Monthly Archives: June 2025

TOP STORY: Sound View Carousel Celebrates 100 Turns Around the Sun

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Olivia Lathrop, granddaughter of Jerry and Dee Vowles, grabs a brass ring from the carousel purchased for her mother on what Jerry Vowles called “a crazy whim.” All photos courtesy of the Vowles.

OLD LYME—This carousel is turning 100.

On Saturday, Carousel Shop proprietors Dee and Jerry Vowles will ring in the centennial summer with free rides, 100 cent ice cream and hot dogs, t-shirt raffles and a celebration of the simple pleasures in life. 

“The carousel just brings happiness to a lot of kids and families,” Dee Vowles said. 

The merry-go-round at Sound View Beach has been spinning in its current incarnation since 1976, but the Vowles said the origin of the 20 painted horses goes back about a century. 

The Allan Herschell carousel was outfitted with a Coney Island brass ring dispenser when the horses first came out of the gate around 1925, according to specifications laid out by Jerry Vowles. A diesel engine propelled them while the steam-powered whistle of a calliope provided a soundtrack that would last for generations. 

Those celebrating the carousel’s 100th birthday will have the opportunity to suggest names for 16 of the horses. Monikers have already been bestowed on Rainbow, Magic, Buttercup and Sundae.

While the amusement ride still boasts original parts that helped the couple narrow its date of origin to 1924 or 1925, the circular march of time is evident in a soft-start electric motor, teflon bearings and digital music. 

Jerry Vowles said the couple disassembled and restored the carousel from 2008 to 2009. That’s when they used parts newly manufactured from original molds to replace some elements of the carousel. 

The Vowles bought the carousel operation in 1987 from Paul Bennanato. The merry-go-round had arrived in Old Lyme just over a decade earlier to replace the late 1800s-era model that had been there since 1948, according to Jerry Vowles. 

The couple’s daughter, Jennifer Lathrop, was an infant when they purchased the carousel. 

“It is her carousel,” Jerry Vowles said. “We bought it for her when she was two-months-old, kind of on a crazy whim.”

Dee Vowles said Lathrop and her brother Jay help out their parents while nephew Tommy Logio serves as manager. 

“So it’s definitely been a family affair,” she said. 

A busy evening in 2022 typifies summers in Sound View at the Carousel Shop.

She said other family members and friends who help the couple open and close the shop every year—including sister Ree and honorary sister Roe—will make the trip to Sound View for the carousel’s birthday celebration. 

“We’ve seen in the 37 years we’ve been here a real following,” she said. “People appreciate us being here, and having a good time at the carousel.”

The Carousel at Sound View Beach 100th Birthday Celebration will be held on Saturday, June 14, from 2 to 4 p.m. at 75 Hartford Avenue.

Witness Stones of Old Lyme, FloGris Museum Celebrate Juneteenth with Jazz & Poetry, June 22

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Witness Stones Poets (left to right) Antoinette Brim-Bell, Rhonda Ward, Marilyn Nelson and Kate Rushin will read tributes in verse to enslaved people remembered on Witness Stones plaques. Photo courtesy of Witness Stones Old Lyme.

Free Admission to ‘Their Kindred Earth’ Photography Exhibit on African-American History to Follow

OLD LYME–Witness Stones of Old Lyme will celebrate Juneteenth with jazz music and poetry at the Florence Griswold Museum from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 22. 

The museum will offer free admission from 3 to 5 p.m. to view the closing day of Their Kindred Earth: Photographs by William Earle Williams, an exhibition that seeks to deepen understanding of sites of enslavement in Old Lyme and beyond. 

The museum will be closed on the federal holiday, which falls each June 19 to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans. 

Sunday’s event on the museum’s north lawn will feature music by the Avery Sharpe Quartet and readings by Witness Stones Poets Marilyn Nelson, Kate Rushin, Rhonda Ward, and Antoinette Brim-Bell, according to the event listing on the museum’s website. The poets will present tributes in verse to those remembered with Witness Stones plaques. 

Witness Stones Old Lyme for five years has been marking local sites of enslavement with brass plaques. The group during that time brought in the four poets and several successive classes of middle school students from Lyme and Old Lyme to help tell the stories behind the plaques.

Three of the markers are located on the Florence Griswold Museum’s front lawn to honor those who labored in a house that once stood where the Griswold House is now located, according to the museum. 

William Earle Williams, the museum’s artist in residence, will be on hand to sign copies of the newly released exhibition catalogue, Their Kindred Earth. Copies will be on sale at the event and in the museum shop. 

Seating for the music performance and poetry readings will be provided under a tent and additional lawn chairs are welcome and encouraged.

The museum is located on 96 Lyme St. In the event of rain, the celebration will be held at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, 2 Ferry Road.

Free Entry Offered to FloGris Museum’s Gardens on ‘CT Historic Gardens Day’ June 22

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The gardens of the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme are ablaze with color at this time of year. Enjoy them for free on Sunday, June 22.

OLD LYME  — Connecticut Historic Gardens Day is being held this Sunday, June 22, from 12 to 4 p.m. and the Florence Griswold Museum is one of the 16 participating sites throughout the state.

Enjoy free admission to the Museum’s grounds in full bloom during this special state-wide celebration of historic gardens.

Members of the dedicated ‘Garden Gang,’ who tend the gardens, will be on site to answer garden-related questions and give impromptu garden tours..

A Juneteenth celebration is planned at the Museum from 3 to 5 p.m.

Visit this link to see what is happening at each of the 16 gardens on Sunday.

Enjoy the beauty of the Florence Griswold Museum’s historic gardens this Sunday.

It’s a full day at the FloGris on Sunday!

  • Museum is open from 10am to 5pm. Admission is waived from 3 to 5pm to coincide with a Juneteenth Jazz & Poetry celebration 2-4 pm. This is the last day to view the special exhibition Their Kindred Earth: Photographs by William Earle Williams.
  • From 11am to 4pm drop into the Hartman Education Center to enjoy several hands-on craft projects. Plein-air painting available, weather permitting. Fun for the whole family.
  • Café Flo is open 11:30am to 2:30pm. Reservations are highly recommended, 860.434.5542 x126.
  • From noon to 4pm members of our dedicated Garden Gang will be on hand to answer questions and give impromptu garden tours.
  • At 2pm enjoy a Celebration of Juneteenth with Jazz, Poetry, and a Book Signing

Between 1670 and 1826 upwards of 300 enslaved African-descended and indentured Indigenous people labored in the historic town of Lyme. Today, Witness Stones mark 60 former sites of enslavement and indentured servitude. Join us for a Juneteenth celebration on the Museum’s north grounds featuring music by the Avery Sharpe Quartet and readings by the Witness Stones Poets Marilyn Nelson, Kate Rushin, Rhonda Ward, and Antoinette Brim-Bell, who will present their moving tributes in verse to those remembered with Witness Stones plaques. Seating will be provided under a tent and additional lawn chairs are welcome and encouraged.

Concluding the event, Artist-in-Residence William Williams, who created the 120 photographs of Old Lyme and greater Connecticut, will be signing copies of the newly released exhibition catalogue, Their Kindred Earth. Copies will be on sale at the event and in the FloGris Shop.

In the event of rain, the Juneteenth celebration will be held at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, 2 Ferry Road.The Connecticut’s Historic Gardens’ website offers some background to the gardens at the Museum, explaining, “Florence Griswold opened her timeworn family home to artists searching for a quiet country retreat where they could rejuvenate their spirits and find sources of inspiration. The group was known as the Lyme Art Colony and Miss Florence’s boardinghouse became the center of Impressionism in America.”

About Florence Griswold’s Garden:
The Connecticut’s Historic Gardens’ website offers some background to the gardens at the Museum, explaining, “Florence Griswold opened her timeworn family home to artists searching for a quiet country retreat where they could rejuvenate their spirits and find sources of inspiration. The group was known as the Lyme Art Colony and Miss Florence’s boardinghouse became the center of Impressionism in America.

The text continues, “Miss Florence was a keen gardener, and had what is characterized today as a “grandmother’s garden,” in which masses of flowers were informally arranged in bordered beds close to home. From seed catalogues and references to garden books among her correspondence, it is clear she was constantly in search of new and unusual plants.”

Noting, “She helped others establish their own gardens, and filled her home with small, informally arranged bouquets of fresh flowers,” the text adds, “Many of the Lyme Art Colony artists painted the gardens and landscape around her home. This information, along with archaeology that helped the Museum identify the physical boundaries of the garden beds and walkways, guided the garden restoration.”

The text concludes, “Varieties of hollyhocks, iris, foxglove, heliotrope, phlox, cranesbill and day lilies are among the many perennials that make up the garden.”

Death Announced of Francis J. “Frank” Magee, 80, of Boston, Mass., and Lyme, Husband of Anne Magee

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LYME—Francis J. “Frank” Magee, 80, of Boston, Mass., and Lyme, passed away June 6, 2025, from complications of Alzheimer’s Disease and esophageal cancer. He was the husband of Anne Magee.

A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to either the Lyme Ambulance or Lyme Fire Company, both in Lyme.

Fulton-Theroux Funeral Home, Old Lyme is handling arrangements.

A complete obituary will appear in Sunday’s edition of The Day.

Visit this link to read the full announcement published by The Day on Jun. 12, 2025.

CT Early Music Festival 2025 Concludes with Concert in Conn. College Today

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OLD LYME/NEW LONDON – The Connecticut Early Music Festival (CEMF) returns for its 43rd season, presenting six concerts across the first three weekends in June. The festival brings together world-class musicians to perform both familiar and rarely heard works.

The Festival opened Saturday, June 7, at Harkness Chapel, Connecticut College, featuring Handel’s Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline. James Burton, Director of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, led the CEMF Ensemble in Handel’s tribute to his forward-thinking Queen, patron, and friend.

The Festival continued with a concert on Sunday, June 8, at St. Ann’s Episcopal Church in Old Lyme. Acclaimed flutist Emi Ferguson returned with a program of virtuoso sonatas by J.S. and C.P.E. Bach. Ferguson was joined by Guy Fishman on cello.

“This year’s Festival brings to life remarkable compositions from the 17th and 18th centuries,” said Artistic Director Ian Watson. “These performances, honoring the composers’ intentions, promise to be fresh and revelatory. They still have the power to transport us today!” 

“Our 2025 Festival showcases the rich tapestry of early music, from the brilliance of the three sopranos in Concerto delle donne, to intimate chamber music featuring viola da gamba and theorbo, to the thrilling sound of our Festival Ensemble performing Vivaldi’s beloved Four Seasons,” said Henry Clapp, Board President.

He adds, “Whether you are a seasoned early music enthusiast or discovering these treasures for the first time, we look forward to sharing these extraordinary performances with you!” 

After the first weekend, the festival continues with a series of four additional concerts as follows:

  • Saturday, June 14:
    St. John’s Episcopal Church, Niantic – Artistic Director Ian Watson performs a special concert of Baroque organ masterworks in memory of John P. Anthony, longtime President of the Connecticut Early Music Society.
  • Sunday, June 15:
    Chester Meeting House – In a program titled Concerto delle donne, three exceptional sopranos perform a stunning program of late 16th-century music composed specifically for professional female voices.
  • Saturday, June 21:
    La Grua Center, Stonington – An intimate evening of French Baroque chamber music, featuring viola da gamba and theorbo, perfectly suited to the acoustics of La Grua’s historic setting.
  • Sunday, June 22:
    Harkness Chapel, Connecticut College – The festival concludes with a celebration of the 300th anniversary of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, performed by Susanna Ogata (violin) and the Festival Ensemble.

All concerts are at 5 pm. To encourage wider access, CEMF is offering half-price tickets for individuals under 40, along with complimentary admission for students of all ages. Special series and mini-series ticket packages are also available.

For tickets and full festival details, visit ctearlymusic.org.