Archive | November, 2022

Local Nurse Corps veteran recognized

20 Nov

In this month of November, when we make a point to recognize and thank our nation’s veterans, here’s a nice story about one of Webster’s own.

On Friday Nov. 11, Town of Webster Deputy Supervisor Patti Cataldi and Cherie Wood, from the Daughters of the American Revolution, Canandaigua Chapter, attended the Veteran’s Day ceremony held at the Maplewood nursing home. They made the trip especially to present a Certificate of Appreciation to Maplewood resident Marie Gyles.

Marie had been invited to a Thank You Celebration held on July 30 at Webster Union Ceremony to recognize first responders, veterans and the military. But due to COVID restrictions, she was unable to attend. So Cataldi and Wood brought the certificate to her.

Marie Gyles was a member of the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps during World War II. In her remarks at the presentation, Cataldi explained,

The U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps was the nation’s first integrated uniformed U.S. service corps. It fulfilled an urgent need for nurses during World War II. During that time many nurses were called to military service to care for soldiers overseas, creating vacancies of approximately 17,000 nursing positions in civilian hospitals in the United States. Many hospitals were on the verge of collapse. In 1943 President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Nurse Training Act to provide accelerated nursing training. The federal government covered the cost of tuition, room and board, a monthly stipend and the Cadet Corps uniforms. By 1945, Cadet Nurses were providing 80% of the nursing care in the hospitals in the United States. The Corps celebrated the 75th Anniversary of their creation in 2018.

Marie began her training and was admitted to the United States Cadet Nurse Corps in August 1944 at just 18 years old. She began working as a registered nurse at a tuberculosis hospital in Auburn. She later worked in maternity and pediatric care at Wilson Hospital, where she had trained for the Cadet Corps.

Cataldi also pointed out that the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps remains the only uniformed corps members not to be recognized as veterans. An amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act is pending approval, so hopefully that will soon change.

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(posted 11/20/2022)


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My first Nutcracker will not be my last

20 Nov

I know that many will find this hard to believe, but in all my 60-plus years, I had never seen a complete version of the Nutcracker ballet. That changed a few nights ago when my friend Denise Baller of Dancing With Denise hooked me up with some excellent tickets to Friday night’s production of Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet at the Auditorium Theater, so I could sit right in the middle of the auditorium to experience this magical performance for the first time.

Any of you who have had the pleasure of seeing Nutcracker know that I don’t use the word “magical” lightly. From the bright Christmas-Eve-celebration colors, costumes and staging in the first act, to the sparkling wintry scenes in Act II, I sat enraptured through the whole show.

The dancing was magnificent, of course, presented by an international cast at the top of their game. But the stars of the show? That would be the 40 local children who played the parts of mice, party kids, snowflakes and several other characters. Those little dancers included 35 Dancing With Denise students, including two with special needs.

I had to feel a little sorry for the professional dancers when the kids were performing. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one, for example, paying more attention to the little rats scurrying around the stage than the pitched battle taking place between the Rat King and the Nutcracker.

Adding to my wonderful experience, Denise was kind enough to take me to the backstage dressing rooms, where she introduced me to her young cast. I took some great photos of the kids, which you can see below.

It’s safe to say I’m already looking forward to attending this glorious production again next year.

Miss Denise with the Snow Maidens
Snowflakes
Mice
Party kids
Taking a bow
Miss Denise’s able helpers

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(posted 11/20/2022)

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Mrs. Claus has reached her goal!

19 Nov

Thanks in part to the generosity of my wonderful readers, Florence “Mrs. Claus” Kinney has reached her incredible goal of collecting and donating 100,000 Christmas gifts for children.

If you don’t know her story, here it is in a nutshell:

Florence Kinney is the driving force behind a grassroots ministry which she calls “Santa’s Workshop,” dedicated to bringing presents to children who might not get many gifts, or anything, for Christmas. It began in 2003, with the purchase of just two toy trucks for two brothers who would be spending Christmas in the hospital. In the 33 years since, it has grown to the point where Santa’s Workshop has delivered more than 97,500 gifts. This year she was hoping to put that number over 100,000. (Click here to read more about the Florience and how she got started.)

On my my recent visit a few days ago, Florence told me that a donation she’d received on Tuesday night had put her over her goal, just in time for her volunteer “elves” to swoop in and start packing the toys and clothing items for delivery to agencies all over the Rochester area.

I cannot thank you all enough for helping Florence fulfill what she considers her divine mission. Several of my readers went out and bought brand new toys, socks and winter wear. Others donated new toys and books they had around the house (some which were dropped on my porch anonymously), and more than a few actually sat down and knitted or crocheted dozens of pairs of mittens, hats and scarves.

The Webster Central School District also helped out. When Superintendent Brian Neenan heard that Florence and her elves were going to be short on boxes for their deliveries, he was happy to let me bring her dozens of boxes that were being emptied at the Schlegel Elementary School library.

Here are some more photos of some of Florence’s elves:

MacKenzie Lee from Mohawk Global
Jeff and Mary Ann, Chief Elf and his assistant
John, one of several volunteers from Mohawk Global, with Florence

“Santa’s Workshop” officially ramped up operations on Monday, when Florence’s elves gathered to start the packing and delivering. When I stopped by to check out the operation, Florence reiterated how grateful she is for all of your help. She considers it a miracle.

As for me, this experience has confirmed my sincere belief that there are a lot of good people out there, and when someone is in need, those good people come out of the woodwork. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for helping make Florence’s dream a reality.

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

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(posted 11/19/2022)

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Mama Lor’s now open on Lake Road

18 Nov

One of Webster’s best-loved restaurants has just gotten better. The very popular Mama Lor’s Cafe has opened a second location.

On October 1, Mama Lor’s officially opened at 1319 Lake Rd., in what used to be Doc’s Beer Hall, and before that, the Lake Road Country Store. Just ten minutes away from the original location at 1891 Ridge Rd., owners Mike Pompa, Lori Rosenzweig and Jonathan Oliva have created yet another comfortable, family-friendly restaurant that’s already becoming an integral part of the Lake Rd. community.

The new Mama Lor’s Cafe is a tad smaller than the original location, but that’s hard to tell when you walk through the front door. Unlike Ridge Road, which is divided into three distinct areas, the new restaurant’s dining room has an open floor plan, comfortably seating 80 customers. Another 40 can be accommodated on the big front patio.

The restaurant still offers many of its most popular breakfast, lunch and dinner menu items and specials, including the extremely popular fish fry. But, in a nod to its closer-lo-lake-Ontario location, some new seafood options have also been added. A full bar stretches along one wall, featuring a wide selection of liquors, and regional canned, bottled and draft beers.

One main thing that hasn’t changed with the new Mama Lor’s is the business’ commitment to community. It’s a commitment that goes back to when — and why — Lori opened the original Mama Lor’s in 2012, replacing the old Union Hill Country Grill.

Mike Pompa said that Lori used to work at the Country Grill and saw how much it drew the community together. “While it was vacant, it was always on (Lori’s) mind to resurrect that area, to bring it back to what it was,” he said. “She knew the community was huge over there. She loved the community, she loved seeing people.” Converting the old store into a restaurant seemed like a great way to create that community again.

The community responded in kind, both in good times and (especially) bad. During COVID, for example, Mike said that cars would be backed up in the parking lot waiting for the waitresses to deliver to-go orders.

That community focus was a big reason Mike, Lori and John decided to expand the business to Lake Road, just six miles from the Ridge Road location.

Historically, the Country Store and Doc’s Beer Hall “had a huge following,” Mike said. “Everyone we talk to says ‘I used to come here.’ When they closed down, we had the opportunity to do the same thing in this area,” to rebuild that sense of community.

Now that the business is up and running smoothly, the partners are looking at continued improvements over the next several weeks and next year. They include covering the patio, adding a heated front-door walkway, and creating an “express room” with a separate entrance for take-out orders, grab-and-go sandwiches, and maybe even beer and ice cream.

The new Mama Lor’s has already been warmly welcomed by many Ridge Road regulars. Now Mike hopes that Websterites on the north and west sides of town — who may not be familiar with the original restaurant — will now also get to know and love Mama Lor’s.

After all, the more the merrier for a business which strives to be a welcoming gathering place for the entire Webster community.

Ariana Amico behind the bar
Sound dampeners on the ceiling and walls helpo keep the noise down
Plenty of regional brews to choose from

The new Mama Lor’s Cafe is located at 1319 Lake Rd., Webster. They’re open Monday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Click here to visit their webpage and here to see them on Facebook.

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

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(posted 11/18/2022)

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Cobblestone presents check to Miracle Field

17 Nov

Dan and Sarah Bresnahan, co-owners of Webster’s Cobblestone on Main restaurant, presented a very large check (both in size and amount) to Challenger Miracle Field on Wednesday morning.

The check represented part of the proceeds from the first-ever Webster Oktoberfest, held Sept. 16 and 17 at Webster Fireman’s Field. Cobblestone on Main provided the beer, wine and soft drinks for the festival. The check for $8,000, presented to Miracle Field co-founder Ron Kampff, represented the proceeds from those sales. Several staff members, and even some regular patrons who had volunteered for the two-day event, were also on hand at the presentation.

Dan Bresnahan said the partnership with Miracle Field is exactly the kind of community collaboration they’ve been looking for.

“We are really excited to have been a part of the first Webster Oktoberfest,” he said. “Our goal was to find a local organization to partner with so we could give back to the community. Challenger Miracle Field is a fabulous organization, with great leadership, and one we feel aligns with our mission and values.”

He added, “There are so many great organizations, but these guys are amazing for what they’ve done for individuals with disabilities and inclusivity.”

There’s no shortage of projects at Miracle Field which can benefit from the donation. “We’re always making improvements,” Ron Kampff said. Right now, for example, plans are in motion to install stadium lights so athletes can hold night games. The cash might also help fund the many special events and sporting programs the organization runs all year long.

Kampff said he was especially grateful to Oktoberfest organizer Mike Spang for the opportunity to get the community involved and help bring attention to Miracle Field and its mission.

The Webster Oktoberfest benefited our community in so many ways. Not only did it bring another great festival to the Webster summer calendar (which I hope will become an annual event), it supported an incredibly worthy organization. It raised thousands of dollars for Miracle Field, but more importantly, people walked away from that festival knowing more about the life-changing opportunities the organization provides for children and adults with disabilities. Many thanks to Mike Spang, long-time organizer of the Irondequoit Oktoberfest, for bringing his experience and skills to Webster.

Cobblestone on Main is located at 109 West Main St. in the Village of Webster. Click here to visit their Facebook page.

Pictured above are (front row L-R) Evelyn Fonda, co-owner Sarah Bresnahan, Brenda Baleno, Ron Kampff, Mike Spang, Allie McLaurin; (back row) Tom Wright, Joe Baleno, Dan Bresnahan. Evelyn and Allie are Cobblestone employees. Brenda, Joe and Tom are regular customers who volunteered at the festival.

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

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(posted 11/17/2022)

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Get your ugly on at this year’s Winter Wonderland

16 Nov

In a blog I posted last week, I told you all about some of the changes in store for the festival formerly known as “White Christmas.”

In a nutshell, in addition to all of the features everyone has come to love about White Christmas — including Santa, carolers, the bell choir, the festival wagon and the Parade of Lights — the newly christened “Webster’s Winter Wonderland” on Saturday Dec. 3 has also taken on an around-the-world theme.

But here’s an extra special, really fun wrinkle in the festival that I didn’t mention before: the Ugly Sweater Spectacular! (I just made that name up, so don’t hold the village to it.)

Everyone who attends the Winter Wonderland activities, and especially the parade, is encouraged to wear an ugly sweater. Even if your group is marching in the parade, you can all wear ugly sweaters. You don’t even have to go out and buy one. (They’re often hard to find this time of year.) Just take an old sweater and hang stuff on it! There will be a photo booth set up on Main Street in front of Lala’s where you and your family members can get your photo taken with your creative attire.

Getting the whole village to dress up in ugly sweaters will be tons of fun, but there’s also an ulterior motive. The Webster Business Improvement District, who brings you this holiday celebration every year, is hoping that next year we can set a record for the largest gathering of ugly sweaters and launch our little village into the Guinness Book of World Records. The record right now is about 3,500. We can certainly beat that.

So start making those sweaters, and stay tuned for more details about Webster’s Winter Wonderland, scheduled for Sat. Dec. 3.

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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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(posted 11/16/2022)

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Barry’s Old School Irish celebrates 11 years

15 Nov

Do you remember this corner?

If you lived in Webster, say, 12 or 13 years ago, you might remember this unusual garden, complete with a mini-waterfall. It stood  at the the village’s four corners, welcoming visitors to our main business corridor. It adorned the storefront of the Living Plumber at 2 West Main St., and it stood for as long as I can remember.

That is, until the Living Plumber’s owner passed away, the village cleared it away, Danny and Jessica Barry moved in, and committed to turning that corner into something really special: a friendly little Irish pub.

For a long time now, it’s been clear to all of us that the Barrys have done that and so much more. With Barry’s Old School Irish, they’ve created a super-friendly, welcoming pub for the whole family. A place where you can set up your computer in the middle of the day to work while listening to musicians jamming in the corner. Where everyone who comes in is immediately considered part of the family.

Barry’s Old School Irish has not only changed that corner for the better, it has changed our village.

This weekend, on Saturday Nov. 19, Danny and Jessica Barry will celebrate their little pub’s 11th anniversary. The party begins at 7 p.m. with live music by Irish rocker Billy Herring, Jameson Irish Whiskey reps will be on hand all night with samples and giveaways, dancers from the Jamieson Irish Dance school will perform, some bagpipers will be stopping by, and the Official Toast (always an epic event) takes place at 9:30.

I’m pleased and proud to say I’ve been an extended member of the Barry’s Pub family since before they even opened, when I popped in to interview the new owners for this blog and took that iconic picture of them holding the sign that would soon adorn the outside of their pub. There were no pictures on the walls, no musicians in the corner, no cheeseburgers on the grill or soup in the pot. Just two young kids with a dream which they continue to expand upon every single day.

If you STILL haven’t stopped by this little Irish corner of the world, at 2 West Main Street right smack in the middle of the village, you’re missing something special.

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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.

(posted 11/11/2022)

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Dr. Steve Cochi inducted into Lacrosse Hall of Fame

14 Nov

Dr. Steve Cochi, Webster lacrosse star of the 1960s and Centers of Disease Control infectious disease star during his long professional career, spent a busy November 5 weekend reuniting with former teammates and being honored by the local chapter of USA Lacrosse.

Dr. Cochi led the 1969 Webster Ridgemen to the championship of the Upstate Lacrosse Conference, scoring six of his team’s seven goals, including the sudden-victory fourth overtime winner against Fayetteville-Manlius of the Syracuse area. He subsequently became Webster’s first college All-American honoree at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, matching his high school feat of setting his team’s then all-time scoring record.

A large contingent of Webster lacrosse folks attended the awards banquet of the Greater Rochester Area Chapter of USA Lacrosse, the governing body of the sport, including a table of his fellow ’69 Ridgemen. His family filled another table, and a third included five of Webster’s previous eight local Hall of Fame selectees.

Dr. Cochi recounted the impact of his Webster team experience, including the leadership of Coach Bill Guerrera, who had sadly passed away just that previous week.

According to his biograohy from the National Library of Medicine, Steve’s post-Webster career with the CDC encompassed “more than 22 years working in the field of immunization. As Acting Director of the National Immunization Program at CDC he had a major impact on the prevention of virtually every one of the vaccine-preventable diseases, particularly diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) disease, measles, mumps, pertussis, polio, rubella, varicella, and tetanus.”

The weekend included a Friday evening pizza-and-soda gathering at Thomas High School, arranged by present THS coach Rob Ruller and included additional former teammates Bill Southwell and Mike Martin as well as other members of the Webster lacrosse community. Fond memories of Coach Guerrera and recollections of events of the title game and the rest of the season were stimulated by a grainy and jumpy tape partially salvaged from the original film. That relic of ‘wooden-stick lacrosse’ can be accessed via YouTube here.

Steve Cochi wore #88.

Thank you to Dave Moore for submitting this follow-up.

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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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(posted 11/14/2022)

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Thank you, Scouts!

11 Nov

When Wreaths Across America Day comes to Webster Union Cemetery on Dec. 17, some little hands will be helping place the more than 650 wreaths on the graves of veterans who are buried there.

The young ladies of Brownie Troop 60344 , all second-graders, will be one of several Scout troops leading community members in the Pledge of Allegiance that day, before fanning out into the graveyard to lay wreaths.

Troop co-leader Daniela Viavattine wrote that this year she and her co-leader Linda Meyers are “putting a big emphasis on the service aspect of Girl Scouting.”

The girls will be learning who veterans are and why we have a day to honor their service and sacrifice. The wreath fundraiser and wreath laying event is a great way to connect their new knowledge to how they can honor veterans right here in our community.  We are looking forward to participating this year!

Wreaths Across America is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to place a wreath on the grave of every veteran in the country. This year, the movement has reached Webster, where efforts are under way to place a wreath for each of the more than 650 veterans resting at Webster Union Cemetery.

Local organizers have not yet reached their goal, so they can use your help. Sponsoring a wreath only costs $15, and $5 from every wreath sponsorship will go directly to the Blue Star Mothers, who will use the funds to prepare and ship care packages to deployed servicemen and women who don’t have access to everyday supplies. Click here to go online to sponsor a wreath, or email WebsterWreaths@icloud.com to request a form. Sponsorship deadline is Monday, November 21.

In the back-and-forth emails the troop leaders and I had about their Wreaths Across America involvement, Linda Meyers told me about another great community service these young ladies recently provided, and another way in which the Brownies are learning about veterans.

Earlier this week the girls worked with Mary Ann O’Mara, Pat Miller and Cheryl Quinn to make greeting cards for veterans. Mary Ann, Pat and Cheryl provided all of the materials, and even sent each girl home with some Christmas cookies from Sweet Jude’s bakery.

The cards will be delivered to the Veterans Outreach Center Christmas card program, which collects Christmas cards from children to give to veterans.

This was the second time Brownie Troop 60344 worked with Mary Ann and Pat to make cards. The first was back in February when the girls made Valentine’s Day cards for the residents of The Maplewood nursing home.

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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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(posted 11/11/2022)

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Thank you veterans, from the Village of Webster!

11 Nov

The Village of Webster held a brief, but well attended, Veterans Day ceremony this morning at Veterans Park on North Ave. It was actually so brief that when I arrived around 11:15, it had already concluded. But it was nice to see all of the veterans and their family members still hanging about, chatting, hugging, and clearly enjoying celebrating the warm and not-yet-rainy day with others.

After the ceremony, the veterans and their families were invited to drive around the back side of Village Hall and grab a lunch, catered by Brimont Bistro, handed to them through their car windows by Village employees.

Thank you, Village of Webster, for this kind gesture. But mostly, thank you veterans for your service.

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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.

(posted 11/11/2022)

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