NEIGHBORHOODS
What’s going on in your part of Stamford
WATERSIDE
A group of Boy Scouts from Troop 5 and their parents cleaned up Boccuzzi Park for summer.
The Scouts, along with Waterside Coalition Chairman Virgil de la Cruz, also a city representative, cleaned the beaches and picked up large amounts of debris.
“The Scouts spent three and a half hours clearing debris, derelict lumber, driftwood and garbage from the beach and from a debris trapping corner of the waterfront, being careful not to disturb the natural environment and habitats,” the release said. “When finished, there was not a spec of garbage or debris in sight.”
The project was supervised by Scoutmaster Nathan Newhall and led by Eagle Scout candidate Thomas Dougherty.
NEWFIELD
The Italian Center has resumed free lunches for seniors, a tradition since 1972 that was interrupted for more than a year because of last spring’s fire at the Newfield Avenue club.
The luncheons are held on the first Tuesday of each month for 10 months and are open to all Stamford residents 65 years old and older. Reservations are required.
The lunches will be held in the center’s new banquet rooms, Serafina, which the center opened last month.
“We are delighted to bring back our popular senior lunches to the IC,” Paul Hickey, executive director, said in a news release. “This is just one of the many ways that the IC gives back to our community.”
To make a reservation, call Vikki Burns at 203322-6941.
DOWNTOWN
Under the threat of closure, 158-year-old St. Andrew’s Church is broadening its horizons to offer several “new forms of spiritual exploration alongside the traditional AngloCatholic Mass,” according to a news release.
The church’s new spiritual center will offer yoga Mass, chanting and meditation and music therapy, the release said.
“We are focusing on our common identity as children of God seeking community and spiritual nourishment rather than manmade differentiators of division and distinction,” senior warden of St. Andrew’s Vestry, Matt Ferguson, said in the release.
The move to become a spiritual center for Stamford has been accelerated by recent announcements by the Diocese of Connecticut, which said it intends to close the church in October if the parish is unable bring in $3,000 a month to close its deficit.
Contributions alone will not close the gap, the release said. The church is seeking tenants to rent its sanctuary, parish hall, kitchen, rehearsal rooms or office space.
DOWNTOWN
The Basilica of St. John the Evangelist will hold a one-day conference to mark the 50th anniversary of “Humanae vitae,” a papal text on arguing against contraception.
The conference will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 23 and will feature popular speakers, including
George Weigel, the official biographer of Pope St.
John Paul II; Mary Eberstadt, author of “Adam and Eve After the Pill;” and Mary FioRito, an attorney, public speaker and commentator on issues involving women’s leadership in the Catholic church, according to a news release.
A panel of medical experts will also discuss natural family planning and contraception.
July 25 marks the 50th anniversary of the Pope Paul VI’s “Humanae vitae” (“On the Regulation of Birth”), a letter written in response to the question of whether the hormonal birth control pill would be an acceptable means of regulating childbirth.
Registration is required. To register or for more information, visit www.stjohnsstamford.com or call the parish office at 203-324-1553 ext. 21.
SPRINGDALE
The Springdale Neighborhood Association will hold a neighborhood walk through history next week.
The walking tour, based on information from the book “Springdale Remembered” by Rosemary H. Burns, will take attendees back in time starting at 2 p.m. Saturday.
The tour will start on the local library porch, 1143 Hope St., according to a news release.
“We will go back in time to when the State Cinema had bowling alleys in the basement, the Twin Rinks were an X-ray tube factory, and a trolley car rolled down Hope Street,” the release said.