Archive | June, 2024

Webster Union Cemetery celebrates 200 years

20 Jun

Mark your calendars now for an amazing opportunity to “meet” some of Webster’s earliest settlers, at the 200th Anniversary Celebration for Webster Union Ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 17.

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., visitors are invited to stroll Webster Union Cemetery’s beautiful grounds and chat with some of the people who founded our town. Talk to a suffragette fighting for women’s right to vote, a 1918 Spanish flu victim, Civil War soldiers, shopkeepers, boardinghouse owners, and even a Revolutionary War spy. You’ll also have a chance to learn headstone cleaning and preservation.

Here’s a little about the cemetery’s history to whet your appetite:

Farmland was donated for the first known burial in 1817, when a Webster child needed a place to rest. It was originally called The Burial Ground, Lakeside, Union Cemetery of Webster. Since this caused some confusion between other areas near Webster, especially Union Hill Cemetery, the name was officially changed to Webster Union Cemetery in April 1954.

In 1859, Webster’s first settler, Abram Foster, was buried there at the age of 90. He was the first of many prominent families to come, including the Burnetts, Curtices, Fosters, Pelletts, Woodhulls, Whitings, and Wrights. Veterans from the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, World Wars I and II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War are buried there as well.

So plan to take a stroll through history and see why this early burial ground continues to be a significant part of Webster’s past and future.

The 200th Anniversary Celebration will take place Saturday Aug. 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Webster Union Cemetery, 345 Webster Rd. (corner of Rt. 250 and Woodhull). Admission is free.

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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 6/20/2024)

Get to know the Webster Chamber of Commerce at upcoming meetings

18 Jun

If you own a business and are not yet a member of the Webster Chamber of Commerce, you’re really missing out on a great way to help your business grow. Two events taking place in the next few weeks are your next opportunities to get to know the Chamber better and find out how the organization can support your business.

The first is the monthly Breakfast Before BUsiness Meeting on June 28 from 7 to 8:30 a.m. at the Webster Golf Club, 440 Salt Rd.

When you arrive, you’ll be greeted at the door by Chamber staff and members. Enjoy coffee, tea and juice while you network with dozens of other local business owners. (Anywhere from 70 to 90 companies are represented at these events.) A buffet breakfast will be served at 7:30, and you’ll sit at a table with seven other Chamber members to get to know them and their businesses even better. And there’s always an informative speaker — this month that will be Janine Sanger from the Webster Health and Education Network.

Before the end of breakfast, during pass-the-mic time, everyone attending gets to introduce themselves. Then there are DOOR PRIZES! (Bring a door prize when you come and you’ll get even more recognition at the meeting and on the Chamber website.)

The fee is $19, and reservations are required. Click here to reserve your spot.


The Chamber’s next Eat Drink & Connect event is Tuesday July 9 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Pultneyville Yacht Club, Hamilton St. Extension in Williamson.

Eat Drink & Connect events are opportunities to develop current business connections and start new ones. These are great social opportunities for visitors to get to know the Webster Chamber and its members. Don’t forget to bring your business cards for the raffle, and even donate a raffle prize to earn more visibility for you and your organization.

There’s no cost for this event, but reservations are required.

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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 6/18/2024)

Radio Club Field Day will broadcast again from Kent Park

16 Jun

If you’re interested in amateur radio even a little bit, you’ll want to head out to Kent Park this weekend, June 22 to 23, to check out the annual XRX Amateur Radio Club Field Day. It’s a day when radio operators from all over the area come together to practice their skills totally “off the grid.”

Held on the fourth weekend in June every year, Field Day is an nationwide event, held simultaneously with 1000 similar stations across the US and Canada over a 24-hour period and involving more than 30,000 radio amateurs. Operators communicate via voice, Morse code and computers connected to transmitters.

On Field Day, operators are challenged to transport their equipment away from their homes, set up in a park or remote area, rebuild their stations, put up antennas and broadcast in quasi-emergency conditions, without drawing electricity from RG&E or using the internet or cell phones.

ARRL, the National Association for Amateur Radio, describes Field Day as the “single most popular on-the-air event held annually in the US and Canada.”

They add,

Field Day is a picnic, a camp out, practice for emergencies, an informal contest and, most of all, FUN! It is a time where many aspects of Amateur Radio come together to highlight our many roles. While some will treat it as a contest, other groups use the opportunity to practice their emergency response capabilities.

The challenge is simply to contact as many other stations as possible during the 24-hour window, which begins Saturday at 2 p.m. and continues overnight through Sunday at 2 p.m., overcoming any challenges thrown by weather or technical problems along the way.

This year’s Field Day will feature a brand new twist, called a “fox hunt.”  In this case, the “fox” is a hidden miniature radio transmitter, and the object is to use radio-location to find it. Field Day Chair Bob Karz explains that “the skills we develop (in the fox hunt) help us identify and track down interference, deliberate or otherwise, with our communications. Indeed, we used our fox hunting skills this past year to track down deliberate interference with some of our equipment.”  

Bob also said that, surprisingly, the intense solar activity that led to the spectacular auroras last month and temporarily disrupted radio communications world-wide actually improves radio communications the rest of the time. So they’re expecting make even more contacts this year than usual.

The XRX Radio Club will be operating from the lower soccer fields of Kent Park on Schlegel Rd. The club typically sets up several broadcast stations, complete with generators, computers, transmitters, and all manner of antennas. (Click here to check out the blog I wrote about 2021’s Field Day.)

Visitors are more than welcome to stop by. Equipment set-up will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday and the exercise begins at 2 p.m., running through 2 p.m. Sunday. These radio amateurs are always happy to share their passion with interested onlookers, and you may even get the chance to make an “on-the-air” contact yourself.

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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 6/16/2024)

The 2024 grad parade was extra special for one former teacher

14 Jun

I’ve written many a time about the graduate parades that happen every June at the end of the school year. It’s a day when our Webster Thomas and Schroeder seniors hop on buses and return to the halls of the elementary schools where they began their Webster school careers. This year the parade took place on Thursday, June 13.

This is always a highly anticipated event, a meaningful way to celebrate our seniors and remind them how far they’ve come. There are always lots of hugs, and more than a few tears shed from teachers when they recognize their former elementary students, now adults.

But this year’s parade at State Rd. Elementary School was especially poignant.

Now-retired State Rd. Elementary first grade teacher AnnMarie Johansson brought this story to my attention. Among this year’s seniors are the first graders she had back in 2013. That year, Johansson also had a 20-year old student teacher, Joanne Krutchen, whom the students affectionately called “Miss K.”

That summer of 2013, Miss K was in a terrible accident. She and four of her friends — now known as the “Cal-Mum 5” — were driving along North Rd. in Wheatland when their car was broadsided by a tractor trailer. Joanne survived, but three of the young people died.

Johansson wrote,

I remember watching the news and seeing the report of the accident. I saw Joanne’s name and my heart sank. I immediately messaged the parents of my students in case word got back to them. All of our hearts were broken, but we were going to support Miss K. 

In the ensuing months, the students and their families came together to show that support. In September the kids held a lemonade stand at the Joe Obbie’s Farm Market and raised more than $2600 to help pay Miss K’s medical bills. (Complete with hand-made t-shirts and posters — check out the photo slideshow below.) And that Christmas, they devised a 12-days of Christmas theme gift for her, featuring a different hand-crafted gift for each day.

It’s been 11 years since Joanne Krutchen was the student teacher in Johansson’s classroom. But Miss K never forgot those students who were so kind to her. And on Thursday, she was one of the honored guests as those first graders, now Webster Schroeder High School seniors, returned to State Rd. Elementary.

Krutchen staked out a spot right by the school’s main office to greet the graduates as they filed by. There were a lot of hugs and, yes, some tears.

“These kids did a lot,” she said. “They made a huge impact on my life. And at that age to go above and beyond … It reminds me there’s still good in the world after such tragedy.”

By the way, Miss K is now Mrs. Hammond. She’s a special education teacher in the Le Roy Central School District. Less than a year and a half after her accident, she ran a half marathon. (Read the D&C story about that here.) She married her high school sweetheart, and has two little girls.

And she still tells people about when her former students gifted her with the 12 Days of Christmas so many years ago, when she really needed their love and support.

Here’s a slideshow of photos from the lemonade stand, and the class photo from 2013 (courtesy AnnMarie Johansson):

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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 6/14/2024)

Webster community mailbag

13 Jun

I’d like to begin today’s mailbag with a shout-out to Webster Girl Scout Troop 60617 for their kindness and consideration for our deployed service members.

Troop leaders heard that military families in our area needed baby blankets, so they and their Scouts got to work. They crafted three beautiful blankets, which will be donated to Blue Star Mothers Rochester Chapter NY8, who will distribute them to local military families so they can surround their babies with love.

Many thanks to Troop 60617 and leader Beth Cunico.


And now, details about our upcoming high school graduation ceremonies, courtesy the Webster CSD:

Webster Schroeder Graduation

Rehearsal – Friday, June 21, 9 a.m. Seniors meet in the Webster Schroeder Warrior Stadium, 875 Ridge Road. REHEARSAL ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY.
Commencement – Friday, June 21 at the Webster Schroeder stadium. Seniors line up at 6:30 p.m. in the school auditorium, and procession begins promptly at 7:30 p.m. (Rain date Saturday, June 22, time TBD.)
Live stream: The 2024 Warrior Graduation Ceremony will be live streamed here.

Webster Thomas Graduation

Rehearsal – Tuesday, June 25, 10:30 a.m. Seniors meet in the Willink Middle School cafetorium, 900 Publishers Parkway. REHEARSAL ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY.
Commencement – Tuesday, June 25. Seniors line up at 6:45 p.m. in the Willink Middle School cafetorium. Procession begins promptly at 7:30 p.m. to the Webster Thomas Titan Stadium, 800 Five Mile Line Road.
(Rain date – Wednesday, June 26, time TBD.)
Live stream: The 2024 Titan Graduation Ceremony will be live streamed here.

Both ceremonies will last roughly two hours. No tickets are required. These are open seating events. Gates open to the public approximately one hour before each procession begins. There is ample seating for families and other guests in the stands and on the field. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early because traffic tends to back up.

Geocaching presentation at Webster Public Library

All sorts of fun things are always happening at the library, but I want to highlight this talk today because it’s being presented by my friend Gerry Sander.

On Tuesday July 2 at 6:30 p.m., Gerry will be presenting a talk called Beginner’s Guide to Geocaching.

Here’s the description from the WPL website:

Embark on a modern-day treasure hunt with Geocaching, the ultimate family-friendly adventure!  Imagine setting out on a journey armed with just your GPS-enabled device or smartphone, ready to uncover hidden gems tucked away in both urban jungles and remote wilderness. 

The adventure begins with accessing coordinates of hidden caches posted online, each waiting to be discovered by intrepid adventurers like yourself. With coordinates in hand, you embark on a quest to find these cleverly concealed containers, ranging from tiny film canisters to larger, more elaborate boxes. As you navigate your way through diverse landscapes, whether it’s a bustling cityscape, a tranquil forest, or a rocky coastline, you become immersed in the thrill of the hunt. Each step brings you closer to the treasure, requiring keen observation, problem-solving skills, and sometimes a bit of physical prowess, to reach the cache’s hiding spot. 

It’s an exciting and interactive way to bond, explore, and make unforgettable experiences together!

Gerry is a veteran geocacher and his presentation will most definitely be interesting and informative. There’s no charge, but registration is required. Click here to do so.

Vintage and Collectible Books Sale

The Friends of the Webster Public Library will hold a Vintage and Collectible Books Sale on Saturday July 13 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.

There will be 178 books for sale  in various categories including (but not limited to) poetry, war, history, biography and Rochester and Upstate New York, by authors including Carl Sagan, Marc Chagell and Arch Merrill. The sale will also feature authors Pearl S. Buck and A. A. Milne. Prices for some books are as low as $8 and as high as $80 but many are  priced in the teens; all prices are fixed and are not negotiable. The Friends will accept major credit cards, checks and (of course) cash. Money raised during the event will benefit the Webster Public Library.

The library is located at 980 Ridge Rd., at the rear of Webster Plaza.

Frontier Kitchens introduces new golf event

Frontier Kitchens is hosting its First Annual Golf Invitational at Webster Golf Club on July 29, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Entry fee is $125 per player and includes golf, gift and lunch. RSVP by July 10. Business sponsorship packages begin at $200 and include perks like sponsorship signs, logo placement, and an opportunity to put your branded item in the gift bags. Click here for more information and to register.

The invitational will benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and Lollypop Farm Humane Society.

Caring Community Concerts begin soon

The United Church of Christ‘s Caring Community Concert series returns in just a few weeks.

These concerts benefit local nonprofit organizations. The first one, scheduled for Wednesday July 10, will feature 8 Days a Week, and proceeds will benefit the Webster Comfort Care Home. (See the flier below for the whole schedule.) 

There’s no admission, but each week the church collects a free-will offering benefiting that week’s chosen non-profit organization. The concerts all begin at 6:30 p.m., and food concessions begin at 6. The concerts are held on the United Church of Christ front lawn, at 570 Klem Rd. (In case of rain it’s moved indoors.)

For more information about the concerts, click here.

Music, music, music in the Village of Webster

Here’s another look ahead at summer in the village:

The Friday night concert series at the gazebo begins on July 19 with a performance by 8 Days a Week, followed by the Red Hot and Blue Band on July 26. Also playing this summer are Escape Terrain on August 2, the Ayers Brothers on August 16 and the Rochester Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra on August 23.

Also on the schedule this year:

  • Family Game Night and Beer Garden (Saturday July 27 from 4 to 7 p.m.)
  • Webster Jazz Festival (Aug. 9-10), featuring the New Prime Time Funk, Judah Sealy and more.
  • Health Fair and Shredding Event (Saturday Oct. 12)
  • Trick or Treat Trail (Saturday Oct. 26)
  • Bourbon Bash (Saturday Nov. 2)
  • Winter Wonderland (Saturday Dec. 7)

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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 6/13/2024)

An entertaining and educational trip along the Erie Canal Heritage Trail

12 Jun

Several days ago — one of those sunny days when the temperature was perfect — my husband and I took a bike ride along the Erie Canal Trail.

This is something we like to do at least once a summer. Our routine is to park the car in Fairport, unload the bikes and ride to Pittsford along the trail, about 7 miles. Once there, we get lunch at my favorite hot dog and chicken sandwich stand, Harladay Hots, which is right on Main St. in the village. (When I also take the opportunity to stock up on Harladay Hots Spicy Meat Sauce, which I think is the best in the business.) After lunch, we head back to Fairport and sometimes reward ourselves with a pint at Triphammer Brewing.

It’s an easy ride along on a smooth, well-maintained trail, filled with natural beauty, wildlife and lots of history. Every time we make the ride I see something new or learn something new.

This most recent trip is a good example. For the first time ever, we came across two deer calmly munching the bushes along the trail. We had to slow down for about two dozen adult and juvenile geese who decided they owned one particular chunk of the trail. We saw ducks and some unidentified bird with a white rump.

I also stopped to check out what was clearly the remnants of a former bridge over the canal, and was pleased to see that someone had tucked a photo of the former bridge underneath for curious travelers like myself. With that clue in hand, as soon as we got home I did some research. Before too long I found a two-year old post on a Pittsford History Facebook page about the former hamlet of Cartersville, which was located near where East St. and Rt. 96 meet today. Through the 1800s and into the early 1900s, a bridge there connected East St. to the south with Marsh Rd. to the north. For several reasons, the bridge was removed in 1941 and scrapped for use in WWII.

Fascinating, no? Click here to read more about Cartersville and the bridge.

One other stop I had to make was to check in with the enigmatic Christmas tree chainsaw carving which stands in a small clearing about a quarter mile east of Great Embankment Park. It’s actually the second iteration of the tree I first discovered and wrote about in my D&C column in 2016. The original was created by Pittsford chainsaw artist Dave Jewett, who carved it out of a tree that was knocked down in the Labor Day storm of 1998. (Let me know if you want to read that article but can’t access it and I’ll post it.)

In the years since I wrote that column, Dave has carved a bigger and better tree, which now stands proudly in the clearing. At its base, someone has placed stones with inspirational sayings, with a sign encouraging visitors to pass them along.

The interesting little wooden pine tree is well worth the detour if you’re riding along the trail, and it’s just one of the cool things you’ll see.

The Erie Canal Trail is a terrific recreational resource just minutes away. I highly encourage everyone, especially families, to get out and explore it this summer and discover some surprises for yourself.

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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 6/12/2024)

Webster Postsecondary Program a transitional step for special education students

10 Jun

It’s that time of year again, when our graduating seniors are taking their final exams, saying goodbye to high school and starting to plan for college, or the military, or a job in the skilled trades. Those are great options for most of our district’s seniors, but what about those who are “graduating” from one of the high schools’ special education classes? Those same options are really not available to them.

Thanks to a collaborative program between the Webster Central School District (CSD) and St. John Fisher University, those students are not cast out rudderless into the professional world. Instead, they can continue their education and learn important life skills at the Webster Postsecondary Program.

The program, now in its 13th year, serves as a transitional step for special education students ages 18 to 22. Its mission is to assist young adults with disabilities to strengthen their daily living, social/personal, and occupational skills, with the ultimate goal to guide their transition to living as independently as possible.

Three districts participate in the program: Webster, Brighton and West Irondequoit. Webster special education teacher Jen Hackett describes it as “kind of like a mini-community before (the students) hit the big community.”

Classes follow the regular Webster CSD calendar, and each week focus on a different set of life skills. They’re the kinds of skills which most of us take for granted and are critical to living in the greater society — like sending emails, opening and maintaining a bank account, taking a bus and making a 911 call — but which can be challenging for these young adults. Other lessons focus on eating healthy foods, managing personal space, improving communication skills and honing their workplace skills. And because taking care of yourself is equally important, there’s also time set aside every week for exercise — walking or working out in the weight room.

Every Friday, the theme culminates in a group activity which reinforce the week’s lessons, like going to a restaurant and ordering from a menu, or visiting the 911 call center and practicing making a 911 call.

It’s all about introducing functional skills, then practicing them a lot and role-playing so the students feel confident and comfortable interacting in the greater society.

One of the most important parts of every day, however, happens most afternoons, when the students leave the classroom and take buses to work actual jobs. Several local businesses partner with the program to provide practical work experience, including Bill Grays, Walmart, the YMCA, St. John Fisher and CDS Monarch.

In every instance, it’s been a win/win situation for everyone.

“We have some really hard-working students here,” Hackett said. “Our employers tell us they’re always on time, and they work harder than other students because they take it seriously and are reliable. … They have great skills and they take a lot of pride in their work.”

And that’s what it’s all about: helping these kids acquire the life skills that will lead them to fulfilling, independent lives.

“If you ask the students, they want to be independent,” Hackett said. “It’s about self-determination and helping students to figure out what they want in their life. It’s whatever their real dreams are and helping them to get to their dreams.”

Hackett would love to hear from any business owners who would like to provide work opportunities for students in the WSCD Postsecondary Program. Even one-time projects would work, like setting up for a big event (like a grand opening), doing some landscaping or assembling a mailing.

“We like to give them a taste of different jobs,” Hackett said. Job coaching will be provided, as well as transportation to and from the job site.

If you’re interested in partnering with the WCSD for this great program, email Jen Hackett at Jen_hackett@webstercsd.org.

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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 6/10/2024)

June History Bit: Webster Walkabout Adventure Lab

9 Jun

Summer is the perfect time to take a walking tour of the Village of Webster and explore its history. The Webster Museum has a fun and interesting way to do that: the Webster Walkabout Adventure Lab. It’s an activity for the whole family that gets everyone outside to learn a little history and get some exercise along the way. 

The Webster Walkabout is based on geocaching, the very popular outdoor treasure-hunting activity that uses global positioning system (GPS) coordinates to hide and locate containers called geocaches. 

Typically, the hidden geocaches are physical containers containing trinkets to reward the finder. The Webster Walkabout Adventure Lab is different; participants are led to a series of virtual caches; in this case, five sites of historical significance to the founding of the Village of Webster. At each stop, the game prompts you to answer a question by typing in a word that can be found on a sign or plaque nearby. The correct answer unlocks the clue to the next location. Some of the walkabout stops even include videos.

The tour is about a mile and a half long and will take about 90 minutes. When you’re all done, you’ll be given a code to unlock a special bonus puzzle geocache located at the museum. 

In order to play the Adventure Lab, you need a smartphone (iOS or Android) with the Adventure Lab mobile app installed, with a data plan and cell service.  You’ll also need to sign up for a free account on geocaching.com. To open this Webster Walkabout in the Adventure Lab mobile app, type in labs.geocaching.com/goto/WEBSTER.

Read more about this and other fun ways to learn about Webster history by visiting the Webster Museum website at webstermuseum.com. Better yet, visit the museum any Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. It’s located at 18 Lapham Park. 

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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 “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 6/9/2024)

Mock DWI scenario taught Webster Thomas students a sobering lesson

8 Jun

If you happened to be driving by Webster Thomas High School on Wednesday morning, you might have been alarmed to see dozens of firefighters, police officers, EMTs and their emergency vehicles swarming around what appeared to be a horrific accident that had just occurred in front of the school.

The realistic accident scene was actually a very carefully arranged and pre-planned mock DWI scenario. It’s organized bi-annually by our local emergency responders as a training exercise, and hosted by the school district during prom and graduation party season as a serious, real-life lesson for our students.

The scene imagined a two-car accident, caused when a high school student was driving drunk. He rear-ended another car and drove it into a tree, seriously injuring several unrestrained passengers and killing another. (If that scenario sounds familiar, it was designed to mimic a fatal accident which actually happened in Hilton last weekend.)

About 600 juniors and seniors silently watched as, one by one, emergency workers extracted the injured passengers and took them to a waiting ambulance. It was slow going. Windows had to be smashed. The windshields of both cars had to be cut completely off, and the Jaws of Life had to be used to extract several of the passengers.

The drunk driver was unscathed, and with some assistance was able to get out of the car. His passengers, however, most of whom were unrestrained, were taken away on backboards. And the front seat passenger in the car he had hit was dead.

As the firefighters were removing doors and cutting the roof off one car, the driver was taken aside by a police officer, given a field sobriety test and arrested.

The whole scenario only took about 45 minutes, but for these high school students, they might be among the most important 45 minutes of their lives.

Speaking as a mother, I hope the message being shared that day sunk in at least a little bit with everyone. But I know that young people tend to think they’re invincible. Bad stuff like that can happen to someone else, but never to me.

But I couldn’t help thinking back to one of these mock DWI presentations I watched many years ago when I was working at Thomas. In addition to the student actors, the school had brought in the mother of the driver who “died.” She was standing on the school’s front walk when a police officer told her that her son had not survived. As any mother would when given that news, she collapsed with grief. As I watched, I found it easy to imagine how devastated she was, to feel the searing pain of losing a child.

If you have a high school student or know of one, perhaps you can impress that perspective upon him or her: you might think it’s OK to be cavalier with your life, cut corners and take chances. But think of how your parents would feel if a police officer came to their door and told them you were not coming home.

Ever.

See lots more pictures from the demonstration in this slideshow:

The mock DWI demonstration was repeated at Webster Schroeder High School on Friday.

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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 6/8/2024)

40 years, 40 roses to honor Debbie Tiffany

7 Jun

Today, a heartwarming follow-up on a story I posted several days ago about the Deborah MacKay School of Dance.

In that blog, I highlighted the studio and its owner, Debbie Tiffany, on the occasion of the school’s 40th anniversary. At the time I visited, the dancers were preparing for their upcoming Encore ’24! recital, a huge two-day event which featured many of the school’s favorite performances from the last four decades.

The recital was held on Saturday and Sunday June 1 and 2, and from all reports, it was a tremendous success, as Deborah MacKay Dance events always are. But this year’s recital was extra special in one surprising, very touching way.

After most of the dances were done and the applause died down, Debbie Tiffany’s daughter Caroline stepped up to the podium. At this point in the program, Debbie would normally be backstage preparing for the finale. But Caroline made sure her mother was on stage, front and center, for a surprise announcement.

She began by telling Debbie that her teaching staff, parents, current students and former students had collaborated to create a scrapbook for her, filled with messages, memories and pictures from the last 40 years.

“Many of these messages include sentiments of what Debbie has given all of us during our time at the studio,” Caroline continued. “These sentiments extend far beyond the knowledge of dance. We have gained lifelong friendships and life skills such as perseverance, leadership and discipline.”

That moment in itself would have been special enough. But then, one by one, 40 Deborah MacKay School of Dance alumni walked across the stage, each handing Debbie a long-stepped red rose and giving her a big hug.

Jennifer Lega, a former student and now a dance parent, organized the alumni portion of the event, with help from Caroline and her husband Ken, and members of her 2003 graduating class, with whom she is still close.

Jennifer wrote,

I started gathering the contacts by creating a private Facebook group and inviting all the alumni I could recollect and then asking everyone to do the same. The group quickly grew and it was so much fun connecting again.

After getting feedback from everyone, we ultimately decided on the rose presentation, surprising her with as many alumni that could make it to the show, and the scrapbook, so that anyone that couldn’t make it could still pass on their congratulations to her. The memories and sentiments that were shared included many of the same themes of thanking her for the lifelong friendships, a second home, leadership and time-management skills, perseverance and just how special a place the studio was to them.

With so many people involved, it was hard to keep it all a secret.

“Debbie puts on a very professional show and is a part of every detail,” Jennifer wrote. “So passing any type of surprise by her is pretty much impossible. I can’t tell you how many alumni asked me Sunday, ‘do you think she knows?'”

But they managed that monumental achievement, and Debbie was indeed surprised and very much talen aback.

“I’m so grateful for the touching, thoughtful, personal tribute,” Debbie wrote. 

“I’m grateful to the alumni who  took time out of their weekend to attend, especially to the one who flew in from Colorado. How wonderful it was to see so many of them, some I haven’t seen in a long time.” 

“I have nothing but gratitude for the alumni parent who organized it. And I’m very proud of my alumni daughter who read a speech with poise and elegance.”

It was a simple, yet perfect way to thank Debbie, and show her that her students — past and present — love her as much as she clearly loves them.

* * *

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(posted 6/7/2024)