Monthly Archives: April 2022

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Hold District Hearing on Proposed $34.8M Budget, Tonight

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Lyme-Old Lyme High School is the flagship school of Region 18 Schools. A District Hearing will be held Monday, April 4, at 6:30 p.m. on the board of education’s proposed $34.8 million budget.

OLD LYME — On Monday, April 4, starting at at 6:30 p.m., the Regional School District 18 Board of Education will hold a public hearing on its proposed $34.8 million budget request for the fiscal year July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.

The hearing will be held in the Board of Education Conference Room at Center School. All interested parties are invited to attend and present their comments or questions.

In a letter to the Lyme and Old Lyme Communities, Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser and Region 18 Board of Education Chairman Steven Wilson commented, “This $34,830,464 budget represents a 0.13% decrease from the adopted budget for the current year.”

They add, “In fact, when comparing this budget to our budget from four years ago (2019-2020), we are proposing to spend $254,294 less than what we spent in 2019-2020. This represents a 0.7% decrease over four years.”

Neviaser and Wilson continue, “Employee contractual obligations are the main drivers for this budget based on our enrollment growth,” noting that these costs are offset by reductions in:

  • health insurance costs
  • special education
  • debt service
  • transportation.

They state, “We have developed a budget that continues to maintain all of our award-winning academic and extracurricular offerings, which are commensurate, and oftentimes superior, to both public and private schools throughout Connecticut.”

The commitments that Neviaser ad Wilson contend that this budget supports are:

  • continued adherence to class size guidelines
  • continuance of existing academic and extracurricular activities
  • adjustments for anticipated changes in the special education population
  • adequate funding for maintenance and repair of buildings and grounds
  • scheduled replacement of technology and equipment
  • program improvements consistent with high academic and operational standards.

Region 18 includes both of the Towns of Lyme and Old Lyme. The region-wide referendum on the proposed budget is scheduled for Tuesday, May 3.

Last Chance to See ‘Mary Poppins Jr. This Afternoon at Lyme-Old Lyme MS

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The most memorable word from Mary Poppins Jr. is spelled out during the performances at Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School, which continue this evening and over the weekend.

OLD LYME — Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School (LOLMS) presents the final evening performance of Mary Poppins Jr. tonight, Saturday, April 2, at 7 p.m. in the LOLMS auditorium.

Use the QR code below to order tickets or visit https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/62956

There will also be a matinee performance on Sunday, April 3,  at 1 p.m.

 

Has the Pandemic Affected You or Your Business? Old Lyme Opens Applications for ARPA Grants to Businesses, Nonprofits, Town Entities

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OLD LYME – UPDATED 12:15pm — see changes in red: The Town of Old Lyme has formally announced two new ways for Old Lyme small businesses and nonprofits to seek American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.

Today the Town released two grant applications, in which organizations can either seek economic recovery or create community initiatives to address the negative impact of the pandemic.

The deadline for application submissions to either grant is May 2, 2022.

Applicants for the “Economic Recovery Grant” will submit information substantiating any pandemic-related economic losses between March 3, 2021 and April 1, 2022 per the restrictions of the Federal funding. The Economic Recovery application is for small businesses and for 501( c)-3 or 501( c)-19 nonprofit organizations located in Old Lyme.

The maximum amount granted under the Economic Recovery Grant will be $10,000.

A separate grant will be available for businesses and nonprofit organizations, who wish to apply for a “Community Initiative Grant.” This grant is for those organizations seeking funding for programs and initiatives that will help address the negative impact of the pandemic and create new transformative opportunities in Old Lyme.

Initiatives can address issues such as mental health, early childcare, infrastructure, and tourism & business patronage, among others. Funds must be expended and final reports submitted to the Town prior to Dec. 31, 2026.

The Community Initiative Grant is also open to Town of Old Lyme Government Boards, Commissions, and Departments with initiatives that meet the objectives of the funding.

Small businesses and nonprofits can apply for both an Economic Recovery Grant and a Community Initiative Grant.

Outside of these two grants, all pandemic relief services for individuals and households will continue to be coordinated through the Town of Old Lyme Social Services Office.

Old Lyme residents who have suffered economic loss due to the pandemic are encouraged to contact the Town of Old Lyme Social Services Office at 860-434-1605 x228 or socialservices@oldlyme-ct.gov. 

The Economic Recovery Grant applications will be assessed by an outside consultant, who has been hired to oversee the grant process. The consultant has provided a similar oversight process to other Connecticut towns including East Windsor and Somers. 

The Town’s ARPA Committee will finalize the recommendations for both grant categories and submit them to the Town’s Board of Selectmen for approval. The Town will share its grant decisions on its website. 

The two grant programs are just one aspect of the Town’s total spending of the $2.162 million received in ARPA funds. The remaining funds will be allocated to town projects in the coming months. The Town’s ARPA Committee will assess the total volume of requested small business and nonprofit grants before voting on the funding cap for each category.

“The results from last December’s community survey indicated that many Old Lyme organizations had been impacted financially by the pandemic,” said Thomas Gotowka, Chairperson of the Town’s ARPA Committee.

He continued, “We now want to identify those small businesses that were hit the hardest, and those organizations that re-directed their resources in order to help us get through the crisis; and assist them with funds from Old Lyme’s grant programs.”

The fillable-pdf applications are now available at www.OldLyme-ct.gov.

Printed applications are available at the reception desk in the Old Lyme Town Hall foyer entrance.

Applications can be submitted online, postal mailed, or brought to the Town’s secured lockbox via the instructions on the application.

A complete set of rules and regulations governing the funding can be found on the application.

For more information, contact ARPA@oldlyme-ct.gov.

March 31 & April 1 COVID-19 Update: After Weeks of Steady Decrease, Number of Towns in Red Case Rate Zone Increases; Lyme, Old Lyme Both Record New Cases Taking Totals Respectively to 260, 1059,

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This map, updated March 31, 2022 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Old Lyme has moved back into the Orange (second highest) Zone while Lyme remains in the Gray (lowest) Zone. Twenty towns (representing a total of 11.3% 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.

LYME-OLD LYME — On Thursday, March 31, the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) released its latest weekly COVID-19 Alert Map (pictured above), which indicates that 20 municipalities are now in the Red (highest of four) Zone for case rates.

In a worrying trend, this number has increased by 12 from eight 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 late January. On Jan. 27, the total was 168 out of 169 towns and by Feb. 17, the total was 153. By Feb. 24, it had fallen to 87; on March 3, the total was 23, and and last week on March 12, it was 12.

The March 31 total of 20 is equivalent to 11.3% of towns in the state, which remain in the Red Zone.

By way of contrast, the map below shows the COVID-19 Case Rate Map from one year ago.

This map, updated March 25, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. The Town of Old Lyme had moved up into the (highest) Red Zone, while Lyme remained 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.)

As of March 31, 2022 there are no towns in the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) remaining in the Red Zone. Three, including Old Lyme, are in the Orange (second highest) Zone:- the other two are East Lyme and Waterford. Last week, Old Lyme was in the Yellow Zone and so this represents another trend of concern.

Four are in the Yellow (second lowest) Zone, namely Groton, New London, 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 7 — 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

Local Situation — Daily Update

The Daily Data Reports issued Thursday, March 31, and Friday, April 1, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) shows one new confirmed COVID-19 case in Old Lyme on March 31, taking that town’s cumulative case total to 1059, and one new confirmed COVID-19 case in Lyme on April 2, raising the town’s cumulative case totals to 260.

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

March 24 was the most recent day on which no new cases were reported in either Lyme or Old Lyme. 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.

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

Statewide Situation – Daily Update

The state’s COVID-19 Daily Positivity Rate increased from 3.07% on March 28 to 3.65% on March 29. It decreased on March 30 to 3.35%, but increased on March 31 to 3.95%. This latter number was the highest recorded CT Daily Positivity Rate since Feb. 24, when the Rate stood at 3.99%.

On April 1, the state’s COVID-19 Daily Positivity Rate decreased to 3.68%.

The March 10 rate of 1.79% was the most recent time the positivity rate had fallen below 2.0 since Oct. 7, 2021 according to our records, when it was 1.70%.

On March 31, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations fell to 88 from 98 on March 31, and decreased further to 81 on April 1. In contrast, on Jan. 12, 2022, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations was 1,939.

Of those hospitalized on March 31,  26 (representing 29.5%) are not fully vaccinated. The number on April 1 was 28 (representing 34.6%).

The total number of COVID-related deaths in Connecticut now stands at 10,776, according to the New York Times. This number has been corrected from the previously-reported 10,779.

Statewide Situation – Weekly Update

The following numbers have not been updated by the state this week.

As of March 23, 2022: (the number in parentheses is from March 16, 2022)

Number of cases of COVID-19 among fully vaccinated persons in Connecticut: 177,032 (175, 490)
Number of fully vaccinated persons in Connecticut: 2,693,502 (2,687,029)
Percent of fully vaccinated persons, who have contracted COVID-19: 6.57% (6.53%)

For the week beginning March 13, 2022: (the number in parentheses is from March 6, 2022)

Risk of unvaccinated persons testing positive for COVID-19 as compared to fully vaccinated persons: 3.0 x greater (3.0 x greater)
Risk of unvaccinated persons dying from COVID-19 as compared to fully vaccinated persons: 16.0 x greater (4.0 x greater)

Increase in Cases in Lyme & Old Lyme Since August 2021

The cumulative total of confirmed cases for Old Lyme has now increased by 616 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 687 new cases there since that date. Meanwhile, Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 indicating 146 new cases have also been confirmed there during the same period.

Ledge Light Health District Update

There are no towns 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 states, “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 continues, “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 adds, “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.

During Winter Break for LOL Schools, no case reporting was announced until Monday, Feb. 28. Schools are now back in session. One new case was reported on March 2 and another on March 3. No new cases were reported on March 4, or March 7-12. One new case was reported on each day of March 13, 14, 16, 20 and 22. Two were reported on March 23, one on March 24, two on March 28, and three on March 30.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools closed Dec. 23, 2021 and reopened Monday, Jan. 3, 2022 after the winter break meaning no new cases were reported by the schools during that period. We are no longer including positive cases impacting LOL schools between Aug 26, 2021 (the first day of the 2021-22 academic school year) and Dec. 23, 2021 (the last day of school before winter break began), in this report. During that period contact tracing was still required.

View the full listing of cases during that period (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, CS: MC: Mile Creek School, and Center School Pre-Kindergarten

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

After Two Year COVID-Enforced Hiatus, Old Lyme Church’s White Elephant Sale is Back!

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The annual White Elephant Sale will be held again this year. By long-established tradition, it always starts on the first strike of 9 a.m. on the designated Friday.

OLD LYME — The ministers of the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme have announced that the universally popular White Elephant Sale will return again this year on Friday, July 8, and Saturday, July 9. The Sale is run by the church’s Ladies’ Benevolent Society.

The annual Sale had been hosted continuously for 83 years prior to 2020, but then was cancelled in both 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hours for the sale are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday.

Intake will take place for six days only beginning Thursday, June 23, and continuing through Friday, June 24, and Saturday, June 25. Intake will then resume Tuesday, June 28, and continue Wednesday, June 29, and Thursday, June 30.

A delighted Bob Davis, who has been chairing the White Elephant Sale for more than 20 years, commented, “It is wonderful to bring back one of the major annual events on both the church and town calendars.”

For more information on the sale and guidelines for intake, visit this link.

Volunteers are needed in every area of the sale. If you would like to volunteer, call the church office in June at 860-434-8686, select option 5, leave your name and phone number, and the organizers will respond promptly.