On Wednesday, May 7, at 5 p.m., the Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council (SECWAC) hosts acclaimed scholar of international politics Monica Duffy Toft at the Essex Yacht Club for a talk titled “Dying by the Sword: The Militarization of U.S. Foreign Policy.”
Toft is Academic Dean and Professor of International Politics and Director of the Center for Strategic Studies at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
Her areas of research include international security, ethnic and religious violence, civil wars, and demography.
Before joining Fletcher, Toft taught at Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government and Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. While at Harvard, she directed the Initiative on Religion in International Affairs and was the assistant director of the John M. Olin Institute for Strategic Studies.
Toft was educated at the University of Chicago, where she received her master’s and doctoral degrees in political science, and at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she graduated summa cum laude with bachelor’s degrees in political science and Slavic languages and literature.
Before attending college, she spent four years in the United States Army as a Russian linguist.
LYME, CT—Around 70 Democrats from Lyme and Old Lyme attended an event at the Lyme Public Hall on Saturday Afternoon. U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, State Senator Norm Needleman, and District 23 State Representative Candidate Jane Wisialowski all spoke about the upcoming election.
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal speaking to an enthusiastic crowd of local democrats. Lyme DTC photo.
Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewic shares her hopes for the future. Lyme DTC photo.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong. Lyme DTC photo.
State Senator Norm Needleman. Lyme DTC photo.
Jane Wisialowski, candidate for District 23 State Representative. Lyme DTC photo.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the new ‘Kelsey Family Children’s Innovation & Discovery Center’ at CT Audubon’s Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center was held Wednesday, July 10. Pictured above are, from left to right, Alex Kelsey, David Kelsey, Dottie Kelsey, Tom Kelsey and Amanda Kelsey.
OLD LYME — Connecticut Audubon’s Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center (RTPEC) has announced the opening of a new children’s education center on its five-acre property in Old Lyme. Funded by private donations, The Kelsey Family Children’s Innovation & Discovery Center is located in a renovated and expanded 1,632-square-foot cottage.
“The Kelsey family is fortunate to be able to support such a worthy endeavor of the Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center,” said J. David Kelsey of Old Lyme. He continued, “The commitment of the center to the nature education and growth of intellectual curiosity in our young kids is critical to the establishment of lifelong learning and coupling that with an introduction to conservation and an important understanding of the contributions of birds to our world is a wonderful thing of which to be a part.”
The center officially opened July 3 and will be the home of an array of new, specially-designed programs for children ages three and up. Program participants will have the opportunity to learn about conservation and the environment through stories and art, the use of scientific equipment, and explorations of local habitats.
The newly-renovated building includes classrooms, a studio and lab equipped with digital microscopes and other scientific equipment, an organic vegetable garden, and water and nature play area
The center features the following programs: Little Naturalists, a weekly nature class for parents/caregivers and children ages three to five years old, encourages discovery, exploration, and expression through stories, hands-on activities, and art with themes such as birds, insects, soil, water, mammals, and fish.
Family Ecology Days invite children of all ages to participate in a morning of ecology exploration through seasonal activities including macroinvertebrate exploration with scopes, plant ID in the center’s pollinator garden, and searching for birds with binoculars.
Birding Basics teaches children ages 12 and up the basics of birding with an ID classroom portion paired with practice in the field. The program is offered seasonally in the fall, winter and spring.
“With the establishment of the new center, we are now able to provide innovative, hands-on, and experiential STEM programs both after school and during our summer sessions,” said Alisha Milardo, director of Connecticut Audubon’s Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center.
In addition to classroom programs, the center will also be available for private events, including children’s birthday parties.
Connecticut Audubon’s RTPEC dedicates itself to future generations through experiential education and conservation of the land, waters, and the species that inhabit them. Established in 2015 as a regional center of the CT Audubon Society, RTPEC focuses on protecting and conserving the dominant biosystems of southeastern Connecticut.
The Center’s programs reach over 8,000 students throughout the southeastern CT region.
The CT Audubon Society protects Connecticut’s birds, other wildlife, and their habitats through conservation, education, and advocacy. Founded in 1898, CT Audubon operates nature facilities in Fairfield, Milford, Pomfret, Hampton, Sherman, and Old Lyme, and an EcoTravel office in Essex.
LYME/OLD LYME — Registration for Kindergarten in Lyme-Old Lyme Schools for the fall of 2024 is now open at Lyme Consolidated and Mile Creek Schools.
Children who will be five-years-old on or before Sept. 1, 2024 are eligible to register for the 2024-2025 school year.
If your child is currently enrolled in the Lyme-Old Lyme (LOL) Schools Preschool, you do not need to register him/her for Kindergarten. Registration is for those students, who do not attend the LOL Schools Preschool.
Registration packets may be picked up at either school. The following are needed for registration:
Birth Certificate
Three forms of proof of residency
While you may complete the registration process at either school, your child’s school placement will depend on District attendance zones, which are determined in August.
If you would like additional information, call either school at these numbers:
Lyme Consolidated: 860-434-1233
Mile Creek: 860-434-2209
Lyme-Old Lyme Schools look forward to welcoming your child to their community.
