Category Archives: Top Story

UPDATE: Swim Advisories Lifted at Hawks Nest, Point O’ Woods in Old Lyme

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OLD LYME–On July 17, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) announced, “There are currently no swimming advisories or closures in effect at any LLHD-monitored beaches.” 

The health district website explains the agency conducts weekly sampling from Memorial Day through Labor Day in Old Lyme as well as East Lyme, Groton, Ledyard, New London, Stonington, and Waterford. 

Water quality is measured by the presence of enterococcal organisms, which are a group of organisms that may indicate the presence of potentially harmful bacteria.

The State of Connecticut has issued water quality guidelines to determine if a bathing area needs to be resampled or posted with an advisory. A concentration of enterococcal organisms exceeding 104 colonies per 100 ml of marine water and 235 colonies per 100 ml of freshwater is considered unsatisfactory for bathing.

An advisory is triggered when two consecutive samples exceed the state threshold, according to the health district. The advisory is removed once levels are safe.

TOP STORY: Old Lyme Pumps Brakes on New Gas Stations

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The exterior of the renovated Chestnut Market at 85 Halls Rd. in Old Lyme as seen in a 2024 file photo.

OLD LYME–Gas stations will be officially excised from the local zoning regulations, effective Aug. 11. 

The Zoning Commission on Monday voted unanimously to amend the regulations to strike gas stations from the list of businesses that can operate in town. 

Land Use Coordinator Eric Knapp said that means the existing four gas stations in town will remain, but no more will be allowed.

Gas stations were previously confined to Halls Road and certain parts of Shore Road. 

Applications for new or improved gas stations are controversial in a town where residents have long objected to development that would entice drivers to get off Interstate 95 rather than continuing on to points north or south. 

There was no comment at Monday evening’s public hearing. 

The Planning Commission in a unanimous vote last month found the move consistent with the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development. The document, updated every 10 years, is meant to guide the community’s growth based on the vision of those who live there.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Announce Quarter 4 Honor Rolls

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Lyme-Old Lyme High School
2024-25 Quarter 4 Honor Roll

HIGH HONORS

Grade 12: Ella Austin, Micah Bass, Gavin Biega, Molly Boardman, Nathaniel Bradley, Mark Burnham, Chase Calderon, Dylan Carnaroli, Andrew Clougherty, Tabitha Colwell, Andrea DeBernardo, Zoe Eastman-Grossel, Caeli Edmed, Anna Eichholz, Davis Fallon, Grace Ferman, Benedict Frazier, Hoshena Gemme, Manu Geronimo, Elias Goldberg, Nicolas Hatch, Yucheng Hou, Shyla Jones, Thomas Kabel, Simon Karpinski, Ella Kiem, Skylar Kobelia, Peter Kuhn, Ada LaConti, Brenden Landry, Andrew Liu, Lana Lopes, Elizabeth Lopez, Colette Marchant, Tirill Mundal, Kayla Navarro, Abigail O’Brien, Kanon Oharu, Sophie Pennie, Ysabel Rodriguez, Madelin Salazar Cajamarca, Josephine Small, Andrew Sprankle, Madeline Supersano, Charlotte Tinniswood, Nicholas Turtoro, Giovanni Winters, Ava Wood-Muller, Wenyao Zhang, Gabriella Ziegler

Grade 11: Trevor Buydos, Caden Camarra, Tyler Cann, Julia Clark, Maya Cook, Annabelle Coppola, Colman Curtiss-Reardon, Christopher Dagher, Sophia D’Angelo, Rose Dimmock, Alexa Donovan, Chase Gilbert, Alexander Glaras, Elizaveta Gregoire, Oliver Hatchel, Anne-Marie Hinckley, Christopher Kachur, Thomas Kelly, Jayden Livesey, Emily Looney, Poveda Lucas, Daniela Marin Yanza, Nayeli Marin Yanza, Serena Mazzi, Carter McGlinchey, Samuel McKenzie, Rowen Meisner, Ryan Miller, Madeline Murphy, Isabella Presti, Jacob Prokopets, Lance Sanford, Sophia Shaposhnikova, Luca Signora, Addison Spooner, Carson St. Louis, Andrew Taylor, Meredith Thompson, Madeleine Trepanier, Connor Vautrain, Oliver Wyman, Stella Young, Carl Zapatka

Grade 10: Addison Arndt, Phineas Barrett, Ceciley Buckley, Morgan Buerger, Brooke Burgess, William Burgess, Anna Bussmann, Lillian Calabrese, Aidan Carpentino, Isaac Chartier, Johanna Coker, Brady Donovan, Samson Edmed, Lauren Fulara, Angeline Gencarella, Antonio Gencarella, Gavin Goulis, Harrison Goulis, Skylar Graybill, Tessa Grethel, Owen Holth, Josephine Kiem, Allisondra Krol, Autumn Newbury, Ainsley Rinoski, Cameron Russell, Owen Shapiro, Kevork Shegirian, Milo Stiles, Carli Teixeira, Magdalena Tooker, Ethan Trepanier, Kaylyn Vernon, Caterina Wilson, Brody Ziolkovski

Grade 9: Lillian Acosta, Lauren Belval, Scarlett Blatter, Vivian Boller, Lana Brunza, Trevor Camarra, Naomi Cameron, Gabrielle Clark, Katharine Ferman, Jonah Filardi, Cortland Forbes, Avery Goiangos, Gavin Gray, Sawyer Graybill, Kinsley Grenier, Maia Guisti, Colleen Harrington, Reese Holland, Sophia Huang, Henrik Hummervoll, Fiona Judge, Jillian Kleefeld, Kaedyn Koproski, Treyton LaConti, Holden Leonardo, Alice Li, Graham Macadam, Benjamin Mattox, Menzi Mbele, Charles McEwen, William McKeever, Addyson Morosky, Grace Morrissette, Marielle Munster, Theodore Neary, Gwenevere Osborne, Mila Pacelli, Mattea Parnoff, Remi Patz, Nicholas Porto, Jonah Scheckwitz, Audrey Sheehan, Avery Spooner, Hailey Suisman, Charlotte Thuma, Ashlynn Ward, Ella Ziolkovski

HONORS

Grade 12: Emma Arelt, Hannah Bonilla, Dominic Clark, Hunter Coffey, Christopher Gibbons, Janna Graves, Abigail Greene, Kaela Hoss, Gage Kaulfuss, Olivia Kelly, Bronwyn Kyle, Elise Leonardo, Amahle Mdluli, Nathan Morgan, Max Novak, Ryan Shapiro, Nola Slubowski, Spencer Spezio, Erika Teixeira, Kathleen Walsh

Grade 11: Charlotte Antonino, Sienna Bari, Zoe Brunza, Makayla Calderon, Braden Dawson, Michael DeFiore, Claire Engdall, Benjamin Goulding, Quinn Hadarik, William Landon, Sebastian Lopez-Bravo, Ian Maeby, Sybil Neary, Ryan Ortoleva, Quenten Patz, Marleigh Piacenza, Tanner Snurkowski, Sydney St. Pierre, Margaret Thuma, Eve Videll, Elisabeth Viera

Grade 10: Mohammed Ali, Zachary Belval, Mia Bonatti, Logan Buckingham, Kacey Cajamarca, Evan Coffee, Amirah D’Lizarraga, Elliot Dunn-Sims, Edward Fiske, Elsa Jungkeit, Callahan Lacourciere, Logan Landry, Olivia Lovendale, Kaylee McCarthy, Sean Olsen, Alexandria Sanford, Allegra Schaedler

Grade 9: Noah Brant, John Comstock, Nathaniel Condon, Colin Discordia, Frederick Goss, Morgan Harris, Ryan Hill, David McAdams, Rowan McCormick, Ava Novak, Delilah Tooker, Renee Viera, Charles Zapatka, Avery Zbierski

Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School
2024-25 Quarter 4 Honor Roll

HIGH HONORS

Grade 8: Josie Arndt, Anna Block, Emily Bonatti, Cassidy Buckley, Ewan Cabell, Emily Campbell, Finnegan Choisnet, Reagan Christopher, Eliana Cicchiello, Emerson Coker, Miles Coppola, Ezekiel Daily, Maya Desai, Parker Fedorich, Jackson Fiske, Parker Forbes, Samantha Fulara, Ava Fuller, Olivia Gerardo, Victoria Glaras, Kylie Grethel, Olivia Griffith, Cole Haslam, Charles Holth, Quinn Hoss, Griffin Karpinski, Collin Langley, Zoey Langley, Ellison Lodge, Isabel Martel, Harland McKenna, Maxwell Mooney, Sofia Noti, Thomas O’Connor, Kanato Oharu, Giovanni Orlando, Jack Ouellette, Adrian Raby, Benson Reis, Tristan Reyes, Lillian Reynolds, Beatrix Rubino, Addison Sapia, Juliette Small, Mia Stokes, Natalie Suisman, Olive Vautrain, Benson Wang, Reagan Weinstein, Samuel Zelek, Lily Zerkowski

Grade 7: Charlotte Anton, Jack Antonino, Annalisa Archbald, Miella Bard, Sawyer Barreto, Cole Barris, Jackson Basham, Zakary Benedetto, Braydon Boisseau, Conor Buckeridge, Thomas Calabrese, Rowan Cantner, Mason Catalano, Jackson Chapps, Ainsley Conroy, Oliver Constantine, Brennon Coyle, Ella Davis, Amy Diaz, Daphne Eisensmith, Hunter Emma, Kate Ewers, Camryn Fedorich, Estelle Filardi, Beckett Goss, Delana Green-Oldfield, Aibhlinn Hall, Julia Haslam, Sean Hunter, August Jungkeit, Devon Kiem, Rowan Kilfoil, Eva Levonick, Yago Lobo, Jamie Maloney, Mary McAdams, Ariana McEwen, Finn McLaughlin, Henry Miller, Ryann Montesanto, Broderick Morris, Isla Morrissette, Maya Munster, Maura Murphy, Avery Olson, Gunnar Palmer, Juul Parrott, Quin Parrott, Quinn Quarto, Caliana Rand, Charlotte Reynolds, Olivia Rozanski-Rose, Linden Sarnoski, Ari Shegirian, Maya Smith, Reed Snurkowski, Grace Strekel, Molly Supersano, Weston Taylor, Liam Ward, John Young

Grade 6: Mylo Awwa, Ella Boudo, Cecelia Bradley, Brody Burr, Luz Cajamarca, Finn Celic, Andrew Chonka, Maizie Curtiss-Reardon, Croix Demars, Lucia D’Onofrio, Catherine Fisher, Maxwell Garvin, Natalie Gibbons, Walter Glenn, Gabriella Gonzalez, Niall Hallahan, Joy Haney, Gerald Holland, Emma Hoxha, Ofelia Karsten, Aiden Lapinski, Parker Lee, Benjamin Lott, Roosevelt Lowry, Siena Maguire, Emma Morales, Loretta Newbury, Nico Orlando, Alexander Reid, Jack Reiter, Connor Rice, Taylor Rooney, Magnolia Sahl, Reid Sapia, Kate Scheckwitz, Colton Schroder, Madison Seckla, Piper Spiegel, Leif Sullivan, Audrey Thuma, Tobias Tooker, Carina Vakili, Henry Whalen, Charlotte Zeng

HONORS

Grade 8: Trent Cameron, Colin Farrell, Curran Livesey, Oliver Newbury, Jack Parker, Nikolas Reid, Cooper Thomas, Teya Vernon

Grade 7: Liam Carpentino, Daniel Crisp, Jaxson Glantz, Ekaterina Gregoire, Thomas Hayes, Callen Hill, Camden Novak, Emily Randak, Roman Schlachter, Jackson Staab, Lucius Stebbins-Wallen

Grade 6: David Acosta, Finn Cabell, Ryan Campbell, Liang Chang, John Hornyak, Callie Kelo, Colton Lodge, Linnea McLachlan, Gabriella Norris, Mason Polski, EmmaLeigh Reed, Brandon Reyes, Graycie Riquelme, Michael Soriano

TOP STORY: ‘Best Ever’ White Elephant Sale Achieves Record-Breaking Results … Again

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The hall designated for Women’s Clothing was packed with eager shoppers throughout both days. Photos courtesy of Eileen Mueller, except where indicated.

This Year’s Gross Sales Exceed 2024 Record By “At Least 10 Percent”

A cheery Eileen Mueller of Old Lyme proudly wears her signature, red volunteer apron while serving customers.

OLD LYME — The weather was great for this year’s White Elephant Sale (WES) at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme … unlike last year when the heavens opened and rain dampened everything … except the financial results.

So, here at LymeLine, we wondered how things went in this year’s sale, which, as always, drew huge crowds, and sparked that unique community spirit for which is is renowned.

We asked WES Chairman Bob Davis that question and he replied by email saying, in a nutshell, it was the, “Best sale ever — again!!!! That is two years in a row, rain or shine”

He added, “Early numbers show [financial results] at least 10% bigger than last year,” and this was despite many departments thinking they did not have sufficient goods to sell!

He remarked that they may have been literally “flooded” in 2024, “but set a record anyways.” This year he noted, “The weather was much better and the customers came out in a steady stream after the initial Friday rush.” 

Sporting Goods offered a fine array of bikes for sale and, under the tent in the background, the department set out a huge array of sports equipment and more at bargain prices.

Davis said that the Sale ran very smoothly and, “All had great time with full a compliment of volunteers.”

All the proceeds from the Sale are distributed by the church’s Benevolent Society to support a great variety of charities both locally, statewide, nationally and internationally, as well as the church itself.

Bob Davis, WES Chairman, gave a debrief on the WES at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme Sunday’s service. Photo courtesy of FCCOL.

Davis, who has been chairing the WES for more years than he can remember, said the organizing committee is already thinking about improvements for next year and welcomes hearing any thoughts from the community.

Finally, he noted in a brief presentation at yesterday’s FCCOL morning service that the WES sale dates for 2026 are July 10 and 11 … so Save Those Dates!

The line to pay for women’s clothing never seemed to get any shorter!

Editor’s Note: i) We offer hearty congratulations to all those involved in pulling off this amazing sale. Bob Davis obviously plays a leading role and his efforts must be especially appreciated, but he is joined by a multitude of loyal volunteers year after year— and new ones too. Many thanks to you all.

Local Students Achieve Academic Success

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LYME/OLD LYME—We are pleased to publish news about local students who have achieved academic honors or reached important milestones.  These announcements are sent to us by the various colleges and in no way are intended to represent a comprehensive list.

Please feel free to submit additional college news of local students to editor@LymeLine.com.

Congratulations to these local college students who graduated in May: 

Eastern Connecticut State University

Marley Elmoznino, Lyme, received a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental earth science 

Francette Donato, Old Lyme, received a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology and a Bachelor of Science degree in early childhood education

Ciara Klimaszewski, Old Lyme, received a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminology 

Fairfield University, Connecticut

Benjamin Kelly

Plymouth State University, New Hampshire

Emma McCulloch, Old Lyme

Congratulations to these students who made the spring 2025 Dean’s List:

Salve Regina University, Rhode Island

Corah Engdall, Old Lyme

Tufts University, Massachusetts

Ella Halsey, Old Lyme

Eli Ryan, Old Lyme

University of Scranton, Pennsylvania

Michael S. O’Donnell, Old Lyme