Monthly Archives: April 2018

Bill to Study State Employee Compensation Moves to Senate

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State Senator Art Linares

State Senator Art Linares announced that the legislature’s Appropriations Committee has approved a bill he requested to study the long-term financial impact of state employees’ and elected officials’ pay and benefit compensation on the state. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.

“Connecticut has been in a state of fiscal crisis for the last several years with budget deficit after budget deficit. This is despite the two largest tax increases in the state’s history,” Sen. Linares said. “We have to look at the state’s fixed costs and why they have gotten so far out of control.”

Sen. Linares said a review of state employee and elected officials compensation could examine ways to save money when the current state employee contract ends in 2027.

“I believe one area that should be considered is capping pension payout at $100,000 a year. The number of retirees receiving pension payments in excess of $100,000 has been growing at an unsustainable rate,” he said. “What do we tell the rank-and-file employees receiving smaller pensions when the pension fund is drained by retirees receiving six-figure payments? We have to make sure the pension plan stays solvent for all retirees.”

Currently, more than 1,400 retirees collect annual pensions in excess of $100,000, Sen. Linares said. The highest paid retiree received more than $300,000 a year.

“Retirement payouts like this were unheard of in the private sector even before most businesses moved away from pensions. Now employees and employers contribute to 401K-type plans,” he said. “We also have to remember that pensions are not the only form of retirement income state retirees receive. They contributed to and can collect Social Security.”

Sen. Linares said he also believes the lowering the expected return on investment in the fund from 8percent to 6 percent should be considered. The 10-year return for the 41 largest state pension funds was 6.59 percent.

“State employees, like their private sector counterparts, work hard to earn the paychecks they receive. We need to ensure that each of them receives the retirement funding they earn, by making sure the pension fund does not run dry due to the excessive pensions of a few,” he said. “I believe a comprehensive review of benefits that includes a $100,000 cap on pensions after 2027 will do that.”

Sen. Linares represents the community of Lyme as well as those of Chester, Clinton, Colchester, Deep River, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Old Saybrook, Portland and Westbrook.

HOPE Partnership Hosts FRIENDraiser Tomorrow at Old Lyme Country Club, All Welcome

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On Wednesday, April 11, HOPE Partnership will be hosting their annual “FRIEND raiser” at the Old Lyme Country Club in Old Lyme, CT.  This event will be held from 5 until 7 p.m. with hors d’oeuvres and wine, and is free to all who wish to attend.

HOPE is inviting all interested members of the community to join them and learn about HOPE’s mission to develop affordable housing options along the shoreline.

Executive Director, Lauren Ashe noted, ”We are very excited to host this event at the Old Lyme Country Club and share HOPE’s progress in making affordable housing options a reality for members of our community.   The need for affordable homes has impacted many of neighbors who may be working full time but unable to make ends meet or they may be young adults who wish to stay or return to the area where they grew up.  This evening is about friendship, partnership and community, while enjoying a glass of wine and refreshments.”

Anyone interested in attending can RSVP to Loretta@HOPE-CT.org or by calling 860-388-9513.

Founded in April 2004, HOPE Partnership is a non-profit organization committed to advocating and developing affordable housing opportunities to support families living and working in southern Middlesex County and surrounding towns.  HOPE’s purpose is to advocate for and create high-quality rental housing targeted to people earning between 50 and 80 percent of the local median income.

Lyme-Old Lyme Chamber Hosts Dinner Meeting at Stella’s Tonight, MCCD Members are Guest Speakers

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The Lyme-Old Lyme Chamber of Commerce holds its next Monthly Business Meeting on Tuesday, April 10, with cocktails and appetizers starting at 6 p.m. at Stella’s on Boston Post Rd. in Old Lyme. A three-course meal will begin at 7 p.m

It is expected to be a great evening allowing members and friends of the Chamber to network with business friends and colleagues, as well as hear the latest Chamber news.

Guest speakers will be members of the Mentoring Corps of Community Development (MCCD), who will give an overview of their work to date and plans for the future.  This is an important and influential group in The Lymes — come and find out what they do!

All are welcome. The cost for dinner per person is $25.00 and reservations are required by noon on Tuesday.

For more information, visit the Chamber’s website at VisitOldLyme.com

Prep Your Mind, Body for Springtime This Afternoon at Lyme Public Hall

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Photo by Austin Schmid on Unsplash

On Sunday, April 8, at 2 p.m., the Lyme Public Hall Association will host Maryla Radziszewski for a program on changing lifestyles for the changing season.  Learn how to prepare yourself for garden chores with simple exercises, how to detox your body with a delicious diet, and how to practice mindfulness in nature.

Radziszewski is a licensed massage therapist, personal trainer and health coach. She is a faculty member at the CT School of Massage Therapy and the owner of MoreFit, a boutique health center in East Haddam.

The program is free and open to the public.

The Lyme Public Hall is located at 249 Hamburg Road (Route 156) in Lyme, Conn.  For  more information, visit www.lymepublichall.org or call 860 526-8886.

Quodlibet Ensemble Plays Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’ This Afternoon in Final Essex Winter Series of Season

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The Quodlibet Ensemble who will play the final Essex Winter Series concert for 2018.

ESSEX — Essex Winter Series closes its 2018 season on Sunday, April 8, with the Fenton Brown Emerging Artists Concert featuring a 10-member string chamber orchestra, the Quodlibet Ensemble, performing Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, among other works.

The concert takes place on April 8, at 3 p.m. at Valley Regional High School, 256 Kelsey Hill Road, Deep River. Tickets are $35 and $5 for students and may be purchased by visiting www.essexwinterseries.com or calling 860-272-4572.

The New York City-based Quodlibet Ensemble is comprised of young, dynamic artists who present a range of music from the Baroque to the modern day. The players hold degrees from the Yale School of Music, Curtis Institute, Juilliard, New England Conservatory, and Harvard University, among others.

Currently they pursue careers as performing artists in both solo and prominent chamber ensembles ranging from early music group The Sebastians, to contemporary ensemble New Morse Code, to the Amphion String Quartet. A few of the players also serve as faculty at universities such as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Yale School of Music, and Connecticut College.

In addition to The Four Seasons, the April 8 program will include music by Mendelssohn, Mozart, and an original piece by Nathan Schram, one of the Ensemble’s members.

Three of the players will take part in Essex Winter Series’ outreach residency and will travel throughout the area conducting workshops, master classes, and special performances in schools and community settings from April 9 through 11.

Essex Winter Series is not-for-profit arts organization and is generously sponsored by The Clark Group, Essex Meadows, Essex Savings Bank, Guilford Savings Bank, Jeffrey N. Mehler CFP LLC, Tower Laboratories, and BrandTech Scientific.

Media sponsor is WSHU Public Radio and outreach activities are supported by the Community Foundation of Middlesex County and donors to the Fenton Brown Circle.