Category Archives: Letters

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.

Our Expanded Policy on ‘Letters to the Editor’

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We welcome Letters to the Editor.  The following are our general rules relating to publication of letters on LymeLine.com:

  • Letters should be addressed to editor@lymeline.com.
  • Letters must not exceed our 600-word limit.
  • Letter writers must supply their first and last names, hometown, and telephone number for verification purposes.  They also should note any political or Town memberships/affiliations and/or any connection to political candidates. Only first and last names and hometown will be published.
  • We will publish a maximum of one letter every two weeks from any individual letter-writer.
  • We will not publish letters that include abusive, defamatory, indecent, libelous, obscene, off-topic, pornographic, profane, threatening, unlawful, vulgar, or otherwise objectionable comments.
  • Personal attacks on anyone or any group or organization are not permitted.
  • Letters that include code of any kind or hyperlinks to objectionable material will not be posted.

Commenting on any Letter to the Editor will be closed 48 hours after its original publication date.

As always regarding the publication of any article, opinion or letter on LymeLine.com, the editor’s decision is final.

Thank you for respecting these rules, which have been in place for over 22 years and rarely abused.

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.

Letter to the Editor: Thank You To All The Storm Volunteers

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To the Editor:

An Open Letter to Everyone Who Volunteered to Help in the Aftermath of Hurricane Henri

Thank you, and many of your family members, for your rapid and generous offers to volunteer as needed to support our beautiful town due to Storm Henri.

I am so pleased that we did not have to activate volunteer support in Old Lyme, but I am again acutely aware of why Old Lyme is the best small town in CT, because of our people.

The volunteer effort is what allows Emergency Operations to focus on keeping us all safe.  Mission accomplished.
Sincerely,
Mary Jo Nosal,
Old Lyme.

Editor’s Note: The author is the Old Lyme Selectwoman.

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.