I would like to thank everyone who made the July 4^th weekend a success in Old Lyme. Our Police Department, under the direction of our Resident State Trooper, and the Rangers worked incredibly long hours over the three-day period to ensure safety was a priority. I know there were a few issues that will need to be addressed at our next meeting with the beach associations, but the majority of the weekend went well. Thank you to the Miami Beach residents who jumped in to clean up the beach so that people could view the fireworks in a safe environment. Thank you to all the businesses who served our visitors. 

Region 18 Superintendent, Ian Neviaser, asked me to notify all residents that, as they continue construction at Mile Creek School, for the foreseeable future some of the parking lot/driveway construction work will take place on Saturdays in addition to the regular weekday schedule. This is necessary for the contractor to complete the job so we can reopen the school on time in late August. This change is due to the underground rock ledge that has slowed down progress of the parking lot, drainage, and driveway renovations. To minimize disruption to the neighborhood, this work will only take place between 7:00AM and 3:00PM. Should you have any questions, please reach out to Ian Neviaser ay 860-434-7238 or neviaseri@region18.org

Tax Collector, Suzanne Thompson, would like everyone to know that we are almost half-way through the July collection of Motor Vehicle taxes and first installment payments of Real Estate and Personal Property taxes for the new Fiscal Year. Tax bills were mailed in late June and are posted on our Tax Collector page, Tax Collector | Old Lyme, CT

If you are wondering why your Motor Vehicle taxes did not include personal use trailers this year, Suzanne reminds us that changes made by the state legislature have gone into effect. See Old Lyme Assessor webpage for details. If you have received a tax bill for a vehicle that you sold or disposed of, please notify the Old Lyme Assessor for a possible adjustment before paying your tax bill (Motor Vehicle Adjustments | Old Lyme, CT).

RiverCOG has informed us that there are some important meetings residents might want to attend. 

1. There will be a virtual public meeting on Wednesday, July 30^th 12:30- 1:30PM to discuss the draft of the regional Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP). The CCAP is the final report of the EPA funded Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Program (CPRG)—a process that both CRCOG and RiverCOG have been working toward for over a year. CCAP calculates 2030 and 2050 greenhouse gas projections for the region and identifies strategies for reducing greenhouse emissions and air pollution. It also features a robust analysis of benefits for each climate action, examines how to increase job opportunities to meet workforce needs, and provides an overview of available funding sources to implement the outlined strategies. If you would like to attend please register here.  

2. The 2025 update of RiverCOG’s Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan (NHMP) is off to a great start! Their update team has already met with each jurisdiction to collect input on hazards and projects, and they look forward to learning more from all residents at our upcoming Public Information Meeting. The first Public Information Meeting concerning the update multijurisdictional regional plan, with individual municipal annexes, will be a virtual meeting held onWednesday, July 23, 2025 from 6:00pm – 6:30pm. The meeting agenda with Microsoft Teams meeting link and phone numbers can be found here.  
   
   Public participation is vital to the success of the NHMP, both as a tool for our community as well as an especially important aspect of the FEMA review process. I encourage residents to (1) learn about the NHMP process, (2) take the public survey (coming soon!), and (3) attend and offer comment at the public meetings. To Learn more about the Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan on the RiverCOG website 

If you are interested in attending one of our outdoor concerts this week, please note the following:

• Sound View will be hosting their second free outdoor concert on Hartford Avenue at the flagpole. The White Eyed Lizard Band, Connecticut’s Premier Steel Drum Band, will be playing Calypso and Caribbean Island style music on Thursday, July 17^th from 7:00 – 8:30PM. 
• The Senior Center continues their summer evening concert series on Thursday, July 17^th, starting at 5:30pm! Ice cream will be served at 5:30pm. At 6pm, The Cartells begin playing their selections of jazz, swing, rock, Motown, and R&B. We hope to see you at the Lymes’ Senior Center at 26 Town Woods Road. Bring your family and friends, your outdoor chairs, and your dancing shoes!

Please mark your calendars for Midsummer Festival! Experience the best of summer at the Old Lyme Art District's annual celebration of art, music, food, community, and family. The festival is on Saturday, July 26^th from 9AM - 3PM, with an opening Friday Night Music Concert on July 25^th on the FloGris Grounds.

The weekend weather looks wonderful! Enjoy it!  

All my best, 
Martha