Category Archives: Towns

Talking Transportation: Increased Mobility via E-Scooters, E-Skateboards is Great, but Safety Must Always Come First

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Jim Cameron

As if our roads weren’t dangerous enough already, there’s a new generation of “personal mobility vehicles” (PMV) silently swishing around our streets for us to worry about — electric scooters and skateboards.

The scooters (about $1400) can go 30 mph.  The skateboards (about $700) top out at 32 mph.  But following simple instructions on the web, the speed governor can be disabled allowing even faster speeds … up to 60 mph.  That modification is illegal in Connecticut.

Many adults and kids use this new gear responsibly.  Parents love them as it gives their kids mobility (meaning less chauffeuring.)  But even at slower speeds these vehicles are dangerous, their riders unprotected in the event of a fall or collision.  

In July, a 15-year-old in Trumbull was killed on his e-bike when he was hit by a car.

That’s why new laws are coming in Connecticut October 1 regulating these devices.

If your e-scooter has no pedals (so it’s not a moped) and a motor over 750 watts (allowing speeds over 30 mph), you’ll need a driver’s license.  

E-bikes with motors over 3,500 watts (meaning speeds over 50 mph) must be registered and insured like a motorcycle, and a motorcycle endorsement is required on your license to ride them.  

Unless the scooter is built for two seats, passengers are not allowed.  And e-bikes of all types are not allowed on sidewalks.

It is illegal to operate any motorized vehicle with a seat lower than 26 inches on public roads. That includes many of the smaller scooters and mini-motorbikes that are often marketed toward children.

Everyone on an e-bike or skateboard under the age of 18 must wear a helmet.

E-skateboards are not allowed to drive faster than 20 mph.  Riders must be at least 15 years old but the vehicles do not need to be registered if under that speed limit.  Local laws may be stricter for safety.  Best to ask your Police Department.

If all of these new regulations seem confusing or overly restrictive, read the recent Op-Ed by State Rep Tracy Marra which started with the eye-catching headline… “I saw your kid almost die today”.

Increased mobility is great.  But safety must always come first.

If you’re a driver you already know how disconcerting it can be when these e-devices come hurtling along, almost silently and without notice.  But you’re the one driving a ton of steel, so give them their space.

Can law enforcement keep up with all this?  Should they be responsible?

As one First Selectman said the other day:  “It’s not a good thing to have police chasing after ten, eleven and 12 year olds on bikes and ticketing them.  I’m not anxious to take a police officer away from other enforcement operations.”

What’s the answer, if not enforcement?  Education and parental responsibility.

There’s no way teens can afford these e-bikes on their allowance money.  They’re obviously being purchased by parents, happy to get out of squiring them around from school to dance class to the Y.  Those parents should be responsible for making sure their kids are safe … and legal.

We all love our kids, right?

Editor’s Notes: i) Jim Cameron is the founder of the Commuter Action Group and advocates for Connecticut rail riders. He writes a weekly column called ‘Talking Transportation,’ which is published by a number of publications in the state.
ii) ”Talking Transportation” recently won first place in the general column/commentary category in the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism Contest.

Soccer Roundup: Boys Defeat Westbrook, Girls Draw with East Lyme

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OLD LYME—On Friday, Sept. 12, the Old Lyme boys faced Westbrook and came away with a 3-0 victory.

Wildcat goals were scored by Colman Curtiss-Reardon, Rowan McCormick, and Evan Coffee with assists coming from John Morosky and Charlie McEwan.

Sam Edmed made two saves and Liam McCormick one in goal for the ‘Cats

Jameson McCarthy notched 11 saves for Westbrook.

Old Lyme are now 3-2-0 overall and 2-1-0 in the Shoreline Conference.

On Saturday, Sept. 13, the Old Lyme girls played Waterford in a non-conference game. The game was played at Old Lyme and resulted in a 1-1 draw.
Vivian Boller scored for the ‘Cats off an assist from Anna Bussman.

Grace Osborne made 10 saves for Old Lyme.

Old Lyme’s record is now 2-2-2.

Waterford’s lone goal was scored by Shae Tiven.

Trinity Flynn in the Waterford goal made 6 saves

Death Announced of John Allan Bysko Jr. of Lyme; 1997 Graduate of LOL High School, Highly Regarded Member of North Haven FD

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John Allan Bysko, Jr.

LYME, CT – John Allan Bysko, Jr. of Lyme, CT passed away on August 31, 2025. He was born in New London, CT on November 28, 1978 to John and Jane Bysko.

He graduated from Lyme-Old Lyme High School in 1997. He was a member of the National Honor Society, ran cross country, rowed crew and loved spending time with his group of friends skiing, snowboarding, jet skiing and boating.

He became a Junior member of the Old Lyme Fire Department when he was 15 years old, a Senior member in 1997 as well as becoming an Emergency Medical Technician when he was 17. He volunteered and worked for Old Lyme Ambulance for over 20 years.

After high school, John went on to spend one year at the Coast Guard Academy before quickly realizing that wasn’t for him. From there he went to UCONN, getting a degree in Health Care Management from the School of Business and realized that this wasn’t quite what he wanted to do.

He became a Paramedic and worked at the Shoreline Clinic in Westbrook as well as for AMR in New Haven. He enrolled in the Connecticut Fire Academy and graduated in 2011 with class #48 and began his career, his real true calling, with the North Haven Fire Department where he served for 14 years. Someone from his Fire Department family wrote the following: “His sudden death left the firehouse silent in a way no alarm ever could, leaving behind a team that relied on his calm during chaos and his humor during long shifts. Bysko earned trust not just through skill but through kindness. His colleagues described him as someone who brought warmth to the station and steadiness to the field.”

John leaves behind his mother, Jane, his sister, Jennifer, sister, Jillian and brother-in-law Glen Bobowicz as well as his nephews and niece, Brody, Ella, Noah, Elias and Owen. He was predeceased by his father, John A. Bysko, Sr., in October 2024.

Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, September 13, 2025 at 11:00 at Christ the King Church, 1 McCurdy Road, Old Lyme, CT. Burial will follow in Duck River Cemetery, Old Lyme with a reception to follow at his favorite restaurant, Sapore Pizzeria.

SECWAC Hosts Author Talk in Old Lyme, Book Recounts Mother’s Real Life Escape, Survival on WWII Eastern Front

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Charov will talk about the book she wrote based on her mother’s diaries.

OLD LYME–The Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council (SECWAC) this month hosts author Helen Charov in a presentation on her book “Tatyana’s War: Escape and Survival on the Eastern Front in World War II.”

The Thursday, Sept. 25 event will be held at 6 p.m. in the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme. It will be preceded by a reception at 5:30 p.m.

SECWAC in an event description said Charon was born Brooklyn, New York, to émigré parents, who came to the U.S. as displaced persons after World War II. Charov grew up in Sea Cliff, a village on Long Island’s north shore. After graduating from New York University, she traveled extensively throughout the USSR with a U.S. government exhibit. She lives in Connecticut.

Charov’s book has its origin in diaries belonging to her mother that were found in a Connecticut attic. There, Charov discovered an account of her mother’s life as a teacher in the Stalinist Soviet Union, the 1941 Nazi invasion of Donetsk, her survival under Nazi occupation, and her harrowing escape to the West. 

“Tatyana’s War” tells the story of Tatyana Artemyeff, a 25-year-old teacher, as Nazi troops invaded her home of Donetsk, Ukraine, in 1941. The 25-year-old teacher was left on her own to save her two children and mother when her conscripted husband’s unit retreated from the city. Tatyana, who spoke German, was determined to find a way to survive the brutal occupation and keep her family from dying of starvation or execution.

SECWAC members are free. Non-Member in-person attendance is $20. Non-Member Visit this link to register.

For more information on SECWAC, visit their website.

Two Lyme-Old Lyme Seniors Named National Merit Semifinalists

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Rose E. Dimmock and Alexander L. Glaras have been recognized as semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship competition.

LYME/OLD LYME–Two Lyme-Old Lyme High School seniors have been announced as semifinalists in the prestigious National Merit Scholarship competition. 

Rose E. Dimmock and Alexander L. Glaras stood out from 1.3 million high school students when they took the Preliminary SAT (PSAT) in 2024, according to a press release from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Less than 1% of test takers that year earned the semifinalist distinction. 

The Lyme-Old Lyme students, along with 245 students from across Connecticut, join more than 16,000 semifinalists continuing in the competition nationwide. 

Dimmock and Glaras will compete for 6,930 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be announced next spring. Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the next level of the competition, with approximately half of the finalists earning a National Merit Scholarship. 

The organization will select finalists based on academic records, school and community activities, leadership abilities, employment, and any honors and awards they have received. Judges will also look at recommendations, a personal essay and SAT scores. 

The 2026 National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced starting in April.