Archive | March, 2020

Sewers and supplies desperately needed

21 Mar

maskAs you probably have heard, local hospitals are getting dangerously low on face masks. Thanks to several agencies and businesses reaching out via social media, a lot of volunteers have stepped up to offer their assistance, but supplies are also needed.

Today I received this email from our friends at The Village Quilt Shoppe, whose owners Vanetta and Monique are helping lead the charge in this effort, asking to help spread the word. They included this letter from the staff at Strong Memorial Hospital detailing their needs:

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Emergency healthcare workers are writing to you with an urgent request in this trying time. The unfortunate truth of the COVID-19 epidemic is that there is an inadequate number of surgical masks to keep healthcare workers safe while we care for infected patients. This is particularly concerning as infected healthcare workers are unable to work which reduces the number of patients that we can care for. Given the nature of this illness, infected healthcare workers could spread the virus to healthy patients prior to exhibiting symptoms; in fact, many people who have COVID-19 are completely asymptomatic but are still contagious.

We expect to see more cases in the coming days and weeks, and we will run out of masks before the manufacturing sector can make and distribute replacements. We anticipate that we will be left with handkerchiefs as our only protection between us and patients infected with COVID-19. We are asking you to help by making as many masks as you are willing and capable of making to help keep the emergency healthcare workers safe.

There are several instructional videos on YouTube…. Some feature “N95 type” with
replaceable filters which offer a benchmark of protection that is desirable but not truly necessary. If you are able to sew the fabric portion without the filter we would be equally as grateful.

Monique adds,

They are inserting a Merv13 anti-viral filter that is typically used in furnaces. If you have any of those or want to purchase them from any local hardware and include them with the masks that would be much appreciated. This is a grass roots effort with zero funding.

I am also sending a link to the Hickey Freeman project working for Rochester General. They are not quite up and running yet but you can register at this email and they will also need sewists: workfromhome@robertjeffery.us

You can find directions on how to fashion a mask at this website.

Here also is a video tutorial of the kind of mask that The Quilt Shoppe volunteers will be working on.

Supplies also needed

For those of us (like me) who did not get the sewing gene, we can help by donating supplies. Here’s what’s needed:

1/4 “elastic (if you have wider we can cut it to size)
5” or larger metal twist ties
Cotton fabric (no stretch, tight weave)
MERV 13 air filter (these are optional)

The Village Quilt Shoppe is happy to collect the supplies and completed masks.  To connect with them, and for more information on exactly what supplies are needed, check out their website here.

Also, if you live or know someone who lives near Fairport, Sew Creative in Perinton is also looking for sewers and supplies.

THANK YOU EVERYONE! The Webster community is amazing.

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The community comes together … again

21 Mar

help

Do you remember back to late 2012 and early 2013, when our community came together to support our West Webster firefighters — and all volunteer firefighters —  following the unspeakable tragedy of the Christmas Eve shooting?

We’re doing it again. The Coronavirus is turning us all into a global family, who must work together in a hundred different ways to weather the storm.

I’ve been hearing about many examples of this generosity in our local communities. This morning, for example, I read about a man who created a $150 tab at the Country Store for people to get food if they need it. Two people mentioned that DiVincenzo’s Bakery — which has a cash only policy — let two people walk out their doors with their orders when they only had a credit card, asking them just to return later to pay. Kristina, owner of the former Webster-based Mad Hatter Restaurant and Bakery, is making boxed meals for medical personnel. Local seamstresses are pooling their talents to make much-needed face masks for clinics and hospitals. People are bringing trash bags on their walks and helping clean up the environment.

And this is something I think we can all help with: I’ve seen a few references online about people sending letters to shut-ins at nursing homesget . I think this is a great idea. Nursing home residents often don’t even have the luxury of leaving their small rooms, especially if there’s an outbreak of illness in the facility. A personal letter is an easy way to help cheer them up and would really make their day.

I’m going to start doing this, but I would love to be able to direct my letters to specific people. Please email me if you would like your mother or father or grandmother or grandfather to receive a personal letter from me. (Make sure to check with the facility to see if they are accepting letters.) And if you would like, I can spread the word among my readers, so that our loved ones can get a LOT of letters.

If anyone is interested, I’ll start the ball rolling for my father-in-law:

Bruce Rosenberry
Elderwood Village at Williamsville
5271 Main Street
Williamsville, NY 14221

P.S., I heard from a few Nancy A. about another creative way people are getting together with friends, a virtual “happy hour,” which can be done on a phone or computer. One of my musician friends has also been trying to put together a virtual Irish music session. Doing that remotely, however, has encountered some challenges with regards to buffering and wifi.

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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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People are getting creative!

19 Mar

I’m loving all of the creative ideas to for socially-distant activities and entertainment that people are coming up with, to do with or without kids. If you’ve spent any time on Facebook recently, I’m sure you’ve seen some of them:

  • put your Christmas lights back up. Then families can take car rides around town (or walks when the weather gets warmer) to see them
  • Instead of Christmas lights, start your Easter decorating early and put up Easter chalkeggs. Or decorate your mailboxes
  • Chalk your walk — get some sidewalk chalk and craft an inspirational message on your walk or driveway. People are trying to get this going today and tomorrow, which may not work since it might rain. But we could do it anytime!
  • How about an outdoor scavenger hunt? Google it and you’ll see lots of suggestions.
  • An indoor scavenger hunt works, also.
  • If you’re out and about taking a walk on the trails or on the street, consider taking along a trash bag, and help beautify the neighborhood. Remember the plastic gloves.

When the weather starts to warm up consistently, I’m thinking maybe we could organize a “socially distant afternoon tea,” maybe at Gazebo Park. We call a time, everyone brings a chair, and a cooler, and sets up at least 6 feet apart in the park. We could meet some new friends.

Got any other ideas? Anything really fun your family is doing? Email me!

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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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WHAT am I going to do with the kids? (Part 2)

19 Mar

We have to keep these kids reading.

hartsville

This Little Free Library is on Hartsville Lane.

That has been made a lot more difficult now that we don’t have easy access to our school libraries or the public libraries. BUT… we DO have an abundance of Little Free Libraries.

I’m sure you’ve heard about these. Basically, they’re exactly what the name says:  diminutive libraries packed with books and magazines free for the taking.  They look kind of like large birdhouses (or some other fancy design) with wide Plexiglas front doors, stuck on top of a pedestal, and can be found in front yards, at community centers, near schools and parks.

The idea is simple.  You go up to one of these book boxes, poke through the books, choose one you want, and take it home.  When you’re done with it, you can return it, or perhaps replace it with another one.

There’s a website you can visit to see where all of the officially registered Little Free Libraries are located. But I know for a fact that there are a lot more little libraries in our town than are on that map — ’cause it costs money to register them. For example, many of our schools have one outside.

So why not check out the map and start your own Little Free Library tour?  It’s a great way to keep getting “new” books for your whole family.

P.S. Don’t be afraid to extend your search into our neighboring towns. Irondequoit and Penfield, for example, have a whole bunch of Little Free Libraries.

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Community Arts Day postponed

17 Mar

cad

With an inevitable and understandable move announced this morning, Community Arts Day, scheduled for April 18, has been postponed.

In the email, CAD chair Jenny Hryhorenko wrote,

After discussion with the Central PTSA executive team and in review of the escalating group restrictions, we have made the decision to postpone Community Arts Day. We say postpone because we truly believe we can make this happen on a future weekend – but obviously it is too early for us to be planning for when that might be. There are a lot of moving parts to CAD but you can be sure our team is committed to working with the district, exhibitors, vendors, and performing groups to try and make CAD happen at a later date.

Registrants and sponsors : Refunds for your payments are available, or you can also choose to “hold your spot” and we can refund if the new date doesn’t work for you, or if rescheduling turns out not to be feasible.

We thank you for your patience and hope you are all hanging in there! Please direct any questions to CAD@websterptsa.org

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WHAT am I going to do with these kids?

17 Mar

passport_1770x2360So we’re looking at a really long break from school, and while the school district is working overtime trying to come up with lessons and activities to keep kinds active and learning, chances are that won’t be enough to keep them from climbing the walls before this is all over.

Getting them outside is always a good idea (especially if the weather stays mild) but front and back yards offer limited entertainment. So I’ve given some thought to other local outdoor activities you can consider.

Today, I’d like to remind everyone of the Wegmans Passport to Family Wellness program.

Thanks in large part to the efforts of the all-volunteer Friends of Webster Trails, Webster has about three dozen trails and trail spurs just waiting to be explored. One of the best ways to do that is with the Wegmans Passport to Family Wellness Program.

Begun several years ago, the program encourages families to get out and discover trails, using a passport to record each trail they’ve hiked. Each trail has a marker post somewhere along it, which participants use to make a rubbing into the passport to prove they’ve been there.

During normal times, the passports could be picked up at any area Wegmans, but I wouldn’t recommend doing that right now. Instead, you can click here to print one off.

Also, prizes are normally awarded by the Webster Recreation Center for completing the passports, but I’m not sure that’s applicable anymore, especially since the Rec is closed for a while. Kids would still find it fun to complete the passport, though, and perhaps you can come up with your own incentives.

The trails included in the passport are: the Webster Arboretum, Bird Sanctuary Trail, Chiyoda Trail, Finn Park, Four Mile Creek, Gosnell Big Woods, Hojack Trail, North Ponds Park, Vosburg Hollow Nature Preserve, Whiting Rd. Nature Preserve, Webster Park and the Midnight Trail.

If you read through that list and didn’t recognize some of the names, you definitely have to pack up the kids and get out there. If you’ve seen them all…. well get out there again. Some exercise would do us well.

Read more about the Wegmans Passport Program here

Download the passport here.

By the way, if you can’t get enough of this program, Penfield and Pittsford also have passports, which you can also download from this link.

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Peep Show postponed and other news

16 Mar

Yellow Marshmallow Chicks in RowsNo surprise here.

I received word late yesterday that the annual Greater Rochester Peep Show has been postponed to May 9 and 10.

This event draws so many more than 50 people, and as we all know, large gatherings are pretty much verboten in our current climate. So it was just a matter of time before the decision to postpone was made.

I’m glad they haven’t just canceled it, because this is one of my favorite events of the year (I know, I say that a lot, but Webster just has SO MANY COOL EVENTS). It would be great if life’s back to almost normal by early May, but I’d lay odds it might have to be moved again.

So stay tuned and also I’ll let you know if I hear anything about Community Arts Day, scheduled for April 18. So far, that is still on. But……

Webster Library closed

The Webster Public Library is officially closed, but they will be offering their drive-up service, virtual storytimes and more. I just got this email from them:

As the Coronavirus situation expands, we here at the Webster Public Library have been discussing how we could do the most good for our community at this uncertain time. How we could make a difference now, when it’s needed. We have decided the best way to make a positive impact in our society is to do our part in preventing the increased spread of the COVID-19 virus. We have decided to close our doors, for now. We would not do this if we did not think it was a truly necessary precaution. We will be closed temporarily starting Sunday, March 15.

Because we are closed does not mean we are gone. We are hard at work thinking of what services we need to provide now and creating them for our community in this time of need.

We are continuing to offer our Drive-Up, Pick-Up service between the hours of 11am and 4pm, Monday through Saturday. Give us a call and tell us what items you want, pull up out front in your car, and we will bring the items out to you. Books, movies, TV shows, magazines, audiobooks, storytime at home kits, video games, comics, and more are available to check out via this manner. Call us! (585) 872-7075. Or email at webster.reference@libraryweb.org.

We are eliminating all overdue fees during the time we remain closed. If you can’t make it here to return your materials, don’t worry about it—we understand that there are other concerns on your minds right now.

We are offering weekly virtual storytimes via our Facebook page—stay tuned for announcements. We will be uploading videos of our librarians doing rhymes, songs, books, and more.

We are answering reference questions via phone between the hours of 11am and 4pm, Monday through Saturday. Call us at (585) 872-7075 option 3, especially if you’d like help setting up your OverDrive or Libby account to access our online catalog of items. This includes ebooks, audiobook, movies, and magazines. Anyone with a Monroe County Library System card can access these!

We are planning social media posts with activities for you and building new Pinterest boards with crafts that can be done with limited supplies at home. We are rapidly rescheduling our programs, planning elaborate new ones, cleaning house here, and looking ahead.

As our community moves online, we remain a community. Your library is still here for you! We will adapt to the situation to provide for new necessities, and we will do it together. And as everything returns to usual, we will be here then too. We’ll get from here to there together.

We can’t wait to see you again soon. And until then, we’ll see you online and over the phone.

More closings and delays

I pulled this updated list of closings and delays from the channel 8 website this morning:

https://www.rochesterfirst.com/news/local-news/closings-and-delays-in-the-rochester-region/

Need your St. Patrick’s Day music fix?

Among other things, 2020 will probably come to be known as the year without a St. Patrick’s Day. If any area bars and pubs have not yet closed, they will be soon, and certainly I’m not going near one tomorrow.

So if you (like me) need a St. Patrick’s Day music fix, may I recommend this live stream by my friends Brian and Rose of House of Hamill. (They’re calling it a “Quaran-stream.”)

These two internationally-known Irish musicians are outstanding fiddle players and vocalists — and more. And since, like Irish musicians around the world, most of their gigs have been canceled, they’ve decided to share some love and provide a free online, live-stream, hour-long concert for anyone who wants to tune in.

The performance will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. tomorrow night (St. Patrick’s Day). Just click on the link above (or here). It is truly free, but they will have a virtual PayPal “tip jar” for anyone included to throw them a few bucks.  

Read more details about the event and House of Hamill here.

house of hamill

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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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Wegmans changing hours, and other Webster coronavirus updates

13 Mar

Cancellations, closings and public health information are still coming fast and furious as local businesses and community agencies try to get ahead of the COVID-19 curve.  Below are some of the latest announcements. If your organization has information you would like me to share, please email me at missyblog@gmail.com.

Thank you to Webster People, Places News and Events Facebook page for providing much of this information. That would be a great page to “like” to help you keep on top of things.

Wegmans

Effective immediately, all Wegmans locations will close overnight to allow the stores to be cleaned and items to restocked. All New York State stores (except Brooklyn) will be open from 6 a.m. to midnight. That includes our Webster branches.

(Read more from this story in this D&C article. )

Community Arts Day

Anyone with kids in our Webster schools has already heard that all PTSA-sponsored events have been cancelled through Spring Break. So far that does NOT include Community Arts Day, which is scheduled for April 18. The way things are going, there’s a real possibility that it, too, will be cancelled.

The organizers write,

If in the event that cancellation is imminent, the CAD planning team will do everything in its power to try and reschedule for a later date. … Please direct any questions to CAD@websterptsa.org.

No word yet on the Greater Rochester Peep Show, which is scheduled for March 28 and 29. Stay tuned.

DMV

This notice from the Department of Motor Vehicles:

The Monroe County Clerk’s Office will be temporarily suspending our Mobile DMV Units beginning on Friday, March 13 until April 1 (subject to review and extension). To help promote safe practices of social distancing, we encourage residents who may need to visit a DMV to take advantage of our online appointment system and avoid waiting in longer lines: https://monroedmv.setmore.com/.

Anyone needing DMV services will be able to access all four of our branch locations (Rochester, Henrietta, Greece and Irondequoit) during this time. We apologize for this inconvenience and thank you for your patience as we work to support the overall health of our customers and staff.

Our Webster DMV usually visits the Webster Public Library on Mondays.

Yesterday’s Muse Books

This from Jonathan Smalter at Yesterday’s Muse Books:

As the situation with COVID-19 develops, so has Yesterday’s Muse Books’ response in terms of preventative action. Our shop remains open, and precautions are being taken to sterilize high-traffic surfaces (door handles, phones, all bathroom surfaces, keyboards and other office equipment, etc.). We are fully stocked with hand soap and cleaning supplies, and we have hand sanitizer available for the use of patrons at checkout.

We do understand that some are changing their habits to limit the risk to themselves and their community, so we would like to remind all customers that our full stock of nearly 17,000 books is available to view and purchase online at www.yesterdaysmuse.com. If you are elderly, immunocompromised, believe you are a carrier of the virus, or simply prefer to behave with an abundance of caution, we encourage you to shop using your computer or wireless device. We are happy to ship your order, and our staff is still available to answer questions by phone or e-mail.

For the time being, the open hours during which we review your books for purchase or trade will remain the same, but if additional restrictions are put in place this may change, so please feel free to call to confirm, or to make an appointment if necessary.

We hope that we will continue to be your destination for good books!

Webster Public Library

In my last blog post, I relayed a notice from the Webster Public Library about their suspension of programming. In their latest email, they tell us about other measures they’re undertaking to keep their patrons safe — AND want to remind us all about their drive-up pick-up service.

Worried about COVID-19 (Coronavirus)?

At this time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have stated that there is no reason to take any special precautions aside from ones you would regularly take to avoid the flu and colds. Cover your coughs and sneezes, wash your hands, and stay home if you are ill.

Here at the Webster Public Library, we are working on taking precautions to ensure the health and wellness of our community. We are cleaning and disinfecting high-traffic areas of our library multiple times a day, especially the public computers and the Children’s Room, including the toys with a sanitation cycle on our dishwasher. We are encouraging staff members to stay home if they are unwell. We will continue to monitor the situation and take additional precautions as they are recommended.

There is a low chance of the virus passing through physical library materials, but this is a perfect time to remind you of our online resources that you can use in the comfort of your own home! With your library card you can access our e-book, audiobook, magazine, and movie collection via the apps OverDrive or Libby, both available to download on smart phones and tablets.

And don’t forget about our new Drive-Up, Pick-Up service—if there’s an item you want, let us know in advance and then call us when you’re here. You pull up out front and we’ll bring your items out to your car.

If you have questions or concerns for us, please give us a call at (585) 872-7075, or email webster.reference@libraryweb.org.

The library folks also shared this really neat infographic with me (below), which I am pleased to pass along. It’s really a good illustration of how important this service is to our community. So let’s not let this virus scare us away! If we’re going to be spending more time at home, we’re going to need some good reads!

WPL 2020

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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.

 

A Coronavirus update from local agencies and businesses

13 Mar

As the very real concerns about the spread of the Coronavirus continue to grow, I have been getting daily emails from organizations around town who want to reassure their clients that they’re taking it seriously, or who have announced cancellations.

Below are direct quotes from emails I have received so far, and I will continue to update this blog as I receive them. If your organization has information you would like me to share, please email me at missyblog@gmail.com.

Balance Webster 

As the coronavirus COVID-19 dominates the news and is affecting more and more people and communities, we thought it was appropriate to share our thoughts with you.

We’re staying up with keeping a clean studio like mad yogis! We’re regularly cleaning blocks, eye bags, blankets, and door knobs and have cleaners, soaps and sanitizers readily available for you. If you have your own props, we certainly encourage you to bring them.

If it makes more sense for you to practice from home look for some live streaming from Erica, perhaps very soon!

With love,

The Balance staff 💛

Webster Public Library 

Due to updated recommendations from the New York Commissioner of Health, we have decided to suspend all of our upcoming programs and events for the time being. This includes all daytime, evening, and weekend programs, but does not include individual bookings of our study rooms and Community Room. The reasoning behind this is that we would like to do our part in limiting the spread of the virus via large gatherings of people, a recent precaution by the New York Commissioner of Health.

If you are currently registered for one of the upcoming programs we have cancelled, we will be in touch with you in the coming weeks once we decide if and when we can reschedule. Once programs resume as normal, we will let everyone know immediately—stay tuned! We’ll be back!

The library will remain open its regular hours at this time, continuing our increased cleaning schedule. Don’t forget to utilize our Drive-Up, Pick-Up service—if there’s an item you want, let us know in advance and then call us when you’re here. You pull up out front and we’ll bring your items out to your car.

As always, if you have questions or concerns for us, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (585) 872-7075, or email webster.reference@libraryweb.org.

Webster Central PTSA

In accordance with guidance from Monroe County Department of Health, effective IMMEDIATELY, all PTSA events and meetings will be suspended until Sunday, April 12. We will continue to evaluate and update regarding the developing situation. Thank you for your patience.

(Missy’s note: so far that does NOT include Community Arts Day, which is scheduled for April 18. But stay tuned for any updates about that.)

Heritage Christian Stables

We have entered the third week of our Winter Classic Session of lessons. Registration for Spring Session has begun. If you have a rider who would like to be in the session, please contact us. The volunteer session for Spring will be on When to Help soon.

We have been assessing the COVID-19 situation, and taking measures to keep volunteers, riders and staff safe. As of now, with our small class sizes, lessons are proceeding as scheduled. If the decision is made to cancel, we will let everyone know as needed. PLEASE stay home if you are feeling unwell, and wash your hands before coming to the stable. We have hand sanitizer in the barn and the observation area as well.

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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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Strike up the bands!

11 Mar
IMG_0343

Members of last year’s Willink Student-Parent Band warm up before a rehearsal.

Whether you like to play — or just listen to — great band music, here are two events you’ll want to know about.

The Willink Student-Parent Band will hold its annual spring concert this coming Saturday, March 14 in the Willink Middle School cafetorium, 900 Publishers Parkway.

The band is celebrating its 26th year in 2020, continuing a tradition which began in 1994, bringing students, family and community together to create music and have fun.

The concert begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $2 and can be purchased either from band members or at the door.

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Our very own Webster Village Band is kicking off its season, having just released its 2020 rehearsal schedule.

Rehearsals take place on Thursday evenings from 7 to 9 pm, usually in the Willink Middle School band room. They’ll begin this Thursday March 12 and run through June 4, with a concerts scheduled pre-season concerts scheduled for April 23 at Calkins Rd. Middle School in Pittsford and May 7 at Cherry Ridge Senior Center.

The all-volunteer Webster Village Band is comprised of more than 50 members,  under the direction of Tom Indiano and Associate Director Sue Siegmund. They’re always looking for more musicians to join the group. Additional information is available from Harvey Cohen, at hcohen@rochester.rr.com. Plus, you can see more rehearsal information on their website here.

village band

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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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