Monthly Archives: February 2021

Join RTPEC’s Three-Part Course on ‘Gulls & Terns’ Starting Today

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LYME/OLD LYME — Starting tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb. 16, the Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center hosts a new three-part session on ‘Gulls and Terns,’ which is part of its “For The Birds” live and interactive virtual series. These live webinars take place on Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. and require the use of Zoom.

Often overlooked on Connecticut’s shore, gulls and terns are some of our most common, yet at the same time, difficult to identify birds. Learn which species call Connecticut home and how to identify them in their various plumages.

Each three-week mini-course will center on a different theme and include an hour-long interactive live webinar per week. This will include a live Q&A as well as access to the webinar recording for the duration of your subscription, resource lists — which will include common species identification — and a list of recommended field guides, apps, and websites.
The price for the course is $30 for members and $45 for non-members.
The schedule for the course is as follows:

Feb. 16 -Week 1:
Discover the adaptations, migration, feeding and breeding habits, conservation and human interactions that make gulls and terns unique.

Feb. 23 -Week 2:
Recognize characteristics and gain understanding in identifying Connecticut’s different gull species.

March 2 -Week 3:
Terns are in the same family as gulls and can also be difficult to identify. Wrap up the week with learning how to tell the difference between Connecticut’s tern species.

To register for the course, visit this link.

Death Announced of Alice (Mehegan) Visgilio, Mother of John of Old Lyme

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Alice Visgilio

Alice (Mehegan) Visgilio, 84, of Westerly, RI, formerly of East Hartford, CT passed away peacefully surrounded by her husband and children on February 10, 2021.

Born in Hartford, CT, daughter of Nicholas and M. Cecelia Mehegan, Alice was a graduate of Mount St. Joseph Academy and St. Joseph College both in West Hartford, CT. She met her husband Joseph on the beach in Misquamicut, RI where they later spent summers with their family and ultimately retired.

Alice lived her life devoted to the catholic faith and in her later years, she was a faithful member of St. Clare’s Catholic Church in Westerly, RI serving as a Eucharistic Minister and Chair of the Hospitality Ministry.

To Alice, family was everything and everyone she met was family. She created a home where all were welcome and your favorite meal was always cooking on the stove. To many she was known as Alice, Mrs. V, or Aunt Alice, but to her favorite people she was Allie, Mom, or Mimi. But no matter what you called her, her infectious laugh, warm hugs, and selflessness will be missed. She inspires us to live by her example – cherish your family, live faithfully and LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Seashells remind us that every passing life leaves something beautiful behind. Alice leaves behind her loving husband Joseph to whom she was married for 62 years and her five children and their families: Peter (Ann) of West Hartford, CT: Robbie (Laura Kisatsky) of Cornwall, CT; Meg Strickland (Ken) of Glastonbury, CT; John (Wendy) of Old Lyme, CT; and Tim (Paula) of Madison, CT. She also leaves 13 grandchildren: Paul (Jenai), Molly, Matt, Tyler, Rachel, Hannah, Abby, Brenna, Will, John Michael, Evan, Jack and Kate, and many nieces and nephews. These are Alice’s seashells. Alice was predeceased by her infant son Michael and her two sisters: Sr. Joanne Mehegan and Denise Fleming.

Alice’s family would like to thank the ICU staff of Westerly Hospital and for the prayers of family and friends around the world. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in Alice’s memory to: St. Clare’s Church, 62 Crandall Ave., Westerly, RI 02891 or High Watch Recovery Center, Attn: Donations, POBox 607, Kent, CT 06757 that saved her son’s life.

Due to Covid restrictions, Mass of Christian Burial will be private.

Gaffney-Dolan Funeral Home, 59 Spruce St., Westerly is in care of the arrangements. For online condolences please visit www.gaffneydolanfuneralhome.com

Death Announced of Guy G. Ortoleva, 100, Father of Tom of Old Lyme

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Guy Ortoleva

Guy G. Ortoleva, 100, of Milford died peacefully surrounded by family on February 12, 2021 after a long illness. Guy lived a full and active life, had a wonderful sense of humor, and will be missed by many.

Always a bit of a Renaissance man, Guy graduated from McLane Art Institute in New York City and went on to use his talents for both work and pleasure. His career spanned many years from designing radio cabinets to creative displays in retail. As a longtime employee of Sears he used his artistic design, carpentry, and electrical skills to build remarkable displays and in some years, elaborate Santa’s workshops. A do it your-selfer before it was fashionable, Guy could build anything from recovered parts and some innovation. His children and anyone who worked with him learned many tips and techniques to solve problems with style and polish. In 2001 he was honored by Sears with a trip to Chicago to meet with top executives in appreciation for his 50 years of creative and loyal service.

An accomplished artist, especially of area landscapes, many of Guy’s watercolors were displayed at the Milford Public Library and can be found adorning the walls in the homes of each of his children. He had a diverse set of interests including photography, hypnotism, palm reading and stilt walking. He enjoyed music and could play the piano by ear.
In his younger days Guy was a daredevil pilot and enjoyed flying Piper Cub planes. He could often be seen performing his hair-raising stunts over the family owned Elm Terrace grounds in West Haven when flying was less restrictive, and his independent nature could take flight. Although he set aside his painting and flying interests while raising his family, he was able to return to painting watercolors and even flying for a short time following his retirement.

Born August 8, 1920, the youngest child of Giovanni and Angelina Ortoleva, Guy grew up in the Wooster Square area of New Haven. He loved spending time chatting and playing cards with family and a few close friends. His family likes to think Guy passed on Friday morning to make it in time for the traditional Friday night pinochle game with his beloved predeceased siblings Jim, John, Ernie, Mary, and brother-in-law Vito.

Guy was also predeceased by his first wife, the late Helen Mooney. He is survived by Barbara Lynch Ortoleva his devoted wife of over 64 years and his nine adoring children: Guy E. Ortoleva (Susan) of Hamden, Daniel Ortoleva of Milford, Donna Burlison of Wallingford, Carol Cunningham (Edward) of Andover, Walter Ortoleva (Luba) of Milford, Thomas Ortoleva (Tracie) of Old Lyme, Barbara Petrillo (John) of West Haven, Peter Ortoleva (Holly) of Orange, and Lori Ortoleva-Donnelly (Jim) of Wallingford. He also leaves behind 18 grandchildren and the list of great-grandchildren continues to grow.

The family would like to thank Tanya, Lawayna and Debra of Marcel Home Care for their gentle care and devotion to Guy and his family and VNA Community Healthcare and Hospice for their guidance and support.

Family and friends may pay their respects on Saturday, February 20, 2021 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at St. Mary Church (Precious Blood Parish), 70 Gulf St., Milford, CT. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 12:00 p.m. Due to size gathering limitations, the church can accommodate up to 100 people at a time with masks and social distancing. Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Alzheimer’s Association, 2911 Dixwell Ave., Hamden, CT 06518 or www.alz.org or a charity of your choosing. To leave online condolences, please visit www.codywhitefuneralservice.com.

Feb. 15 COVID Update: Four New Confirmed Cases Reported in Lyme, Four in Old Lyme; OL Cumulative Total Climbs to 276, Lyme’s to 83

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Transmission electron microscopic image from the first U.S. case of COVID-19, Photo courtesy of the CDC.

LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Monday, Feb. 15, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) for data as at 8:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 14, shows that BOTH Lyme and Old Lyme had FOUR new cases EACH of confirmed COVID-19 cases compared with the previous Friday, Feb. 12 report.

Old Lyme’s COVID-19 cumulative case numbers (confirmed and probable) since the pandemic began rose to 276 while Lyme’s increased to 83, in both cases four above the number reported Friday, Feb. 12, of 272  and 79 respectively. It should be noted that Monday reports always include data for the previous Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Old Lyme – Increase of Four in Confirmed Cases

Old Lyme now has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 269 confirmed COVID-19 cases and SEVEN probable cases, making a TOTAL of 276 cases. (The numbers for Friday, Feb. 12, were respectively 265 confirmed and 7 probable cases.)

This represents an INCREASE of FOUR in the cumulative number of confirmed cases over the number reported Friday, Feb. 12, and NO CHANGE in the cumulative number of probable cases.

The total number of Old Lyme residents tested is 4,581, an increase of 34 over the previous day’s number of 4,547.

Lyme – No Change in Confirmed Cases 

Lyme now has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 77 confirmed cases and SIX probable cases, making a TOTAL of 83 cases.

This represents an INCREASE of FOUR in the cumulative number of confirmed cases over the number reported Friday, Feb. 12, and NO CHANGE in the cumulative number of probable cases.

There have been no fatalities in Lyme.

The total number of Lyme residents tested is 1,224, an increase of one over the previous day’s number of 1,222.

Old Lyme Still in Red (Highest) Zone for Two-Week New Case Rate, Lyme in (Lowest) Gray

The report issued Friday, Feb. 12, by the CT DPH for the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks shows that Old Lyme is still in the state-identified ‘Red Zone’ with the highest rate of new cases, where it has been since early December 2020.

Lyme, however, has moved back into the Gray Zone — the zone which has the lowest rate of new cases — for the first time since Dec. 18, 2020.

As of the Feb. 12 report, Lyme now joins Bridgewater, Canaan, Cornwall, Colebrook, Norfolk, Scotland, Union and Warren  in the Gray Zone, while Deep River, Barkhamsted, Kent, Redding and Salisbury are in the Orange Zone –.

  • 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.
  • 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 and 14.
  • 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.

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

Three Fatalities in Old Lyme Since Pandemic Began, None in Lyme

According to the report mentioned above, there have now been THREE fatalities in Old Lyme. Asked Tuesday, Feb. 9, for details of this third fatality, Ledge Light Health Department Director of Health Stephen Mansfield responded, “We have not been notified of any recent deaths in Old Lyme. Keep in mind that that report is compiled by the Connecticut Department of Public Health; deaths are not reportable to local health districts.”

He added, “I can’t speak for their data sources.”

The two fatalities from Old Lyme previously reported in 2020 were a 61-year-old female and an 82-year-old male.

Lyme’s cumulative total stayed constant at 78 in Wednesday’s CT DPH report holding at Tuesday’s number.

More Detail on Two-Week Case Rates

On Thursday, Feb. 11, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) also issued their latest two-week  report of COVID data for the municipalities within their District. Ledge Light Director of Health Stephen Mansfield prefaces the report with the comment, “We are encouraged to see a moderate decrease in cases for the 4th consecutive reporting period, and are hopeful that this trend will continue.”

The latest two-week case rate per 100,000 population announced Thursday, Feb. 11, has fallen in both Lyme and Old Lyme, which, in turn, reflects the fact that the number of cases has fallen in both towns over the two week-period.

The two-week case rate for the period 1/24 to 2/06 decreased (compared with the previous two-week case rate for 1/17 to 1/30)  as follows:

  • Lyme from 21.4 to 12.2
  • Old Lyme from 38.8 to 25.2.

The same report shows that the number of cases recorded for the period 1/24 to 2/06 also decreased (compared with the previous two-week case rate for 1/17 to 1/30 shown in parentheses) as follows:

  • Lyme had 2 (5) cases in Week 1 and 2 (2) in Week 2
  • Old Lyme had 17 (23) cases in Week 1 and 9 (17) in Week 2

This data was updated Feb. 11, 2021.

Connecticut Hospital Occupancy

At the request of several readers, we are adding a new report today showing the respective rates of hospital occupancy at local hospitals. The data for this report is obtained from the Connecticut Hospital Occupancy Report published weekly by the CT DPH and extracted from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) facility-level data for hospital utilization aggregated on a weekly basis (Friday to Thursday).

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Editor’s Note: The state issues a COVID-19 metric report daily around 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, which includes current data up to the previous evening. In light of the serious rise in Coronavirus cases, we publish a new weekday update reporting confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in Lyme and Old Lyme. The next CT DPH Daily Data Report for Connecticut will be issued in the afternoon of Tuesday, Feb. 16.

First Case of COVID-19 ‘South African Variant’ Detected in CT Resident, 42 Cases of ‘British Variant’ Now Confirmed

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COVID-19. Image from CDC.

HARTFORD – Governor Lamont and state public health officials today announced in a press release issued by the Connecticut Department of Health that the B.1.351 variant of the COVID-19 virus, the so-called “South African” variant, has been detected in a Connecticut patient, who is currently hospitalized out of state with the virus. 

The individual’s condition is improving.  This is the first known case of the B.1.351 variant in a Connecticut resident.

The Connecticut patient is a Fairfield County resident between the ages of 60-70 who has not travelled recently.  The B.1.351 variant was reported this weekend by public health officials in New York.  CT Department of Public Health and local health officials are coordinating with officials in New York; contact tracing has been completed.  

Like the variant, the B.1.351 variant is more contagious than the original COVID-19 virus.  This strain of the virus was first detected in South Africa in October 2020 and was first discovered in the United States at the end of January 2021.   According to the CDC, there is no evidence to suggest that this variant has any impact on disease severity.

With 42 confirmed cases of the B.1.1.7 variant and now the discovery of the B.1.351 variant in Connecticut, public health officials reiterated the need for continued vigilance including wearing masks, social distancing, avoiding gatherings with individuals who do not reside in your household and isolating when sick. 

“Seeing another variant in our state reminds us yet again the severity of this pandemic and reinforces the need for us to take all of the necessary precautions which have proven to be successful over the past year. The virus does not recognize state boundaries, and it certainly does not recognize international borders, which means the responsibility is on all of us to do what we can on a personal basis to mitigate the spread,” said Governor Lamont. 

Acting DPH Commissioner Dr. Deidre Gifford advised that Connecticut residents should follow new CDC guidance issued last week calling for double masking in certain circumstances.

“With the variants currently circulating in the United States and in Connecticut, it is more important than ever to prevent transmission of the virus.  We do that by ensuring that masks are being worn correctly and are as effective as possible.  Masks should always cover the nose and mouth completely.  In some instances, a cloth mask along with a surgical mask may be the best approach according to the CDC, in order to prevent droplets from escaping or entering through gaps in masks,” said Acting Commissioner Gifford.