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CT Trails Program Awards $28,500 to Old Lyme’s Halls Road Improvements Committee for Lieutenant River Bridge Design Work

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Committee Previously Received Bulk of Monies for Bridge Design From Old Lyme’s ARPA Funds

The site of the proposed Lieutenant River bridge, which , when completed, will connect the commercial center of Old Lyme with its Arts and Historic Districts.

OLD LYME — On Monday, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes announced that approximately $9 million in state grants is being released through the Connecticut Recreational Trails Program to plan, build, expand, and improve a total of 50 multi-use trails across Connecticut.

One of the projects selected for funding relates to design work for the Lieutenant River Bridge and Trails project in Old Lyme.

The Halls Road Improvements Committee (HRIC) submitted an application for $28,500, which represented the remaining funds required for the project. This amount was determined after the bulk of the design costs for AI Engineering’s work was covered by an allocation of $135,000 made last summer by Old Lyme’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Committee.

The HRIC said in a press release dated May 17, that it is, “… pleased to announce that we have been awarded the full asking amount of $28,500 from the CT Recreational Trails Grant.”

The announcement continues, “The two grants will result in a technical plan for a public-use bridge that will connect the commercial center of Old Lyme with its Arts and Historic Districts.” 

The HRIC concludes, “Once the conceptual plan is approved by the town with community input, the final engineered design will be the basis for future grants applications to cover the costs of constructing the multi-use bridge and trails along Halls Road.”

The Connecticut Recreational Trails Program is administered by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). Funding for this grant round was allocated by the State Bond Commission in July 2022. Governor Lamont serves as chairman of the commission.

Governor Lamont said, “I am thrilled to announce funding for these 50 projects, which will improve and expand recreational trail opportunities around Connecticut. The incredible response to this grant round shows the high demand for outdoor recreation in our state. Our residents and visitors continue to explore state parks, forests, and municipal open spaces and land trust preserves at record levels.”

DEEP has seen demand for outdoor recreation increase dramatically since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. Annual visits to locations in the Connecticut State Parks and Forests system reached an estimated 17 million in 2022 – a 75 percent increase from pre-pandemic visitation levels of between 9 and 10 million in 2019.

Additionally, the economic value of hiking, climbing, and tent camping increased by 50 percent from 2019 to 2021. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the value of outdoor recreation in 2021 contributed nearly $4 billion to the state and supported more than 40,000 jobs.

“These projects are timely and will improve our state’s connectivity and accessibility to open space, which benefits our residents and visitors physically and mentally, enhances our state’s outdoor economy, and makes our state such an attractive place to live,” Commissioner Dykes said.

She continued, “Investing in projects that support sustainable commuting opportunities, that reduce pollution from transportation, and provide safe, enjoyable alternatives to car travel are the type of projects we’d love to see in more communities across the state.”

The Connecticut Greenways Council assisted DEEP with the competitive grant selection process. Funding for program administration of 5 percent, pursuant to state statutes, is also included in the grants.

DEEP anticipates most of the awarded projects being completed by 2026.

Editor’s Notes: i) This article is based on press releases from respectively Old Lyme’s Halls Road Improvements Committee and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
ii) Visit this link for more information on the Connecticut Recreational Trails Program.

Mix of Results, Emotions at Old Lyme’s Annual Town Budget Meeting

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OLD LYME — Old Lyme’s annual town budget meeting, which often draws only a handful of residents and is almost a formality, was an altogether different affair on Monday evening. More than 60 residents attended and emotions ran high at several points, in particular when the subject of purchasing guns for the Old Lyme Police Department was raised.

A summary of the results from the meeting is as follows:

A proposal that the Town accept title to a 1.88 acre parcel of land located at 21 and 39 Buttonball Rd. with a view to dedicating it as Open Space was approved.

An amendment to the proposed 2023-24 budget to remove $11,000 for the purchase of seven police patrol rifles was defeated 34 to 24.

The original, unamended town budget passed “by about the same margin” according to First Selectman Tim Griswold.

Two proposed Ordinances, which changed respectively the positions of Town Clerk and Tax Collector to ones appointed by the board of selectmen rather than being elected by voters, were defeated.

Editor’s Note: Visit this link to read a full report of the meeting by Elizabeth Regan of ‘The Day‘ titled, Some in Old Lyme oppose arming police with semiautomatic rifles, and published May 16 in ‘The Day.’

Death Announced of Nancy Baldwin Manville, 85, of Lyme; Mother of David, Jennifer & Andrea Tiffany, Hiram Manville IV

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LYME — Nancy Baldwin Manville, 85, of Lyme, passed away peacefully Wednesday April 26, 2023, in Niantic, surrounded by her loving family. Nancy was born June 21, 1937, in New London, to Nancy C. Smith and Frank G. Baldwin …

She attended Lyme Consolidated School, Concord Academy, the Shipley School and Colorado College … She later used her love for the game to coach the Old Lyme Girls High School team for eight years. She loved her players and some went on to receive college scholarships … Her poems kicked off the farmers market each Saturday, and in years past, motivated her players …

… She leaves behind her children and grandchildren: David J. Tiffany (Pie and Jake), Jennifer W. Tiffany (Jesse and Lisa), Andrea L. Tiffany (B.J.) and Hiram E. Manville IV (Estelle and Edward); along with two great-grandchildren, Ace and Dash.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Pleasantville Cemetery in Lyme, this fall with details to follow.

Visit this link to read the full obituary published by The Day on May 14, 2023.

Renowned Artist Bo Bartlett Featured in New Exhibition at Lyme Academy 

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This work titled ‘Cuckoo’ (oil on panel) by Bo Bartlett is one of the featured paintings in ‘Cirque De La Vie,’ which is currently on view at Lyme Academy of Fine Arts.

OLD LYME – Lyme Academy of Fine Arts is hosting a new exhibition, Cirque De La Vie, featuring the work of influential American artist Bo Bartlett.

The recipient of numerous awards and international recognition for his paintings and films, Bartlett’s work has been celebrated for its ability to elevate the trivialities of everyday life to major proportions and bring its grandest expressions back down to earth, in ways that are both uncanny and meaningful. Through this play between the individual and archetypal, Bartlett pushes the boundaries of realism and the possibilities of representational art. 

Curated by Lyme Academy Co-Artistic Directors Amaya Gurpide and Jordan Sokol, the 13 paintings and drawings selected from the last decade of the artist’s career provide commentaries on the theatricality of life in alternately direct and subtle ways. Drawing from the traditions of American regionalism, associated with artists such as Andrew Wyeth, Bartlett introduces new themes and surprising compositional twists.

‘The Wayfarer’ (oil on linen) by Bo Bartlett is another of the works in the ongoing exhibition at Lyme Academy of Fine Arts.

“Bo is a conjurer of stories,” observes Gurpide, “with an insatiable sense of wonder. His narratives are rich in content and full of color. Bo’s ability to simplify and distill  the complex to their essentials endows his work with an iconicity that stays with us and replays in our memories.”  

Cirque De La Vie is the latest in a series of original exhibitions at the Lyme Academy, each of which celebrates the history and development of representational and figurative art. The exhibition continues through June 30, 2023 at the Academy’s Chauncey Stillman Gallery. Admission is free. 

All works in the exhibition are available for purchase. Call 860.434.5232 for more information. 

The mission of the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts is to teach the foundational skills of drawing, painting, and sculpture in the figurative tradition. By its commitment to training students in these skills and an engagement with contemporary discourse, the Academy will empower a new generation of artists. Through its public programs the Academy is equally committed to enriching the cultural  life of the community.

Learn more about the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts by visiting  www.lymeacademy.edu.

Photo Exhibit by Fred Verillo of Old Lyme on View at Saint Ann’s Through June 25, All Welcome

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This image of the Baldwin Amtrak Bridge by Fred Verillo is featured in an exhibition of his work on display in the Griswold Gallery at Saint Ann’s Church in Old Lyme. The show includes photos of both Old Lyme and New York City.

OLD LYME — The public is invited to view a photography exhibit by Fred Verillo titled, “Out of the City, Down to the Sea,” which is currently on display in the Griswold Gallery at Saint Ann’s through June 25.

The show is open to the public on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 12 to 4 p.m. and Thursdays from 4 to 7 p.m.

Verillo describes his artistry in this way: “I am a self-taught photographer who has had an interest in photography from an early age. I earned my first camera, a Kodak Brownie, by selling chances door to door to neighbors in my hometown of New Britain, Connecticut.

I fulfilled my childhood dream when I moved to New York City in 1972. It wasn’t long before my love for photography merged with my fascination and excitement for the City and I began documenting the urban landscape I found so compelling.

In my mind’s eye, I saw the City in a different light when I discovered a parallel universe of color, patterns and shapes, light and shadows that I wanted to capture in photographic images.  

Through my work, I hope to present a subject in a unique and creative way that one would not have seen otherwise.

By 2018, I was ready to make a change, and I moved to the small Connecticut shore town of Old Lyme, where there is an abundance of natural beauty and creative precedence. Though my New York chapter has ended, my love for photography has not. And so, here and now, a world apart from then and there, I continue to portray how I see the world through the lens of my camera.”