Category Archives: Community

Ferry Landing Pier/Boardwalk Closes in Old Lyme, Another Pier Opens in Haddam

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New Pier Provides Alternate Fishing Location While Old Lyme Boardwalk Closed During Construction of New Connecticut River Bridge

The new pier at Eagle Landing State Park in Haddam provides an alternative to the one at Ferry Landing State Park in Old Lyme, which is closed at least until 2030. Photo courtesy of Amtrak.

OLD LYME–The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has announced the opening of the pier at Eagle Landing State Park in Haddam as an alternate fishing location for local anglers and outdoor enthusiasts who have been displaced by the construction of the new Connecticut River Bridge between Old Lyme and Old Saybrook. 

The DEEP in a press release said Ferry Landing Pier/Boardwalk in Old Lyme is closed to make way for Amtrak’s construction of a new Connecticut River Bridge between Old Lyme and Old Saybrook.

An announcement posted on the Old Lyme website earlier this month said reconstruction of the pier at the state park in Haddam was undertaken by Amtrak in anticipation of the temporary closure of the Ferry Landing Pier. 

The DEEP said the new pier at Eagle Landing State Park, and Amtrak’s commitment to build it, resulted from public feedback during the environmental review phase of the Connecticut River Bridge Project. 

This $1.3 billion project broke ground in September. It’s supported by an $826.64 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration. The remaining portion will be funded by Amtrak and the State of Connecticut.

According to Amtrak, the bridge project will replace the existing 118-year-old bridge with a modern moveable bridge that will support a maximum train operating speed of 70 mph – a 55 percent increase from today’s maximum speed of 45 mph. 

Maritime navigation and safety will also improve due to the increased vertical clearance of the new bridge compared to the existing bridge, the company said.

The DEEP said Amtrak will build an improved, fully accessible observation deck more than 1,000 feet long at Ferry Landing State Park in 2029, once the new Connecticut River Bridge is in service and the old bridge has been demolished. 

The Ferry Landing Pier and boardwalk upgrade is expected to open in 2030 or 2031, according to the DEEP. Plans call for a 50% wider walkway with improved accessibility in a location slightly west of the existing site. The state agency promised better access to deep water, and stronger, more durable concrete piles for more support compared to the wooden piles used for the original structure.

Hurtle’s ‘Lyme Home Watch’ Earns Accreditation From National Organization for Third Year

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Bill Hurtle and his wife, Jennifer.

LYME, CT — Lyme Home Watch has earned accreditation from the National Home Watch Association (NWHA) for the third year.

Home Watch uses visual inspections to check for obvious issues at vacation or primary homes while the owners are away, according to a press release from the association. NWHA has been around since 2009, ensuring that all principals of NHWA-accredited member companies are background checked, insured and bonded.

Owner Bill Hurtle said the need for his services became evident as he saw friends and family head south for the winter, leaving their home unoccupied or having a non-professional “home watcher” monitor their property.

Hurtle is a resident of Lyme since 2013. For about two decades, he worked as a microbiologist for the Department of Homeland Security. Prior to that, he was employed by the Department of the Army and at the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in Frederick, Maryland.

Lyme Home Watch’s primary mission is to provide house checks for the exterior and interior of a home. They also provide pre- and post-storm checks, facilitate contractor and vendor meetings, and offer keyholder services to their clients.

Hurtle is a graduate of the NHWA’s Home Watch Boot Camp and has earned the designation of Certified Home Watch Professional, which places him among the élite Home Watch providers in the industry.  

Lyme Home Watch serves Lyme, Old Lyme, Niantic, Old Saybrook, Essex, and Westbrook.

Three New Spring Exhibitions on View at Lyme Art Association Through May 29

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“Sunflowers for Ukraine,” an oil painting by Blanche Serban, will run as part of the “Sunflower’s Bloom” exhibition at the Lyme Art Association, April 18 through May 29.

OLD LYME – The spring season brings three exhibitions to the Lyme Art Association (LAA) beginning April 18. An Opening Reception will be held Friday, April 25, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Sunflower’s Bloom; Ship to Shore: A Marine Show; and Stillness: A Still Life, run through May 29 at the LAA gallery, 90 Lyme Street. 

The association in a press release said Sunflower’s Bloom is a juried exhibition dedicated to supporting Ukraine and its people. With the sunflower—Ukraine’s national flower—as its guiding symbol, the show highlights themes of resilience, hope, and beauty that flourishes even in adversity. All entry fees will be donated to UNICEF to aid Ukrainian children and families, and a portion of sales commissions from the exhibition will also contribute to this effort. 

The show is juried by Jenny Parsons, curator at the Florence Griswold Museum.

Ship to Shore: A Marine Show, will be juried by acclaimed marine artist Sergio Roffo. It features a range of subjects from tranquil harbors to turbulent seas.

Stillness: A Still Life is a juried show overseen by artist Justin Wiest. Inspired by the introspective nature of still life painting, the exhibition invites artists to capture the quiet beauty of everyday objects, offering viewers a moment of reflection amid life’s fast pace.

LAA Executive Director Elsbeth Dowd said the three exhibitions showcase artistic excellence and serves a greater purpose.

“With Sunflower’s Bloom, we are using art as a means to provide tangible support for those in need, while Ship to Shore and Stillness highlight the artistic traditions that LAA has long celebrated,” Dowd said. 

The gallery is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

For more information on upcoming shows, educational programs, and special events, visit LymeArtAssociation.org or contact Elsbeth Dowd at elsbeth@lymeartassociation.org.

Founded in 1914 by the American Impressionists, the LAA continues the tradition of exhibiting and selling representational artwork by its members and invited artists, as well as offering art instruction, lectures, and other public programs to the community.

Why are there Red Lights on an Old Lyme Fire Station? Answer: ‘Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters’

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The Old Lyme Fire Department on Lyme Street is lit red this week to honor 70 firefighters who died in the line of duty across the country over the past year. Photo courtesy of the Old Lyme Fire Department.

OLD LYME—The Old Lyme Fire Department has announced Station 38 on Lyme Street will be lit red this week as part of a national initiative to honor fallen firefighters, including Wethersfield firefighter Robert Sharkevich. 

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is inviting fire departments and homes across the country to “light up red” through May 4 to honor 70 firefighters killed in action last year. 

The Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters effort will culminate with the foundation’s 44th National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend. Ceremonies will honor the 70 firefighters who died in 2024 as well as 70 from previous years.

Lt. Jessica Rand in a post for the Old Lyme Fire Department on social media said Sharkevich lost his life last October while battling a large brush fire in Berlin that burned over 120 acres on Lamentation Mountain. 

The utility task vehicle he was operating rolled over a steep, rocky incline, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.  He died at the scene. 

The week-long Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters effort is capped on May 3 with a candlelight service and May 4 with the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland. 

“We wish we didn’t need that ceremony, but we will light it up red this week to honor them too,” Rand wrote.

The national candlelight service and memorial service will be livestreamed at weekend.firehero.org and on the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation YouTube channel.

Saint Ann’s Presents Talk/Video on Canoe Trip That Led to Living with a Cree Family in Canada for Two Winters

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OLD LYME—Saint Ann’s Episcopal Church welcomes Steve MacAusland for a talk titled, “Down the River and Through the Years with the James Bay Cree” at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 4.

MacAusland will discuss how his canoe trip as a young man up the Eastmain River in Canada’s James Bay region led him to live with a Cree family for two winters and to work on a conservation project that protected one of the great natural resources of the area. 

A video that MacAusland produced with WGBH Boston about this project will be shown. 

All are welcome to the church at 82 Shore Road (Rte. 156).