Monthly Archives: March 2019

Old Lyme Land Trust Annual Meeting Takes Place Today; Presentation on ‘Tick Talk,’ All Welcome

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The common blacklegged deer tick.

The Old Lyme Land Trust Annual meeting will be held on Sunday, March 24, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Lymes Sr Center on Town Woods Rd, Old Lyme.

This 53rd annual event will feature a presentation by Mike Benjamin, who serves as Land Trust Manager for Kent, CT. His presentation, “Tick Talk: Blacklegged (deer) Tick Biology, Ecology and Avoidance!” will begin at 3 p.m., prior to the business meeting of the Land Trust.

Benjamin is an experienced field ecologist and science teacher, who has published studies about the biological control of ticks,

The meeting is free and open to the public.

The Trust will present an overview of the 2018 activities and accomplishments, including new acquisitions and plans to further preserve open space in Old Lyme.

For more information, visit www.oldlymelandtrust.org

Lyme Academy to Drop ‘College’ From Its Name, Unveils New Website, Announces Summer Art Programs for Youth, Adults

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File photo of the Chandler Academic Center at Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts.

The board of trustees of the newly-renamed Lyme Academy of Fine Arts in Old Lyme, Conn., has announced an extensive summer art program for youth and adults. “Our trustees, alumni, and the Old Lyme community are committed to supporting this historic art institution,” states Stephen Tagliatela, Lyme Academy Board of Trustees Chairman.

He continues, “With the recent announcement of our separation from the University of New Haven, we will once again become the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts operating as it was originally established. Continuing the summer art programs will be an important part of our mission as we plan for the Academy’s future.”

“The variety of art programs planned for this summer is very exciting,” notes Lyme Academy Campus Dean Todd Jokl. “In addition to the Pre-College Academy for high school students, which helps them improve their technical skills and portfolio development for art college applications, a fun new art camp for middle school students is being added.”

Jokl adds, “The 2019 program will also include adult art programs in painting, sculpture, printmaking and encaustic. Our new website www.lymeacademy.org has all the information about these programs and instructors.”

Screen shot of the homepage of the new Lyme Academy website at LymeAcademy.org.

The 2019 summer programs at the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts for adults will begin in May and be offered through June, July and August. The youth programming is offered in July and August.

These summer programs will include:

Pre-College Academy:
High school students with beginning to advanced level art training can enroll in a series of courses that further explore and expand their technical skills and abilities. All Pre-College courses and workshops are designed to foster creativity, build artistic skill, portfolio development, and mentor personal vision in young artists.
The Lyme Pre-College Academy runs an intensive series of weeklong, daytime classes during July and August with instruction by master artists. Immerse yourself in a college-level arts experience this summer.

Middle School Academy “Art Apprentice” Program:
Middle school students will participate in an exciting art camp that showcases famous artists from history. Students will engage in art projects based on the talents, examples of work, and significance of each featured artist to make their own body of work full of fun and insight into the creative process. Learn from historic artists and art movements while exploring your own talents! Featured artists this summer include Edgar Degas, Michelangelo, Salvador Dali and Leonardo da Vinci.
Classes begin July 8 and run weekly through August 2.

Adult Workshops and Master Classes:
Lyme Academy’s traditional methods in figurative and representational art will provide adults at all levels an opportunity to work with professional artists, build portfolios, while advancing their skills in various mediums and techniques. Adult classes present an opportunity to immerse yourself in concentrated study in a specific area of expertise. Students will gain new perspectives in the process and the unique experience of guidance by professional artists in a mentored environment.
Adult weekly courses begin in May and the workshops and master classes will be offered in June, July and August focusing on developing technique and accelerated skill advancement in figure drawing, landscape painting, printmaking, sculpture, and encaustic.

Editor’s Note: Founded in 1976 by esteemed sculptor Elisabeth Gordon Chandler, Lyme Academy of Fine Arts is located in historic Old Lyme, Conn., which has been a vibrant center for the arts and artists in southeastern Connecticut for more than 100 years. The Academy offers a variety of programs in art education under the guidance of master artists who share a deep respect for both traditional and innovative forms of teaching that provide students with the necessary foundation and skills to develop their own unique visual expression.

For more information about Lyme Academy’s summer youth and adult art programs, visit www.lymeacademy.org or contact Kristen Brady at kbrady@lymefs.newhaven.edu or (860) 598-5143.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Host Free ‘Educational Forum for Families’ Today

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Lyme-Old Lyme Schools and Scholar Search Associates are co-presenting an Educational Forum for Families on Sunday, March 24, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

If you have students in 4th through 12th grades, you and your children are welcome to attend the Educational Forum at Lyme-Old Lyme High School, 69 Lyme St., in Old Lyme.

The Forum is open and free to the public and includes presentations for parents from experts, which will include:

  • online learning
  • the power of creative thinking
  • college admission
  • how to meet the needs of capable and gifted students

Concurrently, there will be interactive workshops for students on topics including:

  • public speaking
  • Zen and the art of relaxation
  • stop motion animation
  • exploration in ecology
  • thinking in 3D.

To sign up to attend the Forum, visit Old Lyme Educational Forum for Families and click on the blue button, “Forum Sign-up EventBrite”

For further information, contact Patsy Kumekawa, Scholar Search Associates at lymect@scholarsearchassoc.com or (860) 664-3586.

Today is Last Day to View LYSB’s 34th Annual ‘Youth Art Show,’ 10am-4pm

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An Opening Reception for the 34th Annual Youth Art Show will be held Thursday, March 14, from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Sill House Gallery at Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts of the University of New Haven located at 84 Lyme Street. All are welcome.

Sponsored by Lymes’ Youth Service Bureau (LYSB) and the PTO’s of Lyme, Middle and Mile Creek Schools, the show features work by more than 150 students in Lyme-Old Lyme Schools from Kindergarten through Grade 12, including many pieces that have recently won impressive awards in state and local competitions.

The show is on view daily, except for Sunday, March 17, through Saturday, March 23.  The Sill House Gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday.  Admission is free.

For more information, contact Lymes’ Youth Service Bureau at 860-434-7208 or visit www.lysb.org

Gov. Lamont Amends Education Proposal on Shared Services; Encourages School Collaboration, Reallocation of Resources to Classroom

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Governor Ned Lamont (D)

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR NED LAMONT– Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he is submitting revised language to the General Assembly on his proposal encouraging shared services in Connecticut schools. The new proposal, which was developed in collaboration with stakeholders, addresses concerns raised by members of the community while continuing to encourage collaboration and shared services among schools. The governor said that he agrees with many constituents who do not want their school districts to be forced to consolidate operations and is hopeful that the modifications to his proposal address those concerns.

Unlike other proposals, Governor Lamont’s legislation does not force school consolidation. Rather, his bill uses school construction bonds and other funds to incentivize communities to explore cost savings, but does not force regionalization.

“The truth is that our students and teachers are not getting the adequate resources they need in the classroom,” Governor Lamont said. “Sharing certain back-office administrative services and purchasing costs is more efficient for certain schools, and my bill is intended to highlight and incentivize those efficiencies. I’ve also heard the concern that school districts need independence to make the decisions they feel are best. My revised proposal seeks to strike that balance through a collaborative process that preserves the feisty independence of our towns while providing them the tools they need to accomplish our shared vision of focusing resources on the classroom.”

As an example, North Carolina uses one contract for school software throughout the entire state, however in Connecticut there are 170 different contracts and the state is paying a premium. The governor’s proposal creates a bipartisan commission on shared school services, made up of education stakeholders from across the state including parents, teachers, superintendents, and school board members. That commission has no power to force the adoption of its recommendations, but will look around and outside the state to issue advisory reports on how districts can best share services and prioritize money for students and teachers. The towns and the people’s elected representatives will be able to draw on the recommendations that make sense in their local contexts.

The revised language in governor’s proposal:

  • Ensures regional diversity by requiring each of the governor’s six appointees come from a different RESC service area
  • Underscores the non-binding nature of the commission’s recommendations
  • Eliminates requirements that the commission consider redistricting and regionalization in its reports

The legislation, SB 874 – An Act Concerning Education Initiatives and Services in Connecticut, is currently pending in the education committee. The same language is included in HB 7192 – An Act Concerning Municipal and Regional Opportunities and Efficiencies, which is pending in the planning and development committee.

**Download: Proposed revised language to SB 874