Monthly Archives: June 2022

June 3 COVID-19 Update: No Change in 159 CT Towns in Case Rate Red Zone, NL County Moved to ‘Low’ ‘Community Level’ by CDC, 10 New Cases in Old Lyme Since June 1, One in Lyme

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Over 94% of CT Towns Remain in Case Rate Red Zone

Photo by CDC on Unsplash.

LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Reports issued Thursday and Friday, June 2 and 3, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) show a total of 10 new, confirmed COVID-19 cases in Old Lyme and one in Lyme compared with June 1 numbers.

These cases raise Old Lyme’s cumulative case total to 1292 from 1282 on June 1, and similarly Lyme’s to 315 from 314 on the same date.

The daily cases reported were as follows:

Thursday, June 2: OL-4, L-1
Friday, June 3: OL-6, 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

This map, updated June 2, 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) remain 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, June 2, the CT DPH also released its latest weekly COVID-19 Alert Map (pictured above), which indicates that 159 municipalities remain in the Red (highest of four) Zone for case rates. These towns in the Red Zone include both Lyme and Old Lyme.

This number is exactly the same as that for the previous week meaning the number of towns in the Red Zone still represents 94.1% of the state.

As a reminder, the number of towns in the Red Zone on Jan. 27, 2022 was 168 out of 169 towns.

As of June 2, 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 9 — 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 Low for New London County, Middlesex County Remains ‘High’, All Other CT Counties are ‘Medium’

June 2 Community Transmission levels. Map courtesy of CDC.

The map above shows that on June 2, New London County is now categorized as ‘Low’ for its Community Level. Middlesex County is ‘High’ and all other Towns are ‘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 an email Friday, May 27, saying, “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 the June 3 Positivity Rate was 11.16% rising after the June 2 Rate was 10.83%

On June 3, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations increased to 329 from the 311 recorded on June 1.

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

Of those hospitalized on June 3, the number not fully vaccinated was 99 (representing 30.09%).

The total number of COVID-related deaths in Connecticut held at 10,973 on June 2, for the third day in succession, according to The New York Times.

The next Daily Data Report will be issued by CT DPH Monday, June 6, around 4 p.m.

Increase in Cases in Lyme & Old Lyme Since August 2021

The cumulative total of confirmed cases for Old Lyme has now increased by 849 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 920 new cases there since that date.

Meanwhile, Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 indicating 201 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
May 29-June 4: 55

The total number of cases recorded by the CT DPH in Lyme and Old Lyme for the week May 29-June 4 was 26, indicating a significant number of cases are not officially reported since LOL Schools are reporting 55 cases for the same period.

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.

Witness Stones Old Lyme Installs 16 Additional Plaques Marking Enslavement Sites; Installation Ceremony with Readings, Music to be Held THIS MORNING, 10am, All Welcome

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Frederick Douglass Knowles II, pictured above, will read his poem Shoots of Plants Blooming in Spring at today’s Witness Stones Old Lyme Installation Ceremony.

‘Witness Stones Old Lyme Installation Ceremony’ to be held today, all welcome to this free event

OLD LYME – The Old Lyme Witness Stones Project is installing 16 new Witness Stones—historical plaques commemorating the lives of enslaved and indentured African Americans and Native Americans, who labored in the historic town of Lyme. The plaques will be placed on Lyme St. and McCurdy Rd. in Old Lyme.

In Spring 2021, the Old Lyme Witness Stones Project installed 14 plaques.

The Witness Stone for Pompey Freeman.

To deepen this untold story, Witness Stones have been added this year to honor Phyllis, Tantiphant, Katherine Freeman, Salem Freeman, Basil, Margaret Crosley Lewia, Prince Freeman, Temperance Freeman, Harry Freeman, Samuel, Jack, Jube, Grace, Warwick, and Mingo.

To celebrate the town’s newly installed Witness Stones, the Old Lyme Witness Stones Partnership will hold a series of events in June. 

Today, Friday, June 3, at 10 a.m., the Old Lyme Phoebe Griffin Noyes (PGN) Library will host a Witness Stones Old Lyme Installation Ceremony: A Celebration of Music and Poetry.

The community is invited to gather on the lawn of the Old Lyme PGN Library to celebrate the second installation of Witness Stones on Lyme Street, extending this year to McCurdy Rd. This is a free event and will take place rain or shine.

The program will include music, poetry, and words from community partners and guest speakers.

Frederick-Douglass Knowles II will read his poem Shoots of Plants Blooming in Spring at the ceremony. He joins guest speakers Dain Perry and Constance Perry.

World-renowned soprano Lisa Williamson and acclaimed saxophonist and U.S. Coast Guard Band conductor Richard Wyman will provide music.

Twelve members of the Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School (LOLMS) chorus, led by Laura Ventres, will also contribute to the program. 

Seventh-grade students from the LOLMS will read biographical poems, which they wrote to tell the life stories of Harry Freeman and Margaret Crosley Lewia. Using primary documents, the students researched these two enslaved town residents, making the story of local slavery tangible, personal, and relevant to their own lives.

From left to right in the front row at left of photo, soprano Lisa Williamson, poets Marilyn Nelson, Rhonda Ward, and Antoinette Brim-Bell sit together at the previous Installation Ceremony for Witness Stones Old Lyme.

Frederick-Douglass Knowles II is an Educator and Activist fervent in achieving community augmentation through literary arts. He is a Professor of English at Three Rivers Community College in his native city of Norwich, CT and the inaugural Poet Laureate of Hartford.

He is the recipient of the Nutmeg Poetry Award and the Connecticut of The Arts Fellow in Artist Excellence for Poetry/Creative Non-Fiction. Knowles is a Pushcart Prize nominee and the author of BlackRoseCity.

Constance R. Perry is a national consultant working in economically disadvantaged communities and specializing in workforce and community development. For more than 20 years, she managed, designed, and implemented programs for at-risk youth and adults at the municipal, state, and national level.

Born and raised in Boston, she is a descendant of enslaved laborers in North Carolina.

Dain Perry had a 30-year career as a Financial Representative with the Northwestern Mutual Financial Network NMFN) in Boston. He is a past President of the Boston Estate Planning Council and was named Boston Estate Planner of the Year in 1999.

Prior to joining NMFN he was deputy director of the Massachusetts Council on Crime and Correction, and Acting Director of the Crime and Justice Foundation, both private non-profit community groups which promoted reform in the criminal justice system. He attended the U S Naval Academy.

The Old Lyme PGN Library is located at 2 Library Lane, Old Lyme.

A Witness Stone has been installed at the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme.

On Saturday, June 18, at 2 p.m., the Florence Griswold Museum will host a Juneteenth Celebration of Jazz & Poetry. The Museum is located at ,96 Lyme St. in Old Lyme, Conn.

In 2021, the Old Lyme Witness Stones Project partnered with four distinguished Connecticut poets, Marilyn Nelson, Kate Rushin, Rhonda Ward, and Antoinette Brim-Bell, who created a tribute in verse to those remembered with Lyme Street plaques.

The verse cycle, which brings vividly to life experiences, attitudes, and emotions long ignored and then forgotten, appeared in the prestigious Poetry magazine in November 2021. 

In honor or Juneteenth—a federal holiday that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans—this celebration will feature music by the Nat Reeves Jazz Quartet and readings by the Witness Stones Poets on the grounds of the Florence Griswold Museum, a former site of enslavement.

The event has received generous support from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of the Arts, which also receives support from the federal ARPA.

The Witness Stones Project expands the understanding of local history and honors the humanity and contributions of those formerly held in bondage. The initiative was made possible through the support of the Lyme-Old Lyme community, including local institutions, and Lyme-Old Lyme Schools. 

The Witness Stones Project in Old Lyme is vital at this time of learning about and engagement with the history of slavery in Connecticut. The project also has national reach, however, as America comes to grips with its complicated past regarding the enslavement of African peoples. 

Each Witness Stone placed between the Sill Lane green and the Duck River Cemetery gates includes the name of an enslaved individual, along with important details about their lives and circumstances derived from land records, emancipation certificates and other available historical documents.

An interpretive sign installed on the lawn of the Old Lyme PGN Library provides a map showing the locations of these small, brass plaques, embedded flush with the ground. Witness Stones along Lyme Street have been placed primarily along the west side of the street for pedestrian safety. 

The Old Lyme Witness Stones Partnership’s goal is to expand the understanding of local history and honor the humanity and the contributions of those formerly enslaved in the community. 

The partnership’s founding members include the Old Lyme PGN Library, the Florence Griswold Museum, Lyme-Old Lyme Schools, and the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme.

Community partners include the Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center, St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, Lymes’ Youth Service Bureau, and the Old Lyme Historical Society.

For more information, visit the Witness Stones Old Lyme website.

Op-Ed: Author Responds to Issues Raised by Town of Old Lyme Property on Buttonball Rd., Requests Absence of Acrimony

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Old Lyme municipal property located at 36-1 Buttonball Road has been the subject of considerable discussion in news publications and on social media.  

By way of disclosure, I am the Old Lyme Open Space Commission secretary, but I write strictly as a private citizen who has volunteered to help preserve the town’s natural resources and scenic charm.

Two issues have been raised regarding this property – that the Open Space Commission has “hidden” the land from the public, and that the Commission is opposed to public access to it.

Regarding the first – in the roughly five years that I’ve served on the Commission, I do not remember this property ever being the subject of a discussion. 

As the principal author of the town’s approved 2020 Open Space Plan, I was aware that a definitive inventory of town-owned open space was lacking. Thus, the plan reads: 

“The Town of Old Lyme owns 936 acres of open space land in six sizable open space areas accessible for hiking and public access, and two other areas [Lords Woods and Eklund Pond].

NOTE: This total does not include various parcels of town open space owned by fee within subdivisions. When added, that land will increase the above town total.”

Any property omissions in the Plan or on Open Space webpages have not been intentional. They are rather a result of record-keeping issues.  As an example, at a recent Town Meeting, property at 18-2 Short Hills Road, Old Lyme was accepted as “open space.” It’s my understanding that the deed to this parcel identifies it as “town property” without reference to open space. This example is not meant to criticize the town land use office but is offered instead as an illustration of how an open space inventory can become complicated, particularly going back decades with land records. 

The adage “squeaky wheels get grease” bears mentioning as well.  As with many of the town’s boards and commissions, members of Open Space are all volunteers, we often serve on multiple agencies, and time is exhausted meeting basic stewardship demands, pursuing new acquisitions, and addressing various issues that arise, such as a pending, time sensitive request under current review to allow equestrian use on trails. Unlike regulatory agencies, Open Space has no town staff to assist in its work. 

Research into land records has unfortunately languished due to a continuing need to address more immediate demands. 

I commend Harbor Management for its work in seeking public access to our waterways, particularly as someone who personally enjoys kayaking. 

Regardless of the past history of 36-1 Buttonball Road, Harbor Management’s highlighting of the property has brought it into new focus.

The jurisdiction of particular agencies over the land is a legal question to be determined. It does appear, however, that a predecessor of the current Commission actively obtained this property on the town’s behalf. That said, my hope is that various town agencies can work together cooperatively on this property.

The second point to address is allegations that Open Space is “fighting” to keep the public from this property.  

The Commission has a charter that the town’s citizens approved in a Town Meeting vote, and which is now an ordinance (underlining added):

“Supervise and manage acquired open space lands for passive recreational use by the public, protect and preserve the natural resources and wildlife contained therein and develop appropriate standards and limitations for the use of parcels of land acquired pursuant to the provisions of this article to assure their continued use as open space.” § 20-56 D.

At issue is whether public access over salt marsh to a creek that runs into the Black Hall River is advisable. Years ago, the Conservation Commission addressed that exact issue and for its own reasons declined to pursue that access. 

In revisiting the property today, the First Selectman asked Open Space to seek an objective, expert review on whether salt marsh or wildlife might be impacted by river access at the site. The Commission is doing just that and has agreed to share information with Harbor Management and Inland Wetlands. Pursuant to a request from the town’s chief executive and in line with its mandate, it’s a charge the Commission needs to follow. The process will be transparent, and any finding will be public. 

A concomitant issue is a condition that was attached to the town’s acquisition of the property from the State of Connecticut that requires its use for river access. It has been argued that absent that specific use, the property may be reclaimed by the state. Thus, such access, as asserted, seems to be the controlling concern, so it is first being addressed. 

At the same time, some have suggested the property would be suitable for viewing the Black Hall River and the surrounding marshes. The area is populated by an array of wildlife, including nearby active osprey nests, and often seen egrets, great blue herons, eagles, and various other species. 

36-1 Buttonball Road would make a wonderful viewing area for town residents to enjoy the area’s natural beauty and to observe wildlife. I would fully support that use, and I suspect my fellow Commission members would as well.

During the entire time I’ve served, Open Space has been committed to promoting public access to the town conserved property. In fact, a good portion of my volunteer time has been spent drafting public messages to just that effect. Last evening, the Commission, with the Old Lyme Land Trust and the Old Lyme Inn, sponsored a “hikers’ happy hour” on Champlain South to encourage visitation.

An unfortunate by-product of the 36-1 Buttonball Road discussion has been the denigration of the Open Space Commission co-chairs.  

Amanda Blair has devoted hundreds of hours of volunteer time to the town on behalf of open space. She personally shepherded a detailed and complex purchase of the McCulloch farm to closing, and the subsequent necessary amendments to its conservation easement, to allow public access to this beautiful property.

Evan Griswold has served the town for decades, including on Open Space from its origin. He is one of the most dedicated conservationists I know and always has the best interests of nature and the town in mind. Contrary to public comments, Mr. Griswold, as the commission lead in view of Mrs. Blair’s recusal, is not against public access to 36-1 Buttonball Road. He is rather doing what the commission’s charter requires and what the First Selectman has requested – attempting to prudently balance the interaction between people and nature. 

In its various property negotiations and purchases and in its stewardship of town land, the Open Space Commission has strived to respectfully conduct town business. Let us all proceed courteously and without acrimony.

Old Lyme Church Honors Juneteenth with ‘A Celebration of Afro-Cuban Culture in Old Lyme’, June 18; All Welcome

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Public is Invited to “Gathering on Sacred Ground: A Celebration of Afro-Cuban Culture in Old Lyme

OLD LYME – The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme (FCCOL)  announced today that, in honor of Juneteenth, it will hold a public screening of Tierra  Sagrada (Sacred Ground – or, perhaps, Holy Land), a film directed by author, musician  and producer Ned Sublette, immediately followed by a live performance by the Román Díaz Rumba Ensemble.

This event titled, “Gathering on Sacred Ground: A Celebration of Afro-Cuban Culture in Old Lyme,” will be held Saturday, Jun. 18, at 5 p.m., in the First Congregational Church’s Meetinghouse. It is free and open to the public.

The film Tierra Sagrada was shot in January 2020 at a series of bembés (spiritual fiestas)  and rumbas in west-central Cuba. The movie features powerfully charismatic singers, percussionists and dancers of Cuba’s profound, African-descended religious traditions.

The film’s 11 episodes transport viewers to sacred groves and elaborate altars in Black cultural centers seldom if ever seen on film, in the former sugar plantation heartland that received massive numbers of captive Africans in the 19th  century. Sites include Matanzas’s Barrio La Marina, Sagua La Grande’s Barrio de San  Juan, and Jovellanos, Colón, Corralillo, Carlos Rojas and the sugar-mill barrio of Sitiecito. 

Immediately following the film, Román Díaz and his Rumba Ensemble will perform. Díaz  is a master percussionist, particularly of the sacred Bata drums, and a living repository  of Afro-Cuban culture. He is a noted scholar of Cuban religious and folkloric music, as well as a composer and performer of contemporary Afro-Cuban and Jazz music.

Díaz  has said, “I walk the path of the poet, musician, teacher and student. Our ancestors are  with us today and I stand on their shoulders.” He has performed around the world and, in the United States, has appeared at Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian Museum, among other institutions. 

In announcing the event, Senior Minister Rev. Steve Jungkeit said, “The month of June has been an opportunity to explore the many ways that New England was forged in the crucible of the transatlantic slave trade. The settlement that became Old Lyme came to prominence through trade with the Caribbean, where practices related to those documented in Tierra Sagrada, and those that continue to be embodied in the music of Román Díaz, would have been found.”

Jungkeit continued, “Through trade and trafficked human beings, those ritual perspectives would also have been found throughout New England. Though the traces have grown faint, New England and the Caribbean are intimate partners in a shared and troubled history.”

He concluded, “Now is the time to acknowledge that history, even as we seek to discover, and thereafter to celebrate, the healing and reconciling arts of Cuba’s African-descended religious traditions.” 

The Román Díaz Rumba Ensemble will also play on Sunday morning at FCCOL’s 10  a.m. worship service. The guest preacher for that service will be Kevin Booker, Jr.

Old Lyme Girls Tennis Power Into State Semifinals with 7-0 Win Over Cromwell

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When the girls started their game on Tuesday against Saint Bernard, the mercury was reaching into the 90s. Umbrellas were the order of the day in an effort to keep the hot sun at bay. Fortunately as the match progressed, the temperature fell a few degrees and a gentle breeze blew. Photo by A. Fenton.

OLD LYME — On Wednesday, top-seeded Old Lyme Girls Tennis advanced to the semifinals of the Class S state tournament with a powerful 7-0 win over #9 Cromwell.

Playing at home again, Old Lyme now faces #3 seeds Litchfield on Thursday.

On Tuesday, the girls took just around one hour to defeat #16 St. Bernard, again winning by s convincing 7-0.

Wednesday’s results, with LOL players listed first, were:

1st Singles:
Abby Sicuranza Vs Kelly McTeague: 6-1, 6-0

2nd Singles: 
Sam Tan vs Caroline Rogozinski 6-0, 6-0

3rd Singles: 
Callie Bass vs Emily Green: 6-0, 6-0

4th Singles: 
Elaina Morosky vs Amina Beskovic: 6-0, 6-0

1st Doubles:
Livie Bass/Alexis Fenton vs Gabriella Voccio/Amira Abdelghany: 6-0, 6-0

2nd Doubles:  

Aggie Hunt/Beatrice Hunt vs. Julia Baymuradova/Olivia Lusitani: 6-0, 6-2

3rd Doubles:
Olivia Schaedler/Izzy Reynolds vs. Julia Drew / Aisling Gollareny: 6-0, 6-0