Archive | September, 2024

Festival weekend continues

8 Sep

Just a quick post this morning to share some photos I took yesterday (Saturday) at the TWO festivals that were taking place.

The first one I stopped by in the morning was the Webster Garlic Fest, which by 11 a.m. was already packed with visitors, overflowing the Webster Recreation Center’s parking lot (don’t worry, there are shuttle buses from the Xerox lot across the street).

I visited the food trucks, met a king and queen, pet a HUGE tortoise, came nose to nose with some alpacas, AWWWWW-ed at baby goats in pajamas, and of course perused the more than 100 vendors booths selling everything under the sun (not just garlic).

I mean, it was so amazing and so much fun. Plus, they’re doing it all again today.

The Webster Garlic Fest is open today — Sunday — from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Webster Recreation Center, 1650 Chiyoda Dr. Admission is only $5 and all proceeds benefit Wreaths Across America, Blue Star Mothers ROC and Gold Star Mothers Rochester. Visit the website for more information about everything that’s going on. In the meantime, here are some photos:

Then yesterday afternoon I definitely made sure to carve out some time to attend the Barry’s Irish Festival, held for the first time at Fireman’s Field in the Village of Webster.

I wanted to go not only because I knew it would be a great place to enjoy Irish music and dance and beer, but more than anything else, I looked forward to reconnecting with some Barry’s Old School friends and family members whom I haven’t seen in a year or more.

And there was a lot of that, which filled my heart with happiness. I saw faces and smiles I haven’t seen in forever, and shared SO MANY hugs. And the grounds were packed. It was like everybody in a 100-square mile radius (not just Webster) was chomping at the bit for an Irish festival. Being able to see old Barry’s friends was a delightful bonus.

From the look of things, the festival was an enormous success. Fireman’s Field was the perfect venue, offering plenty of space for vendors, a big stage for musicians, dance floor for dancers, Gaelic Football practice, Corn Hole tournament, food trucks, beer sales, the Raffle Castle … plus some new features like the very popular Battle of the Bartenders.

Despite dire predictions of bad weather, most of the day was sunny, albeit cool, which actually was pretty perfect for a festival. It gave me an excuse, for example, to wear my Barry’s Old School Irish hoodie.

Here are some photos from THAT festival:

  • Rusty Kettle
  • The whole Barry’s gang … and friends
  • Two huge backdrops from Barry’s Old School Irish created a pub atmosphere in the “pubvilion”

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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 9/8/2024)

Webster couple celebrates 70 years

7 Sep
Aug. 28, 1954
John and Bernadetts Stebler

These days, when it seems like marriages are more likely to end in divorce than last even a few years, it’s heartwarming to hear a story about a couple whose union has truly survived the test of time.

Long-time Webster residents John and Bernadette Stebler are one such couple. On August 28, they celebrated 70 years of marriage, a testament to a commitment they made when they were both barely out of high school.

John and Bernadette met in 1949, when they both lived in Irondequoit and were working at the former Point Pleasant Hotel. Bernadette, just 16 years old, was staying at the hotel and babysitting for her neighbors — the hotel’s owners — while they worked all summer. John, 18 years old, was working odd jobs.

They were immediately smitten. “I spotted her, and I wasn’t going to let that one get away,” John said. Bernadette added, “I thought he was so cute.”

Their first date was pretty romantic. “I owned 50% of a used canoe,” John remembered, and he took his new girlfriend out on Irondequoit Bay one evening. “The bay was quiet then,” John said, but Bernadette still had to be strapped in because she didn’t swim.

Apparently the bay wasn’t calm enough for Bernadette’s boss, however.

She remembered, “The owners of the hotel, my bosses, they had a fit because we went out there in that canoe. It was dark out and there were all these speedboats on the bay and they could have tipped us over. I could have drowned because I couldn’t swim.” 

The canoe trip was the first of many dates that would follow over the next few years. Then, in 1952, John was preparing to ship out to serve in the Korean War as a member of the Navy Reserve. But before he left, he gave Bernadette a ring.

“It was a smart move,” he said.

John was discharged two years later, in 1954, and married Bernadette that August, on her 21st birthday, at St. Ambrose Church in Irondequoit.

The young couple lived many more years in Irondequoit, where they raised their son Robert and two foster children, before moving to Webster in 1977. They joined the Knights of Columbus and Holy Trinity Church. John served as an usher, and Bernadette sang in the choir, also participating in two other German choirs, often traveling to Europe for performances.

The Steblers had to sell their Webster home recently, and both now live at St. Ann’s Community at Cherry Ridge. They live in separate buildings, but John makes a point to visit his wife every day. They celebrated their anniversary with a Mass at Cherry Ridge on Aug. 24, and another at Holy Trinity on Aug. 28.

I asked them if they could share any of their secrets for a long marriage.

“I never listen to him,” Bernadette immediately offered. “If he’s gonna tell me something important, I know he’ll tell me again. So I don’t listen. Because he never stops talking.”

“We’re old-fashioned married, for life,” John added. … “We still don’t agree on anything. I want my say but I have to admit … these darn women, they seem to know the right thing. So I like to have my say but I have to admit, she was right.”

Perhaps that, right there, is the best advice for a long marriage.

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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 9/7/2024)

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Village of Webster 9/11 ceremony details

6 Sep

One of the most solemn anniversaries in our nation’s history comes around again next week, a terrible day which changed our nation forever, and which has become known simply as “9/11.”

The Village of Webster’s Sept. 11th Memorial Ceremony has been scheduled for Wednesday Sept. 11 at 6 p.m. at the gazebo in Veterans Memorial Park on North Ave.

The Village always does a very nice job commemorating this event, in a ceremony that usually lasts around 45 or 50 minutes. It includes first responders and local and regional political representatives who offer some comments. The Chorus of the Genesee is usually on hand to perform patriotic tunes.

Members of the Webster Fire Department are planning to congregate at the station on South Ave. at around 5:30 and march as a group to the ceremony. You won’t want to miss that.

Click here to see the blog I wrote about last year’s 9/11 ceremony.

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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 9/6/2024)

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What’s happening at the library

5 Sep

This month’s edition of WHAT COOL THINGS HAS THE WEBSTER PUBLIC LIBRARY COOKED UP? runs the gamut from a picture frame swap to tie dying, egg carton mushrooms to beer.

More to come about all that, but first I want to share this Long Range Plan Survey which the WPL folks hope that everyone will take a moment to fill out — and that includes anyone who doesn’t even use the library very much. The survey is only 17 questions long (it took me about 6 minutes) and will go a long way towards helping the WPL develop their plans for the next several years.

So what do you love about the library? What don’t you love? What do you think they could do better? The Webster Public Library folks really want to hear from you. Click here to access the survey (and they’d really love to have your response by Sept. 20).

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Now on to all of those cool things happening this month:

For adults

An Evening With John Kucko, Thursday Sept. 12, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.: TV sports anchor John Kucko will entertain everyone with stories that feature the Rochester area. Registration is required. (This is full, but you can put your name on a waiting list.)

Adults-only hike at Four Mile Creek Saturday Sept. 14, 9 to 11 a.m.: The Webster Public Library and Friends of Webster Trails are partnering for an easy and beautiful hike through Four Mile Creek Preserve at the corner of Phillips and Lake roads. Registration is required because available spots are limited. Dress for the weather and bring bug spray and sunscreen.

Home Brewing with Upstate New York Homebrewers Association, Monday Sept. 30, 6:30 to 8 p.m.: Dave Wurster and Craig Mullen from the Upstate New York Homebrewers Association give a presentation on the brewing of beer. Registration is required.

For Teens and Tweens

Make in Monday: Egg Carton Mushrooms, Monday Sept. 9, 6 to 7 p.m.: For this month’s craft night, teens (grades 4 and up) and adults are invited to make egg carton mushrooms. All supplies will be provided. Registration is required.

Teen Library Club, Wednesday Sept. 25, 6:30 to 8 p.m.: A group for teens grades 6 to 12 who enjoy books, games, crafts, food, sharing ideas, taking surveys, and just hanging out with friends. Registration is required.

For Kids and Families

Adventure Afternoon: Stem with the Three Little Pigs, Friday Sept. 6, 3 to 4 p.m.: Explore a topic with hand-on fun. This month, enjoy the story of the Three Little Pigs, and then design structures to see what will withstand the wind! Geared towards ages 5-12. No registration is required.

Tie Dye Fun! Tuesday Sept. 10, 5 to 7 p.m.: Bring a white t-shirt, pillowcase, socks etc… to tie dye! Don’t forget to wear clothes you don’t mind getting color splashed on. All ages are welcome. Registration is required, and please register each participant individually.

Family Fun Night: Star Wars, Monday Sept. 30, 6 to 7 p.m. Celebrate the start of Star Wars Reads Month (October) with Star Wars-themed crafts and activities. All ages welcome. No registration is required.

FOR EVERYONE

This month is Picture Frame Swap Month at the library! Bring all those frames that you can’t use anymore, and swap them out for ones that are just perfect for your needs. It’s happening all month.

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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 9/5/2024)

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It’s festival weekend in Webster

4 Sep

There are THREE festivals coming up this weekend in Webster, and you won’t want to miss any of them.

The Webster Garlic Fest will be back at the Webster Recreation Center this Saturday and Sunday Sept. 7 and 8.

This is a great family festival. This year it will feature 140 vendors including crafters, food vendors, distilleries, wineries, food trucks, and of course lots and lots of garlic growers. They’ll fill the gymnasium and spill out onto the Rec Center grounds. Many of them provide tastings and samples. (Click here for a complete list of vendors.)

Even if you’re not a big fan of garlic, there’s still plenty to see and do. Like, you can cozy up to some baby goats and alpacas, and even a huge 70-year old tortoise. There are demos, Mr. Wally the Balloon Man will be on site, a comedian and entertainers.

The Webster Garlic Fest will be held Saturday Sept. 7 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday Sept. 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr. There’s plenty of parking in the Recreation Center lot, and even more across the street in the former Xerox parking lot, where a free shuttle will transport you back and forth.

Admission is only $5, and children under 12 are free. Click here to buy your tickets, or you can get them at the door.

The annual Barry’s Irish Festival will be coming to Webster for the first time this on Saturday Sept. 7 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Webster Fireman’s Field.

This is a must-see festival for anyone who loves Irish food, drink and culture. It will feature live Irish music, Irish beer, dancers, bagpipers, and Celtic crafts. There’s plenty of non-Irish stuff too, including food trucks, kids’ crafts and games, raffles, lots of vendors, lawn games and more. It’s also going to be a great opportunity to reconnect with the Barry’s Old School Irish community, many of whom we haven’t seen in a year. Basically, it’s a great family event, hosted by a great family.

Bands will include the Connemara Social Club, Rusty Kettle, Lucky Enough, Everheart, Gavin Barry’s Rebel Banjo Circus, The Irish Lassies, Celtic Cross and 1916.  

Food trucks will include Netsins, Sammies n’ Sweets, The Melt Truck, Schutt’s, Rustic Taco and Webster Hots.

Admission is $19.98 ($17 plus $2.98 Eventbrite fee). Click here to get tickets (but I imagine they’ll also be available at the gate.)

Click here to visit the Facebook event page for more details and a discount code for tickets.

ALSO on Saturday, Sept. 7, the Red, Hot and Blue Band, led by our very own Village of Webster neighbor Doug Pucci, will headline the 3rd annual St. Jude Benefit Concert at Gazebo Park on North Ave., from noon to 6 p.m.

In addition to Red, Hot and Blue, Shades of Grey and local favorite Sarah De Vallière will perform. Food will be available from Pub 235 and Guida’s Pizza. There’s no charge, but donations will be accepted to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. So bring your lawn chairs, coolers and blankets and enjoy a full afternoon of tunes for a good cause.

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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 9/4/2024)

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Webster community mailbag

3 Sep

Lots of notices came across my email in the few weeks I was out of town, so I’ll do my best to catch up.

Concert to benefit St. Jude

This coming Saturday Sept. 7, the 3rd annual St. Jude Benefit Concert will take place at Gazebo Park on North Ave., from noon to 6 p.m.

Three bands will take the stage, including Red, Hot and Blue; Shades of Grey; and local favorite Sarah De Vallière. Food will be available from Pub 235 and Guida’s Pizza. There’s no charge, but donations will be accepted to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. So bring your lawn chairs, coolers and blankets and enjoy a full afternoon of tunes for a good cause.

NY Hope Garage Sale

NY Hope’s huge annual garage sale returns next week, with three days of bargains.

You probably all know about this incredible event from years past, so let’s get right to this year’s details:

Here are the details:

  • Sale begins Wednesday, Sept. 11, 6 to 8 PM; Preview Night, Murphy Hall at Holy Trinity Church, 1460 Ridge Road. For a small admission fee, be among the first to shop.
  • Thursday, Sept. 12 and Friday, Sept. 13, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Saturday, Sept. 14, 10 a.m. to noon only, everything is half-price!

All proceeds go to Webster NY Hope, which serves the needs of residents in the 14580 zip code, providing food, clothing, household goods and furniture to those in need.

It’s chicken barbecue time again!

St. Martin Lutheran Church will hold its Fall Drive-Thru Chicken BBQ on Saturday, Sept. 21 at the church, 813 Bay Road, Webster. The event begins at 4:30 p.m. and will continue until all dinners are sold out.

Dinners will include a half chicken, salt potatoes, coleslaw, roll, butter and cookie, and will cost $15.

The event will be drive-through only and there will be no advance sales; first-come, first-served. Cars should enter the parking lot, follow the signs, and purchase dinners using exact payment of either cash or
check. Cars will then pick up boxed dinners.

Proceeds from the BBQ will support both St. Martin’s Little Free Pantry and Christmas Stocking Project, which reaches more than 500 local youth in Monroe and Wayne counties.

For our 55+ friends

I got the latest edition of the Webster Recreation Center 55+ newsletter recently. It’s always packed with tons of information, but I pulled out these tidbits in particular:

This month’s Talks on Tuesday schedule features a new informative presentation each month. They run from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., there’s no charge and all community members are invited (not just Rec members). Registration is requested. This month’s programs include:

Sept. 10: SOCIAL SECURITY 101. Troy Gribnau from Edward Jones will answer your questions about Social Security, including how it fits into your retirement plan, when you should start taking benefits, how to the taxes work, and more. Registration is requested. Search for activity# 346940-C.

Sept. 17: ASTRONOMY FOR SENIORS. NASA Ambassador Jim Porter will help you discover the rich hobby of astronomy, with just a small pair of binoculars. Activity# 346940-D.

Sept. 24: MEDICARE. Sara Mason from Mason Wealth Management will host a workshop to help you understand what all the pieces of Medicare mean — parts A, B, C, D and Medicare Supplemental Insurance. Learn when you can make changes and why you should review your plan annually. Activity# 346940-E

And this last program I pulled out because it’s becoming more and more important these days to be able to spot AI-generated fake news:

Tuesday Sept. 10, FAKE NEWS & HOW TO SPOT IT TECH WORKSHOP, 9 to 10:30 a.m.

Join technology instructor Daniel Jones to learn how to spot what’s real, what’s true, and what’s not. Learn about:

  • disinformation: How it spreads and how to recognize it
  • personal responsibility
  • the rise of deepfakes
  • fact-checking resources
  • terms you should know

Please register for activity #346014-A.

Oh, one more thing from the Rec Center.

If you’ve got game, you might be interested to know that the Rec Center has groups that play Canasta, Rummikub, competitive Scrabble, Mahjong, Bridge and Bingo every week. Check the newsletter for details about these and lots other 55+ programs.

Want to read more about Webster’s history?

The Webster Museum is developing an outreach newsletter for friends, members and supporters with more general information about the museum and local history. If you’re interested in being added to the distribution list, send your email address to WebsterMuseum@gmail.com.

ALSO, the museum folks have a mystery that they need help solving. Does anyone know how or why the penny-farthing (the high-wheel bicycle) came to be the museum’s logo? They’ve done some digging through their archives but haven’t been able to come up with anything. Let them know if you have any clues!

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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 9/3/2024)

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Didja miss me?

1 Sep

You probably didn’t notice, but for the last almost two weeks, I was off gallivanting through Europe on a Viking river cruise. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, however, before I even left I scheduled a new blog to post almost every day I was gone. There were a few night owls who might have wondered why I was cross-posting them to Facebook at, like 1 a.m. (7 a.m. Germany time), but otherwise I hope no one noticed any difference.

The trip, as you might imagine, was wonderful. We began our adventure with an extension to beautiful Lucerne, Switzerland, where we took a gondola ride up the side of Mt. Stanserhorn, one of the lower Alps. After that side trip, we boarded the longship in Basel, Switzerland and cruised north along the Rhine, stopping in seven small towns and cities in Germany, France and Holland before finally landing in Amsterdam. We saw some incredible scenery, a LOT of old cathedrals, castles, cuckoo clocks and windmills. We sampled more than a few beer gardens and made several new friends.

So, aside from the flight cancellation at the beginning of the trip (which caused us to lose a day in Lucerne) and the flight cancellation at the end of the trip (which prompted us to rent a car and drive home from Dulles), it was a great time.

So I’m back to blogging in real time again, but since I used up most of my ideas in the last two weeks when I “wasn’t blogging,” don’t worry about me if I skip a day or two. Blame it on jet lag.

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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 9/1/2024)

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