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Bowling March 3, 2026

March 3, 2026 /

Everything evens out in the end. That’s the theme of the report for today’s 10 bowlers.

We had a very spirited team competition, so let’s focus on that first. Team Marty (MM, BT, AG, JB, WS) went up against Team Tom (TL, TH, GG, MR, DS), and right off the bat Marty’s team got off to a fast (and noisy) start. But things evened out for them in the end, as Tom’s team got hot after a slow start. George G finished at 198, while Ted had a four-bagger on his way to a 177, pacing their team to a comfortable game one win. In game two it was Dave who came out of nowhere to record a double and a triple in the last five frames (see photo) to post his best ever DMA game of 157. Combined with Tom’s 203, that helped their team win that game by a mere 14 pins. Marty’s squad unanimously issued the double-or-nothing challenge, and “everything evened out in the end!” All five of Team Tom’s bowlers finished the game below average, while Alex’s 182 paced Team Marty to a 75-pin victory.

Above average series were bowled today by Ted (+4), Alex and Bill (+11), George (+24) and by our BoD Dave (+41). Tom posted the high series at 543. Woody recorded the day’s only BBS.

Let’s see what sort of roller coaster ride we get next week.

Bowling Feb. 24, 2026

March 3, 2026 /

Nine bowlers braved the roads and cold to get to Nutmeg this morning, with five bowling above their recent average.

Woody was a +5, including a 120 in his middle game. Mike also had a 120 in his last game to finish with a +16. Linc got off to a fast start with a 140 and finished +17. Ted had a second 500 series in a row with a steady 503 for +53. But BoD was none other than Mr. Up & Down, Alex. He started with a nice 178 and finished with 200 on the button, his first 200 game of the season. His 539 series was his best of the season as well, and he was +98. Let me hear a “Yeah Baby!”

Most improved bowler over the three games was clearly the Commish. His opening game of 137 was his lowest of the season and left him muttering to himself all game. Things got better in game two as he rolled a 195, including going strike/spare in the 10th to tie the team game. Game three really put a smile on his face as he opened up with a five-bagger on his way to a 223. His 86-pin differential start to finish was quite the turnaround and helped him get high series of 555. Because Alex and Ted were teammates, their team won the two other games with ease.

While Ben was absent with his driveway yet to be plowed, we did have many BBS opportunities, with one that was completed by Gehr. Tom converted a 3-6-7 split, as well as a 2-7 and a washout (space between pins with head pin still standing), while Ed Sc converted a 3-10.

Jennifer Carcieri, CEO, Darien YMCA
“Strengthening Our Community Together: The Impact of the Darien YMCA,” Apr. 1, 2026

March 3, 2026 /

The Darien YMCA is well-known in Darien for being dedicated to making a positive impact on our community through a variety of initiatives, including sports programs, educational programs and community-driven projects. It has almost 1,700 local adults over 55 years old who are members, many of whom participate in health and wellness programs that promote a healthy longevity by giving them opportunities to stay in shape, create new friendships and stay connected with the community.

The “Y” also engages: 1,300 children who learn life-saving swimming skills that are essential in our coastal region; 1,800 children in pre-school, after-school and summer camp programs; and 3,000 children and teens participating sports programs. The “Y” also provides $600,000 of financial assistance for individuals and families in need in Darien and its surrounding communities.

Jennifer M. Carcieri serves as CEO of the Darien YMCA, where she has led transformational growth and community impact since 2018. Under her leadership, the organization increased revenues by 34% and transitioned from a major operating loss to a $2 million surplus, while significantly expanding financial assistance and strengthening mission-driven programs. She has guided the Y through strategic planning initiatives and major capital renovations, and successfully achieved Praesidium Accreditation for child abuse prevention.

Previously, Jennifer spent a decade with the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges in New Jersey, where she led fundraising, facility expansion and community wellness initiatives. A recognized leader in the YMCA movement, she serves as vice president of the CT/RI Alliance of YMCAs and chairs the Northeast Region CEO Conference.

Jennifer holds a B.S. in financial management from Clemson University and is known for her collaborative leadership style, a commitment to community well-being and a belief that the Y is a place where everyone belongs.

Arranged by Ray Duggins.

Austin McChord, CEO, Manresa Island Corp.,
“Transforming Norwalk’s Decommissioned Power Plant into One of the Northeast’s Most Creative Parks: Manresa Wilds,”
Mar. 25, 2026

February 22, 2026 /

Motivated by an extraordinary vision and much generosity, Norwalk native Austin McChord and his wife Allison are turning a decommissioned power plant and its magnificent 125-acre waterfront peninsula on Norwalk Harbor into a world-class public park, community hub and nature retreat. Now taking shape, the full transformation is being overseen by Manresa Island Corp., a non-profit established and funded by the McChords in 2024. The park, called “Manresa Wilds,” will be fully funded by private philanthropy, anchored by a landmark foundational gift from the couple with no public funding involved. Multiple elected officials have voiced their support for the project — no wonder, the McChords aren’t asking for a dime. They’re looking to fund the entire $410 million preparation cost themselves and plan to open the park in stages starting in 2027 and continuing from 2032 through 2035. Once fully realized, the park will be one of the most ambitious privately funded public park projects in the nation.

Manresa Wilds will be a publicly accessible park that reconnects the community to a large waterfront property for the first time in nearly 75 years. At twice the size of Darien’s Great Island, and only four miles from the DMA’s meeting location, the park’s sprawling natural spaces will be anchored by the decommissioned plant, which will be revitalized into a vibrant community hub.

Though the property’s new ownership and stewardship is unorthodox, state officials, environmental experts and the McChords themselves say that Manresa Wilds offers lessons that extend beyond the property’s dramatic two miles of waterfront views, rusted machinery and dense birch forest. Many states have been trying for years to shutter some of their filthiest power plants. As part of a group formerly known as the “Sooty Six,” the dirtiest plants in Connecticut, these old gas-fired plants cost taxpayers and corporate owners a king’s ransom to operate. Now they mostly sit idle, and those operating are notorious polluters. Connecticut has almost 900 “brownfield” sites, many of which are relics of the state’s rich manufacturing history. While outmoded power facilities, like all technologies, eventually need to be replaced or repurposed, Manresa Wilds shows that obsolescence is sometimes an opportunity for reinvention. Some observers believe it is a model for how private capital can be used to reimagine coastal resources for the public’s benefit.

Austin McChord, founder and former CEO of Datto, Inc., the first and only “unicorn” company in Connecticut, and his architect wife Allison have a different idea. After purchasing Manresa Island in 2024, the couple hired world-class architects and planners to imagine an unprecedented civic asset in Norwalk. To that end, they will design exciting interior spaces — one as large as Grand Central Station — and acres of wild habitats, beaches and spaces for community gathering, education, and research.

Austin founded the locally based Datto, Inc. in 2007 in his father’s house in Newtown, Conn., when he was still a student at Rochester Institute of Technology. His product provided back-up computer storage capability to the business community in data centers, pairing it with business continuity and disaster recovery to keep businesses up-and-running. Datto provided its customers with an affordable all-in-one hybrid cloud platform with continuity and resilience. In 2013, Austin turned down an enormous buyout offer, but as Datto’s sole stockholder at that time, he disliked the buyer’s plan to dismantle Datto and lay off employees. Instead, he re-capitalized the firm and later sold it for a significantly higher amount.

Arranged by Robin Hogen

[Editor’s Note: “Brownfield” is legally defined as real property where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. A “unicorn company” is defined as a privately held startup company with a current valuation of 1 billion or more.]

McChord Pictures

 

Bowling Feb. 17, 2026

February 18, 2026 /

So, I think our little experiment worked out quite nicely today. Even with a morning cancellation, we got balls rolling at 9:05. To simplify things, the suggestion has been made that it should only be necessary to notify me on Mondays if you are one of our regulars and expect to be absent. That makes perfect sense.

It seems that the Commish has had the good fortune of being on the same team as the BoD these past weeks, and so it was again today. Ben and Ed Sc were slightly in the plus, but it wasn’t them. Alex started strong and ended up +29 — but it wasn’t him. Thanks to a first game 150, Linc was +45 (and he was on Tom’s team). Ian Webb finished with a 153 to end up +60 for the day; John had three good games to finish +66 — but not them, either.

Today’s BoD was my teammate Ted. After a very good game one of 185, Ted had the high game of the day of 214 in the second. His 535 series, though 12 below Tom, was +97! And we’ll note that Ted was on the same pair of lanes on which he met disaster a couple of weeks ago (535 vs 346 ). Even in game three when Ted came back to earth, there was a happy ending for him. In his game three head-to-head against Ben, Ted fell behind early. When Ben opened in the 10th, Ted still needed a strike/spare to win or a spare/strike to tie. On his first ball he left a 5-10 split, which put a slight smile on Ben’s face.  BUT Ted converted the split and followed that with a strike to gain the draw. And wouldn’t you know that Ted also turned his hole card on the third game poker hand and revealed a third 10, giving him the winning hand. Just like last week, when Ben filled his pockets with quarters, so it was today for Ted. In addition to Ted’s split conversion, kudos also go to Woody for making a 9-10.

Let’s see who gets hot next week!

Bowling Feb. 10, 2026

February 13, 2026 /

The highlight of this day was simply who showed up! We were delighted to see one fellow who’d been absent for six months because of a balky back, none other than the group Vice Commish, Gehr Brown. And we were equally delighted to see the return of Woody Spurgeon after a tough last six weeks recovering from pneumonia. We are happy to report that both bowled well with each improving game to game throughout the morning. We hope that we’ll see soon the return of some other members of the IL: Frank G, John K and George H.

Before we report on today’s action, we must comment on Gehr’s practice round last Friday. Without even so much as one warm-up frame, he came out of the gates with seven strikes in his first game, scoring a 221. In his second game, he started with a four-bagger, then a spare, and then six more strikes in a row, ending up with a 274. Even after crashing in game three, Gehr’s series was 652. You can see the details attached. No wonder he wanted to make his return today!

Gehr Bowl Scoresheet 2-6-26

Gehr had another good day today with a 539 (+38), including a 188 and a 192 in the second and third games. Woody finished with a 112 to end the morning right on his average. Linc started the day with his best game of the season of 151 and finished +6. George G started out hot with a 171 and finished +14. Bill improved game to game and ended up with a 188 for a 498 (+45). Thanks to a 205 high game in the third, Tom also had high series at 545.

Now let’s talk about our BoD, Ben Briggs. After starting out in split city in game one, Ben caught fire. He rolled his season high game in the second at 174 and did even better in game three. He started that game with three open frames but then had three strikes in a row and finished with a 182. His 471 series (+63) was his highest in three years. Even more importantly (), Ben filled his pockets with quarters as his team won two of the three games and he beat George like a drum in their head-to-head. Good thing Ted didn’t make it today, right Ted? And Ben even won a couple of poker hands.

Other fun highlights included two Ben Briggs spares, by George and Ed Sc, and a “Tamme” (recall that is two gutter balls in one frame) by Linc. We saw our first Yezzi in a long time by Bill, who made a strike without hitting the headpin. And we had a terrific split conversion by Ben, making a 3-6-7-10.

Okay, I’m exhausted. I need to rest up till next week.

 

Bowling Feb. 3, 2026

February 13, 2026 /

Last week’s speculation turned out to be true, as Frank D did, in fact, show up to bowl today. While he didn’t roll another 600 series, he kept alive his streak of series of 500 or better with number 13 in a row today, with a 505.

Alex was not able to match his BoD performance of last week, but he did win the BDBoD award today — Best Dressed Bowler of the Day. He showed up in a personally monogrammed bowling shirt (see photo) given to him a couple of years ago, which we hadn’t seen all season. He must have been inspired to wear it after last week.

There were some good performances today, including Ed Sc at +4, Dave at +12 and Linc at +22. Ted bounced back with a +10 and Bill with a +43. But nobody bounced back like Marty, whose 529 series was +58 — a full 183 pins better than last week! Thank goodness for the Commish, who stepped in and saved Marty from almost being assigned to the Graveyard pair for the third week in a row. You’re welcome.

Today’s BoD goes to one of our “newbies,” Ian Webb. Ian came into the morning with an average of 95 and beat that in all three games, including a 119, and finished with +43. Well done, mate. Keep it up!

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