Archive | June, 2023

A Bit of Webster History: What’s in a name? (part 2)

17 Jun

Last month’s Webster History Bit feature really struck a chord with many current and former Webster residents. Titled “What’s in a Name?”, it told the history behind several well-known Webster street names: Salt Rd., Basket Rd., Five Mile Line Rd., Shoecraft Rd. and Whiting Rd. (Here’s the link to the blog version.)

That little blog took took me about 15 minutes to write since I pulled pretty much all my information straight from a brochure published by the Webster Museum. Ironically, it drew more online comments, shares and “likes” than any other blog I have ever written. In many of the comments, readers wondered about the history behind other well-known road names. I made a list of all of the roads that people asked about, and I will try to address most of them here.

So, drawing liberally once again from Webster Through the Years, my handy everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-Webster’s-history reference book, here are answers for some of those wonders. 

Drumm Rd. was named after a colorful character called “Captain Drumms.” He was reputed to be a former canal boat captain who bought land on the west side of the road. 

Herman Rd. was named after Gustav Herman, who owned a farm on the south side of the road opposite Pellett Rd. The road had apparently been nameless for several years.

Klem Rd., now known in part for its spacious shoulders, was only 49 feet wide when it was surveyed in 1816. Several families of Klems lived on or near the road, so it was named for them. It was originally built with logs because the bed was low and swampy. 

It’s commonly believed that Vosburg Rd. was named after the forebears of George Vosburgh, who lived many years in the old brick house near the corner of Lake Rd. It was actually named after Freeman Vosburgh, a German blacksmith, who built that house.

With regards to where Woodhull Rd. got its name, I’ve found conflicting information. It’s natural to think that the road was named after Victoria Woodhull, the daughter of Webster’s first supervisor Byron Woodhull, and who in 1872 was the first woman to ever run for president. (Click here to read a blog I wrote about her.) According to Webster Through the Years, however, when it was surveyed in 1816, it traversed the original Robert Woodhull Farm and so was named after him. 

Webster Town Historian Lynn Barton was able to enlighten me about Dunning Ave., writing, “The name came from Dr. John Dunning. He lived at the corner of East Main and Dunning on the west side. He owned a track of land that was later subdivided into lots. He was a medical doctor who graduated in 1852, he worked for Dr. Potter shortly before starting his own practice. He died in 1901.”

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There were several other questions about roads that were not included in the book, but about which my readers could provide some insight. Here what they said:

Rachel Dr.: Helene S. wrote that “Rachel was named after my brother-in-law’s great aunt. Wegmans kept that name … She had a house right there before they built that plaza and needed a second access to get in and out.”

Publishers Parkway and Document Dr.: Glenn M. wrote, “Lawyers Cooperative Publishing Company was on Publishers Pkwy across from RL Thomas HS.”

Another reader asked about Hrezent View Lane, which was named after the contractor who built the houses in that tract.

Jeremy S. added some interesting information about Plank Rd., writing: “Plank Rd. was made of planks down the dugway by the bay. (The) guy who helped maintain it tried to start charging a toll to cross them.
It didn’t go well. Farmers in the area shut that down.”

And Scott M. added these great tidbits:

  • “Creek and Bay were (called) Drake Road from Embury to Ridge because the Drake family owned most of the farmland there. Bay only existed from Ridge to Lake.
  • Hillsboro Cove townhouses at the end of Ridge were the trolley turnaround point.
  • Maple used to be called Cemetery Road.
  • Empire used to just be Clifford like it is in the city up until the County DOT widened it for major traffic. Prior to that it was Dayton Road. i.e. Dayton’s Corners and the one-room school house at Plank and Creek back when that intersection was Drake and Tract.”

Webster Through the Years, written by Esther Dunn and published in 1971, has lots more information about many more of our town’s roads, along with tons of other interesting history. You can check out a copy at the Webster Public Library, or you can purchase your own copy at the Webster Museum, 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster. The museum is open every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

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

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(posted 6/17/2023)

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A garden grows at Thomas

16 Jun

One of the spacious courtyards at Webster Thomas High School has come alive with flowers, plants, bees and birds, thanks to hard work by the Webster Thomas Earth Club, and the Thomas community.

Back in January, Maia Sutherland, a member of Earth Club, suggested creating a garden somewhere at the school. The Earth Club could sponsor, build and maintain it, and it would be a nice outdoor area for students to enjoy. Two of the school’s three large courtyards were already being frequented by students; one has an outdoor stage, the other a gazebo. So the club decided to put the gardens in the remaining courtyard, which is the smallest of the three, and rarely used.

Earth Club president Ben Verplank remembers that at the time, the club was beginning to plan a school-wide Earth Week celebration, so the garden project was put on the back burner. The week-long event, held in April, was a huge undertaking, including fund-raising events, dress-up theme days, a houseplant workshop and a thrift fair. At the end of the busy week, club advisor Melanie Drury suggested the students take a bit of a break. Maybe a week or two of not actually planning something would help the club recharge.

Verplank had other ideas. “On Monday Ben came in and said, ‘I’ve designed the whole garden,'” Drury said. About a month later, after a lot of hard work and not a little sweat and grime, the sketched-out plans became a reality.

The completed garden is actually two separate beds, together encompassing perhaps 500 or 600 square feet. They hold more than two dozen different kinds of plants — tall grasses, hardy perennials, bushes, young trees, milkweed, roses, lilacs, chrysanthemums, lamb’s ear and many more. There are two benches, both built by the district’s GeoTech class, a bee house and some birdhouses. Many of the plants and building materials were purchased with money raised at fundraising events, but many others were donated.

While the gardens were originally proposed and planned by the Earth Club, their completion has really been a Webster Thomas team effort. Earth Club members, of course, took the lead, but they were assisted by other students, some of whom pitched in as part of a post-AP exam community service project required by science AP Environmental teacher Jaret Schug.

“That really helped motivate people,” Ben said. Everyone volunteered at least three times to fulfill the terms of the project, “but by the end of it people just wanted to be outside and enjoy making the garden.”

“There were days when they were working out there in the pouring rain, and when it was super hot,” Drury added.

Staff members donated more than half of the plantings, and have volunteered to make sure the gardens are watered over the summer. Art students have painted two fanciful planters, which have been placed next to one of the benches. So basically, from the very beginning, the gardens have been, and still are, a true Webster Thomas community effort.

Students have already begun using the space, finding it a more reflective environment than the other two busier courtyards. Teachers in the classrooms surrounding the space have been very supportive, one even asking if it could be expanded next year down closer to her room.

Several Earth Club members are heading off to college next year, but they’re still thinking ahead to how the gardens can be improved and expanded.

“Next fall Mrs. Drury and Earth Club are going to plant tulip bulbs,” Verplank said, and they’d like to ask GeoTech to make a few more benches. The hope is that eventually the grassy area between the two garden beds can be used as an outdoor classroom.

In the meantime, though, Thomas students and staff members have had a quiet place to relax during these last few stressful weeks of the school year.

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

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(posted 6/16/2023)

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Dancing With Denise wraps up 38th season

16 Jun

Denise Baller (“Miss Denise”), the enthusiastic, fun-loving owner of Dancing With Denise, was very excited to share news with me about the school’s recently concluded 38th season, which featured all kinds of special events and special people.

The recap she sent to me began,

When the season starts, I’m always grateful for the new classes, new students, new parents joining our dance family and excited to see returning families with  students who walk into the studio a little taller and a little wiser. This year was especially happy because the waiting room reopened and everything went back to normal.

The year progressed with learning, laughter and fun and the seasons and special events around Halloween and Christmas filled the studio with excitement and joy! Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet returned for auditions and the performance was amazing.

Recital practice began in January and the resulting performances were “heartwarming,” Denise reported. She especially loved her “buddies” classes and the “Gramma Dance,” where grandmothers danced with their granddaughters.

In September, Dancing With Denise’s 39th dance season will begin, and everything starts over. But the arrival of summer does not mean that Denise is slowing down. She’s got camps planned, a summer series in the park, birthday parties, yoga, Zumba, Fun Nights, and even a class teaching wedding couples to be confident for their first dance as man and wife.

Dancing With Denise is at 1077 Gravel Rd. Check out their Facebook page and website for more information.

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

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 6/15/2023)

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“30-days catch” now 100 days and counting

15 Jun

Back in March, I introduced you to Dave Tinnes, who had embarked on a personal challenge to play catch with someone (didn’t matter who) every day, for 30 days straight. It was a journey inspired by the story of Ethan Bryan, who had completed his own 365-day catch challenge. Dave’s goal was to forge personal connections with as many people as possible. (Click here to see that blog.)

I met Dave in March, when he was almost three weeks into his challenge. We met at the library, where I interviewed him for my blog (and of course played a game of catch). It was pretty clear even then that there was no way he was going to end his challenge after just 30 days.

As expected, Dave has not only blown past that 30-day goal, he’s extended it to more than 100 days — and there’s no sign the streak will be ending anytime soon.

Last week, I was honored to be Dave’s catch partner for day #100 of his journey. Our first impromptu catch session in front of the library was short, windy and cold. Last week was much better. We met at Charles Sexton Park; the weather was warmer and our catch session much longer. Our conversations ranged from my blog to his plans to do more writing, to the aggressive geese that kept chasing us off the path. And of course we talked about where his catch journey has taken him and what it has taught him.

He told me he hasn’t had much difficulty finding catch partners, many coming from social media and word of mouth. Friends recommend friends, and sometimes he even asks complete strangers (no one has declined his in-person invitations yet). There have been times when his scheduled catch partner hasn’t shown up, however. That’s when Dave turns to his “bullpen,” three or four people who are ready to play catch on a moment’s notice.

I asked him who some of his favorite catch partners have been. His list was a long one, but included Ike Walker (Negro League All Star catcher for Satchel Paige); Josh Rawitch (President of the Baseball Hall of Fame); his wife’s 101-year old grandmother; his wife, both of his kids and some close friends.

I asked him how the journey has changed his life in the last three months, to which he said,

I’m so much more intentional in the choices I’m making, which affects many areas of my life. I’m planning more, I’m becoming more organized. I’m learning to listen to people intently, which helps deepen my relationships in a more wonderful way.

He’s also realized that he wants to become a better writer, and perhaps even write a book about his personal catch journey.

What hasn’t changed, he added, is that every catch is unique and special, he still looks forward to playing catch every day, his wife has been very gracious and patient through the whole journey, and his son is his favorite catch partner. But most importantly, the journey is still all about connecting.

Now 106 days into his 30-day catch journey, Dave Tinnes has played catch 158 times. Some days there’s only one catch partner, other days two, occasionally three or more. But every single time is unique and every single connection significant.

He doesn’t see an end to the journey anytime soon, but instead is looking forward to where the journey might take him. In the months ahead, he hopes to do some more traveling, experience more unique venues, and play catch at different major league ballparks he and his son visit. And he really hopes he can have a game of catch with Mookie Wilson when he visits Rochester later this month.

Clearly this personal challenge has affected Dave Tinnes deeply. But what’s gone unsaid so far is how it’s also affected everyone he’s played catch with.

Dave wears his heart on his sleeve, and he exudes infectious positivity. He analyzes every moment in life for its lessons, and sincerely tries to listen — really listen — to everyone he meets. He lives every moment of his life, in the most complete meaning of the word. We could all learn from him and aspire to do the same.

If you’d like to schedule a time to play catch with Dave, he’d love to meet you. Drop him an email at Tbonedmt@yahoo.com.

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

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 6/15/2023)

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Wellness 360 hosts special events for caregivers and their loved ones

14 Jun

Our friends at Wellness 360 have scheduled two free special events in June of interest to caregivers, and especially those who love someone suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

The first is a Caring for Caregivers event on June 21, which Wellness 360 hosts quarterly at the Webster Recreation Center. It’s open to local caregivers, and basically offers a night of respite and relaxation:

Enjoy a night of laughter, new friendships, and respite care. We have a group of caregivers that are uplifting and supportive. If you are not a caregiver but have a spouse with a progressive diagnosis, this is the place for you. Our Caring for Caregivers events are held quarterly; we invite Caregivers with a loved one with any progressive diagnosis to join us for an evening of appreciation.  Bring your quarters for a night of Left, Right, and Center. Not sure how to play?  No worries, it’s easy to learn. Our caregivers bring finger food to pass and a drink of your choice to share (wine/beer is allowed!). This event is not a support group but a safe place to laugh and enjoy two hours of time alone.  

Caregivers are even invited to bring their loved ones along for supervised fun from the staff and volunteers at Wellness 360. They’ll be escorted to a different room in the building where they’ll meet new friends and enjoy pizza, dessert and water, a pool table, ping pong, TV, and comfortable seating. There is a small cost of $10 if you choose to bring your loved ones. 

The Caring for Caregivers event will be held at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Drive (off of Phillips) on Wednesday June 21 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Caregivers do not have to register, but if you’re bringing a loved one, please click here to register them.

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The next is a Ride to Remember event on Friday June 24, also at the Recreation Center.

The event raises money and awareness for the Alzheimer’s Association. Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, and over 11 million are acting as their caregivers. 

This year, the ride honors Robert Cunningham. Robert served his whole career in the City of Rochester Police Department, and on a more personal note, was the father of Kelli Beebe, Wellness 360’s front desk manager. Ride in the memory of Robert, of your loved one, or to just spread awareness of the Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

There are three easy ways to get involved:

  • Join one of three 45-minute spin classes held at the Webster Rec Center. Donations to Alzheimer’s Association are accepted at the door. Seating is limited; registration is required. Three different classes will be offered for different skill levels. Click here for class descriptions and to register.
  • If you can’t attend a ride in person, you can sign up for a team, ride when and where you want and donate as you wish. Click here to sign up.

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

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(posted 6/13/2023)

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Grad parades celebrated the Class of 2023

13 Jun

How many of us (especially those of us who grew up far from Webster) have longed to walk the halls of our old elementary schools and remember what it was like “back then”?

This year’s senior class got a chance to do that Tuesday when the graduate parades returned to the elementary schools. It’s a day when our Webster Thomas and Schroeder seniors hop on buses and go revisit the elementary schools where they began their Webster School careers.

It was June of 2016 when most of these seniors last walked the halls of their elementary schools. But this week, as the class of 2023, they walked proudly through them again, and judging from the reaction of the young students who lined the halls in welcome, you’d think they were conquering heroes.

Nodding to the fact that it’s sometimes difficult to recognize these tall, mature adults for the freckle-faced young people they once were, each senior wore a sign with his or her name and post-graduation plans. As they paraded down one hall, then another, they passed hundreds of cheering and applauding kindergarten through fifth grade students. Every so often the parade was slowed when a graduate stopped to take a photo or get a long hug from a favorite teacher.

I think this is a wonderful way to celebrate our seniors, congratulate them on their success, and remind them how much they have accomplished.

Here are some more photos the Plank North parade:

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

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(posted 6/13/2023)

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A follow-up on the Hegedorn’s ceiling tiles

10 Jun

Holy cow, have I gotten a huge response from the blog I recently wrote about the Hegedorn’s ceiling tiles.

If you’re not familiar with this story (which is hard to believe), the gist of it is this: 32 years ago, students at Klem North Elementary School painted ceiling tiles which have been hanging above the registers at Hegedorn’s Market since around 1991. But rather than toss them in a dumpster when the store closes at the end of this month, the folks at Hegedorn’s are making an effort to return them to the students who painted them.

The blog has received dozens of comments and hundreds of “likes” and has been shared almost 70 times. I’ve heard from former students all over the state and the country who remember painting tiles, and are interested in getting them back — or at least seeing photos of them.

Hegedorn’s Produce Manager Fred Palmer has been taking the lead in removing the panels, and had originally planned to put them all on display above the produce case so customers would notice them and maybe recognize one.

Well, since the blog has received so much attention, putting them on display has not been necessary. Instead, people are being asked to call Hegedorn’s (585-671-4450), and the service desk is keeping a list of everyone who’s interested in retrieving their tile. Fred is planning to start making phone calls sometime this coming week.

In the meantime, all of the panels have been removed and are being kept in the back room of the store’s produce department. Fred was kind enough to let me spread them all out and take photos of them. It might help even more former students recognize their work, and it might be fun just to remember what all their classmates did.

Click here to see the entire gallery of panels, plus a few miscellaneous photos. I think I was able to photograph them all, but I see that I cut the name off of one of them. If you recognize the one with the Pepsi bottle, corn and carrots, please let me know!

P.S. If you happen to get your panel back, please snap a photo of you with it, so I can feature them in a future follow-up blog. And wouldn’t it be fun to also have your 4th or 5th grade photo along with it …????

P.P.S. Channel 10 and Channel 13 are both planning do stories about the ceiling tiles, so I’ll let you know when I hear more about that.

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

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 6/10/2023)

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The spray parks are open!

8 Jun

Webster’s two spray parks are now open for the season, at Ridgecrest Park (off of Ebner Drive) and the beautiful, First Responders Spray Park near the Webster Recreation Center on Chiyoda Dr.

The First Responders Park (pictured here) is especially fun for kids and families. It’s a firefighter-themed playground and splash pad, with a nearby pavilion. The splash pad has all sorts of water-fun features including a fire hydrant, a dalmatian fountain and fire truck slide.  

Ridgecrest’s spray park (pictured below) is a smaller facility, but is just a short walk from the center of the village. It also boasts an adjacent playground and skate park.

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

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 6/8/2023)

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Hegedorn’s will save ceiling tiles for Klem North artists who created them 32 years ago

6 Jun

At the end of this month, when Hegedorn’s Market closes for good, Webster will be losing one of its oldest and most valued businesses. Fortunately, however, plans are in the works to preserve some of the most colorful pieces of Hegedorn’s long history.

For more than three decades, 32 hand-painted ceiling panels have decorated the length of the checkout area, entertaining any shopper (who happened to look up) with pictures of flying food items, snacks and beverages.

The panels, each measuring 2 x 4 feet, were created during the 1990/91 school year by teams of fourth and fifth grade students from Klem North Elementary School. Carrie Frank was a fourth grader that year, and her father Matt was Hegedorn’s Maintenance Manager. It was Matt who first approached art teacher Jack Morse about the unusual, grocery-themed art project.

Carrie remembers the assignment well: to take a product with a label and create it “flying in the sky” above the registers. Matt installed the completed tiles in the ceiling, and the art classes took field trips to the store to see them in place.

Carrie remembers, “It was a great experience as children growing up, every week going shopping and seeing our tiles at check out.”

Now, even though Hegedorn’s is closing, Carrie and her classmates are getting a chance to rekindle those memories and take their panels home.

Fred Palmer, Hegedorn’s current produce manager, has taken on the time-consuming task of removing the panels, and the more difficult challenge of tracking down the original artists. Even though the job means climbing up and down a very tall stepladder and dodging paying customers, Fred knows how important it is.

Pointing at one of the three panels he’d already removed, he said, “This is a piece of history. I’d hate to have it thrown into a dumpster and just be lost. It’s a connection to these kids.”

“It’s the sentimental value more than anything,” he added. “It’s priceless.”

The students signed the back of the panels, so Fred is going to make a list, then display all of the panels along the top of the produce case with name cards. That way, any former student who comes into the store can claim their artwork.

Hegedorn’s last day of operation is Sunday June 25, but Fred hopes to have all of the panels removed well before then.

Carrie Frank’s panel was one of the first to be retrieved. She lives out of town now, but will be back in town soon to reclaim her panel, complete with its flying Campbell’s Soup can. And she’s already got plans for it; she’s going to put it in her kids’ tree fort.

Which means that at least one of the Hegedorn’s tiles will fly again, for the next generation of young artists.

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

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 6/6/2023)

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Giving thanks for Newfoundland kindness

5 Jun

If you’re a fan of the hit Broadway show Come From Away (or even if you’re not), the following story about kindness will warm your heart. 

Come From Away tells how 38 planes were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland on 9/11 and how the people of Gander and nearby towns opened their hearts and their homes for five days to house and feed the almost 7,000 stranded passengers and crew members. My story today is about how two Webster residents, Bob Freese and Peg Schaefer, took it upon themselves to thank the people of Newfoundland for their generosity, and how they’re planning to do it again later this summer. It tells of a month-long trip spanning almost 5,000 miles that would take them to the four corners of the island, and change their lives forever.

In December of 2018, when they were visiting friends near New York City, Bob and Peg saw Come From Away for the first time. It touched them deeply. They realized soon afterwards that they wanted to visit Newfoundland, meet the people, and express their gratitude.

They planned their trip for the following August, and as they were doing so, they wondered how exactly to express their gratitude. Ultimately, they decided on chocolate. More specifically, 1.55-ounce Hershey Bars, which could be easily purchased and wrapped with their message of thanks.

They started spreading the word about their planned adventure, and donations of candy bars and money to purchase candy bars started flowing in. Shortly before their trip, they invited friends and family members to a cabin party to wrap the candy bars and individually sign each thank you message. By the time they were all done, Bob and Peg had 600 Hershey Bars prepped for their trip to Newfoundland.

The signing party held before the 2019 trip.
600 candy bars ready to go

On August 15, 2019, Bob and Peg packed the candy bars into their RV and set off for Newfoundland. It took almost a week to reach the ferry in North Sydney, Nova Scotia, and another six and a half hours on the ferry to Port aux Basques, Newfoundland. So they had plenty of time to figure out exactly how they’d go about handing out the chocolate. How would they approach people? Would it seem weird just to walk up to someone and give them a candy bar?

Turns out, they needn’t have been concerned; it just came naturally. In no time at all they’d handed out their very first chocolate thank you message, to a waitress in Port aux Basques.

For the next several weeks, Bob and Peg traveled from town to town, up one side of the island and down the other, distributing their candy bars to people they met in shops, stores, visitors’ centers, gas stations, or even people on the street they saw walking by. Each time they’d explain how they were so inspired by the Come From Away story that they wanted to visit Newfoundland and thank the residents. And each time they’d get smiles, hugs, tears, and thanks in return.

“They were blown away,” Bob said, “like we gave them a million dollars.”

Now, that’s a pretty cool story in its own right. Two kind people taking the time and significant effort to return the love shown by the Newfoundlanders during one of the darkest times in our country’s history. But as I listened to Bob and Peg tell their story, I realized that the most amazing part of their adventure is not the kindness they showed, but the kindnesses they received. Everywhere they went, they experienced the kind of generosity and genuine kindness towards strangers that was epitomized in Come From Away.

They actually got a taste of that hospitality well before they embarked on their trip. Several months earlier, they were vacationing in Florida when they met a couple from Newfoundland who happen to live about a half hour north of the ferry (and “there’s only one road”). When they heard about Bob and Peg’s plans, they asked, would they like to park their RV in the driveway when they got to town?

They accepted the offer, of course, but “We didn’t want to impose,” Peg said. “We thought one night in the driveway and then we’d be on our way.” But their new friends had other ideas, showing them around the town, and sharing their meals for two days.

That was their first experience with Newfoundlanders’ hospitality. There would be many others.

Like the day they met Joyce and Mabel, two ladies who were walking by their RV. After Bob and Peg presented them with candy bars, they happened to mention they hoped to see a moose on their trip. Later that evening a man pulled up to the RV and said, “Hi, I’m Pierce, Joyce’s husband. She said you want to go see some moose. Get in, I’ll take you moose lookin’.” And they did.

Or the day they handed out some candy bars to several men gathered at a town’s clean water spring. “Meet us here in the parking lot tomorrow,” they said, “and we’ll take you whale watching.” And they did. Later, they invited Bob and Peg to dinner.

Incidents like those happened pretty much everywhere they went, as people opened their hearts and their homes to the strangers from New York who were traveling around, handing out candy bars.

But then it got even better.

Towards the end of their trip, they were on Fogo Island when they met Diane Davis, a third-grade teacher from Gander Academy, on whom the character of Beulah Davis was partly based.

“All of a sudden she pulled up,” Peg said. “She has a Come From Away jacket, Come From Away shoes. She said, ‘I’ve been following you. I’ve been seeing your candy bar posted on my Facebook page and it was getting closer and closer, and I was hoping you would come here.’ She came into our camper for two hours and told us her story.”

A few days later, they were in Gander and got a note from Diane, saying that a “few of us” were getting together at a local restaurant that evening and would they like to come along?

“When we got there,” Peg said, “we saw 14, 16 people already there. Almost everybody that’s in the play, the people are there. Along with Michael Rubinoff, the creative producer.” The date was Sept. 10, and everyone was in town to attend a remembrance ceremony the next day in Appleton.

After dinner, Rubinoff sat with Bob and Peg for two hours, telling them the entire story of how the production came to be, start to finish.

Of course Bob and Peg were invited to the ceremony the next day in Appleton, where they were special guests with front-row seats, and their story was part of the speakers’ remarks. That afternoon, they attended a second ceremony in Gander, where Peg stood next to the real-life Beulah.

What a perfect way to cap an amazing experience.

Bob and Peg had a hard time putting into words what the trip meant to them. “Our mission was to say thanks, and it changed our lives,” Bob said. “One of the things that we found out is the message from the play is all true,” he added. “They’re unpretentious, fun-loving people who are giving and sharing and helping each other.” 

It was such a life-changing experience that they’ll be repeating it later this summer. In late July, Bob and Peg will be returning to Newfoundland to hand out even more candy bars and reconnect with many of the new friends they made there. (“They say that when you meet a Newfoundlander, you’re a friend for life,” Peg said.) They’re calling this trip the “Soul Connection Tour,” and they’ll be traveling with seven other people this time. The candy bars will have a new message. In 2019 the wrappers said thank you from the people of Upstate New York. This time they’re from the people of the United States of America.

By the way, they never saw a moose up close. Perhaps they will this time, especially if the amazing folks of Newfoundland have any say in it.

With Michael Rubinoff in front of a piece of the World Trade Center
Bob and Peg at the overlook in Dover where Nick and Diane stood in the play
Ugly sticks!

How you can help

If you’d like to support Bob and Peg on their 2023 Soul Connection Tour this summer, there are a few ways you can help:

  • Log onto their GoFundMe page to donate some money to the cause. You can read more about their mission there as well.
  • Or better yet, buy a box of candy bars and join Bob and Peg on Thursday July 6 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Webster Chamber of Commerce, 1110 Crosspointe Lane (Suite C) for a candy-bar-wrapping-and-signing party. It’s a chance to add your personal thanks to the good people of Newfoundland. You don’t even need to bring any candy bars. Just come and join the fun. Bring the kids, watch some videos taken during the previous trip, and sign some candy bars.

If you’d like to arrange another time to sign some bars, contact Bob Freese at BobFreese@gmail.com. Click here to see the Soul Connection Tour flyer for more details and a look at the thank-you message.

* * *

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

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(posted 6/5/2023)

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