Y's Men News -- Sunday, September 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)
- Annelise Osborne on Future of Finance This Thursday
- Travel Group to Discuss Eating While Traveling
- Mindfulness Group to Meet by Zoom Tomorrow
- "Photographing Critters" at Photography Club Tuesday
- Jazz Lunch Set for Wednesday, September 17
- Y's Men Fall Golf Outing at Longshore October 7
- Peter Greenberg at Westport Library September 25
- T&E Lists Upcoming Outings; Free Football Tickets Available
- Barnum Museum Invites Y's Men to Book Discussion
- Town Attorney Ira Bloom Explains Statute 8-30g
- Blood Drive Set for Friday, September 26
- DNR Band in Sunday Concert Series October 5
- Up Close: Non-Fiction Book Club Focuses on "Apollo 13"
- Y's Men Current Events Discussion Group Meets Weekly
- Celebration of Life of Woody Bliss September 20
| | This Week's Speaker Provides Insight Into Future of Finance | | |
Annelise Osborne
Y’s Men will gain a front-row seat to the future of finance when Annelise Osborne, Chief Business Officer at Kadena, and a respected Westport resident, speaks at this week's Thursday (September 18) morning meeting.
Osborne, a veteran of Wall Street and a leader in digital assets, brings more than 20 years of experience, including senior roles at Moody’s and Arca Labs, as well as writing last year’s best seller, “From Hoodies to Suits: Innovating Digital Assets for Traditional Finance.”
If technical buzzwords in the news have left you feeling lost, this event is designed for you. She will tell (in plain English) how artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, and blockchain are driving huge changes in finance. She will also explain how these changes are opportunities and challenges for individuals and institutions.
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.
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Travel Group to Focus on Eating When Traveling
The Y’s Men Travel Discussion Group will meet from 9:00 to 10:30 am tomorrow (Monday, September 15) in rooms 203-204 at the Saugatuck Congregational Church
As usual, meetings begin with members talking about their recent travel experiences.
The primary topic of Monday's meeting:
Eating is Important!!! How do you plan your meals when traveling? Book ahead? Research tools? What memorable meals have you had?
Spouses/partners/significant others are always welcome to attend.
For information about the Y’s Men Travel Group, or to be added to the Group’s email distribution list, please contact Art Mann, mannart03@gmail.com
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Y's Men Mindfulness Group to Meet by Zoom Tomorrow
The next Y's Men Mindfulness Group meeting will be on Zoom tomorrow (Monday September 15) from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm, assuming five members confirm they want to participate.
To confirm your attendance and to obtain the Zoom link, please email Paul Epstein at epsteinmb@aol.com or Jeffrey Rubin at jeffrubinwpt11@gmail.com by 3:00 pm tomorrow. An email will be sent before 6:00 pm on Monday confirming the Zoom meeting will take place or that the Zoom meeting has been cancelled.
The next in person "Just for Men" Mindfulness Group meeting will be on Wednesday October 8 from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Westport Center for Senior Activities.
Each session involves meditation practice ... mindfulness, compassion, gratitude and discussion and sharing, exploring teachings ... see with new eyes, resilience, working with difficult emotions, responding vs. reacting, be here now ... present moment awareness, finding peace in the storm, comfortable with uncertainty ... and integration of practice and teaching with all of life, daily and beyond.
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"Photographing Local Terrestrial Critters" at Photography Club
When the Y's Men Photography Club meets this Tuesday (September 16), Y's Man Barry Kulick will present a brief primer for those members who have an interest in photographing (or perhaps just simply observing) our local wildlife. The Club will meet in Room 109-110 at 9:30 am in the Saugatuck Congregational Church.
Barry will begin with a brief recap of his involvement with the Y’s Men and show about a score of the photographs that he has submitted at Club meetings in the past year or so. He will continue with an informal instructional/entertaining program where he presents some general suggestions and guidelines that might prove useful to any who wish to share his new found enthusiasm for photographing terrestrial critters. He will present images he made locally of a variety of avian behaviors that any viewer may reasonably expect to observe - or strive to capture in camera.
For additional information, contact Club Chairman William Weiss at 201-538-5970.
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First Jazz Lunch of the Season Next Wednesday, September 17
The first Jazz Lunch of the new Y's Men season will be at noon on Wednesday September 17 at the Westport VFW. Cost is $25.00 in cash per person, to be paid there.
Videos of Hall of Fame big bands, small groups and vocalists will be projected on the big screen. A biographical sketch will be personally presented before each performance.
The casual meal will again be catered by Calises. Beer and alcoholic drinks may be purchased at the bar.
If you plan to attend, please either sign-up at tomorrow's regular meeting or contact Jeff hare by email at jeffahare@gmail.com
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Y’s Men Golf 2025 Fall Outing Set for Tuesday, October 7
This year’s Fall Golf Outing will be on Tuesday, October 7, at the Longshore Golf Course.
The first tee time is at 11:00 am. The entry fee of $85.00 covers the greens fee, cart rental, refreshments, and goodies at the 19th hole, which will be at the Black Duck. And prizes will be awarded to the lowest scoring team and to individual golfers for the longest drive, closest to the line, and closest to the pin on two holes.
The Tourney’s format will be Scramble or Best Ball utilizing a team of three or four players.
Please register for the outing by email to Bob Leng at leng_7@msn.com or text 978-289-0940. The registration deadline is Friday, October 3.
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Don’t Miss Peter Greenberg --
A Timely Conversation for Travelers September 25
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America’s most respected travel news voice, CBS News Travel Editor Peter Greenberg, joins us at a pivotal moment. As Washington considers possible changes this October, Peter will provide his expert perspective on how government decisions could influence air travel, passports, airport security, and national parks.
Curious about what this could mean for your fall and winter trips—or how to make the most of any new developments? Peter’s insider knowledge and practical advice will help you travel confidently, no matter what’s in the headlines.
Enjoy a lively and informative session with “The Travel Detective”—and get ahead of the stories shaping tomorrow’s journeys. To learn more about him, click here for a short video.
Please join us and invite your friends to attend this wonderful and informative evening, Thursday, September 25, at 7:00 pm at The Westport Library.
Tickets are selling fast, so click here to purchase yours at the Library's website. Bon Voyage!
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Saturday, September 20
West Point Football
This event is open to Y’s Men members, spouse and significant others.
Family members and non-member friends are also welcome.
https://conta.cc/3YKjOM4
THREE FREE TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE. CONTACT Y'S MAN MATTHEW CALISH AT mcalish@yahoo.com.
FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED
~~~~~
Monday, September 29
Hotel Marcel – New Haven
Spouses and significant others are welcome.
Non Y’s Men members welcome, space permitting. Please inquire.
https://conta.cc/4g8wDY9
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Y's Men Invited by Barnum Museum
"Remember the First Ladies" at Barnum September 24
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Anita McBride
Y's Men and their spouses, significant others, and friends have been invited to a book discussion exploring the untold stories and powerful legacies of America’s First Ladies will be seen through the lens of acclaimed author, White House expert and Bridgeport native, Anita McBride.
Highlighting her groundbreaking publication, McBride will discuss the evolving role of the First Lady and how these influential women have shaped American history, society, and global diplomacy.
Anita McBride is a globally recognized expert on White House operations and the legacies of U.S. First Ladies. With over 20 years of senior service under Presidents Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush - including serving as Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush - she helped shape major domestic and global initiatives spanning education, women's health, cultural preservation, and diplomacy.
When: Wednesday, September 24 – 6:00 pm
Where: Barnum Museum, 820 Main Street, Bridgeport
Parking: Complimentary parking at the M&T Bank Headquarters Parking Garage
located at 387 Water Street.
Cost: Free!
Reservations are not necessary but highly recommended to secure your seat.
Click here to make a reservation.
| | Town Attorney Ira Bloom Explains Statute 8-30g | | |
Town Attorney Ira Bloom
Y's Men were honored last Thursday to welcome Ira Bloom, Town Attorney for Westport, Weston and other towns, to speak on the topic "Everything you always wanted to know about 8-30g." This is a 1989 Connecticut statute which provides a full exemption from local zoning regulations if a developer is willing to set aside 30 percent for affordable housing.
What constitutes "affordable" is defined by area and state income levels. Attorney Bloom outlined that the rationale for 8-30g is the ongoing housing crisis in Connecticut; and our state's commitment to affordable housing, even if it limits the power and authority of local government discretion to regulate and control development.
In a town such as Westport, a goal of 8-30g is to allow those who work here - police, firefighters, teachers - to actually live here. There is no indication that 8-30g will be amended or modified any time soon. A town has limited grounds to reject an 8-30g application if 30 percent is set aside.
Attorney Bloom cited several examples in Westport where 8-30g applications have been addressed, with varying results. Although the proposed "Hamlet" development has drawn public attention to 8-30g, Attorney Bloom noted that at this point, an 8-30g application has not been made by the developer.
Click here to view a video of Attorney Bloom's presentation.
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Up Close: Non-Fiction Book Club Focuses on "Apollo 13"
"Apollo 13," a book written by the late Astronaut Jim Lovell (and Jeffrey Kluger) on the Apollo 13 disaster, will be the focus of the Y's Men Non-Fiction Book Club when it meets on Wednesday, October 15 at 2:00 pm in room 109 at the Saugatuck Congregational Church.
Lovell was one of the three astronauts aboard the aborted flight to the moon. The book was the basis of the movie "Apollo 13."
Y's Man George Kalan, a NASA engineer who helped return the spacecraft to earth, will share his perspective of the event at the meeting. All Y's Men and guests are invited to attend what the Club expects to be a very exciting gathering.
In preparation for the meeting. the Club recommends viewing a short documentary about the Apollo 13 incident. It's on YouTube with commercials. Click here to watch it.
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Y's Men Current Events Discussion Group Meets Weekly
A small group of Y's men meet weekly to discuss topics of mutual interest inspired by current events. That's the Y's Men Current Events Discussion Group.
There are two separate groups that meet on Wednesdays and Fridays at the Saugatuck Congregational Church at 10:00 am for an hour-long discussion.
The topic for discussion is selected by consensus at the previous meeting. Each of the two separate groups is limited to seven members so everyone attending can actively participate in the discussion. An additional Monday group may be added should there be sufficient demand.
Anyone interested in learning more about the Current Events Group or in joining it should contact Y's Man Tony Pranzo at tpranzo@yahoo.com.
| | Celebration of Life of Woody Bliss This Saturday, September 20 | | |
Woody Bliss
Photo courtesy of Weston Today
A Celebration of Life in honor of Y's Man Woody Bliss will be held this Saturday, September 20 at 11:00 am at Norfield Congregational Church, 64 Norfield Road in Weston. Woody passed away on July 7 in Charlotte, NC. He was 89 and joined the Y's Men in November 2009.
A former First Selectman of Weston, Woody moved to North Carolina last year to be near his two daughters and their families. A full obituary on Woody may be read by clicking here.
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