I was visiting recently with some new friends over at the Woodside Nursery School, located at the United Church of Christ on Klem Rd., who told me about a “magic gardening” activity they designed for their young charges.
Some of the “magic” seedsThe magic pumpkin patch in bloom
The students first planted “magic” pumpkin seeds — fallen leaves cut into stars, hearts and butterflies — in the Magic Pumpkin Patch outside of the school. Then, during the day, parent volunteers and school board members helped the magic seeds “grow” by replacing them with little pumpkins, perfectly sized for little hands. You can just imagine the squeals of delight from the students and the wonder in their eyes when they saw the magic garden filled with miniature pumpkins.
Check out some of these adorable gardeners:
Olivia
Matthew
Brody
Caleb
Miss Amy with students
Colin finding his pumpkin
In the next several months you’re going to be hearing more in my blog about the parent co-operative Woodside Nursery School, which has been serving our community since 1956 from the same location at the United Church of Christ, 570 Klem Rd. I didn’t know anything about them until my visit, and was rather surprised they’ve been around this long. I’ve encouraged them to keep sending me news about what’s going on over there, so stay tuned for more cuteness coming across your computer screen.
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The luncheon was held at the Webster Arboretum on Schlegel Rd. Most of the drivers and their significant others were present, along with the WSPS support staff and board members. Also in attendance were the Webster Town Supervisor Representative Kim Doyle and Daphne Geoca, Senior Coordinator of the Webster Parks and Recreation Dept.
Chances are you’ve seen the WSPS automobile driving around town. Based at the Webster Recreation Center, the Webster Association of Senior Program Supporters is a group of volunteers who provide transportation for retirees and disabled residents who live within the Webster School District. They help residents get to and from medical and dental appointments, and provide rides to pharmacies, banks, barbers, hairdressers and tax preparation services.
WSPS drivers and dispatchers have provided a record number of rides through September 30, 2023. Logging 2,940 volunteer hours, the drivers gave 3,113 rides, spanning 38,240 miles driven — just shy of the organization’s record year of 2022.
The volunteer drivers are the backbone of the organization; without them the service would not exist. Webster is indebted to them for their community spirit and service. These selfless volunteers are always happy to help and assist the retirees and disabled folks living in the Webster School District.
Karen Kinyon, Laure Barr, Kim Doyle and Julie Schillaci
Deb Gerlach, Larry Bovenci and Craig Dominas
Mike Donovan and Jay Watson
The Town and Village of Webster have supported WSPS for several years, recognizing the real need for the WSPS services. Several local businesses and service organizations also support the organization.
Currently WSPS has 57 volunteer drivers but with the number of seniors and disabled folks in the Webster School District increasing, they’re always in need of more volunteers. For more information on how you can join the team, call 585-216-7829 or visit the group’s website.
A big thank you to the Karpus Family Foundation which funded this year’s luncheon, and to the local which donated gifts for the drivers, including Wendy’s, Abbott’s Ice Cream, Tim Hortons, Corona’s Mexican Restaurant, Jiffy Lube, Wegmans and Bruster’s Real Ice Cream. And always a big thank you to Vision Hyundai of Webster, which subsidizes the WSPS vehicle. (And my thanks to Dave Norton for the great report and photos.)
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Yet another Webster graduate is making a name for herself.
Webster Schroeder graduate Samantha Hake ’08 recently won an Emmy for her work as a producer on the National Geographic film The Flagmakers, described on the website as “an intimate glimpse into the people whose hands make America’s most recognizable icon.” (Read more about the film here.)
Samantha wrote,
As a producer, I worked on this film for over three years with Co-Directors Sharon Liese and Academy Award Winner Cynthia Wade. I am extremely proud of the beautiful and poetic film that we created, all while navigating dozens of different languages among the subjects and a raging pandemic that tested our resolve to capture compelling stories while keeping our cast and crew safe.
The film screened at festivals nationwide and was shortlisted for an Academy Award before being nominated for a News and Documentary Emmy.
Samantha with Co-Director Sharon Liese
After graduating from Schroeder, Samantha went on to study television, radio and film at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School. During her senior year at college, she was accepted into the SULA program, a Los-Angeles-based professional program initiative, where she worked at a commercial production company on Super Bowl commercials.
After college, she met director Sharon Liese and has worked alongside her to edit, shoot and produce several projects. (Read more about Samantha’s film career on her IMDB profile.)
Samantha received her Emmy at the 44th annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards Ceremony held Sept. 28 at The Palladium Theater in Times Square. She described the experience as “truly a night of full, proud hearts.”
The saying goes, “it’s an honor just to be nominated” and it really is true. I felt so privileged to be in a room with and to be recognized by the most esteemed, ambitious, and creative filmmakers in the industry. When they announced that The Flagmakers won the award for outstanding short documentary, I know our team at home watching and our team at the ceremony all cheered together. Filmmaking is such a collaborative storytelling process and it’s an amazing feeling to share the recognition with everyone involved.
Other projects Samantha has completed include Parker, a short documentary which, after premiering at Sundance earlier this year, was chosen as the only documentary in the Sundance Short Film Tour that screened in theaters nationwide. She’s also the co-executive producer on a new four-part true crime/cult documentary series which will be airing soon.
In the meantime, you can stream The Flagmakers on Disney+.
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The east-side entrance to the Webster Baptist Church on South Ave. is getting a bit of an upgrade, thanks to the efforts of Eagle Scout candidate Hunter Kurosawa.
For several days over the last week or so, Hunter and his team of adult and Troop 113 Scout volunteers have been installing bricks along the drainage ditch lining the side of the church building. They’ve already worked almost 14 hours over two long days and are planning at least one more before the project is finished.
There are about 200 bricks in all, but 13 of them are rather special; individually-engraved memorial bricks, purchased by Webster Baptist Church parishioners in memory of loved ones.
Hunter Kurosawa with the memorial bricksSome of Hunter’s helpers mix concrete for the retaining wall
Hunter landed on this particular project after having little luck with other organizations. He wrote,
I was looking for an Eagle Project at the zoo, through NEQALS, and through Webster Trails. … Then I got an email from my Scoutmaster saying (Church Moderator Diana) Marchner had a project at the Webster Baptist Church. She had contacted the Scout Advisor that I am using.
I was so happy to have a project. We went to meet her to talk about what she was looking for and I was really excited about the project. Mrs. Marchner was so nice and so happy to find someone to take on the project. It is a lot of new skills for me to learn and it is so nice to be working with Mrs. Marchner.
Apparently Marchner feels the same way.
“I can’t tell you how impressed I am with this young man … and Scout advisors,” she wrote. “I am totally amazed at how professional and dedicated to perfection they are. I really lucked out having this Eagle Scout candidate.”
The entire project has been … well, a project.
Before even placing the bricks, the site had to be dug out, cleared of stones and leveled with gravel. Some of the stones have to be cut to size before they’re all set in place with polymeric sand and pitched at a two-degree angle to allow for water runoff.
they are using Polymeric Sand so that they can be replaced as the bricks get engraved. Also Polymeric Sand helps in deterring the growth of weeds between the bricks.
There have been several challenges to overcome along the way. After digging out the site, his team discovered a plastic pipe they had to remove, and found an electrical conduit needed replacing to bring it up to code. Then they had to build a retaining wall to hold the bricks in on the south edge. All before they could even begin to lay the bricks.
But overcoming obstacles is all part of completing a successful Eagle Scout project. (And learning new things like how to mix concrete and build a retaining wall.)
The memorial bricks program is part of an ongoing fundraising initiative by the 166-year old Webster Baptist Church to raise money for needed repairs and upgrades. Bricks are still available; they cost $150 each (but larger donations are more than welcome) and they can be personally inscribed. If enough bricks are purchased, the hope is to use them to build a new sidewalk leading to the front door. It’s estimated that would take about 1,500 bricks.
You might say that Hunter Kurosawa is helping the Webster Baptist Church take a step towards maintaining a strong faith community.
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A two-day art show and sale scheduled for Oct. 20 and 21 at the Webster Recreation Center will showcase some very special artists.
The All Shapes and Sizesexhibit will feature the artwork of more than 80 Webster-area artists, all of whom have physical, developmental or behavioral challenges. The artists, ranging from ages 4 through 56, have created about 120 unique, colorful and downright stunning paintings and collages, all of which will be on display during the show.
The exhibit, now in its sixth year, is organized by Webster resident and WCSD teacher’s aide Kate Clemont, assisted by a dedicated team of volunteers. For Kate, who handles most of the countless tasks necessary to put on a show of this type, it’s a true labor of love.
Kate’s youngest son Jack has autism, and she discovered many years ago how much joy he got out of creating art.
“There’s not a lot he gets celebrated for,” Kate said. “But he and I would paint together and he’d do some beautiful pieces and he’d be so proud of himself. I thought this would be nice for other kids.”
And so this very special art exhibit began. For this year’s show, Kate began working with her artists back in May. She would pull the Challenger Field athletes aside when they came off the field and encourage them to do some painting. Over the summer she created art with the students in the district’s extended school year program. She even held a make-some-art day in her backyard.
Everyone was given the opportunity to create, regardless of their disabilities.
“A lot of these kids don’t have the fine motor skills to handle a paint brush,” Kate said, “so I find other things for them to paint with, whether it’s back scrubbers or sponges or stamps or squish balls. Whatever it takes for them to get in the paint.”
“Many of them have sensory needs,” she added, and were afraid to touch the paint. “So I’d wipe it on my face … just get down there and dirty with them in the paint. I was covered in paint from head to toe.”
Bottom line, Kate said, “If they’re given the opportunity, they can create and make some things. It just looks like a million dollars, and they’re so proud of themselves.”
The All Shapes and Sizes exhibit is just one of many ways Kate has found to give back to the community for all of the opportunities her son has received. She’s also raised money for Autism Speaks, Camp Puzzle Piece, and Never Say Never Stables. But it’s the art shows where she really gets to indulge her passion for art and truly see the joy it brings to children and adults with disabilities.
Kate actually has a unique understanding of the challenges these special artists face. Eight years ago she developed a serious skin condition called necrotizing fasciitis, also known as “the flesh-eating disease.” It almost killed her, requiring a 75-day hospital stay and almost 30 surgeries, during which she coded twice. Large swaths of skin from her armpit to her hip had to be removed and replaced with skin grafts.
And as a direct result of the treatment, Kate lost her right hand, left index finger and the ends of her toes. The whole experience helped put a lot of things into perspective.
“After I got sick I lost my creative side; your mind is focusing on getting back. I thought I’d never get to paint again.” Working with the kids helped her rediscover that passion.
“I look at these kids who really have something to complain about, and they’re just getting on with it,” she said. “They just want an opportunity and a chance. I can’t complain. If that’s what you want to do, let’s get on with it.”
Clearly this show would not go on without Kate Clemont’s passion for art and the special artists she works with. But make no mistake — it is ALL about the artists.
“The exhibition is a chance for families and the public to get together at a free event, and just share the joy of what has been achieved,” Kate said. “It really is an amazing event, giving these amazing individuals a chance to be celebrated and show their artistic ability.”
The All Shapes and Sizes exhibit takes place Friday, October 20 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, October 21 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Drive. A silent auction will be held both days, with the final bids being awarded at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
In addition to the paintings (whose starting prices range from $10 to $250), magnets, coasters and tote bags will be available for purchase. There’ll be some amazing raffles courtesy local businesses, and Kate’s son Jack will be selling lemonade.
Check out the galleries above and below to see some of the featured art and the joy on these kids’ faces. Then come to the exhibit to see the art in person, and help celebrate these very talented and very special artists.
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You’ve probably seen the yellow truck parked along the Rt. 104 access roads, most recently near Phillips Rd. And you may even have seen the guy in the bright yellow vest filling trash bags. That guy is Stephen Anderson, who for several years has made it his personal mission to clean up the highway.
I, too, had noticed Stephen several times, and thought, “I need to hear his story.” A couple of readers even write to suggest I do a blog about him. But I never did find a good opportunity to stop and talk to him.
Which is why I was pleased to find out that my friend Katie Kovar over at the Webster Recreation Center had done that job for me. She recently tracked Stephen down and wrote an article about his efforts, which was published in the most recent Webster Today town newsletter.
Here is that article.
The Yellow Truck and the American Flag
by Katie Kovar, Recreation Director, Webster Parks and Recreation
During the height of COVID, Stephen Anderson was diagnosed with diabetes, The directive from his doctor was straightforward: stay active. With limited access to fitness facilities, Anderson had to get creative. At the same time, Anderson noted an excess of litter along the expressway … something that also reached its height during COVID. The Webster resident took matters into his own hands and paired his diagnosis with a community need and got to work, It was simple — stay active, give back, do good.
Geared up in his bright yellow truck, Stephen began efforts by picking up trash along Route 104 in Webster. “I was my form of exercise, and I wanted to clean. That’s it.” His truck became even more noticeable when he began to fly an American flag each time he cleaned. It started as a “social experiment,” he says, to see how many people would beep their horns, It turns out it’s a lot! Keep them coming, Stephen says, “I love it!”
He added,
People think they will startle me if they beep their horn … but they won’t. The simple horn beeping makes me feel appreciated and happy. Please beep anytime you see me.
After some time, the battered flag he was flying was replaced by a group of Webster School District bus drivers, one of whom is a former Marine Corps officer. “They wanted to do something for me and after thinking about it they got together and gave me a beautiful new flag.” Stephen now displays this American flag every time he stops to clean the expressway.
Stephen Anderson, the man in the yellow truck and the American flag, has become a bit of a visual staple along the Webster highways. Given a permit to clean, outfitted in reflective gear, safety goggles, a hard hat and gloves, he has cleaned multiple times a week for years. He says he has learned a variety of things including how heavy to load up the bags, They typically hold everything from dirt, diapers, food containers and car accident debris. Once the bags are loaded, they need to be lifted and disposed of, so they can’t be too heavy. This means one thing: he goes through bags quickly.
photos by K. Kovar
Stephen recently ran out of the orange garbage bags provided by the state and has made a call for more on social media. The orange bags provide an element of safety, as they can be lined along the roadways to provide a visual barrier where he’s working. It’s also easier to notice them for pick-up afterward.
IN order to keep giving back to his community, Stephen needs more bags. If you’re interested in helping Stephen continue his clean-up efforts, you can leave garbage bags in the bin in the Webster Recreation Center vestibule located at 1350 Chiyoda Dr.
Although Stephen loves his work and wished he had the physical capability to do it every day, he does have a message for the community:
Stop throwing garbage out on the roadways. We are supposed to be giving this land to our children and we are destroying it.”
To find out other ways you might be able to help Stephen in his efforts, email Katie Kovar at kkovar@ci.webster.ny.us.
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I had a happy meeting with one of my neighbors the other day.
I met Brenda Gray when she was coming up my front walk to tuck a flyer into my porch door. Despite my having lived on Fuller Ave. for more than four years, I’d never met Brenda, so that was a happy thing. But I was also pleased to find out about the cause she was promoting, a bottle-and-can-drive fundraiser for her child’s Webster Wolves 12U travel baseball team.
The team is making plans to attend the 2024 Field of Dreams Tournament in Cooperstown next summer. It’s a trip of a lifetime for these young athletes, but it’s very expensive, so fundraising has begun in earnest.
The flyers she was distributing were designed especially for our neighbors, but she’d love even more participation. She’s encouraging everyone to return their bottles and cans to Nickelback Can and Bottle Return, 659 Ridge Rd., and let them know your donation goes to “Webster Wolves LAIR.”
Or, even easier, drop them off in her driveway at 93 Fuller Ave., and she and her kids will take care of them for you. You can even text her at (585) 857-8687 and they’ll come by to pick them up from your front porch. Returnables will be accepted through Feb. 15.
The team is also running a raffle, with a pretty cool grand prize: a gift certificate to watch a Red Wings game next year in Naomi Silver’s private suite, complete with a food and beverage package and VIP parking. You can even bring along 15 friends. It’s a $1200 value, and tickets are being sold for $25 each. (They’ll also have a table set up at the Trick-or-Treat Trail in the Village on Oct. 28 to sell tickets, so keep an eye out for that!)
There’s an awesome organization here in Webster which for the last ten years has been working quietly under the radar, doing awesome things for families in need during the holidays.
The aptly-named Making Spirits Bright (MSB) was founded in 2014 with one simple mission: to provide smiles for families in need during the holiday season. For many families in our area, the holidays are not a joyous time, as parents struggle put a decent meal on the table, let alone purchase Christmas gifts for their children.
The organization works with area school counselors and social workers to identify families that need assistance. Then they collect wish lists from each of the family members and begin collecting items.
Over the last ten years, Making Spirits Bright has helped 435 families through holiday-gift giving, dorm room preparations and COVID lock-down. They’ve served countless others by assisting other social services agencies and stocking community food stands.
Since day one, it’s been a labor of love for co-founders Colleen Bedford and Jamie Buss.
“We’re grateful to be here after all these years, spreading sunshine and doing what we love.” Jamie wrote. “Today’s world needs more kindness, compassion and empathy than ever before. We’re proud to be a catalyst for change and thank (the community) for being a part of this journey with us.”
It’s clear they’re not planning to rest on their laurels or pause very long to celebrate this milestone, however. The call has already gone out for donations to support this year’s effort. The goal this holiday season is to serve 65 families, which would bring the ten-year total to 500 families.
Once again this year, the DiMarco Group has graciously donated space in BayTowne Plaza for Making Spirits Bright to use as they collect their donations (in the storefront which right now is Spirit Halloween). Hours of operation will be posted on the MSB Facebook page. The organization has been able to grow considerably due to DiMarco’s generosity.
How you can help
There are several ways you can help:
Sign up as a group, organization, business or family to help out.
Adopt an entire family (choose the family size you’re comfortable with, two-person and up)
Adopt one person (any age/gender identity)
Organize a collection drive for some of the most needed items, like toiletries, hygiene items, cleaning supplies, gift wrap, gift boxes and gift cards.
Make a monetary donation, which are used to purchase items on the list which were not adopted. Any donations, large or small, is appreciated. Contributions can be made via credit or debit here.
If you’d like to volunteer your time and kindness to the organization, click here to fill out a form and they’ll be in touch.
Saturday afternoon I was honored to be on hand for a 100th birthday party held for Dorothy Humphrey. It was held at Cherry Ridge, and attended by a large crowd of friends and relatives, some of whom had come from as far as Colorado.
While Dorothy is technically my neighbor — she still owns the house a few doors down from me on Fuller Ave. in the village, which she and her husband built 75 years ago — she’s lived at Cherry Ridge for several years now. She’s been there since I moved onto Fuller four years ago, so I’d never met her before the party. This was a great opportunity to get to know her a bit better.
Dorothy and I had a very nice conversation, and I met many of her family members, who delighted me with their stories. Like how Dorothy was your stereotypical lunch lady at Spry, how she’d send a dollar bill to every one of her nieces and nephews on their birthdays until they were 16, and how she was a world-class quilter.
Dorothy with my friend Shirley, and sons Dave and SkipDorothy visits with Rita, a friend and fellow quilter
Thank you to my friend Shirley, Dorothy’s daughter-in-law, for this opportunity to finally meet my neighbor. And happy 100th birthday Dorothy!
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My personal thank you to everyone who came out for Friday night’s First Responders 5K. This annual race takes runners on a 3.1-mile course from Webster’s Fireman’s Field through east-side village neighborhoods and back.
As usual, I ran the race — it’s one of my favorites since it runs right by my house — and am always appreciative of the families who set up lawn chairs and sit along the route to cheer us on, many with cowbells in hand. (I love cowbells. You can never have enough cowbells.) I especially like it when I can get children to give me high-fives as I pass; they always give me an extra boost of energy.
There were also plenty of volunteer road marshals, which I was happy to see since the call had gone out a few days earlier about the need for more volunteers. They were all smiling and friendly, cheering us on as they directed us down the next street. This race could not happen without them, so thank you very much to all.
I joined my friend Dave again this year for the race, and we both did very well. Could have been the perfect weather, could have been having a good friend at my side pushing me along, but I managed to beat my time from last year.
As usual, my husband and some friends set up a water and beer refreshment stand in the driveway, which I understand many runners took advantage of. The beer especially is a welcome distraction for a lot of participants near the end of the race.
I’m already looking forward to next year.
(Thank you to my friend Karen for the photo above.)
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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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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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