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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)

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(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)

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 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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The horror movie that was filmed at Spry

21 Jun

Not long ago I heard a very interesting little bit of trivia about Spry Middle School: back in 1981, a low-budget horror movie was filmed there.

The movie is called Fear No Evil, and was produced by Frank LaLoggia. The story tells of an 18-year old high school student who appears to be human, but is actually the incarnation of Satan. Two archangels are sent from heaven to stop him before his evil takes over the world.

Several scenes were filmed in the school’s hallways, classrooms and gymnasium, in addition to exterior shots. The screenshots below are from the movie trailers.

The R-rated movie gets mixed reviews (not surprising for a low-budget thriller), like this one posted on IMDb:

It is definitely ambitious for a low budget feature and falls into the M.S.U. (Makin’ Stuff Up) genre perfectly. It is almost like director Frank LaLoggia had two half finished scripts and threw them together. … The high school scenes are really funny, like LaLoggia had no sense at all how people behaved in school.

Another review says the film has a “good premise” and is “well plotted,” but with “over-the-top acting, laughable special effects and a disappointing finale.” Both reviews agree, however, that it has a good soundtrack.

It must not be too awful, though; in 1982 it won a Saturn Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, for Best Low-Budget Film. This was the same year that Harrison Ford and Karen Allen won awards for best actor and actress, for Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Director Frank LaLoggia is a Webster native. Fear No Evil is the first of three movies he directed, the best-known of which is probably Lady in White (1988), inspired by the ghost story of the Lady in White at Durand Eastman Park. He’s also acted in several movies and sitcoms.

And here’s something else fun: click here to see when Spry was very briefly featured on Saturday Night Live.

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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 6/21/2023)

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A garden grows at Thomas

16 Jun

One of the spacious courtyards at Webster Thomas High School has come alive with flowers, plants, bees and birds, thanks to hard work by the Webster Thomas Earth Club, and the Thomas community.

Back in January, Maia Sutherland, a member of Earth Club, suggested creating a garden somewhere at the school. The Earth Club could sponsor, build and maintain it, and it would be a nice outdoor area for students to enjoy. Two of the school’s three large courtyards were already being frequented by students; one has an outdoor stage, the other a gazebo. So the club decided to put the gardens in the remaining courtyard, which is the smallest of the three, and rarely used.

Earth Club president Ben Verplank remembers that at the time, the club was beginning to plan a school-wide Earth Week celebration, so the garden project was put on the back burner. The week-long event, held in April, was a huge undertaking, including fund-raising events, dress-up theme days, a houseplant workshop and a thrift fair. At the end of the busy week, club advisor Melanie Drury suggested the students take a bit of a break. Maybe a week or two of not actually planning something would help the club recharge.

Verplank had other ideas. “On Monday Ben came in and said, ‘I’ve designed the whole garden,'” Drury said. About a month later, after a lot of hard work and not a little sweat and grime, the sketched-out plans became a reality.

The completed garden is actually two separate beds, together encompassing perhaps 500 or 600 square feet. They hold more than two dozen different kinds of plants — tall grasses, hardy perennials, bushes, young trees, milkweed, roses, lilacs, chrysanthemums, lamb’s ear and many more. There are two benches, both built by the district’s GeoTech class, a bee house and some birdhouses. Many of the plants and building materials were purchased with money raised at fundraising events, but many others were donated.

While the gardens were originally proposed and planned by the Earth Club, their completion has really been a Webster Thomas team effort. Earth Club members, of course, took the lead, but they were assisted by other students, some of whom pitched in as part of a post-AP exam community service project required by science AP Environmental teacher Jaret Schug.

“That really helped motivate people,” Ben said. Everyone volunteered at least three times to fulfill the terms of the project, “but by the end of it people just wanted to be outside and enjoy making the garden.”

“There were days when they were working out there in the pouring rain, and when it was super hot,” Drury added.

Staff members donated more than half of the plantings, and have volunteered to make sure the gardens are watered over the summer. Art students have painted two fanciful planters, which have been placed next to one of the benches. So basically, from the very beginning, the gardens have been, and still are, a true Webster Thomas community effort.

Students have already begun using the space, finding it a more reflective environment than the other two busier courtyards. Teachers in the classrooms surrounding the space have been very supportive, one even asking if it could be expanded next year down closer to her room.

Several Earth Club members are heading off to college next year, but they’re still thinking ahead to how the gardens can be improved and expanded.

“Next fall Mrs. Drury and Earth Club are going to plant tulip bulbs,” Verplank said, and they’d like to ask GeoTech to make a few more benches. The hope is that eventually the grassy area between the two garden beds can be used as an outdoor classroom.

In the meantime, though, Thomas students and staff members have had a quiet place to relax during these last few stressful weeks of the school year.

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(posted 6/16/2023)

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