On Saturday, May 3, Lyme Grange hosts a ‘Chick Chat’ Seminar for poultry lovers from 1 to 3 p.m.
LYME—On Saturday, May 3, the Lyme Grange will host an expert-led seminar and question-and-answer session on raising backyard chickens.
Poultry expert Sarah McEachern of Poulin Grain, a producer of animal-nutrition products, will lead the session from 1 to 3 p.m. at The Grange headquarters, 2 Sterling City Rd.
Grange Secretary Nancy Beebe in a press release said that the seminar is a response to area residents who have asked for expert guidance when it comes to raising small flocks of chickens on their property.
The free program is sponsored by the Lyme Grange, Shagbark Lumber & Farm Supplies, and the Hamburg Fair Association. Topics include poultry raising, housing, health concerns, nutritional care and predator considerations.
About 38 firefighters, including 15 from Lyme Fire Company, worked Wednesday to put down a roughly 50-acre brush fire in town. Photo courtesy of Lyme Fire Company.
LYME – A roughly 50-acre brush fire that threatened two homes in the woods between Becket Hill Road and Grassy Hill Road yesterday is contained and will be monitored.
Lyme Fire Company Deputy Chief Sam Adams in a phone call this morning said the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection was set to return to the area to assess the situation. He said he did not see signs of fire when he drove by early in the day.
He said the fire, which was called in around 1:54 p.m. Wednesday, was largely extinguished when local crews were sent home around 6:20 p.m.
The state agency kept a crew on scene overnight to monitor hot spots.
There were no injuries or damage to property, according to Adams.
About 38 firefighters from multiple jurisdictions arrived Wednesday afternoon to find flames moving up the ridgeline toward a house at the top of Becket Hill, Adams said.
He counted 15 firefighters from the Lyme Fire Company.
The fire was located in the woods between Becket Hill Road and Grassy Hill Road. Photo courtesy of Lyme Fire Company.
He said the DEEP was brought in when crews sent into the woods saw the fire spreading toward another house.
Crews of two or three firefighters each were sent out in compact, maneuverable utility vehicles affixed with water tanks, according to Adams. Some used rakes and leaf blowers to create a fire line about six to eight feet wide in front of the flames.
“The hope is that when the fire reaches that point, there’s no more material for it to actually burn,” he said.
Calm winds prevented embers from “jumping the fire line” and helped prevent flames from spreading past the barrier created by the firefighters, according to Adams.
Lyme Fire Company in a social media post credited Essex Fire Marshal John Planas for bringing in a drone equipped with a thermal imaging camera. The drone, which flew for the duration of the incident, allowed for more refined tactics and a rapid reduction in the size of the fire.
“That was a very, very big help as far as getting eyes on top of the fire and kind of seeing what direction it was headed,” Adams said.
The deputy chief expected to hear from the DEEP with an assessment of conditions in the afternoon.
The campaign headquarters for Lyme and Old Lyme Democrats opens Sunday.
Old Lyme – Lyme and Old Lyme Democrats will celebrate their new campaign headquarters on Lyme Street with a grand opening Sunday.
The event will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. at 10 Lyme St.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and Comptroller Sean Scanlon will be among the elected officials attending, according to publicity from the town committees.
HADLYME — Kathryn “Kathi” Tray Hill, a beloved mother, grandmother, partner, and friend, passed away on April 12, 2025 surrounded by love. She was predeceased by her devoted husband of 32 years, Thomas W. “Dutch” Hill …
Born and raised in Narberth, Pennsylvania, Kathi was a walking ray of sunshine …
Later in life, Kathi reconnected with her high school sweetheart, Skip Broom, and together they created a beautiful new chapter. She moved to Hadlyme, Connecticut, and through Skip and his children, she discovered the beauty of Fisher’s Island …
Kathi is survived by her loving children: son Justin Hill, and daughter Carlye Miller and her husband Matt. She was a deeply proud and doting Grandy to Trey (18) and Beckett (15) Miller, and Kai Hill (14). She is also survived by her brother, William Tray (Carol), her partner Skip Broom; his children Adrien Broom (Nico) and Margot Broom McClowry (Terry); and Skip’s grandchildren “T” and Cal …
This photo was taken September 2020 during an inspection of Whalebone Cove when it was found 60 to 70 percent of the waterways were clogged with hydrilla vines.
LYME – Experts on the Connecticut River hydrilla will be at the Town Hall on Wednesday to talk about plans to include Hamburg Cove in a growing, multi-year effort to reduce and control the highly invasive water weed.
The presentation will begin at 7 p.m., according to a public notice filed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). A question and answer period will follow.
The Connecticut River Hydrilla project, overseen by the Army engineers in partnership with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and the Lower Connecticut River Valley Council of Governments, began in 2023 to figure out which aquatic herbicides ― and how much of them ― are best suited to fighting off the uniquely pernicious aquatic species.
The USACE said herbicides will be introduced to Hamburg Cove this summer or fall. All herbicides being used are registered for aquatic use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The project last year applied an herbicide treatment to Selden Cove and several other sites on the lower Connecticut River.
Hydrilla degrades water quality, chokes out native plants and threatens the habitat of migratory fish like shad and herring, according to the Connecticut River Conservatory. It’s been described by U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D, as, “the worst invasive aquatic species known to man.”
Wednesday’s meeting will be in-person only, according to the notice. There will be information on the project itself as well as the concerning effects of hydrilla on the Connecticut River system.
Registration is requested. Those interested in attending should email info@eightmileriver.org.
