Category Archives: Town Hall

Old Lyme to Hold Special Town Meeting Tonight; New Location, In-Person Only Attendance to be Permitted

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OLD LYME — The Old Lyme Board of Selectmen will hold a Special Town Meeting this evening — Monday, Sept. 13 — at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School. This meeting was originally scheduled to be held in the Meeting Hall at Old Lyme Memorial Town Hall but has had to be moved due to a conflict with the Zoning Commission

This Special Town Meeting will be conducted in-person only. There will be no online option for attendance.

The Meeting will consider and act upon the following business item:

1.         Whether to appropriate forty-two thousand dollars ($42,000) in connection with the Police overtime and Ranger time incurred during the fiscal year 2020-21, some of which was incurred in connection with the Town’s response to the COVID-19 virus and which the Town reasonably expects will be partially reimbursed to the Town by the U.S. Federal Government.

The business item related to calling the meeting was approved by the board of selectmen at its meeting on Aug. 31.

Editor’s Note: Visit this link to read a related Letter to the Editor from Kathleen Tracy.

Letter to the Editor: Shoemaker Explains Decision to Run for Old Lyme’s ‘Top Job’ + BOE, Seeks Broad Support From Voters

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To the Editor:

An Open Letter to the Residents of Old Lyme:

I am running for First Selectwoman of our town and I hope to earn the support of all our citizens whether they be Democrat, Republican, or Unaffiliated.  Old Lyme residents deserve a leader who will listen to their concerns, create sound fiscal budgets, and bring consensus among diverse groups working toward the common goal of improving our town.  I will prepare this town for the challenges of the future. My decision to run was prompted by overwhelming resident concerns that these critical responsibilities were not being met. I am confident that my skill-set and prior experience will enable me to address these issues

During my 35-year career as a public-school teacher I worked collaboratively with fellow teachers, administration, and parents to provide a quality education for students.  I served as the union president for the last twelve years of my tenure.  Mediation, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills are tools that I incorporated to bring consensus between people.  These experiences will be crucial as First Selectwoman.  I am currently Co-Chair of the Lyme/Old Lyme Prevention Coalition (LOLPC) and President of the Friends of the Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library. I am passionate about public service and believe there is a benefit for the entire Old Lyme community in being able to integrate activities, align networks and identify compatible and complementary opportunities among organizations.  

I am also running for re-election to the Region 18 Board of Education. I was first elected to the Board for a four-year term in 2017 after retiring from teaching.  Public education has been and is an integral part of my life and is critically important to the residents of Old Lyme.  I have enjoyed working on the Board of Education and look forward to contributing to the Regional District 18 Strategic Plan beginning in the fall of 2021.

The role of First Selectwoman is to serve the community of Old Lyme and to maintain, and where appropriate improve, the quality of town assets and services for our citizens.  I will respect the trust you place in me to lead our town.  If also re-elected to the Board of Education, I will continue to collaborate with the other eight members of the board to make the best decisions we can for the public education our students deserve. 

I look forward to meeting you on the campaign trail.

Sincerely,

Martha H. Shoemaker,
Old Lyme.

Editor’s Note: The author is the Democratic-endorsed candidate for Old Lyme First Selectwoman and also one of the four Democratic-endorsed candidates for the Region 18 Board of Education, on which she currently serves.

Old Lyme Selectmen Issue Local Declaration of Emergency, Additional Updates About How to Respond to Henri

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Photo credit: The Weather Channel.

OLD LYME — On Saturday, Aug. 21, the Old Lyme (OL) Board of Selectmen (BOS) issued a local Declaration of Emergency — but first and foremost, their message is that if you have an emergency, always call 911.

The following represents the latest information from the OL BOS:

Beaches are Closed

For the safety and security of residents, the Old Lyme Town Beaches and Parking Areas (Sound View and White Sands) closed Saturday, Aug. 21, at 4 p.m.

Evacuation

The Town of Old Lyme has issued a Voluntary Evacuation Order.

 

Residents situated along the beach communities and those who live in low-lying areas that are susceptible to flooding are encouraged to evacuate the area prior to Hurricane Henri’s arrival Sunday. Storm predictions identify high winds along with a tidal surge of from 4 to 6 ft. that will affect these areas.

People in these areas are encouraged to seek shelter with family or friends, who are inland or are at higher elevations. Those in need of temporary shelter may also go to the East Lyme Middle School.

A Red Cross-operated shelter will open at 6 p.m. Saturday at the East Lyme Middle School located at 31 Society Rd., Niantic.

If you are planning to evacuate your home or cottage, take the following precautions:

  • Turn off the main breaker in your electrical service panel and turn off and secure any LP Gas propane cylinders at your home.
  • Secure your residence by closing and locking all windows and doors to your home.
  • Take the time to document the condition of your property before the storm hits. This can help with any insurance claim you might have.
  • Call the Old Lyme Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Call Center line at 860-598-0120 for additional information.

Sandbags

For residents living in low-lying flood-prone areas, sandbags are available at the Old Lyme Public Works garage situated on Machnik Drive. Sand and a quantity of bags are available outside the fence. Bring a shovel as some assembly is required.

Did You Lose Power? 

Make sure Eversource knows about your outage. Text “OUT” to 23129 or call 1-800-286-2000.

Storm Updates from Old Lyme

To receive text updates from the Town of Old Lyme, text OLSTORM to 888777.

Connecticut Emergency Alerts

For urgent updates from the State of Connecticut, click here.

Emergency Operations Center

To reach the Emergency Operations Center call line, call or text (860) 598-0120.

Potable Water & Charging Stations

The Town of Old Lyme will establish a Respite Center at Lyme’s Senior Center (26 Townwoods Road). Services available will include charging stations for electronic devices, potable water to fill your own containers, and ice will be available. The hours of operation will be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Water (bring your own container) and charging stations will also be available at the Fire Houses, the Police Department, and the Sound View Community Center.

Trash & Recycling Pick Up

The Town has been informed by CWPM that they will do garbage pick-up, even if the town is hit by Hurricane Henri. The only reason they would cancel is if there are lines down and the roads are not passable. This information will be updated as it changes.

Food Safety

During this storm event, remember to be aware of potential food spoilage from loss of power. The Red Cross’s recommendations for protecting your food against spoilage during power outage events can be found here.

Generator Safety

To help reduce the potential for injury or death, follow generator safety usage guidelines.

Never use a portable generator indoors or in an enclosed area such as a basement, garage, shed or tent. This can result in CO poisoning or death. During Storm Isaias, the Old Lyme Fire Department and Old Lyme EMS responded to over 20 emergency calls involving generators and carbon monoxide poisoning. Visit the Eversource website for safe generator practices.

Important Reminders from the Old Lyme Fire Department

  • NEVER drive through a flooded roadway, or even a flooded driveway. Some say that if you can’t see the bottom don’t risk it — we just say don’t risk it at all!
  • NEVER approach downed wires, ever. NEVER drive over downed wires … ever. If there is immediate concern for hazards, call an emergency number. Do not call 911 to report outages. It’s safe to say you should avoid downed trees as well, you may not know what it took down with it.
  • ALWAYS know how to use your generator or chainsaw before you touch it. Emergencies are not the best time to learn a new skill!

Volunteers Requested to Help With Henri Recovery

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Old Lyme Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal (File photo)

OLD LYME — In light of Henri’s anticipated arrival as a hurricane on the southeastern Connecticut shore on Sunday, Old Lyme Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal has sent out a request for residents, “Who could make themselves available to volunteer, if needed, to support the Town during the storm and during the recovery from Henri.”

She says in an email shared with LymeLine, “I suspect that we will need a group of volunteers to be flexible as this storm progresses.”
Nosal explains that teams of volunteers are usually needed to:
  • Support the Respite Center at the Senior Center, if it opens.  Specifically, to welcome people, serve food and beverages, and just be a comfort.  The Respite Center will be staffed with Red Cross-trained individuals for food preparation.
  • Deliver water to residents if needed during the recovery.
  • Hand-out ice at the Middle School if needed during recovery.
  • Call people to check on them or return calls.
Nosal asks that anyone willing to volunteer should contact her by email at maryjonosal@gmail.com indicating preference of support or just availability to help where needed. She requests that you provide your name, all contact information (cell phone, home phone, email and address), and any special training you may have to assist.
The Town’s Emergency Management Operations will be on full stand-by for this storm, but it is essential all residents ensure that they and their family members are well-prepared for around four days without power.
The State will open up the Regional Center for evacuees and their pets, at the East Lyme Middle School, if needed. The facility will also provide a location for COVID-positive people.

Letter to the Editor: Motion Failed at Old Lyme Town Meeting Due to Absence of Supporting Information from First Selectman, Salient Point for Upcoming Election

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To the Editor:

As a voting resident in the Town of Old Lyme, I attended the Special Town Meeting on August 16th in the Town Hall, which was only held in person.  The purpose of the meeting was to vote on the appropriation of money for four items totaling $197,000. In the past, I was always asked to verify that I was a property owner or eligible to vote prior to the meeting.  No such verification was held at this meeting where less than 20 people were in attendance.  I only knew about the meeting because Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal highlighted to First Selectman Tim Griswold at a Board of Selectman’s meeting two weeks prior, that proper support and information for the requests needed to be clear to the public.  Nevertheless, no handouts or information of any kind was shared with the public.

Thankfully, David Roberge, the Fire Marshal, was able to provide substantial information on the funds for Covid-19 and Storm Isaias responses, much of which will be reimbursed by the federal government.  Phil Parcak, Facilities Manager, was also helpful in providing detailed information regarding the construction of a new scale house building.  All three of these motions passed. Sadly, Tim Griswold was unable to provide information about the $42,000 expenditure for Police/Ranger overtime and as a result, this motion failed.  When a Board of Finance member in attendance was asked what happens now, his reply was, “I don’t know, this has never happened before!”

The people of Old Lyme deserve better.  We need strong leadership, not incompetence, especially when it comes to our precious tax dollars.  I hope the voters will remember that on November 2!

Sincerely,

Kathleen Tracy,
Old Lyme.

Editor’s Note: The author is running as the Democratic-endorsed candidate for the position of Zoning Board of Appeals Alternate in the upcoming November election.