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Guided Tours of the New Y Building Site at Mahackeno

Monday, March 25, 2013 by:Family Y
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Dan Drake of Turner Construction describes the work under way on the new Y at Mahackeno.

Though the weather could have been a touch warmer for the first weekend of spring, the timing couldn’t have been better: A day after the Westport Weston Family Y announced the receipt of two $1 million gifts to its Building What Matters capital campaign, Y board member Rob Bowman and his wife, Jennifer, hosted a large group of neighbors and friends on a guided tour of the new Y’s building site at Mahackeno.

Fresh hot coffee and all manner of doughnuts and pastries took the edge off the Saturday morning chill, as the group was treated to an informative overview by Dan Drake, site supervisor for Turner Construction Co., and his colleague Chad McCullough.

After a quick visit inside the construction trailer (and a close-up look of some of the phone-book thick sheaves of oversize architectural drawings and plans that guide the construction process), Drake described how the work crews have created what amounts to an on-site “factory” that turns the excavated material into topsoil, fill and crushed rock to be re-used later in the building process.

Hard to tell who was more in awe of the mega-sized machines stationed across the site — the kids or their “touch-a-truck” dads!

Capturing memories that will last a lifetime...

The site tour continued down “Allen Raymond Lane” to the overlook above the excavated hillside, from which our new Family Y will soon rise. Using floor plans and renderings of the new facility as guides, Drake helped the site visitors envision exactly where the new 10-lane pool will be located, and where basketballers of all ages will, come late 2014, be able to romp up and down the full-sized basketball court.

“We thank the Bowmans for bringing this group of families together, and our partners at Turner for helping make the experience a very informational and fun one,” said Family Y CEO Rob Reeves.

Guided tours of the building site are being conducted on Wednesdays at 12:15 on through the spring. To schedule a site visit, contact Susie Haydon at shaydon@westporty.org. For more information about the Y’s Building What Matters campaign, click here to visit the section about our new Y at www.westporty.org.

Enjoy these photos from Saturday’s group tour of Mahackeno:

Add a Splash to Your St. Patrick’s Day at the Maura Marden Classic!

Friday, March 15, 2013 by:Family Y
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Maura Marden, cheering on her fellow Y Masters swimmers.

Ready for the “50 Yard Leprechaun Look”? Or the “100 Yard Row Row Row Your Boat Relay”?

These fun races are part of the annual Maura Marden Classic, hosted by the Morning Swim Fit Group. Taking place this year on St. Patrick’s Day, this lighthearted swim meet is held in honor of the beloved Y Member, Masters swimmer and friend to many. Check in on Sunday is at 8:30 am; the meet starts at 9:15 and runs til 12 noon.

The online entry fee is $30; deck entries the day of the meet are $40. Net proceeds will be used toward the purchase of a memorial to Maura at our new Y. Awards will be given to the spectator and swimmer who comes dressed in their best Irish costume!

Here’s the complete list of races:

Order of Events:

  • 200 yard Wet T-Shirt Relay
  • 50 yard Free with Fins
  • 50 yard U-Kick I-Pull
  • 100 yard Row Row Your Boat Relay
  • 50 yard Leprechaun Look
  • Empire State Building Relay
  • 50 yard Fly with Fins
  • 200 yard Chicken Neck Relay
  • 100 yard Swim with the Most Toys
  • 100 yard Drinks All Around Relay
  • 50 yard Corkscrew Crawl
  • 100 yard Let’s Have a Ball Relay
  • 50 yard Duck Race
  • 50 yard Talk & Kick with Fins, “The Maura”

Meet Notes:

  • Event rules will be announced at the beginning of each event
  • Heats will be randomly seeded, subject to adjustment by the meet official
  • Winners of each heat are determined by the judgment of the meet official
  • Swimmers should bring their own fins and “toys” (please be creative!)

To register, please click here. Contact Barb Baker at bsbaker@optonline.net with questions or to volunteer.

Youth Fun Night at the Y: Photo Highlights from March 9

Monday, March 11, 2013 by:Family Y
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On Youth Fun Nights, the Westport Weston Family Y is open just for 4th to 7th graders! This past Saturday, dozens of kids from local schools turned the Y into their own private clubhouse. As always, the Upper Gym was packed with basketballers, the diving board in the Stauffer Pool saw lots of action, and the Bingo sessions in the Bedford Room were boisterous.

And as you can see from the photo gallery above and the photo below, the Ping Pong table in the Upstairs Studio was a popular new attraction — until it was put out of action for the night after a particularly athletic “save” of a cross-table volley.

The final Youth Fun Night of the 2012-13 school year is May 18. Mark your calendars, and visit the Family Y’s website for the registration forms and more information about this Westport & Weston institution.

Alex Bullock smashes a forehand during a fun game of Ping Pong at the March 8 Youth Fun Night.

Why I Picture Myself at the Family Y — And How You Can, Too

Tuesday, March 5, 2013 by:Family Y
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A mockup of the mosaic being created of Kassie Foss' watercolor of the Bedford Building.

Earlier this year, the Family Y launched a new fundraising effort that gives members and supporters throughout the community a creative way to help fund the construction of the new Y facility now being built on our 32-acre Mahackeno campus just north of downtown Westport.

Called Picture Yourself at the New Family Y, this innovative campaign involves the creation of a large wall mural at the new Y to be composed of thousands of individual photographs of Y members and supporters. The picture on which the mosaic is based is “The Westport-Weston YMCA,” a watercolor by artist Kassie Foss of the Family Y’s historic Bedford Building.

Think of this picture mosaic as a digital version of the traditional ‘buy a brick’ fundraiser: Instead of paying for an inscribed brick or tile, contributors upload a favorite photo at www.pictureyournewy.org, along with a tax-deductible contribution to the Family Y’s “Building What Matters” capital campaign. Donors are able locate their photos within this online mosaic, as well as search for those of friends and neighbors.

Each and every photo within our growing mosaic tells a personal story, and together they form the larger story of the Family Y and the generations of local families we’ve been proud to serve.

We asked a recent contributor to our mosaic, longtime Y member Adrienne Williams, to share her own family’s Y story. Here it is:

My family’s connection to the Westport Weston Family Y began in 2001 when we moved to Westport from Washington, D.C. The Y was a perfect fit for our young family, offering great exercise facilities and various youth classes my children could enjoy.

Daniel Williams competing for the Water Rats in a Butterfly race.

I can still remember coming to the Y 12 years ago and dropping off my younger son, Joey, with Patti at babysitting. It was great to be able to work out and know that my son was being taken care of. While my children have outgrown the need for babysitting, I still use the Y all the time to lift weights and do cardio workouts.

The Y has been a tremendous part of my children’s lives. Both boys started out taking swim lessons and gymnastics classes and then became members of the Water Rat Swim Team. My eldest, Daniel, joined the team in 2005, after spending the previous year on the Bluefish “pre-team.” The coaches are fantastic and really care about the kids. The team also offers a healthy environment where everyone is encouraged to participate and try to do their best.

In the summer of 2010, Daniel got the CT State record for the boys 11/12-year-old 200M Butterfly and held that record until it was broken last winter. One of the pictures I submitted shows Daniel in a 200M Butterfly race. Daniel would not be the swimmer he is today without the commitment and talent that the Water Rat coaches provide. Daniel and a large group of other swimmers now participate on the Y’s National team, which will be attending the Y Nationals Swim Championships in Greensboro, N.C. this April. It’s hard to believe that it all started with swim lessons at the Y.

Joey Williams, doing his Michael Phelps imitation.

My younger son Joey is also a Water Rat. He enjoys the camaraderie of the team and has made some good friends because of his swimming. The coaches enjoy Joey’s wit, and he is known for his turn of a phrase. Always looking to ham it up, Joey had taken to flapping his arms like Michael Phelps before his races. One of the pictures I submitted of Joey captures his enthusiasm after finishing a race as he imitated the now famous Michael Phelps’ 8th gold medal Olympic pose. That’s part of what the Water Rats are about — having fun.

For us, the Water Rats are more than a sport our children can enjoy — it has become a family affair. Like many other Water Rat parents, I became involved in the swim program. I started out as a volunteer at swim meets, and then became a member of the Water Rats Parents’ Club. I have held several positions on the board, including Age Group representative, Meet Chair, and am now the Co-President of the Club. It has been a great joy to work with the coaches and other parents to support the Y’s swim team.

Adrienne Williams, with the family pet, Mongo.

For my family, the Y has been a great part of our lives. But the Y does so much more for the community: Hafaday swim lessons, child care, gymnastics, sports programs, Camp Mahackeno and the Strong Kids Campaign, which gives all kids the opportunity to experience all that the Y offers, regardless of financial or physical ability.

I am personally thrilled that a new facility is being built to support all the families who live and work in our community. But to be sure the new facility can operate in a fiscally sustainable manner, we need to continue providing our financial support. That is why it is so important to me to participate in fundraising efforts like “Picture Yourself at the New Family Y.” With the help of all those who participate, we can ensure that the new Y at Mahackeno will truly be a facility that everyone can use for many years to come — whether they are swimmers, fitness enthusiasts, basketball players or a youth (or senior) who is looking for a place to hang out with friends. So I hope others join me and picture themselves at the New Westport Weston Family Y.

Thank you, Adrienne, for all that you do on behalf of our Family Y.

Join her and other Y supporters and become a part of Y history. Visit www.pictureyournewy.org to donate and upload your own photo today.

For more information about the Y’s Building What Matters capital campaign, or to discuss making an additional contribution or multi-year pledge, contact Paul Bernetsky, Chief Development Officer, at 203-226-8981, ext. 115, or pberntesky@westporty.org.

Mossman Westport Y Indoor Tri Photo Highlights and Top Finishers

Monday, March 4, 2013 by:Family Y
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The Westport Weston Family Y hosted the first annual Mossman Westport Y Indoor Tri on Sunday, March 3. Conducted in partnership with Team Mossman Triathlon Club, the indoor triathlon consisted of a 15-minute lap swim, a 25-minute cycle on a spin bike and a 20-minute run on a treadmill.

Lisa Attle gets some encouragement from her daughter Camille during the cycle race.

Some 20 triathletes took part in the vigorous yet friendly exercise, and the top finishers were Valentin Lopes in the men’s division and Nancy Lovas in the women’s division. We’re proud to report that the Family Y relay team, of Patty Kondub (cycling), Nicole Turechek (swimming) and Jay Jaronko (running), finished in first place among relay teams … that they were the only relay team entered will surely be minor footnote in what we hope will become a Family Y tradition!

“This Indoor Tri gives local multi-sport athletes something to look forward to during the winter, and for new triathletes this is a great introduction to the sport, being in a controlled environment,” said Eric Beller, a Team Mossman member and volunteer for the day. “It’s safe, and you don’t have to bring your bike — you can just show up with your goggles and running shoes.”

Taking a moment to talk while she geared up for the cycling part of the race, Lisa Attle agreed: “It’s a nice format to introduce people to triathlons; it’s not so intimidating. Lisa was recruited, she said, by her brother-in-law Steve Attle, who finished second among men participants. Lisa got some additional family motivation from her daughter, Camille, who spurred her mom on during the cycle part of the tri (shown above).

Steve Attle, finishing the swimming portion of the Indoor Tri.

Here are the top three finishers in the men’s and women’s categories:

Men
First: Valentin Lopes
Second: Stephen Attle
Third: Joshua Croft

Women
First: Nancy Lovas
Second: Mary Money

Third: Kathryn Schumann

Proceeds from the Mossman Westport Y Indoor Tri will benefit the Family Y’s Strong Kids Campaign and Junior Athletes for Maccabi USA.

“Team Mossman isn’t just about racing, it’s about enjoying exercising and the camaraderie,” said Robin Myers, Race Director. “We thank the Y staff and our volunteers — without them this event doesn’t happen. But most of all, we thank the participants.”

For details about Team Mossman, please call 203-610-1817. You can also find out more on Team Mossman’s Facebook  page or by visiting www.TeamMossman.com. For more information about triathlete training opportunities at the Family Y, visit www.westporty.org, or contact Shelley Moll, Health and Wellness Director, at 203-226-8981.

Latest Update (with Photos) About Construction of New Y at Mahackeno

Tuesday, February 26, 2013 by:Family Y
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Turner Construction Co. knows a thing or two about getting a building site up and running. The same firm that in recent years has helped give our community a new high school, middle school and senior center, among other local projects, is now hard at work bringing the new Westport Weston Family Y up out of the ground at the Y’s 32-acre Mahackeno campus just north of downtown.

A view of the building site of the new Family Y at Mahackeno, looking west. This view shows work crews on what will be the parking lot processing excavated material to be re-used on-site

Officials from Turner received the official Building Permit from the Town of Westport on February 25, which will allow them to proceed with construction of the 54,000 sq. ft. Y facility, due to open in late 2014.

Over the past three weeks Turner’s work crews have established what amounts to an on-site processing plant that will turn the majority of what is excavated from the site – from the topsoil to the river-run rock and gravel – into construction-grade material to be reused in the construction of the building and adjacent parking area. The result is a savings in cost and time, as well as a significant reduction in construction traffic to and from the site.

“Our goal is to have what we call a ‘balanced site,’” says Erik Melingonis, site superintendent for Turner. “We want to re-use virtually all of the material on-site and avoid the ‘haul-off, haul-in’ traffic common to other construction projects. To that end, Mahackeno is almost an ideal situation.”

With much of the building site already cleared of trees, stumps and brush, building excavation has begun. Heavy-duty bulldozers, dump trucks and excavators feed a gargantuan machine that screens the dirt and crushes the loose rock into specific sizes of gravel that will be used as fill for the foundation, parking lot and roadways.

To augment the erosion controls already in place, work crews are constructing temporary sediment traps in two areas of the building site. Basically, these are large pits surrounded by berms of dirt and gravel that will serve as reservoirs to prevent run-off of storm water from the building site into nearby Poplar Plains Brook, which feeds into the Saugatuck River.

Melingonis reports that the construction work is on schedule.  “We didn’t slow down with the snow and used the recent rain to our advantage to keep dust down during the demolition of the two camp structures and two Y-owned houses along Sunny Lane.”

The Building Permit “is the last major piece of permitting we needed to obtain from the Town,” said Bonnie Strittmatter, President of the Y’s volunteer Board of Directors. “Soon we will see our new home for the Family Y rising out of the ground – we are finally on our way!”

To make a donation and add your own photo to the Family Y's "Picture Yourself at the New Family Y" project, please go to www.pictureyournewy.org.

The Y’s “Building What Matters” campaign leaders are continuing their efforts to reach out to local foundations, businesses and individuals with the means to make a significant investment in the Family Y’s future. A more public, grass-roots phase of the capital campaign was launched in early 2013.

Called “Picture Yourself at the New Family Y,” the innovative fundraising project involves the creation of a large wall mural at the new facility to be composed of thousands of individual photographs of Y members and supporters.

For a tax-deductible contribution of $100 per photo to the Y’s campaign, donors will be able to include a favorite photo or photos in a mosaic of “The Westport-Weston YMCA,” a watercolor by artist Kassie Foss of the Bedford Building, home of the Family Y since 1923.

The interactive online project may be found at www.pictureyournewy.org, where contributors will also be able to locate their photos, as well as search for those of friends and neighbors.

For more information about the Family Y’s campaign to Build What Matters, please contact Rob Reeves, Chief Executive Officer, at 203-226-8981, ext.131, or email rreeves@westporty.org.

Photo Highlights of Winter Break at the Y

Thursday, February 21, 2013 by:Family Y
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The Y's Vacation Gymnastics & Swim Camp gets high marks from the kids.

The Westport Weston Family Y has been bustling with activity this week, with a host of winter-recess camps and activities keeping local kids busy and learning life skills. And with the oh-so brisk days putting a damper on outdoor exercise, our group-fitness classes have also been filled with Y members staying active and engaged. There truly is something for everyone at the Family Y!

See for yourself with a tour through latest photo gallery below, filled with images from the early part of this week at the Family Y.

The February school break marks the end of the Y’s short Winter Session, as our Spring Session of new classes and programs gets under way starting Monday, Feb. 25 and continues into June.

With its commitment to develop youth and promote healthy living for all, the Family Y offers a wide range of ways for members of all ages to stay active, have fun and be fit. Find out more with a look through our 28-page online brochure of Spring 2013 classes and programs. To join the Y, simply come by our Member Services Desk just inside our entrance on Church Lane and say hello!

Free Membership Gives 7th Graders a ‘Winter Break’ at the Y

Friday, February 15, 2013 by:Family Y
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The Y's Upper Gym bustles with activity during Open Gym time.

The Y's Upper Gym bustles with activity during Open Gym time.

Modeled after successful programs at other Ys and introduced last year here in our community, the Westport Weston Family Y’s Seventh Grade Membership Initiative offers all local seventh graders free membership, from their graduation from sixth grade to the end of the seventh grade. Last year some 125 kids took us up on our offer, and this year’s enrollment is similarly strong.

We wanted to let participants of our 7th Grade Membership Initiative know more about the Family Y’s schedule next week, Feb. 18-22, so here’s a listing of the free times in our Upper Gym and one of our Pools, as well as some special activities just for you.

Monday
Open Swim 1-6 pm; Open Gym 1:30-4 pm
Tuesday
Open Swim 1-6 pm; Open Gym 1:30-4 pm
Wednesday
Open Swim 4-6 pm; Open Gym 1:30-4 pm/5-8 pm
Thursday
Open Swim 1-6 pm; Open Gym 8:30-10 pm
Friday
Open Swim 1-6 pm; Open Gym 1:30-4 pm/5-10 pm;
Table Tennis in Dance Studio, 1-3 pm

The Y's free 7th Grade Membership offer includes orientation sessions on how to use the Fitlinxx exercise system.

Want to Use the Fitness Center?
If you have already taken your 3 Fitlinxx orientations, you can use the Fitness Center. If you still need to schedule your orientations, just call the Y to set them up, 203-226-8981. Use this week to get all your orientations done so you can work out the rest of the school year!

Our 7th Grade Members have access to the entire facility, including Group Fitness classes. Here’s that schedule, in case you want to try a Spin class, Yoga session or Zumba class next week.

If you have a friend who wants to sign up for their free Y 7th Grade Membership, great! Simply tell them that their parent has to sign them up on their first visit, and we need to see their student ID. Students can’t just be dropped off without an active Y membership.

Click here for our Seventh Grade Membership brochure. And click on this link to read the most recent article about this innovative program.

Remember, your membership is for your entire 7th grade school year, not just on vacation days. So feel free to come in any day — we would love to see you here at the Y!

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