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April History Bit: Willow Point Park

15 Apr

We all know Seabreeze Amusement Park in Irondequoit. It’s been around for almost 150 years, making happy summer memories for generations. Fewer, however, will remember Willow Point Park, Webster’s very own amusement park. It was in business for only three decades, but to this day it evokes very fond memories.

Willow Point Park was located on Bay Road (where Willow Point Rd. is now), a little more than a half mile north of the Empire/Bay Rd. intersection. It was a small, rather quaint amusement park, quite different from the sprawling parks that today’s kids know today. But its more intimate atmosphere was one of Willow Point’s biggest draws, especially for young families. It was also popular because, despite its moderate size, it featured many unusual attractions which were – and are – hard to find at the bigger amusement parks.

Everett DeNeve opened the first incarnation of Willow Point Park in the early 1930s. It began as just a miniature golf course, but every year DeNeve expanded it with new attractions. By 1939, he sold Willow Point to Jack Garliner, who would direct its expansion well into the early 1960s. 

In many respects, Willow Point seemed more like a summer camp than an amusement park. Throughout its almost 30-year history, its various attractions included an archery range, trampoline, batting cages, tennis, volleyball, badminton and small boats. But of course there were also plenty of traditional amusements and rides, including an arcade, a roller coaster, carousel, tilt-a-whirl, kiddie rides (which by today’s standards were especially quaint), and several other rides for young thrill-seekers.

As Garliner added and swapped out features through the years, Willow Point became a favorite gathering place for all ages. Teens and young adults would crowd into the roller rink/dance hall to see nationally-known bands, and a bingo hall added in the 1950s attracted older adults. 

Garlinger even made sure that disadvantaged children could enjoy his park. In the 1950s, he started offering “free days” for blind children one day a year and provided free lunches. Those events were followed later by similar days for children with multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy.

In 1964, a year before he died, Garliner offered to sell Willow Point Park to the Town of Webster, with no success. After Garliner’s death, Joseph Schuler bought Willow Point in 1966, and kept it open until Labor Day, 1968. The land sat vacant for years before it was redeveloped as the Waterview Townhouse Apartments complex.

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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 “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 4/15/2025)

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Five years of neighborliness

27 Mar

An every-evening tradition that has brought an entire neighborhood together is still going strong — without a break — even after five years.

Every evening for the last five years (and I mean EVERY evening), the residents of the Brooksboro neighborhood on Webster’s north side have been gathering at the end of Jack Turan’s driveway for a kind of happy hour, sharing a beverage, conversation and a few laughs.

The tradition began in March 2020, just as the pandemic was shutting the world down. You remember those awful days; we were resigning ourselves to putting our lives, and relationships with our friends and family members on hold for the foreseeable future.

That idea didn’t sit well with Jack Turan. He’d heard about how, in small towns all across Italy, residents were opening their shutters, sitting in their windows with their glasses of wine, and singing. The story gave him an idea: how about meeting up with his neighbors, outdoors, to enjoy a beverage and socially-distanced conversation?

That was the evening of March 22, 2020, and the beginning of a tradition that has continued ever since. Every night, Jack stands out at the end of his driveway with a beverage, welcoming anyone to stop by for a chat. And he does so regardless of the weather or the temperature. Remember those really cold days in January? Jack was out there. No way was he going to be the one to break the tradition.

“There has to be at least two people” to make it official, Jack said. “That’s the rule.” The frigid temperatures did, however, prompt Jack to (at least temporarily) reduce the required time spent outside from 15 minutes to 10 minutes.

Last Saturday, five years to the day it all began, the weather cooperated. Skies were sunny, the temperatures were tolerable, and Jack had a lot of company at the end of his driveway. Almost two dozen neighbors, with their kids and dogs, gathered that evening to commemorate their long-running neighborhood tradition. There were beverages, of course, but also a nice selection of hors d’oeuvres and sweet treats, supplemented by ice cream from Bruster’s and mac & cheese from M.O. Pasta. Jack grilled hot dogs, and emcee Alex Scialdone played dance tunes.

The neighbors hold these anniversary gatherings every year, and even had one to mark the 1,000-day mark (I blogged about that event here). The celebrations are pretty much the same every year, just another opportunity to enjoy a nice evening outside with friends. The children get bigger and there’s usually a new dog or two. But there always seems to be a fun new twist every year.

This time, emcee Alex had upgraded the previous year’s paper plate awards to shiny statuettes, personalized for each attendee with whimsical award designations, like “Secretly a Fish,” “Best Drinking ‘Buddy’,” and “Harder to Track Down Than Someone in Witness Protection.” Also new this year was a “What the heck is this?” game. Neighbors were invited to bring an unusual item from home, and everyone tried to guess what each of the almost 20 items was. 

Each “regular” got a personalized statuette
Alex Scialdone with a statuette
This year’s brand new game

In the short time I spent there Saturday night, I heard some discussion about how much longer these daily gatherings should continue. I got the sense, though, that no one really wanted to think about that.

Even if it does eventually run its course, Jack Turan can rest easy knowing that his little social experiment accomplished exactly what it was designed to do: bring people together.

Garrett Wagner from Webster NOW was there making a video about the event. You can check that out here.

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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 “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 3/27/2025)

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Ahhhh, spring

17 Mar

Like most of you, I have really been enjoying these warmer days of spring. The Winter That Was this year (especially February — yick) was just awful and we have earned the right to finally get outside again.

It’s not just the fact that the last of the snow piles are finally gone (that took long enough) or that I was FINALLY able to take my Christmas lights off the fence without wading through snow. What I really like most about these early days of spring is, well, SEEING everyone again.

People are taking after-dinner strolls, and plopping their children into strollers and wagons, and rediscovering the neighborhood. And there are a LOT of people out walking their dogs, more than I ever remembered there being before.

Now given that dogs have to be walked every day, chances are most of these people had been walking by my house all winter, and I just never noticed them. But now chances are good that I’m actually outside doing something, so we can actually greet each other and even have a short chat.

I’m sitting on my front porch again, chalking pictures in the driveway for the group of child-care kids who come by every day, and I’m very much looking forward to finally getting to know my new next-door neighbors, who moved in just before Christmas.

Chances are quite good that we’ll still have a little snow before spring takes hold in earnest, but I’m gonna be outside as much as possible, making up for lost neighborhood time.

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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 “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 3/17/2025)

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Dogsledding in the village?

3 Feb

I heard on the radio the other day that it snowed at least a little bit EVERY DAY IN JANUARY. And February is starting out pretty much the same way. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a winter with this much snow. Everyone is grumbling about it.

That is, everyone except Village of Webster resident Devin Englerth.

Devin has a hobby that helps her glide through winter (literally) with a smile. Devin is a dogsledder, and when there’s this much snow, it means there are a lot more opportunities to take her dogsled, seven huskies and big black shepherd out for a run. And every once in a while, when the conditions are right, she doesn’t bother going very far to do so.

A few weeks ago, the conditions were perfect, so instead of packing up her dogs and heading to her usual sledding spot far on the west side of town, she hooked them all up and took them out on the streets of the village.

Perhaps you saw them that day. A lot of people did, and photos popped up all over Facebook from village residents surprised and delighted to see an actual dogsled speeding down their street. ‘Cause that’s not something you see every day.

I sat down the other day with Devin (and her dogs) to find out more about her history with the sport, both in the village and elsewhere.

Devin has been dogsledding since 2011, ever since she got her first husky. Not long afterwards, she joined the Seneca Siberian Husky Club, and tries to get out and run the dogs at least a couple times of year. That’s been difficult in recent years when lack of snow has made for poor conditions.

“You have to have a frozen base and the snow on top of it,” she explained. “If you go before it freezes my sled would sink in the slush.”

But not running makes for unhappy huskies.

“(Running) is all they want to do,” Devin said. Even when she goes out to fire up the snow blower they start getting excited, thinking they’re going to get out and go. And when she is able to finally hook them up out in a wide open space, they might be out there for two and a half hours.

The day she decided to run them in the village, “they were going crazy,” she said. They hadn’t been sledding in a long time, and the conditions were good, so “we went all over the east side of the village.”

It proved to be rather challenging. People were coming out to take photos, the dogs kept stopping to say hi to the neighbors, even deciding to go up a driveway or two. So they got tangled up a lot. But despite the distractions, they were out on the streets for more than an hour.

It wasn’t the first time Devin has dogsledded through the village, and it probably won’t be the last. Because sled dogs live to run.

(Thank you to Jessica Cataldi for this great blog idea, and to Stretch Sabin for these videos!)

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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 “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 2/3/2025)

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Bygone blog — A short story about the Hatch Rd. lush

26 Jan

This is the latest in my on-again, off-again series of Bygone Blogs, in which I’m re-posting some of my favorite blogs from the last 17 years.

I’ve been doing more running these days, as I train for my first-ever half marathon in May. A few days ago I saw something that reminded me of this blog, from August 28, 2010. At the time I wrote it, I was living in North Penfield, and my regular running route would take me along Hatch Rd.

Our Hatch Rd. lush is back

A little more than two years ago, as I ran through my North Penfield neighborhoods, I noticed several discarded Black Velvet bottles along Hatch Rd. It appeared that someone was regularly throwing their empty bottles onto the grassy shoulder as they walked (or drove) along Hatch. It started out as just a few of them, but over several weeks the number grew to more than 20.

I mentioned this curiosity a few times in my blog.  A short time later the bottles not only miraculously disappeared, but they never returned again. Could have been a coincidence, but I like to think some disgruntled spouse read my blog and put two and two together.

Well, the bottles have returned. But this time they’re not Black Velvet. Our drinking and tossing friend has apparently switched to the less expensive (but still imported) Canadian Leaf whiskey.  I saw two of them yesterday along that very same Black Velvet stretch. It will be interesting to see if they multiply.

Or maybe that disgruntled spouse is still reading my blog.

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That, by the way, was not my last encounter with the Hatch Rd. Lush. Four years later, I noticed a new, and growing, collection of empty bottles along that Hatch Rd. sidewalk. By now, however, his booze of choice had turned to vodka (as you can see in the photo above).

At least he wasn’t getting stuck in a rut.

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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 “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 1/26/2025)

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Looking back at the year in blogs

31 Dec

As I like to do at the end of the year, a few days ago I took a stroll back through all of the blogs I wrote in 2024. It’s always a fun exercise, as I review all of the events, business openings and closings, people and places that I found to share with you all. They reflect the extraordinary diversity of people, places and events we have here in Webster, and how close-knit this town is.

We do NOT live in a boring town.

In the last 12 months, counting today, I posted 298 blogs. That sounds like a lot, but compared to 2023, when I posted 313 blogs, it seems I was slacking. But that number still reflects that I posted an average of 24 days every month — sometimes twice in one day. It’s also interesting (at least to me) to note that the blogs were viewed almost 240,000 times. Nine of the top ten blogs were about new businesses, the most popular one being the official announcement about the new Mary Wee Pub moving into 2 West Main. Actually, 6 of the top 12 blogs were about that corner.

My photo galleries following events like the Trick or Treat Trail and Fireman’s Parade were also big draws. But it always surprises me how many people also love learning about local history, because my History Bits are also very well read, and often spark the most comments.

If you’ve got a few minutes and would find it interesting, I’ve pulled out a handful of my favorite blogs from each month. If something really strikes your fancy and you want to read any of them again, click through the hyperlink.

January

January, 2024 started off slowly for me. I posted only 17 blogs that month. Among those was news of a new dog groomer (Polished Pup) opening on North Ave., and my first of several blogs about what was happening at 2 West Main (which was just being remodeled).

But I also re-posted an article I’d found in the Webster Recreation Center newsletter about the Man in the Yellow Truck, who selflessly picks up trash along Rt. 104. My other favorite from January was a story about a tow-truck parade held in honor of 88-year old Ruth Childs. It was one of those times when a call went out to the Webster community to make someone’s day special, and the community answered that call, big time.

February

In February, I posted an update from Danny and Jessica Barry about how their plans were progressing to open a new pub, because I’d been getting a lot of questions about that. This became one of those top-ten blogs.

Also in February, I featured the new Donutchew Bakery in BayTowne Plaza, and helped spread the big news that Webster won a $4.5 million grant from the State. But my favorite blog that month was probably when I joined a 5th grade class from Klem South Elementary at the Challenger Learning Center. What a fascinating experience that was.

March

March 2024 was a busy blog month. This was when I broke the news that another Irish pub would be moving into 2 West Main. The Bay Bridge celebrated a birthday in March, and I featured it and the bridge’s history in what would become one of most popular History Bits.

Two of my favorite blogs from March were about people in our community. The first introduced my readers to Gail, who’s been working at our local Burger King for 40 years. In the second one, I re-introduced everyone to the residents of one North Webster neighborhood who’ve been gathering outside for happy hour every night for more that four years (since the pandemic).

Other blogs that month were about when Santa kept his promise to one young girl on her birthday, Wreath Retirement Day, a preview of SpongeBob the Musical at Spry, memories of chalking and rainbows during the pandemic, the Willink Student/Parent Band celebrating 30 years, and an answer to the question “who takes care of the WEBSTER bushes?“

Told you it was a busy month.

April

Remember what happened last April? Something called a total solar eclipse. I didn’t write a lot about that before it happened (it was being covered to death elsewhere), but later that day I posted, “Boy, am I glad THAT’S over!” Another of my favorites that month was about how our community helped 91-year old Nanny celebrate her birthday by filling her front yard with gnomes.

That month I also provided a sneak peek at Schroeder’s upcoming musical, Little Women, l wrote about fostering cats for Lollypop (my favorite hobby), posted lots of photos from Community Arts Day, and highlighted Ron Kampff, who was named the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee’s Citizen of the Year.

May

May, 2024 was another busy month; I posted a whopping 33 blogs. That month I told you all about Deborah Mackay School of Dance’s 40th anniversary, the rededication of Edna Struck Park, the Blue Star Mothers Baby Shower for Military, and this year’s Oak Tree award winners. I also posted lots of photos from the Memorial Day Parade.

But my favorite thing that happened in May was that I finally got to meet my Pen Pal, a Greece second grader I’d been corresponding with through a Webster Recreation Center program.

June

Sometimes I use my blog to talk about more personal, decidedly non-Webster topics. I did that in June when I wrote about a bike ride I took along the Erie Canal Heritage Trail. I also met some very brave and resilient women, all fighting breast cancer, who had forged an unbreakable bond. I told their story in the Tale of the Traveling Pink Poncho.

Also in June, I highlighted the Webster Village Band and the Women’s Club of Webster, wrote a follow-up of the annual XRX Amateur Radio Field Day, viewed an extra special grad parade at State Rd. Elementary School. introduced readers to Webster’s post-secondary program at St. John Fisher College, and reported on the mock-DWI presentation held at Webster Thomas.

July

Sometimes my shortest blogs can be the most meaningful. One of those was in July when the Webster community came out for the funeral procession for fallen Cleveland police officer — and Webster native — Jamieson Ritter.

In July I also wrote about the Village of Webster’s new online newsletter and the Webster Public Library’s new BookBox program at Country Manor. I posted photos from the Firemen’s Parade and the greatly improved and expanded community garden at Webster Hope. I also gave everyone a sneak peek at the renovations taking place inside the new Mary Wee Pub.

August

August was a weird month. For almost two weeks my husband and I were out of the country on a Rhine River cruise, so I had written and scheduled about a dozen blogs in advance so I didn’t have to worry about doing so on vacation. I’ll bet no one even noticed!

Most of those pre-scheduled blogs benefited from not being date-specific, like the refurnished bus stop on Shoemaker Rd., and a fun look at where in the world (besides Webster) you can find the 14580 zip code. I featured the BlueFins Swim Team, wrote a follow-up from Webster Union Cemetery’s 200th anniversary celebration, and posted photos from the Webster Jazz Fest and the Village’s summery floral displays.

But my favorite blog in August was about Helen Miller Day, when dozens of friends and family members gathered at The Coach Sports Bar to honor the memory of Helen Miller, a long-time friend to Webster. I just happened upon the annual event and was delighted to learn more about this delightful woman and everything she did for Webster, including creating the mural and stained glass windows in the Village’s Community Meeting Hall.

September

The headline of my first blog in September was “Didja miss me?” It was one of those personal pieces, where I reviewed my recent Viking cruise along the Rhine (including some really pretty photos). But my most popular blog that month was about John and Bernadette Stebler. I met with them at Cherry Ridge Nursing Home to get their thoughts on the occasion of their 70th anniversary.

Also in September I posted some follow-up photos from the Webster Garlic Fest, got a preview of the new ROC Dance studio in the old Music Store on East Main St., featured a young Webster boy cast in OFC Creations’ production of The Boy From Oz, and shared some stories from when I took a 15-mile bike ride with some new friends through West Webster.

October

Believe it or not, I was out of the country for another two and a half weeks in October, and once again posted every single one of those blogs ahead of time. (You may have noticed the time stamp when I put them on Facebook was, like, 2:00 a.m.)

The Webster Marching Band once again earned the title of #1 in the State this year, news which I shared in October. I wrote about how the Webster Rotary helped RocMaidan pack backpacks with medical supplies to be shipped to the Ukraine. And my History Bit that month was a Halloween-inspired ghost story straight from the shores of Lake Ontario.

At the end of the month I posted an update from the almost-open Mary Wee Pub, and photos from Pumpkins on Parade and the village’s Trick or Treat Trail. But my favorite blog of the month was when I introduced my readers to Judy Braiman, who, as a tireless consumer advocate, has spent her life making our lives safer.

November

The advantage of having my own blog is that I can choose who and what I write about, and I definitely have my favorite topics. One of those is the Friends of Webster Trails. In November, following the Friends’ annual meeting, I posted a kind of summary of everything they’ve accomplished this year. And that was a LOT.

Also in November, I posted photos from the Webster Montessori School’s mini-Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, previewed Webster Thomas’ production of The Diary of Anne Frank, announced the opening of the village’s newest restaurant, Annette’s, and participated in a Murder Mystery Theater at the Webster Public Library.

In December I posted my favorite History Bit of the year, the story of the American St. Nick and how this former Webster resident helped bring Christmas cheer to the children of war-torn Luxembourg in WWII. A few days after that, I wrote about the afternoon that I joined 16 runner friends down in Seneca Falls for the best 5K ever, the It’s a Wonderful Run — complete with lots of fun photos, of course.

My two other favorite December polsts were the blog (and photos from) Wreaths Across America Day, and the touching stories I shared from my good friend Santa Jim, about how being a Santa is not always a jolly job. That one was titled “Is there a time for Santa to cry?“

Whew. If you’re still with me, thank you for reading this far. I hope you found it interesting to revisit some of this year’s blogs. And remember that if you ever think of something or see something that you think would make an interesting blog, PLEASE drop me an email. I rely on all of you to keep me busy.

Please have a safe and happy new year.

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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 “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 12/31/2024)

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Is there a time for Santa to cry?

22 Dec

If you’re a longtime Webster resident, you’ve likely seen, and maybe even visited with, Santa Jim.

I write about him often. I like to call him “Webster’s Santa,” because he shows up at so many Webster events. For example, he’s a regular at the Village of Webster’s Winter Wonderland, and St. Martin’s Evening With Santa, and the Joe Obbie Farm Market’s Christmas in July celebration.

Those occasions are always filled with joy and holiday spirit, and Santa Jim is always the smiling, “Ho-Ho-Ho”-ing, jolly old elf that everyone expects. But in his role as a professional Santa, many of his visits are not as joyous. Sometimes, Santa is asked to call on those living through some of the worst times of their lives.

Recently, Jim told me some stories from a few of those occasions, which he has graciously allowed me to share with you all. The first one has particular significance to us in Webster. Here it is in Jim’s own words.

Above, Santa and Mrs. Claus visit with Kylie and Kacie Chiapperini (then ages 2 and 4) in the days following the shooting in late December, 2012. (photo provided by Kim Chiapperini)

Delivering joy following tragedy

I know you recall that terrible morning, Dec. 24, 2012, that the two West Webster firemen were shot and killed, two others wounded. Firefighter and police officer Mike Chiapperini left his wife Kim and their two very small children that morning.

Mike had previously bought Christmas presents for his children and left them at the West Webster fire station. Unfortunately he was never able to pick them up that day and put them under the family Christmas tree.

A few days after Christmas I received a phone call from one of the officers at the West Webster Fire Dept. He asked me if Santa would deliver the Christmas gifts that Mike had left there to the Chiapperini children. Of course I would.

Arrangements were made, and Santa was to arrive at the Chiapperini home via fire truck. Numerous fire trucks and police vehicles with lights and sirens escorted Santa to the Chiapperini home, and firefighters and police officers accompanied Santa to the front door. A very somber Kim met us at the door. The Chiapperini children, not quite understanding what was happening, took the gifts and eagerly opened them. The excitement and joy of a family Christmas for them was definitely not there. We spent a few minutes talking with Kim, tears and hugs were everywhere. These brave men and women, Webster’s best, who protect us every day, were deeply moved being at the Chiapperini home. It was a somber ride back to the station.

The kindness of strangers

There was a young man with a very caring wife and two or three young children. He had been suffering from ALS for a long time and was in his last days. The hospital let him go home to spend his last Christmas with his family. The family had exhausted most of their finances and all of their holiday spirit.

One of my young female colleagues at work had a friend who knew the family. The friend organized an amazing group of young women volunteers who provided an entire Christmas for this family.

On a cold, damp day in mid-December, a dozen cars lined the driveway and road in this Rochester suburb. The women gathered on the young man’s front lawn. They’d brought everything they needed to provide the family with a memorable Christmas, including two Christmas trees. They set up one in the front yard, trimmed with colored lights, which the young man could see from his hospital bed in their living room. They brought the second tree into the house, which the ladies also decorated. Another group of women arrived bearing a full Christmas dinner plus enough groceries to feed the family through the coming days.

They had kept me hidden in my car down the road until I was to make my entrance. When my call came, I walked towards the house accompanied by a few of the ladies carrying arms filled with wrapped gifts for the children. Their mom had not had time to shop for any Christmas presents.

Santa made his grand entrance, jolly, singing, cheerfully wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, but in reality his heart sank into his boots. The young man had the biggest smile on his face. The kids were excited to see Santa; now they had a real Christmas tree and all the presents. Mom just cried. The family was happy, if only for a few minutes. The young man couldn’t communicate well, but we could see what this meant to him. You just knew everyone’s heart was breaking knowing what lay ahead.

That day a few unidentified young women answered a call. There were no TV cameras, no 6 o’clock news interviews, just these beautiful ladies. These young women brought gifts of love and compassion — they were the real gifts givers of Mira. We all left feeling that we had brought something more than a tree and a few material gifts to this family who were facing such a dark future.

That’s when you get into your car and just sit there for a few minutes. Think about what just happened and shed tears for them.

I’m not sure if he made it to Christmas.

His last Christmas

I received a phone call one sunny fall afternoon from a young mother. She told me about her young son, I think he was about 5 or 6. She told me that he had a terminal disease and would not make it to Christmas. She told me how much he loved Christmas, and they had decorated his room and set up a small Christmas tree there.

She asked me if Santa could make a special visit to see her son. Of course he could.

Santa arrived at the house, where extended family members let me in. They told me that the young boy’s time was near and led me to his room. I recall the room was very dim except for the lights on a small Christmas tree. His mom took me over next to the boy’s bed and told him that Santa was there to see him.

I really didn’t see any reaction from him. I told him what a good boy he’d been. I recall holding his hand and telling him about the North Pole, Mrs. Claus and maybe the reindeer. Mom, Dad maybe a few others were in the room and we all sang Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer. We joined hands and said a prayer for him. Santa wished him a Merry Christmas, told him I needed to get back to the reindeer and left the room. I had a short conversation with the family; they assured me that the young boy knew that Santa was there.

There have been more special Santa visits similar to the above ones. It’s really sad when everyone around you is celebrating one of the most joyous days of the year and others may be living some of their darkest days. Santa needs to keep his emotions in control and always portray the Jolly Old Elf, but when he returns to his sleigh and reflects on these special visits, a few tears could possibly fall.

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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 “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 12/21/2024)

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Webster Village Runners turned out in force for the It’s a Wonderful Run

15 Dec

Neither snow, nor rain, nor sleet, nor gloom of night, nor biting cold will keep the Webster Village Runners from enjoying a fun wintry run together, and Saturday afternoon was no exception.

Nineteen of us from the Village Runners (including significant others) made the hour-long trek to Seneca Falls that afternoon to take part in the annual It’s a Wonderful Run 5K. It was the largest group we’ve ever had participate (so many that 12 of us even rented a van). Several of these friends were first-timers, who decided to attend because I regularly talk about how much fun it is. It always draws thousands of runners (this year the total was 4,800), and almost everyone dresses up in holiday attire, including bells, Santa hats, elf costumes and Christmas lights. I saw people dressed as Christmas trees and snowmen, the Grinch and a Yeti, a turkey, some Cindy Lu Whos and candy canes, and lots of tutus. Everyone at this race is in a jolly mood and more than happy to step in to take a picture of your whole group if you ask. And there was a lot of that.

And this is also a must-do event for any fan of the Jimmy Stewart classic, It’s a Wonderful Life. It’s generally accepted that Frank Capra based his movie on the charming little village. There’s an It’s a Wonderful Life Museum, and the race actually begins on the bridge believed to be the inspiration for the one in the movie — plus, 84-year old Karolyn Grimes herself (who played Zuzu) starts the race by announcing the famous line, “Every time a bell rings, a angel gets his wings.”

True to its name, the It’s a Wonderful Run is more a run (or walk) than a race. For sure there are many runners who wiggle to the front of the pack to do their 4-minute miles, but many more thousands of us are content to walk most of the route, to experience everything there is to see and do along the way.

Seneca Falls village residents come out in force for this event. They set up fire pits and ring cow bells and give high-fives to all the runners. They hand out Fireball shots, vodka shots, whiskey shots, daquiri shots pudding and Jello shots. They hand out full cans of beer and hard seltzer, and mini bottles of Fireball. At one house, they were grilling hot dogs and handing them to the runners. At another, they were cooking up marshmallows or handing out fudge, cheese and crackers and chips and salsa. All through the beautiful little village, the houses are ablaze with Christmas lights and Christmas music blares from the porches.

So there’s not a whole lot of running involved; there is a lot of stopping and sampling the treats and taking photos of the beautifully decorated homes along the route. But this is not a race for time. This is a run for fun.

If you’re interested in seeing more photos from the event, click here for a gallery. I tried to capture some of the more outlandish costumes, and the sense of community generated by Seneca Falls as we all celebrate one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time.

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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 “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 12/15/2024)

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The day the American St. Nick visited Luxembourg

13 Dec

Here’s a charming story about a very special Christmas gift delivered to the children of war-torn Luxembourg.  

At the center of our story is former West Webster resident Richard Brookins, who in December 1944 was a corporal in the 28th Infantry Division. That fall, he and his unit were stationed in the small village of Wiltz, Luxembourg for a respite after a difficult battle in the Hürtgen Forest. Wiltz had recently been liberated after a four-year occupation by the Germans. It was a fairy-tale-beautiful village, but the residents had suffered under the German occupation.

Richard’s friend and fellow soldier Corporal Harry Stutz learned that during the occupation, the town had been unable to celebrate St. Nicholas Day. The holiday was fast approaching and the soldiers decided to throw a party for the children of Wiltz to celebrate. They sent out printed invitations and arranged for special treats including chocolates and candy from their rations. 

Still, one thing was missing: St. Nicholas himself. Brookins agreed to do the honors.

The nuns provided Brookins with a priest’s surplice (which had to be returned by 4 p.m. for Mass), a bishop’s miter, a broken and taped-up shepherd’s crook and a rope beard. He rode in the back of an army jeep accompanied by two young girls, his angels. They arrived at the castle where the children, their teacher, their parents, and villagers waited with much excitement.

The children performed skits and sang songs to honor St. Nicholas. Private Hank Fiebig played his guitar and the soldiers passed out donuts and bags of treats. St. Nicholas walked around, smiled at the children, and spoke small phrases that he remembered from his high school German class. To the children, this was the real St. Nicholas. It was the happiest day the village had seen in years. 

But the story does not end there. The people of Wiltz never forgot the day the American St. Nick came to town. After the village had recovered from the war, the townspeople started to annually recreate the American soldiers’ party for the children. Each year St. Nicholas, wearing glasses similar to Richard’s, would ride a jeep into town accompanied by two angels and greet the children with chocolates and treats. 

Then, in 1977, a village official wrote to Brookins and asked if he would consider coming back once again to reprise his role as St. Nicholas. This time, he wore a professionally-made cloak, carried a steel shepherd’s crook painted gold, and sported a much more realistic beard.

Brookins returned to Wiltz seven more times before he passed away in 2018 at the age of 96. But the people of Wiltz still remember him fondly, as every year, they celebrate St. Nicholas Day by recreating the day the American St. Nick came to town.  

If you subscribe to the Webster Herald, you’ll see this story in this week’s edition. But there wasn’t any room there to include this really cool follow-up.

Turns out that Richard Brookins was the father-in-law of Webster Museum volunteer Eileen Brookins.

This year marked the 80th anniversary of the original party in 1944. In honor of that occasion, Eileen and her husband Dave traveled to Wiltz to participate in the celebration. After she returned home, she shared this account of the day:

The town welcomed us with open arms. They honored the soldiers of the 28th who put on the party so many years ago with a joyful celebration! The town dedicated a room to their story in the local museum. They also  commissioned a local artist, Marco Zorzi, to paint pictures of the original event. These pictures were used to dedicate postage stamps in honor of those American soldiers. The local brewery dedicated its Christmas ale with a logo of the original photo of the American St. Nick coming through the tunnel into the castle. The American ambassador came to participate in a wreath laying at the memorial to the 28th. 

My favorite part, of course, was the parade through town leading St. Nicholas into the castle area. The town takes special care to reenact this moment in time exactly as it was. After St. Nicholas arrived, wearing glasses that looked remarkably like the ones Richard wore, he spoke to the children, letting them know he had been informed that they had been good boys and girls. Then the children proceeded to come to him and share their wishes for Christmas. They each left with a bag full of wonderful goodies to remember this day.

The band played American Christmas songs as the people enjoyed traditional food and drink. It was a noisy and happy celebration where I could feel the memory of the soldiers and Dave’s father very close by. I am sure they were smiling and amazed that their small act of kindness is still remembered and still brings such joy to the children.

Here are some more photos from that memorable day in 2014, and several others from Eileen and Dave’s trip this year:

  • St. Nicholas Day, 1944
  • St. Nicholas Day, 1944
  • The visit was front page news in Stars and Stripes
  • This year’s visit from St. Nicholas
  • Dave and Eileen Brookins
  • 1944 invitation to the St. Nicholas party
  • 1944 Invitation to the St. Nicholas party

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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 “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 12/13/2024)

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Discovering the Spring Lake Trail

23 Sep

I don’t often write about people or places outside of Webster, but I discovered a new trail the other day in Perinton which I really wanted to share with everyone.

It’s called the “Spring Lake Trail,” and my friend Carol introduced it to me, as it’s near her house and she has hiked it often. Our hike took us from Spring Lake Park in Perinton, north and west along the Irondequoit Creek for two miles until we reached Panorama Plaza and turned back towards home.

To be more accurate, only the first half mile of the trail is called “Spring Lake Trail,” and it opened only last autumn. The Town of Perinton website explained that the trail was previously just a worn-down footpath, which people would bushwhack through to reach an already established trail along the Irondequoit Creek leading to Channing Philbrick Park in Penfield. The new trail has been cleared, is much wider and covered with easy-to-hike stone dust.

Carol and I had a beautiful, sunny and warm day for our hike, and as we walked, I was reminded of the incredible natural beauty we have in our towns. The trails feature many nice bridges, and peaceful spots to fish and go wading. I also enjoyed learning about all of the history surrounding the Irondequoit Creek; at one point in the 1800s there were 25 mills operating along a very short section of the creek.

But the most charming thing that we came upon was something called the “Forgiveness Box.” It was a simple plastic storage container on which someone had written, “Write what you want to forgive inside.” It was stuffed with hand-written notes deposited by hikers who had come before, notes filled with emotion and remorse, happiness and obvious relief in being able to put into words something that had been a burden, but could now be set aside.

The box was tucked under a stone bench etched with a quote from John Milton’s Paradise Lost. It read, “The mind is its own place and in itself can make heaven of hell and hell of heaven.”

That hike gave me a lot to think about, but it was a beautiful place to do that.

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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 “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 9/23/2024)

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