Category Archives: Letters

Letter to the Editor: ‘Heartsick’ Over Defeat of Halls Rd. Overlay Proposal; Need Officials, ‘Who Look at Big Picture with Creativity Instead of Negativity’

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To the Editor:

We were both heartsick that the proposal by the Halls Road Improvement Committee was defeated and that two members of the committee failed to vote. 

Our wonderful village needs both more local shops and restaurants so that we don’t have to go across the bridge to Saybrook.  We would welcome a bakery and other shops.   

Apartments for residents are another priority.  Many friends of ours want to move out of their larger homes and want to remain in Old Lyme.  Younger residents who can’t afford high priced homes would welcome this affordable option.   

Currently, our refugee family, The Popals, are looking for a three bedroom apartment so that their children can remain in Old Lyme attending our fine school.  There is nothing available for them. 

As someone who walks around Old Lyme frequently,  I notice the dilapidated buildings around The Hideaway.  Newer shops and restaurants would attract customers.   Apartment rents would provide another source of revenue for the projects as well as giving property tax revenue for Old Lyme.  

We were particularly saddened that the immediate reaction was to vote down the proposal because of a lack of an adequate septic system  instead of opting to look at solutions. We want to have officials who look at the big picture with creativity instead of negativity.  How can we make Old Lyme a wonderful place for residents to live in the future? We need to focus on how an acceptable septic plan can be designed and implemented. 

I hope that new proposals offered by the Halls Road Committee will be heard with constructive thoughts.  Edie and her committee have worked on this plan for more than three years asking for opinions from residents.  It is time for the board to approve the Halls Road Plans, which include necessary plans for septic meeting State standards required.  

With hope …

Sincerely,

Bill and Sandra Rueb,
Old Lyme.

Letter to the Editor: Old Lyme RTC Words on ‘Parental Rights’, Rev. Jungkeit are ‘Unfortunate’, ‘Somewhat Insulting’

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To the Editor:

Despite the already robust conversation on the topic, I still feel compelled to provide my bit of input on the recent letters by Mses. Thompson and Schmaus, which detailed their concerns that the Old Lyme RTC [Republican Town Committee] appears to be endorsing a “DeSantis style” of parental rights in our schools “as part of their platform and criteria for selecting candidates to run in this year’s municipal election”; i.e., the RTC would be “standing up for parental rights in the town’s school system regarding the school’s curricula and student policies”. Are the educators in Region 18 failing our children? I do not believe so. 

Further, in a letter published in the “CT Examiner” at the end of March, the RTC Chairman responded aggressively, and somewhat insultingly, to a sermon delivered by the Reverend Steven R. Jungkeit at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, who had voiced his concerns with the endorsement, and laid out what he considered the potential longer-term sequelae of that action. The tone of the response raised my ire.

Reverend Jungkeit is a social justice advocate, and some may be uncomfortable with such advocacy. He and his fellow ministers and congregation have: 

  • provided physical sanctuary in 2018 for over 200 days to a Pakistani couple facing deportation;
  • held a vigil and call to action with the Lyme-Old Lyme Partnership for Social Justice in May, 2022, which ended with the tolling of the bells to remember the then 32 victims of the most recent mass shootings in America; 
  • purchased a home in Old Lyme “to welcome refugees in perpetuity”, which included refugees from Syria, the Congo, and Puerto Rico (in the months following Hurricane Maria);
  • assisted many refugees secure housing, jobs, and eventually, fulfill the legal requirements to remain in the United States.

In closing, I believe that the criticism I noted above should help toughen up this “man of the cloth” and provide him the same perspective now enjoyed by both New York State Supreme Court Justice Merchan and Manhattan D.A. Bragg, who have been similarly criticized from the top of the national party.

I also feel that questioning the language unfortunately used by the RTC is entirely appropriate. Why shouldn’t those of us who follow national politics react with concern over the apparent highlighting of a key part of what I think is Governor DeSantis’ dystopian agenda, which already includes: “The Parental Rights in Education Act”, commonly referred to as the “Don’t Say Gay” law, which was passed and signed into law last year; and another bill just signed into law that apparently allows Floridians to carry concealed guns without a permit and without training.

Sincerely,

Thomas D. Gotowka,
Old Lyme.

Letter to the Editor: Old Lyme RTC Seems to be Using Same Rhetoric as DeSantis, Extreme Republicans

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To the Editor:

I received the Republican Town Committee’s (RTC) letter sent in mid-March and was immediately alarmed by rhetoric outlining their platform for the upcoming municipal election. Then I saw Mr. Nixon’s letter published in the CT Examiner on March 31st in response to a sermon delivered at the First Congregational Church.

First, Mr. Nixon’s letter sounded like the sermon hit the nail on the head and he’s just sorry that anyone outside his base properly interpreted what “parental rights” mean, like a teenager who has been caught doing something they know was wrong and is trying to talk their way out of it. 

It appears the letter the RTC sent to the whole town was sent with the hope that everyone but their base would either throw it right in the recycling or were too dumb to know that “standing up for parental rights in the town’s school system regarding the school’s curricula and student policies” is identical to the rhetoric used by Ron DeSantis and many others to justify the banning of hundreds of books, “don’t say gay” laws, and to prohibit the use of gender affirming pronouns in schools.

It sounds like Mr. Nixon understands these are unpopular policies among all but the far-right, and when he and the RTC decided to include that rhetoric as part of their platform and criteria for selecting candidates to run in this year’s municipal election, and as part of our State Representative Devin Carney’s platform, they should all expect significant blow-back from the community.

It is hard to believe that none of the 33 members of the RTC Mr. Nixon mentions are familiar with this rhetoric and the actions that have followed it all over this country.

It seems the Old Lyme RTC has fallen right in line with the most extreme Republicans, and we should be wary of all candidates they present as part of their slate this fall.

Sincerely,

Kim Thompson,
Old Lyme.

Editor’s Note: We invited Randy Nixon, who is the chairman of the Old Lyme RTC, to submit the letter he sent to CT Examiner, which is referred to above, to us for publication on LymeLine. He has not responded to our request at this time. Therefore, for reference, we are including a link to the letter, Sermonizing a ‘Complete Misrepresentation of the Facts’ in Old Lyme, here.

Letter to the Editor: “Greatly Troubling” That Old Lyme RTC Has Endorsed ‘Parental Rights’ Agenda for LOL Schools, Something to Remember When Voting in November

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To the Editor:

In March I received the Old Lyme Republican Town Committee’s (RTC) “request for support” letter. I am an unaffiliated voter, and as such I appreciate understanding what the local political parties are offering in terms of policy.  At first, the letter seemed innocuous, opening by noting that among the key values and priorities they would support is “maintaining the excellence of the Lyme-Old Lyme Public Schools.” While we all agree that keeping our schools strong is vital for the future of our children, the RTC explicitly noted that they would be “standing up for parents’ rights in the town school system regarding the school’s curricula and student policies.”

It is greatly troubling to me that the Old Lyme RTC has joined in the national narrative being spouted by leaders like Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump and Greg Abbott.  In every instance where Republicans have pushed a “parental rights” agenda, what has followed has been book bans, censorship and thought policing. The ill-defined “policy” of letting parents decide what books a school can use, what words teachers can say, and how subjects should be taught, fosters a toxic relationship between educators and parents and encourages the foolish, misguided and sometimes violent clashes we’ve seen playing out at Board of Ed meetings from coast to coast. 

Science is science, math is math, literature is literature, and history is history.  Let’s leave educating to the educators; it’s a policy that has served our school system well for the last 200 years. 

In short, if we want to keep our schools strong, let’s make sure we don’t let them get strong-armed by partisan politicians. I hope that in November we will vote for candidates who understand that restricting information and discouraging freedom of thought undermines one of the primary functions of education: teaching students how to think critically and for themselves.

Sincerely,

Claudia Schmaus,
Old Lyme.

Editor’s Note: The author is a  a member of the Town of Old Lyme’s Ethics Commission.

Letter to the Editor: Negative Outcome of Old Lyme Zoning Commission’s Vote on Halls Rd. Overlay District Raises Many Questions

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To the Editor:

I am writing as a follow-up to Mark Terwilliger’s Op Ed in LymeLine on the Zoning Commission’s vote against the Halls Road Overlay District proposal.

Elizabeth Regan, who covers Old Lyme for the “New London Day”, also reviewed the action in an article published in that newspaper on March 29th. 

Because the proposal had not been endorsed by our Town’s Planning Commission, approval required a supermajority of the Zoning Commission voting in favor (i.e., four of the five members in attendance); but the proposal only received three. 

Unfortunately, two members of the Commission did not attend this important meeting; and Land Use Coordinator Eric Knapp reported that Mike Miller could not attend because of an injury; and Ms. Tammy Tinnerello was absent and could not vote because she had missed the past two meetings, and not reviewed the audio recordings, which are available via the Town’s website.  Presumably, had she reviewed the recordings, she could have voted by calling in. 

Alternate members Sloan Danenhower and Michael Barnes filled in for the two absent members and voted to oppose the proposed plan.

The “New London Day” reported that “Miller had previously expressed support for the overall concept, pending assurances that the language would be clarified to prevent a ‘Costco-sized building’ from going up on Halls Road”; and such restrictions seemed to have been proposed and passed at the meeting. I could find no guesses on how Ms. Tinnerello was expected to vote. Infrastructure issues were also raised, and I ask the Commission to allow the Town some input to determine whether they should be considered as “insurmountable”.

I am concerned that, after several years of very public effort by Ms. Twining’s “Halls Road Improvement Committee”, which involved regular and frequent updates, and Q&A opportunities for the community; the project was blocked by votes from two alternate members of the Zoning Commission. I am also concerned that the Commission is again out of synch with the Town in their actions (i.e., the Town provided Ms. Twining’s group with $135,000 to support design work.)

Further, these positions are elected, not appointed, and require serious commitment. I do not feel that missing three consecutive meetings reflects strong commitment. 

Finally, the “New London Day” article also reported that horses and elephants came up in the discussion at the meeting. On her way to Oz, Dorothy only had to contend with lions and tigers and bears, but Ms. Twining. got trampled by an alternate who brought in horses and elephants.

Sincerely,

Thomas D. Gotowka,
Old Lyme.