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Great weekend for two great events

25 Aug

ribbon cutting

Hey all my Webster and Webfield peeps, there are two important events this weekend that you don’t want to miss, if you can make the time, especially if you have children with challenges … or children at all.

The first is the grand opening of Challenger Miracle Field, which has been built in Ridge Park, just behind the Town Hall.

Webster is honored to have been chosen to be the home for this wonderful facility, which is basically a smaller version of a Little League field, where differently-challenged athletes from around the city will have a chance to hit a home run, and play other sports, just like everyone else.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Saturday August 26 at 11 a.m., followed by an exhibition game with local celebrities and Challenger athletes. Lunch will be provided by Wegmans.

Read more about Miracle Field in this blog I wrote a few weeks ago. Then see you Saturday!

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Wait! There’s more!

On Sunday August 27, another terrific facility dedicated to helping children have fun will have its grand opening ceremonies.

It’s called Jack’s Place, a blue, dinosaur-themed playground at Penfield’s Rothfuss Park on Five Mile Line Road. It’s been built by a the Jack Foundation, in honor of 3-year old Jack Heiligman, who lost his life tragically last October. (You can read more about Jack here.)

Jack’s parents, Anne and AJ, have worked hard to keep their son’s happy spirit alive by spreading laughter, happiness and love to other families. One of the ways they’re doing that is by building these playgrounds.

Since Jack loved dinosaurs, the new playground is filled with dinosaur-themed climbing and crawling apparatus, in addition to the swings and slides and towers. Its color is predominantly blue, which was Jack’s favorite color.

Grand opening ceremonies will be held Sunday August 27, from noon to 3 pm at Rothfuss Park, 1648 Five Mile Line Road in Penfield. There’ll be music and food, and lots of time to explore the new playground.

I’ll be at both events, so please say hi if you see me and my camera!

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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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Jack’s Place playground set to open

18 Aug

grand opening

The east-side’s newest playground, Jack’s Place, has been completed and will be officially welcomed to the community at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 27.

Jack’s Place is a a blue, dinosaur-themed playground at Penfield’s Rothfuss Park on Five Mile Line Road. It’s been built by a terrific organization called the Jack Foundation, in honor of 3-year old Jack Heiligman, who lost his life tragically last October. (You can read more about Jack here.)

Construction began only several weeks ago and continued at a record pace, assuring that the new playground would be completed with plenty of time for kids to enjoy it this summer.

The playground is a testament to the strength of Jack’s parents, Anne and AJ, and their commitment to keeping their son’s happy spirit alive by spreading laughter, happiness and love to other families.

Jack loved dinosaurs, so the new playground is filled with dinosaur-themed climbing and crawling apparatus, in addition to the swings and slides and towers. Its color is predominantly blue, which was Jack’s favorite color.

dinosaur

Image of a dinosaur climb-y thing from the Jack Foundation Facebook page.

Grand opening ceremonies will be held Sunday August 27, from noon to 3 pm at Rothfuss Park, 1648 Five Mile Line Road in Penfield. There’ll be music and food, and lots of time to explore the new playground.

Read more about the Jack Foundation on their website here and their Facebook page here.

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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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Wednesday Webster mailbag

8 Aug

Summer is waning, but the village still has a lot of fun up its sleeve.

glass-silouhette-md

The next Webster Wine Walk hits the village on Saturday Aug 12 from 4 to 7 p.m. This one is sponsored by Family First Federal Credit Union.

Enjoy sampling wines while strolling in and out of local merchants. Tickets are $15 and available at Family First Credit Union, 850 Ridge Road, or online at  www.websterbid.com.

This is shaping up to be one of the best of the wine walks; there will be live entertainment at the gazebo from 6:30 to 8:15, followed by a showing of the classic movie Casablanca. So basically, you can make an entire date night out of it!

 

ribbon cutting

Miracle Field Ribbon Cutting

Please make sure to mark your calendars and be there at the official ribbon cutting ceremony for Challenger Miracle Field, which is nearing completion at its home in Ridge Park, on Ridge Road behind Town Hall.

The ceremony is scheduled for Saturday August 26 at 11 a.m. More information can be found on the ticket above.

Webster is honored to have been chosen to be the home for this wonderful facility, which will give differently-challenged athletes from around the city the chance to play sports just like everyone else.

Read more about Miracle Field in this blog I wrote a few weeks ago. Then see you at the field!

Household Hazardous Waste Collection

This notice from Supervisor Nesbitt’s most recent column, which you can find on the .

The Monroe County Department of Environmental Services, the Town of Webster and the Town of Penfield has joined forces to hold an appointment-only Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection on Saturday, September 16, at the Webster Highway Department, 1005 Picture Parkway, from 7:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.

To ensure safety and reduce waiting times, appointments are required at all HHW collections. Appointments for this HHW collection will be accepted until September 15. To schedule an appointment, Webster residents should call 872-1443 (Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.); Penfield residents can call 340-8710, or go on-line to http://www.monroecounty.gov/hhw to schedule your appointment.

This Household Hazardous Waste collection is open to all Monroe County residents. Waste from businesses will not be accepted.

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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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Jack’s Place playground will soon be a reality

4 Aug

 

IMG_5706

The construction on Jack’s Place has begun!

Jack’s Place is a a blue, dinosaur-themed playground at Penfield’s Rothfuss Park on Five Mile Line Road. It’s being built by a terrific organization called the Jack Foundation, in honor of 3-year old Jack Heiligman, who lost his life tragically last October. (You can read more about Jack here.) His amazingly strong parents have risen from their shock and grief to create a foundation dedicated to carrying Jack’s happy spirit forward, spreading happiness, laughter and love to other families, as Jack did for his.

The Jack Foundation hopes that the playground will be done just a bit later this summer, so watch for news about grand opening ceremonies. But in the meantime, stop by and check it out. Rothfuss Park is at 1648 Five Mile Line Road, just south of Embury.

(To help raise money for the construction, the foundation sold 116 engraved bricks which will be installed on the walk leading to the playground. Make sure to look for the one sponsored by Barry’s Runners.)

IMG_5707playground

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Webster Tuesday Mailbag

31 Jul

mailbagLet’s start out today’s mailbag with a few fun events sponsored by our Webster Public Library. 

If you love LuLaRoe, you’ll want to attend the library’s pop-up boutique on Wednesday, August 2 from 4 to 7 p.m. in the meeting room. All proceeds from the sale will benefit the library.

On Wednesday August 16, learn how to make a rain barrel in a special one-hour workshop for adults, from 6 to 7 p.m.

Rain barrels help reduce storm water runoff to storm drains by collecting and storing rainwater runoff from rooftops. Connect your rain barrel to a gutter downspout on your house, collect rainwater, and conserve tap water by using the rainwater on your gardens and landscaping. You will make and take home your own 55-gallon rain barrel. All tools and materials will be supplied at the workshop.

These workshops are usually very popular, so make sure to sign up ASAP. The cost to attend is $15.00, payable at the time of the event. Please register by clicking here.

Webster Marching Band Bottle and Can Drive

The Webster Marching Band’s next Bottle and Can Drive takes place this Saturday August 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

It’s pretty easy to help the band — just put all your returnables in a big bag, tie it up and leave the bag outside your home or at the end of the driveway no later than 9:30 a.m. Or, if you’re going to be out and about — or if the band folks If they happen to miss your pick up — you can drop off your donations at Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Road, by 4 p.m.

This is also your chance to get rid of all those old electronics cluttering up your garage. Drive them all over to Schroeder’s back parking lot between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and the friendly folks will even unload them for you.

Items accepted include desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, LCD monitors (not CRT monitors), laser printers (not ink-jet), and networking equipment. Please no CRT monitors, TVs or ink-based printers.

Annual Nick K 5K scheduled

nick K

The fourth annual Nick K 5K benefit race will take place on Saturday August 5 beginning at 8 am at the Webster Parks and Recreation Center.

Nicholas Kapusniak was killed on March 1, 2014 when a drive-by shooter fired into a group of college students in St. Louis, Missouri. Nick is a former resident of Webster and was attending school at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy.

The Nick K 5K hopes to draw attention to the violence that is becoming commonplace in our schools and cities. Part of the proceeds will go to local Crime Stoppers in Rochester and St. Louis, with the rest being put towards scholarships in his name at his high school in Waukesha, Wisconsin and the St. Louis College of Pharmacy.

Runners and walkers can register by clicking here . Cost is $25, and includes a t-shirt and other giveaways. Walk-up registrations will be accepted the morning of the race beginning at 7:15AM.

Fun in the village

The next Webster Wine Walk hits the village on Saturday Aug 12 from 4 to 7 p.m. This one is sponsored by Family First Federal Credit Union.

Enjoy sampling wines while strolling in and out of local merchants. Tickets are $15 and available at Family First Credit Union, 850 Ridge Road, or online at www.websterbid.com.

This is shaping up to be one of the best of the wine walks; there will be live entertainment at the gazebo from 6:30 to 8:15, followed by a showing of the classic movie Casablanca. So basically, you can make an entire date night out of it!

Penfield First Baptist Vacation Bible School

The Penfield First Baptist Church has sent me notice of their Vacation Bible School, scheduled this year for August 14 through 18.

This year’s program, for children ages 4 to 11, is called “Taking Root,” and helps children make connections between growing their faith in God and practicing their faith in the world by serving our neighbors.

Classes run from 9 am to noon, and feature games, crafts, songs, snacks, and of course Bible lessons! The week will conclude Friday night with a spirit-filled celebration by the children followed by refreshments.

Cost is $25 per child, with a maximum of $50 per household. Contact the church office to register, and email communication@fbpenfield.org with questions.

Miracle Field ribbon cutting

challenger field

Don’t forget about the ribbon cutting ceremony for Miracle Field on Saturday August 26 at 11 a.m. Be one of the first to see the completed field, built especially to give differently-abled children and adults the opportunity to experience the benefits and joy of play!

This special celebration, which is free and open to the public, will include a delicious ballpark lunch, courtesy of Wegmans.

Click here to see the blog I recently posted about how great this field is going to be.

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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.

 

 

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Finally! Repairs to the bike path

30 Jul

bike path 2

There’s happy news from the bike trail! The Town of Webster has finally decided to do something about fixing it up.

You know the bike trail; it’s the six-mile long path that runs from Bay Road to Salt Road, adjacent to Rt. 104. It’s well-traveled by bikers and walkers alike, and offers a scenic off-road route to and from the village.

As a frequent user of the bike path, I’ve been distressed for a long time about the condition of this trail. Lately, my husband and I have been avoiding it, mostly because we now have expensive bikes, and there are several places on that path that are in such disrepair — mostly from tree roots heaving the asphalt — it’s dangerous to bikes and bikers.

I took to my blog last August to decry the situation, with a posting I titled “Town of Webster: Please fix the bike trail.” In that blog, I described the various states of disrepair of each of the path’s sections (and included a few photos of some of the worst parts).

That blog did not sit well with Supervisor Nesbitt, to put it mildly. But perhaps it did have some effect, because last week as I was driving along Rt 104, I saw several pieces of construction equipment working on part of the trail between Hard and Holt roads.

My husband and I hopped on our bikes to investigate a few days later. Sure enough, several areas in that one-mile section have been smoothed out and patched.  The town workers had clearly been working on it for a while; as we continued to ride east toward Holt we saw many areas with long stretches of new asphalt. Plus, there were several other places where white markings on the path seemed to indicate repairs to come.

So thank you, Town of Webster, for finally paying some attention to a long-overdue problem. And when you’re done with the Hard to Holt Road section, please don’t stop there. There’s so much more work that needs to be done.

bike path 3

The Hard to Holt Road section now has long patches of new asphalt

bike path 1

Signs of more good things to come?

And by the way, while we’re talking trails, I want to give another shout-out to the amazing volunteers of the Friends of Webster Trails. My husband and I took a bike ride on the Hojack Trail today, from Hard Road all the way to Lake, and enjoyed every minute of it.

Thank you, thank you, thank you again, Friends, for all the work you put into creating and maintaining our trail system.  You bring us all such joy. I am proud to be a member, and if you ever use any of Webster’s trails, I suggest you become a member and support this fine organization as well.

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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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Challenger Baseball is a hit with kids

25 Jul

 

challenger 3

It’s ‘batter up!” for Challenger team member Drew Ricci.

A few days ago, I went to pretty much the most enjoyable kids’ baseball game ever. Thing is, nobody made any outs, nor did I see even one fly ball caught or grounder cleanly fielded. But I did see a lot of smiles and heard a lot of laughter, cheers and applause.

The occasion was a game of the Webster Challenger Baseball League. The league is designed for children and adults with different abilities, and fields two age groups, a minor league and senior league. The goal is to provide these differently-abled athletes with the same kind of fun sports experiences that typical children have.

I hope by now you’ve already heard about this great league and what it’s accomplishing in Webster. The organization that has brought us Challenger Baseball has been working hard for years to build the Challenger Miracle Field of Greater Rochester right in our hometown, at Ridge Park, behind Town Hall on Ridge Road.

The game I was watching last Sunday was being played a few fields over from where Miracle Field is being built. Construction officially began  with a groundbreaking celebration last year, and had been continuing apace since. The fencing and rubberized grass surface are in place, so you can really start to see what the final facility will look like.

There’s still plenty to do, though. After the field itself is complete, plans are to build handicap-accessible restrooms, a concession stand, a pavilion and a handicap-accessible playground.

The first phase should be complete soon, and organizers are planning a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 am on Saturday August 26.

There are plenty of ways to help out. Volunteers are needed in many capacities. Donations — which can be made through the website — are always appreciated, of course. And if you’re into running, the 3rd annual Run, Walk & Roll fun run and 5K is scheduled for Sunday October 8 beginning at Webster Thomas High School. Pre-registration is just $20, and you can sign up here.

If you’re not sure yet about how important it is for these children and adults to have a field of their own, you need to attend one of their games. Just seeing the smiles when their bat connects with the ball — no matter if it only rolls a few feet or out of bounds — is all the convincing you need. You’ll see some of those happy faces in the slideshow below.

For more information about Webster Challenger Baseball and the new Miracle Field, visit the Facebook page or website .

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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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Third annual Waterfront Art Fest hits North Ponds this weekend

25 Jul

art fest

The Waterfront Art Festival returns to North Ponds Park this weekend, July 29 and 30.

This popular festival features artists from all over Monroe County, who line North Ponds’ scenic and shaded walkways, displaying an incredible variety of high-quality, hand-made craft items in all price ranges.

Plus there’s food, live entertainment, wine, beer and cider tasting, and other exhibits.

Also new this year, the parking plan has been improved — in previous years, shuttles were provided from the Xerox parking lot down the road, but people really didn’t like that. So starting this year, parking will be provided on-site for free. Signs along the North Ponds Park access road will guide the way. Plenty of handicapped parking will still be available in the paved parking lot.

The festival runs from 10 am to 5 pm Saturday and Sunday at North Ponds Park, off of Rt. 104 between Rt. 250 and Holt Road. Admission is $3, no charge for kids 12 and under. For more information, click here for the Waterfront Art Festival website.

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The tour has finally come to an end

21 Jul

tour de parks

I do believe my 2016 Tour de Parks has finally concluded.

Earlier this week I spent a very enjoyable morning (and had a nice lunch) with the Wellness on Wednesday group which meets every week at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Webster. It was the fifth — and probably the last — time I presented my Tour de Parks talk.

If you STILL haven’t heard about my quest, basically it was this: In January 2016 I decided it would be fun to visit every single one of Rochester’s east-side parks (in the eight towns I cover for my column). It would be good exercise, a nice challenge, and would give me a lot of ideas to write about in my column.

I was able to cobble together a list of 100 parks, and spent many hours, especially on the weekends and during the summer, checking the parks off my list. I hiked as many as I could, biked a few, ran a few, took lots of photos and wrote a blog about my experiences.

One of the main reasons I was motivated to complete the tour was an invitation from the Adirondack Mountain Club of the Genesee Valley to speak at their March, 2017 meeting. I did that, and had a great time. Because it was so much fun, I thought I might like to do it again… and again. So I reached out to a few local libraries and in the next few months took my tour to Webster, Pittsford and Brighton.

And now, having completed my fifth presentation, I think I’ll tuck my display board away into a corner.  I’ve had a lot of fun, but I really need to get some housework done.

If you didn’t manage to get to one of the presentations, that’s too bad, because you missed my witty repartee. But all is not lost. I managed to turn my PowerPoint into a Google slideshow and have posted it on my Tour de Parks blog site, along with images of the display board and the brochure I handed out listing all the parks. I tried to put a short summary on each slide of what I was talking about.

You can find my blog here.

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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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Jazz and Santa in one weekend. This is Webster!

18 Jul

jazz fest 2016

This weekend’s Webster fun is so spectacular that I’ve already looked at the long-term forecast — especially given how unsettled the weather has been so far this summer — and it’s looking pretty good.

So get your quad chairs and coolers ready, because the 10th Annual Webster Jazz Fest returns to the village this Friday and Saturday.

Here are the details:

Friday night July 21: Jazz in the Pubs

Live music will be featured all around the village in five different pubs and entertainment venues, at staggered times so you can hop from one to another:

  • Gregg Herman & Geoff Smith, 6:30-8 pm, Sweet Wood BBQ
  • El Rojo Jazz, 7-8:30 pm, The Coach Bar & Grill
  • Marco Amadio, 7-9 pm, The Brimont Bistro
  • Em K Jazz, 7:15-8:45, Barry’s Old School Irish
  • Amanda Ashley, 8 – 10 pm, Pub 235
  • Paradigm Shift, 9-11 pm, The Coach Bar & Grill

Saturday July 22: Jazz on the Street

West Main Street will come alive with music, cafe tables, restaurant service, and hundreds upon hundreds of quad chairs and jazz fans spread as far as the eye can see.

Entertainment begins at 6 pm. Here’s the schedule:

  • 5-6 pm, The Mambo Kings
  • 6:15-7:45 pm, Walter Chatman and the Joyful Music Experience
  • 8-9:15 pm, Jimmie Highsmith Jr.
  • 9:15- ??, Cabo Frio

Hope for good weather, and make sure you’re in town for the fun!

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santa at the market

Now that summer is in full swing, so is Webster’s Joe Obbie Farmer’s Market. If you haven’t been there yet this summer, this is definitely the weekend to go, especially if your kids already have their Christmas lists started, because Santa will be on hand for the market’s annual Christmas in July event.

The Farmer’s Market is held every Saturday through October from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm in the Webster Towne Center Plaza (Target plaza) in front of Old Navy. Regional growers provide locally-grown veggies and fruits, baked goods, plants, maple syrup, honey, meats, and hand-crafted items.

And, this Saturday, Santa will be arriving at 10 am, and there’ll be a special performance by the Webster Village Band.

Check out the Farmer’s Market Facebook page for more information.

P.S. I understand that Santa will be arriving on a Webster Fire Department vehicle, which my firefighter son will be driving. Is there anyone out there who would be able to snap a photo or two of Santa and Sean for me?

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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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