Archive | May, 2017

Stop three on my Tour de Parks … tour

31 May

park collage

Just a quick reminder that I will be presenting my 2016 Tour de Parks talk again, Thursday night at the Brighton Memorial Library beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Still haven’t heard about it? Well, basically, last year I challenged myself to visit every one of Rochester’s east-side parks. I tried to hike a bit in every park that had trails, I took a lot of photos, and recorded my adventures in a blog.

It was a long year, but I accomplished my goal. Mostly.

You can hear all about it at Thursday night’s presentation. Chances are you’ll see a park or two that you recognize, and perhaps learn something about parks you never knew existed.

There’s no admission, and you don’t have to bother registering. But the library folks did promise they’d make cookies (it was the only compensation I asked for). So please do come, because I’d much rather speak to a larger crowd than just a few people. I promise it will be interesting.

And cookies. Just sayin’.

The Brighton Memorial Library is at 2300 Elmwood Avenue.

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A shout out to our Special Police

30 May

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Do you know those Special Police officers you always see working crowd control at parades, helping us cross the street during the carnival, and helping out at accident scenes?

Did you realize they’re all volunteers? Not only that, they have to go through a lot of training just to even become a volunteer.

Here’s a more detailed description from the Town of Webster website:

The Webster Special Police are a group of volunteers, appointed by the Town Board of Webster, whose mission is to assist the Webster Police Department during emergencies and special events. As certified NYS Peace Officers, our goal is to provide citizens with a professional organization that stands ready to fulfill this mission whenever activated. Our vision is to maintain the highest standards of organization, training, and professionalism in order to aid the police department in upholding the laws of the State of New York, County of Monroe, and Town and Village of Webster.

They were out in force during the Memorial Day Parade. I always make it a point to thank them for being there, and this time around I also snapped photos of as many of them as I could to single out this great organization for their service.

So take a look at these faces and when you see them at the Firemen’s Parade, make sure to give them a smile and a “Thanks for being here!” Because they don’t have to be.

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Photos from Webster’s parade

29 May

 

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So the weather could have been a little bit better for Monday’s Memorial Day Parade, but it also could have been a whole lot worse.

This is the first year I can remember that we’ve had any kind of rain for the parade. But even this year it wasn’t too bad; a few sprinkles during the marching, and a shower during the ceremony at Webster Rural Cemetery. The crowds lining Main Street and Ridge Road were noticeably thinner this year, probably thanks to the threatening weather, but there were still plenty of onlookers. Many of them came prepared with umbrellas and pop-ups, or found space under some of the large trees that lined the route.

Despite the dampness, I didn’t hear any grumbling. I think we all realized that the men and women we were honoring had suffered much worse.

The only disappointing thing about the day was seeing how many people forgot to stand when the flag came by.

I’ve posted a few photos here, but there are plenty of more here in my gallery, including some from where everyone was lining up, through to the ceremony.

P. S., if you got any great photos which I can add to my gallery, please email them to missyblog@gmail.com.


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Details about Webster’s Memorial Day Parade

28 May

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It looks like the rains might hold off tomorrow morning for Webster’s Memorial Day Parade and remembrance ceremony, but make sure to bring an umbrella in case one of the passing thunderstorms should find us.

Monday morning’s parade will begin on Sanford Street (next to Spry Middle School) at 9:30 am, then works its way down South Avenue and onto West Main Street. The parade will conclude with a ceremony at Webster Rural Cemetery, on Ridge Road at Holt.

The parade is always nice, but it is the ceremony which really moves me. Every year, members of our Webster veterans organizations and Scout troops spend several days placing American flags on the graves of thousands of veterans buried in our local cemeteries. You’ll see them peppered throughout the Webster Rural Cemetery, marking the resting places of those who fought for our freedom.

 

The post-parade ceremony is extremely moving. There are speeches, local officials lay wreaths, and children place flags at the headstones representing all of our country’s wars. And when members of the Webster Marching Band play Echo Taps, I always choke up. I’m thankful that I don’t have to visit my son’s grave in a military cemetery, and cannot imagine the pain felt by those mothers who do. 

I have not been able to attend the parade for the last two years because I’ve been out of town. But this year, I’ll certainly be out there with  my camera, traveling up and down the streets and at the cemetery, so keep an eye out for me!

Here’s a gallery of photos from 2013, a sampling of what this event is all about.

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Calling the Webster Schroeder Class of 1977

23 May

class of 77The time is drawing near for the Webster Schroeder Class of 1977’s 40th reunion, and if that means you, you’re going to want to get your tickets soon.

Plans are for a picnic at Webster Park on Sunday July 16, catered by Bad to the Bone Barbecue. A wide variety of craft and mainstream brews will be provided by The Beverage Center in Canandaigua, a store owned by classmate Carlo Jannotti. (There will be plenty of other beverage choices as well for anyone who doesn’t like beer.)

A lot of your classmates have already signed up, but there are still a lot of “missing” ones. So organizers are asking everyone to log onto the event Facebook page to find out who’s on that list and see if you can help track them down. Former teachers are also encouraged to attend.

Tickets for the barbecue dinner can be purchased by clicking here.  To contact the reunion organizers, email hwsclassof77@gmail.com.  For more details about when things are happening and who’s coming, follow the reunion page on Facebook here.

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D&C reporter Gary Craig introduces new book

22 May

History and mystery buffs will be interested in a book-signing event scheduled for Barnes & Noble this Saturday May 27.

My Democrat and Chronicle colleague Gary Craig has just published a new book, titled Seven Million: A Cop, a Priest, a Soldier for the IRA, and the Still-Unsolved Rochester Brink’s Heist.

Gary has spent several years researching and writing the book, and the result is a fascinating, in-depth exploration of one of the twentieth century’s most notorious unsolved crimes.

Here’s some more information about Seven Million, from Amazon.com:

On a freezing night in January 1993, masked gunmen walked through the laughably lax security at the Rochester Brink’s depot, tied up the guards, and unhurriedly made off with $7.4 million in one of the FBI’s top-five armored car heists in history.

Suspicion quickly fell on a retired Rochester cop working security for Brink’s at the time—as well it might. Officer Tom O’Connor had been previously suspected of everything from robbery to murder to complicity with the IRA. One ex-IRA soldier in particular was indebted to O’Connor for smuggling him and his girlfriend into the United States, and when he was caught in New York City with $2 million in cash from the Brink’s heist, prosecutors were certain they finally had enough to nail O’Connor. But they were wrong.

In Seven Million, reporter Gary Craig meticulously unwinds the long skein of leads, half-truths, false starts, and dead ends, taking us from the grim solitary pens of Northern Ireland’s Long Kesh prison to the illegal poker rooms of Manhattan to the cold lakeshore on the Canadian border where the body parts began washing up.

Seven Million is a fascinating real-life tale of cops and FBI agents, prison snitches, the IRA, and the unfortunate fate of one Ronnie Gibbons, a down-and-out boxer who was in on the early planning of the heist, only to disappear after he came to Rochester to demand his cut.

You can learn more about the case, and meet Gary Craig in person this Saturday when he holds a book-signing from 2 to 3 pm at the Webster Barnes & Noble, Towne Center Plaza. Read more about the event on the Barnes & Noble website and event Facebook page.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram

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The U.S. is reborn at Plank North

21 May

united states

If you’ve ever attended — or had children who attended — Plank Road North Elementary School, you’re likely very familiar with the huge United States map painted on the playground near the southwest corner of the school.

Depending on how long ago you were there, you might also remember it as a very colorful representation of our great country, each state sporting a bright prime color.

But that hasn’t been the case for a long time. Over the years, the once vibrant map has faded, the colors almost completely unrecognizable.

Plank North kindergarten teacher Peggy Garritano has decided to do something about that. The map sits outside her classroom window, as it has for the 17 years she’s worked at the school. Apparently she got tired of looking at the faded states, so she’s taken it upon herself to restore the map’s original vibrancy.

For several weeks now, Garritano has been coming around 6:30 a.m. every day — weather permitting — to paint a state or two. And even though she’s doing all of the work, Garritano is still able to use the slowly blooming map to teach her students about the United States.

When I was in their classroom the other day, the kids were excited to tell me about the states that had already been completed (including “Montania,” according to one little boy); why Texas would take a long time to paint and Rhode Island a very short time (“Look how little it is!” said one little girl); and apparently they had already taken issue with how the map shows Alaska and Hawaii so close to the mainland.

I’ll be following the map’s progress, including writing an East Extra column when the project is complete. So stay tuned.

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Post office helps Hope House Stamp Out Hunger

18 May

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Hey everybody, if you participated in last weekend’s annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive sponsored by the post office, I thought you might be interested in seeing where some of your donations wound up.

I got these photos from my friends at Hope House in Webster, a social justice ministry supported by Holy Trinity Church. Hope House provides food, clothing and other assistance to individuals in need.

Hope House staff members estimate that postal workers collected over 4,000 pounds of food, helping to fill the shelves.

Thank you to Kerri Kiniorski for these photos.

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It must be summer, because….

17 May

fiesta

… I just received a press release about the St. Rita Fiesta!

This little festival is one of my favorite ones of the entire year, and not just because it’s close to home. There is always so much to do for the whole family, and organizers seem to keep adding new things every year.

This year — the fiesta’s 63rd — there will be a zip line and bounce houses for the kids, and live music by The Breakfast Club and Ruby Shooz. There’ll be an expanded list of food trucks, as well as the fiesta’s traditional pancake breakfast, fish fry dinner, and chicken barbecue. And of course the plant sale and book sale will be back again.

This year’s big raffle prize is $10,000 cash or $15,000 towards a lease from Vision Automotive.

The Fiesta also features  5k and 10k races on Saturday, June 3. I’ve run this race, and it’s a nice flat course which is perfect for strollers and new runners as well as seasoned competitors. The race is followed by a pancake breakfast.

Families can order wristbands early, which gets kids all-access passes to the bounce houses, zip lines, and bungee trampoline at a discounted price. Discount wristbands can be purchased through the Fiesta website or at the St. Rita’s Parish Office.

Admission to the Fiesta is free. For more information, visit the St. Rita Fiesta website. St. Rita Church is located at 1008 Maple Drive in West Webster.

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Mini Webster mailbag

16 May

Just a few interesting notes this morning.

For starters, Webster Schroeder and Webster Thomas high schools will both have new assistant principals next year.

Karen Murray has accepted the position as assistant principal (alpha M-R) for Webster Thomas High School’s Gold House, effective July 1. Murray is replacing current interim assistant principal Jeremy Slack.

New APs for web

Karen Murray and Dan Sepka

Murray, a Webster resident and graduate, previously served as a middle school ELA teacher and literacy specialist at both Spry and Willink middle schools. She also was a high school literacy specialist at Webster Thomas HS.

 

Dan Sepka will be the new assistant principal (alpha A-E) for Webster Schroeder High School, also effective July 1, replacing current interim assistant principal Jim Vitale.

Sepka is currently an integrated co-teacher at Spry Middle School and prior to that, worked for 10 years at State Road Elementary School as a consultant teacher.
He has spent his entire teaching career in Webster CSD as a co-teacher in all subject areas, and has been a Warrior varsity assistant coach since 2005.  He is also a graduate of Webster Schroeder HS and a Webster resident.

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The Webster Parks and Recreation Department has asked me to remind everyone about their great summer camp programs.

Right now is the time to sign up for programs to keep your kids active and entertained this summer. The Rec offers both full-day camps for children ages kindergarten through 5th grade, and fun camps for teenagers.

In full-day camp, kids are grouped by grade and rotate through a variety of indoor and outdoor activities. Campers will also enjoy several field trips to miniature golf, Seabreeze, bowling, movies ad more.

The Fun Camps will take teenagers to a new exciting destination every dayfrom ice skating to RocVenture, a baseball game to paintball.

The Rec also offers a preschool camp for children ages 3 to 5, and half-day fun camp for kids in kindergarten through 3rd grade.

For more details about all the options, click here.

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opioidThe Monroe County Legislature and the school district are teaming up for a very important presentation on May 31 to raise awareness about the rising threat of opioid abuse in our community.

The presentation will be held Wednesday May 31 at 7 pm at the Webster Community Center, 1350 Chiyoda Drive. Click on the poster for more information.

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