Christine Palm Helped With Health Coverage

I had to make arrangements for new health insurance recently. I was informed by a broker that my previous insurance ended mid-month, which would result in me not having insurance coverage for two weeks before my new plan became effective. I was also informed that the new health plan (Access Health CT) would not cover any pre-existing conditions. Fortunately, I contacted State Representative Christine Palm to alert her to this problem. Representative Palm responded immediately and referred me to the appropriate resources at Access Health. I was relieved to learn that I would be covered for pre-existing conditions and that

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Rubino Has Spent His Career Fighting for Democratic Ideals

In the midst of this very dark year, we in CT Congressional District 23 have the opportunity to vote for an inspiring candidate, Dave Rubino. Having met him and heard him speak, I know Dave represents my values. As a pediatric nurse practitioner, my passion is for health, good governance, and quality education for all children in our state. Dave’s opponent has a generally poor voting record on these issues. Furthermore, his opponent’s continued affiliation with the most corrupt administration in US history speaks volumes to his character. Vote for Dave Rubino, who has spent his career fighting for the

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Vote Carney for Help Opposing Forced School Regionalization

Last year, Governor Lamont and Senate leaders Martin Looney and BobDuff proposed legislation that opened the door to state forced schoolregionalization. These proposals included creating massive schooldistricts of many towns and one proposal included a map that broke upLyme and Old Lyme. I, like many Lyme and Old Lyme parents, chose tomove here because of the good schools. Naturally, the concept of stateforced school regionalization had me, and many other parents, nervousabout how this would affect our children. I reached out to Representative Devin Carney and he assured me hewould not support even the thought of these proposals. He went

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In Just Two Years Goupil Achieved Significant Results

Our district needs an intelligent, experienced leader who gets timely results to represent us at the state level. For this reason I am writing to encourage readers to vote for Christine Goupil for State Representative of the 35th House District for the towns of Clinton, Killingworth and Westbrook.  In just two years as Clinton’s First Selectman, Christine achieved significant results.  After the first developer for the old Morgan school project fell through, she found a qualified developer and closed the deal. The Indian River Landing plan is exciting and attractive, and about to begin development.  She worked on and was awarded

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Vote Goupil for Experienced and Inclusive Leadership

For over 40 years and now 5 generations, Clinton has been a wonderful home that our family has been fortunate to enjoy. To foster enhanced prosperity for all in Clinton and the other 35th House District towns of Killingworth and Westbrook, we need the experienced and inclusive leadership of Christine Goupil. I found her “focus on progress” platform to collectively be issues our communities value and aspire for now more than ever: Equity — inclusive/community, healthcare for all, championing seniors well being, women’s rights, universal Pre-K education The Environment — green economic initiates, protecting sustainable land-use, supporting agri-tourism/business development, promoting

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Vote No On Extra Money for Public Safety Building

“And I’ll state this again, this renovation project will come in on budget and will not be cheapened in any way.  Our goal was to move our emergency departments into this facility with a total renovation of $2.2m.  The plan to meet that goal has already been determined.  I suspect the Vision Committee will be voting on the final plan within the next week.” — Mark Nickerson, first selectman of East Lyme, 11/4/19 “The official task of the East Lyme Public Safety Building Vision Committee is to select an architectural firm and work with that firm to design the needed work space within

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Health Care is a Human Right — Vote Rubino

“Health Care is a Human Right,” states David Rubino, who is running against the Republican incumbent Devin Carney to become the state representative of the 23rd House District – my district. As a medical professional and a scientist, I recognize the weight of this statement. The current pandemic powerfully brought to light how crucial affordable health care for all is for public safety. But there is more to that: a robust health care system will boost the economy and, given the economic characteristics our district, will encourage the development of small business by eliminating high healthcare costs from startup and

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Leadership and Results — Re-elect Heather Somers

What Hartford needs is a proven record of leadership and results, and that’s why we must re-elect Senator Heather Somers. Before her two terms as our state senator for the 18th district, Heather Somers served on the Groton Town Council for eight years, and as Mayor of Groton for two, during which time she managed to lower taxes while securing increased funding for education.  As a business leader in Eastern Connecticut, Sen. Somers is well aware of the unique challenges we face in creating and maintaining jobs.  During her tenure in the Senate, she has a well-proven record of results,

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‘I urge you to do the right thing in November’

Dear America, In less than two months you have a choice and an opportunity. You can elect a leader who will begin to bridge our differences, fix our woes, and preserve our democracy. Or you can choose a bumbling fool who will continue to exacerbate our differences, worsen our woes, and wreak havoc on our democracy. Reflect on the past four years. Remember past presidents. How would you have felt if President Truman or President Roosevelt called demonstrators with Nazi flags “very fine people”? How would you have felt if President Kennedy and President Johnson ignored the racial and civil

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Steel: Water’s Ripple Effect

The saying is well-known: it only takes a committed few in the community to spark a positive change. The same is true in the analogy to the ripple effect of water — the vital resource without which humans can live an amazingly short time before realizing its crucial significance to our lives. United States Congressman from Connecticut’s 2nd district, which includes Salem and East Lyme, Joe Courtney (D), was represented: “The environment is a critical issue throughout the entire 2nd district, and especially along the shoreline: we must elect leaders who deeply care about our environment, vote in favor of

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Letter: Finishing Public Safety Building on Original Budget, Regional Police Partnerships, is paramount to East Lyme’s Financial Health and Safety

On February 7, 2018, Mark Nickerson, the first selectman of East Lyme delivered a letter to the Board of Selectmen presenting then the new fiscal year budget. His letter contained a cautionary warning describing the difficult budgetary challenges ahead as the state navigated a financial crisis.  To empathize awareness and importance of his message he chose to capitalize selected phrases, “BALANCE IS KEY, ZERO PERCENT INCREASE, & NO NEW PROJECTS…PERIOD” .  He knew hard financial decisions were ahead for East Lyme, as he writes in his letter, that the Board of Selectmen should prepare for eventual loss of some state aid —

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Blacker: Questions Promise of Multi-use State Pier, Calls for Public Hearing

I appreciated Cate Hewitt’s article on State Pier. CT Examiner continues to showcase exemplary newspaper reporting. According to CPA Chairman David Kooris, State Pier will remain a multi-use port.  I disagree. To quote the good judgement of Congressman Joe Courtney: I have to confess. They say they’re going to accommodate other users but I, uh, every time I look at the plans, it doesn’t really look like there’s any space for them to do that. Courtney expressed the hope that the port authority would instead take the opportunity to modify or at least confirm that other users are going to be

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Blacker: The Weakness of our Freight Planning Program in Southeast Connecticut

I enjoyed Jim Cameron’s Aug. 3 column on a great example of commonsense, innovation, and efficiency: the shipping container. In a recent article Cameron laments that a feeder barge service to move shipping containers from places like Port Elizabeth, NJ to Connecticut  with out clogging I-95 was never established. The Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments has an important meeting tomorrow.   SECCOG Executive Director Jim Butler said that the Federal Highway and Federal Transit are aware of  “the weakness of our freight planning program in Southeastern Connecticut.”  (20:50 on the recording of 7/15/19 SECCOG BOD Meeting).  This will be the

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Nixon: There You Go Again

The Old Lyme municipal election of November 2019 was, in part, a loud repudiation of the ill‑conceived re-zoning and multi-use redevelopment project proposed by the Halls Road Improvement Committee. But it seems evident that some people didn’t get that message. As reported in this paper on July 13, the committee is currently considering three proposals for a Master Plan for a major redevelopment of Halls Road, and is again dreaming about spending taxpayer dollars to promote development founded on a zoning change desired by only a few interested parties. The projected budget for the Master Plan is $48,000.00. And it

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Letter: Closed Spaces, Crowded Places, and Close Contact Settings

The US has over 135k pandemic deaths. Japan has around 40% the population of the US and (with a similar death rate) should have over 50k deaths. Instead Japan has only about 1k deaths. Why is the death rate in Japan only a small fraction (about 2%) of the US death rate???  Japan did not do widespread testing as South Korea did (Japan tested only about 0.2% of the population). Japan did not use surveillance technology like China and Singapore. Over 26% of Japan’s population is at risk (over 65) yet very very few Japanese got sick – and now

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Steel: Follow West Virginia’s Lead to Make Voting More Accessible

West Virginia has one of the highest rates of military service in the country, and consequently many armed service members found voting difficult because they were overseas. In fact, the US Elections Assistance Commission reports 300,000 overseas voters requested ballots which were not returned to their home county clerks due to logistical constraints.  The military then developed a secure mobile voting application with facial identification in conjunction with many other security measures in which  ballots are safely stored until election night and audited by election administrators.   Other states must follow West Virginia’s lead in making our basic constitutional right more

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Positive Pressure Technology Should be Considered to Improve Safety in Reopened Classrooms

At schools, we need to better control indoor contamination. Wearing masks is NOT going to provide adequate protection. Recent Japan research indicates micro droplets of COVID remain suspended in stagnant room air for hours, but there is also some good news. The research indicates that droplets can be effectively disbursed with just a slight breeze – which is something we can create in classrooms. This is how “clean rooms” work that are used to manufacture items such as pharmaceuticals and medical equipment. We need to apply a similar concept to schools and create “clean classrooms” by applying positive air pressure

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Letter: A Shout-out for Gladeview in Old Saybrook

I wanted to write and tell about the place my Dad lives at, Gladeview in Old Saybrook. In March of 2016, my Dad was sent to Gladeview from the VA, we chose this place because of out of all the places we visited in Guilford, Madison and Old Saybrook, this was the cleanest! My Dad, Al Paier, suffers from COPD, Emphysema and chronic lung disease. He has the best care, great friends and most of all, he hardly has bronchitis anymore, staying there has definitely extended his life. No doubt, he would not be here if it wasn’t for Gladeview

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Letter: Old Lyme’s EDC Encourages the Public to See the Results of its Study

The Economic Development Commission launched three initiatives, as the first step, in crafting a “smart growth” economic development strategy for Old Lyme focused on maintaining the small-town character and charm of our unique town. We realized the success of the plan depended upon providing opportunities for the public’s voice to be heard. Therefore, we designed the project with this in mind. The three studies are now complete, and we are pleased to share the results with you. We believe the findings in these reports will provide essential insights for not only the mission of the EDC but will provide valuable

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Letter: Ledge Light Health District Affirms our Commitment to Equity

While so much of our attention is focused on COVID-19, it is clear that we cannot respond to this pandemic as though it is an isolated public health emergency, occurring in a vacuum and separate from any other community health concern. The data regarding COVID are no different from so many other health outcomes; Black, Latinx and Indigenous people are more likely to experience serious health outcomes and premature death. There are widespread and pervasive racial disparities in health in our country and region. We must recognize these for what they are – the unjust and preventable results of systems

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Letter: Lack of Communication Leaves Essex a One Party Town

As the Chairman of the Essex Republican Town Committee, I just needed to share my comments on the political process in Essex. However, this letter expresses my thoughts  alone. I did not submit it to ERTC for approval. A 2018 audit, found deficits in Region 4 Board of Education Budget. I want to thank our new Superintendent, Brian White for discovering the auditing errors in capital sinking funds, cafeteria fund and the underfunded health insurance reserve. Sadly, to correct them will be a financial burden to the three towns, all with declining enrollments. White’s decision to train Kelly Sterner to

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“For certainly what others have done for us should be an inspiration to all to keep up their good work”

As I review my previous Memorial Day homilies, I’ve come to realize that there is a pattern unfolding.  Taken together, they help to tell us why we are here again in this cemetery. I’ve had the occasion, and the challenge, to explore with you how and why we voluntarily meet here on this designated day to celebrate the lives and mourn the passings of preachers, teachers, siblings, parents, ancestors, neighbors, heroes, government officials, duck hunters, bird watchers, conservation commissioners, friends, lovers, spouses, artists, musicians, fishermen, cow farmers and others. Truly a web of life. There were people I knew who

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Letter: Mute Swan Controversy Based on Shoddy and Non-Existent Studies

Dear Editor: I read the article about Mute Swans being an invasive species in your recent article by Julia Werth, dated May 19, 2020. The article is filled with misinformation that has been discounted by current research and international swan and wetland habitat specialists. Furthermore, the information cited has been shown through research to be based upon shoddily conducted or non-existent studies.  I would like to have ample time to set the record straight. I have also included at the bottom of the page, my credentials regarding Swans. 1.      There has never been any environmental impact assessment conducted

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Letter: Attack on Swans Doesn’t Justify an Attack on Swans

An apparent attack on mute swans near Whalebone Cove in Hadlyme does not raise questions about whether they belong in our state. It just raises questions about whether the ignorant humans who brutally beat them should be allowed to live in the state any longer without being behind bars. Unfortunately, there is a sentiment among some boaters and recreationalists in the state that mute swans are picturesque pests that are better off dead. Mute swans are not aggressive birds, but when they are nesting or defending young, they become protective parents, which should be admirable to humans. It’s appalling that the

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Letter: EDC and Halls Road Committee Boost Local Business, Solicit Feedback

The Economic Development Commission and the Halls Road Improvements Committee of Old Lyme are both committed to supporting local businesses. We have been earnestly working on ideas on how best to express this support in a substantive way for our businesses impacted by the pandemic. Our businesses are facing challenges they never could have imagined just a short while ago. A small town like Old Lyme has limited resources. But fortunately, what we do have is a strong sense of community and a reputation for coming to the aid of others in need. With this in mind, we have three

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Letter: “The world is going to be saved by people who are saving their backyard.”

It seems to me that Earth Day gives short shrift to the significance of what we’re trying to celebrate: the earth and its myriad ecosystems provide so many benefits to us — clean water, clean air, materials, food, even spiritual sustenance. We benefit every day, not one, from a healthy planet. Fifty years ago, the first legislation was put into place to protect the environment. There has never been more of a need to safeguard the significance of that work, and to weave that intention into our daily actions. Given the chance, nature can re-boot surprisingly quickly; who has not

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Letter: Essential Workers Deserve Thanks, Not Attack

Essential workers throughout Connecticut are courageously serving their communities and keeping our state running during this public health emergency. Despite their sacrifice, Red Jahncke uses this pandemic as an excuse to continue bashing public service workers.  Besides being riddled with errors and mistruths (e.g. public workers have faced significant cuts to their workforce including layoffs ), Jahncke fails to acknowledge that essential workers are putting themselves and their loved ones at risk every day when they go to work.  Essential workers that Jahncke so quickly derides are state police, firefighters, unemployment counselors and claim handlers, nurses, child abuse investigators, correctional officers and countless others still coming to work

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Letter: Coronavirus a Poor Excuse to Forgo Public Participation

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Many thanks to CT Examiner regarding the Old Lyme WPCA meeting Tuesday April 14th. So glad someone was listening. We, the Old Lyme tax payers, waited patiently Tuesday evening for about 45 minutes even after the chairman accidentally disconnected the meeting line to attend an executive session.  We, the Old Lyme tax payers, wanted to know what was going on with the cost sharing agreement, with the changes to the benefit assessment calculations, with the easement agreement between Old Lyme and the private beaches.  We, the tax payers, wanted to know why a $615,000 contract was granted without going out

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A Devotional on Behalf of COVID-19 Caregivers

Avinu Malcheinu,  Our Father, Our King From different faith traditions, our professional and volunteer care-givers in hospitals, private practice and first-responders come before You dedicated to the preservation of lives, even while putting themselves in harm’s way You have led each one to choose his/her path, every act of which honors the gift of life You have given us … and the patients they care for. We humbly ask You to be manifestly present in the spirit of each and every care-giver and first responder.  Guide each care-giver to mindful reflection, wise decisions, competent acts and compassionate gestures. For those

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Letter: Amid Widespread Shortages, Farmers are Forced to Dump Scarce Goods

I read an article in The Day by Amanda Hutchinson “Farmers face volatile times amid restaurant closures, grocery shortages.”  The next day, I was visiting a friend that is a production dairy farmer.  He said milk co-op he sells to had to dump eight tractor trailer loads of milk so far. He said dairy purchaser Guida’s in New Britain has rejected a bunch of loads. There’s nothing wrong with the milk — its just with all the schools and restaurants closed no one is buying as much milk and the processors are out of storage. Meanwhile headlines warn of widespread

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