webster on the web

When OFC Creations Theatre Center in Brighton stages its production of Steel Magnolias in January, Webster residents will see a familiar face onstage.

Natalia Stornello, a junior at Webster Thomas High School, has been cast in the lead role of socialite M’Lynn Eatenton, played by Sally Field in the 1989 movie re-make of the 1987 stage play.

The story is set in a small-town Louisiana hair salon, where a colorful and outspoken group of women gab about their neighbors and town, and have to come to grips with the death of one of their own.

Tackling the character of M’Lynn is just the latest in a long line of theater credits for Natalia. According to her very proud mother Amy, Natalia has been acting since she was six years old, from Schlegel Elementary School through Thomas. She’s also performed with NTID Performing Arts, RIT Players, the Multi-Use Community Cultural Center, and A Magical Journey Through Stages youth theater. Last summer she spent six weeks at Stella Adler’s Acting Studio in New York City.

Natalia has also completed many film projects for RIT film students in their new MAGIC Spell Studios. One of those productions, called Bond, recently won an award at the Buffalo Film Festival.

I sense that this young lady will be one to keep an eye on.

Steel Magolias will be presented at the OFC Creations Theatre Center, 3450 Winton Place, Brighton, in four shows January 14 through 16. General admission tickets are $12 and can be purchased here.

* * *

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Webster Museum.

I mean, they don’t just have one or two Christmas trees set up, they have 11 them, four-foot tall artificial trees placed on the counters, in the classroom, and tucked among the exhibits all through the museum.

The trees are part of the museum’s annual Festival of Trees Christmas tree decorating contest, where individuals, families and organizations adopt trees, decorate them however they like, then put them out there for community members to vote on for a chance to win a $25 prize.

All of the trees have been decorated and are on display, awaiting visitors’ votes. Votes will be accepted through the end of December.

The Webster Museum is located at 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster. They’re open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Call 585-265-3308 for more information.

I’ve put photos of some of the trees here, but you’ll want to visit the museum to see the rest of them. Or, you can see all the trees and vote on the Webster Museum website.

* * *

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

If you’re not tired yet of reading about the lost-then-found GoPro camera and how it sparked a wave of kidness, you might be interested in this. The story was picked up by Spectrum News and was finally broadcast yesterday.

For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, a brief summary:

On Nov. 1, DP (Don) Dunn was walking along the pier and found a GoPro washed up on the shore. He emailed me a few photos he was able to pull off the SD card. I posted a blog and within two hours the owner had been located. Ollie Bartholomew, who lives in Westchester County, had lost it in the lake while visiting some friends over the 4th of July holiday. (Click here to see the follow-up blog I wrote.)

The story didn’t end there. Don’s small kindness has spread in ways we never expected.

A few weeks ago, Andrew Freeman from Spectrum News interviewed Don, Ollie and me, and did a very nice job weaving together the many parts of the story.

It’s a heartwarming story perfect for Thanksgiving Day. Click here to check it out. Once you’ve had a chance to do so, please consider helping spread the kindness by visiting Kevin Woolever’s GoFundMe page which you’ll learn about in the video.

* * *

email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

A few days ago I posted details about this year’s White Christmas in the Village celebration on Dec. 4, but in that blog I neglected to include all the great events and performances the Chorus of the Genesee has planned for that day and evening.

The Chorus will be singing a few Christmas numbers at Gazebo Park that afternoon, and — along with several quartets and other musicians — will be performing at the Harmony House throughout the day and evening. There’ll even be a few community sing-alongs in which everyone is invited to participate.

Not only that, the Harmony House will host a Craft Fair and Bake Sale beginning at 2 p.m., and 30 or more vendors are expected to participate. It should be a great chance to get some Christmas shopping done.

Plan on stopping by for dinner as well. They’ll have lots of food available and a cash bar with seasonal specialty drinks, open before, during and after the parade.

Details for all of these event are still in the works, so stay tuned for more information. The Harmony House is located at 58 East Main St. in the village.

Looking ahead, the Chorus of the Genesee’s popular Soup & Caroling Night will be back this year on Tuesday Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. More details to come about that, too. This is always a fun event, and I like it because I get to sing Christmas carols, in a group that is so large and talented that no one can hear me.

Plus, there’s soup afterwards. LOTS of soup.

* * *

email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

I thought I’d give everyone who’s following the GoPro story a quick update.

For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, a brief summary:

On Nov. 1, DP (Don) Dunn was walking along the pier and found a GoPro which had washed up on the shore. He emailed me about it and sent some photos he’d pulled off the SD card. I posted a blog and within two hours the owner had been located. Ollie Bartholomew, who lives in Westchester County, had lost it in the lake while visiting some friends over the 4th of July holiday. It took four months for it to wash up on the shore. (Click here to see the follow-up blog I wrote.)

The second half of this story, and perhaps even more heartwarming, is that Ollie offered to donate $100 in my name and Don’s name to charity as kind of a reward. Don and I chose to donate to a GoFundMe page for a friend of his, Kevin Woolever, who is fighting ALS and is in danger of losing his home.

And now the update:

On Friday Nov. 5, Don had packed up the camera and shipped it back to Ollie, who received it the following Monday and was kind enough to send along some close-up photos of how somewhat battered it was from its time in the drink.

But then he sent the following little video, which is priceless. Ollie actually encapsulated the camera — and therefore the whole fun story — in a display case for his office.

Last Thursday, Andrew Freeman from Spectrum News put in a marathon day interviewing all three of us for a piece which will air sometime this coming week. Don told his part of the story at the lake, where it all started. Andrew came to my house and we talked as I sat at my dining room table/office. Later that afternoon, he and Ollie talked via Zoom from Ollie’s high-rise Manhattan office.

It was a really fun day, and I’ll let you know when I see the story pop up online.

I’m also very happy to report that several very kind people have donated to Kevin’s GoFundMe page as a result of my blog. My sincere thanks to those folks for helping continue to spread the kindness.

Click on the link above to read more about about Kevin’s story.

* * *

email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

You have an opportunity in a few weeks to honor a life ended too soon, while helping to save others.

A blood drive being held Saturday Nov. 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Webster Schroeder High School honors the memory of Schroeder graduate Colin Montesano ’14, who passed away suddenly at age 21.

Colin had wanted to dedicate his life to helping others by becoming a physician and studied at the University of Pittsburgh. He was also an active community volunteer, talented athlete and an organ donor, so Donate Life will be at the blood drive signing people up to be organ donors.

Local businesses are donating food for the event and there will be raffle baskets for people who donate. Plus, anyone who is an organ donor or signs up to become a donor will receive raffle tickets with a chance to win prizes.

Here are the drive details:

Blood Drive in honor of Colin Montesano
Saturday, November 27, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Webster Schroeder High School
875 Ridge Road, Webster

Please register ahead of time by clicking here to avoid long wait times.

Aside from this being a great thing to do in Colin’s memory, this is also a critical time of year for blood donations. Thanks to COVID, blood donations are already at a critically low level. They decline even more from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day as people get busy with holiday activities, so the Red Cross really needs your help.

* * *

email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

The Webster Central PTSA is looking for a few (OK, many) willing elves to help create Santa’s Workshop for this year’s White Christmas in the Village AND work on a float for the Holiday Parade of Lights.

Yep, both White Christmas and the Parade of Lights will be returning this year on Saturday Dec. 4, and the events’ organizers have asked the Webster Central PTSA for help making them the best ever.

Here are the details:

SANTA’S WORKSHOP

Santa’s Workshop will be located this year in Veterans Memorial Park, and Santa will greet children at the gazebo. The PTSA needs help with ideas, construction and volunteers for the day of the event. If you’re interested in helping out, click this Eventbrite link, go to “Register,” then “Get Tickets,” at which point you’ll be given the option to sign up and help as part of the design team, set-up team, break-down team or volunteer during the event.

The Business Improvement District will be providing funds for supplies and will even be donating money to PTSA for future events. So none of this will even cost the PTSA a penny.

PARADE FLOAT

Everyone is also invited to participate in a One Webster collaborative effort between the Webster Central School District and Webster Central PTSA to create a float for the Parade of Lights and walk alongside it. There are several opportunities for people to help, including donating colored lights, decorating the float on Dec. 2, walking in the parade on Dec. 4 (you can be part of a group, such as a club or sports team, or you can walk to represent PTSA), and disassemble the float on Dec. 5.

If you’re interested in helping in any of these ways, register by clicking this eventbrite link. Once you click “Register,” select your group or just type in PTSA, and then you’ll be asked to select which of the four opportunities you are interested in helping with. Feel free to select more than one if you like.

* * *

email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

* * * UPDATE! The Go Pro owner has been found and plans are in the works to get the camera returned. Stay tuned for an update on how this story unfolded. * * *

I got a very interesting email from a reader a few days ago, someone who clearly knows how much I like a mystery.

The email read,

While walking along the shore at Webster Park early this  morning, I found a nice, little Go Pro camera.

These things ain’t cheap.

It is a model HERO9 Black, with an orange ‘floaty’ case, and some other interesting and unique characteristics. I opened it and found the serial number, then contacted GoPro. So far, no one has contacted GoPro to report this camera missing. They have the s/n on file, and should the owner report it missing, they will contact the finder, and owner and camera will be reunited.

The camera has been in the water for a while, but the manufacturer has a generous replacement policy.  I wonder if a local reader lost this ‘in the drink’ some time ago. Or, perhaps it fell off of their boat or personal water craft during a warm summer’s day.

The kind reader attached these photos from the camera, and said that the last photos were taken July 6, 2021.

Do you recognize anyone? Let’s see if we can find this Go Pro’s home!

* * *

email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.