It’s been a really tough six months for Luis “Munchie” Carrasquillo.
Back in July, Luis took a leap of faith and opened up his Roc City Empanadas restaurant on South Ave. in the Village of Webster, an expansion of his very popular food truck business. At first he found it a bit challenging to balance the busy food truck with a new restaurant, and the hours he was open seemed very sporadic. Then, in early September, the restaurant went totally dark, and people started to question whether Luis was really committed to the village.
The reason for that, we came to learn, was a distressing one.
On September 3, Luis was involved in a frightening accident. He was on the shoulder of Five Mile Line Rd., helping a friend secure a fence to her trailer, when another driver struck him. The impact sent him flying ten feet. He suffered a compound fracture to his leg and was losing blood rapidly. A veteran who happened on the scene applied a tourniquet, most definitely saving his life. (Click here to read the blog I wrote back then with the whole story.)
Luis spent weeks in the hospital, undergoing multiple surgeries, skin grafts, and intense recovery procedures. He’s still facing a long road to healing — physically, emotionally, and financially. Because of his injuries, he hasn’t been able to work, and Munchies Rock City Empanadas is struggling to stay afloat. His friends and family members have been doing their best to try to keep the doors open, but the bills are piling up, rent and equipment costs continue, and the future of his restaurant hangs in the balance.
For over 20 years, Luis Carrasquillo has been a pillar in our community, serving delicious food with love, donating meals to local events, and showing up whenever someone needs a helping hand. He’s never asked for anything in return because that’s just who he is. But now he’s asking for our help.
Luis’ family members have set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to help cover Luis’ medical and household expenses and ongoing rehabilitation, and to help keep his restaurant running until he can get back on his feet.
If you can spare even a little something, Luis would be eternally grateful, and you’d be helping someone who’s given so much to our Webster community. Click here to make your donation.
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(posted 1/25/2026)
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The annual Wreaths Across America Day is still many months away, but the national Wreaths Across American organization is already ramping up its efforts.
Recently national organizers revealed that the 2026 Wreaths Across America theme is “Remember Me: Stories From the Home Front.” The idea is to ensure that the individual names, families, and sacrifices of our veterans are not just recognized collectively, but remembered personally.
Karen Worcester, Wreaths Across America Executive Director, explained on the website,
“We often speak of “our service members” as though they are one unified group. Yet within that group are countless individuals, each with a name, a family, and a story that helped shape the freedoms we cherish today. While we honor them collectively, we can sometimes overlook the deeply personal sacrifices: the parent who never met a grandchild, the young recruit asked to shoulder more than any teenager should, the veteran who returned home carrying memories too heavy to share.”
Behind every wreath laid in December lies a deeply personal story, she added. Like Kevin in Home Alone said, “Maybe they don’t forget about you, but they forget to remember you.”
To support this effort, local Wreaths Across America Coordinator Cherie Wood would like to share your veterans’ stories. She’d like to hear about your service or the service of a veteran family member or friend. Include where they served, when, stories and a photo or video. They don’t have to have been local soldiers, or have died in battle. They can be from conflicts long ago or much more recent. Because everyone who served has sacrificed something. Email your stories to WebsterWreaths@icloud.com.
I’ll start us out with a story about my paternal grandfather:
On April 25, 1918, 21-year old Orville William Best, from Kansas City, Missouri, volunteered for military service to fight the Germans in WWI. After basic training he was sent to France in June, 1918 as part of the 89th Infantry Division.
Soon promoted to Corporal, Best served in both the Mihiel Offensive and the Meuse-Argonnne Offensive in Northern France. On Nov. 3, 1918, during the third phase of Meusse-Argonne, and just eight days before the armistice and end of the fighting in France, Corporal Best was injured in a mustard gas attack by the Germans, and suffered a machine gun wound to the stomach.
Best survived his injuries, recovering in an Army hospital in France, and returned to the United States in March 1919. He lived the rest of his life in Kansas City, married to his wife Blanche for more than 50 years, but he struggled with respiratory issues all of this life.
For his service to our country. Corporal Best was awarded the American Victory Medal (with France Bar), the Service Medal from the State of Missouri, and a Purple Heart.
Now it’s your turn. This year, let’s do more than just remember the battles that were fought. Let’s really try to remember the individual soldiers who sacrificed so many things when they were fighting for our country. Email your stories to WebsterWreaths@icloud.com.
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(posted 1/23/2026)
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If you’re planning to spend a lot of time on the couch on Super Bowl Sunday (like I am), you might want to consider starting off your day with a fun workout.
The Webster Recreation Centerhas cooked up a FREE Super Bowl-themed “Football & Fitness” sampler workout on Sunday Feb. 8. Beginning at 9 a.m. you can sample four workouts with four different instructors, split into four “quarters” with a brief halftime. Each 15-minute quarter will be a different exercise format — a dynamic warm up to mimic how athletes warm up, a cardio power section, upBeat barre and a yoga/mobility/stretching cool down. Participants are encouraged to dress in their favorite team’s colors and/or gear.
The Rec Center will also be raffling off two Super Bowl-themed prize baskets with multiple ways to earn tickets: one for just showing up, one for wearing your team colors, and one for bringing a non-family member or friend with you. Prizes will be awarded at the end of the event before everyone leaves.
It all happens at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr., beginning at 9 a.m. on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 8. There’s no cost, registration is not required and you don’t have to be a member of the Rec to join the fun.
And while we’re talking about the Rec Center, here a smattering of information about a few other programs coming up:
Candy Bar Bingo, Friday, Jan. 30 from 6 to 7 p.m. All ages are welcome (3 years and up), but you need to register each player individually. Bring one full-size candy bar per person to participate. Register for program #101201A.
February Break Camp registration is now in progress. It will run from Tuesday through Friday, Feb. 17 to 20, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Cost is $185. Register for 121006-A.
Here’s a look at upcoming Talks on Tuesday topics:
* Jan. 27: Fraud Prevention (Activity #146940-D)
* Feb. 3: Medicare (Activity# 146940-E)
* Feb. 10: Chocolate, a Tasty History (Activity# 146940-F)
* Feb. 17: Stocks, Bonds and Your Portfolio (Activity# 146940-G)
Talks on Tuesday programs are be held from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The programs are free but registration is required.
And if you like to make crafts, this monthly program is for you:
It’s called Craft Co., a crafting group which meets the second Monday of every month from 11 a.m. to noon. Upcoming crafts include a Pinecone Floral Arrangement (Feb. 9), Rock Painting on March 9 and Decorate a Planter on April 13. Cost for each session is $12. Register for Activity #142212.
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(posted 1/21/2026)
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The Webster Museum’s annual Quilt Exhibit — called “Stitched Stories” — has returned, and if you love anything and everything about quilting you’re not going to want to miss it.
Stitched Stories offers an illustrated journey through Webster’s history, told through the evolving designs, colors, fabrics and intricate patterns of heirloom quilts. Over the years, the museum has been the fortunate recipient of many vintage quilts. Most are documented in detailed binders that include their history, the artisans who created them, and, in many instances, their appraised value. These textile treasures capture decades of Webster history in their stitches.
More than 20 quilts of different sizes have been placed on display throughout the museum, from doll-sized mini-quilts, to a small cot quilt, to a full-sized courthouse steps quilt. They hang in exhibit cases, decorate the vintage parlor and bedroom, and adorn walls and railings. With some pieces dating back over 170 years, each stands as a testament to months of patient needlework and intricate craftsmanship.
I stopped by the museum on Tuesday afternoon to see the exhibit for myself, and discovered how LITTLE I know about the history of quilting. For example, there are so many different designs, popular during various times — like the wedding ring design, flying goose quilt, nine-patch quilt, crazy quilt and the “beginner friendly” courthouse steps design. (I did not consider that anywhere near beginner friendly myself.)
The Woodhull quiltBicentennial quilt
Some of the history was very interesting. The tiny doll quilts, for example, were popular from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s, often made by young girls just learning to sew. Cot quilts, used on a small bed or cot, were just the right size for a soldier in the Civil War to tuck into his backpack. The album panel quilt, crafted by Minerva Green Woodhull, has writing on it by her father-in-law, Byron Woodhull, who was Webster’s first supervisor. And I particularly liked the Webster Bicentennial heritage quilt, depicting a Webster map and squares representing historical highlights, made in 1976 by members of the Webster Quilt Guild.
An informative binder near the museum’s front entrance provides some background about each of the quilts on display. There’s even more information about each in the museum’s library, if you’re interested. Just ask one of the volunteers about that.
The Webster Museum is located at 18 Lapham Park, in the Village of Webster. They’re open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 2 to 4:30 p.m.
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My eldest daughter, who lives in Buffalo, works at a city school which hosts a meat raffle every year as a fundraiser.
This is a very Buffalo thing, and it’s a LOT of fun. You pay an entry fee, then throughout the evening you can purchase tickets for $1 each to take chances on winning all sorts of different meat prizes. You win when the huge number wheel spun by the host lands on your ticket number. The prizes include steaks, hot dogs, bacon, burgers, chicken and lots more. It’s really exciting and so much fun.
I’ve been watching for when this very Buffalo thing started showing up in Rochester — and it finally has. On Saturday, March 28 from 5 to 9 p.m., the Webster Comfort Care Home will hold a meat raffle at the Genesee Valley Moose Club in Henrietta. Advance-sale tickets are only $10 ($20 at the door), and there’ll be a cash bar and food available for purchase.
The event will feature meat, fish and seafood packages from Meat Man Dan, other raffles and prizes, and a chance to win a 5-cubic foot chest freezer from Orville’s Appliance, a $200 value. (It would be a great place to keep all of your meat raffle winnings, just sayin’.) You don’t have to be present to win the freezer … or even attend the meat raffle at all. Click here to purchase freezer raffle tickets.
All proceeds from the evening will benefit the Webster Comfort Care Home. Sponsorship packages are also available.
More information to come about this fun event, but make sure to put in on your calendar now, and consider getting your tickets soon.
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Chances are good you’ll remember the first-ever Mail Call: Letters from Home initiative last spring, designed to bring some joy to our local service members stationed abroad. Community members were encouraged to write out cards, letters and notes for the troops, which would then be shipped overseas in care packages prepared by the Blue Star Mothers of Rochester.
The effort kicked off in earnest in April, and by the beginning of the month, mailboxes had been set up in a dozen Town and Village of Webster businesses to collect the messages. Then it was just up to community members to answer the call.
They did that, big time.
Children and adults alike, from all walks of life, embraced the challenge from day one. Individuals, neighborhoods, businesses, schools, after-care programs and Scouts all started making cards. Churches, social groups, veterans, the VFW, American Legion, nursing homes, and active duty units all made cards. The Chamber of Commerce and Webster Public Library even hosted card-making events. By the end of the month, Webster blew the original goal out of the water, completing an amazing 1,558 cards and letters.
It was such an amazing response that Cherie Wood, the Mail Call organizer, has brought it back again this coming April. Her goal once again is 1,000 cards and letters, and while the mailboxes won’t be installed again until April, it’s not too early to start actuallywriting out some cards. Just tuck them aside for a few months; it would be a great way to kick-start the effort. It would also be helpful if you have some blank cards which you can donate to the cause. They come in very handy when places like the library have community events. Just put them aside, too, and stay tuned for more details about where to drop them off.
Lots more info to come about the Mail Call: Letters From Home 2026 initiative. Stay tuned and start writing!
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If you haven’t heard the news yet, Barry’s Old School Irish has finally opened a new, larger location, in Fairport, about 12 minutes south of Webster.
Barry’s Old School Irish anchored the Village of Webster’s four corners for almost 12 years. It became kind of like village’s living room, where families and friends gathered for after-work pints and birthday parties, Irish trad music filled the air, Notre Dame football was on the TV, and St. Patrick’s Day lasted all week long. For many it became like a second home.
So when the Barrys announced in July of 2023 that they were closing the pub, it came as a shock to our community. But it was an exciting development for the Barry family. It was just the next step in their journey which began with opening Barry’s Old School and expanded with the production of their Barry’s Irish Cream.
When the Barrys left 2 West Main St., however, it was with the promise that closing the pub would only be temporary. They immediately started to look for a new location, as the Barrys faithful (and there are a LOT of them) anxiously waited from the sidelines. But finally, after more than two years, Barry’s is back.
This Saturday, Jan. 17, the brand new Barry’s Irish Pub will officially open its doors at 4400 Fairport Nine Mile Point Rd. (at Eagle Vale) with a grand opening celebrationfeaturing everything we’ve come to know and love about our little pub, including live Irish music, Irish dancers, pipes and drums, free whiskey samples, and one of Danny Barry’s legendary whiskey toasts.
The Barrys looked at a lot of places before finally landing on the former Yanhuang Gourmet restaurant on the Eagle Vale Golf Club campus. The initial goal was to find something as close as possible to the original location, but it had to have the right atmosphere. A lot of the places they looked at were “cool,” Danny said, but “they all seemed like they’re all trying to be bigger just for the sake of being bigger.” He wasn’t even sure he wanted to tour the Eagle Vale location, but when someone pointed out that it’s basically just a bit farther south on the same road, he decided to check it out.
It was last March, around St. Patrick’s Day, when he first walked in. The former restaurant clearly needed a lot of work, but somehow Danny was able to see its potential. “This one had that homey feel to it,” he said. “By the end of the walk-through, I thought, this is an Irish Pub. It just doesn’t know it yet.”
The new Barry’s Irish Pub has much more floor space than the original Webster Village location. Behind the roomy bar area is a separate party room/overflow room with a deck. A third room, separated from the bar by a gas fireplace, is what Danny calls the “music room,” with a dedicated stage for musicians, complete with a sound system and speakers. (The musicians are going to love that upgrade.)
The layout accommodates multiple activities simultaneously while maintaining a sense of shared experience for everyone.
Danny explained, “If you’re sitting in the party room you could still see into the music room, but if you want to make that private, you can. So the whole place flows — no matter where you’re at, you’re kind of seeing what’s going on in the other room, but you also have the snug-like feel to it.”
There are plenty of fun new decorative touches, but comforting reminders of the old place are scattered throughout the space, like the old 1800s-era bar, posters and photographs on the walls, the “firefighter’s corner” with its framed turnout coat, lots of the old tartan-covered stools and favorite menu items. Even the walls are painted Barry’s Old School Irish green. The shelves behind the bar are filled with whiskies, and Guinness is still on tap, of course (two taps, actually, to meet the demand) along with Harp, Smithwicks and Magner’s cider. New to the taps are a Barry’s Irish Red, brewed in New Jersey, and a White Hag Irish IPA, brewed in Ireland. There’s even yard space outside, where Danny hopes to set up fire pits and lawn games when the weather turns warmer.
Live music is returning as well, at least Friday and Saturday nights, plus Saturday afternoon’s traditional Irish session.
So, it’s been a long time coming, but it sounds like the Barrys have found their forever home. Once again they’re inviting everyone to make yourself at home in their cozy living room, have a pint or a whiskey, settle in and enjoy some music, and chat with friends old and new.
If you’ve never been to Barry’s Pub before, welcome. And for everyone else … welcome home.
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Details about the grand opening celebration
Barry’s Irish Pub will hold its Grand Opening Celebration this Saturday from noon to 11:30 p.m. You can visit their Facebook page for more details, but here are a few highlights (and Don’t worry, the Buffalo Bills playoff game will be on the TVs):
traditional Irish music session, noon to 3 p.m.
ribbon cutting
live music by Kevin Reynolds and Lucky Enough from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Jamieson Irish Dancers at 4 p.m.
Keeper’s Heart Irish Whiskey Samples
Dave North Trio plays 7 to 10:30 p.m.
ROC City Guardians Pipes & Drums Performing, 7:30 p.m.
Official whiskey toast on the house, 9 p.m.
And by the way, there’s a LOT of parking.
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You never know what curious artifact you might discover when you wander through the Webster Museum. Case in point, this funny-looking, heavy glass, jar-like thing. Believe it or not, it’s actually a mouse trap, on display among many other farm and home gadgets that were instrumental to the lives of Webster residents a century ago.
The trap is about 6 inches long, with one open and one closed end. It has such an unusual shape and is so unlike anything we’re familiar with, that visitors are naturally drawn to examine it more closely and find out exactly what it’s all about. Fortunately, its history is thoroughly explained in a very helpful magazine article posted with the trap.
According to the article, it was patented in 1918 by Nute Wigginton of Winchester, Virginia, who dubbed it a “Mouse Exterminator.” Apparently, farmers at that time commonly used strychnine-coated oats and wheat to poison mice in their orchards and vineyards. But if the bait was exposed to the weather, it would be spoiled by the first rain shower that came through. It was a real problem, especially since a single mouse could destroy as many as ten or more fruit trees in one winter by gnawing on the bark at the base of the tree.
Wigginton came up with a brilliant solution. He designed his exterminator so that a tablespoon of poisoned bait could be inserted from the top. Then, when placed on the ground with the hump up, rain couldn’t get in. But a mouse could easily climb inside and eat the bait, and because the strychnine worked so fast, the mouse never got back out.
This particular Mouse Exterminator was found in the orchard of Drake Farm, which was located just west of Bay Rd., at the Webster/Penfield border. Unfortunately, the date it was found is unknown, but that doesn’t diminish the fascinating history behind it.
Stop by the Webster Museum yourself to see what other curious finds you might discover. The museum is located at 18 Lapham Park in the village, and is open every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. There’s no admission charge.
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I had the opportunity last week to attend a terrific program at the Webster Public Library (WPL) which I wanted to share with you all.
It was one of a series of panel discussions which the library hosts every month to share information and resources with caregivers of people with disabilities. Called “Diverse Abilities Dialogues,” the discussions cover topics such as communication strategies, financial planning, housing options, work placement and more.
The series is being coordinated by Jenny Paxson, WPL’s Reader’s Discovery Librarian, assisted by Brittany Jencik of Parents Helping ParentsCoalition of Monroe County. Their goal is to help people in the community make connections, so that — as Jencik said — “Nobody has to walk this journey alone. It’s tough enough when you have a village. It’s almost impossible to do it alone.”
The discussion I attended that day was all about “complementary therapies” — basically, activities and opportunities for children and adults with disabilities which offer physical and emotional benefits. The panelists that day were Dave Nicchitta from Strike Back Martial Arts, Mike Tuller from Abilities Movement, Sarah Beren from Spotted Rabbit Studio, Sara McLaughlin from EquiCenter and Chad Cassano from Cassano Studios. Each of the participants had a chance to introduce their business to the dozen or so people in attendance, explaining what services they offer for people with disabilities.
I heard about creative art classes; jujitsu classes for children and adults with autism and Down syndrome; therapy riding, beekeeping and farming programs; adaptive fitness and kayaking programs; and voice acting lessons.
It was enlightening to hear about all of these opportunities, and realize they’re only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the kinds of services caregivers can access within the Rochester area to help their loved ones. To a person, the presenters emphasized that their classes are all about building self-acceptance, making connections and thinking in new ways. The goal is to understand each person’s needs, meet them where their abilities are and guide them to their highest potential.
The Diverse Abilities Dialogue series is a valuable resource for caregivers, and it’s absolutely free to attend. The schedule for the next few months is:
To register, click on the hyperlink for each class. You don’t HAVE to register, but if you do, you’ll get an emailed reminder about the upcoming event.
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Flag football has exploded in popularity in recent years at both the high school and collegiate levels. Both Webster Thomas and Webster Schroeder high schools now have flag football teams, with individual athletes and entire squads finding success in local and state tournaments.
It’s no surprise that our Webster athletes are already winning accolades in the sport. Most recently, flag football standout Emma Rascoe, a senior at Webster Schroeder High School, received an especially huge honor. She was chosen to join the roster for the Pro Bowl High School Flag Football Showcase to be held Tuesday, Feb. 3 at Levi Stadium in San Francisco, home of Super Bowl LX. Emma was nominated by the Buffalo Bills to represent their team in the game.
The girls’ high school flag football game will be a big part of the National Football League’s Pro Bowl Week festivities. Much like the Pro Bowl itself, the game pits all-stars representing the AFC teams against all-stars representing the NFC. It will be broadcast on ESPN and stream on ESPN+ and Disney+.
Emma was selected following her standout junior season, where she served as the quarterback and a key defensive weapon on Webster Schroeder’s state championship team. Her leadership, athleticism, and impact on both sides of the ball helped lead the program to a historic season. She’s one of only 32 girls nationwide (and only two from New York State) chosen to participate in this prestigious event.
Congratulations, Emma, on this incredible honor, You make Webster proud!
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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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I feature the people and places and events that make Webster the wonderful community it is — and throw in some totally-not-Webster-related personal ramblings every once in a while as well.
I love it when readers send me news about the great things happening in their schools or the community, so please email me anytime at missyblog@gmail.com
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