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Monroe County to honor Jamieson Ritter

15 Mar

Of the many email lists I’ve signed up for to get blog ideas, the most persistent is the one from the office of Monroe County Executive Adam Bello. The great majority of the press releases they send out get directed immediately to my digital trash bin because they have nothing to do with Webster. But the one I got a few days ago piqued my interest and warmed my heart.

The release announced that Lakefront Lodge in Webster Park (that’s the beautiful new one just north of Holt Rd.) will be officially renamed to honor fallen police officer — and Webster native — Jamieson Ritter.

While serving as a police officer in Cleveland, Ritter was tragically killed on July 4, 2024 as officers attempted to serve a warrant. He was just 27 years old. His funeral was held several days later at Falvo Funeral Home in Penfield. The Webster community came out in force to honor him as his funeral procession wound its way through the village towards Falvo.

Ritter was a 2015 graduate of McQuaid Jesuit High School. He graduated from Syracuse University in 2019 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. As a member of the Ohio Army National Guard, he deployed to Syria in 2022 and returned to continue his service as a police officer with the City of Cleveland. 

At the Monroe County Legislature meeting when the announcement was made earlier this month, Ritter’s family said,

It is a profound honor that Jamieson’s  ultimate sacrifice is being recognized and remembered by his hometown community. Jamieson was moving home to continue his service to the citizens of Monroe County and was excited to serve and protect the community he loved.

We are deeply moved by the  overwhelming support given to our family through this tragedy. Jamieson’s story is a testament to his  unwavering commitment to service and his deep love for his community. We hope his legacy will  inspire and encourage others to serve their community, as our family has done for generations  through military service, law enforcement, and community service. The community’s recognition  and remembrance of Jamieson’s sacrifice means the world to us and we are touched by the collective  support. 

The Monroe County Legislature will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony in May to officially rename the Lakefront Lodge to the “Jamieson Ritter Memorial Lodge.”

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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).

(posted 3/15/2025)

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Neighbors helping neighbors

19 Feb

Here’s a quick note about how one local business has — once again — shown what it means to be part of a community.

Recently the Webster Community Chest needed a sign to post at their Phillips Village Food Pantry. They reached out to McAllister Sign, Inc. on Ridge Rd. to do the job.

Chris and Mark McAllister not only did a terrific job designing and creating the sign, but also donated their talent, time, and of course the sign itself, to the Community Chest.

The Webster Community Chest is grateful to the McAllisters for their generous donation, and the entire Webster community thanks them for being an outstanding example of community support.

They are truly neighbors helping neighbors.

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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).

(posted 2/19/2025)

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Dogsledding in the village?

3 Feb

I heard on the radio the other day that it snowed at least a little bit EVERY DAY IN JANUARY. And February is starting out pretty much the same way. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a winter with this much snow. Everyone is grumbling about it.

That is, everyone except Village of Webster resident Devin Englerth.

Devin has a hobby that helps her glide through winter (literally) with a smile. Devin is a dogsledder, and when there’s this much snow, it means there are a lot more opportunities to take her dogsled, seven huskies and big black shepherd out for a run. And every once in a while, when the conditions are right, she doesn’t bother going very far to do so.

A few weeks ago, the conditions were perfect, so instead of packing up her dogs and heading to her usual sledding spot far on the west side of town, she hooked them all up and took them out on the streets of the village.

Perhaps you saw them that day. A lot of people did, and photos popped up all over Facebook from village residents surprised and delighted to see an actual dogsled speeding down their street. ‘Cause that’s not something you see every day.

I sat down the other day with Devin (and her dogs) to find out more about her history with the sport, both in the village and elsewhere.

Devin has been dogsledding since 2011, ever since she got her first husky. Not long afterwards, she joined the Seneca Siberian Husky Club, and tries to get out and run the dogs at least a couple times of year. That’s been difficult in recent years when lack of snow has made for poor conditions.

“You have to have a frozen base and the snow on top of it,” she explained. “If you go before it freezes my sled would sink in the slush.”

But not running makes for unhappy huskies.

“(Running) is all they want to do,” Devin said. Even when she goes out to fire up the snow blower they start getting excited, thinking they’re going to get out and go. And when she is able to finally hook them up out in a wide open space, they might be out there for two and a half hours.

The day she decided to run them in the village, “they were going crazy,” she said. They hadn’t been sledding in a long time, and the conditions were good, so “we went all over the east side of the village.”

It proved to be rather challenging. People were coming out to take photos, the dogs kept stopping to say hi to the neighbors, even deciding to go up a driveway or two. So they got tangled up a lot. But despite the distractions, they were out on the streets for more than an hour.

It wasn’t the first time Devin has dogsledded through the village, and it probably won’t be the last. Because sled dogs live to run.

(Thank you to Jessica Cataldi for this great blog idea, and to Stretch Sabin for these videos!)

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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).

(posted 2/3/2025)

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“Letters From Home” initiative needs our help

18 Jan

There’s a great new initiative in the works to bring some joy to our local service members stationed abroad. It’s called “Mail Call — Letters From Home,” and its goal is ambitious: to collect 1,000 cards and letters from Webster community members to be sent to our local service members deployed overseas.

The program’s details are still being sketched out, but the general idea will involve placing “mail boxes” in businesses and agencies throughout the community, where people can deposit cards, letters and notes for the troops. Plans are to collect the letters in April, and then include them in care packages the Blue Star Mothers will be sending overseas in June.

But before all that can happen, the program’s organizers need our help. To make it easier for people to participate, organizers would like to place blank cards and note paper near the mail boxes at different locations throughout town. So, if you have a moment, check in your basement or attic or junk drawers to see if you have any cards or paper you could donate for the cause. Generic cards and note pads that are not too flowery, and don’t have specific messages like “happy birthday” would be best. And NO ENVELOPES ARE NEEDED. They just add bulk and weight to the care packages.

The care packages prepared by the Blue Star Mothers have all sorts of goodies in them, from candy and cookies to hot chocolate and socks. But more than anything else in those packages, the service members love the cards and letters. It’s a simple thing, but it goes a long way to assure these brave men and women that we are thinking about them.

More to come about this great project. But in the meantime, if you have any cards or blank note paper you can donate (remember, no envelopes), drop me an email at missyblog@gmail.com and we’ll make arrangements to pick them up.

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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).

(posted 1/18/2025)

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Generous community members give First Responders Park an upgrade

7 Jan

I’d like to take a break today from the wintry weather and frigid temperatures outside to share a story from last summer’s warmer months.

It comes from the Webster Recreation Center, and specifically the First Responders Spray Park, the very popular summertime splash area just to the west of the Rec on Chiyoda Dr. Earlier this summer, some of the water elements struggled a bit to turn on. I noticed that once when I was over there, but there wasn’t much I could do about it but notify the folks at the Rec Center’s front desk.

But turns out, John Link COULD do something about it.

Here’s the story, pulled straight from the Webster Recreation Center’s December newsletter.

First Responders Playground gets an upgrade thanks to some giving citizens in our Webster Community!

It was sometime this past August when temperatures were high, and families were looking to cool off. John Link happened to be at First Responders Spray Park with his grandchildren. He noticed some water features were not operational and notified the department. In his email, he shared that he had knowledge of control systems and if we needed a hand, he would be happy to help out. Soon after receiving his note, the aging spray park control system went completely inoperable with an extremely expensive fix needed. It seemed only appropriate to reach out to John (and his friend Ed) who were happy to take on the project…pro bono!!!

John Link spent 40 years working at the Wegmans distribution centers and was the manager of the automation group. John spent 30 years as an adjunct professor in the Rochester Institute of Technology Electrical Engineering Technology program.

Ed Ellingsworth was the technician group supervisor and a software engineer at Wegmans and came from Kraft Foods, where he was responsible for the packaging and distribution systems. Ed also served in the Air Force and was supervisor for maintenance on jet aircraft electrical systems including F4 Phantoms.

Together, they were able to design and build a control panel and create software to work with our new irrigation controller. Alongside Scott Todd of Innovative Irrigation, they were able to combine their expertise and provide a new system for the First Responders Spray Park. This collaborative effort saved the Town several thousands of dollars and created a system that is not only functional but also improves the overall efficiency of the system! THANK YOU to everyone involved!

By the way, if you haven’t started receiving the Webster Recreation Center newsletter yet, here’s where you can see past editions and sign up. There’s lots of great information in there even if you aren’t a member.

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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).

(posted 1/7/2025)

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Webster Village Runners turned out in force for the It’s a Wonderful Run

15 Dec

Neither snow, nor rain, nor sleet, nor gloom of night, nor biting cold will keep the Webster Village Runners from enjoying a fun wintry run together, and Saturday afternoon was no exception.

Nineteen of us from the Village Runners (including significant others) made the hour-long trek to Seneca Falls that afternoon to take part in the annual It’s a Wonderful Run 5K. It was the largest group we’ve ever had participate (so many that 12 of us even rented a van). Several of these friends were first-timers, who decided to attend because I regularly talk about how much fun it is. It always draws thousands of runners (this year the total was 4,800), and almost everyone dresses up in holiday attire, including bells, Santa hats, elf costumes and Christmas lights. I saw people dressed as Christmas trees and snowmen, the Grinch and a Yeti, a turkey, some Cindy Lu Whos and candy canes, and lots of tutus. Everyone at this race is in a jolly mood and more than happy to step in to take a picture of your whole group if you ask. And there was a lot of that.

And this is also a must-do event for any fan of the Jimmy Stewart classic, It’s a Wonderful Life. It’s generally accepted that Frank Capra based his movie on the charming little village. There’s an It’s a Wonderful Life Museum, and the race actually begins on the bridge believed to be the inspiration for the one in the movie — plus, 84-year old Karolyn Grimes herself (who played Zuzu) starts the race by announcing the famous line, “Every time a bell rings, a angel gets his wings.”

True to its name, the It’s a Wonderful Run is more a run (or walk) than a race. For sure there are many runners who wiggle to the front of the pack to do their 4-minute miles, but many more thousands of us are content to walk most of the route, to experience everything there is to see and do along the way.

Seneca Falls village residents come out in force for this event. They set up fire pits and ring cow bells and give high-fives to all the runners. They hand out Fireball shots, vodka shots, whiskey shots, daquiri shots pudding and Jello shots. They hand out full cans of beer and hard seltzer, and mini bottles of Fireball. At one house, they were grilling hot dogs and handing them to the runners. At another, they were cooking up marshmallows or handing out fudge, cheese and crackers and chips and salsa. All through the beautiful little village, the houses are ablaze with Christmas lights and Christmas music blares from the porches.

So there’s not a whole lot of running involved; there is a lot of stopping and sampling the treats and taking photos of the beautifully decorated homes along the route. But this is not a race for time. This is a run for fun.

If you’re interested in seeing more photos from the event, click here for a gallery. I tried to capture some of the more outlandish costumes, and the sense of community generated by Seneca Falls as we all celebrate one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time.

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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).

(posted 12/15/2024)

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Webster Chamber of Commerce helps Webster NY HOPE help our neighbors

14 Dec

We all already know what an incredibly kind and giving community Webster is, especially during the holiday season.

A perfect example of that giving spirit was in full evidence on Thursday afternoon when the Webster Chamber of Commerce delivered more five than fully stuffed boxes and bags of hats, gloves, socks, neck warmers and more to Webster NY HOPE for distribution to our neighbors in need.

Some of the hundreds of donated items

The Chamber has been collecting the items since October. Members were encouraged to bring items to the monthly breakfast meetings and Eat, Drink and Connect networking events, or deposit them in the collection box at the Chamber offices on Crosspointe Lane.

In just that short time, the Chamber managed to collect almost 500 pieces of winter wear, including 195 pairs of socks, 115 children’s and adults’ hats, 35 neck warmers, 113 pairs of kids’ gloves and mittens, 24 pairs of adult gloves, plus five hat and gloves sets, and more. On Thursday afternoon Chamber President Barry Howard and Administrative Assistant Barbara Baldwin dropped them all off to very grateful staff members at Webster NY HOPE.

The donations will also be greatly appreciated by our Webster neighbors in need.

“We have 600 people signed up for our Christmas program this year,” Hope Director Margery Morgan said. “There’s a big need in Webster.”

Howard agreed. “We know that this is Webster, but you have to understand, we have a lot of people in need, even in Webster. We have a lot of people that go hungry, a lot of people who don’t have clothing, a lot of people who don’t have adequate housing. We have too much of that.”

Click here to find out how you can help Webster NY HOPE make this year’s holiday season a happy one for our neighbors in need.

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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).

(posted 12/14/2024)

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Geva’s A Christmas Carol cast includes two Webster students

10 Nov

If you attend Geva Theatre’s annual production of A Christmas Carol this holiday season, you might just recognize one of the young cast members.

Two young Webster actors — Reid Antal, a 7th grade student at Willink Middle School, and Adriana Ruya Venable, a 5th grader at Plank Rd. South Elementary School, have been cast as young Tim Cratchit in Geva’s A Christmas Carol (since there are so many shows, all the children’s roles are double cast).

Reid Antal
Adriana Ruya Venable

You probably know the story, but here’s a summary from Geva’s press release:

Based on the classic by Charles Dickens, this adaptation begins with a wish made by young Tim Cratchit. Over the course of one night, notorious grump Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by four ghosts, but will their intervention prompt him to change his “humbug” ways? Filled with humor, heart, hope – and a little bit of horror – A Christmas Carol reminds us that it is never too late to have a change of heart. The production is directed by Geva’s Artistic Director Elizabeth Williamson.

Over the past four decades the company has presented three different adaptations and is thrilled to share this World Premiere from Harrison David Rivers, who wrote this adaptation in collaboration with Dramaturg Sally Lobel. This new production features period costumes by Costume Designer Ilona Somogyi, whose costumes Geva audiences will remember from Jane Eyre, a mixture of traditional carols, and a brand new set inspired by Victorian London by Scenic Designer Se Hyun Oh.

Geva’s A Christmas Carol will be presented from Nov. 23 through Dec. 29 on the Wilson Stage, 75 Woodbury Blvd., Rochester. Tickets can be purchased online here, by calling 585-232-GEVA (4382), or by stopping by the box office in person.

Geva will also present a free performance of A Christmas Carol, called “Home for the Holidays.” on December 26 at 7 p.m. Blue Star Families, who are active-duty servicemen and women, veterans, and their families.

Congratulations to Reid and Adriana. You make Webster proud.

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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).

(posted 11/10/2024)

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Yarn artists needed!

1 Nov

You’ve read before here in my blog about the terrific community collaboration among Webster Community Chest, Webster Hope and Gathering Place Webster.

Their goal is to hold a food distribution event four times a year: Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and sometime during the summer. With the community’s support, these regular distributions will really help our Webster neighbors who face food insecurity every day.

The agencies are gearing up right now for their upcoming holiday season distributions, and they’d like to include a few extra helpful items in addition to the seasonal meal items.  

Among those items are hand-crafted cotton washcloths. Tracy Dennis from Webster Community Chest explained,

When the pandemic first hit, paper towels were hard to come by so my Mom and I started making these washcloths to use instead of paper towels: to wipe the counters, etc.  They work great, are washable and are super easy to make!  This seemed like a perfect addition to our distributions and the local yarn artists have taken on the challenge.

The first call to crafters went out a few weeks ago, and the yarn artists have come through big time. Tracy says they’re calling them the “Webster Yarn Artist Army,” and if you like to knit or crochet, you are officially invited to join them.

The washcloths are really easy to make (see some instructions and tips below). And what a great way to put a personal, homemade touch in the meal packages.

The coalition will be collecting the washcloths year-round and hope to include them in every food distribution they organize, so they can never have too many! You can drop off your creations at Webster Hope during open hours, or in the donation drops at the Webster Public Library for both Webster Hope and Webster Community Chest. Or you can email Webster Community Chest at webcommchest@gmail.com or call them at 585-671-2060 to arrange for pick up or drop off.

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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).

(posted 10/31/2024)

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Webster resident Judy Braiman has dedicated her life to making our lives safer

7 Oct

We’re used to seeing this warning marked on toys: “Choking hazard. Not appropriate for children under 3 years.” We’re confident that the toys we buy don’t have lead paint or very sharp edges which can hurt our children. But what you might not know is that one of our very own Webster neighbors, Judy Braiman, is in large part responsible for those warnings originally being placed on toy packaging, and for millions of dangerous toys being recalled.

Judy Braiman is a long-time Rochester resident who now lives at the Cherry Ridge retirement community in Webster. She’s made a name for herself as a tireless consumer advocate, and in that role has testified in Congress numerous times, has worked with actress (and consumer advocate) Betty Furness, met George H.W. Bush and Senator Thomas Eagleton, received an award from Ronald Reagan, has been interviewed on every major network, co-authored Consumer Reports’ Toy Buying Guide, and was included in the book Soap Opera: the Inside Story of Proctor & Gamble by Alecia Swasy.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Judy a few weeks ago to hear more about the fascinating life she’s led and the way she’s changed our world.

How she happened upon her career as a consumer advocate is a pretty interesting story in itself.

In 1966, after the birth of her third child, Judy developed a severe cough and eventually was coughing up blood. After taking images of her lungs, doctors found 60 lesions in each one, which they diagnosed as cancer. They advised her to get her affairs in order because they did not expect her to survive.

But when doctors biopsied the lesions, they discovered that what they were seeing were not lesions, but boils. Her lungs were covered in boils, which doctors ultimately determined were caused by inhaling aerosol hairspray.

Following that experience, Judy was invited to testify in Congress about the dangers of aerosols. What would become a lifelong commitment to consumer advocacy had begun.

Judy’s annual Christmas-time hunt for unsafe toys began in 1971, and as her reputation as a consumer advocate grew, she began testifying more often at government hearings about product safety. In 1987, Consumer Reports asked her to work on their inaugural Toy Buying Guide. She and co-author Deborah Fineblum Raub examined 1,200 toys, rating each on the basis of play value, educational merit and durability; and value for the money. The book sold 73,000 copies.

But rooting out unsafe toys isn’t the only thing Judy is well known for. She was also the first person in the country to identify toxic shock syndrome, caused by Rely Tampons.

It was back in 1975 when she began to question Rely’s safety. The product was being test marketed in Rochester and she started getting calls from women who reported vomiting and diarrhea after using a free sample they got in the mail. Judy’s continued research and pressure on Proctor & Gamble ultimately helped lead to a total recall of the tampons, but not before at least 42 women died from using them.

These days, Judy is living a quieter life at Cherry Ridge, but still occasionally makes some waves if she sees something that needs fixing or upgrading. Because after all these years, there’s no way a dedicated consumer advocate will stop advocating.

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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).

(posted 10/7/2024)

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