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Leading off today’s mailbag, this happy bit of news from the Webster Arboretum:

The Webster Arboretum is proud to announce that it has now achieved Level 1 Accredited Arboretum status through the ArbNet’s Morton Register of Arboreta, the world’s only international accreditation program specific to arboreta.

The Webster Arboretum stands as a distinguished natural asset within the Webster Community. The site features one and a half miles of walking trails, curated gardens, a serene pond, and preserved wooded areas, offering an inviting environment for those seeking tranquility. Throughout the seasons, native and rare species of trees and plants enhance the landscape, providing picturesque views reminiscent of fine artwork. The harmonious integration of natural beauty with thoughtful human stewardship sets the Webster Arboretum apart as a valued resource.

Their collections include a variety of exceptional species: tree peonies, magnolias, witch hazels, and numerous mature oaks—a keystone species in the region. Noteworthy specimens include Quercus robur ‘General Pulaski,’ a distinctive dwarf curly leaf English Oak; Pinus sylvestris ’Moseri,’ a rare dwarf Scots Pine; and Pterostyrax, an impressive epaulette tree that reaches thirty feet in both height and width. A particular highlight is the Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘Pendulum,’ a striking giant weeping sequoia prominently featured in their courtyard.

Congratulations to the Arboretum, a true Webster community gem!

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Speaking of the Arboretum, here’s a great way to support them while having a delightful evening out in the village.

On Thursday May 28 from 5 to 7 p.m., Lala of Webster (at 38 E. Main St.) will host a “Sip, Shop and Savor” event to benefit the Arboretum.

Shop three floors of value at Lala’s, and choose an item valued at $15 or more to donate to The Webster Arboretum. As a thank-you, you’ll get 20% the rest of your purchases. Then take your receipt next door to Jojo’s Bistro and Wine Bar, and get 20% off there, too. Jojo’s always has live music on Thursdays, so it’s a great opportunity for a date night!

Great food for a great cause

Now onto another great local resource.

The Webster Comfort Care Home will be the beneficiary of the Webster Masonic Temple’s monthly spaghetti dinner fundraiser on Friday, June 5 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Enjoy a full meal including: salad, bread, spaghetti with your choice of sauce, meatballs, ice cream, a cookie, and a drink (bottled water, tea, and coffee). Cost is $12 for adults and $6 for children and can be purchased in advance (click here) or at the door. While you’re there, check out the bake sale and raffles, all to benefit the Comfort Care Home.

The Webster Masons hold a spaghetti dinner on the first Friday of every month from October through June and each benefits a Webster charity or not-for-profit organization.

ALSO from the Webster Comfort Care Home, the community is invited to their new “Yoga in the Yard” classes, which will be held on Sundays June 7, July 12 and August 16 from 9 to 10 a.m. Registration is not necessary, and there’s no charge for these sessions, but donations would be gratefully accepted.

The Webster Comfort Care Home is located at 700 Holt Rd.

Join the Rec Center’s Fitness Focus Group

The Webster Recreation Center is calling all community members to join their Fitness Focus Group, which will help shape the future of the Rec Center’s program, facilities and group exercise options.

Here’s a great description of what to expect, from Fitness Coordinator Jay Verna:

The mission of the Fitness Focus Group is to foster open communication, gather diverse member perspectives, and support continuous improvement of our programs, equipment, and facility. Through thoughtful engagement and shared ideas, the group will help ensure that our fitness offerings continue to meet the evolving needs of our community. The group will meet periodically to review ideas, discuss emerging needs, and work together to support a welcoming, effective, and community-focused fitness environment. My goal is to keep time commitment to a minimum and give the community a voice as we look to improve our fitness facility, equipment, and group exercise programming.

Community members interested in contributing can contact Jay at jverna@websterny.gov with their information and a brief note about why they’d like to participate. Submissions are open through May 31.

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(posted 5/19/2026)

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

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I’ve recently been taking a nostalgic look through all of the blogs I’ve written in the (almost) past 20 years since I began this blogging journey. I naively have been thinking that I should collect some of them into a book for my kids to read after I’m gone.

Well, I don’t know about them, but I’ve really been enjoying revisiting them, and some of them still make me laugh out loud (is it OK to laugh at your own writing?) Every once in a while I come across one which I think you all might also enjoy reading. Some of you might recognize these “oldies but goodies,” but I’ve gained so many new readers in the past few years, for most of you they’ll be brand new.

This has always been one of my favorites, drawn from my frequent walks along the bike path adjacent to Rt. 104 in the village. I originally posted it four years ago this week.

The Tale of the Wandering Box Spring

I bring you a short modern fairy tale today about loss, but ultimate redemption.

Our story begins last summer, when a lone box spring appeared in the wooded area along the pleasantly shady and tree-lined path known to local residents as the Trail of Bike. It rested comfortably along the north side of the Trail, only several feet from where cyclists and walkers would pass. It probably would have found its way deeper into the brush had a metal chain-link obstruction not halted its progress.

Clearly, the poor box spring had lost its way ‘twixt the small brick village nearby and Ye Olde Dumpstre.

One day, as I took a stroll along the Trail of Bike, I saw that some simple traveler (or perhaps a Box Spring Fairy?) had taken pity and extracted the wayward box from the wooded area, placing it on the grassy yard near the small village’s courts of tennis. Surely someone would notice it lying there and return it to its home — or at least help it finally find Ye Olde Dumpstre.

Alas, the poor box lay there through the rest of the summer, through the cold winds of autumn and blustery snows of winter, still lost and alone. And three weeks ago, as the spring flowers returned to the trees, it lay there still, filled with water from the melting snows.

One day, the Box Spring Fairy apparently took note, pushing it closer yet to the the courts of tennis. Perhaps finally some administrator from the small village would see it and take pity.

Huzzah! It did get moved one day! The laborers assigned to trim the grassy yard moved it aside … then moved it back.

Last week, the Box Spring Fairy tried once again, flipping the box head over heels several times until it came to rest standing against the fence surrounding the courts of tennis.

Today, it is gone. A happy ending.

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(posted 5/13/2026)

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).

A hearty congratulations to three Webster Schroeder students who have been recognized for excellence on the stage.

Brodie Walrath, Lilah Kastrinos and Rory Goodwin were all recently nominated for “NYC Bound,” a competition to choose two students to represent Rochester at the prestigious Jimmy Awards in New York City. The three exceptional young actors were recognized for their outstanding performances in Webster Schroeder’s production of On the Town in February.

The Rochester Broadway Theatre League’s (RBTL) Stars of Tomorrow evaluators reviewed more than 300 individual roles this year, performed by high school students in musicals throughout the region. Nearly 200 of those students chose to be considered for the NYC Bound track. To qualify, students had to perform an eligible lead role and be judged separately from their school’s overall production. From that massive talent pool, evaluators culled the nominees down to just 40 exceptional young musical performers, including our very own Webster Schroeder stars.

The community has two upcoming opportunities to celebrate and support these talented students:

• May 8 – Stars of Tomorrow Gala: Often described as the “Tony Awards for high school theater,” this ticketed gala brings together all 200 performers and cast members to celebrate participating local students. The Webster Schroeder On The Town cast is one of 47 schools that will perform a selection from their musical on the RBTL Auditorium Theatre stage.

• May 21 – NYC Bound Competition: The 40 top nominees will compete to represent Rochester at the Jimmy Awards, with the two winners announced at the close of the evening. This event is free and open to the public.

While I didn’t get to see the final production of On the Town, I did crash one of the dress rehearsals, so I can rightfully say that I’m not surprised that these three were recognized. (You can read my blog about that experience here.) It’s been a pleasure watching them grow as actors through their high school careers. And in the case of Rory, who’s just a sophomore, I look forward to seeing him grow even more in future productions.

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(posted 5/5/2026)

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).

Time is running out to achieve the ambitious Mail Call: Letters From Home goal set at the beginning of this month to collect 1,000 letters and notes for our deployed service members.

During this month-long challenge — an initiative of Wreaths Across America Webster — community members have been encouraged to stop by one of a dozen businesses throughout Webster which are hosting mailboxes (like the one above at the Webster Recreation Center) and fill out a card with a simple message of thanks, or we’re thinking of you, or we’re proud of you. The messages will then be sent overseas this June inside care packages prepared by the Blue Star Mothers of Rochester. It’s a simple way to spread some joy to our local service members stationed abroad.

The community has already been very supportive (thank you!) and the mail boxes are beginning to fill up. But many more cards need to be written if we want to achieve that ambitious goal. Think about maybe doing some at home as a family project, or as a class project in school. Or maybe ask your church group to make cards. Let’s get everyone involved!

When you’re ready to drop them off, you’ll find mailboxes at these locations:

• American Legion Cottreall-Warner Post 942: 818 Ridge Rd (back entrance).
• Jersey Mike’s Subs: 975 Ridge Rd.
• KeyBank: 1848 Empire Blvd.
• KeyBank: 980 Ridge Rd.
• Lowes Home Improvement: 900 Five Mile Line Rd.
• M.O. Pasta: 5 E. Main St.
• Lala of Webster: 38 E. Main St.
• Village Quilt Shoppe: 21 E. Main St.
• Webster Recreation Center: 1350 Chiyoda Dr.
• Webster Town Hall: 1000 Ridge Rd.
• Kittelberger Florist: 263 North Ave.
• The North Bee: 27 North Ave.

And if you’ve asked yourself whether this project is worth the effort, consider this story: One service member said he kept a young student’s card in his backpack throughout deployment. “Whenever I was scared, and didn’t feel like I could go on,” he said, “I’d take out that crayoned card, and knew someone was thinking of me.” You can imagine the joy we can all spread with 1,000 cards and letters. THAT’s what the Mail Call challenge is all about.

Messages will be collected through the end of April, so please stop by a mailbox soon and spend a moment to brighten a service member’s day.

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(posted 4/21/2026)

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).

Three young Webster Girl Scouts are asking the Webster community to help them complete their Bronze Award project.

Junior Scouts Julia Meyers, Penny Patterson and Lily Pettit from Troop 60344 — all fifth graders from Klem North Elementary School — are collecting games, puzzles, children’s books, colored pencils, crayons, markers and craft kits for children in need.

It’s a project that’s been in the works for several months. Plans started coming together last fall when they and several other members of their troop discussed possible projects they could work on for their Bronze Awards, which must be completed by September 30. At first, Julia, Penny and Lily thought about collecting books, but got stuck deciding where the books would be donated.

Then one of the den leaders came up with an idea to collect games for children in need. A lot of people have unused games in their attics or basements, she suggested, and they might appreciate a way to put them to good use. And now, when people are doing their spring cleaning, would be an especially good time to collect them.

The young Scouts latched onto the idea and ran with it. Before long, the wish list of items had expanded beyond just games to other entertaining items children would enjoy, like puzzles and crafts.

Julia, Lily and Penny are each required to commit at least 20 hours to the project, and they’re already well on their way to meeting that goal. They designed flyers to hang around town and post online, they arranged for the Webster School District to send a notice about the collection home to all of the district’s families, they filled out forms and wrote letters to get approval to place their five collection boxes, they made a promotional video and they’ve already booked a date in early May at the Gathering Place Webster to sort the donations and pack all the “entertainment kits.”

Once all of the kits are completed, they’ll be donated to Family Promise of Greater Rochester, an organization dedicated to keeping families together by preventing family homelessness.

Five donation bins have been set up around town: one at the Webster Public Library, another at St. Rita Church, a third at the Webster Recreation Center, and two at Klem North Elementary School. Items will be collected through April 30.

If you don’t have anything to donate but would still like to help, the girls have put together a brief Amazon.com wish list for drawstring backpacks and cloth shopping bags which they can use when they pack the kits. More items might be added to that list in the coming weeks, so keep tabs on it!

Here’s the video the gals have put together to tell you about their project:

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(posted 4/3/2026)

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).

About a week ago, I posted a blog about our One Webster SparX 1126 robotics team, which was preparing to take part in the Finger Lakes Regional First Robotics Competition at RIT. The event was held last weekend, and I recently received a follow-up from the school district about their strong performance.

It was a big, very competitive field. Despite the “Finger Lakes” name, the regional event drew an international crowd, including 56 teams from as far away as Ohio, Canada, Hawaii, and even Chinese Taipei.

SparX finished the weekend ranked 14th out of 56 teams, boasting a 7-3-0 record. Over the course of 10 matches, the team achieved a respectable high score of 358 points.

“It was a great competition, great learning!” said head coach David Schenk. “Our intake and shooter systems performed flawlessly. We helped our alliance win in semi-finals Match 9, and we competed against some of the best teams in the area.”

This year’s action-packed FIRST game, titled Rebuilt, features an archaeological and restoration theme. Teams are challenged to build industrial-sized robots that can recover “artifacts” (represented by yellow, 6-inch foam balls) and power up their alliance’s central scoring structure, the “hub,” by placing or throwing the artifacts inside. The field is also littered with obstacles, requiring robots to navigate over bumps or drive under a trench if their design is short enough.

Team 1126 is already preparing for their next challenge. They’ll travel to Albany on April 16-17 to compete in the Tech Valley Regional, where they hope to further improve their ranking. Fans and supporters are encouraged to follow the team on Instagram for live updates during the event.

“We’re already planning improvements and can’t wait to compete again!” Schenk added.

About SparX Team 1126

Team 1126 SparX is comprised of high school students from Webster Schroeder and Webster Thomas high schools. The team has been a dedicated participant in FIRST® for 24 seasons, dating back to 2003, and has won 30 awards throughout its history.

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(posted 3/19/2026)

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).

I got an email recently from a reader, who asked an interesting question: Since he’s not on any social media platforms, is there any other way I could share my large photo galleries from special events other than posting them on Facebook?

It got me thinking that there are probably a lot of other people in the same boat. Even though I might take dozens of photos at certain events — like the recent Wreaths Across America Day and It’s a Wonderful Run 5K — I only put a few of them into the actual blog. It would be too cumbersome to post them all, so I dump them into a Facebook gallery. But not everyone can access Facebook, so they miss out on a lot.

So I pondered that problem a bit and came up with a solution: a shared Google file. Anybody who has the shared link can access it and see the photos.

So that’s what I’ve done, and I invite everyone to check out this link to make sure it works for you, especially if you’re not on Facebook. Right now it’s just one big file with sub-folders for individual events. But as I add more and more events, I’ll start offering links for just the sub-folders as well. And every time I put up a new gallery, I’ll include the link again.

Thanks for asking, Bruce!

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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 12/19/2025)