Monthly Archives: January 2019

Potapaug Hosts Talk in Old Lyme Tonight by Acclaimed Photographer Burt on Rare, Elusive Birds

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Potapaug Audubon presents “Rare & Elusive Birds of North America” with William Burt, wildlife photographer on Thursday, Jan. 3, at the Old Lyme Town Hall, 52 Lyme St. at 7 p.m.

Take a journey with Burt by means of a slide lecture to the marshes, plains and prairies, swamps and woodlands in search of the rails and bitterns, nightjars, and other “mystery birds” that birders long to see.

William Burt

Burt is a naturalist, photographer and writer with a passion for wild places – especially marshes – and the elusive birds few people see. 

His photographs and stories are seen in Smithsonian, Audubon, National Wildlife and other magazines, and he is the author of four books: Shadowbirds (1994); Rare & Elusive Birds of North America (2001); Marshes: The Disappearing Edens (2007); and the new Water Babies (2015). 

He lectures often, and his traveling exhibitions have shown at some 35 museums across the U.S. and Canada – including The Carnegie Museum of Natural History, The New Brunswick Museum, The Calgary Science Center, The Liberty Science Center, The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, and the Harvard Museum of Natural History.

In 1989, for an exhibition of Burt’s photography of marsh birds, Roger Tory Peterson wrote the following:

William Burt is a perfectionist whose photographs of rails and other shy and elusive birds of the wetlands are unquestionably the finest ever taken.  I admire his technical skill and perseverance (14 years) in getting these pictures.  He has set a new standard.

Most recently he has been photographing downy young birds of the wetlands, from the Arctic tundra to the Gulf of Mexico:  The Water Babies.

Burt lives in Old Lyme, Conn.

This event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

For more information, call 860-710-5811. 

Come Sing with Con Brio!

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At the sold-out Sunday, Dec. 9 Christmas concert, the Con Brio Choral Society performed Zelenka’s Te Deum with three professional soloists and the Con Brio Festival Orchestra under the direction of conductor Dr. Stephen Bruce. The event was at Christ the King R.C. Church in Old Lyme, CT. Photo by Peter Coffey.

Perhaps you have sung in church choirs, or in school or community choruses and wonder if you’re ready for a new musical challenge. If so, even if it has been a few years since you last sung regularly, why not audition for Con Brio Choral Society? If accepted, you would join the group’s 66 singers in rehearsals each Tuesday evening from Jan. 8 through March 31.

Auditions will be held on Wed., Jan. 2 starting at 7 p.m. at St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church at 56 Great Hammock Rd., Old Saybrook.

The Con Brio Choral Society begins rehearsing music for the spring Sunday, March 31, concert (start time – 4 p.m.) on Tuesday, Jan. 8, at 7 p.m at St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church at 56 Great Hammock Rd. in Old Saybrook.  

The spring concert will include Mozart’s Mass in C Minor and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, featuring renowned pianist Mihae Lee performing with the chorus and orchestra.

For more information about Con Brio or the audition process, call Sue at 860-526-5399 or visit conbrio.org.

Our Top 10 Most Read Stories of 2018

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In 2018, our LymeLine year was dominated by stories related to the affordable housing proposal on Neck Rd., which prompted one of the largest town meetings in our experience and drew opinions across the spectrum. Six of our 10 most read stories related to that topic including two Letters to the Editor and three Op-Ed’s.

Interestingly though, in our review of the most read stories of 2018, it was not one of those many articles that attracted the highest readership but rather the one relating to the recent passing of Chip Dahlke, shown in the photo at right, which was such a great and tragic shock to so many in our community.

Pam Russell (left) and daughter Lisa in a photo taken early in 2018. Lisa was the victim of a serious accident in spring 2018.

In fact, the affordable housing stories do not enter the rankings until #3 on our list of 10 following our story about another tragic event — the horrific accident that befell Lisa Russell in Boston and the subsequent blood drive held in Old Lyme in her honor. Lisa’s dad Andy is long-time chair of the Old Lyme Board of Finance, mom Pam is a language arts teacher in Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School and Lisa graduated in 2007 from Lyme-Old Lyme High School.

The affordable housing article in third place was, in fact, not a report on that packed meeting but rather a Letter to the Editor from some local members of the clergy on the subject.

This photo shows the black bear that was seen in Hadlyme. Photo by E & J Bjornberg.

Other significant stories in our Top 10 Most Read Stories were the death of a sheep by a black bear in Lyme and the announcement by University of New Haven just days before the fall semester was due to begin that they were pulling out of Lyme Academy leaving the college with an uncertain future.

Our full listing of our most read stories of 2018 is as follows:

  1. Remembering Chip Published 12/11/18
  2. Community Comes Out in Force to Support Blood Drive Honoring Lyme-Old Lyme HS Grad Lisa Russell Published 7/08/18
  3. Letter to the Editor: Old Lyme Clergy Speak Out in Support of Affordable Housing Published 6/09/18
  4. Black Bear Kills Sheep in Lyme, Residents Warned to Take Precautions; DEEP Notes Black Bears Rarely Aggressive to Humans Published 9/30/18
  5. Boisterous Crowd Packs Middle School Auditorium to Listen to, Give Opinions on HOPE’s Affordable Housing Proposal Published 6/08/18
  6. Op-Ed: SECoast Questions Proposed HOPE Development in Old Lyme Published 5/11/18
  7. Op-Ed: ‘A Project Without Solutions’: SECoast Director Questions Possible Approval of HOPE’s Affordable Housing Proposal Published 9/12/18
  8. Letter to the Editor: Two “Inescapable Facts” About Affordable Housing in Old Lyme Published 6/10/18
  9. University of New Haven to Stop Granting Degrees at Lyme Academy in 2019 Published 8/27/18
  10. Op-Ed: HOPE Explains Background, Process to Their Affordable Housing Proposal in Old Lyme Published 5/24/18

Red Cross Offers Incentives to Blood Donors During January

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The American Red Cross is offering a special incentive to increase blood and platelet donations in January, a historically challenging time. All donors who present at Red Cross blood drives in New England (Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island) and New York will receive a $5 Dunkin’ Gift Card by email *. 

Also, all those who come to donate between Jan. 1 and Jan. 6 will receive a free long-sleeved Red Cross T-shirt**. 

“January is a time we tend to see a dip in the blood supply,” said Patricia Sablitz, director of donor recruitment, Red Cross Biomedical Services. “Donors may not have had time to come in during the holidays, and the threat of severe weather is always looming here in the northeast. This incentive is one way to remind donors the need for blood doesn’t take a winter break.” 

In order to receive the gift card, all donors must have a valid email on file with the Red Cross at the time of donation. In addition to the emailed gift card, donors who give blood or platelets from Jan. 1-6, 2019 will receive a free long-sleeved T-shirt**. 

Download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states  (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements. 

Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App. About the American Red Cross 

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit RedCross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.  

*Red Cross donors in CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI and VT who receive this offer and come in to donate during promotional time frame are eligible (Jan. 1-31, 2019). Limit one (1) per donor. This offer is non-transferable and not redeemable for cash. Offer is subject to change at any time in the promotional time frame. Instructions on how to redeem the gift certificate voucher will be emailed to the address listed in your American Red Cross donor profile approximately 30 days after an attempted donation. The gift certificate voucher can be redeemed at GiftCertificates.com. © 2019, DD IP Holder LLC. The Dunkin’ trademarks, logos and designs are registered trademarks of DD IP Holder LLC and used under license. Dunkin’ Donuts is not a sponsor of this promotion. The Dunkin’ Gift Card is subject to complete terms and conditions, which can be found at https://www.dunkindonuts.com/content/dunkindonuts/en/help/terms.html#ddcard

**While supplies last. All items are non-transferable and not redeemable for cash.

Ledge Light Offers Free Program to Help People Quit Tobacco

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Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) is offering a free program aimed to reduce tobacco use in Southeastern Connecticut. The goal of the program is to remove common barriers people face by offering quit aids, coaching and social support at no cost. Programs are open to those who live or work in Southeastern Connecticut.

The program uses the American Lung Association’s “Freedom from Smoking®” curriculum to help participants quit tobacco in seven weeks. Free nicotine replacement therapy will be offered to participants. FDA- approved prescription medication like Varenicline (Chantix) will be made available to participants, should they prefer to use it, if their insurance doesn’t cover it.

“Quitting tobacco is a huge step towards improving your health and preventing disease. Ask any former tobacco-user, it’s the best decision they’ve ever made,” said LLHD Senior Health Program Coordinator and Tobacco Treatment Specialist Carolyn Wilson. “Sometimes it takes several attempts to be successful but creating a plan, seeking support and developing a set of strategies is the best course of action. It’s important to never give up on the journey to becoming tobacco-free.”

The 2019 Tobacco-Free LLHD program is made possible through a partnership with Uncas Health District and funding is from the Preventive Health & Health Services Block Grant (PHHSBG), Grant # 1NB01OT009192-01-00, fromthe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The first program of 2019 will begin Jan. 2 and run through Feb. 13. The “Quit Day” is Jan. 23.  Individual counseling is available by appointment if those interested can’t attend the group program. Tobacco-Free LLHD will be offering at least 2 more group programs in 2019.

For more information or to register for the program, visit this link and/or contact Senior Health Program Coordinator Carolyn Wilson at (860) 446-3062 or at cwilson@llhd.org.