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Making art with Peeps. You know you want to.

5 Mar

OK, I’ll put this right out there. I don’t like Peeps.

birdhouseYou know, I’m talking about those yellow marshmallow chicks and every other iteration of Peepdom that has since been introduced. I kind of put them in the same category as those faux-orange circus peanuts.

That being said, I’m REALLY looking forward to the second annual Greater Rochester Peep Show scheduled for April 8 and 9 at the Webster Recreation Center. (Not coincidentally, the week before Easter.) It’s a fundraiser for the Webster Community Chest, and while I didn’t go to it last year, I have seen pictures from the event and it is the CUTEST THING EVER.

Basically, show participants create dioramas and other works of art, incorporating Marshmallow Peeps candies. The results were creative and quite impressive. You can see a few photos here, but also visit the website to see a whole gallery.

But — and this is important — the show cannot happen without the artists.

Organizers have put out a call to families, clubs, Scout groups and local businesses to draw up some plans and come up with some spectacular Peeps creations to enter into the show. There’s no charge to enter and artwork will be returned if desired.

up-up-an-awayDisplays can be large or small, and every one of them will be exhibited at the show for the whole community to see and vote on. Prizes and ribbons will be awarded for those chosen by the public as the most popular. Check out the website for more information and inspiration, or email peepshow@frontier.com with questions.

The 2nd annual Greater Rochester Peep Show will be held on April 8 and 9 at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Drive. It will be great family fun, perfect for kids of all ages, and admission is free. Last year an estimated 2,000 people attended, and organizers hope to double that this year. That means they need a LOT of entrants.

Proceeds from the event will benefit several local nonprofit agencies including the Catholic Family Center, Dream Factory of Rochester, Heritage Christian Stables, Webster Museum, and National Multiple Sclerosis Society Upstate New York Chapter.

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peeps-at-work

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Pledge not to use the “R-word”

2 Mar

rword

I missed an important day yesterday. March 1 was officially the day to pledge to Spread the Word, to End the Word.

The “word” is the “R-word,” offensive enough that we don’t even like to write it, let alone say it out loud.  And a few days ago I received an email inviting me to log onto the R-Word.org website  and sign a pledge to stop using the word.

As the website explains,

The R-word is the word ‘retard(ed)’. Why does it hurt? The R-word hurts because it is exclusive. It’s offensive. It’s derogatory.

Our campaign asks people to pledge to stop saying the R-word as a starting point toward creating more accepting attitudes and communities for all people. Language affects attitudes and attitudes affect actions. Pledge today to use respectful, people-first language.

I don’t use the word, and I can also say that I haven’t recently heard anyone else use that word. But I do remember hearing it at least once within the last year, and I recall saying something about it. But I also remember I didn’t do so with as much conviction as I should, because I don’t like personal confrontation.

But I’ve found myself this year working in a school with a large population of children with challenges, and I love them to pieces.  So if I ever hear someone use the R-word again, I will definitely speak up and defend their dignity.

Today more than ever, we need to  stand up for our differently-abled adults and children, and help work toward inclusion instead of division.

You can still sign the pledge here, and visit the website for more information. Plus, check out this great student-made video if you want to get inspired and perhaps even shed a tear.

Thank you to the Edison Best Buddies, Thomas LINK Crew and the YAC and Unified members and players for helping to spread the word.

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One year, 100 parks. Hear all about it at the ADK talk

1 Mar

park collage.pngRemember how I went out and explored 100 parks last year? I called it my 2016 Tour de Parks Challenge, and it pretty much consumed my life. I wrote about it several times in my East Extra column (the most recent one is here) and probably touched on it a few times here in my blog as well.

Well, you’re going to have to hear about it one more time.

Shortly after I began my quest last year, I realized exactly how much of a challenge I had shouldered. I actually considered letting it fade off unnoticed. But then I got an email from the Genesee Valley Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club, inviting me to be the featured speaker at one of their meetings.

I was stuck.

That meeting has finally arrived, and I would like to invite all of my readers to attend, if you’re at all interested in hearing about my adventures.

The event takes place on Wednesday March 8, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Eisenhart Auditorium of the Rochester Museum and Science Center, 657 East Ave.

It should be interesting, I hope. I’m working up a fancy-pants display board with pins showing all the parks I visited, and a PowerPoint presentation highlighting some of the funny, surprising, beautiful and disappointing things I saw and learned. And yes, I’ll even tell everyone which one was my favorite. Sort of. The whole shebang should only be about 45 minutes.

Please join me. There’s no admission charge. Maybe you could grab dinner beforehand and make it a night out.

And if you’d like to read up on all the parks I visited, here’s a link to the 2016 Tour de Parks blog I maintained through it all.

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Sad news about Sweet Ben

28 Feb

ben

Last July I wrote an East Extra column about a very special young man, 12-year old Ben Matthews, who was battling cancer. Earlier in the year, doctors had given Ben only weeks to live. His family decided to make the best of the time he had left by renting an RV and taking a cross-country trip to visit family and see the sights.

I met Ben at a lemonade stand he had set up in front of his aunt’s house in Webster. His spirit moved me, and his mother’s positive attitude inspired me. It was a day I will not soon forget.

Sadly, I read today that Ben passed away peacefully Tuesday morning. His aunt Linda wrote on Facebook,

Dear Webster friends, especially those who remember our Sweet Ben and his lemonade stand this past summer, I am so saddened to share this post from my sister-in-law with you: This morning at 1:20 a.m. our Ben ended his time with us here on earth. He will continue to shine in our hearts until we are reunited in the future. Love you always my dear boy.

It is definitely a sad day, but we can take a small bit of comfort in knowing that Ben enjoyed a full life, one more than a year longer than even the doctors had predicted. He brought many smiles to family, friends and the many strangers who crossed his path.

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Pearl Harbor Survivor: the Sequel

26 Sep

I am very pleased to bring you a follow-up this morning to a blog I posted earlier this month, about my great experience meeting Pearl Harbor survivor Stanley Hawalek. (If you didn’t get a chance to see that post, please click here and read Stanley’s incredible story.)

As it turns out, a few weeks ago, Stanley was a special guest — along with 44 other WWII and Korean War veterans — on Honor Flight Mission #30.  Honor Flight is a non-profit organization created solely to honor America’s veterans. They transport these national heroes to Washington, D.C. to visit and reflect at their memorials.

As it also turns out, a colleague of mine at Webster Thomas High School was also on that Honor Flight, accompanying his uncle. He saw my blog about Stanley not long after he returned, and was very excited to tell me about the trip and that he and Stanley had met.  He was also able to provide me with the photos you see here.

My friend did not want to be identified. Instead, he wrote,  “Everyone accessing the blog should view Stan, Bob, Jim, Joe, Richard, Barb, Lou and the rest of the fellas, and read this as a tribute to them.”

And then he wrote a very beautiful summary of his experience, which I reprint in its entirety here:

On Saturday, September 14, 45 veterans (1 woman and 44 men) from World War II and the Korean War departed the Rochester airport with their guardians on Honor Flight Rochester Mission #30.

Honor Flight Rochester has been in existence since June 2008 and is part of the Honor Flight network which has several other hubs throughout the country.  Hundreds of veterans of these two wars as well as terminally ill veterans from the Vietnam War have gone on the two and one-half dozen missions.

Veterans, guardians and support staff are given a supporting send-off to the nation’s capital where they spend the day “to visit and reflect together at their memorials.”

Upon arrival at the Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI), the veterans are greeted by scores of active duty personnel from all branches of the military as well as veterans from other wars and civilians.   Several passersby racing to catch their flights stop to clap and say thank you as the veterans head to waiting busses that they will board for the road trip portion to D.C. and surrounding areas of Arlington, Virginia.

They are led by the Honor Guard on motorcycles for approximately 45 minutes.

The veterans visit the Tomb of the Unknown Solider, the Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima statue), the Air Force War Memorial which overlooks The Pentagon; the Vietnam War Memorial, the Korean War Memorial and the World War II War Memorial which are all a part of the National Mall and also includes the opportunity to walk through the Lincoln Memorial.

Honor Flight Rochester Mission #30 included veterans who defended our country at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and who also stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

Following the daylong visit and reflection, veterans are bussed to a hotel near BWI for dinner, socialization and spend the evening overnight.

At the dinner held in the hotel, all veterans and other attendees rise to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and one of the support staff offers the opportunity to any veteran to lead everyone in a chorus of God Bless America……..”My home sweet home” ends with all having sung and veterans standing as if they were at attention.

Stories are shared by veterans to all those who are fortunate to hear their acts of valor.  As they are a most humble group of men and women from The Greatest Generation, the majority of those who decide to speak express appreciation to the organizers, support staff and guardians who have volunteered to assist them on their Honor Flight.

On Sunday morning, the veterans bus to BWI and return to the Rochester airport and are greeted by a throng of supporters.  A color guard includes veterans from the Vietnam War who proudly stand at attention honoring their fellow brothers and sisters.  The veterans parade through the masses of patriotic supporters.  “Thank you for your service,” echoes throughout the concourse and even above the fife and drum.

A final tribute is held in a gathering area of the airport.  Politicians unite and leave behind quarreling gridlock to also say, “Thank you for your service.”

The mission leader, who also is a veteran of the Gulf War, proudly gives the veterans a final salute and succinctly says, “Dismissed.”
The veterans reciprocate with a salute.  The crowd claps thunderously.  The veterans depart with their friends, family and loved ones.

Never forgotten.  Always remembered.  Freedom is not free.  God Bless America…..”My home sweet home.”

My friend concluded his story with the following thoughts:

Of all of the wars in recent memory, it was World War II that truly threatened our very existence as a nation—and as a culturally diverse, free society. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, an estimated 640 WWII veterans die each day. Our time to express our thanks to these brave men and women is running out.

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to meet Stanley, thank him for his service, and share his story with you all.

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A group of students was there at the Tomb of the Unknowns interviewing the veterans and recording their oral histories. Here, Stan talks with one of the students.

Stan is sitting at the far left in the blue jacket. The veterans were encouraged to use wheelchairs since the buses were so far away.

Tomb of the Unknown visit on September 14.  Stan is seen in a wheelchair in one of these (middle image, lower left).  It was a distance to the bus and they encouraged vets to use a wheelchair.

Photos from the Kiddie Parade!

11 Jul

The rains threatened but never arrived for last night’s Kiddie Parade in Webster. It was, once again, an adorable and entertaining event, made better this year by the participation of the Webster High School Marching Band Kidets, who did a great job on their inaugural march.

I’m not going to say much about the parade itself, except that maybe next year I’ll FINALLY figure out what the parade route is and make sure it’s correct in my blog.  If you’d really like to see a story about the event, check out today’s D&C; they sent a reporter and a photographer last night. Click here to see the article.

But I will rely on my gallery of almost 80 photos to tell the story for me.  Click here or on any of the photos on this page to see the gallery.

 

Where, o where are the story ideas?

5 Jul

Yesterday, a friend of mine was talking with me about my blog, and mentioned that she noticed I haven’t been posting as often as I used to. Naturally, she thought that was because it was summer and perhaps I kind of took a holiday of sorts from blogging.

Well, she was partly right.  As soon as school’s over, anything resembling a daily schedule in my life totally disintegrates.  On hot summer days I’m much more likely to feel like NOT doing anything at any particular moment, including blogging.

But that’s only part of the story. In the summer, the incoming blog ideas tend to slow down to a crawl.  I know there must be a lot of things going on out there, but too often I don’t hear about them until too late — or not at all.

So folks, if your organization has an event coming up, let me know about it and I’ll help spread the word.

Like the notice I just got from Jonathan Smalter at Yesterday’s Muse Books, who tells me that he has just begun a new blog of his own, which can be found at http://musebooks.wordpress.com.  It’s going to be a very good way to keep up on what’s happening at the shop, and will keep true bibliophiles happy with some interesting posts that delve into the beauty of books and literature (like his recent posts about early imprints and first editions).

Yesterday’s Muse will also be holding a sidewalk sale every Friday and Saturday this summer, so you can check out some of their special deals yourself.  Books will be $1 each or $8 a bag.

So what’s going on in your neighborhood?

 

Still time to pick those berries

29 Jun

I spent an hour Saturday afternoon at Bauman’s Farm Market on Five Mile Line Road, picking strawberries. And let me tell you, venturing into a strawberry field after a monsoon is an experience.

After all the rain we’ve had in the last few days, the field was more than muddy in places. I purposely chose to wear my worst sneakers for the job, but still had to watch my step to avoid the muddier paths.  And the relative gushiness was a field day for the mosquitoes, which were rather … aggressive at times.

I’ve been trying to get out to do some picking for the last several days, but the rain had other ideas. When the sun finally peeked through the clouds Saturday morning for the first time in recent memory, I drove by Bauman’s to see if there were any other hardy souls out there. Sure enough, two or three others had the same idea.  I headed home, slapped on my nasty sneakers, sunblocked my neck, and hoped the rains would hold off for a short time more.

Of course, it did, and an hour later I had ten quarts of strawberries, and a super sore back to show for them. Because if I go out to pick strawberries, I’m going to make it worth my while. I make sure I have enough for my morning cereal, smoothies, fruit salads, oatmeal, shortcake…and then I freeze the rest.  For more cereal, smoothies, fruit salads, oatmeal and shortcakes for months to come.

So if you’re wondering, strawberry season isn’t over yet.  Pick them yourself at Bauman’s, corner of Five Mile Line and Plank roads, for $2.50 a quart.  They provide the quarts.  If the sun stays with us for a while it should be pretty dry by Sunday. Wear some sunblock and happy hunting!

 

I won’t spit and tell

13 Jun

A few random thoughts this morning….

As I was running yesterday afternoon, I was listening to Pandora on my phone and an advertisement came on for a product called “23 and Me.” This, believe it or not, is a do-it-yourself DNA test kit for home use.

At first I thought “Wow. Science has come really far.”  But then I didn’t quite know what to think.  The ad touted the product’s ability to offer reports on health history and “ancestry composition,” and hinted that you might discover something exciting. But I had my doubts.

Still, I was intrigued, so I checked out their website, which pretty much promised the same things.  But I already know where my family comes from and what kinds of diseases run in my family.  Any diseases I don’t already know about … well, I’m not sure I want to.

I was, however, amused by what they call their DNA-test-in-a-box: a “spit kit.”  And I also found it funny that they consider one of the kit’s biggest draws to be its ability to tell you your “Neanderthal percentage.”

Is that really a question that keeps people awake at night?

By the way, if you’re still looking for a Father’s Day gift, the website reminds us that “23 and Me” would make a great gift. It certainly would be easy to wrap; it’s a $99 popsicle stick in a box.

Random thought #2:

I also spent some time yesterday afternoon in a dentist’s chair, getting an annoying tooth taken care of.  My dentist (at my request) shot me up with enough Novocaine to stop a charging Rhino, which did wonders to deaden the drilling pain. But it also led me to some interesting discoveries:

It is impossible to whistle when you’re hopped-up on Novocaine.

Directional spitting? Don’t try it. Trust me.

It’s amazing how people can stand there and talk to you like nothing is the matter, despite the fact that you left your tongue and chin in the dentist office.

 

Mystery checkerboards

21 Apr

Have any of these turned up in your corner of Webster?

In two places along Hatch Road, someone has pasted checkerboard posters on utility boxes. There’s no identifying marks or political statement of any kind, just the posters.

As you can see from the photos, someone has tried their darndest to rip them off, with little success. They’re stuck on there good.

Has anyone seen them elsewhere? Does anyone have a clue to what they mean or who the artist is? Maybe it’s that skeleton-artist guy who was decorating the Phillips Road overpass, deciding to branch out a bit.

 

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