Monthly Archives: May 2021

Old Lyme’s Annual Town Budget Meeting to be Held In Person Tonight, No Virtual Option on Offer

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OLD LYME — The Town of Old Lyme will hold its Annual Town Budget Meeting in person only on Monday, May 17, at 7:30 p.m. in the Meeting Hall at the Old Lyme Memorial Town Hall at 52 Lyme St.

The following agenda items will be discussed:

  1. To adopt the Budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022 as recommended by the Board of Finance.
  2. To adopt a proposal that taxes in the Town of Old Lyme on Real Estate and Personal Property shall be paid in two (2) semi-annual installments, the first payment being due on July 1, 2021 and the second payment on January 1, 2022.  Any tax in these categories under $100.00 will be due in full in one payment in July, 2021, as are vehicles on Supplemental List due in July, 2022 in one payment.

A vote will likely then be taken to approve both items.

May 14 COVID-19 Update: No New Cases in Either Lyme, Old Lyme; Lyme Holds at 107, OL at 341

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Photo by CDC on Unsplash

LYME/OLD LYME —The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Friday, May 14, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health(CT-DPH) for data as at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, May 13, shows that no new COVID-19 cases were recorded in either Lyme or Old Lyme compared with the previous day. Lyme and Old Lyme held at their previous day’s cumulative case totals of Lyme at 107 and Old Lyme at 341.

This is the sixth reporting day in succession that there has been no change in the number of cumulative cases in Old Lyme and the fifth day in succession for Lyme.

These Daily Reports are not issued by CT DPH on Saturdays or Sundays and therefore Monday’s data will include new cases from both weekend days. The next new report will be issued in the afternoon of Monday, May 17.

Old Lyme – No Change in Cumulative Cases

The May 14 Daily Data Report for Connecticut for data as at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, May 13, shows that Old Lyme has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 330 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 11 probable cases, making a TOTAL of 341 cases.

This represents NO CHANGE in the cumulative number of confirmed or probable cases compared with those reported the previous day.

The total number of Old Lyme residents tested is 5,245, an increase of four over the previous day’s number of 5,241.

Lyme – No Change in Cumulative Cases

Lyme has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 99 confirmed cases and 8 probable cases, making a TOTAL of 107 cases.

This represents NO CHANGE in the cumulative number of confirmed or probable cases compared with those reported the previous day.

The total number of Lyme residents tested is 1,409, which represents an increase of three over the previous day’s number of 1,406.

A la Carte: Surprise! Creamy Cauliflower Rice with Shrimp is a Winning Combo

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Lee White

I used to write about the surprises I often find in my garage freezer. I used to call it Lee’s Freezer Diary. The truth is that if I kept a diary, perhaps there wouldn’t be surprises, since the freezer often looked like Fibber McGee’s closet.

(For those younger-than-me readers, it was a radio show in the 50s and maybe in early television in the 60s. Fairly often, Fibber’s wife, Molly, would try to get something out of the closet and got nearly run down by the treasurers Fibber hoarded.)

When I moved from Old Lyme to a condo in Groton, I swore I wouldn’t go to all the food sales and buy way more than I’d need for the next two years and the overloaded freezer. I am better than I used to be, but a few times a year I still hoe it out. And the surprises are often real treasures: one-pound packages of shrimp, just a little icy, but ready to cook after two hours of thawing and drying the babies of excess water. 

A couple of weeks ago I got my Real Simple magazine. The food recipes are pretty simple and really easy to make. This shrimp dish is a real keeper and, in two weeks, I have made it twice. You do know that most of the shrimp we get has already been frozen, so feel free to buy lots when it is on sale and keep it frozen until you use it. 

Creamy Cauliflower Rice with Shrimp

From Real Simple, May, 2021, page 125

Yield: serves 4 (for me, it might serve 4, and it will be find nuked the second meal

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp, tails removed
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 medium leek (white and light green parts only), thinly sliced (2 cups)
¼ cup dry white wine
1 12-ounce package fresh riced cauliflower (4 cups)
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 ounces fresh baby spinach (2 packed cups)
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, finely shredded (about ¾ cup) plus more for serving

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add shrimp and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring often, until firm and pink, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add wine, cook, stirring constantly, until wine is fully absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in cauliflower and broth; cook, stirring often, until broth is fully absorbed, about 3 minutes.

Stir in spinach, cream and remaining ½ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring constantly, until spinach wilts, about 2 minutes.

Add cheese; cook, stirring constantly, until melted, about 1 minute.

Remove heat and stir in cooked shrimp. Serve immediately with more cheese, if desired.

About the author: Lee White has been writing about restaurants and cooking since 1976 and has been extensively published in the Worcester (Mass.) Magazine, The Day, Norwich Bulletin, and Hartford Courant. She currently writes Nibbles and a cooking column called A La Carte for LymeLine.com and the Shore Publishing and the Times newspapers, both of which are owned by The Day. She was a resident of Old Lyme for many years, but now lives in Groton, Conn.

May 13 COVID-19 Update: Lyme, Old Lyme in Lowest Zone for 2-Week New Case Rates, No New Cases in Either Town, Vaccination Rates High in Both Towns

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This map, updated May 13, shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are now in 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.) Map: Ver 12.1.2020 Source: CT Department of Public Health Get the data Created with Datawrapper.

LYME/OLD LYME — The report issued Thursday, May 13, 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 shows another huge improvement for the state as whole with the number of towns remaining in the Red Zone (indicating the highest COVID-19 new case rates) falling to 26 from last week’s number of 54.

Both Lyme and Old Lyme are now in the Gray (lowest rate) Zone for two-week new case rates. It is the first week for Old Lyme in that Zone but Lyme is in the Gray Zone for a ninth straight week. Fifty one towns are in this zone increasing from 29 last week.

Neither Lyme nor Old Lyme reported any new cases in the May 13 report meaning Lyme holds steady at 107 cases and Old Lyme at 341.

Overall, the number of towns in each zone is shown below with the previous week’s number in parentheses:

  • 51 (29) towns are now in the (lowest case rate) Gray Zone
  • 51 (31) are in the (lowest but one) Yellow Zone
  • 41 (55) are in the (second highest case rate) Orange Zone.

Lyme and Old Lyme join 49 other towns in the Gray (lowest rate) Zone: Andover, Ashford, Avon, Bethany, Bethlehem, Bozrah, Bridgewater, Canaan, Chaplin, Chester, Clinton, Colchester, Colebrook, Cornwall, Darien, Deep River, East Granby, East Haddam, Eastford, Ellington, Essex, Franklin, Granby, Griswold, Guilford, Hampton, Kent, Lyme, Middlefield, Norfolk, North Canaan, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Pomfret, Portland, Preston, Roxbury, Salisbury, Scotland, Sharon, Southbury, Sterling, Union, Warren, Washington, Westbrook, Weston, Westport, Willington, Woodbridge and Woodbury.

The 51 towns in the Yellow (second lowest rate) Zone are: Bethel, Branford, Brookfield, Brooklyn, Canterbury, Canton, Cheshire, Columbia, Coventry, Durham, East Hampton, East Lyme, Easton, Fairfield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Greenwich, Haddam, Harwinton, Killingworth, Ledyard, Lisbon, Madison, Mansfield, Milford, Monroe, Montville, New Canaan, New Fairfield, New Hartford, Newington, Newtown, North Branford, Orange, Oxford, Redding, Ridgefield, Rocky Hill, Simsbury, Somers, Stonington, Suffield, Thompson, Tolland, Trumbull, Vernon, West Hartford, Wethersfield, Wilton, Winchester and Woodstock.

The Orange (second highest rate) Zone now has 41 towns : Ansonia, Barkhamsted, Beacon Falls, Berlin, Bloomfield, Bolton, Bristol, Burlington, Cromwell, Danbury, East Windsor, Enfield, Groton, Hebron, Lebanon, Litchfield, Manchester, Marlborough, Middlebury, Middletown, Naugatuck, New Milford, North Haven, Norwalk, Plainfield, Plainville, Putnam, Salem, Shelton, South Windsor, Southington, Stafford, Stamford, Torrington, Voluntown, Wallingford, Waterford, Watertown, Windham, Windsor and Windsor Locks.

  • 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 Thursday, May 13; the next updated report will be issued in the afternoon of Thursday, May 20.

Old Lyme – No Change in Cumulative Cases

The May 13 Daily Data Report for Connecticut for data as at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 12, shows that Old Lyme has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 330 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 11 probable cases, making a TOTAL of 341 cases.

This represents NO CHANGE in the cumulative number of confirmed or probable cases compared with those reported the previous day.

The total number of Old Lyme residents tested is 5,241, an increase of four over the previous day’s number of 5,237.

Lyme – No Change in Cumulative Cases

Lyme has a cumulative total (since the outbreak began) of 99 confirmed cases and 8 probable cases, making a TOTAL of 107 cases.

This represents NO CHANGE in the cumulative number of confirmed or probable cases compared with those reported the previous day.

The total number of Lyme residents tested is 1,406, which represents an increase of six over the previous day’s number of 1,401.

Vaccination Rates

Lyme is ahead of Old Lyme in terms of the percentage of its total population that have received a first dose, with 75.99 (74.65) percent vaccinated compared with 67.08 (65.56) percent in Old Lyme. The previous week’s percentages are shown in parentheses.

The percentages for both towns for the age cohort 65+ are very encouraging with Lyme now having 100 percent of seniors 65 and above fully vaccinated while 98.17 (97.69) percent of the same age cohort are fully vaccinated in Old Lyme.

The percentages for the age cohort 45-64, however, similarly show Lyme with 64.62 (53.91) fully vaccinated while Old Lyme has 59.72 (57.66) percent in that category.

Regarding the age 15-44 cohort, Lyme is in the lead again with 48.8 (37.71) percent fully vaccinated while Old Lyme stands at 43.87 (33.99) percent.

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.

Reading Uncertainly? One Old Man Reads Another — Kloman Reviews Angell’s Latest

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What can I say? One old man reading another!

Roger Angell, the prolific editor and author from the pages of The New Yorker, begins by calling his latest book “a dog’s breakfast, because that’s what this book is. A mélange, a grab bag, a plate of hors d’oeuvres, a teenager’s closet, a bit of everything. A dog’s breakfast.”

Letters, essays from the magazine, the odd haiku, baseball memories – Angell paints an engaging “portrait of my brain at ninety-four.” And, best of all, he repeats a few of the immortal rhymed Christmas couplets started by Frank Sullivan in 1932 and that he continued from 1976 to 2012.

These annual odes to the known and the unknown inspired me to try my hand at a “Greetings, Friends” in 1954 for the Daily Princetonian and again in 1956 for my shipmates on the U.S.S. Zelima, a Navy refrigerator ship moored in Yokosuka, Japan, for the holidays. They were my last Christmas chanteys, deferring to far better poets.

And Angell gives us the perfect conclusion: his report on the fan-less Oriole-White Sox baseball game in Baltimore in April 2015: two teams playing at the soundless Camden Yards in the aftermath of that city’s disruptions.

Memorable names appear on almost every page: his step-father, E. B. (Andy) White, Harold Ross, John Updike, John McPhee, Saul Steinberg, Fiorello La Guardia, James Thurber, Chas. Addams, William Steig, Peter Arno, John Hersey, Vladimir Nabokov, all of whose stories, ideas, and cartoons remain engraved in our memories (at least if you are old enough!)

On aging: To his son on his birthday – “One always tries to weigh the meaning of these ten-year chunks, and the only answer is mortality.” Or: “the rule about age is never to think about it.”

On writing:  “Writing is a two-way process and the hard part isn’t just getting in touch with oneself but keeping in touch with that reader out there, whoever he or she is, on whom all this thought and art and maybe genius will devolve.”

On glee:  “ . . . us people over seventy-five keep surprising ourselves with happiness.”

On reference books: Angell still uses the Eleventh edition (1911) of the Encyclopedia Britannica, while I, some 12 years his junior, refer almost monthly to the Thirteenth.

Why is it that we derive so much pleasure from something written by an author near our own age? I do recall from a few years ago the advice to read a book when you are the same age as when the author wrote it. In this case, sound counsel!

This Old Man is a proper memory stimulant, just when I need it! I’m 88 … on to 94!

Editor’s Note: ‘This Old Man’ by Roger Angell is published by Doubleday, New York 2015.

Felix Kloman

About the Author: Felix Kloman is a sailor, rower, husband, father, grandfather, retired management consultant and, above all, a curious reader and writer. He’s explored how we as human beings and organizations respond to ever-present uncertainty in two books, ‘Mumpsimus Revisited’ (2005) and ‘The Fantods of Risk’ (2008). A 20-year resident of Lyme, Conn., he now writes book reviews, mostly of non-fiction, a subject which explores our minds, our behavior, our politics and our history. But he does throw in a novel here and there. For more than 50 years, he’s put together the 17 syllables that comprise haiku, the traditional Japanese poetry, and now serves as the self-appointed “poet laureate” of Ashlawn Farm Coffee, where he may be seen on Friday mornings.
His late wife, Ann, was also a writer, but of mystery novels, all of which begin in a village in midcoast Maine, strangely reminiscent of the town she and her husband visited every summer.