NEW BRITAIN—On Wednesday at Willowbrook Park in New Britain, the Lyme-Old Lyme Wildcats won their first ever Class S Track and Field championship in program history notching a convincing grand total of 76 points. Thomaston High School came in second with 58 points and Coginchaug took third place with 55.
More to follow on this story
OLD LYME – ‘Witness Stones Old Lyme’ will expand its project in 2024 to honor 10 enslaved persons, who labored in the Town of Lyme—historically known as North Lyme.
Ten new Witness Stones—historical plaques commemorating the lives of enslaved African Americans—will be placed in late May at the Lyme Public Library.
In 2021, 2022, and 2023, the Project installed a total of 38 plaques on Lyme Street, McCurdy Rd., and Old Shore Rd. in Old Lyme.
To deepen the untold story of local enslavement, ‘Witness Stones’ this year will honor Dina, Jenny, Pompey, Peter, Bristo, Suberiah, Boston, Cuff Condol, Prince Brown, and Pomp Henry.
To celebrate the town’s newly-installed Witness Stones, the Old Lyme Witness Stones Partnership is holding events in May and June. All events are free and open to the public and take place rain or shine.
Witness Stones Installation Ceremony
Old Lyme Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library, 2 Library Lane, Old Lyme CT
Friday, May 31, 10 a.m.
The community will gather on the lawn of the Old Lyme Library to celebrate the fourth installation of Witness Stones in the Lyme-Old Lyme area. The program offers music, poetry, and words from community partners.
Guest speakers include Rhonda Ward, Witness Stones Old Lyme poet and first New London Poet Laureate; Nikita Waller, soloist; Rick Wyman, saxophone; Martha Shoemaker, Old Lyme First Selectwoman; Melissa Fournier, Lyme librarian; Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School poets and Select Chorus.
Juneteenth Celebration with Jazz & Poetry
Florence Griswold Museum—north lawn, 96 Lyme Street, Old Lyme CT.
Saturday, June 22, 2 to 4 p.m..
The celebration in honor of Juneteenth—a federal holiday that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans—will take place on the north lawn of the Florence Griswold Museum.
The event features a quartet led by legendary bassist Nat Reeves and new work by Connecticut poets Marilyn Nelson, Kate Rushin, Rhonda Ward, and Antoinette Brim-Bell, who in 2021 created a tribute in verse to those enslaved in the historic town of Lyme. The jazz quartet includes world-renowned saxophonist Abraham Burton, celebrated pianist James Austin, Jr., and impressive percussionist Michael Ode.
The event has received generous funding from the Connecticut Office of the Arts. In case of rain, the Juneteenth celebration will take place at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, 2 Ferry Road.
Witness Stones Old Lyme joins a growing coalition of Witness Stones Project communities dedicated to restoring history and honoring the humanity and contributions of those formerly enslaved. The Old Lyme initiative was made possible through the support of the Lyme-Old Lyme community, including local institutions and the Lyme-Old Lyme Schools.
The Witness Stones Old Lyme website gives additional information about those who lived enslaved in our towns.
The Witness Stones Project in Old Lyme is vital at this time of learning about and engaging with the history of slavery in Connecticut. But this local project also has national reach as America comes to grips with its complicated past regarding the enslavement and indenture of African and Native people.
Each Witness Stone placed on Lyme Street, McCurdy Rd., Old Shore Rd., and at the Lyme Public Library includes the name of an enslaved individual, along with details about their lives and circumstances derived from land records, emancipation certificates, and other available historical documents.
An interpretive sign installed on the lawn of the Old Lyme Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library provides a map showing the locations on Lyme Street of the small brass plaques that are installed flush with the ground.
The Old Lyme Witness Stones Partnership
The Old Lyme Witness Stones Partnership’s goal is to expand the understanding of local history and honor the humanity and the contributions of those formerly enslaved in our community.
The partnership’s founding members include the Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library, the Florence Griswold Museum, the Lyme-Old Lyme Schools, and the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme.
Community partners include the Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center, St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, Lymes’ Youth Service Bureau, and the Old Lyme Historical Society.
The Partnership has received generous support from a Health Improvement Collaborative of Southeastern Connecticut (HIC) Partnership Grant for Racial Equity.
And away they go … the 11th annual Tour de Lyme will take place Sunday, June 2.
LYME — The 11th annual Tour de Lyme is happening again on Sunday, June 2.
For competitive riders, this is a chance to warm up for the cycling season ahead. For others, it provides a wonderful occasion to pedal through Lyme and enjoy the surrounding countryside. If you are a mountain biker, this is an opportunity to ride through private lands open only for this event.
Everyone – riders, sponsors, and volunteers – will enjoy a post-ride picnic at Ashlawn Farm with popular food trucks, beer and live music. There will also be Tour de Lyme shirts for sale.
For complete information and online registration, visit www.tourdelyme.org.
Online registration is open through midnight EST on Friday, May 31. Note registration at the event is an additional $10.00
Ready to ride!
It is not a race but a carefully planned series of rides designed to suit every level of skill and endurance. There are four road rides of varying length and degree of difficulty:
There are also two mountain bike options;
The Tour de Lyme is hosted by The Lyme Land Conservation Trust. Since 1966, the Lyme Land Trust has been conserving the unique and historic landscapes of Lyme, Connecticut. During those years, the Lyme rural community has shown that a small population can have a big impact and protect more than 3000 acres of woodlands, working farm fields, and bird-filled marshes. The result is an outdoor paradise – open to all.
Money raised from the Tour de Lyme will create added opportunities for public enjoyment of the Land Trust preserves while protecting and maintaining what has already been conserved for generations to come.
The Lyme Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization – registration and donations are tax deductible.
OLD LYME—On Sunday, June 2, at 4 p.m., Saint Ann’s Episcopal Church hosts a presentation by the Reverend Charles Miller on his new book The Spiritual Adventure of Henri Matisse in the Griswold Room at Saint Ann’s
Miller will discuss Matisse’s groundbreaking design work on the Dominican Chapel of the Rosary in Vence, France, which is explored in both narrative and full color illustrations throughout the book.
Through a remarkable synergy between Matisse and the Dominican co-creators of the chapel, Matisse—then in his 80h year—designed the entire decorative program for the building, including the extraordinary stained-glass windows of this chapel.
Matisse considered “the strong midi [midday] sunlight almost as an element of the building. It will intensify the whiteness of the simple exterior and crescendo the colour of the brilliant stained-glass windows.”
In short, Matisse’s vision was that this be “ ‘a church full of gaiety—a place which will make people happy.’ “ (Rosamund Bernier, “Matisse Designs a New Church,” Vogue, USA, February 15, 1949)
In addition, Miller reveals how the personal story of Matisse’s life found expression in this building and how Matisse, in his final years, embraced an intentional artistic and spiritual path through his creative collaboration with local artisans and his Dominican partners of France’s Catholic Church.
Miller’s lecture will be illustrated with slides of the lavish illustrations from his book.
A reception will follow the lecture; all are invited to attend the lecture and the reception.
Books signed by the author will be available for sale after the presentation.
Miller, an American by birth, read Classics and received his doctorate in theology from Oxford University. He is the brother of Laura Lee Miller, a Saint Ann’s parishioner.
Miller has taught theology, church history and spirituality in the UK and Russia. Ecumenical interests have shaped his intellectual world and guided his life-long interest in the plastic arts and the theology of beauty.
He currently serves as Team Rector of the Parish of Abingdon-on-Thames in England.
Editor’s Note: Visit this link to purchase the book in advance of the lecture, Henri Matisse: A Spiritual Adventure
OLD LYME — In its 2024 Connecticut Travel Guide to Best Restaurants, Hotels & Things to Do, Yankee Magazine has given top honors to the Old Lyme Inn in its Connecticut Classic Lodging section for Affordable Elegance.
The magazine notes, “You’ll have the Florence Griswold Museum, Lyme Art Association, and Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center for neighbors when you check into this 1865 farmhouse turned inn,” adding, “You’ll also have some extra money in your pocket, because it’s possible to score a $200 room here even at the height of summer.”
The award announcement continues, “Good thing, since you’ll want to splurge on splendid offerings like Saturday afternoon tea, bubbly in the art-graced bar, a prix fixe dinner on the tree-shaded patio, and groovy, big city–caliber performances at the Side Door Jazz Club.”
Congratulations to owners Ken and Chris Kitchings on this terrific achievement … though we’re slightly sad that this favorite spot for not only the LymeLine publisher but also many of our readers is now shared with the world!