CCSU English and Latin prof, Gil Gigliotti, also known as a tap-dancing, Frank Sinatra nut with a radio show, is trying to “date” Kelly Ripa.

He thinks if he can get enough names on a petition, he can somehow coerce the talk show sweetheart into letting him audition as her new co-host for “Live With Kelly.”

For those who don’t know the back story, Ripa was left solo last year when long time co-host Regis Philbin stepped down from the morning show. Since then she has been “trying out” a revolving door of  prospective co-stars ranging from Nick Lachey  and  Josh Groban, to a laundry list of retired athletes including Jesse Palmer and Michael Strahan. And then there was ESPN’s own Mike Greenberg.

Gigliotti, an author with a  slightly flimsy tv resume that includes a YouTube video and a website on 13 reasons he should be given a chance, is looking to his public for support.

The English professor has set up a petition website and is collecting names until May 31, which, for some reason, is the timeline he has decided is the drop dead date for getting his chance at a rendezvous with Kelly.

But word is it may be for naught. Ripa supposedly has hinted that she wants CNN newscaster Anderson Cooper, a regular guest host, to become her steady.

And the irony of it all, Gigliotti knows the “other man” very well.

The met three years ago when the CNN newscaster was a guest speaker at the university’s Robert C. Vance Lecture.

Calling his quest, “quixotic and trivial” Gigliotti has his own philosophy about attracting Ripa’s attention.

“They’re still looking for someone to replace Regis, and, since they’re trying out all sorts of folks,” said Gigliotti. “I figured why not a 50-year-old academic/Sinatra scholar/dj/television-host-wannabe?

Gigliotti’s petition is at  http://bit.ly/L3GaJ7  His reasons why are at  http://bit.ly/JtmPac

West Hartford celebrated in style Saturday at the Mayor’s Charity Ball under a white tent on the Town Hall Green.

 “I was born and raised in West Hartford, came back to work for the town 15 years ago,” said Rob Rowlson, director of community services for the town. “I just love what the town has become. We’ve grown into a special place that really allows everybody to do the best that they can.”

Guests included Mayor Scott Slifka; Sen. Beth Bye, D-West Hartford; several members of the West Hartford Fire Department, including Lt. Kevin Munson and Capt. John Sokolowski; Tracy Murphy and Spencer Cain, president of the Hartford Tennis Club; Jen Krebsbach, president of the Mayor’s Charity Ball board, and board members Tracy Flater, Lou Luba, Chris Skelly and Carol McCabe; and Kevin Sullivan, commissioner of the state Department of Revenue Services and former mayor of West Hartford (1983-85).

Sullivan reminisced about the Mayor’s Charity Ball he remembered most.

“The year they had the former mayors do a song and dance routine, we had top hats, canes…we sang ‘Puttin’ On the Ritz’ with lyrics they made up about West Hartford,” said Sullivan. “After about a hundred tries I think I almost got close to the routine.”

A cocktail reception in the Town Hall auditorium featured music by pianist Sean Pallatroni and several vocalists, including Carolyn Cumming, daughter of Edward Cumming, former music director of the Hartford Symphony now at the Hartt School. Latanya Farrell and the Bookman Styles Band performed later in the evening.

The event benefited HopeWorks Inc. and Playhouse On Park.

“The people in the community are fantastic, they really are,” said Munson.

Amy Ellis (aellis@courant.com)

Quinnipiac University has announced that  Martha Raddatz, senior foreign affairs correspondent for ABC News, will receive its 19th annual Fred Friendly First Amendment Award .

Raddatz will be honored at an invitation-only luncheon on June 7 at the Metropolitan Club, One East 60^th Street, New York City.

The award is presented annually to a journalist who has shown courage and forthrightness in preserving the First Amendment.

“Martha was chosen because she exemplifies the courage and dedication to journalism that are the very essence of the Fred Friendly First Amendment Award,” said Lee Kamlet,  dean of the University’s School of Communications. “She has literally put herself on the front lines to report the truth of war and human conflict to the American people.” 

Raddatz was named senior foreign affairs correspondent for ABC News in November 2008, after serving as White House correspondent during the last term of President George W. Bush’s administration. She traveled to Pakistan and Afghanistan dozens of times and to Iraq more than 20 times to cover the ongoing conflicts. She was on the last convoy out of Iraq and she was the only television reporter allowed to cover a combat mission over Afghanistan in an F15 fighter jet, spending nearly 10 hours in the air on two separate missions.

 She will join past recipients of the Fred Friendly First Amendment Award: Dan Rather, Lesley Stahl, Bill Moyers, Ted Koppel, Tom Brokaw, Jim Lehrer, Robert MacNeil, Don Hewitt, Peter Jennings, Mike Wallace, Christiane Amanpour, Tom Bettag, Tim Russert, Bob Schieffer, Steve Kroft, Charles Gibson, Morley Safer, Gwen Ifill and David Fanning.

NBC Connecticut’s Monica Buchanan is a mom. The station reporter and her husband, Kevin, welcomed Brandon Arjuna Negandhi last week. He weighed in at eight and a half pounds, 19 inches long. Everybody is doing fine!

The secret is out. Former WFSB tv stalwart, Al Terzi,  is returning to his radio roots with his son, former  tv personality Tony Terzi.

According to WDRC program manager Grahame Winters the two will be on the air beginning June 9.

“It’s now official – Al and Tony Terzi will be doing a show together on The TALK of Connecticut twice monthly on Saturday mornings,” she said. ” We are excited at the addition of this quality programming feature, which is slated to begin June 9.”

The two will be taking over the 1360 AM radio, 6 to 10 a.m. time slot usually taken by the Brad Davis Show. Davis will continue with his morning show Monday through Fridays, but will be giving up the Saturday show.  

“This will allow  Brad Davis a well-deserved five-day work-week after 35 years with WDRC,” Winters said.

The late, Democratic kingpin, John M. Bailey, would surely have enjoyed Bailey family gatherings these days. There is a growing crop of babies and future party leaders!

In the past few weeks, some Baileys have become, or are becoming,  new dads again. Pay attention.

John Moran Bailey, (Bailey’s grandson and son of the late career prosecutor, John Michael Bailey) and his wife, Katie Bailey, welcomed Rowan Catherine Bailey to the clan last month. She joins big sister Payton Bailey. The new dad works in government relations at the American Heart Association and mom is vice president and director of government relations at Metro Hartford Alliance. Grandma is Dee Bailey.

Also arriving: Bailey grandson, Justin Kronholm and his wife, Candace, welcomed Esme Kronholm to their family. She joins big sister Charlotte Kronholm. Justin, a special counsel at Atty. General George Jepsen’s office, is the son of Louise Bailey, a member of the UCONN board of trustees.

And finally, another in the Bailey clan, Austin Perkins and his wife, Lindsay, are expecting a third child any day. (May have happened but no word yet!) Austin is the son of Judith Bailey Perkins, an author and professor at St. Joseph College.

They are CEOs, counselors, media personalities, doctors and executives. And on Wednesday their skills and their contributions were all celebrated as Malta House of Care Foundation honored its 2012 class of “Wonder Women.”

“This is special because of the purpose,” said 85-year-old honoree Trude Mero, a well-known civic leader who owns Nutmeg Planners. “Malta House provides assistance to the poor, and beyond providing help where help is needed, its work also helps taxpayers because it is saving them money down the road.”

Malta House of Care, founded six years ago, provides primary health care services to the neediest neighborhoods through its free, mobile medical clinic staffed by volunteer doctors and nurses.

“This is a special honor because I was chosen by peers,” said fellow honoree, Laura Grondin, CEO and president of Virginia Industries.

Grondin stood out in the crowd thanks to a special accessory for the evening, a crutch.   

“I had a free day out in Salt Lake City and decided to go skiing and tore my ACL on the third run,” she explained about the addition of the metal accoutrement to her “look.”   

Also honored at the sold-out event at the Town & County Club were VNA counselor Ki Miller, Hartford Financial Services executive, Thea Montanez, WFSB anchor, Irene O’Connor, St. Francis Breast Health Center director Dr. Kristen Zarfos, UConn Health Science Center professor Dr. Molly Brewer and UConn guest lecturer, Sandra Bender Fromson.

We can’t seem to track down the former  WFSB  veteran anchor but according to son, Tony Terzi (also a former tv personality,)  the well-known, well-coiffed  dean of Connecticut  tv anchors may be back out there soon as part of a father/son deal

This from Tony’s Facebook page…

 No one deserves retirement more than the hard-working  State Senator Edith Prague.  In the wake of her announcement that she will not be seeking re-election, I could not help but remember an interview I did with her nearly 10 years ago, one of the favorites in my career. I loved her candor and her straight-shooting style when it came to politics and people as the state wrestled with budgets and personalities  in that session, too.

An excerpt:

 ” It’s her craggy voice, tinged with a sophisticated Boston Yankee accent, that is Sen. Edith Prague’s most distinctive trait. Outspoken, blunt, mincing no words and sparing no feelings, she cuts to the chase on matters large and small.
    Last week, it was the budget.
    While others debated the pros and cons of various tax strategies, the 77-year-old Prague, D-Columbia, was typically pithy.
    “Tax millionaires like Tomasso,” she said, personalizing an issue that has divided many legislators. She was referring to the family that owns the New Britain construction company under investigation as part of a state bid-rigging probe.
    “Get those unions to give up some of the ridiculous, unrealistic health benefits they have,” she added, weighing in on one of the most inflammatory pieces of the budget debate in years.”

She served her constituents well, for sure. Wishing her well for many years to come.

For the rest of the interview go to: http://bit.ly/JjeEd8

 It’s not to early to begin planning your schedule as far as the upcoming Travelers Championship. And it’s not all about days of really good golf.

Travelers Championship officials have announced that Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter Michael Bolton will return to Connecticut to support this year’s tournament. Bolton, who will compete in the Travelers Celebrity Pro-Am on Wednesday, June 20, will also perform a benefit concert at The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts to raise funds for The Michael Bolton Charities for Children & Women at Risk. Bolton will be joined by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Dave Mason and Ben E. King, and singer/keyboardist Bill Champlin, formerly of Chicago, on  June 19, at 7:30 p.m.

 “We look forward to having Michael Bolton return to the Travelers Championship,” said Travelers Championship Tournament Director Nathan Grube. “The tournament is pleased to partner with Michael to continue to build awareness and funds for The Michael Bolton Charities, which is celebrating its 20^th year. This concert is just one of many unique ways that the tournament continues to support charities in the region.”

 Tickets for the Michael Bolton & Friends Benefit Concert can be purchased starting at $28 and are available now at www.bushnell.org or by calling the box office at (860) 987-5900. To purchase VIP tickets or sponsorships, please contact The Michael Bolton Charities at (203) 483-6463. For more information go to TravelersChampionship.com.