It’s been a really tough six months for Luis “Munchie” Carrasquillo.
Back in July, Luis took a leap of faith and opened up his Roc City Empanadas restaurant on South Ave. in the Village of Webster, an expansion of his very popular food truck business. At first he found it a bit challenging to balance the busy food truck with a new restaurant, and the hours he was open seemed very sporadic. Then, in early September, the restaurant went totally dark, and people started to question whether Luis was really committed to the village.
The reason for that, we came to learn, was a distressing one.
On September 3, Luis was involved in a frightening accident. He was on the shoulder of Five Mile Line Rd., helping a friend secure a fence to her trailer, when another driver struck him. The impact sent him flying ten feet. He suffered a compound fracture to his leg and was losing blood rapidly. A veteran who happened on the scene applied a tourniquet, most definitely saving his life. (Click here to read the blog I wrote back then with the whole story.)
Luis spent weeks in the hospital, undergoing multiple surgeries, skin grafts, and intense recovery procedures. He’s still facing a long road to healing — physically, emotionally, and financially. Because of his injuries, he hasn’t been able to work, and Munchies Rock City Empanadas is struggling to stay afloat. His friends and family members have been doing their best to try to keep the doors open, but the bills are piling up, rent and equipment costs continue, and the future of his restaurant hangs in the balance.
For over 20 years, Luis Carrasquillo has been a pillar in our community, serving delicious food with love, donating meals to local events, and showing up whenever someone needs a helping hand. He’s never asked for anything in return because that’s just who he is. But now he’s asking for our help.
Luis’ family members have set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to help cover Luis’ medical and household expenses and ongoing rehabilitation, and to help keep his restaurant running until he can get back on his feet.
If you can spare even a little something, Luis would be eternally grateful, and you’d be helping someone who’s given so much to our Webster community. Click here to make your donation.
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(posted 1/25/2026)
email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
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My eldest daughter, who lives in Buffalo, works at a city school which hosts a meat raffle every year as a fundraiser.
This is a very Buffalo thing, and it’s a LOT of fun. You pay an entry fee, then throughout the evening you can purchase tickets for $1 each to take chances on winning all sorts of different meat prizes. You win when the huge number wheel spun by the host lands on your ticket number. The prizes include steaks, hot dogs, bacon, burgers, chicken and lots more. It’s really exciting and so much fun.
I’ve been watching for when this very Buffalo thing started showing up in Rochester — and it finally has. On Saturday, March 28 from 5 to 9 p.m., the Webster Comfort Care Home will hold a meat raffle at the Genesee Valley Moose Club in Henrietta. Advance-sale tickets are only $10 ($20 at the door), and there’ll be a cash bar and food available for purchase.
The event will feature meat, fish and seafood packages from Meat Man Dan, other raffles and prizes, and a chance to win a 5-cubic foot chest freezer from Orville’s Appliance, a $200 value. (It would be a great place to keep all of your meat raffle winnings, just sayin’.) You don’t have to be present to win the freezer … or even attend the meat raffle at all. Click here to purchase freezer raffle tickets.
All proceeds from the evening will benefit the Webster Comfort Care Home. Sponsorship packages are also available.
More information to come about this fun event, but make sure to put in on your calendar now, and consider getting your tickets soon.
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email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
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If you haven’t heard the news yet, Barry’s Old School Irish has finally opened a new, larger location, in Fairport, about 12 minutes south of Webster.
Barry’s Old School Irish anchored the Village of Webster’s four corners for almost 12 years. It became kind of like village’s living room, where families and friends gathered for after-work pints and birthday parties, Irish trad music filled the air, Notre Dame football was on the TV, and St. Patrick’s Day lasted all week long. For many it became like a second home.
So when the Barrys announced in July of 2023 that they were closing the pub, it came as a shock to our community. But it was an exciting development for the Barry family. It was just the next step in their journey which began with opening Barry’s Old School and expanded with the production of their Barry’s Irish Cream.
When the Barrys left 2 West Main St., however, it was with the promise that closing the pub would only be temporary. They immediately started to look for a new location, as the Barrys faithful (and there are a LOT of them) anxiously waited from the sidelines. But finally, after more than two years, Barry’s is back.
This Saturday, Jan. 17, the brand new Barry’s Irish Pub will officially open its doors at 4400 Fairport Nine Mile Point Rd. (at Eagle Vale) with a grand opening celebrationfeaturing everything we’ve come to know and love about our little pub, including live Irish music, Irish dancers, pipes and drums, free whiskey samples, and one of Danny Barry’s legendary whiskey toasts.
The Barrys looked at a lot of places before finally landing on the former Yanhuang Gourmet restaurant on the Eagle Vale Golf Club campus. The initial goal was to find something as close as possible to the original location, but it had to have the right atmosphere. A lot of the places they looked at were “cool,” Danny said, but “they all seemed like they’re all trying to be bigger just for the sake of being bigger.” He wasn’t even sure he wanted to tour the Eagle Vale location, but when someone pointed out that it’s basically just a bit farther south on the same road, he decided to check it out.
It was last March, around St. Patrick’s Day, when he first walked in. The former restaurant clearly needed a lot of work, but somehow Danny was able to see its potential. “This one had that homey feel to it,” he said. “By the end of the walk-through, I thought, this is an Irish Pub. It just doesn’t know it yet.”
The new Barry’s Irish Pub has much more floor space than the original Webster Village location. Behind the roomy bar area is a separate party room/overflow room with a deck. A third room, separated from the bar by a gas fireplace, is what Danny calls the “music room,” with a dedicated stage for musicians, complete with a sound system and speakers. (The musicians are going to love that upgrade.)
The layout accommodates multiple activities simultaneously while maintaining a sense of shared experience for everyone.
Danny explained, “If you’re sitting in the party room you could still see into the music room, but if you want to make that private, you can. So the whole place flows — no matter where you’re at, you’re kind of seeing what’s going on in the other room, but you also have the snug-like feel to it.”
There are plenty of fun new decorative touches, but comforting reminders of the old place are scattered throughout the space, like the old 1800s-era bar, posters and photographs on the walls, the “firefighter’s corner” with its framed turnout coat, lots of the old tartan-covered stools and favorite menu items. Even the walls are painted Barry’s Old School Irish green. The shelves behind the bar are filled with whiskies, and Guinness is still on tap, of course (two taps, actually, to meet the demand) along with Harp, Smithwicks and Magner’s cider. New to the taps are a Barry’s Irish Red, brewed in New Jersey, and a White Hag Irish IPA, brewed in Ireland. There’s even yard space outside, where Danny hopes to set up fire pits and lawn games when the weather turns warmer.
Live music is returning as well, at least Friday and Saturday nights, plus Saturday afternoon’s traditional Irish session.
So, it’s been a long time coming, but it sounds like the Barrys have found their forever home. Once again they’re inviting everyone to make yourself at home in their cozy living room, have a pint or a whiskey, settle in and enjoy some music, and chat with friends old and new.
If you’ve never been to Barry’s Pub before, welcome. And for everyone else … welcome home.
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Details about the grand opening celebration
Barry’s Irish Pub will hold its Grand Opening Celebration this Saturday from noon to 11:30 p.m. You can visit their Facebook page for more details, but here are a few highlights (and Don’t worry, the Buffalo Bills playoff game will be on the TVs):
traditional Irish music session, noon to 3 p.m.
ribbon cutting
live music by Kevin Reynolds and Lucky Enough from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Jamieson Irish Dancers at 4 p.m.
Keeper’s Heart Irish Whiskey Samples
Dave North Trio plays 7 to 10:30 p.m.
ROC City Guardians Pipes & Drums Performing, 7:30 p.m.
Official whiskey toast on the house, 9 p.m.
And by the way, there’s a LOT of parking.
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email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
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It’s a fairly short mailbag today; the new year is ramping up slowly, apparently.
GO BILLS!
The Buffalo Bills are in the playoffs, which means it’s time to celebrate at the Webster Recreation Center’s Buffalo Bills Hype Party!
This second-annual family-friendly event returns to the Rec Center on Friday, January 9 from 6 to 8 p.m. Admission is free with a donation to Webster Hope (see below for a list of desired items).
There is SO MUCH fun planned, including:
souvenir laminated photo trading cards for all attendees from WeTheHobby
Music and trivia from Jeremy Andrzejewski (Mr. Brightside, anyone?)
Food (tailgate style, of course)
Vendors
Buffalo-themed lawn games
a Bracelet-making station
Temporary tattoos
Buffalo Bills stickers
and so much more.
Everything happens from 6 to 8 p.m. this Friday night at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr., off of Phillips.
Meet the new supervisor
Head back to the Rec Center on Saturday, Jan. 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to meet and chat with Alex Scialdone, the Town of Webster’s new supervisor. He’ll be holding his “community office hours,” so bring your questions and concerns, or just pop in to congratulate Alex on his win.
Library program features famous female cyclist
Cyclists and history lovers alike will be very interested in this special program coming up at the Webster Public Library on Thursday Jan. 15 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
It’s a presentation by local bike enthusiast Karen Lankeshofer about Elsa von Blumen, a famous Rochestarian and female bicyclist in the 1880s.
Von Blumen was a Rochesterian who, in the 1880s, raced high-wheeled bikes against horses, skaters, male cyclists, and eventually a growing number of women cyclists. Her first professional bike race was against a horse in Rochester’s Driving Park. From Rochester, she went on to race throughout the entire Eastern United States for a decade. Succeeding at the male-dominated sport at the time, von Blumen helped pave the way for other women to find the courage to break social taboos.
Connect and network with the Webster Chamber of Commerce
The Webster Chamber of Commerce has three events coming up, great opportunities for local business owners to connect with others and help bring exposure to their businesses.
The first is a New Year Open House on Friday Jan. 9. This will be a breakfast buffet, beginning at 7:30 a.m. at the Chamber office, 1110 Crosspointe Lane, Suite C. This is a great opportunity for Chamber members, guests and visitors who are interested in investigating Chamber membership. Bring a door prizes for visibility and your business card so you can take your chance on one of the amazing door prizes! Registration is required.
The next is the Chamber’s monthly “Connect at Noon” networking event, this month scheduled for Wednesday Jan. 14 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Webster Public Library, 980 Ridge Rd. These events are hosted by different Chamber members to acquaint others with the member’s place of business. Members and those investigating membership are welcome to attend. There’s no fee but registration is required.
Finally, the Webster Chamber’s regular Monthly Meeting (featuring a hot breakfast buffet) will be held Friday Jan. 30 from 7 to 8:30 a.m. at the Webster Golf Club, 440 Salt Rd. Members, guests and visitors interested in pursuing Chamber membership are welcome to attend. These meetings are a chance to network, meet new contacts, develop current business relationships, learn, and earn visibility for your business or organization. Bring a door prize and your business card for your chance at winning. Reservations are required by Wednesday, Jan. 28.
Reminder about the Souper Bowl
A quick reminder about the Webster Comfort Care Home’s“Souper Bowl,” going on through Feb. 2. For just $15, you can order a quart of delicious soup, prepared by one of 11 different local restaurants and shops. (Check the website for choices.)
For another $5, you can even add four dinner rolls from Proietti’s to your order. And for just $5 more, you can add two oatmeal raisin or chocolate chip cookies. So basically, you can get an entire delicious meal for just $25, while supporting the Comfort Care Home at the same time. PLUS, order five or more quarts and you’ll be entered to win a one-hour massage at Wellness 360.
Souper Bowl 2026 is pre-order–only, from Dec. 29 through Feb. 2. Orders must be received by Feb. 2 at 9 a.m. and can be picked up on Saturday, February 7, from 10 a.m. to noon at Webster Presbyterian Church, 550 Webster Rd. Click here for more information and to order.
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email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).
I got an email from the Village Quilt Shoppe recently, which was just packed full of news about what this little shop accomplished in 2025, and a sneak peek at things to come.
But what really caught my attention was the news about how successful their One Common Thread initiative was in 2025.
One Common Thread’s mission is to empower women in Central America — specifically Honduras — by giving them the opportunity to work and earn an income. The income allows the women to provide essentials such as food, diapers, formula, stoves, beds, tin roofs, cement floors, tuition for their children’s education, and much more. (My blog here tells you more about the organization.)
In their email, Village Quilt Shoppe owners Monique Liberti and Vanetta Parshall reported they were able to send 20 boxes — each holding three or four sewing kits — along with dozens of spools of thread and needles to women in Honduras.
They added,
Our charity work will continue in 2026, and if you’re free on the 3rd Tuesday of the month, we would love your help assembling kits. Whether you can stay all day or just for an hour or two, many hands truly do make light work.
Looking ahead to 2026, Vanetta and Monique have plans for several clubs, lots of exciting classes, “Sewcial” days, retreats and new fabric coming in every month. Basically, the shop is kind of like a quilter’s playground. Click here to see their full calendar. Or better yet, stop by the shop and check it out for yourself.
The Village Quilt Shoppe is located at 23 East Main St. in the Village of Webster, at the corner of Lapham Park. (They’re closed for the holidays until Jan. 6.)
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email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
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As I like to do at the end of every year, a few days ago I took a stroll back through all of the blogs I wrote in 2025. It’s always a fun exercise, as I review all of the events, business openings and closings, people and places that I found to share with you all. They reflect the extraordinary diversity of people, places and events we have here in Webster, and how close-knit this town is.
In the last 12 months, counting today, I posted 334 blogs. That works out to about 28 blogs every month. And thanks to the wonders of the Internet, I managed to keep up that pace even though I was in Prague for six weeks. It’s also interesting (at least to me) to note that the blogs were viewed more than 238,000 times. Fourteen of the top twenty blogs were about new businesses, the most popular one being an update on The Coach renovations — which was my best-read blog of the year.
As in previous years, my photo galleries following events like the Trick or Treat Trail and Fireman’s Parade were also big draws, and my History Bits — highlighting local history — are also still very popular.
If you’ve got a few minutes and would find it interesting, I’ve pulled out my favorite blogs from each month. My posts have run the gamut from special events to special people, new businesses to new trails. But you’ll notice that many of my favorite blogs are the ones where I share personal stories and everyday moments, the kinds of things that may not seem very exciting, but are what make our lives interesting and meaningful.
If something really strikes your fancy and you want to read any of them again, click through the hyperlink.
My two favorite blogs in January were about local history: the Irondequoit Bay Bridge and the first of my six-stop History Bit Webster Museum tour. The bridge blog was a follow-up on two blogs I’d posted the previous March when the Bay Bridge celebrated a birthday. Like those, this one about how the bridge had won an award also garnered several “likes.”
In February I caught up with a village neighbor of mine who will often hitch up her dogs to a dogsled and run them through village neighborhoods. This was a good example of a great community story which I was alerted to by one of my readers. Usually the best blog ideas come from my readers.
Jack’s Happy Hour celebrated its five-year anniversary in March. I first wrote about this nightly gathering of Brooksboro Dr. neighbors in 2022, when they were celebrating the occasion of having come together for a beverage every night for 1000 days straight. Last March they marked five straight years of gatherings. Every. Single. Night. For five years.That was definitely worth a blog.
In April, I posted what would become one of my most popular History Bits, about Willow Point Park. So many people fondly remember the old amusement park and shared a lot of memories. That month I also highlighted Webster Schroeder graduate Adam Marino, who was playing Frankie Valli in OFC Creations’ production of Jersey Boys.
My two favorite blogs in May were both personal reflections. I wrote about my recent trip to Prague, and how I successfully completed my first (and only)half marathon upon my return. Both were extremely memorable experiences. One of them I would like to do again. I’ll leave it to you to guess which one.
In June, my favorite blog was probably the shortest, when School Resource Officer David Herrle joined me in a dramatic reading of Mo Willems’ We Are in a Book, starring Elephant and Piggie. I was substituting at State Rd. Elementary when he happened to pop into the library and I corralled him. I love showing that police officers are fun-loving people, too.
I highlighted the WEBSTER bushesin July, the ones that welcome visitors to town on Rt. 104. They have some interesting history. I also enjoyed highlighting an unusual benefit to living in the Village of Webster when I wrote about how the Webster Marching Band practices at Spry Middle School during the summer and provides my own personal band concert.
In August, I followed up another blog idea submitted by a reader when I attended a Front Porch Pickin’ social event on Millcreek Run. I wrote a History Bit about the Forest Lawn Train accident, and shared some thoughts about some trail riding my husband and I did in Penn Yan and Waterloo, where we saw some beautiful scenery and explored some Civil War history.
I was honored to be invited to Jack’s Happy Hour again in September when the Brooksboro gang celebrated their 2,000-night anniversary. (They SAID it would be their last time, but I don’t think it was….) The whimsical Holt Rd. skeletons were back in action for Halloween, and I had to share this year’s cleverness with everyone. Also in September, I introduced everyone to young Pierson Farina and his “Returns for a Reason” initiative in which he collects returnables and donated the funds to local nonprofits.
In October I featured Judah Sealy — who doesn’t live in Webster but plays every year at the Webster Jazz Festival — who landed the role of Clarence Clemons in the new Bruce Springsteen movie. I also wrote another more personal piece about my running buddies and two races we did together that month.
In November, I caught up with Fritz Sierk, owner of The Coach, for an update on his repairs and renovations. It proved to be my best-read blog of the year. I also gave everyone a behind-the-scenes look at one of my favorite local organizations, the Friends of Webster Trails, when I tagged along to watch the installation of a trail counter. And I visited those crazy Holt Rd. skeletons again, who for the holiday season had been transformed into the Rockettes.
Finally, in December I posted my annual gallery of photos from the Village of Webster’s Winter Wonderland and Parade of Lights festivities. People love these galleries and it makes me feel good that I’m able to share events like this with people who can’t attend, especially those who now live out of state. And just a few weeks ago I wrote what might be my favorite blog of the entire year, about when a representative from Toter/Wastequip came to town and presented Pierson Farina with his very own “Returns For a Reason” toter, making his biggest Christmas wish come true.
Whew. If you’re still with me, thank you for reading this far. I hope you found it interesting to revisit some of this year’s blogs. And remember that if you ever think of something or see something that might make for an interesting blog, PLEASE drop me an email. As I said, the best blog ideas come from my readers.
Thanks again for reading, and all of your likes, comments and messages. Please have a safe and happy new year.
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email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).
Today I’d like to highlight the Webster Comfort Care Home (WCCH) and a few fundraisers this great agency will be holding over the next several weeks.
The first is something I mentioned a few days ago in my mailbag, the very popular “12 Months of Flowers” promotion, held in conjunction with Kittelberger Florist. Buy a card for just $50, and present it every month at Kittelberger, 263 North Ave. to receive one fresh bouquet every month.
It’s a great way to treat yourself or a friend, and all proceeds will benefit the Comfort Care Home.
Cards can be purchased from Jan. 5 to 26, with cash, check or credit card and can be picked up at the Webster Comfort Care Home, 700 Holt Rd. For more information, click here.
The next event is what the WCCH calls their “Souper Bowl.” For just $15, you can order a quart of delicious soup, prepared by one of 11 different local restaurants and shops. Your choices are:
Jambalaya, provided by the Filling Station
Seafood Bisque, provided by Pub 235
Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Bisque, provided by Pub 235
Chicken and Rice with Spinach (GF), provided by BC’s Chicken Coop
White Chicken Chili, provided by Flaherty’s Three Flags Inn
Creamy Mushroom Truffle, provided by Brimont Bistro
French Onion (Vegan), provided by Spirit and Abundance
San Marzano Tomato Basil with Sourdough Croutons, provided by Dough Boyz ROC
Broccoli Cheddar, provided by Annette’s Restaurant
Italian Wedding Soup, provided by Mama Lor’s
Buffalo Chicken, provided by the Main Dive
Chicken Quesadilla, provided by The Nutcracker
For another $5, you can even add four dinner rolls from Proietti’s to your order. And for just $5 more, you can add two oatmeal raisin or chocolate chip cookies. So basically, you can get an entire delicious meal for just $25, while supporting the Comfort Care Home at the same time.
PLUS, order five or more quarts and you’ll be entered to win a one-hour massage at Wellness 360.
Souper Bowl 2026 is pre-order–only, from Dec. 29 through Feb. 2. Orders must be received by Feb. 2 at 9 a.m. and can be picked up on Saturday, February 7, from 10 a.m. to noon at Webster Presbyterian Church, 550 Webster Rd. Click here for more information and to order.
Quantities are limited on many varieties, so be sure to order early!
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email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).
There’s still time to vote for your favorite mini-Christmas Tree at theWebster Museum’sFestival of Trees.
Nineteen beautifully decorated trees have been set up around the museum, decorated by local non-profit agencies. Community members are invited to examine them all and vote for their favorite one. Votes will be accepted through the end of December. You can stop by the museum on Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday from 2 to 4:30 to see them in person, or vote for your favorite online at the museum’s website.
Also, beginning Jan. 13, the museum will introduce their 2026 Quilt Exhibit, called “Stitched Stories: A Celebration of Vintage Quilts.” It will be on display in both the museum AND the Webster Public Library.
Start off the new year with a hike!
For the first time ever, Friends of Webster Trails will be hosting a free, guided First Day Hike at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 1 at Whiting Rd. Nature Preserve.
This family-friendly hike will be about an hour over easy or moderate terrain. Dress in layers and have traction devices for your feet if necessary. Well-behaved, leashed dogs are welcome.
Please register online for this event so they have an idea of how many to expect.
Friends of Webster Trails is a volunteer organization dedicated to maintaining the public trails throughout Webster, including the Hojack Trail which runs through the village.
Village of Webster Christmas Tree Recycling
Curbside collection of Christmas trees will take place during the Village’s monthly brush pick up, the week of Jan. 5. Remember:
Live trees only, no artificial trees
Remove ornaments and lights
Do NOT put tree in a bag or cover with plastic
Place tree at curb by Sunday, January 4
News from Webster Comfort Care
Webster Comfort Care Home will be selling Kittelberger12 Months of Flowers Cards from Jan. 5 through Jan. 26.
Cost is $50 and entitles the bearer to one fresh new bouquet of flowers every month for 12 months. For more information, click here. Payment accepted by cash, check or credit card. Cards can be picked up at Webster Comfort Care Home, 700 Holt Rd., from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Women’s Club announces January meeting
The Women’s Club of Webster will host their monthly general meeting and luncheon on Thursday, Jan. 22, at Nucci’s Restaurant, 807 Ridge Rd., Webster. The gathering begins with social time at 11:15, a business meeting at noon and lunch at 12:30, followed by a speaker. This month, the Women’s Club welcomes Margery Morgan from Webster Hope, a nonprofit organization which helps Webster residents in need of assistance by providing food, clothing and emergency financial support.
Cost of the luncheon is $23, and will feature a buffet with chicken parmigiana, pork loin, greens and beans, oven-roasted potatoes, penne with sauce, and salad. Cost is $23. Please send your check made out to the Women’s Club of Webster by Jan. 15 to Carolyn Rittenhouse, 405 County Line Road, Ontario, 14519. If you think your check might be late, please call Carolyn at 585-265-1303.
Elsa von Blumen: Famous Rochestarian and Female Bicyclist — Thursday, Jan. 15, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Learn about Elsa, a famous Rochestarian in the 1800s. Registration is required.
Salaff String Quartet Concert — Thursday, Jan. 22, 4 to 5 p.m. Enjoy a variety of music from classic to folk, performed on string instruments. Registration is required.
For Teens and Tweens:
Make it Monday: Snowy Pine Cone Trees — Monday, Jan. 12, 6 to 7 p.m. Teens (grades 4 and up) and adults are welcome to attend this monthly craft night. All supplies will be provided. Registration is required.
T(w)een Library Club — Wednesday, Jan. 28, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. For grades 4 and up. Do you like books, games, crafts, sharing your ideas, or just hanging out with your friends? This group is for you. Registration is required.
For the little ones:
Rubber Ducky Storytime — Tuesday Jan. 13, 10 to 10:30 a.m. Celebrate National Rubber Ducky Day with stories, songs and rhymes about ducks, plus an activity and simple craft. All ages are welcome.
Preschool Puzzle Morning –Tuesday, Jan. 27, 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by the storytime room to try an assortment of toddler-friendly puzzles.
And this stuff:
The Webster Library’s annual Webster-Area Preschool Fair will be held on Saturday, Jan. 10 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Meet representatives from many area preschools to learn about their programs, More to come about this.
Zaurac’s Space Music Show — Saturday, Jan. 17 from 1 to 3 p.m. Zaurac (also known as Steve Fentress), will perform a live celestial-themed keyboard concert complete with cosmic-themed songs and imagery. For all ages. Registration is required.
The January Community Exchange is cookbooks. Bring in some you don’t use anymore, and pick up some new-to-you ones.
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email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).
Two young Webelos Scouts recently got some first-hand experience understanding children with disabilities when they visited the Bella’s Bumbas workshop to see the organization’s operation.
Bella’s Bumbas is a non-profit grassroots organization run by Webster residents Marty Parzynski and Rebecca Orr, dedicated to building miniature wheelchairs for children with a wide variety of mobility issues.
John Wood and Declan Walluk, both fourth graders from Pack 250 in Penfield, began their visit by chatting with 5-year old Lyla Deane, who has spina bifida. Lyla, a kindergartner at East Palmyra Christian School, is in a more normal-sized wheelchair now but got her first of two Bella’s Bumba wheelchairs when she was just 18 months old.
With help from Den Leader Sarah Walluk, who prompted the Scouts and asked several of her own questions, the boys learned why Lyla is in a wheelchair and what spina bifida is (“when you have stuff pop out of your body,” Lyla explained, “and you have to get an x-ray and you have to get a shot and you have to get a wheelchair”). They learned how she wheels herself around and about the accommodations she gets at school, like using an elevator and having physical therapy sessions.
But they also learned that, just like other kids, Lyla takes a bus to school, enjoys music class, likes to play outside and climb on the “spidey-thing” (which, she assured us, does NOT attract spiders), and her favorite part of school is recess. And when Sarah asked Lyla if there’s anything she thinks is really hard to do because she has spina bifida and has to be in a wheelchair, her answer was immediate: “No.”
After their conversation, the boys worked with Marty to build a Bumba wheelchair.
Marty Parzynski shows Declan Walluk how to build a BumbaLyla with Declan and the Bella’s Bumba Declan built.
The visit was part of the Scouts’ effort to earn their Aware and Care Scouting Adventure badge, which has four requirements:
Do an activity that shows the challenges of a being visually impaired.
Do an activity that shows the challenges of being hearing impaired.
Explore barriers to access.
Meet someone who has a disability or someone who works with people with disabilities about what obstacles they must overcome and how they do it.
Den Leader Walluk said that, in addition to fulfilling one of the badge’s requirements, she hoped the visit would “inspire them to see how one person can start small and make a big difference.”
But perhaps the most important lesson learned was this: even though a kid might have a disability, kids are still kids. They like to play and sing and have friends — and recess is their favorite part of school.
An update on the new Bella’s Bumbas garage
Last spring, Marty and Rebecca realized they needed to do SOMETHING. They were rapidly running out of storage and workshop space. So they held a fundraising effort to raise money to replace their small and dilapidated garage with a 22′ by 30′ garage, complete with a concrete floor, shelving, and lots of room to expand. Their goal was to raise $60,000.
By the end of August, they’d met and exceeded that goal, raising $63,000. Construction began almost immediately, and the beautiful new garage is now standing. Rebecca and Marty would like to thank:
the anonymous Bella’s Bumba supporter who donated and installed a larger overhead door
Wm. B. Morse Lumber
Catalino Gutter Systems
the amazing team of volunteers who did all of the inside finishing work including il=insulation, heating, electrical, lighting and shelving
the amazing community members from Webster and beyond who supported the project with their donations from day 1
The overall project was headed up by volunteer Tom Dobbins with the shelving design by Joe Callan.
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I am NOT a golfer. But I know enough of them to know that golfers are a passionate breed; most of them would choose to be out on the links every day if it weren’t for annoyances like full-time jobs, caring for a home, or, like, six inches of snow. So the fact that a brand new indoor golf simulator is opening up just west of the village is happy news for Webster golfers, especially at this time of year.
The new Eagle’s Nest Golf Lounge, owned and operated by Kurt Johnson, is located in the Jackson Square plaza at 1170 Ridge Rd. (next door to Heart to Heart Bride). It provides immersive, state-of-the-art sports and gaming simulators for enthusiasts, families, friends, office mates and clients. It features high-end Trackman simulators which use advanced radar and camera technology to present a surprisingly realistic golfing experience. In addition to ball trajectory and distance, it measures club and ball speed, launch angle, smash factor, spin rate, attack angle, club path and more, and offers players more than 500 different courses from all around the world.
Eagle’s Nest has two separate 15 x 20-foot bays, and a lounge area where you can relax while you wait for your tee time or chat with your friends during an office gathering or football watch party. Its two private, sectioned-off bays make the facility stand out from some other golf simulators in the area. Once you close the door, the space is yours. You have a quiet, more personal area for your foursome — or you and your instructor — without distractions from other players next to you or in the hallway.
Kurt is well known in and around Webster, in large part through his lawn and garden business and extended stint as a bartender at Flaherty’s on Bay Rd. He’s also a long-time Webster resident, so establishing his new business somewhere in Webster was a priority for him. The former Rochester Speech and Hearing location turned out to be perfect. It took a lot of work to transform the office and clinical space into a state-of-the-art golf simulator, but it’s just about ready, and Kurt hopes to open within the next several days.
The first few days, Kurt will probably be personally welcoming patrons, but once the lounge is up and running, it will become a completely automated, self-service facility. Golfers can book tee times from 5 a.m. through midnight every day and pay for them through the Eagle’s Nest website or the Trackman Golf app. Then you’ll get an email and text with a code for the front door and a second one to get into the computers. When your allotted time is about to expire, a warning will pop up on the screen.
I’m guessing the Eagle’s Nest Sports Lounge is going to be a hot spot for golfers this winter, especially with the cold and snow already settling in. And if you’re not a golfer yourself but have one on your gift list, Kurt’s got you covered with gift certificates.
email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).
I feature the people and places and events that make Webster the wonderful community it is — and throw in some totally-not-Webster-related personal ramblings every once in a while as well.
I love it when readers send me news about the great things happening in their schools or the community, so please email me anytime at missyblog@gmail.com
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