Archive | February, 2025

Webster community mailbag

12 Feb

A quick reminder from the Town of Webster to start off today’s mailbag: If you haven’t recycled your Christmas tree yet, you can still do so through Friday, Feb. 28 at the Webster Highway Dept., 1005 Picture Parkway. As soon as you see the gas pumps, look to the left and you’ll see a sign directing you to the drop-off spot.

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If you need something to keep the kids busy during the upcoming February break, consider the Fun Camp hosted by the Webster Recreation Center, Tuesday Feb. 18 through Friday Feb. 21.

The kids can spend their break playing games, making crafts, playing in the gym and more. Break camps provide a safe, fun, and active program for children in grades K-5. Drop-off is any time after 8 a.m. and pickup is before 5 p.m.. Children must bring lunch, snacks, water bottle, and wear sneakers every day.

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Also, these notes from the Webster Recreation Center’s 55+ activities calendar:

This month’s next Tuesday Talk, scheduled for Feb. 25, will welcome Sharon Pratt from the Webster Museum, who will talk about Webster’s history through the years, including how it is that our town, once a part of Penfield, became Webster.

Coming up in the next few months, the Talks on Tuesdays will feature NASA Ambassador Jim Porter talking about The Big Bang (March 18), Jeff Taylor presenting a travelogue from South Korea and Taiwan (April 8) and Doug Thiele giving tips on making your money go further (date TBD).

The Talks on Tuesdays program is designed to bring older adults a wide range of topics to keep our minds sharp and alert while meeting new and interesting people. They’re offered Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr. Admission is free but registration is required. For more details, check out the newsletter here.

These talks are just a few of the dozens of different programs offered by the Rec Center designed to keep older people active and educated. They include gaming, dancing, age-appropriate exercising, singing, parties, Lunch Bunch field trips and much, much more. Click here to see the Webster Recreation Center newsletter for details.

More from the Rec

Here are a couple of other reminders from the Webster Recreation Center about ways you can enjoy the winter weather on their grounds:

Cross Country Skiing: There’s a groomed track at the Rec Cen tger which can be used during the day, and the lights will be on from 5 to 9 p.m. on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays! Make sure to bring your own skis.

Ice Skating Rink: The lights are always on at the ice skating rink in the evenings; just bring your own skates. And of course you can skate during the day.

Walking Paths: Two plowed walking/running paths are cleared for winter at Charles E. Sexton Park and the Recreation Center.

Coming up in March

St. Martin Lutheran Church will host a free Mardi Gras Pancake Supper on Shrove Tuesday, March 4 from 5 to 7 p.m., to thank the community for supporting their missions over the year.

Dinner will include unlimited pancakes and syrup, plus sausages and applesauce. Participants are invited to come dressed in Mardi Gras style. Beads will be provided, and you can make your own masks.

The event will be held at St. Martin Lutheran Church, 813 Bay Rd. Everyone is invited to this family-friendly event, so bring your friends. There’s no cost, but a free-will offering of a boxed or canned good for the church’s Little Free Pantry would be gratefully accepted.   

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CDS Wolf Foundation will be hosting their 18th annual Strikes for Abilities Bowling Party at Bowlero bowling alley on Empire Blvd. on Sunday, March 9 from noon to 3 p.m.

Sponsorships and tickets are now available from $250 ($50 per person for your team), up to $10,000. And if you can’t make it to the event, you can make a direct donation to CDS. All proceeds will support the Wolf Foundation’s mission to make a lasting impact on the lives of veterans, senior citizens and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Click here for more information.

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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 2/12/2025)

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Young Life students and adults traveling to El Salvador on mission trip

11 Feb

Wishing safe travels to the adults and students who will be traveling from Webster to El Salvador on Wednesday for a service trip with Young Life.

Forty-one high school students and adults — from Young Life, Browncroft Community Church and Grace Road Church — will be participating in the nine-day trip, which will take them to a rural part of the country called Baja Lempa in the village of Taura.

Dustin Bailey, one of the trip’s organizers, wrote,

The village has about 50 families and Young Life has helped bring clean water, medications, vitamins, create food supplies, built houses, built bathrooms, and generally brought much hope to this region. This year, we hope to build a home for a family that currently lives in a home that pales in comparison to many of the sheds in our backyards. We will also help with the greenhouse in their community that provides nutrition to the children and a way to make money through sales to a local farmer’s market. We will spend much time with the children of the village to play and share joy together.

The 26 high school students and 15 adults going on the trip will be challenged to grow in their faith, learn how to serve others, and maybe have a greater appreciation to the many blessings we have in Webster.

This is the 16th year in which Young Life has made this trip. The photos (provided by Dustin) are from the group’s packing day last Saturday morning, and from a previous mission trip.

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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 2/11/2025)

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Chorus of the Genesee makes Valentine’s Day extra sweet

10 Feb

Want to REALLY impress your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day? Ask some of the dapper gentlemen from Webster’s Chorus of the Genesee to show up at her (or his) workplace and personally serenade her with a romantic song.

The Chorus will once again offer their Singing Valentine service this Valentine’s Day weekend, Thursday February 13 through Saturday February 15.

For only $50, a quartet of crooners will descend on your sweetheart’s workplace, hair salon, home, restaurant — wherever you need them to go — and surprise your Valentine with a long-stemmed rose, a personalized card, and two romantic love songs.

Songs will be delivered between 1 and 9 p.m. on Thursday Feb. 13, and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday Feb. 14 and 15.

To schedule your Singing Valentine, call the Chorus of the Genesee at 585-734-1328. Cost is only $50 for a memory that will last a lifetime.

In the photo above, which I took several years ago, members of Ra-Cha-Cha (Ed Rummler, Dave Bay, Lee Shepter and Mike McKain) sing to Stacey Gitsis at the Bay Front Restaurant.

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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 2/10/2025)

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Antiques Roadshow returns to the Webster Museum

9 Feb

The Webster Museum is bringing back the very popular Antiques and Collectibles Roadshow, featuring Frank and Greg Palma, on Sunday, Feb. 16 beginning at 2 p.m.

If you’re curious about the value of a favorite piece, you’re invited to bring it in and the Palma brothers will share their expertise and insight into the history and value of the item.

There’s no admission, and free refreshments will be provided.

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And while you’re at the museum, make sure to check out their latest exhibit, Let it Snow!, celebrating winter in Webster in the days before remote car starters, heated seats and snowblowers.

A significant part of the exhibit will feature winter clothing. Until the 19th century, winter attire more often consisted of a cloak than a sleeved jacket or coat. Wool was the predominant material of choice for both cloaks and coats, and while it provided a measure of insulation, wool tended to be heavy especially when wet.

Outdoorsman, inventor and retailer Eddie Bauer developed the first quilted down jacket in 1939 after a run-in with hypothermia on a chilly hunting trip. Since the 1930s, the development of lightweight, waterproof, and less expensive synthetic materials further impacted the way we all dress on those cold winter days in Webster.

Read more about vintage winter wear and Webster snow sports at the Let it Snow exhibit, on display now.

The Webster Museum is located at 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster. It’s open 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 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 2/9/2025)


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February History Bit: Happy birthday Village Hall

8 Feb

Today’s Bit of Webster History celebrates a notable birthday. Last week, the current Webster Village Hall turned 60 years old. 

The current Village Hall, located at 28 West Main St., was constructed in 1964 on the former site of Klem Chevrolet. In 1921, Walter Klem and his brother Frank took over the Johanson blacksmith shop, and eventually started selling Chevrolets. In 1963 the property was sold to the Village and Klem Chevrolet later moved to 740 Ridge Road.

The Klem building was demolished and construction of the new Village Hall began in 1964. Officials moved into the new building in the middle of January, 1965 and the first official function held there was a meeting of the Village Board. 

On January 27, 1965, the Village hosted a grand community celebration and open house. The event was advertised in the Webster Herald as an opportunity for village residents to “view and inspect the new village hall and its facilities, which include Customer Counter, Billing Machines, Vault, Mayor’s Office, Meeting Room and DPW Office and Garage.” Vice-Mayor Donald King was on hand to show off the facility, assisted by Trustees Milton Case and James Hall and several staff members. Mayor Hawley couldn’t be there because he was ill. 

Prior to 1965, the Village Hall was located next door in the area which is now an entrance to the back parking lot behind Village Hall. The two-story building was constructed in 1912. The first floor housed the Fire Department’s equipment, along with three steel cells used as the village and town jail. Two big front rooms on the second floor were used for village and town offices. A large assembly room in the back was used for elections, trials, and various meetings. The basement served as a warehouse for the public works department.

Thank you to the folks at the Village Hall and the Village’s Historic Preservation Committee for pulling all this information together.   

Want to learn more about Webster history? Visit the Webster Museum, located at 18 Lapham Park in the village. It’s open every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. There’s no admission charge. Or log onto webstermuseum.org. And if you’re especially interested in historic village properties, visit the Historic Preservation Commission website at websterhpc.com.

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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 2/8/2025)

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Mobile Mammogram Unit is coming to the library

7 Feb

Ladies, today’s blog is especially for you.

If you don’t get a regular mammogram, and especially if you’ve never gotten one, you need to. An easy and quick opportunity to do that is coming up this month.

The Rochester Regional Mobile Mammogram Unit is coming to the Webster Public Library parking lot on Thursday, Feb. 27, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sign up for your spot on Feb. 10 at the library from 2 to 6 p.m., when you can also ask any questions you have. Some walk-ins will be accepted on the 27th, but PLEASE sign up, because if there are not 15 women guaranteed, the bus will have to come back. No insurance is required.

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

Rochester Regional Health’s Mobile Mammography Center is a spacious coach bus with a spa-like atmosphere that provides 3D mammograms. It features two private dressing rooms, certified technologists and an evaluation of results by a board-certified radiologist.

The coach is designed to screen every 15 minutes. If you need to use the lift, your appointment will be 30 minutes. Women must be at least 35 years of age, not exhibiting symptoms of breast-related problems and have not had a mammogram within the last year.

Rochester Regional Health’s Mobile Mammography Center offers state-of-the-art breast cancer screenings. Their goal is to make screenings more accessible to women where they live and work. The Center partners with businesses and organizations to visit locations in your neighborhood to make mammograms more accessible to all women in our community.

So take advantage of this opportunity while you can. If not for you, then for the ones you love and who love you.

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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 2/7/2025)

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Girl Scouts help bring some joy to Women’s Club members

6 Feb

A huge thank you to the junior Girl Scouts of Troop 60344, who recently helped the Women’s Club of Webster (WCW) make some very special Valentine’s Day cards for some of the club’s elders.

Last Saturday afternoon, six junior Scouts and their leaders (and a few little brothers) joined four WCW members and a handful of other adults at the Webster Public Library to make a dozen Valentine’s Day cards for the club’s legacy members.

Minutes after everyone had gathered in the big study room at the Webster Public Library, the table was filled with construction paper, stickers, markers, crayons, blank greeting cards, glue sticks, scissors and glitter. Then, for the next hour and a half, it was a flurry of cutting, gluing and writing personal messages.

And there were cookies.

While the Girl Scouts focused on making the Valentine’s Day cards, the adults took the opportunity to make some thank you cards for our local troops who are deployed overseas. That effort was in support of the Mail Call: Letters From Home project that’s just ramping up here in Webster.

The goal of the Mail Call initiative is for Webster to write 1,000 cards or letters to our deployed troops, which will be included in care packages which the Blue Star Mothers of Rochester will be sending in June. The project will be hitting its stride in April, so stay tuned for more information about how you can help.

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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 2/6/2025)

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Klem North students reading for a cause

5 Feb

The Klem Rd. North Elementary School PTSA has come up with a clever way to encourage kids to read, while benefiting a great community organization at the same time.

It’s an initiative called “Kids Read for Kids,” a partnership between Klem North and the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Rochester. The idea is simple: Throughout the month of February, Klem North students do as much reading as they can, and as they do, they collect pledges from friends, family members (or community members) tied to how much they read. You can pledge, for example, 50 cents for every minute they read, or a dollar for every day, or just make a one-time donation. At the end of February, the PTSA will split the donations 50/50 with the Ronald McDonald House.

The kids can read anything they want, and even count the time when parents or grandparents read TO them. The idea is to get young people excited about reading.

What’s especially neat about the Kids Read for Kids program is that it’s unique. Annie Murphy, Ronald McDonald House’s Senior Director of Philanthropic Relationships, explains,

Kids Read for Kids is the first initiative of its kind within the Ronald McDonald House network. Ronald McDonald House Charities of Rochester, NY (RMHCR) is one of 387 chapters worldwide, with nine in New York State. While some chapters, like Albany, have hosted read-a-thons where all proceeds benefit RMHC, our approach is unique.

Our version is a true partnership, with all funds raised evenly split between RMHCR and the school. This literacy-based community service initiative not only fosters a love for reading but also empowers students to make a meaningful impact—supporting both the Klem North PTSA and families with sick or injured children at RMHCR.

Klem North parents, grandparents and guardians are, of course, encouraged to participate and support their children. But community members not directly involved with the school can also help out. You can click here for more information, make a one-time pledge or support a Klem North student. The school has set an ambitious goal of $30,000, so they need a LOT of donations! You can also view a video about the program by clicking here.

About the Ronald McDonald House of Rochester

Since 1990, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Rochester, NY (RMHCR) has been a home away from home for families with critically ill or injured children. Our mission is to strengthen families and promote healing by providing essential care and support—free of charge—during their toughest times.

We began with our 24-room Westmoreland House and expanded in 2005 to include our House Within the Hospital at Golisano Children’s Hospital, which offers 7 rooms for families with the most critical needs. Over the years, we’ve added Family Rooms, Hospitality Carts, and the world’s first Mental Health & Wellness Family Room to support families in every way possible.

In 2024 alone, we served 9,678 families, saving them over $2.5 million in lodging, meals, and other support. From high-risk pregnancies to post-hospital recovery, RMHCR provides comfort and care for the whole family because we know that a child’s illness affects everyone.

With nearly 50 years of global impact and 35 years of local service here in Rochester, we’re committed to helping families stay close to each other—and close to the care their child needs.

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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 2/5/2025)

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Webster Schroeder presents Hadestown this weekend

4 Feb

I’ve been attending musicals at Webster Schroeder High School for more than 20 years, ever since my kids went to school there. They’re always outstanding, with standing-ovation-quality acting and singing. And every year’s performance, it seems, is better than the last.

But I think they’re going to be hard-pressed to top this year’s production of Hadestown.

Webster Schroeder is bringing the hit Broadway musical Hadestown to the stage for four shows this Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I had the pleasure of attending one of the dress rehearsals a few days ago, and when I walked into the auditorium, I knew very little about the musical, aside from the fact that it was an eight-time Tony Award winner. I also knew (from my music theater nerd daughter) that it’s one of the hottest shows on Broadway. So when I heard that Schroeder had nabbed the rights to stage it (the first school in our area), I was very excited to see it.

Hadestown re-imagines the classic Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. It’s a love story, set against the backdrop of a dark, stylized, industrial underworld ruled by Hades and Persephone. Eurydice, driven by poverty and cold, seeks refuge in this harsh realm, while her musician lover, Orpheus, embarks on a long and perilous journey to bring her back.

I know, I know … that doesn’t sound like your typical high school musical. For sure it’s not as lighthearted as Mary Poppins or Seussical. But despite its darker themes, audience members will be equally captivated by the acting, choreography, music and staging. Because this is a Webster Schroeder production.

The quality of this year’s show is especially impressive given that Hadestown is a very complicated and very tech-heavy musical. Even though it was released as a “teen edition,” not much was removed from the current production on Broadway. A few adaptations had to be made to accommodate the limitations of a high-school production, but those adaptations are creative and intriguing.

Director Carrie Zugelder says Hadestown has been the most challenging production she’s ever done in her 24 years of producing musicals, for several reasons. She writes,

We have over 300 different lighting cues that happen throughout the show. We are running sound which includes body mics, sound effects and on-stage band amplification on a 32-channel sound board and every channel is used. This means that our sound designer and his assistant are controlling 32 different sound elements at any given time in the show. We are running three different fog machines placed strategically on and below the stage extension. The special placement of these machines requires student members of stage crew to be enclosed under the stage, in the dark, to make sure the machines turn on and operate at the right moments. 

The dedication shown by those students under the stage is matched ten-fold by the skill and dedication to the craft shown by the students singing and dancing on the stage.

Here’s a good example: The character Orpheus is a musician, who in this production plays a guitar. Rowan Murphy, who plays Orpheus, did not know how to play the guitar before he won the role. But he decided he wanted to learn all the guitar parts his character played, rather than rely on the on-stage pit band, so he started taking lessons back in November.

But there’s more!

The three Fates also have instruments assigned to them: a violin, a tambourine and an accordion. Most high school productions would have the instruments on the characters but have professionals play the parts while the characters mimic the playing…..not Webster Schroeder!  Both Fate #1 and Fate #3 self-taught their violin and accordion parts. Their playing on stage is legit.

Those examples are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the hard work these young actors have been putting in to bring Hadestown to the stage. (And they are young. For many of them, this is their first Schroeder production.) From the powerful opening song, to the lilting love ballads, to the jarring underworld chants, the music is challenging, but the harmonies are breathtaking. The choreography and staging are complicated but delivered without a hitch.

Basically, I suggest you try to put aside your preconceptions that a musical based on a Greek myth will be boring, and put yourself in that auditorium for an evening you will not forget.

Hadestown: Teen Edition will make its community premiere at Webster Schroeder High School with four performances from February 6-8. Evening shows will begin at 7:00 p.m., with a matinee performance at 2 p.m. on February 8, at the Webster Schroeder High School Auditorium (875 Ridge Road). Tickets are $14 and can be purchased online through Hometown Ticketing. 

Here are some more photos:

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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 2/4/2025)

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Dogsledding in the village?

3 Feb

I heard on the radio the other day that it snowed at least a little bit EVERY DAY IN JANUARY. And February is starting out pretty much the same way. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a winter with this much snow. Everyone is grumbling about it.

That is, everyone except Village of Webster resident Devin Englerth.

Devin has a hobby that helps her glide through winter (literally) with a smile. Devin is a dogsledder, and when there’s this much snow, it means there are a lot more opportunities to take her dogsled, seven huskies and big black shepherd out for a run. And every once in a while, when the conditions are right, she doesn’t bother going very far to do so.

A few weeks ago, the conditions were perfect, so instead of packing up her dogs and heading to her usual sledding spot far on the west side of town, she hooked them all up and took them out on the streets of the village.

Perhaps you saw them that day. A lot of people did, and photos popped up all over Facebook from village residents surprised and delighted to see an actual dogsled speeding down their street. ‘Cause that’s not something you see every day.

I sat down the other day with Devin (and her dogs) to find out more about her history with the sport, both in the village and elsewhere.

Devin has been dogsledding since 2011, ever since she got her first husky. Not long afterwards, she joined the Seneca Siberian Husky Club, and tries to get out and run the dogs at least a couple times of year. That’s been difficult in recent years when lack of snow has made for poor conditions.

“You have to have a frozen base and the snow on top of it,” she explained. “If you go before it freezes my sled would sink in the slush.”

But not running makes for unhappy huskies.

“(Running) is all they want to do,” Devin said. Even when she goes out to fire up the snow blower they start getting excited, thinking they’re going to get out and go. And when she is able to finally hook them up out in a wide open space, they might be out there for two and a half hours.

The day she decided to run them in the village, “they were going crazy,” she said. They hadn’t been sledding in a long time, and the conditions were good, so “we went all over the east side of the village.”

It proved to be rather challenging. People were coming out to take photos, the dogs kept stopping to say hi to the neighbors, even deciding to go up a driveway or two. So they got tangled up a lot. But despite the distractions, they were out on the streets for more than an hour.

It wasn’t the first time Devin has dogsledded through the village, and it probably won’t be the last. Because sled dogs live to run.

(Thank you to Jessica Cataldi for this great blog idea, and to Stretch Sabin for these videos!)

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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 2/3/2025)

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