Baseball and breakfast with Cashman
Scene… Greenwich based Family Centers celebrated the start of a new Major League Baseball season at an intimate breakfast fundraiser last week featuring New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman at the Darien home of Jan and Bob Dilenschneider. During his remarks, Cashman, a Darien resident, described how he got his start as an intern in the Yankees organization and rose to become one of the longest-tenured general managers in team history. Former Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira, of Greenwich, joined Cashman afterward in a Q & A with the lucky guests. The event supports Family Centers’ network of health, education and human service programs, which assist more than 21,000 Fairfield County children and families each year. For more info, go to www.familycenters.org.
The Pound Ridge Community Church at 3 Pound Ridge Road in Pound Ridge, N.Y., is celebrating Black History Month with a jazz Vespers concert called “Lift Every Voice” at 4 p.m. Sunday. It will feature operatic soprano Lydia Brown and jazz singer Samara McClendon, accompanied by pianist Pete Malinverni. Refreshments and a meet and greet will take place after the concert. Admission is free. For info, call 914-764-9000.
Winter Restaurant Weeks, sponsored by Hey Stamford and Open Table, will dish up meals at special prices Monday through March 3. The prix-fixe menus are set at $14.19 or $22.19 for lunch and $28.19 or $38.19 for dinner at participating restaurants, which include Acuario Restaurant, Atlantic Pizza, Bar Rosso, Bar Zepoli, Bedford Hall Craft Kitchen & Bar, Barcelona Restaurant & Wine Bar, Blackstones Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Capriccio Café, Cask Republic, Cilantro, Columbus Park Trattoria, EOS Greek Cuisine, FISH Restaurant & Bar, Flinders Lane, Gaucho Steakhouse, Hudson Social, Kashi Japanese Restaurant, Peter Chang Stamford, Quattro Pazzi and Villa Italia. As an added bonus, The Avon Theatre Film Center is offering patrons who dine at participating restaurants a free medium popcorn with the purchase of a general admission ticket during the event. Menus can be found a https:// bit.ly/2SSuKqe.
Out there… Kids In Crisis will host its annual spring fling — dubbed “Back to our Boot” — March 1 at the Greenwich Country Club. The event, co-chaired by Emily Bajus, Skye Brewer, Karen Hopp and Heather Woodbridge, will feature the renowned southern rock and blues band CC & the Boys, led by country music musician Christie Cherry. Guests will enjoy an incredible wine auction and Southern barbecue menu designed by Chef Phil Iannuccilli. The proceeds will help fund the award-winning shelter, counseling and community-based programs provided by Kids In Crisis. The event commemorates 40 years of work by Greenwich-based Kids in Crisis to help more than 148,000 children and families throughout Fairfield County. To purchase tickets or make a donation to the auction, visit https://kic.givesmart.com.
Out there… Dan Saulpaugh will perform live acoustic music at the Caffe Nero coffee house on the Post Road in Darien. The event, dubbed Coffee & Culture, is a benefit for the Darien Arts Center and takes place from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Feb. 28. The evening will include free beverages and light fare. The artwork of 2018 Ginny Wright Scholarship recipient Nadia Czebiniak will be on display. Admission is $20. Purchase tickets at darienarts.org, at the door or call 203-655-8683.
Out there… Emmy-winning screenwriter Ron Hutchinson will take to the stage at the Bedford Playhouse with Tonywinning actor Brian Dennehy and actor Kevin O’Brien for a theatrical event dubbed “The Making of Monsters” at 7 p.m. Thursday in nearby Bedford, N.Y. Based on his memoir, the event offers an insider’s look at Hollywood and sorts through the wreckage of what could have been a careerending disaster, “The Island of Dr. Moreau.” He wrote the screenplay for the $60 million movie, which starred Marlon Brando and is often regarded as one of the worst films of all time. A Q&A will take place after the performance. Hutchinson’s book “Clinging To The Iceberg — Writing For A Living On The Stage And Hollywood” will be available for signing and purchase at the event.
And in honor of Presidents Day: “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” — Abraham Lincoln