Youth basketball champs
MONROE, CT — A team of eighth graders in Monroe Parks and Recreation’s travel basketball program won the Silver Division Championships in the MKBL Tourney at InSports during the weekend of Feb. 10 and 11.
The players, who also participate in the Milford Knights Basketball League and the Fairfield County Basketball League, made the Monroe team through tryouts in the fall. Monroe Parks and Recreation has three youth teams in all.
During the tournament, the Monroe eighth graders beat Prospect Pride 48 to 31 and St. Theresa Travel Basketball 52 to 35.
This team is looking forward to the FCBL Tourney along with playing in HOOPFEST during the rest of the month.
The players include Anthony Palma, Brian Hourigan, Bryson Smith, Elijah Braziel, JD Swezey, Matthew Boyle, Nate O’Hara, Nathan Brito, Owen Batch, Tent Dellacato and Volunteer Coach Jed Wittenberger.
St. Patrick’s Day Celebration
The Monroe Knights of Columbus is sponsoring a St. Patrick’s Day Celebration concert, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 9, at Rev. Monsignor John Sabia Social Hall, 707 Monroe Turnpike. The cabaret style event will feature songs and humor of the Keltic Kick Band.
Founder and front-man, Billy Donaldson leads this group of musical friends, who have been playing at pubs, clubs, weddings, private parties and Irish festivals from Orange County, N.Y., and Block Island, R.I., to Milford, Conn., as well as towns in Fairfield County.
Keltic Kick’s traditional Irish music mixed with other acoustic favorites will have participants singing, laughing, and dancing the night away. Food and soft drinks will be available for purchase. The event is also BYOB. Tickets are $20 per person.
Proceeds from the concert will help support the Knights’ various charitable programs for the needy and handicapped throughout the area.
All seating is by reservation only. For information and tickets, call Bill Davoren at 203-521-5445 or Eric Terkildsen at 203-241-3141.
Sportini makes Partner
WESTPORT, CT — FLB Law, a full-service law firm in Westport, promoted Matthias Sportini of Monroe to partner, effective January 1, 2024.
Sportini focuses on litigation in the areas of personal injury, business disputes, and employment. He also works with the firm’s Real Estate & Land Use Practice, representing individuals and businesses in their real estate transactions — leases, acquisitions, and dispositions — for commercial and residential properties.
“Matt showed leadership skills early in his career,” said Thomas Lambert, one of the firm’s managing partners. “As an associate, he began developing his own book of business, a rare accomplishment, and he always makes time to mentor junior attorneys.”
“Clients also appreciate Matt’s perspective on legal matters, his reliability, and his responsiveness,” Lambert added.
As part of his litigation practice, Sportini successfully resolved matters in his clients’ favor through dispositive motions, mediations and trials. He recently obtained summary judgment on behalf of his client based on a contractual duty to defend saving his client a significant sum of money in a large loss personal injury matter.
In the community, Sportini serves on the board of the Friends of Sherwood Island, an organization formed to preserve, maintain, improve, and enhance Sherwood Island State Park, and he is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association.
He has been selected for inclusion by Connecticut Super Lawyers Rising Stars and Best Lawyers in America One’s to Watch. Sportini graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2013 with a B.A. and in 2017 with a J.D.
Binky Patrol
The Monroe-Trumbull chapter of Binky Patrol is celebrating its 10th anniversary by expanding its wings to Seymour and Bethany and hosting a community blanket making event at Seymour Congregational Church on March 2.
For information, click here. Fleece material will be provided, but volunteers are needed to help cut and tie.
Binky Patrol is a national nonprofit organization that makes and gives “binkies” or comforting covers to children in need of a hug. Its blankets go to critically ill and traumatized children to show them they matter and someone cares about them.
Binky Patrol Monroe-Trumbull has been an official chapter since 2014, and has delivered over 19,000 binkies. In addition to holiday collections of over 700 binkies for kids in hospitals in the Tri-State area, the nonprofit provides blankets year round to area hospitals and social service agencies like The Center for Family Justice and Bridgeport Rescue Mission, as well as to individual children.
To be a sponsor and to make a donation toward the purchase of fleece material, click here. Make a notation that the funds should go to the Monroe/Trumbull chapter.
Those wishing to knit, crochet, quilt or make fleece tie blankets to donate can drop it off at several locations. Monroe drop-off locations include Edith Wheeler Memorial Library and Last Drop Coffee Shop.
For information about Binky Patrol, email the chapter’s founder and coordinator, Jeanne Malgioglio at [email protected].
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