Category Archives: Community

State Senators Join Lt. Gov. Bysiewicz in Old Lyme to Celebrate Receipt of Over $12 Million in Grants to Improve School Air Quality

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State Senator Martha Marx speaks during the press conference held Tuesday in front of Center School in Old Lyme to celebrate release of over $12 million in grants from the state of Connecticut to support improved air quality. Standing alongside Sen. Marx is Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz. Also in attendance are, from left to right, State Sen Norm Needleman, LOL Middle School Principal Mark Ambruso, Old Lyme First Selectman Timothy Griswold, Lyme First Selectman David Lahm, Region 18 Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser, Lyme School teacher (and sister of Martha Marx) Mary Dargie, and Old Lyme Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker.

OLD LYME — On Tuesday morning, April 18, State Senator Martha Marx (D-New London), whose district includes Old Lyme, and State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex), whose district includes Lyme, joined Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, Region 18 Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser, and Lyme and Old Lyme local leaders at Center School in Old Lyme to celebrate the state’s approved release of $12.009 million in grant funding to support improved air quality in Lyme-Old Lyme (LOL) schools.

Region 18 Schools, located in Lyme and Old Lyme, will receive three grants, each supporting air quality improvements and upgrades in local schools, through the HVAC Indoor Air Quality Grant Program for Public Schools. Lyme Consolidated School will receive $3.051 million, Center School $2.719 million and LOL Middle School $6.24 million.

These funds can be used to replace, upgrade, or repair boilers and other heating and ventilation components; replacing controls and technology systems related to HVAC operations; installing or upgrading air conditioning or ventilation systems; and other similar work approved by the Department of Administrative Services.

“It is very exciting that Region 18 is one of the first districts to get this grant funding,” said Sen. Marx. “I still remember the stories of the challenges educators and parents faced and fought through during COVID, and that hard work cannot be forgotten. So let’s try and do this for a lot of schools and bring positive change to our classrooms. The kids, educators and staff deserve this; everyone deserves a safe working and learning environment,”

“We learned firsthand through the school of hard knocks the importance of air quality,” said Sen. Needleman. “It was a hard way to learn, but I’m glad we’re on track, and I think we need to upgrade all of our schools throughout the state to make sure our kids and our teachers have a safe environment to work and learn.”

“This is a major investment in school infrastructure, in the health of our children and students and in the health of our teachers and staff who work there,” said Lt. Gov. Bysiewicz. “This is a really big and important investment. It’s also an investment in job creation; Our friends in the building trades such as plumbers and pipefitters will be on site working at schools across our state. There will be a lot of folks in Lyme and Old Lyme doing this important work.”

“We hope to begin construction on this project in the next several months and complete it within the next year or two,” said Superintendent Neviaser. “It is not just for one school but for four schools, and we’re really appreciative of all the hard work already put into it. We look forward to completing this project on time and under budget.”

State Senator Norm Needleman addresses those gathered to celebrate the release of grants from the state to improve air quality in LOL Schools.

In 2022, the General Assembly voted to create the Indoor Air Quality Grant Program, as part of an effort to improve ventilation and air conditions in schools statewide. Local and regional boards of education and regional education service centers can use those funds to make valuable improvements. Municipalities are responsible to provide matching grants to fund work not covered by grants.

Eligible schools and districts are those found to have the greatest need for indoor air quality improvements; factors considered include school HVAC system age, air quality issues at the school and overall school building age and condition.

Along with creating that program, the state additionally invested in a pipeline training system for HVAC work and strict standards for inspection and evaluation of HVAC on an accelerated schedule compared to previous state law.

In November 2022, Old Lyme voters approved $57.5 million in bonding for renovations and updates to local schools, with projects including updates to HVAC, air conditioning and ventilation at four Lyme regional schools that had last been renovated roughly two decades prior.

In past interviews, Neviaser said these projects included applying for the state grant program for air quality improvements as a significant issue was their age; some Region 18 schools have systems dating back to the 1960s, he said.

Editor’s Note: This article is based on a press release issued by the Press Office of Senators Marx and Needleman.

Miami Beach Fence in Old Lyme Comes Down After Court Ruling

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File photo showing the fence that for six years prior to Thursday sectioned off Miami Beach from Sound View Beach. The fence has now been removed.

OLD LYME — A Miami Beach fence that divided beach-goers and homeowners, both literally and figuratively, came down Thursday morning, a week after the state Supreme Court refused to review a lower court decision ordering a private beach association to stop impeding access to public property.

“Break out the champagne, baby,” said Kathleen Tracy, lead plaintiff in the case against the Miami Beach Association and a summer resident of nearby Sound View Beach. “It’s been six years of a battle that from the very beginning …

Editor’s Note: Visit this link to read the full story, Miami Beach fence comes down after court ruling, by Lee Howard and published April 14, in ‘The Day.‘

Dignitaries Celebrate the ‘First (Chester-Hadlyme) Ferry’ of 2023 with Ribbon-Cutting

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A ribbon-cutting was held April 2 to celebrate the inaugural trip of the Chester-Hadlyme Ferry’s 2023 season. The celebration was held at the entrance to the ferry in Hadlyme where Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto (center) cut the ribbon. Looking on are (from left to right) State Rep. Christine A. Palm, (D-36th District); State Rep. Irene Haines, (R-34th District); State Rep. Devin Carney, R-23rd District); State Senator Norman Needleman, D-33rd District); Lynn Wilkinson, President of the Friends of Gillette Castle State Park, and Tyke and Theodora Niver (a.k.a. William and Helen Gillette).

HADLYME — During an April 2 celebration of the Chester-Hadlyme Ferry’s 253-year legacy of service on the Connecticut River, Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto cut a ribbon before welcoming new passengers aboard. 

Attending the event were State Rep. Devin Carney, R-23rd, whose district includes Lyme and Old Lyme; State Rep. Christine A. Palm, (D-36th District); State Rep. Irene Haines, (R-34th District); District); Senator Norman Needleman, D-33rd District); Lynn Wilkinson, President of the Friends of Gillette Castle State Park, and Tyke and Theodora Niver (a.k.a. William and Helen Gillette).

The event was sponsored by the Friends of Gillette Castle State Park with refreshments from the Hadlyme Country Market.

The boat loaded first on the Chester side and then made its five-minute run east to the Hadlyme landing adjacent to the park, where members of the Friends of Gillette Castle State Park gathered to mingle with regional dignitaries.

Access to the western landing is on Rte. 148 at Ferry Road in Chester. The eastern landing is on park property at the base of Seventh Sister Hill, with a road and footpath leading up to the castle, the eccentric, century-old home of the late actor William Gillette. 

The event included the portrayal of Gillette and his wife by Harold and Theodora Niver of Rocky Hill, who have portrayed the Gillettes at the castle for decades. 

The park itself is in the towns of East Haddam and Lyme along the Connecticut River, and is open daily from 8 a.m. until sunset.

In addition to being a continuation of scenic Rte. 148, the initiation of ferry service is an important lifeline between Chester and Hadlyme, Lynn Wilkinson, president of the Friends of Gillette Castle State Park, noted.

The 65-foot diesel-run Selden III crosses the Connecticut River filled with passengers enjoying the 2022 “First Ferry Celebration”. The Chester-Hadlyme Ferry is one of the oldest continuously-operating ferries in the United States.

“The ferry offers a wonderful alternative traffic route, and this year especially it will help ease the pressure of traffic during closures this year of the East Haddam Swing Bridge, which carries Rte. 82 over the Connecticut River,” Wilkinson said. “It also gives park visitors a really fun and ‘photo-friendly’ way to get to the castle.” 

The bridge-rehabilitation project is expected to have no impact on the ferry’s operations or hours, according to John Kennedy, the ferry’s captain. The Connecticut DOT launched the project in 2022 to improve the swing-span operation’s reliability, extend its service life and improve the roadway. Completion is expected by late 2024.

A series of 63-hour road-closure periods are planned during which traffic will be detoured away from the bridge, according to a state-published pamphlet. Several closures are to take place this year, beginning at 8 p.m. Sundays and ending at 11 am. Wednesdays, except on holiday weekends. 

For details about the bridge project, visit easthaddamswingbridgeproject.com. 

The ferry is expected to operate through Nov. 30, and will be closed Thanksgiving Day. Additional ferry information may be found online at portal.ct.gov/DOT/Traveler/ferries/Chester-Hadlyme-Ferry. 

Ferry passengers will be charged current rates to ride the 65-foot diesel-run Selden III, which include a walk-on charge of $2 to pedestrians and bicyclists, $5 for vehicles on weekdays and $6 for vehicles on weekends. A $3 commuter rate requires pre-purchased coupons priced in a book of 20 for $60.

Because the boat is a public conveyance, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic may affect the boat’s capacity as well as safety precautions such as masking and social distancing while aboard the boat. Under normal conditions, the boat has a nine-vehicle capacity. 

A book detailing the history of Connecticut ferries is available for purchase at the Gillette Castle souvenir shop. 

The Chester-Hadlyme Ferry began service in 1769 as Warner’s Ferry, and is one of the oldest continuously operating ferries in the United States. It is also Connecticut’s second-oldest ferry service, after the Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry, which began in 1655. 

A steam-powered barge began to serve the ferry crossing in 1879 and was named the Chester-Hadlyme Ferry in 1882 while it was operated by the town of Chester. In 1917, the Connecticut Department of Transportation took over the service, and the current boat has been in operation since 1949. 

The Friends of Gillette Castle State Park is a nonprofit, all-volunteer group dedicated to the preservation, conservation and educational activities of the building and its grounds. More information may be found at www.gillettecastlefriends.org.

Letter to the Editor: ‘Heartsick’ Over Defeat of Halls Rd. Overlay Proposal; Need Officials, ‘Who Look at Big Picture with Creativity Instead of Negativity’

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To the Editor:

We were both heartsick that the proposal by the Halls Road Improvement Committee was defeated and that two members of the committee failed to vote. 

Our wonderful village needs both more local shops and restaurants so that we don’t have to go across the bridge to Saybrook.  We would welcome a bakery and other shops.   

Apartments for residents are another priority.  Many friends of ours want to move out of their larger homes and want to remain in Old Lyme.  Younger residents who can’t afford high priced homes would welcome this affordable option.   

Currently, our refugee family, The Popals, are looking for a three bedroom apartment so that their children can remain in Old Lyme attending our fine school.  There is nothing available for them. 

As someone who walks around Old Lyme frequently,  I notice the dilapidated buildings around The Hideaway.  Newer shops and restaurants would attract customers.   Apartment rents would provide another source of revenue for the projects as well as giving property tax revenue for Old Lyme.  

We were particularly saddened that the immediate reaction was to vote down the proposal because of a lack of an adequate septic system  instead of opting to look at solutions. We want to have officials who look at the big picture with creativity instead of negativity.  How can we make Old Lyme a wonderful place for residents to live in the future? We need to focus on how an acceptable septic plan can be designed and implemented. 

I hope that new proposals offered by the Halls Road Committee will be heard with constructive thoughts.  Edie and her committee have worked on this plan for more than three years asking for opinions from residents.  It is time for the board to approve the Halls Road Plans, which include necessary plans for septic meeting State standards required.  

With hope …

Sincerely,

Bill and Sandra Rueb,
Old Lyme.

Op-Ed: “Parental Rights Do Not Negate Teachers Being Free To Teach in Their Own Style”

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Editor’s Note:This op-ed was submitted by Steven Wilson, who serves as chairman of the Region 18 Board of Education. The opinion he expresses here is entirely his own and not related in any way to the board of education.

“Children Should be Taught to Think – Not What to Think”

I have read several letters to editors regarding a recent [Old Lyme] RTC [Republican Town Committee] letter apparently mailed to all residents of Lyme and Old Lyme and I’d like to share a third perspective on the matter which I hope and expect will appeal to the majority of our citizens – the all too often overlooked and forgotten Moderate voters. However they’re registered, they vote with their own minds and have no misplaced loyalty to one party or the other.

I felt compelled to participate in this conversation because there are myriad parties sharing very biased opinions and while speaking under the guise of wanting what’s best for the towns, finish their statements with telling us what to think and for whom to vote in November. I would say ignore them all and instead listen to friends and associates you know and respect.

For the sake of time, I’ll focus on the “dog whistle” of “parental rights”. In my experience the term “dog whistle” is cut from the same cloth as any other strawman fallacy wherein someone misinterprets what you said and ignores your intent and replaces it with their contorted version and then attacks that instead.

“People who invoke the term ‘parental rights’ have different things in mind and different aspirations,” said Neal McCluskey, the director of the Center for Educational Freedom at the libertarian Cato Institute in Washington. “My general impression when I see people invoking ‘parental rights,’ it’s been connected to a general idea that parents have been cut out of decisions made by schools.”

“Parental rights” is being represented as a dog whistle for banning books and censorship and anyone who utters the phrase should be summarily ignored. This is beyond ironic. The idea of dismissing anyone’s opinion based on opinion, perspective, or association is the type of bias we should all be fighting against.

The antithesis of parental rights is parental apathy and school districts that lack parental interest have suffered terribly because of the inevitable trickle-down of apathy, disinterest, and lack of motivation experienced by students when their parents “leave education to the educators”. 

We have the greatest teachers in Region 18 and are lucky to have them. I have dealt directly with many of them on a variety of topics and venues and have personally observed their excellence. I have made a point to stress my personal belief that the purpose of school is to educate rather than indoctrinate and to my eye, the faculty, and staff overwhelmingly agree with this perspective. 

Strong communities are built when everyone is involved and works together. Parental rights do not negate teachers being free to teach in their own style – they only keep the door open so that parents can remain involved in the education of their children. We should avoid at all costs the idea that one group or another is prohibited from expressing their perspective due to “dog whistle” words/phrases or group affiliation.

It has been my experience that when people have questions and are allowed to ask them, they find the answers to be quite agreeable. When those doors of communication are closed, the rumor mills take over and the worst and most sensational ideas take over the conversation. 

There will always be ideas, classes, and curricula being taught in school with which we will disagree but after school, we’ll have co-workers, bosses, and supervisors with whom we’ll disagree too. The purpose of school is to prepare us for working together in spite of difficulties and to learn to disagree pleasantly, respectfully, and productively. Children should be taught to think – not what to think.

Let’s keep things simple and look at people based on the content of their character above all other elements. I’m sure if we do that earnestly and honestly, we’ll all find that we agree with each other far more than we’re being led to believe.