Lebanon American Club News – March 2019 Page 1

22 West Street, Danbury, CT 06810

Phone: 203-743-5828 / Email: lebanonclub@att.net
www.lebanon-americanclubofdanbury.com
1
President’s Corner
As we continue with the winter season. I asked everyone to take it easy, especially with icy conditions.
Club Officers I am learning to take it a little slower as I fell 3 times over 2 weeks.
Mike Caravakis
President We are working on trying to keep up with any icy issues around the club. Frankie does have 2 bags of
calcium on hand at the club. He will keep an eye on the lot and walk through when he comes in. We all
Ghassan Najm should take a moment to check the safety of our walkways if we are at the club. If there are any issues or
Vice President concerns, please notify Frankie or me.
Jimmy Glynn
Secretary John Ashkar, our house committee chairman will be forming a team to investigate all of the building’s
needs and improvements over the next several weeks.
Lou Najamy
Asst. Secretary
Ghassan will again work on Special Friday Night Events to help encourage more members participation of
William Asmar different interests. He is also working with the Teacher Exchange Committee, lead by Farid Khouri, on
Treasurer finalizing the LAC schedule for the Teacher’s Exchange.
Mark Chory
Asst. Treasurer
I want to Thank John Mounayer for his help in sponsoring a few more members.
Lou Najamy also continues on helping grow our membership along with other activities such as pasta Night
Directors with Lou Scalzo.
Ray Antous
My heart goes out to the families of Uncle Ron Antous who we lost several weeks ago. We will miss him
Vinny DiGilio and always remember how much he did for our club throughout the years.
Eddie Essa We also remember Mike Murad and express our condolences to their family. We also express our
condolences to Dany Mulvey on the passing of his Father recently.
David Glynn
Nidal El Khoury Again. I stress for anyone using the club to make sure all utilities including heat and lights are checked
Joseph Rya before leaving.
John Ashkar
If you have any questions on anything, please try to attend our next meeting or I can be reached at
Former President
203-512-7251. Or email me at mcaravakis@newstimes.com

Ladies Auxiliary Stay Safe,

Officers Mike Caravakis
Betty Najm
President

Victoria Beylouni
Vice President Happy St. Patrick’s
Qawa
Stacey Glynn
Secretary
Randa Antous Inside:
Treasurer
• A Special Friday Night Dinner with Middle-Eastern & English Karaoke Music –
Newsletter See page 5
Editor • A Presentation on Lebanon History and Culture Hosted by Ladies Auxiliary - See Page 5
Ghassan Najm
• March Madness planned events - See page 5
Contributors • 2019 Teacher’s Exchange Program – See page 5
Louis Najamy • First Visit to Lebanon by the Yamins - See Page 4
Mike Caravakis • St. Anthony Church Spring Family Hafli – See Page 4
Betty Najm • St. Ann Church Bake Sale - See Page 4
 Lebanon American Club News – March 2019 Page 2
22 West Street, Danbury, CT 06810
Phone: 203-743-5828 / Email: lebanonclub@att.net
www.lebanon-americanclubofdanbury.com

News Staff Corner by Lou Najamy:

Yeah!! March has arrived but don’t get your hopes up yet the weather predictions for the next week is anything but
SPRINGLIKE!!! So, we focus on the upcoming events in your club and the surrounding community. For the next
several weeks your club will be hosting NCAA basketball tournament dinners and board, LAX Middle Eastern Buffet
Scholarship Benefit, Teachers Exchange Dinner, plus Friday night Dinners (see calendar for times and dates). Don’t
forget the Club’s bi-weekly meetings, the LAX meetings, Pasta Night by Lou S., Frankie, and Lou N., along with
Texas Hold’Em. The reason I mention these events is as the weather gets better we tend to forget about the Club
activities and focus on the warmer weather. A birdie told us that a few of our club members have taken trips and
vacations but we have not had any submissions to our newsletter telling us about their adventures. SO, let’s hear from
you who have traveled and vacationed so that we be a bit envious, just kidding, but we would enjoy reading about the
good times our fellow members have had.
Please, Please, Please to all of our Newsletter Ad Subscribers sent in your payments for 2019 editions so we can
close the books on receivables and let new subscribers have unused ad spaces. Remember, it is through generous ad
subscriptions that we able to produce your monthly newsletter with little or no cost to the club.

Thoughts to Live By:

“A frontal attack on ignorance is bound to fail because the masses are always ready to defend their most precious
possession – their ignorance.” Hendrik Willem van Loon, Dutch-American journalist and lecturer (1882-1944).
“There is nothing to fear except the persistent refusal to find the truth, the persistent refusal to analyze the causes of
happenings.” Dorothy Thompson, American journalist and author (1894-1961).

A Little Humor:
“It takes a long time to understand nothing.” Edward Dahlberg, American author and critic (1900-1977).
“The biggest big business in America is not steel, automobiles, or television. It is the manufacture, refinement and
distribution of anxiety.” Eric Sevareid, American news commentator (1912-1992)
Member News:
Any member needing a rear door access code or who has a code that is not working – please see Lou Najamy or
contact him at lnaj47@gmail.com to get a code or fix any non-working codes.
Reminder – 2019 Club Annual Membership Dues are past due. Please see Treasurer Bill Asmar or Asst. Treasurer
Mark Chory as soon as possible. Remember to be a member in good standing one must be current in yearly dues.
Congratulations to Walid Sharfane and Ali Zeytoun of Milford and Trumbull CT respectively, on becoming
members of our Club. They were sworn in on March 5th during the regular membership meeting. Both are in the
construction business, have families with adult Children, with Walid having a teenage son as well. Please join us in
giving them a warm welcome. We also extend our thanks to member sponsor John Mounayer.
Health and Welfare:
Please keep in your prayers our ill members and/or their family members and wishing them speedy recovery
specially Ed Jowdy, Elie Karam, Morey Samaha and Ernie Bourjaili. Please notify Pres. Mike Caravakis, whenever
a member falls seriously ill by sending an email to caravakis@aol.com.

We offer our sincere sympathy, condolences and prayers to the families on the passing
of our fellow Member Ron Antous, Past member Mike Murad and the Father of Dan
Mulvey. May they all rest in eternal peace.
 Lebanon American Club News – March 2019 Page 3
22 West Street, Danbury, CT 06810
Phone: 203-743-5828 / Email: lebanonclub@att.net
www.lebanon-americanclubofdanbury.com

Ladies Auxiliary News by President Betty Najm

Unfortunately, we had to cancel our February meeting due to the weather. I hope everyone stays safe and warm
during the month of March! Our next meeting will be Tuesday, March 12 at 7 pm. Hope to see everyone there. We
have many exciting events coming up!
On Sunday, March 24th, the Ladies Auxiliary will host a potluck lunch starting at 1 pm with a guest speaker, Prof.
Ghassan El Eid from CCSU. We are hosting a Cultural event to discover the history and the culture of Lebanon.
Questions are encouraged after the lecture. We invite all the club members (Men and Ladies) and their families to
learn about Lebanon. We would love to continue to host these events to highlight the food and rich culture of the
different regions of Lebanon. Please bring enough food to share with your family and friends. If the weather is bad,
the event will be re-scheduled!
The Teacher Exchange dinner will be Tues., April 23. Tickets are available. Come meet the teachers from Lebanon
and learn about the US teachers experience in Lebanon.
The Ladies Auxiliary meetings will be on Tuesday at 7 PM on: March 12, April 9, May 21 and June 18.
The Middle Eastern Buffet benefiting the Scholarship fund will be held Thursday, May 2nd at 6:30 PM.
Members interested in donating a prize for the raffle, please contact me at (860) 488-4270
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!!

St. Anthony:
Sat. 3/30 Spring Hafli 6-10 pm
Sat. 4/27 Vendor Event
St. Ann:
Sat./Sun. 4/13-14, Palm Sunday Bake Sale, 11:30-1PM
IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
1. Special prayers and a speedy recovery to our ill members.
2. Please remember to support our advertising sponsors.
3. Special Friday night dinner (Ladies are welcome to attend):
3/ 22 Middle-Eastern & English Karaoke night &
Chef Elie Taweh’s delicious food
3/29 Chef John Hanna’s famous cuisine
Wed., 3/27 Spaghetti dinner. Thanks Lou Najamy and Lou Scalzo.
4. If you have a special church or community event coming up, please let us know in time to publish it for you.

Club .Events - See Calendar on the last page.

Mar. 5, 19 - Tues.7pm/8pm Board of Directors and General Meetings respectively.
Mar. 8 - 7pm, Fri Night American Buffet Dinner, $25/Person. BYOB.
Mar. 12 - Tues. 7pm, Ladies Auxiliary Monthly Meeting
Mar. 15 - 7pm, Fri Night Buffet Dinner, by Vivianne’s featuring Stuffed Yellow Squash $25/Person. BYOB.
Mar. 20 – Wed 7pm, Final Four Tip-Off Party. By Jimmy Glynn & Vinny DiGilio. See details on page 5
Mar. 22 – Friday Night Grill Dinner and Karaoke Music, by Chef Elie Taweh and DJ Michael Taweh. See details on page 5.
Mar. 24 – Sun. 1pm, Lebanon History and Cultural Presentation By Professor Ghassan El-Eid, sponsored by LAX.
Mar. 27 & 28 - Wed & Thurs, Pasta Dinner ($12) and Texas Hold’Em Tournament ($50) respectively.
Mar 29 -7pm, Fri Night Dinner, Lebanese Buffet by Chef John Hanna, Featuring Kibbee Nay AT $30/Person. BYOB
Looking Ahead.
Apr.8 – Mon. 7pm, Final Four Men’s Championship. By Jimmy Glynn & Vinny DiGilio. See details on page 5.
Apr. 23 – Teacher’s Exchange Dinner. $25/Person. BYOB. See Details on Page 5
May 2 – LAX Middle Eastern Buffet Scholarship Benefit. $25/person. BYOB.
June 5 – Wed. 6:00pm. Annual Scholarship Awards Dinner at the Amber Room.
June 12 - Wed. 11:30am, Annual Golf Outing at Richter’s Park in Danbury, By Chairman Milan David.
Community Events – http://www.lebanon-americanclubofdanbury.com/p/regional-events.html.
See Ladies News Section for area churches events and on Page 4.
NYC Consulate Cultural Journal...see several events in Tri-State area are listed at the Club
 Lebanon American Club News – March 2019 Page 4
22 West Street, Danbury, CT 06810
Phone: 203-743-5828 / Email: lebanonclub@att.net
www.lebanon-americanclubofdanbury.com
First Visit to Lebanon – The Yamins, Feb 2019.
Photo taken at the Cedars of Lebanon
Bob and Dianne Yamin, Bishop Antoine Chbeir and
Father Naji Kiwan of St. Anthony Church - Danbury

Presents
SPRING FAMILY HAFLI
WHEN: March 30, 2019 6:00-10:00pm
WHERE: The Church Hall
17 Granville Avenue, Danbury, CT 06810

COST: $25.00 per person,

(Children 10 and under free)

Lebanese Dinner Includes:

Meza, Chicken and Rice, Raw Kibbe, Salad
Lebanese and American desserts
Water & Soft drinks
Music provided & Raffle BYOB

Our first trip to Lebanon was a fantastic, one-week, spiritual journey. Don’t wait. Purchase your tickets today
We were blessed to have Father Naji, the perfect host, plan our trip Or call the Parish Office: 203-744-3372
and take us, along with his friends and family members, on a tapestry
of majestic, spiritual and amazing sites. We rode with Bishop Antoine
Chbeir from Syria and Father Naji to the Cedars of Lebanon where we
saw cedar trees blanketed with heavy snow. We traveled though the
towns of Bob’s mother, Betty Yamin’s birth Place —Zghorta, near the
sea and to Ehden, the town of her summer home, in the beautiful
mountains.
ST. ANN LADIES GUILD
We saw Father Jean at dinner, and he joined Father Naji and us for a PALM SUNDAY BAKE
half day, traveling to Mousa Castel, the village of DeirEl-Kamar and AND
toured a very old city hall where judges would hold court. PARISH COOKBOOK SALE
We had many spiritual and tearful moments, such as at the Home, SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 11:30 A.M. TO 1:00 P.M.
Hermitage, Monastery and Tomb of St. Sharbel where the Rector SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 11:30 A.M. TO 1:00 P.M.
blessed and put on our crosses. Also, at the National Shrine of Our
Lady of Lebanon, Harrisa, which overlooks the famous Bay of Jounieh, BAKLAWA, DATE FINGERS, KA’AK,
DATE KA’AK, MAKARON FINGERS,
I broke into tears as some Father Naji’s former parishioners and the GRAYBEE, APRICOT WHEELS,
Bishop sang Ave Maria. Often Father Naji or the Bishop would open in MAMOUL, KNAFEE
song and prayer---we recited the Lord’s Prayer many times
throughout our trip. WALK-INS AND ADVANCE ORDERS ARE WELCOME
FOR INFORMATION,
I am going to write a journal to capture the entire trip, but just want CALL 203-798-0693, 203-743-2401 OR 203-207-4697
to add that the old Roman ruins in Baalbeck were even more
spectacular than those in Rome. Nestled in this Muslim area was a ST. ANN PARISH COOKBOOK CONTAINING A DELICIOUS
COLLECTION OF TASTES, FROM KIBBEE AND FALAFEL, TO
lovely, very old Maronite Catholic Church. We plan to go back, and we PIEROGI AND PUTTANESCA, WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR SALE.
urge everyone to go as soon as possible! Life is too short to miss a life-
changing opportunity to experience our heritage! ST. ANN MELKITE CHURCH
By Bob and Dianne Yamin 181 CLAPBOARD RIDGE ROAD
 Lebanon American Club News – March 2019 Page 5
22 West Street, Danbury, CT 06810
Phone: 203-743-5828 / Email: lebanonclub@att.net
www.lebanon-americanclubofdanbury.com
2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball
“Final Four”
Tip-Off Party
Wednesday March 20 @ 7:00 pm
Championship Dinner
Mon. April 8 @ 7:00 pm
Price to participate is $100/Person for Members,
$125/Person for Guests
and it includes:
Both Dinners (3/20 & 4/8)
2 Boxes On the Big Board
1 Entry in the Bracket Pool
Limited to 50 Participants!
For more information
or to reserve,
contact Jimmy Glynn at coachglynn@yahoo.com
or (203) 994-1817
or Vinny DiGilio at (203) 788-7916
Teachers’ Exchange Dinner Lebanon American Club -
in Honor of Ladies Auxiliary
2019 Participating Teachers
Tuesday, April 23 Presents:
Starting @ 6pm
Featuring:
Lebanon History and Culture
Lebanese Buffet Dinner by John Hanna
Sharing Teachers Experiences By Professor,
and a Great Time!
Ghassan El-Eid, PhD
$25 /Person
Additional Donations to support this program Middle Eastern Studies at CCSU
will also be accepted
RSVP: Sunday, March 24
Farid Khouri (Chairman) - faridkhouri@aol.com 1PM – Potluck Lunch provided by the Ladies
Theresa Hanna (St. Ann) - thanna28@yahoo.com 2PM – Presentation
Ghassan Najm (St. Anthony) – najmgj@charter.net
Nidal Khoury (St.George) - nskhoury@morganti.com
Members of the Club, Ladies Auxiliary
2 US teachers from Roger’s Park School to visit Lebanon Schools on
April 10-18
and their families are Welcome!
3 IC and Cadmous Schools Teachers to Visit US area schools on
April 22-26
 Lebanon American Club News – March 2019 Page 6
22 West Street, Danbury, CT 06810
Phone: 203-743-5828 / Email: lebanonclub@att.net
www.lebanon-americanclubofdanbury.com
Yamin & Yamin, LLP Integrity Motors DANDY
ATTORNEYS & COUNSELORS Auto Repair you can trust
DISTRIBUTORS INC.
Attorney Dianne E. Yamin Tony Elhayek, Owner Total Food Service Distribution
Attorney Robert J. Yamin 20+ Years of Experience.
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Services include: Certified Subaru Specialist P.O. Box 4400
Real Estate; Wills Danbury, CT 06811
217 White Street
4 Moss Ave, Danbury, CT 06810 Danbury, CT 06810 Tel: (203) 792-7000
Tel (203)744-7090 Fax (203)744-7044 Next to WSCU Midtown Campus Fax: (203) 797-9940
Email: Lawyers@yaminlaw.com Phone: (203)744-2277 Toll Free (800)-49-FRUIT (37848)
www.yaminlaw.com www.integritymotorsct.com www.dandydistributors.com
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HANNA’S Small and Hard to Reach Jobs”
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operated since 1921
91 South Street
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Homeowners and Contractors Danbury, CT 06810
Restaurant & Market By Gabriel
Tel: 203-744-7661 Tel (203)743-HOME (4663)
72 Lake Avenue Cell: 203-948-7574
Danbury, CT 06810
www.mypoolscool.com
e-mail: info@iwantconcrete.com
(203)748-5713 www.iwantconcrete.com

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Call 7AM TO 7PM FOR INFORMATION
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http://nicksnewtown.com Fully Insured Cell: (203) 910-4946
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Classic. Elegant. Unique

Placing an Ad? LAC
MARBLE AND GRANITE
CREATIONS, LLC Send an email with ad info to Hall Rental?
Kitchen Counters, Vanity Tops, Fireplaces LebanonClub@att.net Available only to members or
Include Business WebSite Address. co-sponsored by a member, for business
Tony Haddad, Owner meetings or special catered events.
493 Danbury Road And mail a check payable to LAC
New Milford, CT 06776 For availability and rates, please send an
Tel: 860.350.1306 Fax: 860.350.1307
For $125/Yr/This Size Ad
email to House Committee Chair
By Appointment Only To the attention of Louis Najamy John Ashkar,
Email: marblecreations@sbcglobal.net Lebanon American Club at cent21ash@aol.com or
www.marbleandgranitecreationsllc.com 22 West Street to the Club email address.
Danbury, CT 06810 LebanonClub@att.net
 Lebanon American Club News – March 2019
Phone: 203-743-5828 / Email: lebanonclub@att.net
www.lebanon-americanclubofdanbury.com
Daniel P. Jowdy
Treasurer
City Of Danbury
City Hall
155 Deer Hill Ave
Danbury, CT 06810
Tel: (203) 797-4652
Fax: (203) 796-1526
e-mail: d.jowdy@ci.danbury.ct.us
Thomas J. Saadi, Esq.
Commissioner of Veterans Affairs
State of CT
Justice of Peace
& 42 Lake Avenue Ext. Mill Plain Rd
Notary Public
24 Tobins Court
Danbury, CT 06810
Tel: (203) 797-1797
e-mail: TomSaadi@aol.com
The JOWDY-KANE
FUNERAL HOME, INC.
9-11 Granville Ave
Danbury, CT 06810
(203) 748-6262
Daniel P. Jowdy
www.jowdykanefuneralhome.com
WILLIAM HAJJ
INSURANCE AGENCY, INC
Call For a Free Analysis & Quote
Auto-Home-Business
Work Comp – Bonds
36 Mill Plain Rd, Suite 101
Danbury, CT 06811
Tel: (203) 748-5346
e-mail: billhajj@williamhajj.com
www.williamhajjinsurance.com
Page 7
22 West Street, Danbury, CT 06810
Mutual Motors Ed’s Barber Shop
Family Owned & Hair Salon
& Operated since 1958
Makes House and
Used Cars, Sunoco Oil Products Business Calls!
Full Service Gas, Repairs, Tires Open 9am-6pm
U-Haul Truck & Van Rentals Appointments Preferred
Edward Howard, Owner
17 Mill Plain Road 3 Keeler Street
Danbury, CT 06811 Danbury, CT 06810
Tel: (203) 744-5388 Tel: (203) 794-0067
Maron Hotel & Suites Alarm King, Inc.
Edward J. Essa
Full Service Hotel
Security and Fire Alarm systems
Camera*Access Control
Danbury, CT 06811 Medical Alert * Stereo systems
Tel: (203) 791- 2200 16 Lake Ave Ext.
Fax: (203) 791-2201 Danbury, CT 06811
Tel: (203) 743-1721
e-mail: gm@maronhotel.com Email: Info@alarmkinginc.com
www.maronhotel.com www.alarmking.com
COLONIAL BUZAID
FORD APPLIANCES – FUEL - OIL
SUBARU & MAZDA SCRATCH & DENT
125 South Street
Family Owned & Operated since 1991 Danbury (203)743-6321
126 Federal Road Danbury, CT and
(877) 700-8201 115 Federal Road
www.colonial-ford.com Brookfield (203)775-7066
www.colonialsubaruct.com e-mail: BuzaidMutual@sbcglobal.net
www.colonialsubaruct.com www.buzaidappliance.com
D J Ramey LEBANESE CUISINE
& Associates, PC RESTAURANT
VEGETARIAN & VEGAN
Certified Public Accountants BY CHEF HASSAN
Software Installations Take Out – Catering – Store
Payroll Services Outdoor Hookah Area
Tax Planning & Preparations Open Daily 10am - 10pm
2 Old New Milford Rd. Suite 1F 23 Stony Hill Rd,
Brookfield, CT 06804 Bethel, CT 06801
Tel: (203)740-1991 Tel: (203) 617-0604
www.mypayrollfirm.com www.AuthenticLebaneseCuisine.com
 March 2019
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
31 1 2

Lebanese Buffet Dinner

By Chef Hanna
3 4 5 6 7 8 9

7pm Board Mtg.

8pm-Gen.Mtg. American Buffet Dinner
10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Lebanese Specialty
Dinner By Vivianne's
7pm Ladies Aux
Meeting
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Mid-East & English
Karaoke Night New
Steaks, Kebobs, Fish &
7pm Board Mtg. 7pm March Madness Lenten Dinner By Chef
8pm-Gen.Mtg. Tip-Off Party Elie
24 25 26 27 28 29 30

1pm - Lebanon History Spring Family Dinner

and Culture 6:30pm Pasta Dance
Hosted by LAC Ladies Dinner By Chef 7:30pm Lebanese Buffet Dinner at St. Anthony's Church
Auxiliary Scalzo Tournament By Chef Hanna

Lebanon American Club

22 West Street
Danbury, CT 06810