Archive | November, 2023

November’s historic Site of the Month: the “Schroeder House”

11 Nov

As we walk or drive through the Village of Webster, we often — well, usually — fail to notice and appreciate the history that surrounds us.

The Village of Webster’s Historic Preservation Commission has made it their goal to shine a spotlight on some of these historical treasures. One way they’re doing that is with their recognition of Historic Sites of the Month. In November, that distinction was awarded to the home at 27 Lapham Park, fondly known as the “Schroeder House.”

The home is owned by Karen Sullivan, who lives there with her son Shane Callahan. The 2-1/2 story Victorian home was built in 1900 by Anthony Smith, and stands out thanks in large part to its prominent wrap-around porch. The porch originally featured ornate gingerbread trim (which can be seen in the historical photos below), and sided with wooden clapboard, which has been preserved under the current siding.

The house has changed hands several times over the years, and at one time was owned by Herbert W. Schroeder, who served as Webster schools superintendent from 1959 to 1969, and after whom Webster Schroeder High School was named. The house fell into disrepair in the early 2000s, but was lovingly rescued by Karen Sullivan in 2003. Sullivan has worked tirelessly over the past two decades to bring the house back to its former glory.

photos show the house c. 1905-1910

The house features the original oak hardwood floors, much of the original trim, dual staircases and butler’s pantry. Major improvements include total restoration of the front and back porches, with which Karen had a lot of help from her father, Ray. Karen’s son Shane also restored the summer porch several years ago. A recent full kitchen remodel gives the house a signature modern look while keeping the original character.

Sullivan’s hard work is evident in every corner of the house. Her goal of preserving the history of the “Schroeder House” has always been foremost in her mind while making any changes to the century-old Victorian.

Karen writes, “Over the last twenty years, the journey to restore this beautiful home has been a privilege. I am grateful the Historic Preservation Commission has recognized this property as Site of the Month.”

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

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(posted 11/11/2023)

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Bygone Blog — A silly song for autumn

10 Nov
11122011 leaves

I’ve actually posted this Bygone Blog before, but it’s one of my favorites, and I can’t help but break out into song as I am raking every year. Maybe after reading this, you will too. (And, well, kittens. I need easy blog posts!) 

I wrote this when I was still living in Penfield and had to stuff hundreds (literally) bags of leaves each year for my trash hauler to pick up. Not having to do that anymore is another reason I love living in the village.   

Carol of the Leaves

(sung to the tune of “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”)

(Really. It’s much more fun if you sing along with it.)

It’s the most back-breaking time of the year,
When winter is calling,
the leaves are a’falling
And bagging-the-leaves time is here,
It’s the most back-breaking time of the year.

11122011leaf

Yes, the most colorful season is here.
From the leaves on the trees
To the frustrated screams
That fall on your ears,
Yes, the most colorful season is here.

I think shoveling is better
Though snow’s cold and wetter,
I just push it and that’s not so bad.
Then the plows come on by
And they sweep it aside.
And I don’t have to stuff it in bags.

It’s the most back-breaking time of the year.
Some day thanks to our pleas,
Penfield WILL pick up leaves.
They’ll finally get it in gear.
It’s the most back-breaking time,
Yes, the most back-breaking time,
It’s the most back-breaking time of the year.

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

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(posted 11/10/2023)

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A new owner and a new look for Ploty’s

9 Nov

There’s a new bar in town … sort of. It’s actually been around for almost six years, but celebrating its first anniversary this weekend.

I’m talking about Ploty’s Hometown Tavern, and everything I said above is accurate, if not confusing. Located at 27 West Main St., in the lower level behind Mozzeroni’s Pizza, Ploty’s originally opened in December 2017, owned by Eric Plotzker and his wife Kourtney. For a long time, the bar was one of my favorite hangouts. My friends and I would often meet there, especially on evenings when there was live music.

But over the years, the bar’s hometown atmosphere seemed to change from homey to … unpleasant. I can’t speak for everyone, but I became uncomfortable with the kind of patrons the bar was attracting, the conversations I was hearing around me, and the confrontational political statements hanging throughout the bar. After a while, I just stopped going.

Then I heard that last November, Eric had sold the bar to Charlene Napoletano, one of his bartenders. Curious to see if things had changed under the new ownership, I stopped in to check it out, and was very pleased with what I saw.

The “new” Ploty’s has still got the dart boards, digital jukebox and the large-screen TVs featuring sports most of the day. But the changes that Charlene HAS introduced have brought the vibe back to what Eric had originally envisioned: a comfortable, welcoming local tavern.

Charlene calls her pub a “boujie dive bar.” The “boujie” part comes from how she’s dressed it up with a brighter paint job, cozy lounge area, framed photos of entertainers, more pleasant restrooms, much nicer patio space and mixed drink specials. The “dive bar” part? Well, Ploty’s is still in a basement.

But even the drink selections have been upgraded. Charlene has doubled the number of beers on the menu, added some hard seltzers, a lot more liquors, and seven different wines.

On my recommendation, our Barry’s Runners settled there several weeks ago after our very first post-Barry’s-pub run. Since Barry’s has closed, we begin our runs at the gazebo on North Ave., and need a spot to socialize and raise a pint afterwards. Ploty’s is just steps away from the gazebo, so that was our first choice. The runners all loved the atmosphere, the outdoor patio, the cheap beer prices, and especially the free pizza Charlene had ordered from Mozzeroni’s. It’s become one of our favorite post-run spots.

So if you haven’t checked out Ploty’s recently, I recommend you stop in. This weekend would be a good time to do that. To celebrate the anniversary, from 9 p.m. to midnight on Friday Nov. 10 and Saturday Nov. 11, Charlene is offering a ONE-year anniversary special: buy ONE domestic draft or well cocktail, and get ONE free.

And by the way, don’t be worried if the name soon changes. Sometime in the near future, Charlene hopes to rechristen the bar “Charzbar,” to really put her stamp on it. But the same welcoming atmosphere will not be changing.

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

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(posted 11/9/2023)

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Don’t worry, I’m fine. Just covered in kittens.

8 Nov

My regular blog readers might have noticed that I haven’t been blogging with the regularity that you’ve come to expect from me. No worries, though; I’m not sick. Something else has been distracting me.

Specifically, four seven-week old kittens.

I have recently signed on to foster kittens through Lollypop Farm. It was a decision I’ve been toying with for quite some time, ever since our Lilly passed away a few years ago. I needed something to fill the hole in my heart that she left.

After going through the sign-up and online training process, it took what seemed like FOREVER (actually only two weeks) before I was matched with some seven-week old kittens who needed a little extra TLC. The description Lollypop offered for the four siblings warned me that they were struggling with diarrhea. But I was so excited to be able to get some kittens, ANY kittens, I let that warning bounce right off me. After all, how bad can it be?

Turns out, pretty bad.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Gordon, Carmel, Mo and Gerry are indeed adorable. And they’re all very affectionate. And they love to cuddle up in a ball together in our laps to sleep. So that part of being kittens has been great. The let’s-drop-stinky-poop-all-over-the-living-room-rug-and-kitchen-floor-and-JUST-outside-the-litter-box part has been rather exhausting.

It’s been a learn-as-we-go experience for my husband and me. We realized pretty quickly that we hadn’t kitten-proofed the house anywhere near enough, especially for kittens that seem to consider pooping an Olympic sport. But we’re smart people. When every new challenge, we came up with a solution.

  • Kittens going upstairs and soiling the carpeting? Build a barrier at the base of the stairs.
  • Kittens able to leap over the barrier? Extend it with cardboard boxes.
  • Kittens able to find a way AROUND the barrier? Attach planks of wood to the side of the steps with bungee cords.
  • Kittens can’t get to the litter box in time? Put a second one in the living room.
  • Kittens soiling the upholstery? Put towels and pee pads on every chair and wrap the couch in a plastic tablecloth (thanks Becky for that idea).
  • Kittens pooping on the area rugs? Roll them up and put them on the porch.

So right now when you walk into our house, you’ll enter a living room with a bare floor, litter box in the corner, and plastic pads and towels spread EVERYWHERE. There’s a box of floor and carpet cleaning supplies within easy reach, and a basket of rags which gets accessed regularly. We’re doing two loads of laundry a day.

So you see that we’re kind of on duty all the time, and pretty much every hour or so we have to run around behind the kittens to make sure they’re getting to the litter box or — especially with Carmel — cleaning up a half dozen little messes. Things are slowly getting better, but it’s been rather time consuming.

BUT. I love having these little stinkybutt kittens around. My husband is clearly getting a little aggravated (especially since he gets up before me and so has to clean up all the overnight messes). But when they look up at me with their adorable little kitten faces and huge purrs, they melt my heart.

So no regrets, and I will miss them when they’re old enough to return to Lollypop for adoption. In the meantime, I’ll try to keep blogging, but it’s often hard to accomplish with four balls of fur climbing all over me.

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

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(posted 11/8/2023)

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Happy Anniversary My Roommates Closet!

6 Nov

Keeping a small business afloat is always a challenge, but the first year is always the hardest. So it’s great to see that one of our village’s newest businesses, My Roommates Closet, has just celebrated its first anniversary.

My Roommates Closet is located at 19 East Main St. in the Village of Webster, next door to the Village Quilt Shoppe. It’s owned by 24-year old Nicole Iorio, a recent St. John Fisher graduate with a degree in business marketing. Her vision from day one was to share her love of clothing and fashion with women of all ages, help them discover new and different styles to add to their closets and to find that “missing piece” they’ve been looking for. (Click here to read the blog I wrote about the shop last year.)

By the look of things, she’s accomplished those goals — and more. She’s expanded her inventory with plenty of dressy and day-to-day styles for both younger and (a little bit) older women. She’s partnered with other small business owners to sell some of their products, like candles, jewelry and specialty clothing. And she’s developed a regular clientele, both online and in store.

Nicole Iorio

No one is more surprised by the boutique’s success than Nicole herself. Thinking back to the anniversary party she had on Oct. 24, she remembers that it felt “surreal.”

“It doesn’t feel like it’s been a year,” she said. “I only feel like I’ve been doing it for three months. It’s kind of like impostor syndrome. It hasn’t hit me yet. Maybe once I’m able to hire someone, that’s when its gonna be like I’m a legit business.”

But she was perhaps most surprised and delighted by how quickly and warmly she was welcomed by the village community. It was a big relief, given how unsure she was of running her first business, in a town which she didn’t know very well.

“I’m 24. I’ve never done anything like this before,” she said. “It was really nerve-wracking. I feel the businesses here (in the village) have been here for a while, and then I came in.” But, “I was welcomed with open arms.”

“What surprised me the most is how close-knit the businesses are here. When I first opened I had people come in and introduce themselves. Everyone was so nice and they continue to be super nice. … Just the coolest thing ever meeting other small business owners that I’m now friends with.” 

“I’m feeling like I’m part of the community.”

Now, at the start of her second year in business, Nicole is determined to give back to the community which has welcomed her so warmly. From Nov. 8 through 19 she’ll be collecting items for Willow Domestic Violence Center in Rochester. Anyone interested in helping out can choose an item (or several) from the wish list below, and drop it off at My Roommates Closet during regular business hours. Nicole herself will be donating several items from her old inventory (“I would rather donate it than throw it out”), and will be taking all of the donations downtown just before Thanksgiving.

She’s already planning another donation drive of some kind for December. “I really want to do something and give back and get the community involved,” she said, “and now I have that community where I can.”

My Roommates Closet is located at 19 East Main St. in the Village of Webster. The shop is open Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday noon to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4 p.m.

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

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(posted 11/6/2023)

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Thank you, ReTree volunteers!

4 Nov

Just a quick shout-out today to the 20 volunteers who helped the Friends of Webster Trails plant nearly 100 baby trees from from the ReTree nursery on the most recent workday, Oct. 21.

It was the Friends’ second annual fall planting event, which this year saw trees planted at Whiting Road Nature Preserve and Gosnell Big Woods.

The Friends’ Webster ReTree Project was begun in 2022 to address the loss of forests to insects and disease, by raising and planting a variety of native trees. The project has two objectives:

  • to improve the ecological resiliency of forested habitat within the Webster Open Space area, and
  • to increase public knowledge of the threats to local forest ecology and ways we can collectively mitigate these risks

Thank you again, volunteers, for all your hard work.

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

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(posted 11/4/2023)

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Did you see the moon dog?

3 Nov

The moon put on a spectacular show last Saturday night; perhaps you saw it. It was called a “moon dog.” I didn’t notice it, but learned about it instead from Jackson Thomas, one of my loyal readers, who sent me the following description and photos from when he attended the Webster Recreation Center’s Pumpkins on Parade event that night:

In addition to the amazing activities and decorations (at Pumpkins on Parade), participants were also treated to a somewhat rare astronomical event: moon dogs.  This atmospheric phenomenon is the night-time equivalent of the sun dogs sometimes seen during the day when high, thin cirrus clouds create a bright, colorful spot on either or both sides of the sun. 

Moon dogs, like sun dogs, appear within the 22-degree halo surrounding either the moon or the sun, although this halo of refracted light is not always visible around the sun, unlike the brilliant halo we witnessed that evening surrounding the moon.  Sun dogs are colorful and appear to be miniature rainbows as sunlight is refracted through ice crystals at high altitude within those cirrus clouds.  Moon dogs ordinarily lack the color of sun dogs, because moonlight is not strong enough to activate the color-sensing cones in our eyes, but, as you will see in my photos, there was a slight touch of color due to the moon’s brilliance that evening.

Jackson also attached the informational photo below, and a link to more photos of these beautiful phenomena. Click through either or both if you’re interested in learning more.

Thank you Jet for sending this along!

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

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(posted 11/3/2023)

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The next family scavenger hunt hike is this weekend

2 Nov

The weather’s looking pretty OK for the next Family Scavenger Hunt, scheduled for Saturday Nov. 4 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Drive.

Participants will explore the one-mile long Chiyoda Trail behind the Rec Center, looking for scavenger hunt clues. Regular scavenger hunt hikers will be delighted with the new twist introduced with this hike. (All I’m going to say is I hope you like jigsaw puzzles!)

Three different skill levels will be offered for kids aged 2 to 12, so children of all ages can participate. Everyone who completes the hike can choose an apple or mini pumpkin as a prize.

Cost is $5 per child, and please preregister at the Recreation website (look for program 301205-A). You can pay when you get to the hike. Sign in anytime between 10 a.m. and noon. The hunt will take place rain or shine, so dress for the weather.

This hike is sponsored by the Webster Recreation Center and in collaboration with the Friends of Webster Trails and WHEN, the Webster Health and Education Network. All proceeds will benefit the Friends.

And if you REALLY like hiking, here’s something you might want to try.

That same evening, Saturday Nov. 4, the Friends of Webster Trails’ annual Hot Cocoa Hike will be held at Gosnell Big Woods Preserve (674 Vosburg Rd.).

The hike is approximately 1.3 miles long (start to finish) and will include a stop for socialization and hot cocoa. The trail starts at the parking lot and will be marked by lights along the way. This is not a guided event. You are responsible finding your way to the hot cocoa and back by following the marked path.

Participants are asked to leave the parking lot between 7 and 8 p.m., to arrive at the hot cocoa stop by 8:30 p.m. Please leave your dog at home; you can bring them back to enjoy the trail another time. Please bring a flashlight and your own travel mug. This is a carry-in carry out event.

There’s no cost, but please register here so the Friends know how many people to expect.

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

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(posted 11/2/2023)

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The Pride of Webster lived up to its name in Syracuse

1 Nov

Congratulations to the Webster Marching Band for their amazing performance last Sunday at the New York State Field Band Championships, held in Syracuse.

The Pride of Webster, competing against eight other schools in the Large School 2 division, came in second place (only .4 points behind first place Hicksville), posting their highest score of the season, a 90.75. 

Perhaps it wasn’t the finish that a lot of people were hoping for, but it was a tremendous achievement. It was also a perfect crescendo for a season in which the band took first place in six local competitions, and three out of four first place honors in the U.S. Marine Corps Invitational, with this year’s stunning production, “Our Voices Carry.”

We’re so very proud of you, our very own Webster Marching Band. You’ll always be #1 in our books.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@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 11/1/2023)

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