Author Archives: Olwen Logan

Updated Time for US Men’s Eight Repechage Due to Anticipated Typhoon in Tokyo

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Screenshot from Windy.com showing Typhoon Nepartak approaching Japan. Tokyo is in the center of the map.

TOKYO/OLD LYME — After experiencing a year’s delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Tokyo is now bracing for the arrival of a Typhoon Nepartak. As a result, all rowing events scheduled for Tuesday, July 27, have been postponed to Wednesday and Thursday.

The Men’s 8+ repechage — in which the US boat that includes team members Austin Hack and Liam Corrigan from Old Lyme will participate — was already scheduled for Wednesday, but its time has been changed. It will now be rowed at 12:50 p.m. Tokyo time, which is 11:50 p.m. EST on Tuesday, July 27.

Five boats will be in the Men’s 8+ repechage — Australia, Great Britain, New Zealand, and Romania will join the US.

The first four boats in the repachage will then join Germany and The Netherlands in the final. Germany and The Netherlands qualified directly for the final by winning their respective heats.

Griswold Running Again for Old Lyme First Selectman, Republicans Approve Full Slate of Candidates for November; No Word Yet on Election From Democrats

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OLD LYME — The Chair of the Republican Town Committee’s Nominating Committee, Vicki Lanier, has shared the party’s slate of endorsed candidates for the November election with us. These were approved at the RTC meeting held Thursday evening and are as follows with incumbents noted with an (I) after their name:

Old Lyme First Selectman Timothy Griswold is running again in November 2021 as the endorsed Republican candidate for First Selectman.

First Selectman:
Tim Griswold (I)

Selectman:
Matt Ward

Town Clerk:
Vicki Urbowicz (I)

Board of Finance:
Andrew Russell (I)
Judith Read (I)

Board of Finance Alternates:
Maria Marchant
Matthew Olson

Board of Assessment Appeals:
Tim Griswold

Planning Commission:
Todd Machnik (I)

Zoning Commission:
Sloane Danenhauer
Jane Marsh (I)

Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA):
Dan Montano

ZBA Alternates:
Steven Cinami
Rod Clingman
Chris Kerr

Region 18 Board of Education (BOE):
Mona Colwell
Laura Dean-Frazier
Michael Presti
Chris Staab

Regarding the incumbent Old Lyme members of the Region 18 BOE, Chairman Diane Linderman (D), Treasurer Jean Wilczynski (D) and Rick Goulding (D) are all not seeking re-election. Secretary Martha Shoemaker’s (D) four-year term will also end, but she is seeking another term.

Lyme incumbent Stacey Leonardo (D) is also stepping down.

Old Lyme BOS Declared July 24 as ‘Austin Hack & Liam Corrigan Day’ in Honor of Our Hometown Olympic Heroes

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Austin Hack

Liam Corrigan

OLD LYME — The Old Lyme Board of Selectmen declared  Saturday, July 24, as ‘Austin Hack & Liam Corrigan Day.’

Both Hack and Corrigan, who graduated from Lyme-Old Lyme High School in 2010 and 2015 respectively, are competing in the 2020 Olympic Games, which opened this morning in Tokyo.

Both are members of the US Men’s Eight team, which rows its first heat at 11 p.m. this evening, EST, which is 12 noon in Japan. This is a recent time change from the originally announced schedule — the 7:30 p.m. included in the proclamation below has now been superseded

The proclamation reads as follows:

GO AUSTIN AND LIAM!

GO TEAM USA!

 

July 22 COVID-19 Update: New Case in Old Lyme Takes Cumulative Total to 344, Lyme Holds at 112; Statewide Numbers Worse

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This map, updated July 22, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the (lowest) Gray 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. Details in italics are the same for each of the maps included in this article.

LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Report for Connecticut issued Thursday, July 22, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health  (CT-DPH) for data as at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 21, shows that Old Lyme has reported one new confirmed COVID-19 case. This takes Old Lyme’s cumulative total of confirmed cases to 344, while Lyme’s holds steady at 112.

This same report issued Thursday, July 22 also includes the latest average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks (see map above) and shows further distressing results, reflecting national trends. The Hartford Courant reported July 21 that Connecticut’s COVID-19 positivity rate spikes again, reaching highest level in more than two months.

Two towns, Franklin and Salem, are now in the Red Zone (indicating the highest rate of COVID-19 new cases), which is up one from last week, and Andover remains in the (second highest rate) Orange Zone (down from two towns last week.)

Eight towns Yellow Zone (indicating the lowest but one rate of COVID-19 new cases), which is up from two last week. They are Clinton, East Hampton, Manchester, Newington, Stonington, Westbrook, Windsor and Windsor Locks.

In this most recent report, all the remaining 158 towns in Connecticut, including Lyme and Old Lyme, are in the Gray (lowest rate) Zone for two-week new case rates. It is the tenth week in succession for Old Lyme in that Zone, while Lyme is in the Gray Zone for an 18th straight week.

The Gray category is defined as when the Average Daily Rate of COVID-19 Cases Among Persons Living in Community Settings per 100,000 Population By Town is less than five or less than five reported cases.
The Yellow category is defined as when the Average Daily Rate of COVID-19 Cases Among Persons Living in Community Settings per 100,000 Population By Town is between five and nine reported cases.
The Orange category is defined as when the Average Daily Rate of COVID-19 Cases Among Persons Living in Community Settings per 100,000 Population By Town is between 10 and 14.
The Red category is defined as when the Average Daily Rate of COVID-19 Cases Among Persons Living in Community Settings per 100,000 Population By Town exceeds 15.

In all cases, this rate does not include cases or tests among residents of nursing home, assisted living, or correctional facilities.

The map below is from July 15, when one town, Franklin, was in the Red Zone (indicating the highest rate of COVID-19 new cases) and another two, Salem and Andover, were in the (second highest rate) Orange Zone. New Hartford and Griswold were in the Yellow Zone (indicating the lowest but one rate of COVID-19 new cases.)

This map, updated July 15, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

The map below is from July 8, when New Hartford was the sole town in the Yellow Zone.

This map, updated July 8, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

The map below is from July 1, when Marlborough and Prospect were in the Yellow Zone.

This map, updated July 1, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

The map below is from June 24, when Somers, Prospect and Bolton were in the Yellow Zone.

This map, updated June 24, shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

This is the June 17 map, when just one town, Bolton, was in the Yellow Zone.

This map, updated June 17, shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

For comparison, the map below is from June 3 and shows one town, Waterbury, in the Orange Zone and 21 towns in the Yellow Zone, down from 48 the previous week. The towns in the Yellow Zone were: Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bloomfield, Brooklyn, Coventry, Cromwell, Derby, East Hartford, East Haven, Granby, Hamden, Hartford, Manchester, New Britain, New Haven, New London, Putnam, Rocky Hill, Shelton, Waterford and Windsor.

This map, updated June 3, shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the previous two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme are in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

Below is the map from May 27 that showed one town in the Red Zone, Putnam, and 10 towns in the Orange Zone.

This map, updated May 27, shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme were still in the (lowest) Gray Zone.

Compare the maps above with the one we published Dec. 18, 2020 to see the remarkable progress that has been made with controlling the spread of the virus through expansion of vaccination rates and improved mitigation strategies.

Map of Connecticut dated Dec. 17, 2020 showing both Lyme and Old Lyme now in the CT DPH-identified ‘Red Zone.’ This is defined as when the Average Daily Rate of COVID-19 Cases Among Persons Living in Community Settings per 100,000 Population By Town is over 15.

In their final report dated July 9, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) issued their latest weekly report of COVID data for the municipalities within their District. LLHD has announced this report will no longer be issued.

At that time, seven towns in the nine-town district (which includes Lyme and Old Lyme) reported less than five new cases in the past two weeks. Both Groton and New London reported six cases apiece. The previous week, all nine  towns reported less than five new cases in the past two weeks..

Ledge Light Director of Health Stephen Mansfield noted, “Information regarding vaccination opportunities and other relevant information can be found at https://llhd.org/coronavirus-covid-19-situation/covid-19-vaccine/

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

Vaccination rates in Lyme and Old Lyme are also extremely encouraging with 81.95 percent of the population in Lyme having received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and the equivalent number for Old Lyme being 73.72 percent.

Percentages for the fully vaccinated are 78.54 for Lyme and 69.94 for Old Lyme.

These rates remain among the higher percentages in the state.

They’ve Started … the Olympics, that is! Old Lyme’s Hack, Corrigan Begin Their Quest for Gold TONIGHT!

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Team USA marches proudly into the Olympic stadium in Tokyo earlier today. Old Lyme natives Austin Hack and Liam Corrigan are among them.

LYME/OLD LYME — The Opening Ceremony of the 2020 Olympic Games (not a typo, that’s what they are still being called!) has just ended and the Games themselves are now officially underway. Two athletes from Old Lyme were there at the Opening Ceremony and are now making final preparations to compete in the Games.

Barbara and Greg Hack stand alongside the Old Lyme Rowing Association’s boat named after their son, Austin, who competed in the 2016 Olympics in Rio and is now competing in the 2020 Olympics (being held in 2021) in Tokyo, Japan.

Austin Hack and Liam Corrigan, who graduated respectively in 2010 and 2015 from Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS), will both be rowing in the US Men’s Eight. Austin’s parents, Barbara and Greg, still live in Old Lyme and Brian Corrigan and Joan Rivington, Liam’s parents, moved last year from Old Lyme to Lyme.

Joan Rivington, Liam Corrigan’s mother, stands at right in this photo of OLRA crew members. Corrigan is the stroke in the US Men’s Eight competing in the Tokyo Olympics. From left to right are Sophie Marsh, Barbara Hallwood and Trish Lynch. Photo by Doug Turney.

In late-breaking news, Barbara Hack contacted us this morning to let us know there has been a change in the rowing schedule. The Men’s Eight was slated to start their quest for gold tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. EST but that has now been changed to today on EST.

Austin Hack

Liam Corrigan

Barbara said by email, “The schedule has been changed due to weather and the men’s 8+ will now be rowing TONIGHT in the heats.” She added that the new start time tonight is,  ““High noon” (as Austin put it) in Tokyo,” which is 11 p.m. EST, since Japan is 13 hours ahead of EST.

Asked last night how she was feeling on the eve of the Olympics, Barbara responded, “I’m feeling so many things right now!  Pride, of course, that Austin was chosen again to represent the US in the Olympics, [Austin was the stroke for the Men’s Eight in the 2016 Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro] and a little bit of nervousness knowing that their first race is right around the corner.”

She continued, “But mostly I’m excited!  It’s such a fantastic group of guys with a unique chemistry together.  They’ve put in the hard work under world-class coaches Mike Teti and Tim McLaren, and they have a lot of confidence in their speed.”

Concluding, “They are so ready to show the world what they can do, and I have every faith that they can accomplish their goal of a podium finish in the final!” Barbara ended with the wish we all share, “Go USA!!”