Category Archives: Headline News

Letter to the Editor: Multiple Reasons to Support Halls Rd. Master Plan, Improvement Committee Commended for its ‘Thoroughness’, ‘Clarity’

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To the Editor:

We are writing to express our interest and support for bringing the Halls Road Master Plan to fruition. We reviewed the Plan and had attended one of the recent information sessions.

We want to acknowledge the thoroughness of the analysis completed by the Halls Road Improvement Committee [HRIC]; and the clarity of both the recommendations and the thoughtful vision for the future.

The Plan seeks to develop Halls Road into a district that would “resemble the small-town, mixed-use neighborhood that Lyme Street was before 1960”.

We applaud the HRIC in prioritizing improvements to roadways and sidewalks required for the safety of walkers and bikers.  The team’s vision is to create pedestrian and bicycle connections amongst Old Lyme’s town center, the “Arts District”, and the proposed “Halls Road “Village District”.

We are walkers, and crossing Halls Road towards the Lyme Art Association can be very perilous. Creating this “safe and attractive pedestrian and cyclist route” will be a daunting challenge. Halls’ position between and amongst four exits and entrances to Interstate 95 North and South will require creative traffic management. Certainly, speed and traffic jams on Rt 156 and Boston Post are good barometers for issues on the interstate.

That said, we are also excited about the reconstruction of the Bow Bridge and access to some new green space along the Lieutenant River. That could provide an historic connection to, or at least a reminder of, the American Impressionists residing and working at Miss Florence’s boarding house.

In closing, we want to congratulate the team’s proposal for the creation of Design Guidelines that will help ensure that new development along Halls Road is required to go beyond the “nuts and bolts” of zoning regulations to assuring the “look and feel” is compatible with Old Lyme’s “small town feel”.

We are very glad that the team recognized that the residential aspects of the “Village District” will not only provide options for those moving into the community, but also enable older residents’ attractive opportunities to remain in Old Lyme.

It’s time to put a Halls Road, whose primary goal is to serve as an interstate service area pit stop, in our rear-view mirrors.

Sincerely,

Christina J. Gotowka and Thomas D. Gotowka,
Old Lyme.

Editor’s Note: This is a shortened version of a letter submitted by the authors to the HRIC in support of its Master Plan.

Melissa Fournier Named Director at Lyme Public Library

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The new director of Lyme Library is Melissa Fournier.

LYME — The board of the Lyme Public Library has announced that Melissa Fournier has been named as its new Library Director.

According to a press release issued by the library, Fournier, who will take up her new position in early October, will lead the way in helping the library accomplish its goals of providing innovative programming, services, and collection development.

Fournier sees the Library Director’s role as impacting the entire community, commenting, “My goals would include expanding the reach of the library.”

She is no stranger to libraries, as she has managed several in the public, private, and corporate sectors for more than two decades. With extensive expertise in library restoration and renovation, Fourier enjoys creatively evolving library spaces to improve service to their patrons.

She holds a BFA in design from Pratt Institute in communications design and a MLS from Simmons College in library and archives management. She loves creating library programs that serve patrons from infants to seniors and has won a nationally-recognized award for such work.

Fournier explains, “I feel I can bring my skills to the Lyme Public Library to expand programming for children by working closely with the local elementary school by focusing the library’s programs to work hand-in-hand with helping children to build their understanding of the core curriculum skills they are learning at school.”

She also sees opportunities to create fun and informative programs for older children and adults.

Born and raised in Connecticut, Fournier both understands and loves the Lyme area. A devoted mother to
two adult children, she enjoys reading, drawing, painting, and lively conversations.

“Melissa has a lot to offer our library,” says Jack Sulger, chair of the Lyme Public Library Board of Directors, adding, “I’m certain she will do great things. We look forward to seeing the positive changes she has in store for us.”

The board encourages residents to come to the library and meet Fournier starting in early October.

The library is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 am to 8 pm, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 am to 5 pm, and Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm The library is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

For more information, visit the Lyme Public Library website or call 860-434-2272.

Reading Uncertainly? ‘Seven Brief Lessons on Physics’ by Carlo Rovelli

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Is it really possible to describe the mysteries of physics in 81 pages?

Richard Feynman tried it in the 140 pages of Six Easy Pieces, published in 1994, but some afterwards described it as “Six Difficult Pieces.” Carlo Rovelli, the Italian theoretical physicist, has raised the ante. His work is a jewel of both brevity and clarity, especially to my curious mind that barely made it through Physics I at college.

The seven lessons begin with Einstein and the Theory of Relativity. Much has been written and expressed about this work, but Rovelli’s 11 pages are a precise summary. And he reminds us that, like Einstein, we “… don’t get anywhere by not ‘wasting’ time.”

That reminds me of the 1957 lesson offered by Robert Paul Smith’s famous Where Did You Go? Out. What Did You Do? Nothing:” exploration and curiosity are essential to progress.

Rovelli then discusses quantum mechanics and the questions of Bohr, Planck, and Heisenberg, all summarized by the phrase “And to the very last, doubt.” And uncertainty.

From the “microcosm of elementary particles” he then moves to the cosmos, the “macrocosmic structure of the universe.” Our Sun is an, “… infinitesimal speck in a vast cloud of one hundred billion stars – our Galaxy” and our Galaxy is, “… itself a speck of dust in a huge cloud of galaxies.”

Back then to the smallest particles, including the unseen but acknowledged varieties of quarks and the confirmation of the Higgs boson.

Then Rovelli moves to the “swarming cloud of probability: quantum gravity. He acknowledges that we know more now than we did 50 years ago, “so we should be quite satisfied. But we are not.” Forever the curious species, our “ … science becomes even more beautiful – incandescent in the forge of nascent ideas, of intuitions, of attempts. Of roads taken and then abandoned, of enthusiasms. In the effort to imagine what has not yet been imagined.”

The seventh lesson concerns Black Holes. We live, we think, in a world of “sheer chance,” in which “probability is the heart of physics … I may not know something with certainty, but I can assign a lesser or greater degree of probability to something.”

And Black Swans, too? How many “dimensions” really exist?

Dr. Rovelli wraps up this engaging and challenging set of lessons with – what else? – more questions. “What are we?” and should not we be aware, “… that we can always be wrong, and therefore ready at any moment to change direction if a new track appears?”

“To be free doesn’t mean that our behavior is not determined by the laws of nature. It means that it is determined by the laws of nature acting in our brains.”

“We live in “inextricable complexity,” and this means, “… we are a species that is naturally moved by curiosity … ”

Rovelli’s brief synopsis of what we think we know about the physical world and universe challenges us to renew our study and our search.

That conclusion reinforces the haiku I wrote for myself many years ago (with apologies to Robert Frost):

Pause for a moment:
Doubt, then curiosity,
Try another path.

Editor’s Note:  ‘Seven Brief Lessons on Physics’ by Carlo Rovelli was published by Riverhead Books, New York in 2016.

UPDATED: Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Announce Raucci as Teacher of the Year, Aldrich as Employee of the Year

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LYME/OLD LYME — UPDATED 9/7: Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser announced at the All-Faculty and -Staff Convocation held Aug. 25, that Andrew Raucci (pictured above), who is the Instructional Technology Specialist at Lyme-Old Lyme Middle and High Schools, had been selected as Teacher of the Year.

Raucci has been with Lyme-Old Lyme Schools for eight years and is universally known as a friend to all. His willingness at all times to help, listen, give advice, and most of all, make others laugh was cited as one of the main reasons for the award.

He was also described as having navigated the numerous technology challenges related to the pandemic with a ‘can-do’ attitude, a calm demeanor, and a positive attitude. 

Although most of Raucci’s work is with teachers, he also works with students at technology boot camps, the WLYM morning news broadcasts, ping-pong club, drone lessons and more.  

Asked his reaction to receiving the award, Raucci told LymeLine exclusively, “Although it is a sincere honor to receive this recognition from my colleagues, to me this award is truly a team award. Anything I have done well in Lyme-Old Lyme Schools is merely a reflection of the talented, thoughtful, and kind people I’m fortunate enough to work with every day.”

He added, “I thank all of you for making this community so special for students and one another.”

At the same event, Patricia Aldrich (pictured above), who serves as Technology Facilitator at Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School, was named Employee of the Year. She has been with the District for seven years and a key reason behind her award is that she consistently goes above and beyond the call of duty.

Also, Aldrich is described as constantly seeking new challenges and knowledge to help students and staff excel. Her peers noted that she handles a wide range of issues, both small and large, but regardless of the nature of the issue, she never makes anyone feel as though their question is unimportant.  

Her constant striving for improved job skills, a great attitude and remarkable work ethic were also identified  by her peers as reasons for the award.

 

Lymes’ Senior Center Renovation/Expansion Project Moves Forward, Preferred Option Selected for Further Evaluation

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The exterior of the Lymes’ Senior Center on Town Woods Rd. in Old Lyme. A feasibility study is currently underway regarding the renovation and possible expansion of the Center. 

OLD LYME — The Lymes’ Senior Center (LSC) Board of Directors (BOD) held a special public meeting Aug. 4, to conduct the second stakeholder workshop for the architectural feasibility study for the renovation and possible expansion of the Lymes’ Senior Center. 

We sat down recently with Jeri Baker, Chair of the Lymes’ Senior Center BOD, to understand where the project currently stands and its future direction.

She talked initially about the selection of Point One Architects of Old Lyme to carry out the feasibility study, saying, “So far in the process, our involvement with this architectural firm has been exceptional. 

Baker continued, “The mission of this center as a municipal agency is to provide services that promote a healthy lifestyle and to focus on the physical, social, emotional and creative needs of our members,” explaining, “When you have one of the largest demographic of these two communities served well, the rest of community benefits from that.”

She then said emphatically, “Point One Architects gets that [about the Senior Center and the community it serves] … they get us.”

Baker added that this positive situation, “Reaffirms the unanimous decision of the building committee [to choose Point One Architects], which was based on [the committee’s criteria of] the selected firm being highly accessible and innovative in their design approach. We interviewed other firms that had great credentials — Point One just stood out for their design credentials … being local was a plus.”

Point One Architects of Old Lyme presented three options of a renovated and expanded Senior Center at the last Special Public Meeting, held Aug. 4.

Commenting that the workshop had offered three visual options of possible future renovated space of the center. Baker noted, “It has always been important that any plan reflects both the right scale and proportions of space and also maintains the character of our towns. We have stressed that our Center must feel like home, not an institution.”

The diagrams presented were based on the vision and input of the results of the first workshop in July and reflected the three key priorities of

  • additional, but flexible space
  • accessibility
  • reconfiguration of existing space.

In order to further engage the participants, there was a lengthy period to discuss each option and then address questions and concerns.

At the conclusion, participants voted for the diagram they felt met their vision, needs and possible reasonable costs. The preferred design was overwhelmingly Option 3, which was discussed in more detail at the August public meeting of the Lymes’ Senior Center Building Committee. Any future plans developed by the firm will reflect the input of the two workshops, meetings with the Center Director and the building committee and any constituents, who have reached out to the committee.

Noting that the Center not only, “Serves two communities [Lyme and Old Lyme],” but also, “One of the largest demographics in the community,” Baker stressed, “We’re here for the whole community.” She emphasized, “We must destroy the stereotype that it [the Senior Center] is only a place to play cards,” concluding passionately, “We’re so much more.”

Editor’s Note: Reflecting a broad range of interests and responsibilities across both Lyme and Old Lyme, workshop participants included:

  • Jeri Baker – chair of the LSC BOD and Building Committee
  • Don Abraham – treasurer of the BOD and building committee member
  • Kathy Lockwood – vice chair of the BOD
  • Doris Hungerford – Lyme BOD member
  • Jane Folland – OL BOD member and active volunteer
  • Jackie Roberts – OL BOD member and active volunteer
  • Diana Seckla – Lyme BOD member and member of Friends of the Lymes’ Senior Center
  • David Griswold- OL BOD member and Commander of the VFW post housed at the center
  • Jeremy Crisp –  newest Lyme BOD member
  • Susan Campbell _ OL BOD member and past chair
  • Paula Emery – Recording secretary for the BOD
  • Joan Bonvicin – OL LSC member and active volunteer
  • Denise Piersa – Old Lyme Town Nurse/VNA, whose office is in the Center

Lymes’ Senior Center Director Stephanie Gould and LSC member Doris Johnson were unable to attend the Aug. 4 meeting, but are usually in attendance. Old Lyme Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal attended the July meeting but was unable to attend the August one.

Also:

  • Cheryl Parsons assistant to the Director
  • Bethany Haslam – dance instructor
  • Lynn McCarthy – yoga instructor
  • Jude Read – OL BOF member and liaison to the LSC budget development (absent for this session but updated by  Jeri Baker afterward).
  • Gary Weed – retired board member 
  • Carole Weed – Gary’s wife
  • Carole Diffley – Meals on Wheels coordinator/kitchen manager/Estuary Council employee

LSC Building Committee members and public attendance (Zoom included):

  • Mary Stone
  • Arthur “Skip” Beebe
  • Ken Biega