The keynote address at LOL Middle School was given by Dr. Jennifer Hall, US Coast Guard Lieutenant (Ret.) All photos courtesy of Lyme-Old Lyme Schools.
LYME/OLD LYME—On Tuesday, Lyme-Old Lyme Schools commemorated Veterans Day with a breakfast for local veterans followed by ceremonies in each school incorporating speeches, music and singing to honor all veterans. Students of all ages were involved in the day’s events.
This Middle School student was busy preparing a hearty breakfast for the Veterans.
Each Veteran was presented with a thoughtful gift (below) from the Middle School student body.
After breakfast at the middle school, the veterans attended a program in their honor in the school auditorium. The program included a keynote address given by Dr. Jennifer Hall, US Coast Guard Lieutenant (Ret.) and the presentation of Patriot’s Pen Essay Winners.
Bandmaster Jacob Wilson leads the musicians in a rousing piece honoring the Veterans.
Later the Veterans moved to Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS) for another event at which the LOLHS Band played …
… and the LOLHS Chorus sang.
This trio of Veterans—VFW Post 1467 Trustees David Griswold, (left) and Doug Wilkinson (right), along with VFW Post 1467 Commander Richard Mason (center)—enjoyed the high school reception..
A reception was held at the high school after the program there allowing the veterans to mingle with the students.
The Veterans were also enthusiastically welcomed at Lyme Consolidated School, as this young man’s face clearly shows!
These youngsters sang lustily at Lyme Consolidated School for their esteemed guests …
… and down at Mile Creek School, the students also gave a wonderful presentation for the Veterans.
After the event, David Griswold commented to LymeLine via e-mail, “Veterans Day at the school is special. The support we receive from the administration and facility along with the food, music, speakers, and especially all the students means so much to us. “
The sign says it all … and here at olwenonline.com/, we add our sincere thanks to all the Veterans who have served, continue to serve and, in some cases, made the ultimate sacrifice.
Lyme-Old Lyme High School Senior Chase Gilbert, seated center, joins the top 25 runners at the CIAC State Opens on Monday.
NEW BRITAIN/OLD LYME — Congratulations to Lyme-Old Lyme High School Senior Chase Gilbert for earning the Cross-Country State Open title Monday at Wickham Park!
Gilbert’s time of 17:50.08 made her the fastest female runner among high schools of any size at the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference event. She also won the Class S championship at the same venue on Oct. 25 with a time of 17:51.9.
Gilbert is coached by former Olympian and world record holder Jan Merrill-Morin.
Last year, Gilbert committed to the University of Virginia.
Federal Prevention Education Funding Remains on Shaky Ground
LYSB Board Chairwoman Shay Cantner, LYSB Executive Director Mary Seidner and Counselor Kelly Lydiksen on Wednesday showed off their newly renovated home on Lyme Street.
OLD LYME—Lymes’ Youth Service Bureau (LYSB) this week unveiled renovations to its Lyme Street headquarters, creating a more welcoming space for staff and families at the same time the nonprofit organization adapts to reduced federal funding.
The 1850 building at 59 Lyme Street, which anchors the small campus, was updated with a streamlined layout and new features through a state grant and donations, according to LYSB Executive Director Mary Seidner.
“What I find so amazing about the whole project is the community partnership,” she said.
She credited general contractor Steve Wood of Steve Wood Design Build of Lyme, architect Christopher DeFiore of Old Lyme, Project Manager Bob Cope and Project Advisor Steve Hallahan, both of Lyme, with making the renovation possible.
Former LYSB Board member Hallahan helped Seidner write the original grant to apply for the funds and he, along with Cope and DeFiore, donated their services pro bono. Seidner said, “They were all so generous with their time. It’s because of them that we were able to complete the project ahead of time and under budget.”
She added, “Our architect lives in town … Our designer lives in town. Our project manager is on our board, and he practically lived here,” she said. “It’s just beautiful.”
Meanwhile, a desk for the full-time, grant-funded LYSB Prevention Coordinator sits empty after The White House late last month announced its Drug Free Communities grant program has been put on hold. Seidner said the loss of $125,0000 in federal funds annually required her to lay off the coordinator while the grant award process remains in limbo.
Staff from LYSB greeted members of the public at Wednesday’s open house to show off the renovated space that included upgrades and a reconfigured floor plan to allow confidential workspaces and to ensure the space is accessible to everyone who enters.
The renovation, which gutted the interior of the 1,836-square-foot building, also adddressed crumbling plaster ceilings, walls with newspaper insulation, aging wiring and plumbing, a lack of ventilation, the dirt floor in a portion of the basement, inefficient and inoperative windows, and a stone foundation in need of repair.
“The building before needed a lot of help,” Seidner said. “Our staff spent a lot of time fixing things and dealing with stuff that didn’t work.”
Improvements include kid-friendly spaces for counselor Kelly Lydiksen to meet with young clients and their families. The licensed marriage and family therapist associate said the renovation had been completed for some six weeks when she joined LYSB about two weeks ago.
“There was a lot of ability to make it exactly what I needed it to be, which is great,” Lydiksen said. “I’ve been able to get a lot of resources and tools for kids specifically.”
In addition to Lydiksen’s second-floor office, there’s a room across the hall outfitted with a magnetic easel, books, crafts and seating that can be used as additional meeting space or a waiting area when needed.
Seidner cited privacy as a key concern in the renovation. Moving the staircase from the back of the house to the front has helped to accomplish that.
“Clients who are coming here for counseling can go right up the stairs,” she said. “They don’t have to walk through my staff break-room, which is what they used to have to do.”
LYSB uses a sliding scale based on the client’s ability to pay for each counseling session. The fees are subsidized through donations.
“About half of our clients are paying us $5, or zero,” she said.
Shay Cantner, who serves as LYSB Board of Directors Chairwoman, said board members had no difficulty getting behind the renovation project for the old house purchased in 1978 as the burgeoning organization’s headquarters.
Cantner, who is in her fifth year on the board, cited inconveniences like broken chairs in Seidner’s office and temperatures that always seemed too hot or too cold.
“I think all the staff work so hard and they deserve to be in a place that is at least updated, so they can focus on the work, and serving the children and families. That’s where their focus should be,” she said.
The youth center and early childhood center, located in the property’s former garage and barn, were not affected by the renovation.
Seidner recalled three of the organization’s four full-time staff members worked out of an eight foot-wide trailer on the site during the renovation.
“We were very close together, but it was an adventure,” she said. “That’s the way we looked at it.”
Federal Funding Delay Results in Staffing Cut
LYSB Executive Director Mary Seidner stands at the entrance to her renovated office.
Seidner on Wednesday said she laid off prevention coordinator Antoinette Thuillier, who holds a master’s degree in public health and had been in the position for 11 months, after the grant funding to renew the position did not come through by the end of the federal fiscal year on Sept. 29.
The renewal would have extended the five-year Drug Free Communities grant to 10 years. LYSB was finishing its fifth year in the program, which provided $125,000 annually.
Seidner said LYSB had received pre-approval and was awaiting final confirmation when The White House on Sept. 26 announced it would “recompete” the award process, essentially canceling existing proposals and reopening a new round. The surprise decision affected six prevention coalitions in Connecticut, according to Seidner.
The federal grant program supports work to reduce drug, alcohol and tobacco use among children.
The White House in its announcement said the move was necessary to ensure applicants are in compliance with recent executive orders from President Donald Trump.
“Our team is working aggressively to put safeguards in place towards advancing President Trump’s America-First policy agenda and mission,” the announcement said. “We are performing due diligence to ensure that absolutely no taxpayer dollars go to furthering the radical left’s agenda.”
LYSB’s prevention coordinator runs the Lyme-Old Lyme Prevention Coalition and the high school Youth Prevention Coalition. Other responsibilities included working with the Old Lyme Police Department DARE program as well as participating in driver’s education and health classes at the high school, Seidner said.
Seidner emphasized LYSB’s prevention work will continue in a modified way as the remaining staff members take on additional duties.
“I don’t want to give anyone the impression that we’re in trouble, because we’re not in trouble,” she said. “But it hurts.”
She said spending would get “very tight” with the loss of funding amounting to a quarter of the overall budget. She said it’s unclear when the government will resume awarding grants.
“That’s why I’m saying national politics have hit Lyme Street,” she said. “The children of Lyme and Old Lyme are being affected by this decision.”
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.
Ten candidates are running for five open seats on the Region 18 Board of Education.
LYME-OLD LYME–The Region 18 Board of Education candidates, many of them parents of current students, started Wednesday evening’s candidates’ forum by agreeing Lyme-Old Lyme (LOL) Schools offer an outstanding education.
The companionable exchange of ideas at the Lymes’ Youth Service Bureau (LYSB) “Meet the Candidates” event continued with broad consensus on numerous issues in the two-hour question and answer session moderated by WFSB personality Eric Parker. About 50 people came out to the Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School auditorium while others watched the online livestream.
They agreed on the importance of making all students feel included. They agreed state and district policies give parents the right to shield their children from objectionable material, while at the same time keeping books and lessons available to the rest of the students. They agreed on limiting guns in schools to the security guards already authorized to carry them.
Numerous questions, submitted in advance by residents, had been narrowed down by LYSB to a list of 10. Some of the questions went to all candidates, while others were answered in groups of four. Candidates had 90 seconds to respond.
There are eight hopefuls from Old Lyme vying for four open spots, including one being vacated by Democratic First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker as she makes another run for the town’s top spot. Members Chris Staab (R) and Laura Dean-Frazier (U) are also not running for reelection.
The candidates are evenly split under the Democratic and Republican banners.
Seven of the eight candidates at the forum have children in the school system, compared to four on the current nine-member school board. Several mentioned moving to town because of the quality education.
Among the candidates were those driven by data, like Democrat Sheryl Shyloski, a school psychologist, and Republican Brandy Campbell, a veterinarian and scientist at Pfizer. Jarod Bushey (R) referred to education as the foundation of the American Dream that led him to become an aerospace scientist. Michael Hansen (D) advocated for giving trade-seeking students the same support and resources as college-seeking students.
Shaun Mastroianni (R), who is no stranger to the campaign trail, leaned on experience as a nonprofit healthcare executive and a former regional school board member in Chester. Democrat Cynthia Love McCollum said a career as a public defender gives her the ability to interpret and adapt the rule of law as it relates locally, while Judicial Branch family relations counselor and incumbent school board Chairman Jason Kemp (D) said he has helped ensure all members’ voices are heard.
In Lyme, retired educator and incumbent school board member Democrat Anna James is running against Republican-endorsed unaffiliated candidate Lannie Mossberg, a zoning assistant at Lyme Town Hall.
James was unable to attend because of a family commitment, according to Parker. Old Lyme candidate Carlos Piña, an unaffiliated candidate running with Republican endorsement, also could not be there.
About 50 people came out to watch Wednesday night’s LYSB “Meet the Candidates” forum. By Friday morning, a livestream of the event had 395 views.
Reducing the Budget
When asked to suggest specific areas of the budget that can be reduced, several candidates talked about the state “minimum budget requirement” preventing school boards from cutting a budget below the previous years’ total. Others couched the issue in terms of savings rather than cuts.
Shyloski said she has worked as a school psychologist to bring special education students back to the district after they were placed in outside programs.
Special education costs, which can be significantly affected by the need to find out-of-district programs for students whose situation can’t be addressed locally, are often cited as driving factors in rising education budgets statewide.
She said keeping students in the district is a cost saving, but it’s also what is right for students. She acknowledged it is up to LOL Schools’ staff members to come up with any plan.
“So while that wouldn’t be my role on the board, I would seek to push administration and the superintendent to explore how that might be done here,” she said.
Bushey told the audience that keeping costs down amid inflation and a prohibition on reducing overall spending puts board members between a rock and a hard place.
“So we’re kind of left in a position where the best we can do is slow the rate of growth,” he said.
He was among those who said the district’s reserve fund needs continued attention and discussion.
“If we’re seeing year-over-year surpluses, by definition, that means that we are over-budgeting in certain areas. So we should look at those areas to see if funds need to be moved to different accounts, or look at two ways we can scale back,” he said.
A Focus on Trades
Bolstered by Hansen’s enthusiastic support for more vocational training opportunities in the schools, the candidates got behind the idea of building a focus on the trades into district offerings.
Hansen has cited the issue as a key factor in his decision to run for the school board.
“As a lifelong tradesman, son of a carpenter, currently employed with Amtrak, I believe my experiences could further the district’s efforts to offer our trade-seeking students the same support and resources as our college-seeking students,” he said.
He emphasized he is not talking about “turning LOL Schools into a trade school.”
He said asking an eighth grade student to decide whether to attend a vocational high school is a serious commitment not all are prepared to make. That’s why the students should be supported with opportunities to explore the trades in their home district throughout their high school years.
“I want the climate of our district to be that trades are an equal choice, not a second choice,” he said.
On Censorship
One question asked candidates how they would would ensure that lessons and library resources are appropriate for students while respecting families’ diverse values.
Campbell called it a complex issue.
“On one hand, parents and communities should have a say in what materials are appropriate for their schools. Schools are for learning, and some books may have ideas and themes that require maturity,” she said. “But on the other hand, outright bans stifle conversation and critical thinking, which is essential to an education.”
She said there’s a district policy allowing parents to review instructional material that may not be widely known.
“I do feel appropriate labeling and parental awareness is not outrageous, and it’s not an outrageous idea since we do that with websites, music, movies, and potentially even book content,” she said.
Kemp referenced the same policy to explain that parents can choose to excuse their children from reading books or participating in lessons they deem objectionable. They can also fill out a form requesting review of material by the library media specialist or curriculum director, who must report to the school principal. Decisions may be appealed to the school board.
“So I think we leave it to the experts for the overall picture, but parents have a right to make the decisions for their own family,” he said.
To Mastroianni—who ran unsuccessfully against state Sen. Martha Marx (D-New London) last year—the politically charged question was another way of asking if candidates “support a book ban.”
“I just want everybody to know I am not somebody that likes to be put in a box, and I do not support a book ban,” Mastroianni said.
The issue emerged locally in 2023 when 135 people from Lyme and Old Lyme signed a petition to remove two books from the Old Lyme Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library’s Young Adult section based on sexual content. Staff members, bolstered by a vote from the library’s Board of Trustees, refused.
Mastroianni said the district entrusts educators to “make the right decisions” when it comes to curriculum.
“There are ways that you can have your concerns heard, but I do not think that there should be any book banning. I think there is far worse out there on the internet that they can get their hands on than a book,” he said.
McCollum supported the review policy while calling for the free flow of thought-provoking ideas.
“I believe there should be more books,” she said. “I think students should be challenged in complex ideas, that they should be challenged with provocative thoughts. They should learn to discuss them, use their rhetoric to try to persuade, and learn and grow their critical thinking skills.”
Open and Accepting
Another question asked candidates how the Board of Education can actively address the needs of LGBTQ and gender-nonconforming students to ensure they have equal access to support and opportunities.
The candidates agreed state and federal law, as well as district policy, forbids discrimination, bullying and unfair treatment.
Hansen said the guidelines are crucial amid a growing climate of anti-LGBTQ actions nationwide focused on what he described as “the new boogeyman” of transgender students in sports.
“I think every child, regardless of how they feel about themselves, has a right to participate in sports. That is a foundational experience that I don’t think we should be limiting anyone from,” he said.
McCollum said teaching students about the importance of accepting each other is paramount at a time when they are all trying to figure out who they are.
“I think one of the greater challenges that we face day-to-day is how we engender a climate in our schools of acceptance, inclusion, respect for all students – regardless of how they walk through the door of the school in presenting themselves in all of their humanity,” she said.
Mastroianni said the candidates’ answers to the question exemplified Old Lyme’s “open, accepting” sense of community. That’s why he and his husband chose to settle there a couple years ago.
He said the question at the top of their minds when they looked for a new home was whether their daughter, “… would be made fun of because she has two dads.”
“I think that our community handles this well, and I think that our school system handles it well, and this is why I live here,” he said.
Student Safety
None of the four candidates asked to weigh in on the ongoing threat of gun violence in schools supported arming additional staff members.
Kemp said the district employs armed security guards, which he voted for in 2022. Guards must be retired state or municipal police officers with a minimum of 10 years of experience, who have retired in good standing.
He said he does not believe “putting that responsibility on ordinary staff” is either legal or appropriate.
Campbell thanked the Old Lyme Police Department officer standing at the back of the room during the forum while acknowledging the safety is a top priority in the district.
“I have two brothers in law enforcement, and I know that the safety program in our school surpasses what many schools around the nation have,” she said.
She called for the district to “stay vigilant” by looking at emerging technologies and safety protocols to safeguard students and staff.
For Shyloski, staying vigilant means watching out for students mental health, as well.
In response to a question about addressing stress, anxiety and mental health challenges, the school psychologist drew on her professional experience when she said the schools need a clear, consistent approach when it comes to supporting students’ mental well being. As a board member, it would be her job to ensure policies are continually reviewed to reflect the latest best practices.
“Making sure that students all have trusted adults within the school is a protective factor for risky behavior,” she said. “So we need to be very vigilant in that regard because we do see increasing suicide risk and increasing threat risk. And that’s just a reality of where we are today.”
Lyme Contest
Lannie Mossberg, an unaffiliated candidate from Lyme running against incumbent Democrat Anna James, counted artificial intelligence (AI) as a main area of focus going forward. She is the zoning assistant at the Lyme Town Hall.
Mossberg said AI can be an important tool for teachers, while students will need to be taught how to put the technology into action.
“I feel students should learn how to use it more wisely and appropriately for class assignments or in general,” she said.
She told the audience she wants to join the school board to be present in the lives of her three children as well as to advocate for all students and the Lyme community.
“I just would like to help our town thrive and see our students grow in a good direction while keeping the budget under proper alignment,” she said.
Moderator Eric Parker read a statement for James in her absence.
“Our current board is a cohesive, outcome-oriented board, which is focused on supporting what is best for children in the district,” she wrote. “I would like to continue to support and contribute to the momentum this board has generated, and I have the skills to do so.”
James, a four-year member of the board, is a career educator who has served as director at Integrated Day Charter School and district administrator and principal in New London.
She recounted starting out as a first-grade teacher before teaching at various grade levels, including college-level classes. She cited expertise in various teaching disciplines as well as fiscal management, school administration, resource and personnel management, and community relations.
Consensus
Bushey toward the end of the evening noted every candidate had only positive and forward-thinking things to say about the high-quality district in a supportive, welcoming community.
He called for continued opportunities to make inroads with each other, work across party lines, build trust and reach consensus.
“If we’re united, no one can come divide us, and that’s what we should be as Board of Education members: united in purpose to deliver the best education and opportunities we can for our children,” he said.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated to correct the spelling of Shyloski’s name.
