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TOP STORY: Artistic Spotlight Shines on Old Lyme’s Marvelous Midsummer Festival

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Old Lyme’s Midsummer Festival saw thousands of visitors exploring arts and crafts galore at a variety of locations. The photo above features the lawn at the side of the Old Lyme Inn.

OLD LYME—UPDATED WITH MORE PHOTOS 7/28: The Old Lyme Midsummer Festival on Saturday turned part of the town’s historic district into a vibrant celebration of the arts. Visitors enjoyed a view of Americana set in the same estuarine light that lured Impressionist painters more than a century ago.

Visitors of all ages enjoyed viewing the artwork on display.

Tents featuring individual artists with works in a vast range of media, local non-profits explaining their mission, culinary delights from nearby farms, and refreshments for immediate consumption were spread across five locations.

These latter comprised the Lyme Art Association, FloGris Museum, Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center, Old Lyme Inn and Lyme Academy of Fine Arts..

The Lyme-Old Lyme Lions hosted their 20th Annual Classic Car Show at the Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center.

On the shaded grounds of the Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center, George Willauer took home a first place trophy for the Packard convertible his father bought new for $3,400 back in 1935. He attributed the vehicle’s pristine condition to Vintage Motorcars of Westbrook, the local shop with an international reputation that undertook a partial restoration after the car was damaged in a crash several years ago.

The 90-year-old Packard came into the world the same year Willauer did. He learned to drive on the three-speed manual transmission he still shifts today.

“It’s a part of me,” he said.

George Willauer, of Lyme, drove his 1935 Packard convertible to victory in Class B (1930- 1942) of the 20th Annual Lyme-Old Lyme Lions Club Classic Car Show.

Inside the Kelsey Family Children’s Innovation Discovery Center at the Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center, conservation and education coordinator Joe Attwater helped 6-year-old Nova Berman examine a feather through a digital microscope. As Attwater described the “incredible” properties that make feathers such ideal insulation for comforters and coats, Nova magnified the fluffy down beneath her scope.

“There’s nothing warmer in the world than a feather,” Attwater said.

Nova Berman, 6, uses a digital microscope in the Kelsey Family Children’s Innovation Discovery Center at Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center.

The festival is a destination not only for locals, but for visitors. This year marked the first Midsummer outing for Christine Mestler of Cincinnati, Ohio, who was in town to visit her sister, Ross Higgins. The women both went home with prints from the “Fence Artists” displayed on the grounds of the Old Lyme Inn.

Ross Higgins, of Old Lyme, and her sister Christine Mestler of Cincinnati, Ohio, survey the artwork outside the Old Lyme Inn.

The Lyme Artisans Guild began in 2023 when Carol Hunts Stanland, a textile artist, forged the crafts collective of jewelry makers, potters, sculptors, weavers and woodturners. Stanland said shoppers can also find their wares at the Guilford Art Center Holiday Expo and Light Up Old Lyme later this year.

Paul Maulucci, a woodturner from Coventry who belongs to the Lyme Artisans Guild, shows his wares at the Midsummer Festival.

Starting off with a 5K race to benefit the Lymes’ Youth Service Bureau and ending with fireworks set off from behind the Lyme-Old Lyme High School, each year brings enough active artistry to keep attendees coming back for more.

Aidan Kerrigan gave a stirring rendition of the national anthem immediately before the race began.
And they’re off! Serious runners were called to the front of the pack before the race began..
Around 500 runners and walkers competed in the Lymes’ Youth Service Bureau 5K race.
Some runners even wore tutus!
The Parading Paws dog parade at the FloGris Museum was delightful … as always.
Alfie went through his paces capably led by Quinn Ressler before walking away with the “Sweetest” dog.
Ed Shyloski (left) and Greg Symonds, longtime members of VFW Post 1467 continued their service by engaging with many of the visitors and explaining their important work.
A wonderful display of hydrangeas from ‘Hydrangeas Galore’ by Mark Comstock greeted festival-goers as they arrived at the Lyme Art Association.
The Duck River Garden Club—complete with little duckies—was offering beautiful bouquets for sale.
The Old Lyme Town Band gave a rousing concert as a perfect prelude to the fireworks display.
A fabulous fireworks display rounded off another marvelous Midsummer Festival.

So, until next year …

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Plagiarism is No Way to Start a Campaign

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To the Editor:

I have been a professor for nearly a quarter of a century, and I have seen truly remarkable attempts at cheating from people who opted to be unethical rather than to do their own work. But I have never seen a novice politician cheat on their introductory statement until now.

In her first public remarks—her announcement to run for First Selectwoman of Lyme—Democratic-endorsed candidate Christy Zelek pledged: “I’m running for office because I love this town. My priorities will include keeping our town the beautiful, historic place it is.” (LymeLine, July 24)

This is straight, ugly plagiarism. And it’s not even a close call. Witness the evidence from Lyme Matters, the newsletter of the Lyme DTC:

  1. “He’s running because he loves Lyme and wants to help ensure it stays the beautiful gem of a town that it is.” (John Kiker, Fall 2017, page 2)
  2. “We know people love our town and want Lyme to stay the way it is – beautiful, historic and sparsely developed.” (John Kiker and Steven Mattson, Fall 2017, page 3)
  3. “They want Lyme to stay the beautiful, historic place that it is.” (John Kiker, Fall 2019, page 1)
  4. “Our candidates love Lyme, value the importance of open space and want our Town to stay the beautiful, historic place that it is.” (John Kiker, Fall 2021, page 1)
  5. “They want Lyme to stay the beautiful, historic place that it is.” (John Kiker, Fall 2021, page 3)

I think there are few things that should immediately disqualify a candidate to lead a town, but the absurdity of plagiarizing why they want to do so seems a reasonable cause for concern. If a candidate is willing to cheat on a statement of their own beliefs, what would they not cheat on?

The only defense Zelek could offer is to admit she’s simply the mouthpiece for DTC Chair and Second Selectman John Kiker, which then begs a very serious question of who would actually run the town. I hope local journalists and others concerned with the potential dishonesty of public officials investigate.

The problem is made even worse given that Zelek has no substantial governmental or business executive experience. By the DTC’s account, she deserves this important public trust and authority because she “has held leadership positions in parent-teacher groups at the high school, middle school and elementary school level and in the local Boy Scouts organization.”

As an educator, I shudder to think what a message someone who is willing to plagiarize in such a way conveys to young people. But it may help explain the crisis of cheating I see among students.

I write these lines as a lifelong Democrat who is profoundly concerned about the health of democratic society. As I have noted on other occasions, I believe it is essential that we hold elected officials in our own parties to the highest standards of accountability and honesty.

No one whose first act as a candidate is blatant cheating should be entrusted with public money, civic responsibilities, or the welfare of others. And for the sake of our children and their future, I hope that’s a message to which we can all agree, regardless of political party.

Sincerely,

Stephen Olbrys Gencarella, Ph.D.
Lyme, CT.

Editor’s Note: Commenting is now closed. Comments are closed 48 hours after publication of an article or letter.

Blood Drive Scheduled in Old Lyme, Thursday

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OLD LYME–On Thursday, Aug. 7, from 1 to 6 p.m., the American Red Cross will hold a community blood drive at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme.

The American Red Cross reminds readers that blood supplies are critical because every two seconds in the U.S., someone needs blood. While all blood types are needed, donors with type O blood are most urgently needed.

Type O negative blood is often reached for in emergencies when there is insufficient time to match a patient’s blood type.

Type O positive is the most common blood type, so it is important to keep type O blood and all blood types on hand at hospitals for people facing both chronic illness and sudden, life-threatening conditions.

Schedule an appointment at this link or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS. The Red Cross Blood Donor App is also available.  

Music, Mirth, Merriment Abound at Fabulous FloGris Concert

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The ‘Mighty Soul Drivers’ performed on a stand set up on the banks of the Lieutenant River,

OLD LYME—Despite the intense rain storm in the afternoon, by the time the evening rolled around, the skies were clear and a wonderful night of music and friendship took place on the grounds of the FloGris Museum.

Concert-goers settled in for an evening of music, food and friendship.

The ‘Mighty Soul Drivers’ kicked off Old Lyme’s Midsummer Festival 2025 yesterday evening with a rousing concert.

‘The Rolling Tomato’ was doing a roaring trade before the concert began. Things quietened down after the music had started.

Picnics were eaten, beverages were consumed, friends reconnected, and some people even stood up and danced!

Some kayakers listened to the concert from the idyllic setting of the Lieutenant River.

A memorable night was enjoyed by all!

TOP STORY: Old Lyme Racks Up About $13,000 in Legal Fees for Withholding Documents While Shoemaker Foots Bill for $250 Fine

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OLD LYME—Costs for the Town of Old Lyme have exceeded $13,000 to resolve a Freedom of Information complaint from a local news outlet that Old Lyme First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker held back serious allegations against a member of the independent Old Lyme Ambulance Association.  

A review of legal bills filed at the Town Hall shows the town has spent at least $13,035 to defend Shoemaker in front of the state Freedom of Information Commission (FOIC) since the case began more than a year ago. That is when the CT Examiner appealed to the transparency watchdogs to compel Shoemaker to comply fully with its request for documents, including any allegations of sexual assault or harassment going back to the beginning of 2024.

Shoemaker ultimately produced two incident reports containing accusations that an adult Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) touched an intern inappropriately and repeatedly, according to the testimony of CT Examiner reporter Francisco Uranga. But FOIC hearing officer Valicia Dee Harmon noted 168 days had elapsed since the news outlet asked for the information, and it was only provided after the commission got involved.

The commission in June ordered the town to respond promptly to requests for public documents going forward.

A state police spokesman said the law enforcement investigation into the EMT concluded in December. He was never charged.

The legal invoices from the New London-based Suisman Shapiro firm span the alleged incident in March 2024 through the current bill cycle. 

Since the bills in many instances were not specific enough for LymeLine to independently verify which fees pertained to the case against Shoemaker, the first selectwoman sat down with LymeLine to identify the relevant expenses. 

Included in the legal fees was $3,250 for attorney Kristi D. Kelly to prepare for and attend FOIC hearings in December 2024 and April 2025, plus a meeting of the full commission last month.

Attorneys John A. Collins III and Michael P. Carey, as well as a member of the paralegal staff, joined Kelly in billing the town for numerous emails, conference calls and meetings. Other expenses included reviewing files, redacting documents, corresponding with a commission ombudsman regarding complaint resolution, reading CT Examiner articles on the subject and writing hearing briefs. 

The town pays the attorneys $185 per hour, while paralegal staffers receive $95 per hour. The attorneys receive $37 for any task that takes less than 20 minutes. 

Rare Fine

The FOIC last month also upheld Harmon’s decision to issue a rare $250 civil fine.

Shoemaker took responsibility for the fine. From her office in the Town Hall this week, she showed LymeLine a copy of the check dated earlier this month from her personal account and the green postcard from the United States Postal Service confirming receipt. Russell Blair, spokesman for the FOIC, on Friday said the payment had not yet been processed. 

“I made a mistake,” Shoemaker said. “I paid the fine. And we’ve revamped.” 

Shoemaker in a written follow-up was more specific about the mistakes she made in handling the request for public documents.

She acknowledged receiving the two incident reports in March, which she said she “failed to recall” while responding to multiple Freedom of Information requests in June. 

“When I became aware of the outstanding incident reports at the December FOIA hearing, I directly provided them to the FOIA hearing officer and CT Examiner,” she said.

Kelly last month told the commission she had “no knowledge as one of the town’s attorneys that an incident report even existed” until the December hearing. 

Old Lyme Republican Selectwoman Jude Read, in response to a request for comment, said it sends a bad message when Town Hall officials cover up allegations of sexual assault.

Read is running for reelection on the Republican ticket along with first selectman candidate John Mesham.

“Yes, the town has wasted probably thousands of dollars. Yes, the First Selectwoman has chosen to break the law,” Read said in a written response to LymeLine. “But more importantly, what does it say to every other young man or woman subjected to this kind of thing in the workplace? It says, ‘keep quiet. Don’t talk. We don’t want to know about it.’ And I think that’s just plain wrong.” 

Shoemaker this week apologized for failing to recall the documents.

“I am sorry for this oversight,” she said. “I take full responsibility for it, and have initiated additional FOIA processes at Town Hall.”

The hearing officer in her decision acknowledged Shoemaker has implemented a more formal process for logging and tracking Freedom of Information requests, assigned an administrative assistant to be the point person, and signed up for yearly FOI education training with the commission’s public education officer.

Shoemaker emphasized the trooper investigating the case had access to all of the documents at the onset of his investigation.

The state police spokesman said troopers submitted an arrest warrant to the court, but prosecutors declined to move forward with the case.

Editor’s Note: This article was updated with information from the FOIC spokesman.