Tom McDermott

The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme (FCCOL) has announced that Tom McDermott, the New Orleans piano virtuoso, will perform a concert for area residents at 5 p.m., Saturday, March 25, in the Sheffield Auditorium at the church.  A donation of $10 at the door is suggested.  Doors for the concert will open at 4:30 p.m. and seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

McDermott’s music has been heard frequently on NPR, the Showtime series “The Knick,” and the HBO series “Treme” (10 of his songs were included throughout the show.)  During his accomplished career, he has recorded more than a dozen albums, including 75 original tunes.  McDermott was a member of the Dukes of Dixieland for several years, as well as a founding member of the New Orleans Nightcrawlers. 

His concert will consist of both original works and timeless classics, and reflect his musical expertise in ragtime, jazz, funk, blues and choro (a Brazilian musical form with similarities to ragtime and jazz). The “New York Times” once said of him in a review, “Whatever direction he moves in, Mr. McDermott is a very skillful pianist.”

In announcing the performance, FCCOL Senior Minister Steve Jungkeit said, “Tom’s work reminds us of the power of music to lift the human spirit. In times of great social injustices such as the one we currently live in, we need the musicians – and the novelists, and the poets and the filmmakers – to remind us of our need for beauty and art … not only to speak to our social struggles but also to help us transcend them. Tom is an amazing artist who can help us do just that. This is a concert not to be missed.”

At the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, music is a vital element of communal life – sacred, secular, classical, jazz, barrelhouse blues. 

For more information, visit the church’s website at www.fccol.org and/or Tom McDermott’s website at www.mcdermottmusic.com.

Looking to get involved, make new friends and make a difference?

Join High Hopes Therapeutic Riding for their Chili Open House on Saturday, March 25, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at their facility in Old Lyme.  The event is open to members of the community to give them an opportunity to learn about one of the top therapeutic riding centers in the nation, while enjoying chili with all the fixings.  Bring a buddy and meet High Hopes’  “Buddy”, the horse.

This open house is informal, child-friendly, and your visit can be as long, or short, as your schedule allows.

Those looking to make a difference in the lives of High Hopes’ participants can learn about volunteer opportunities. There are frequent openings for sidewalkers, office help, barn assistance, special event planning and more..

It’s not too early to think about summer and camp staff will be on hand to talk about the High Hopes range of 2017 summer camp programs, which start in July.

High Hopes is located at 36 Town Woods Road in Old Lyme.  RSVP to 860-434-1974 to help us in chili-making planning.

For more information and directions call 860-434-1974 or visit www.highhopestr.org.

High Hopes is one of the oldest and largest therapeutic riding centers in the United States, operating since 1974 and accredited by PATH Intl. (formerly the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association) since 1979.

Annually, High Hopes serves over 1,700 individuals. Assisted by over 675 volunteers and a herd of 27 horses specifically trained for therapeutic riding, High Hopes is committed to providing the highest quality of services to the community. Of the more than 800 programs that are members of PATH Intl., High Hopes is one of only six centers in the United States approved by PATH Intl. to provide their training courses in therapeutic riding instruction and has trained instructors from all over the world.

This photograph by Hank Golet, of Old Lyme, won the top award at the 2016 Land Trusts Photo Contest, jointly sponsored by OLLT and the land trusts of Lyme, Essex, East Haddam, and Salem. It is of a juvenile yellow-crowned night heron, fishing at the edge of a tidal creek in Old Lyme.

The Old Lyme Land Trust will host its 51st Annual Meeting on Sunday March 19, at the Lymes’ Senior Center, Town Woods Rd., Old Lyme.  The meeting will begin at 3 p.m. with refreshments, and the public is invited.

The Trust will also present the 2017 annual Volunteer of the Year Award at the meeting. This award is given annually to recognize extraordinary volunteer service to the Trust, and by extension, to the Town of Old Lyme. All residents of Old Lyme and neighboring towns can enjoy the 14 preserves and over 1,100 acres maintained by Old Lyme Land Trust.

The 2016 recipient was Rob Evans of Old Lyme for his work in building and maintaining walking trails in the Hatchett’s Hill Preserve. Evans’ work included construction of two bridges in the preserve.

The featured guest speaker at the meeting will be Dr. R. Scott Warren, an internationally recognized authority on the ecology of tidal wetlands. Dr. Warren recently retired from a distinguished career at Connecticut College and stays active in the field. He is currently serving as Sr. Scientific Adviser to the Coastal Waters Consortium of the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium. His current focus is research on the effects of the Deep Water Horizon oil spill.

In 1971 representatives of seven nations met in Ramsar, Iran, to sign the first-ever intergovernmental treaty for global conservation.  Its purpose was, and is, the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. Sites selected for their critical importance are designated “Wetlands of International Importance”.

Today 90 percent of the United Nations member states, 169 countries, have signed the Ramsar Convention, and there are 2,231 Ramsar Wetlands worldwide.  Only 38 are in the United States, and only one is in New England – the “Connecticut River Estuary and Tidal Wetlands Complex”, most of which is in Old Lyme.

Dr. Warren’s talk, “Connecticut River Tidal Marshes: Ecology and Significance,” will cover their basic ecology, how sea level is affecting marshes, and why they are such important ecosystems. An engaging and animated speaker, Dr. Warren will use photographs, maps, and other props to illustrate his points.  This is a great opportunity to come learn about these vitally important and very delicate natural systems.

The John Lohmann Connecticut River Preserve is one of the 13 preserves in Old Lyme owned and managed by the Old Lyme Land Trust.

The OLLT is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization and several hundred of the acres it protects are wetlands, both tidal and freshwater.   All 14 OLLT preserves are open to the public, with walking trails that lead to wonderful places. 

You can gaze across the Connecticut River, including some of those Ramsar Wetlands, from the shore at Whaleback Rock, or climb rocky ridges covered with Mountain Laurel and tall pines.  There are trails through large, unbroken tracts where rare birds hide, and a guided trail for children at the Mile Creek Preserve. 

Chances are that if you live in Old Lyme, you’re not far from an OLLT preserve.  The Trust will also announce the recent acquisition of additional acreage and plans for continuing to grow preserved lands in Old Lyme.

The OLLT is a private nonprofit corporation not affiliated with the town government. Membership is open to all.

Join the OLTT for an entertaining and informative afternoon on March 19, and learn more about your local land trust.  The meeting is from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Lymes’ Senior Center, 126 Town Woods Rd., Old Lyme.  All are welcome and admission is free.