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The Yellow Brick Road leads to Spry Middle School this spring

14 Feb

wizard-of-oz

The spring musical season continues in just a few weeks when Spry Middle School presents The Wizard of Oz on March 10 and 11.

Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion will all be there, searching for the Wizard and the glowing Emerald City. Adapted from the famous movie starring Judy Garland, the stage version incorporates all of your favorite songs, like “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “If I Only Had a Brain,” and “King of the Forest.” Plus, you’ll also enjoy a rarely-seen dance number, “The Jitterbug,” which was cut from the original movie.

The production is based on the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, with a book adapted by L. Frank Baum. The story is a familiar one: When a tornado rips through Kansas, Dorothy and her dog, Toto, are whisked away in their house to the magical land of Oz. They follow the Yellow Brick Road toward the Emerald City to meet the Wizard, and en route they meet a Scarecrow who needs a brain, a Tin Man missing a heart, and a Cowardly Lion who wants courage. The Wizard asks the group to bring him the broom of the Wicked Witch of the West to earn his help.

The Wizard of Oz will be presented in three shows, Friday March 10 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday March 11 at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m., in the Spry Middle School auditorium, 119 South Ave. Tickets are $7, and these shows often sell out, so it’s a good idea to get your tickets early. They’ll be available beginning Feb. 24 at  http://www.ShowTix4U.com. If any tickets remain, they will be sold at the door.

Bringing The Wizard of Oz to the Spry stage would not be possible without the hard work of Artistic Director Bill Ambler, Production Manager Tricia Mungo, Choreographer Jackie Collins, and Music Director Ron Strong.

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Three special events this weekend

2 Aug

There are some really neat events coming up today and tomorrow that I wanted to make sure everyone heard about.

If you can remember back to the Relay for Life scheduled at Thomas High School the first week of June, you might also remember that the weather that night was stinky. Not only was the Relay washed out, so was one of its most meaningful ceremonies, the Luminaria walk.

In the Luminaria ceremony, people light candles inside paper bags decorated with messages for loved ones who are fighting cancer right now, and who have lost that fight. When the ceremony is done at the Relay for Life, the bags are lined up all around the track, while everyone makes a memorial lap. That was not possible with the rains we had that night.

But this evening, weather permitting, the Luminaria Ceremony will take place. Plans are to gather at Veterans Memorial Park in the village of Webster during the regular Friday Night Gazebo Concert (tonight’s features Barry’s Crossing), and place the luminaria around the park, up an alleyway, onto Main Street and back down North Avenue to the gazebo.  Everyone will be invited to join in the luminaria lap through the village after the concert.

We all know someone who has been touched by cancer. This is a beautiful way to honor them.

Tonight’s concert runs from 7-9 pm (bring blankets and lawn chairs) and the ceremony will follow immediately afterwards.

* * *

Tomorrow, also at Veterans Park, the first-ever Webster Folk Festival will kick off at 1 pm. Seven different local folk groups will headline the festival, and a handful of smaller groups will fill in during the set breaks, assuring seven hours of non-stop music.  Musicians are invited to bring their instruments and sit in at the jam tent and there’ll be workshops in fiddle, ukelele, guitar  and drums, and an instrument petting zoo. Several village restaurants will offer refreshments.  There will be a big tent set up so you can get out of the sun, or bring your blankets and coolers and stretch out in the grass.

The music begins at 1 pm, and will continue in the village even after dark, as several of the performers will be playing gigs at Barry’s Old School Irish and Hatter’s Pub.

For more information and a schedule of performers, check out the Webster Folk Festival website and the Facebook page.

* * *

If you’re more into hiking than music, consider attending the grand opening and dedication of the new Eva and Harlan Braman Preserve, on Ridge Road just east of Basket Road.

The preserve is comprised of about 60 acres of successional field, previously farmed, and about 11 acres of mature forest. In the recent past, the property provided important successional field habitat for bobolinks and other birds, including migratory birds.

The Eva and Harlan Braman Preserve was donated to Genesee Land Trust by Laurel Bruns and her brother, Gary Braman, in December of 2011.This gift is in honor of their grandparents, Eva and Harlan Braman.  Remembering a childhood of eating apples grown in her grandfather’s orchards, Laurel thought about the future of this beautiful natural setting and talked with her brother about turning it into a preserve that could be enjoyed by wildlife and by people.

Saturday morning’s ceremony will begin at 10 am with light refreshments, followed by the dedication at 10:30.  You’ll get a sense of the beauty of this preserve as you hike the half mile trail from the parking lot to the dedication site.  Be sure to wear sturdy boots (the grass can be high in places) and be prepared for birds and bugs.

For detailed driving directions, a trail map and more photos, visit the Genesee Land Trust website.

 

 

A birthday party at the Rec with the Reverend Mother

12 Jul

Faith Bell reacts to hearing the assembled birthday party guests yell “Surprise!”

When the stooped, austere-looking nun shuffled into the Webster Recreation Center cafeteria earlier this week, you could almost hear a collective gasp from the audience.  A few people who were standing near the doorway didn’t really know how to greet her, so chose to stay silent and just stand back to let her pass. Anyone who hadn’t attended Mass in a while tried to look very inconspicuous.

But no one needed to worry. The Reverend Mother Phyl Contestable wasn’t there to hear their confessions. She was there to roast Faith Bell, the Rec Center’s senior services coordinator, on the occasion of her 80th birthday.

Actually, Faith’s official title is “Transportation Coordinator,” a term left over from the Monroe County meal program. But she does so much more than that.

Jane Laskey, the Rec Center’s Deputy Commissioner, wrote,

(Faith) handles the daily transportation needs of the seniors so they can get to and from the senior center, she plans and implements educational, support, and recreation programs, she coordinates some of the services associated with the center such as elder source, AARP taxes, blood pressure checks,  leads programs such as the poetry club, and acts as the primary liaison for families and often health care providers and the senior that attends the center.  Mostly she is an advocate for the folks that attend the senior center, a sympathetic listener and a cheerleader. … She is incredible, kind, full of Irish wit, and an amazing advocate for seniors.

A good sport as always, Faith banters with the Reverend Mother.

Earlier this week, Faith was also the butt of the Reverend Mother’s jokes. For a full half hour in front of about 100 family, friends and Webster Rec staff members, Faith endured the irreverent humor and personal jabs that only former-nun-turned-Nunsense-performer Phyl Contestable could dish out. Fortunately, any real embarrassment was smoothed over by birthday cake and friendly conversation after the performance.

Not that there was much embarrassment. True to form, Faith took the entire occasion in stride, starting when she walked through the door and heard everyone yell “Surprise!”

I couldn’t stay for the entire party, but was so pleased to be there to help celebrate with my friend. Happy birthday, Faith, and many more.

 

 

About 100 friends, family members and Webster Rec staff members attended.

 

Webster Kidets join this year’s Kiddie Parade

9 Jul

Director Brian Wilt leads his Kidets on a march around the Schroeder parking lot.

Our little village has its share of parades, but I think my favorite of them all is the Kiddie Parade. This adorable event is Webster’s smallest parade, which takes place every year the evening before Webster’s biggest parade, the Firemen’s Parade.

Compared to the Firemen’s Parade, which marches down Main Street for a full mile and lasts about two hours, The Kiddie Parade winds through south-side neighborhood streets, and lasts maybe 15 minutes.

But it’s the cutest thing EVER.

The Kiddie Parade gives children young and old (read: “adults”) perhaps the only chance they’ll ever have to march in a real parade. Entire families gussy up their wagons and scooters with streamers and signs and dress in coordinated costumes, and just have a blast. Many of the kids even get into true parade spirit and whip candy at the assembled crowds as they march.

This year’s Kiddie Parade, which takes place this Wednesday beginning at 7:00 pm, will be better than most because there’s going to be a special guest of sorts. This year marks the very first appearance of the Webster Kidets, a performance group introduced this year to give younger musicians a chance to see what being in a marching band is like.

The Kidets are comprised of about 20 fifth and sixth-grade musicians and four color guard members, all of whom have been practicing on and off for the last few months under the tutelage of Webster Marching Band Director Brian Wilt and a whole host of Marching Band student and adult assistants. In that short time these kids have learned a brand new piece of music and learned to march as a unit. Sort of.

I stopped by the band’s final practice last night at Webster Schroeder High School and came away very impressed by how far this band has come in such a short time. Sure, the performance wasn’t as tight as you’d expect from a polished marching band; the instrumentation was rather rough and the marching not particularly coordinated. But in step or not, these kids marched with poise and pride, befitting the fact they are a Webster marching band.

I can’t wait to see — and hear — them in the Kiddie Parade tomorrow night.

The Webster Kiddie Parade begins at 7:00 pm on Wednesday July 10 at Spry Middle School on South Avenue. It marches north on South Avenue, turns east onto Dunning, then heading down Sanford Street to the Firemen’s Field to officially open the carnival.

I took a bunch of photos at last night’s rehearsal. Click here or on any one of these to go to a gallery.

 

 

Summer concerts return to UCC

8 Jul

Mark your calendar for this Wednesday July 10, when the United Church of Christ on Klem Road kicks off its series of six Caring Community Concerts.

The UCC has been sponsoring these concerts for eight years now, and through free-will offerings have raised close to $40,000 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.”

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

The Gateswingers Big Band gets things rolling this Wednesday beginning at 6:30. Click on the image below to check out the rest of the summer’s schedule and each week’s beneficiary.

 

Thursday mailbag

20 Jun

I’ve got pages and pages of events to tell you about.

Wait. This is digital. It’s all one page.  OK, I have one verrrrrry long page of events to tell you about, so get your calendars.

Webster’s first Helping Hands in the Village promotion is going on right now, and runs through Saturday the 22nd.  During this event, participating retailers donate a portion of their sales the the whole week to a selected local charity.

This week the following businesses are participating:  Yesterday’s Muse Books, The Coach Sports Bar, Metro Sports Brokers, Webster Gourmet, Professional Nutrition Services, Finns Garage, Beyond Cuts Salon and The Goodie Shop.

The selected charities include Webster Hope House, Webster Monarch House, The Webster Museum, Relay for Life to Fight Cancer, Webster Comfort Care Home and the Webster Assoc. of Senior Program Support.

* * *

Fourth of July fireworks come a little early this summer to Webster.

The Summer Celebration will be held on Saturday June 22 from 4-10 pm at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Drive. This is a terrific family event with hot dogs, hamburgers, sausage, pizza, ice cream. games and crafts, land inflatables, a zip line, laser tag, and lots more.

Entertainers will keep the event hopping all afternoon and evening, headlined by the Empire Statesmen at 5:30, the West View Project at 6:15, and the Skycoasters at 7:15. And of course, there’ll be fireworks, beginning at 9:45.

Bring a blanket and some lawn chairs and have some summertime fun with friends and family.

* * *

Webster Thomas’ Cross Country team will host its third annual 12-hour relay to raise money for Reece’s Rainbow, an organization that facilitates international adoptions for children with Down syndrome. This year’s event will be held Saturday June 22, from 9 am to 9 pm at the Webster Thomas track. This year’s event, dubbed the “Run for Edik,” will support the adoption fund for Edik, a Ukrainian infant adopted by the Braithwaite family of Victor and awaiting his homecoming to the United States.

Current, future, and former Webster Thomas Cross Country runners and their friends will converge on the Thomas track for the relay Run for Edik. Teams of 10 runners will send one member of their team at a time to run one mile around the track before passing a baton off to a teammate. It is anticipated that each runner will have completed a total of between 7-10 miles by the end of the 12-hour relay.

Prior to the event, participating runners will solicit tax-deductible donations to Reece’s Rainbow to support Edik’s adoption fund. Donors may also contribute by visiting http://lightingourseps.blogspot.com.

* * *

A walk-a-thon scheduled for next week will raise money to send teens to summer camp.

The Walk-A-Thon for Young Life will be held at North Ponds Park on Tuesday June 25, starting at 6 pm (rain date June 27). Money raised will help send teens to Saranac Camp this summer. A portion will also help pay for buses to transport them.  Cold Stone Creamery will be on hand, and will be donating a portion of their profits to help pay for the buses as well.

Young Life is a Christian outreach to high school and middle school teens. The group’s goal is to develop friendships with teens and share the good news of God’s love for them. For more details on Young Life in Rochester East please visit our site Youngliferoc.com.

* * *

Also on Tuesday June 25, Cherry Ridge will host a free concert as part of their “Under the Stars” summer concert series.

The Gateswingers Big Band will perform from 6:30-8 pm on the Cherry Ridge Lawn. Cherry Ridge is located on Ridge Road in Webster, across from Webster Schroeder High School.

The community at large is invited to attend this free event and attendees are encouraged to bring their own lawn chair. The Gateswingers Big Band is an exciting 15 piece band featuring swing sounds of the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and present day. In case of inclement weather, the concert will be held indoors at the Cherry Ridge Community Center.

* * *

The Webster High School Marching Band is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and hope to celebrate with a trip to Philadelphia for the National Championships.

To raise money for that trip, he band will hold a fund-raiser at Hank’s on Wednesday June 26. Hank’s Ice Cream & Roast Beef on North Avenue will donate to the band a portion of their sales from 5-8 pm that evening.

So plan on taking the family out for dinner and ice cream at Hank’s next Wednesday, and help out a great local organization.

* * *

Citizens Against Teen Suicide…& bullying abuse!-C.A.T.S., is sponsoring a Community Forum on Bullying and Cyberbullying at the Webster Public Library on Thursday June 27 from 6-8 pm. The forum is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be served compliments of the Red Wings.

* * *

And finally…. This is not an event but instead, news of a proud achievement.

Maplewood Nursing & Rehabilitation skilled nursing facility in Webster recently announced that Physical Therapy Aide Ann Shanders has been named as CNA of the Year for District 9 of New York State Health Facilities Association (NYSHFA).

The award was given by NYSHFA’s Clinical & Quality Services Committee as part of the Association’s 2013 Employee Recognition Awards Program held in May. The program honors individuals for their outstanding contributions to skilled nursing facilities. Ann was nominated by a group including Maplewood administration, fellow employees, and residents’ family members.

Congratulations, Ann!

 

 

 

Tuesday mailbag

10 Jun

News items about summer events are starting to come in fast and furious, so you might be seeing these “mailbags” a bit more often. If your organization has a special event coming up, make sure to let me know about it so I can help spread the word!

Hope for Pets 5th Annual Dog Walk

On Saturday June 15, the greater Rochester community will come together to help pet owners in need at Rochester Hope for Pets’ 5th Annual Dog Walk & Pet Education Expo. The event will take place in Ellison Park’s Orchard Grove Shelter. Registration begins at 9 am and the walk begins at 10.

This year’s event will include adoptable animals from local shelters and pet health education stations featuring information about pet first aid, dog and cat wellness tips, common household foods and substances that are toxic to a pet, and careers in veterinary medicine. There will also be demonstrations by K-9 teams from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the Rochester Police Department and Town of Greece. Joyce Palumbo, Crime Stoppers board member and media spokesperson, believes supporting the K-9 units is a logical extension of helping law enforcement.

For more information, visit http://RochesterHopeforPets.org/events.php or contact Beth Zogby at Rochester Hope for Pets at (585) 271-2733 ext. 26 or hopeforpetszogby@gmail.com.

Benefit Music Festival

Also on Saturday June 15 is the Sarah Anne Bryan Charity Music & Arts Festival, from 12-8 pm at the gazebo in Veterans Memorial Park, North Ave. in the village of Webster.

The festival will feature entertainment for the kids, raffles, and a “Taste of Webster” restaurant tour featuring The Coach Sports Bar, Marvin Mozzeroni’s, the Vino Wine Lounge, Hatters Pub, Brimont Bistro and BC’s Chicken Coop. Donations will benefit DePaul Community Services and the West Webster Volunteer Firemen’s Association.

For more information, visit facebook.com/sarahannebryanbenefit.

Schlegel Road Reunion

The annual Schlegel Road Elementary School Reunion Trip is back.  This year’s event will be at Seabreeze on Friday, June 21. Tickets cost $14.50 for students (less for adults), and must be reserved by June 19 so they can all be purchased together.

Interested alumni can reserve their tickets by calling Jill Sicke at 749-8914 or by email at Jill_Sicke@websterschools.org.

Schroeder student chosen by Red Sox

Congratulations to Webster Schroeder sophomore Oliver Pena, who recently received a phone call from the Boston Red Sox, informing him that he was selected as one of the ten participants for the team’s Lindos Sueños program in the Dominican Republic.

Oliver was selected from a nationwide search of thousands of applicants, and has been going through a rigorous interview process for several months.  This summer he’ll be working with the people of the Dominican Republic to help improve their lives. But he’ll also be playing baseball and receiving training from Boston Red Sox players and coaches.

 

 

Volunteers needed for Webster Folk Festival

9 Jun

Organizers of the village’s new Webster Folk Festival have put out a call for volunteers.

The festival is scheduled for Saturday from 1-8 pm at the gazebo in Veteran’s Memorial Park on North Avenue in the village. Seven different bands will take to the stage for 45-minute sets, and in between each headliner, small acoustic folk groups or individual musicians will perform in front of the stage. So that means the music will be flowing for seven straight hours. Among the bands already booked are Gone Fishin, Everheart,  Sweet T and Johnny B and Barry’s Crossing.

A large tent will be set up in the park (“in case of sun,” the organizers quip) and families will be encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets for seating. Details are still being finalized, but there’s talk of craft and food vendors, an “instrument petting zoo,” a workshop tent, and a jam tent.

Admission will be free, though t-shirts and programs will be sold.

Volunteers are needed for several tasks, including selling programs, assisting musicians, set-up and clean-up, parking, hanging posters, and more.  If you’re interested in helping out, email volunteer@websterfolkfestival.org with an idea of what kind of time you have available and what you might like to do.

For more information about the Webster Folk Festival, click here for the Facebook page or click here for the website.

 

To market, to market…

6 Jun

Don’t pay attention to the calendar. Summer has officially begun.

A typical Saturday at last year’s market

I know this, because Webster’s Joe Obbie Farmer’s Market opens for the season on Saturday at Webster Town Centre (Target/Kohl’s Plaza) on Holt Road.

The market will run from 8 am – 12:30 pm every Saturday through November 2, AND Wednesday evenings from 3-7 pm, rain or shine.

The market is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and it keeps getting bigger and better, especially since it moved from its village location to the plaza a year ago. Varying with the season, you’ll find baked goods, pies, meats, poultry, goat cheese and goat cheese products, flavored nuts herbs, spice blends, honey, maple syrup, cider, soap and body care products, plants and cut flowers, jewelry, crafts and of course a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.

Don’t forget to bring the kids, too, because the Girl Scouts host a children’s activity area each week in the gazebo.

Special events and entertainment are scheduled every week; this weekend a grand opening celebration will be held at 10 am, kicked off by a flag ceremony presented by the Girl Scouts. Live music by the Callanach Band will keep your toes tapping all morning.

Check out the Joe Obbie Farmer’s Market website for details. See you Saturday!

 

 

 

Bonus mailbag!

5 Jun

BONUS BLOG!

I wanted to waste no more time in passing along information about a few events coming up in the next several days.

The first is the annual Webster Museum Barn Sale which will run from 9 am to 6 pm, Thursday June 6 (tomorrow!) through Saturday June 8, at 394 Phillips Road.  The ladies at the museum tell me that they’ll have a “Picker’s Paradise, lots of old tools, antiques, garden art, plants and collectibles.”

All proceeds will benefit the Museum’s ongoing programs and efforts to preserve and celebrate Webster’s history.

* * *

The Webster Marching Band’s semi-annual (or is it bi-annual…in any case, two times a year) Bottle and Can Drive returns this Saturday June 8.  This is a time when more than 150 dedicated student and adult volunteers scour Webster for donations, and end up collecting and sorting more than 250,000 bottles and cans.  This is the band’s biggest fund-raiser of the year, and they’d really appreciate your help, because they have some very exciting — and expensive — trips in the works.

Chances are you received a flyer in your door this week telling you about the bottle and can drive. Simply collect all your returnables in a garbage bag and place them at the curb by 9:30 am for pick-up. You can also drop them off at Schroeder High School between 9:30 am and 4 pm.

You might also consider supporting the band’s “Just $5” campaign to raise funds for aging uniforms and equipment. You can get more information about that at webstermarchingband.org.  If you have any questions, or want to schedule a pick- up, call 234-8684 Option 1.

 

 

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