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End break week with some great library programs

22 Feb

family_night

If your kids are beginning to get a little bored with having so much time on their hands this week, here are a few great kid and family-friendly library programs you’re gonna love.

Friday night Feb. 23, bring the family to the Webster Public Library from 6:30 to 8 p.m. for an after-hours evening of fun. Enjoy a family craft, retro video-gaming, minute-to-win-it challenges, live music by Bach to Rock and more. Snacks will be served.

Registration is required for this program, and there are only a few spots left, so make sure to log onto the library website to register ASAP.

On Saturday Feb. 24, your kids will help kickoff the spring season with the library’s IMG_5766“Seedy Saturday” program.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., both kids and adults can take part in a variety of spring gardening activities, including participating in a hands-on demonstration of worm composting; making plant labels out of a variety of materials; seeing an example of square foot gardening; making seed balls and seed starting containers; and learning how to start plants from seed.

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And here’s a heads-up about an important event hitting our town in April.

The second annual Challenger Miracle Field Fete has been scheduled for Friday April 13 at the Arbor Loft in downtown Rochester.

Anybody who’s anybody will be attending this festive, fancy celebration, which will feature food and drink, a live and silent auction, and entertainment. You’ll also hear a lot about what a great facility Miracle Field already is, and how your support can make it even better by helping build a pavilion, concession stand, accessible restrooms and a Play with Possibilities Playground.

I am pleased to also report that my close friends Jim, Mary and Katie Holleran are honorary chairs for the event.

Tickets are $100 each and can be reserved by clicking here.

Challenger Miracle Field is located in Ridge Park, behind Town Hall on Van Ingen Drive.  To read more about this tremendous facility, click here.

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Webster Thursday Mailbag

7 Feb

Enjolras and cast

First thing I want to do in today’s mailbag is remind everyone that Les Miserables opens Thursday night at Webster Schroeder High School.

If you know the story and the music, you know why you want to see this production. If you don’t know the story or the music, trust me — you’ll want to see this production. I got a taste of it several weeks ago when I was working on another article for the D&C, and even though the numbers were still very rough around the edges, I came away very impressed.

I got my tickets about a week ago, and they were already pretty scarce. You can take your chances at the door, or go online here to purchase them for will-call.

Showtimes are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 each and reserved seating only.

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A quick shout-out to the Webster Rotary Club, who this Saturday will be welcoming home members of the 3-126 AVN Army National Guard platoon, who are returning from a 6-month tour in Afghanistan.

 

This is the eighth platoon the Rotary has sponsored in the last nine years. Normally the platoons have been from Fort Drum, but this time the Rotary was able to connect with a local unit from the New York Army National Guard.

To date the Webster Rotary has sent 536 care packages to the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The celebration is being held at the National Guard Reserve Center in Chili.

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Show the love this Valentine’s Day by donating blood. Two blood drives coming up in Webster next week make that easy to fit into your schedule.

The first is Monday February 12 at Holy Trinity Church, 1460 Ridge Road (east of Phillips Road), from 1 to 7 p.m. The second is Tuesday February 13 at St. Martin’s Lutheran Church, 813 Bay Road, from 1 to 6 p.m.

Call 1-800-RED CROSS  (733-2767) to make an appointment, or just stop in. It will only take ah hour out of your day, and will help save three lives.

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The First Baptist Church of Penfield’s next Flapjack Saturday Community Fundraiser will be held Saturday January 20, from 8 to 10 a.m.

The  menu includes pancakes, pure maple syrup, scrambled eggs, sausage, and more for just $5.00 per person.

All February proceeds will benefit RESOLVE, a group dedicated to intervening and preventing domestic and sexual violence against women.

Breakfast is served at the church, 1862 Penfield Road. The venue is handicap-accessible. For more information, call 585-586-2876, log onto http://www.fbpenfield.org, or visit them on Facebook.

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Do you have a little one starting kindergarten this fall? This notice is for you.

The first opportunity for parents to register their children for kindergarten is during Kindergarten Parent Orientation on Tuesday, February 27, at 6:30 p.m. at your student’s school.  Parents will have an opportunity to learn about the kindergarten program, meet staff, and tour the school.

Kindergarten registration packets and all related paperwork for the 2018-19 school year are now available on the district website and in all elementary schools. To download the packet, go to websterschools.org, click the Central Registration button, then the REGISTRATION – 2018-19 Kindergarten link located on the left side of the page. The packet and related paperwork are located at the bottom of the page under Downloads.

Parents who cannot attend Kindergarten Parent Orientation may take the completed paperwork and all necessary documents to their children’s school during Walk-in Registration Days, February 28-March 2, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Staff will be available to review your paperwork as you wait.

 

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Casino night will raise money to fight rare cancers

21 Jan

 

beunitimidated_logo21 (1)

A Penfield-based non-profit organization called Be uninTIMidated has a fundraiser coming up in a few weeks which I want to tell you all about, because the organization and the people who run it are top-notch.

First, some background.

In April 2012, Penfield resident Tim Wesley was diagnosed with an advanced stage of a very rare form of appendix cancer. He was told that he would not be a surgical candidate, and was given only 12 to 18 months to live.

That was a prognosis he and his wife Denise simply would not accept, so they went on the offensive to see what they could do.

Through hundreds of hours of research, they found their way to visit three different cancer surgeons in Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Buffalo who specialize in appendix cancer. They discovered that Tim was in fact a surgical candidate and that the surgery could save his life — or at the very least give him more time.

They had come so far and learned so much, as soon as the surgery was done, they decided they wanted to help educate, advocate and financially help people travel to see specialists. They created Be uninTIMidated.

In the last six years, the organization has shed light on appendix cancer and other rare cancers like it, helping more patients get diagnosed. The funds they raise through their special events go directly to support research and to help families pay for travel expenses as they seek medical options and treatment.

Here’s how you can help:

The 5th Annual Be uninTIMidated Casino Night will be held on Saturday, January 27 from 6 to 11 p.m. at the Kodak Center at Eastman Business Park, 200 West Ridge Road.

The event will feature casino games, beverage tasting, appetizers, a cash bar, and lots more fun.

Tickets are $60 in advance and $65 at the door. Click here to purchase tickets online or send a check made payable to: BE uninTIMidated, 20 Thomlinson Circle, Penfield, NY 14526.

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

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Webster Community Mailbag

15 Jan

IMG_2261 (2)_LIBoy Scout Troop 110, sponsored by St. Martin Lutheran Church in Webster, has proudly announced that Jason Brown has earned the rank of Eagle Scout.

Jason performed his Eagle Project for Friends of Webster Trails. Jason worked with the organization on their latest project, creating the new Hickory Bark Trail behind the Webster Public Library.

For his project, Jason:

  • built a large kiosk so people visiting the Webster Public Library, the playgrounds or softball fields would be aware of the trail.
  • installed two culverts on the trail to move rainwater off the trail which will prevent it from getting muddy.
  • created and installed information content for the kiosk.  nature found on the trail such as shag bark, iron wood and yellow birch trees, poison ivy (and its dangers) and foxholes.

Jason also helped improve the trails at Whiting Road Nature Preserve by filling in some of the low spots with stone.

The project, which was completed in 2017, took 225 hours to complete. Jason was assisted by 11 adults and five other Scouts.

Jason currently attends Webster Schroeder High School, where he has won several academic awards. Besides Scouting he enjoys volleyball, tennis, and playing the cello and jazz piano.

More About the Friends

Friends of Webster Trails (FWT) is an organization which serves as the volunteer division of the Webster Parks and Recreation Department. FWT has built and maintained 19.5 miles of trails located in Whiting Road Nature Preserve, Gosnell Big Woods Preserve, Four Mile Creek Preserve and other locations such as the Hojack Trail. These trails provide a place for hiking, mountain biking, running, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. The Hickory Bark Trail behind the library  is the organization’s latest effort.

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The First Baptist Church of Penfield’s next Flapjack Saturday Community Fundraiser
will be held Saturday January 20, from 8 to 10 a.m.

The  menu includes pancakes, pure maple syrup, scrambled eggs, sausage, and more for just $5.00 per person.

All January proceeds will go directly to help support the Open Door Mission, a Christian rescue mission founded on the belief that with proper resources hope can be restored and lives of impoverished men, women and children of Rochester could be forever changed.

Breakfast is served at the church, 1862 Penfield Road. The venue is handicap-accessible. For more information, call 585-586-2876, log onto http://www.fbpenfield.org, or visit them on Facebook.

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OConnor-Band-PRESS-5-LO-RES-768x510

The O’Connor Band, with Webster native Kate Lee, will perform at the Eastman Theatre on January 19.

There’s a great concert coming up Friday night which is worth mentioning again. It will be held at the Eastman Theatre, and feature the Grammy-winning O’Connor Band, with Webster’s own phenom fiddle player Kate Lee (Webster Schroeder ’10).

The O’Connor Band’s debut album, Coming Home, reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Bluegrass Albums chart in 2016 and won Best Bluegrass Album at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in 2017.

The band features legendary fiddle virtuoso and composer, Mark O’Connor, his wife Maggie O’Connor (fiddle/vocals), son Forrest O’Connor (mandolin/vocals), and Kate (fiddle/vocals), who last April officially joined the family when she married Forrest.

On Friday night January 19, the band will perform at the Eastman Theatre, beginning at 8 p.m. The show will feature music from the O’Connor Band’s Grammy-winning album as well as music from their 2017-released O’Connor Band LIVE! album.

Kodak Hall at the Eastman Theatre is located at 26 Gibbs Street in Rochester. For tickets, visit www.eastmantheatre.org/events/oconnor-band.

To learn more about the O’Connor Band, visit their website at www.oconnorband.com.

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Kate Lee and the O’Connor Band are coming to town

4 Jan
OConnor-Band-PRESS-5-LO-RES-768x510

The O’Connor Band, with Webster native Kate Lee, will be coming to town the week of January 18.  Kate, second from left, is pictured with Forrest, Maggie and Mark O’Connor.

Grammy-winning bluegrass/Americana group the O’Connor Band– including Webster’s very own Kate Lee (Webster Schroeder ’10) — will be visiting from Nashville in a few weeks to perform at the Eastman Theatre and share their skills in our schools.

The O’Connor Band’s debut album, Coming Home, reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Bluegrass Albums chart in 2016 and won Best Bluegrass Album at the 59th Annual GRAMMY Awards in 2017.

The band features legendary fiddle virtuoso and composer, Mark O’Connor, his wife Maggie O’Connor (fiddle/vocals), son Forrest O’Connor (mandolin/vocals), and Kate (fiddle/vocals), who last April officially joined the family when she married Forrest.

Before their Eastman Theatre performance, the group will spend two days educating students through Mark O’Connor’s O’Connor Method: An American School of String Playing. The O’Connor Band will perform at both high schools for Webster Central School District instrumental and choral ensemble students in grades 4-12 and high school junior-level social studies’ students. Mark will provide educational narrative regarding the historical time and place of the band’s bluegrass genre across generations. The O’Connor Band will also be visiting Rochester City School District’s School No. 19 to give a performance and master class to the school’s Strings for Success program.

On Friday night January 19, the band will conclude their visit with a performance at the Eastman Theatre, beginning at 8 p.m. Singer-songwriter Chris Wilson will open the show, which will feature music from the O’Connor Band’s Grammy-winning album as well as music from their 2017-released O’Connor Band LIVE! album.

Kodak Hall at the Eastman Theatre is located at 26 Gibbs Street in Rochester. For tickets, visit www.eastmantheatre.org/events/oconnor-band.

To learn more about the O’Connor Band, visit their website at www.oconnorband.com.

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

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School 17 says Thank you, Webster

31 Dec

Here’s a very nice end-of-the-year feel-good fuzzie, which I received in my email this morning. It’s a video thank-you to the Webster community from School 17 for helping bring Christmas to the children, many whom wouldn’t otherwise get even one present, let alone anything else resembling Christmas.

Click on the image to see the video. May the new year continue to bring more instances of people helping people, every day and in both big and little ways.

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

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Blood drives will honor Jack Heiligman

15 Dec

posterTwo blood drives coming up next week in our area are being held in memory of 3-year old Jack Heiligman.

Jack, you may remember, lost his life in a tragic accident in 2016.  Since that awful day, Jack’s parents Anne and AJ have worked hard to keep their son’s happy spirit alive by spreading laughter, happiness and love to other families, and encouraging others to pay it forward.

They work through the JACK Foundation, an organization they created, dedicated to giving back to the community through acts of kindness. The foundation also raises money to build dinosaur-themed playgrounds. Their first playground, Jack’s Place, opened at Rothfuss Park in Penfield last August 2017.

This holiday season, one of the ways the JACK Foundation is giving back to the community and promoting acts of kindness is by hosting two blood drives in Jack’s memory. These will be held on Thursday, December 21 at Kent Park Arboretum in Webster and Friday, December 22 at the Penfield Community Center.

“The JACK Foundation has really helped keep Jack’s memory alive for our family and friends,” Anne said. “We miss our Jack every moment of every day, but being a part of caring and kind acts in Jack’s name has helped bring us peace and comfort. We hope we are making our Angel Jack proud.”

The two drives are especially significant at this time of year, near the holidays, when blood and platelet donations often decline due to everyone’s busy schedules. Here are the details:

Thursday, December 21, 2-7 p.m.
Kent Park Arboretum
1700 Schlegel Rd., Webster

Friday, December 22, 2-7 p.m.
Penfield Community Center
1985 Baird Rd., Penfield

As a thank you for showing your support for these special blood drives, all presenting donors will receive a Red Cross long-sleeved t-shirt, while supplies last.

Appointments are appreciated and will help you get in and out faster, but walk-ins are also welcome. To make an appointment, log onto redcrossblood.org or download the blood donor app. Please use sponsor code JACKFOUNDATIONWEBSTERPENFIELD.

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

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Webster Saturday Mailbag

25 Nov

mailbagThe Penfield Public Library is looking for a few enthusiastic people.

The library is looking for two new members for its Board of Trustees to replace outgoing trustees whose terms have expired.

The nine board members must be strong library advocates. Board members support the library by crafting a strategic plan and vision in conjunction with library personnel, by developing and reviewing policies, by reviewing and approving the budget and financial matters, and by communicating with the community and local legislators.

The Board of Trustees meets regularly at 7 pm on the third Tuesday of each month in the Ruth Braman Room of the Penfield Public Library. Meetings usually end by 9 pm and are open to the public.

Any resident of the Town of Penfield interested in applying for the Penfield Public Library Board of Trustees should submit a letter of interest and a resume to Chris Fluit,
Personnel Committee Chairman, Penfield Public Library, 1985 Baird Rd, Penfield, NY, 14526. Applications should be received by November 30, 2017. Interviews will be scheduled for early December and the new trustees should begin their term in January 2018.

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A group of 15 Webster Schroeder High School upperclassmen shared the fruits of their fundraising efforts with Rochester families in need through a unique partnership with Mt. Hope Family Center (MHFC).

Last Monday, several MHFC vehicles arrived at Webster Schroeder’s main office, 875 Ridge Road, to pick up boxes and bags with all the fixings for Thanksgiving meals that will be provided to at-risk children and families supported by MHFC. The groceries were purchased by Webster Schroeder students who began fundraising for these Thanksgiving meals last month.

This is the sixth year students have partnered with MHFC to raise funds to supply Thanksgiving meals for those served by the organization. What makes the students’ fundraising efforts so unique is that they personally reached out to other Webster Schroeder High School clubs, sports teams, organizations, faculty, staff, and Webster businesses to raise $3,500 for the Thanksgiving meals. Extra funds raised will provide holiday gifts for children from each of the 20 families that receive a basket.

Schroeder students with Thanksgiving donation - Photo 1

15 Webster Schroeder High School juniors and seniors collected $3500 to provide Thanksgiving meals to families served by the Mt. Hope Family Center.

The Country Gardeners of Webster, Klem Road Garden Club and the Webster Arboretum will hold their annual Garden Club Holiday Sale on Saturday December 2 from 9 am to noon at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Drive.

This huge sale features fresh wreaths, arrangements, poinsettias, centerpieces and gifts that are created by hand by the club members for this sale.

This is always a very popular event, so you want to get there early. I stopped by at about 11:30 last year and pretty much everything was sold out.

The sale is the Country Gardeners’ annual fundraiser, so think about decorating your own home, and purchasing gifts for family, friends and holiday hostesses.

Admission is free.

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Penfield Rec offers Elf Training Workshop

20 Nov

christmas-elf-mdGiven that this is a WEBSTER blog, I don’t often write about Penfield (even though I actually live in Penfield).  But this program being offered through the Penfield Recreation Department is just too cute.

It’s called an Elf Training Workshop, and it’s for the entire family.

Elf wannabees will meet at the Dolomite Lodge (Veterans Memorial Park) for a one-hour training session, which will teach critical skills for anyone who wants to work in Santa’s workshop. They’ll include toy construction and inspection, gift wrapping, ornament making, and more. Prospective elves will also have a one-on-one interview with Santa himself.

Elves who complete the one-hour seminar will be presented a gift bag and official certificate from the North Pole.

The workshop is scheduled for Saturday, December 9, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Cost is $5 per family, and pre-registration is required. A limited number of spots are available, so sign up soon. You can call  (585) 340-8655 or register online at www.penfieldrec.org.

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Webster Thursday mailbag

15 Nov

imageLots going on as the holidays start to gear up in earnest.

Here’s a fun thing to do this weekend: The Webster Thomas Players will present Shakespeare’s classic A Midsummer Night’s Dream in three shows this Thursday Friday and Saturday, November 16 through 18. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. at Webster Thomas High School, 800 Five Mile Line Road.

Tickets are $7 and will be available at the door.  Click here to check out a preview of the show.

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On Saturday, Spry Middle School will host a FIRST Lego League competition, which promises to be a fun spectacle.

Here’s a description/press release written by one of the SparX team members:

It’s that time of the year once again! Young students throughout the world are preparing to compete in this year’s FIRST Lego League competition, HYDRO DYNAMICS.

FIRST Lego League is a worldwide competition in which students ages 9-14 compete in challenges by creating a robot using Lego® blocks. In this year’s game, HYDRO DYNAMICS, kids have to create a robot that can do a variety of water-related functions, such as turning on a Lego faucet, flushing a Lego toilet, and replacing a broken Lego pipe. In between the games, the teams also make presentations to focus on the thematic issue presented each season. This season the teams are focusing on the importance of conserving water and the human water cycle. The kids use the scientific method and engineering design to solve their problems.

The last significant part of the game is designing a poster that goes over the fundamentals of Lego League: Discovery, Integration, Inclusion, and Cooperation.

On November 18, a regional competition will be held in Spry Middle School so the kids can show off what they have been working on for the past few months. Opening ceremonies begin at 11:00 a.m. If you are interested and want to learn more about the FIRST Lego League and the FIRST program, stop by or visit firstinspires.org.

hydro

The Chorus of the Genesee has announced their second annual Breakfast with Santa, which will be held on Saturday December 2 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Harmony House, 58 East Main Street in Webster. Photos with Santa will be available.

The menu will feature French toast sticks and sausage, coffee, juice, and milk. Cost is $5 per person, $20 maximum per family. For tickets call (585) 265-9540 or visit chorusofthegenesee.org.

Breakfast with Santa is happening on the same day as the Village of Webster’s White Christmas Festival and Parade of Lights (Saturday December 2), which features holiday activities all afternoon and evening. Watch for a more complete blog about that to come soon.

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The annual Henderson Ford Toy Drive is ending in the next two weeks.

The dealership, along with six other business partners, are calling for the community’s help for new and unwrapped toys. Donated toys are being given to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots and The Furnished 4 Life Christmas Store at the Wedge Market.

The Henderson Ford annual toy drive is one of the largest collections in Rochester for both distribution campaigns. The toys delivered by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve will be distributed in Rochester. The toys delivered to The Furnished 4 Life Christmas Store at the Wedge Market will allow for parental selection and pride in gifting.

You can drop off your new, unwrapped toy donations for all ages at any of the following locations:

  • Henderson Ford, 810 Ridge Road, Webster
  • Steinmiller Insurance, 1223 Bay Road, Webster
  • The UPS Store, 1900 Empire Boulevard, Webster
  • Webster Chamber Health Insurance Service, 1110 Crosspoint Lane Suite C, Webster
  • RAMP (Rochester Area Music Project), 31 West Church Street, Fairport
  • Edge Advertising Group, 6 North Main Street, Suite 220, Fairport

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

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