Archive | December, 2018

Webster Hots joins Spry MS to recognize students

31 Dec

Bill and Kelly Mutschler, owners of Webster Hots in the Village of Webster, have teamed up with Spry Middle School to recognize star students.

Once a month, Spry administrators will choose a CARE Student of the Month, randomly choosing from a collection of CARE cards. The cards are submitted by staff members, who use them to nominate students for the award, based on students’ exhibiting CARE behaviors (cooperation, accountability, respect and excellence).

One winner each month will be awarded a $20 gift card from Webster Hots. Here’s a video explaining the whole program:

The first honoree will be announced on Webster Hots’ Facebook page on Monday, Dec. 31. Winning students will also be posted in a special spot reserved on Webster Hots’ wall for CARE Program honorees.

Webster Hots is located at 55 East Main Street in Webster.

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WVFD firefighters offer a holiday greeting

27 Dec

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You  may have been reading and seeing stories lately about how local first responders have been gathering every week this month to “say goodnight” to the children at Golisano Children’s Hospital. They line their trucks all along Crittenden Blvd., turn on all their emergency lights and stand atop the vehicles waving to all the children looking down from the hospital’s top floors.

Yesterday our very own Webster Volunteer Fire Department participated in the heartwarming event, the last time it would happen this month.

Here are a few photos from the evening, and you can visit the WVFD Facebook page check out some videos.

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‘Twas a few days before Christmas….

23 Dec

The village was hopping Saturday afternoon when I went into town for some last-minute Christmas shopping.

The village lights were sparkling, and the folk jam session musicians at Barry’s Old School Irish were in fine form, playing Christmas carols for the entire pub to sing along with. Business owners were enjoying some brisk sales from procrastinating people like me.  And Tom McCoy at Performance Hobbies was hosting his annual Christmas Party, which he’s been doing for more than 20 years. He was decked out in his finest (and most audacious) Christmas finery, and he had food tables set up all around the shop, filled with venison stew, venison chili, meatballs, cheese and crackers, and lots more, for customers or anyone else who wandered into the store to enjoy.

It was nice to just wander through the village, enjoy the sights and sounds of the season, and wind down a bit before the craziness of Christmas Day.

Christmas music at Barry’s
Robyn Whittaker and Tom McCoy at Performance Hobbies

May the next few days be filled with peace and joy for you an yours.

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Santa visits the Elks!

21 Dec

Just a quick note today about a fun event hosted by the Webster/Fairport Elks Club on Jackson Road.

They’ve hosted a group called Crew 333 every Monday night for the past two years, created by Ben Barrow and Elks member Bob Avalon. They had their Christmas party earlier this week, complete with gifts, subs, cake and a visit from Santa. Here are a few photos from the evening:

 

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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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Sharing Christmas joy in the village

19 Dec

The week before Christmas has become one of the most musical weeks of the entire year in the Village of Webster.

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On Monday night, Robyn Whittaker, hairdresser extraordinaire, special event organizer, village cheerleader and all around good egg, hosted her third annual Christmas Carol Debacle. Robyn provides pizza and assorted spiked and non-spiked beverages for the event, which drew a big crowd of about 20 people this year, despite the promise of bracing winter winds .

The tuneful group stopped first at Rubino’s to serenade the employees and diners there. Then they wandered through a few east-side village streets, stopping at perhaps a half dozen other houses before heading back to The Coach via Burke’s Grill and The Bistro.

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The following evening, the Chorus of the Genesee took to many of those same streets for their annual Soup and Carol Night. The group was quite a bit larger — numbering maybe 30 or more (I never got an actual count), the weather much more comfortable and the signing voices much more in tune.

The first stop, as it has been every year, was Webster Eye Care Associates, which is pretty much across the street from the Harmony House. The folks there have hosted the annual visit from the Chorus carolers for 24 years, and this year greeted the singers with doughnut holes, hot chocolate and gift bags.

A second regular stop is the Cataldi home, where there’s always hot cider for the Chorus carolers. These folks always have a holiday party that evening as well, complete with instruments, and gather on the porch to perform a carol of their own (this year it was Mele Kalikimaka, accompanied by ukuleles).

The Barry’s Runners
Some of the $200 in gift cards we distributed

My running club, Barry’s Runners, also helped spread some holiday spirit Tuesday evening, with our third (maybe fourth) JACK Foundation Run.

The JACK Foundation, formed in memory of young Jack Heiligman who lost his life in a tragic accident in October 2016. The foundation’s goal is to remember Jack’s giving spirit by passing on random acts of kindness.

Tuesday night, the Barry’s Runners did that — literally. We collected $200 in gift cards from places like Dunkin’ Donuts, Yolickity, CVS, the Apple Store, Wegmans and of course Barry’s Old School Irish, and while we ran through the village neighborhoods, we handed them to strangers or hung them on doorknobs and mailboxes. Perhaps you were one of the lucky people to find one this morning. If so, please make sure to pass on the kindness.

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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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Holy Trinity pageant: So much cuteness in 15 minutes

16 Dec

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Early this afternoon I had the chance to attend the Children’s Christmas Pageant at Holy Trinity Church. It was probably the most adorable 15 minutes that I will spend this entire holiday season.

About 30 children, mostly 3 to 7-year olds, participated in the production, as Mary and Joseph, angels, shepherds, Wise Men, animals and narrators. Holy Trinity Parish Faith  Formation Coordinator Tricia Kull said the children only had two rehearsals in the last two weeks. But despite having such little time to prepare, she added, she was very proud on how quickly they fell into their roles and remembered what to do and where to stand.

I agree. They nailed it.

The whole pageant from beginning to end was only about 15 minutes. But in that short time, the large audience (mostly parishioners and proud parents and grandparents) was treated to well-prepared narration, passionate acting, angelic singing, a surprise guest and one clearly exhausted angel.

I’ve included a few photos here, but if you’d like to see a gallery of many more, click here.

 

The Three Kings approach
I mean, how cute is this?
Even 15 minutes was too much for this little angel

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Knucklehead Craft Brewing is having a birthday!

13 Dec

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Knucklehead Craft Brewing in Webster turns four years old this weekend, and the entire beer-loving public is invited to help them celebrate.

The party takes place this Saturday Dec. 15 from 3 p.m. to midnight at the brew pub, 426 Ridge Road. And the Knuckleheads are planning quite the shindig.

For starters, there’s going to be a special food menu, and live music by Marty Roberts and Donny C. from 7:30 till 11:30 p.m. Plus, one of the pub’s most decadent beers — the Russian Imperial Stout — will make its annual return appearance, joined by the award-winning Tainted Haze IPA.

Webster’s first and only craft brewery has grown up a lot since it opened in 2014. They updated their kitchen and expanded their menu, added merchandise, more equipment to streamline their brewing process, more staff, and regular live music.

Check it all out for yourself at Knucklehead Craft Brewing’s fourth anniversary party, Saturday December 15 from 3 p.m. to midnight, and wish the Knuckleheads a happy birthday!

Knucklehead Craft Brewing is located at 426 Ridge Road in West Webster, at the corner of Bay. Check out their webpage here and their Facebook page here. They’re open Wednesday and Thursday 4 to 10 pm, Friday and Saturday 3 to 11 pm, and Sunday 2 to 7 p.m., and the kitchen is open every day.

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Webster community helps to Make Spirits Bright

12 Dec

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The community of Webster pulled together in a huge way on Monday night when about 150 children and adults gathered in the Willink Middle School cafetorium. Their task: to wrap 1600 Christmas gifts in two hours.

The event was a culmination of a months-long volunteer effort run by Webster residents Colleen Bedford and Jamie Buss, heads of nonprofit Making Spirits Bright, a program of The Goodness Initiative.

Every year for the past five years, Bedford and Buss have reached out to area schools, social workers and poverty organizations to identify families in need. From there they recruited area businesses, organizations and community members to purchase clothing, necessities, furniture and gifts on behalf of those families.

This year, thanks to the amazing support of the Webster community, Making Spirits filled the wish lists for 47 families, half of them from Webster, bringing the five-year total to almost 200 families.

The scene at Willink on Monday night was impressive. When the volunteer wrappers arrived, they were directed to assigned tables in the cafetorium, each of which was piled high with gifts and plenty of wrapping paper, tape, tags, bows and scissors. Only 20 minutes into the event, the place already looked like Santa’s workshop. But instead of elves, there were high school students, athletes, moms and dads and kids, and representatives from the Webster Police Department, NEQALS, West Webster and North East Joint fire departments.

Here are some photos of some of these amazing people:

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Two blood drives in our area NOW

11 Dec

blood dropThe American Red Cross is back in town today and tomorrow, with two more convenient chances for you to donate blood and help save lives.

The need is especially dire at this time of year — pretty  much every year — because people get so busy and just don’t make the time to donate. Please, don’t be one of those people.

Here are the details:

  • Tuesday December 11, St. Martin’s Lutheran Church, 813 Bay Road, 1 to 6 p.m.
  • Wednesday December 12, Webster Knight of Columbus, 70 Barrett Drive, 1 to 7 p.m.

It only takes about an hour, and you can do your Christmas shopping afterwards.

Even if you don’t have an appointment, stop in anyway and they’ll be delighted to see you. I’ll be at St. Martin’s at about 4:15, so if you’re there, make sure to say hi!

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Don’t miss this holiday light display

10 Dec

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If you and your family like traveling around the neighborhoods during the holidays to see the different Christmas light displays, read on, because I want to tell you about one that you shouldn’t miss.

It’s at the home of Charlie and Cora Venishel, 100 Henderson Drive in Penfield (across from the library and Penfield Recreation Center).  For years, in addition to an incredible front and back-yard light display, the Venishels hosted a magical Christmas town inside their home, with a gingerbread house toy shop, miniature villages, hundreds of nutcrackers, electric trains, exquisitely decorated dining rooms, and more. For a small donation to the Ronald McDonald House Charities, families could enjoy the front yard decorations, tour the village, then wander out into the backyard where thousands more lights twinkled. (Click here to read the D&C column I wrote about it.)

The couple hosted the event for ten years, raising more than $30,000 for Ronald McDonald House. After the 2015 season, they decided to hand off the villages to their children. But they’ve continued to set up their amazing front yard display in the years since, and have added something new every year.

Visitors will see all varieties of Christmas trees, trumpeting angels, icicles, lighted walkways, huge “Season’s Greetings” sign on the roof, Santa’s mailbox, and an Ice Princess’ castle, all illuminated with somewhere around 25,000 twinkling lights. There are also giant candy canes and life-sized snowman, and an antique, refurbished sleigh with Santa and Mrs. Claus, led by eight reindeer (and Rudolph, of course).

Like many private home Christmas light displays, the effect is breathtaking. But what’s different is the Venishels’ continued commitment to helping others. They’re encouraging visitors to help them raise money for AutismUp, a local organization dedicated to supporting those with autism spectrum disorder. They’ve put a mailbox at the end of the driveway for anyone who might like to drop in a dollar or two for the cause.

So make sure to stop by the Venishels’ display, 100 Henderson Drive. Park for a bit and actually wander down the sidewalk to the Ice Princess’ castle. Then tuck a few bucks into the mailbox before you leave. It’s a great way to share the joy and love of the holiday season.

 

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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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