On Wednesday, May 7, at 5 p.m., the Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council (SECWAC) hosts acclaimed scholar of international politics Monica Duffy Toft at the Essex Yacht Club for a talk titled “Dying by the Sword: The Militarization of U.S. Foreign Policy.”
Toft is Academic Dean and Professor of International Politics and Director of the Center for Strategic Studies at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
Her areas of research include international security, ethnic and religious violence, civil wars, and demography.
Before joining Fletcher, Toft taught at Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government and Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. While at Harvard, she directed the Initiative on Religion in International Affairs and was the assistant director of the John M. Olin Institute for Strategic Studies.
Toft was educated at the University of Chicago, where she received her master’s and doctoral degrees in political science, and at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she graduated summa cum laude with bachelor’s degrees in political science and Slavic languages and literature.
Before attending college, she spent four years in the United States Army as a Russian linguist.
OLD LYME – The Old Lyme Children’s Learning Center has announced the return of the Homes for the Holidays Tour – and they’re looking for homeowners on or near Lyme Street who are willing to open their beautifully decorated, holiday-themed homes to visitors.
The popular fundraiser will be held Saturday, Dec. 6 from mid-morning through early afternoon.
OLCLC Board of Directors President Kristen St. Germain in an email said the center has already secured some homes and is hoping to add more.
“Whether you showcase a few rooms or the whole house, your participation helps bring joy to visitors and raises critical funds to support high-quality childcare for working families in our area,” she said. “This festive event not only celebrates the spirit of the season but also highlights the architecture and warmth of our beautiful community.”
OLCLC has been providing childcare on Lyme Street for almost 40 years. But a severe leak in 2023 forced the center to close its doors for a complete renovation of the historic home. It reopened last October.
St. Germain in a separate letter to area homeowners described the closure as a logistical and financial challenge at a time when the center was emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic to find an altered childcare landscape.
“The need for quality childcare in Connecticut has never been greater,” she said. “Since the pandemic, our state has faced a critical shortage of childcare options, making it even more difficult for working families to balance their careers and their children’s care. OLCLC is committed to being part of the solution, but we need the community’s help to get back on our feet.”
The center will also host a holiday boutique inside the Old Lyme Town Hall as part of the tour.
Among the silent auction items at the 2025 Sea & Sky Soiree is “Abandoned Orchard” by Jim Laurino. Image courtesy of Lyme Art Association.
OLD LYME —The Lyme Art Association promises an evening of fine art, music, and cultured camaraderie at its Sea & Sky Soirée on Saturday, May 3.
Described in a press release as the place where “art meets elegance,” the signature spring fundraiser includes live jazz, hors d’oeuvres from Flanders Fish Market, a silent auction showcasing works of art, and a raffle of themed baskets featuring unique items and experiences.
Basket Raffle tickets are now on sale. Visit this link to purchase tickets in advance of the event. Raffle tickets can be purchased ahead of time and picked up at the event or at Lyme Art Association (LAA) starting or purchased at LAA.
Tickets are one for $10, three for $20, or ten for $50. Baskets are currently on display at the LAA. The raffle drawing will take place at the Sea & Sky Soirée. Participants need not be present to win.
The event will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. in the association’s historic gallery at 90 Lyme St.
Lyme Art Association Executive Director Elsbeth Dowd prepared for last year’s silent auction in this photo courtesy of Lyme Art Association.
Proceeds support educational programs, exhibitions, and special projects carried out as part of the association’s mission to promote the visual arts.
Sponsorships and auction donations are still being accepted.
For more information or to donate auction items, contact Elsbeth Dowd at elsbeth@lymeartassociation.org or call 860-434-7802.
On Saturday, April 26, the Old Lyme Town Band celebrates its 50th anniversary with a free Community Concert at Lyme-Old Lyme High School. All photos courtesy of Old Lyme Town Band.
OLD LYME —The Old Lyme Town Band (OLTB) sounds off its 50th anniversary season with a free gala concert in the auditorium of Lyme-Old Lyme High School on Saturday, April 26, at 7 p.m. A reception will follow the concert. All are welcome and there is no charge for admission.
These four early members of the Old Lyme Town Band still play in it today. Michele Smith Dickey at right conceived the idea of re-forming the band in 1975 after a 65-year hiatus. The other three members are from left to right, Barry Weiner, Ann Lander, and Ned Perkins.
it was Michele Smith Dickey of Old Lyme—a member of the current band—who conceived the idea of re-forming the band in 1975 after a 65-year hiatus. She notes there were about 30 musicians at that time and the first volunteer conductor was Donald Janse. That was, in Dickey’s words, when, “We started making music and making friends a half century ago”. “
The original incarnation of the Old Lyme Town Band (OLTB) spanned 1886-1910. It was re-formed by Dickey in anticipation of the US Bicentennial coming a year later in 1976.
This photo shows the band in 1910 shortly before it took a 65-year break.
“The group has played continually for half a century,” she noted, continuing, “It’s great to have a musical outlet for people of all ages where friendships are forged.”
A series of 15 conductors followed Janse through the years. Under the direction of its current conductor, Richard Chiappetta, the band entertains audiences with a variety of music including movie medleys, traditional marches, showtune favorites, and Americana selections.
Dickey commented that the band has grown to more than 50 members since 1975 and continues to provide summer and holiday concerts to shoreline and river valley communities.
The April 26 concert will feature a commissioned piece by composer Anthony Susi titled, “Impressions of Old Lyme.” It was inspired by three Lyme Art Colony painters in summer residence at the home of Florence Griswold, where the new school of painting became the center of American impressionistic art. Susi hopes “Impressions of Old Lyme,” expresses the rich art history of the community. “The French impressionists often painted scenes around Paris; the American impressionists in Old Lyme painted the rural landscapes of New England.”
This famous work,“Kalmia” by Willard Metcalf, is one of the paintings that inspired Anthony Susi’s original work, “Impressions of Old Lyme,” which will be given its premier by the Old Lyme Town Band at their celebratory concert on April 26.
They used a technique of high-key colors and broken brush strokes seen in the paintings “The Ledges” by Childe Hassam, “Peonies” by Matilda Browne, and “Kalmia” by Willard Metcalf. The works reflect the meadows, marshes, and flowers in the area known for inspiring art.
Brian Girasoli, OLTB President, said that the show will feature debut compositions as well as old favorites as the group celebrates 50 years of musicianship.
“Since 1975, we have been fortunate to not only have nearly a thousand people from the surrounding area provide his or her musical acumen, but also the support of the community to put on more than a dozen concerts each year,” he continued.
Concert dates can be found at oldlymetownband.net/oltb and by visiting Old Lyme Town Band on Facebook. Regular annual events include a concert preceding the fireworks display at the Midsummer Festival, a summer concert on the Town Green, and a winter holiday concert at Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook. New this summer will be a concert at Water’s Edge in Westbrook.
The OLTB welcomes players of all ages, students to retirees. No audition is necessary. Rehearsals are held Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. at Christ the King Church in Old Lyme.
The Essex Winter Series has announced this family-friendly favorite as a humorous musical suite that mimics a variety of animals through 14 short movements.
ESSEX – The Essex Winter Series welcomes Orchestra New England on Sunday, April 27, for a performance of “The Carnival of Animals.”
The 2 p.m. performance will be held in the Valley Regional High School auditorium, 256 Kelsey Hill Road, Deep River. Outer doors open at 1:30 pm; Auditorium doors open at 1:45 pm.
The organization in a press release described the family-friendly favorite as a humorous musical suite by Camille Saint-Saëns, which – through 14 short movements – mimics a variety of animals.
Jacqueline Hubbard, executive director of the Ivoryton Playhouse, will narrate witty verses by Ogden Nash.
Tickets for this free concert are available at essexwinterseries.com or by calling 860.272.4572.
Families are asked to reserve tickets for young children even if it is anticipated that they will sit on an adult’s lap. Advanced reservations are highly recommended due to limited seating.
Accessible parking, entry and seating is available.
