Monthly Archives: November 2023

Letter to the Editor: Old Lyme First Selectman Endorses Matt Ward for Town Treasurer

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To the Editor:

Matt Ward is on our Board of Selectmen and he is also one of our part-time Police officers.  In addition, he is very active in the Town’s Little League program.  Matt has recently accepted a position with a local accounting firm, so he will not seek reelection to the Board of Selectmen.  However, he is seeking to be elected as our Town Treasurer on November 7th.

The Town Treasurer is responsible to manage the Town’s investable funds and works closely with our Finance Director to be sure funds are available to pay the Town’s obligations in a timely manner.  The Treasurer must ensure the funds are invested safely and in accordance with audit policies.

Matt’s financial background includes serving as the Interim Finance Director of a neighboring town where he works closely with its Treasurer.  That town uses the same accounting software that Old Lyme uses, so Matt is well versed in its features.  In fact, when our prior Finance Director was out on leave during last year’s budget season, Matt was able to fill in to enable the budget process to move forward seamlessly.

In contrast, our current Treasurer, Michael Reiter, did not distinguish himself during this period.  First, he complained that he was not informed that our Finance Director was out on leave.  The Treasurer and the Finance Director are supposed to work closely with each other, so why was Michael in the dark?  Perhaps because he wasn’t doing his job?   Next, when the Board of Finance asked him for an update on how the Town’s funds were invested, Michael had to be educated about the various accounts and he learned they were not invested very effectively.

Let’s elect Matt Ward to be our Treasurer because he has the knowledge to do the job and the commitment to follow through.  

Sincerely,

Timothy Griswold,
Old Lyme, CT.

Editor’s Note: The author is a Republican and the current Old Lyme (OL) First Selectman. He is not seeking re-election. Reiter (D) is the current OL Town Treasurer and endorsed by the Democratic Town Committee for the position in the upcoming election. Ward (U) is endorsed by the Republican Town Committee for the position of Town Treasurer in the same election.

Letter to the Editor: Re-elect Mary Powell-St. Louis to Region 18 Board of Education, She Continuously Demonstrates Her Focus on Putting All Kids First

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To the Editor:

Numerous Letters to the Editor and OpEd’s have been published in LymeLine, CTExaminer, and The Day, recommending Mary Powell-St Louis’ re-election to our Board of Education (BOE).  I know Mary personally and, as a moderate, independent voter, would like to add my endorsement.

Mary and I served together for nearly a decade as volunteer adult leaders of our local Boy Scout troop.  Mary continues to work tirelessly on behalf of our Scouts, going as far as to complete the highest level of adult training that Scouting offers.  The Scouting curriculum emphasizes project management, conflict resolution, listening, diversity and inclusion, mentoring, and team development – all of which benefited our troop.  Troop activities are led by Scouts, with guidance and support from adult leaders such as Mary.  She continuously demonstrates that her focus is on putting all our kids first, which carries over into her work on the BOE.

Our public school system is among the best in the State.  Families in other communities are eager to pay for the opportunity to have their kids attend our schools.  Mr. Lodge’s implication that our BOE, administrators, and educators aren’t inclusive of all children and aren’t putting them first doesn’t make sense to me.  I personally know children who were or are in our schools who have diverse needs.  In my experience, with consistent parental involvement, our school system cares and goes the extra mile to help each of them.  With her focus on continuous improvement, Mary recognizes that there is always more that our schools can do to support the needs of all students while keeping in mind what is affordable for our taxpayers.

I believe that Mary is by far the more qualified candidate to represent our town on the Region 18 Board of Education.  In her eight years on the BOE, Mary has held numerous positions, including Treasurer, Vice Chair of the Board, Vice Chair of the Building sub-committee, and has been a member of several subcommittees, such as the Safety, Policy, and Facilities and Finance committees.  She has broad experience in all facets of the Board’s functions, and understands the needs of our students, educators, administrators, and taxpayers.  Mary has her own views, and believes in compromise and collaboration to achieve the best outcome for all of us. We are incredibly fortunate that she is willing to volunteer to serve our communities for another four years.

Please come out and vote next Tuesday, November 7th, and join me in re-electing Mary.

Respectfully,

Tony Lynch,
Lyme, CT.

Editor’s Note:  The author is a former Committee Chairman of Boy Scouts of America Troop 26, Lyme-Old Lyme.

Death Announced of Roger Smith, Old Lyme’s 2021 ‘Citizen of the Year’

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This file photo shows Roger M. Smith (center) after being named the 2020 Old Lyme Citizen of the Year. Mr. Smith passed away Oct. 29, 2023. In this file photo, he stands between Old Lyme First Selectman Timothy Griswold and then-Selectman Christopher Kerr at the 2020 Annual Town Meeting. 

On October 29, 2023 Roger Murray Smith, 83, passed away peacefully with his daughters, sons in-law and grandchildren by his side …

Born September 9, 1940 to Florence and Walter Smith, Roger was raised in Laurel Beach, CT …

In Old Lyme he and his wife Marcia volunteered for many organizations. These included High Hopes Therapeutic Riding Center, the Old Lyme Congregational Church, Lyme’s Youth Service Bureau, and The Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library. In honor of his commitment to service, he was named Old Lyme’s Citizen of the Year in 2021 for his charitable work …

Roger is survived by his wife Marcia, daughters Katie Smith-Cashen (Chris), Elizabeth Smith (Bill), Sarah Smith-Blanchard (Rob) his eight grandchildren …

There will be a memorial service on Thursday, November 2nd at 1:00 at the First Congregational Church in Old Lyme, CT. on the corner of Lyme Street and Ferry Road.

In lieu of flowers the family asks any donations be made to the Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library, High Hopes Therapeutic Riding Center or the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme

Visit this link to read the full obituary published by Hartford Courant on Nov. 1, 2023.

Letter to the Editor: Vote Democratic Slate to Rectify Unhealthy Imbalance in Old Lyme Local Government

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To the Editor:

I hope you are aware that there will be a municipal election in Old Lyme on November 7. In all, there are 23 elected positions on the ballot. Of those positions, Democrats currently hold only six seats. This imbalance in our local government does not allow a variety of viewpoints and is not good for Old Lyme. It can only be changed by increasing citizen participation on our Boards, and Commissions. We simply must elect more representative voices.

Therefore, I am asking you to vote for the exceptionally qualified slate of Old Lyme residents endorsed by the Old Lyme Democratic Town Committee. This slate, led by current Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker, for First Selectman, and current Planning Commission alternate, Jim Lampos, for Selectman, can be viewed here.  Please take a look at their credentials. 

The most important action we can all take is to make sure our Old Lyme friends and family are registered to vote and then actually get to the polls on Election Day. With your help in electing the Democratic slate, all of whom are on Row A of the ballot, we can improve the balance of voices in our town government on November 7.

Sincerely,

Mary Jo Nosal,
Old Lyme.

Editor’s Note: The author is the Chair of the Old Lyme Democratic Town Committee.

Happiest of Halloweens on Lyme Street (Updated)

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Last night, the Fairfield-Sonn family greeted hundreds of visitors at their appropriately-decorated home on Lyme Street with their traditional generosity.
All photos by Michele Dickey.

OLD LYME — It was another ‘Happy Halloween’ on Lyme Street last night and a welcome break from the rancors of the current election. The overall impression that people seemed are reporting is that the Trick or Treaters were well-behaved and overwhelmingly polite and respectful. Kudos to the parents or care-givers that raised them and … well done, kids!

These two adorable little girls were out and about on the hunt for treats. Mermaid Cecilia Girasoli (right) was certainly happy to see her pre-K classmate, Fairy Lilly, on Halloween Night!

There were witches and wizards, Pikachus and Charizards, monsters and mermaids, and multiple creative characters!

Decorations abound on Lyme Street, adding to its popularity with trick-or-treaters.

Houses were decorated, smiles were everywhere, and it was another wonderful, warm-ish night.

Too many choices for this Little Mermaid … what to choose when you can only pick two?!

Huge thanks to our photographer, Michele Dickey, who really captured the spirit of the evening.

‘Thrills & Chills’ succinctly summed up the great night.
Our photographer caught LYSB Director Mary Seidner at a rare moment when she wasn’t surrounded by ‘Trick or Treaters’.
The Old Lyme Democrats had a lively booth with music and plenty of candy for all ages at 1 Lyme St.
An inflated attraction and a real Old Lyme Ambulance attracted crowds at the side of Center School.
Visitors to the Fairfield-Sonn residence on Lyme Street found time to chat between treats! Hi, Deb and Lesley!
Cinderella, aka The Chocolate Shell owner Miss Lizzy, was delightfully dressed and handed out candies and gel gems to little ones.
Lauren Girasoli and one year old Luca say goodbye to departing Old Lyme PGN Children’s Librarian, Miss Julie.
Miss Julie waves farewell — she’s off to sunnier climes!
The decorations inside the Malice in Wonderland Haunted BOO-k Cellar at the Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library were superb and left a lasting memory of a special evening.