The Daily Five: Art Restored, Volunteers Welcome, Schools' Future Debated, And Bon Appetit!

1. It's likely to be much cloudier today than it was yesterday with a 50 percent chance of rain, most likely in the form of scattered showers this afternoon and this evening, according to Weather.com. High temperatures will peak at about 50 degrees and dip to 42 degrees overnight. 

2. Have you ever wanted to get involved with your community but you don't know where to start? Well, tonight you've got the perfect opportunity to find out. About 25 volunteer organizations will be on hand at a Volunteer Fair sponsored by Lyme-Old Lyme Girl Scouts and Volunteer Connection at Lyme Old Lyme High School from 5:30 to 7 p.m. For more information, contact the Lymes Youth Service Bureau at (860) 434-7208. 

3. East Lyme Board of Education members will be turning their attention to the future at tonight's meeting. The Board is slated to discuss the East Lyme Public Schools Facilities Vision Task Force Committee’s Presentation and Recommendation, which is focussing on ways to upgrade the elementary schools. Those options include renovating existing buildings, closing Niantic Center School, or razing all the elementary schools and building one new one to serve the entire town. 

The board will also hear an update on district actions regarding school security and discuss the Board of Education’s 2013-2014 budget reduction of $650,000 as directed by the Board of Finance. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at East Lyme High School.

4. Albert Herter's Spirit of the Doughboy hangs once more resplendent in the center wall of the stairway of Old Lyme Memorial Town Hall. W.E.S. Griswold of Old Lyme originally presented the large pastel to Lyme Post No. 41 American Legion in 1930. The work of art has hung in the stairway of Old Lyme Town Hall for decades. 

According to a letter written by Winfield Scott Clime to Old Lyme Selectman James A. Gould in 1953, the artist's wife posed for the female figure and their son, who was killed at Chateau Thierry, is the "doughboy."

In the letter, Clime notes that "should this picture ever require renovating it should be done only by a competent artist familiar with pastels, and great care should be exercised in the event that it is ever necessary to remove it from the wall that no pressure is put on the back of the picture."

It's safe to say that every care was taken in this loving restoration, thanks to the efforts of Jennifer London Lacker of J. London Appraisals, Sarah Dove of Fine Art Conservation LLC and Mara Beckwith of Studio M. LLC.

The return of the Spirit of the Doughboy to its rightful place on the wall was celebrated last night with a reception at Old Lyme Memorial Town Hall.  

5. If you've dined out in Old Lyme recently, here's some food for thought. Apparently, the town is way behind in its restaurant kitchen inspections. At the request of the new town sanitarian, the Board of Finance last night approved $3,000 to hire a subcontractor to do the health inspections in short order to make sure that the town is all caught up and that local restaurants are up to spec. Bon Appetit!