Archive | July, 2017

A new, not-so-little free library

6 Jul

I’m working on an Our Towns East Extra column for publication in the next few weeks, but this is such a cute Webster-local story, I thought I’d like to give everyone a preview.

Brynn

Last summer, little Brynn Anderson, who lives not far from me in north Penfield, decided she wanted to put up a Little Free Library, inspired by something she saw on TV. After researching how much it would actually cost to build one (especially from the pre-designed kits) and register it, her father Zach and mother Jamie helped Brynn come up with a more creative solution.

So Brynn packed a Little Tykes doll carriage with books, and every day wheeled it out and parked it by the tree along the roadway in front of their house. It worked out pretty well; it held as many as 30 picture books at one time. Only problem was, they tended to get a little wet if it rained.

Thanks in part to the success of that “little wheeled library,” and especially because Zach’s friend and Spry Middle School colleague Jason Jugovic offered to build a more permanent structure, Brynn’s original library has grown.

A lot.

This summer, Brynn unveiled her “Medium Free Library.” It’s kind of hard to miss as you drive down Galante Circle in Penfield. While traditional Little Free Libraries are typically about 28 inches tall by a foot deep, Brynn’s library measures a whopping 4 x 6 feet. It’s so big that when it was being built, people thought it might be a chicken coop.

Brynn says the new library is getting a lot of traffic, and several family members and friends are helping keep it stocked with books. Like the baby stroller, this one is on wheels as well … but a little more protected from the elements.

Watch for more photos and more of the story in the column in a few weeks.

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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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Bygone Blog: Webster’s a resort town?

5 Jul

Believe it or don’t, I’ve been writing this blog since April 2008. I was thinking about that the other day and just for fun, started going back through all the blogs I’ve written to kind of remind myself how it all started and how it has progressed.

Most of the blogs were about Webster people and events, sometimes mundane and sometimes very interesting. But that was the whole idea of the “Webster Blog of the Democrat and Chronicle” blog in the first place.

But I also wrote a large number of blogs about stuff only tangentially related to Webster. Many of them were about my family, others were random musings about things I saw when I was running or a funny sign that I saw.

And a lot of them were very touching and rather funny … or so I thought.

I enjoyed reading them again so much that I thought others might like to do so as well. Therefore, today I’d like to introduce my Favorite Bygone Blogs series, in which I pull out some of my favorite blogs from the last eight years.

I hope you enjoy them as well.

I chose today’s repeat in honor of the 4th of July holiday and the real start to the vacation season.

The resort town of Webster, New York (Wait. Whaaaaaat?!)

(originally posted July 4, 2011)

My daughter and I recently visited the beautiful port city of Baltimore. One evening we were doing some souvenir shopping at the city’s Inner Harbor area, when one of the shopkeepers noticed my Webster Village Days t-shirt. He asked me where Webster was. I told him it was a small town near Rochester, New York. He replied, “Oh, is it a resort area?”

We laughed for about 30 minutes.

After we recovered, we got to thinking. Calling yourself a resort town or family vacation spot is really only a matter of packaging, isn’t it? Any savvy marketing professional could put the right spin on any town and turn it into an enticing vacation destination.

Case in point: if you look closely enough, you’ll see that Webster offers as many — or more — attractions as any respectable tourist trap.  For example:

Water Park

Wet, wacky fun is just around the corner at the Spray Park at Ridgecrest Park on Ebner Drive. Enjoy enchanting water-spray animals AND a splash pad! Or if that’s inconvenient, just have the kids put on their swim suits and push them out the back door. Even if there’s not a cloud in the sky, it’ll start raining within ten minutes.

Beaches

YOU might not call it a beach, but we’re extremely proud of our rocky, weedy shoreline. Take a romantic stroll with your loved one to the end of the fishing pier to see the Great Webster Lamppost, some REALLY BIG rocks, and some stunningly beautiful graffiti art.

Go-karts

Your exciting go-kart adventure awaits at Webster’s shopping superstore, Wegmans. These spunky little vehicles feature the added convenience of an attached shopping basket. Climb in and join your friends for some exhilarating speed-demon action (the carts can be revved up to a breathtaking two miles an hour). This attraction is absolutely free and is open 24/7 (which is great, since the only time the aisles are empty enough for go-karting is between 2:13 am and 2:56 am).

Pedal cars

These two-man pedal carts are all the rage on boardwalks from Virginia Beach to Venice Beach! Webster goes one better! Sneak your Wegmans go-kart out into the parking lot and tour the sights along the plaza’s scenic access road. Can’t get more fun than that!

Nightlife

Don’t miss Webster’s Bar District, conveniently located in the village’s historic Four Corners area. You’ll find a nice selection of watering holes within steps of one another, with yet another one coming soon! (And remember, what happens at the Four Corners stays at the Four Corners!)

Tour Guides

My daughter needs a job. (But plan on her boyfriend tagging along.)

Walking Tour

Would you rather venture off on your own to discover the wonders of Webster Village? No problem! Erin can email you everything you need to know to enjoy all the wondrous things Webster has to offer. (Be sure to allow a good 15 minutes for the whole village, 17 if you’re accompanied by young children or senior citizens.)

Music in the Streets

Free, family-friendly musical entertainment abounds in Webster! For example, on cool autumn evenings, bring the kids, set up some lawn chairs in the Webster Schroeder High School parking lot and watch the marching band rehearse. Flutes, trumpets, big drums, flags…what more could a music lover want?

Local-only spots

In Baltimore you’re not considered a “local” until you’ve been to Dick’s Last Resort, which they advertise as “The joint your mama warned you about.” In Webster it’s Empire Hots (or “E-Hots” in the local parlance). Consider yourself warned about this place, too.

Taffy

Try some of our famous Lake Ontario Fresh Water Taffy!!! (On second thought, that’s not a good idea)

Famous Local Animal

Canada has its moose and Baltimore has its crabs, but Webster has famous local wildlife, too: DEER! You’ll see helpful signs along all the roadways indicating the best places to view these graceful, doe-eyed creatures. And if you don’t catch a glimpse right away, don’t worry! Keep driving long enough and one will jump out to meet YOU!

Tacky Webster Souvenirs

Make sure to pick up some souvenirs to commemorate your trip and take home to your loved ones! Our most popular ones include:

  • Refrigerator magnets in the shape of the WEBSTER bushes
  • Back scratchers that read “Where Backs are Worth Scratching”
  • Snow globes (actually, we call them “lake-effect globes,” and they have snowplows inside). Collect the whole series! County of Monroe Plow, Town of Webster Plow*, Pick-up Truck With Plow Blade, Man With Snow Blower, and the new, limited-edition Man With Shovel® which comes with a bonus bottle of Advil.
  • “Deer poop” (they’re really Raisinettes — see “Famous Local Animal” above)

See? Webster really is a great tourist destination ! It’s just a matter of how you look at it. So grab your fanny packs and instant cameras, pack your bags and visit Webster, New York, where life is always a vacation!

* (Allow 4-6 weeks extra delivery time for the Town of Webster Plow if you live on a dead-end street.)

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

 

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New WhichCraft brewery comes to Webster/Penfield

3 Jul
0703171604

WhichCraft Brews is located in Baytowne Plaza on Empire Blvd.

There’s a new brewery in town and I think this one’s going to be really neat.

I had the opportunity to stop by the new WhichCraft Brews this afternoon, and even though it’s not open yet, owner John Moscato welcomed me inside to chat for a short time in the middle of the final-days-before-opening disarray.

WhichCraft is located in Baytowne Plaza, and it’s difficult to miss as you drive down the north side of the plaza. It’s right on the corner of that “street of shops” the plaza owners have tried to create, its bright white letters like a beacon calling everyone to gather for a pint.

Moscato co-owns the new brewery with three other family members. While none of them actually has owned a brewery before, Moscato also does own the 585 Rochester Beer store in Brockport.

Opening a brewpub wasn’t actually part of his original plan. They had originally wanted to open an “east-side bottle shop,” he said, but “it morphed into not what we really tried to do.”

What they wound up with is a 3-barrel brewery where you can also buy New York State wines, beers and spirits, plus to-go beers from all over the country.

There’s a lot to like about the new place. For starters, there are 55 taps behind the 27-foot bar. Five of them will feature WhichCraft’s own brews. The first round will include a Hefeweisen, a Scotch ale, two IPAs (a west coast and an east coast), and a stout. Future home brews, Moscato said, will be determined by what his customers want most.

For the other 50 taps, you can expect beers from all over the world, two wines, and a cold-brew nitro coffee. Plus, five to ten of them will be tapping brews from other local brewpubs like Stoneyard, Swiftwater and Empire Brewing. Moscato promises nine craft cocktails and a craft soda as well, plus plenty of non-alcoholic choices.

You hungry? No problem. There’s a food truck parked INSIDE the pub which will serve as the kitchen, and with seating for 160, there’s plenty of room in the rest of the place to accommodate diners and drinkers alike.

The food truck idea came from Moscato’s wife, whose full-time job takes her to New Hampshire and Vermont, where “you can’t go to a craft place without a beer truck” outside, Moscato said. “I thought, why not bring it inside? No one’s ever done it before.”

To continue with the stick-to-local theme, framed photographs by local artist Kevin Tubiolo will fill the walls, and many of them will be for sale.

WhichCraft will open its doors on Saturday July 8 at 10 a.m. Regular hours will be Sunday through Wednesday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to midnight.

Read more about them on their website here,  and “like” their Facebook page here.

Click here to read a more complete D&C article about the new WhichCraft Brews written by Will Cleveland.

 

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

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Help the Jack Foundation pave the way to play

2 Jul

pave the path

Hopefully by now you have heard of the Jack Foundation.

This fabulous organization was created in honor of 3-year old Jack Heiligman, who lost his life tragically last October. (You can read more about Jack here.) His amazingly strong parents have risen from their shock and grief to create a foundation dedicated to carrying Jack’s happy spirit forward, spreading happiness, laughter and love to other families, as Jack did for his.

To that end, the Jack Foundation is building a blue, dinosaur-themed playground called “Jack’s Place,” at Penfield’s Rothfuss Park on Five Mile Line Road. (Jack loved dinosaurs.) To help fund the construction, they’re raising money through the sale of engraved bricks, which will be placed in the path leading to the playground.

Individuals and groups are encouraged to help celebrate Jack’s spirit and keep the love flowing by purchasing a brick.

Bricks are being sold in two sizes:

  • 4 x 8″, which can accommodate 3 lines of text, 45 characters each (including spaces), for $100.
  • 8 x 8″, 5 lines of text, 75 characters each (including spaces) for $175.

Bricks will be on sale for a limited time. Order can be placed by visiting the Jack Foundation website, under the “Playground” tab.

Construction is progressing right now and hopes are that the playground will have its grand opening at the end of July or early August.

Upcoming events 

Here are a couple of other ways you can help support the Jack Foundation in the coming weeks.

Breathe Yoga‘s 4th of July Kindness Class will benefit the Jack Foundation.

The class will take place at the Holt Lodge in Webster Park. Holt Lodge is located at the end of Holt Road (right hand side) next to the baseball fields.

Pre-register with $20 donation for a quick check-in or donate at the door. If you are unable to make it to class, you may still make a donation over the phone or in person at our Greece or Webster location.

To register call (585) 248-9070 ext. 2 or ext. 5 or stop in to breathe’s Greece or Webster location.

Donations will also be accepted at the Kindness Class for the Dimitri House in Rochester.

Here’s a list of items they especially need:

  • Non-perishable groceries, e.g., soup, tuna, peanut butter, jelly, canned vegetables, fruits, and meats, beans, tomato products, pasta, rice, Jello, pudding, cereal, fruit juice, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, powdered iced tea, Kool-Aid, and lemonade
  • Toiletries, e.g., toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, foot powder, body lotion, soap, shampoo, razors, lip balm, nail clippers, feminine hygiene products
  • Household products, e.g., paper plates, plastic flatware, napkins, paper towels, toilet tissue, laundry detergent
  • Office supplies, e.g., copy paper, pens, pencils, folders, ink cartridges, postage stamps, envelopes
  • Clothing, e.g., new underwear and socks and new or gently used t-shirts, long underwear, gloves, hats, scarves
  • Gift cards to grocery stores, office supply stores, or general use cards

This year’s Motorfest 2017, scheduled for Sunday July 9 at the Damascus Center, 979 Bay Road will also benefit the Jack Foundation.

In addition to all the cool cars to check out, CARtoon Magazine artist Greg Panneitz will be appearing. You can have him do an original piece of artwork of your spiffy ride, or bid in the auction to win a Panneits original.

The show runs from 10 am to 4 pm. There’s a $15 car entry fee but admission for spectators is free. For more information log onto http://www.zccr.net/

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

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Webster High School Class of ’87 will hold 30th reunion

1 Jul

unnamedPlans are coming together for the Webster High School Class of 1987’s 30th reunion, scheduled for the weekend of August 5 and 6.

This event is unlike pretty much every other reunion I’ve heard of (and even my own reunions) in that in addition to partying with former classmates, organizers are also encouraging former teachers to attend the event.

Here are the details:

  • Saturday, August 5 at 6:30 PM
  • RIT Inn and Conference Centre.
  • Price: $60.00 per person, includes buffet dinner, DJ and photographer.

The following day, everyone is invited on a tour of the RL Thomas building beginning at 11 a.m. If you haven’t been in there recently, you’re going to be amazed at the changes (I’ve worked there for most of the last 16 years). After the tour, there’ll be a picnic at Webster Park (please bring a dish to pass).

As an interesting side note, I first heard about the reunion from Mark Kopf, who is currently living and working in Nelson, New Zealand. It was actually Mark’s idea to invite teachers to the festivities. He’s been working with reunion organizer Laura Fisher-Hepburn and former teacher Pat Moriarty to try get the word out to former faculty members. (Mr. Moriarty, you might remember, was a science teacher at Spry before joining the staff at Thomas High.)

They could use some help. Start spreading the word on Facebook, especially if you are still in contact with students or teachers from back then. If you’re not already a member, you should also join the class Facebook page for more information and updates.

Then dig out those yearbooks, kids!

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

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