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A great event for a great cause

16 Jun

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It was a rather dreary late spring day yesterday. That is, everywhere but under the tent set up outside Ploty’s Hometown Tavern, where laughs and smiles brightened the day for several hours yesterday afternoon and evening.

Hundreds attended a very special and heart-warming fund-raising event yesterday in support of Bella’s Bumbas, an incredible Webster-based organization that is changing the lives of children all around the world.

IMG_20190615_165812734_BURST000_COVER_TOPBella’s Bumbas is a non-profit organization run by Webster residents Marty Parzynski and Rebecca Orr, dedicated to building miniature wheelchairs for children with a wide variety of mobility issues. To date they have shipped 850 chairs to children in 27 countries, often adapting the chairs for each child’s individual needs, and charging the families only for shipping.

You can read more about this great cause in this blog I wrote back in 2017, and this follow-up blog.

And if you really wonder if this organization is truly making a difference, consider this: parents of Bella, whose diagnosis with spina bifida inspired the creation of the first Bella’s Bumba, were told she would never even sit up. Today, thanks to the strength she has gained from her Bumba, she is not only using a walker, but has even taken several steps on her own.

Folks who attended yesterday’s event were treated to pizza, drink specials, DJ music, and lots of raffles, including SO MANY GIFT BASKETS spread on tables inside and outside the tavern that I couldn’t even count them all. 

I’ve put more photos from the event on a small gallery here. Thank you so much for Eric at Ploty’s Hometown Tavern for hosting!

If you weren’t able to make yesterday’s event but love with what Rebecca and Marty are doing to change children’s lives, you can still help to provide some much-needed cash to keep their cause rolling (so to speak).  

Visit their GoFundMe page to read more about Bella’s Bumbas and throw them a little cash. Because they really ARE changing children’s’ lives.

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Ploty’s fundraiser will benefit Bella’s Bumbas

12 Jun

Got no plans for this Saturday night? I have a great idea. Head on out to Ploty’s Hometown Tavern in the Village of Webster for great drinks, music and prizes, all to benefit one of my favorite local agencies, Bella’s Bumbas.

Bella’s Bumbas is a non-profit organization run by Webster residents Marty Parzynski and Rebecca Orr, dedicated to building miniature wheelchairs for children with a wide variety of mobility issues. In just their first year of operation, they shipped more than 300 “Bella’s Bumbas” around the world, often adapting the chairs for each child’s individual needs, and charging the families only for shipping. You can read more about it in this blog I wrote back in 2017, and this follow-up blog.

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At Saturday’s Ploty’s fundraiser, participants will enjoy drink specials, basket raffles, a 50/50 drawing, live music, and more. All monies raised will go to directly support Bella’s Bumbas’ mission to provide mobility to children with disabilities.

It’s sure to be a good time with friends new and old, and helping out such a wonderful organization as Bella’s Bumbas is just a bonus.

The event takes place from 4 to 9 p.m. at Ploty’s Hometown Tavern, 27 West Main Street in the Village of Webster.

Please bring cash because they don’t have any way to accept credit cards. (Bring lots of cash!)

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Miracle Field opens Saturday with a family-friendly celebration

7 Jun

challenger miracle field

Saturday is going to be a BEAUTIFUL day for a baseball game!

The community is invited to join the celebration as Challenger Miracle Field officially opens for the season with a free Family Day from 1 to 4 p.m. There’ll be all sorts of kids’ games and activities including a bean bag toss, soccer darts, can smash, face painting, balloon animals and a bounce house. Plus, at 2 p.m., you can watch the official groundbreaking ceremony for the Karpus Family Barrier-Free Playground.

The concession stand will be open for purchases with free Popcorn in a souvenir stadium cup. You’ll also be able to purchase a variety of new Miracle Field “swag” including t-shirts, car magnets, chap stick, and more.

There’ll be plenty of free parking and seating for the festivities and to watch the game. So come on down and help cheer on our challenged athletes at the field built especially for them.

Challenger Miracle Field is located on Ridge Road behind Town Hall. This brand new facility was specifically designed for individuals with physical and or cognitive challenges and fully wheelchair accessible. The idea was to give people with developmental, physical or intellectual disabilities a barrier-free, safe, accessible place to experience the health benefits and joy of play through baseball, other team sports, and adaptive recreational equipment.

Click here to find out more about this amazing facility and organization.

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Almost 40 raffle prizes up for grabs at this week’s community blood drive

3 Jun

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How badly do our Webster business owners want you to donate blood at this week’s Community Blood Drive? So much that they’ll give you PRIZES just for showing up.

Ok, you might consider that bribery, but they’re willing to help do what they can to encourage community members to attend this week’s two-day community blood drive on June 5 and 6, because the need is critical. Right now the Red Cross is operating on only a 3-day supply of blood, which is kind of scary.

That’s why my spare bedroom is piled high right now with raffle prizes. You’ll see some of them in the photo above, including an incredible gift basket from LaLa of Webster worth more than $225.

Every donor who walks through the door will be handed ten raffle tickets, which can be used to take chances on almost 40 raffle items donated by some very generous local businesses.  In addition to the LaLa raffle basket, donors can also try their luck on these prizes:

Gift certificates from:

  • Barry’s Old School Irish
  • Ploty’s Hometown Tavern
  • Webster Hots
  • The Filling Station
  • ROC & Soul Fitness
  • The Chicken Coop
  • Eastway Liquor
  • Rubino’s
  • Natural Alternatives
  • The Goodie Shoppe
  • Carl’s Pizza
  • The Pickled Paintbrush (PLUS a cool kids’ craft)
  • Abbott’s
  • The North Bee (PLUS gift bags)
  • Best to You Spa (PLUS a bottle of wine)
  • Kittleberger Florist
  • Strike Back Martial Arts

Plus, these prizes:

  • Gift basket from Schutt’s
  • Beauty products from Beyond Cuts Salon
  • Growler gift pack from Knuckleheads
  • Gift basket from Hegedorn’s

And there’s more! Each donor will receive a free pint of ice cream from Bruster’s, a chance for a cool $100 from Gerard P. Smith Insurance, a $5 coupon from Superior Solutions … and there might be a few other things I’m forgetting.

Basically, you do NOT want to miss this blood drive. Here are the details:

The drive will be held on Wednesday June 5 at St. Paul’s Church on Hard Road, noon to 7 p.m. and Thursday June 6 at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Drive, from noon to 7 p.m. You can make an appointment by calling 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767) or by logging onto http://www.redcrossblood.org. Walk-ins are also welcome.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU to our newest business sponsors this year, LaLa of Webster, The Pickled Paintbrush, The North Bee and The Best You Spa! Thank you SO MUCH for your generosity. 

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Luncheon concludes first collaborative community reading project

31 May
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Webster community members and their student reading partners.  

I had the privilege to attend a very nice event on Thursday afternoon, the culminating luncheon of the first-ever community reading project.

Organized by Webster Schroeder English teacher Eileen Connolly, the project paired 25 adults from the greater Webster community with 25 students in Connolly’s 10th grade Here and Now English class. Every participant read the same novel — My Dog Skip by Willie Morris — over a period of four weeks in May. Reading assignments were assigned each week. Participants answered questions related to each assignment, recording their answers in a spiral notebook. The book and notebook were then delivered back and forth between adults and students every week so each could see what the other had written.

At yesterday’s luncheon, the adults and students met each other for the first time. My student partner was Kaylee Ziemniack, and I was pleased to be able to spend a few minutes getting to knew her at the luncheon.

Because it was just the first time for the program, there were a few glitches. But in general, it was a terrific experience and clearly adults and students alike got a lot out of it.

I asked Connolly to provide her thoughts on how things went and if she plans to run the program again next year. Allow me to quote her email directly:

Especially because it was our first time through, I was exceptionally pleased with how the program went. While we had a couple of bumps with delivery, every student and every adult read and responded to all parts of the novel. The opportunity to meet the people they’d been corresponding with was a little scary, but students enjoyed meeting and talking to their partners. Once we finished our luncheon, some of the participants also tried their hand at some blackout poetry using text from the novel.

The program gave students a low stress opportunity to do some reading and having adult feedback kept them interested. Students were always excited to open their envelopes and see what their partners had written. Many adults shared their own memories of childhood and provided some context for kids whose experiences are sometimes, but not always, very different from their own. Even the chance to see that people (other than teachers) actually write in cursive was an eye-opener for some students. Student readers had a chance to view how skilled and mature readers and writers interacted with the text. That provided excellent models for all of our students. …

We hope to expand the program to some English 10 classes at Thomas High School as well. I am thrilled that almost every adult said they would not only participate again but promised to get a friend or two involved.

I am so grateful for the many people who supported the program including our Principal Mr. Benz, Secondary Director of ELA, Larry Wahl, District Courier Jimmy Lehman, and my colleague Linda Law. … (Also) the staff of the offices at all the school pick up and drop off points. They didn’t have any advance notice and were very supportive too! At Schroeder, the front office staff, Kelly Dinsmore and Emily Zicari, were wonderful too!

Most of all, I want to extend my genuine gratitude to each and every community member who accepted our challenge to participate. The program taught my students that there are community members who care enough to take an interest in their work and lives. They gave of their most precious gift: time. There is no way to measure the value (short and long term) of that gift.

I would also like to add a thank you to the staff at the Webster Public Library. I arranged to have my packet dropped off there several times, and they were very accommodating.

I’m already looking forward to next year, and encourage others to come on board when Connolly ramps up the program again.

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At the luncheon: Me and my reading partner Kaylee Ziemniak; Noah Vercruysse and his partner   Meredith Feary. Claire Belmont is photo-bombing. 

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Webster community mailbag

30 May

mailbag iconThere’s a whole pile of great events coming up in the next few weeks, starting this coming weekend.

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The Webster Marching Band will hold their annual spring bottle and can drive this Saturday June 1 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. They’ll come to your street, so all you have to do is bag up your returnables and put them outside your house, near your house or garage, making sure they’re visible from the street. DON’T leave them out at the street, and DON’T put them out overnight, so no one else decides to make the rounds and snag them.

You can also drop off your donations before 4 p.m. at Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Rd. And remember, the band operates a 24-hour bottle and can hotline. Call 234-8684 any time and leave a message. Someone will be back in touch to arrange a pickup time.

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Grab your kids and their bikes and head on out to the Bicycle Skills Rodeo on Saturday June 1 from 10 a.m. to noon, hosted by the Webster Police Department.

Held in the Town Court parking lot at 1000 Ridge Road, the event will give kids a chance to practice bicycle safety skills and learn about proper helmet fit.

Make sure to bring your bike and helmet. There will be a few extra helmets on hand for children who do not have them, but — really? All kids should own helmets and use them.

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The Webster Aquatic Center will host its Webster Youth Triathlon this Sunday June 2.

The event, which includes a swim, bike and run, is for children from kindergarten through age 16, and is scaled according to age. Kindergartners, for example, will swim 25 yards, bike a mile and run a 1/4 mile. Older kids will swim 150 yards, bike 4 miles and run a mile. There’s also a team relay option.

The swim will take place at the Aquatic Center and the run and bike portions on the Webster Schroeder campus.

Cost is $15 before June 2, $20 the day of the event. The first 200 participants will receive a goody bag and t-shirt.

To register and for more details, call the Webster Aquatic Center at 585-670-1087. You can also email race director Missy Whipple with questions, at missyw26.2@gmail.com.

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Prime Time Funk (provided)

The Webster community is invited to the annual Spry Evening of Jazz on Friday June 7 beginning at 7 p.m. at Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Rd.

 

There’s no admission charge for this concert, which will include a performance by special guest Prime Time Funk.

This should be a great evening of incredible music from our talented youngsters and outstanding Prime Time jazz artists. All for free!

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Webster’s Joe Obbie Farmer’s Market will open for the season on Saturday June 8. Many of your favorite vendors will be returning, and several new ones are also expected.

The market is held at Webster Towne Center Plaza (Kohl’s Target Plaza) near the gazebo in front of Old Navy. It runs from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday through October. You’ll find fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, cheeses, baked goods, jams, honey, maple syrup, plants, herbs and flowers and crafts.

Also, this Saturday look for a Town of Webster booth where you can meet and chat with many of your town and county officials, first responders, and community organization representatives.

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Barbara Killip (Adrian DeJesus Photography)

Finally, congratulations to school bus driver Barbara Killip, who was recently named the Webster Central School District Transportation Department’s Employee of the Year. 

Barbara and transportation colleagues from throughout the area were recently honored at a brunch hosted by the Rochester Area Transportation Supervisors Association.

Our bus drivers do an amazing job keeping our children safe and aren’t always fully appreciated, so I love to see this recognition.

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Generations come together to make sweet music

29 May

Willink Joint May 2019 keep this one

The Willink Middle School 8th grade bands joined the Webster Village Band last night for a collaborative concert to help kick off the Village Band’s regular summer season.

An almost packed house enjoyed Willink band teacher Matt Osika’s Day 2 and Day 3 bands as they performed favorites including the Hawaii Five-O Theme; Moscow, 1941; See You Again; the Orpheus Overture; Alabama Folksong Fantasy; and Ghost Run.

The Webster Village Band followed, led by diirector Thomas Indiano, performing  Reflections From the Wall and the Irish Washerwoman from the Irish Suite. Associate Director Sue Siegmund conducted the first movement of Gustav Holst’s First Suite in Eb, Chaconne.

All the bands came together for the culminating piece, Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, complete with thundering “cannons” provided by the percussion section.

It was a wonderful evening and a great example of collaboration across the generations.  Thank you to Sylvia Hungerford for sending along the information, and to Tom Indiano for the photo.

The Webster Village Band hosts concerts most Thursday nights through the summer at the bandshell in Harmony Park on Phillips Rd. The first concert of the season is June 13. Click here for the full schedule.

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Barry’s Old School hosts first ever Irish Festival

23 May

Barrys

Our favorite Irish pub owners, Danny and Jessica Barry, have found yet another way to spread their love of all things Irish with the Rochester community. They’re decided to host their very own Irish festival.

It’s scheduled for Saturday Aug. 17 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. at their farm, 2668 Brick Schoolhouse Rd. in Hilton.

They’re planning a pretty ambitious event. You can check out the details here on the Facebook event page, but briefly, they’re planning food trucks, lawn games, vendors, and kids’ activities (including quality time with their donkeys and goats).

Of course, there’s also entertainment, including all of the local Irish musicians you’ve come to know from Barry’s, plus Celtic Cross and 1916.

It looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun. Tickets are $12 pre-sale, $15 on the day of the event (kids 12 and under are free). Tickets are available right now at the pub, 2 West Main Street in the village.

For sponsorship opportunities & any questions, e-mail the Barrys at
BarrysirishPub@gmail.com.

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Two opportunities to help save lives

22 May

The two-day Webster Community Blood Drive is coming up in just a few weeks, on June 5 and 6.

You know the one. It’s the one advertised by the big white signs placed all around town, and where you get raffle tickets just for showing up to win some fabulous prizes from our local business owners.

I’ll get into a bit more detail about that in a minute. But first, in case you can’t make that drive, here’s another opportunity coming up tomorrow, May 23:

200398_3430269The North East Joint Fire District and Webster Volunteer Fire Department are hosting an American Red Cross Blood Drive at the Webster Volunteer Fire Department’s Enderlin Station, 35 South Ave. in the Village of Webster on Thursday fro 1 to 7 p.m.

This annual drive encourages friendly competition between Webster Fire Department and West Webster Fire Department to see which can donate the most units. But of course they’re also hoping that all eligible donors in our community will come out and “answer the call,” and give blood in honor of our everyday heroes.

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The Webster Community Blood Drive will return on Wednesday, June 5 at St. Paul’s Church on Hard Rd. and Thursday June 6 at the Webster Recreation Center. Both days will run from noon to 7 p.m.

Already we have commitment for prizes from Barry’s Old School Irish, Knucklehead Craft Brewing, ROC & Soul Fitness, Beyond Cuts, the Chicken Coop, Webster Hots and Ploty’s (although there will be many more). We’re also pleased to have several new businesses join us this year, including The Pickled Paintbrush, Lala, The North Bee and The Best You Spa. And of course, everyone’s favorite prize, a coupon for a free pint of ice cream from Bruster’s will be handed to every donor who walks through the door!

Stay tuned for more details. In the meantime, if you’re a business owner who would like to provide a raffle prize for the community drive, please email me at the address below!

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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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Memorial Day Parade details

21 May

 

It looks like the weather is going to start to become actually spring-like for a change, so we may luck out yet again for this year’s Memorial Day Parade on Monday morning.

This is always a very nice parade, and the ceremony that follows it at Webster Rural Cemetery is always moving. I highly recommend bringing your children to see both the parade and the ceremony, so they might begin to understand the huge debt we owe our servicemen and women.

Here are the details of Webster’s Memorial Day parade and ceremony, held Monday May 27, pulled from the Cottreall-Warner American Legion Post website:

  • 9:30 a.m.:  All groups participating in the parade will assemble at Spry Middle School on Sanford Street. All active duty and ex-service men and women are invited to take part in the parade.
  • 10:00 a.m.:  parade moves out from Spry, down South Avenue, turning west on Main Street and proceeding to Webster Rural Cemetery.

(I have seen two different times for this event, one saying the parade begins at 9:30, not 10. So get a seat early in case that’s what’s happening!)

The parade should completely arrive at the cemetery about 45 to 50 minutes after it begins at Spry. Following the service, refreshments will be served at the Elks Club on Jackson Road and all are invited to participate.

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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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