Monthly Archives: April 2022

Contentious No-Wake Zone on Tonight’s Rogers Lake Authority Meeting Agenda

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Post on Rogers Lake West Shores Association Facebook page publicizing tonight’s meeting.

LYME/OLD LYME — UPDATED @9:45am with details of RLA post on Town of OL website. This evening, Tuesday, April 19, the Rogers Lake Authority (RLA) will meet in the Old Lyme Town Hall’s Meeting Room at 7:30 p.m.

The meeting is likely to draw a large crowd as the contentious topic of the proposed No-Wake zone on Rogers Lake is on the agenda.

In a post dated April 5, and published on the Town of Old Lyme website, the RLA notes that it, “… works to promote health and safety in and on Rogers Lake. The RLA coordinates water testing of the lake water; coordinates bids for weed mitigation; and schedules lake patrol personnel for the summer months to enforce safety, regulation and ordinance adherence.”

The statement adds, “A significant level of confusion exists within the community surrounding proposed “slow-no wake” buoys the RLA has been investigating. To clear up confusion, a summary update has been prepared.”

View the summary update at this link.

The full agenda for the meeting is as follows:

Old Business:

  • Read and approve minutes from March 9, 2022, meeting.
  • Update on Finance Board meetings for 21/22 and 22/23 expenditures.
  • Detail review of 21/22 budget and expected expenditures.
  • Review of need for State boat launch attendant.
    • Possible DEEP training.
  • Review of patrol boat and launch attendant recruitment.
  • Presentations canceled.
    • CT Agricultural Experiment Station.
    • UCONN alewife study.
  • Finalize draft of Ordinance revision changes for submission to DEEP.
    • No Wake buoy deployment requires ordinance approval.

New Business:

  • Update of signage at boat launch.
  • Purchase of new sandbar buoy.
  • Plan for Spring Newsletter
  • Any other new business.
  • Public Comment.

The Town Hall is located at 52 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT.

Editor’s Note: For more on this story, read Rogers Lake Authority meets Tuesday on proposed ‘no wake’ ordinance by Jodi Alberti and published April 18 in The Day.

April 18 COVID-19 Update: Five New Cases in Old Lyme Raise Cumulative Case Total to 1075, One New Case in Lyme Takes Total 265

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LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Report issued Monday, April 18, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) shows five new, confirmed COVID-19 case in Old Lyme and one in Lyme.

This case raises Old Lyme’s cumulative case total to 1075 while Lyme’s increases to 265.

The most recent day when at least five cases were reported in either town was Feb. 28, 2022 when seven cases were announced.

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

The state’s COVID-19 Daily Positivity Rate continues to rise. On Monday, April 18, the rate increased to 6.63% from 6.51% on April 15.

This rate of 6.63% is the state’s highest recorded COVID-19 Daily Positivity Rate since Feb. 8, 2022 when the Rate stood at 7.08%.

On April 18, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations decreased to 145 from 161.

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

Of those hospitalized on April 18, the number not fully vaccinated was 57 (representing 39.31%).

The total number of COVID-related deaths in Connecticut held at 10,813 on April 18 for the fourth day, according to The New York Times.

The next Daily Data Report will be issued by CT DPH Tuesday, April 19, around 4 p.m.

Statewide Situation – Weekly Update

This map, updated April 14, 2022 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Old Lyme remains in the Yellow (second lowest) Zone while Lyme has moved into the Red (highest) Zone. Fifty four towns (representing a total of 32% 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 14, the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) released its latest weekly COVID-19 Alert Map (pictured above), which indicates that 54 municipalities are now in the Red (highest of four) Zone for case rates. These towns include Lyme, while Old Lyme has moved into the Yellow (second lowest) Zone.

This number has increased by 29 from the 25 towns recorded in the Red Zone last week. Read this press release from CT DPH emphasizing the need for caution regarding COVID-19 transmission at this time.

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 14 total of 54 is equivalent to 32.0% of towns in the state, which are in the Red Zone.

As of April 14, 2022 five towns in the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) are in the Red Zone:- Lyme, Waterford, New London, Ledyard and Stonington.

Two are in the Orange (second highest) Zone:- East Lyme and Groton.

Two are in the Yellow (second lowest) Zone:- North Stonington and Old Lyme.

No towns 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 21 — 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 632 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 703 new cases there since that date.

Meanwhile, Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 indicating 151 new cases have also been confirmed there during the same period.

Ledge Light Health District Update

The LLHD is no longer issuing weekly updates unless there is, “any significant change in case rates, hospitalizations, etc.”

On April 14, LLHD sent LymeLine.com this press release issued by CT DPH the same day. It begins: With the current uptick of COVID-19 cases—coupled with the upcoming schedule of spring holidays and family gatherings—the Connecticut Department of Public Health is reminding residents of the tools currently in place to help contain the spread of the virus. 

In an email sent Thursday, March 24, regarding the latest COVID-19 data, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) Director of Health Stephen Mansfield stated, “In New London County, residents are advised to:

LLHD continues to focus its 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 CDC Community Levels 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.

COVID-19 Situation in LOL Schools

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.”

He then stated, “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.”

For a summary of cases in LOL Schools between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2022, visit this link.

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

Registration Now Open for Variety of Summer Youth Programs at Lyme Academy

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This summer, Lyme Academy of Fine Arts will offer a wide range of art programs for students aged 11 and older. Photo by Kayla Lilli.

OLD LYME — This summer, Lyme Academy of Fine Arts will offer a full schedule of summer art programs for students ages 11 and up. Storied landscapes coupled with in-studio instruction by acclaimed, professional artists will provide an exceptional opportunity for students to improve their artistic skills.

The three distinctive youth programs include a Pre-College and Middle School Academy, beginning in June, and Academic Summer Intensives beginning in July. Each program has been developed in alignment with the nationally recognized, specialized arts instruction offered at the Academy.

Registration is open now.

“We are offering a unique opportunity to acquire and hone the foundational skills that form the bedrock of artistic study for a lifetime”, says Jordan Sokol, Co-Artistic Director at Lyme Academy of Fine Arts. “The curriculum has been designed so that new and budding artists can participate on an entry level.”

He continued, “At the same time, experienced young artists, who may be looking towards a long-term academic study of art, can grow their skills and confidence to participate in future serious and rigorous programs such as the CORE program offered at the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts.”

The Pre-College Academy for students ages 14-18 offers beginner- to advanced-level art instruction through a series of workshops designed to foster creativity, build artistic skills, and develop a clear personal point of view.

Each one-week session includes learning the fundamental principles of drawing, painting, and sculpture, while introducing contemporary perspectives and dialogues.

For students wishing to explore the diverse world of illustration, workshop offerings include Illustration Essentials and World-Building.

All Pre-College programs are taught by college faculty in the Academy’s state-of-the-art facilities. These courses are ideal for young artists developing their portfolios.

The Middle School Academy, or “Apprentice Program,” offers students ages 11-13 week-long workshops concentrating on a significant artist in history.

During the summer program, students look to Edgar Degas, Sandro Botticelli and Georgia O’Keeffe for inspiration, creating original works that reflect the qualities specific to each master. The Apprentice program is a fun, hands- on opportunity to work in a professional artist’s studio, while learning about iconic artists and art movements.

The weekly classes for the Pre-College and Middle School Academy will run June 20 through Aug. 17, and range in price from $325 to $650 per session.

The Academic Summer Intensive Program is available for students ages 14 and up, offering the option of Drawing from July 11th-29th and/or Painting from August 1st-17th.

The intensive program offers students an immersive studio experience focused on the foundations of drawing and painting in the academic tradition.

Students will utilize custom north-lit studios, where they will draw daily from direct observation of live models and plaster casts, utilizing a sequential, systematic progression designed to strengthen visual acuity and develop a strategic approach to interpreting the visual experience.

The first three-week session of the two-part workshop will focus on drawing as an introduction to both perceptual and conceptual modes of observation. Students will explore the fundamental properties of light, form, structure, proportion, and gesture.

In the optional, second three-week session, these methodologies are applied to oil painting.

Students will learn to employ a direct-painting method, with focused discussions about paint-handling and color-mixing. Students are encouraged to attend the drawing session as a foundation for the painting session.

Tuition is $2250 per workshop and $4000 if both workshops are attended.

In addition to summer programming, the Academy offers ongoing workshops and classes throughout the year designed to provide a solid, skills-based visual education to develop one’s portfolio and abilities under the leadership of professional artists.

To learn more and to register for any of the programs, visit www.lymeacademy.edu.

Learn more at www.lymeacademy.edu.

Legal New You Can Use: Should an Investment Home be Your First Home in CT?

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Because housing has become so expensive, making your first home purchase an investment home may be a good idea. Continue reading for an overview of the pros and cons to help you make your decision.

Pro: Leverage to buy the home you want

Many people who are looking to buy their first home usually can’t afford the one they truly want. Rather than put down a lot of money on a home that you’re settling for, you could purchase an investment property and use that to help afford your dream home. You could refinance or sell the investment property, or you could use its monthly income to help afford the home you want.

Pro: Flexibility

When you choose an investment home as your first property, it makes it easier for you to have the freedom to move. You don’t want to spend all of your money on a home you live in only to find out years later you want to live somewhere else.

Pro: Tax benefits

One of the top reasons people become real estate investors is because of the generous tax benefits. Landlords who don’t take advantage of those tax benefits for rental real estate transactions lose thousands of dollars a year. After the first year of owning a rental property, you can begin deducting depreciation.

Interest, reasonable costs of repair, insurance premiums and use of personal property are also tax-deductible. Examples of reasonable costs of repair include fixing leaking pipes and broken windows. Improvements to the property that aren’t essential typically don’t qualify for a deduction. Use of personal property is furnishing a rental property with appliances and furniture.

Con: Managing the property

A downside of rental properties is you may have to manage them. There are some ways around this, though. You could hire a property manager, or you could choose a different type of real estate investment like REIGs. When you invest in an REIG, the company takes a percentage of your returns in exchange for managing the property for you.

The sooner you begin building wealth, the better off you could be. Thus, making your first home purchase an investment home could be the right choice for you.

Attorneys at Suisman Shapiro can answer your questions on the legal aspects of house purchase. Visit their website or call 800-499-0145 — lines are open 24 hours a day.

This is a sponsored post by Suisman Shapiro Attorneys-at-Law of New London located at 75 State Street, New London, CT 06320