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Webster High School Class of ’87 will hold 30th reunion

1 Jul

unnamedPlans are coming together for the Webster High School Class of 1987’s 30th reunion, scheduled for the weekend of August 5 and 6.

This event is unlike pretty much every other reunion I’ve heard of (and even my own reunions) in that in addition to partying with former classmates, organizers are also encouraging former teachers to attend the event.

Here are the details:

  • Saturday, August 5 at 6:30 PM
  • RIT Inn and Conference Centre.
  • Price: $60.00 per person, includes buffet dinner, DJ and photographer.

The following day, everyone is invited on a tour of the RL Thomas building beginning at 11 a.m. If you haven’t been in there recently, you’re going to be amazed at the changes (I’ve worked there for most of the last 16 years). After the tour, there’ll be a picnic at Webster Park (please bring a dish to pass).

As an interesting side note, I first heard about the reunion from Mark Kopf, who is currently living and working in Nelson, New Zealand. It was actually Mark’s idea to invite teachers to the festivities. He’s been working with reunion organizer Laura Fisher-Hepburn and former teacher Pat Moriarty to try get the word out to former faculty members. (Mr. Moriarty, you might remember, was a science teacher at Spry before joining the staff at Thomas High.)

They could use some help. Start spreading the word on Facebook, especially if you are still in contact with students or teachers from back then. If you’re not already a member, you should also join the class Facebook page for more information and updates.

Then dig out those yearbooks, kids!

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Webster Tuesday mailbag

27 Jun

mailbagHere are a few community notes of interest.

Webster Brownie Troop Makes Blankets for Children in Need

Webster Girl Scout Brownie troop 60392 recently made knotted fleece blankets to donate to Project Linus, which then distributes them to children who are critically ill, have been traumatized, or are experiencing another form of need.

The 11 third-graders from Plank South Elementary made this a featured part of a sleepover event. They then donated them to Project Linus through Cafe Sewciety Quilts on Empire Blvd.

Troop 60392 Blankets

Pictured in the photo (from bottom left clockwise) are Megan Kelly, Ella Ellsworth, Kate Sayers, Becca, Dolan, Gianna DeMarco, Sophia Hachee, Olivia Salafia, Ashley Huss, and Avarie Chalachan. Not pictured: Mackenzie Mihalitsas and McKenna Simmons.

Webster Marching Band Boosters Host Food Truck Rodeo

The Webster Marching Band Boosters have announced their second annual Food Truck Rodeo, scheduled for Friday July 21 from 5 to 9 pm in Webster Schroeder High School’s front parking lot.

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.

Eleven food trucks have already signed on for the event, including Macarollin, Tuscan Wood Fired Pizza, Rob’s Kabobs, The Meatball Truck Co., Midnight Smokin’ BBQ, Meat the Press, Le Petit Poutine, WingNutz, Abbott’s Frozen Custard, Kona Ice, and Smoothies Plus.

There will also be face painting for the kids, a visit by a West Webster Fire Department truck, and live music provided by the Aaron Rizzo Trio. 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 Schroeder High School is located at 875 Ridge Road.

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St. Rita Girl Scouts help fight cancer

24 Jun

CURE check A

St. Rita Girl Scouts went above and beyond this school year in raising money for the CURE Childhood Cancer Association.

Students are assigned to either the Blue or Gold Team when they start school. Then throughout the year they’re asked to bring in change to put in either the blue or gold jar. They brought in anywhere from a penny to $100. (P.S. Gold won.)

The fifth grade Girl Scouts raised more than $1700 for the organization.

A representative from CURE came to the school last week for the check presentation.

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St. Martin Lutheran Church announces new Eagle Scout

20 Jun

 

eagleBoy Scout Troop 110, sponsored by St. Martin Lutheran Church in Webster, has proudly announced that Caleb Stamler has earned the rank of Eagle Scout.

Caleb’s impressive Eagle Project involved building three trail-head kiosks for Abraham Lincoln Park on Empire Boulevard. Coordination with the county was imperative to logistically complete the project. With the help of many others, he brought two of the kiosks down on the trail, both along intersections of the yellow and white trails, and cemented them in. He also re-marked the main (white) trail.

Caleb devoted 216 hours to finish the project last October, with help from 19 adults and 17 youth.

Caleb will be a junior at Webster Schroeder High School this fall. Besides holding the Senior Patrol position at Troop 110, he has been actively involved with the West Webster Fire Department for over 10 years, the last two as an Explorer. Last year he was elected captain of the post. In August, 2016, he also joined Penfield Volunteer Emergency Ambulance as an Explorer. He had his Bar Mitzvah in the spring of 2014 and worked for almost a year learning to speak and read Hebrew.

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It’s summer in the village

17 Jun

 

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The Webster Schroeder Jazz Ensemble was one of three bands to play Friday night. 

It shouldn’t have come as any surprise to me that the Friday night concert series in Gazebo Park was starting up last night, but it did.

My husband and I were trying out the fish fry at the “new” Webster Hots Friday night (it was great) and while we were chatting with the owner, he told us about the concert, which featured three high school jazz bands. So after dinner we strolled to the park to check it out.

It was an incredibly perfect evening to sit outside and listen to music. After the Webster Thomas Jazz Band finished, we even went home quickly to grab our quad chairs, returning just in time to enjoy some of the Penfield Jazz Band’s set, and then the entire performance by the Webster Schroeder Jazz Ensemble.

As we always do at these concerts, we saw lots of our friends and neighbors there, which made the evening even more enjoyable.

The concert was the first in the village’s Friday Night Concerts series. The rest of the schedule looks like this:

  • June 30: Claudia Hoyser Acoustic Duo (country)
  • July 7: Burnt Cane (tropical)
  • July 28: The Ryan Johnson Project (fusion)
  • August 4: Rochester Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra
  • August 11: Rochester Brass & Electric

All concerts begin at 7 pm in Gazebo Park on North Avenue.

Also coming up this summer in the village are the Movies in the Park (kids’ movies on Tuesdays and two “date night” movies on Saturdays), the annual two-day Webster Jazz Fest on July 21 and 22, and the next Wine Walk on August 12. Stay tuned for more details about them in the coming weeks. More details about them all can be found at http://websterbid.com/.

Let the summer begin!!!!!

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Crowds for the first Friday Night Concert were pretty good thanks in part to the gorgeous weather

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Webster Hots has new owners

14 Jun
Mutschlers

Webster Hots’ new owners Kelly and Bill Mutschler, with their son Aidan.

Have you driven down Webster’s East Main Street lately?

Lately it’s been looking like a ghost town, with more “For Rent” signs than “Open for Business” signs in the storefront windows. Aside from the fact there’s usually a lot of good parking spaces available, there seem to be fewer reasons every day to head down there.

Bill and Kelly Mutschler, the new owners of Webster Hots, want to change that.

The Webster residents took ownership of the restaurant just a few weeks ago. For Bill, who was looking for a career change, it was the culmination of a long-time dream to open his own small business in Webster. When he and Kelly, found out that Webster Hots was for sale, they jumped on the opportunity.

Bill and Kelly decided to keep the name Webster Hots because that’s what people have come to know. But they readily admit they’re fighting against the negative reputation hots places can sometimes have of being small, and dark and catering to the young, late-night crowd who only want plates.

They want to be known for more than just plates. But don’t get them wrong. “I think our plates are really good,” Bill said, made better in that they make their hot sauce and mac salad on site. But he points out that their menu features so much more.

There are burgers and dogs, of course. But there are also plenty of sandwiches, wraps, appetizers, and even a beer-battered fish fry. Plus, they’re already planning to expand that menu, adding more options for kids, among other things.  And it’s all served in a bright, spacious environment.

Then there’s the ice cream. “The village has been missing ice cream since Hank’s left,” Bill noted, so the Mutschlers know how important it was to bring it back. They’re especially proud to have been able to contract with Purity Ice Cream, a very well-known and highly respected shop in Ithaca. (And if the sea salt caramel is any indication, it’s pretty fantastic.)

As Webster residents, Bill and Kelly are already involved with the village, but now they want to make sure that community connection also extends to their new business. They’re hoping especially to build stronger ties with the high schools, and start hanging photos of local sports teams and businesses. You can also expect to see them getting involved with village events like the Wine Walks and the Jazz Fest.

So when you walk into the new Webster Hots, you actually won’t see many differences … yet. But rest assured that now that Bill and Kelly Mutschler are at the helm, Webster Hots is stronger than ever, a great family spot for lunch or dinner, and will definitely help revitalize East Main Street.

Webster Hots is located at 55 East Main Street in the village of Webster. Connect with them on Facebook and call (585) 265-0824. 

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insideWH storefront

 

 

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Webster mailbag

9 Jun

Just a few notes in the mailbag today. I haven’t been getting a whole lot of press releases lately from local organizations about their upcoming events. I know there’s a lot going on, but if I don’t find out about them until I see a sign about them a day ahead of time, there’s not much I can do!

If your group or club has a special event or fundraiser coming up, and you want some help publicizing it, PLEASE send me an email about it!!

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This Sunday June 11, the The Webster Fairport Elks are having a Flag Day Ritual commemorating all the American flags used in our history, about 10 in all. It’s a great way of educating our youth in patriotism while also giving the opportunity for merit badges.

All Webster residents are invited free of charge. The ceremony will be held at the Elks Lodge, 1066 Jackson Road, beginning at noon on Sunday June 11. It will be about 35 minutes long, and a light lunch will follow.

Please RSVP by email at paul@ontariorecycling.com.

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Klem Road North Elementary School has a new principal.

Laura Ballou web

Laura Ballou

The district recently announced that Laura Ballou, formerly Klem North’s assistant principal, has accepted the position of the school’s principal, effective July 1.  She will be taking over for Steve LaMonica, who was named the new director of physical education and athletics for Webster Thomas High School and Willink Middle School.

Ballou has served as the school’s assistant principal since July 2009. Prior to that, she was an elementary special education teacher in Weedsport CSD and an elementary teacher in West Irondequoit CSD. She also served as assistant principal for two elementary schools in the Katonah-Lewisboro CSD and district director of ESL before returning to the Rochester area to begin her work in Webster.

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And you thought the high school drama season was over.

Several students at Webster Schroeder High School will be closing out ther year with the school’s first-ever student-run play, Almost Maine.

The show, produced and directed by seniors Alaina Messineo and Sarah Smagala and managed by Ally Watson, will be staged just two days before graduation.

Almost, Maine is a romantic comedy created by John Cariani. Here’s a synopsis:

Welcome to Almost, Maine, a town that’s so far north, it’s almost not in the United States—it’s almost in Canada. And it almost doesn’t exist. Because its residents never got around to getting organized. So it’s just…Almost. One cold, clear Friday night in the middle of winter, while the northern lights hover in the sky above, Almost’s residents find themselves falling in and out of love in the strangest ways.

Webster Schroeder’s show features a cast of 21 students ranging from freshman to seniors as well as five members of the crew. It will be presented on Thursday and Friday, June 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m. at Webster Schroeder High School auditorium. Tickets cost $6 and can be purchased online at showtix4u.com or at the door. All seats are general admission.

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Webster Marching Band wants your bottles

8 Jun

WMB Logo

It’s time to clean out the garage.

If you’re like me, you have a huge garbage bag or two of returnables hanging out in your garage, awaiting your motivation to take them back to Wegmans or Hegedorns. Well, the Webster Marching Band will be happy to take them off your hands.

The band’s next Bottle and Can Drive happens this Saturday June 10 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 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 4 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.

BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE!

Along with the bottle and can drive, there will also be an electronics disposal event at the Schroeder parking lot from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

So while you’re gathering up all those returnables, throw some old electronics in a box and bring them along. The items accepted include desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, LCD monitors, laser printers (not ink-based) and networking equipment. Sorry, no TVs, CRT monitors or ink-based printers can be accepted.

Stay tuned for news of the Webster Marching Band’s next events, an Applebee’s pancake breakfast on July 17 and a food truck rodeo on July 21.

(Marching Band folks, you WILL be letting me know more about these, right?)

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Book battle at Plank North

2 Jun
Finalists

Gretchen Pulver, left, with this year’s Plank North Battle of the Books finalists.

Now these are the kinds of battles you WANT to hear about.

Plank North Elementary School just concluded its annual Battle of the Books, a two-month long weekly contest which pits students in each of the school’s fifth grade classes against one another in a challenge which tests the students’ knowledge of literature.

The students divide themselves up into three-or-four person teams and come up with fanciful team names like the “Moolalas,” “The Athletic Dabbers” and the “Undercover Gymnasts.” Then they try to become experts in the eight different books chosen for that year’s competition.

In each of the first three rounds, held during the classes’ normal library time, the teams are asked 16 questions — two from each book. The top scoring team from each class then moved on to the final round.

The entire Plank North fifth grade gathered in the school’s cafeteria Wednesday afternoon to watch the final battle and cheer on the teams — The READ-ATHLONS, Tropical Pineapples, Bookish Bunch and The Page Turners.

It was a tense contest. Gretchen Pulver, the school’s Library Media Specialist and the event’s organizer, said that she has never before seen the final scores so close.

In the end, the READ-ATHLONS came out on top with 49 points, winning the coveted trophy. The Tropical Pineapples and the Bookish Bunch tied for second with 46 points, and the Page Turners came in third with 43 points.

Plank North is just one of many schools in our district which hold this annual event. Kudos to the dedicated librarians who spend so much time organizing the battles and finding such a creative way to encourage our children to read and love books.

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THE READ-ATHLONS

This year’s Battle champions, the READ-ATHLONS. Clockwise from left: Analise Alexander, Alyssa Doody, Bizzie Baglieri, and Leah Marcell.

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Photos from Webster’s parade

29 May

 

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So the weather could have been a little bit better for Monday’s Memorial Day Parade, but it also could have been a whole lot worse.

This is the first year I can remember that we’ve had any kind of rain for the parade. But even this year it wasn’t too bad; a few sprinkles during the marching, and a shower during the ceremony at Webster Rural Cemetery. The crowds lining Main Street and Ridge Road were noticeably thinner this year, probably thanks to the threatening weather, but there were still plenty of onlookers. Many of them came prepared with umbrellas and pop-ups, or found space under some of the large trees that lined the route.

Despite the dampness, I didn’t hear any grumbling. I think we all realized that the men and women we were honoring had suffered much worse.

The only disappointing thing about the day was seeing how many people forgot to stand when the flag came by.

I’ve posted a few photos here, but there are plenty of more here in my gallery, including some from where everyone was lining up, through to the ceremony.

P. S., if you got any great photos which I can add to my gallery, please email them to missyblog@gmail.com.


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