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Webster community mailbag

31 Aug

I always thought that the height of summer marked Webster’s busiest months. But looking at my page-long list of events coming up in the next several weeks tells me I was way wrong.

Most of these I’ve touched on in earlier blogs, so I’ll just remind you of them and give you links to follow in case you need more information. But let me start off with some detail about a race taking place in the village this Friday night, the First Responders 5K.

The race is scheduled for Friday Sept. 1 at 6:30 p.m. It will BEGIN AND END at the south side of Fireman’s Field on Sanford St., and take racers through east-side village neighborhoods. You can see the exact route in the map below.

Several roads on the east side of the village will be affected, and Rt. 250 between State Rd. and Main St. will be closed for a short time after the race begins to allow the runners through.

I always run this race, so I look forward to seeing you on the course. Cow bells, shouts of encouragement and high-fives are always appreciated. You can register up till noon Friday. Click here for more information.

The next meeting of Webster’s Visionaries Low-Vision Support Group is Wednesday, Sept. 6, from 10:30 to noon at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr.

The Visionaries is a support group for adults with low-to-no vision. Members of this support group share their interests and opportunities with others, encouraging those with visual impairment to get the most out of their lives.

The meeting is presented this month by Goodwill Vision (formerly ABVI), which offers services for those with low and no vision. For more information, contact Ed Wilkonski at 585-265-4167, or email wingstwofly@rochester.rr.com.

The Village of Webster will hold its annual Sept. 11 Memorial ceremony on Monday Sept. 11, beginning at 6 p.m. at Veteran’s Memorial Park on North Ave.

The Webster Village Band and the Chorus of the Genesee will both be performing. Community members are encouraged to attend.

The annual Webster Rocks ALS music festival returns Saturday, Sept. 9.

The festival is held to raise awareness for ALS in memory of Kacie Jones, a longtime employee of the Coach/Rubino’s, who passed away from ALS at 31 years old, less than two years after he was diagnosed. Proceeds will benefit organizations that fight to change the standard of case and empower people with ALS. (Visit www.healingals.org or www.teamgleason.org for more information.)

The festival will be held Saturday Sept. 9 at the Webster Firemen’s Field on Ridge Rd. Click here for more information.

That same day, Saturday Sept. 9, there’s another FREE concert taking place at Veteran’s Memorial Park on North Ave.

It’s the second annual RHB St. Jude Benefit Concert, featuring the Red Hot and Blue Band, Sarah De Vallière, The M-T-V Jam Band and The Tug Hill Band. Pub 235, Guida’s Pizza and Terry’s Tips And Beef will also be there with some great food.

More info on the flier.

Of course, that same weekend, the Webster Garlic Festival returns to the Webster Recreation Center on Sept. 9 and 10. I’ll be posting another longer blog about that again soon, but in the meantime, here’s the website for more information. Word is that more than 100 vendors have already signed up and more are trying to get in every day.

Two huge garage sales are happening the following weekend, Webster NY Hope’s annual sale, scheduled for Sept. 14 to 17 at 1450 Ridge Rd, AND the Webster Museum’s Barn and Vintage Sale on Sept. 14 thorough 16. These are always very big events, so make sure to make time to stop by both.

More to come about these soon.

Community members are invited to attend an official groundbreaking ceremony for the new Webster Highway Department facility at 1005 Picture Parkway on Thursday Sept. 14 at 2 p.m.

Webster Town Board members, Highway Department staff members and local dignitaries will hold a brief ceremony, followed by the groundbreaking. Click here for more information about plans for the new facility.

The Third Annual Webster Recreation Center Mud Run is returning on Saturday Sept. 23. This event is tons of wet, muddy, so-much-laughing fun for the entire family. I will definitely be there, and try to get even muddier than I did last year. (Check out the photo.) More about this later as well.

The Oktoberfest returns to Webster’s Fireman’s Field on Friday and Saturday Sept. 15 and 16.

The event runs from noon to 10:30 p.m. both days, and will feature live German music, German cuisine from Swan’s Market and Helmut’s Strudel of WNY, and beer and wine by Cobblestone on Main restaurant.

Tickets will be sold at the door. On Friday from noon to 3, they’ll cost only $5. After that, and at all other times, tickets will be $10. Children under 12 are free when accompanied by an adult.

Organizers are also looking for volunteers to help with the event. Visit the website for more information.

Reminder that the 4th annual Barry’s Irish Festival takes place Saturday Sept. 16 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at The Barry Patch Farm, 2668 Brick Schoolhouse Road, Hilton. Tickets are available at the pub for $15 (2 West Main St., Webster), and can be purchased online here. You can also get them on the day of the festival, when they’ll be $20. Kids 16 and under are free.

Visit the event’s Facebook page for more information, and if you have any questions, email Danny and Jessica at Barrysirishpub@gmail.com.

St. Martin Lutheran Church will hold a Drive Thru Chicken BBQ on Saturday, Sept. 23 at the church, 813 Bay Road, Webster. The event begins at 4:30 p.m. and will continue until all dinners are sold out.

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

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

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

Looking forward to fall, the Webster Recreation Center’s annual Pumpkins on Parade has been scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 28 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. I literally bounced in my chair when I saw the notice, because I enjoy this event so much. Start thinking now about what kind of creative jack-o-lanterns you and your family can carve. Click here to see the Facebook event page for more details.

And of course, you can start your day earlier in the village at Village of Webster’s Trick-or-Treat Trail, scheduled for Saturday Oct. 28, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. More info here.

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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 “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 8/31/2023)

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Webster community mailbag

8 Aug

I’m going to lead today’s mailbag with an event I only just learned about myself when I was reading through the Town’s Webster This Week newsletter.

It’s the Water Lantern Festival, being held this Saturday Aug. 12 at Charles Sexton Memorial Park (formerly North Ponds). It’s one of hundreds of similar festivals held world-wide every year by an organization called One World Lantern Festival, which describes it as:

an incredible experience where thousands of family, friends, and strangers celebrate life together. Water Lantern Festival brings together individuals from all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life to join in one emotional and memorable night. You’ll cherish these moments as you witness the beauty of thousands of lanterns and the lights reflecting upon the water.

Participants design their own lanterns, and are invited to inscribe their “hopes and dreams, or a letter to a loved one,” or any other meaningful message, and then send them floating out onto the water. I imagine the scene of countless illuminated lanterns floating on the pond will be spectacular.

Webster’s Water Lantern Festival will begin at 6 p.m. with food trucks, music and activities. Lantern designing begins at 8:30 p.m. and launch is from 9 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $26.98 (plus processing fees and taxes) and include a lantern kit, a commemorative drawstring bag, playing cards, conversation cards and access to the food trucks and music. IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING, you should get your tickets by Wednesday Aug. 9, because the price goes up after that to $45.99 and even higher on the day of the event.

Click here for more information about the festival and ticket options.

The Village of Webster’s next and last-one-of-the-summer Family Games Night is this Friday Aug. 11 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Gazebo Park on North Ave. These great — and totally free — family events feature giant games, sidewalk chalk, great food and drink, and Dancing With Denise. Come for just a short time, come for the entire event; you and your kids will have a blast.

Remember to visit the Webster BID website regularly to keep up to date on village events.

Webster NY Hope has published this month’s wish list, which includes:

  • toothbrushes
  • toilet paper
  • pasta
  • cooking oil
  • towels (used or new)
  • socks for all ages
  • underwear for all ages
  • queen sheets

Items can be dropped off at Webster Hope, 1450 Ridge Rd., during their normal operating hours, Monday from 5 to 7 p.m., Tuesday from 10 a.m. to noon, Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m.

The Webster Marching Band‘s next Bottle and Can Drive happens this Saturday Aug. 12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. All you have to do is place those bags outside your house or at the end of the driveway, with a little note indicating they’re for the band, and they’ll be whisked away for a good cause.

Or, if you plan to be out and about on Saturday, you can drop them off at the collection site, Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Road, by 3 p.m.

OR, you can call the Bottle and Can Hotline (234-8684, option 1) ANYTIME to arrange a pickup at a time convenient for you.

The United Church of Christ‘s last Caring Community Concert of the summer takes place this Wednesday Aug. 9 when 8 Days a Week performs.

These concerts benefit local nonprofit organizations. There’s no admission, but each week the church collects a free-will offering benefiting that week’s chosen non-profit organization. This week’s concert will benefit the Friends of Webster Trails.  

The concerts all begin at 6:30 p.m., and food concessions begin at 6. The concerts are held on the United Church of Christ front lawn, at 570 Klem Rd. (In case of rain it’s moved indoors.)

Finally, looking ahead, these two events take place in a few weeks:

The Steam Police will sponsor a blood drive in the Spry Middle School cafeteria on Friday Aug. 18 from 1 to 6 p.m. There’ll be food, drinks, t-shirts, raffle prizes, and a whole lot of gratitude.

For an appointment (always a good idea), visit redcrossblood.org and use the keyword “SPRYMS” or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

An electronics recycling event is scheduled for Saturday Aug. 19 on the Xerox campus off of Orchard St. (near the Rec Center). TICKETS ARE REQUIRED for this event, and you can sign up here for the time slot you want.

Some slots are already booked up, so sign up soon.

* * *

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 “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 8/8/2023)

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Webster community mailbag

27 Jul

There’s more music in the village this week, when 8 Days a Week returns to Gazebo Park this Friday July 28 for the next Friday night concert.

8 Days a Week is Upstate New York’s premier Beatles tribute band, and guaranteed they’ll have everyone dancing and along to songs we all know so well.

The concert begins at 7 p.m. at Gazebo Park on North Ave. Bring your chairs and blankets, and a cooler if you’d like with food and beverages. It’s all free and family-friendly.

Speaking of music, a few more opportunities to enjoy some live music are coming up in the next few weeks.

This coming Wednesday Aug. 2, John Dady and John Ryan will be performing at the United Church of Christ for their weekly Caring Community Concert series.

These concerts benefit local nonprofit organizations. There’s no admission, but each week the church collects a free-will offering benefiting that week’s chosen non-profit organization. The Dady and Ryan concert will benefit Webster Comfort Care Home.  

The concerts all begin at 6:30 p.m., and food concessions begin at 6. The concerts are held on the United Church of Christ front lawn, at 570 Klem Rd. (In case of rain it’s moved indoors.) On Wednesday August 9, 8 Days a Week will take the stage. (So if you liked them at the gazebo, check them out here!)

The Summer Concert Series at Cherry Ridge is in full swing. The next concert is scheduled for Tuesday August 8 from 6:30 to 8 p.m., featuring the Gateswingers Big Band. The concerts are held outside, and the grounds open up at 5 p.m. with food available for purchase. So bring your lawn chair and enjoy some beautiful music.

Cherry Ridge is located at 900 Cherry Ridge Blvd., across from Webster Schroeder High School. Registration is requested. Click here to do so.

Good food is in store at St. Martin Lutheran Church when they host their next Pulled Pork Drive-Thru beginning at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday Aug. 5.

The take-out dinner includes pulled pork sandwich, salt potatoes, cole slaw and cookie for just $12. Proceeds will support the church’s annual Christmas Stocking Project reaching over 500 children and teens in Monroe and Wayne counties.

Pull into the parking lot, place your order using exact payment, and the dinner will be delivered to you as you drive up in your car.

St. Martin Lutheran Church is located at 813 Bay Rd.

There’s always TONS of fun stuff happening at the Webster Public Library, too much for me to tell you about them all here. But I do want to shine a spotlight on a few of them.

The first is the return of the very popular life-sized Candyland game.

This year’s game is “lighter” than the one they’ve had in the past, but no less fun. Bring your family and friends and become part of the game we’ve all enjoyed playing for decades. Check out the flyer for times.

And here’s a chance to check out one of our most natural areas, the Webster Arboretum.

On Tuesday Aug. 8 at 6 p.m., the library will host a guided tour through the Arboretum, especially highlighting some of the new plantings there. The tour will take about 90 minutes and will require a lot of walking, much of it off the pathways, so wear some comfortable shoes.

Registration is required for this event. Click here to sign up.

Finally, here’s a reminder that the Webster Museum is now accepting donations for their annual Barn Sale, scheduled for Sept. 14 to 16.

Donations are being collected at the barn located at 394 Phillips Rd. You can drive right down the driveway to the barn and put your donations inside (donation receipts are on the table). Although you can donate any day, museum volunteers are on site Monday mornings if you would like assistance unloading your donations.

Items they’d love to see are antiques, collections and collectibles, kitchen and household items, décor, small appliances, toys, tools, and small furniture. They cannot accept books or magazines, computers, clothing, linens, baby cribs or car seats, large furniture, snow skis or water skis, large exercise equipment, audio or video tapes (VHS tapes, music cassettes, etc), or entertainment electronics, (TVs, stereos, DVD players, etc).  

That’s about enough for today. August and September are shaping up to be very busy months, so stay tuned for more news about

  • the Webster Jazz Fest
  • the Barry’s Irish Festival
  • a blood drive at Spry Middle School sponsored by The Steam Police
  • a new family hike at Four Mile Creek from the Friends of Webster Trails
  • an electronics recycling event
  • a hazardous waste recycling event
  • the return of the Webster Garlic Fest
  • the 2023 Mud Run
  • the Oktoberfest

and more.

* * *

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 “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 7/27/2023)

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Great things happening with Hope and WCC

18 Jul

I’ve received some good news recently from two of our town’s outstanding community agencies, Webster NY Hope and the Webster Community Chest.

First, this from Webster NY Hope. Director Margery Morgan wrote,

We are seeing more Webster households in need of assistance with food and hygiene items. Therefore, we are having a food and garage sale donation drive-up on Saturday, July 22 from 10 to noon. Hope volunteers will be collecting items behind Holy Trinity Church, 1460 Ridge Road, near the  Knights of Columbus building. We suggest entering from Phillips Road and drop off for garage sale and food donations will be on your right. You don’t even need to leave your car. Tax receipts are available on request.

The garage sale will be held Wednesday through Saturday, Sept. 13 to 16.

Later that day, Hope will be holding a fundraiser from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Panera restaurant in Towne Center Plaza. Just mention Webster Hope as you order and Hope will receive a donation to help low-income Webster residents.

Webster Hope has also just announced the date of its back-to-school night, when low-income families can come for new school supplies. It will be held on Tuesday Aug. 29 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Webster, NY Hope is located at 1450 Ridge Rd. in Webster. If you didn’t see the blog I posted earlier this week about the Hope Garden in front of Simply Crepes, check it out here.

* * *

Webster Community Chest (WCC), another one of our great community agencies, sent me a couple of news items.  

First, the WCC will be the beneficiary of the next United Church of Christ Caring Concert, scheduled for Wednesday, July 19, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the church, 570 Klem Rd. This week’s concert features Ruby Shooz, playing music from the ’50s and ’60s and some newer classics. The concert is free, but free-will donations will be accepted to benefit the Webster Community Chest.

The concert will also feature a special guest appearance by Dorothy and Toto, and you can have your picture taken with them. For more information about the WCC, check out this fun video, featuring Dorothy herself.

Their food tent opens at 6 p.m., but you’re welcome to bring your own picnic dinner. Their menu includes hot dogs (red and white), sausages, burgers and cheeseburgers, and a specialty hot sandwich; soft drinks and water, popcorn, ice cream, and chips. Bring your own lawn chair and set up on the front lawn. In case of rain, the concert will be held in the sanctuary.

The Webster Community Chest has also expanded their Meal Center.

WCC President Michael Grenier wrote,

We are very pleased with how well this program has been received by our clients.  It began a year ago when we started placing bags with complete meals into the five “Little Pantries” scattered around Webster. When offered a small space at the Outreach Center of the United Methodist Church of Webster last summer, we moved to a scheduled end-of-month meals distribution just as Food Stamps run out for those most in need. These are bags containing three ready-to-prepare meals and recipes for food insecure families.  Each bag is for a family of three to four persons with larger families getting two bags or even three. 

We began this at the end of August, expanding the program every month. Families come to the Meal Center to pick up their meals and if they cannot, we deliver. Between this and providing meal bags for the five “Little Pantries” around town since Spring, the Chest provided 772 meal kits to needy families in 2022— well over 3,000 meals in total.  

We have distributed end-of-month meals this year to 50-60 families each month, with already over 3,000 meals handed out or delivered this year.  

Last week, we have moved to a larger facility provided by the Immanuel Lutheran Church at 131 West Main Street, where we will continue to meet the needs of Webster’s most impoverished families.
Because our administration is entirely volunteer, almost all of our funds go directly into meeting the needs of local residents.

Click here to learn more about the Webster Community Chest.

* * *

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 “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 7/18/2023)

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Friday night concerts are back, and other mailbag news

6 Jul

The Village of Webster summer season officially kicks off this Friday July 7 with the first in the Friday Night Gazebo Concert series, featuring the Red Hot and Blue Band.

RHB plays Americana, Roots, and Blues Rock music that will get you dancing and bring back a lot of great memories.  

Coming up later in the summer at the gazebo:

The concerts begin at 7 p.m. at the gazebo on North Ave. and admission is free. Bring the whole family, some folding chairs and a blanket, and a cooler if you’d like, then enjoy some beautiful music.

Here’s a quick look at what else is being planned in the village this summer. For more information about all of these events and more, visit websterbid.com.

Webster NY Hope sends along this important message:

We are seeing more Webster households in need of assistance with food and hygiene items. Therefore, we are having a food and garage sale donation drive-up on Saturday, July 22 from 10-noon.

Hope volunteers will be collecting items behind Holy Trinity Church, 1460 Ridge Road, near the  Knights of Columbus building. Tax receipts available on request. We suggest entering from Phillips Road, and drop-off for garage sale and food donations will be on your right. You don’t even need to leave your car.

Garage sale is scheduled for Sept. 13 to 16. More to come about that.

That same evening, Saturday July 22, Hope is holding a fundraiser at the Panera restaurant in Towne Center Plaza, from 4 to 8 p.m. Just mention Webster Hope as you order and Hope will receive a donation to help low-income Webster residents.

Covid couldn’t deter the Class of ’71

Thanks to the pandemic, the RL Thomas Class of ’71 had to postpone their 50th reunion. But undeterred, they they decided to throw themselves a 70th birthday party instead.

The event was held on Saturday June 24 at Schutt’s Apple Mill, and featured food trucks, two alumni bands, a cornhole tournament, foosball tables, horseshoes, hay rides, and a memorabilia table. More than 160 folks attended, and for six hours played games and did a lot of talking and reminiscing.

Thanks to Dave Eckler for the report and photos!

The R.L. Thomas Class of ’71 will be holding a 70th Birthday Bash on Saturday June 24 at Schutt’s Apple Mill from 5 to 7 p.m. Thanks to COVID, the class was unable to hold its 50th reunion, so they’ve decided to celebrate their 70 birthdays together instead.

Caring Community Concerts begin next week

The United Church of Christ‘s Caring Community Concert series returns next week.

These concerts benefit local nonprofit organizations. The first one, scheduled for Wednesday July 12, will feature Allegro, and proceeds will benefit the Webster Hope Food Pantry. (See the flier below for the whole schedule.) 

There’s no admission, but each week the church collects a free-will offering benefiting that week’s chosen non-profit organization.

The concerts all begin at 6:30 p.m., and food concessions begin at 6. The concerts are held on the United Church of Christ front lawn, at 570 Klem Rd. (In case of rain it’s moved indoors.)

For more information about the concerts, click here.

More concerts, more concerts, more concerts

The Summer Concert Series at Cherry Ridge is in full swing. The next concert is scheduled for Tuesday July 11, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., featuring Eight Days a Week. The concerts are held outside, and the grounds open up at 5 p.m. with food available for purchase. So bring your lawn chair and enjoy some beautiful music.

On August 8, the GateSwingers Big Band will perform, also beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Registration is requested. Click here to do so.

* * *

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 7/6/2023)

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Webster community mailbag

22 Jun

Summer is officially upon us, and Webster has teed up a whole schedule of live music, festivals and special events.

But first, this important community event: The Webster Health Education Network (WHEN) is sponsoring a drug take-back event on Saturday June 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Webster Wastewater Treatment Facility , 226 Phillips Rd. This is your chance to safely dispose of unused, expired or unwanted medications. Only pills will be accepted; please no liquids or sharps.

Learn more at Whendfcc.org

***

And since we’re talking about doing good things for our community, here’s Webster HOPE’s Home’s June Wish List:

  • canned pineapple
  • canned beets
  • dish soap
  • laundry detergent
  • cooking oil
  • ketchup, mayonnaise
  • shampoos and conditioner
  • diapers (size 4 and 5)

Webster HOPE is located at 1450 Ridge Rd., and open Monday from 5 to 7 p.m., Tuesday from 10 a.m. to noon, Wednesday from 3 to 5 p.m. and Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m.

Find out more at websternyhope.org.

***

Schutt’s Apple Mill‘s Summer Celebration returns on Saturday July 1 from 5 to 8 p.m.

This is a great family-friendly event complete with a food truck, ice cream, a bounce house, magic show, animals, face painting, wagon rides and lots more.

There’s a charge for some of the activities, but there’s lots of free stuff for everyone.

Schutt’s is located at 1063 Plank Rd.

***

The Summer Concert Series at Cherry Ridge is in full swing. The next concert is scheduled for Tuesday July 11, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., featuring Eight Days a Week. The concerts are held outside, and the grounds open up at 5 p.m. with food available for purchase. So bring your lawn chair and enjoy some beautiful music.

On August 8, the GateSwingers Big Band will perform, also beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Registration is requested. Click here to do so.

***

The Friday Night Gazebo Concert series in the Village of Webster is coming together. Here’s the schedule:

  • July 7: The Red Hot and Blue Band
  • July 21: Celtic Cross
  • July 28: Eight Days a Week

The concerts run from 7 to 9 p.m. in Veterans Memorial Park on North Ave. in the village, and are free. Bring a lawn chair and blanket and a cooler if you’d like! Information about more concerts as they’re added can be found at websterbid.com

***

The United Church of Christ’s Caring Community Concert series is returning this summer, beginning July 12.

These concerts benefit local nonprofit organizations through free-will donations. The first one will feature Allegro, and proceeds will benefit the Webster Hope Food Pantry. The rest of the summer features:

  • July 19: Ruby Shooz
  • July 26: Prime Time Brass
  • Aug. 2: Dady and Ryan
  • Aug. 9: 8 Days a Week

There’s no admission charge, but each week the church collects a free-will offering benefiting that week’s chosen non-profit organization.

***

On July 22, mark your calendars for the Summer Splash Family Event from 3 to 5 p.m. at First Responders Splash Park, on Chiyoda Drive next door to the Rec Center. If you’ve never been to this spray park before, you owe your children a chance to check it out because it’s good for hours of water fun. The event will include a bubble foam machine and Rich the Magic Man, plus FREE Snowie Ice sponsored by Gleason Orthodontics.

***

The 50th annual Waterfront Art Festival returns on Saturday and Sunday July 29 and 30 at Charles E. Sexton Park (formerly North Ponds). It’s open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, and features quality fine art and crafts stretching all along the park’s beautiful, shaded pathways.

There’s live music, food vendors, free alcohol tastings, dozens of local artisans and plenty of free parking. Admission is only $5, with children 12 and under free.

Click here for more information.

***

Looking ahead to August, mark your calendars for the Webster Jazz Fest, scheduled for Friday and Saturday August 18 and 19. More information to come about that, but you can check out details in the meantime as they’re posted at websterbid.com.

* * *

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 6/22/2023)

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Webster community mailbag

4 Jun

I’m kicking off today’s mailbag with this follow-up from the Webster Central School District about the Northeast Monroe County Special Olympics Track & Field Day, which Webster Schroeder High School hosted on May 23.

Athletes from Webster Schroeder, Webster Thomas, East Irondequoit, West Irondequoit, Penfield, Creekside, Mary Cariola, and Greece schools participated in this year’s event. They competed in track, field, and adaptive events including dashes, relays and distance runs, softball throw, long jump, shot put, 25m manual wheelchair, 25m electric wheelchair, and wheelchair softball throw.

Additional special events were offered for younger athletes to introduce them to sports movements and skills, including activities like an obstacle course, parachute games and target practice.

Special Olympics NY programs are designed to offer age-appropriate experiences to younger athletes that will prepare them for authentic Special Olympics competition. 

* * *

St. Martin Lutheran Church’s annual Garage Sale returns on June 8 to 10 at the church, 813 Bay Rd.

This huge sale will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday June 8 and 9, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday June 10. Along with what you might consider “regular” garage sale items, there will be lots of picture frames, furniture, household goods, sporting goods and toys.

Proceeds from the sale benefit the church’s outreach projects, including their Little Free Pantry which stands at the edge of their parking lot.

* * *

Great food is in store on Saturday June 17 when the Rochester Academy of Irish Dance Parents Association host a Chicken BBQ drive-through fundraiser. They’ll be set up at 780 Ridge Rd. in Webster (between Five Mile Line and Hatch roads).

Dinners will be served beginning at 4 p.m., until they’re sold out. They cost $15, which includes a half chicken, potatoes, cole slaw, rolls and butter.

Questions? Email raidparentgroup@gmail.com.

* * *

This next notice is from our neighbors to the south.

On Friday June 9 from 4 to 8 p.m., the Penfield Recreation Center will host the annual PENFEST.

This is a great family event featuring food trucks, music, a KidZone, raffles, and lots of vendors and community agency displays.

The Penfield Recreation Center is located at 1985 Baird Rd.

* * *

There’s always lots of great stuff happening at the Webster Recreation Center, but here are a few highlights:

The always entertaining Senior Singers will present a free performance on Tuesday June 6 at 11 a.m. in the lunch room. No registration is required and everyone is welcome.

Need a ride to the Rec Center? Good news! Anyone 55 or older can request a ride from your door to the Rec Center and back home again any Tuesday or Thursday. On Thursday, the ride home also includes a stop at the grocery store.

To schedule your ride, call the Rec Center at 585-872-7103 ext. 7385 no later than 8 a.m. the day of the ride. You’ll be asked to provide your name, address, phone number and requested date(s). Pickup will be between 9 and 10 a.m., and will return after Lunch Club 60, between 12:30 and 1 p.m. Rides cost $4 round trip per person/per day, payable at the front office upon arrival.

The Webster Recreation Center is located at 1350 Chiyoda Dr.

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There’s always great stuff happening at the Webster Public Library also, but here are a few highlights:

  • Outdoor story times have returned to Harmony Park. Every Wednesday June through August, beginning at 9:30 a.m., bring the kids and a blanket and enjoy story time at the band shell. All ages are welcome and no registration is required. The park is located on Phillips Rd. south of Ridge.
  • June 12 is this month’s Make-it-Monday craft night. From 6 to 7 p.m. participants can make rainbow cloud hangings. Registration is required. Click here to register.
  • Kindness rocks! Stop by the library on Saturday June 24 from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and decorate a rock or two with words or images of kindness. Then you can take your rocks and hide them around Webster.
  • The 2023 summer reading theme is “All Together Now,” so the library is celebrating friendship and kindness with a three-week Friendship Camp. It begins Wednesday June 28 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. with Friendship Bracelets and Button Making. Grades 4-12 are welcome. Registration is required.

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

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(posted 6/4/2023)

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Webster community mailbag

26 May

I’m starting off today’s mailbag with a Webster resident whose name is in the news. (Or at least in the press release I received from Centenary University.)

Equestrian Benjamin Hoban of Webster helped his Centenary University team take top honors at the 44th annual ANRC National Equitation Championships recently held in Aiken, SC. The team, which also included Caroline Mancini of Bradford, RI and Morgan Munz of Califon, NJ, won the title of National Collegiate Reserve Championship Team and the National Collegiate Individual Reserve Championship.

The competition for collegiate, junior, and adult amateur teams, sponsored by the American National Riding Commission, is judged and scored on equitation skills and sound horsemanship practices.

Centenary University’s main campus is in Hackettstown, NJ, with its equestrian facility in Washington Township.

From the Library

The Friends of the Webster Public Library have an exciting new offering for anyone who loves books. It’s their very first Vintage and Collectible Book Sale on Saturday June 3 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The event will offer more than 140 books in good or better condition at very attractive, fixed prices. There are lots of first editions or first printings, published anytime from the late 19th century to the previous decade of the 21st century. Books from authors in the Library of America series and from the NY Times Best Seller list will be displayed. You’ll find books about Rochester and upstate New York; a good-sized assortment of books about war and its weapons; a few Tolkien items; some juvenile fiction ranging from the Bobbsey Twins to Harry Potter; many, many books about music, art, popular culture, animals, health, business, history, biographies and more.

The sale will be held in the library’s Community Room, 980 Ridge Rd.

Also happening at the Webster Public Library is what should be a very interesting talk about the upcoming solar eclipse.

On Thursday June 1 from 6 to 8 p.m., Dan Schneiderman, the Eclipse Partnership Coordinator at the RSMC, will discuss the science and history of solar eclipses, and how to prepare for the total solar eclipse which we will experience her in Rochester on April 8, 2024.

This is going to be a very popular event, so registration is required. Click here to do so.

Time to clean out your garage

If you’re like me, you have a huge garbage bag or two of returnables hanging out in your garage, awaiting your motivation to take them back to the store. Well, the Webster Marching Band will be happy to take them off your hands.

The band’s next Bottle and Can Drive happens this Saturday June 3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All you have to do is place those bags outside your house or at the end of the driveway, with a little note indicating they’re for the band, and they’ll be whisked away for a good cause.

Or, if you plan to be out and about on Saturday, you can drop them off at the collection site, Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Road, by 4 p.m.

OR, you can call the Bottle and Can Hotline (234-8684, option 1) ANYTIME to arrange a pickup at a time convenient for you.

The Market is Back!

Webster Joe Obbie’s Farmers’ Market returns for the summer on Saturday June 10, at Webster Towne Plaza, in front of Old Navy. It’ll be there every Saturday through the fall from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., with fresh fruits, vegetables, specialty food items, flowers, plants, crafts and more.

Can’t make it on Saturday? Beginning Wednesday July 19, the market will also be set up at Charles Sexton Park (formerly North Ponds) from 4 to 8 p.m. every Wednesday.

I’ll post a more detailed blog soon about the market, but make a note on your calendar now.

Celebrate Summer

The Webster Recreation Center‘s annual Summer Celebration takes place Saturday June 10 from 4 to 10 p.m.

There’s live music, family fun, food trucks, and fireworks to end the evening. There’s no admission charge, so come on down for some great family time.

The Webster Recreation Center is located at 1350 Chiyoda Drive, and there’s plenty of parking.

Caring Community Concert series returns

Here’s another reminder that the United Church of Christ’s Caring Community Concert series is returning this summer, beginning July 12.

These concerts benefit local nonprofit organizations through free-will donations. The first one will feature Allegro, and proceeds will benefit the Webster Hope Food Pantry. The rest of the summer features:

  • July 19: Ruby Shooz
  • July 26: Prime Time Brass
  • Aug. 2: Dady and Ryan
  • Aug. 9: 8 Days a Week

There’s no admission charge, but each week the church collects a free-will offering benefiting that week’s chosen non-profit organization.

The UCC has been sponsoring these concerts for almost 20 years now, and through free-will offerings have raised tons of money for local non-profit organizations. People are invited to bring lawn chairs or blankets and a picnic if they wish. There’s also a concession stand selling soda, hot dogs, hamburgers, pulled pork, and a weekly “special.”

The concerts all begin at 6:30 p.m., and food concessions begin at 6. The concerts are held on the United Church of Christ front lawn, at 570 Klem Rd. (In case of rain it’s moved indoors.) So put these concerts on your calendar now and plan to enjoy some great music for a good cause.

For more information about the concerts, click here.

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 5/26/2023)

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St. Rita Fiesta returns next weekend

25 May

St. Rita’s 68th Annual Fiesta returns to West Webster on Friday and Saturday June 2 and 3.

Festivities start on Friday from 5 to 9 p.m., and continue Saturday from 2 to 9 p.m. All of your favorite St. Rita Fiesta features will be back, including the famous Fiesta Food Tent, Fish Fry (Friday only), Chicken BBQ (Saturday only) and Sweets Booth; live music by Rugburn, Count It All Joy, and It’s a Mystery; $1.00 Carnival Games with prizes; inflatables for the kids; the money wheel, pull tabs, plant sale, book sale, corn hole competition, contests, 9-hole mini golf, and more.

There will also be a great selection of themed gift baskets along with the BIG raffle drawing for $5,000 cash. Click on the images below for more information about even more activities you’ll find. A portion of the proceeds benefits Webster HOPE ministry, which responds to the emergency needs of Webster residents.

This is a terrific family-friendly event with plenty to do for kids and adults alike. There’s lots of on-site parking, including handicap spaces. For more information, please visit the St. Rita Fiesta website or Facebook page.

St. Rita Church is located at 1008 Maple Drive in West Webster.

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 5/25/2023)

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Churches collaborate to feed our community

24 May

Most of us don’t realize it as we go through our daily lives, but there are a lot of adults and children in Webster who often don’t know where their next meal is coming from. A coalition of Webster churches and community agencies has come together to address that problem. Their goal is to create a community dinner calendar, a schedule where free dinners will be available at least once a week at alternating churches.

The collaboration is being spearheaded by Wendy McVeigh, Director of Family Ministries at Webster Methodist Church. She explained,

A year ago I was given the opportunity to assist a family who had recently been evicted from an apartment near our church location.  During that process, I was made aware of the increased (and often hidden) need in our community for food and housing.  I brought my concerns first to my home church, and then to other Webster churches.  I was aware that Webster Assembly of God Church had been hosting a monthly Community Dinner. I visited their dinner as well as others located outside of Webster. We then decided to host a dinner ministry at Webster Methodist and asked other churches to join the effort. …

When people are facing food insecurity, their neighbors are often also facing the same or similar challenges. It can be difficult to ask a friend or neighbor for help or advice since they may also be in need of the same type of assistance. A benefit of a Community Dinner is that all persons from our Webster Community are invited to attend. This helps to better integrate and connect our community, which can only serve to make Webster stronger. …  We hope that Webster can become known as a town where neighbors are connected and cared for.

The group has already held two meetings, which have included representatives from a dozen churches and Christian organizations including Webster Methodist, Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Webster Baptist Church, United Church of Christ, Webster Christian Reformed Church, Webster Presbyterian, Blessed Hope, Immanuel Lutheran, New Life United Methodist Church, Heritage Christian Services, Webster Community Chest and Webster HOPE.

So far, four churches have committed to offering monthly dinners:

  • Webster Baptist Church, 59 South Ave., first Monday of the month at 5:30 p.m. Call (585) 265-9480 for information.
  • United Church of Christ, 570 Klem Road, second Sunday of the month at 4:30 p.m.. Call (585) 671-3757 for information.
  • Webster Methodist Church, 169 E. Main Street, third Saturday of the month at 4:30. Call (585) 309-6510 for details.
  • Webster Assembly of God, 708 Hard Road. Usually the last week of the month, but not always. Call or email for details: (585) 671-2423 or info@websterag.org

Others are interested in hosting dinners, including St. Rita, and McVeigh hopes that ultimately there will be at least two free community dinners offered every week. Most of the dinners include children’s activities, music, and special speakers or guests. They’re intended to be family-friendly, with a restaurant-quality meal and atmosphere.  

Usually, leftovers are packed up at the end of the dinner to send home with families. So, McVeigh said, “Theoretically, if we’re offering dinner twice a week and sending leftovers home, we can feed families or elderly people every night of the week.”

McVeigh hopes the dinner program will continue to grow. Even if other churches don’t have the resources to provide a full meal, they could consider participating in other ways like hosting free food pantries (as several already do), or offering other events like coffee hours — basically, any opportunity for people to come together in friendship and form meaningful relationships.

For more information about the program or to find out how you can help, email Wendy McVeigh at pastorwendy@umcwebster.org. 

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 5/24/2023)

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