benefits previously denied by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

This successful appeal and recovery of retroactive benefits, as well as monthly benefits going forward, is truly life-changing for this veteran.

For more information about or to contact Atty. Kelly, visit her webpage at this link.

Lyme-Old Lyme High School Students Win Major Awards at CT Scholastic Art Contest

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This incredible work by Claudia Mergy was awarded a Gold Key in the Connecticut Scholastic Art Awards.

Four Lyme-Old Lyme High School students were recognized at this year’s Connecticut Scholastic Art Awards. In the painting category, senior Claudia Mergy of Old Lyme received two Gold Keys for individual works and a Gold Key for her portfolio.  She also received generous scholarship offers from both the University of Hartford Art School and Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts of the University of New Haven in recognition of the quality of her portfolio.

Senior Emily Archer won a Gold Key in the printmaking category for the excellent work shown above.

Junior Mya Johnson won a Silver Key in the Ceramics category for this exceptional piece.

Junior Kathryn Atkinson earned an Honorable Mention for the alluring work shown above in the Drawing category. 

Works that are awarded Gold Key will now go forward to be juried at the national level.

Many congratulations to all these talented artists!

Talking Transportation: “Getting There” Malloy’s Transportation Cuts

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Fare hikes, rail service cuts and a freeze on transportation projects.  As he promised in December, Governor Malloy announced them all in January.  Rail commuters and highway drivers are justifiably outraged, but they should direct their anger not at the Governor or CDOT but at the legislature.

WHY NOW?
This funding crisis has been years in the making, exacerbated 20 years ago when lawmakers’ political pandering saw them lower the gasoline tax.  Coupled with better gas mileage and increased use of electric cars, the Special Transportation Fund (STF), which pays for our roads and rails has been running out of money.  By next year, it will be in deficit.

RAIDS ON THE STF:
His critics are quick to blame Malloy, correctly noting that he raided the STF for money to balance the state’s budget.  But so did Governors Rell and Rowland.  Blaming their past mistakes doesn’t answer the question of what we do now.

FARE HIKES:
Metro-North riders already pay the highest commuter rail fares in the US.  The proposed 10 percent hike in July, while unpopular, will be absorbed by commuters, who have no real choice in how to get to their jobs in NYC … assuming they don’t move.

PUBLIC HEARINGS:
Required by law 90 days before they go into effect, the public hearings on fare hikes will be cathartic but meaningless.  Think of them as political theater.  The CDOT will present the numbers, explain why the STF is running out of money and sit patiently as commuters yell and scream.  Then they will do what they must:  raise fares.

RAIL SERVICE CUTS:
Why is Malloy cutting off-peak weekday and all weekend service on the New Canaan, Danbury, Waterbury and Shore Line East lines?  Because, unlike the mainline, these lines are subsidized 100 percent by Connecticut, have lower ridership and are much more expensive to operate.

ECONOMIC IMPACT:
While higher fares are never popular, cuts in train service can be economically devastating.  Without daily trains, houses in communities like Wilton and Redding will be less desirable.  Property values will decrease, affecting local taxes.  Transit-oriented development dreams for communities in the Naugatuck Valley will be dashed.

FUTURE PROJECTS:
Not only is the Governor threatening fare hikes and service cuts, he’s freezing $4.3 billion worth of transportation projects across the state.  Forget about the new Stamford rail garage, Route 8 – I-84 “mixmaster” in Waterbury, the Barnum rail station in east Bridgeport, and hundreds of other projects.  There may even be a 15 perent staff cut at CDOT.  That means months or years of delays on these projects if and when money is ever found, making our state even less desirable for new business investment.

ROAD MAINTENANCE:
These cuts may even affect CDOT’s ability to plow our roads in the next blizzard, let alone fix the potholes and our aging bridges.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?:
It will be up the legislature to finally address STF funding.  None of the alternatives will be popular, especially in an election year.  But I’d expect tolls, taxes, and yes, fare hikes … all predicated on passage of a true STF “lock box” in November’s referendum.

If you’re as angry as I am, do something.  Call your state representative and senator and demand that they vote on new funding sources for the STF to stop these service cuts and project delays.  They created this problem.  Now they’ll have to solve it.

Posted with permission of Hearst CT Media

Jim Cameron

About the author: Jim Cameron is founder of The Commuter Action Group, and a member of the Darien RTM.  The opinions expressed in this column are only his own.  You can reach him at CommuterActionGroup@gmail.com

For a full collection of “Talking Transportation” columns, visit www.talkingtransportation.blogspot.com