Category Archives: Letters

Letter to the Editor: Safe (Gun) Storage Saves Lives—Writer Urges Local Leaders to Endorse Policy Locally

Posted on by

To the Editor:

Another day in America – another mass shooting. This time in a high school in Georgia. Lives snuffed out, lives ruined forever, families broken to bits.

A lot of pundits saying it is an outrage, an indictment of all the American people: “We allow this…”

No, we don’t. The vast majority of Americans want stricter gun safety measures. The politicians allow it. The NRA allows it. We The People do not!  We must vote out NRA “A rated” members of Congress.

The major cause of death in Americans aged 1-19 is gun violence. What an unbelievable disgrace.

As a nurse, pediatric nurse practitioner and mental health specialist, I have taken care of victims of gun violence. I have comforted kids who have lost a beloved family member to gun violence.

June was Gun Violence Prevention Month. A big part of that is prevention by safe storage of guns. So many gun deaths are accidental. What is inflammatory or threatening about that? The killer in Georgia used his father’s unsecured weapon of mass destruction.

I stressed this in my outreach to leaders of our town. Safe storage saves lives. I encouraged the town to adopt Governor Lamont’s declaration. The answer was no.

I have no words … what a lack of courage and conviction. This is not my town.

One parent in Georgia stated to the media, “It couldn’t happen here!”  Of course it could with corrupt and uncaring politicians, including at the local level.

I think it is important for District 18 parents to know – your kids will never be safe at school.  Don’t be naïve and don’t quit until you get the complete dedication of your General Assembly representatives.  This is supposed to be a representative government.  Be strong.

Sincerely,

Betsy Groth APRN, PMHS,C retired,
Old Lyme.
Editor’s Note: The author is a Children’s’ Health Advocate and member of CT Against Gun Violence.

Letter to the Editor: Management of Major Projects in Old Lyme is Problematic

Posted on by

To the Editor:

With reference to Howard Margules recent Op-Ed published in LymeLine.com, ineffective leadership by Old Lyme’s First Selectperson has been the root cause for ongoing issues with the Lymes’ Senior Center renovation and the going-nowhere Halls Road Improvement Project. The failure to appoint competent individuals to manage these projects is a major factor in their ongoing issues.

Only in Old Lyme is a renovation project, (the Lymes’ Senior Center) that is 9 months behind schedule and $900,000 over budget before construction begins, called a successful and well run project.

Only in OId Lyme are town residents told the Halls Road Improvements are coming when all major funding requests from the state and federal agencies have been denied due to failures at the local level to submit a proper application.

Old Lyme’s Board of Selectmen make the appointments to the committees that are responsible for the projects mentioned above yet major decisions affecting these projects are made primarily by the First Selectperson thus eliminating an honest discussion by the full board. This is an ongoing problem.

Sincerely,

William Folland,
Old Lyme.

Letter to the Editor: Gravel Pit Concerns ‘Very Real’, Perhaps ‘Emblematic of Culture of Old Lyme?

Posted on by
Reply

To the Editor:

Thank you, Mr Caron [regarding you letter dated May 22, published on LymeLine.com.] These concerns [re the gravel pit along the Three-Mile River located at 308-1 Mile Creek Rd. in Old Lyme] are very real, and the neighbors of this property are suffering economic, environmental and disturbances to the peace on our properties.

The 1984 (!) noise ordinance in Old Lyme is virtually useless and toothless.

The owner of the property has demonstrated disrespect and lack of civility toward their neighbors.

Is this emblematic of the culture of Old Lyme?

Sincerely,

Betsy Groth,
Old Lyme.

Letter to the Editor: Old Lyme Gravel Pit Continues to Raise Concerns Regarding Noise, Public Health, Environment, Property Values, and More

Posted on by

To the Editor:

As of May 15th, the permit for the gravel pit [along the Three-Mile River located at 308-1 Mile Creek Rd. in Old Lyme] has expired  but the disregard and disrespect for the Town’s regulations and Commissions is ongoing as the work has not stopped, and additional equipment is being brought in. 

The machine delivered Saturday [May 18] is a large-scale, multiple-gradient screening plant. They are typically placed below a larger rock-crusher in order to separate material into different sizes after the larger boulders are broken up. Please note that there is no dust-prevention evident on this particular machine. This is not a small “Mom and Pop operation” machine, this machine can process approximately 600 tons of material an hour, that’s about 27 +/- dump trucks an hour.   

The lack of dust control will affect everyone’s health and air quality, along with the water quality of the Three Mile River. The vibration will adversely affect wildlife—that is, any and all of the sub-surface forms of life within hundreds of feet of this machine. The noise will certainly be much louder than the jack-hammer they have been using and vastly louder than that of a pickleball court, like the one on McCurdy Rd. that was denied due to noise concerns.

There is no shortage of information available regarding the detrimental effects that a gravel pit produces, the following link is just one of many:  https://www.fractracker.org/a5ej20sjfwe/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/silca-dust-facts.pdf

In addition to the public health, another concern is property value. This is not surprising with re-evaluation underway,  I did only a bit of research and found that living near a gravel pit indeed adversely affects home prices. Estimates vary depending on distance, but it seems the average loss in value of homes within one mile is between 15% and 20%, with some outlets claiming 30% losses. It seems only fair that we all see that reduction reflected in our tax bill, and that any tax revenue lost be assessed to the gravel pits since they are the reason for the decline in home values. 

Please consider contacting our Town Officials and attending meetings when possible. A Public Hearing will be scheduled regarding this matter soon—it may be the only chance that some will get to have their voices heard. 

Sincerely,

Peter Caron,
Old Lyme.

Letter to the Editor: Clarification of Some May 7 Lymes’ Senior Center Referendum Issues for Old Lyme Voters

Posted on by
2

To the Editor:

Christina and I attended the April 30 town meeting at which the Resolution “authorizing the issuance of bonds and notes to finance an existing appropriation* for the planning, design, and construction of an expanded joint Old Lyme/Lyme Senior Center was discussed by First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker and the Board of Finance (BOF) Chair, Bennett J. Bernblum.

I am writing to clarify a few points of confusion that were raised that night; which could be useful for those “non-attendees” as you prepare to vote on Tuesday, May 7.

The May 7 referendum in Old Lyme is not for resident approval of funding for the renovation and expansion of the Lymes’ Senior Center. Old Lyme’s portion of those required funds was approved on June 20, 2023 and April 15, 2024. (i.e., the “existing appropriation*” in the above.) 

Rather, the First Selectwoman and the Old Lyme Board of Finance (BOF) seek resident approval and authorization to formally explore and potentially commit to bonding for all or part of its Senior Center funding obligation. Note that “exploring.” the issuance of bonds does not obligate the Town—it just provides some important information that the BOF will use to prudently determine which funding alternative to take. Note that these funds are currently available at favorable rates and Old Lyme enjoys a high rating as a municipality seeking funds. 

Per [BOF Chairman] Mr. Bernblum in his 04/27/2024 LTE [published on LymeLine.com]; “if it is defeated, then Old Lyme will not have the option to issue bonds for all or part of its $4,107,656 obligation. 

Instead, it will have to draw funds from its undesignated surplus, thereby substantially reducing the sums that would be available to mitigate the tax impact from the Region 18 renovations coming down the pike in a year or two. This would be a serious mistake.”  

Note that the current undesignated surplus is estimated at $13 million. At the meeting, Mr. Bernblum also discussed a few fiscal “rules of thumb” regarding the amount that should be maintained in Old Lyme’s “rainy day fund.” 

A referendum on the Region18 Board of Education 2024-25 budget of $36,920,881 that was approved in February will also be held on May 7.

Sincerely, 

Christina J and Thomas D. Gotowka,
Old Lyme.