The Daily Five: A Tree Lighting, A Light Parade, Fundraising for Little League, and Pearl Harbor Remembered

1. We'll get off to a cloudy start today and there's a chance of showers later this evening. According to Weather.com, there's a 30 percent chance of rain during the day, increasing to 50 percent later tonight. The daily high temperature should top out at 47 degrees but it's only going to drop to 41 degrees tonight. 

2. 'Tis the season and tonight's main event will be Old Lyme's Christmas Tree Lighting and 14th annual community carol sing at Old Lyme Memorial Town Hall tonight at 5 p.m. To get everyone off on the right note, the Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School Band and the Lyme-Old Lyme High School Select Singers will be performing holiday classics.

Town Hall will be serving cookies and hot chocolate for all but, because it's always better to give than to receive, please bring a nonperishable food item to help a local family if you're planning to attend tonight. 

3. If you go to East Lyme Town Hall today, be prepared for some festive fashion faux pas that even the designers on Project Runway couldn't make work. As part of this month's fundraising effort to benefit Care & Share of East Lyme, town employees are wearing their most garish holiday sweaters.

It's putting everyone in just the right spirit for Sunday's 24th Annual Light Parade, however, which promises to be bigger and better than ever this year. The event kicks off with a chili and chowder cookoff, carriage rides, and ice sculpting starting at noon. Fireworks will get the parade started at 5 p.m. and Santa will arrive on the final festival float of the evening on December 9.    

4. East Lyme Little League suffered a loss when a fire destroyed its press box, backstop fence, and equipment—including tarps for the field and wind screens—on Saturday but the organization is already back at bat and ready to swing.

Parks and Recreation Director Dave Putnam said his team was out at the Little League Field yesterday working on the fence. The structure that burned is covered by insurance but the policy comes with a hefty $5,000 deductible. To help meet that expense, the league has set up a fund to collect donations.

If you'd like to support the cause, please send contributions to ELLL Press Box Fire Fund, Post Office Box 675, Niantic. 

5. Today is the anniversary of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has directed that U.S. and Connecticut flags fly at half-staff in recognition of Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day and the lives lost in that attack.

“Today we pause to recognize the thousands who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor, and the thousands more who valiantly served our country in World War II,” said Governor Malloy. “The battle at Pearl Harbor reminds us of the tremendous sacrifices our troops and their families make. We are grateful to our military for their defense of this democracy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the men and women currently deployed—we hope for their safe and speedy return.” 

Amen to that!