Monthly Archives: December 2020

Death Announced of Theodore “Teddy,” “Ted” L. Ballachino Jr. of Old Lyme, Graveside Service This Morning

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OLD LYME — Theodore “Teddy,” “Ted” L. Ballachino Jr., 61, of Old Lyme passed away Dec. 18, 2020, peacefully with his family by his side after a short illness. Ted was born Feb. 26, 1959, in New Britain, to Theodore and Annmarie (Marotto) Ballachino.

Ted could best be described as a gentle giant …

… Calling hours will be held from 4 until 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 28, in Fulton-Theroux Funeral Home, 13 Beckwith Lane, Old Lyme. Please wear a mask and follow our COVID guidelines. A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 29, in Duck River Cemetery, Old Lyme …

Visit this link to read the full obituary published Dec. 24, in The Day.

Lyme Town Hall, Library Shift to By-Appointment Basis Only

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Lyme Town Hall (pictured above) and Lyme Public Library will both move to an appointment-only basis, Dec. 28.

LYME — The Lyme Board of Selectmen announced Dec. 22 that since the number of COVID-19 cases in Lyme (then standing at 38 cases) continues to grow and neighboring towns are experiencing an accelerating rate of infection, the Lyme Town Hall and Library operations will move to a “by-appointment” basis only, starting Monday, Dec. 28.

In their announcement, the selectmen say they, “Anticipate that holiday gatherings will only add to the number of cases we may experience in the near future,” adding that they are taking these measures, “To protect our residents and employees.”

Staff will be available to assist residents, who email ahead of time for assistance. In-person service will not be available without an appointment.

The selectmen anticipate operating under this revised method until at least Jan. 19, 2021, and another announcement will be made when it is determined that in-person services can again be permitted.

The town garage, transfer station and recycling center will continue their present schedule for the foreseeable future. Opening hours for these facilities may be curtailed if, and when, the selectmen feel it may be warranted.

Email addresses for assistance are as follows:

Should other employees need to be contacted, email the First Selectman or the Town Clerk who will direct inquiries to the appropriate employee.

The selectmen’s announcement concludes, “We appreciate your patience as we deal with this spike in virus cases and thank you for your cooperation. We recognize that this may be an inconvenience and trust that you all will understand the need for these measures.”

Ledge Light Reports Decrease in COVID Cases Across Region in Past Two Weeks Compared to Previous Two, LLHD Director Says Critical to Remain Diligent

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“It is critical that we remain diligent …” Stephen Mansfield, LLHD Director of Health

LYME/OLD LYME — Ledge Light Health Department (LLHD) issued their most recent Weekly COVID-19 Report Friday, Dec. 25.

Stephen Mansfield, LLHD Director of Health, prefaces the report with this statement, “We are happy to see a significant decrease in the number of COVID cases in the current reporting period. As we prepare for our vaccination campaign, it is critical that we remain diligent and take appropriate precautions throughout this holiday season. Our contact tracers continue to report that they have observed many COVID cases associated with family and social gatherings.”

The report shows that in the past two weeks, Old Lyme had 27 new cases, down from 34 in the previous two-week period. Meanwhile Lyme recorded 10 new cases, down from 11 in the previous two-week period.

This report only includes cases and tests among persons residing in community settings; it does not include cases or tests among residents of nursing home, assisted living, or correctional facilities.

It also details that 815 Old Lyme residents had molecular tests and antigen tests in the past two weeks while the equivalent number for Lyme residents was 226.

The report offers this link to the Connecticut COVID Data Portal, which provides centralized access to data on the COVID-19 emergency and response.

The next Weekly Report from LLHD is due Friday, Jan. 1, 2021.

Neither the LLHD nor the Connecticut Department of Health (CT DPH) reports give any details of the age of those infected, their gender, or the date the case was confirmed.

Christmas Services in Lyme, Old Lyme Churches Today

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Christmas Eve candles

LYME/OLD LYME — The churches in Old Lyme are holding the following services during the Christmas season:

CHRIST THE KING
This weekend’s Masses (Dec 26–27)  will be ZOOM-only, with no in-person attendance allowed. Read Fr. Joe’s Christmas Eve message for more information.

Click here for links to join on Zoom.
Mass times are as usual:
Sunday 8 & 10:30 a.m.

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF LYME

Sunday, Dec. 27

Join the church online for their weekly services at 10 a.m. by logging into the Zoom link on the church website.

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF OLD LYME

Sunday, Dec. 27

At 11 a.m., the church will livestream their weekly worship service from the Meetinghouse on YouTube. The YouTube link for the livestreamed service has not been established yet; when it is, LymeLine.com will post the link or it will be available on the homepage of the church website.

For those who are unable to watch the livestream, a recording will be posted to the church website, Facebook page and YouTube page – along with a written version of the sermon and the Order of Worship for the service.

A recording of the Christmas Eve Worship Service is posted to the church website, Facebook page and YouTube page – along with a written version of the sermon and the Order of Worship for the service.

The YouTube link for this livestream is https://youtu.be/rNGfs4IIvmA.

SAINT ANN’S PARISH

Saint Ann’s Parish invites you to join in the continuing celebration of Christmas with a schedule of events on Zoom.  

Sunday, Dec. 27:
Christmas Lessons and Carols
9:30 a.m. (Zoom link from ECCT)
ECCT will be offering a virtual worship service, A Festival of Christmas Lessons and Carols. The service, featuring lectors, lay participants, clergy, and musicians from across ECCT has been pre-recorded at Christ Church in Hartford, and will premiere on ECCT’s YouTube Channel at 10 a.m. See how many faces from Saint Ann’s you recognize in the choir and the lectors.
Note: This service is offered in lieu of a Sunday recording from Saint Ann’s.  

Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021:
Lessons and Carols
9:30 a.m.
Zoom link. Meeting ID 882 7651 9047 Passcode 340562
Note: This service is offered in lieu of a Sunday recording from Saint Ann’s. 

There will be a return to Sunday morning recorded services on Jan. 10, 2021.

 

Dec. 24 COVID-19 Update: Cumulative Cases in Lyme Reach 40, Old Lyme’s Rise to 133

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Photo by CDC on Unsplash

LYME/OLD LYME — In light of the serious rise in Coronavirus cases, we have started a new daily update reporting confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in Lyme and Old Lyme.

The state is now issuing a COVID-19 metric report daily around 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, which includes current data up to the previous evening. The Monday reports include data for the weekend as well as the previous Friday.

The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Thursday, Dec. 24, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) for data as at 8:30 p.m., Dec 23, shows the following:

Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the state-identified ‘Red Zone;’ Old Lyme was ‘red’ for the past two weeks but Lyme had moved into the gray (lowest) zone.

As of today’s report, six towns in the state — Canaan, Colebrook, Cornwall, Scotland, Union and Warren — remain in the ‘Gray Zone.’ Woodbridge is the only town in the state in the ‘Orange Zone.’

  • The red category is defined as when the Average Daily Rate of COVID-19 Cases Among Persons Living in Community Settings per 100,000 Population By Town exceeds 15.
  • The orange category is defined as when the Average Daily Rate of COVID-19 Cases Among Persons Living in Community Settings per 100,000 Population By Town is between 10-14.
  • The gray category is defined as when the Average Daily Rate of COVID-19 Cases Among Persons Living in Community Settings per 100,000 Population By Town is less than five or less than five reported cases.

In all three cases, this rate does not include cases or tests among residents of nursing home, assisted living, or correctional facilities.

Old Lyme

Old Lyme now has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 131 confirmed COVID-19 cases and two probable cases, making a total of 133 cases.

This represents an INCREASE of ONE over the 130 confirmed cases reported Wednesday, Dec. 23, and no change in the number (two) of probable cases reported the same day. 

The total number of Old Lyme residents tested is 3,668.

There have been two fatalities in Old Lyme.

CT DPH Two-Weekly Report

The Dec. 18 report issued by CT DPH shows that during the two-week reporting period from 11/29 through 12/12, Old Lyme had 17 cases in Week 1 and 17 in Week 2. This data was updated Dec. 17.

The case rate in Old Lyme for 100,000 population is 33, reflecting a significant increase from the previously reported two-week-rate of 18.4. A case rate of 15 or more cases per 100,000 population places a town in the state’s ‘Red Zone.’

Lyme

Lyme has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 37 confirmed cases and three probable cases, making a total of 40 cases.

This represents an INCREASE of ONE in the number of  confirmed cases reported Wednesday, Dec. 23.

There have been no fatalities in Lyme.

The total number of Lyme residents tested is 882.

CT DPH Two-Weekly Report

The Dec. 18 report issued by CT DPH shows that during the two-week reporting period from11/29 through 12/12, Lyme had six cases in Week 1 and five in Week 2. This data was updated Dec. 12.

The case rate in Lyme for 100,000 population is 33.6 reflecting a significant increase from the previously reported two-week-rate of 12.2. A case rate of 15 or more cases per 100,000 population places a town in the state’s ‘Red Zone.’

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The next CT DPH Daily Data Report for Connecticut will be issued Monday, Dec. 28.