Letter: Griswold Offers Measured Leadership to Challenges Facing Old Lyme

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There are many reason to support Tim Griswold for first selectman of Old Lyme, but here are three issues that I believe we should carefully consider before voting in the November 5 election. Halls Road For 5 years, the current administration has outsourced Halls Road improvements to an ad-hoc “Halls Road Improvement Committee” with no results except for a cost of $40,000 paid to the Yale School of Urban Design (YSUD).  Alan Plattus, of the YSUD, stated in a public meeting that: “Halls Road is Broken.” I think that couldn’t be further from the truth.  Halls Road, specifically the Old

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Letter: Judge Politicians by Actions not Words

The proverb “talk is cheap” is more than 150 year old. It should be familiar to we New Englanders. The expression can be found in a 1843 fiction entitled Attache, written by T. C. Halliburton, whose Yankee character Sam Slick encouraged a minister to “[t]alk to these friends of ourn, they might think you considerable starch if you don’t talk, and talk is cheap.” These days, not only is political talk cheap but it is also unreliable, perhaps more unreliable than at any other time in American history. Increasingly you are better off ignoring what a politician says and just

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Letter: Griswold Makes Case for Old Lyme First Selectman

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After serving 14 years as Old Lyme’s First Selectman through 2011, I am running again to lead the town.  At our Republican caucus in July, we had excellent candidates for all open positions, save that of First Selectman.  Within days, news broke that our current First Selectwoman, who was the long-standing chair of the finance committee and then chairwoman of the board of the Connecticut Port Authority, was involved with serious problems there.  I felt compelled to run for First Selectman to challenge my opponent’s ethically-challenged leadership.  I undertook a petition drive and gathered twice the amount of signatures required.

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Letter: A Conversation That Needs To Occur

I attended the debate Wednesday evening between Bonnie Reemsnyder and Tim Griswold. In listening carefully, one issue stood out like a sore thumb: Our First Selectwoman repeatedly claimed that recent actions taken by the Town were only conversations based on input from her constituents – the people of Old Lyme. She addressed the questions on Affordable Housing, the Halls Road Improvement Plan, and amalgamating the Old Lyme Police with the East Lyme Police Department in this manner. She kept saying: These were conversations that needed to occur. If you attended the debate or see it televised later and are not

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Letter: Establish Priorities and Pursue those with Vigor, says Selectman Chris Kerr

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We have spent a lot of time in Old Lyme discussing many big, important and impacting initiatives:  Large plans for Halls Road privately-owned businesses, apartments at I-95 and Route 156 intersection, sewers at Soundview, and merging police with East Lyme, among other issues.  I am asking for your vote November 5th to bring back honest discussion at the start of town initiatives. I strongly support: Halls Road improvements that can get done soon:  sidewalks, crosswalks, planted traffic islands, improved sign guidelines and accommodating zoning.  I do NOT believe the government should act as a master developer of land they do

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Letter: Focus on Region 4 Superintendent “misplaced and distracting.”

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To the Editor: Singling out newly-hired Superintendent Brian White as the focal point for your editorial about Region 4’s finances is misplaced and distracting. (“Hard look at Region 4” September 29. 2019.)   Mr. White became superintendent of Region 4 Schools in July 2019 (only three months ago) when Dr. Ruth Levy retired after 11 years in office with two years remaining under her current contract. By the time of his arrival, the district had also changed facilities directors, business managers and many board members from those involved in the Mislick property purchase and decisions about capital accounting. So it

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Letter: Comments on Zoning Change Not From DEEP

To the Editor: The CT Examiner article published on September 10, 2019, entitled “Old Lyme Zoning Commission Proposes Limits on Waterfront Building” referenced a letter written to Jane Cable, Chairman, Old Lyme Zoning Commission from Karen Michaels, DEEP Environmental Analyst, Land and Water Resources Division.  The article referenced a comment from Ms. Michaels’s letter saying that the “DEEP would like to take this opportunity to applaud the Zoning Commission on this initial revision of Section 4.3 to increase protection of critical coastal resource management areas within the community and addressing the impacts of future sea level rise to people and

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Letter: Wind Energy News is Lipstick on a Pig

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To the Editor: RE “Ørsted and Eversource Pitch “Non-zero-sum Game” for Agreement with Port Authority” (Sept. 12, 2019): This is quite simply just a politically driven charade the cost of which, assuming it ever gets permitted, will all fall on the backs of the ratepayers. Just ask the Danes who now pay the highest electric rates in Europe even with their wind farms being able to depend on cheap hydro from Norway and Sweden for backup power, or the Germans who have had to import more coal to keep their baseload plants going which has actually INCREASED carbon emissions. Where

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Letter: Pappalardo Weighs in On Sound View Referendum Result

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Today’s referendum vote in favor of a $9.5 mil bond for sewers creates a number of questions that must be answered. First and foremost is cost recovery: How the town expects to pay for the bond. The WPCA and our Board of Selectmen have gone on record stating that the entire bond cost will be paid by the property owners in Sound View and area B. This unprecedented method for a public works project cost recovery should be troublesome to all taxpayers. What’s to prevent other town projects to be paid only by those that are affected? Will Rogers Lake

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Letter: Reply to Defense of Roger Tory Peterson Center

To the Editor: RE “Roger Tory Peterson Center Will Enhance Not Blemish Old Lyme” (Letters, August 1) Sydney Williams’ letter in support of the Audubon Society’s choice of Ferry Road for its new headquarters requires some clarification. First, no one doubts the importance and good works of the Connecticut Audubon. It is the choice of its new location that is at issue. The omission of key elements for the planned uses of this new facility needs to be corrected. The following are the additional facts, per the Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center website, and as presented to our neighborhood at

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Letter: Roger Tory Peterson Center Will Enhance Not Blemish Old Lyme

To the Editor: No site selected by the Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center (RTPEC) will ever be without controversy. What must be weighed are the needs for a center, which includes the community, versus the concerns of those who might be affected, due to increased traffic, lights or noise. As a supporter of the RTPEC and former board member, I understand the need. As a former owner of a home on the estuary in Old Lyme, I have some sense of the concern. And, as someone now retired and living across the River in Essex, I recognize there are never

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Letter: Location and Haste of CT Audubon Center in Old Lyme Raise Questions

To the Editor:Re “Architect Chosen, CT Audubon Plans Center in Old Lyme” (News, July 8). The Connecticut Examiner has described in detail the plans for a new site for the Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center, which as outgrown its current space on Halls Road. The 1.1-acre site was purchased for $200,000 in early spring. The acreage adjoins sixteen acres of town open space and state-owned property. Visitors are to have access to trails (which are currently being cleared) as well as to “the river, estuary, town dock, open space and the beach.” It seems an unusual choice for an environmental

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Letter: RTP Estuary Center Takes Open Space for Own Use in Residential Neighborhood

To the Editor:Re “Architect Chosen, CT Audubon Plans Center in Old Lyme” (News, July 8) My wife and I recently built a house on Sandpiper Point Road, two lots over from RTP Estuary Center’s proposed new headquarters on Ferry Road, and also bordering on open space property and Shippee Pond. We first became aware of Connecticut Audubon’s acquisition of the property by a form letter sent to the residents of the neighborhood, and we were all subsequently invited to an informational meeting at the center’s current offices on Hall’s Road, which was well-attended. The meeting started with an overview of

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Letter: Sound View Homeowners Should Be Aware of Obligations

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To the Editor: Thank you for your coverage of the Sound View sewer project. One correction: the cost per EDU as stated by the WPCA will be $25,007, not $15,000. $15,000 is the minimum a homeowner would be assessed. Thus, according to the WPCA slide presentation, the “typical average house of 1 EDU (1,242 square feet)” would be charged a “$6,000 connection fee plus a $25,007 betterment assessment” for a total of $31,007. The per EDU assessment will be calculated on a sliding scale, thus a 2,500 square foot house would be charged for 2 EDUs. In my case, my

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Letter: CT Audubon Center at Odds with Nice, Quiet Neighborhood in Old Lyme

To the Editor: My wife and I live a couple of parcels away from the proposed Audubon Center on Ferry Road. We moved here four years ago because we wanted to live in a nice, quiet neighborhood in Old Lyme close to town.  We found the perfect spot here. We are adamantly opposed to construction of an office building to house daily office workers in our residential neighborhood, and the vast majority of our neighbors have signed a petition against this plan. 

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Letter: Reemsnyder Contacted Two Years Ago on Beaver Problem

To the Editor: Thank you for your article, “As Beavers Flood Properties Old Lyme…”.  I’m grateful that you investigated the issue including meeting with Old Lyme town leadership. Unfortunately, First Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder’s statement, that she only found out about the beaver’s destruction from my letter to the editor, is not accurate.  Two years ago, Dave Berggren met directly with Edward Adanti, the town director of public works, and asked for help only to be told that he couldn’t do anything without the selectwoman’s approval.  Berggren then met directly with Reemsnyder about the damage to his property and was told that they could not

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Letter: No Factual Basis to Require Sewers at Hawk’s Nest

To the Editor: Cate Hewitt’s article regarding the Hawk’s Nest challenge to sewers is excellent. Her interview and quotes from Sandy Garvin make the situation quite clear. DEEP started this controversy by mandating sewers in all the beach communities without factual substantiation and data to support their contentions. Certainly, there are beach areas that will benefit from sewers, but not all, and Hawk’s nest is one where there is currently no justification.

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Letter: “Slim down your waste”

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While it is vitally important that our municipal, state and federal government agencies work aggressively on environmental protection acts, our individual behavior and responsible approach to waste management is imperative. We must all learn to trim a little off of our waste, little by little, every day. Small changes can make a big difference over time.

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Letter: “Sanitized” Report on Pantries Misses Point

To the Editor:Your June 3 article "Shoreline Food Pantries Consider Split" was objectively written, but too “sanitized".

I feel you should have reported more thoroughly on the opinions of volunteers to whom you gave scant mention. They have the direct contact with the guests served and the knowledge of the way things have operated so well during the past 10+ years.

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Letter: Madly Off in Every Direction

I think that most Old Lyme residents
regardless of political affiliation agree on a few clear priorities: resolving
the sewer situation for the shoreline, spending the town’s money wisely,
obtaining public support before initiatives are undertaken by the town,
executing town projects efficiently and in a timely manner, and maintaining the
character of Old Lyme. 

But in recent years, the town has hopscotched
from major initiative to major initiative, without substantive public support,
without deliberate consideration of alternatives, and without a defined
timetable for deadlines and accomplishments. 
From sewering the entire shoreline, to street improvements on Hartford
Avenue, to renovating Hains Park to merging our police force with East Lyme

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Letter: Moving Parts

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To the Editor:While riding a SEAT [Southeast Area Transit] bus to catch Shore Line East -- yes, it is possible -- I read CT Examiner's interview with the New London mayor and his comments linking proposed tolls to the cost of mass transit (or perhaps it was just edited that way).

The otherwise helpful and capable SEAT driver happened to make a comment on what a waste of tax dollars the underused bus service is. I laughed to myself, thinking how I'd be fired if I publicly criticized my employer's business.

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Letter: “Time is the ally of the voter”

Connecticut is one of twelve states that does not allow early voting. To do so, requires amending the State’s Constitution. A few days ago, the Connecticut Legislature endorsed early voting, 125-24, The Senate voted in favor of the bill 23-12, four votes shy of the super majority needed to send the proposed amendment to the voters. They will try again.

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