Archive | June, 2012

Last call to recognize some great teachers

18 Jun

Tomorrow’s the last day of school for students, so I thought it would be a good day to post my end-of-the-year shout-out to some exceptional teachers.

Several people have already responded to my call, and have provided me with more than a dozen names. I have a good representation so far from Schlegel Road, State Road, Klem North, Willink and Thomas. But that leaves a LOT of other schools out there and  LOT more exceptional teachers I haven’t heard about.

So one more time, folks, I ask you and your kids: who are the best teaches you’ve had as you’ve gone through the Webster schools, and why?  Email me (with a photo if possible) or comment below, or comment on my Facebook page and I’ll publish all the names tomorrow morning.

 

A Father’s Day follow-up

18 Jun

Please indulge me once again as I post a personal blog, a short follow-up to today’s Father’s Day blog.

Dad watches one of his shots.

In it, I wrote how my siblings and I were able to spend Father’s Day with our dad for the first time in more than 40 years. That alone would have made the weekend great. But this morning it got even better, when I joined 83-year old Dad, my big brother Greg and my little sister Mindy for a round of golf.

The event was the Father/Child Golf Tournament at Genegantslet Golf Course in Greene, NY (the same town which had the Memorial Day parade which I blogged about a few weeks ago).  It was nine holes of pure fun (and aggravation, and frustration, and embarrassment, and abject humiliation.)  It was a captain-and-crew format, which meant that we all played from where the best ball landed on each shot. As a result, everyone was able to contribute to the game, even if we were not always consistent. My Dad actually was one of our best putters, and holed in at least two par putts for us.

We were hoping for par, and ended up coming in two-under. So we considered that a real success.

The Captain and Crew.

Congratulations to John Carlin and the folks at the Genegantslet Golf Course for putting together a very nice little tournament. I particularly thought it was great that, when the awards were given out, they made sure every young child who participated got a small trophy.  It was for “putting up with your dads,” John told them.

And because I know you’re wondering, I did pretty OK, if you don’t count the three balls I put in the water. And the dribblers off the tee that looked like I bowled them down the green.  And my one drive which went, well, almost between my legs so that it landed BEHIND me (see if you can do THAT, Tiger).

Actually, my father was rather impressed by how well I could drive when managed to I hit the ball squarely.  By all rights, though, it shouldn’t have surprised him; after all, he’s the one who taught me how to swing a golf club back in the early 1970s.

Seven-year old twins Rowen and Maeric Barrows with the trophies they won for playing in the tournament. They were so excited. Rowan fist-pumped the air all the way back to his table. And then for several minutes afterwards.

A very special Father’s Day

16 Jun

My parents got divorced when I was 10 years old. We were living in suburban Chicago at the time. My father stayed in the Midwest, while my mother packed up four young children, two dogs and a cage full of caterpillars and moved east to New York State to begin the rest of our lives.

That was 44 years ago. My siblings and I ultimately settled on the east coast, got married, and had seven children among us. My father remarried and moved around a lot, but never made it father east than Missouri.

My stepmother Angie passed away last fall, after which Dad moved to the east coast to be closer to his children and grandchildren. For the first time in years we celebrated Thanksgiving together.  For the first time in years, we sat around the same Christmas tree.

And, the first time in 44 years, my siblings and I are spending Father’s Day with our father.

I hope that your Father’s Day is equally special.

Sitting with my Dad: (L-R, also youngest to oldest) Mindy, me, Chris and Greg

It’s officially summer in Webster

16 Jun

The band Wingin’ It kicked off the Friday Night Gazebo Concert series last night.

The Village of Webster hosted its first Friday night gazebo concert of the summer last night, which means that the season has officially begun.

A band called Wingin’ It took to the stage for a two hour concert featuring a lend of Irish and American pop music.  It was a gorgeous evening, and there was a decent crowd on hand, but I

expect those numbers to grow as the summer progresses.  And by 8:30 there was a definite chill in the air, which sent a lot of people packing a bit early.

The free gazebo concerts continue all summer, from 7-9 pm every Friday night.  Here’s who’ll be there:

June 22: Marty Roberts (beach classics, country and originals)
June 29: Lester Funk (blues and classics)
July 6: The Mark Cassara Band, kicking off Webster’s Jazz Festival Weekend
July 20: The Jack Allen Big Band
August 3: Friend Unplugged
August 10: Moondance (jazz, country and classics)
Agust 17: Eggman’s Traveling Carnival

You’ll find a little more information at the Village of Webster website.

Also on the website, you’ll find a list of the movies scheduled for this summer’s Movies in the Park series, which begin July 10 with The Tale of Despereaux.

The Webster Jazz Festival hits town July 7, and plans this year are for the already hugely popular event to be bigger and better.

A young fan gets a personal concert from strolling fiddler Sharon McHargue.

Jazz keyboardist Lao Tizer will headline the entertainment. More detail coming about that event soon.  PLUS in the coming summer months there are TWO farm markets every Saturday morning, the annual Garden Tour, special events at the museum, Village Band concerts, Village Days (now in September), the Firemen’s Carnival….

Whew.

email me at missyblog@gmail.com

“Like” this blog on Facebook

Shriners and artisans team up to help kids

14 Jun

I got three emails about an event that’s happening tomorrow, so you know it’s gotta be pretty good.

It’s the second annual Help Shriners Help Kids Arts and Crafts Sale, tomorrow at Webster’s Damascus Shrine Center from 10 am to 4 pm, held in conjunction with Rochester Artisans.

In addition to 65 local artisans, there’ll be food provided by the Shriners, the Daughters of the Nile and numerous food vendors. This year, the show includes an emerging artist area, live music and local charities supporting the local Webster & Penfield communities. There will also be face painting, clowns, balloons and a Chinese auction with fabulous baskets of gifts donated by the participants in the show.

All proceeds will benefit the great things the Shriners do for children. Shriners International supports Shriners Hospitals for Children, an international health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing specialty pediatric care, innovative research and outstanding teaching programs. Children up to age 18 with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care at Shriners Hospitals for Children and receive all services at no financial obligation to families.

The Damascus Shrine Center is located at 979 Bay Road in Webster.

After the final bell, a shout-out to some great Webster teachers

12 Jun

Yesterday, when the final bell rang at Webster Schroeder High School, it marked the last time a Rosenberry would walk the halls as a Webster school student.  It’s a history that has spanned three children and 14 years.

I’ve actually been looking forward to this day. There are a lot of things I’m not going to miss about being a parent of a high school student. I won’t feel the need to check the Parent Portal every day to see if my daughter is keeping up with her homework. I won’t have to navigate the convoluted student drop-off arrangement every morning at Schroeder. I won’t have to keep ponying up fund-raising money for trips we’re going to be paying for anyway.

But the great things about my kids’ Webster educational careers FAR outweigh the aggravations.  At the very top of the list are all the teachers who have taught, prodded, consoled, cajoled, and guided my children for more than a decade. A quick calculation tells me that perhaps 120 teachers have had the dubious honor of teaching a Rosenberry sometime in the last 14 years.  All of them have been good. Many of them have been great. But some of them have been downright inspiring.  Today, I’d like to give those inspirational teachers a shout-out.

I asked my kids to tell me who they considered their best teachers were, and why they thought so. Here’s what they said:

My daughter Sara (Schroeder ’04) didn’t have to think very much when I asked her the question. “The Hench,” she answered. “His class was super hard in the best way.”  Kevin Henchen taught AP Spanish at Thomas High School, for both Thomas and Schroeder students. He is now an assistant principal in the Fairport school district.

My son Sean (Schroeder ’08) chose Mary-Ellen Petz, one of his sixth grade teachers at Spry Middle School, because “She just friggin’ rocked.” (I tried to get more detail about what that meant, but he couldn’t explain how she “friggin’ rocked,” just that she did.) He also added Schroeder High School music teacher Laura D’Angelo, because “She got me passionate about music.”

Erin (Schroeder ’12) chose Marcia Napolitano, her fourth grade teacher at Plank North Elementary, because “She brought me out of my shell.”  (Napolitano, coincidentally, is one of this year’s Oak Tree Award winners, recognizing exceptional teachers.) Erin also added Schroeder English teacher Susan Woodward, saying “She was one of the toughest teachers I had my freshman year, but also one of the best,” and Schroeder Chemistry teacher Siobhan Julian. “She made chemistry one of my favorite subjects.”

And remember how I used the word “inspirational”? I didn’t use the word lightly. These teachers did more than just teach; they changed my children’s lives.  Case in point: Sara, who just received her Master’s degree, is planning to be a Spanish teacher; Sean just received his degree from Nazareth College to be a music teacher; and in September Erin will begin her studies at St. John Fisher College to become — you guessed it — a Chemistry teacher.

 

Irish musicians take over the White House

10 Jun

Sesiun groups found anyplace they could to play. Here, two groups play about 50 yards apart.

If you’re an Irish musician and you live in or near Rochester, chances are very good you were up at the lake yesterday afternoon.

The occasion was the annual “Stand Around and Play” gathering hosted by Lynn Pilaroscia, whom my husband and I have known for about 20 years.  Once a year Lynn (who plays the fiddle himself) books the White House at Webster Park and invites all of his Irish musician friends to come on by and … well, stand around and play.

It’s really a sight to see. At any one moment in the afternoon you might see anywhere from four to seven small groups of musicians, each of which has found a corner of the White House property — on the front porch, on the back porch, under a tree, in the main room — jamming. Once one tune is done, someone starts up another one, and if you know it, you simply join in. There’s no set list, no applause, just a bunch of musicians doing what they love most.

No matter where you were, music surrounded you: bluegrass, waltzes, folk tunes, and traditional Irish. Jigs, reels and ballads. And the variety of instruments was astounding. I saw a flute, concertinas, banjos, guitars, an electric guitar, string basses, mandolins, accordions, tin whistles, a cello, bodhrans, a hammer dulcimer, and lot and lots of fiddles.

What a wonderful way to spend a sunny summer afternoon at the lake.

 

Click on the photo to see a short video clip of some of the musicians.

Rochester media professionals recognize their own

10 Jun

Impact Award winners Brother Wease, Don Alhart and Carol Ritter

Saturday night I had the pleasure of attending the first-ever Rochester Media Association awards dinner, an event held to honor 25 members of the local media for contributions to their organizations and the general community.

A who’s who of Rochester media talent attended. The three top awards, called the Impact Awards, were presented to former Democrat and Chronicle reporter and columnist Carol Ritter,  95.1 The Brew radio personality Brother Wease, and WHAM13News anchor Don Alhart.

But I also want to congratulate Webster Post reporter Linda Quinlan, who also received an award as an Established Media Professional.  Linda and I occasionally cross paths at Webster meetings, and while I am not a “real” reporter, I consider her a colleague who more than deserves the recognition she received last night.

It was a terrific evening, and a rare opportunity for local media professionals to relax among their peers.  Read more about the night and check out some more photos (when they finally get posted; I took 99 of them) at the Rochester Media Association website.

 

Messenger Post reporters Linda Quinlan and Bethany Young with their RMA awards.

 

A tale of two farm markets

9 Jun

Vendors at the village market tucked their tents amid the parked cars.

Webster’s two farm markets officially opened for the summer this morning, despite the rain. Being that this is the first time (in my memory, anyway) that Webster has had TWO markets, I was curious about how they’d be set up and what the crowds would be like.

This was one of the nicer stands, real farm-market-ish.

For those not in the loop, this summer the Joe Obbie Farm market, which had been in the village for years, most recently in the community parking lot behind the fire station on South Ave., decided to move to the Towne Center parking lot, near the gazebo.  The village, in turn, has organized a second farm market, with vendors setting up in parking spaces along both West and East Main.

The Joe Obbie set up at Towne Center was much more organized.

I swung by the village first this morning. The rains had stopped by the time I got there, and the sun was out, but still there weren’t many people on the street.  Part of the problem was there weren’t many vendors on the street.  I visited briefly with Mayor Peter Elder, who was out and about, who told me that the morning rains prohibited many vendors from setting up shop. So there were only ten vendors situated sporadically along Main Street, making them a little difficult to pick out among the parked cars. Some of them really didn’t have a great selection of products, either, so the whole thing seemed a bit anemic.  But I think we can chalk that up in part to its being a brand new event, still finding its legs.

The Joe Obbie Farmer’s Market in contrast, was big and bountiful and crowded. There were more than two dozen vendors, all gathered together with their large tents, drawing nearby shoppers with a carnival-like atmosphere. As I walked around I heard the vendors talking about the morning’s rainstorms, but they didn’t seem to have permanently dampened the event. It was clear the market was thoroughly enjoying its new roomier location, which allows more vendors than I’ve ever seen before (especially this early in the year) and gives everyone more room to spread out. Plus the Girl Scouts had set up a kids’ area in the gazebo.

Girl Scout troop 60367 created this fun area for kids, where they coul dmake crafts while their parents shopped.

The Joe Obbie market has years of organization behind it, so no surprise it’s bigger and better right now.  I look forward to seeing how the new village market grows and matures. We’ll check back in a few more weeks…perhaps when the weather is better.

On the eve of Senior Ball, a letter to my daughter

7 Jun

Dear Erin,

So, tonight is your Senior Ball. It’s fun to see how excited you are about it.  Who’d have guessed that someone could talk about one thing nonstop for three straight months?

I’ve enjoyed our pre-ball mommy/daughter time, dress shopping and jewelry shopping. I didn’t mind at all ordering and picking up the boutonniere, or taking you to your mani-pedi appointment, or taxiing your friend to our house so she could do your hair.  It was never a bother. On the contrary, these simple moments we have together now will become few and far between, much sooner than I’d like, and I’ve been trying to capture and absorb every single moment.

Senior Ball. The last big dance of your high school career.  I know you’re going to have a wonderful time and make some great memories.  You’re going to look unbelievably beautiful and grown-up. You’re going to have a very nice guy on your arm who loves you a lot and whom I trust.  And when all the photos are done, and you finally head off for the evening’s festivities, all will be well.

But.

Bad things happen and people do stupid things. Don’t drink (that goes without saying). Don’t get into a car with someone who’s been drinking.   Be careful when you’re driving home, and watch out for idiots on the road.  And deer.  Don’t stay out too late. Make good decisions.

Come home to me safe.

Love, Mom.

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →