Monthly Archives: July 2025

UPDATE: Swim Advisories Lifted at Hawks Nest, Point O’ Woods in Old Lyme

Posted on by

OLD LYME–On July 17, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) announced, “There are currently no swimming advisories or closures in effect at any LLHD-monitored beaches.” 

The health district website explains the agency conducts weekly sampling from Memorial Day through Labor Day in Old Lyme as well as East Lyme, Groton, Ledyard, New London, Stonington, and Waterford. 

Water quality is measured by the presence of enterococcal organisms, which are a group of organisms that may indicate the presence of potentially harmful bacteria.

The State of Connecticut has issued water quality guidelines to determine if a bathing area needs to be resampled or posted with an advisory. A concentration of enterococcal organisms exceeding 104 colonies per 100 ml of marine water and 235 colonies per 100 ml of freshwater is considered unsatisfactory for bathing.

An advisory is triggered when two consecutive samples exceed the state threshold, according to the health district. The advisory is removed once levels are safe.

The Movie Man: ‘Superman’ is a ‘Summer Blockbuster … Absolutely Worth’ Seeing

Posted on by
Kevin Ganey is ‘The Movie Man’

With an alluring narrative, top-notch special effects, amicable characters, and thought-provoking themes, James Gunn’s adaptation of Superman is absolutely worth the occasion of going to the movies.

David Corenswet leads as Clark Kent (or Kal-El) and is perfect for the role. Besides his massive and well-built physique, he does justice to the superhero, who was raised in modesty (his parents, Jonathan and Martha, appear as if they were authentic elderly residents of Kansas, juxtaposed with his fast-paced city life). He curses only a few times, mostly resorting to wholesome words like “darn” or “heck”.

This is countered by Rachel Brosnahan’s performance of his cynical co-worker (and secret girlfriend) Lois Lane, always seeking the truth but giving a hint of envy for Clark’s unusually positive outlook on humanity.

Much can be said about Nicholas Hoult’s performance as archvillain Lex Luthor. Hoult perfectly personifies the man who does not possess superhuman powers, but brilliance, capital, and clout; all infused with coldhearted ambition, guided by cruelty. There is something all too familiar about the personality of this tech billionaire, who despises Superman and his kind because they remind humanity of their limitations.

He seems to be pursuing another kind of superman, the subject of the writings of Friedrich Nietzsche (the Übermensch), the next step in evolution. This superman must destroy all preconceived concepts of right and wrong, which will hinder humanity’s growth to dominate. 

Gunn’s adaptation goes further than previous depictions of Superman. Despite being the starting point of a franchise that will (hopefully) be followed by many sequels, Superman’s origins are not depicted.

He is already an established superhero, beloved by the public, and working as a reporter for The Daily Planet (which also includes a steady relationship with Lois Lane that has yet to be disclosed to Human Resources.) And while the movie reminds the audience of Superman’s origins as an alien sent to earth after his home planet of Krypton was destroyed, a damning revelation is eventually made public which will break Superman’s understanding of his purpose. 

This revelation also amplifies the themes interwoven throughout the movie’s runtime, particularly about morality and heroism. Superman is not the only superhero character (this also includes the Green Lantern, Mister Terrific, and Hawkgirl), but he appears to be one of the few characters, who authentically desires to do the right thing for the right reasons, while others appear to have corrupt motives.

In a bold move, this Superman acknowledges his imperfections and has come to terms with his limitations, understanding that true greatness comes from the choices we make, not the destinies that we create for ourselves.

But beyond the character development and themes, this is an overall enticing movie that entertains the viewer in every aspect. Despite being a DC superhero movie, which tend to have dark and gritty themes, there is an abundance of humor peppered throughout its runtime. I particularly loved Lois Lane’s “interview” with Superman which ultimately morphs into an argument about politics with her boyfriend.

Gunn also brings the nostalgic charm that made his Guardians of the Galaxy movies instant hits, with a soundtrack that consists of Dad Rock and title design similar to the 1978 movie with Christopher Reeve (there is also a wholesome Easter Egg in which Reeve’s son Will—a reporter for ABC News—makes a cameo appearance.)

In addition, the special effects were truly made for the movie theater, not the most expensive 4K (or even 8K) TV that can be grabbed from Best Buy or Amazon. One of the best ways to see it is in IMAX. For those in the greater Boston area (as I was this past weekend), I suggest catching a screening in one of the Jordan’s IMAX theaters that includes “butt-kickers” (speakers installed beneath the seats).

So what are you waiting for?

This is a summer blockbuster and a family-friendly movie (in fact, I saw a family in line in which mom, dad, and all the kids were wearing their own Superman t-shirts.)

Do you need any additional reasons to catch it? Well, you might even end up watching it multiple times … I know I am seriously considering another screening.

About the Author: Having lived in Old Lyme and Lyme since the age of three, Kevin Ganey has always had a passion for movies that is beyond simply watching, but understanding the craft of cinema and and experiencing films as if they were a musical album. Kevin also has his own website devoted to movie analysis, CityOfCinema.com, and also co-hosts a podcast, Moviehouse Mystics, with Koda Uhl (available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.)

TOP STORY: Old Lyme Pumps Brakes on New Gas Stations

Posted on by
The exterior of the renovated Chestnut Market at 85 Halls Rd. in Old Lyme as seen in a 2024 file photo.

OLD LYME–Gas stations will be officially excised from the local zoning regulations, effective Aug. 11. 

The Zoning Commission on Monday voted unanimously to amend the regulations to strike gas stations from the list of businesses that can operate in town. 

Land Use Coordinator Eric Knapp said that means the existing four gas stations in town will remain, but no more will be allowed.

Gas stations were previously confined to Halls Road and certain parts of Shore Road. 

Applications for new or improved gas stations are controversial in a town where residents have long objected to development that would entice drivers to get off Interstate 95 rather than continuing on to points north or south. 

There was no comment at Monday evening’s public hearing. 

The Planning Commission in a unanimous vote last month found the move consistent with the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development. The document, updated every 10 years, is meant to guide the community’s growth based on the vision of those who live there.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Announce Quarter 4 Honor Rolls

Posted on by

Lyme-Old Lyme High School
2024-25 Quarter 4 Honor Roll

HIGH HONORS

Grade 12: Ella Austin, Micah Bass, Gavin Biega, Molly Boardman, Nathaniel Bradley, Mark Burnham, Chase Calderon, Dylan Carnaroli, Andrew Clougherty, Tabitha Colwell, Andrea DeBernardo, Zoe Eastman-Grossel, Caeli Edmed, Anna Eichholz, Davis Fallon, Grace Ferman, Benedict Frazier, Hoshena Gemme, Manu Geronimo, Elias Goldberg, Nicolas Hatch, Yucheng Hou, Shyla Jones, Thomas Kabel, Simon Karpinski, Ella Kiem, Skylar Kobelia, Peter Kuhn, Ada LaConti, Brenden Landry, Andrew Liu, Lana Lopes, Elizabeth Lopez, Colette Marchant, Tirill Mundal, Kayla Navarro, Abigail O’Brien, Kanon Oharu, Sophie Pennie, Ysabel Rodriguez, Madelin Salazar Cajamarca, Josephine Small, Andrew Sprankle, Madeline Supersano, Charlotte Tinniswood, Nicholas Turtoro, Giovanni Winters, Ava Wood-Muller, Wenyao Zhang, Gabriella Ziegler

Grade 11: Trevor Buydos, Caden Camarra, Tyler Cann, Julia Clark, Maya Cook, Annabelle Coppola, Colman Curtiss-Reardon, Christopher Dagher, Sophia D’Angelo, Rose Dimmock, Alexa Donovan, Chase Gilbert, Alexander Glaras, Elizaveta Gregoire, Oliver Hatchel, Anne-Marie Hinckley, Christopher Kachur, Thomas Kelly, Jayden Livesey, Emily Looney, Poveda Lucas, Daniela Marin Yanza, Nayeli Marin Yanza, Serena Mazzi, Carter McGlinchey, Samuel McKenzie, Rowen Meisner, Ryan Miller, Madeline Murphy, Isabella Presti, Jacob Prokopets, Lance Sanford, Sophia Shaposhnikova, Luca Signora, Addison Spooner, Carson St. Louis, Andrew Taylor, Meredith Thompson, Madeleine Trepanier, Connor Vautrain, Oliver Wyman, Stella Young, Carl Zapatka

Grade 10: Addison Arndt, Phineas Barrett, Ceciley Buckley, Morgan Buerger, Brooke Burgess, William Burgess, Anna Bussmann, Lillian Calabrese, Aidan Carpentino, Isaac Chartier, Johanna Coker, Brady Donovan, Samson Edmed, Lauren Fulara, Angeline Gencarella, Antonio Gencarella, Gavin Goulis, Harrison Goulis, Skylar Graybill, Tessa Grethel, Owen Holth, Josephine Kiem, Allisondra Krol, Autumn Newbury, Ainsley Rinoski, Cameron Russell, Owen Shapiro, Kevork Shegirian, Milo Stiles, Carli Teixeira, Magdalena Tooker, Ethan Trepanier, Kaylyn Vernon, Caterina Wilson, Brody Ziolkovski

Grade 9: Lillian Acosta, Lauren Belval, Scarlett Blatter, Vivian Boller, Lana Brunza, Trevor Camarra, Naomi Cameron, Gabrielle Clark, Katharine Ferman, Jonah Filardi, Cortland Forbes, Avery Goiangos, Gavin Gray, Sawyer Graybill, Kinsley Grenier, Maia Guisti, Colleen Harrington, Reese Holland, Sophia Huang, Henrik Hummervoll, Fiona Judge, Jillian Kleefeld, Kaedyn Koproski, Treyton LaConti, Holden Leonardo, Alice Li, Graham Macadam, Benjamin Mattox, Menzi Mbele, Charles McEwen, William McKeever, Addyson Morosky, Grace Morrissette, Marielle Munster, Theodore Neary, Gwenevere Osborne, Mila Pacelli, Mattea Parnoff, Remi Patz, Nicholas Porto, Jonah Scheckwitz, Audrey Sheehan, Avery Spooner, Hailey Suisman, Charlotte Thuma, Ashlynn Ward, Ella Ziolkovski

HONORS

Grade 12: Emma Arelt, Hannah Bonilla, Dominic Clark, Hunter Coffey, Christopher Gibbons, Janna Graves, Abigail Greene, Kaela Hoss, Gage Kaulfuss, Olivia Kelly, Bronwyn Kyle, Elise Leonardo, Amahle Mdluli, Nathan Morgan, Max Novak, Ryan Shapiro, Nola Slubowski, Spencer Spezio, Erika Teixeira, Kathleen Walsh

Grade 11: Charlotte Antonino, Sienna Bari, Zoe Brunza, Makayla Calderon, Braden Dawson, Michael DeFiore, Claire Engdall, Benjamin Goulding, Quinn Hadarik, William Landon, Sebastian Lopez-Bravo, Ian Maeby, Sybil Neary, Ryan Ortoleva, Quenten Patz, Marleigh Piacenza, Tanner Snurkowski, Sydney St. Pierre, Margaret Thuma, Eve Videll, Elisabeth Viera

Grade 10: Mohammed Ali, Zachary Belval, Mia Bonatti, Logan Buckingham, Kacey Cajamarca, Evan Coffee, Amirah D’Lizarraga, Elliot Dunn-Sims, Edward Fiske, Elsa Jungkeit, Callahan Lacourciere, Logan Landry, Olivia Lovendale, Kaylee McCarthy, Sean Olsen, Alexandria Sanford, Allegra Schaedler

Grade 9: Noah Brant, John Comstock, Nathaniel Condon, Colin Discordia, Frederick Goss, Morgan Harris, Ryan Hill, David McAdams, Rowan McCormick, Ava Novak, Delilah Tooker, Renee Viera, Charles Zapatka, Avery Zbierski

Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School
2024-25 Quarter 4 Honor Roll

HIGH HONORS

Grade 8: Josie Arndt, Anna Block, Emily Bonatti, Cassidy Buckley, Ewan Cabell, Emily Campbell, Finnegan Choisnet, Reagan Christopher, Eliana Cicchiello, Emerson Coker, Miles Coppola, Ezekiel Daily, Maya Desai, Parker Fedorich, Jackson Fiske, Parker Forbes, Samantha Fulara, Ava Fuller, Olivia Gerardo, Victoria Glaras, Kylie Grethel, Olivia Griffith, Cole Haslam, Charles Holth, Quinn Hoss, Griffin Karpinski, Collin Langley, Zoey Langley, Ellison Lodge, Isabel Martel, Harland McKenna, Maxwell Mooney, Sofia Noti, Thomas O’Connor, Kanato Oharu, Giovanni Orlando, Jack Ouellette, Adrian Raby, Benson Reis, Tristan Reyes, Lillian Reynolds, Beatrix Rubino, Addison Sapia, Juliette Small, Mia Stokes, Natalie Suisman, Olive Vautrain, Benson Wang, Reagan Weinstein, Samuel Zelek, Lily Zerkowski

Grade 7: Charlotte Anton, Jack Antonino, Annalisa Archbald, Miella Bard, Sawyer Barreto, Cole Barris, Jackson Basham, Zakary Benedetto, Braydon Boisseau, Conor Buckeridge, Thomas Calabrese, Rowan Cantner, Mason Catalano, Jackson Chapps, Ainsley Conroy, Oliver Constantine, Brennon Coyle, Ella Davis, Amy Diaz, Daphne Eisensmith, Hunter Emma, Kate Ewers, Camryn Fedorich, Estelle Filardi, Beckett Goss, Delana Green-Oldfield, Aibhlinn Hall, Julia Haslam, Sean Hunter, August Jungkeit, Devon Kiem, Rowan Kilfoil, Eva Levonick, Yago Lobo, Jamie Maloney, Mary McAdams, Ariana McEwen, Finn McLaughlin, Henry Miller, Ryann Montesanto, Broderick Morris, Isla Morrissette, Maya Munster, Maura Murphy, Avery Olson, Gunnar Palmer, Juul Parrott, Quin Parrott, Quinn Quarto, Caliana Rand, Charlotte Reynolds, Olivia Rozanski-Rose, Linden Sarnoski, Ari Shegirian, Maya Smith, Reed Snurkowski, Grace Strekel, Molly Supersano, Weston Taylor, Liam Ward, John Young

Grade 6: Mylo Awwa, Ella Boudo, Cecelia Bradley, Brody Burr, Luz Cajamarca, Finn Celic, Andrew Chonka, Maizie Curtiss-Reardon, Croix Demars, Lucia D’Onofrio, Catherine Fisher, Maxwell Garvin, Natalie Gibbons, Walter Glenn, Gabriella Gonzalez, Niall Hallahan, Joy Haney, Gerald Holland, Emma Hoxha, Ofelia Karsten, Aiden Lapinski, Parker Lee, Benjamin Lott, Roosevelt Lowry, Siena Maguire, Emma Morales, Loretta Newbury, Nico Orlando, Alexander Reid, Jack Reiter, Connor Rice, Taylor Rooney, Magnolia Sahl, Reid Sapia, Kate Scheckwitz, Colton Schroder, Madison Seckla, Piper Spiegel, Leif Sullivan, Audrey Thuma, Tobias Tooker, Carina Vakili, Henry Whalen, Charlotte Zeng

HONORS

Grade 8: Trent Cameron, Colin Farrell, Curran Livesey, Oliver Newbury, Jack Parker, Nikolas Reid, Cooper Thomas, Teya Vernon

Grade 7: Liam Carpentino, Daniel Crisp, Jaxson Glantz, Ekaterina Gregoire, Thomas Hayes, Callen Hill, Camden Novak, Emily Randak, Roman Schlachter, Jackson Staab, Lucius Stebbins-Wallen

Grade 6: David Acosta, Finn Cabell, Ryan Campbell, Liang Chang, John Hornyak, Callie Kelo, Colton Lodge, Linnea McLachlan, Gabriella Norris, Mason Polski, EmmaLeigh Reed, Brandon Reyes, Graycie Riquelme, Michael Soriano

Unexpected Death Announced of Richard Everett Kyle Jr., 64, Raised in Old Lyme

Posted on by
Richard Everett Kyle Jr., 

GREENVILLE, NC—Richard Everett Kyle Jr., of Greenville, North Carolina, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, June 20, 2025 at the age of 64.

Born in Hartford and raised in Old Lyme, Connecticut, Richard attended St. Bernard High School and later graduated from Central Connecticut State University. He built a successful and independent career in the field of Information Technology, where his natural curiosity and technical skill helped him thrive.

Richard was a man of deep faith, which guided every aspect of his life. His belief in service to others was evident in his quiet, consistent contributions to his local community—whether helping neighbors with their technology, volunteering his time, or lending a hand where it was needed most.

He had a lifelong love of farms and farming, drawn to the rhythms of the land and the satisfaction of hard work. He found joy in the simplicity and beauty of rural life, and in sharing that joy with those around him.

Richard was known for his insatiable curiosity and wide range of hobbies. Whether it was a new interest or an old passion, he was always eager to explore, learn, and share what he discovered. His warmth, generosity, and gentle presence will be deeply missed.

He is survived by his mother, Elaine; his brother, Christopher (Kate); his sister, Kimberly Champion (Andrew), all of Old Lyme; three nieces—Sophie, Ali, and Bronwyn; one nephew, Henry; and the close-knit community that he held dear. He was predeceased by his father, Richard Kyle Sr.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, July 19 at 11:00 a.m. at Christ the King Church in Old Lyme. Interment will follow at Duck River Cemetery.

in lieu of flowers donations can be made to the American Heart Association www.heart.org