Monthly Archives: March 2021

Musical Masterworks Presents Mozart, Bach & More in March Concert, Tickets to View Video on Sale Now

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Randall Scarlata

OLD LYME — Musical Masterworks welcomes Randall Scarlata, baritone, along with Jeewon Park, on piano and Edward Arron on cello for their March concert video, which will be filmed on the stage of the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme.

The concert video will feature the music of Mozart, Schubert, Bach and Schumann.

This performance will be filmed in mid-March and the link to the virtual concert will be made available to ticket buyers on March 27.  The video can be enjoyed for three weeks and watched as many times as one wishes. 

Ticket holders will be able to experience Musical Masterworks as an intimate concert experience, providing a virtual front row seat, featuring the excellence of the performers’ artistry.

Musical Masterworks season finale performance will be filmed in May when will welcome back favorite artists, Gilles Vonsattel on piano and Tessa Lark on violin.

Musical Masterworks’ season runs through May 2021.  To purchase individual video tickets ($40 each), or student tickets ($5 each), visit Musical Masterworks at www.musicalmasterworks.org or email admin@musicalmasterworks.org.

A la Carte: Chicken Adobo with Coconut Rice is ‘Good and Easy’

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Lee White

This was another interesting food and friend weekend. I began the week with a Milton cauliflower pizza, which lasted for two evenings. I also finished up the beef stew topped with some quinoa I’d cooked and refrigerated. I like playing with quinoa.

Then I made a sheet pan dinner that also lasted for two night. This time I placed parchment paper on the sheet before I added salt, pepper and truffle oil to the potatoes, salted and peppered the broccoli and topped the chicken thighs with butter, curry powder and a little honey.

The latter (the curry, butter and honey) is the first combination I made with chicken maybe 50 years ago. The combination was delicious. (I had used frozen broccoli I’d bought at Trader Joe’s and wasn’t sure it would go straight from the freezer to the oven, but it worked out very well.

On Saturday, Sue and Karen came over on Saturday to watch the noon Connecticut women’s basketball game (yes, we won by lots). We ate snacks (Cheez-Its, trail mix from Costco, peanut butter cups from Aldi). After we won, I put tiny potatoes into the oven, created an enormous salad and Karen grilled a rib eye filet they’d bought from their own house (a new cut for me) on the Weber. Dinner was delicious.

Then we watched two movies in a row: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (meh) and Judah and the Black Messiah (Daniel Kaluuya and movie memorable). All together, eight hours of three things I like the most: good people, good food and movies.

Hope we do this more often.

Now I am back to routine: write a column or two, thaw some chicken for dinner, prepare for a 6 p.m. board of meeting, finish book for book club. The recipe below is a very good and very easy. Use any fairly spicy chile you have. I always have cans of unsweetened coconut milk. I also buy big packages of sweetened coconut chips for my salads, but if you don’t have chips, a little toasted coconut works fine.

Chicken Adobo with Coconut Rice
From Fine Cooking, February-March, 2021
Yield: serves 6

For the chicken:
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 serrano pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon fresh cracked black pepper
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (3 to 3 ½ pounds)

For the rice:
1 cup long grain white rice
1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup toasted unsweetened coconut chips; more for garnish
3 scallions, sliced

In a Dutch oven, combine vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, serrano, bay leaves and black pepper. Add chicken, skin-side down, Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Turn chicken and simmer 15 minutes more. Place chicken skin-side up, on a rimmed baking sheet.

Bring cooking liquid to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil gently uncovered, until thickened and reduce to about 1 cup, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat. Discard bay leave. Skim the fat.

Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Broil chicken, 5 inches from heat, until skin is browned and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes.

Make the rice: Place rice in a fine-nesh sieve and rinse with cold water, Place in a 2-quart saucepan. Stir in coconut milk, ½ cup water and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Let stand 10 minutes.

Fluff the rice with fork. Stir in toasted coconut and half the scallions. Serve the chicken with the rice. Drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with remaining scallions. Garnish with additional toasted coconut.

Death of Joseph S. Migatz of Old Lyme Announced, ‘a Family Man of Faith’

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OLD LYME — Joseph S. Migatz, 85, of Old Lyme, CT. beloved husband of Jean Lois (Otfinowski) Migatz, passed away at home Sunday March 14, surrounded by his wife, son and daughter …

… He was a 55 year member of the Point O’ Woods Beach community in Old Lyme …

… He is survived by his beloved wife Jean and cherished children: Michael Joseph Migatz of Old Lyme, Carol Ann Migatz and fiancé David Reese Kean of Old Lyme and Christchurch New Zealand; his beloved grandson Joseph James Sullivan of Wethersfield, CT. and several nieces and nephews.  Joe was a family man of faith who was hardworking, dedicated and loyal. Joe was also brave, courageous and inspirational in his 22 month battle with Pancreatic Cancer …

Visit this link to read the full obituary published March 17 in The Day.

March 18 COVID-19 Update: Old Lyme Moves Up Into Orange (Second Highest) Two-Week Case Rate Zone; Lyme Drops to Gray (Lowest) Zone

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This map, updated March 18, shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. The Town of Old Lyme has moved up into the (second from highest) Orange Zone (it was in the second from lowest Yellow Zone last week), while Lyme drops to the (lowest) Gray Zone. (Only cases among persons living in community settings are included in this map; the map does not include cases among people who reside in nursing home, assisted living, or correctional facilities.)

LYME/OLD LYME — The report issued Thursday, March 18, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) for the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks contains good news for Lyme but bad news for Old Lyme.

It shows that Old Lyme has moved back into the Orange (second highest) Zone for two-week new case rates, but Lyme has fallen into the Gray (lowest) Zone.

Last week, Old Lyme was in the (second lowest) Yellow Zone and so this change reflects an increased two-week case rate over the previous week. In contrast, Lyme was in the ‘Red Zone’ — the category with the highest rate of new cases — last week and has now dropped to the lowest. (Four zones are specified by the CT DPH — see details below)

Overall, the report contains mixed news for the whole state with the number of towns in the Gray and Yellow Zone decreasing this week (the previous week’s figures are shown in parentheses), but the Orange Zone shows an increase:

  • 22 (25) towns are now in the (lowest case rate) Gray Zone
  • 9 (11) are in the (lowest but one) Yellow Zone
  • 33 (30) are in the (second highest case rate) Orange Zone.

All the remaining towns are in the Red Zone, but this still represents an obvious improvement from the map published in November when every town in the state was in the Red Zone. The numbers are concerning however, in that the trend appears to be that cases are not continuing to decrease at this point.

Lyme joins 21 other towns in the Gray (lowest rate)  Zone including Ashford, Bozrah, Bridgewater, Canaan, Chaplin, Colebrook, Cornwall, Eastford, Franklin, Goshen, Hampton, Hartland, Kent, New Canaan, North Stonington, Norfolk, Pomfret, Scotland, Union, Voluntown, and Warren.

The Yellow (second lowest rate) Zone includes Barkamsted, Colchester, East Windsor, Essex, Lisbon, Portland, Simsbury, Somers and Willington.

  • 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 yellow 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 five and nine 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.

This report is issued daily, but only updated weekly on Thursdays. The most recent report was updated yesterday, Thursday, March 11; the next updated report will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, March 25.

More Detail on Two-Week Case Rates

LLHD Director of Health Stephen Mansfield

On Thursday, March 18, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) also issued their latest weekly report of COVID data for the municipalities within their District. Ledge Light Director of Health Stephen Mansfield prefaces the report with the comment, “We continue to see relatively steady case numbers within our jurisdiction.”

He stresses, however, “Although we are making great strides with our COVID vaccination program, it is still imperative that we remain diligent in our mitigation strategies.”

The latest two-week case rates announced Thursday, March 18, for the period 2/28 to 3/13 per 100,000 population (compared with the previous two-week case rate for 2/21 to 3/06) have increased in Old Lyme and decreased in Lyme.

The two-week case rates are as follows:

  • Old Lyme from 6.8 to 13.6
  • Lyme from 18.3 to 9.2

The same report shows that the case numbers in Week 1 and Week 2 respectively and recorded for the period 2/28 to 3/13  (compared with the previous two-week case rate for 2/21 to 3/06 shown in parentheses) are as follows:

  • Lyme had 3 (3) cases in Week 1 and 0 (3) in Week 2
  • Old Lyme had 5 (2) cases in Week 1 and 9 (5) in Week 2

This data was updated March 18, 2021. The next Ledge Light Weekly Data Report for its District will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, March 25.

Old Lyme – Cumulative Cases Down One

The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Thursday, March 18, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT-DPH) for data as at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 17, shows that Old Lyme has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 290 confirmed COVID-19 cases and SEVEN probable cases, making a TOTAL of 297 cases.

This represents NO CHANGE in the cumulative number of confirmed or probable cases compared with those reported Wednesday, March 17.

The total number of Old Lyme residents tested is 4,839, an increase of four over that reported Wednesday.

Lyme – No Change in Cumulative Cases

Lyme has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 84 confirmed cases and 7 probable cases, making a TOTAL of 91 cases.

This represents NO CHANGE in the cumulative number of confirmed or  probable cases compared with those reported Wednesday, March 18. This represents the ninth day in succession with no increase in cases.

The total number of Lyme residents tested is 1,307, an increase of three over Wednesday’s number of 1,304.

Vaccination Rates

At the request of several readers, we have started a new section today reflecting the status of community vaccination rates in Lyme and Old Lyme. The data is taken from the COVID-19 Vaccinations by Town report published by CT-DPH, which is published roughly weekly.

Old Lyme is ahead of Lyme in terms of the percentage of its total population that have received a first dose, with 42.02 percent vaccinated compared with 34.59 percent in Lyme. The percentages for both towns for the age segments 65-74 and 75+ are very encouraging with Old Lyme now having 100.38 percent of seniors 75 and above having received their first dose and 75.18 percent of the same age segment having received it in Lyme. Editor’s Note: We are skeptical of these figures for Lyme since they show the numbers vaccinated decreasing compared with last week. We are investigating further.

The detailed data below is the most recent and was updated March 15.

Old Lyme
Total population:  7,306
Estimated population age 65-74:  1,067
Estimated population age 75 and above:  794

Total population 1st dose administered: 3070 (2626)
1st dose administered as % of total population:  42.02% (35.94%) 

1st dose administered age 65-74:  1,027 (945)
1st dose administered as % of age 65-74 population:  96.25% (88.57%)

1st dose administered age 75 and above:  797 (764)
1st dose administered as % of age 75 and above population:  100.38% (96.22%)

Lyme
Total population:  2,316
Estimated population age 65-74:  372
Estimated population age 75 and above:  274

Total population 1st dose administered: 801 (767)
1st dose administered as % of total population:  34.59% (33.12%)

1st dose administered age 65-74: 269 (281) 
1st dose administered as % of age 65-74 population: 72.31% (75.54%)

1st dose administered age 75 and above: 206 (229)
1st dose administered as % of age 75 and above population: 75.18% (83.58%)

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.

No fatalities have been reported in Lyme.

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 ongoing rise in Coronavirus cases, we publish a new weekday update reporting confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in Lyme and Old Lyme. 

Survey Now Open for Students to Share Interests in Summer Arts, Help Develop This Year’s Programs

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The image above shows the start of a survey being carried out by Sustainable Lyme and Sustainable Old Lyme for completion by Lyme-Old Lyme Middle and High Schoolers to determine their interests in summer arts. The results will be used to help create the 2021 summer program.

LYME-OLD LYME — Lyme-Old Lyme High School and Middle School students are encouraged to complete a survey prior to March 26 to help shape summer art programming options.

The Sustainable Teams of Old Lyme and Lyme are leading this effort to understand student interest and then to help facilitate creating summer arts programming. The arts are broadly defined to include not only visual arts, but also dance, creative writing, film, and music.

Sustainable Old Lyme and Sustainable Lyme are working together to create this new initiative as one of many actions Sustainable CT endorses as an equitable, community-building initiative.  The process of creating the program begins with a survey of what Lyme and Old Lyme youth are interested in seeing, and then, if they wish, they can help create the programming.

“Sustainable CT is highly focused on building initiatives that are inclusive and equitable,” according to Old Lyme’s Cheryl Poirier, who is facilitating the process along with Lyme representative Liz Frankel.

Poirier explained, “We are very intent on learning why some students may not take part in summer arts opportunities, whether it be a belief that they don’t have the financial resources, or the confidence, or maybe they don’t have time with jobs or family obligations.” 

She added, “This inclusive process will give students the chance to tell us what they would be interested in and then help them create opportunities they can take advantage of during the summer.”

“In addition, there are often summer arts programming already in place, but students may not be aware of what’s out there,” Frankel said, noting, “We want also to connect students to existing opportunities in Lyme and Old Lyme, while augmenting that with new complementary programming.”

Depending on student feedback, the initiative may look like an artist mentoring program, workshops, open studio space, or a thematic project that everyone participates in collectively via their own choice of medium. 

The student survey is available at https://forms.gle/wQ63Cvv45Aum4QQ38 and closes Friday, March 26. Following that, a March 31 roundtable discussion will take place among students interested in the planning phase along with artists in the two towns.

A fundraising effort to cover program costs or scholarships (all dependent on the shape the programming takes) will likely take place in late Spring.

To learn more, contact Liz Frankel at SustainableCTlyme@gmail.com or Cheryl Poirier at SustainableOldLyme@gmail.com.

To learn more about Sustainable CT, visit SustainableCT.org.