Category Archives: News

Vendor, Partner, Food Truck Applications Now Open for High Hopes Holiday Market, Event to be Held Nov. 13 in Old Lyme

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The High Hopes Holiday Market will be held this year on Sunday, Nov. 13.

OLD LYME — The High Hopes Holiday Market will be back again in-person on Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022, at the organization’s location at 36 Town Woods Rd. in Old Lyme.

For one afternoon, the High Hopes arena in Old Lyme will be transformed into a marketplace with something for everyone.

Vendor applications are now open at this link. Applications are due by Friday, Aug. 26, and vendors will be notified of their status by Friday, Sept. 2.

For further information, e-mail Trudy Burgess or call her at 860.434.1974 x 123.

High Hopes is August Beneficiary of Old Lyme ‘Big Y’s Community Bag Program,’ Aims to Reduce Single-Use Plastics  

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OLD LYME – This year, local community non-profits are more in need of support than in any other time in the recent years’ past. Now shoppers can give back to the local community and help to reduce single-use plastics by purchasing a special reusable bag at Big Y.

High Hopes Therapeutic Riding, Inc. has been selected by the Old Lyme Big Y store leadership as the benefiting non-profit in the Big Y Community Bag Program for the month of August.

The Big Y Community Bag Program is designed to give back to the local community with every reusable bag purchased.  This program offers a way for shoppers to give back as part of the regular weekly routine.

High Hopes will receive a $1 donation for every $2.50 reusable Big Y Community Bag purchased at the Big Y in Old Lyme. 

When asked her reaction to High Hopes being selected as this month’s beneficiary, Kitty Stalsburg, Executive Director of High Hopes said, “We are thrilled to be participating in this innovative program that makes it possible for shoppers to give back to local non-profits while reducing single-use plastic in the environment. We appreciate the community support in this important initiative to make a difference.”

High Hopes Therapeutic Riding, Inc. is a non-profit based in Old Lyme, CT. Founded in 1974, High Hopes works to foster a community where horse and human interactions improve lives. Learn more about High Hopes by visiting highhopestr.org.

For more information about the Big Y Community Bag Program, visit bigy.bags4mycause.com.

Old Lyme’s Florence Griswold Museum Director Beaulieu Leaving to Become President/CEO of Cincinnati’s Taft Museum of Art

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Florence Griswold Museum Director Rebekah Beaulieu is leaving to take up a position as President/CEO of the Taft Museum of Art  in Cincinnati, Ohio.

CINCINNATI, OHIO/OLD LYME, CONN.—The Taft Museum of Art’s board of directors has announced the selection of Rebekah (Becky) Beaulieu as the museum’s next Louise Taft Semple President and CEO.

Beaulieu is currently the director of the Florence Griswold Museum, an American Alliance of Museums accredited National Historic Landmark, house museum, and modern exhibition space dedicated to American art, history, and landscape in Old Lyme, Conn.

Since Beaulieu’s appointment in 2018, she has made substantive changes in the depth of programming and connection to the community.

Beaulieu also serves as an accreditation commissioner for the American Alliance of Museums, as the vice president of the New England Museum Association, and as the treasurer of the American Association for State and Local History.

Beaulieu’s work has received recognition as the author of Financial Fundamentals for Historic House Museums (Rowman & Littlefield, 2017) and Endowment Essentials for Museums (Rowman & Littlefield, 2022).

Raised in Milwaukee, Beaulieu holds a PhD from Boston University in American and New England Studies with her dissertation Historic House Museums and America’s Urban Midwest offering underrepresented scholarship in the field.

Beaulieu also holds a masters in Art History and Museum Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a masters in Arts Administration from Columbia University and a bachelors in American Studies from The George Washington University.

In addition to her current roles, she has also held positions at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art (Brunswick, Maine), the Milwaukee County Historical Society (Milwaukee, Wis.), and Lookingglass Theatre Company (Chicago, Ill.)

The current Florence Griswold Museum Director Rebekah (Becky) Beaulieu will take up the position of President/CEO of the Taft Art Museum in Cincinnati, Ohio (pictured above) starting Sept. 19, 2022. Photo by Ryan Kurtz.

“We are delighted to welcome Becky as the next President and CEO of the Taft, and excited to have her and her husband Patrick become part of our vibrant community in Cincinnati,” says Jill T. McGruder, board of director’s vice chair. “Becky will bring her impressive skills in community engagement, staff support and financial management to the museum at an important moment in its history, having recently celebrated our bicentennial and preservation of our landmark home.”

This appointment marks a critical era for the Taft, whose world-renowned collection and regional legacy make it an important national treasure. Beaulieu will build upon the organization’s community-centered engagement and excitement following the museum’s Bicentennial Infrastructure Project, sparking a renewed creative energy around the unique cultural gem.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the Taft Museum of Art and look forward to collaborating with its visionary board of directors and exceptional staff to steward the museum into its exciting next chapter as a beacon of 21st century preservation and engagement. It is a true honor to be selected to lead an institution that is renowned for its commitment to excellence, and to join the dynamic arts community of Cincinnati,” says Beaulieu.

Beaulieu will officially join the museum as Louise Taft Semple President and CEO on Sept. 19, 2022.

The board-appointed selection committee conducted a nationwide search, retaining executive search consultants Museum Search & Reference, LLC.

Editor’s Notes: i) The press release above was issued Aug. 1, 2022 by the Taft Museum of Art.
ii) Tucked away in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, the Taft Museum of Art is a living landmark where art and history are everywhere you look. Built around 1820 as a private home for several of Cincinnati’s most prominent citizens, the Taft Museum of Art is now one of the finest small art museums in America and holds National Historic Landmark status for its historic house and Duncanson murals. For more information, visit taftmuseum.org.

Kick-Off Concert for Old Lyme’s Midsummer Festival Draws Hundreds to Listen, Picnic, Dance

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OLD LYME – What a beautiful night for a concert!

Hundreds of people turned out last night for the opening event of Old Lyme’s Midsummer Festival when The Mighty Soul Drivers brought the classic soul sounds of Memphis and points South to the banks of the Lieutenant River adjacent to the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme.

Folk were picnicking, a variety of food trucks were on-site offering all kinds of delicacies, and the toe-tapping sounds from the band brought many to their feet to dance joyfully under the stars.

SweetSeidners.com did a roaring trade in all kinds of delectable cookies and brownies. The business is run by Lymes’ Youth Service Director Mary Seidner’s sister-in-law. The photo above shows Mary standing in the center between her brother-in-law and sister-in-law.

Old Lyme’s Midsummer Festival Comes Back With a (Joyful) Bang!

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The day began with the 5K Midsummer Run hosted by LYSB, in which more than 300 runners participated.

OLD LYME — 8/1 UPDATED with more photos: Clear blue skies and warm temperatures welcomed the return of Old Lyme’s Midsummer Festival yesterday, after a two-year absence due to COVID. From early in the day, Lyme Street was alive with cheerful people of all ages enjoying the activities and festivities on offer and perusing the great variety of art, craft and edible items for sale.

Awards were presented after the race by Alli Behnke and her team of helpers to the winners. The photo above shows Rowan Hallahan receiving his award.

Shortly after, a ribbon-cutting was held at Lyme Academy of Fine Arts (LAFA) to celebrate the official opening of the de Gerenday Fine Art Materials and Curiosities shop on the campus. All the members of the Old Lyme (OL) Board of Selectmen  — First Selectman Tim Griswold (second from left), Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker (fourth from left), and Matt Ward (third from right, at rear) — as well as members of the OL Economic Development Commission (EDC), including chair Cheryl Poirier (third from left) and Mona Colwell (left), were on hand to assist with the ceremony.

Chairman of the LAFA Board of Trustees Michael Duffy cut the ribbon while LAFA Executive Director Mora Rowe to his right looked on enthusiastically. Holding the ribbon at the far right was Cameron Paynter, who is the Store Associate responsible for running the shop.

Outside on the Academy grounds, several different bands played drawing listeners appreciative of a bale of straw on which to take a rest.

Across at the Old Lyme Inn, the Fence Show Artists were plying their trade.

The range of styles and genres of artwork was exceptional this year.

Over at the Lyme Art Association, visitors were first greeted by the smiling faces of members of the OL EDC, in this case, Joe Camean (left) and Cheryl Poirier …

… and now, Mona Colwell and John Stratton.

Nancy Gladwell explained with passion to those, who stopped by the Public Art for Racial Justice Education (PARJE) stand, what PARJE’s mission is and how the group is working on achieving it.

The Old Lyme Land Trust hosted A Place Called Hope, who gave a popular demonstration including the live raptor pictured above.

Fat Stone Farm, located in Lyme, was doing a roaring trade throughout the day in their maple syrups, honeys, soaps, relishes, jellies and more.

Moving up to the grounds of the Florence Griswold Museum, members of the OL Solid Waste & Recycling Committee gathered for a photo at their stand. Fred Behringer (second from right) and his daughter (not pictured) had created an ingenious, interactive game to test people’s knowledge of local recycling facts and figures. It proved a big attraction and attracted many keen participants.

Jim Ward and his wife Sheila McTigue Ward manned the Lyme-Old Lyme Food Share Garden tent encouraging new volunteers to sign up while sharing information about the remarkable project.

Photo by Linda Ahnert.

This fine fellow named Boomer, who opted for a lion headdress in the Parading Paws contest held at the Museum, , deservedly won an award for Best Costume. Our apologies that we do not know his owner’s name.

Staying with the canine theme, here are volunteers for Project Paws: The Tim Buckley Project, which fosters the therapeutic benefits of the human animal bond, impacts social emotional learning for youth, and restores hope to families impacted by mental health and substance use disorders.

Project Paws provides education and resources for bringing Animal Assisted Activity and Animal Assisted Therapy to many organizations.

Old Lyme Emergency Services Management volunteers were hard at work demonstrating the skills they employ to folk who came by their tent, also at the Museum. This young visitor was especially interested in the business of resuscitation!

Going up Lyme Street a tad further to the former Bee and Thistle Inn, now the home of the Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center, one found the Lyme-Old Lyme Lions hosting their Classic Car Show. An extensive selection of fabulous vehicles was on display and the event culminated with some of the proud owners receiving awards.

The wonderful day ended with the OL Town Band giving a concert on the field behind the LOL Middle School, which preceded a magnificent fireworks display hosted by the Town.

It was a splendid Festival, which thousands came out to enjoy.

Congratulations to the organizers, whose hard work and attention to detail could be seen and appreciated everywhere. Many thanks to them and all who participated in person or as sponsors for your combined efforts.