NEW LONDON/OLD LYME — Recently, following a two-day trial, a New London County jury awarded Attorneys Kyle Zrenda and Tim Bouchard’s client $284,514.07 for injuries he suffered in a slip on a wet floor at work. Zrenda, who resides in Old Lyme, and Bouchard are both employed as Attorneys at Suisman Shapiro Attorneys at Law in New London.
Despite not putting up any warning signs, the defendant, a commercial cleaning company, argued that the wet floor was not dangerous, and should have been obvious to the client.
Suisman Shapiro’s team was able to convince the jury that the floor was hazardous, and that their client could not have seen its dangerous condition before he slipped.
The client, a 33-year-old New London man, previously injured his back in a car accident four months earlier. Attorneys Zrenda and Bouchard successfully argued that his slip made those back injuries worse, and played an important role in his need for additional treatment.
Chris Kitchings, owner of ‘The Bowerbird’ (right), is on hand as a Bowerbird staff member presents a check for $3,605.00 to Jim Ward (second from left), founder of the Lyme-Old Lyme Food Share Garden, Inc. The funds donated by ‘The Bowerbird’ were raised through the store’s gift-wrap program.
OLD LYME —The Bowerbird of Old Lyme has selected the recipient of the proceeds from their 2023 gift-wrap program as A Place Called Hope. This organization is a non-profit, volunteer organization with the goal of teaching the public how to protect and respect wildlife, in particular raptors. The Bowerbird donation program runs from Nov. 1, 2022 through Oct. 31, 2023.
The Bowerbird recently wrapped up their 2022 gift-wrapping campaign to raise funds Lyme-Old Lyme Food Share Garden, Inc.(LOLFSG.) A check in the amount of $3,605.00 representing 2,064 packages wrapped was presented to the LOLFSG’s founder Jim Ward. The Bowerbird charges a nominal fee for gift-wrapping purchases and donates 50 percent to local non-profit organizations.
The Bowerbird pioneered ‘cause’ marketing when they created their gift wrap donation program in 1992. In the past 28 years, The Bowerbird has donated over $104,000 to 33 statewide and local non- profits proving that small businesses can make a difference.
Editor’s Note: We thank Halls Road Improvements Committee (HRIC) Chair Edie Twining for sharing the following ‘Spring 2023 Update to the Community’ from the HRIC with us. Since it is such an important topic to the residents of Old Lyme, we are pleased to publish it in its entirety
OLD LYME — On March 27 the Old Lyme Zoning Commission voted 3-2 in favor of creating the Halls Road Overlay District (HROD).
Because the Planning Commission had previously given the HROD a ‘negative referral,’ it required a 4-1 vote to pass, and the measure failed.
The HROD is a significant piece of zoning regulation. It takes significant effort to understand the details. Many of the objections raised were covered by parts of the HROD proposal that apparently were not noticed or were misunderstood.
With the support of the [Old Lyme] Board of Selectmen and the heads of the commissions, we plan to reapply, and to do a better job of explaining the proposal in detail, and answering the objections raised.
The challenges that prompted the effort to make changes along Halls Road still face us.
We need to acknowledge the changing business climate and support our retail businesses in the new environment of the coming decades. The people of Old Lyme want a safer, more attractive, walkable, bike-able, mixed-use town center where they can live, work, and shop.
Smaller-scale housing remains in short supply, and Halls Road is one place where it could be built without using up the remaining open space.
Old Lyme is planning major investments in public improvements, but the Halls Road area also needs to be allowed the optionto change for the better.
Restricting Halls Road to “commercial only” now tends to favor highway services over all other uses—a thing that no one wants. Guiding our future is an important matter for Old Lyme. The HROD creates the optionfor a better future.
In the area of improvements to public infrastructure, the town has hired A. I. Engineers (AIE) to proceed with design development of a new pedestrian/cyclist bridge and trails safely connecting our main commercial district on Halls Road with our Arts District and historic town center on Lyme Street. The bulk of the funding for this project is from the ARPA grant awarded last June.
In February of this year, we also applied for a small grant under the CT Recreational Trails Program to support the bridge and trails. The Halls Road Improvement Committee and the Town of Old Lyme will work on required easements and rights-of-way.
The work of AIE on the project will include an economic analysis, site survey and assessment, and geo-tech investigation leading to preliminary phased designs. AIE will produce three options (with cost estimates) for creating the bridge and trails. AIE’s work will be available for public review, and a final design selected.
Once a final design is approved, AIE will create full construction documents (CDs) for the bridge and trails, and detail the project’s permitting requirements. The CDs will also be used to seek grants to cover the construction costs of the project. AIE will assist in seeking grants, and manage the bidding to move the project to the construction phase.
Last year the BSC Group helped Old Lyme apply for a grant under the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CT-DOT)’s Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program (LOTCIP). The grant could cover a substantial part of the construction costs for the main improvements planned for sidewalks, lighting, landscaping, etc. along Halls Road. (The bridge and trails are a separate matter from CT-DOT’s point of view.)
Our LOTCIP application is also the first formal review of our plans by CT-DOT, and we must wait for their approval to proceed on this part of the plan. The LOTCIP program has many applicants and the waiting list for review is long. This is Old Lyme’s first request under LOTCIP, and we hope to see some action on our application in 2024.
Around 50 people turned out to celebrate the merger of the Lyme-Old Lyme Chamber of Commerce with the Old Saybrook Chamber. All photos by S.uzanneThompson.
OLD LYME — On Wednesday evening, a well-attended ‘Bridging Businesses’ reception was held at Essex Savings Bank & Sotheby’s International Realty on Halls Rd. in Old Lyme to celebrate the official merger of the Lyme-Old Lyme Chamber of Commerce (LOLCC) with the Old Saybrook Chamber.
Transition Team member Jean Wilczynski (left) welcomed guests to the event, Tammi Flynn and Emily Clark from the Florence Griswold Museum stand at right.
After 90 years operating as an independent Chamber, the LOLCC is joining forces with the Old Saybrook Chamber. to create new, regional networking opportunities for local businesses.
Old Saybrook Chamber Executive Director Judy Sullivan (second from left) stands with Essex Savings Bank & Sotheby’s International Realty hosts (from left to right) Tammy Tinnerello, Heather Gagnon and Laurie Walker.
Although the all-volunteer Lyme-Old Lyme Chamber is officially disbanding, its longstanding college scholarship program for Lyme-Old Lyme residents will continue with funds transferred to the professionally-staffed Old Saybrook Chamber.
State Rep Devin Carney (R-23rd — center) was one of the many politicians to address the guests.
The Lyme-Old Lyme Chamber of Commerce Transition Committee, comprised Old Lyme First Selectman Tim Griswold, outgoing President of the LOL Chamber Richard Shriver, and LOL Chamber Board members Suzanne Thompson, Laurie Walker and Jean Wilczynski.
The chairs of the ‘Bridging Businesses’ event were OL Economic Development Commission Chair Cheryl Poirier and LOL Chamber Board member Laurie Walker.
The event was supported by numerous local restaurants and eateries including Hadlyme Country Market, The Hangry Goose, the Old Lyme Inn, Papi’s (Mexican), Long Table Local, The Hideaway, Teddy’s Old Lyme Pizza, The Chocolate Shell, Kokomo’s, the Old Lyme Country Club, The Stumble Inne, Coffee’s Country Market and Subway. Both Chambers are indebted to these businesses for their generosity.
State Senator Norm Needleman (right) offered words of support to the new, expanded organization.
From left to right, Old Lyme EDC member John Stratton, David Kelsey, Lyme First Selectman David Lahm and Frank Pappalardo listened as State Senator Martha Marx (right) addressed the audience.
Old Lyme First Selectman Tim Griswold drew applause during his remarks.
It was clearly a cheerful occasion with much to celebrate.
Joining the festivities were (from left to right) Rich Shriver, Russ Gomes, George Ryan and Charlie DeLinks.
Ready to cut the celebratory ribbon are from left to right: Old Lyme (OL) Economic Development Commission (EDC) member Wendy Russell, OL Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker, EDC Chair Cheryl Poirier, Kate’s mother Chris Lanfair, Papi’s mother Maria Luisa “Abuela” Sanchez Espejel, Kate Lanfair holding Cruz, Addy, Adrian “Papi” Vidals, State Representative Devin Carney (R-23rd), OL Selectman Matt Ward, OL First Selectman Tim Griswold, EDC members Scott Smith, Joe Camean, Mona Colwell, Teri Lewis, and Jean Wilczynski.
OLD LYME — A ribbon-cutting to celebrate the official opening of Papi’s Taqueria was held Saturday morning, March 25. The new takeout Mexican restaurant was long awaited by local diners, who were happy to see its “Coming Soon” sign replaced by a “Now Open” sign in January.
Kate Lanfair and Adrian “Papi” Vidals, pictured below, are the owners and talent behind the newest addition to Old Lyme’s food offerings. Lanfair has been an owner of Westbrook Pizza since 2001 and sole owner since 2007. Nine years ago, Papi came in hoping to be hired, and the rest is history.
“Papi joined Westbrook Pizza and was so talented with pastas, baking, and pizza of course,” said Lanfair, “but in addition he would make Mexican food for the staff meals, dishes his mother taught him in Puebla, Mexico, and we were just blown away.”
Along the way, Lanfair and Vidals began dating. “We would go out on Tuesday and Thursday nights to the [Long Wharf] food trucks in New Haven or over to Groton for authentic Mexican food.” Lanfair said, “I kept asking, why aren’t we selling your Mexican food?”
Now a family with two young children, who are six and two years old, Lanfair and Vidals committed in September 2021 to opening a taqueria in Old Lyme, renting space in the Old Lyme Shopping Center. Lanfair explained, “We felt it was an unserved market and it was still close enough to our home in Westbrook.”
But September 2021 still had halting supply chain issues due to the pandemic, which greatly altered the opening plans of the taqueria.
State Representative Devin Carney (R-23rd) and Old Lyme Selectman Matt Ward were both in attendance at the opening.
“The Town of Old Lyme was great, our delays were all related to the pandemic,” Lanfair said. “We had a nine-month delay for the fabrication of an oven hood system we needed, which had to have a special grade of stainless steel.” And as the hood was in transit to Old Lyme the truck broke down on the side of a road.
She commented with a quiet chuckle, “You can’t make this stuff up, we would get over one hurdle, and then we’d face another, like our work crew all getting COVID and then construction coming to a halt for three weeks.”
But they kept their eye on the goal and continued to move closer to opening.
Adrian “Papi” Vidals hands out traditional Mexican ‘Sopes’ to guests attending the opening.
Three months before opening day, Papi’s mother “Abuela” Maria, arrived from Puebla to help with the business by way of a 10-year visa. The kitchen staff is made up of other family and friends. Opening day finally came January 17, 2023, 19 months after first leasing the property.
The OL EDC hosted Saturday’s ribbon cutting ceremony. The event began with EDC Chairwoman Cheryl Poirier thanking Lanfair and Vidals for their patience and also, their investment in Old Lyme. She said, “Our small, family-owned businesses are part of the fabric of Old Lyme.”
State Representative Devin Carney (R-23rd) reads a General Assembly Official Citation welcoming Papi’s to Old Lyme while Old Lyme Selectman Matt Ward (right) listens attentively.
Old Lyme First Selectman Tim Griswold then welcomed the new owners. State Representative Devin Carney (R-23rd) spoke next, reading aloud a General Assembly Official Citation introduced by State Rep. Carney and State Senator Martha Marx, which offered the General Assembly’s sincerest congratulations and wished the business many years of prosperity.
Lanfair then thanked everyone for the warm welcome they had received to Old Lyme and shared they have been very happy with the response from the community. “Everyone has been so nice,” she said. “Everyone is so appreciative, so curious, and friendly. The kids that come in on their own are always well-mannered, which has really been wonderful.”
Old Lyme EDC member Joe Camean chats with Old Lyme Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker at the opening.
The couple is looking forward to their first summer serving the Old Lyme community and its visitors.
Papi’s daily specials are on their Facebook page and will soon be on their newly-launched website.They have added Shoreline Menus delivery service and will continue to add special features such as “Tamale Thursdays,” when their homemade tamales will take center stage.
Although their first few weeks were a cash-only operation, they now accept cards although they offer a discount to those paying with cash.
All the people attending the celebratory opening gathered outside the store for a photo prior to the official ribbon-cutting.
Editor’s Note: Papi’s Taqueria is located at 19 Halls Road in Old Lyme. Hours are Monday through Saturday 11am-8pm and Sundays 3pm-8pm. To phone in an order, contact them at 860-434-8226 (TACO).
