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The winning team: (L-R) Michael Loux, Dominic Ianniello, Robert Kenny and Matt Schilling with Plank South librarian Janet Bresin.

Congratulations to the Bookasaurus Rex team from Plank South Elementary School, who won a head-to-head battle with Plank North’s Komedy Klan earlier this week in the final 2019 Battle of the Books battle.

Battle of the Books is a two-month long weekly contest which pits students in each of the school’s fifth grade classes against one another in a challenge which tests the students’ knowledge of literature. The students divide themselves up into three-or-four person teams and come up with fanciful team names like the “Mysterious Monkeys,” “The Skinny Carrots” and the “The Little Einsteins.” Then they try to become experts in the eight different books chosen for that year’s competition.

In each of the first three rounds, held during the classes’ normal library time, the teams are asked 16 questions — two from each book. The top scoring team from each class then moved on to the final round.

The Komedy Klan came in first pace at Plank North and Bookasaurus Rex at Plank South. The final battle on Wednesday was extremely close. The Komedy Klan missed just one question, but the Bookasaurus Rex team didn’t miss any. 

Plank North is just one of many schools in our district which hold this annual event. Kudos to the dedicated librarians who spend so much time organizing the battles and finding such a creative way to encourage our children to read and love books.

The Komedy Klan: Lucas Hill, Sam DuPont, Aidan Tosto and Michael Leonard with Plank North librarian Gretchen Pulver

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One of the reasons I wanted to move into the Village of Webster was to be walking distance from all of the village’s concerts, special events and parades. I knew it would be really neat to be able to step out my door and be five minutes or less from all sorts of great entertainment.

I got that wish this morning when I basically walked across the street to Spry Middle School, where the Memorial Day Parade was lining up.

We lucked out yet again with gorgeous weather for the parade, so aside from the fact I posted the wrong start time in my blog (which screwed me up as well as many other people, I suspect) it was a perfect day.

It seemed to me that the crowds were a little lighter than usual along the parade route and at the cemetery, but everyone who was there enjoyed a nice patriotic display befitting the solemn occasion we celebrated today.

I took a LOT of photos (I’m sure that doesn’t surprise you). Click here for the full gallery.

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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.

The Rochester Irish music scene suffered a devastating loss on Saturday with the passing of Joe Dady.

I had the pleasure and honor to call Joe Dady a friend. Our history began more than 20 years ago. Like many, my husband Jack and I knew of the Dady brothers from their frequent appearances around town and their reputation as one of Rochester’s top Irish duos. But we really got to know Joe and his brother John when we worked together creating the original Rochester Irish Festival in the mid-1990s, and worked side-by-side for several years to pull the annual festival together. Joe played a leadership role in that effort, because he was passionate about performing Irish music, and his desire to share it with as many people as possible.

Joe Dady was an inspiration, and I don’t use that word lightly. Back in the days of the Irish Festival, as at any performance the Dady Brothers played, when Joe took the stage and started playing his fiddle, everyone stopped to listen. One of those fans was my young son Sean, then only 5 years old.

I often tell the story about how little Sean would stand at the edge of the stage, looking up at Joe Dady as he performed, fascinated by what he was seeing. It was the beginning of a lifelong passion for Irish music and Irish fiddling.

As Sean grew, he would listen to Dady Brothers’ cassette tapes so often he would wear them out. When it came time to choose an instrument at school, naturally he chose the violin — the fiddle — because he wanted to play like Joe Dady.

Sean is now a music teacher, professional musician, and outstanding fiddler. I firmly believe Joe Dady’s influence helped create the incredible young man he is today.

Until a few years ago, the Dady Brothers would regularly play at Barry’s Old School Irish. We would always make sure to stop by when they did, to reconnect and watch our old friends perform. It was always a nice evening, but one stands out among them all.

It was a little more than five years ago when John and Joe were playing for the first time at the pub. Joe at this point knew very well that Sean had become an accomplished fiddle player. At the beginning of their second set, he called Sean up to the microphone and handed him his own fiddle. For 20 minutes, Sean joined the Dady Brothers for a handful of traditional fiddle tunes and Dady Brothers standards, playing side-by-side with the man who inspired his musical career. (You can see video from that evening here.)

It was a magical evening and one I will never forget. Thank you, Joe Dady, for everything.

Click here to read the D&C story about Joe’s passing.

Joe Dady playing with my son Sean at Barry’s Old School Irish. Click here to see video.

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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.