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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.

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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.

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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 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.

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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 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.

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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 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. 

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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.

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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.

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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)

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 6/4/2023)

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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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Webster community mailbag

25 Apr

Today’s mailbag is packed with events coming up in the next few weeks, so grab your calendar and dig in.

* * *

The next Friends of the Webster Public Library Spring Book Sale is here, happening Wednesday April 26 through Saturday April 29. Gently-used hardcover books will be available for only $1, paperback books will be $.50.

Members of the Friends can shop before everyone else, on Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m. If you’re not a member and want a sneak peek, memberships will be available at the door or on the library website.  

The general public sale will begin Thursday April 27 from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. Friday, April 28 is BYOB (bring your own bag) Bag Sale from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m, when you can fill a bag with gently used books for only $5. The bag sale continues on Saturday, April 29 but only from 10 a.m. til noon.

Proceeds from the spring book sale directly benefit library programs, book collections and other special projects.

ALSO, the Library will host a blood drive for the American Red Cross on Tuesday May 2 from noon to 5 p.m. Click here to make an appointment.

* * *

The next St. Martin Lutheran Church’s Drive Thru Chicken BBQ will be held Saturday, April 29 beginning at 4:30 p.m. at the church, 813 Bay Road, Webster.

Dinners of a half chicken, salt potatoes, coleslaw, roll, and butter are available for $15.00 – cash or check only. The event is drive-through only, and there will be no advance sales.

Dinners will be served first come/first served. Cars will enter the parking lot, follow signs, and purchase dinners using exact payment. Cars will then proceed to the side entrance to pick up boxed dinners.

Proceeds will benefit St. Martin’s Christmas Stocking Project reaching over 500 local youth in Monroe and Wayne counties.

* * *

The Schroeder Theater Company invites you to join them as they travel Around the World in 80 Days!

The fearless and calculated Phileas Fogg and her newly appointed, resourceful servant Passepartout race to beat the clock in this country-hopping adventure. Fogg has agreed to an outrageous wager that puts her fortune and life at risk. Together, the two set out to circle the globe in an unheard of 80 days. But their every step is dogged by a detective who thinks Fogg is a robber on the run. Can they stay on schedule as they avoid police interference, traverse exotic landscapes, endure typhoons, and more?

Performances are in the Webster Schroeder High School auditorium, 875 Ridge Road, on Thursday May 4 at 7 p.m., Friday May 5 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 6 at 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased online at Ticket Spicket or at the door.

* * *

Webster Comfort Care Home has several fundraising events coming up this summer, but you’ll want to get signed up for this one right away.

It’s the 20th (almost) annual “Chip In for Comfort Care” golf tournament, scheduled for Monday July 10 at Webster Golf Club on Salt Rd. Registration fee is $125, and includes a grab-and-go breakfast, complimentary game balls, and prizes. Plus, they’re introducing a new “knock out the gnome” game this year.

Click here for more information and to register.

You can also support Webster Comfort Care on Friday May 5 by heading to the Masonic Lodge on Orchard Street for a spaghetti dinner from 5 to 7 p.m.

Dinner includes spaghetti, choice of sauce, salad, bread and dessert. Cost is $11 for adults, $6 for children 12 and under.

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The Webster Arboretum Association, together with local growers and local garden clubs, will host the 2023 Webster Arboretum Plant Sale on Saturday May 13 from 8 a.m. to noon.

A tremendous variety of beautiful, healthy plants from standard to uncommon will be available including annuals, dwarf conifers, hostas, geraniums, tomatoes, and more. It’s a great way to celebrate spring and get some live plants perfectly suited for your garden. And don’t forget Mother’s Day!

The sale will be held at the Webster Arboretum, 1700 Schlegel Rd. Webster.

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A Craft and Vendor Sale to benefit the Webster Volunteer Fire Department will be held at the Webster Fireman’s Building, 172 Sanford Street on Saturday May 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Almost 30 vendors are expected for this show, which will be held inside and outside the building. All proceeds will benefit the Webster Volunteer Fire Department.

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Looking ahead, the 2023 St. Rita Fiesta has been scheduled for Friday and Saturday June 2 and 3. All of your favorite Fiesta activities will be returning, including carnival games, a foam dart course, mini golf course, inflatables, dunk tank, plant sale, book sale, games of chance, food, drink, lots of live entertainment, and more.

More details to come, but in the meantime you can check out the website.

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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 4/25/2023)

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The Caring Community Concerts are back!

23 Apr

The Caring Community Concert series at the United Church of Christ (570 Klem Rd.) is back, and this summer’s lineup is a great one.

These concerts benefit local nonprofit organizations through free-will donations. The first one, scheduled for Wed. 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 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 Twitter and 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 4/28/2023)

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Webster resident celebrates 100th birthday

14 Mar

A very special celebration was held last Saturday when St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in Rochester held a grand 100th birthday party for two of their parishioners, Sister Mary Dismas and Webster resident Ludwika Kardela.  

Ludwika was born on March 8, 1923 and raised in Poland where she married and began her family near the city of Nysa in southern Poland. She and her family emigrated to the United States in 1963 and settled in Rochester. Ludwika has volunteered and cooked for events at the St. Teresa’s and St. Stanislaus Kostka parishes, and has been a fixture at parish events for decades. If you’ve ever been to the St. Stanislaus Polish Festival, you’ve enjoyed her delicious pierogies and cabbage rolls, and definitely got one of her wonderful smiles. Ludwika still cooks for some events to this day. Family from all over the country and Poland came to town to help celebrate her milestone birthday.

Sister Dismas was born on March 11, 1923 and in 2021 marked 80 years of service with the Sisters of Mercy. Sister Dismas spent her school years at St. John the Evangelist and Our Lady of Mercy, where she graduated in 1941. The influence of the Sisters of Mercy led her to enter the order and led her to becoming a teacher for 41 years. Sister Dismas also volunteered with a number of organizations throughout her years and she still resides at the St. Stanislaus convent. 

Along with celebrating Sister Dismas and Ludwika’s birthdays, the parish also celebrated the birthday of Father Roman Caly with a buffet lunch gathering for friends, family and fellow parishioners. 

Many thanks to Ursula Zamora for this great report and photos.

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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 3/14/2023)

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