Monthly Archives: August 2021

Aug. 10 COVID-19 Update: Four New Cases in Old Lyme Take Cumulative Total to 360, Lyme Holds at 113

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LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Report issued Tuesday, Aug. 10, shows that Old Lyme has reported four new confirmed COVID-19 cases since our last report on Aug. 6 . This takes Old Lyme’s cumulative total of confirmed cases to 360, while Lyme has had no new confirmed cases keeping their total at 113.

Fatalities Due to COVID-19 in Lyme, Old Lyme

There is no change in the number of fatalities reported in either Lyme (0) or Old Lyme (3).

The first two fatalities from Old Lyme, which were reported in 2020, were a 61-year-old female and an 82-year-old male. Details of the third, which was reported in 2021, have not been made available.

Visit this link for our Aug. 6 update, which includes statewide data.

Halls Rd. Improvement Committee Hosts Open House at Old Lyme Town Hall; Members Present New Plans, Discuss Next Steps

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The boards showing the plans are on display in the front foyer of the Town Hall for members of the public to review at their leisure.

Editor’s Note: We have been asked by the Halls Rd. Improvement Committee to share this June 2021 update with our readers.

OLD LYME — Phase II of the Halls Road Plan has been completed by our consultants the BSC Group. This includes maps and descriptions of the new public right of way improvements, and a look at a range of private development opportunities that will be enabled by the new Village District zoning.

Two key drawings from the final Halls Road Plan are on display in the foyer of Memorial Town Hall and can be viewed during open hours.

Committee members and BSC team will be at Town Hall for another Open House on Sunday, Aug. 8, from 1 to 3:30 p.m. to discuss the plan and answer questions.

The Master Plan Booklet is also available online at this link.

This phase represents the formal conceptual plan for the future Halls Road Village District. BSC will complete additional detailed work in support of the plan (as described below) in the coming weeks.

The Town of Old Lyme is responsible for improvements to the public right of way.

The formal Halls Road Plan will aid the town in securing grants to help offset the costs of construction. The changes in zoning – creating a mixed-use Village District along Halls Road with a supporting set of Design Guidelines – are tools to guide future private development and investment along Halls Road.

Under the current contract, BSC Group will also help with next steps in regulatory approvals, grants, zoning, and design guidelines. 

Visit the Old Lyme Town Hall to review the boards showing the Halls Rd. plans n person.

Next Steps for Public Right of Way Improvements:

  • Obtain approvals from CT DOT and other agencies. (BSC)
  • Provide a comprehensive list of available grants for Public Right of Way construction. (BSC)
  • Provide grant writing assistance to apply for grants. (BSC)
  • Apply for grants. (Town)

Next Steps in Guiding Future Private Investment in the Halls Road Village District:

  • Provide recommended zoning language changes to describe a new mixed-use Village District for the Halls Road area. (BSC)
  • Help those responsible to finalize zoning language for the new Village District. (BSC)
  • Create architectural Design Guidelines to supplement Village District zoning. (BSC)

Aug. 6 COVID-19 Update: Old Lyme Moves into (Higher) Orange Zone for Two-Week Case Rates; OL’s Cumulative Case Total Rises to 356, Lyme’s Up One to 113

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This map, updated Aug. 5, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Lyme is still in the (lowest) Gray Zone, but Old Lyme has moved into the Orange 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. Details in italics are the same for each of the maps included in this article.

LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Thursday, Aug. 5, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health  (CT-DPH) for data as at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 4, shows the latest average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks (see map above.)

The picture is worrying and reflects national trends with substantial increases in the number of towns in each zone, except Gray (the lowest case rate zone.) These increases are due primarily to the increased virulence of the Delta Variant.

Six towns are now in the Red (highest case rate) Zone (last week’s number was four) and 33 in the Orange (second highest case rate) Zone — last week’s number was four. See detailed description of the zones in italics below.

The towns in the Red Zone are East Hampton, Easton, Hampton, Hartford, Hartland, North Stonington*, and Thomaston.

There are 33 towns in the Orange Zone including Old Lyme, Waterford, New London, Groton, Ledyard and Stonington, all of which are in the Ledge Light Health District, as are the towns denoted with an * in the other zones.

East Lyme* has reentered the Yellow (second lowest) Zone along with more than 50 other Connecticut towns.

All remaining towns in the state, including Lyme*, are in the Gray (lowest rate) Zone. This is the 20th straight week that Lyme is in the Gray Zone.

New Cases in Both Towns

The Daily Data Report issued Friday, Aug.6, shows that Old Lyme has reported two new confirmed COVID-19 cases since our last report on Aug. 2 . This takes Old Lyme’s cumulative total of confirmed cases to 356, while Lyme has had one new case taking their total to 113.

This map, updated July 29, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Lyme is still in the (lowest) Gray Zone, but Old Lyme has moved into the Yellow 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 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.

The following maps show has the picture of COVID-19 cases has gone from an almost totally red map back in Dec. 2020 to an almost all-gray map on June 17, 2021 and then back to a map with all colors represented in substantial number again.

Stephen Mansfield prefaced the LLHD report sent out yesterday with these words, “We are seeing a significant uptick in new cases, as well as outbreaks associated with family gatherings and other social events.”

He added, “Although we are making great strides with our COVID vaccination program, it is imperative that we remain diligent in our mitigation strategies. We strongly advise everyone to wear masks indoors in public settings, regardless of vaccination status”

The map below is from July 22, when two towns, Franklin and Salem, were in the Red Zone (indicating the highest rate of COVID-19 new cases), which is up one from the previous week, and Andover remained in the (second highest rate) Orange Zone (down from two towns last week.)

Eight towns were in the Yellow Zone (indicating the lowest but one rate of COVID-19 new cases), which is up from two last week. They were Clinton, East Hampton, Manchester, Newington, Stonington, Westbrook, Windsor and Windsor Locks.

This map, updated July 22, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

The map below is from July 15, when one town, Franklin, was in the Red Zone (indicating the highest rate of COVID-19 new cases) and another two, Salem and Andover, were in the (second highest rate) Orange Zone. New Hartford and Griswold were in the Yellow Zone (indicating the lowest but one rate of COVID-19 new cases.)

This map, updated July 15, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

The map below is from July 8, when New Hartford was the sole town in the Yellow Zone.

This map, updated July 8, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

The map below is from July 1, when Marlborough and Prospect were in the Yellow Zone.

This map, updated July 1, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

The map below is from June 24, when Somers, Prospect and Bolton were in the Yellow Zone.

This map, updated June 24, shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

This is the June 17 map, when just one town, Bolton, was in the Yellow Zone.

This map, updated June 17, shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

For comparison, the map below is from June 3 and shows one town, Waterbury, in the Orange Zone and 21 towns in the Yellow Zone, down from 48 the previous week. The towns in the Yellow Zone were: Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bloomfield, Brooklyn, Coventry, Cromwell, Derby, East Hartford, East Haven, Granby, Hamden, Hartford, Manchester, New Britain, New Haven, New London, Putnam, Rocky Hill, Shelton, Waterford and Windsor.

This map, updated June 3, shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the previous two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

Below is the map from May 27 that showed one town in the Red Zone, Putnam, and 10 towns in the Orange Zone.

This map, updated May 27, shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme were still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

Compare the maps above with the one we published Dec. 18, 2020 to see the remarkable progress that has been made with controlling the spread of the virus through expansion of vaccination rates and improved mitigation strategies.

Map of Connecticut dated Dec. 17, 2020 showing both Lyme and Old Lyme now in the CT DPH-identified ‘Red Zone.’ This 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 over 15.

Vaccination rates in Lyme and Old Lyme are encouraging with 82.8 percent of the population in Lyme having received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and the equivalent number for Old Lyme being 74.5. percent.

Percentages for the fully vaccinated are 79.5 for Lyme and 71.1 for Old Lyme.

These rates remain among the higher percentages in the state.

Information regarding vaccination opportunities and other relevant information can be found at https://llhd.org/coronavirus-covid-19-situation/covid-19-vaccine/

The following link provides centralized access to Connecticut COVID data: https://data.ct.gov/stories/s/COVID-19-data/wa3g-tfvc/

Lyme Art Association Celebrates 100th Anniversary TODAY with Lyme Street ‘Paint-Out’, Tea Day, ‘Centennial Frolic’

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‘Tea Day’ by Edward Volkert, 1930, and printed courtesy of the family of Edward Volkert, hints at the festivities to be held on the Lyme Art Association’s ‘Centennial Day,’ Aug. 7.

OLD LYME — In 1921, after years of discussion, planning, and fundraising, the early members of the Lyme Art Association (LAA) achieved their goal: a purpose-built gallery to display their art. This year, the LAA will be marking that milestone with special exhibitions, events, and activities.

Centennial Day, Aug. 7, 2021 is 100 years (plus one day) from the opening day of the first exhibit in the Lyme Art Association Gallery. The impetus for the incorporation of Lyme Art Association back in 1914 was to plan and build a gallery perfect for the display of the works of the Lyme Impressionists, who formed the Lyme Art Colony.

The Lyme Art Association on Lyme Street is celebrating the centennial of its founding with three related events being held throughout the day on Saturday, Aug. 7, culminating in a 1920s-themed fundraising “Frolic’ from 5 to 7 p.m.

The opening of the gallery seven years later on Aug. 6, 1921, represented the culmination of years of planning, fundraising, delays, more fundraising, and construction.

The gallery’s opening was celebrated enthusiastically by the community, praised by national journals, and of course, was the pride and joy of the artists themselves and Miss Florence Griswold, who served as the first gallery manager.

On Saturday, Aug. 7, the Lyme Art Association is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the construction of the LAA gallery and the start of a continuous connection with the Old Lyme and Lyme communities with three related events:

  • Wet Paint on Lyme Street will place member artists throughout the Old Lyme village at their easels painting en plein air, thus evoking the early artists with whose presence the community was quite familiar. The artists will work at varying times during the day and then sell their paintings on the LAA lawn at 4:30 p.m. This will be an opportunity to see many LAA artists painting in their own styles.

Tea Day is a family-friendly event being held from 1 to 4 p.m., which will harken back to the LAA’s early fundraisers of tea parties held on the front lawn for the townspeople and artists. Beverages and baked goods will be sold while crafts, games, and other fun activities will be offered. Costumed historical interpreters will be on hand to share stories of the artists, who founded the LAA along with planning and building the gallery. Join today’s LAA for a contemporary take on an event from years gone by.

Lyme Art Colony Annual Frolic, 1928

  • The Centennial Frolic will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. with a 1920s-themed fundraiser (1920s attire encouraged!) for the  Second Century Skylight Project. This event will celebrate the next 100 years of the LAA’s historic gallery in the spirit of their founders.The artists of the Lyme Art Colony marked the end of every summer with a “Frolic,” which often included elaborate costuming (see photo above.)This event is open to donors to the Skylight Project (visit this page on the LAA website or call 860- 434-7802 to donate) and will include beverages and appetizers. Help save the skylights and “frolic” like the LAA founders!

A Century of Inspiration, the Lyme Art Association’s summer exhibition will explore the connections between the current Association’s artists and the original Lyme Art Colony artists.

The best work of LAA members, inspired by some of the same landscapes and subject matter that early Lyme artists painted, will be hung along with pieces by the founding artists. Displays exploring the founding, growth, and changes in the LAA will be presented, taking visitors all the way through the century that saw so much change in both the Association and the world at large.

This work titled, ‘Return of the Laurel,’ (oil) is one of the featured paintings in the new exhibit at the LAA.

Lyme Art Association Executive Director Laurie Pavlos explained, “Artists who visited Old Lyme in the early 1900s found its beauty and rural atmosphere an antidote to some of the more unpleasant changes that industrialization and urbanization were causing. They also found a wonderful camaraderie and encouragement in each other as well as their patron and landlady, Florence Griswold.”

Pavlos continued, “In many respects, as much as things have changed, they have stayed the same. Miss Florence is gone, but many Lyme Art Association artists are still inspired by the same combination of local beauty, camaraderie and encouragement, which are important aspects of our mission, along with the extensive educational opportunities we offer.”

For more information about the Skylight Campaign and/or the Frolic, visit lymeartassociation.org.

The Century of Inspiration exhibit runs from July 30 through Sept. 16. The LAA gallery is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. through 5 p.m. and also by appointment.

Death Announced of Thomas Leonard Kratzert of Old Lyme; Musician, Master Carpenter, 1974 OL State Championship Soccer Team Captain

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OLD LYME — Thomas Leonard Kratzert of Old Lyme, CT died unexpectedly in his home on July 27, 2021 at the age of 64. He was a profound musician and master carpenter whose work remains all over his hometown. He was also captain of the ’74 Old Lyme State Championship soccer team …

In Denver, he met Nancy Pinney and they married at the First Congregational Church in Old Lyme in 1990. They share two sons; Sean is 30 and Alex is 29 …

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, August 7, 2021 at the First Congregational Church in Old Lyme. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Minister’s Discretionary Fund FCCOL or the Shoreline Soup Kitchen.

Visit this link to read the full obituary published Aug. 4 in the ‘Hartford Courant.’