The Old Lyme Republican campaign headquarters are at 19 Halls Rd.
OLD LYME — The Old Lyme (OL) Republican Town Committee has opened its 2023 campaign headquarters in the Old Lyme Shopping Center at 19 Halls Rd. in Old Lyme. From Aug. 29 through Election Day, OL First Selectman candidate John Mesham and OL Selectman candidate Judith “Jude” Read will hold regular office hours at the site every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The public is welcome to stop by during those hours to meet Mesham, Read and other candidates from the OL GOP slate, who will be on hand at various times.
“This location, with prime visibility on Halls Road and plenty of parking, makes it easy for people to stop in,” Mesham said, adding, “We look forward to welcoming Old Lyme residents to our headquarters and hearing what they have to say.”
The GOP headquarters will be open more hours as Election Day draws closer. Mesham noted, “If the lights are on, we’re here!”
OLD LYME — Jeanne Korns Clark, age 92, of Old Lyme, passed away on August 23, 2023, surrounded by her loving family …
She married Robert Clark on August 28, 1954 in Philadelphia …
In 1955, the young couple moved to Old Lyme where Jeanne helped Robert to establish his veterinary practice.
Jeanne is preceded in death by her three husbands, Robert Clark, Richard Lacourciere, and Richard Katucki, and by her brother, Robert Korns.
Jeanne is survived by her loving children and their spouses, Dr. Kathy Clark, Philip (Susan) Clark, Rev. Stephanie (Kevin) Flynn, and Dr. Hilarie (Jeffrey) Moore. Jeanne is also survived by grandchildren and spouses …
Jeanne was also active at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme. Jeanne prioritized education, leading her to join the Lyme-Old Lyme Board of Education, where she served for 20 years, including 10 years as a chairperson, and overseeing the construction of the new high school …
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, August 27 at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme. Friends and family are welcomed to join the family for an ice cream social at the church hall following the service regardless whether you attend the service. Memorial contributions in memory of Jeanne can be made to the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, 2 Ferry Road, Old Lyme, CT 06371, Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue, PO Box 216, Miles, Texas 76801, or a charity of your choice.
Alyssa Karpuska (center) is Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Teacher of the Year. She stands between Mile Creek Principal Kelly Enoch and LOL Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser.
OLD LYME — The Lyme-Old Lyme (LOL) Schools Teacher of the Year and Employee of the Year respectively for 2023-24 were announced yesterday at the LOL Schools Convocation event.
The 2023-24 LOL Schools Teacher of the Year is Alyssa Karpuska, who teaches Kindergarten at Mile Creek School and attended LOL Schools as a student.
Jennifer Vigen (right) is Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Employee of the Year. She stands with Superintendent Neviaser and Lyme School Principal Allison Hine.
The 2023-24 LOL Schools Employee of the Year is Jennifer Vigen, who is an Instructional Assistant at Lyme School and a resident of Lyme.
Editor’s Note: Full stories on both recipients of these great honors will follow, but meanwhile our congratulations to both Alyssa and Jennifer!
OLD LYME — On April 20, the local 911 office dispatched a call to Old Lyme Emergency Medical Services (OLEMS) with a report of someone experiencing chest pains.
Carlos Diaz was one of the OLEMS members to receive an award for their life-saving actions. He stands with his family after being presented with the AHA certificate.
The day-crew member, Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Carlos Diaz, pictured above, left immediately in the Old Lyme ambulance.
Old Lyme EMS Deputy Chief Dave Musto, who is an EMT, received an award.
Dave Musto, who is also an EMT as well as OLEMS Deputy Chief, and two other OL First Responders — Thomas Moore and Archer Evans, who were Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS) seniors at the time and have since graduated from LOLHS in June — also traveled to the incident location in their own vehicles.
Thomas Moore, who was a senior at Lyme-Old Lyme High School at the time of the incident, stands with his mother and grandfather after receiving his award.
In addition, due to the nature of this call that required advanced life-saving support, Middlesex Health Paramedic Phil Coco was immediately dispatched by Valley Shore 911 to the patient’s home.
Archer Evans, who was also a senior at Lyme-Old Lyme High School at the time of the incident, stands with his parents after receiving his award.
In a matter of minutes, all these EMS responders from a variety of locations arrived at the patient’s home. This patient’s chest pain soon turned into a cardiac arrest and automated external defibrillation (AED) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) were initiated.
Thankfully, the patient was successfully revived in his home.
However, during his transport to the Emergency Room (ER) at L & M Hospital, the patient went back into cardiac arrest, but this time the AED machine did not detect a shockable rhythm. The crew immediately started CPR again and continued it for the whole journey to the hospital, where the ER technicians continued lifesaving measures.
The patient was kept in the hospital for several days, and ultimately survived the heart attack/cardiac arrest.
At the OLEMS recent business meeting, the patient attended with his wife and presented the crew, who likely saved his life, with American Heart Association HeartSafe Awards. These were much appreciated by the recipients, who, in the case of the two LOLHS seniors, have been friends since their earliest school days.
Both students also volunteer for the Lyme and Old Lyme Fire Departments. Evans’s father, John, is a volunteer with the Lyme Fire Department as well. Archer Evans is taking a gap year before attending an engineering school in Boston. During the year, he will complete his Firefighter 1 training along with some additional training programs.
The patient wishes to remain anonymous.
Jane Bysko, who serves as OLEMS President, commented, “We are very proud of our young community members, who step up to the plate and volunteer their time [to the OLEMS]. They undertake continuous training under the guidance of our Training Officer Ray Belval, who is also the invaluable liaison with the Lyme-Old Lyme Schools.”
She added, “If you are interested in joining OLEMS, call 860-434-0089. No experience is needed, just an interest in helping people in your community. We will help find a course for you.”
Jennifer Pitman greets Kindergarten students arriving for their first day of school at Mile Creek. Pitman is the art teacher at Mile Creek School. All photos by LOL Schools except where indicated.
OLD LYME —UPDATED 8/25 with more photos: Thursday, Aug. 24, was the first day of school for students of Lyme-Old Lyme (LOL) Schools and all reports indicate that it has been a successful start to the new academic year.
Guess what I did today!
Asked that morning by e-mail how ‘Opening Day’ was going, LOL Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser responded, “We are happy to have everyone back and to see their smiling faces.”
Smiles galore were everywhere to be seen.
And what are his thoughts on the upcoming school year? He said, “[It] looks to be another successful year in the Lyme-Old Lyme Schools as evidenced by another Top 10 ranking in state achievement scores.”
The sign says it all. Photo by M. Tackett.
We also inquired about the ongoing construction project at the schools and when ground is likely to be broken. Neviaser replied, “Our PK-8 Building Committee is working hard to move our renovation projects forward.”
Back in the groove, Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School students were already hard at work in their science class.
He added, “We expect construction to begin next summer.”
Beth (left) and Renee Viera dash for the school bus in Lyme this morning — they made it! Photo by K. Monson.
