June 7 & 8 COVID-19 Update: Four New Cases in Old Lyme Take Cumulative Total to 1307, Lyme Holds at 316

Posted on June 9, 2022 by Olwen Logan

LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Reports issued Tuesday, June 7, and Wednesday, June 8, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) show a total of four new, confirmed COVID-19 cases in Old Lyme and none in Lyme compared with June 3 numbers.

These cases raise Old Lyme’s cumulative case total to 1307 from 1303 on June 6, while Lyme’s holds at 316 on the same date.

The cases by day were:

June 7: L–0, OL–3
June 8: L–0, OL–1

April 5, 2022 was the most recent day on which no new cases were reported in either town.

Prior to March 25, Lyme had gone for 23 consecutive days with no new cases being reported. Two new cases were reported in Lyme on March 25.

Prior to April 5, the most recent day on which no new cases were reported in either Lyme or Old Lyme was March 24. There were also no new cases on March 9 and 4, and Feb. 24. The previous date prior to Feb. 24 when no new cases were reported in either town was Dec. 12, 2021.

Statewide Situation – Weekly Update

This map, updated June 2, 2022 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme remain in the Red (highest) Zone. One hundred and fifty nine towns (representing a total of 94.1% of the state) remain in the Red Zone. Only cases among persons living in community settings are included in this map; the map does not include cases among people who reside in nursing home, assisted living, or correctional facilities. Map: Ver 12.1.2020 Source: CT Department of Public Health Get the data Created with Datawrapper.

On Thursday, June 2, the CT DPH also released its latest weekly COVID-19 Alert Map (pictured above), which indicates that 159 municipalities remain in the Red (highest of four) Zone for case rates. These towns in the Red Zone include both Lyme and Old Lyme.

This number is exactly the same as that for the previous week meaning the number of towns in the Red Zone still represents 94.1% of the state.

As a reminder, the number of towns in the Red Zone on Jan. 27, 2022 was 168 out of 169 towns.

As of June 2, 2022, all nine towns in the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) remain in the Red Zone. The LLHD is no longer issuing reports with updated Case Rates and other metrics.

The CT DPH will issue an updated map of the zones Thursday, June 9 — the map is updated weekly on Thursdays.

The color-coded zones on the map above are:

Red: Indicates case rates over the last two weeks of greater than 15 per 100,000 population
Orange: Indicates case rates between 10 to 14 cases per 100,000 population
Yellow: Indicates case rates between 5 and 9 per 100,000 population
Gray: Indicates case rates lower than five per 100,000 population

CDC Reduces ‘Community Level’ to Low for New London County, Middlesex County Remains ‘High’, All Other CT Counties are ‘Medium’

June 2 Community Transmission levels. Map courtesy of CDC.

The map above shows that on June 2, New London County is now categorized as ‘Low’ for its Community Level. Middlesex County is ‘High’ and all other Towns are ‘Medium.’ These levels are updated weekly by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursdays.

Ledge Light Health District Deputy Director of Health Jennifer Muggeo sent out an email Friday, May 27, saying, “Community members are advised to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, get tested if they have symptoms, and wear a mask when they are around others if they have symptoms, are positive or have had an exposure.”

Muggeo added, “People with symptoms should be tested and people with a positive test should isolate per guidelines. Masking remains an effective method for reducing the spread of COVID-19 and people may choose to mask even though our region is not designated as “High.””

She concluded, “You can find the latest CDC Community Level, schedules of vaccination clinics and community testing events, and isolation/quarantine guidance on our website and, as always, we are here to answer any questions or provide support for community members.

Community Levels can be low, medium, or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID cases in a specific geographical area. CDC recommends taking precautions to protect yourself and others from COVID based on Community Levels in your area.

You can view the new tool by following this link: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html

LLHD continues to focus its vaccination efforts on homebound populations and providing initial vaccinations and boosters to individuals who were vaccinated previously. Information about vaccination opportunities can be found at https://llhd.org/coronavirus-covid-19-situation/covid-19-vaccine/.

COVID testing opportunities can be found at COVID-19 Testing | Ledge Light Health District (llhd.org)

The following link provides centralized access to Connecticut COVID data: https://data.ct.gov/stories/s/COVID-19-data/wa3g-tfvc/.

An explanation of the CDC Community Levels tool by Thomas Gotowka can be found at this link.

Statewide Situation – Daily Update

The state’s COVID-19 Daily Positivity Rate broke the 10% watershed on May 4 at 10.32%. It went through the 14% mark with the May 20 Rate of 14.19%, but the June 6 Positivity Rate fell below 10% again to 9.56%. The Rate fell further to 9.26% on June 8.

On June 8, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations decreased to 276 from the 294 recorded on June 7.

In contrast, on Jan. 12, 2022, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations was 1,939.

Of those hospitalized on June 8, the number not fully vaccinated was 88 (representing 31.88%).

The total number of COVID-related deaths in Connecticut rose to 10,998 on June 8, according to The New York Times.

The next Daily Data Report will be issued by CT DPH Thursday, June 9, around 4 p.m.

Increase in Cases in Lyme & Old Lyme Since August 2021

The cumulative total of confirmed cases for Old Lyme has now increased by 864 since Wednesday, Nov. 10, when the total stood at 443 — that number had stood unchanged for a week since the previous Thursday, Nov. 4.

On Aug. 26 — which was the day Lyme-Old Lyme Schools started the new academic year — Old Lyme’s cumulative case total stood at 372, meaning there have now been 935 new cases there since that date.

Meanwhile, Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 indicating 202 new cases have also been confirmed there during the same period.

Fatalities Due to COVID-19 in Lyme, Old Lyme

There has been one COVID-related fatality of a Lyme resident: a 57-year-old male passed away Nov. 16, 2021. On Nov. 30, the state finally included this fatality in its data

Four COVID-related fatalities have now been reported in Old Lyme. The first two fatalities from Old Lyme, which were reported in 2020, were a 61-year-old female and an 82-year-old male.

Details of the third and fourth fatalities, which were reported respectively in 2021 and on Feb. 4, 2022, have not been made available.

COVID-19 Situation in LOL Schools

Under new state protocols for schools, Lyme-Old Lyme (LOL) Schools are no longer required to carry out contact tracing.

LOL Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser explained the latest developments in LOL Schools COVID protocols in an email dated April 1 to the school community, saying, “As noted in my email of February 17, 2022, beginning April 1, 2022 we will no longer report daily COVID-19 cases in the schools.”

He then stated, “For the remainder of this school year, that information will be complied on a weekly basis and will be available on our website at the following link: https://www.region18.org/parents/covid-data.”

Details published to date show the following number of positive cases in LOL Schools by week.
April 3-9: 0
April 10-16: 0
April 17-23: Spring Break
April 24-30: 7
May 2-7: 27
May 8-14: 41
May 15-21: 30
May 22-28: 23
May 29-June 4: 55

The total number of cases recorded by the CT DPH in Lyme and Old Lyme for the week May 29-June 4 was 26, indicating a significant number of cases are not officially reported since LOL Schools are reporting 55 cases for the same period.

For a summary of cases in LOL Schools between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2022, visit this link.

View a full listing of cases in LOL Schools between 8/26/21 – 12/23/21 at this link.

Lyme Academy of Fine Arts Receives Transformative $1 Million Gift From Charlotte Colby Danly — Former Student, Trustee Emeritus

Posted on June 4, 2022 by Olwen Logan

A painting of a sculptor and surgeon Dr. Wayne Southwick by renowned artist and distinguished teacher, the late Deane G. Keller, took pride of place in the Sculpture Studio at Lyme Academy in August 2021. Keller taught Charlotte Colby Danley who has just endowed a Sculpture Chair in her name to teach figurative sculpture to students at the Academy.

Endowment Will Support Creation of New Sculpture Chair; Academy Invites Applications for Position

OLD LYME – Lyme Academy of Fine Arts has announced that it has received a $1 million transformative gift from Charlotte Colby Danly, a former student and trustee at the Academy, in support of the Academy’s mission to teach a new generation of artists in the figurative tradition.

The gift will allow the creation of an endowed chair in the donor’s name, the Charlotte Colby Danly Sculpture Chair, and establish a program to teach figurative sculpture to students attending the Academy.

The Academy is presently calling for applications for an Artistic Director of Sculpture to lead the effort.

Portrait of Charlotte Danly by Diane Aeschliman, artist and former instructor at Lyme Academy of Fine Arts

“Charlotte came to the Academy to study sculpture as an act of personal transformation when she was at a crossroads in her life. The gift that she has made will ensure that others can follow her path in what promises to be the country’s premier sculpture program,”, says Michael Duffy, who serves as chairman of the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts Board of Trustees.

Danly is an award-winning sculptor and artist, and a longstanding benefactor of Lyme Academy of Fine Arts. Having received her BA from the University of California, Berkeley, Danly began studying at Lyme Academy in 1988 under renowned sculptors Elisabeth Gordon Chandler, the founder of Lyme Academy, and her husband, Laci de Gerenday.

Danly’s work has been featured in Art Ideas, published by the American Renaissance for the Twenty-First Century, a nonprofit dedicated to a rebirth of beauty and life-affirming values in the fine arts. Previously a resident of Lyme, Conn., Danly now lives out of state.

Sculptures are found throughout the grounds of Lyme Academy of Fine Arts. as can be seen in this view looking alongside the Sill House

Danly was first elected to Lyme’s Board of Trustees in 1999 and served in that role for over a decade. In 2021, Danly was appointed a Trustee Emeritus, in recognition of her contributions and service to Lyme Academy.

She established Lyme Academy’s first endowed chair in 2001, the Deane G. Keller Chair in Classical Drawing and Figurative Art. Keller was a renowned artist and distinguished teacher at Lyme Academy for 25 years, who counted Danly among his best students. This Chair currently supports Co-Artistic Directors Jordan Sokol and Amaya Gurpide.

“The time that I spent with the founders of Lyme Academy of Fine Arts in the sculpture program was transformative for me, personally and creatively,” Danly recalls. “It is with great pride and appreciation for Lyme Academy that I endow a new Sculpture Chair, in my name, that will allow the Academy to continue to help others learn to sculpt in the figurative tradition.”

Plaster casts are currently on display in the Chandler Sculpture Studio at Lyme Academy of Fine Arts.

Lyme Academy is currently accepting applications for its new Charlotte Colby Danly Artistic Director of Sculpture.

Qualifications for the position are as follows:

The Artistic Director of Sculpture must unequivocally embrace the Academy’s mission of using time-tested techniques to teach basic artistic skills in sculpture.
The successful candidate must be an established artist with extensive experience teaching art in an atelier, academy, or other educational setting.
Candidates should also have a proven background in administration and in creating programming.
In addition to the community within the Lyme Academy, the Sculpture Chair will be fully immersed in the greater Lyme, Old Lyme, and Shoreline communities.

Artistic Director and Director of Painting, Jordan Sokol and Painting-Drawing Instructor Hollis Dunlap working in the Southwick-Keller Studio at Lyme Academy of Fine Arts.

“As with drawing and painting, Lyme Academy is committed to building the leading figurative sculpture program in the United Sates,” said Jordan Sokol, Co-Artistic Director of the Academy’s Deane G. Keller Chair. “Sculpture is a part of Lyme Academy’s DNA – our campus was literally built by and for it.”

To learn how to apply for the position of Lyme Academy’s Charlotte Colby Danly Sculpture Chair, visit lymeacademy.edu/opportunities.

The mission of the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts is to teach the foundational skills of drawing, painting, and sculpture in the figurative tradition. By its commitment to training students in these skills and an engagement with contemporary discourse, the Academy will empower a new generation of artists. Through its programs, the Academy is committed to enriching the cultural life of the community. Learn more by visiting www.lymeacademy.edu.

Editor’s Note: This article is based on a press release issued by Lyme Academy of Fine Arts.

Old Lyme Tennis Girls Play Westbrook in Class S State Final This Afternoon, Go Wildcats!

Posted on June 4, 2022 by Olwen Logan

From left to right, Sam Tan, #2 Elaina Morosky, and #4 Callie Bass #3 all won their singles matches against Litchfield.

OLD LYME — 6/4 UPDATE: Westbrook defeated Holy Cross 6-1 yesterday to advance to the CIAC Class S state final where they will face Old Lyme, who are both top seeds and defending champions. The match will be played today, Saturday, at Wesleyan University, starting at 3 p.m.

The top-seeded Lyme-Old Lyme Girls’ tennis team, who are the defending Class S champions, stormed into the CIAC Class S state final after defeating Litchfield 6-1 in convincing fashion on Thursday afternoon. The match was played on Old Lyme courts.

The girls will now meet Holy Cross or Westbrook in the final on Saturday at Wesleyan University. The remaining semifinal will be played Friday.

Lyme-Old Lyme HS Girls’ Tennis Coach Lauren Rahr.

Asked how she felt about the girls’ win, Coach and LOLHS Math teacher Lauren Rahr, said by email, “I am extremely proud of the girls. They go out there and play to win, but most importantly, they deserve to win.”

She added, “It is such a wonderful group of girls that are dedicated to not only their sport, but their team.”

Describing the team in more detail Rahr noted, “They put in the hard work to reach their goals.”

She concluded enthusiastically, “I never thought I would be able to say I reached the finals of the state tournament twice! (I couldn’t even do that once in my time playing high school tennis). These girls are making a name for themselves and creating memories that they will never forget.”

Results from today’s match were as follows:

1st Singles:
Abby Sicuranza vs Ava Atwood 3-6, 6-7 (4)

2nd Singles:
Sam Tan vs Anna Devaux 6-2, 6-1

3rd Singles:
Callie Bass vs Leah Sepples 6-2, 6-1

4th Singles:
Elaina Morosky vs Riley Southard 6-3, 6-3

Alexis Fenton and Livie Bass won their match playing as the #1 doubles team against Litchfield

1st Doubles:
Livie Bass / Alexis Fenton vs. Emily Migliorisi / Claire Olmstead: 6-0, 6-0

Twins Beatrice Hunt (left) and Aggie Hunt won their match against Litchfield as the 2nd doubles team.

2nd Doubles:
Aggie Hunt / Beatrice Hunt vs. Peyton Weik / Baylie Pesce: 6-0, 6-0

3rd Doubles:
Izzy Reynolds / Olivia Schaedler vs. Hope Melk / Jillian Saunders: 6-1, 6-1

June 3 COVID-19 Update: No Change in 159 CT Towns in Case Rate Red Zone, NL County Moved to ‘Low’ ‘Community Level’ by CDC, 10 New Cases in Old Lyme Since June 1, One in Lyme

Posted on June 3, 2022 by Olwen Logan

Over 94% of CT Towns Remain in Case Rate Red Zone

Photo by CDC on Unsplash.

LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Reports issued Thursday and Friday, June 2 and 3, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) show a total of 10 new, confirmed COVID-19 cases in Old Lyme and one in Lyme compared with June 1 numbers.

These cases raise Old Lyme’s cumulative case total to 1292 from 1282 on June 1, and similarly Lyme’s to 315 from 314 on the same date.

The daily cases reported were as follows:

Thursday, June 2: OL-4, L-1
Friday, June 3: OL-6, L-0

April 5, 2022 was the most recent day on which no new cases were reported in either town.

Prior to March 25, Lyme had gone for 23 consecutive days with no new cases being reported. Two new cases were reported in Lyme on March 25.