webster on the web

It’s hard to find civility on the internet these days. Negativity threatens to overwhelm kindness, understanding and tolerance more and more each day. So when a bright light shines through the gloom, I feel it’s important to recognize it so that others can take hope.

It’s a Facebook page called Webster, Where Life is Worth Living  (WWLIWL). Unlike another well-traveled Webster Facebook page, there is no negativity whatsoever on this one. Bob Blind, the site’s administrator, simply will not allow it.

That admonition is actually the first thing you’ll see when you click into the site. Tacked to the top of the page is this welcoming post:

I wish to welcome all of the new people who have joined this group in recent weeks. Thanks for being here! The original “mission statement” for this group remains the same. Our goal is to have the most helpful and respectful Webster, NY group without all of the drama, sniping, bad language, flaming, and outright nastiness that is on display elsewhere.

As a result, Webster, Where Life is Worth Living is a friendly site where users are actually cordial to one another, and — more to the point — extremely helpful.

Need a recommendation for a roofer or electrician? WWLIWL is the place to go. Want to know about special events coming up in town? They’re posted there all the time. There are beauty shots of Webster and the surrounding area. There’s useful information about all sorts of topics, historical recollections, and so much more.

And it’s all positive.

The site is easy to join; all you have to do is ask. Check it out here and become part of the conversation. Because true to its name, Webster, Where Life is Worth Living is dedicated to highlighting all the good things about our town. And these days, we need to hear about the good things as often as possible.

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A small group of gardeners descended on Schlegel Elementary School Wednesday morning to weed the school’s courtyard.

Webster Schlegel Elementary School’s beautiful courtyard got a face lift Wednesday morning, courtesy a handful of staff members and students, and one dedicated parent.

The courtyard, circumscribed by classrooms and hallways near the middle of the school, is a peaceful spot with a little stream, a pond with fish, a turtle and at least one frog, wildflowers, roses, a step-stone path and some benches.

And very often, lots and lots of weeds.

Schlegel kindergarten teacher Sarah Paprocki has taken the lead in trying to keep the landscaping manicured and the weeds at bay. Wednesday’s effort was part of that, and the small group of gardeners made great strides in cleaning up the area. As the school year progresses, she’s thinking about trying to get the entire student body involved in its upkeep by assigning different portions of the area to different classes.

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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.

If you haven’t been down to Webster’s Joe Obbie’s Farmer’s Market yet, this would be a good weekend to check it out, especially if you have kids.

The Farmer’s Market is held every Saturday through October from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm in the Webster Towne Center Plaza (Target plaza) near the gazebo. Regional growers provide locally-grown veggies and fruits, baked goods, plants, maple syrup, honey, meats, and hand-crafted items.

And this Saturday, they’ll be helping kids go back to school by handing out gift bags to the first 50 children, ages 4 to 10, who attend.

That’s just part of the fun, however. The Webster Fire Department will be on hand with fire hats and coloring books for the kids, and a fire truck which the kids can climb into and explore. The Girl Scouts will host a KIDZ Korner at the gazebo with crafts and activities, and Walt Crum will be creating balloon art.

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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.

This is the fourth in my series of Bygone Blogs, in which I am re-posting some of my favorite blogs from the last 8 years. This one was originally published on February 4, 2013. 

Have you noticed the recent proliferation of those oval bumper stickers with the initials on them?

I’m sure you’ve seen them. They’re usually white with thick black borders and say things like “ADK,” “SLX,” “QKA” or “BHV.” Most of the time you’ll see just one stuck to a bumper or window, but sometimes they travel in packs. Like yesterday, as I was driving down Ridge Road, I was following a car that had stickers that said SOBX, WEB, NC, EI, SLX and LAX. (He must have been a collector.)

They’re all very confusing. I mean, with your regular rectangular bumper sticker, there’s no doubt where you stand. You’re proud of your honor student. You’ve conquered some mountain. You heart your shih tzu. But I can only guess what “SOBX” means. So what’s the purpose of putting a sticker on your car when YOU’RE the only one who knows what it means?

But these folks are obviously proud of SOMETHING, so I do my best to try to figure them out. Mr. Collector, I have decided, is a very unhappily divorced computer programmer who lives in North Carolina, sells employment insurance and trousers on the side, and has recently flown to Los Angeles.

Now I have to admit that I, too, have one of these oval stickers on my car. It reads “WOF,” and fewer than fifty people in the world know its significance. And I’m OK with that, because it’s important to me and that’s all that matters. So I guess I can’t judge anyone else who has a fixation with these cryptic message stickers.

But I won’t be joining the Association for Silly Stickers anytime soon. And if I do, I will certainly NOT put their oval sticker on my car.

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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.