Monthly Archives: May 2022

May 29 COVID-19 Update: Slight Reduction in Number of CT Case Rate Red Zone Towns, NL County Reclassified as ‘Medium’ by CDC for ‘Community Level’; Old Lyme Reports 10 New Cases Since Monday, Lyme Has Three

Posted on by
Reply

This map, updated May 26, 2022 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme remain in the Red (highest) Zone. One hundred and fifty nine towns (representing a total of 94.1% 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 — The Daily Data Reports issued Tuesday through Friday, May 24-27, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) shows a total of 10 new, confirmed COVID-19 cases in Old Lyme and three in Lyme compared with May 23 numbers.

These cases raise Old Lyme’s cumulative case total to 1266 from 1256 on May 23, and similarly Lyme’s to 312 from 309 on the same date.

The daily cases reported were as follows:

Tuesday, May 24: OL-2, L-0
Wednesday, May 25: OL-4, L-2
Thursday, May 26: OL-2, L-1
Friday, May 27: OL-2, L-0

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 – Weekly Update

On Thursday, May 26, the (CT DPH) also released its latest weekly COVID-19 Alert Map (pictured above), which indicates that 159 municipalities are now in the Red (highest of four) Zone for case rates. These towns in the Red Zone include both Lyme and Old Lyme.

This number has decreased by three over the 162 towns recorded in the Red Zone last week,  thus  decreasing  the number of towns in the Red Zone to 94.1% of the state.

This total of 159 Red Zone towns indicates the first slowdown in several weeks compared with the Jan. 27, 2022 number, when the total was 168 out of 169 towns.

As of May 26, 2022, all nine towns in the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) remain in the Red 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, June 2 — the map is updated weekly on Thursdays.

The color-coded zones on the map above 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

CDC Reduces ‘Community Level’ to Medium for New London County, All Other CT Counties Remain ‘High’

May 26 Community Transmission levels. Map courtesy of CDC.

The map above shows that on May 26 all counties in Connecticut except New London are categorized as ‘High’ for COVID-19 Community Level. New London is now categorized as Medium. These levels are updated weekly by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursdays.

Ledge Light Health District Deputy Director of Health Jennifer Muggeo sent out the following email Friday, May 27, “Last Friday we shared that the CDC Community Level for New London County had moved to “High.” CDC updates these data each Thursday and last night moved New London County to “Medium.””

She continued, “Community members are advised to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, get tested if they have symptoms, and wear a mask when they are around others if they have symptoms, are positive or have had an exposure.”

Muggeo added, “People with symptoms should be tested and people with a positive test should isolate per guidelines. Masking remains an effective method for reducing the spread of COVID-19 and people may choose to mask even though our region is not designated as “High.””

She concluded, “You can find the latest CDC Community Level, schedules of vaccination clinics and community testing events, and isolation/quarantine guidance on our website and, as always, we are here to answer any questions or provide support for community members.

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.

You can 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 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/.

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/.

An explanation of the CDC Community Levels tool by Thomas Gotowka can be found at this link.

Statewide Situation – Daily Update

The state’s COVID-19 Daily Positivity Rate broke the 10% watershed on May 4 at 10.32%. It has now broken the 14% mark with the May 20 Rate of 14.19%, but encouragingly, the May 23 Positivity Rate fell to 12.3% and has continued to fall overall for the next four days as follows:

May 24: 12.13%
May 25: 12.05%
May 26: 11.77%
May 27: 11.83%

On May 27, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations increased to 363 from the 348 recorded on May 23.

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

Of those hospitalized on May 27, the number not fully vaccinated was 107 (representing 29.48%).

The total number of COVID-related deaths in Connecticut rose to 10,941 on May 27, according to The New York Times.

The next Daily Data Report will be issued by CT DPH Tuesday, May 31, around 4 p.m. No report will be issued on Monday, May 30, due to the Memorial Day Federal Holiday.

Increase in Cases in Lyme & Old Lyme Since August 2021

The cumulative total of confirmed cases for Old Lyme has now increased by 823 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 894 new cases there since that date.

Meanwhile, Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 indicating 198 new cases have also been confirmed there during the same period.

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 email dated April 1 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.”

Details published to date show the following number of positive cases in LOL Schools by week.
April 3-9: 0
April 10-16: 0
April 17-23: Spring Break
April 24-30: 7
May 2-7: 27
May 8-14: 41
May 15-21: 30
May 22-28: 23

The total number of cases recorded in Lyme and Old Lyme for the week May 22-28 was 25, indicating the vast majority of cases (23) had a connection to Lyme-Old Lyme Schools.

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.

Op-Ed: Are We a Civilized Country?

Posted on by

Lest we forget … then Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal  led a group of local citizens including former Old Lyme Selectman, the late Mervin Roberts (in foreground) to Newtown, Conn. to offer Old Lyme’s sympathies in respect of the 26 teachers and students killed Dec. 14, 2012, at Sandy Hook Elementary School. File photo published Dec. 2012.

Editor’s Note: Tom Soboleski of Ivoryton, Conn., submitted a powerful op-ed to LymeLine.com after the Sandy Hook massacre. We published ‘Proposed Path to a Safer Society’ on Dec. 20, 2012. In light of yesterday’s tragic events in Uvalde, Texas, Soboleski contacted us yesterday to ask if we would consider re-publishing it and we immediately agreed. He has added a new introduction.

Are We a Civilized Country?

Eighteen school children murdered in Texas. What kind of society do we live in? What kind of society tolerates school children being slaughtered; not to forget the hundreds of others in Buffalo and numerous other cities? Clearly we are an uncivilized society; one that is disintegrating more by the day.

Ten years ago I wrote the following in reaction Connecticut’s own incomprehensible nightmare.

Nothing has changed. We’ve become numb and routinely tolerate the slaughter of innocents. I stand by every word.

Proposed Path to a Safer Society
(First published on LymeLine.com Dec. 20, 2012)

Sandy Hook School is an earthquake that shakes the soul of human decency. My response:
I acknowledge the right to have a hunting rifle and a pistol for self-defense. The right to self-defense is a root of liberty. Equally important is a coincident right of people who choose not to own a gun: the right to live in a safe and secure society.
This right is an indisputable expectation.
While I realize this is an ideal that will be difficult to fulfill, we must, for the sake of human decency, respect, and compassion, strive to create such a society. To not strive for this goal is disrespectful and inconsiderate to all people who want to live in peace.
My proposal to create an environment that begins to lead our society down this path is as follows:
1. A gun is not sporting equipment. To equate a gun to sports is akin to saying it is no different than a tennis racquet or basketball. This is an insult to humanity. There is no comparison because their designed purposes are so different – fun and games versus a killing implement.
2. Any weapon that is capable of firing multiple rounds in rapid succession should be outlawed to anyone other than military, law enforcement or security personnel. No one in a civil society should have such a weapon, for its sole designed purpose is to kill. For hunting and self-defense, there should be no need for anything more than a single-shot pistol or rifle.
3. Any weapon that uses multiple round magazines or any type of device that loads more than six bullets at a time should be outlawed. Reasons stated in item 2.
4. Anyone caught in possession or ownership of these outlawed weapons and ammunition would be in violation of the law and should be punished with extensive community service or imprisonment.
5. Anyone who currently owns such weapons described in item 2 should be paid to turn them in. They should not be grandfathered.
6. Extensive background checks should apply to 100% of sales in any form for the purchase of legal pistols and rifles.
7. A permit is required to fish. A permit should be required to purchase ammunition.
8. Internet sale of any weapon and ammunition should be illegal.
I urge everyone with a strong opinion on this subject to voice their opinion to their representatives and senators. Time is of the essence. Do not let this moment and these memories fade.

A la Carte: Got to Grill? Try Chicken with Peach BBQ Sauce for a Tasty Change

Posted on by
Reply

Lee White

I spent a lot of time in the past couple of weeks driving. I wasn’t going long distances; rather I had errands so I did a couple, got home for lunch, and finished the rest a hour or two later. 

While my husband and I frequently went out for breakfast (always on weekends), now that I am husband-less (and have been for more than a decade), I do most of my reading, writing and thinking in the morning. Sometimes I look at the mantel clock and notice it is 11 a.m. Well, I wonder, is it going to be late breakfast or an early lunch? 

It is usually an early lunch. I often have enough leftovers from dinner the night before.

Today I have some leftover chicken salad (made from a roast chicken a couple of days ago), so I plate the chicken salad with some lettuce, sliced grape tomatoes and, to drink, an enormous glass of V-8.

And I muse about dinner. 

It will be chicken again, mostly because I love chicken and I’d thawed some skinless, boneless breasts this morning. (I really do not like boneless, skinless chicken, but this is what I found first in the freezer.)

Over the weekend, I took the cover of my Weber, cleaned the grills, found the tongs I left last fall and looked to make sure there were no squirrel nests in the lava rocks. I have plenty of propane.

I love this recipe. 

Photo by photo_ reflect on Unsplash.

Grilled Chicken with Peach BBQ Sauce
Adapted from Gwyneth Paltrow’s “My Father’s Daughter” (Hachette Book Group, New York, 2011)
Yield: serves 4

1 cup chopped peeled fresh peaches (I used canned, without added sugars), chopped
½ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ teaspoons adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles in adobo or 1 teaspoon soy sauce*
Kosher (or sea salt) and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Vegetable oil

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan. Season lightly with salt and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, simmer until peaches are very soft and flavors meld, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat; let cool.

Pour peach mixture into a blender and puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place half the sauce in a medium bowl; add chicken and turn to coat.

Let marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes, or cover and chill for up to 8 hours, turning occasionally. Cover and refrigerate remaining sauce.

Prepare a grill to medium-high heat. Brush grill rack with oil. Grill chicken until browned and almost cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Slice crosswise.

Serve with remaining sauce alongside.

* I have at least four cans of chipotle in adobe in my pantry. I sometimes make omelet or scrambled eggs with cheese cream and a mashed chipotle. It is a bit on the spicy side, but it’s delicious.

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.

Exhibition, Sale of New Works by Jasper Goodrich, Morteza Khakshoor on View at Cooley Gallery in Old Lyme

Posted on by
Reply

‘Becoming’, by Morteza Khakshoor, is one of the signature paintings in the upcoming, ‘Where They Began’ exhibition at The Cooley Gallery. The artwork is acrylic on birch panel, 20” x 24”, 2020.

The Cooley Gallery’s First Endemic Era Show, ‘Where They Began,’ is Guest Curated by International Artist, Lyme Resident Christian Brechneff

OLD LYME, CT – The Cooley Gallery has announced its first exhibition in over two years and for this special show, the gallery joins forces with the artist, Christian Brechneff of Lyme, Conn.

Where They Began, is an exhibition and sale opening at The Cooley Gallery, Thursday, May 26. It includes works by former Essex resident Jasper Goodrich and Lyme Academy alumnus, Morteza Khakshoor, who are both artists with ties to the region and talents worthy of highlight in the eyes of Brechneff.

There will be an opening reception for the show on Thursday, May 26, from 5 to 7 p.m. The public is welcome. The show will be on display through June 25, 2022.

There is a centuries-long tradition of attracting and nurturing artists along this southern end of the Connecticut River. Maybe it is the topography, or perhaps the light, or could it be the long history of encouragement and tolerance artists find when they are here? 

Internationally-acclaimed artist Brechneff decided he would like to play his part in the area’s artistic history and curate a show of works by two young artists with connections to this part of Connecticut that Brechneff calls home. 

Brechneff has had numerous exhibitions at The Cooley Gallery over the years, book-signings, and gallery owners Jeff and Betsey Cooley appeared briefly in his biographical documentary, Like Notes of Music. 

This work by Jasper Goodrich titled ‘Whale Rock to Essex’ was painted in 2020 in oil on unstretched linen, 26 x 45 inches.

When Brechneff approached Jeff Cooley about the idea of a show of works by two young artists Jeff simply could not refuse. “This region of Connecticut has a long history of supporting artists and their work. We are thrilled to be able to play a small role in both Christian’s vision and in keeping this tradition alive,” says Jeff Cooley.

This two-man show is a slight deviation for the gallery in Old Lyme, which was established in 1986, but not completely out of character. Cooley explains, “We are known as gallery that mostly shows historic art from Old Lyme but we have to go outside those parameters from time to time. I think it’s important to look outside the usual,  especially if there’s a logical thread.”

He concludes, “Christian’s enthusiasm for these two artists was notable and it meant a lot to us to share his vision.”

This work by Jasper Goodrich, ‘Piling L’ is featured in the new show at The Cooley Gallery.

Color and context are important features in the work of these two artists. Jasper Goodrich’s connection to the area began as a child in Essex. He recalls looking across the Connecticut River to Old Lyme. Maybe those distant views of inlets and rock formations fueled his confidence to work in numerous different media. 

Goodrich visits family in Essex, but currently makes his home in Chicago and teaches at the School for the Art Institute of Chicago’s (SAIC) Printmedia Department and at the Hyde Park Art Center, where he created a class titled “Sequences, Iterations and Permutations.”

He received his BS from Skidmore College and his MFA at the Art Institute of Chicago. 

Brechneff chose Goodrich’s work as it explores external influences in the artistic process and how those influences weave together in the artist’s mind and is communicated through the work.

‘Sunrise and Sunset’ is another striking work by Morteza Khakshoor, who is a 2015 alumnus of Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts.

Morteza Khakshoor’s connection to this area started a little further away. Born in Iran, he came to this country to continue his fine art studies, specifically to the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts and earned his BFA from the College in 2015.

Khakshoor, who lives and works in Southern, California, puts powerful imagery into small scale.

The Cooley Gallery is located at 25 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT. Gallery hours are Friday and Saturday 12 to 5 p.m. and almost anytime by appointment, 860-304-2386, and all the time at cooleygallery.com.

‘Friends of Music’ Hosts ‘Great Gatsby Gala’ Tonight; All Welcome

Posted on by
Reply

1920s attire is strictly optional, but encouraged! Photo by URI MERON on Unsplash

OLD LYME — On Thursday, May 26, from 6 to 9 p.m., the Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Friends of Music (FOM) will host a Great Gatsby Gala at the Old Lyme Inn.

This scholarship fundraising event is sure to be an enjoyable evening, with plenty of food/drinks, and  entertainment. 1920s attire is strictly optional, but encouraged at the themed cocktail party.

There will also be an extensive Silent Auction, including wonderful gift baskets, gift certificates from local businesses for dining, goods, and luxury experiences; plus one of a kind artwork and antiques.

Tickets are $50/person. All are welcome. Seats are limited so prompt reservations are recommended.

Visit this link to buy your tickets online and/or to donate.

Send your payments/donation via mail to:
Friends of Music
PO Box 4
Old Lyme, CT 06371

Consider attending this event and help FOM continue their mission of providing scholarships and supporting music enrichment for Lyme-Old Lyme students.

Friends of Music is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax deductible.