Monthly Archives: December 2022

Marylin Clarke Retires After 42 Years Practicing Law, 31 as Old Lyme Town Counsel

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Atty. Marylin Clarke (center) stands with two of the former Old Lyme First Selectpersons, under whom she worked — Bonnie Reemsnyder at left and Tim Griswold, right. Clarke served as Town Counsel for the Town of Old Lyme for 31 years. All photos by M. Shoemaker.

OLD LYME — On Thursday, a group of town employees, colleagues and friends gathered in Old Lyme’s Memorial Town Hall to celebrate Attorney Marylin Clarke. She was being honored by the Town of Old Lyme on the occasion of her retirement after 42 years in the practice of law, 31 of which she served as Town Counsel for the Town of Old Lyme.

She was appointed to consecutive two-year terms from 1985 through 2016, working under five different Old Lyme First Selectmen, namely, Wallace (Wally) Moore, Edmund (Ned) O’Brien, James Rice, Timothy Griswold, (1997-2011, 2019 -) and Bonnie Reemsnyder (2011-2019).

Elected to two consecutive terms as the Democratic Registrar of Voters in 2016 and 2020, it was noted that in the 2020 election — with the exception of Joe Biden and Joe Courtney — Clarke received the most votes (2,994) of anyone on the ballot in Old Lyme.

Old Lyme Town Clerk Vicki Urbowicz, speaking on behalf of the State of Connecticut, read the Proclamation, which was subsequently presented to Marylin Clarke on her retirement.

Clarke ran her own private law practice for 42 years from1976 until 2018.

She was in law school at Boston College when she and her husband Jim moved to Michigan for his work. Clarke continued her law studies at Wayne State University and graduated cum laude in 1971. Clarke recalls that women law students were not always treated equally when she was in school, sharing that one of her law professors would choose to call on women only by saying, “Tonight is ladies night,” much to the delight of the men in the class.

Marylin Clarke listens as Old Lyme Social Services Coordinator Jennifer Datum and Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker spoke about Clarke’s years of service to the Town.

Clarke served as Parish Trustee for Christ The King Church, and has been a member of the church choir since 1995.

She was also chairman of the Lymes’ Youth Service Bureau Board of Directors for four years from 1984-1989 and Counsel to the Florence Griswold Museum for 22 years.

Clarke is an elected member of the Old Lyme Democratic Town Committee.

Despite all these accomplishments and her exceptional career, Clarke confessed that her proudest, “most special,” accomplishment is that she has the “nicest kids” — Sarah, John, and Anne.

Old Lyme Police Add New (Young) Officer to Their Ranks

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OLD LYME — On Thursday, Ethan Kula was sworn in by Old Lyme First Selectman Tim Griswold to the Old Lyme Police Department (OLPD) as its newest officer.

Old Lyme First Selectman Timothy Griswold swears in new Old Lyme Police Officer Ethan Kula during Thursday’s ceremony in Old Lyme Town Hall.

Kula will attend the Police Academy for the first six months of his service prior to starting work in Old Lyme.

Members of the OLPD stand to the left of their newest recruit, Ethan Kula (third from left) while the Old Lyme Board of Selectmen (from right of Kula, then left to right, Tim Griswold, Matt Ward and Martha Shoemaker) stands to the right

Visit this link to read a full account of the ceremony, and the change it brings to the OLPD, New Old Lyme police recruit brings youth to the force, by Elizabeth Regan and published Dec. 15, 2022 in The Day:

Death Announced of Jill Garrison Buydos of Old Lyme, Wife of Chris

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Jill Garrison Buydos

OLD LYME — Jill Garrison Buydos of Old Lyme, CT passed away on Sunday December 11th, 2022, at the age of 55. She was born in Ft. Worth, Texas where she grew up.

After graduating from the University of North Texas, she worked as a fashion designer in Dallas for a few years before following her passion for SCUBA diving and becoming a PADI Dive instructor. Jill met her husband, Chris, in the British Virgin Islands where they worked as sailing and dive instructors respectively. Jill then moved to Connecticut with Chris where they were later married at the Mystic Seaport and settled down in Old Lyme, CT. Upon relocating to Connecticut, she worked for a short time at Yale in the Foreign Students and Scholars Office facilitating issues regarding immigration. From there she transitioned into a career as a highly respected immigration Paralegal working for a few law firms in the New Haven area before finding her current home at Carmody Torrance, Sandak & Hennessey LLP.

She was actively involved in sailing, SCUBA diving, skiing, and hiking the wonderful trail system of Lyme and Old Lyme. She also enjoyed spending time relaxing at White Sands beach.

Jill is preceded in death by her father, Dale Garrison, and mother-in-law Susan Buydos.

Jill is survived by many loving family members, including her husband Chris, her son Trevor, her mother Ginger Garrison, and her sister Tracey Garrison as well as Jim Buydos, Mike Buydos, Megan Leahey, Robin Crisman, Rhonda Hammond, and numerous dear friends that could be counted as family.

The family would like to thank the doctors and nurses at both the Smilow Cancer Center at Yale and The Connecticut Hospice for the care and compassion they showed our loved one in her final days. We would also like to thank all of Jill’s incredibly supportive colleagues at Carmody Torrance, Sandak & Hennessey LLP.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Jill’s honor to The Connecticut Hospice in Branford, CT https://www.hospice.com/donate/.

Republicans Take All Four Officer Spots on Lyme-Old Lyme Schools BOE, Democrat Shoemaker Loses Vice-Chair Position

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OLD LYME — At the Dec. 7 Region 18 Regular Board of Education meeting, the usual election of officers was held, but this year, despite no election having been held in November and therefore no new members seated, it brought some changes.

Steve Wilson was re-elected as Region 18 Board of Education Chairman at Wednesday’s meeting.

After the confirmation of incumbent Steve Wilson (R) as chair, he asked for nominations for the position of Vice-Chair. Jennifer Miller (R) immediately nominated Lyme Republican member Dr. Mary Powell St. Louis while no nominations for incumbent Democrat Martha Shoemaker were offered. The subsequent vote saw Powell St. Louis, who had previously served as Treasurer, elected.

Powell St. Louis herself then nominated Republican Christopher Staab to fill the position of Treasurer that she was vacating and again the voting supported that nomination.

Finally, Staab rounded off the election by proposing that Republican Suzanne Thompson be nominated for the position of Secretary, which she has held for the prior year. That motion was similarly approved.

Thus Shoemaker, who also serves as a Selectwoman on the Town of Old Lyme’s Board of Selectmen and is one of the longest serving board of education members, found herself without a position as an Officer of the board.

The new slate of officers for the Region 18 Board of Education for the upcoming year is as follows:

Chair: Steve Wilson (R)
Vice-Chair: Mary Powell St. Louis (R)
Treasurer: Christopher Staab (R)
Secretary: Suzanne Thompson (R)