Monthly Archives: April 2022

A la Carte: Ricotta Cheese Pie Makes a Luscious Dessert for any Easter … or Passover!

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Editor’s Note: This is a column that our dear friend Lee White wrote for us in April 2016, that somehow we failed to publish (our apologies) — but the recipe is as good today as it was then!

Lee White

This will be an odd Easter weekend for me. On Good Friday, I will pick up my Newbury, Mass., daughter-in-law. Nancy and second-youngest granddaughter, then drive up to Kennebunkport Inn. 

It all began with an e-mail from the beautiful hotel in Maine. It is less expensive to spend a day or two there in the late fall, winter and early spring, but the advertisement said it would be even less so for March and April, with a special discount of 29 percent. Hmmm, it was time to visit my cousins from Portland (she breeder of corgis, he a retired AP reporter). Perhaps a Friday night dinner at Fore Street (one of the many in Portland) and a visit with cousins Adrienne and Jerry. So I called Nancy, and asked if it was time for a road trip. (Our last had been last year in Boston to see a Bette Midler concert and an overnight stay in a boutique hotel walking distance from the concert.) She was game and said, since it was a school holiday for Casey, could she come, too? What a treat I said. She is a high-school sophomore and great company.

I called the Kennebunkport Inn, doubting there would rooms available, but we got one big room with two double beds and a twin for Friday and Saturday. Not only that, I got a reservation for us at Fore Street on Friday night. (By the way, Nancy and daughter Casey are Greek; my cousins are Jewish, as am I, so Greek Easter is the next Sunday and Passover (which isn’t a Jewish Easter but is a spring kind-of festival) isn’t until the end of April.

In any case, I won’t be making Easter dinner for anyone and, hopefully, I will be invited to Greek Easter the following Sunday. Here is what I will make. It is a luscious dessert that everyone loves.

Ricotta Cheese Pie

Photo by Taisiia Shestopal on Unsplash.

For the filling:
2 cups ricotta cheese or cottage cheese
1 cup cream
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the crust:
1 cup melted butter
1 tablespoon sugar (no sugar if using cookie crumbs)
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (or chocolate wafer cookie or vanilla wafer crumbs)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter, or spray with nonstick cooking spray, a 9-inch spring form pan. Wrap the outside of the pan with two layers of heavy aluminum foil

To make the crust, in a bowl combine crumbs, sugar and melted butter (this can be done in the food processor). Press crumbs evenly over bottom of pan. Refrigerate while you make the filling.

To make the cheesecake filling, in your food processor or electric mixer, mix ricotta, cream and sugar until well blended and smooth. Beat in flour and salt; then add eggs, one at a time, processing or beating until incorporated. Finally, add vanilla extract and cinnamon on and process until incorporated. Pour into prepared crust and dust top with crumbs. Take care not to over-mix.

Bake about 50 to 60 minutes, or until cheesecake is set, yet moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken (the edges of the cheesecake will have some browning). Remove from water bath and cool in a wire rack. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.

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. Contact Lee at leeawhite@aol.com.

Death Announced of Thomas C. “Tom” Stanton of Old Lyme, Services April 15

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OLD LYME — Thomas C. “Tom” Stanton, was born in 1933, and lived in New Britain, until moving to the beautiful seaside community of Hawks Nest Beach, Old Lyme, in 1986, to a home his father built in the 1940s …

Tom served his country in Germany before returning to New Britain, to raise a family …

Tom will be thoroughly missed by his many friends and neighbors in the Hawks Nest Beach community.

Tom was predeceased by his wife Carol of 56 years; …

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, April 15, at Fulton-Theroux Funeral Home, 13 Beckwith Lane, Old Lyme. A calling hour will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. for one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.

Visit this link to read the full obituary published in TheDay.

Death Announced of Diane Fanelli McCue; Mother of Jen Burke, Longtime Teacher in LOL Schools

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Diane Fanelli McCue

NIANTIC — Diane Fanelli McCue of Niantic passed away at home surrounded by her family on the afternoon of April 7, 2022. Diane was 79 years old. She was born Jan. 18, 1943, in Hartford, the daughter of William and Giovanna (Jean) Milanese Fanelli.

Diane graduated from Bulkeley High School in Hartford in 1960, and attended Albertus Magnus College and Connecticut College where she graduated with a Master of Arts in Teaching in 1980.

Growing up, Diane and her family spent summer vacations in Niantic at Giant’s Neck and at McCook’s Point beach, and it was during one of these vacations that she met Stephen McCue at McCook’s. They married in February of 1967. Diane taught at Wethersfield High School before deciding to stay home to raise her children until 1981 when she returned to teaching at The Williams School in New London. She taught at Williams for many years and served as the head of the Mathematics Department. Diane was one of those unique teachers who could both challenge those students who excelled at math, and instill confidence in those who did not. She also promoted her values of giving back to the community by being the head of the Community Service Club where she helped students to find joy in supporting local causes that addressed issues from homelessness to climate change.

After retiring from Williams in 2010, Diane went on to pursue her commitment to service as a leader in the local auxiliary of the Child and Family Agency. She supported their many worthy causes by organizing fundraisers such as the annual Author Luncheon and the very popular “Touch a Truck” event. She continued to hone her mathematics skills by writing questions for the National Science Foundation Science Bowl, and she also was a Renaissance woman in that she loved literature and art, and she and her husband, along with their close friends, spent a number of years pursuing her passion for traveling the world.

In addition to her husband, Steve, Diane is survived by three daughters, Jennifer Burke and her husband Christopher of Niantic, Allyson Foerster and her husband Edmund of East Lyme, and Rebecca McCue and her husband Luis Rodriguez of Niantic; her brother and sister-in-law, James and Martha Fanelli of Avon; and her sister and brother-in-law Carol and James Martin of Atlanta, Ga. Diane had six grandchildren, Stephen Burke (Abigail Ettelman), Amanda Burke, Madeline Foerster, Connor Foerster, Luca Rodriguez McCue, Elena Rodriguez McCue; and one great-grandchild, Theodore Burke Ettelman. She was also beloved by her nieces and nephews and their children.

There will be no calling hours. A private burial will be held at St. Mary’s Cemetery, New London. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. April 23, 2022, at the Harkness Chapel at Connecticut College. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to either the National Multiple Sclerosis Society or to the Child and Family Agency of New London. The Thomas Neilan and Sons Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.

April 12 & 13 COVID-19 Update: Four New Cases in Old Lyme Over Two Days Raise Cumulative Case Total to 1067, One New Case in Lyme Takes Total There to 264

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LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Reports issued Tuesday, April 12, and Wednesday, April 13, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) show two, new, confirmed COVID-19 cases in Old Lyme on each day.

These cases raise Old Lyme’s cumulative case total to 1067.

On April 12, one new case was reported in Lyme taking that town’s cumulative total to 264. No new cases were reorted in Lyme on April 13.

The state’s COVID-19 Daily Positivity Rate continues to rise. On Tuesday, April 12, the rate increased to 5.82% from 5.5% on April 11. Then on April 13, it rose again to 6.23%.

This rate of 6,23% is the state’s highest recorded COVID-19 Daily Positivity Rate since Feb. 8, 2022 when the Rate stood at 7.02%.

The next Daily Data Report will be issued by CT DPH Thursday, April 14, around 4 p.m.

Cases in Lyme and Old Lyme — Daily Update

April 5, 2022 was the most recent day on which no new cases were reported in either town.

Prior to March 25, Lyme had gone for 23 consecutive days with no new cases being reported. Two new cases were reported in Lyme on March 25.

Prior to April 5, the most recent day on which no new cases were reported in either Lyme or Old Lyme was March 24. There were also no new cases on March 9 and 4, and Feb. 24. The previous date prior to Feb. 24 when no new cases were reported in either town was Dec. 12, 2021.

Statewide Situation – Daily Update

On April 12, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations increased from 104 to 113. On April 13, it rose again to 126.

In contrast, on Jan. 12, 2022, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations was 1,939.

Of those hospitalized on April 12, the number not fully vaccinated was 41 (representing 36.28%). On April 13, the numbers respectively were 42 and 33.33%.

The total number of COVID-related deaths in Connecticut rose to 10,808 on April 12 and held at that number on April 13, according to The New York Times.

Statewide Situation – Weekly Update

This map, updated April 7, 2022 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Old Lyme remains in the Orange (second highest) Zone while Lyme stays in the Gray (lowest) Zone. Twenty five towns (representing a total of 14.7% of the state) are now found in the Red 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.

On Thursday, April 7, the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) released its latest weekly COVID-19 Alert Map (pictured above), which indicates that 25 municipalities are now in the Red (highest of four) Zone for case rates. The 25 towns are: Ashford, Chester, Clinton, Darien, Fairfield, Glastonbury, Greenwich, Guilford, Madison, Middlebury, Milford, New Canaan, New Haven, New London, North Haven, Ridgefield, Rocky Hill, Roxbury, South Windsor, Southbury, Westbrook, Weston, Westport, Wilton, and Woodbridge.

It is a point of concern that this number has increased by five from 20 since last week.

Although this total of Red Zone towns reflects an increase over last week’s number, it still shows a reduction in the number of Red Zone towns since  Jan. 27, when the total was 168 out of 169 towns.

The April 7 total of 25 is equivalent to 14.7% of towns in the state, which remain in the Red Zone.

As of April 7, 2022 the only town in the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) in the Red Zone is New London.

Three, including Old Lyme, remain in the Orange (second highest) Zone:- the other two are East Lyme and Waterford.

Three are in the Yellow (second lowest) Zone, namely Groton, Ledyard and Stonington, while Lyme and North Stonington remain in the Gray (lowest) Zone.

The LLHD is no longer issuing reports with updated Case Rates and other metrics.

The CT DPH will issue an updated map of the zones Thursday, April 14 — the map is updated weekly on Thursdays.

The color-coded zones are:

Red: Indicates case rates over the last two weeks of greater than 15 per 100,000 population
Orange: Indicates case rates between 10 to 14 cases per 100,000 population
Yellow: Indicates case rates between 5 and 9 per 100,000 population
Gray: Indicates case rates lower than five per 100,000 population

Increase in Cases in Lyme & Old Lyme Since August 2021

The cumulative total of confirmed cases for Old Lyme has now increased by 624 since Wednesday, Nov. 10, when the total stood at 443 — that number had stood unchanged for a week since the previous Thursday, Nov. 4.

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 695 new cases there since that date.

Meanwhile, Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 indicating 150 new cases have also been confirmed there during the same period.

Ledge Light Health District Update
New London is the only town in the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) (of which both Lyme and Old Lyme are members) in the Red (highest case rate) Zone.

The LLHD has announced that there will be no further weekly LLHD reports unless there are “any significant change in case rates, hospitalizations, etc.” The following details are therefore from the final LLHD update on March 24.

In an email sent Thursday, March 24, regarding the latest COVID-19 data, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) Director of Health Stephen Mansfield stated, “Based on surveillance data available in a new tool created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) called COVID-19 Community Levels, the municipalities within Ledge Light Health District (and all of New London County) are currently classified as low, the “best” classification available based on these new metrics.”

He continued, “Community Levels can be low, medium, or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID cases in a specific geographical area. CDC recommends taking precautions to protect yourself and others from COVID based on Community Levels in your area.”

He added, “In New London County, residents are advised to:

  • Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
  • Get tested if you have symptoms
  • View the new tool by following this link: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html.

LLHD continues to focus our vaccination efforts on homebound populations and providing initial vaccinations and boosters to individuals who were vaccinated previously. Information about vaccination opportunities can be found at https://llhd.org/coronavirus-covid-19-situation/covid-19-vaccine/.”

An explanation of the new tool by Thomas Gotowka can be found at this link.

COVID testing opportunities can be found at COVID-19 Testing | Ledge Light Health District (llhd.org)

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

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

Four COVID-related fatalities have now 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 and fourth fatalities, which were reported respectively in 2021 and on Feb. 4, 2022, have not been made available.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Update

Under new state protocols for schools, Lyme-Old Lyme (LOL) Schools are no longer required to carry out contact tracing.

LOL Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser explained the latest developments in LOL Schools COVID protocols in an April 1 email to the school community, saying, “As noted in my email of February 17, 2022, beginning April 1, 2022 we will no longer report daily COVID-19 cases in the schools.  For the remainder of this school year, that information will be complied on a weekly basis and will be available on our website at the following link: https://www.region18.org/parents/covid-data.”

He added, “In light of the significant reduction in cases since our return from February vacation, we have slowly discontinued most COVID-19 mitigation strategies excluding required quarantine/isolation for those that test positive and enhanced building ventilation.  We are in the process of removing all remaining plastic shields from schools, students and staff no longer need to practice physical distancing, and large group gatherings are not limited in number.  Mask use still remains optional and handwashing will continue to be encouraged.”

A full listing of all LOL Schools-related cases during 2022 is given below.

View the full listing of cases between 8/26/21 – 12/23/21 at this link.

The listing below 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.

The following abbreviations are used in the lists below: LOLHS: Lyme-Old Lyme High School, LOLMS: Lyme-Old Lyme
Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School, MC: Mile Creek School, and CS: Center School Pre-Kindergarten

MARCH 2022
Wednesday, March 30: Total: LOLHS: 2, Lyme: 1
Monday, March 28: Total: LOLHS: 2
Thursday, March 24: Total: LOLMS: 1
Wednesday, March 23: Total: LOLHS: 1, CS: 1
Tuesday, March 22: Total: Lyme: 1
Sunday, March 20: Total: LOLHS: 1
Wednesday, March 16: Total: LOLHS: 1
Monday, March 14: Total: CS: 1
Sunday, March 13: Total: LOLHS: 1
Thursday, March 3:  Total: LOLHS: 1
Wednesday, March 2: Total: LOLHS: 1

FEBRUARY 2022
Friday, Feb. 18: Total: LOLMS: 1, MC: 1
Thursday, Feb. 17: Total: 1,  MC: 1
Wednesday, Feb. 16: Total: 6, LOLMS: 3
Monday, Feb. 14: Total: 6, LOLMS: 2, MC: 3, Lyme: 1
Sunday, Feb. 13: Total: 3, LOLMS: 2, MC: 1
Friday, Feb. 11: Total: 2, LOLHS: 1, CS: 1
Thursday, Feb. 10: Total: 2, Lyme: 1, CS: 1
Wednesday, Feb. 9: Total: 2, LOLHS: 1, MC: 1
Tuesday, Feb. 8: Total: 0
Monday, Feb. 7: Total: 3, Lyme: 1, MC: 1, CS: 1
Sunday, Feb. 6:Total: 2, LOLMS: 1, MC: 1
Friday, Feb. 4: Total: 5, LOLHS: 2, LOLMS: 1, MC: 2
Thursday, Feb. 3: Total: 1, Lyme: 1
Wednesday, Feb. 2: Total: 3, MC: 3
Tuesday, Feb. 1: Total: 1, MC: 1

JANUARY 2022
Monday, 1/31: Total: 2, LOLMS: 1, Lyme: 1
Sunday, 1/30: Total: 1, Lyme: 1
Friday, 1/28: Total: 3, LOLHS: 1, LOLMS: 1, MC: 1
Thursday, 1/27: Total: 3, LOLHS: 1, Lyme: 2
Wednesday, 1/26: Total: 3, LOLHS: 1, MC: 2
Tuesday, 1/25: Total: 4, LOLMS: 2, MC: 2
Monday, 1/24:Total: 9, LOLHS: 2, LOLMS: 1, Lyme: 1, MC: 4, CS: 1
Sunday, 1/23:Total: 3, LOLMS: 1, Lyme: 2
Friday, 1/21:Total: 8, LOLHS: 4, LOLMS: 2, MC: 2
Thursday, 1/20: Total: 5, LOLMS: 1, MC: 1, Lyme: 3
Wednesday, 1/19: Total: 7, LOLHS: 2, LOLMS: 4, CS: 1
Tuesday, 1/18: Total: 7, LOLHS: 3, LOLMS: 2, MC: 2
Monday, 1/17: Total: 6, Lyme: 4, MC: 2
Friday, 1/14: Total: 3, MC: 2, LOLHS: 1
Wednesday, 1/12: Total: 3, MC: 2, LOLMS: 1
Monday, 1/10: Total: 3, CS: 1, Lyme: 2
Sunday, 1/9: Total: 2, MC: 1, Lyme: 1
Friday, 1/7: Total: 1, MC: 1:
Thursday, 1/6: Total: 7, LOLHS: 5, Lyme: 1, CS: 1
Wednesday, 1/5: Total: 14, LOLHS: 6, MC: 1, Lyme: 3, CS: 4
Tuesday, 1/4: Total: 5, LOLHS: 4, CS: 1

Gillette Castle Sign Honoring William Gillette Restored by Lyme-Old Lyme HS Alumna Schillawski

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Former Old Lyme resident Lauren Schillawski confirms that the sign she crafted is hung correctly with the assistance of board member George Mattern (center) and park supervisor John “Jack” Hine (right.) Schillawski created the sign as an advanced woodworking project when she was a student at Lyme-Old Lyme High School.  The post and armature were installed by the Friends of Gillette Castle State Park.

EAST HADDAM, Conn. – Several years of planning by supporters of Gillette Castle State Park — in combination with a young woman’s talents — have restored a much-missed piece of park nostalgia.

It is a tall wooden post sporting a large sign paying homage to actor William Gillette, who is shown in silhouette in a deerstalker cap, the emblem of his most famous theatrical role — Sherlock Holmes. Beneath Gillette’s name are the years of his lifetime, 1853-1937. 

The sign was installed recently near Gillette’s century-old fieldstone mansion by a team of volunteers overseen by park supervisor John “Jack” Hine and Friends of Gillette Castle State Park Board Member George Mattern of Baltic, Conn. 

The sign replaces one that stood for many years along the path leading visitors to Gillette’s home, and had been a favored spot for photographers. However, that sign fell victim to structural decay and accident, even collapsing at one point.

“The sign’s removal several years ago left a void that’s now filled because of the generous help of talented volunteers,” said Lynn Wilkinson, president of the Friends of Gillette Castle State Park. “The process took time, because it was clear that long-term structural integrity and ease of repair were absolutely crucial.”

An initial effort to replace the sign about seven years ago prompted instructors at Lyme-Old Lyme High School to work with shop students on the project. One of those students was Lauren Schillawski, then an 11th-grade student of advanced woodworking.

Using images of the earlier sign as a template, Schillawski worked with the school’s computer-aided drafting (CAD) software to design and eventually construct a replica of the original hard-carved sign. 

Now a resident of Skaneateles, N.Y., working in dairy management, Schillawski credited her shop instructors — Jonathan Goss and William Derry — for their trust in approaching her with the project, and for guiding her through the difficult construction process. 

“My main interest in the project was the challenge,” she said. “Living in town, I was already familiar with Gillette’s Castle and grounds. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to make a sign that everyone could enjoy that would be around for many years.”

The armature to support the sign was designed more recently by George Mattern and approved by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) in late 2021. That set the stage for the sign’s base to be installed and the supporting post erected earlier this year. 

“It’s a beautiful sign and we’re all thrilled to see this effort finally come to fruition,” said Wilkinson.

She continued, “Our deepest thanks go to Lauren for her design work, to George Mattern for his persistent support and to all of the hard-working volunteers who made themselves available — even during the winter — to make certain that this project was completed.”

The late Connecticut stage actor’s century-old mansion is nestled atop the “Seventh Sister” hill in the towns of East Haddam and Lyme along the Connecticut River. 

The structure is scheduled to open to the public on Memorial Day weekend.

In the meantime, the park at 67 River Road in East Haddam remains open and visitors may stroll around the grounds during regular hours, which are from 8 a.m. until sunset daily year-round. Trail maps and videos of the estate may be found on the Friends website at www.gillettecastlefriends.org.

Gillette was the first actor to become internationally-famous for his performances as Sherlock Holmes. The Hartford native died in 1937 after a long theatrical career and the state eventually took over ownership of his home and surrounding estate. 

Those interested in becoming a Friends member may sign up online or download a mail-in application form at www.gillettecastlefriends.org/joinsupport, or direct their questions to info@gillettecastlefriends.org or (860) 222-7850. 

The organization’s mission includes the preservation, restoration and conservation of the historic and unique structure and its scenic grounds.

The all-volunteer, nonprofit group works in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). Memberships help to finance park and structural improvements while preserving the estate and Gillette’s legacy.