Category Archives: Letters

Letter to the Editor: If Elected to Planning Commission, Lampos Will Balance Old Lyme’s ‘Special Beauty’ With Town’s Housing, Commercial Needs

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To the Editor:

I am honored to be on the Democratic ticket in Old Lyme as a candidate for the Planning Commission.  I have a deep love and respect for our town’s history, quality of life, and natural environment, and want to contribute to its healthy future.

My graduate degree is in urban affairs and policy analysis, and I have worked on various municipal and non-profit development projects in New York City.   As the owner-operator of Groton Pizza Palace, my family’s restaurant of 54 years, I also have a practical business perspective.   My enthusiasm for innovative planning solutions combined with respect for the economic drivers necessary for a healthy community will guide me in helping our town navigate the cross-currents of development and preservation.   I want to encourage smart solutions to planning issues, to help us avoid the unfortunate choices other towns have made whereby landscape and quality of life have degraded with little net economic benefit.

Old Lyme’s special beauty and culture are irreplaceable. They must be balanced with our need to maintain a full range of housing and commercial enterprises that will preserve and promote our town’s vibrancy.  I am running for Planning Commission to join a team making positive, informed decisions. I would greatly appreciate your vote on November 5.

Sincerely,

Jim Lampos,
Old Lyme.

Editor’s Note: The writer is a 2019 candidate for the Old Lyme Planning Commission.

Letter to the Editor: Vote Republican Trio to Help ‘Lift the Veil’ on BOE Proceedings

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To the Editor:

I am writing to urge Old Lyme residents to vote for the Board of Education team of Suzanne Thompson, Jenn Miller and Steven Wilson.  I served on the Board of Education for two years, and I have three daughters in Lyme-Old LymeSchools.  Having served on the Board of Education as well as being a parent of LOL students, I have a strong interest in keeping our schools and facilities excellent.  The Board of Education must return to a more robust role in overseeing the school administration.  In recent years, major issues like universal pre-k, the $35.1 million budget, and (coming soon!) $1.5 million artificial turf field have had remarkably limited Board discussions and public questions.  I believe in strong community backing and buy-in on these significant projects.  Our Board of Education must lift the veil and allow all sides of these issues to be debated and discussed.  We MUST avoid another boathouse debacle in our town.

Thompson, Miller and Wilson represent the strength of leadership to return OUR Board of Education to a proper balance between the administration and the Town’s elected officers whom are charged with vigorously debating key issues before arriving at a conclusion.  All of these Row B candidates have either had kids through our system or have kids in the schools today, so their interests are vested.  They all have significant personal and professional accomplishments that have shaped their leadership, and all of them are active, contributing community members.  Please join me November 5th in voting for Row B for Old Lyme!

Sincerely,

Steve Spooner,
Old Lyme.

Letter to the Editor: Support Griswold, Kerr for Honesty, Integrity, and to Retain Old Lyme Charm

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To the Editor:

It is my honor and pleasure to offer this letter of support for Tim Griswold and Chris Kerr for Old Lyme First Selectman and Old Lyme Board of Selectman.
Both Tim and Chris have a demonstrated track record of honesty, integrity and thoughtful, reasoned leadership.
Both seek local solutions and change informed by Old Lyme stake holders. Tim and Chris possess inherent skills and embrace basic tenets of transparency in good governance in providing leadership on behalf of all of the town’s citizens.
Tim and Chris capably understand the nuances of how Old Lyme and New England more broadly comprise the land of steady habits. As such, radical plans for large scale housing developments, town wide sewers, or other state influenced or state sponsored initiatives that significantly change what gives Old Lyme its classic New England small town charm are not necessary and not wanted.
Voters should ask themselves why they originally chose to reside in Old Lyme. If one wishes to have the things that drove that choice unmolested together with a public policy that is averse to increases in local taxes, then the only decision on November 5th is to cast your vote for Tim Griswold, Chris Kerr, and the entire team on Row B.
Sincerely,

Christopher Carter,
Old Lyme.

Letter to the Editor: ‘Spurious and Specious Editorial’ on Sewers in Old Lyme Presents ‘An Inconvenient Mistruth’

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To the Editor:

On October 12, Gregory Stroud, editor of the CT Examiner, published “A Stray Conversation About Sewering Rogers Lake and Elsewhere in Old Lyme; which was based on a conversation” with retiring Waterford First Selectman Daniel Stewart, who is presumably leaving public life. Stewart alleged first-hand knowledge that Old Lyme First Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder has openly (?) discussed installation of sewers in Old Lyme beyond the current Sound View project, He then went on to question the validity of the current Intermunicipal Agreement for transport of sewage.

I followed through with Old Lyme Town Hall and could not find any evidence supporting such allegations. So, it appears to me that, without any attempt to verify these “facts”, Stroud published a spurious and specious editorial – i.e., An Inconvenient Mistruth”, and so close to the November elections, too. If WaterGate had “Deep Throat”; what should we call this, as it relates to “WasteWaterGate”? – other than an example of partisan “yellow journalism”. In Stroud’s own words: “how can we be hearing this for the first time from Waterford?” I was compelled to follow through, why didn’t you also do so, Mr. Stroud?

The CT Examiner claims to be non-partisan. However, I feel that it is important to know that J. David Kelsey, co-founder and principal source of funding for this online newspaper, is also Chairman of Old Lyme’s Republican Town Committee.

Sincerely,

Thomas D. Gotowka,
Old Lyme.

Letter to the Editor: Failure to Undertake Full Financial Review of Old Lyme’s Sewer Project Will Result in Unexpected Costs

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To the Editor:

To understand the negative impact the proposed sewer project will have on future cost to Old Lyme property owners, one must first understand the future development plans of the towns that will share the system.

Old Lyme’s future development plans do not include any major expansion of residential or commercial projects. The chairman of Old Lyme’s Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) has stated there is no plan to extend sewers into neighborhoods other than those under order of Department of Environmental Protection (DEEP).

East Lyme’s future development plans include major residential and commercial projects, many of which are underway. The towns of Waterford and New London also  plan major expansion projects.

An article in The Day newspaper in July, 2018 quoted East Lyme’s first selectman praising the sewer agreement that allows Old Lyme’s private beach associations to connect to their sewer system. He stated it was important to have a partner that will share the costs to upgrade their sewer system.

East Lyme’s WPCA has stated that any future development will require substantial upgrades to their existing system. Waterford and New London officials have expressed these same concerns. All this will come at costs to Old Lyme sewer users.

It is noteworthy that Old Lyme town officials had no direct involvement in the terms of the sewer agreement between the town of East Lyme and the private beaches, yet Old Lyme will bear the costs once the town enters into this agreement, that is the current plan.

Old Lyme’s voters were misled about the details of the sewer project prior to the 9.4 million dollar referendum this past September. Approving funding for a project of this scope without a financial review of all relevant documents and agreements was negligence on the part of Old Lyme’s Board of Finance (BOF). The losers here are the residents of Soundview, who will be burdened with an unknown financial impact thanks to the failure of a proper project review by the town officials who we elect to act in our best interest.

Sincerely,

William Folland,
Old Lyme.