Category Archives: Politics

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.

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.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Receive Over $12 Million in State Grants to Upgrade Air Filtration in Middle, Center, Lyme Schools

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“We are so excited by this news. This will provide significant relief to our communities in helping to defray the costs of the approved updates to our PK-8 schools.” (LOL Schools Superintendent Neviaser)

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser

LYME/OLD LYME — On Wednesday, April 5, Governor Ned Lamont announced recipients of grants totaling $56 million under the the HVAC Indoor Air Quality Grants Program for Public Schools to improve air filtration and quality.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools received a total of $12.009 million through the program with Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School being allocated $6.24 million, Lyme-Old Lyme Center School $2.719 million, and Lyme Consolidated School $3.051 million for HVAC upgrades.

Asked his reaction to receipt of the grants, Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser told LymeLine via email, “We are so excited by this news. This will provide significant relief to our communities in helping to defray the costs of the approved updates to our PK-8 schools.  We look forward to beginning construction in the very near future.”

The funds can be used for replacing, upgrading or repairing boilers and other heating/ventilation components; replacing controls and technology systems for HVAC operations; installing or upgrading air conditioning or ventilation systems; or other work approved by the Department of Administrative Services.

The grants program, administered by the state Department of Administrative Services, was created as part of the budget adjustment bill passed by lawmakers and signed into law in the spring of 2022. The law further requires schools to inspect and evaluate HVAC systems every five years, requires these reports to be made public, and requires the reporting of any corrective action taken.

State Senator Martha Marx (D-New London) and State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex) also welcomed the announcement.

“Our students cannot thrive when they’re breathing in low-quality air,” said Sen. Marx, whose 20th District includes Old Lyme. “If you can’t take a deep breath of healthy air, you can’t learn to the best of your ability. Low air quality can have negative impacts on student health and well-being. Teachers and faculty cannot effectively help students learn without a clean, healthy environment either. This will benefit their health as well. I’m thankful the Lamont Administration is investing in the health and futures of our students.”

Sen. Norm Needleman, whose 33rd District includes Lyme, noted, “Last year, when elected officials approved legislation making adjustments to the state budget, we did so knowing that this funding would be included, and that it would directly benefit students around the state,.”

He added, “I’m very encouraged that it will aid students in Lyme and Old Lyme. I’m grateful to Governor Lamont for investing in our community.”

Letter to the Editor: Old Lyme RTC Seems to be Using Same Rhetoric as DeSantis, Extreme Republicans

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To the Editor:

I received the Republican Town Committee’s (RTC) letter sent in mid-March and was immediately alarmed by rhetoric outlining their platform for the upcoming municipal election. Then I saw Mr. Nixon’s letter published in the CT Examiner on March 31st in response to a sermon delivered at the First Congregational Church.

First, Mr. Nixon’s letter sounded like the sermon hit the nail on the head and he’s just sorry that anyone outside his base properly interpreted what “parental rights” mean, like a teenager who has been caught doing something they know was wrong and is trying to talk their way out of it. 

It appears the letter the RTC sent to the whole town was sent with the hope that everyone but their base would either throw it right in the recycling or were too dumb to know that “standing up for parental rights in the town’s school system regarding the school’s curricula and student policies” is identical to the rhetoric used by Ron DeSantis and many others to justify the banning of hundreds of books, “don’t say gay” laws, and to prohibit the use of gender affirming pronouns in schools.

It sounds like Mr. Nixon understands these are unpopular policies among all but the far-right, and when he and the RTC decided to include that rhetoric as part of their platform and criteria for selecting candidates to run in this year’s municipal election, and as part of our State Representative Devin Carney’s platform, they should all expect significant blow-back from the community.

It is hard to believe that none of the 33 members of the RTC Mr. Nixon mentions are familiar with this rhetoric and the actions that have followed it all over this country.

It seems the Old Lyme RTC has fallen right in line with the most extreme Republicans, and we should be wary of all candidates they present as part of their slate this fall.

Sincerely,

Kim Thompson,
Old Lyme.

Editor’s Note: We invited Randy Nixon, who is the chairman of the Old Lyme RTC, to submit the letter he sent to CT Examiner, which is referred to above, to us for publication on LymeLine. He has not responded to our request at this time. Therefore, for reference, we are including a link to the letter, Sermonizing a ‘Complete Misrepresentation of the Facts’ in Old Lyme, here.

Letter to the Editor: “Greatly Troubling” That Old Lyme RTC Has Endorsed ‘Parental Rights’ Agenda for LOL Schools, Something to Remember When Voting in November

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To the Editor:

In March I received the Old Lyme Republican Town Committee’s (RTC) “request for support” letter. I am an unaffiliated voter, and as such I appreciate understanding what the local political parties are offering in terms of policy.  At first, the letter seemed innocuous, opening by noting that among the key values and priorities they would support is “maintaining the excellence of the Lyme-Old Lyme Public Schools.” While we all agree that keeping our schools strong is vital for the future of our children, the RTC explicitly noted that they would be “standing up for parents’ rights in the town school system regarding the school’s curricula and student policies.”

It is greatly troubling to me that the Old Lyme RTC has joined in the national narrative being spouted by leaders like Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump and Greg Abbott.  In every instance where Republicans have pushed a “parental rights” agenda, what has followed has been book bans, censorship and thought policing. The ill-defined “policy” of letting parents decide what books a school can use, what words teachers can say, and how subjects should be taught, fosters a toxic relationship between educators and parents and encourages the foolish, misguided and sometimes violent clashes we’ve seen playing out at Board of Ed meetings from coast to coast. 

Science is science, math is math, literature is literature, and history is history.  Let’s leave educating to the educators; it’s a policy that has served our school system well for the last 200 years. 

In short, if we want to keep our schools strong, let’s make sure we don’t let them get strong-armed by partisan politicians. I hope that in November we will vote for candidates who understand that restricting information and discouraging freedom of thought undermines one of the primary functions of education: teaching students how to think critically and for themselves.

Sincerely,

Claudia Schmaus,
Old Lyme.

Editor’s Note: The author is a  a member of the Town of Old Lyme’s Ethics Commission.