Alicia Primer has been named the new executive director of New London Landmarks, taking over from Laura Natusch, who has retired after years of service.

A Niantic native, Primer first engaged with historic preservation as a teen when she joined the successful efforts to save Union Station from demolition in the 1970s. Since graduating from Smith College, she has lived in the Boston area and served on the Town of Weston’s Historical Commission for 15 years, many as chair, where Primer spearheaded the extension of Weston's demolition delay bylaw from six to 12 months and spent time on the Planning Board in 2019.

Now living in her family home in Groton Long Point, she is married with three sons.

“I am pleased to return to New London, where my preservation story started,” Primer said in a note to The Buzz. “We have so much potential here in the Whaling City and I hope I can make a difference.”

Primer said she hoped to meet many Landmarks supporters during its annual meeting June 18. To reach her, email director@newlondonlandmarks.org.

A New London Landmarks webinar titled “State and Municipal Funding for Homeowners” explaining the Historic Homes Rehabilitation Tax Credit program and the City of New London's Housing Conservation program has been posted on youtube.

Erin Fink explains the Historic Homes Rehabilitation Tax Credit program and Eileen Baker reviews the City of New London's Housing Conservation program.

Cmdr. Jess B. Feldon turned over command of the nuclear-powered fast attack submarine USS Virginia (SSN 774) to Cmdr. Mike Hartzell in a traditional change-of-command ceremony held Friday, April 5, pierside at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton.

Capt. Jason Grizzle, commander Submarine Squadron (SUBRON) 4, presided over the ceremony and praised Feldon and crew stating, “their efforts to bring Virginia out of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and be ready to deploy in 14 months has truly been inspiring to observe.”

“He built a resilient team whose creativity in overcoming material issues or urgent schedule changes ensured Virginia was ready to deliver worldwide combat readiness on short notice,” Grizzle said during his remarks about Feldon. “The future of our country depends heavily on the success of our Navy and the success of our Navy depends heavily on the success of our force. It also depends on Virginia to successfully execute missions that only submarines can do.”

Feldon’s next duty station will be the Research and Development Support Activity in Washington, D.C. His previous submarine tours include USS Asheville (SSN 758) and USS Maine (SSBN 741).

Hartzell, an East Lyme, native and 2006 graduate of Pennsylvania State University, previously served aboard the submarines USS Augusta (SSN 710), USS Alexandria (SSN 757), USS Key West (SSN 722), and USS New Mexico (SSN 779).

Doug Anderson was unanimously elected chairman of the board at Liberty Bank during the company’s March meeting.

The election of Anderson comes after the unexpected passing of longtime Chairman Mark Gingras on March 7. Gingras served as Liberty’s board chairman since 2007 and board member since 2001.

Anderson’s role as a Liberty Bank corporator and board member began in April 2018. During this time he has served on the Credit Risk, Audit, Compensation, and Governance Committees – and most recently Chair of the Credit Risk Committee. He also served as chairman of the Liberty Bank Foundation.

Randy Brooks of Grover Insurance, a Mystic resident for more than half a century, has been recognized in the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce’s new Community Proud series celebrating people who live and work in the Mystic area. The series is presented by CorePlus Credit Union.

Bruce Flax, president of the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce, said the series is meant to spotlight longtime residents who have contributed to the community.

Grover Insurance has been a steadfast presence in Mystic since 1932, and Brooks joined the firm in 1967, taking over ownership in 1982. Randy and his wife, Lee, moved their family to the area in 1967 and his daughter Janet became an additional owner after joining the agency in 1993.

Just Mystic apparel brand, known for its sporty coastal-casual wear, has relocated to 33 W. Main Street in downtown Mystic. Designed by Just Mystic Creative Director Amanda Cummings, the brand’s new storefront was built out by local craftsman Dan Heine to carry out Cummings’ vision for a nautically elevated retail space.

The new flagship store was meant to evoke “the spirit of Mystic as a sailing and shipbuilding hub,” according to a release. “Location-based brands tend to represent the culture, community and history of a given place,” said Just Mystic CEO Robert Nelson, “and that’s what we strive to do here at Just Mystic.”

One of the signature elements of the new store is its permanent photo booth, now live and functional, inviting guests to document their experience in the space as they browse clothing and accessories such as pre-shrunk cotton terry crewnecks, boxy-cropped graphic tees, shoulder-length canvas tote bags, premium lightweight pickleball paddles, and more.

Just Mystic was founded by Mystic locals and sibling duo Robert Nelson and Amanda Cummings in 2021. The store is open seven days a week (11-6 on weekdays; 10:30-7 on weekends). Just Mystic will host its grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony in May. Follow @justmysticbrand on Instagram for more updates and information.

Another store in town, Holistic in Mystic, a woman-owned wellness store in Old Mistick Village, will hold a ribbon cutting from 6 to 7:30 p.m. April 24 to celebrate its 10th anniversary, hosted by the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce.

With a core value of providing a safe space for self-expression, Holistic in Mystic offers handmade one-of-a-kind jewelry, art, home décor, fair trade items, and other unique organic goodies. For information about the event, email meganyardis@mysticchamber.org.

Better Together CT Inc. Farm & Sanctuary in North Stonington has been named a runner-up of Hipcamp’s Best in State award celebrating the the top-performing Hipcamp hosts and their properties.

Better Together Farm is just miles from the coast and nearby attractions such as the Mystic Seaport and Mystic Aquarium, offering 33 acres of trails, stone walls, and native serpentine designs. Hike to Tipping Rock, a local historical 1700s landmark, and nearby Lantern Hill.

Dr. Stefana Pecher, who runs Organic Green Farm Retreat, commented, “How wonderful it is to be awarded and be recognized for our beautiful retreat. As a Hipcamp host, I look forward to sharing this beautiful land with future Hipcampers as well as returning ones.”

In honor of Community Banking Month in April, Chelsea Groton Bank and the Independent Community Bankers of America highlighted the impact of local banks on their communities.

Collectively, community banks give more than 60% of all small-business loans and more than 80% of agriculture loans nationwide, according to Lori Dufficy, chief experience and engagement officer at Chelsea Groton. They also give back to their communities as . reflected in ICBA’s National Community Bank Service Awards.

The Connecticut Sun has announced a partnership with BlueForge Alliance to focus on promoting career opportunities across the nation’s Submarine Industrial Base, reinvigorating America’s manufacturing workforce; and as a national call-to-action with BuildSubmarines.com.

As the first “Official Free Throw Circle Sponsor” of the Connecticut Sun, BFA will be highlighting the contributions of skilled tradeswomen already serving in the defense manufacturing workforce. Throughout the 2024 season, BFA will aid the Connecticut Sun in its community efforts, most notably serving as the presenting partner of the Connecticut Sun's Game-Action Give Back initiative "Free Throws for Change“ that will have BFA donating $10 to Girls for Technology, a non-profit created to provide women of color with entrepreneurial training.

On April 15, Dime Bank hosted its 155th annual meeting at Lake of Isles in North Stonington, with President and Chief Executive Officer Nick Caplanson sharing an overview of the bank’s performance in the 2023 calendar year as well as an outlook for 2024.

The bank also announced that local residents Attorney Jonathan Lane and Cheryl Calderado have been elected to serve as corporators of the bank. Lane is a partner at the law firm Mariani Reck Lane LLC in New London, practicing almost exclusively in the area of civil litigation. He has achieved numerous accolades throughout his career including: Super Lawyers Rising Star (2019), Super Lawyers (2022, 2023), The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 under 40 (2019, 2024) and Best Lawyers (2021, 2022, 2023). Attorney Lane graduated from Norwich Free Academy before going on to earn his B.S. in Applied Economics from Ithaca College and his J.D. from Roger Williams University School of Law.

Calderado is the recently retired Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer, of Dime Bank. Her retirement at the end of 2023 marked the culmination of her 17 years at Dime and a 45-year career in banking. Cheryl graduated from Eastern CT State University in 1983 with an A.S. in Business Administration. Cheryl is also a graduate of the CT School of Finance and Management, where she later served as Chairman, Management Development Committee.

The Connecticut Land Conservation Council has named the winners of the 2024 Excellence in Conservation Awards. Winners were Peter B. Cooper, honored with the first Peter B. Cooper Award for Excellence in Conservation Law; Barton Jones, Katchen Coley Award for Excellence in Conservation; Traprock Ridge Land Conservancy, Excellence in Conservation Organization Award; Aspetuck Land Trust, Special Recognition of Reggy Saint Fortcolin, Excellence in Community Engagement Award, and Hiram Williams, Conservation Hero.

For more information about the awards and the recipients’ contributions to conservation in Connecticut, visit https://ctconservation.org/awards/awards-2024/.

Chamber News

The Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut announces the second annual Access Health CT Connecticut Small Business Summit will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, at the Mystic Marriott in Groton.

Networking, food, panel discussions, and free 1-on-1 consulting will be offered. To register, visit https://www.ctsmallbusinesssummit.com/.

Keynote speakers are U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, and Fran Pastore, founder and CEO of the Women’s Businesss Development Council. Panel topics include employee health and wellness, marketing and measuring impact, and accessing capital and small business financing.

In lieu of a registration fee, AHCT Small Business is asking attendees to make a donation of any size to Connecticut Foodshare. Breakfast and lunch will be served. The event will conclude with a speed networking vendor expo.

The Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut had to reschedule a Business Luncheon featuring Governor Ned Lamont to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday April 30, at Ocean Beach Park, 98 Neptune Ave, New London.

"Early Bird" registration before April 25 will cost Chamber members $40 and nonmembers $50.

Lamont, currently serving his second term, will discuss his objective to grow Connecticut’s economy, providing long-term solutions to strengthen the state’s fiscal position and attracting the next generation of talent to Connecticut.This event offers a Q&A session following his keynote presentation.

State News

Members of the School Indoor Air Quality Working Group joined together this month in Hartford to highlight recent progress on addressing school issues in Connecticut, including the establishment of a grant program under the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services to reimburse school districts for costs associated with school HVAC upgrades.

A total of $450 million has been approved by the Connecticut General Assembly for fiscal years 2023-2025, with DAS expected to announce the second round of HVAC grants in the coming weeks.

The Buzz is a weekly roundup of business news compiled by Business Editor Lee Howard. To get in The Buzz, email businessbriefs@theday.com. To easily access urls cited in print, go to www.theday.com and type “The Buzz” into the search bar.