Author Archives: Nigel Logan

Blumenthal Celebrates Removal of Controversial High Speed Rail By-Pass at Old Lyme Press Conference

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Senator Richard Blumenthal addresses the audience at Old Lyme Town Hall Monday morning.

In a press conference held Monday morning in Old Lyme’s Memorial Town Hall, congressional, state and local dignitaries celebrated the removal of the controversial Old Saybrook to Kenyon, R.I., by-pass from the Federal Rail Authority’s Record of Decision.

Old Lyme First Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder and State Representative Devin Carney (right) listen to Senator Richard Blumenthal speaking.

Old Lyme First Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder expressed her gratitude to Senator Richard Blumenthal, saying, “I want to thank you very much for your advocacy and for all the time you spent coming to Old Lyme, making sure that the FRA heard our pleas and helping us with this fight,” adding, “We may be a small town but we have a big heart, and this town means a lot to us.”

Senator Richard Blumenthal (D) and State Rep. Devin Carney (R) applaud the efforts of Old Lyme First Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder.

Senator Blumenthal in turn thanked Reemsnyder for her efforts, commenting, “I want to thank Bonnie for her leadership and courage.  It shows the power of citizen action; it shows how everything we do can make a difference, because ultimately it was the town halls, in this room, at the schools, the comments and letters and calls, that defeated a hair-brained, half-baked notion”

A number of TV crews were on hand to record the proceedings.

Blumenthal then quipped, “I said from the beginning — I went a little bit out on a limb — that I would tie myself to the tracks if this hair-brained, half-baked plan was ever adopted, and I want to thank the citizens of this town and Eastern Connecticut for sparing me that sacrifice”

After the press conference, key players in the advocacy effort to remove the by-pass from the FRA’s Record of Decision gathered for a celebratory photo outside Old Lyme Town Hall.

Raising a Flag in Old Lyme to Raise Awareness of Organ Donation Program

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Kidney transplant recipient Rev. Mark Robinson raises the Donate Life flag outside Old Lyme Town Hall while Rob Wallace (back row, second from left), who patiently awaits the identification of a life-saving liver transplant donor, watches.

About 50 residents, advocates, organ transplant recipients and at least one person on the waiting list for a transplant attended a Donate Life flag-raising ceremony Friday at Old Lyme Town Hall to increase awareness in the community of the organ donation program.

Several years ago the Town of Old Lyme was asked to fly the Donate Life flag for the month of April by a father whose daughter’s organs were donated after her untimely death. This meant a great deal to the family and the Town has flown the flag each year since then in the knowledge that it promotes awareness of the organ donation program.

“This is a really, really important thing” said Old Lyme First Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder, “ The more light we can shine on this, the better it is for us as advocates, and the better it is for those in need of organ donation.”

Dr. Richard Jones

The guest speaker was Dr. Richard Jones, Past President of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, who has devoted much of his time in retirement to advocating for organ donation programs. “Last year there were more than 33,000 organ transplants” Jones reported, “but the sad part of the story is that 22 patients a day die waiting for a transplant and there are over 120,000 people waiting on the list for a life-saving transplant.”

“The hope is” Jones continued, “that by raising the Donate Life flag, someone in the community will see that flag and ask, “What does that mean?” and will then move on to become a future donor.”

Kidney transplant recipient Rev. Mark Robinson with two other transplant recipients

Despite the falling rain, Rev. Mark Robinson from Old Lyme, who recently received a kidney transplant due to the efforts of the Old Lyme-based Mentoring Corps for Community Development (MCCD) who advocated for him, cheerfully raised the Donate Life flag surrounded by other organ recipients, and also by Rob Wallace of Old Lyme, who is currently on the waiting list for a liver transplant.

Malloy, Blumenthal Join Celebrations Marking Protection of ‘The Preserve’

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Governor Dannel Malloy and Sen. Richard Blumenthal cut the ribbon. (L to R: Carl Fortuna, Old Saybrook First Selectman, Alicia Sullivan, CT State Director of the Trust for Public Land, State Representative Brendan Sharkey, Speaker of the House, Gov. Dannel Malloy, Will Rogers, President and CEO of The Trust for Public Land, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, State Representative Phil Miller).

Governor Dannel Malloy (third from left) and US Sen. Richard Blumenthal (second from right) cut the celebratory ribbon at yesterday’s event.  Also pictured from left to right are Old Saybrook First Selectman Carl Fortuna, CT State Director of the Trust for Public Land (TPL) Alicia Sullivan, State Representative Brendan Sharkey (D-88) who is also Speaker of the House, TPL President & CEO Will Rogers and State Representative Phil Miller (D-36.)  All photos by Nigel Logan.

Governor Dannel P. Malloy and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal joined over 200 state and local officials, and local residents at a reception and ribbon-cutting ceremony in Old Saybrook on Thursday, Aug. 13, to celebrate the permanent protection of “The Preserve,” the 1,000 acre coastal woodland recently acquired primarily by the state and the Town of Old Saybrook.  The Essex Land Trust also owns some 70 acres in Essex.

Hosted by the Trust for Public Land (TPL), the celebration was held at the Great Cedars (West) Conservation Area on Ingham Hill Rd. in Old Saybrook where a large tent was erected to provide seating, a refreshment area and space for a band.  All guests other than VIPs were ferried on school buses from the M & J Bus Depot on Ingham Hill Rd. to the site.

Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy addresses the large audience.

Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy addresses the large audience.

Old Saybrook First Selectman Carl Fortuna spoke briefly followed by Governor Dannel Malloy. “The Preserve is no longer the largest unprotected coastal forest between New York City and Boston, because it’s now protected,” said Malloy, stating emphatically,  “This is a monument to Connecticut and who we are and what we are … part of history is now permanently preserved.”

US Senator Richard Blumenthal speaks.

US Senator Richard Blumenthal speaks.

Blumenthal enthused, “There is no way to describe in words the stunning beauty of this land,” continuing, “It will now be enjoyed by our children and our children’s children.”   Prompting ripples of laughter, he also apologized with tongue in cheek to, “… all the golfers who will never have the benefit of playing on the golf courses,” that were once planned for the area.

State Representative Phil Miller

State Representative Phil Miller (D-36) has been deeply involved in the project to protect ‘The Preserve.’

Also sharing the celebration and offering thanks to the many thousands of individuals and organizations who helped make saving “The Preserve” possible were Connecticut State TPL Director Alicia Sullivan; Speaker of the House and State Representative Brendan Sharkey (D-88); State Representative Phil Miller (D-36); DEEP Policy Director Jessie Stratton; and TPL President and CEO Will Rogers.

Crowds gather to celebrate the successful conservation of 'The Preserve' at Great Cedars, Old Saybrook

Crowds gather to celebrate the successful conservation of ‘The Preserve’ at Great Cedars, Old Saybrook

Refreshments, speeches and award presentations were followed by a ceremonial ribbon-cutting by Governor Malloy and Senator Blumenthal against the striking back-drop of the green trees of “The Preserve” and a brilliant blue sky.

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (left) chats with State Representative Phil Miller after the ribbon-cutting.

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (left) chats with State Representative Phil Miller after the ribbon-cutting.

The celebration marks the culmination of 15 years of hard work, fund-raising and collaboration by an enormous number of individuals, local, state and federal organizations and public figures.  Blumenthal remarked that he was reminded of a favorite quote from Margaret Mead, “Never doubt the ability of a small group of intelligent, committed people to change the world – it is the only thing that ever has.”

Rounding off the official part of the ceremony, Rogers noted, “The Trust for Public Land has always referred to ‘The Preserve’ project as the Holy Grail,” adding with a broad smile, “We have now found the Holy Grail.”

 

Architect’s Fee for Second Round of Boathouse Designs Approved, Drawings Expected Within Four Weeks

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The Hains Park Boathouse Improvement Committee (HPBIC) met Thursday evening in Old Lyme’s Memorial Town Hall with a single agenda item to review the architect’s fee for designing Options 2A and 3A.  Six committee members were present along with Selectman Arthur ‘Skip’ Sibley, who is an ex-officio member.

Option 2A involves use of the existing foundation combined with construction of a new building while Option 3A also uses the existing foundation, but retains the existing building with a new addition. Both options call for improvements to toilets and consideration of new pavilion.

Architect Nina Cuccio Peck’s proposed fee was a discounted rate (for this phase only) not to exceed $7,000 to create drawings for both options in sufficient detail that they could then be handed to a professional estimator to develop two firm quotes.  The plans would not be a “full bid set,” but Fuchs noted, “Nina will be creating the same level of detail for both options so an estimator will be able to create an apples to apples comparison of the costs.”

The expectation is that Peck will have these plans ready within four weeks, at which point the committee will select an estimator and send out the plans for estimation.  The motion (to approve Peck to proceed with the work) passed unanimously with the only significant discussion being about how accurately it would be possible to estimate costs given that the plans would fall short of the “full bid set” standard. Paul Gianquinto, HPBIC Co-Chairman, estimated that the margin of error would be around 15 percent but also pointed out that the variance should be roughly the same for both options.

Editor’s Note: Click to read an article covering the previous May 14 meeting of the HPBIC titled Boathouse Proposal Draws Sharply Differing Opinions, Slowly Advances

Old Lyme Town Meeting Tonight to Vote on Additional $405,000 for Hains Park Boathouse

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Additional town funding of up to $405,000 for upgrades to the boathouse at Hain's park on Roger's Lake will be the subject of a Special Town Meeting Monday evening.

Additional town funding of up to $405,000 for upgrades to the boathouse at Hains Park on Roger’s Lake will be the subject of a Special Town Meeting Monday evening.

Old Lyme voters will be asked at a Special Town Meeting to be held this evening Monday, Oct. 6, at 7:30 p.m. in the Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School auditorium to consider a request from the Boathouse/Hains Park Improvement Committee to approve additional expenditure for the renovation of the boathouse at Hains Park on Rogers Lake.  The amount being requested from town funds is detailed in the meeting agenda as “not to exceed $405,000.”

In July 2013, Old Lyme was awarded a Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) grant for $478,000 to expand and renovate the boathouse at Hains Park on Rogers Lake.  The proposed renovations would make the boathouse ADA accessible with bathrooms, showers and  a workout room, and provide a space to properly maintain and repair equipment.  Renovation of the basketball court and repairs to the docks were also included in the original project scope.

At the Sept. 16 Old Lyme Board of Selectmen’s meeting, representatives from the Boathouse/Hain’s Park Improvement Committee reported that the estimated costs for the new boathouse, including some site work and renovation to the basketball court, had been revised upwards to $883,000, leaving a shortfall of $405,000 against the original STEAP grant of $478,000.

The revised project includes new bathrooms, which would be accessible to the public, but it is unclear whether the revised scope includes repairs to the docks, which are presently considered unsafe.  At the meeting, First Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder expressed concern about the safety of the docks and requested that remediation of the docks should be included in the project. She also stressed that one of the conditions of the STEAP grant is that use of the boathouse building should be made available to the public.

At a previous meeting, Reemsnyder noted she had received criticism earlier in the year that this grant was being used for a project that did not directly benefit a larger segment of the population.  Reemsnyder had also previously suggested that Old Lyme residents should be allowed to store kayaks and similar equipment at the facility, but this does not appear to be part of the current vision for the boathouse.