Tag Archives: Phil Delgado

Roundup: Free Tax Help, Aarti’s Fundraiser, EMT Courses …

Posted on February 6, 2026 | 1 comment

The only sure things are death and taxes, Ben Franklin said.

Add to the list: free tax help.

With April 15 just 68 days away, free income tax assistance is available at both the Senior Center and Town Hal.

The government-sponsored program is run by an organization called SimplifyCT.org. In Westport, it’s overseen by Paul Coughlan

All preparers are non-paid volunteers. They’ve been helping Westport residents for the past 7 years.

Sessions are in Town Hall (room 201) every Monday, from 1 to 7 p.m.

They’re at the Senior Center too, on Wednesdays (9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) and Thursdays (9 a.m. to noon).

There is no charge — but appointments are required. Call 860-590-8910, or click here. (You’ll see other Fairfield County locations too.)

PS: Volunteers are always needed. If you can help, call the number above. (Hat tip: Ed Simek

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For a dozen years, Aarti Khosla has nurtured us.

She has created beautiful, wonderful chocolates. She has provided opportunities through them to thank teachers, first responders and many others, and to raise funds for children in need.

Now — as she prepares to close her Le Rouge shop at 190 Main Street after one final Valentine’s Day — Aarti once again lends a generous helping hand. She writes:

“I lost my father to inoperable brain cancer when I was just 21. Nearly 4 years ago, I flew to India in the middle of the holiday season to be with my mother in India after a breast cancer diagnosis. Today, my older brother is battling cancer. I barely know anyone who isn’t in some way affected by the ravages of this disease.

“A few years back I shaved my head for St. Baldrick’s — not for attention, but in quiet solidarity with children fighting cancer.

“Today, my daughter is raising funds for Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Cycle for the Cure in Chicago. Inspired by her act, I just signed up for the Cycle for the Cure ride happening tomorrow (Saturday) at Equinox in Darien.

“As Le Rouge prepares to say goodbye to the town I have called home for over 2 decades, I would like to reach out my community — our community that always shows up and rallies when it really matters.

“I need your help to turn this moment of saying goodbye into something bigger: action, gratitude, and giving back. 10% of February sales at Le Rouge are always donated to charity — this year, to a cause that is deeply personal to me. If you’re able to support or share my fundraising effort, it would mean a great deal.

“Sometimes the most meaningful goodbyes are also acts of hope. Please click here for my fundraising page. It will remain up through April 15.”

Aarti Khosla, with her ever-present smile.

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A new Emergency Medical Technician course begins later this month.

The class begins February 25, and runs through June 22. It meets Mondays and Wednesdays from 6;30 to 9:30 p.m., with occasional lab work on Saturdays (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

Instructions include traumatic injury management; breathing, cardiac, mental health and pediatric emergencies; childbirth and OB/GYN; EMS operations, and mass casualty incident response.

provides students with the skills to provide pre-hospital emergency medical care for those who are sick or injured. The program meets State of Connecticut guidelines for EMT certification upon successful completion of exams.

Students who pass the exams will earn Connecticut Emergency Medical Technician certification, and be able to join Westport Emergency Medical Services. and the ability to join WVEMS.

Click here for more information, and application materials.

In addition, WVEMS is offering a free “Stop the Bleed” class. It’s Thursday,  February 12 (7 to 8:45 p.m.).

The #1 cause of a preventable death after an injury is bleeding. The session helps turn bystanders into immediate responders, for emergencies at home or work, or on the road. Click here for details, and registration.

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Westport resident Susan Filan — a former prosecutor and MSNBC senior legal analyst — trades the courtroom for a church on Sunday.

She’ll be a special guest at the Saugatuck Congregational Church 10 a.m. worship service. Filan will speak about transformation, purpose, and clarity in moments of disruption.

After decades working in high-pressure legal environments, a near-fatal accident in 2022 upended her legal career.

It sparked a profound wake-up call, reshaping how she understood success, identity, and what truly matters. Today, she brings that experience into conversations about reinvention, meaning, and rebuilding from the inside out.

The public is invited to the service.

Susan Filan

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Love was in the air Wednesday night, at the VFW.

Post 399 hosted Club203 — our town’s social club for adults with disabilities — for their monthly event.

DJ Lev provided the music. Planet Pizza donated pies, and Mo\CA CT helped with great heart creations.

There were smiles all around … and love was in the air.

Club203 member Dylan Curran (left) and VFW quartermaster Phil Delgado enjoy the evening.

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Speaking of the VFW: Sure, next Friday is the 13th.

But you’re in luck, if you head to Post 399. Laughing Gas Comedy and The City’s Backyard Podcast return, after very successful past shows.

The lineup includes Davin, Paul Taro, Autumn Harvist and Joe Pontillo. Matt Zako is the host.

Doors open at 7 p.m. The show is at 8. Tickets are $20 online, or at the door.

Comedy at the VFW.

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Many waterways around Westport have been frozen, for nearly 2 weeks.

That’s unusual … at least, for the past few years. (Cue the “I remember back in the day …” crowd.)

It’s not strong enough to skate on, though. So who appreciates it?

The Westport Fire Department. Yesterday, they headed to Compo Beach to train for frozen water rescues.

We’re thankful they got a chance to practice. And we hope they never have to put that training to real-life use.

Fire Department training at Compo Beach. (Photo/William Weiss)

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Speaking of ice: Today’s frozen “Westport … Naturally” photo shows one of many scenes like this, all over town. This one is at Susan Alintoff’s Old Hill home.

(Photo/Susan Alintoff)

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And finally … Chuck Negron — a founding member of Three Dog Night — died Monday in Los Angeles. He was 83, and suffered from pulmonary disease and heart failure. Click here for a full obituary.

(There will be plenty of joy in “06880”‘s world if you click here, and help support your hyper-local blog. Thank you! As Chuck Negron sang: “The show must go on.”)

 

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Posted in Beach, Local business, religion, Weather

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Unsung Hero #366

Posted on January 15, 2025 | 11 comments

Last week, after the Cribari Bridge was opened to allow a vessel to pass through, the span would not close.

It was mid-afternoon. Traffic quickly jammed every major road in Westport, and many side streets.

The situation was bad. But it could have been much worse.

Phil Delgado, quartermaster of VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399, writes:

“Hansen Marine Contractors, a third-generation family-owned company, is performing dredging operations this winter at VFW Post 399, Bridgebrook Marina, and the Saugatuck Rowing Club.

“Last week, when the Cribari Bridge was stuck open in freezing temperature and snow flurries, the Hansen team demonstrated exceptional professionalism and community spirit.

Hansen Marine equipment, dredging the VFW Marina on the Saugatuck River.

“Hansen Marine’s vessel, piloted by Erik Hansen and crew, was returning with an empty dredging barge. Radioing the Cribari Bridge maintenance crew, they learned the icy conditions were causing major mechanical issues with the bridge.

“Hansen’s master mechanic, Paul Olson, immediately stepped up. He picked up industrial-duty tools and torches, then returned to the scene to help the maintenance crew address the mechanical failures.

“His swift action and expertise were instrumental in restoring the bridge’s functionality, preventing further disruptions and ensuring the safety of our community.

“’Paul Olson saved the day,’ said a member of the Cribari Bridge maintenance team.

“His quick thinking, technical skills and willingness to help in freezing conditions make him this week’s Unsung Hero.”

(Unsung Hero is a weekly “06880” feature. To nominate a hero, email 06880blog@gmail.com. To support our work, please click here. Thank you!)

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Posted in Saugatuck, Unsung Heroes

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Saugatuck Church, Westport Museum Honor Juneteenth

Posted on June 21, 2024 | 6 comments

During the Civil War, over 80% of eligible Black men in Connecticut enlisted in 2 “Colored” infantry units.

On Wednesday — Juneteenth, honoring the final end of slavery in the US, when emancipation finally came for 250,000 people in Texas — the Saugatuck Congregational Church and Westport Museum for History & Culture honored those Black Connecticut soldiers.

There was a Westport connection. Their commander, Lt. Louis McDonough, is buried at the church’s Evergreen Cemetery.

McDonough and his men in the 29th Regiment were part of efforts to enforce the freedom of enslaved people in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865. That event led to the enactment of the national holiday, nearly 160 years later.

The men from Westport who were part of the 29th were Samuel Benson, Thomas Benson, James Burns, John Frye, Thomas Gregory, Frank Jackson, Joseph H. Jackson, William H. Jackson, William H. Johnson (1st), William H. Johnson (2nd), John Thompson, Charles C. Williams and Charles Yan Tross.

All were privates, except Lt. McDonough and musician Frank Jackson.

The Evergreen Cemetery memorial was unveiled by local veteran Sgt. First Class Buyile Rani, Connecticut Army National Guard (Retired). His participation was organized by Westport’s VFW Post 399/American Legion Post 63.

 

A young boy (front) added a light touch to Wednesday’s ceremony honoring Westport’s Black Civil War soldiers, at Evergreen Cemetery. From left: Sgt. 1st Class Buyile Rani; Saugatuck Church pastor Kari Nicewander;  Dr. Vera Rhimes, Saugatuck Church council member; Westport Museum director Ramin Ganeshram; VFW quartermaster Lt. Cmdr. Phil Delgado. (Photo/Mark Mathias)

left-to-right IDs – SGT 1st Class Buyile Rani CT Army National Guard (Retired), Saugatuck Congregational Church Pastor Kari Nicewander, Vera P. Rhimes, Westport Museum Executive Director Ramin Ganeshram, LCDR Phil Delgado U.S. Navy (Retired)

VFW quartermaster Phil Delgado, Lt. Commander, US Navy (Retired) said, “The veteran community is honored to acknowledge the bravery and sacrifices of the 29th Infantry on Juneteenth. Dedicating a plaque serves as a reminder of the progress made in pursuit of justice and equality for all.”

Saugatuck Church Pastor Kari Nicewander offered a prayer. Saugatuck Church was a meeting place when the town of Westport was incorporated in 1835. The church is partnering with the Westport Museum to shine a light on local history, like Westport’s connection to Juneteenth.

The Museum also sponsored Black history walking tours, and screened the film “The 29th Connecticut Regiment and the Fight for Freedom.” Click below to see the video.

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Posted in History

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Podcast: Phil Delgado

Posted on January 8, 2024 | 5 comments

Phil Delgado is quartermaster of VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399.

In just a few years, he’s revitalized the 100-plus-year-old organization. Once a little-noticed club — despite its location at one of Westport’s most well-trafficked intersections — the VFW is now a major part of our civic life.

The VFW hosts world-class jazz, every Thursday, and folk music once a month. It’s the go-to spot for (inexpensive) celebrations like reunions and bridal showers, and meetings for groups like Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Service and the League of Women Voters. Every month, there’s a Red Cross blood drive.

There’s a full bar and meal service — plus of course the usual VFW services for veterans, from the Korean War to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The other day on the Westport Library stage, Phil talked about all those activities, and his unlikely path to leading them. Click below for our very intriguing conversation.

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Posted in Media, Organizations

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Jazz Rabbi Plays The VFW

Posted on May 5, 2022 | 5 comments

A good “06880” story tells readers about an underreported place in Westport. Or it describes a little-known event.  Maybe it celebrates someone (a person) or something (the arts).

This one does all of that.

I’ve written about Greg Wall before. A saxophonist who doubles as the spiritual leader of Westport’s Beit Chaverim — or the other way around — he is one of the most interesting and multi-talented Westporters, in a town filled with plenty of both.

For several years, he and a group of great musicians played at local venues, like the Spotted Horse, Saugatuck Rowing Club and 323 restaurant. They formed the Jazz Society of Fairfield County, and raised money to buy the famous Steinway piano from the historic Village Gate Jazz Club in New York.

The Jazz Rabbi, Greg Wall

On March 12, 2020, Rabbi Wall played at his then-regular spot, Pearl at Longshore. That day, the pandemic roared into Westport.

Eight months later the restaurant closed, a victim of COVID.

One day not long ago, the rabbi was driving down Riverside Avenue, near his Lincoln Street home (conveniently, within walking distance of his synagogue). He passed his wife, out for a run, near the VFW.

Something clicked. He asked her to stop there, to see if it was suitable for live music.

Westport’s VFW Joseph Clinton Post 399 is a great place. For over 100 years it’s served veterans, and their families. After remodeling, it’s a nice venue for class reunions, birthday parties or anniversary celebrations. There’s a dock in back too, with low-cost moorings.

Still, most Westporters know of it — if they think of it at all — as the building at the tricky corner intersection with Riverside, Saugatuck and Treadwell Avenues, with the cannon in front. (Fun fact: It was cast in 1799, then placed at Compo Beach in 1901 to commemorate our 1777 battle against the British. The cannons at the beach now are replicas.)

VFW on Riverside Avenue — and the cannon.

The door was locked. But a man got out of his car in the parking lot, and asked if he could help. He was quartermaster Phil Delgado — and he sure could.

Soon, he and the rabbi were chatting. Soon after that, the rabbi was blowing his horn at the VFW. “Thursday Night Jazz” was back — and renamed “Jazz at the Post.”

He’s had 2 shows there, both very successful. In fact, Rabbi Wall says, the VFW is unlike any place he’s ever played, besides a university. As a non-profit, all they want is for everyone to have a good time. Delgado fully supports the arts (and may add local art to the new jazz venue’s walls.)

The back room — with a gorgeous view of the Saugatuck River — is a superb spot to hang out, and listen to live music.

Jazz at the VFW — and by the river.

Plus, the rabbi says, the acoustics are fantastic.

Rabbi Wall’s next gig is tonight (Thursday, May 5), with guitarist Bob Devos, bassist Phil Bowler and drummer Steve Johns. There are 2 sets: 7 and 8:30 p.m. He’ll return May 26 with trombonist Steve Davis, and June 9 (featuring Roberta Piket on Hammond B3).

There’s a $10 cover. For reservations, email jazzatthepost@gmail.com, or call 203-227-6796. Dinner starts at 6:30 p.m.

“Westport is not a late community. Things close early,” he notes. “Commuters get home after 6. They eat, and they don’t go out afterward.”

So though the VFW kitchen is closed, a Beit Chaverim congregant, Leon Pasternak, found chef Derek Furino to bring in food to serve. The VFW likes him so much, they’re collaborating on other ventures.

Saxophonist Greg Wall and his combo, earlier this spring at the VFW.

Westport’s VFW may not be the only one in the country that hosts regular music shows.

It may not even be the only one to feature jazz.

But it must be the only VFW anywhere with its own Jazz Rabbi.

ENCORE: Here’s another idea: Bring back the Steinway piano. It’s in storage now. But it could soon grace the VFW. Play it again, Rabbi!

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Posted in Entertainment, religion

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