Monthly Archives: June 2022

Old Lyme’s DeBernardo Brings Home Three Golds, One Bronze From USA 2022 Special Olympics Games

Posted on by
2

Old Lyme resident Andrea DeBarnardo won three Gold medals and one Bronze at the 2022 Special Olympics USA held in June in Florida.

OLD LYME — In a remarkable feat, Old Lyme resident and Lyme-Old Lyme High School student Andrea DeBernardo won three gold medals, a bronze and a 5th place ribbon in the Special Olympics USA Games held in ESPN Worldwide Sports Complex at Orlando, Fla. from June 4 to 12.

She competed in Artistic Gymnastics along with over 50 individuals from other states in the country.  These individuals competed in Levels 1 to Levels 4.

DeBernardo moved to Level 3 this past year after sharpening her skills while participating in the Lyme-Old Lyme High School Gymnastics program.  During this program, she was able to develop her own floor routine, which is a component of the Level 3 Special Olympics program. Level 3 gymnasts are required to be independent and require minimal assistance from the coach during performance (i.e. balance beam).

Her head coach, Christine Corah, and Andrea’s sister Elise worked on choreographing DeBernardo’s routine during the winter season. DeBernardo has been working hard these last few months practicing three days a week to prepare for the Olympics event.

DeBernardo has been participating in the Special Olympics since she was in middle school. She competed in the following events and placed as shown:

Level 3 All Around                         Gold Medal
Level 3 Uneven Bars                      Gold Medal
Level 3 Floor Exercise                   Gold Medal
Level 3 Balance Beam                   Bronze Medal
Level 3 Vaulting                              5th place ribbon

Connecticut Special Olympics sent a total of 33 delegates to the USA 2022 Special Olympic Games with three of them competing in the gymnastics section. DeBernardo was chosen to be one of the three gymnasts to participate in this event in October 2021 and starting group training in January of 2022 with her two fellow team members.

DeBernardo’s mother, Irene, said by email to coach Corah, “Andrea appreciated all the support of her friends and family back at home during her competition that she received through the special messaging system the Special Olympics application created.”

She added, “Andrea has always felt part of the inclusive atmosphere that has been created at the Lyme-Old Lyme Schools.”

Editor’s Note: Congratulations, Andrea, on this amazing achievement!

Letter to the Editor: Old Lyme’s American Rescue Plan Committee Delivers Recommendations to OL BOS for Allocation of $2.1M ARPA Funds, ‘Dream Team’ Committee Acknowledged

Posted on by
Reply

To the Editor:

I am writing to report that Old Lyme’s American Rescue Plan Committee (ARPC) has met its goal and delivered a set of recommendations to the Board of Selectmen (BOS) on the distribution of $2,162000 in funds awarded to the Town by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021. Note that we understand that these are only our recommendations and that the BOS will exercise their decisions independently, not only using our work, but the much broader information available to them as our elected Town officials. 

The ARPC’s recommendation includes economic recovery grants for financial losses sustained by small businesses and not-for-profits, support for Old Lyme infrastructure and emergency services, and funds for initiatives sponsored by organizations in the Town that may impact a broad segment of the community.

Note that the ARPC did not consider requests from individuals or households that suffered losses during the pandemic; but rather, recommended that funds be allotted to the Social Services Discretionary Fund to assist, through existing channels, those most in need within the Old Lyme community.

I want to acknowledge the ARPC ‘dream team”. They brought a wealth of experience from the private and public sectors and were willing to not only meet weekly at Town Hall, but also accept the extensive “homework” (and storage space) required to understand this complex and complicated legislation. 

I was continually amazed at the rapid turnaround on review of materials and proposals; and the group’s willingness to provide input and reach decisions that reflect community, rather than personal interests.

I feel confident that our recommendations demonstrate a thoughtful assessment of the Town’s needs, as reported in the extensive response to our survey, meet the requirements of the legislation, and that we communicated the program in a manner that reached residents, organizations, and businesses.

It was my honor to serve on this committee.

Sincerely,

Thomas D. Gotowka,
Old Lyme.

Editor’s Note: The writer is the Chairman of Old Lyme’s American Rescue Plan Committee.

Board Votes on Proposal to Arm Security Guards in Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Tonight; Live Stream, Public Comment Available

Posted on by
17

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser. (File photo)

OLD LYME — The Region 18 Board of Education meets tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the Board of Education Conference Room at Center School.  The fourth item on their agenda is a vote on the ‘Approval of Armed Security Guards [in Lyme-Old Lyme (LOL) Schools]’. 

A live stream of the meeting will be available at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF2_W7yYtFwx067Ici9776Q/live

The second item on the agenda is Public Comment.

The agenda states, “While in person public comment is still acceptable, those wishing to make public comment virtually  may use the following Zoom link: https://region18.zoom.us/j/87635839590; Meeting ID: 876 3583  9590; +16465588656,,83527766795# US (New York).”

The agenda notes, “Those choosing this option will be required to follow the same expectations for those making public comment in person. After being recognized by  the chairperson, participants must state their name and place of residence before making their comments to the Board.”

The background to this vote is that on Friday, June 3, LOL Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser sent an email to all LOL Schools parents and staff stating, “At Wednesday night’s [June 1] Board of Education (BOE) meeting, the Board discussed my recommendation that we arm our school security staff beginning next school year.”

He continued, “This recommendation is based on long standing concerns over police response time to our schools should there ever be a life-threatening situation such as we saw in [Uvalde] Texas last week.”

Neviaser emphasized, “We do not take this decision lightly, but do feel that this additional preventive measure will add yet another layer of safety to all three of our campuses.”

An online tool called ThoughtExchange has been used to gather input from LOL Schools parents and staff anonymously. The window for feedback via that means ended on Sunday, June 12.

The methodology of the input-gathering involves, “A few survey questions and then one open-ended question.” This in turn leads to the submission and ranking of the respondent’s own thoughts, and then those of others.

Neviaser said in his email that he believed, “This online tool will help us to effectively gather a wide-range of thoughts in light of the abbreviated timeline to make this decision.”

The timeline to which Neviaser referred is the board’s decision to vote tonight on the measure. The reason for this short time-frame is that if the proposal is approved tonight, in Neviaser’s words, “There are numerous requirements that must be met to have this in place by August,” when the new 2022-23 school year commences.

Asked by email whether the community at large (meaning those who are neither parents of current students nor staff) could submit their opinions on the proposal, Neviaser responded to LymeLine that, “[They can] share their thoughts in the usual fashion via email [to him and/or BOE members] or public comment at the BOE meeting.” Emails can still be sent today through the end of the business day.

Neviaser had stated in his email to staff and students that, “All armed security officers must be retired state or municipal police officers with a minimum of 10 years of experience who have retired in good standing.  All of our current security personnel meet this standard.”

Asked how many security guards are currently employed by LOL Schools, Neviaser confirmed, “We currently employ four guards but are looking to arm five people as their supervisor (Director of Facilities and Technology) would also be armed as a backup.”

Celebrating Flag Day, Old Lyme Historical Society Presents ‘History of Stars & Stripes’ Talk, Tonight; All Welcome

Posted on by
Reply

Original 13-star, 13-stripe flag, circa 1777. Private collection. Photo courtesy of James Meehan.

OLD LYME — Today is Flag Day and appropriately, this evening at 7 p.m., the Old Lyme Historical Society Inc. (OLHSI) presents another talk in its 2022 Series of Events. This one will be given by James Meehan and will cover the History of the Stars & Stripes.

The event will take place at the Society’s building at 55 Lyme St. in Old Lyme. All are welcome and admission is free.

This is the second in a series of speaker events sponsored by the OLHSI.

Donations are welcome for the Carol Noyes Winters Scholarship Fund.

June 13 COVID-19 Update: Four New Cases Reported in Lyme, Four in Old Lyme, Monday; CT Breaks 11,000 COVID Fatalities

Posted on by
Reply

Four New Cases in Each Town Monday, Cumulative Totals Increase to 1312 (OL), 321 (Lyme)

Photo by CDC on Unsplash,

LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Report issued Monday, June 13, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) show a total of four new, confirmed COVID-19 cases in Old Lyme and similarly, four in Lyme compared with June 10 numbers. Reports are not issued by CT DPH over the weekend.

These cases raise Old Lyme’s cumulative case total to 1312 from 1308 on June 10 and Lyme’s to 321 from 317 on the same date.

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

Statewide Situation – Weekly Update

This map, updated June 9, 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 forty nine towns (representing a total of 88.2% 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 9, the CT DPH also released its latest weekly COVID-19 Alert Map (pictured above), which indicates that 149 municipalities remain in the Red (highest of four) Zone for case rates. These towns in the Red Zone include both Lyme and Old Lyme.

Eleven towns are in the Orange Zone, one in the Yellow Zone and eight in the Gray Zone.

This number for the Red Zone is 10 less than for the previous week meaning the number of towns in the Red Zone  represents 88.2% 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 9, 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 16 — 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 9 Community Transmission levels. Map courtesy of CDC.

The map above shows that on June 9, both New London and Fairfield Counties are now categorized as ‘Low’ for Community Level, while all other Towns 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 13 Positivity Rate fell to to 7.57%. 

On June 10, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations increased to 265 from the 259 recorded June 10.

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

Of those hospitalized on June 10, the number not fully vaccinated was 89 (representing 33.58%).

The total number of COVID-related deaths in Connecticut rose to 11,000 on June 13, according to The New York Times.

The next Daily Data Report will be issued by CT DPH Tuesday, June 14, 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 869 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 940 new cases there since that date.

Meanwhile, Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 indicating 207 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

The total number of cases recorded by the CT DPH in Lyme and Old Lyme for the week June 5-June 11 was 18, indicating almost all reported cases are potentially associated with LOL 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 in LOL Schools between 8/26/21 – 12/23/21 at this link.