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Bay View’s new Adventure Complex shows what a community can accomplish

2 Jun

George Romell, CEO of the YMCA of Greater Rochester, speaks at the dedication ceremony.

On Saturday morning I was pleased to be in the crowd as George Romell, CEO of the YMCA of Greater Rochester, and Mike Stevens, Director of the Bay View Family YMCA, officially dedicated Bay View’s new “Adventure Campus.”  The beautiful new climbing complex replaces the very popular climbing tower which was destroyed by arson a year ago this month.

And it is a thing of beauty. The new Adventure Campus features a dual zip-line tower, bouldering playground, and of course a brand new, 5-person, 36-foot tall climbing tower.

But the YMCA didn’t stop there when they planned out the new complex, and that’s one of the things I like best about it all. Everything about the Adventure Campus is completely handicap-accessible. A series of new gravel pathways leading to the campus — and even to the end of the zip-line — allows easy wheelchair access.  The bouldering playground was created with sensory-friendly material in consideration of the many autistic children who attend camp there every summer.  The zip-line tower is even equipped with a lift system, so those who cannot walk or climb stairs can be raised to the top of the tower and enjoy the exhilaration of a ride down the zip-line.

At the end of the dedication ceremony, Joe Gerard was given the honor of taking the first ride down the zip-line.  You may remember Joey; I wrote a blog or two about him.  He’s the young man who single-handedly raised more than $6,000 for the cause, $5 at a time, simply by selling hand-made woven bracelets.

There’s a plaque attached to one of the big rocks in the bouldering playground with the names of people and corporations who helped Bay View YMCA realize its dream to rebuild the tower before the 2013 camp season.  But there’s no way that plaque could include the names of every individual or business who donated money or raffle prizes, everyone who served on committees to plan special events, every preschooler who put their pennies in a jar. Because as Mike Stevens said Saturday morning, this was a community effort.

Bay View YMCA Board Chairman Wendy Latko also added something which I thought was very true. And I paraphrase (a.k.a., not getting the quote exact, but it’s pretty darn close):

My children couldn’t understand why someone would burn down the climbing wall. I tried to explain that sometimes people do bad things. It was a sad lesson. But my kids have learned an even better lesson today — that when bad things happen, people will come together to make things right.

New Bay View YMCA Climbing Complex has risen from the ashes

30 May

Today I am pleased to bring some good news.

The new Bay View YMCA climbing complex. Click on the photo to see a few more.

You may remember the awful morning about a year ago when we woke up to find out that vandals had torched the 40-foot climbing tower at the Bay View Family YMCA.  It was completely destroyed, including all of the equipment that was stored inside, and the very popular zip line.

That happened on June 22, the day before summer camp was to begin. It was a devastating blow to the Bay View community, and especially the camp kids who used it every day during and after camp.  What was particularly depressing is finding out that insurance would not completely cover the cost of replacing the tower.

But if there’s one thing I have learned about the Webster community, it’s that we pull together big time when we sense a challenge.

The YMCA pledged not only to rebuild the tower bigger and better, but to do so before the start of the next summer’s camp season. They set a seemingly unreachable fund-raising goal of $100,000.

Immediately, donations started coming in, from pennies collected by preschoolers to large donations by local businesses. There were car washes and dunk-a-counselor events. We held a food truck rodeo in the middle of a hurricane and people still came out to support the cause. And young Bay View camper Joey Gerard raised more than $5,000 single-handedly by selling hand-crafted bracelets (see a previous story I wrote about Joey here.)

So many people helped reach that goal that it would be impossible to thank them all. But the goal WAS reached, and now all those people, and the entire Webster community, are invited to see the result.

On Saturday, June 1, the Bay View Family YMCA will officially open its brand-new climbing complex. You may have seen the new wall from a distance already.  And from a distance, it doesn’t look anywhere near as imposing as did the old tower. But drive down the road to the Y and get a closer look.  You’ll be lots more impressed.

The new 32-foot climbing wall is just the centerpiece of a bigger climbing complex, including a separate zip line tower with dual zip lines (so a parent and child can go down together) and a natural boulder playground. It is very beautiful and very exciting, and it’s all handicap-accessible.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 10:30 a.m. at the Bay View Family YMCA, 1209 Bay Road, Webster (across from Wegmans).  Joe Gerard will be there to take the very first zip line ride.

 

Community blood drive is back

29 May

One of my two favorite blood drives of the entire year is back — with a twist.

It’s Webster’s Community Blood Drive, and it’s held twice a year,  usually in June and October.  It’s always a two-day event, and for as long as I can remember (and I’ve been a blood donor for many years) it’s been held on a Wednesday  at St. Paul’s Church on Hard Road, and the following Thursday at the West Webster Fire House.

But I recently found out that the Community Blood Drive has outgrown the fire house, and so Thursday’s donation location will be the Webster Recreation Center on Chiyoda Drive.

This is actually a great problem to have — so many donors they overwhelm the space.

I’ve written about this particular two-day drive several times before, and I’m not at all kidding when I say it’s my favorite ever.  It’s sponsored by a long list of Webster businesses, which is why you see all those big white signs popping up all over town. Each of these businesses contributes a coupon, which are all collected into a packet and distributed to each presenting donor.  My favorites from past years have been the free ice cream cones from Bruster’s and Abbott’s and Hank’s.  But there are plenty of other coupons as well; previous ones have included free Empire Lanes bowling and a free flower from Kittelberger’s.

So if you’re a regular blood donor, I’ll probably see you there. If you’ve never donated blood before, I also hope to see you there. This is a great donation event to start with.  The Red Cross folks are always very pleasant and professional, and they’ll understand if you’re a bit nervous.  Just think about all the great coupons you’ll get, and the cookies and juice they force on you after your donation.

And of course, you’ll be saving lives, too.

Here are the details:

Webster Community Blood Drive

Wednesday June 5, noon – 7 pm
St. Paul’s Church, 783 Hard Road

Thursday June 6, noon – 7 pm
Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Drive (off of Phillips)

Call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment, or just stop in.  It only takes about an hour.

 

Photos from yesterday’s Memorial Day Parade and ceremony

28 May

The weather couldn’t have been better for yesterday’s Memorial Day Parade and ceremony, and a big crowd lined Main Street to watch as the parade made its way to the Webster Rural Cemetery.  The day’s events were dedicated to all of Webster’s first responders who put their lives on the line for us every day. “Chip” Chiapperini and Tomasz Kaczowka were posthumously named honorary Parade Grand Marshals.

Click on the photo or click here to go to a Facebook gallery of photos from the morning.

 

 

A personal invitation to participate in Relay for Life

21 May

If you still haven’t heard about Relay for Life, then you’ve been living under a rock.

The Relay is an annual fund-raiser for the American Cancer Society in which teams pledge to walk around a track for 12 straight hours in honor of those who have fought or are still fighting the battle against cancer.  This year’s event is being held June 1-2 at the Webster Thomas High School track. A lot of teams have signed on so far, but more support is still needed.

I am pleased to pass along this notice from Robyn Whittaker, Webster’s biggest Relay for Life cheerleader and CRO (Chief Relay Officer) for the village’s Relay for Life team:

If you haven’t ever been to the Relay because you think it’s a race, you should know the the only “race” is to the cure.  We invite the community to come out that night and see what we are all about.

The evening starts out by celebrating our survivors and then our caregivers as they start off the laps before the teams take the track. Each team differs in their numbers but not in their quest to help fight cancer. Entertainment , games at the team campsites along with fun ways to raise money fill up the time until 10pm when the Remember ceremony starts. The ceremony is heartfelt and touching and the silent lap led by a bagpiper in the darkness, lit only by luminaria honoring or remembering our loved ones, brings out many tears.

Fun laps take over and continue through the night to keep those who are not catching a few zzz’s in their tents on the track and having fun. Midnight brings on the Fight Back ceremony as participants learn how they can help fight cancer with lifestyle changes.

The event wraps up at 6am with those who chose to stay the whole night, packing up and feeling good about what they did. After all, cancer never sleeps.

Please come out to Thomas High School on June 1st at 6pm and join the event!!

Couldn’t have said it any better myself. For more information about Webster’s Relay for Life, click here.

 

A follow-up on the clean-up

17 May

In one of my blogs a few days ago I mentioned how I recently drove by a group of Webster High School Marching Band parents and students who were cleaning up a stretch of Ridge Road.  I lamented the fact that I didn’t know about it ahead of time so I couldn’t snap any photos.

Well, a big thanks to Patty Homeier for sending along the following two photos from her team.  Patty wrote that her group of three adults and three kids worked for about an hour and a half, and collected 10 large bags of trash (and a few car parts).

They and three other groups cleaned both sides of Ridge from Hegedorns to the movie theater.

Patty also mentioned in her email that her family is new to the marching band.  I think it’s pretty cool that even though they’re new to the organization, they’re already participating in events like this.  It’s a great example of how much Webster Marching Band families are committed to this community.

Thank you to the Webster Marching Band for cleaning up our Ridge.

I love the hard hats. (L-R) Mikayla Cassidy, Theresa Homeier and Anna Halpa.

Theresa Homeier works in the woods.

 

 

An exciting opportunity for your musicians

12 May

Several days ago when I was driving through town I noticed a group of young people and adults picking up trash along Ridge Road. My first thought was, “Huh. I’ll bet that’s folks from the Webster High School Marching Band. I think this is the stretch of highway they adopted.”  That was immediately followed by my next thought, “I wonder why they didn’t tell me they were going to be doing this so I could come out and take photos?”

Ah, well. Maybe next year. But seeing them did remind me of the great new program for young musicians which the Marching Band has introduced this year.  I’ve mentioned it before, but it deserves much more attention. It’s THAT great an idea.

It’s called the Webster Kidets Marching Band, and it’s designed for 5th and 6th graders in the Webster School District who’d like to see what it’s like to be part of a real live marching band.

To participate, a student should already be playing a musical instrument in school; chorus and orchestra students are encouraged to learn a percussion instrument to play with the group.The colorguard section is open to any student.

The band will hold four practices on June 3, June 24, June 26 and July 8, and then march in the huge Firemen’s Parade on July 10.  Brass, woodwind and percussion musicians are invited to sign up, as well as students interested in performing with the Kidets colorguard.

Registration is $30 per student, which includes a parade uniform (t-shirt) which the student can keep. The program can provide drums, mellophones, euphoniums and colorguard flags.  Flutes, clarinets, saxophones, trumpets and trombones must be provided by the students.

What a wonderful opportunity this is for young musicians to get a taste of the excitement and pride that comes with being part of a marching band.

For more details, including rehearsal times, log onto the Webster Kidets webpage.

 

We Webster folks really know how to throw stuff out

5 May

On Saturday morning, I took advantage of the electronics recycling event held at Webster Schroeder High School. It was hosted by the Webster Health and Education Network as a fund-raiser. They were asking for $5 from everybody who came by, and you didn’t have to donate, but I was more than happy to do so. Not only is WHEN very deserving of our support, but I consider $5 a paltry sum to pay to get rid of a car-load of old laptops, televisions, phones, charger cords, alarm clocks, and other electronic whatnots that have been cluttering up my house for too long. And I also like the idea that they’ll all be disposed of properly and not wind up in landfills.

As I drove through the collection area, I was happy to see that the tractor trailer belonging to Maven Technologies (the business who will be disposing of the electronics) was already piled high with donations — mostly huge computer monitors. That was great news for both WHEN and our environment.

It reminded me of Supervisor Nesbitt’s recent column, which noted that the town’s recent pharmaceutical collection event, held on April 27, was also a huge success.

Supervisor Nesbitt wrote that the event drew more than 380 participants, who contributed more than 613 pounds of outdated drugs to be destroyed. Too often these expired prescription drugs are flushed down the drain, and when they reach Lake Ontario, they can affect not only the immediate lake environment, but also our own health.

The town has already planned another pharmaceutical collection for sometime in October, so if you missed this one, start saving up your old drugs for the fall.

In the same vein, the Town Hall has received a lot of phone calls about when the town’s next shredding event might be.  The Town Clerk’s office is working on a date to have an event sometime in late summer or early fall.  Check the Town of Webster website for details and dates.

I think it’s great that we in Webster have all of these opportunities — plus the regular hazardous materials disposal events — to do the right thing for our environment. Kudos to the Town for recognizing the importance of such things.

 

Friday mailbag

3 May

Hey Webster, you’ve got a busy couple of weeks ahead.

Tomorrow — Saturday May 4 — the Webster Nursery School is hosting a garage sale fundraiser from 9 am to 3 pm.  This is a multi-family sale with “many great items all families can use,” including toys, books, games, children’s clothing and household items. From 2-3 pm you’ll find reduced prices on everything.  Baked goods will also be available for purchase.

The sale will take place in the parking lot behind the Webster Baptist Church, 59 South Ave.

 * * *

The Friends of the Webster Public Library will hold their annual spring used book sale, next Tuesday through Saturday.

Members of the Friends are invited to a sneak peek on Tuesday from 5-8:30 pm, a perfect chance to get the best bargains right off the bat. (If you want in on that action, you’ll be able to purchase a membership that evening.)

The rest of the book-loving public can shop on Wednesday and Thursday May 8 and 9 from 10-8:30, Thursday and Friday from 10-5, and Saturday May 11 from 10-1.

And before we leave the library, here’s a fun little invitation I saw on their newly revamped website (it’s next to the photo of a cat reading a book).

 Which type of pet reads the most? Send us a picture of your pet reading a book. Whichever pet type has the most pictures reading will win and be the best reader! Send pictures to Jenny Paxson and we’ll post them on the Webster Library Facebook page and they will also go on display at the library.

Sounds like fun. But my cats only read romance novels, and that would just be embarrassing.

* * *

Have a little history with your tea on Wednesday May 8, with the Webster Museum’s History and a Cup program. Bring a sandwich — the museum will provide the coffee or tea — and hear some stories about growing up in Webster.

History and a Cup begins at noon on Wednesday, at the Webster Museum, 18 Lapham Park in the village.

* * *

The Schroeder Varsity Girls Lacrosse team needs shoes!

No, not for themselves. They’re collecting black shoes (sizes 12 to 7-8) for students at Brown’s Hall Primary School (K-6) in Jamaica. Students are in need of black gently work or new shoes to wear to school (preferably closed-toed).

Donations are being accepted through May 10, and can be dropped off in the box near the front desk just inside Schroeder’s front door.

* * *

Dahlia season is upon us. Early spring is the best time to plant the tubers so they’ll bloom in late summer and early fall, when most of the other flowering plants are fading.

The members of the Rochester Dahlia Society and other gardening groups will be selling dahlia tubers and more mature plants at the Webster Arboretum, 1700 Schlegel Road, on Saturday, May 11 from 8-12.  Other sales will be held May 12 and 26 at the Rochester Public Market and May 25 at the Rochester Civic Garden Center.

* * *

My friends at Yesterday’s Muse book store recently sent this announcement about a local author:

Now available, the recently published memoir of a Rochester soldier who fought in World War II: A Long Way from Home: The Memoir of John Cipolla, 101st Airborne Division, 1942-1945, by Matt Fox.

The recent release of The Battle in Common, another locally-focused account of World War II, enjoyed a huge response. Fox’s work chronicles some of the same events, but from the perspective of one soldier. From the back cover:

“In 1942, shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, John Cipolla saw a recruiting poster for the airborne infantry outside of the recruiting office in his Rochester, NY neighborhood and signed up. After months of grueling training, he shipped out for Europe with the newly-formed 101st Airborne Division. The year he spent in Europe would be the most momentous year of his life. He took part in Operation Overlord, parachuting into Normandy the night before troops hit the beaches, and parachuted into Holland for Operation Market Garden. He was with the 101st at Bastogne, when they shivered in the snow and fought desperately to keep the Germans who surrounded them at bay. This book is John’s story, told from his perspective as a private in C Company of the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment.”

The book was written over a period of nearly seven years, during which time Fox interviewed Mr. Cipolla extensively, and performed exhaustive research to fill in gaps of chronology and verify facts. It was published last year by Mr. Fox through Amazon’s CreateSpace publishing service.

The book costs $10, and is available for purchase at Yesterday’s Muse Books, 32 W Main St in Webster, NY. Inquiries by phone or e-mail are welcome: 585-265-9295; yesterdays.muse@gmail.com.

Hey honey, let’s have the neighbors over for dinner!

3 May

Webster’s new community website, WeAreWebster.com, has just come up with a great idea.  

It’s called “Invite Your Neighbor to Dinner,” and it’s just what it says.  The idea is to ask a neighbor over for dinner sometime during the month of May, enjoy a fine evening with friends, then take a picture of the occasion and post it to WeAreWebster.com.

It’s a simple concept, and on the face of it a no-brainer. But unless you regularly join your neighbors for dinner parties, how often do we really do this?

Joe Harmon, the website’s creator, tells me he’d like to sponsor a new community event like this every month.  He’s already got some ideas in the works, but will be asking the Webster community for ideas as well.

Check out this new program and the other great information by visiting WeAreWebster.com .

To find out more about this new community website, click here to read my earlier blog.

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