Category Archives: Politics

Letter to the Editor: An Open Letter to the Residents of Old Lyme from First Selectwoman Shoemaker

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To the Editor:

Dear Neighbors:

It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as the First Selectwoman in Old Lyme. During my term I have listened to your concerns, acted on the issues under my authority, and made a conscientious effort to deliver results that matter. Together, we have made meaningful progress toward a more transparent, resilient, and responsive town government. I want to share our accomplishments and my goals for next term.

What We’ve Accomplished Together:

  • Modernized the budget process for transparency and inclusivity. Boards, commissions, departments, and nonprofits now present their budget requests in public meetings, giving residents full visibility into how our town allocates resources.
  • Achieved an AAA bond rating, allowing Old Lyme to borrow at more favorable rates and maintain strong financial health.
  • Instituted full compliance with our Bid Policy, ensuring projects over $20K are now competitively bid for quality and value.
  • Reestablished the dormant Flood and Erosion Control Board. The new board is actively pursuing projects to reduce flood insurance costs and improve shoreline resilience.
  • Solved long-standing flooding issues on Cross Lane which restored emergency access.
  • Rebuilt the sluiceway at Hawks Nest Beach to protect homes and roads, and decrease flooding.
  • Utilized federal grants for the expansion and upgrading of the Emergency Operations Center. This new space enables efficient management during emergencies and additional training space for emergency personnel. 
  • Created the Road and Public Safety Committee to address road safety through community-driven solutions. Their actions have made drivers more aware of their speed by placing electronic speed signs on roads. 
  • Improved access to town meetings by implementing virtual options and ensuring reliable communication in all Town Hall meeting rooms. 
  • Completed capital projects including ADA-compliant parking at Soundview, the installation of key-card entryways for town buildings, and the installation of cameras at Town Hall doorways.
  • Collaborated with Lyme and the Senior Center building committee to complete the renovation of the Lymes’ Senior Center; delivered under budget, including the kitchen upgrade.
  • Collaborated with the Old Lyme Visiting Nurse Association when Yale New Haven Health cancelled the Town Nurse program, by providing resources for the hiring process of a Town Nurse. 
  • Published a weekly newsletter, keeping residents informed of town hall news, town events, and special recognitions.
  • Recruited police officers, to build our department toward full staffing levels.
  • Instituted annual town government “Spring into Action” collaborative training; bringing all boards, commissions, and committees together to align efforts and share updates.

Goals for the Next Two Years:

  • Provide channels for community engagement in the Planning and Zoning Committees’ zoning regulation rewrite to ensure residents have a voice in shaping Old Lyme’s future. 
  • Increase virtual opportunities for meetings of all boards and commissions to ensure accessibility and transparency.
  • Develop a policy for the undesignated fund balance, establishing guidelines for how large it should be and to return tax dollars to residents when the fund reaches a sustainable level.
  • Host workshops to create formal long term capital plans, guiding infrastructure and investment decisions.
  • Maintain open communication with Region 18 school district, ensuring alignment between town and school priorities.
  • Advance resiliency and sustainability planning, preparing Old Lyme for future environmental and infrastructure challenges.
  • Aggressively pursue state and federal grants, bringing your tax dollars back to Old Lyme. 
  • Continue my open-door policy, listening to residents and acting on their concerns.

Thank you for allowing me to serve these past two years. I hope that I have earned your support on November 4th.

Sincerely,

Martha H. Shoemaker,
Old Lyme.

Editor’s Note: The author is the incumbent First Selectwoman of Old Lyme.

Letter to the Editor: Old Lyme Republican Pledges Support for Democratic BOE Candidate Shyloski

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To the Editor:

I am a Republican AND I am voting for Democrat Sheryl Shyloski for the L-OL Board of Education!

Why am I doing so? Well, first of all, she is my daughter-in-law, and, Sheryl Shyloski is much more than that. Her degrees include a Masters in Psychology. Sheryl exhibits vital past experience and respected accomplishment across three school systems, i.e., Plainfield, Guilford, and currently as a school psychologist in East Lyme. Sheryl truly exhibits the critical skills for understanding childhood development issues as well as for contributing to school policies.

Sheryl Shyloski has a keen focus on understanding what works and does not work in today’s education environment including details of procedures, testing, conflict resolution, and work environments. Most importantly, Sheryl always exhibits a cool head for not only policy issues, but she is keen and truthful. Whether dissecting budget and expenditure proposals with regard to either achieving or not achieving results of grammar and high school policy and procedures, understanding programs and standards implementation, enforcement of and monitoring results either attained or results failing to be attained, Sheryl brings the skills we need to enhance our L-OL Board of Education. 

Sheryl’s superior veteran educator skills were on display with applause given at the recent Wednesday night L-OL Board of Education Debate at the Middle School where Sheryl was truly very impressive, not only in her opening remarks, but with superior extemporaneous and unassailable responses throughout the debate including her conclusion. 

Sheryl Shyloski is one of the most dedicated, truthful, and hard-working educators I have met, and I believe everyone witnessed just that including those who were there both competing with her on stage as well as in the audience.

Sincerely,

Ed Shyloski,
Old Lyme.

Alliance for American Leadership Honors Former Congressman Gejdenson with Lifetime Achievement Award

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Former Congressman Sam Gejdenson received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alliance for American Leadership (A4AL) at an event held in Old Lyme. Photo credit: A4AL

OLD LYME — On Oct. 5, the Alliance for American Leadership (A4AL) joined Old Lyme resident Andrea Fenton, formerly of USAID and the Peace Corps, and Mark Miller, a nurse practitioner and public health advocate, to honor former Congressman Sam Gejdenson with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades of service to the United States and the world. 

The award ceremony, hosted in Old Lyme, marked the official Connecticut launch of the Alliance and drew more than 70 supporters committed to restoring America’s global leadership through effective international assistance. The event raised over $7,000 to support A4AL’s programs aimed at renewing, restoring, and reimagining U.S. foreign aid.

While the launch introduced A4AL to the state, its central purpose was to recognize Congressman Gejdenson’s lasting impact. Born in a displaced persons camp in Allied-occupied Germany, Gejdenson represented Connecticut’s 2nd District from 1981 to 2001.

During his tenure, he championed causes that strengthened America’s global reach and moral standing—restoring funding to the United Nations Population Fund, advancing anti-trafficking legislation, and initiating U.S. support for UNAIDS, a program that has helped save more than 26 million lives worldwide. 

Speakers throughout the evening reflected on leadership, American values, and the power of compassion-driven service. 

“Leadership is about trust,” said Mark Miller, a nurse practitioner and health advocate. “In healthcare, trust isn’t a slogan—it’s the difference between chaos and coordination, between fear and recovery. It’s built one decision, one conversation, one act of integrity at a time. That same trust is what’s missing in public life today. That’s why I believe in the Alliance for American Leadership—because it stands for principled, informed, and service-minded leadership.” 

Asher Moss, Executive Director of A4AL, contrasted that leadership with recent policy changes. 

“As a nation, we made a conscious decision to shut down USAID this year,” said Asher Moss, Executive Director of A4AL. “That meant cutting off food, medicine, and life-saving care to 120 million people. It meant allowing 500 tons of American crops to be destroyed instead of feeding families in Yemen and Sudan.”

He continued, “That’s not American leadership — it’s a moral failure. If we do nothing, 14 million people could die over the next five years. That’s why we’re here — to act, to lead, and to remind the world what America stands for.” 

Victoria Ayer, who once served on Gejdenson’s staff, recalled his enduring belief in service: “Sam believes in the best of what America can be. We worked on Medicare for All, we helped build the East Coast Greenway, and we restored funding to the UN Population Fund. What truly makes this country great is our empathy and compassion for others.” 

Former Congressman Sam Gejdenson addressed the capacity audience at the event. Photo credit: A4AL

When it came time for Congressman Gejdenson to speak, he shared a story that captured the ripple effect of American generosity. 

“In Ghana, a woman borrowed about $100 through a microloan program we started,” Gejdenson said. “She bought a sewing machine, then a stove, then plastic flowers — and before long, she had 50 employees making flowers for weddings and funerals. The U.S. investment was under $300. That’s what American assistance can do — it transforms lives.” 

He continued: “It’s hard to get people to see why we should help others. Forget that it’s the right thing to do—it’s also smart. Disease anywhere becomes disease everywhere. Hunger abroad breeds instability at home. We need to remind Americans that compassion is not weakness; it’s strength. And rebuilding that understanding starts at the grassroots level—it starts with groups like A4AL.”

A press release from the A4AL noted it was honored to recognize Congressman Gejdenson’s decades of service and his commitment to a more compassionate, secure, and principled America. 

Editor’s Note: Formed after the shutdown of USAID, the Alliance for American Leadership is a nonpartisan coalition dedicated to restoring American leadership through smart, strategic, and effective international assistance. For more information on the organization, visit https://A4AL.org.

Letter to the Editor: Veteran Old Lyme Board of Finance (BOF) Member Endorses ‘Capable … Deeply Committed’ Republican Slate of BOF Candidates

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To the Editor:

As a resident of Old Lyme and member of the Board of Finance for almost 22 years, I am writing to express my thoughts on the upcoming 2025 Board of Finance election, a pivotal event that will shape the financial stewardship of our community for years to come. The Board of Finance plays a crucial role in ensuring fiscal responsibility, transparency, and the wise allocation of our town’s resources. With the challenges of maintaining essential services, improving infrastructure, and balancing the town’s budget, it is more important than ever that we elect individuals who are not only capable, but also deeply committed to the well-being and future of Old Lyme.

This election is an opportunity for us to reaffirm our values as a town — values that include prudent financial management, open communication with residents, and a focus on both present needs and long-term sustainability. We have three candidates up for election that have experience in the business world that will do our town well in having them on the Board of Finance. David Kelsey and Matt Olson have been members of the Board for many years; John Flick is a newcomer that brings to the table years of business experience and a passion for our town being run as efficiently as possible. I encourage my fellow citizens to learn about the candidates and consider everyone’s experience and vision for Old Lyme. Our Board of Finance needs members who are collaborative, knowledgeable, and willing to advocate for the entire community.

There has been a great deal of conversation about the town’s undesignated funds.  In my years on the board, we have asked our auditors what percentage of surplus our town should have. That number fluctuated between 20-30% depending on the auditor.  This is higher than most communities because of the possible loss of tax revenue if a catastrophic storm hit our beach communities. Long term if we had significant property loss along the shoreline, we could face loss of tax revenue for a period of time while homes were re-built.  

This past budget season there was conversation about how much we should take from surplus. There were several proposals that did not pass. We stepped away for a week and had another meeting where David Kelsey made a motion, and I seconded the amount of $800,000 to be taken from surplus for this current budget year. That motion passed 5-1.  Our reason for this number was to help in the short term with the higher than usual town budget increase and the Region 18 building project debt payments starting. Why not more? There will be Region 18 debt payment increases in the coming years that most likely will have to use more money from the undesignated fund to keep the tax bills as flat as possible. We also have town projects that are coming down the pike like the Grassy Hill Road Bridge, road maintenance and the unknown of what the town may have to contribute to the sewer project.  

Regardless of political affiliation, I urge everyone to participate in the upcoming election. I ask you to support David Kelsey, Matt Olson and John Flick for the Board of Finance. This group will look at spending our money wisely in the short term and planning for the future. An engaged and informed electorate is the foundation of effective local government. Together, we can ensure that Old Lyme continues to thrive, not just for current residents, but for generations to come.

Sincerely,

Andy Russell,
Old Lyme.

Letter to the Editor: Shoemaker Keeps Her Promises

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To the Editor:

I am a senior citizen and I am writing in support of Martha Shoemaker to continue to serve as the first selectman for the Town of Old Lyme.

Martha keeps her campaign promises to the people of Old Lyme.

  • She improved community access to board and committee meetings with technology upgrades in Town Hall. Now I can reliably participate from home in a meeting.
  • She addressed long-term flooding issues at the beaches.
  • She started the Gateway Improvements Committee to address speeding and concerns about blight in the beach community.

Martha Shoemaker and her running mate Jim Lampos listen to the community and respond with meaningful action. They deserve to be elected to represent Old Lyme residents.

Sincerely,

Carolyn Miranda,
Old Lyme.