Y's Men News -- Sunday, April 19, 2026 | | |
Table of Contents
(Scroll Down to Find the Article Behind the Headline. Articles are
in the same order as the Table of Contents)
- Developments in Iran Subject of Tomorrow's GIDG Meeting
- Common Ground Presentation on Bias and Hate April 21
- Consumer Reports on Food Safety This Thursday
- Practical Advice About Artificial Intelligence
- Trips & Events Lists Outings
- Show of Interest: Rod Stewart and Richard Marx in Concert
- Mindfulness Group Zoom Meeting Set for Tomorrow
- A Y’s Men Tradition: Volunteer for Westport Clean-up Day
- Y's Men Bocce Season Begins This Wednesday
- Y’s Men Ping Pong Players Meet on Mondays at 2:30 pm
- Y's Men Pickleball Enthusiasts Begin New Season
- New Y's Man Proposes Aviation Discussion Group
- Here's An Opportunity to Strengthen Bonds with Grandchildren
- Videos Available of Melvin Interview and Shoah Program
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Developments in Iran Subject of Tomorrow's GIDG Meeting
The Global Issues Discussion Group (GIDG) meets tomorrow (Monday, April 20) at 9:00 am in room 203/204 at the Saugatuck Congregational Church. Members will discuss the latest developments in Iran.
For more information on GIDG, contact Y's Man Harvey Luft at harveyluft@gmail.com
| | Consumer Reports on Food Safety This Thursday | | |
A team from Consumer Reports will be tackling the subject of Food Safety at this Thursday's regular morning meeting.
Why it matters:
Food safety isn’t just about expiration dates. Consumer Reports (CR) uncovers what’s actually in everyday products and pushes regulators to act.
What to know:
- Shrimp recalls tied to possible contamination with radioactive cesium‑137
- Protein powders: 2/3+ tested had more lead per serving than CR considers safe for a full day
- Consumer Reports is pressuring the FDA to set stricter limits on contaminants
The program:
CR returns to the Y’s Men for a behind-the-scenes look at how its investigations move from lab testing to headlines to policy change.
Who’s speaking:
- Jen Shecter, CR Chief Content Officer
- Three of CR’s top food experts
What you’ll learn:
- How CR tests food and uncovers risks
- Where the food safety system falls short and where it’s improving
- How to interpret recalls, labels, and health claims
- Practical tips for safer choices at the grocery store
Bottom line:
- Get smarter about what you’re eating—and what food regulators may be missing.
- Regular Y’s Men Meeting: Thursday, April 23
- Doors: 9:00 a.m. | Program: 10:00 am
- Saugatuck Congregational Church, Hoskins Hall. Enter from the parking lot in the back.
- As always, social hour with bagels, donuts, and coffee starts at 9:00 am. Guests and prospective new members are always welcome.
- Format: Conversation + audience Q&A
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Practical Advice About Artificial Intelligence | |
Peter Farnsworth addresses Y's Men last Thursday.
Photo by Ted Horowitz
Peter Farnsworth, retired CFO from Americares and the American Kennel Club, talked Artificial Intelligence with 130 Y's Men last Thursday. Here's what stuck:
Three Easy AI Wins
- Trip planning: ChatGPT or Perplexity can build your day-by-day itinerary with accessibility info in seconds
- Speed-read anything: Turn a 43-page document into a 3-page summary instantly
- Draft emails fast: Let AI do the heavy lifting, then you polish
Try These Apps Too
OtterAI, Granola, or Zoom can record meetings, summarize what was said, and flag action items. Game changer for staying on top of things.
Three Tips for Beginners
- Better prompts = better answers. Start by asking AI: "Write an optimal prompt for trip planning to Italy," then copy that prompt into a fresh chat for sharper results.
- Compare AI answers. Use Chatbot Compare to ask ChatGPT, Claude, and others the same question. You'll see where they agree and where they differ. (Ask your AI, "What do you know about me?" to check privacy.)
- Don't trust it blindly. AI can make stuff up. Always fact-check the important details. (
Click here to view a video of Peter Farnsworth's presentation and click here to view the slides that accompanied it.
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Wednesday, April 22
New York Botanical Garden Orchid Show
Sold Out
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Monday, April 27
NYC Walk: First Things First
Spouses, Significant Others, and Guests Welcome!
https://conta.cc/4vj21ub
~~~~~
Wednesday, April 29 and Wednesday, June 24
Tour of Amazon Fulfillment Center
Due to anticipated demand, we must restrict
participation to Y’s Men members only.
https://conta.cc/4v4R1Ar
~~~~~
Friday, May 29
Prospect Gardens
Spouses, Significant Others, and Guests Welcome!
https://conta.cc/4twusmB
Paste this link in your browser.
~~~~~
Thursday, June 4
New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Guardians
Open to fully dues-paid-up Y’s Men members, spouses and friends
https://conta.cc/4sJGW9R
~~~~~
Thursday, June 11
New York Mets vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Open to fully dues-paid-up Y’s Men members, spouses and friends
https://conta.cc/4kOYChS
Be sure to refer to the NYC Travel Hints on the T&E website. They were revised recently, and are helpful to those who may not be familiar with train travel to and from the City.
| Show of Interest: Rod Stewart and Richard Marx in Concert | |
Rod Stewart
Asking for a show of interest (the list of those interested is growing fast):
Friday, August 7 at the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater, Bridgeport.
Ticket Price: $123.00 (including credit card fee).
Organizer Y's Man Dick Kalt needs to know who is interested and how many tickets they want by Friday, April 24.
If you wish to buy tickets, please send an e-mail asap to dickkalt@gmail.com.
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Mindfulness Group Zoom Meeting Set for Tomorrow
The Y's Men Mindfulness Group offers two distinct gatherings for Y's Men. Both are facilitated by Y's Man Dr. Paul Epstein.
A Mindfulness Group Zoom session explores mindfulness practices and emotional resilience on the third Monday of each month. The next meeting (by Zoom) is tomorrow (Monday, April 20) from 7:30 to 8:30 pm.
Just for Men is an in-person discussion group that meets on the first Thursday of each month at the Westport Center for Senior Activities. The next meeting of Just for Men is Thursday, May 7 from 3.00 to 4.00 pm.
To obtain a Zoom link and further information contact Paul Epstein or Jeff Rubin at, respectively, epsteinmb@aol.com and jeffrubinwpt11@gmail.com
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A Y’s Men Tradition: Volunteer for Westport Clean-up Day
Once again it’s time to participate in one of the great Y’s Men traditions of helping Westport look its best for Spring and Summer activities. Volunteers are needed for Westport’s Annual Clean-up Day from 9:00 to 11:00 am on Saturday, April 25.
You can volunteer to clean up one of these locations:
Westport Library/Levitt Pavilion Riverfront
Imperial Parking Lot
Grace Salmon Park
Y’s Men will be joined in the clean-up by the Staples High School S.L.O.B.s (Service League of Boys). Volunteers should bring their own work gloves and rakes. Trash bags will be provided.
Free coffee and donuts will be available.
Click here to tell Y’s Man Bruce Gaylord you want to volunteer and indicate the location (if any) where you would like to work.
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Y's Men Bocce Season Underway; Play is Every Wednesday
Y's Men bocce players began their new season last week. They play every Wednesday at Veterans Memorial Park, 909 Reef Road in Fairfield starting at 10:30 am and ending about noon. No registration or fees are required. There are six well maintained courts, and a restroom. If you have a Bocce set, bring it, until it is known how many players will attend.
This year, Y's Men players will be joined by the Fairfield Men's Club.
For additional information, contact Y's Man Len Ances at ances@sbcglobal.net or
203-227-821
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Y’s Men Ping Pong Players Meet on Mondays at 2:30 pm
Y's Men Ping Pong players meet every Monday at the Westport Center for Senior Activities to play from 2:30 to 4:00 pm.
Extra paddles are available if needed. Typically, the group plays singles or doubles depending on the number of folks who come.
Players at any level are welcomed even if they have not played in 40 or 50 years.
For additional information contact Y's Man Jeffery Silberman at jefferymsilberman@gmail.com
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Y's Men Pickleball Enthusiasts Begin New Season
The courts are swept, the nets are up, the temperature is rising. The 2026 outdoor pickleball season has begun.
The location: Town Farms Courts on North Compo Road.
The time: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30 to 2:00 pm.
A third day of play has been added: Saturdays from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm.
For those who may be new to the game or would like to improve their skills, Westport offers a series of clinics throughout the spring and summer months. Westport residents can sign up for the clinics at the Parks and Rec website. They can really make a difference in your game.
If there are any questions or suggestions, please contact any of the four Y's Men listed below.
Hayes Clark hayesclark53@gmail.com
Ed Diamond erdli@aol.com
Jay Dirnberger jaydirnberger@gmail.com
Matt McNerney matthewmcnerney0@gmail.com
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New Y's Man Proposes Aviation Discussion Group
New Y's Man Bob Jacobs is interested in hosting an aviation discussion group for those Y’s Men who are pilots, ex-pilots or anyone who has an active interest in flying, contemporary aviation and aviation history. The purpose is to share information and stories whether a pilot or aviation buff.
To make it interesting, he thinks four to six people would be needed to meet once a month. The first few meetings would be brown bag lunches or a mid-morning coffee at his house in Westport.
Bob has been a pilot since his first lesson at age 15. He has about 2,000 hours comprised of 1500 hours flying piston engine aircraft and 500 hours flying sailplanes.
If interested, contact Bob at rbrtjacobs@gmail.com or 203-856-0274
| | Here's an Opportunity to Strengthen Bonds with Grandchildren | | |
Y's Men pilot program provides a platform to better know your grandchildren.
Sign up now for a new pilot program: Grand Play Day, coming to Y’s Men of Westport/Weston. It’s an afternoon where you and a grandchild (ages 5–12) play together, face‑to‑face and screen‑free. Using simple tools — question cards, paper‑and‑pencil table games, storytelling dice and cards, and easy, low‑impact activities — you’ll share laughs, swap stories, and likely discover something new about each other.
Why it matters: Grand Play Day is built on “Connections Thru Play,” created by Playocracy founder Lynn Campanella in partnership with the National Institute for Play, where Y’s Man Joe Miller serves as a volunteer executive.
Research highlighted by the Institute shows that play supports our health, our brains, our learning, our creativity, and our emotional resilience. It is as essential as sleep and nutrition. This Y’s Men pilot, planned for the week of April 24–30, 2026 to coincide with Global Intergenerational Week, will involve 15 to 20 Y’s Men families, be facilitated by Lynn and Joe, and include academic input from Eastern Connecticut State University’s Center for Early Childhood Education and Fordham University’s Center on Aging and Intergenerational Studies as a potential model for other community groups.
To participate with a grandchild ages 5–12, contact Joe Miller at josephamiller@yahoo.com.
| | Videos Available of Melvin Interview and Shoah Program | | |
Videos of two recent programs at The Westport Library are now available.
One is the interview between Y's Man Jim Marpe and Craig Melvin in an event co-sponsored by the Y's Men and The Westport Library. Melvin is Co-Anchor of NBC’s “Today” and Co-Host of “3rd Hour of Today.”
The other is the discussion "Fighting Antisemitism and Celebrating Community: An Introduction to the Shoah Memorial" held at the Library last Sunday. It focused around a sculpture entitled "She Wouldn't Take Off Her Boots" that will be installed as a memorial at Fairfield University.
Click here to watch the Craig Melvin interview.
Click here to watch the Shoah program
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