Category Archives: Old Saybrook

Trust for Public Land Offers Rare Opportunity to Hike ‘The Preserve’ Today

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Photo by Bob Lorenz. Kate Brown of the TPL speaking to a group of hikers participating in the Nov. 16 Preserve hike.

Photo by Bob Lorenz. Kate Brown of the TPL speaking to a group of hikers participating in the Nov. 16 Preserve hike.

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) offers two more public hikes in the 1,000 acre ‘Preserve’ today, Saturday, Jan. 11, at 10 a.m. and noon.  The public is not usually allowed access to the privately-owned 1,000 acre forest, so take advantage of this opportunity to see the property for the first time, or discover something new in the ever changing woods.

The hikes scheduled for December were cancelled due to the weather.

The TPL reached a purchase agreement with current owners, River Sound Development, LLC, and is working to realize that purchase by June, 2014.  While the TPL secures funding sources for the purchase, they have planned public hikes to share the experience of this last, large uninterrupted tract of coastal forest located between New York and Boston.

Dress for the day’s weather and a walk on wide, sometimes rocky, and possibly snow-covered trails.

Hikers will meet at the M&J Bus lot, 130 Ingham Hill Rd., Old Saybrook (across from Pasta Vita) to catch the shuttle due to limited parking at the trailhead.  There is no charge for this event.

Members of the TPL, Old Saybrook Land Trust, Essex Land Trust, Connecticut Fund for the Environment, and naturalists lead the 90-minute hikes.

In case of inclement weather, the hikes will take place Sunday, Jan. 12.

For information or to RSVP, contact Kate Brown, TPL Project Manager, 203-777-7367 ext. 5 or kate.brown@tpl.org, or visit oslt.org.

No More Silence: Local Moms to Honor Newtown Anniversary in Hartford This Afternoon

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12/14 Update — Event Cancelled Due to Storm:  On Saturday, Dec. 14, moms and others who support the same goals will gather at over 50 events in more than 35 states to honor the victims of the tragedy in Newtown and the thousands of Americans lost to gun violence every year.  All events will include a communal bell-ringing to remember the victims and to show resolve to never again be silent about gun violence.

These events are co-sponsored by Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America .

In Hartford at the event starting at 2 p.m. at the Asylum Hill Congregational Church, 814 Asylum Ave., attendees will hear from Senators Blumenthal and Murphy, Senator Beth Bye, Kara Nelson Baekey, Rev. Henry Brown, Mrs. Henrietta Beckman, and Iran Nazario about the need to reduce gun violence.

Local sponsors, with whom a common goal of gun violence prevention is shared, include Step Up, Step Out at Asylum Hill Congregational Church and Mothers United Against Violence.

Bells will be rung loudly, honoring the first anniversary of the Sandy Hook tragedy with a promise to continue making noise on gun reform until change comes.

For more information, visit http://momsdemandaction.org/no-more-silence/

Speakers will include:

  • Kara Nelson Baekey, Chapter Leader, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
  • Rev. Matthew Laney, Asylum Hill Congregational Church
  • U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal
  • U.S. Senator Chris Murphy
  • State Senator Beth Bye
  • Rev. Henry Brown, President, Mothers United Against Violence
  • Mrs. Henrietta Beckman, Director, Mothers United Against Violence
  • Iran Nazario, Director of Peacebuilders and Community Relations, COMPASS Youth Collaborative, Inc.

Much like Mothers Against Drunk Driving was created to change laws regarding drunk driving, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America was created to build support for common-sense gun reforms. The nonpartisan grassroots movement of American mothers is demanding new and stronger solutions to lax gun laws and loopholes that jeopardize the safety of our children and families.

In nearly one year, the organization has more than 127,000 members with a chapter in every state in the country.

For more information or to get involved, visit www.momsdemandaction.org.  Follow the organization on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MomsDemandAction or on Twitter @MomsDemand.

Since its creation in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 members to more than 1,000 mayors from across the country. The organization has more than 1.5 million grassroots supporters, making it the largest gun violence prevention advocacy organization in the country.

The bipartisan coalition, co-chaired by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, has united the nation’s mayors around these common goals:

  • protecting communities by holding gun offenders accountable
  • demanding access to crime gun trace data that is critical to law enforcement efforts to combat gun trafficking
  • working with legislators to fix weaknesses and loopholes in the law that make it far too easy for criminals and other dangerous people to get guns.

Learn more at www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org

College Hosts Nationally Acclaimed Artist/Author Sharon Louden Tonight

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Sharon Louden

Sharon Louden

Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts hosts nationally acclaimed artist and author Sharon Louden, who will give a talk and a book-signing at the College on Tuesday, Dec. 10.  Louden will discuss her new book, ‘Living & Sustaining a Creative Life: 40 Artist Essays,’ at 7 p.m. after a reception with wine and hors d’oeuvres at 6 p.m.

Louden’s talk will take the form of a conversation when she chats with faculty in front of the audience before a question and answer portion open to all in attendance.  Michael Waugh, a faculty member at the Rhode island School of Design and a contributor to the book, will also be joining Louden.  A book signing by both Louden and Waugh will follow.  Tickets are $10 per person.  All are welcome.

A refreshing and honest look at the reality of sustaining a creative practice over time, Louden’s book is already in its second printing – the first sold out almost immediately.  The book is a collection of essays from 40 artists who share their approach to juggling their creative lives with making a living.  All are unique stories with the same common thread of sustaining a creative life in and outside the studio.

living_and_sustaining_a_creative_life_book_cover“It’s the truth of the day-to-day living that I am after in this book…” says Louden in the preface to her book.  She continues, “The power of creativity does not just lie in an artist’s work, but also in how he or she continues to create regardless of the obstacles life places in the way.”  Hear Louden share stories of sustaining a creative practice by turning obstacles into opportunities at this event.

Louden received her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and an MFA from Yale University, School of Art.  Louden’s work has been exhibited in many museums and galleries worldwide and is in numerous permanent collections including the National Gallery of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Louden lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.

Seating for this event is limited and by reservation only.  For reservations, contact Ann de Selding at 860.434.3571 ext. 117 or email her at adeselding@lymeacademy.edu by Dec. 5.

Lyme Academy College is located at 84 Lyme Street, Old Lyme CT 06371.

Early Childhood Music, Movement Classes Offered at Nightingale’s Acoustic Café, Friday

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Lana and maracasSweet Beats Family Music classes for children from birth to pre-school and their caregivers will be offered this Friday, Nov. 22 and next Friday, Nov. 29, from 10 to 11 a.m.

The classes will be hosted by MusicNow Foundation, Inc.  in cooperation with master teacher, Eleanor Robinson at Nightingale’s Acoustic Café, located at 68 Lyme Street, Old Lyme.

With years of training and experience as a professional  musician and teacher, Robinson shares her  energy, joy and creativity to “wire and inspire the brain through music and movement.”

Robinson plays the ukulele, guitar, mandolin, banjo, fiddle and dulcimer and is an accomplished vocalist in madrigal, a capella, folk, and blue grass ensembles.  She also sings in theatre, opera, chorales and church choirs.  Robinson enjoys teaching with a variety of props and percussion instruments in order to enhance young children’s interactive musical experience.

Classes are $ 15 per session per child with coffee and pastries to follow.

To register, call 860-434-1961 or email info@musicnowfoundation.org

Dock & Dine Closing, Reopening Next Year at New Elevation, Public Invited to Sign Dock Planks Thru 10/30

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The famous view through the windows of the Dock & Dine restaurant.

The famous view through the windows of the Dock & Dine restaurant.

Dock & Dine Restaurant at Saybrook Point is celebrating their “last hurrah” at an elevation 4.5 ft. above sea-level.  Now through Oct. 30, this family-owned restaurant is open every day at 11:30 a.m. until closing for demolition and construction of a new restaurant at a new elevation of 15 ft. above sea-level.  During these final days, friends and fans are invited to help “dock-u-ment history,” by signing pieces of the old dock that will be proudly displayed in the new Dock & Dine, which has plans to reopen for the 2014 season.

sign“All of our restaurants are comprised of a family of employees, serving customers that feel like family,” explains Jon Kodama, CEO of JTK Management, owners of shoreline restaurants including Dock & Dine, Steak Loft, Ten Clams and Go Fish.  “When considering how to celebrate our history, as well as our future, of course we wanted to include the guests who have stood by us through two hurricanes…and more!”

The public is invited to stop by and sign the historic wood planks, every day from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., beginning Monday Oct. 21 through Oct. 30.  For more information visit http://www.dockdinect.com/ (more)

For those interested in taking home a piece of Dock & Dine history, an onsite auction will be taking place on Nov. 5. Hosted by Adams Auctioneers & Appraisers, this comprehensive auction will make way for new equipment and décor.  A preview of items available will take place in the morning, with the live auction taking place mid day. For more information visit: http://adams-auctions.com/currentauctions.asp

Located at Saybrook Point on 145 College Street in Old Saybrook, Conn., Dock & Dine offers fine cuisine using the freshest local ingredients, paired with spectacular views of Long Island Sound.  Taking its name from convenient, dock-side dining, Dock & Dine is one of four local restaurants operated by JTK Management including Go Fish:  www.GoFishCT.com; Steak Loft: www.SteakLoftCT.com and Ten Clams: www.TenClamsCT.com, all in Mystic, CT.

Dock & Dine, which dates back to the 1940’s, was purchased by Jon Kodama in 1987 and operated year-in/year-out until back-to-back hurricanes Irene and Sandy caused repeat damages, evoking ordinances requiring that the remaining restaurant be demolished and the new structure built to current codes.  Dock & Dine is managed by Mari Kodama, the daughter of Jon Kodama, CEO and Founder of JTK Management.