The four proud owners, José and Diana Plasencia and José Luis and Carolina Marin cut the ribbon together. L-R: Wendy Russell*, Scott Smith*, Mona Colwell*, Joe Camean*, José Luis Marin, Carolina Marin, José Plasencia, (Diana Plasencia behind José), Selectman Jim Lampos, First Selectwoman, Martha Shoemaker, Jeff Hartmann* (*connotes EDC member.) All photos by C. Poirier.
OLD LYME — Family, friends, and lunchtime diners joined the Town of Old Lyme in congratulating the new owners of The Hideaway on Saturday.
The Old Lyme Economic Development Commission (EDC) was joined by the Board of Selectmen in the ribbon cutting ceremony that celebrated both the new ownership and expanded Hideaway offerings of wood-fired pizza. Visit this link to read more about both of these.
Old Lyme First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker shares her well wishes with the owners .
Economic Development Commission Co-Chair Joe Camean welcomed everyone to the celebration noting, “We are happy to see healthy businesses thrive in Old Lyme and want to thank you for doing business here.”
First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker, after also offering her welcome, added, “As a mother of three boys, I know that pizza is a staple in our house and I appreciate we have another place to come and support.”
Co-owner José Plasencia shared his gratitude to those gathered, saying, “Thank you to the whole Old Lyme community for supporting us.”
From left to right, José Plasencia and his daughter Sydney pose with Selectwoman Jude Read, Selectman Jim Lampos, and First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker.
The four new owners, Jose and Diana Plasencia and José Luis and Carolina Marin cut the ribbon together. Jose and Diana run the daily operations of The Hideaway, and Jose Luis and Carolina do the same for The Stumble Inne across the street.
The previous owners of both establishments, Jim and Cyndie Caramante, were on hand for the ribbon cutting and recognized for ensuring the businesses continued through new ownership following the Caramante’s retirement.
The Plasencias accepted a Certificate of Recognition from the Old Lyme EDC. From left to right, EDC Co-chair Joe Camean, José and Diana Plasencia, Selectman Jim Lampos, and EDC Co-chair Jeff Hartmann.
Following the ribbon cutting and presentation of a Certificate of Recognition, attendees were invited to partake in fresh pizza with a variety of toppings, including one created just the evening before—fresh shucked corn and tomato.
Delicious pizzas galore were on offer at the ribbon-cutting. Photo by Laurie Walker.
The selection of pizzas was truly mouth-watering!
The Plasencia Family had an array of pizza offerings for attendees of the ribbon cutting ceremony.
Lyman Allyn Art Museum presents “John Boone – WHATSWHAT” through Aug. 10.
NEW LONDON –Lyman Allyn Art Museum will hold an opening reception for its latest exhibit, “John Boone – WhatsWhat,” on Friday, May 2, from 5 to 7 p.m.
The exhibit of word-based paintings will continue through Aug. 10.
The museum in a press release said Boone, who is based in Stonington and Brooklyn, NY, has long explored text-based art in his studio practice. His work has been shown at many museums and galleries, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
The exhibit features a selection of more than 50 of Boone’s paintings from 1994 to the present, with several groupings that explore a key word with a range of associations.
The museum said the paintings challenge viewers to think about language, technology, advertising, and how people communicate with each other.
“So, what does the installation of WHATSWHAT mean?” Boone said in the release. “There are many ways of looking for meaning. This exhibition can be thought of as an illustration, a model, and a review of how we go about things. Or it could be seen as an ensemble of prompts waiting for your answers.”
Boone’s recent solo exhibitions include the Boca Raton Museum of Art, the Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton, NJ, and the Mystic Museum of Art. His work is held in a variety of public and private collections, with commissions that include a sign flown over Berlin, a street mural in Prague, eight murals laser-etched in glass for the Hudson Bergen Light Rail in Jersey City, and a granite compass at the Key West Botanical Garden.
The opening reception is free to museum members. Non-members are $10. To register, call 860-443-2545 ext. 2129 or email info@lymanallyn.org.
This exhibition has been made possible with support from an anonymous foundation. Funding has also been provided by the Connecticut State Legislature, administered by the Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of the Arts.
The 20th Annual Meeting of the Old Lyme Historical Society will be held on June 9, in the organization’s building at 55 Lyme St.
OLD LYME —On Monday, June 9, the Old Lyme Historical Society hosts its 20th Annual Meeting & Old Lyme History Trivia Night in its building at 55 Lyme St., Old Lyme.
The schedule for the evening is:
5:30 p.m. – Deep River Junior Ancients 6 p.m. – Meeting and Scholarship Awards 6:30 p.m. – Refreshments 7 p.m. – Trivia Contest and prizes
Marcia Higgins chats with a friend at the Lymes’ Senior Center during the Grand Re-Opening Ceremony Saturday afternoon.
LYME/OLD LYME–Lorraine Wilcox and Marcia Higgins are among those who refer to the Lymes’ Senior Center as a lifesaver.
Now, with 3,265 additional square feet and a layout that allows for multiple programs to be held at once, more older adults than ever can experience the resuscitative power of friendship.
While eating ice cream at the Center’s Grand Re-Opening Ceremony Saturday, Wilcox recalled becoming a member after the death of her husband almost eight years ago.
“It was a lifesaver,” she said. “I was depressed, and I could come be with other people, do things.”
“It’s a great way to make new friends,” she said.
Wilcox line dances. She takes exercise classes with up to 30 others in a space dedicated to the likes of weight training, Tai Chi and yoga. She sits quietly in the library room with a book. She gathers with others to await transportation to places like the JFK Museum in Boston, the mansions of Newport, RI, and the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall where the Rockettes are the stars of the show.
The Lymes’ Senior Center Grand Re-Opening Ceremony culminated with ice cream in the new dining room.
Higgins said she found herself in the same boat when she became a widow.
“It is a lifesaver,” she agreed.
The Center reopened earlier this month after being closed for a year and a half. The women credited Center Director Stephanie Gould and Assistant Director Caitlin Perkins with ensuring a full slate of activities from satellite locations across both towns during the closure.
“We were all over the place,” Wilcox said.
But Gould and Perkins kept the needs of all older adults front and center, according to Wilcox and Higgins.
“I think they love us,” Higgins said with sly certainty. “And we love them.”
Lymes’ Senior Center Director Stephanie Gould and Assistant Director Caitlin Perkins receive a citation for their work from Board of Directors Chairman Peter Lucchese.
Jeri Baker, chairwoman of the Lymes’ Senior Center Building Committee, took the podium during the early afternoon ceremony in front of a full house.
“We were focused from day one on one thing: That the seniors in these two communities didn’t get just what they needed, they got what they deserved,” she said.
Through the years, Baker has repeatedly described the committee’s vision for an open, airy layout marked by retractable walls and expansive windows to let in the light. The vision was tested by cost overruns and a slow grant funding process, but remained a priority for taxpayers in both towns through multiple votes on what added up to a $6.4 million project.
One million dollars is covered by state funding through a program that supports small town, quality of life projects.
Old Lyme First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker, right, brings Lymes’ Senior Center Building Committee Chairwoman Jeri Baker to the podium to recognize her for five years, seven months and 12 days of service on the project.
State Sen. Martha Marx, D-New London, told the members they deserve the new space where they can be with others.
“We all know loneliness is hard. It’s hard for a lot of seniors,” she said. “When you have such a beautiful place like this where you can all come together, it’s going to change lives.”
Baker, Old Lyme First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker, Lyme Selectwoman Kristina White and Lymes’ Senior Center Board of Directors Chairman Peter Lucchese all stood up to thank the dozens of people who made the renovation happen.
Shoemaker said there were about 1,100 members before the renovation. They combined for roughly 550 visits per week.
“In short, the Center was being used more frequently by more people than at any point in the history,” she said. “And at the same time, it had not undergone any renovation to its original structure since it opened in 1996, except, I believe, for a screened-in porch.”
Ruth Young was an original Lymes’ Senior Center member, who raised money for the building in the 1990s.
The project was designed by Old Lyme-based Point One Architects and managed by Newfield Construction of Hartford.
Shoemaker acknowledged two garbage cans in the dining room to catch water from a leak in the ceiling related to the heating and cooling system.
“Anyone who’s built a house, done a home remodeling project, we all know that turning things on for the first time is a surprise,” she said.
The system is under warranty, according to Shoemaker.
Members and supporters of the Lymes’ Senior Center applaud during the re-opening ceremony.
When Gould, the Center’s Director, got up to give thanks, nobody ranked higher on her list than the seniors themselves.
“I want to thank our members, you guys, who I lovingly think of as ‘my seniors,’ for believing in this project and coming out in numbers to approve both referendums,” she said.
She credited their positive energy, understanding and support with keeping staff members in good spirits through the transition.
“This one’s for you,” she told the crowd.
The Day in Pictures
Lymes’ Senior Center Assistant Director Caitlin Perkins and member Mary Buttery stand in front of Buttery’s painting. Members’ art lines the walls of the newly renovated facility.
Lymes’ Senior Center Board of Directors Chairman Peter Lucchese gives a tour of the Lymes’ Senior Center.’s new kitchen.
Members sit at tables in the lobby of the newly renovated Lymes’ Senior Center, where they can start each day with free coffee and tea.
The memorial garden surrounds the flag pole in front of the Lymes’ Senior Center.
The newly renovated, $6.4 million Lymes’ Senior Center is open again after closing its doors a year and a half ago for the upgrade.
Soprano Lisa Williamson moved attendees with her performance of the American spiritual “Steal Away” and gospel hymn “His Eye is on the Sparrow.” All photos by LymeLine.
OLD LYME–Ten small brass plaques installed Friday morning on the Sill Lane Green are there to fill holes left by untold stories.
Cesar was about 15-years-old when he was purchased for 80 pounds by Reynold Marvin Jr. in 1730. Zacheus Still, born enslaved to Richard Lord Jr. in 1726, served in the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. A 26-year-old known to history only as ‘Negro Woman’ was recorded as being healthy and “capable at housework” when she was sold in 1802 by Enoch Lord Jr.
The information was culled from scant references in land records, emancipation certificates, and other primary sources, according to the Witness Stones Old Lyme organization that for five years has been working to unearth the town’s history of enslavement.
The group on Friday held its fifth installation ceremony on the grounds of the Old Lyme Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library. The Sill Lane Witness Stones join 50 others laid in Lyme and Old Lyme since the organization began in 2020 as an offshoot of the wider Connecticut-based Witness Stones initiative.
The local group marks sites of enslavement and engages students in telling the stories behind the stones.
Witness Stones Old Lyme over the past five years has installed 60 plaques in locations shown here.
Witness Stones Old Lyme Chairwoman Carolyn Wakeman said the ceremony would be the last of its kind as the sun sets on the five-year-project.
“Together, we have restored missing history,” she said.
Wakeman described the map of Witness Stones as a wide circle extending from Lyme Street, past the Lower Town Green to McCurdy Road, south to the Black Hall section of town, north to Lyme and the East Lyme border, and back to Lyme Street’s northern end at the Sill Lane Green.
The 12 most recent installations were located on Sill Lane and at the Florence Griswold Museum.
“Even though we could easily place another 60 plaques to commemorate additional enslaved persons, the Witness Stones website will continue to provide new information about local enslavement, and middle school students will continue in the years ahead to engage with the Witness Stones curriculum and to focus on primary documents in the history of our town,” she said.
Poet Kate Rushin reads “Fishing for Shad” at the fifth and final Old Lyme Witness Stones installation ceremony.
Kate Rushin, a poet and Connecticut College professor, read her poem “Fishing for Shad” as one of four artists selected to remember in verse people enslaved on Lyme Street.
Rushin, along with Antoinette Brim-Bell, Marilyn Nelson and Rhonda Ward, are the Witness Stones Old Lyme poets. The group received a Health Improvement Collaborative of Southeastern Connecticut (HIC) Partnership Grant for Racial Equity.
Rushin wrote the poem from the perspective of Jack Howard. He was born enslaved to Samuel Mather Jr. in 1795 and willed to Mather’s son James in 1809.
She said she used Wakeman’s research, her own understanding of others, and her experiences to imagine how she might feel if she were the enslaved child.
“I don’t know where I belong/but I know I don’t belong here,” she wrote in the poem’s opening lines.
Led by Kate Rushin, the audience repeats the name of each enslaved person honored in the final installation ceremony.
Rushin is also the author of Meditations on Generations, written for Jane. Born enslaved to Joseph Peck Jr. in 1726, Jane was sold for 25 pounds at the age of 3. No more information about her has been discovered.
“I’ll remember you, Jane,” she wrote in the poem’s final lines. “You were here./I will honor you, respect you;/hold you in my words.”
The poet, who identified herself as the great-granddaughter of an enslaved woman and the free man who released her from bondage, grew up in the first incorporated African-American town in New Jersey.
“This project is very personal to me, as it is to the other Witness Stones poets,” she said.
The Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School Chamber Choir, under the direction of Laura Ventres, sing a medley of American spiritual songs.
Eight Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School students followed Rushin with their own poems honoring those whose plaques were laid Friday.
Michelle Dean, curriculum director for the Lyme-Old Lyme Schools, described the five-year collaboration between Witness Stones Old Lyme and the schools as a shared commitment to telling the stories of “those whose voices for far too long have gone unheard.”
She said historical documents allowed students to confront complex truths and explore diverse perspectives that shaped the history of Lyme and Old Lyme.
Witness Stones Project founder Dennis Culliton, with grandson Joey Tomanelli, lauded the Old Lyme group as a model for other cities and towns. He is retiring from the Witness Stones Project next month after eight years.
“If our past is indeed our greatest teacher, then let it teach us this: We each have the capacity to honor others with dignity and respect,” she said. “Let us honor the past and our future by choosing humanity every day.”
Editor’s Note: This article was updated with the most recent Witness Stones Old Lyme map and to correct Wakeman’s name in one reference.
