Author Archives: Admin

Old Lyme BOS Informs Frampton, Darista of Town’s Planned ‘Steps Moving Forward’ Related to Tantummaheag Landing.

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OLD LYME—We received the following ‘Press Statement’ related to developments regarding the Tantummaheag Landing situation from Old Lyme First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker late yesterday evening. It is signed by all three members of the Old Lyme Board of Selectmen.

We publish it below in full and unedited.

This evening, we are instructing our town counsel to send a letter to George Frampton and Carla Darista regarding the Town of Old Lyme’s steps moving forward regarding Tantummaheag Landing.  

The letter informs the property owners that the town maintains its claim that Tantummaheag Landing is a public highway as is reflected in their deeds.

The letter goes on to explain that we will be completing a survey of the property.  Any pins and/or markers which were previously in place which may have been removed will be reestablished by a licensed surveyor.

Upon completion of the survey, the town will determine which plantings interfere with access to the highway/landing.  The plantings will be tagged, and the homeowners will have 7 days to remove the plantings they installed.  If they are not removed, Public Works will remove or cut down those plantings.

Once the survey is complete and the plantings are removed, the Board of Selectmen will determine the best management to maintain the highway/landing for users.  We hope to have this completed by the end of July.  

The Board of Selectmen would like the visitors to the landing to be respectful of the property owners.  The landing will only be accessible from 9 AM to dusk daily during this period.  If you are planning on kayaking from the landing, please note that you cannot have direct access to the landing at this time.  Please back up your vehicle to the planting line, drop off your kayaks and return to the street to park.  Due to the plantings, parking is not permitted currently on the property.  We ask that you take every precaution not to disturb the plantings

The local police and Troop F have been provided with this information and have been asked to instruct their officers of the current situation and our process to resolve it.

As always, the Board of Selectmen believe that our residents will be respectful of the property owners and their abutting land.

Editor’s Note: We will have more on this developing story shortly.

LOL Middle School’s New Pollinator Garden Dedicated to Late, Longtime, Beloved Secretary Joanie Bonvicin

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The newly-planted pollinator gardens are dedicated to the much beloved Joanie Bonvicin, who served as Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School secretary for 44 years. All photos by Lyme-Old Lyme Schools.

OLD LYME—Last week, the Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School Eco Warriors Club planted a set of pollinator gardens in front of the school. The garden is dedicated to beloved Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School secretary Joanie Bonvicin, who passed away in October 2023.

Middle School students hard at work planting the garden.

The plants and mulch in the garden were paid for through a Youth Environmental Action (YEA!) Grant awarded by the Old Lyme Land Trust. Eighth grader Aiden Guidi applied for and received the grant on behalf of the Club. 

Master Gardener Linda Clough, who is a member of Duck River Garden Club, assisted the students with design and plantings for the garden.

The Eco Warriors were assisted in purchasing the plants wholesale by mentors from the Duck River Garden Club – Linda Clough and Maryellen Basham. Clough, a certified Master Gardener, advised the students on a garden design that used perennial native plants, which attract bees and butterflies. 

The finished Memorial Garden.

Death Announced of Jac Venza of Lyme; Son of a Shoemaker, ‘Brilliant Visionary,’ Who ‘Gave the World “Great Performances”’

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Jac Venza, a shoemaker’s son who almost single-handedly delivered to the proverbial “vast wasteland” that was American television in the 1960s and ’70s an oasis of cultural programming, including “Great Performances” and “Live From Lincoln Center,” died on Tuesday at his home in Lyme, Conn. He was 97.

His death was confirmed by his spouse, Daniel D. Routhier.

Visit this link to read the full obituary published May 31, 2024 in The New York Times.

Old Lyme Girls are State Tennis Champions for Fourth Straight Season-UPDATED

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In an extraordinary accomplishment, the Lyme-Old Lyme Girls’ Tennis team has won the Class S State Championship for the fourth straight season.

WEST HARTFORD—6/2 UPDATED with coach’s comments: On Friday afternoon, May 31, at Conard High School in West Hartford, the Lyme-Old Lyme High School girls defeated Valley Regional 5-2 to claim the Class S State Championship for the fourth time in succession.

Coach Lauren Rahr, whose assistant coach is her father, David, has seen her team win the state championship for all four seasons that she has been in charge.

Lyme-Old Lyme High School Girl’s Tennis Coach Lauren Rahr celebrates her team’s continuing success in this photo with her father, Dave Rahr. He serves as the team’s Junior Varsity Coach. Photo submitted.

We asked Lauren how she felt about the team’s success. Shre responded by email, saying, “This state championship title was different from the rest. In other years, we knew we had a strong and experienced team,” adding, “This year, everyone from athletes to coaches to parents put in the time and effort to get the team to this point.”

She noted that, “Coming into the match, we had already played this team twice. Each time the deciding match was the last one on the court and multiple matches having gone into third sets. However, we couldn’t let expectations or predictions get the best of us.”

Noting, “We had to play it one point at a time, and put all of our focus into each point. There was a moment in the match that we had lost the first set on four of the seven courts, but that was also the moment where the team dug deep and left their hearts on the courts.”

Rahr pointed out, “Coaching the girls throughout the match, they each wanted to know how the rest of their team was doing. This whole season it was always about the team as a family and being out there fighting with each other.”

She concluded, “Once the match was decided, the pure joy and happiness on their faces as they ran and jumped to hug each other let me know how much this title truly meant to them. We overcame a lot this season, and it made us all stronger. I hope the girls can look back on this time in their lives and remember how capable and strong they all are.”

Old Lyme Girls’ Lax Coach Macione Named Shoreline Coach of the Year

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The Wildcat Girls Lacrosse team has qualified for the Class S state tournament semi-final. This photo was taken after the Shoreline Torunament semifinal.

OLD LYME—On Friday, the Lyme-Old Lyme High School girls’ lacrosse team advanced to the State Class S semifinal after claiming a 9-3 victory over Lewis Mills. The second-seeded Wildcats will face #3 seeds Canton on Tuesday at a time and location to be announced.

The girls’ lacrosse coach Emily Macione was recently named Shoreline Coach of the Year. Asked by LymeLine how she felt about receiving the honor, she replied by email saying, “Honestly, it’s a huge credit to the coaching staff I’ve worked with this season – Rob Antonellis and Ally Gleason.  They have been so supportive of the program and helped to set a high bar for our players to work toward.”

She added, “I also don’t think I could be Coach of the Year without the players of the year – the girls have really bought in and worked so hard all spring.  I’m fortunate to have great leadership from our upperclassmen and a tenacious group of underclassmen who really work hard and want to win.”

Macione commented, “They are also just a wonderful group of young ladies. Having all of that makes my job pretty easy.”

She concluded auspiciously, “It’s been such a fun and rewarding season…and hopefully we can make a run at the Class S Championship.”