Chris (right) and his best man, Ed SuslovicEd Suslovic officiating Chris and Chelsea’s wedding ceremony
Now here’s a really nice story which hails from Geneva, but has a distinctly Webster connection.
About two and a half months ago, on Sept. 29, Webster resident Chris Costello and his fiance’ Chelsea were married in a beautiful outdoor ceremony in Geneva. Now, that news in itself is not remarkable. But there’s much more to this story, and it’s pretty touching.
More than 20 years ago, 8-year old Chris Costello was diagnosed with leukemia. After months of chemotherapy, remission and relapsing, he was finally told that a blood stem cell transplant would be his best chance at survival.
Hundreds of miles away in Portland, ME, Ed Suslovic, who had registered as a stem cell donor more than a decade earlier in college, found out he was a match for a young boy battling leukemia. He didn’t hesitate to donate his blood stem cells to a perfect stranger, ultimately saving Chris’s life. A year later, Chris and Ed met in person and instantly formed an unbreakable bond.
Now, back to the wedding. Obviously, it was already a special day. But it was made extra special in that Chris’s stem cell donor and longtime friend, Ed Suslovic, served as best man and officiated the wedding.
How heartwarming and appropriate that was, since it was Ed’s selfless donation that made it possible for Chris to marry the love of his life.
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In 1998, once Chris had regained his health, his mother established Christopher’s Challenge to educate about bone marrow transplants, encourage people to become potential bone marrow donors, and provide financial support to patients going through bone marrow transplant procedures. You, too, could save a life and be part of someone’s inspirational story by signing up through DKMS, the world’s largest blood stem cell donor center.
To find out more about Christopher’s Challenge, click here.
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Last year was the first time I’d ever seen a full production of Nutcracker. That in itself is hard to believe, but it’s especially egregious given that not only does Rochester get a professional performance of the holiday classic each year, but that performance also features a lot of young local dancers.
More than 30 children from Webster’s very own Dancing With Denise studio will be performing alongside the full international professional Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballettroupe this year, filling the roles of mice, party kids, snowflakes, doves and other characters. It’s a rare opportunity for these kids to audition, rehearse and perform with a professional, international touring ballet company.
Any of you who’ve had the pleasure of seeing Nutcracker already know that it’s a truly magical show, from the bright Christmas-Eve-celebration colors, costumes and staging in the first act, to the sparkling wintry scenes in Act II, wrapped in the beautiful music we all know so well. The addition of adorable local children makes it even more enchanting.
I remember feeling somewhat sorry last year for the professional dancers when the kids were performing. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one, for example, paying more attention to the little rats scurrying around the stage than the pitched battle taking place between the Rat King and the Nutcracker.
Aside from the children, The Nutcracker features an award-winning ensemble from Ukraine, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, and more. It’s marking its 31st tour this holiday season, with stops in more than 50 cities across the country. As part of their “Dance With Us” program, the company partners with local dance studios like Dancing with Denise to cast young talent to perform onstage alongside the professional artists. This is the 15th year Dancing with Denise has had the privilege of being chosen to host this magical event.
Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet will take the stage on Friday December 8at 7 p.m. at The West Herr Auditorium Theatre. Tickets are going fast for the one-time performance, so get yours soon. Click here to order online.
I recently got an email from a proud papa who told me that Emma Clausen is also performing in the Nutcracker this weekend.
Emma, who also lives in Webster, dances with TNT Dance Explosion in Irondequoit. She performed last weekend at Eastman Theater with the Rochester City Ballet and RPO and performs again this week with the ballet company at Fort Hill Performing Arts Center in Canandaigua.
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When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Or in this particular case, in the absence of Barry’s Old School Irish, find the next best place to get your Irish music fix.
On Sunday night, that place was Temple Bar and Grill on East Ave. My husband and I joined many other Barry’s regulars there that night, where we headed to catch a performance by one of our favorite Irish musicians, Dave North. It was like Old Home Week when we walked in and saw many of our Barry’s friends gathered around the bar. We really weren’t too surprised, though; Temple Bar has long been known for offering up Irish music on Sunday nights, and Dave North has been a regular performer there for decades. We’ve all enjoyed his shows at Barry’s, and were happy to follow him downtown.
Walking into the bar that night and seeing so many familiar faces helped fill the hole in my life created when Barry’s closed almost two months ago. We counted a good dozen Barry’s regulars among the Temple Bar faithful that night, and we spent a delightful couple hours enjoying a few pints and reconnecting with friends.
Temple will never replace Barry’s, but as we await the return of our favorite Irish pub to Webster (soon, please, Danny and Jess!) it’ll do in a pinch.
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Farm markets have to be some of the best things that autumn has to offer. Sure, farm markets are great the rest of the year, too, when we can get a ready supply of fresh vegetables and flowers. But they take on a spectacular beauty in the fall, alive with color and holiday trappings.
Here in the Webster area we’re blessed with a great number of farm markets, within town or just minutes away. I visited a bunch of them recently; here’s a little about each one, complete with photos.
(This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but it’s a good start!)
Schreiner Farm, 490 Phillips Rd.
I’m going to begin our tour today with one of the smallest farm markets in Webster, but also one of the friendliest.
The family-owned Schreiner Farm Market has been located at 490 Phillips Rd. since 2008. Before then, Ken and Darlene Schreiner had a farm stand at the home they owned across the road. They outgrew that and decided to build a much bigger market on the land they owned on the east side of Phillips.
“(Ken) and I do everything on the farm, plant it, grow it, cut it,” Darlene said. Given it’s just the two of them, it’s a small operation, as you might imagine. You’re not going to find a Facebook page or even a website. You’re just going to have to stop by and check it out for yourself.
Bauman’s is one of those markets where it’s hard to find a parking spot on October weekends. But it’s worth the effort, because the kids are going to love exploring the huge cornstalk teepee, the spooky haunted house, straw maze and pumpkin patch (all free).
For sale right now: sweet corn, pumpkins, friend cakes, and loads of apples.
And a huge congratulations to Bauman’s, which at the most recent Webster Chamber of Commerce meeting was recognized for celebrating its 115th anniversary!
Herman’s Farm Market is a 5th-generation farm known for its apples, peaches, cherries, apricots & nectarines. Before the big game, stop by for some fried cakes (which were recently decorated with Buffalo Bills blue and red sprinkles), snacks, Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters ground coffee.
Maier Farms is known for their beautiful fall displays and impressive selection of pumpkins, gourds, ornamental corn, straw bales and more, including some items you won’t find many other places. Find lots of unique gift items here too.
Mayer’s Cider Mill, 699 Five Mile Line Rd.
I had a bit of a hard time finding out a whole lot online about Mayer’s and what the market offers, but the few sites I did find (a Facebook page here and a website here) mentioned apples (of course) and donuts, and a tasting room.
According to an article in the Genesee Valley Pennysaver, Mayer’s is “the oldest continuously operating cider mill in New York State,” dating all the way back to 1876. That history alone is a good reason to stop by. Read the whole article here.
Whenever I hear someone talking about Schutt’s, usually it’s in the same sentence as the words “fried cakes.” But there’s a whole lot more to love about Schutt’s.
There are the apples, of course. You can pick your own or select them from their abundant displays. There’s a fermented cider tasting room, weekly events and craft classes, u-pick flowers, lots of other fresh fruits and vegetables, and so many holiday decor and gift items.
Schutt’s Apple Mill has been open since 1918 and continues to be an autumn favorite.
Many of my friends swear by Sunscape Farms for their fresh vegetables. This time of year Sunscape still features an impressive variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, plus honeys, jams and maple syrup, fresh cut flowers, fall decor, fall plants and shrubs. And don’t forget, there’s always complimentary organic lollipops for the kids at the register.
Welch’s is not very big, but it is the closest farm market to my house, so I’m a regular visitor there, especially during corn and pumpkin season.
Family-owned and operated since 1959, Welch’s is especially known for their greenhouses, flowers, vegetable plants and gardening supplies. They have a lot of bulk mulch and topsoil.
What struck me more than anything when I stopped by there, however, were the mums. As far as the eye can see. That really seems to be their forte this time of year, so if you want mums, make sure to include Welch’s in your travels.
Of course, no blog about farm markets is complete without mentioning Wickham Farms, the king of agri-tainment in our area. Located about four miles south of the Village of Webster, Wickham’s parking lot ALONE (not including the overflow lot) is bigger than some of the other farm markets themselves. I went by on Wednesday, when they were closed, so I didn’t have any problem finding parking. But I also didn’t get to experience the joy of watching small children as they explored what has really become an autumn carnival.
In addition to the corn maze for which they’ve become known, the farm has a wide variety of activities to keep kids entertained for hours, including a “mountain slide,” a train, farm animals to pet, a jumping pad, singing tractor, mini golf, a playground and more. There’s also lots of food.
Admission is required to visit the farm. Discounts are available for on-line presale tickets. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
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Sometimes I get so focused on what’s going on within the borders of Webster that I fail to notice some outstanding attractions just a stone’s-throw away. This weekend, I explored one of these hidden gems when I visited the Heritage Square Museum in Ontario.
Heritage Square Museum is a 19th-century living history museum. Located just 12 minutes east of the Village of Webster at the north end of Ontario Center Rd. in Ontario, it includes ten individual buildings spread across 13 beautiful acres, which reflect what life was like for many of the Town of Ontario’s earliest settlers.
Despite living in the Webster area for almost 30 years, I’d never visited Heritage Square before Saturday, when I took advantage of the incredible early fall weather to drive out for their “Apples, Apples, Apples” day. True to its name, the event featured an apple pie and ice cream social, demonstrations related to the apple industry and apple crafts. This all in addition to all of the historical homes and shops which were just begging to be explored.
I spent a very enjoyable hour or so wandering among the buildings (my favorites were the old Hojack Railroad depot, the schoolhouse, the log cabin and the jail). The buildings were attended by very knowledgeable volunteers, who all had interesting stories to tell that brought the history to life.
Of course I also had some homemade apple pie and ice cream, enjoyed while listening to the incredible harmonies of a trio called “LED.”
What particularly impressed me about Heritage Square is how beautifully the buildings and grounds are maintained, which is especially notable given the museum is run exclusively by volunteers. And it takes a lot of volunteers, from the docents and barn sale workers, to tree trimmers and cafe staff, to guides for the school groups that visit every spring. And every one of them is equally passionate about preserving and sharing the history of their town.
I highly recommend that you and your family visit Heritage Square Museum. Seeing history firsthand, walking in the steps of our great-great grandparents, is really the best way to understand and appreciate history.
Heritage Square Museum is located at 7147 Ontario Center Rd., Ontario. It’s open weekends through October from 1:30 to 4 p.m. and guided tours are available. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and kids 16 and under, $20 for families.
On Sunday Oct. 22, the museum will host its 2nd Annual Halloween Happening from 1 to 4 p.m. Trick or treat through the historic buildings, hear spooky stories, and enjoy kids crafts and games. Halloween snacks will be available for purchase. Cost is just $5 per car. Don’t forget to wear your costume!
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All shows will be held at Webster Thomas High School, 800 Five Mile Line Rd. Tickets are $20, plus $2 transaction fee if ordered online), and are reserve seating. Tickets will also be available at the door. Click here for tickets.
Community members are cordially invited to Their Light Shines, a Celebration of Remembrance on Tuesday evening Oct. 3, where you can light a luminaria in honor or memory of your loved one(s).
Luminarias can be purchased for $10 each and will benefit the Webster Comfort Care Home in its mission to provide no-cost, compassionate care to the terminally ill and their families.
The Celebration of Remembrance will be held at the Comfort Care Home, 700 Holt Rd., from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday Oct. 3. Rain date will be Oct. 5.
Our very own Webster Marching Band will host their 37th annual Autumn Fanfare field show and competition on Saturday October 7 at Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Rd.
Autumn Fanfare is always a spectacular evening of storytelling through music, marching, and even a little bit of acting. There are always huge set pieces involved to move the music-story forward. This is an awesome opportunity to see what our hometown marching bad has been up to, and be impressed by the incredible amount of hard work these kids put in every year to create a show that will blow you away.
Gates open at 5 p.m. and the show starts at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10, available at Herman’s Farm Market (741 Five Mile Line Rd.) and the Webster Recreation Center (1350 Chiyoda Dr.). They can also be purchased for $12 at the gate.
More to come about this.
Don’t forget about the Capital Improvement Project vote on Wednesday, Oct. 11
The Webster Central School District has proposed an $85 million capital improvement project that will impact all 11 schools with zero tax impact for district residents. The project will include renovations and improvements to all of the schools. The project will be voted on by the Webster CSD community on Wednesday, October 11, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Webster Schroeder High School’s gym, 875 Ridge Road.
To learn more about the project and the improvements to each school, click here. You can also sign up to receive periodic communications from the district regarding the project. For details, please visit the capital improvement project news story at www.websterschools.org.
The West Webster Fire Department will hold their annual Fire Prevention Open House on Sunday Oct. 15, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the fire station on Gravel Rd.
The afternoon will include firehouse tours, fire safety displays, equipment displays, live demos, refreshments and more.
There’s no charge, and the entire Webster community is invited. For more information, visit the WWFD Facebook page here.
While we’re on that subject, remember that the Webster Volunteer Fire Department always holds its open house during the village’s Trick of Treat Trail, this year scheduled for Saturday Oct. 28. Stay tuned for more information about that.
This is always a great opportunity to stock your home library. Hardcover books are just $1, and paperback books just 50 cents.
Members of the Friends of the Webster Public Library can visit Wednesday, Oct. 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. for a first look. Membership in the Friends of the Webster Public Library is required and can be purchased at the door.
The general public sale will be Thursday, Oct. 19 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday Oct. 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday Oct. 21 from 10 a.m. to noon. Friday and Saturday are BYOB Sale Days; bring your own bag, and fill it for just $5.
The sale will be held at the library, 980 Ridge Rd. Proceeds from the fall book sale directly benefit library programs, book collections and other special projects.
Our Penfield friends, Schutt’s Apple Mill on Plank Rd., have a couple of fun events planned for this fall.
On Tuesday Oct. 24 (one week before Halloween), Schutt’s will host their Trick-or-Treat at the Farmevent from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. It’s a family-friendly night where you can walk through the orchard on a Trick-or-Treat Trail to find some fanciful jack-o-lanterns and sweet treats. Costumes and flashlights are encouraged.
This is a free event and no registration is required.
On Saturday Nov. 4, Schutt’s will host a Holiday Farm Market from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. from 9 a.m. This is a great opportunity to support 35 local businesses while shopping for personal and gift items.
For more information about both of these events and others, click here. Schutt’s Apple Mill is located at 1063 Plank Rd.
Pumpkins on Parade at the Webster Recreation Center is back, Saturday Oct. 28 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
This is a one-mile long trail lined with creatively and whimsically-carved jack-o-lanterns. Every year the Rec Center puts this on (this is the fourth annual), it’s been bigger and better, packed with post-trail treats, photo opportunities and more
I’ll be providing more details about this, but for now, start planning your pumpkin carving, because the Rec Center is going to need a LOT of jack-o-lanterns.
Finally, check the flyers below for details about lots of great upcoming programs at the Webster Public Library, including:
the Readers, Writers and Connections program for budding writers
Teen Library Club
National Hair Day storytime
Family Night
a movie matinee
a Halloween craft
line dancing for kids
a clay class for children and parents
The Webster Library is located at 980 Ridge Rd.
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This looks like a fun event, and just in time for the start of the holiday shopping season (well, at least for me).
It’s a Rochester-wide, nine-day shopping tour called “Shop-Tober-Fest.” I call it a tour because the event will take you around the city, sampling lots of cute shops which have lots of unique gift ideas for your favorite people.
The event doesn’t even start for another week, but already 20 local businesses, artisans and entrepreneurs are signed up. In town, that includes Farm House Fabulous (in Ontario, and the host of this new event); Lala of Webster; curated by JUSTINteriors; Kittelberger Florist & Gifts; and SoJo Boutique. Other participating shops are in Fairport, Pittsford, Brighton, Victor and downtown.
Here’s how Shop-Tober-Fest works
Buy a $5 ticket for Shop-Tober-Fest via Eventbrite and visit as many of the participating shops as you like between October 7 and 15. Your ticket will give you access to the map of the shops along with a raffle ticket for each one (sent via email after registration). Every store will be raffling off a prize of a $100 value or more and you’re eligible to win them all! But you can only enter each shop’s raffle by visiting the store in-person.
This is a great opportunity to show your love for small businesses and uncover some one-of-a-kind gifts, charming home decor items, delectable treats and more.
Best of all, proceeds will benefit theWilmot Cancer Center.
So click here to register. Your map will be emailed to you so you’re ready to hit the shopping trail on Oct. 7!
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It’s basically my hobby. I have fun doing it, I’m kinda good at it, and the skills I’ve developed over the years have led to good jobs and success in those jobs. I attribute all of that to my parents and teachers who encouraged me to write as much and as often as possible.
And that’s why, when I heard about an opportunity to help young people improve their writing skills and find out that writing can actually be FUN, I jumped at the chance.
It’s a Pen-Pal Program sponsored by Webster Parks and Recreation for people 55+. You can read about it it the flyer, but this is what it says:
Remember the old days when you used to write letters? Join the Webster 55+ folks and the Autumn Lane second graders as we become pen-pals.
Sign up and you will be assigned a second-grade student to write a letter to each month. Then in May, we will take a trip to Autumn Lane to meet your pen-pal in person!
You must be committed to this program for an entire year.
Autumn Lane Elementary School is on Maiden Lane in Greece.
The program will run from October 2023 through May 2024. To register, visit the Webster Parks and Recreation website and search for activity #346905. Or call the Rec Center at (585) 872-7103. There’s no cost, just your commitment to help some students fall in love with writing.
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While the stair climb is held at locations all over the country, I’m told that the bike ride is unique to our West Webster Fire Department, so this is a chance to be part of something really cool.
The ride is being held this coming Saturday Sept. 9, and will begin and end at the WWFD Station 1 on Gravel Rd. Registrations will be taken on-site (cash or check only) beginning at 7:30 for anyone who’s not pre-registered, with welcome ceremonies beginning at 8:30.
Two courses are offered, one 9.2 miles long and a second one 19.5 miles long. Both courses take riders north from the station to the lake (see the map below). A breakfast will be held following the ride at 11 a.m.
Cost is $35 per rider, benefiting the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Click here to register (scroll all the way down to register as an individual rider).
The ride is being held in conjunction with the annual Rochester 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb and Family Walk, being held this year on Sunday Sept. 10 at Innovative Field. These events honor and remember the FDNY firefighters who selflessly gave their lives so that others might live on September 11, 2001.
For more information about both of these events, click here.
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I’d like to give a quick shout-out to a group of people I met Monday who really embrace the idea of community. They are the pickleballers who gather every morning to play at the Ellison Park courts.
I’ve played pickleball before, pre-pandemic, when my Plank North teaching colleagues and I would organize pick-up games after school. I really enjoy the game and miss playing it, now that I’m retired. But I’ve always been hesitant to join an organized league or even go to the Rec Center, because I’ve heard so many stories about how clique-y pickleball players can get. Even though I’m pretty good with a paddle, I wasn’t sure I’d be embraced by a group of established players.
When my friend Carl found out that I play, he invited me to join the Ellison Park gang, assuring me that they were very welcoming. When I arrived at the courts Monday morning, it was immediately clear to me that he was right. I hadn’t even walked all the way up to the first court before someone waved me out to play. He didn’t ask me how long I’d been playing or how good I was. It was just, “C’mon, you wanna play?”
For the next two hours, I played pickleball with Bob, Janice, Bill, Charlie, Goldie, Michelle, Julius and lots others whose names I can’t remember or didn’t get a chance to meet. There were so many players that morning — more than two dozen — that I didn’t play with everyone, but those I did were all friendly, cheerful, encouraging and helpful.
So thank you, Ellison Park pickleball players, for welcoming me into your community so readily. I’ll be seeing you again soon.
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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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