A reader recently described LymeLine as “The Cornerstone of the Community for News and Information.” Those words made my day since they perfectly describe LymeLine’s mission, and how we at LymeLine feel about the Lyme-Old Lyme community we serve.
We aim to present accurate, objective coverage of Lyme and Old Lyme community news, events and information while striving at all times to avoid sensationalism and negativity. And from the positive feedback we receive and the ever-increasing number of readers who visit our site, we have the sense that you value what we do and agree we are meeting a need.
By an extraordinary coincidence, today—December 3rd—is not only ‘GivingTuesday’, but also our 21st birthday! We are one of the oldest, continuously published, online community ‘newspapers’ in the U.S. And not once in all those years have we carried out an Annual Appeal but this year—partly at the urging of a number of readers—we are doing just that … and here’s why.
Some readers already know that we are no longer Old Lyme residents but others are unaware that we now live just outside Washington, D.C and publish remotely from there. This was never intended to be a long-term plan but has somehow turned into one. It is, however, becoming increasingly apparent that fulfilling our mission now requires, “Boots on the Ground,” and that, in turn, means we need additional funds to pay for an in-town editor/reporter.
So we are—for the first time ever—joining the throng of requests you are receiving at this time of year for donations. We are hoping to raise sufficient monies to help fund a part-time Editor/Reporter in Lyme-Old Lyme and also assist with our ever-increasing operating expenses.
So if you value our work and would like to support this effort, please consider a donation in any amount to help us meet this goal. You can donate online via this linkor mail a check to: Shoreline Web News LLC 10208 Kensington Pkwy Kensington, MD 20895-3305
Thank you so much in advance for your generosity. And also huge thanks to all those of you, who have already donated to LymeLine—in some cases, multiple times over multiple years. Your contributions, coupled with payments from our wonderful band of loyal advertisers, are, quite simply, why we are still here.
Pictured here are the four girls who qualified for the Footlocker Cross Country National Championship in San Diego on Dec. 14. Lyme-Old Lyme High Schools’s Chase Gilbert is at right in photo—the other girls are, from left to right, Tess Sherry (Conard), Brook Strauss (Glastonbury), and Liv Sherry (Conard.) Photo by T. Gilbert.
BOSTON, MA—UPDATED 12/02 WITH NEW PHOTOS: On Saturday, Nov. 30, Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS) Junior Chase Gilbert qualified for the Footlocker Cross Country National Championship with her fifth place finish in the 5,000-meter course at the Northeast Regional Championships at Franklin Park In Boston.
Gilbert’s time was 17:56.9—only around six seconds behind the fourth place finisher, Liv Sherry of Conard High School in West Hartford at 17:49.3.
Brooke Strauss of Glastonbury was the highest-placed Connecticut finisher at third with a time of 17,41,5,
The National Championship will be held in San Diego, Calif., on Saturday, Dec.14..
The fastest 10 girls, who finished the race, qualified for the National Contest and four of those 10, including Gilbert, were from Connecticut. The fourth was Liv Sherry’s sister, Tess—also from Conard—who came 10th.
Chase Gilbert (left) is pictured here after Saturday’s race standing with her LOLHS coach, Jan Merrill-Morin, (center) and Merrill-Morin’s husband, Jeff. Photo by T. Gilbert.
Gilbert is the first Lyme-Old Lyme runner ever to qualify for the National Championship. She is coached at LOLHS by former 1976 Olympian runner Jan Merrill-Morin and LOLHS History and Civics teacher Aron Daquila.
Asked by LymeLine how she felt about her success, Chase responded by email saying, “I am so excited to represent the Northeast at nationals with an amazing group of girls! My coaches Jan and Aron have helped me earn this position with their commitments of coaching and supporting me. My family and teammates have been so supportive along the way as well.”
Chase Gilbert (center) in action. Photo by Alyssa Mercaldi.
“The whole community is very proud of Chase’s achievement,” Daquila said in an email to LymeLine, adding, “Chase is a very focused runner and this amazing achievement is a product of her dedication, patience and perseverance. Now she [has] earned a ticket to San Diego for Nationals, a goal of hers since freshman year. And certainly not an easy one, literally only 10 athletes from the entire Northeast region earned this.”
He concluded emphatically, “I’m just so happy for her.”
Here at LymeLine, we add our heartiest congratulations to Chase!
Lyme Food Share Garden President Jim Ward (third from left) thanks Sustainable CT, Lyme-Old Lyme Schools, and the numerous donors to the greenhouse renovation project in a short speech made immediately prior to the ribbon-cutting.
OLD LYME — Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School welcomed more than a dozen community members to view the renovated school greenhouse at a ribbon-cutting ceremony held Tuesday, Nov. 19. The greenhouse has been renovated as a partnership between Lyme-Old Lyme Schools, the Lyme-Old Lyme Food Share Garden (LOLFSG), and the community.
From left to right, Old Lyme First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker (left) joins Lyme-Old Lyme Food Share Garden President Jim Ward, Sustainable CT Fellow Summer Mitchell, Sustainable CT Program Coordinator Dorothy Piszczek and Old Lyme Economic Development Chairwoman Cheryl Poirier (right) in the renovated Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School greenhouse, which was officially reopened Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting.
At the ribbon-cutting, Lyme Food Share Garden President Jim Ward spoke warmly of the relationship LOLFSG had established with Lyme-Old Lyme Schools, saying, “We are excited to collaborate with the school district to revitalize and utilize the greenhouse. This effort fosters a great connection between the school and the community.”
He added, “We look forward to working with students and teachers in enhancing the curriculum and hands-on learning. Garden volunteers will maintain educational exhibits, such as a vermicomposting (worm) bin and a hydroponic display.”
Ward noted, “Access to a greenhouse will enable the Food Share garden to increase production by starting and maintaining plants for early and late-season crops.”
The greenhouse is already yielding valuable results.
Expressing thanks to all the donors, who had made the greenhouse renovation possible, Ward gave examples of the impact the project had made on certain former students.
He explained, “During the fundraising campaign, I spoke to a former student who is a farmer; he told me that his experience in this greenhouse helped inspire his desire to grow vegetables and raise cattle. I also spoke with a local landscaper who shared his positive senior-year experience with the greenhouse. Hopefully, the greenhouse experience will have an impact on future students.”
Ward also acknowledged the support from the Sustainable CT Community Match Fund, noting, “Three years ago, we utilized this program to establish the garden and turned to them to assist us in funding this greenhouse project.” This program supports sustainability improvements across Connecticut.
Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School (LOLMS) Principal Mark Ambruso welcomes the LOLMS ‘EcoWarriors’ to the greenhouse where they will be undertaking a number of projects under the guidance of LOLMS science teacher Shannon Glorioso.
While searching for a greenhouse in which the LOLFSG could start and maintain plants for late season crops, Jim Ward, president of LOLFSG, noticed the rarely-used greenhouse at the middle school. In his mind, he began to think about the possibilities …
After extensive discussions between LOLFSG and Lyme-Old Lyme Schools, it was agreed that renovating the greenhouse would be beneficial to all.
The LOLFSG raised approximately $8,000 for the project via the Community Match Fund offered by Sustainable CT.
With these funds, the polycarbonate on the roof, sides and gable end of the greenhouse have been replaced. New exhaust fans, shutters, and vents have been added, along with an irrigation system and a hydroponic tower.
From left to right, Lyme-Old Lyme Food Share Garden LOLFSG) President Jim Ward is joined by fellow LOLFSG Board Members Steven Moore and Michael Hansen for this celebratory photo.
Ward commented, “The Lyme-Old Lyme Food Share Garden is excited to collaborate with the school district to revitalize and utilize the greenhouse. This effort fosters a great connection between the school and the community.” He added, “ We look forward to working with students and teachers in enhancing the curriculum and hands-on learning.”
Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School science teacher Shannon Glorioso (center) stands with her team of ‘EcoWarriors’ prior to the ribbon-cutting.
Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School science teacher Shannon Glorioso aims to incorporate use of the greenhouse in her teaching this year, including implementing worm-composting. She plans to Introduce and maintain a worm-composting system within the greenhouse to recycle organic waste, thus promoting nutrient-rich soil for plant growth and reducing waste sent to landfills.
Another topic Glorioso intends to explore in the greenhouse with her students is hydroponics. She hopes to establish a hydroponic system in the greenhouse to teach students about alternative methods of cultivation, water conservation, and the importance of nutrient management in plant growth.
This ‘Eco-Warrior’ was delighted to have the opportunity to explain the details of hydroponic gardening to the assembled onlookers.
Raised-bed farming will also be introduced by the energetic Glorioso. She intends to teach students how to cultivate raised-bed gardens within the greenhouse to demonstrate sustainable farming techniques, including soil management, crop rotation, and pest control methods.
Finally, Glorioso plans to engage students in the entire process of growing lettuce from seed to harvest. But she will not stop there—she hopes to organize regular deliveries of the lettuce to the Shoreline Soup Kitchen and Pantries at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme. This in turn will not only address local food insecurity but also instill values of community service and empathy in the students.
A view of the exterior of the greenhouse. The facility has been ‘in situ ‘at the LOL Middle School for decades but had fallen into disrepair. This project has rejuvenated both the greenhouse and its role as a learning environment for students.
“Partnerships such as this one between our students, staff and the community are an integral part of what makes our schools outstanding,” said Superintendent of Schools Ian Neviaser.
He continued, “We thank LOLFSG for bringing new learning experiences to our students and raising the funds necessary for the work.”
Editor’s Note: The greenhouse renovation project used Sustainable CT’s Community Match Fund grant program to crowdfund the project and access a matching grant. For further information on the Community Match Fund grant program page, visit this link.
‘December Glow‘ by Clark G. Voorhees (1871-1933) signed, oil, 6″ x 8 1/2″ is one of the signature works of the ‘All Paintings Great and Small‘ exhibition, which opens this evening at The Cooley Gallery in Old Lyme.
OLD LYME — This evening, The Cooley Gallery at 25 Lyme St. hosts an opening reception for the annual holiday exhibition All Paintings Great and Small from 5 to 7 p.m.
The exhibition features historic and contemporary works of art 12″ in size or smaller. For many in the area, this annual exhibition and opening celebration represents the undisputed kick-off to the holiday season. Artists from around the country, with a concentration of works by artists in Connecticut, participate in this annual show.
As in years past, All Paintings Great and Small offers a wide variety of subjects and media carefully chosen by the staff at the gallery. Three galleries are hung with artwork. Prices range from the low hundreds and up to give collectors at all levels a chance to acquire some original works of art.
Preparations are well in hand for the presentation of The Cooley Gallery’s annual holiday exhibition ‘All Paintings Great and Small.’ An Opening Reception for the show will be held Thursday evening.
In addition to the holiday show, the gallery will feature recent acquisitions and paintings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Special holiday hours for The Cooley Gallery are Friday, Saturday and Sunday 12 to 5 p.m.by appointment or chance.
OLD LYME – Ting Chen’s life was a testament to dedication, kindness, and love – values that shaped both his professional and personal legacy. Ting was born in 1989, in a small village in Fujian, China. Immigrating to the United States at the age of nine …
Upon completion of residency in 2022, he moved with his family to Old Lyme, where he took a position as an attending physician at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London …
Beyond his professional achievements, Ting was a devoted husband to his wife and a loving father to their two children. He made his home in Old Lyme, where he built a life filled with love and joy. His family was the center of his world, and he cherished every moment spent with them.
Tragically, Ting’s life was cut short Nov. 4, 2024, when he passed away unexpectedly from cardiac arrest at the age of 35 …
Ting’s story is one of love, compassion and selflessness …
