Monthly Archives: February 2024

Senior Night is Victory Night! Old Lyme Soundly Defeats Putnam

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Old Lyme senior Eli Sahadi scores two points with a fast-break lay-up. All photos by A. Hine.

OLD LYME— Monday was Senior Night for the Old Lyme Wildcats and the team rose to the occasion by crushing the Putnam Clippers 66-38. This special night is traditionally the final home game of the regular season and the student section was packed with enthusiastic supporters of the five seniors on the team complete with placards bearing outsize photos of each senior.

Senior Night brought out a strong showing from the student section.

Senior Charlie Sahadi scored a team-high 18 points including four three-pointers.

Wildcat senior Charlie Sahadi adds two more points to the Wildcat lead.

Fellow senior Jack Porter added 12 points.

All five seniors provided a formidable defense for the Putnam team.

Noah Rudman notched 19 points for the Clippers while Nick Devlin added 10 .

Old Lyme’s Shoreline Conference record is now11-4 with their overall record standing at 14-5.

The Wildcats have qualified for both the Shoreline and CIAC State Championships. The first game in the Shoreline Tournament is this Saturday . Their opponent will be determined after Wednesday’s game against North Branford.

Death Announced of Martha Lord Kneen, 87, of Lyme

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LYME—Martha Lord Kneen, 87, of Lyme, passed away Feb. 12, 2024, in Colchester. Martha was born at Hartford Hospital to Mildred Bright Lord and Moreland Lord March 2, 1936 …

She supported many local and distant organizations, including the Lyme Fire Company and Ambulance Association. She was very happy to win blue ribbons for her quilts and sock monkeys at the Hamburg Fair. For the last several years, she created sock monkeys and bunnies to give to loved ones and strangers that she met in restaurants, especially at the Hideaway and Sapore’s in Old Lyme.

Martha is preceded in death by her husband Frank Kneen. She is survived by her children, Susan Kneen Way and her partner Edward Ruete, and Frank Kneen and his wife Sandra; her sisters, Hercy Lord and Debra Costello; brother William Lord and his wife Marlene; grandchildren … ; great-grandson … ; nieces … and nephews … and great-nieces and nephews.

Calling hours will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 25, at Fulton-Theroux Funeral Home, 13 Beckwith Lane, Old Lyme. Burial will be private at the convenience of the family. Memorial donations may be given to any animal rescue of your choice, Lyme Ambulance Association, Lyme Fire Company, and Masonicare Hospice.

Editor’s Note: Visit this link to read the full obituary published by The Day on Feb. 17, 2024.

Munival of Fairfield Set to Start Old Lyme’s State-Mandated Property Revaluation

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OLD LYME—The Town of Old Lyme is about to commence the state-mandated revaluation project of 2024 with the assistance of Municipal Valuations Services, LLC (Munival) of Fairfield, Conn. (the revaluation company hired to assist the Town with the revaluation).

This revaluation process will take place from February 2024 through Oct. 31, 2024.

As part of this process, Municipal Valuation Services will have data collection personnel assigned throughout the Town of Old Lyme taking exterior photos, inspecting, and measuring the exterior and interior of both residential and commercial properties. This means residents and property owners will see company representatives knocking on taxpayer’s doors asking questions.

Munival will additionally be mailing each property owner a data verification letter. This letter contains information specific to an owner’s property.

In a press release issued Feb. 15, by the Town of Old Lyme Assessor’s Office, Assessor Melinda R. Kronfeld, CCMA asks property owners, “… to review the information listed on the form, make any corrections directly to the form and return this form back to Munival for review.”

She adds, “You may return the form either by mail, email, fax or drop off at the assessor’s office (address information will be listed directly on your letter). A drop box will be out front of the assessor’s office.” 

Kronfeld stresses, “All Munival employees will have a Town badge and a company (Munival) badge on their person, along with a signed letter of introduction. They will also have magnets on their vehicles and the company logo on their attire.”

She concludes in the press release by saying, “Thank you and we look forward to your cooperation during this time,” adding that property owners should call Municipal Valuation Services at (203)-292-5500 for any additional information or questions. 

Editor’s Note: This article was written based on a press release issued Feb. 15, 2024 by the Town of Old Lyme Assessor’s Office.

Death Announced of Lorraine Pappalardo, Mother of Frank of Old Lyme/Coventry

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SOUTH WINDSOR—UPDATED 2/19 with full obituary. V. Lorraine Pappalardo, 94, of South Windsor, beloved wife for 60 years to the late Frank P. Pappalardo died peacefully on Monday, February 12, 2024, at St. Joseph Living Center in Windham.

Lorraine was born in Hartford, CT, on June 12, 1929, daughter of the late Camillo and Francesca (Daluesa) Polce. She grew up in Hartford and was a graduate of Hartford High School. A resident of South Windsor since 1960, Lorraine was a parishioner of St. Margaret Mary Church, where she was a founding member of the St. Vincent DePaul Society and worked in the office for forty-eight years.

Lorraine loved to cook for her family and enjoyed going to the shore with them for the summer. She was a lover of animals. A kind, caring, loving, and devoted mother, grandmother, aunt, and friend to many, she will be dearly missed.

She leaves her two sons, Frank S. Pappalardo and his wife Patricia of Coventry/Old Lyme, and Thomas Pappalardo and his wife Sandra of Glastonbury; three grandchildren, Anthony Pappalardo of Coventry, Kathryn Pappalardo and her husband Devin Kelly of Brighton, MA, and Marissa Pappalardo and her partner Colin O’Brien of Charlotte, VT; her sister-in-law, Lucia Spada of West Simsbury; and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her sisters, Lena Mantello, Elsie Scacca, Jean Antinerella, Noreen Lombardo, and Olga Pardi.

Her family will receive friends for calling hours on Sunday, February 18, 2024, from 3-5 p.m., at the Samsel & Carmon Funeral Home, 419 Buckland Rd., South Windsor. Family and friends may gather on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, at 9 a.m., at the funeral home followed by a Mass of Christian Burial to be celebrated at 10 a.m. at St. Margaret Mary Church, 80 Hayes Rd., South Windsor. A burial will follow at Mount Saint Benedict Cemetery in Bloomfield.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to St. Junipero Serra Parish, or, St. Vincent DePaul Society of St. Margaret Mary Church, or a charity of the donor’s choice. The family would like to thank home care provider Lisa Nadeau and St. Josephs Living Center in Windham for all their help and support. For online condolences please visit www.carmonfuneralhome.com

State of CT Seeking Partners at Gillette Castle, Harkness, Other Parks; Opportunities for Restaurateurs, B & B Managers, More

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The concession building at Gillette Castle State Park in East Haddam is one of several opportunities for private sector involvement in a new initiative by the Office of Outdoor Industry and Experience.  The mission of the new organization, part of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), is to expand services and amenities at state parks.   Photograph courtesy of DEEP.

EAST HADDAM, CT –  Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont recently announced a new initiative, the mission of which is to expand services and amenities at state parks, such as Gillette Castle in East Haddam and Harkness Memorial Park in Waterford. The Office of Outdoor Industry and Experience is seeking to establish partnerships with businesses, nonprofits, and other private sector entities to enhance the visitor experience.

For example, a restaurateur might be interested in an existing building near the visitor center of the highly popular Gillette Castle state park.  The building has an outdoor terrace with a clear view to the striking edifice designed by William Gillette.  Annual attendance at the park averages 350,000. 

“This is a premier location that attracts visitors from around the world” says Lynn Wilkinson, the president of the Friends of Gillette Castle State Park.  “We think the location would also attract locals in late afternoon and evenings as a ‘bring your own beverage’ destination.” 

At Harkness Memorial Park, there are buildings that could be renovated to supplement the wedding venue or a bed and breakfast.  “There are a number of opportunities for collaborative projects here at Harkness and Gillette and at other Connecticut state parks,” said John Hine, the park supervisor at Harkness. “We already have a successful wedding venue at Harkness State Park and there are buildings, like the Carriage House, that have the potential to add value to the visitor experience.” He pointed out that the park attracts a quarter million visitors a year. 

The new office, which is under the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), has issued a Request for Information (RFI) and is seeking responses.  Information on the many partnership opportunities can be found on the DEEP website at www.portal.ct.gov/DEEP-parks-partnerships.  

DEEP welcomes ideas for how the private sector might help elevate outdoor recreation and visitors’ experiences, expand tourism destinations, and provide equitable and sustainable access to the outdoors.

The nonprofit Friends of Gillette Castle will be responding to the RFI as part of a coalition of organizations who are interested in creating a cultural and environmental education center in the former home of Yukitaka Osaki.  Yukitaka Osaki was a Japanese immigrant who worked for William Gillette for decades. The two became close friends and after Gillette’s death in 1937, Osaki lived in the cottage until he passed away in 1942. Japanese immigrants were barred from becoming American citizens until 1952.

“Yukitaka Osaki was one of the first Asian immigrants to the region, and like William Gillette, he had an avid appreciation of the beauty of the special location on the Connecticut river,” said Lynn Wilkinson, president of the Friends of Gillette Castle.  “We hope that DEEP values the way our proposal respects the unique history of the site, but it is an open and ultimately a competitive process, so anyone with an idea for how to use the building is invited to apply.”

Partnerships between the state and private entities are already in places such as the Essex Steam Train, kayak and canoe rentals, and various food and beverage concessions. Connecticut’s $4.6 billion outdoor recreation economy is the second largest in New England and has demonstrated robust growth each year since the pandemic—expanding by 20 percent in 2021 and by another 11 percent in 2022, according to the DEEP. Total park visitation in 2022 was estimated to be 17 million.

Editor’s Note: This article is based on a press release issued by The Friends of Gillette Castle.