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Great Webster news (and not so great)

12 Feb
kate-on-stage

Webster’s own Kate Lee on stage at the Grammys. (Provided photo)

I have some great Webster news to share with you this morning.

If you saw this morning’s paper, you saw a big story about local phenom fiddler Kate Lee, a 2010 Webster Schroeder graduate. This is an exciting day for Kate and her bluegrass group The O’Connor Band, because they have been nominated for a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album.

I have had the honor of knowing Kate for many years. She attended Schroeder with my son, and they occasionally played together  at musical events. She was an amazing talent those many years ago and has only gotten better.

Click through to the D&C website to read Jeff Spevak’s story about Kate’s rise to fame, and sample some of the top-shelf music created by her and her O’Connor Band-mates. Then make sure to stay tuned this afternoon for their performance at the pre-ceremony, and then the award announcement later this afternoon, both of which will be streamed live.

Kate posted some details on Facebook this morning with the above photo from their rehearsal:

Here’s a picture of O’Connor Band sound checking this morning for our performance at the Grammy Premiere Ceremony tomorrow! You can watch us perform if you visit Grammy.com around 1:10p Pacific Time to stream the pretelecast live from Microsoft Theatre in LA! And the Best Bluegrass Album category will be announced around 2:45p Pacific Time!!

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Here’s another recent article from the D&C that might interest you, but this time the news is not so good.

After trying to make it a go for a little over a year, the Original Mac and Cheez restaurant on East Main Street has closed.

Saturday was the last day of operation for the storefront, but co-owner David Piergiacomi assures everyone that the very popular food truck will be back on the streets in April.  Read the whole story here, written by Tracy Schuhmacher.

As another East Main Street business bites the dust, that end of the village has become a ghost town. I swear there are more closed storefronts down there than there are open ones. Something needs to be done, and done soon, to start attracting more small businesses to town before Webster stops becoming a destination altogether.

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Pearl Harbor Survivor: the Sequel

26 Sep

I am very pleased to bring you a follow-up this morning to a blog I posted earlier this month, about my great experience meeting Pearl Harbor survivor Stanley Hawalek. (If you didn’t get a chance to see that post, please click here and read Stanley’s incredible story.)

As it turns out, a few weeks ago, Stanley was a special guest — along with 44 other WWII and Korean War veterans — on Honor Flight Mission #30.  Honor Flight is a non-profit organization created solely to honor America’s veterans. They transport these national heroes to Washington, D.C. to visit and reflect at their memorials.

As it also turns out, a colleague of mine at Webster Thomas High School was also on that Honor Flight, accompanying his uncle. He saw my blog about Stanley not long after he returned, and was very excited to tell me about the trip and that he and Stanley had met.  He was also able to provide me with the photos you see here.

My friend did not want to be identified. Instead, he wrote,  “Everyone accessing the blog should view Stan, Bob, Jim, Joe, Richard, Barb, Lou and the rest of the fellas, and read this as a tribute to them.”

And then he wrote a very beautiful summary of his experience, which I reprint in its entirety here:

On Saturday, September 14, 45 veterans (1 woman and 44 men) from World War II and the Korean War departed the Rochester airport with their guardians on Honor Flight Rochester Mission #30.

Honor Flight Rochester has been in existence since June 2008 and is part of the Honor Flight network which has several other hubs throughout the country.  Hundreds of veterans of these two wars as well as terminally ill veterans from the Vietnam War have gone on the two and one-half dozen missions.

Veterans, guardians and support staff are given a supporting send-off to the nation’s capital where they spend the day “to visit and reflect together at their memorials.”

Upon arrival at the Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI), the veterans are greeted by scores of active duty personnel from all branches of the military as well as veterans from other wars and civilians.   Several passersby racing to catch their flights stop to clap and say thank you as the veterans head to waiting busses that they will board for the road trip portion to D.C. and surrounding areas of Arlington, Virginia.

They are led by the Honor Guard on motorcycles for approximately 45 minutes.

The veterans visit the Tomb of the Unknown Solider, the Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima statue), the Air Force War Memorial which overlooks The Pentagon; the Vietnam War Memorial, the Korean War Memorial and the World War II War Memorial which are all a part of the National Mall and also includes the opportunity to walk through the Lincoln Memorial.

Honor Flight Rochester Mission #30 included veterans who defended our country at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and who also stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

Following the daylong visit and reflection, veterans are bussed to a hotel near BWI for dinner, socialization and spend the evening overnight.

At the dinner held in the hotel, all veterans and other attendees rise to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and one of the support staff offers the opportunity to any veteran to lead everyone in a chorus of God Bless America……..”My home sweet home” ends with all having sung and veterans standing as if they were at attention.

Stories are shared by veterans to all those who are fortunate to hear their acts of valor.  As they are a most humble group of men and women from The Greatest Generation, the majority of those who decide to speak express appreciation to the organizers, support staff and guardians who have volunteered to assist them on their Honor Flight.

On Sunday morning, the veterans bus to BWI and return to the Rochester airport and are greeted by a throng of supporters.  A color guard includes veterans from the Vietnam War who proudly stand at attention honoring their fellow brothers and sisters.  The veterans parade through the masses of patriotic supporters.  “Thank you for your service,” echoes throughout the concourse and even above the fife and drum.

A final tribute is held in a gathering area of the airport.  Politicians unite and leave behind quarreling gridlock to also say, “Thank you for your service.”

The mission leader, who also is a veteran of the Gulf War, proudly gives the veterans a final salute and succinctly says, “Dismissed.”
The veterans reciprocate with a salute.  The crowd claps thunderously.  The veterans depart with their friends, family and loved ones.

Never forgotten.  Always remembered.  Freedom is not free.  God Bless America…..”My home sweet home.”

My friend concluded his story with the following thoughts:

Of all of the wars in recent memory, it was World War II that truly threatened our very existence as a nation—and as a culturally diverse, free society. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, an estimated 640 WWII veterans die each day. Our time to express our thanks to these brave men and women is running out.

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to meet Stanley, thank him for his service, and share his story with you all.

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A group of students was there at the Tomb of the Unknowns interviewing the veterans and recording their oral histories. Here, Stan talks with one of the students.

Stan is sitting at the far left in the blue jacket. The veterans were encouraged to use wheelchairs since the buses were so far away.

Tomb of the Unknown visit on September 14.  Stan is seen in a wheelchair in one of these (middle image, lower left).  It was a distance to the bus and they encouraged vets to use a wheelchair.

Friends of Webster Trails get help from Eagle Scout

26 Jul

Today I bring you news of another Eagle Scout doing great things for our community.  He is Sullivan Easley of Troop 363, who chose to work with the Friends of Webster Trails (FWT) to complete his Eagle Scout project.

Thank you to Alisa Kokx for sending along the following article, which I have stolen from liberally. (OK, almost completely.)

A love of nature leads Sullivan (Sully) J. Easley of Troop 363 to complete his Eagle Scout project with FWT

Easley’s project included building six nesting boxes, which were installed at Whiting Road Nature Preserve, Gosnell Big Woods Preserve and Four Mile Creek Preserve. Easley also led a trail work effort on the future phase of the Green Trail at Whiting Road. Both project aspects were coordinated through Friends of Webster Trails.

Taran Bauer and Sully Easley (wearing hat) remove roots and vines where the future section of trail will go at Whiting Road Nature Preserve.

The nesting boxes will offer homes for screech owls and wood ducks. Per Easley, “I choose this project because I was interested in doing a project for FWT and I like wildlife. I first learned about FWT from taking part in a fellow Scout’s Eagle Scout Project at the Bird Sanctuary Trail last year. I was surprised by how many trails there are in Webster and by how many people use the trails.” Easley adds, “I learned a lot more about wood ducks and how they are present in Webster. Although they are not endangered, their nesting grounds are. They are tree nesters and like to live in abandoned woodpecker holes so the draining and clearing of forested wetlands for agriculture and timber and hunting in the early 1900s significantly reduced their numbers. Through conservation efforts and the installation of nesting boxes starting in 1930s, their populations are back.”

As part of his project, Easley also led a group of volunteers to help clear the future section of the Green Trail at Whiting Road Nature Preserve which will be opened later this fall once FWT completes the trail’s grading. FWT Trails Committee Chair Jeff Darling said, “Sully and his group of volunteers were instrumental in clearing mounds of multiflora rose and vines so we can site the new section of trail properly. This new trail will allow users to enjoy the northern 25 acres of the preserve and a view of Lake Ontario.”

In late April, Easley asked FWT’s Volunteer Project Coordinator, Alisa Kokx, for help identifying a meaningful project. All of the planning, purchasing of materials, building, installing, and trail work took place within the last two months. Easley was very determined to get this project completed since his family was moving out of state in early July. Per Kokx, “This was an amazing amount of effort and coordination for Sully with a short timeline. A typical Eagle Scout project usually takes six or more months. It was apparent that Sully was working on an aspect of his project practically every day in order to complete it prior to his family’s move. He did a great job planning all the details, organizing volunteers, and executing a very successful project … plus balancing school, various activities, and a family move.”

Easley led 26 volunteers on various aspects of the project totaling 203 volunteers hours. That’s pretty amazing for a youngster who just completed 8th grade at Willink Middle School.

Sully Easley and his volunteers install a nesting box at Gosnell Big Woods Preserve. From left to right: Andrew Streit, Derek Sahrle, Bill Wheatley (Troop 363 Asst. Scoutmaster), Sully Easley, Quentin Sahrle, Nick Bober, Kevin Thompson and Darwin Pray.

 

Village resident petitions Board for new stop signs

13 Jul

Joe Cassara is getting tired of cars speeding by his house on Dunning Ave., so he’s asked the Village to do something about it.

The current speed limit on Dunning is 30 miles per hour. Cassara said that at times, vehicles travel down Dunning at an excessive rate of speed, by his estimate from 40-60 miles an hour.  The stretch from Main Street to Fuller Ave is wide, flat, straight and unimpeded, making it an easy place to speed.

Cassara wrote,

Many of the houses in this neighborhood are owned or rented by families with young children. Dunning is a popular street for surrounding areas (Park, Elm, Curtice Park, Fuller, Lapham Park, Ridge), and is often filled with families walking, riding bikes, and playing outside. The speeding problem is dangerous to residents, and the posted speed limits aren’t enough to deter drivers of all ages from disobeying the law.

So last week he approached the Village Board and asked that stop signs be erected at Dunning and Elm, and Dunning and Park to slow the traffic.

“(The Board was) receptive to the stop signs,” Cassara reported, “and asked me to get a bunch of signatures to support my case. Then, they’ll bring it back for a vote to send to a public forum, the next step in the process.”

So Cassara has created an online petition which you can check out for details, sign if you’d like, and share with your friends and neighbors.  You can see it by clicking here.

The proposed stop signs would go at the corners of Elm Street and Park Ave. where they meet Dunning Ave.

A birthday party at the Rec with the Reverend Mother

12 Jul

Faith Bell reacts to hearing the assembled birthday party guests yell “Surprise!”

When the stooped, austere-looking nun shuffled into the Webster Recreation Center cafeteria earlier this week, you could almost hear a collective gasp from the audience.  A few people who were standing near the doorway didn’t really know how to greet her, so chose to stay silent and just stand back to let her pass. Anyone who hadn’t attended Mass in a while tried to look very inconspicuous.

But no one needed to worry. The Reverend Mother Phyl Contestable wasn’t there to hear their confessions. She was there to roast Faith Bell, the Rec Center’s senior services coordinator, on the occasion of her 80th birthday.

Actually, Faith’s official title is “Transportation Coordinator,” a term left over from the Monroe County meal program. But she does so much more than that.

Jane Laskey, the Rec Center’s Deputy Commissioner, wrote,

(Faith) handles the daily transportation needs of the seniors so they can get to and from the senior center, she plans and implements educational, support, and recreation programs, she coordinates some of the services associated with the center such as elder source, AARP taxes, blood pressure checks,  leads programs such as the poetry club, and acts as the primary liaison for families and often health care providers and the senior that attends the center.  Mostly she is an advocate for the folks that attend the senior center, a sympathetic listener and a cheerleader. … She is incredible, kind, full of Irish wit, and an amazing advocate for seniors.

A good sport as always, Faith banters with the Reverend Mother.

Earlier this week, Faith was also the butt of the Reverend Mother’s jokes. For a full half hour in front of about 100 family, friends and Webster Rec staff members, Faith endured the irreverent humor and personal jabs that only former-nun-turned-Nunsense-performer Phyl Contestable could dish out. Fortunately, any real embarrassment was smoothed over by birthday cake and friendly conversation after the performance.

Not that there was much embarrassment. True to form, Faith took the entire occasion in stride, starting when she walked through the door and heard everyone yell “Surprise!”

I couldn’t stay for the entire party, but was so pleased to be there to help celebrate with my friend. Happy birthday, Faith, and many more.

 

 

About 100 friends, family members and Webster Rec staff members attended.

 

Photos from the Kiddie Parade!

11 Jul

The rains threatened but never arrived for last night’s Kiddie Parade in Webster. It was, once again, an adorable and entertaining event, made better this year by the participation of the Webster High School Marching Band Kidets, who did a great job on their inaugural march.

I’m not going to say much about the parade itself, except that maybe next year I’ll FINALLY figure out what the parade route is and make sure it’s correct in my blog.  If you’d really like to see a story about the event, check out today’s D&C; they sent a reporter and a photographer last night. Click here to see the article.

But I will rely on my gallery of almost 80 photos to tell the story for me.  Click here or on any of the photos on this page to see the gallery.

 

Webster Thomas grad back in town to perform

3 Jul

Click the photo to see the performance. Rmani Crawford is at the far left.

Back in March I posted a blog about a performance by a former Webster student at a March Madness basketball game.

Rmani Crawford, a 2010 Webster Thomas grad, sang the National Anthem with his Pepperdine University a cappella group, Won by One, before one of the Elite 8 games. Someone posted a video of the performance on YouTube, which you can see by clicking here or on the photo to the left.  (You can also see the original blog by clicking here.)

Well, Rmani and his group Won by One will be in town on Saturday, July 6, to perform in a concert at the Northside Church of Christ, 634 Hudson Avenue in Rochester.The concert begins at 5:00 and is free.  It’d be great if some of Rmani’s hometown friends could go out to support him.

You can find out more about Won by One by checking out their website here or their Facebook page here.

 

Tuesday mailbag

10 Jun

News items about summer events are starting to come in fast and furious, so you might be seeing these “mailbags” a bit more often. If your organization has a special event coming up, make sure to let me know about it so I can help spread the word!

Hope for Pets 5th Annual Dog Walk

On Saturday June 15, the greater Rochester community will come together to help pet owners in need at Rochester Hope for Pets’ 5th Annual Dog Walk & Pet Education Expo. The event will take place in Ellison Park’s Orchard Grove Shelter. Registration begins at 9 am and the walk begins at 10.

This year’s event will include adoptable animals from local shelters and pet health education stations featuring information about pet first aid, dog and cat wellness tips, common household foods and substances that are toxic to a pet, and careers in veterinary medicine. There will also be demonstrations by K-9 teams from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the Rochester Police Department and Town of Greece. Joyce Palumbo, Crime Stoppers board member and media spokesperson, believes supporting the K-9 units is a logical extension of helping law enforcement.

For more information, visit http://RochesterHopeforPets.org/events.php or contact Beth Zogby at Rochester Hope for Pets at (585) 271-2733 ext. 26 or hopeforpetszogby@gmail.com.

Benefit Music Festival

Also on Saturday June 15 is the Sarah Anne Bryan Charity Music & Arts Festival, from 12-8 pm at the gazebo in Veterans Memorial Park, North Ave. in the village of Webster.

The festival will feature entertainment for the kids, raffles, and a “Taste of Webster” restaurant tour featuring The Coach Sports Bar, Marvin Mozzeroni’s, the Vino Wine Lounge, Hatters Pub, Brimont Bistro and BC’s Chicken Coop. Donations will benefit DePaul Community Services and the West Webster Volunteer Firemen’s Association.

For more information, visit facebook.com/sarahannebryanbenefit.

Schlegel Road Reunion

The annual Schlegel Road Elementary School Reunion Trip is back.  This year’s event will be at Seabreeze on Friday, June 21. Tickets cost $14.50 for students (less for adults), and must be reserved by June 19 so they can all be purchased together.

Interested alumni can reserve their tickets by calling Jill Sicke at 749-8914 or by email at Jill_Sicke@websterschools.org.

Schroeder student chosen by Red Sox

Congratulations to Webster Schroeder sophomore Oliver Pena, who recently received a phone call from the Boston Red Sox, informing him that he was selected as one of the ten participants for the team’s Lindos Sueños program in the Dominican Republic.

Oliver was selected from a nationwide search of thousands of applicants, and has been going through a rigorous interview process for several months.  This summer he’ll be working with the people of the Dominican Republic to help improve their lives. But he’ll also be playing baseball and receiving training from Boston Red Sox players and coaches.

 

 

New Bay View YMCA Climbing Complex has risen from the ashes

30 May

Today I am pleased to bring some good news.

The new Bay View YMCA climbing complex. Click on the photo to see a few more.

You may remember the awful morning about a year ago when we woke up to find out that vandals had torched the 40-foot climbing tower at the Bay View Family YMCA.  It was completely destroyed, including all of the equipment that was stored inside, and the very popular zip line.

That happened on June 22, the day before summer camp was to begin. It was a devastating blow to the Bay View community, and especially the camp kids who used it every day during and after camp.  What was particularly depressing is finding out that insurance would not completely cover the cost of replacing the tower.

But if there’s one thing I have learned about the Webster community, it’s that we pull together big time when we sense a challenge.

The YMCA pledged not only to rebuild the tower bigger and better, but to do so before the start of the next summer’s camp season. They set a seemingly unreachable fund-raising goal of $100,000.

Immediately, donations started coming in, from pennies collected by preschoolers to large donations by local businesses. There were car washes and dunk-a-counselor events. We held a food truck rodeo in the middle of a hurricane and people still came out to support the cause. And young Bay View camper Joey Gerard raised more than $5,000 single-handedly by selling hand-crafted bracelets (see a previous story I wrote about Joey here.)

So many people helped reach that goal that it would be impossible to thank them all. But the goal WAS reached, and now all those people, and the entire Webster community, are invited to see the result.

On Saturday, June 1, the Bay View Family YMCA will officially open its brand-new climbing complex. You may have seen the new wall from a distance already.  And from a distance, it doesn’t look anywhere near as imposing as did the old tower. But drive down the road to the Y and get a closer look.  You’ll be lots more impressed.

The new 32-foot climbing wall is just the centerpiece of a bigger climbing complex, including a separate zip line tower with dual zip lines (so a parent and child can go down together) and a natural boulder playground. It is very beautiful and very exciting, and it’s all handicap-accessible.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 10:30 a.m. at the Bay View Family YMCA, 1209 Bay Road, Webster (across from Wegmans).  Joe Gerard will be there to take the very first zip line ride.

 

Friday mailbag

3 May

Hey Webster, you’ve got a busy couple of weeks ahead.

Tomorrow — Saturday May 4 — the Webster Nursery School is hosting a garage sale fundraiser from 9 am to 3 pm.  This is a multi-family sale with “many great items all families can use,” including toys, books, games, children’s clothing and household items. From 2-3 pm you’ll find reduced prices on everything.  Baked goods will also be available for purchase.

The sale will take place in the parking lot behind the Webster Baptist Church, 59 South Ave.

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The Friends of the Webster Public Library will hold their annual spring used book sale, next Tuesday through Saturday.

Members of the Friends are invited to a sneak peek on Tuesday from 5-8:30 pm, a perfect chance to get the best bargains right off the bat. (If you want in on that action, you’ll be able to purchase a membership that evening.)

The rest of the book-loving public can shop on Wednesday and Thursday May 8 and 9 from 10-8:30, Thursday and Friday from 10-5, and Saturday May 11 from 10-1.

And before we leave the library, here’s a fun little invitation I saw on their newly revamped website (it’s next to the photo of a cat reading a book).

 Which type of pet reads the most? Send us a picture of your pet reading a book. Whichever pet type has the most pictures reading will win and be the best reader! Send pictures to Jenny Paxson and we’ll post them on the Webster Library Facebook page and they will also go on display at the library.

Sounds like fun. But my cats only read romance novels, and that would just be embarrassing.

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Have a little history with your tea on Wednesday May 8, with the Webster Museum’s History and a Cup program. Bring a sandwich — the museum will provide the coffee or tea — and hear some stories about growing up in Webster.

History and a Cup begins at noon on Wednesday, at the Webster Museum, 18 Lapham Park in the village.

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The Schroeder Varsity Girls Lacrosse team needs shoes!

No, not for themselves. They’re collecting black shoes (sizes 12 to 7-8) for students at Brown’s Hall Primary School (K-6) in Jamaica. Students are in need of black gently work or new shoes to wear to school (preferably closed-toed).

Donations are being accepted through May 10, and can be dropped off in the box near the front desk just inside Schroeder’s front door.

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Dahlia season is upon us. Early spring is the best time to plant the tubers so they’ll bloom in late summer and early fall, when most of the other flowering plants are fading.

The members of the Rochester Dahlia Society and other gardening groups will be selling dahlia tubers and more mature plants at the Webster Arboretum, 1700 Schlegel Road, on Saturday, May 11 from 8-12.  Other sales will be held May 12 and 26 at the Rochester Public Market and May 25 at the Rochester Civic Garden Center.

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My friends at Yesterday’s Muse book store recently sent this announcement about a local author:

Now available, the recently published memoir of a Rochester soldier who fought in World War II: A Long Way from Home: The Memoir of John Cipolla, 101st Airborne Division, 1942-1945, by Matt Fox.

The recent release of The Battle in Common, another locally-focused account of World War II, enjoyed a huge response. Fox’s work chronicles some of the same events, but from the perspective of one soldier. From the back cover:

“In 1942, shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, John Cipolla saw a recruiting poster for the airborne infantry outside of the recruiting office in his Rochester, NY neighborhood and signed up. After months of grueling training, he shipped out for Europe with the newly-formed 101st Airborne Division. The year he spent in Europe would be the most momentous year of his life. He took part in Operation Overlord, parachuting into Normandy the night before troops hit the beaches, and parachuted into Holland for Operation Market Garden. He was with the 101st at Bastogne, when they shivered in the snow and fought desperately to keep the Germans who surrounded them at bay. This book is John’s story, told from his perspective as a private in C Company of the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment.”

The book was written over a period of nearly seven years, during which time Fox interviewed Mr. Cipolla extensively, and performed exhaustive research to fill in gaps of chronology and verify facts. It was published last year by Mr. Fox through Amazon’s CreateSpace publishing service.

The book costs $10, and is available for purchase at Yesterday’s Muse Books, 32 W Main St in Webster, NY. Inquiries by phone or e-mail are welcome: 585-265-9295; yesterdays.muse@gmail.com.

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