Category Archives: Lyme

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Announce Q1 Honor Rolls

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Lyme-Old Lyme High School
2024-25 Quarter 1 Honor Roll

HIGH HONORS

Grade 12
Micah Bass, Gavin Biega, Molly Boardman, Nathaniel Bradley, Mark Burnham, Chase Calderon, Dominic Clark, Andrew Clougherty, Tabitha Colwell, Gloria Conley, Chloe Datum, Andrea DeBernardo, Caeli Edmed, Anna Eichholz, Grace Ferman, Benedict Frazier, Salvatore Gencarella, Manu Geronimo, Christopher Gibbons, Janna Graves, Nicolas Hatch, Kaela Hoss, Rowan Hovey, Shyla Jones, Thomas Kabel, Simon Karpinski, Olivia Kelly, Ella Kiem, Skylar Kobelia, Peter Kuhn, Ada LaConti, Brenden Landry, Elise Leonardo, Andrew Liu, Lana Lopes, Colette Marchant, Nathan Morgan, Abigail O’Brien, Sophie Pennie, Ysabel Rodriguez, Ryan Shapiro, Drea Simler, Josephine Small, Andrew Sprankle, Charlotte Tinniswood, Nicholas Turtoro, Kathleen Walsh, Giovanni Winters, Wenyao Zhang, Gabriella Ziegler

Grade 11
Zoe Brunza, Trevor Buydos, Tyler Cann, Julia Clark, Maya Cook, Colman Curtiss-Reardon, Christopher Dagher, James Dahlke, Rose Dimmock, Chase Gilbert, Alexander Glaras, Anna Goldfarb, Benjamin Goulding, Elizaveta Gregoire, Anne-Marie Hinckley, Christopher Kachur, Thomas Kelly, Jayden Livesey, Emily Looney, Poveda, Lucas, Serena Mazzi, Carter McGlinchey, Rowen Meisner, Ryan Miller, Madeline Murphy, Sybil Neary, Ryan Olsen, Ryan Ortoleva, Jacob Prokopets, Lance Sanford, Sophia Shaposhnikova, Addison Spooner,  Sydney St. Pierre, Andrew Taylor, Meredith Thompson, Connor Vautrain, Stella Young, Carl Zapatka

Grade 10
Collin Anderson, Ceciley Buckley, Morgan Buerger, Brooke Burgess, William Burgess, Anna Bussmann, Lillian Calabrese, Isaac Chartier, Johanna Coker, Brady Donovan, Elliot Dunn-Sims, Edward Fiske, Lauren Fulara, Antonio Gencarella, Gavin Goulis, Harrison Goulis, Skylar Graybill, Tessa Grethel, Owen Holth, Josephine Kiem, Paul Kuhn, Callahan Lacourciere, Kaylee McCarthy, Autumn Newbury, Sean Olsen, Mia Palmer, Ainsley Rinoski, Cameron Russell, Owen Shapiro, Kevork Shegirian, Madeline Stiles, Milo Stiles, Carli Teixeira, Magdalena Tooker, Ethan Trepanier, Kaylyn Vernon, Caterina Wilson

Grade 9
Lillian Acosta, Lauren Belval, Scarlett Blatter, Vivian Boller, Noah Brant, Lana Brunza, Payton Burr, Trevor Camarra, Naomi Cameron, Gabrielle Clark, John Comstock, Nathaniel Condon, Colin Discordia, Jonah Filardi, Cortland Forbes, Avery Goiangos, Frederick Goss, Gavin Gray, Sawyer Graybill, Kinsley Grenier, Aiden Guidi, Maia Guisti, Colleen Harrington, Morgan Harris, Reese Holland, Sophia Huang, Henrik Hummervoll, Fiona Judge, Jillian Kleefeld, Kaedyn Koproski, Holden Leonardo, Alice Li, Graham Macadam, Menzi Mbele, David McAdams, Rowan McCormick, Charles McEwen, William McKeever, Clarissa Mock, Addyson Morosky, Grace Morrissette, Marielle Munster, Theodore Neary, Gwenevere Osborne, Mila Pacelli, Mattea Parnoff, Remi Patz, Caiden Pelletier, Nicholas Porto, Jonah Scheckwitz, Marguerite Sevigny, Audrey Sheehan, Avery Spooner, Hailey Suisman, Charlotte Thuma, Renee Viera, Avery Zbierski, Ella Ziolkovski

HONORS

Grade 12
Christopher Anderson, Oliver Avelange, Hannah Bonilla, Zoe Eastman-Grossel, Abigail Edwards, Davis Fallon, Samantha Fiske, Hoshena Gemme, Marcella Gencarella, Elias Goldberg, Abigail Griffith, Yucheng Hou, Hannah Johnston, Gage Kaulfuss, Bronwyn Kyle, Straub, Lahot, Evan LeQuire, Amahle Mdluli, Tirill Mundal, Kayla Navarro, Max Novak, Kanon Oharu, Kelly Sheehan, Nola Slubowski, Erika Teixeira, Ava Wood-Muller

Grade 11
Sienna Bari, Max Bartlett, Makayla Calderon, Caden Camarra, Annabelle Coppola, Michael DeFiore, Quinn Hadarik, Oliver Hatchel, Maya LeQuire, Yanza, Marin, Yanza, Marin, Samuel McKenzie, Finch Nichols, Quenten Patz, Marleigh Piacenza, Isabella Presti, Daniel Shaposhnikov, Luca Signora, Tanner Snurkowski, Charlotte Spiegel, Carson St Louis, Margaret Thuma, Madeleine Trepanier, John Turick, Elisabeth Viera, Gabriel Waldo, Oliver Wyman, Katherine Zhang

Grade 10
Zachary Belval, Mia Bonatti, Aidan Carpentino, Evan Coffee, Amirah D’Lizarraga, Samson Edmed, Angeline Gencarella, Curtiss Johnson, Elsa Jungkeit, Olivia Lovendale, Matilda Miller, John Morosky, Grace Osborne, Vincenzo Pietrowicz, Alexandria Sanford, Allegra Schaedler, Ivy Wilson, Brody Ziolkovski

Grade 9
Ashlynn Edwards, Katharine Ferman, Ryan Hill, Mason Jones, Henry Kyle, Treyton LaConti, Sadie Lukasiewski, Benjamin Mattox, Liam McCormick, Caitlyn McHugh, Logan Patana, Chloe Ryan, Niamh Slubowski, Delilah Tooker, Ashlynn Ward, Charles Zapatka

Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School
2024-25 Quarter 1 Honor Roll

HIGH HONORS

Grade 8
Anna Block, Emily Bonatti, Cassidy Buckley, Ewan Cabell, Emily Campbell, Finnegan Choisnet, Reagan Christopher, Eliana Cicchiello, Emerson Coker, Benjamin Conrad, Miles Coppola, Nadia Daily, Maya Desai, Parker Fedorich, Jackson Fiske, Parker Forbes, Samantha Fulara, Ava Fuller, Victoria Glaras, Cole Haslam, Charles Holth, Quinn Hoss, Griffin Karpinski, Collin Langley, Zoey Langley, Ellison Lodge, Isabel Martel, Harland McKenna, Maxwell Mooney, Oliver Newbury, Sofia Noti, Kanato Oharu, Jack Ouellette, Jack Parker, Nikolas Reid, Benson Reis, Tristan Reyes, Lillian Reynolds, Beatrix Rubino, Addison Sapia, Adrianna Squarciafico, Mia Stokes, Natalie Suisman, Cooper Thomas, Olive Vautrain, Benson Wang, Reagan Weinstein, Anna William, Samuel Zelek, Lily Zerkowski

Grade 7
Annalisa Archbald, Miella Bard, Sawyer Barreto, Cole Barris, Jackson Basham, Zakary Benedetto, Conor Buckeridge, Thomas Calabrese, Rowan Cantner, Mason Catalano, Jackson Chapps, Ainsley Conroy, Oliver Constantine, Brennon Coyle, Roger Crampton, Sophia Crampton, Daniel Crisp, Ella Davis, Amy Diaz, Daphne Eisensmith, Kate Ewers, Camryn Fedorich, Estelle Filardi, Maureen Geronimo, Jaxson Glantz, Beckett Goss, Delana Green-Oldfield, Ekaterina Gregoire, Willow Griffis, Julia Haslam, Sean Hunter, August Jungkeit, Devon Kiem, Rowan Kilfoil, Alina Kosecki, Eva Levonick, Jamie Maloney, Mary McAdams, Ariana McEwen, Finn McLaughlin, Henry Miller, Tristan Montanaro, Ryann Montesanto, Broderick Morris, Isla Morrissette, Maya Munster, Maura Murphy, Avery Olson, Juul Parrott, Quin Parrott, Quinn Quarto, Caliana Rand, Emily Randak, Charlotte Reynolds, Olivia Rozanski-Rose, Linden Sarnoski, Ari Shegirian, Maya Smith, Molly Supersano, Weston Taylor, Jack Walter, Liam Ward, John Young, Kingsley Zheng

Grade 6
Mylo Awwa, Ella Boudo, Cecelia Bradley, Brody Burr, Ryan Campbell, Liang Chang, Aiden Coffee, Maizie Curtiss-Reardon, Croix Demars, Lucia D’Onofrio, Catherine Fisher, Maxwell Garvin, Natalie Gibbons, Gabriella Gonzalez, Gerald Holland, John Hornyak, Emma Hoxha, Callie Kelo, Aiden Lapinski, Parker Lee, Siena Maguire, Linnea McLachlan, Emma Morales, Gabriella Norris, Nico Orlando, Alexander Reid, Jack Reiter, Connor Rice, Taylor Rooney, Magnolia Sahl, Reid Sapia, Kate Scheckwitz, Colton Schroder, Madison Seckla, Piper Spiegel, Audrey Thuma, Carina Vakili, Henry Whalen

HONORS

Grade 8
Josie Arndt, Trent Cameron, Samuel Dunn-Sims, Joshua Evans, Colin Farrell, Jared Fulara, Olivia Gerardo, Cayden Graybill, Olivia Griffith, Curran Livesey, Grant Maxwell, Thomas O’Connor, Giovanni Orlando, Juliette Small

Grade 7
Haneen Al-Rahyyl, Braydon Boisseau, Liam Carpentino, Hunter Emma, Aibhlinn Hall, Lauren Kelly, Jameson McKeever, Camden Novak, Roman Schlachter, Jackson Staab, Lucius Stebbins-Wallen, Kolbein Vigen

Grade 6
Finn Cabell, Luz Cajamarca, Finn Celic, Niall Hallahan, Roosevelt Lowry, Leif Sullivan, Charlotte Zeng

Happy 21st Birthday to Us! Looking to the Future for ‘The Cornerstone of the Community’

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A reader recently described LymeLine as “The Cornerstone of the Community for News and Information.” Those words made my day since they perfectly describe LymeLine’s mission, and how we at LymeLine feel about the Lyme-Old Lyme community we serve.

We aim to present accurate, objective coverage of Lyme and Old Lyme community news, events and information while striving at all times to avoid sensationalism and negativity. And from the positive feedback we receive and the ever-increasing number of readers who visit our site, we have the sense that you value what we do and agree we are meeting a need.

By an extraordinary coincidence, today—December 3rd—is not only ‘Giving Tuesday’, but also our 21st birthday! We are one of the oldest, continuously published, online community ‘newspapers’ in the U.S. And not once in all those years have we carried out an Annual Appeal but this year—partly at the urging of a number of readers—we are doing just that … and here’s why.

Some readers already know that we are no longer Old Lyme residents but others are unaware that we now live just outside Washington, D.C and publish remotely from there. This was never intended to be a long-term plan but has somehow turned into one. It is, however, becoming increasingly apparent that fulfilling our mission now requires, “Boots on the Ground,” and that, in turn, means we need additional funds to pay for an in-town editor/reporter. 

So we are—for the first time ever—joining the throng of requests you are receiving at this time of year for donations. We are hoping to raise sufficient monies to help fund a part-time Editor/Reporter in Lyme-Old Lyme and also assist with our ever-increasing operating expenses. 

So if you value our work and would like to support this effort, please consider a donation in any amount to help us meet this goal. You can donate online via this linkor mail a check to:
Shoreline Web News LLC
10208 Kensington Pkwy
Kensington, MD 20895-3305

Thank you so much in advance for your generosity. And also huge thanks to all those of you, who have already donated to LymeLine—in some cases, multiple times over multiple years. Your contributions, coupled with payments from our wonderful band of loyal advertisers, are, quite simply, why we are still here.

AGAIN, THANK YOU!

Olwen Logan, 
Publisher/Editor, LymeLine.com

Old Lyme Junior Gilbert Qualifies for X-Country Nationals in San Diego, First Ever OL Runner to Reach Nationals

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Pictured here are the four girls who qualified for the Footlocker Cross Country National Championship in San Diego on Dec. 14. Lyme-Old Lyme High Schools’s Chase Gilbert is at right in photo—the other girls are, from left to right, Tess Sherry (Conard), Brook Strauss (Glastonbury), and Liv Sherry (Conard.) Photo by T. Gilbert.

BOSTON, MA—UPDATED 12/02 WITH NEW PHOTOS: On Saturday, Nov. 30, Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS) Junior Chase Gilbert qualified for the Footlocker Cross Country National Championship with her fifth place finish in the 5,000-meter course at the Northeast Regional Championships at Franklin Park In Boston. 

Gilbert’s time was 17:56.9—only around six seconds behind the fourth place finisher, Liv Sherry of Conard High School in West Hartford at 17:49.3.

Brooke Strauss of Glastonbury was the highest-placed Connecticut finisher at third with a time of 17,41,5,

The National Championship will be held in San Diego, Calif., on Saturday, Dec.14..  

The fastest 10 girls, who finished the race, qualified for the National Contest and four of those 10, including Gilbert, were from Connecticut. The fourth was Liv Sherry’s sister, Tess—also from Conard—who came 10th.

Chase Gilbert (left) is pictured here after Saturday’s race standing with her LOLHS coach, Jan Merrill-Morin, (center) and Merrill-Morin’s husband, Jeff. Photo by T. Gilbert.

Gilbert is the first Lyme-Old Lyme runner ever to qualify for the National Championship. She is coached at LOLHS by former 1976 Olympian runner Jan Merrill-Morin and LOLHS History and Civics teacher Aron Daquila.

Asked by LymeLine how she felt about her success, Chase responded by email saying, “I am so excited to represent the Northeast at nationals with an amazing group of girls! My coaches Jan and Aron have helped me earn this position with their commitments of coaching and supporting me. My family and teammates have been so supportive along the way as well.”

Chase Gilbert (center) in action. Photo by Alyssa Mercaldi.

“The whole community is very proud of Chase’s achievement,”  Daquila said in an email to LymeLine, adding, “Chase is a very focused runner and this amazing achievement is a product of her dedication, patience and perseverance.  Now she [has] earned a ticket to San Diego for Nationals, a goal of hers since freshman year.  And certainly not an easy one, literally only 10 athletes from the entire Northeast region earned this.”

He concluded emphatically, “I’m just so happy for her.” 

Here at LymeLine, we add our heartiest congratulations to Chase!

We are Thankful for You …

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We hope all our readers, wherever you are, enjoyed a very happy, peaceful and safe Thanksgiving.

We would like to take this opportunity to say how thankful we are to all our readers, writers, advertisers and friends for continuing to support award-winning, independent, local community journalism.

We especially would like to thank all our readers, who have donated at any time to support our work, and also to all our wonderful advertisers. These generous donors, non-profits, and businesses continue to make this publication financially possible.

Enjoy this special day and be thankful with us for family, friends, and our very special community.

Ribbon-Cutting Held for Renovated Greenhouse at Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School: UPDATED

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Lyme Food Share Garden President Jim Ward (third from left) thanks Sustainable CT, Lyme-Old Lyme Schools, and the numerous donors to the greenhouse renovation project in a short speech made immediately prior to the ribbon-cutting.

OLD LYME — Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School welcomed more than a dozen community members to view the renovated school greenhouse at a ribbon-cutting ceremony held Tuesday, Nov. 19. The greenhouse has been renovated as a partnership between Lyme-Old Lyme Schools, the Lyme-Old Lyme Food Share Garden (LOLFSG), and the community.    

From left to right, Old Lyme First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker (left) joins Lyme-Old Lyme Food Share Garden President Jim Ward, Sustainable CT Fellow Summer Mitchell, Sustainable CT Program Coordinator Dorothy Piszczek and Old Lyme Economic Development Chairwoman Cheryl Poirier (right) in the renovated Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School greenhouse, which was officially reopened Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting.

At the ribbon-cutting, Lyme Food Share Garden President Jim Ward spoke warmly of the relationship LOLFSG had established with Lyme-Old Lyme Schools, saying, “We are excited to collaborate with the school district to revitalize and utilize the greenhouse. This effort fosters a great connection between the school and the community.”

He added, “We look forward to working with students and teachers in enhancing the curriculum and hands-on learning. Garden volunteers will maintain educational exhibits, such as a vermicomposting (worm) bin and a hydroponic display.” 

Ward noted, “Access to a greenhouse will enable the Food Share garden to increase production by starting and maintaining plants for early and late-season crops.”  

The greenhouse is already yielding valuable results.

Expressing thanks to all the donors, who had made the greenhouse renovation possible, Ward gave examples of the impact the project had made on certain former students.

He explained, “During the fundraising campaign, I spoke to a former student who is a farmer; he told me that his experience in this greenhouse helped inspire his desire to grow vegetables and raise cattle. I also spoke with a local landscaper who shared his positive senior-year experience with the greenhouse. Hopefully, the greenhouse experience will have an impact on future students.”

Ward also acknowledged the support from the Sustainable CT Community Match Fund, noting, “Three years ago, we utilized this program to establish the garden and turned to them to assist us in funding this greenhouse project.” This program supports sustainability improvements across Connecticut.

Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School (LOLMS) Principal Mark Ambruso welcomes the LOLMS ‘EcoWarriors’ to the greenhouse where they will be undertaking a number of projects under the guidance of LOLMS science teacher Shannon Glorioso.

While searching for a greenhouse in which the LOLFSG could start and maintain plants for late season crops, Jim Ward, president of LOLFSG, noticed the rarely-used greenhouse at the middle school. In his mind, he began to think about the possibilities …

After extensive discussions between LOLFSG and Lyme-Old Lyme Schools, it was agreed that renovating the greenhouse would be beneficial to all.

The LOLFSG raised approximately $8,000 for the project via the Community Match Fund offered by Sustainable CT. 

With these funds, the polycarbonate on the roof, sides and gable end of the greenhouse have been replaced. New exhaust fans, shutters, and vents have been added, along with an irrigation system and a hydroponic tower. 

From left to right, Lyme-Old Lyme Food Share Garden LOLFSG) President Jim Ward is joined by fellow LOLFSG Board Members Steven Moore and Michael Hansen for this celebratory photo.

Ward commented, “The Lyme-Old Lyme Food Share Garden is excited to collaborate with the school district to revitalize and utilize the greenhouse. This effort fosters a great connection between the school and the community.” He added, “ We look forward to working with students and teachers in enhancing the curriculum and hands-on learning.”

Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School science teacher Shannon Glorioso (center) stands with her team of ‘EcoWarriors’ prior to the ribbon-cutting.

Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School science teacher Shannon Glorioso aims to incorporate use of the greenhouse in her teaching this year, including implementing worm-composting. She plans to Introduce and maintain a worm-composting system within the greenhouse to recycle organic waste, thus promoting nutrient-rich soil for plant growth and reducing waste sent to landfills. 

Another topic Glorioso intends to explore in the greenhouse with her students is hydroponics. She hopes to establish a hydroponic system in the greenhouse to teach students about alternative methods of cultivation, water conservation, and the importance of nutrient management in plant growth. 

This ‘Eco-Warrior’ was delighted to have the opportunity to explain the details of hydroponic gardening to the assembled onlookers.

Raised-bed farming will also be introduced by the energetic Glorioso. She intends to teach students how to cultivate raised-bed gardens within the greenhouse to demonstrate sustainable farming techniques, including soil management, crop rotation, and pest control methods. 

Finally, Glorioso plans to engage students in the entire process of growing lettuce from seed to harvest. But she will not stop there—she hopes to organize regular deliveries of the lettuce to the Shoreline Soup Kitchen and Pantries at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme. This in turn will not only address local food insecurity but also instill values of community service and empathy in the students.

A view of the exterior of the greenhouse. The facility has been ‘in situ ‘at the LOL Middle School for decades but had fallen into disrepair. This project has rejuvenated both the greenhouse and its role as a learning environment for students.

“Partnerships such as this one between our students, staff and the community are an integral part of what makes our schools outstanding,” said Superintendent of Schools Ian Neviaser.

He continued, “We thank LOLFSG for bringing new learning experiences to our students and raising the funds necessary for the work.” 

Editor’s Note: The greenhouse renovation project used Sustainable CT’s Community Match Fund grant program to crowdfund the project and access a matching grant. For further information on the Community Match Fund grant program page, visit this link.