Y's Men News -- Sunday, March 1, 2026 | | |
Table of Contents
(Scroll Down to Find the Article Behind the Headline. Articles are
in the same order as the Table of Contents)
- Travel Group Guest Speaker on Travel and Health
- From the Little League to the Big Leagues This Thursday
- Uncovering Hidden Stories: Black Soldiers in the Revolution
- Y's Men to Sponsor a Sunday Event During Versofest '26
- Military History Group to Discuss Battle of Fredericksburg
- The Sheffield Island Clambake Sold Out in About a Day
- Printmaking to be Discussed at Photography Club Meeting
- Seniors Invited to Write a Letter to Jackie Robinson
- Staples Stradivarius Chamber Orchestra Performs March 12
- Here's an Opportunity to Strengthen Bonds with Grandchildren
- T&E Lists Outings
- Save the Date: Return Visit to Studio Museum in Harlem
- Time to Create the Roster of Y's Men Monday Golfers for 2026
- New Y's Men Fraud Protection Club to Hear Hacking Victim
| | |
Guest Speaker to Focus on Travel and Health
The Y’s Men Travel Discussion Group will meet tomorrow, Monday, March 2 from 9:00 to 10:30 am in rooms 203-204 at the Saugatuck Congregational Church.
The meeting’s focus: “Travel & Your Health” with Guest Speaker Vanessa Hurta from the Aspetuck Health District
- Vaccinations recommended for specific itineraries and/or activities
- Are there non-vaccine recommendations for preventing illness (masking, supplements, probiotics, etc.)?
- If you find yourself sick on a trip, what are your options?
Spouses/partners/significant others are always welcome to attend.
For information about the Y’s Men Travel Discussion Group, or to be added to the Group’s email distribution list, please contact Art Mann, mannart03@gmail.com
| From Little League to the Big Leagues This Thursday | |
Jeff White
The Y's Men welcome Jeff White as their featured speaker this Thursday, March 5.
Jeff's 52-year career in sports and media culminated with his retirement as Executive VP of Business Affairs and Stadium Operations for the New York Mets in 2024. Before that, he served as Senior Financial Advisor to the CEO of the Boston Red Sox and as SVP and CFO of Major League Baseball, plus 12 years in financial leadership at CBS.
Closer to home, Jeff has been a pillar of Westport Baseball and Softball since 1983, serving as coach, Treasurer, and President. The White family's legacy is literally etched into Westport's fields — James F. White Field on Compo Road North honors his father's memory.
Join us for a fascinating look at America's pastime, from the boardroom to the ballfield.
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.
| Uncovering Hidden Stories: Black Soldiers in the Revolution | |
Ramin Ganeshram addresses the Y's Men last Thursday.
Here are some (not fun) facts from Ramin Ganeshram, Executive Director of the Westport Museum for History and Culture, during her enlightening and informative presentation to Y's Men last Thursday:
1639: First Importation of Enslaved Africans to Connecticut.
1690: Connecticut adopts the first of a series of "Black Codes" in effect, formalizing enslavement. There were officially 6,500 enslaved Nutmeggers at the time of the American Revolution (that may be an underestimate, given that masters were taxed on the number of enslaved property).
1774: Import of slaves into Connecticut banned, but enslavement within Connecticut
remains legal.
1848: Connecticut is the last (non-Confederate) state in New England to abolish slavery. Overall, there were more enslavers in the North, where those enslaved often worked in homes and in the trades, but more enslaved people in the South, where they worked on plantations.
As an historian, Ramin Ganeshram is keenly aware of the fact that history, including that of the American Revolution, is made up of real people, from people of wealth and status, to those enslaved; from patriots, to loyalists, to those who simply had no opinion.
There were slaveholders in Fairfield County; there were Black Patriots who served in what would be the first integrated army; there were Black loyalists, lured by the British with promises of freedom. And there were slaveholders who sent their slaves to fight for them. Yet Black Patriots had to fight for their pensions after the war.
The Westport Museum is a valued resource for the history and culture of all peoples who have lived in Westport.
And a final (fun) fact: Following George Washington's death, his family created the myth that the Father of his country loved children.
Not true - He didn't like them.
Upon her next visit to the Y's Men someone might ask Ramin about that cherry tree.
Click here to view Ramin's entire presentation.
| Y's Men to Sponsor a Sunday Event During Versofest '26 | |
VersoFest 2026, The Westport Library’s annual celebration of music, media, and creativity, returns this month with a stellar lineup including Wyclef Jean, Susanna Hoffs, Ani DiFranco, Gina Gershon, and David J.
It’s a full set of killer conversations, intimate performances, electrifying author talks, and behind-the-scenes storytelling with artists, authors, and producers that you love — and one you’re about to discover, all in the Library’s unique Trefz Forum, one of the coolest creative spaces around. Tickets and registration available now at www.versofest.org
The Y's Men are proud to be partnering with the Library by sponsoring an event on Sunday March 29 at 12 noon, and like last year, we'll have our own VIP suite before it starts. Click on the link above to check it out. More info to come on the Y's Men event.
| |
Military History Group to Discuss Battle of Fredericksburg
Union General Ambrose Burnside and the debacle at the Civil War's Battle of Fredericksburg will be the topic when the Military History Group meets tomorrow (March 2) at 10:15 am in room 211 at the Saugatuck Congregational Church. One of the largest and deadliest battles of the Civil War, it was fought from December 11 to 15, 1862.
Y's Man Mark Perlman will facilitate the discussion.
The Group meets on the first Monday of the month at the same time and place. For additional information, contact Y's Man Mark Perlman at firstdiv@optonline.net
| The Sheffield Island Clambake Sold Out | |
Clambake at Sheffield Island is set for Tuesday, July 14.
Photo by Ted Horowitz
One of Summer’s best night's out, the Sheffield Island Clambake, set for Tuesday, July 14, sold out in a day. Keep that in mind when the 2027 event is announced.
| |
Printmaking to be Discussed at Photography Club Meeting
At its meeting this Tuesday, March 3, the Y's Men Photography Club will hear Y's Man Allen Swerdlowe discuss "Photography and the Printmaking Process." He also will talk about his time as a professor in 1975-81 at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
The Club meets from 9:30 to 11:00 am in rooms 109/110 at the Saugatuck Congregational Church.
In addition, Allen will show examples of his work such as:
Silver Prints
Cibachrome Prints
Van Dyke Brown Prints
Cyanotypes
Screen Prints; Intaglio; Lithographs
Using a Color Copier as Camera
Books, Cards and Portfolios
For additional information, contact Y's Man William Weiss at 201-538-5970.
| Staples Stradivarius Chamber Orchestra Performs March 12 | |
The Staples Stradivarius Chamber Orchestra will perform for Y's Men on Thursday, March 12.
The Y's Men of Westport/Weston will feature the Staples Stradivarius Chamber Orchestra at its regular Thursday meeting on March 12 in the Sanctuary of the Saugatuck Congregational Church, 245 Post Road East, Westport. It is one of several ensembles at Staples that offer growth and performance opportunities for the school’s many string players.
According to Y's Men Past President John Brandt, co-chair of the Y’s Men’s Classical Music Society, “Members of this orchestra are musicians from Staples High School's acclaimed vocal and instrumental music program. Each musician has earned a place in the group through annual auditions and many hours of coaching and practice. Under skilled direction, they've mastered the art of chamber performance, where every note matters and each musician's voice contributes to a unified, powerful sound that belies their years,” he said.
The program for their appearance will include works by Antonio Vivaldi, Carl Nielsen, Antonin Dvorak, Christopher Wilson, Miroslav Skoryk, Carlos Gardel, Kevin Ray and Yukiko Nishimura.
The event is free and open to Y’s Men and their guests.
| | 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.
| | | | |
