Tag Archives: Old Lyme

Old Lyme’s Share of Nip Bottle Surcharge Funds Town’s New Waste and Recycling Coordinator

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Data from the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of Connecticut show Old Lyme received $3,715.00 for the 74,300 nip bottles sold there between Oct. 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025.

OLD LYME–The town’s Waste and Recycling Committee has announced the hiring of Raechel Peterson as Old Lyme’s Waste and Recycling Coordinator using funds from the state’s nip bottle surcharge.

Committee member Fred Behringer in a press release said the two-day-a-week position is funded by nip bottle deposits collected in Old Lyme and returned to the town through the state’s redemption program. The funding allows the new position to be supported outside the town’s general fund.

Nip bottles are the 50 milliliter beverage containers often found on the side of the road that spurred a 2021 state law instituting a 5-cent surcharge on the miniature bottles. The surcharge on bottles sold in Old Lyme comes back every six months to fund environmental cleanup and litter reduction efforts.

Data from the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of Connecticut show Old Lyme received $3,715.00 for the 74,300 nip bottles sold there between Oct. 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025.

Behringer said Peterson will explore ways to reduce the environmental impact of its waste stream and manage disposal costs.

Peterson earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from South Carolina’s Coastal Carolina University in 2023. She went on to work as an environmental specialist at the University of North Carolina Asheville before becoming an Environmental Conservation Corps member with the Sustainability Institute in Charleston, SC. Peterson recently completed a seasonal position with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) Waste Engineering and Enforcement Division.

Death Announced of Herbert S. Kusako Jr. of Old Lyme, “Beloved Husband, Father & Grandfather”

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OLD LYME—”Beloved husband, father & grandfather” Herbert Stanislaus Kusako, Jr., of Old Lyme, formerly of Waterbury, passed away peacefully at home after a long illness on September 8, 2025. Born on August 29, 1953, in Mannheim, Germany, to Army Sergeant Herbert S. Kusako, Sr. and Charlotte Helen Peek …

He will be dearly missed by his wife Cheryl, his children Herbert III, Vanessa, and Brandon, his beloved grandchildren, and all who were fortunate to know him.

Arrangements: A calling hour will be held on Wednesday, September 17, 2205, from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m., at Chase Parkway Memorial, The Albini Family Funeral Home, 430 Chase Parkway, Waterbury. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11:00 a.m., at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Waterbury. Entombment will follow at the Calvary Queen of Peace Mausoleum in Waterbury with full military honors. Memorial contributions can be made in Herbert’s memory to: www.cjdfoundation.org/donate

Editor’s Note: Visit this link to read the full obituary published by WFSB on Sep. 11, 2025.

Death Announced of Ann Marie Johnson of Old Lyme, ‘Beloved Member of the OL Community’

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OLD LYME – Ann Marie Johnson, 92, of Neck Road, went home to the Lord Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. 

Born Aug. 27, 1933, in Springfield, Mass., Ann was the daughter of John and Lucille Davis. She became a beloved member of the Old Lyme community after moving there in 1966, where she was actively involved in numerous town and church activities. Ann also worked for many years in the Tax Office, where her warm personality and kindness ensured she never met a stranger.

Ann is survived by her son, Bonde (Lorena) Johnson of Florida; six grandchildren, … and five great-grandchildren …

A private ceremony will be held at a later date, where Ann will be laid to rest alongside her husband in Hillcrest Cemetery in Springfield, Massachusetts …

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Ann’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or to a local animal shelter-causes that were dear to her heart.

Editor’s Note: Visit this link to view the full obituary published by The Day on Sep. 10, 2025.

Death Announced of Christina Lampos, Mother of Old Lyme Selectman Jim Lampos

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She Was Proud Owner with Her Late Husband of Groton Pizza Palace for Many Years

Christina Lampos

GROTON—Christina Lampos, 83, of Groton, passed away peacefully in her sleep on the morning of Sept. 4, 2025. She was born Feb. 6, 1942, in Kastori, a mountain village near Sparta in the state of Laconia, Greece and raised in a traditional farming family. Christina was fiercely proud of her Greek heritage and considered herself “a “true Spartan.” Her experience witnessing the horrors of the Nazi invasion of Greece and the subsequent civil war as a child gave her a lifelong abhorrence of war and formed her progressive political views which she held her entire life. She was especially committed to women’s rights, civil rights and equality.

She married Theofanis “Teddy” Lampos in 1961, and emigrated to the United States. They lived first on the West Side of Norwich, and then in Greeneville before settling in Groton. She became a U.S. citizen in 1968, holding on to her traditional Greek values while simultaneously embracing the American social movements and music of the 60s.

Christina was the proud owner with Teddy of Groton Pizza Palace since 1965, and until her final year came to work daily, first thing in the morning to set up the kitchen, making the salads and her beloved specialties: the tuna and the meatballs.

Christina was also a staunch defender of children with special needs at a time when there were no services, programs, or treatment options apart from institutionalization. She cared for her son Lampros at home, at great personal sacrifice, and advocated for him throughout the 60s and 70s, until advances in medical science and social reforms led to day-treatment programs and the establishment of group homes where those with special needs could receive the care they needed.

She is predeceased by Teddy, her husband of 62 years; and survived by her son James “Jim” and his wife Michaelle Pearson of Old Lyme; and her grandchildren, Phoebe and Theodore “Van” Lampos. She is also survived by her son Lampros Lampos of Waterford; and her nephew Ulysses Sakellarides of Norwich; and numerous family members in Greece. She was dedicated to her family and loved by all. She will be dearly missed.

There will be a private funeral service with burial at Maplewood Cemetery in Norwich.

Federation of Old Lyme Beaches to Host ‘Meet the Candidates’ Forum, Saturday

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OLD LYME — The Federation of Old Lyme Beaches Inc. (FOLB) will hear from Old Lyme candidates up for election this November at its Meet the Candidates event on Saturday, Sept. 13.

The forum will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Shoreline Community Center, 39 Hartford Ave. 

FOLB in a press release said candidates for the office of selectman and other municipal elected offices will be in attendance. All Old Lyme residents are invited to attend. The four selectman candidates will each present brief remarks regarding their vision for Old Lyme as well as challenges the town faces. Audience members will be able to ask questions of the candidates.

FOLB represents the beach or shore communities of Old Lyme. The purpose of the Federation is to benefit and promote, by united action, the common interests of the beach and shore communities of Old Lyme in their relations with the local government and people of Old Lyme.

For more information, contact FOLB President Scott Boulanger at scottjboulanger@gmail.com.