Monthly Archives: June 2022

Davis Presents her New Book, “CT Waters’ This Afternoon at Lymes’ Senior Center

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Caryn B. Davis

OLD LYME — On Wednesday, June 22, at 1 p.m., Caryn B. Davis will present her book “Connecticut Waters: A Celebration of Our Coastline & Waterways” at the Lymes’ Senior Center, 26 Town Woods Road, Old Lyme, CT.

Read a review of Connecticut Waters by LymeLine Editor Olwen Logan at this link.

Davis is a published writer and architectural, garden and travel photographer. whose images and articles have appeared in the NY Times, Lonely Planet, Travel + Leisure, Town & Country, Connecticut Magazine, among others.

Call (860)-434-4127 or email seniorcenter@oldlyme-ct.gov  and register to attend this special event virtually or in person.

Books will be available to buy, and the author will also sign copies after the presentation.

Death Announced of Donna Lee Calabria Poeta of Old Lyme, Wife of Late Bill Poeta

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OLD LYME — Donna Lee Calabria Poeta, 73, of Old Lyme, beloved wife of the late William Louis Poeta Jr, passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by her family on Monday, June 13, 2022. She was born on December 27, 1949 in Sewickley, PA and was the daughter of the late John and Mary Jane Mihalik Calabria …

She recently lost her husband Bill last month after 40 years of marriage …

She is survived by her daughter Devon Poeta of Attleboro, MA; step son Ryan Poeta and his wife Kim of Shelton, CT, and their children Landon and Leighton Poeta …

Calling hours will be held on Friday June 24 from 5 to 8 PM at the Fulton Theroux Funeral Home, 13 Beckwith Ln. in Old Lyme. A graveside service will follow on Saturday, June 25 at 11 AM at the Duck River Cemetery in Old Lyme.

Visit this link to read the full obituary on Dignity Memorial.

Happy Midsummer’s Day! Old Lyme Celebrates Summer Solstice with ‘Make Music Day,’ This Evening 

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Local musician and ‘The Voice’ finalist Braiden Sunshine will give a concert on the lawn at Lyme Academy during Tuesday’s ‘Make Music Day’ festivities.

OLD LYME – A popular live music stroll along Lyme Street, Make Music Old Lyme, returns Tuesday, June 21, 2022 from 5 to 7 p.m. An international celebration of free music for all, the Old Lyme Arts District is producing the town’s event in conjunction with the Southeastern Connecticut Cultural Coalition and the MusicNow Foundation.

As in previous years, the Make Music Old Lyme celebration takes place on Lyme Street, spanning from the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme where Steve Dedman will play, to the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts where Braiden Sunshine will entertain on the front lawn.

On the Center School front lawn, the Old Lyme Town Band will entertain from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

The Lions Club will be serving items from their grills in front of Center School.

The Lyme-Old Lyme Lions Club will also be in front of Center School with grill items including hamburgers and hot dogs for sale from 5 to 7 p.m.

A dozen or so musicians will play in front of businesses and public buildings along the three-quarter-mile length of Lyme Street south of Halls Road. Genres include bluegrass, folk, indie-rock, and pop.

In addition to Braiden Sunshine, Steve Dedman, and the Old Lyme Town Band, musicians also on the Music Stroll include Midnight Anthem, Moving Target Band, John Brown & Friends, Steve Patarini, Lucas Neil, Colin Hallahan, Hot Strings Café, Five Bean Row, Ned Ruete, Sue Way, Jordan Cavalier, and Paul Loether.

An exuberant parade of all the musicians along Lyme Street ended the 2019 ‘Make Music Day.’

To  summarize who will be playing where (with thanks to LYSB for creating the list!), the Lyme Street music line-up is as follows:

  • Colin Hallahan & Friends @ LYSB
  • Hot Strings Café @ Pat Spratt for the Home
  • Nightingale’s Showcase@ Nightingales
  • Five Bean Row @ 71 Lyme Street
  • Braiden Sunshine @ Lyme Academy of Fine Arts
  • Old Lyme Town Band @ Center School
  • Midnight Anthem @ OL Town Hall
  • Steve Patarini/Not My Friend @ OLPGN Library
  • Lucas Neil @ Old Lyme Ice Cream Shoppe
  • John Brown & Friends @ Cooley Gallery
  • Moving Target Band @ Village Shoppes
  • Steve Dedman @ First Congregational Church of Old Lyme

Other activities/food offerings during the Stroll are as follows:

  • Children’s crafts @ Old Lyme Historical Society
  • Lions Club Grill @ Center School
  • Del’s Lemonade @ LYSB

Sunny Train to Perform at LYSB From 4 to 5pm

Sing, dance and play with LaLa and ChiChi of Sunny Train, Connecticut’s favorite rockin’ railroad family band!

Returning this year an hour before the stroll, Sunny Train, pictured above, will perform a children’s concert with lots of audience participation at LYSB from 4 to 5 p.m.

A children’s craft will be available in front of the Old Lyme Historical Society from 5 to 7 p.m. during the Stroll. 

Some businesses on Lyme Street will be open during the Stroll including The Cooley Gallery, The Chocolate Shell, Old Lyme Ice Cream Shoppe, and Carla’s at the Nightingale Cafe.

Lawn chairs or blankets are encouraged for the Braiden Sunshine concert at Lyme Academy, the Old Lyme Town Band at Center School, and Steve Dedman at the First Congregational Church.


Moving Target Band will once again be on the lawn at The Chocolate Shell

According to Cheryl Poirier, one of the volunteer organizers of the event, “We’re thrilled to bring back Make Music Old Lyme and provide local residents a great evening of entertainment.”

She continued, “Dan and Gail Stevens have done another remarkable job putting together a great lineup for us. We are are fortunate so many musicians will perform in the true spirit of the international Make Music Day’s ‘free music for all.’”

Launched in France in 1982, Make Music Day is an international musical festival open to all who would like to participate, and takes place in over 1,000 cities in 120 countries on June 21, the summer solstice. The State of Connecticut Office of the Arts debuted the State’s effort in 2018 with 528 free musical performances at 224 locations across the state, including Old Lyme. 

For a complete lineup of activities (including weather contingencies), visit www.exploreoldlyme.com/makemusic.

A handout with musician locations will be available at the event. The Old Lyme Arts District is a partnership of a dozen organizations and businesses promoting arts and culture on Lyme Street.

For further information on individual organizations involved in make Music Day, visit theses websites:
Old Lyme Arts District website 
Southeastern CT Cultural Coalition:
MusicNow Foundation and Nightingale’s Acoustic Cafe
International Make Music Day
Lyme-Old Lyme Lions Club

Old Lyme BOS/BOF Meet Tonight to Discuss American Rescue Plan Committee’s Funding Recommendations

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OLD LYME  — A Special Joint Meeting of the Old Lyme Boards of Selectmen and Finance will be held this evening to review and discuss the American Rescue Plan Committee’s (ARPC) funding recommendations. The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Old Lyme Town Hall Meeting Room.

Rick Stout, ARPA Committee Member, will present the committee’s recommendations.

As the Board will convene in the Meeting Hall with limited public access, persons wishing to listen to the meeting may call 1-605-472-5727 Access Code 3819718 to participate in the meeting.

Visit this link to read a Letter to the Editor from the ARPC Chair related to the recommendations.

June 16-20 COVID-19 Update: Number of CT Towns in Red Zone Falls to 65%; 10 New Cases in Old Lyme Over Three Days, Three in Lyme

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This map, updated June 16, 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 nine towns (representing a total of 64.5% 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.

Cumulative Totals Rise to 1325 in Old Lyme, 327 in Lyme

LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Reports issued Thursday, June 16, Friday, June 17, and Monday, June 20, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) show a total of 10 new, confirmed COVID-19 cases in Old Lyme and also three in Lyme compared with June 15 numbers. Note: The link above is always to the most recent day of CT DPH reports.

These cases raise Old Lyme’s cumulative case total to 1325 from 1315 on June 15 and Lyme’s to 327 from 324 on the same date.

The state does not issue reports over weekends.

The cases by town were as follows:

Lyme
6/16: 0
6/17: 2
6/20: 1

Old Lyme
6/16: 3
6/17: 2
6/18: 5

Therefore June 9 still stands as the first day since April 5, 2022 on which no new cases were reported in either town.

Prior to April 5, the previous 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.

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

Visit this link to view additional historical data and detailed graphics on COVID-19 vaccination levels and positive cases in Lyme and Old Lyme. The site is updated by Old Lyme resident William Fitzgerald

Statewide Situation – Weekly Update

On Thursday, June 9, the CT DPH also released its latest weekly COVID-19 Alert Map (pictured at the head of this article), which indicates that 109 municipalities remain in the Red (highest of four) Zone for case rates. These towns in the Red Zone include both Lyme and Old Lyme.

Thirty-eight towns are in the Orange Zone, eight in the Yellow Zone and 14 in the Gray Zone.

This number for the Red Zone is 40 less than for the previous week meaning the number of towns in the Red Zone  now represents 64.5% 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 16, 2022, six of the nine towns in the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) remain in the Red Zone. North Stonington, Stonington, and New London have moved into the Orange 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 23 — 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 Maintains ‘Community Level’ at Low for New London County, Fairfield County Also Low; All Other CT Counties are ‘Medium’

June 16 Community Transmission levels. Map courtesy of CDC.

The map above shows that on June 16, New London County remains categorized as ‘Low’ for Community Level, while all other counties are ‘Medium.’ These levels are updated weekly by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursdays.

The most recent email sent out by Ledge Light Health District regarding COVID data, which was sent out Friday, May 27, said, “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.”

It 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.””

The email 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 went through the 14% mark with the May 20 Rate of 14.19%, but the June 20 Positivity Rate has fallen to 7.52%. 

On June 15, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations fell to 246 from the 273 recorded June 16.

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

Of those hospitalized on June 20, the number not fully vaccinated was 85 (representing 34.55%).

The total number of COVID-related deaths in Connecticut held at 11,015 on June 120, according to The New York Times.

The next Daily Data Report will be issued by CT DPH Thursday, June 23, 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 882 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 953 new cases there since that date.

Meanwhile, Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 indicating 213 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
June 5-June 11: 19
June 12-June 18: 4

The total number of cases recorded by the CT DPH in Lyme and Old Lyme for the week June 12-June 18 was 12, indicating a minority of all reported cases were potentially associated with LOL Schools.

LOL Schools are now on summer recess and so there will be no further reporting from LOL Schools until late August.

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

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