OLD LYME — Benjamin A. “Bunny” Bourn, 98, of Old Lyme, died Oct. 10, 2023 …
He attended local schools and after high school enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II. He stormed Utah Beach on D-Day and fought in the Third Army through all five American Campaigns in France, Luxembourg, and Germany. His company liberated Buchenwald concentration camp in April 1945. He spoke fluent French and served as an interpreter during his service overseas.
… That year he married Jane O’Donnell from Naugatuck. They lived in Wethersfield until 1965, when they moved to Hawk’s Nest Beach in Old Lyme … He volunteered for many years with Meals-On-Wheels, the Florence Griswold Museum and the Old Lyme PGN Library …
Ben leaves his wife of 73 years Jane; three children, Jeffrey (Lynda) Bourn of Aspen, Colo., Susan Schlachter of Old Lyme, and Sarah Bourn of W. Dover, Vt.; four grandchildren: … and five great-grandchildren.
There will be a graveside service at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford at the convenience of the family …
The Old Lyme Voters have two candidates Steven Wilson and Suzanne Thompson who are running for re-election to the Board of Education. I have been working with Steven and Suzanne for two years on the BOE. It is a honor to work with both of these individuals due to their dedication, experience, and knowledge of District 18 Schools.
As a new Board Member I have learned from and have received support and guidance from Steven who is the Chairman of the BOE. Steven is doing an amazing job promoting an environment where all Board Members feel comfortable asking questions and expressing their feelings on a matter.
Suzanne is a team player who respects and listens to all information that comes in front of the Board of Education . She asks important questions that foster understanding of the issues or concerns facing the Board. Suzanne has the ability to understand Policies and where changes could be made. She is also very committed to improving communication in various ways with our community members.
I am excited to support the re-election of Mary Powell-St.Louis for the Board of Education for Lyme. Mary puts a lot of energy, time, and diligence in her role as a member of the BOE. She spends time doing research and getting the facts out to the rest of us. She is part of the Finance and Facilities Committee of the Board of Education. Mary is dedicating her time to being a part of the Building Project Committee also.
I have the pleasure of supporting the election of Michael Presti to the Board of Education. I know he would be a great addition to the BOE. He is someone you feel comfortable talking to and he takes the time to listen. Michael’s ability to understand problems and work with others to find solutions is a big plus for being on the Board of Education.
Please vote for Steven Wilson, Suzanne Thompson, Mary Powell-St.Louis, and Michael Presti on November 7th for the Lyme/Old Lyme Board of Education!
Sincerely,
Laura Dean-Frazier, Old Lyme.
Editor’s Note: The author is an Unaffiliated member of the Lyme/Old Lyme Board of Education. She was endorsed by the Old Lyme Republican Town Committee at the 2021 election.
I am writing this letter to inform the voters of Old Lyme just how capable our Board of Finance Members are. I have been a member of the Board of Finance for almost 20 years and it’s Chair for 16 of those years. I do so to ask you to vote for the Republican incumbents running for our Board of Finance this year.
Here is the why in this ask:
The Republican led Board of Finance majority has an impeccable track record of fiscal responsibility. This BOF has kept taxes low with a stable mill rate for years now. Here is the record for your perusal.
Year 2023-2024 – 0% increase in taxes (zero increase in mill rate).
Year 2022-2023 – 2.8% increase in taxes.
Year 2021-2022 – 1.1% increase in taxes.
This legacy of careful and judicious financial management makes Old Lyme’s taxes both reasonable and affordable.
All of this sound fiscal stewardship has occurred while the Town has spent money where it is needed.
These achievements have occurred because we have had the right people on the Board of Finance, and they need to be re-elected to assure this admirable fiscal stewardship continues.
I have had the privilege of working closely with these three members that are up for re-election:
H. Perry Garvin III (Full Member – Board of Finance)
Mr. Garvin has served the Town of Old Lyme on the Board of Finance for 26 years. He is one of the people who has guided the Board of Finance through many years of financial challenges with focus on fiscal responsibility.
Mr. Garvin is a lifelong resident of Old Lyme where both he and his children attended Lyme – Old Lyme schools.
Mr. Garvin brings an essential historical perspective and great experience in our Board of Finance. He has intimate knowledge of Old Lyme finances and revenue details.
Maria Corrao Marchant (Alternate – Board of Finance)
Maria has served on the Board as an Alternate since 2019. She has demonstrated sound financial management in her decisions and tenacity in drilling down into the details.
Maria has a strong financial management background as a self-employed person in the healthcare industry for over 20 years. She is a lifelong resident of Old Lyme and therefore believes in keeping the Town fiscally sound. She attended the District 18 school system just as her two daughters have.
Matthew Olson (Alternate – Board of Finance)
Matt hold degrees including a Bachelor of Arts and an Executive MBA and has a strong finance and management background. He is currently a Senior Director of Travelers Insurance in Hartford. Prior to his private sector career, Matt retired as a Commander in the U.S. Navy.
Matt has served on the Board of Finance as an Alternate since 2019 and has lived in Old Lyme since 2009. His three children all graduated from the Old Lyme school system.
Matt has been a steady supporter of keeping Old Lyme properly funded but with affordable taxes.
These three incumbent candidates should be re-elected based on their exemplary accomplishments on the Board of Finance. We need them to help keep our town in the stable financial position we are in currently. Please join me in voting for Maria, Matt, and Mr. Garvin on November 7th.
Sincerely,
Andy Russell, Old Lyme. Editor’s Note: The author is a member of the Old Lyme Board of Finance.
James R. Taylor, 76, of Parker, Colo.—husband of Ruth; father of Laura Cantillo of Scottsdale, AZ, Susan Mayne of Old Lyme, CT, and Paul Taylor of Houston, TX; grandfather of Zachary, Taylor, Alex, Daniel, Sarah, and David.
Born in Phoenixville, Pa., passed away September 26, 2-23 in Parker, Colo.
Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps, Korea, President of Mountain States Exploration …
The countdown has started for the Summer Olympic Games 2024 (or J.O. [Jeux Olympiques] 2024 as the French say) and the excitement is growing. The dates are July 26 through Aug. 11, and Aug. 28 through Sept. 8 for the Special Olympics . Paris will be the host of the events.
The interface of an historical city like Paris with venues for sporting events should be magical while also being a challenge. Imagine watching beach volley ball under the Tour Eiffel or breakdancing on the Place de la Concorde !
Photo by Luca Dugaro on Unsplash.
The J.O. 2024 mark the centenary of 1924 inauguration of the first modern Olympic games. It will be the sixth time for France to host the event, and also represents the largest event ever organized in the country. There will be total parity between men and women athletes – a first in the history of the games.
On Aug. 26, 2023, a disappointing announcement was made: because of a series of spring downpours, the sewers overflowed and ran into the Seine, which was declared too polluted to serve as a venue for water sports. The preparatory work for the competition on the Alexander III bridge had to be dismantled.
In order to prevent the recurrent surge of polluting water into the Seine after storms, a gigantic project has been undertaken. Between the Gare d’Austerlitz and the Hopital Salpêtrière east of the city, several blocks of apartment buildings were razed to make room for a “bassin de rétention” 50 meters in diameter. At the bottom of a 30 meter-deep well a massive “tunnnelier” machine will dig a tunnel under the Seine for huge pipes to be laid. Other bassins will be constructed upstream east of Paris.
In a way the scheduling of the games in 2024 is helping to speed up this huge project of assainissement (sanitation). Some day soon, maybe one will be able to swim in the Seine!
Logistics will be a major headache for the games officials, mostly to organize transport. Flying taxis will turn the skies of summer 2024 into a science-fiction scene of the future. A 10-minute flight from Charles DeGaulle airport can certainly beat a two-hour long ride by public transport.
Additional buses and trams will compensate for the closure of many metro and bus stops in central Paris and on the Périph (Beltway), a special lane will be reserved for athletes and games officials.
The fully automated subway ligne 14 will be extended to include Orly airport and a new métro station will open near the Stade de France.
In order to assist in welcoming at least 13 million visitors, 40,000 volunteers positions were offered and filled up immediately.
Security will be a top priority , particularly during the opening ceremony which will be watched by 600,000 spectators. All of them are obliged to have a ticket, including the 400,000, holding free tickets.
Photo by Sebastien Gabriel on Unsplash.
Order will be maintained by 35,000 police. According to Gerald Darmanin, Minister of the Interior, the scope of the security plan is unprecedented, since it will cover six kilometers along the banks of the Seine when a parade of 115 boats will end up at the Trocadéro and the foot of the Tour Eiffel .
A security perimeter will be installed around the city against any possible acts of terrorism. More than 4,000 video-surveillance cameras will function with “smart” AI algorithms to protect private data.
Anti-drones will be there also. During the Tokyo games, 400 million cyberattacks were detected. In Paris, the organizers will be ready for such a possibility.
How expensive will the tickets be? It is hard to give the exact prices since they depend on the competition. Just to give an idea, the most expensive seat at the opening ceremony will cost 2,700 Euros and the cheapest 90.
At the closing ceremony, the respective prices are 1,600 and 45 Euros.
Two of the most expensive competitions to watch will be Athletics at 900 Euros and swimming at 690 Euros. At the other end of the price range, tickets to watch the marathon or the urban games on Place de la Concorde will be either quite low or even free. In spite of the fact that many tickets have been made available for free, people complain that prices are much too high.
Given the politically-poisoned environment existing at present in France, it is hoped that the social unrest in the streets will not flare up again and add to the huge logistics problems of managing millions of spectators. As expected, criticisms of Paris 2024 abound centered primarily on protests against the entrance tickets being so expensive that the average person cannot afford them.
In fact, most Parisians will probably want to flee the capital during the games. Hotel rooms and AirBnB apartments will be offered at exorbitant prices.
Most of the infrastructure to accommodate the Olympic sporting events already exists. The Aquatics Center for swimming and diving competitions is an exception.
Close to 95 percent of the financing comes from the private sector. Private investors will bear the cost – estimated at 1.3 billion Euros – of the Olympic village. This is where the 10,500 athletes will stay in the Saint Dénis area, north-west of Paris. Architects have designed the temporary lodgings to be easily transformed into permanent apartments for low-income French residents.
Except for the surfing competitions, which will be held in Tahiti, 9,800 miles away from Paris (certainly not next door!), all the sporting events will take place in 30 sites equally divided between Olympic and Special Olympics throughout France but mostly in and around Paris.
If you enjoy sightseeing in the old city, you might be interested in knowing that some key historical sites will be turned into “Sport Arenas” for various disciplines. Examples are:-
Place de la Concorde : skateboard (first time in J.O.) ; breakdancing; BMX bicycle free style, basketball
Les Invalides: Archery
Eiffel Tower stadium and Champ de Mars: Judo and Wrestling; Special Olympics (wheelchair rugby)
Rolland Garros: Tennis
Chateau de Versailles: Equestrian events, Dressage, Horse-jumping
Hotel de Ville to Les Invalides: a 42km-long marathon touching on many historical monuments of Paris. On the first day, 80 men will run. On the second day, 80 women .
Pont d’Iena: a beautiful location for spectator stands
Grand Palais: Fencing, Taekwondo (Korean martial art)
Trocadero: Start of the road cycling races, 273 km
Parc de la Villette (north of Paris) largest cultural park in Europe.
Celebration Centers during the Games to meet athletes are:
Parc des Princes: Football
Vaires sur Marne Nautical Stadium: Rowing, Canoeing/Kayaking
Marseille: Sailing
La Défense Arena, Aquatics Center: Swimming and diving
Stade de France (also called Stade Olympique): Athletics. This is the oldest discipline, going back to 776 BC in Greece
St Quentin-en-Yvelines: cycling track
A view of Notre Dame before the devastating fire.
To top it all, President Emmanuel Macron has a vision of Notre Cathedral opening for the public with a celebration of mass to coincide with J.O. 2024. That would indeed make these ‘The Games of the Century’!
Editor’s Note:This is the opinion of Nicole Prévost Logan.
Nicole Prévost Logan
About the author: Nicole Prévost Logan divides her time between Essex and Paris, spending summers in the former and winters in the latter. She writes an occasional column for us from her Paris home where her topics will include politics, economy, social unrest — mostly in France — but also in other European countries. She also covers a variety of art exhibits and the performing arts in Europe. Logan is the author of ‘Forever on the Road: A Franco-American Family’s Thirty Years in the Foreign Service,’ an autobiography of her life as the wife of an overseas diplomat, who lived in 10 foreign countries on three continents. Her experiences during her foreign service life included being in Lebanon when civil war erupted, excavating a medieval city in Moscow and spending a week under house arrest in Guinea.
