This week’s Webster This Week newsletter led with news of a heartwarming event that happened on Sunday at Town Hall.
Members of Webster’s Ukranian community gathered with many other community members to present the Town with a Ukranian flag to be flown at Town Hall. I wasn’t there myself (I didn’t know about the event in advance) but the photos in the newsletter captured what was obviously a very well-attended and solemn event. I found the one photo of the crowd waving more than a dozen Ukranian flags quite moving. Click here to go directly to the newsletter and see more photos.
You’ll also see an announcement about how you can help the people of Ukraine. A Ukraine relief effort is underway, collecting clothing, personal hygiene supplies, infant supplies and sleeping bags which will be shipped directly to the people of Ukraine. Items are being collected through March 10 at several locations all around Rochester. Click through to the newsletter for more details.
This is a rather botanical-themed mailbag today, featuring sunflowers, trees and a carnivorous plant that wants to take over the world.
First, something bright and happy. The North Bee wants to flood the community with sunflowers, or sunyashniki, the national flower of Ukraine.
Amy Stringer from The North Bee writes,
For the month of March, 100% of proceeds from the sale of a Beeswax Sunflower Ornament will be donated to ROC Maidan so they can get the funds appropriated to where they are needed to help refugees and soldiers, offer humanitarian aid and help rebuild and recover from this devastation unfolding before our eyes (in Ukraine).
Amy is offering three different designs, the Full Sunflower, Monet Sunflowers, or the Dinner Plate Sunflower. “Whichever you choose,” she added, “I cannot wait to see them displayed everywhere! Come on friends, I’m ready to pour sunflowers all day!”
Click here for more information about this special event and ROC Maidan. The North Bee is located at 27 North Ave. in the Village of Webster.
Here’s a quick look at some of the fun the Webster Public Library has in store this month:
Bad Art Night, Friday March 25 from 6 to 7 p.m., for tweens and teens grades 4-12. The library will provide the supplies, you bring the creativity to make some crazy art. Click here to register.
Space, eclipses and all things in the sky, Tuesday March 29, 7 to 8 p.m. for all ages. Local space enthusiast Gaylon Arnold will talk about upcoming eclipses that will be viewable in our area, and other space events that might interest you during 2022 and beyond. Click here to register.
Family Friday Movie Night, April 1 at 6 p.m. Enjoy some snacks and get comfortable at the library while watching the movie Encanto! Bring pillows and blankets from home so you can get cozy to watch on our big projector screen. Click here to register.
This month’s make-and-take crafts are a leprechaun trap for the wee ones, origami star garland for teens and a decorated plant stake for adults. All crafts are available on a first-come-first-served basis while supplies last.
The Webster Public Library is located at 980 Ridge Rd., at the back of Webster Plaza.
Your next two Webster-based opportunities to donate blood and help save lives happen in just a few weeks.
There are all sorts of incentives this month to get you to make a donation.
Donate at any blood drive in Webster this March for a chance to win a $50 Wegmans gift card. PLUS, give blood or platelets in March and get a $10 e-gift card from Fanatics! PLUS, get a chance to score a trip to the 2022 MLB All-Star Game in Los Angeles.
This notice from the folks at the Friends of Webster Trails, who have embarked on a program to save the trees of Webster.
The forests of Webster are under attack. Insects and disease are going after the ash, hemlock, oak, and beech. As they die, they will be replaced by invasive and most times non-native trees unless we do something.
The Friends of Webster Trails has established a group to come up a plan and set it in motion. ReTree – Replanting Our Native Forest aims to do just that. Tree surveys have been completed of many of our trail areas telling us what trees are present and their number. You may have already noticed efforts to clear invasive plants along the Blue Trail in the Whiting Road Nature Preserve. In fall, potted trees of appropriate species will be purchased and planted in this area. In spring, we will be building a tree nursery to grow native trees from seeds for future planting.
Stay tuned for more information about this initiative.
Tickets are on sale now for Webster Thomas High School’s spring musical, Little Shop of Horrors.
Little Shop of Horrors is a sci-fi horror musical with a 1960s pop/rock score by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. It tells the story of meek floral assistant Seymour Krelborn, who stumbles across a new breed of plant he names “Audrey II.” The egotistical, sweet talking R&B-singing carnivore promises unending fame and fortune to the down-and-out Krelborn as long as he keeps feeding it, BLOOD. Over time, though, Seymour discovers Audrey II’s out of this world origins and intent towards global domination.
Shows will be held Thursday, Friday and Saturday April 7, 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday at 2 p.m. Reserve tickets are $12, or $10 for groups of ten or more. Click here to get yours.
The weekly Saturday afternoon Irish traditional music sessions at Barry’s Old School Irish were featured front and center this week in an article published in City Newspaper.
For the article — which almost certainly was timed for the newspaper’s March issue because of St. Patrick’s Day — author Daniel Kushner visited at least two of the three Irish sessions which take place weekly in the Rochester area, at Johnny’s Irish Pub, the Chatlotte Tavern and Barry’s Old School Irish.
Kushner did a great job capturing the history, tradition and culture surrounding these traditional music sessions. But he didn’t stop there; Kushner also dug even deeper into Irish trad culture and history by interviewing Ted McGraw, one of the original members of the Rochester branch of the Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Irish musicians’ association, and long-time host of the Irish Party House radio program.
The Saturday sessions at Barry’s happen every week from 2 to 5 p.m. If you’ve been in the pub during those hours, you’ve probably seen the musicians huddled in a circle over by the bakery case. If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about who they are and why they’re there, click here to check out the article.
Since we’re talking about Barry’s Old School Irish, I want to let you know that our favorite Irish pub is gearing up for St. Patrick’s Day in a big way. I mean, special events have already begun.
Barry’s is welcoming St. Patrick’s Day festivities back after a COVID-induced hiatus by peppering the next few weeks liberally with music, whiskey tastings, dancers, a personalized Guinness pint night, green-themed trivia and a whole day filled with events on Parade Day (March 12), culminating of course on St. Patrick’s Day itself, when the pub opens at 8 a.m. with Irish coffees and breakfast.
As sure as sighting a robin is a sign of spring, I know that April is just around the corner when I start getting emails about Community Arts Day. And this year, that news is more exciting than ever, as it will be the first in-person Community Arts Day in three years. Because, well, you know…..
This year’s event will take place on Saturday, April 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Rd. This very family-friendly festival showcases Webster CSD students’ creative talents and involves the entire community in a day to celebrate the arts. It was created as a collaborative effort to raise money to encourage and enhance fine arts programs throughout the district.
Dozens of activities are planned throughout the day, including art displays, carnival games, sweet treats sale, plant sale, crafts, community group exhibits and more. Musical groups and demonstrators (karate, gymnastics, etc.) perform free all day, and you can even grab lunch and snacks. PLUS, this year there’s going to be an opportunity for ALL students to exhibit art at Community Arts Day (stay tuned for details about that).
Volunteers are always welcome and very much needed. Each of the 11 schools in the district contributes volunteers to the CAD committee to run the events, make baked goods, and make the day a great event for the entire community. Organizers are also looking for sponsors, and there are plenty of opportunities for exhibitors, performers and vendors.
To find out more about all of these opportunities, click here. You can also follow the Community Arts Day Facebook page to keep up on the latest.
Get your leprechaun-hunting skills tuned up, because there are two great opportunities in March to go in search of these playful little sprites.
(OK, OK, neither of these events actually MENTIONS looking for leprechauns, but they ARE scavenger hunts, and since it’s St. Patrick’s Day season, I figure there’s a good chance some will turn up!)
What you WILL find with these two family-friendly scavenger hunts is some great exercise and good fun — and everyone might learn something new to boot.
The first is called the “Clovers and Clues” scavenger hunt, sponsored by Webster Parks and Recreation and the Webster Health and Education Network (WHEN). From March 1 through March 17, participants will hunt for clues placed in 13 locations all around the Town of Webster. Each clue consists of different letters, and when all the letters are collected, you’ll use them to decode a final message prompting healthy choices.
Completed answers can be submitted to Webster Parks and Recreation for the chance to win a prize.
Visit the WHEN website beginning March 1 to get your first clue. The hunt will run continuously through March 17. Collecting letters will take about an hour or two, can be done anytime and is a great activity for all ages. A smart phone is encouraged to help find clue locations and to scan QR codes.
This second Family Scavenger Hunt is also co-sponsored by the Webster Recreation Center in partnership with the Friends of Webster Trails.
This one-day event takes place on Sunday March 6 beginning at 10 a.m. at Gosnell Big Woods preserve on Vosburg Rd., rain or shine. Participants can sign in anytime between 10 and noon and receive an age-appropriate scavenger hunt answer key. Three skill levels will be provided for ages 2 to 12. Then just walk through the park gathering answers, submit your sheet when you’re done and get a prize.
Registration is $5 per person, and can be paid when you get there. All proceeds will benefit the Friends of Webster Trails and their efforts to maintain and improve our terrific trail system.
This is at least the third Family Scavenger Hunt the Friends have hosted, and they’ve all been very popular. These folks do a great job making sure that kids of all ages (and their adults) can participate and have fun.
So, you see, no mention of leprechauns. But if I were you, I’d keep my eye out for them anyway.
When you can’t beat the winter, join it! That’s the philosophy behind the Webster Parks and Recreation’s latest fun-in-the-snow event, the Polar Fun Run, scheduled for this Saturday Feb. 26.
This is a one-mile, untimed walk (or run if you’d like) around North Ponds Park. Everyone will enjoy hot chocolate and assorted other goodies afterwards. This is a great opportunity especially for families to get out together for a little exercise.
There’s no charge, but registration is required (after all, they need to know how much hot chocoloate to bring). Click here to register.
Here’s a preview of a few other fun events taking place in March which the Rec Center is helping pull together … not one, but TWO scavenger hunts!
Clovers & Clues runs from March 1 to 17, and will take participants all over town, collecting clues to complete a secret phrase. The Family Scavenger Hunt is a one-day event where families can explore Gosnell Big Woods. This is the third event like this which the Friends of Webster Trails has sponsored, and they’ve been very popular.
I’ll revisit both of these events in a future blog, but you might want to put them on your calendar now.
The Village of Webster’s exciting Fall in Love With Webster month-long community celebration is almost over. All month, residents and visitors to our fine village have been enjoying merchant discounts and special events, all embracing the theme of love.
Being this is the last week, you’ve only got a few days left to collect trivia answers. Look for questions and answers posted in the windows of participating shops, write down the answer and bring them all to Barry’s Old School Irish on Feb. 23 for the weekly trivia contest, and compete for fabulous prizes. More than 30 village businesses are participating!
Here’s what’s coming up this week:
All week:
❤ Thinking of Others: Be Someone’s Secret Admirer!
The Village of Webster is inviting everyone to be an old-fashioned “secret admirer” anytime during the month. You could send flowers to someone, or just pay it forward at the drive through. It’s all about thoughtfulness. Have fun!
This sounds like a lot of fun. Customers pay $5 to buy a mystery book, which is wrapped in plain brown paper with a genre and description written on the outside. Ooo…how fun! Which one will you choose?What a fun and romantic way to share some love, read a book, and make some February memories all the while supporting a local merchant. Sounds like a win for everyone! Who’s your mystery date? Find it at Yesterday’s Muse.
Join Elsa, Anna, Olaf & the Roc Dance faculty this winter break as and dance to all your favorite Frozen songs! Daily arts & crafts, games, songs and dancing to keep your little one busy during February Break. this feb break! Click here for more information.
The Chorus sings four-part “a cappella” music, specializing in barbershop harmony, an original American art form. Click here to find out more about the Chorus of the Genesee and how you can get involved.
Barry’s Old School Irish’s weekly trivia night will have a crossword theme AND Village of Webster trivia theme! In addition to general knowledge questions set up in Crossword Puzzle format, they’ll also be asking Webster trivia questions. Get a leg up by collecting all of the answers ahead of time. They;re located in the merchant store windows. More info here, including how to reserve your table.
Join us for a celebration of this amazing lady. Wear your favorite pearls and get ready to share in some snarky happenings! Food, drink, and birthday cake, of course! “Betty’s Happy Hour” will also offer a sneak peek into our winter and spring 2022 Charlie Paige clothing line. Plus, Ohhh, Lordee Everything Sauce will be catering the event. Call 585-236-1604 if you have any questions.
In conjunction with Lala’s Betty White Night, Jojo Bistro and Wine Bar will be offering a Betty White-inspired cocktail menu. Stop in for a “Betty White,” “Rose Nyland” or a non-alcoholic “Golden Girl.” Plus there’s live music, featuring the über-talented Amanda Ashley from 6 to 8 p.m.
The points of these wonky stars are easy to create when you have the right tool – the Creative Grids Lazy Angle, that is! Combine them with four-patches for an intricate looking block that can be made in an afternoon! Finished size is 12 in. x 37 in. Call the Village Quilt Shoppe at 585-626-6916 to sign up.
Taking a walk? Going to a festival or quilt show? Travel light with our Sophie cell phone and card case pattern. By carrying your cell phone and ID/credit card with this convenient cell phone holder, you won’t be weighed down by a traditional crossbody bag. Give the Village Quilt Shoppe ladies a call at 585-626-6916 to sign up.
I’d like to start off today’s mailbag with a sweet item from Mary Alice Moore about a friend of hers, Eleanor Scott, who recently celebrated her 90th birthday.
Eleanor wanted to mark the occasion by going to Nick Tahoe’s. So she and her group of girlfriends — who often do things together — headed downtown last week to the restaurant. The group, as you might imagine, attracted the attention of Alex Tahoe himself, who came over to talk with the ladies. Upon learning it was Eleanor’s birthday, he gave her a t-shirt, facilitated photos in front of the sign (behind the serving counter!) and even walked them to the parking lot.
There’s a good chance you might know Eleanor; she’s very involved in the Webster Presbyterian Church and Young Life, and has taken several mission groups to Kenya. Make sure to wish her a happy birthday if you see her around town!
Thank you to Mary Alice for providing this story and photos. She’s in Florida right now and couldn’t attend the party, but was there in spirit, and the “girls” kept her updated throughout the entire event.
Blood donors critically needed
This recent spate of bad weather hasn’t just made driving difficult and closed schools. It’s also meant that the Red Cross has had to cancel blood drives. And that’s dealing a tough blow to the national blood supply, which has already been at crisis levels since early January.
The need for blood is constant and only volunteer donors can fulfill that need for patients in our community. Nationwide, someone needs a unit of blood every two to three seconds, and most of us will need blood in our lifetime.
Your next opportunity to donate in Webster is coming up on Tuesday March 1, in the recreation room at the Lighthouse Baptist Church, from noon to 5 p.m. The church is located at 48 South Estate Drive (that’s near the Summit Knolls apartment complex east of Webster Schroeder off of Shoecraft).
They’d love for you to make an appointment to assure social distancing. You can click here to do so. I also recommend you get in the habit of filling out the RapidPass on the morning of your donation; it saves a lot of time.
I’d ALSO recommend you download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, available on the App Store and Google Play. It’s a great tool to help schedule appointments, view your blood type and results of your mini-physical, and track your donations.
EXTRA EXTRA from the library
On Tuesday Feb. 23, the Webster Public LIbrary will host Deanne Quinn Miller and local author Gary Craig for a discussion of their new non-fiction book, The Prison Guard’s Daughter, and the events of the Attica Prison Riot, which marked its 50th anniversary last Sepetember.
Miller is uniquely qualified to tell this story. She’s the daughter of Correctional Officer William Quinn, the first casualty of the Attica Prison Riot. She’s also a member of Forgotten Victims of Attica, which provides counseling, has established an annual memorial at the prison, and in the last 20 years has secured $12 million in reparations for its members.
Here’s part of the book synopsis taken from Amazon.com:
On the 50th anniversary of America’s deadliest prison riot comes a prison-guard daughter’s quest to uncover the truth about her father’s murder during the uprising―a story of crossing racial divides, befriending inmates and correctional officers alike, and challenging the state to reveal and pay for its malfeasance.
Deanne Quinn Miller was five years old when her father―William “Billy” Quinn―was murdered in the first minutes of the Attica Prison Riot, the only corrections officer to die at the hands of inmates. But how did he die? Who were the killers? Those questions haunted Dee and wreaked havoc on her psyche for thirty years. Finally, when she joined the Forgotten Victims of Attica, she began to find answers. This began the process of bringing closure not only for herself but for the other victims’ families, the former prisoners she met, and all of those who perished on September 13, 1971―the day of the “retaking,” when New York State troopers and corrections officers at the Attica Correctional facility slaughtered twenty-nine rioting prisoners and ten hostages in a hail of gunfire.
The discussion will be held via Zoom on Tuesday Feb. 23 from 7 to 8 p.m. Registration is required, and once you do so, you’ll be sent the Zoom invitation. There’s no charge.
Penfield’s Annual “Indoor Hike” Scheduled for March
The Penfield Trails Committee will host its annual “Indoor Hike” on Saturday March 12 from 10 a.m. to noon at Penfield Town Hall, 3100 Atlantic Ave.
This unique event, held each year during the deep cold of the winter when the weather for outdoor hiking can be unfavorable, is a chance to explore and learn about nature and hiking-related topics in a lecture-style setting, with discussion time following the lecture.
This year’s topic is “Rewilding Local and Global Natural Habitats – A Sustainable Conservation Remedy,” presented by Penfield Trails Committee Chairman Nelson Carman. Mr. Carman will discuss ideas from environmentalist, author, and activist Paul Hawken on large-scale, practical remedies for reversing our climate crisis, as well as the concept of repairing and rewilding natural habitats on a global level from American biologist, naturalist, and writer E.O. Wilson. Discussion time will follow the lecture.
Hiking groups from other area towns and organizations will also be present with information about their groups and their 2022 schedules and events.
This event is free and open to the public. Participants are asked to please register here or by calling Penfield Recreation at (585) 340-8655.
You’d think that having written this blog for 14 years, I’d know pretty much everything there is to know about Webster. But once in a while I have the distinct pleasure of discovering something new, and learning about a business I’d never known before.
That was the case with Gleason Orthodontics. The practice, headed by Dr. James Gleason, is located at 246 South Ave., basically right around the corner from my home. I’ve driven and walked by it hundreds of times, but had never given it a second thought.
Last week, however, the name Gleason Orthodontics came across my radar twice, with regards to their participation in community events. Clearly this was a business that not only wanted to get more involved in the Webster community, but was actively searching out opportunities to do so.
I had to meet them.
I knew I was in the right place when I walked into the office and Gleason’s marketing coordinator, Amy Gilmore, had to move a pile of handmade Valentines from a chair to give me room to sit down. Turns out they were having their young patients make cards for the residents of The Maplewood nursing home. She and the other staff members were making some as well, just to make sure there was a Valentine for each one of the Maplewood’s 72 residents.
Right next to the Valentines was a box filled with dental-health-inspired goodie bags which they were planning to hand out to children at the Webster Recreation Center. Amy explained that projects like these are their way of giving back to the area and the patients they serve, giving back to the people who have helped build the practice.
“Most of our patients are here in Webster,” she said. “Instead of (Dr. Gleason) just dropping money here or there to organizations he doesn’t know about, he said, why don’t we invest in the community, invest in the people that we serve and we help? That’s really what we’re striving to do.”
The Valentine’s Day cards and goodie bags are just the beginning. Gleason is always looking for opportunities where they can give back. Their participation in the ongoing Fall in Love With Webster community celebration is a good example. All this month, they’re offering to buy Girl Scout cookies from anyone selling them, which they’ll then donate to veterans. (Call Amy at Gleason Orthodontics, 585-872-3355, if you’re interested.)
The list of events like that which the practice is supporting is long and getting longer every day. It already includes the Mud Run at Webster Parks and Recreation, sponsoring the Kona Ice truck at the Summer Bash, participating in Community Arts Day and the Greater Rochester Peep Show.
So keep your eye out for the Gleason Orthodontics logo, or better yet, the table they’ve set up at the next Webster community event. Then make sure to stop by and thank them for all their support for our community.
Count on the great guys of the Chorus of the Genesee to come up with a charming idea for Valentine’s Day.
All this month, the Chorus has been opening up their weekly Tuesday-night rehearsals to the community, as part of the Village of Webster’s Fall in Love With Webster event. But this week, in honor of Valentine’s Day, they’ve cooked up something special.
Bring your sweetheart to the Harmony House on Tuesday Feb. 15 from 7:30 to 8 p.m., where she (or he!) will be serenaded with love songs. Enjoy a romantic atmosphere, a mimosa and perhaps a few other surprises thrown in. It’s free, but they’d love for you to register so they have an idea of how many to expect. Click here to do that.
The Harmony House is located at 58 East Main St., Webster.
I feature the people and places and events that make Webster the wonderful community it is — and throw in some totally-not-Webster-related personal ramblings every once in a while as well.
I love it when readers send me news about the great things happening in their schools or the community, so please email me anytime at missyblog@gmail.com
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