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A sad farewell to the Special Police

24 May

In the years I’ve been writing this blog, I’ve met countless wonderful people; business owners, residents, special event chairpeople, grass-roots organizers. Together, they comprise the fabric of our community.

Through those years, and all those people, there’s always been one constant: the Special Police.

At every one of our town’s special events, I’d invariably see these dedicated volunteers helping with crowds and traffic control, and directing traffic at accident scenes. I’ve always appreciated their expertise, professionalism and good nature.

That’s why I was saddened to hear that Webster’s Special Police Department was being eliminated.

I heard rumors a while ago that such a decision was in the works, but I guess I was hoping I’d heard wrong, or at least something could be worked out with the Town to salvage this important service. But then, a few days ago, I got an email from Michael Charland, the most recent Chief of Special Police, confirming that the department is truly gone.

Michael gave me some background about how the whole thing went down. I’m not going to get into detail about that and the politics that were involved. (To read more of the story, check out the letter to the editor in last week’s Webster Herald.) But he did include some history which I thought was interesting.

He wrote,

Our unit began as the Webster Auxiliary Police under NYS Civil Defense guidelines back in 1953, and evolved into a Special Police organization in 1997 when the NYS Town Laws were changed. We generally had about 25 volunteer officers that served the Webster Police Department in law enforcement roles whenever called upon to do so. All of our officers were trained at the Monroe County Public Safety Training Facility and certified as NYS Peace Officers.

The town never fully utilized all of the powers that NY State granted to us over the years. Typically they utilized our members to do more routine duties such as traffic control, some patrol details, or provide security at large public gatherings, which we were happy to do. Other duties included providing court security to the town justice court, and 24/7 emergency response to fatal MVAs, storms, crime scenes, etc. where we generally provided a secure perimeter for the WPD to conduct their work. 

I’m going to miss not seeing Special Police officers at our special events. Like the upcoming Memorial Day Parade; they’d always be there in force, on bike and on foot, and they were always happy to smile for my camera.

Thank you for your service, Special Police officers.

Here are some of my photos from previous blogs, and a few provided by Michael.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and 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 5/24/2022)

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Webster community mailbag

18 May

Webster Parks and Recreation has a great family-friendly event coming up this Friday, May 20 at Challenger Miracle Field, 1000 Ridge Rd.

It’s called the Family Fun Night. From 6 to 8 p.m., there’ll be food trucks, concessions, and tables set up by local community groups. It looks like it’s going to be a very nice night weather-wise, so bring the whole family! Registration is NOT required.

Speaking of Webster Parks and Recreation, I got some news a short time ago that the Rec Center’s awesome Mud Run will be back again this September.

Last year’s first-ever Mud Run was so well received, they started making plans almost immediately for this year’s event. They promise it’s going to be even bigger and better (that might mean messier) than the first. It’s scheduled for Saturday Sept. 17, with the first wave going off at 10 a.m.

Here are a few pictures from last year. Stay tuned for more details, but make sure to get this one on your calendar now!

Don’t forget about Saturday’s Webster Wine Walk, from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Village of Webster. Glass pickup will be at Webster Interiors, 975 Ebner Dr. from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15 (plus sales tax and fees) and are available here. For more information, visit the Webster BID website.

The Friends of Webster Trails invites concerned nature-lovers to join them for a Trail Work Day this Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at Four Mile Creek Preserve, at the corner of Phillips and Lake roads.

They’ll be working on creating a new trail in the preserve. If you have them, bring along a shovel, wheelbarrow, lopper and/or mattock. Make sure to wear gloves, long sleeves and long pants.

Also this Saturday, don’t forget about the second annual Duck Derby hosted by Webster Comfort Care Home.

You can read this blog for more details, but basically, participants purchase rubber duckies for $5 each, and each has a number on it. At the appointed time, the ducks are dumped into Mill Creek, where they leisurely float down towards the lake. The “owners” of the first three ducks to cross the finish line win cash prizes.

Because the ducks take a while to meander downstream, there will be other activities to keep everyone busy while you’re waiting.

The race will begin at the Webster Park Beeches Pavilion at 10 a.m. on Saturday May 21. There’s plenty of parking. Ducks can be purchased online here, by calling 585-872-5290, emailing Director@webstercomfortcare.org, or by stopping by the Webster Comfort Care Home at the corner of Holt and Klem. Payment is accepted by cash, check or credit card, and PayPal online. Tickets are available now.

Need pancakes? The Williamson Flying Club’s annual Pancake Breakfast takes place this Sunday, May 22 from 7 a.m. to noon at the club, 5502 Rt. 104, rain or shine.

In addition to a great breakfast, there’ll be airplane and helicopter rides. Cost for $6 for kids, $10 for adults. Presale tickets are available by clicking here.

You can fly in or drive in, but if you drive, please enter from Centenary Rd.

Godzilla has come to the Webster Museum.

You’ll want to enter the museum very cautiously for the next few months, because Godzilla is waiting to greet you in a BIG way.

He’ll glare at you (and perhaps even growl at you) from a striking poster provided to the museum by Lenny Schwartz, long-time manager of the much-missed Empire Drive-in theater. In the new exhibit, you’ll learn more about Lenny and the drive-in, and read memories of Webster residents who took their pajama-clad kids to the drive-in from March through December in years gone by. (Maybe you were one of them?)

Check out the impressive exhibit at the Webster Museum, 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster. The museum is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

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

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(posted 5/18/2022)

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EMS Week: your chance to learn more about our local first responders

12 May

Next week is National EMS Week, an annual opportunity for community members to learn more about our local first responders — who they are, what they do, what kind of training they require, and more.

National EMS Week, this year scheduled from May 15 to 21, celebrates our area’s EMTs, paramedics and other staff members. As part of the week-long observance, Northeast Quadrant Advanced Life Support and Webster Emergency Medical Services are hosting a variety of community events at their EMS base, 1030 Jackson Road in Webster.  

It all begins Saturday May 14, when local artists Music of the Stars will hold a concert at the EMS facility. Moondance will open the show from 4 to 7 p.m. and Music of the Stars will play from 7:30 to 10 p.m. There’ll be food and adult beverage trucks beginning at 4 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance (click here to purchase) and $25 at the door.

On Sunday May 15, NEQALS will host a Community Health Fair and Open House from noon to 4 p.m. More than 20 area organizations will be at the fair including local law enforcement, University of Rochester’s Mobile Stroke Unit and a variety of health and wellness businesses. Attendees can get hands-on experience with EMS equipment, see EMS demonstrations from professionals, register for the bone marrow donor list, take photos with Doc McStuffins and tour the state-of-the-art EMS base and ambulances. 

Other events this coming week include:

  • Monday May 16: WHEN’s Narcan/Naloxone Training, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
  • Tuesday May 17: Stroke Recognition Training, 6 to 8 p.m.
  • Wednesday May 18: Community CPR Training, 7 to 9 p.m.
  • Thurday May 19: Stop the Bleed Training, 6 to 8 p.m.

All of the training sessions will be held at the EMS Base, 1030 Jackson Rd. They’re free of charge, and all require registration EXCEPT the Stroke Recognition Training. To register, email community.education@neqals.org and include your name, address, email address, phone number, the event and date.

Parking will be at the EMS Base. If necessary, overflow parking will be at the Ukrainian Cultural Center (1040 Jackson) and the Elks Club Lodge (1066 Jackson).  

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and 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 5/12/2022)

 

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Can you see dead people? Or maybe ACT like one?

11 May

The fine folks at the Webster Museum are looking for some people who can help bring the West Webster Cemetery to life.

The museum has set its sights this month and next on exploring the history of West Webster. In addition to new exhibits and a series of events at which current and former West Webster residents are sharing their memories, the museum is hosting a West Webster Cemetery Tour on Sunday June 19.

This is where you come in.

Interested community members are being invited to help bring the cemetery to life by “becoming” one of the former residents buried there. There’s no shortage of interesting people to portray, either. For example, there’s

  • 4 Revolutionary War veterans
  • 36 Civil War veterans
  • 29 WWI veterans
  • 137 WWII veterans
  • 52 West Webster FD members
  • a Webster PD officer

… and lots more interesting men and women.

The cemetery has a pretty interesting history itself. It’s the oldest in Webster, established in 1790 on a half acre of land in what was then the vast township of Northfield, which included what is now Webster, Perinton, Penfield, Irondequoit, Brighton, Pittsford, and part of Rochester. The first person buried there was a child. It’s located at the corner of Ridge Rd. and Maple Dr. (formerly called Cemetery Rd.).

The Cemetery Tour will be a two-hour long event the afternoon of Sunday June 19. Costumed actors will be stationed all around the cemetery, near the grave sites of their chosen people, and chat with visitors about their personal history.

The Webster Museum would be more than happy to help with costumes and choosing a character. So all you’ll need to do is read up a bit, and get to know your historical figure. Men, women and children are all invited to participate. The more the merrier. Wouldn’t it be fun to see a couple dozen old-tyme figures standing all around the cemetery that afternoon?

I’ll be there, in costume. I gave you a clue to who I’ll be portraying up at the start of this blog. When you chat with me, you’ll be hearing from Martha A. Cottreall. I’ll tell you about my kids; my husband William, who participated in a famous rescue mission; and about my son Joseph, who has (literally) made a name for himself in our town.

If you’d like to learn more or to sign up, contact the museum through their website form here.

It should be tons of fun. And don’t worry, you don’t have to be a good actor. (I’m surely not.)

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and 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 5/10/2022)

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Webster community mailbag

10 May

I was going to put this mailbag off for a couple more days, but I just heard news of a great fundraiser happening on Friday night, and I don’t want anyone to miss out.

It’s a big kickball game hosted by Spry Middle School on Friday night May 13 at Rochester Challenger Miracle Field, located on Ridge Rd. behind Town Hall. (Parking is off of Van Ingen Drive.) Three dozen Spry students will be playing, representing the school’s three houses (red, white and blue). Each house team will also include two Challenger players.

The kickball game is the culminating event of this year’s Spirit Week at Spry. Each year the school’s Student Council chooses a charity to benefit from a Spirit Week competition. Usually the game is basketball, but Challenger Miracle Field was chosen this year, so kickball seemed more appropriate.

The game will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Admission is $5 per person, and concessions will be available for just $1. There’s plenty of free parking. All proceeds from admission and concessions will benefit Challenger Miracle Field.

Make plans to stay around after the game. That’s when the Spirit Stick will be awarded to the house which has accumulated the most spirit points all week — including extra points for winning kickball!

I found out about ALL of the following events in the Webster This Week newsletter, published weekly by the Town of Webster. If you haven’t signed up for this great source of information yet, you should.

Remember that the Webster Public Library’s spring used book sale happens this Thursday through Saturday, May 12-14. Nothing is priced more than $1, and all paperbacks are just 50 cents.

Hours are Thursday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to noon. The Webster Public Library is located at 980 Ridge Rd. at the back of the plaza, off of Van Ingen Drive.

Got stuff to shred?

Reliant Federal Credit Union is holding a free shredding event at their Webster branch, 870 Holt Rd., on Saturday May 14 from 9 a.m. to noon.

There are no quantity limits, but everyone is asked to remove file folders, binders and plastic bags. And plan on taking your empty boxes back home with you.

While you’re there, you can take advantage of raffles and giveaways, and enjoy refreshments and entertainment.

Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, 131 W. Main Street in the Village of Webster, is holding a food drive this Saturday May 14 from 10 a.m. to noon.

Donations of non-perishable food, cleaning supplies and personal hygiene items will be used to support the Weekend Food Backpack Program and the church’s Little Free Pantry.

Also on Saturday May 14, the Ukrainian Cultural Center of Rochester, 1040 Jackson Rd., will hold a Sunflowers for Ukraine paint and sip fundraiser event.

Artist Deanna Derhak will guide participants in painting an original sunflower composition using acrylic paint on a 12″ x 12″ canvas. All supplies are included, and yes, there will be wine available.

The event will be held from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Cost is $40. Click here for tickets.

The Webster Volunteer Fire Department is hosting a Vendor Fair and Craft Event on Sunday May 15 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Firemen’s Exempt building, 172 Sanford St. (on the south side of Firemen’s Field).

In addition to the great items for sale, there’ll be crafts, a raffle, 50/50 ticket sales, and a door prize of $100 worth of scratch-off tickets.

Admission is free and there’s lots of parking.

On the other side of town, the West Webster Fire Department is holding a Bike Helmet and Safety Rodeo on Saturday May 21 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The event, designed for children ages 4 to 14, will feature a bike safety course, helmet fittings and bike safety checks. There’ll be lots of activities, and of course lots of fire trucks! Helmets will be provided on loan for anyone who needs one.

Registration is free. The West Webster Fire Dept. is located at 1051 Gravel Rd.

The Wine Walks are back!

The Village of Webster’s first Wine Walk of the season has been scheduled for Saturday May 21 from 4 to 7 p.m.

Glass pickup will be at Webster Interiors, 975 Ebner Dr. from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15 (plus sales tax and fees) and are available here. For more information, visit the Webster BID website.

The Webster Lions Club will host a Sticky Lips BBQ fundraiser on Thursday May 26 from 3 to 6 p.m. at 1175 Ridge Rd.

Meals will be $15 each, and include a quarter charcoal-cooked chicken, smoked St. Louis ribs, mac salad, BBQ beans and cornbread. You can pay at the event of get pre-sale tickets online at www.StickyLipsBBQFundraisers.com.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and 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 5/10/2022)

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West Webster shines at the Webster Museum this month

9 May

The Webster Museum is highlighting West Webster this month! Here are some quick details about what’s coming up.

There are five brand new exhibits focusing exclusively on the hamlet, with lots of photographs, maps and artifacts. The exhibits can be seen during the museum’s normal operating hours, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 2 to 4:30.

Several additional programs have been scheduled through the next few weeks featuring speakers recalling their memories of growing up in West Webster.

On Wednesday May 11 at noon, Todd cousins Steve Van Buren and Pat Todd Milne will speak. On Sunday May 15, the museum will open at 2 p.m. for visitors to see the exhibits, then at 3 p.m. will host a panel of memory-sharers: Deb Oakley, Peter Burkhardt, Karen McDade, Valerie Fisk Kazarro and Steve Van Buren. Attendees are encouraged to share their memories as well.

Finally, on Wednesday May 18 at noon, the final installment of the History and a Cup series will feature the memories of David Davis and Robert Ryan.

The Webster Museum is located at 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster.

Check back Wednesday for news of a fun and educational West Webster Cemetery tour coming up in June, and how you can be a part of it.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and 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 5/9/2022)

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Thomas grads invited to register for alumni car show

6 May

The fifth annual Webster Thomas “Coffee and Cars” Alumni Car Show is Thursday June 2 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the high school, 800 Five Mile Line Road.

The occasion is a homecoming of sorts for former Webster Thomas students who took auto tech classes while in school. It traditionally attracts everything from muscle cars and hot rods, to antique cars and fire engines, to cars which might look “normal” but have a little something special under the hood.

Titan graduates who’d like to have their ride included in this year’s Coffee and Cars need to register in advance. Email your vehicle’s year, make and model, along with your year of graduation to sean_campbell@webstercsd.org.

Then start getting those motors polished up!

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and 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 5/5/2022)

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Webster community mailbag

4 May

The Webster Arboretum Association, together with local growers and local garden clubs will host the 2022 Webster Arboretum Plant Sale on Saturday May 7 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 is Sunday!

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

The Webster Central School District Budget Vote and School Board Election is coming up Tuesday May 17. The vote will be held at Webster Schroeder High School from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. To view detailed information about the district’s 2022/23 proposed budget, click here.

For the Board of Education election, community residents will be asked to elect three individuals for three-year terms. Nine people are running. The three candidates receiving the greatest number of votes will be deemed elected and will begin their terms of office on July 1, 2022.

Click here to read bios about all of the candidates. You’re also invited to join a live-streamed Meet the Candidates Night on Tuesday May 10 from 7 to 9 p.m. The link is: www.websterptsa.org/mtcn2022. If you can’t make it Tuesday, check back on the PTSA website for a recorded video.

The Friends of the Webster Public Library will host their annual Spring Book Sale from Thursday to Saturday May 12 to 14. Hardcover books are just $1, and paperbacks just 50 cents.

Hours are Thursday May 12 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. Friday and Saturday are also BYOB Bag Sale, when $5 fills a bag. (Bring your own bag.)

If you haven’t noticed yet, the New York DOT has begun a huge Rt. 104 roadwork project on the east side of town. It involves resurfacing, improving traffic signals, replacing guard rails, repainting pavement markings and crosswalks and more.

This is going to be a summer-long project; they don’t anticipate finishing everything until November. So keep an eye out for workers, obey flagmen, and how ’bout we all slow down a bit when we’re going through the construction zones?

Click the photo below for details. (You can also see the map on the Town of Webster webpage.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and 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 5/4/2022)

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Explore a secret garden this weekend

2 May

The Webster Schroeder Theater Company invites the community to discover a little bit of magic this weekend, and explore The Secret Garden, a charming musical the whole family will love.

In this upbeat adaptation of the literary classic by Frances Hodgson Burnett, a young girl is sent to live in England after her parents die in India. Her new home, Misselthwaite Manor, turns out to be a gloomy fortress. However, she discovers a strange walled garden that has been locked up for years. With the gardener’s apprentice — who can talk to the animals — she coaxes the garden back to life, and discovers it has a wonderful, magical effect on all who come into it.

An uplifting musical score adds to the delightful story line, making it a production that’s perfect for the entire family.

The Secret Garden will be presented in two performances, Friday and Saturday May 6 and 7 at 7 p.m. at Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Rd. Tickets are $8 for students and seniors, $10 for all others. Click here for tickets.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and 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 5/3/2022)

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A busy Webster Saturday lies ahead

27 Apr

As I was looking through my “what am I going to blog about next?” notes, I noticed that there are no fewer than FOUR events coming up this weekend — well, Saturday Aril 30, specifically — which I thought I’d better remind you all about.

I’ve already told you about the first four:

Spring Barbecue

St. Martin’s Lutheran Church’s spring chicken BBQ is Saturday, from 4:30 p.m. until they’re sold out.

This is a drive-through event. Dinners will include a half chicken, salt potatoes, cole slaw, roll and butter for $12. There will be no advance sales; cars can pay when they enter the parking lot, first come, first served. Signs will direct cars to the pay station, and then to the side entrance where you can pick up the boxed dinners.

Proceeds will support St. Martin’s Christmas Stocking Project which reaches more than 500 youth in Monroe and Wayne counties.

Cars Along the Creek

The Friends of Webster Trails will be leading a guided hike through Four Mile Creek Preserve on Saturday, and telling you all about the six abandoned cars you can see along the trails. Apparently the land on which the preserve is now located, at the corner of Phillips and Lake roads, used to be used by the local youth as a makeshift racetrack in the early 1960s. Among the cars you’ll see are:

* 1951 Chevrolet Styleine Deluxe Bel Air
* 1961 Ford 500 Galaxy Club Victoria
* 1959 Nash Rambler
* 1959 Chevy Bel Air
* 1954 Plymouth Belvedere Suburban
* 1949 Green Nash Airflyte

The two-hour hike will begin at 10 a.m. at the parking lot on Phillips Rd.

Drug Take-Back

Also on Saturday April 30, the Webster Health and Education Network is holding a Drug Take-Back Event in conjunction with Wegmans, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at both the Holt Rd. and Baytowne locations. No appointment is necessary. Just look for a drop-off location in the parking lot.

Only pills and patches will be accepted, no needles, liquids or sharps.

Shredding Event

The Webster Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Shredding Event on Saturday, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Chamber of Commerce office, 1110 Crosspointe Lane. The event is open to everyone and there’s no quantity limits, but please remove all file folders, binders and plastic bags.

Harmony House concert to benefit Hope House

This last event is something I only learned about a few days ago but it sounds like a lot of fun AND it’s for a good cause.

Five live bands will be coming together at the Harmony House on Saturday from 2 to 8 p.m. for a family-friendly “Spring Harmony Unmasked” concert to benefit Hope House.

The bands — Group Therapy Country Grass Band, Gabrielle Owen, the BarnStrummers, Fragile Ego and Eli & Co. — will play a wide range of music including country, bluegrass, southern rock, pop and more.

Suggested donation at the door is only $5 for a whole afternoon and evening of music, and all proceeds will benefit Hope House of Webster. There will be a cash bar as well. For more information, including more about each band and when each band will be playing, click here.

The Harmony House is located at 58 E. Main Street in the Village of Webster.

And this just in…

I found out that a few local Girl Scout troops will be setting up shop Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. in front of Barry’s Old School Irish to sell their leftover Girl Scout cookies.

This is a great opportunity to stock up again — and perhaps try a new variety — especially if you’re like me and somehow the freezer in the garage was not QUITE far enough away to keep you from eating all of your original batch of cookies.

Barry’s is located at 2 West Main Street in the Village of Webster, right at the village’s four corners.

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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.

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