Monthly Archives: December 2021

‘The Bowerbird’ Announces Lyme-Old Lyme Food Share Garden as Recipient for 2022 Gift Wrap Donation Program, Presents $3K Check to 2021 Recipient, ‘Safe Futures’

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The Bowerbird owner, Chris Kitchings (left) presents a donation check to Margaret Soussloff, C.O.O. of Safe Futures, which is headquartered in New London, Conn.

OLD LYME — The Bowerbird of Old Lyme has selected as the recipient of the proceeds from their 2022 gift-wrap program Lyme-Old Lyme Food Share Garden (LOLFSG). The LOLFSG is a non-profit volunteer organization with a goal of providing fresh produce to reduce food insecurity and support healthy nutrition to local families in Lyme, Old Lyme and surrounding communities.

The Bowerbird donation program runs from Nov. 1, 2021 through Oct. 31, 2022. 

The Bowerbird recently wrapped up their 2021 gift-wrapping campaign to raise funds for Safe Futures based in New London, Conn.  The Bowerbird owner Chris Kitchings recently presented a check in the amount of $3,058.00 representing 2,597 packages wrapped to the organization.

The Bowerbird charges a nominal fee for gift-wrapping purchases and donates 50 percent to local non-profit organizations. 

The Bowerbird pioneered ‘cause’ marketing when they created their gift wrap donation program in 1992. In the past 28 years, The Bowerbird has donated over $101,000 to 33 statewide and local non- profits proving that small businesses can make a difference.

Photo attached; 

For a complete listing of past recipients, visit www.thebowerbird.com.

RTP Estuary Center Hosts Virtual Presentation on ‘The State of the Estuary’ by CT Audubon Director, Tonight; All Welcome

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CT Audubon Executive Director Patrick Comins will give a virtual, interactive presentation on ‘The State of the Estuary,’ Dec. 9. All are welcome.

OLD LYME/VIRTUAL — Join the Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center on Tuesday, Dec. 7, at 6 p.m. when it presents a virtual, interactive program titled, “The State of the Estuary,” with Patrick Comins, Executive Director of Connecticut Audubon.

Topics will include the state of birds and wildlife in the estuary, conditions in the Connecticut River watershed, advocacy efforts at the state and national level, and what all of us can do to help promote healthy habitats in our own backyards.

The program is free but registration is required. Participants will be able to submit questions via Zoom chat.

A lifelong, dedicated conservationist, Comins was Director of Bird Conservation for Connecticut prior to becoming CT Audubon’s Executive Director in 2017.  A past president of the Connecticut Ornithological Association and recipient of their Mabel Osgood Wright Award in 2001, he has written articles on bird conservation for the Connecticut Warbler and is past chair of the Friends of the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge.

Comins began his career with the CAS doing bird surveys on the coast at the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge and then worked for the US Fish and Wildlife Service as a biological technician at the refuge. He is the principal author of Protecting Connecticut’s Grassland Heritage.

His talk will highlight environmental improvements we can celebrate along with ongoing concerns.

Visit www.ctaudubon.org/rtp-programs-events for more information and registration details.

Named for the internationally and locally renowned artist, scientific illustrator, environmental educator, and conservation advocate, the Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center is known for its work in environmental education, conservation, research, and advocacy to preserve and protect the Estuary and its beauty for generations.

The Center serves young people and adults across the region, offering such programs as birding basics and owl prowls, a CT River ecology course, Estuary Explorations and seasonal nature crafts, as well as summer and vacation camp programs.

Visit this link for further information:  www.ctaudubon.org/rtp-estuary-home/.

Unexpected Death of David Winer Announced; Former Board Member, President of Old Lyme’s PGN Library

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HADDAM — David “Dave” Winer of Haddam, Connecticut, former Dean of Students at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, passed away unexpectedly from complications of cholangiocarcinoma on November 26, 2021. He was 84 …

Dave leaves behind his wife of 40 years and the love of his life, Judith Watson Winer …

Dave is also survived by his four stepchildren and their spouses: [including] Lauralyn Lewis of Old Lyme, CT …

Dave devoted his professional life to Trinity College and its students. In his long and distinguished career there from 1966 until his retirement in 2004, Dave served in several roles …

He served on the Board of Trustees for the Old Lyme, Connecticut Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library for 12 years and was President of the Board for five years …

Visit this link to view the full obituary published Dec. 5, 2021, by the Hartford Courant.

Dec. 3 COVID-19 Update: Two New Cases in Old Lyme Take Cumulative Case Total to 495, Lyme Holds at 136

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Photo by CDC on Unsplash.

LYME-OLD LYME — The Daily Data Report issued Friday, Dec. 3, at 4 p.m. by the Connecticut Department of Health (CT DPH) shows two new, confirmed COVID-19 cases in Old Lyme taking that town’s total of cumulative cases to 495.

No new cases were reported in Lyme, leaving that town’s cumulative total at 136.

Lyme-Old Lyme (LOL) Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser informed the school community Dec. 3 that a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Center School had been reported. See below for a full listing of all LOL Schools-related cases.

As we reported in our Thursday, Dec. 2 COVID-19 Update, Old Lyme remains in the Red Zone in the weekly COVID-19 Average Daily Case Rate Report issued by the state on that day. Lyme remained in the Gray (lowest) Zone, where it has been since Sept. 30, 2021. The CT DPH will issue an updated map of the zones Thursday, Dec. 9 — the mao is updated weekly on Thursdays.

The number of towns statewide in the Red Zone has increased dramatically in the past two weeks with 110 towns in it last week and 135 this week. To give a further indication of the significance of the increase, the number of towns in the Red Zone on Oct. 7, 2021 was down to 37.

All the towns in the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) are in the Red Zone, except Lyme.

Prior to Monday, Nov. 22, when two new cases were reported, Lyme had previously gone 35 days in succession without reporting a single new case.

The cumulative total of confirmed cases for Old Lyme has now increased by 52 since Wednesday, Nov. 10, when the total stood at 443.

On Aug. 26 — which was the day Lyme-Old Lyme Schools started the new academic year — Old Lyme’s cumulative case total stood at 372, meaning there have now been 123 new cases there since that date. Meanwhile, Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 indicating 22 new cases have also been confirmed there during the same period.

In an email sent Thursday, Dec. 2, regarding the latest COVID-19 data, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) Director of Health Steven Mansfield stated, “The number of new COVID cases within our jurisdiction continues to increase, which is consistent with an increase in COVID cases statewide, according to DPH data. Unfortunately, we expect this trend to continue as we move into the holiday season.”

He continued, “LLHD continues to focus our vaccination efforts on homebound populations and providing initial vaccinations, and boosters to individuals who were vaccinated previously.”

The state does not issue reports over the weekend nor on public holidays. The next report from CT DPH will be issued Monday, Dec. 6, at around 4 p.m.

COVID-19 Cases in Lyme-Old Lyme Schools

This is the latest information that we have with the most recent cases first — there may have been further updates, however, which we have not yet received.

On Friday, Dec. 3, Lyme-Old Lyme (LOL) Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser informed the school community Dec. 3 that a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Center School had been reported.

On Monday, Nov. 30, Neviaser informed the school community that a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS) had been reported.

On Monday, Nov. 29, Neviaser informed the school community that a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Mile Creek School had been reported.

On Tuesday, Nov. 23, Neviaser informed the school community that a positive case of COVID-19 impacting LOLHS had been reported.

On Monday, Nov. 22, Neviaser informed the school community that a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Mile Creek School had been reported.

On Thursday, Nov. 18, Neviaser informed the school community that a positive case of COVID-19 impacting LOLHS had been reported.

On Wednesday, Nov. 17, Neviaser informed the school community that a positive case of COVID-19 impacting LOLHS had been reported.

On Sunday, Nov. 14, Neviaser informed the school community that over the weekend a positive case of COVID-19 impacting LOLHS had been reported.

On Wednesday, Oct. 20, Neviaser informed the school community that a positive case of COVID-19 impacting LOLHS had been reported.

On Wednesday, Oct. 5, Neviaser informed the school community that a positive case of COVID-19 impacting LOLHS had been reported the previous evening.

On Thursday, Oct. 23, Neviaser informed the school community of two intrafamilial positive cases of COVID-19 impacting Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School (LOLMS.) He stated, “We were able to complete our contact tracing and the one individual who must quarantine has been notified.”

On Thursday, Sept. 23, Neviaser informed the school community of two intrafamilial positive cases of COVID-19 impacting LOLMS. He noted, “We were able to complete our contact tracing and the one individual who must quarantine has been notified.”

On Wednesday, Sept. 22, Neviaser informed the school community of a positive case of COVID-19 impacting LOLHS.

On Thursday, Sept. 16, Neviaser informed the school community that a previously reported positive case of COVID-19 is now impacting Mile Creek School and Center School.

On Monday, Sept. 13, Neviaser informed the school community that a positive case of COVID-19,  which had been reported the previous day, was impacting LOLMS.

On Wednesday, Sept. 1, Neviaser informed the school community that a positive case of COVID-19 was impacting Mile Creek School.

On Tuesday, Aug. 31, Neviaser informed the school community that late on Monday, Aug. 30, a positive case of COVID-19 impacting LOLHS had been reported.

On Saturday, Aug. 28, Neviaser informed the school community that late on Friday, Aug. 27, a positive case of COVID-19 impacting Lyme School had been reported.

In all cases, contact tracing was completed and those individuals who needed to quarantine were notified. They will be able to return to school following their quarantine period. All other students and staff will continue to attend school as scheduled.

Fatalities Due to COVID-19 in Lyme, Old Lyme

There has been one COVID-related fatality of a Lyme resident: a 57-year-old male passed away Nov. 16, 2021. On Nov. 30, the state finally included this fatality in its data

Three COVID-related fatalities have been reported in Old Lyme. 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.

Christ The King in Old Lyme Presents ‘Light Has Come’ Today; Features Music, Message for Season of Hope; All Welcome

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Sarah Kroger

OLD LYME — On Sunday, Dec. 5, Catholic recording artist Sarah Kroger will present a special Advent program of music and inspiration titled, Light Has Come, at Christ the King Church in Old Lyme.

The program, which starts at 4 p.m., will also feature noted speaker and author Dom Quaglia, Jr.

The Nashville-based Kroger, a contemporary worship leader in the Catholic church, has appeared at Catholic churches, retreats, and conferences in the US and beyond, including Steubenville Youth Conferences, the World Youth Day in Brazil, and here in Connecticut at St. Patrick Cathedral in Norwich. She has produced four albums of worship music.

Quaglia speaks at parish missions, retreats, conferences, and private events around the US and abroad. His speaking and writing is aimed at helping people of all ages lean further into the Gospel and apply it to their lives. He and Kroger are married.

Dom Quaglia, Jr.

Light Has Come will be a contemplative afternoon of music led by Kroger, followed by an inspirational message by Quaglia, and then a period of reflection and Eucharistic Adoration accompanied by worship music.

All are welcome to attend this special event, regardless of religious affiliation.

The objective of Light Has Come is to help local people open their hearts in preparation for the coming Christmas season. Admission is free, but a free-will offering will be gratefully accepted to help defray expenses.

Christ the King Church is located at 1 McCurdy Rd. in Old Lyme (Exit 70 off I-95). (Note: face masks are required in church buildings for unvaccinated persons.)

Directions and more information about Light Has Come may be found on the church website or the church’s Facebook page.