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Y's Men News -- Sunday, December 14, 2025

Table of Contents



(Scroll Down to Find the Article Behind the Headline. Articles are

in the same order as the Table of Contents)


  • GIDG to Focus on Venezuela at Tomorrow's Meeting
  • Westport Officials to Discuss Scams and Safety This Thursday
  • T&E Lists Outings
  • State Prosecutor in Fotis Dulos Trial Spoke Last Thursday
  • Mindfulness Group's Zoom Meeting Tomorrow
  • Y's Men Invited to Orphenians Holiday Market This Tuesday
  • Y's Men Jazz Club Lunch This Wednesday
  • Y's Men Invited to Participate in The Legacy Project
  • Non-Fiction Book Club Meets This Wednesday
  • Y's Men Science Fiction Book Group Meets This Friday
  • Friends of Sherwood Island Winter Solstice Celebration
  • We Are Looking for More Hoot Owls
  • New Y's Men Activity: The Fraud Protection Club
  • Photography Club Competition - Best in Show

GIDG to Focus on Venezuela at Tomorrow's Meeting


The Global Issues Discussion Group (GIDG) will meet tomorrow, December 15 at 9:00 am in Room 203/204 at the Saugatuck Congregational Church.


The topic for discussion will be “Venezuela."


For more information on GIDG, contact Y's Man Harvey Luft at harveyluft@gmail.com

Westport Officials to Discuss Scams and Safety This Thursday

Chief of Police David Farrell

Police Captain Jillian Cabana

Fire Chief Nicholas Marsan


Our speaker theme of "Law and Order" last Thursday continues at this Thursday’s meeting. We will be joined by Westport Police Chief Dave Farrell, Westport Fire Chief Nick Marsan, and Y’s Men “Fan Favorite” Police Captain Jillian Cabana. 


Captain Cabana will focus on recognizing and preventing on-line and telephone scams and frauds, sharing the most recent examples and how the Police Department can help you fight them. 


Chief Farrell will focus on preventing other types of crime that have become common in Westport and Chief Marsan will talk about fire safety and prevention during the holiday season and beyond.  


Y's Men Thursday morning meetings are in Hoskins Hall downstairs in the Saugatuck Congregational Church, 245 Post Road East in Westport. Coffee, donut, and bagel social hour begins at 9:00 am, business meeting at 10:00 am, speaker at 10:30 am. Come early and meet your fellow members. Guests are always welcome.

Monday, December 15

NYC Walk: Holiday Stroll 2025

Spouses, significant others and friends are most welcome

https://conta.cc/44ssMjK


~~~~~


Friday, December 19

The Studio Museum in Harlem

Spouses, significant others & friends are most welcome

 https://conta.cc/4oXHaZO


~~~~~

Saturday, February 7

UConn Women’s Basketball

Spouses, significant others & friends are most welcome

https://conta.cc/3JHnHgE


State Prosecutor in Fotis Dulos Trial Spoke to Y's Men

Richard Colangelo addresses Y's Men last Thursday.


Richard Colangelo's presentation at last Thursday's meeting offered a first - hand look into the investigation of the disappearance and probable murder of New Canaan resident Jennifer Dulos in 2019.


As a State Attorney, Richard was one of the first officials notified of the disappearance of Jennifer Dulos from her New Canaan home. Jennifer and husband Fotis were in the midst of a contentious divorce and child custody proceeding.


Although Jennifer's body was never found, (and she was declared dead in 2021), Richard and his team acquired evidence, based upon, among other, things, the significant amounts of Jennifer's blood, which, despite efforts to remove and clean up, led a medical examiner to conclude that without immediate medical attention, she could not survive.


Videos captured Fotis Dulos and his girlfriend Michelle Troconis suspiciously dumping garbage bags in Hartford. Fotis Dulos avoided a murder trial by committing suicide, Michelle Troconis was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, now on appeal.


Click here to view Richard Colangelo's presentation last Thursday.

Mindfulness Group's Zoom Meeting Tomorrow  


The Y's Men Mindfulness Group's Zoom meeting will be tomorrow (Monday, December 15) from 7:30 to 8:30 pm.


Conducted by Y's Man Paul Epstein, the Zoom meeting provides an opportunity for Y's Men to participate in a Zoom session with other Y's Men. Each session involves meditation practice, mindfulness, compassion, gratitude and discussion and sharing, exploring. Teachings include..."see with new eyes," resilience, working with difficult emotions, responding vs. reacting, being here now, present moment awareness, finding peace in the storm, being comfortable with uncertainty, and integration of practice and teaching with all of life, daily and beyond.


Please rsvp to Paul and Jeff Rubin as to your availability for the Zoom Call at your earliest convenience. Paul and Jeff's email addresses are: 

epsteinmb@aol.com

jeffrubinwpt11@gmail.com

Y's Men Jazz Club Lunch This Wednesday


The December edition of the Y's Men Jazz Club lunch will be at noon, at the Westport VFW, Wednesday, December 17.


The program will be video performances by Keely Smith, Louie Prima, Lena Horne, Nina Simone, Cab Calloway, Fats Waller --- and MORE. There will also be a biographical sketch before each performer


The cost is $25.00 per person, pay there. Wives and special guests are welcome. According to Jeff Hare, Club Chairman, this is the best food-and- entertainment value in Westport.


If you plan to attend, email jeffahare@gmail.com and provide the names of your guests.

Y's Men Invited to Participate in The Legacy Project


Calling all Y’s Men who would like to participate in The Legacy Project, a special program connecting Staples High School students with older adults to build meaningful, one-on-one relationships across generations.


Each student will meet individually with a participating adult to listen, learn, and help document their unique life story. For more information, email Stella DiGeronimo at stella.digeronimo@icloud.com.

Non-Fiction Book Club Meets This Wednesday

The Y's Men Non-Fiction Book Club will meet this Wednesday (December 17) at Lyndhurst in Tarrytown, NY, the home of Jay Gould, subject of the Club's selection of "American Rascal," a biography of Gould by Greg Steinmetz. There, attendees will take a tour of the mansion beginning at 10:00 am and then move on to lunch at the Bridgeview Tavern in Tarrytown to discuss the book.


Previously announced plans to hold the meeting at Lyndhurst with author Steinmetz in attendance have been cancelled. Too few Y's Men showed an interest in attending to justify the cost of the meeting room at Lyndhurst as well as Steinmetz returning from Colorado.


"American Rascal" is a fascinating story of Jay Gould, "the greatest 19th-century robber baron, whose brilliance, greed, and bare-knuckled tactics made him richer than Rockefeller and led Wall Street to institute its first financial reforms," according to Amazon.


For additional information, contact Y's Man Jeff Schwartz at 201-787-0654 or jandjschwartz@gmail.com.

Y's Men Science Fiction Book Group Meets This Friday


The Y's Men Science Fiction Book Group will meet Friday, December 19, at noon in room 211 at The Westport Library to discuss "Second Foundation," the third book in Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy.


Its next meeting will be on Friday, January 23, at noon in the same room at the Library. The discussion at that meeting we will be "Solaris" by Stanislaw Lem.


All Y's men are welcome to attend the meetings and participate in the discussions. If you would like to be added to the Group's email list or obtain additional information, contact Stephen Bentkover at sgb214@sbcglobal.net. 

We Are Looking for More Hoot Owls


The Hoot Owls is the singing group, or Glee Club, of the Y's Men. It has been serving the area's senior facilities for more than 50 years. It is led by music director Chris Coogan, a well known Jazz musician, pianist, singer and composer.  


If you are interested in singing and enjoy entertaining your follow seniors, please consider joining the Hoot Owls. No audition necessary.  


Contact: Bob Leng at Leng_7@msn.com or 978-289-0940.

New Y's Men Activity: The Fraud Protection Club


We are all potential victims of hacking. The new Y's Men Fraud Protection Club will provide a comfortable setting for sharing experiences, concerns and ideas about protecting our identity and assets.


They also will discuss possible approaches to proactively securing those assets independent of government agencies and banks.


The Club will meet monthly. Anyone interested in joining should contact Jeff Schwartz at jandjschwartz@gmail.com


Separately, Capt. Jillian Cabana of the Westport Police Department's Detective Bureau, who will speak to Y's Men this Thursday, provided this chart from the Connecticut Intelligence Bureau as part of an article on how to prevent financial crimes against seniors.

Y's Man Bob Pravder Wins Best in Show

Who is the Booby Now (Photo by Robert Pravder)


Y's Man Bob Pravder won Best in Show in the Y's Men Photography Club's 22nd Annual Photographic Exhibition co-sponsored with the Westport Center for Senior Activities. The contest was judged last month among entries in eight categories. Submissions are now on display at the Center.


Bob joined the Y's Men earlier this year hoping to share his experience and learn from other passionate amateurs in the Photography and Travel Clubs.