Y's Men News -- Sunday, March 8, 2026 | | |
Table of Contents
(Scroll Down to Find the Article Behind the Headline. Articles are
in the same order as the Table of Contents)
- GIDG Focuses on Iran War at Tomorrow Morning's Meeting
- Staples Stradivarius Chamber Orchestra Performs Thursday
- Jeff White Discusses Baseball History and Future Reality
- Hacking Victim to Speak at Fraud Protection Club Tuesday
- Y's Men to Sponsor a Sunday Event During Verso '26
- Y's Men Jazz and Mixed Music Lunch This Wednesday
- Staples Players Invite Y's Men to "Urinetown"Dress Rehearsal
- Seniors Invited to Write a Letter to Jackie Robinson
- Shoah Memorial To Be Discussed Sunday, April 12 at Library
- Here's an Opportunity to Strengthen Bonds with Grandchildren
- T&E Lists Outings
| | Remember -- Your clocks should now be set one hour ahead for Daylight Savings Time. | | |
GIDG Focuses on Iran War at Tomorrow's Meeting
The war with Iran will be the sole subject for discussion when the Global Issues Discussion Group (GIDG) meets tomorrow at 9:00 am in room 203/204 at the Saugatuck Congregational Church. A planned discussion of "Autocrats vs. Democrats" by Michael McFaul will be postponed to the Group's next meeting on Monday, March 23.
For more information on GIDG, contact Y's Man Harvey Luft at harveyluft@gmail.com
| Staples Stradivarius Chamber Orchestra Performs March 12 | |
The Staples Stradivarius Chamber Orchestra will perform for Y's Men this 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.
This Thursday, the coffee, donut and bagel social hour begins at 9:00 am in Hoskins Hall downstairs in the Saugatuck Congregational Church, 245 Post Road East in Westport. We move up to the sanctuary at 10:00 am for the concert. No food or beverages are allowed in the sanctuary. Come early and meet your fellow members.
| Jeff White Discusses Baseball History and Future Reality | |
Jeff White addresses the Y's Men at last Thursday's meeting.
Photo by Allan Siegert
Westporter Jeff White, with insight and wit, took Y's Men through the early history of baseball last Thursday: from the National League founding in 1860; the Black Sox scandal of 1919; the measures taken by Judge Kenesaw Landis including the "Best interests" and Reserve clauses; and the Anti-Trust exemption, to the cancellation of the 1994 season due to a strike, to today, where teams like the LA Dodgers referred to by Jeff as the "Evil Empire" can enter into a $700 million contract with one player; and where "Umpire Robots" are calling balls and strikes.
Where is Baseball going in the future? Click here to find out.
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Y's Men Fraud Protection Club to Meet This Tuesday;
Hacking Victim to Relate His Experience
The new Y's Men Fraud Protection Club will hold its first meeting this Tuesday, March 10, at 10:00 am in room 211 at the Saugatuck Congregational Church. It will hear the story of a fellow Y's Man who lost a major portion of his life savings through fraud.
His sobering tale of how quickly a life can change because he was hacked should spark some ideas on how we should protect ourselves. The group will discuss what actions can be taken to prevent a hack before it happens.
According to Y's Man Jeff Schwartz, one of the goals of the Club is to develop a preemptive “defense manual” that can be shared with all Y’s Men. "Currently, he says. "no such guide exists. We have to build it ourselves."
For additional information, contact Jeff at jandjschwartz@gmail.com
| 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.
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Y's Men Jazz and Mixed Music Lunch This Wednesday
This month's Y's Men Jazz and Mixed Music lunch will be at noon, this Wednesday, March 11 at the Westport VFW.
The program will be big screen videos comparing the big band styles of Stan Kenton and Count Basie, sax players Charlie Parker and Gerry Mulligan, trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Louis Armstrong...and more.
Also featured will be vocalists Charles Aznavour, Ella Fitzgerald and a surprise all-time great.
As always, a biographical sketch will be provided before each performance.
Come and enjoy the best food and entertainment value in Westport! Cost is $25.00 per person, pay there. Calise's will provide a catered selection of sandwiches, different salads, a variety of cookies, and ice tea. Wine, beer and mixed drinks may be purchased at the VFW bar.
If you plan to attend, contact Jeff Hare at jeffahare@gmail.com.
| Staples Players Invite Y's Men to "Urinetown"Dress Rehearsal | |
The Staples Players have invited Y’s Men to attend a dress rehearsal performance of its production of “Urinetown” this Wednesday, March 11 in the Staples High School auditorium, 70 North Avenue, Westport.
“Urinetown” is a wildly inventive, Tony Award–winning musical comedy that dares to ask: what if you had to pay to pee? It’s directed by David Roth, son of Y’s Man Don Roth, and Kerry Long.
There is no charge to attend but a pre-curtain check-in begins at 6:00 pm. Attendees must be checked in no later than 6:15 pm for the 6:30 pm curtain.
Attendance is strictly limited to a Y’s Men member plus his spouse or significant other. No non-member guests are admitted
| | Shoah Memorial To Be Discussed Sunday, April 12 at Library | | |
"She Wouldn't Take Off Her Boots," a sculpture that will be discussed at The Westport Library on Sunday, April 12.
The Shoah Memorial Fairfield Connecticut, a program that was rescheduled from January 25 because of snow, will be discussed and presented Sunday, April 12 from 2:00 to 3:30 pm at The Westport Library.
Y’s Man Paul F. Burger is Chairman and primary sponsor of the project, a nonprofit dedicated to Holocaust remembrance, education, and interfaith civic engagement. It revolves around a sculpture entitled "She Wouldn't Take Off Her Boots" that will be installed as a memorial at Fairfield University.
The sculpture will be the centerpiece of the Sunday program entitled "Fighting Antisemitism and Celebrating Community: An Introduction to the Shoah Memorial."
The memorial is being created as a permanent educational resource—honoring Holocaust victims and survivors while fostering dialogue about human dignity, moral courage, and the consequences of hatred for future generations.
For additional information on the program and to obtain free admission click here.
| | 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.
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