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Annual fun run brings 4th graders together

28 Sep

On Thursday morning, all of our district’s fourth graders, from every one of our seven elementary schools, gathered at Charles Sexton (North Ponds) Park for the annual Cross-Country One-Mile Fun Run and Walk. This run has been held for more than 50 years, a fun way to encourage our young people to stay active and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

I love this event for so many reasons. It doesn’t just teach our kids that exercise can be fun. It also gives them a chance to see old friends, meet new friends, do something together with all of their fourth grade classmates, and really feel part of a community.

I didn’t have the chance to stop by, so I was delighted to see the following post on Facebook from Jennifer Ward. She was there to proudly cheer on her two sons, Mason and Jax Calkins, who stuck together through the whole run to complete it together, despite its challenging distance. I thought it was a great representation of what this day means for a lot of our young people.

Jennifer wrote,

In the face of adversity, these two stand tall, their bond unbreakable and their unity unwavering. No matter how challenging the circumstances, they remain steadfastly united, drawing strength from their unbreakable connection. Through thick and thin, they navigate life’s trials together, providing unwavering support and encouragement to one another and throughout all of the chaos and emotional madness each day brings, I celebrate them.

I’m certain their experience is just one of many other equally inspiring stories … how that mile was a child’s first-ever; how they achieved something they never really thought they could; that amazing feeling of accomplishment and self-worth you get when you cross the finish line. (Not to mention how proud it makes parents.)

What a great day for all involved. Thank you to our WCSD phys. ed teachers for pulling this together every year, to the transportation department for providing buses, to Fleet Feet for providing the race bibs and fancy finish line which made it all official, and to all the parents who came out to cheer. The big smiles from the kids make it all worth it.

Thank you to Jennifer Ward for the photos.

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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 “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 9/28/2023)

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Bygone blog — a walk through Webster High

26 Sep

You’ll remember the blog I recently posted about the proper pronunciation of Webster Schroeder High School. In addition to all the interesting comments I got on that blog, I got a follow-up question from one of my readers, who asked: When and why did R.L. Thomas High School change its name to Webster Thomas?

I’ll answer that question at the end of this blog. But it got me to poking around a bit online, where I happened upon this piece which I originally posted in 2014. I thought that those of you who remember the old Webster High would enjoy it.

A walk through Webster High
(originally posted March 27, 2014)

I happened upon my high school library’s stash of old yearbooks yesterday, and thought it would be fun to take a look at one. I chose 1958 — not coincidentally the year I was born — and started paging through it.

Naturally, I expected to see a lot of photos of clubs and activities that would seem quaint today. But I also saw a few things I didn’t expect, and some that made me giggle.

The high school back then — or more accurately, it was called the “Webster Central School” — was what is now Spry Middle School on South Avenue in the village. The class of 1955 was the first to graduate from this “new, larger Webster Central.”

The Webster Central School District Principal that year was Mr. Robert L. Thomas. He was ably assisted by Mr. Herbert W. Schroeder who, despite being brand new to the district that school year, received a glowing review in the yearbook.

“In the brief time we have known him,” the caption reads, “we have come to believe he is also a man with a ‘Forward Look,’ treasuring what is worthwhile of the traditional while adopting what is valid of the new.”

The faculty pages included several names you might also recognize.

  • Mr. Richard Batzing, previous Webster Town and Village Historian, taught 8th grade.
  • Miss Esther Dunn, who wrote Webster Through the Years, long considered the most complete encyclopedia of Webster history, taught grade 7.
  • Mr. William J. O’Rourke Sr., a highly respected and long-time Webster coach, led the varsity basketball team and taught Social Studies on the side.
Richard Batzing
Esther Dunn
Wm. O’Rourke Sr.

As I continued to page through the book, some other interesting things jumped out at me.

  • All of the girls looked exactly like my mother — at least from the photos I’ve seen of my mother in the 50s.
  • Members of the National Honor Society all wore robes, kind of like they were in a super-secret fraternity. Maybe it was back then.
  • The school had a “Safety Council.” Next to their photo, the caption read, “With an enlarged force of arresting officers patrolling, the Council promoted safety and respect for WCS in and around the school.” Can you imagine students trying to arrest students these days?
  • The Senior Play that year was Around the World in Eighty Days. This week, when the Webster Thomas production of Anything Goes hits the stage with its lavish set, I thought the photos of the senior cast members and their set pieces were charming.
  • This caption on the Junior High Girls’ Sports page: “The purpose of junior high girls’ intramurals is two-fold. The most obvious one is that it provides exercise for the release of extra energy.”
  • It was great to see so many familiar names in the advertisers listed at the end of the yearbook, who were all there in 1958, and are still there now, including Hegedorn’s I.G.A. Foodliner, Hedge’s Nine-Mile-Point Hotel, and Kittelberger Florist. Other familiar names (but not there any longer) were Bill Gray’s Stand, Burke’s Barber Shop and Lipinski Brothers Hardware. I’m sure there are plenty more that others would recognize, but I haven’t been in Webster that long.

Finally, I learned the Webster Alma Mater. I wonder why we don’t sing it anymore? It goes like this:

Where the Ridge Road forms a border
For the lake and sky,
Proudly stands our Alma Mater,
Dear old Webster High.

Flag of WHS, float for aye,
Old Webster High, o’er thee;
May thy sons be leal and loyal
To thy memory.

When the evening twilight deepens,
And the shadows fall,
Lingers long the golden sunset
On thy western wall.

On second thought, I know why we don’t sing it anymore.

****

(editorial note: apparently I spoke too soon. I got an email from Tom Pellett, president of the Webster Museum, who wrote that the alma mater is indeed still sung. He wrote:

Each year at the Webster High Alumni Banquet we close by singing the alma mater …. The tune is the same as Cornell’s and was written, I believe, by Wallace Rayfield back in the early 1900s. The “Webster High” Alumni ends with the class of 1962 as the following year (1963) was the first year of R. L. Thomas High. As you can imagine, the group shrinks a bit every year. 

So thank you to Kathy Hertzel for asking her question about R.L. Thomas and leading me down that rabbit hole.

I was actually able to answer her question from personal experience.

I began my WCSD career at Webster Thomas in Sept. 2001. Willink Middle School opened that year and Thomas became the district’s second high school. I remember sitting in the staff orientation meeting on the first day and listening to Superintendent Strining speak. Because there were now two separate but equal high schools in the district, he said, we were to recognize that both were part of the same district and start referring to them “Webster Schroeder” and “Webster Thomas.” 

That’s where it began.

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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 “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 9/26/2023)

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Webster community mailbag

22 Sep

Our first notice today comes from the Webster CSD.

If you have any questions or concerns about the upcoming Building our Future Capital Project vote, the district is holding a community forum thcis week. According to the district, “the $85 million project focuses on providing a safe educational environment for all students with zero tax impact for district residents.”  

Community members are invited to a forum this Thursday, September 28, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Webster Thomas High School library, 800 Five Mile Line Road.

Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more – and ask questions – about Building Our Future, including planned upgrades at all 11 schools. The Building Our Future capital project vote will take place Wednesday, Oct. 11 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Webster Schroeder High School.

This very special event from Webster Comfort Care Home.

Community members are cordially invited to a Celebration of Remembrance on Tuesday evening Oct. 3, where you can light a luminaria in honor or memory of your loved one(s).

Luminarias can be purchased for $10 each and will benefit the Webster Comfort Care Home in its mission to provide no-cost, compassionate care to the terminally ill and their families.

The Celebration of Remembrance will be held at the Comfort Care Home, 700 Holt Rd., from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday Oct. 3. Rain date will be Oct. 5.

I attended a recent Women’s Club of Webster luncheon recently (you’ll be reading more about them and the great things they do later), and came away with news of two upcoming events.

Their annual Card/Game Party “Fun-Raiser” has been scheduled for Tuesday Nov. 7 at Glendoveers on Old Browncroft Rd.

This always fun social event begins at 10 a.m. with coffee and danish, followed bya buffet luncheon at 12:30 p.m. The games themselves will be played from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day includes 50/50 drawings and lots of beautiful basket raffles. A cash bar will also be available.

Tickets cost $40. Checks should be made out to the Women’s Club of Webster and mailed to Diane Miller, 428 Seneca Park Ave., Rochester, 14617. Deadline to order tickets is Nov. 1.

And… if you’re a regular blood donor, you’ll be glad to hear that the Women’s Club of Webster will be providing the canteen cookies at the blood drive scheduled for Wednesday Oct. 11 from noon to 7 p.m. at the Webster Firemen’s Building, 172 Sanford Street.

Appointments are not required. Donors should feel free to just drop in. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 1-800-RED-CROS (1-800-733-2767).

The next Friends of the Webster Public Library Book Sale is just around the corner, Oct. 18 through 21. Here’s the announcement:

Find plenty of treasures for your mind at astoundingly low prices during the Webster Public Library Fall Book Sale. Gently used hardcover books will be available for $1, paperback books for $.50!

Members of the Friends of the Webster Public Library can visit Wednesday, Oct. 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. for a first look. Membership in the Friends of the Webster Public Library is required and can be purchased at the door.

The general public sale will be Thursday, Oct. 19 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday Oct. 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday Oct. 21 from 10 a.m. to noon. Friday and Saturday are BYOB Sale Days — bring your own bag, fill it with gently used books for only $5!

The sale will be held at the library, 980 Ridge Rd. Proceeds from the fall book sale directly benefit library programs, book collections and other special projects.

Also, remember that the very clever “Caps for Sale” fundraiser is coming up in November, and donations are hand-made caps are being accepted now.

The fundraiser is based on the popular children’s book of the same name, in which Bartholomew Cubbins had 500 hats. Right now, the library is collecting yarn for crafty people to turn into hats, and asking crafty people to make hats for the sale. Any size (infant to adult), any style, any technique (knit, crochet, felt, woven, felt, sewn), with any fiber (machine washable is appreciated, please include care information) will be accepted. If you can donate yarn or hats, you can drop them off at the library service desk during September and October.

The actual Caps for Sale fundraiser event will be November 2 from 5 to 7 pm and Saturday Nov 4 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the library. Adult hats will be $15 and children’s hats will be $10. Any unsold hats will be donated to Webster NY Hope and other charities.

Finally (at the risk of making this a very library-centric mailbag), click the flyer to see what kind of fun stuff they have coming up in the next few weeks.

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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 “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 9/22/2023)

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SchROder or SchRAYder?

21 Sep

It’s an issue many of us have encountered. How do you properly pronounce the name of Webster Schroeder High School?

I thought the question had been decided long ago; the proper pronunciation, as far as I knew, is “SchRAYder” with the long A. “SchROder,” I’ve always told people, is the name of the piano player in the Charlie Brown Christmas special.

But apparently it’s still an issue for some. Several days ago I got an email from Sandy Leary, who wrote that during a recent trip to Wegmans, she overheard some staff members chatting about how to pronounce the school’s name. She suggested I put the question out to my readers to determine the definitive answer.

Not surprisingly, my post attracted a LOT of attention, which tells me what a hot-button issue this really is. I heard from alums, current and retired teachers, parents of kids who attended Schroeder, and even someone who competed in sports against Schroeder many years ago. As of yesterday, I had received 111 comments. Only FOUR of them said the name should be pronounced “SchROder.”

Everyone was very firm in their convictions, for one reason or another. Much of the discussion revolved around the name’s spelling, which apparently comes from German roots. Diana M. pointed out that the umlaut over the O makes it sound like an A in German. Rosele W. agreed that SchRAYder is the German pronunciation, adding that her maiden name, Boehmer (pronounced Baymer) is similar.

My teacher friend Pat injected a little English rule of law, reminding everyone that “when two vowels go a-walkin’, the first one does the talkin’,” adding, “Except in Webster, it doesn’t!”

Most of the responses, however, were less about phonology and more about personal experience, basically saying that, “it’s always been SchRAYder since I/my kids went there.”

Others pointed out that during a sports contest, the cheerleaders pronounce it “SchRAYder,” and TV news stations do the same when they report on a story from the high school. Cathy A. wrote that she once asked the folks in the front office, who also confirmed the “SchRAYder” pronunciation.

Finally, I think the most definitive comment came from our friends at the Webster Museum, who confirmed that, “Herbert W. Schroeder, who the school was named for, pronounced his last name SchRAYder.”

Case closed.

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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 “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 9/21/2023)

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Webster Theatre Guild presents Oklahoma!

16 Sep

After not staging a musical last fall due to scheduling issues, the Webster Theatre Guild is back, and will be presenting Oklahoma!, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical, in six performances at the end of September and beginning of October.

Oklahoma! is the first musical written by the prolific duo. Set in rural Oklahoma, the musical tells the story of a farm girl and her courtship by two rival suitors, a cocky cowboy and an obsessed farmhand. It’s filled with catchy tunes, high-stepping dance, laughs and a breezy story.

More than 30 cast members, plus another dozen on the production crew, have been working since early August to put the show together. There have been some challenges; August rehearsals meant working around summer vacations, the Fringe Festival is presenting some conflicts, and a recent rehearsal had to move from Thomas High School to Willink to accommodate an open house.

But we’re talking about the Webster Theatre Guild, truly a community theater company, where everyone comes together to make things happen.

The composition of the cast itself is a great illustration of how much this organization reflects the Webster community. Among the company are Webster teachers, an attorney, a nurse, and a Wegmans employee. There are high school students and retirees. Mother and daughter Andrea and Anika Peterson are on stage together, as are three members of the Holcomb family.

For a few of the actors, this is their very first show, or the first time on stage in 20 years. Like Al Killenbeck, who after starring in Oklahoma! several decades ago with the Webster Theatre Guild, has returned as a member of the ensemble.

The Webster Central School District has been especially supportive this year, finding the time between school productions and extracurricular activities for the WTG to stage their musical. The district even got audition information out to students before the end of last school year. Thanks to that push, five Webster Schroeder and Thomas students are part of the production, four of them under the age of 18.

Oklahoma! will be presented in six performances:

  • Friday Sept. 29, 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday Sept. 30, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
  • Friday Oct. 6, 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday Oct. 7, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

All shows will be held at Webster Thomas High School, 800 Five Mile Line Rd. Tickets are $20, plus $2 transaction fee if ordered online), and are reserve seating. Tickets will also be available at the door. Click here for tickets.

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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 “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 9/16/2023)

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You can help students discover the joy of writing

11 Sep

I kind of like to write.

It’s basically my hobby. I have fun doing it, I’m kinda good at it, and the skills I’ve developed over the years have led to good jobs and success in those jobs. I attribute all of that to my parents and teachers who encouraged me to write as much and as often as possible.

And that’s why, when I heard about an opportunity to help young people improve their writing skills and find out that writing can actually be FUN, I jumped at the chance.

It’s a Pen-Pal Program sponsored by Webster Parks and Recreation for people 55+. You can read about it it the flyer, but this is what it says:

Remember the old days when you used to write letters? Join the Webster 55+ folks and the Autumn Lane second graders as we become pen-pals.

Sign up and you will be assigned a second-grade student to write a letter to each month. Then in May, we will take a trip to Autumn Lane to meet your pen-pal in person!

You must be committed to this program for an entire year.

Autumn Lane Elementary School is on Maiden Lane in Greece.

The program will run from October 2023 through May 2024. To register, visit the Webster Parks and Recreation website and search for activity #346905. Or call the Rec Center at (585) 872-7103. There’s no cost, just your commitment to help some students fall in love with writing.

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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 “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 9/11/2023)

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Webster community mailbag

17 Aug

Summer is quickly winding down, but the number of special events happening in these last weeks of the season have not slowed one bit.

Of course, one of the biggest events of the Webster year takes place this weekend, Friday and Saturday Aug. 18 and 19. It’s the Webster Jazz Festival, which for the last 17 years has brought some amazing jazz musicians to entertain us in the pubs and on West Main St.

The event kicks off with Music in the Pubs on Friday evening when six different bands are scheduled to perform at six different village pubs and restaurants, with staggered start times, so you can visit visit several (or all) of the venues for a drink and a bite to eat, and enjoy as many bands as you like.

The music continues Saturday night when jazz takes to the street. Beginning at 4 p.m., an outstanding lineup of entertainers will take to the big West Main Street stage, featuring musicians from around Rochester and Upstate. Bring some folding chairs and enjoy music all evening long. It looks like the weather will be perfect.

Click here to see my previous blog which includes the complete line-up of entertainers, or visit websterbid.com. You can also see a whole gallery of photos from last year’s Jazz Festival here.

The Webster Marching Band Boosters’ next Food Truck Rodeo is scheduled for Friday August 25 from 4 to 8 p.m at Webster Fireman’s Field.

The Marching Band Boosters sponsor various fundraising events throughout the year to help pay for the Webster Marching Band’s equipment, show productions, and competition-related trip expenses.

More than a dozen food trucks will be on hand, including The Meatball Truck, Roc City Sammich, Rob’s Kabobs, Kona Ice, Eat Greek, Chefs, ROCDilla, The Beer Wagon, Al Dente, Bay Vista Taqueria, Bruster’s, Mr. Squeeze and the Melt Truck.

There will also be face painting for the kids. (Clip the coupon from the poster.) Admittance to the rodeo is FREE, and all proceeds from the food trucks will benefit the Marching Band Boosters and Webster Marching Band members.

Webster NY Hope, in partnership with the Webster Public Library, is hosting a school-supply drive to help our local students have what they need to start the school year off strong.

Supplies are being collected at the Webster Public Library, 980 Ridge Rd., and will be distributed at Webster Hope’s Back-to-School Night on Tuesday Aug. 29.

Enlarge the flyer to see what supplies are being requested.

Also happening soon at Webster Hope: their annual garage sale, scheduled for Sept. 13 to 16 at 1450 Ridge Rd. This is always a huge sale, so make sure to put it on your calendar.

Speaking of garage sales, here’s a final reminder to drop off your donations for the upcoming Webster Museum Barn Sale, scheduled for Sept. 14 to 16 at 394 Phillips Rd.

The barn doors are open, and community members are invited to stop by anytime to drop off donations. Just head down the driveway to the barns, and donations can be left inside. Donation receipts are on the table. Although you can donate any day, museum volunteers are on site Monday mornings if you would like assistance unloading your donations.

Donations will only be accepted through Monday Sept. 4 (Labor Day) so museum volunteers will have plenty of time to get everything ready for the 14th.

Acceptable items include antiques, collections and collectibles, kitchen and household items, décor, small appliances, toys, tools, and small furniture. What CANNOT be accepted include books or magazines, computers, clothing, linens, baby cribs or car seats, large furniture, snow skis or water skis, large exercise equipment, audio or video tapes (VHS tapes, music cassettes, etc), or entertainment electronics, (TVs, stereos, DVD players, etc).  

I’ll be highlighting the barn sale again as it draws closer. But in the meantime, get those donations … un … donated!

Looking forward to September, the annual Webster Rocks ALS music festival is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 9 at Firemen’s Field.

The festival is held to raise awareness for ALS in memory of Kacie Jones, a longtime employee of the Coach/Rubino’s, who passed away from ALS at 31 years old, less than two years after he was diagnosed. Proceeds will benefit organizations that fight to change the standard of case and empower people with ALS. (Visit www.healingals.org or www.teamgleason.org for more information.)

The festival will be held on Saturday Sept. 9 at the Webster Firemen’s Field on Ridge Rd. There’ll be food trucks and plenty of liquid refreshment. Doors open at 2 p.m. and an incredible music line-up starts at 3 p.m., featuring Anthony Blood, State Line, Brass Taxi, Dial Up and M80s. (Check the Facebook event page for more details about the schedule.)

Tickets are $20 in advance (available from the Coach Sports Bar, 19 W. Main in Webster) and at Eventbrite (but they charge fees, so stop by the Coach to save money). Cost is $25 the day of the festival. Admission is free for ages 12 and under.

If you can’t get enough music, here’s another FREE concert taking place that same day, Saturday Sept. 9 at Gazebo Park on North Ave.

It’s the second annual RHB St. Jude Benefit Concert, which this year features not just your hosts, the Red Hot and Blue Band, but also Sarah De Vallière, The M-T-V Jam Band (Moore Tyrrel and Vaughan) and The Tug Hill Band. Pub 235, Guida’s Pizza and Terry’s Tips And Beef will also be there with some great food.

This concert is becoming an annual event to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, in honor of September being Child Cancer Awareness Month. The bands start performing at 1 p.m., and admission is free, but donations in any amount will be gratefully accepted throughout the show.

Those special events are just the tip of the September-entertainment iceberg. Here’s a quick look at several other events you’ll want to get on your calendar. I’ll provide more details in future blogs, so stay tuned.

  • Saturday and Sunday Sept. 9 and 10: Webster Garlic Fest at the Webster Recreation Center. Click here for more information.
  • Monday Sept. 11: Village of Webster 9/11 ceremony, featuring the Webster Village Band. Ceremony begins at 6 p.m. at Gazebo Park on North Ave.
  • Friday and Saturday Sept. 15 and 16: Oktoberfest to benefit Challenger Miracle Field. Click here for more information.
  • Sept. 16 to 24: Miracle Field Week, with several events to benefit Challenger Miracle Field, including the Oktoberfest (see above), a concert by the Zac Brown Tribute Band, a corn hole tournament, and more. Details here.
  • Saturday, Sept. 16: The Webster Community Bed Races. Click here for more information.
  • Saturday Sept. 23: Third annual Mud Run at the Webster Recreation Center. Read more about it in this blog. I WILL be there.

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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 “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 8/17/2023)

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Webster community mailbag

8 Aug

I’m going to lead today’s mailbag with an event I only just learned about myself when I was reading through the Town’s Webster This Week newsletter.

It’s the Water Lantern Festival, being held this Saturday Aug. 12 at Charles Sexton Memorial Park (formerly North Ponds). It’s one of hundreds of similar festivals held world-wide every year by an organization called One World Lantern Festival, which describes it as:

an incredible experience where thousands of family, friends, and strangers celebrate life together. Water Lantern Festival brings together individuals from all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life to join in one emotional and memorable night. You’ll cherish these moments as you witness the beauty of thousands of lanterns and the lights reflecting upon the water.

Participants design their own lanterns, and are invited to inscribe their “hopes and dreams, or a letter to a loved one,” or any other meaningful message, and then send them floating out onto the water. I imagine the scene of countless illuminated lanterns floating on the pond will be spectacular.

Webster’s Water Lantern Festival will begin at 6 p.m. with food trucks, music and activities. Lantern designing begins at 8:30 p.m. and launch is from 9 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $26.98 (plus processing fees and taxes) and include a lantern kit, a commemorative drawstring bag, playing cards, conversation cards and access to the food trucks and music. IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING, you should get your tickets by Wednesday Aug. 9, because the price goes up after that to $45.99 and even higher on the day of the event.

Click here for more information about the festival and ticket options.

The Village of Webster’s next and last-one-of-the-summer Family Games Night is this Friday Aug. 11 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Gazebo Park on North Ave. These great — and totally free — family events feature giant games, sidewalk chalk, great food and drink, and Dancing With Denise. Come for just a short time, come for the entire event; you and your kids will have a blast.

Remember to visit the Webster BID website regularly to keep up to date on village events.

Webster NY Hope has published this month’s wish list, which includes:

  • toothbrushes
  • toilet paper
  • pasta
  • cooking oil
  • towels (used or new)
  • socks for all ages
  • underwear for all ages
  • queen sheets

Items can be dropped off at Webster Hope, 1450 Ridge Rd., during their normal operating hours, Monday from 5 to 7 p.m., Tuesday from 10 a.m. to noon, Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m.

The Webster Marching Band‘s next Bottle and Can Drive happens this Saturday Aug. 12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. All you have to do is place those bags outside your house or at the end of the driveway, with a little note indicating they’re for the band, and they’ll be whisked away for a good cause.

Or, if you plan to be out and about on Saturday, you can drop them off at the collection site, Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Road, by 3 p.m.

OR, you can call the Bottle and Can Hotline (234-8684, option 1) ANYTIME to arrange a pickup at a time convenient for you.

The United Church of Christ‘s last Caring Community Concert of the summer takes place this Wednesday Aug. 9 when 8 Days a Week performs.

These concerts benefit local nonprofit organizations. There’s no admission, but each week the church collects a free-will offering benefiting that week’s chosen non-profit organization. This week’s concert will benefit the Friends of Webster Trails.  

The concerts all begin at 6:30 p.m., and food concessions begin at 6. The concerts are held on the United Church of Christ front lawn, at 570 Klem Rd. (In case of rain it’s moved indoors.)

Finally, looking ahead, these two events take place in a few weeks:

The Steam Police will sponsor a blood drive in the Spry Middle School cafeteria on Friday Aug. 18 from 1 to 6 p.m. There’ll be food, drinks, t-shirts, raffle prizes, and a whole lot of gratitude.

For an appointment (always a good idea), visit redcrossblood.org and use the keyword “SPRYMS” or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

An electronics recycling event is scheduled for Saturday Aug. 19 on the Xerox campus off of Orchard St. (near the Rec Center). TICKETS ARE REQUIRED for this event, and you can sign up here for the time slot you want.

Some slots are already booked up, so sign up soon.

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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 “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 8/8/2023)

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New kindergartners invited to Strive for Five

12 Jul

The beginning of the new school year is coming fast, so before long we’ll be thinking about buying supplies, getting up early again, and catching the bus.

For our youngest students, getting on a big school bus on that first day of school can be a little scary. A great program called Strive for Five for School Bus Safety helps allay some of those fears.

The program, now in its 16th year, is designed for 2023/24 incoming kindergartners. It gives children a chance to become familiar with school buses and learn important safety procedures.

New kindergartners (no additional children please) and their parents/guardians will be picked up at Willink Middle School, 900 Publisher’s Parkway. Buses will depart promptly at 6 p.m. and families will be transported to the bus garage at 1000 Document Drive for a fun and informative safety program, then ride the buses again back to Willink.

While at the bus garage, students will rotate through stations teaching them important safety elements, including:

  • Loading and unloading the bus
  • Proper crossing procedures
  • Danger zones surrounding the bus
  • Appropriate behavior on the bus
  • Emergency equipment/evacuation

Families are asked to attend the evening assigned to their particular school, as indicated below, if at all possible. If you can’t make your assigned evening, you can come on another, but the district really likes to spread everyone out as much as possible.

August 7 – Plank South
August 8 – Klem South and Dewitt
August 9 – Klem North and Schlegel
August 10 – Plank North and State

Private and parochial students residing in the Webster Central School District can attend any one of the four dates.

The program will be held outside and will take place rain or shine.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram (@missyblog)

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(posted 7/12/2023)

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The last of the Hegedorn’s ceiling tiles have found homes

30 Jun
Kerri Goodman
Dave Grabowski
Chris DeBuck

Webster has said its last, sad goodbyes to Hegedorn’s Market, but at least a small part of our hometown grocery will live on for much longer.

Regular blog readers have been following the story of the colorfully-painted ceiling tiles that for more than 30 years hung above Hegedorn’s check-out area. When the decision was made to close the store, Produce Manager Fred Palmer took it upon himself to make sure the panels were not only saved, but returned to the students who painted them all those years ago.

Thanks in large part to word spreading through social media, more than half of the 32 tiles were claimed, and Fred took photos of the artists with their panels when they came to pick them up (you can see many of those photos above and at the end of the blog). By the store’s closing day, 15 tiles remained unclaimed.

But even they have found homes.

Eight of the final 15 tiles have been donated to the Webster Public Library, where they’re currently on display. Library Director Adam Traub was very excited to adopt some of the tiles, saying,

Hegedorn’s has been a staple of the Webster community for generations; the Webster Public Library would like to thank Hegedorn’s for their contributions to this community by saving a piece of that history to share with generations to come. The tiles will be on display this summer in the main library (between Biographies and Graphic Novels), then hopefully find a permanent home in the ceiling of the children’s room.

This is actually a fitting end for some of the tiles since Adam and his classmate Greg Smalter created one of them.

The remaining seven tiles have been given to the Webster Museum. Museum Director Tom Pellett told me they’re considering installing several of them in the ceiling and/or walls of the toy room alcove.

He wrote, “We feel this is an important part of Webster. Not only because of Hegedorn’s history but also a reminder of the students who created them and Jack Morse, the art teacher who guided the project.”

Thank you to everyone who shared the blog and Facebook posts and helped find homes for these important pieces of Hegedorn’s — and Webster’s — history.

Here are more photos of the artists with their reclaimed ceiling tiles:

Ryan Johnson’s mom
Carrie (Frank) Swain
Brad Francis
Adam Benfante
Santina Beachner
Erin Cantaben’s Dad
Webster Library Director Adam Traub

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 6/30/2023)

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