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Hometown hero remembered

9 Oct

Who remembers the old Holleder Stadium?

Holleder_Don_posed closeupHolleder Memorial Stadium was a 20,000-seat football stadium at the corner of Ridgeway Ave. and Mount Read Blvd., where an industrial park now stands. It was built as the home of Aquinas football, and was originally called Aquinas Memorial Stadium.

In 1974, the stadium was renamed Holleder Stadium, in honor of former Aquinas and Army quarterback Don Holleder, a Webster resident who was killed in Vietnam on October 17, 1967, in the Battle of Ong Thanh. Next week, on the 50th anniversary of Holleder’s death, Webster will honor its hometown hero once again, with a ceremony at the Holleder Army Reserve Center in Webster.

First, a bit of history:

Holleder attended West Point, where he was a stand-out football player. During his senior year he led Army to an upset of Navy before 102,000 spectators in Philadelphia, and was on the cover of Sports Illustrated that week.

After graduating from West Point, Holleder served in the Army, and over the next ten years rose to the rank of major, serving in Hawaii and Korea, returning to West Point occasionally to work with the football program.

In 1967, Holleder asked to be sent to Vietnam, where he served as Operations Officer for 28th Infantry Regiment — the Black Lions. On Tuesday October 17, 1967, he was killed by a sniper as he ran to the rescue of several soldiers trapped during the Battle of Ong Thanh. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, and was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross on April 27, 2012.

On Tuesday October 17, exactly 50 years from the day Don Holleder made the ultimate Holleder_Don_mug (1)sacrifice, Webster will remember him with a ceremony at the Holleder Army Reserve Center, 515 Ridge Road in West Webster.

The ceremony, which begins at 6 p.m., will be attended by Holleder’s two oldest daughters; his West Point roommate, Ransom “Jerry” Amlong; Webster Boy Scouts; and active duty Army members and veterans. The Patriot Guard will deliver a special American flag that was flown on Capitol Hill on August 3rd, which would have been Holleder’s 83rd birthday.

The entire community is welcome. Young men are especially encouraged to attend to learn more about the Black Lion Award, established in Holleder’s name to recognize selfless, team play.

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Webster Monday Mailbag

9 Oct

Let’s start today with some news from the library.

book sale flyerThe Friends of the Webster Public Library will sponsor their annual Fall Book Sale this week, starting Wednesday, Oct 11.

This is a new start day for the Friends, who traditionally had opened up the sale to members on Tuesday night. This year, members are invited to kick off the sale on Wednesday from 5 to 8:30 p.m., when the best of the best books are available for browsing and purchasing. Don’t fear — if you’re not a member but want to attend this special evening, you can purchase your membership on the spot.

The sale will be open to the general public on Thursday, October 12 from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and continues Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Then on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., you can grab a whole bag filled with book goodies for only $4.

The Webster Public Library will also be hosting a “get rid of your stuff” fundraiser on Saturday October 21. Drop off your no-longer-needed items at Savers in Webster between 9 a.m. and noon, at the thrift store’s donation drive-up at the west side of the building. Library volunteers will help to unload items.

​​The items that will be accepted include: clothes,​ ​bedding,​ ​towels,​ ​curtains, ​small​ ​electrical​ ​items​ ​and appliances,​ ​toys,​ ​games,​ ​stuffed​ ​animals,​ ​dishes, ​puzzles,​ ​sports​ ​equipment,​ ​jewelry,​ ​cutlery, baskets,​ ​ornaments,​ ​hand​ ​tools,​ ​and pots​ and pans.

The Webster Public Library is located at 980 Ridge Road. The entrance is at the rear of the plaza. Savers is located in the same plaza.

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The First Baptist Church of Penfield’s next Saturday Community Flapjack Breakfast is scheduled for Saturday October 21.

In recognition of October being Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the church will donate alal proceeds from this month’s breakfast to Resolve of Greater Rochester, a group dedicated to intervening and preventing domestic and sexual violence against women.

The breakfast will run from 8 to 10 a.m. at the church, 1862 Penfield Road. It includes pancakes, pure maple syrup, scrambled eggs, sausage, and more, all for just $5.00 per person.

For more information, log onto www.fbpenfield.org.

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The Friends of Webster Trails Hot Cocoa Hike will be on Saturday, November 4th at the Whiting Road Nature Preserve. The hot chocolate will be free, the moon will be full, and there will be a lot of new friends to meet.

Pre-registration is requested. For more information and to sign up, click here. You can also find information under the events section of the Friends of Webster Trails website.

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The annual Schlegel Elementary School Craft Show will take place Saturday November 4, form 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the school, 1548 Schlegel Road.

This annual event will feature more than 60 vendors, sweet treats, concessions, and lots more. It’s a great way to kick off the upcoming holiday season.

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Veterans and active duty service members and their families are cordially invited to a complimentary dinner on Thursday, November 9 from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at Spry Middle School, 119 South Avenue, in the village of Webster.

Spry Middle School Student Council, Builders Club, and the Webster-Fairport B.P.O. Elks #2396 are sponsoring the dinner as a way of showing their appreciation.

Reservations are appreciated. Please call Ms. Ritzmann at Spry Middle School at 216-0093 to reserve a spot.

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I’ll be talking a little more about this event at a later date, since it’s still almost a month away, but I did want to let everyone know about the Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser to benefit Edward Shuman Fight against Cancer.

Aside from some delicious pasta, the evening will include a 50/50 and gift basket raffle.

The event is being held at the Webster Assembly of God Church, 708 Hard Road, on Saturday November 11 from 4 to 7 p.m.

Cost is $10 for adults, $4 kids (3-12), and kids under 3 are free. Walk-ins are welcomed but RSVP’s are appreciated, so they can plan accordingly. For more information and to let them know you’re coming, log onto the event’s Facebook page.

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Run, Walk or Roll with me this Sunday

6 Oct

run walk and roll

OK, my friends, here’s something to get you up and moving Sunday morning. It’s great exercise with a lot of new friends, doesn’t cost too much AND will benefit a great cause.

It the 3rd annual Run, Walk & Roll 5K and 1 mile stroll to benefit Challenger Miracle Field. I ran this race in its first year, and so I can attest to how fun it is. And I’ll be there again this Sunday.

Great progress has already been made on Challenger Miracle Field, which is located behind Town Hall on Ridge Road. Games are already being played there, but there’s much more work to be done. Proceeds from this event will help finish off some final details and construct the Play with Possibilities Playground. These inclusive spaces will provide 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.

This all-inclusive family-friendly event encourages participants to run or walk, push a wheelchair, push themselves in a wheelchair, or participate with other assistive devices including adaptive bicycles and tricycles.

The courses start and end at Webster Thomas High School, 800 Five Mile Line Road. Registration is open at 8 a.m. The 5K, including wheelchair athletes, will kick off at 9:30.  The 1-mile stroll will begin at 9:35. Packet pick-up and in-person registration will take place that morning. Prizes will be awarded, and the first 250 registrants get a free t-shirt, which you can wear proudly to show what a good person you are.

Cost is $20 for the 5K and $15 for the one-mile stroll, if you register online by Friday night. After that, in-person registration at the race will cost $30/$20.

IMPORTANT PARKING NOTE: 

Due to a conflict with an event being held at the high school, race participants are being asked to park at Willink Middle School just down the road at 900 Publishers Parkway. It’s only a short walk away, and the registration table will be moved to between the track and tennis courts to accommodate.

But it won’t matter. It’s going to be a beautiful day. Hope to see you there!

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Webster Monday mailbag

1 Oct

Happy October! Here are a few local events to start filling up those empty calendar pages.

st. rita

St. Rita Craft Sale

St. Rita School will hold its 33rd annual Craft Sale on Saturday October 14 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

100 vendors will be set up throughout the school’s gymnasium and classrooms, selling all sorts of unique items. Food will be available for purchase, and raffles for winning. Plus, there’s plenty of free parking.

St. Rita is at 1008 Maple Drive in West Webster. Call (585) 671-3132 for more information.

Organ Concert 

The Webster Baptist Church will host an afternoon of organ music on Sunday October 22, featuring the famed Chapin Pipe Organ. It begins at 3 p.m.

There’s no admission charge, but a free will offering will be gratefully accepted. The Webster Baptist Church is located at 59 South Avenue, in the village of Webster.

unnamed

Here are a few fun Halloween events for kids at the Webster Public Library:

Teen Halloween Party

This event is just for teens, a special Halloween party filled with all kinds of fabulously frightening fun.  Teens are encouraged to come in costume for a costume contest. You’ll be snacking on some devilishly good treats and create some unearthly crafts.

The party’s scheduled for Thursday, October 25 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Teens in grades 6-12 are welcome. Registration opens Wednesday October 4. Click here

Library Trick-or-Treat Night

Children of all ages are invited to put on their costumes and trick-or-treat around the entire library on Thursday October 26. Afterwards, enjoy games, activities, snacks and lots of spooky fun for the whole family.

The fun happens from 6:30 to 8 p.m., and no registration is required.

The Webster Public Library is located at 980 Ridge Road. The entrance is at the rear of the plaza.

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Bookshop tour encourages readers to “fall into books”

30 Sep

books

I know that everyone who’s reading this right now will be interested in today’s blog, because … well, you obviously like to read.

This October, our very own Yesterday’s Muse bookstore on West Main Street in the village is participating in a new program called “Fall Into Books — a Bookshop Tour.”  This is a really neat idea which encourages lovers of books and bookish items to explore independent bookshops in the Greater Rochester area.

gift basket

One of the two gift baskets tour participants could win.

All of the 13 participating stores are located within an hour and a half of Rochester. You can hit up a few a day, or spread your travels through the entire month. But you’ll want to visit as many as possible, because there are prizes to be had.

Here’s how it works: Bookshop “tourists” first pick up a passport at any of the participating shops. The passport will be stamped at each stop you make, and for every store you visit, you get one entry to win one of two gift baskets packed with books, gift certificates, and other bookish items. Each one is worth about $150. Plus, you’ll get a 10% discount off your entire purchase at each shop.

Participating bookstores include:

  • Lift Bridge Book Shop, Brockport
  • The Paperback Place, Canandaigua
  • Explore! The Bookstore, Clifton Springs
  • Stomping Grounds, Geneva
  • Boots, Etc., Macedon
  • The Dog Eared Book, Palmyra
  • Village Bookmarket, Palmyra
  • The Books Landing, Penn Yan
  • The Book Centre, Spencerport
  • Greenwood Books, Rochester
  • Mood Makers Books, Rochester
  • Small World Books, Rochester
  • Yesterday’s Muse Books, Webster

You read a lot these days about the demise of small retail stores, especially bookstores. These 13 bookstores are out to show that they’re here to stay. Show your support by taking the tour, and at the same time discover how unique each of these shops is, with books and products not available in those big-box stores.

Read more about the tour at www.fallintobookstour.com and visit the Facebook event page by clicking here.

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Webster Marching Band welcomes autumn with music

28 Sep

The Webster Marching Band’s annual celebration of autumn will feature a touch of winter this year.

Autumn Fanfare flyerFINALThe band’s 32nd annual Autumn Fanfare is scheduled for Saturday, October 7 at the Webster Schroeder High School stadium.

This terrific community event is a premier field show and competition, hosted by the The Pride of Webster marching band, but also featuring performances by six Greater Rochester area bands.

The Webster Marching Band — comprised of 64 middle and high school musicians and color guard performers — will perform their 2017-18 program, “froZEN.” It features the music of Mark Ford and Madonna, and takes a unique approach to the sounds and imagery of a Chinese winter.

It sounds amazing.

The show will begin at 7 p.m., and gates open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $6 in advance at Hegedorns and $8 at the gate. Webster CSD student and staff tickets are just $2 with a Webster student or staff ID. Children under 5 are free. A few food trucks will also be on hand if you get hungry.

Webster Schroeder High School is located at 875 Ridge Road.

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Halloween in Webster Village

25 Sep

TOT1

I was working on my next Our Towns column this evening, which is a round-up of several east-side Halloween and autumn-themed events taking place in October. I’ll be mentioning Webster’s Trick-or-Treat Trail in that column, so I was looking through all the photos I took last year to find a few good ones for the column.

I found myself procrastinating on the task at hand and just enjoying all of the photos I took. There were little kids and big kids, dressed as dinosaurs, witches, Pokemon characters and firefighters. There were lots of families whose parents AND children had all dressed as a theme. Even dogs, and infants being pushed in strollers or carried in front packs were in costume.

And everyone was smiling and having a wonderful time.

Webster’s Trick-or-Treat Trail is probably my favorite village event. This is an annual event organized by the Webster Business Improvement District, the group responsible for all of the special things that happen in the village every year. It’s very popular, drawing hundreds of adults and children to the village. There’s trick-or-treating, of course, but there’s also so much more. The Webster Volunteer Fire Department always has an open house, the Webster Museum always has some special thing going on, there’s a costume contest and free rides on the BID’s Festival Wagon.

Plus, it’s a lot warmer than during White Christmas in the Village.

Basically it’s the perfect family event. This year it takes place on Saturday October 28. The costume contest begins at 11 a.m., and trick-or-treating runs from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more details, visit the Webster BID website. And if you’d also like to revisit last year’s gallery of photos, click here.

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Tuesday Webster mailbag

19 Sep

mailbagI’d like to begin today’s mailbag by welcoming one of the village’s newest businesses, MJ Gabel Advisors & Trustees of Fine Jewelry.

MJ Gabel is in the process of moving to the village from their location in Ontario, where they’ve been for six years.  As they have grown, they realized the need for more space, and Webster fit the bill.

Right now they’re renovating their new space, which they tell me is “in the heart of the village.”

They added, “Our new location will allow our staff the ability to work more efficiently, and allow our local clients more space to meet with their dedicated diamond specialist.”

Stay tuned for word about their official opening.

Chicken Till it’s Gone

The First Baptist Church of Penfield’s Chicken Barbecue is Saturday, September 30 from 2 till 6 pm (or sold out). Chickens will be prepared on site by Gale-Wyn Catering. Dinners are $10.50 and include a half barbecued chicken, coleslaw or macaroni salad, salt potatoes, roll and butter, plus a dessert. Guests can eat in or take out, and the facility is handicapped accessible.

The First Baptist Church of Penfield is located at 1862 Penfield Rd.

Double Down

 

The Webster Lions Club will hold its semi-annual Texas Hold’Em charity poker event on Friday October 6 at the Elks Club, 7 Barrett Drive in Webster.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the event begins at 7 p.m. Cost is $40 ($45 at the door) for buy-in and $20 re-buy. First-place winner will take home $500, $150 for second-place and $50 for third.

All proceeds will benefit Webster Lions Club charities. For information call 585-234-5480 or email websterlionsclub@gmail.com.

Miracle Field Fund-Raisers

Two great events coming up in the next few weeks will benefit Miracle Field.

The first is the 3rd Annual Run Walk & Roll 5k and 1 mile stroll on October 8. This is an all-inclusive family-friendly event in which wheelchairs, gait trainers, adaptive bicycles and tricycles and other assistive devices are welcome.

The courses start and end at Webster Thomas High School 800 Five Mile Line Road.

Registration begins at 8 a.m., the 5K kicks off at 9:30 and the one-mile stroll at 9:35. To register online, click here.

The second event is an artisan dinner scheduled for October 12.

The exclusive dinner will be held at the Webster Arboretum and feature Jim Markeas, Winemaker, Mallee Estate Winery, Australia and Noé Perez, US Brand Ambassador, Bodegas Iliana & Bodegas Lambuena, Spain. They’ll be introducing guests to fine wines from across the globe.

The dinner begins at 6:30 and tickets are $40 per person. Click here for tickets

Oktoberfest at the UCC

OKTOBERFEST CELEBRATION 2017 at Webster UCC!
The Webster United Church of Christ’s annual Oktoberfest is almost here.

Oktoberfest is a German celebration that takes place when the late summer/early fall crops are harvested, it is also a time to tap barrels of wine and brew that had been sealed the year before. Communities gather to give thanks for blessings received. There is music for singing and dancing, tables are laden with food and drink – and a feeling of “gemutlichket” rules the day.

The members of the United Church of Christ, Congregational of Webster will honor those traditions as they celebrate Oktoberfest on Saturday, October 14 from 6 – 9 p.m. in the church’s Congregational Hall. There will be music for singing and dancing – plus a performance by members of a local German dance troupe.

Tickets are $5.00 per person, and German specialties like schnitzel, sauerkraut, potato salad, bratwurst, and desserts like apple strudel and black forest cake will be available for purchase.

Call the church office at 585-671-3757 to reserve your ticket or to get more information.

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New 5K will benefit Wayne Middle School

17 Sep

There’s a new race in town, and it sounds like it’s going to be a lot of fun.

color run(BTW, when I say “in town,” I mean Ontario. And when I say “race,” I mean an un-timed 5K and 1-mile fun run/walk. But the fun part? That’s totally accurate.)

It’s called the My School Color Run, and it’s being sponsored by the parent/teacher organization at Wayne Central Middle School as a fund-raiser to help offset the costs for the school’s 8th grade trip to Washington, DC.  Throughout the course participants will experience color splash zones where they’ll be doused in color and end with a final color toss celebration. (That’s the super fun part.)

The race is scheduled for Sunday morning, October 8, at Wayne Middle School, 6076 Ontario Center Road, Ontario. Check-in starts at 8:30 a.m. and the race starts at 10 a.m.

Cost for the 5K is $20 for Wayne Central students, $30 for general community members, and $15 for the 1-mile run/walk. Race-day registration will be available, but prices go up after Sept. 22 to $30/$45. Early registrants are also guaranteed a t-shirt and color pack.

To register online, click here.

There are also going to be vendors and at least one food truck. Bottom line, it should be a great time, for a good cause.

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Last minute mailbag reminders

16 Sep

mailbag

This morning is the last chance you have to score some awesome deals at the Hope Ministry Garage Sale Fundraiser in Murphy Hall behind Holy Trinity Church, 1460 Ridge Road in Webster. Everything is HALF OFF TODAY, and it runs only from 10 am to noon.

So start your errands early this morning and get out to the sale.

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Last call for the first-ever Webster Beer Walk, which takes place tonight in the village.

The Webster BID is hosting this event by popular demand after the Wine Walks were so well attended. It takes place TONIGHT from 4 to 7 p..m and the weather looks awesome. This is a great chance to visit some businesses you’ve never been in before (or never knew existed) for samples of beers and spirits.

Pub 235 and Salvatore’s will be the hosts on the North Ave side and Artecho, R Salon, beer mugWebster Hots, Burkes, Barry’s, Sweet Wood Barbecue and the Coach will entertain you in the Village center. Just to the West BC’s Chicken Coop, Webster Interiors and Dr. Stan Drabik will welcome you into their business and provide music.

Some of the brands you’ll enjoy include Stoneyard, Laqunitas, Triphammer, Apple Country Spirits, and Brewery Ommegang. Tickets are available at the Coach Sports Forum (our sponsor for the event), for $15 (cash only) or online at www.websterbid.com.

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The Webster Christian School Alumni Dinner is being planned for Saturday October 7 at 5:30 p.m. Alumni from 1980s to 1990s are invited. On Sunday, all attendees are invited to a service at Webster Bible Church at 10:30, which will be followed by a group outing.

The location of the dinner will be determined as soon as organizers have a good idea how many people will be coming. If you’re interested in attending, contact Michelle (DiMora) Ruggieri at ruggieri@frontiernet.net.

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