Monthly Archives: October 2020

Drive-Thru Flu Clinic Exercise Today at Waterford HS Offers Free Flu Shots for Adults

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WATERFORD — Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) hosts its 9th annual Drive Thru to Beat the Flu clinic in the parking lot of Waterford High School located at 20 Rope Ferry Rd. in Waterford on Sunday, Oct. 25, from 12 to 2 p.m. while supplies last. All participants will be required to wear a mask, stay in their vehicle, and practice social distancing.

Regular flu shots will be provided at no cost to individuals 18 years and older who live in Lyme and Old Lyme as well as East Lyme, Groton, Ledyard, New London, Stonington, North Stonington, and Waterford.

District residents that need the high dose vaccine should contact their pharmacy, medical provider, or the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) of Southeastern Connecticut.

The Drive-Thru to Beat the Flu is a full-scale exercise that allows LLHD staff and partners to practice mass dispensing plans for public health emergencies.

It is recommended that people wear a tank top, short sleeve shirt or loose-fitting clothes for easy access to the upper arm.

A flu consent form is required for each participant. Forms can be downloaded from www.llhd.org or obtained at the Drive-Thru. Any questions, call 860-448-4882.

Ledge Light Health District serves as the local health department for Lyme and Old Lyme, as well as East Lyme, Groton, Ledyard, New London, North Stonington, Stonington and Waterford, Conn.

As a health district, formed under Connecticut General Statutes Section 19a-241, LLHD is a special unit of government, allowing member municipalities to provide comprehensive public health services to residents in a more efficient manner by consolidating the services within one organization.

The Director of Health and staff of LLHD work to promote health and wellness among the more than 151,000 residents that the district serves. By enforcing the Connecticut Public Health Code, conducting health education programs, monitoring disease outbreaks and nurturing our environment, LLHD is focused on promoting healthy communities.

LLHD’s mission statement – to prevent disease, illness and injury; to protect and nurture our environment; and to promote improved health and prosperity for all residents – describes in more detail their slogan of “promoting healthy communities.”

Editor’s Note: This article is adapted from a press release issued by LLHD.

Letter to the Editor: Clarifying the Contrasting Positions of Carney, Rubino on Critical Matters

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To the Editor:

Human rights attorney Dave Rubino is challenging Devin Carney for the House of Representatives seat in the 23rd District.  Dave’s position on many social issues differs markedly from Devin’s.  As indicated on Dave’s campaign website, he supports:

  1. criminal justice reform;
  2. a strong social safety net;
  3. adequate paid family and medical leave; and
  4. a reasonable living wage. 

On the other hand, Devin voted AGAINST the following bills in the Connecticut General Assembly:

  • 2020–HB 6004, An Act Concerning Police Accountability;
  • 2019–SB 380, An Act Concerning the Use of Force and Pursuits by Police and Increasing Police Accountability and Transparency;
  • 2019—SB 1, An Act Concerning Paid Family and Medical Leave;
  • 2019—HB 5004, An Act increasing the Minimum Fair Wage; and
  • 2018—HB 5460, An Act Concerning Minimum Employee Wages for Providers of State-Administered Services for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities.

Please consider carefully which candidate’s positions more align with your own when you vote on November 3.

Sincerely,

Betsy Groth,
Old Lyme.

One New Confirmed COVID Case in Lyme, Takes Total to 11; Old Lyme Stays Steady at 32 Cases, Including Two Fatalities

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Photo by CDC on Unsplash

LYME/OLD LYME — Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) reported a new confirmed case of COVID-19 in Lyme in their COVID-19 summary for the week ending Oct. 23, which was published Friday evening.

This latest cases in Lyme is a 51-year-old female.

No new cases in Old Lyme were reported.

The total number of cases in Lyme now rises to 11 and comprises five females and six males ranging in age from one- to 68-years-old. There have been no fatalities in Lyme.

The total number of cases in Old Lyme remains at 32 including two fatalities. The number of surviving cases in Old Lyme now comprises 15 males and 15 females ranging in age from 19- to 82-years-old. The two fatalities were a 61-year-old female and an 82-year-old male.

Stephen Mansfield, LLHD Director of Health, introduced Friday evening’s report, which covers all the towns in the LLHD and includes Lyme and Old Lyme, with these words, “Although we are pleased to see that our cases have declined since last week, please keep in mind that one week of data can be misleading; it is imperative that we continue to be diligent in our efforts to reduce COVID transmissions.”

He continues, “Our contact tracers continue to report that they have observed many instances of family and social gathering connections. We are also seeing a significant number of cases associated with sporting events.”

Mansfield notes, however, “Cases associated with institutions (schools, long-term care facilities, etc.) remain relatively low.”

Ledge Light Health District states their data may conflict with the data DPH reports on their website, as there is often a delay in posting data at the state level. The data LLHD reports is current as of noon on the Friday on which it is issued. The CT DPH is currently reporting 37 confirmed cases in Old Lyme on the CT Open Data website. We asked Mansfield to explain the possible reasons for  this discrepancy and he responded this morning (Saturday), “Unfortunately I do not have answers … We report what is reported to us.”

Gender and age details of the confirmed cases in Lyme to date are:

  1. Male, age 34
  2. Female, age 61
  3. Female, age 34
  4. Male, age 1
  5. Male, age 34
  6. Male, age 20
  7. Male, aged 68
  8. Female, age 21
  9. Female, age 62
  10. Male, age unknown
  11. Female, age 51

To demonstrate the growth in confirmed COVID-19 cases in Old Lyme, the table below is a summary of the cases that LymeLine.com has reported since March 31 when the first case was announced and also includes both fatalities.

[table id=3 /]

Details of all Old Lyme’s confirmed surviving cases to date are as follows:

  1. Female, age 64
  2. Female, age 21
  3. Male, age 27
  4. Female, age 53
  5. Female, age 61
  6. Female, age 29
  7. Male, age 40
  8. Male, age 53
  9. Female, age 60
  10. Male, age 45
  11. Female, age 20
  12. Female, age 43
  13. Female, age 48
  14. Male, age 70
  15. Male, age 67
  16. Female, age 68
  17. Male, age 50
  18. Male, age 21
  19. Female, age 48
  20. Female, age 34
  21. Male, age 20
  22. Male, age 28
  23. Male, age 74
  24. Male, age 61
  25. Female, age 19
  26. Male, age 31
  27. Female, age 25
  28. Male, age 61
  29. Male, age 35
  30. Female, age 38

Old Lyme First Selectman Timothy Griswold has previously noted that the 21-year-old female with a confirmed case (#2 in the list immediately above) was tested in Florida, but used an Old Lyme address although she does not live here. Because she gave the Old Lyme address, Griswold said that LLHD must report her as an Old Lyme resident.

Residents and businesses are urged to access up-to-date information regarding the pandemic from reputable sources including the Ledge Light Health District website (www.llhd.org), Facebook (@LedgeLightHD), Twitter (@LedgeLightHD), and Instagram (@LedgeLightHD).

Editor’s Note: Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) serves as the local health department in southeast Connecticut for the towns of Lyme and Old Lyme as well as East Lyme, Groton, Ledyard, New London, North Stonington,  Stonington and Waterford. As a health district, formed under Connecticut General Statutes Section 19a-241, LLHD is a special unit of government, allowing member municipalities to provide comprehensive public health services to residents in a more efficient manner by consolidating the services within one organization.

Lyme Street Invokes a ‘Little Whimsy’ with an Influx of ‘Fairy Doors’

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The Fairy House outside Old Lyme Memorial Town Hall.

OLD LYME — Take a stroll down Lyme Street this month, look very carefully and you will see all kinds of mystical, magical Fairy Houses tucked into trees, fancifully formed against fences and lingering on lawns.

Find this fairy House is at 30 Lyme Street.

This little piece of wonderment has come about because, through Oct. 28, a variety of businesses, nonprofits, and private residences on Lyme Street has chosen to participate in the 2nd annual “Fairy Doors on Lyme Street.”

The Fairy Door at Lyme Art Association is exquisite.

There are 14 fairy doors on the grounds of the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts (LAFA), created by Region 18 students and LAFA alumni.

Another 16 fairy doors can be found along Lyme Street and all the fairy doors can be seen from the sidewalk.

See this masterful creation by Tammi Flynn at EF Watermelon.

LymeLine caught up with Cheryl Poirier, one of the coordinators, who explained, “Fairy Doors on Lyme Street is a way to add a little whimsy to our days, especially this year as we are all needing more smiles than ever.”

She continued, “Whether walking into Old Lyme Town Hall or on your way to one of the small businesses on Lyme Street, it’s fun to look down and see that someone used their creativity to share some fun with neighbors and friends.”

At 78 Lyme St. (see photo above), two graduates of the Savannah College of Art and Design took on the fun of creating, “A village of fairy doors,” amidst the greenery of the front lawn.

This wonderful fairy dropped into Studio 80 + Sculpture Grounds.

Olivia Denison and Alexandra Vasquez Dheming were New York City roommates working in the theater industry when COVID shut down their work.

They came to wait out the pandemic at Olivia’s parent’s home in Old Lyme pending the return of theater in New York, and now the roommates’ fairy door village contribution is a delightful, artistic endeavor for everyone who either lives on or walks down Lyme Street to enjoy.

The Old Lyme Arts District reminds all that Lyme Street is a residential street, and asks that social distancing and face masks are used as always.

Old Lyme Kindness Committee Names Christina Denison as its October Awardee

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Christina Denison is the Old Lyme Kindness Committee’s October awardee.

OLD LYME — The Town of Old Lyme Kindness committee has announced their October 2020 Kindness Awardee. This month the committee selected a community member, who has been going out of her way to spread smiles in town: Christina Denison.

Denison, a resident who lives on Lyme Street, has a letter-sized plexiglass frame on the stonewall in front of her house which she uses every single day to display a new joke. For the month of October, her jokes have been Halloween-themed, and she plans to switch to Thanksgiving jokes in November.

When asked what her motivation to begin the joke of the day was, she said, “Because of the pandemic I’m home and I thought people might like a little humor during this difficult time.” 

 

And Denison was right. Her jokes of the day have been noticed by passers-by, including many who wait in the school drop-off line each morning. “A lot of people walking by have told me they like reading the jokes and even share them with their grandchildren,” she said.

To nominate someone for a kindness award, use this link.