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.
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.
The Daisies of Webster Girl Scout Troop 60344 got an inside look at the Pirate Toy Fund warehouse recently, learning about the great ways this organization gives back to the community, and getting the chance to help their cause.
The Pirate Toy Fund is the only nonprofit organization in the country dedicated to distributing new toys year-round to children in need throughout the Greater Rochester region. It was co-founded by local children’s entertainer Gary the Happy Pirate and Dave and Lorrie Simonetti. Since 1995 it has distributed almost 400,000 toys through more than 70 program partners including camps, the Red Cross, Salvation Army, and law enforcement agencies throughout Western New York.
The Daisies first got a personal tour of the warehouse from Otto Harnischfeger, the fund’s Executive Director. After the tour, they girls were given a snack and special Pirate Toy Fund pins to proudly display on their uniforms.
The Daisies were working on their “Make the World a Better Place” Daisy Petal, one of ten petals on their uniforms, each representing one line of the Girl Scout Law. Troop 60344’s Brownie was also on the tour; she was fulfilling some of the steps for her “Give Back” badge by learning about a business that gives back to the community, and supporting that mission. Every girl brought at least one new toy to donate.
Troop co-leaders Linda Meyers and Daniela Viavattine knew this would be a valuable opportunity for the young ladies. Linda said,
We thought it would be a great idea for our girls to see a wonderful Rochester-based organization that’s helping the community all throughout the year, and especially at the holidays now. Fortunately, our girls come from homes that can generally provide presents for their children, and we thought it would be great for our girls to help out for children and families that maybe aren’t able to do that.
Webster Troop 60344 has 15 Girl Scouts, 14 first-grade Daisies and one second-grade Brownie. The Daisies come from Klem North, Plank North and Dewitt elementary schools. They are Adriana Gringer, Alayna Henrichs, Alexa Weber, Avery Ganter, Charlotte Lloyd, Claire Frisk, Emerson Ganter, Harper Bozzelli, Julia Meyers, Kennedy Kleps, Lily Pettit, Mackenzie Johnston, Natalie Wigton and Penelope Patterson. Brownie Sophia Elias attends St. Kateri.
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.
Ollie in his office
The view from Ollie’s office
Don chatting with Andrew at the lake
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.
A new museum is taking shape at the West Webster Fire Department on Gravel Rd., and it’s pretty neat.
The museum is located in its own bay on the north side of the station, specially designed for that purpose when the new station was built in 2019. It’s not a huge space, but it’s packed with old artifacts representing the WWFD’s long history.
I got a personal tour the other day from Al Sienkiewicz, one of about a dozen WWFD members who have been working on the museum for more than a year. Al gave me a quick lesson in the department’s history, including how it was created following a fire in 1925 which devastated West Webster.
The centerpiece of the exhibit is a 1935 Ford pumper engine. Surrounding the engine are displays of old communication equipment, nozzles, first aid equipment and more. Three mannequins illustrate the transition of turnout gear, from a long overcoat to today’s short coat, bunker pants and complete equipment ensemble.
The WWFD also has a 1974 Cadillac ambulance, which replaces the pumper in the museum for six months of the year.
There’s still a lot to do before the committee considers the museum finished … if they ever do. For example, they’re working on restoring a huge 1924 map of the fire district for one wall and figuring out how to best use another large, blank wall on the south side of the bay. They’ll be adding informational placards on some of the exhibits, and Al would like to create a display about the civil side of the department.
The museum isn’t officially open to the public yet, although many people got a sneak peek at the WWFD’s Fire Prevention Open House last month. In the meantime, they continue to collect items for more displays and fine-tune their current ones.
They’re still on the lookout for antique fire equipment to include in the museum, especially anything from the WWFD. If you come across something in your attic that you’d like to donate, drop them an email at info@westwebsterfd.org or call them at 585-671-4141.
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.
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.
* * * 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!
Sometimes I happen upon blog ideas quite accidentally. That was the case when I was taking a walk the other day to Wegmans, and passed by a brand new business, Nourished, which recently opened next door to Hobby Lobby.
Nourished is a smoothie and juice bar with a full menu of teas, shakes and coffees that are actually healthy.
That was actually the first question I asked owner Stacy Sinclaire when we sat down to chat not long ago. I’d seen a photo on Nourished’s Facebook page of a young girl drinking a peanut butter brownie shake, and I just had to ask, “How can something like that be good for you?”
“Our shakes use plant-based protein,” she said, “and we blend with water and ice.” So basically, they top out at 250 calories and pack in 24 to 28 grams of protein.
They even have protein coffees. “Where else can you go to get protein in your coffee?” Stacy quipped.
Stacy and her young family moved here to Webster from Greece a little more than a year ago. As an elementary school reading teacher in the Churchville-Chili school district for 17 years, becoming a small business owner was something she never really considered. That is, until the day she happened to drive by Unleashed Nutrition in Fairport.
“It was a long time coming, wanting to do something else,” she said. “I just saw this business in Fairport and thought it was the neatest thing. I’m a big health-nut, I work out every day, I like to eat healthy, so this just screamed my name.”
So she stopped in, met the owners, and asked what she needed to do to open her own place. By last February, she and her husband Peter took the plunge. The owners at Unleashed Nutrition helped them set up the distributorship and mentored them. Then, over the summer, Stacy decided to devote herself full-time to her new business, and resigned from her teaching position.
She hasn’t regretted the decision for a moment.
“I was ready for a new adventure,” she said. “They say how most people wake up and go to work and it’s just a job. I wake up now and I’m happy to come to work. … I walk in here and it’s something that you’re proud of because it’s mine.”
“We absolutely love what we do.”
In the few short weeks Nourished has been open, it’s already developed a steady clientele. That’s a testament to the menu as well as Stacy’s community-focused approach to business. She’s already been offering specials and fundraisers for local youth groups and sports teams. But it’s even more personal than that.
“I want this to be a place where (customers) know they’re going to be greeted and welcomed,” she said. “Customer service has always been huge to me. I want to create a positive environment.”
In the interest of being thorough with my blog research, by the way, I did try one of those peanut butter brownie shakes (you’re welcome). I can report it was delicious. Pretty sure I’ll be back for one of their apple crisp shakes before they’re gone….
Nourished is located at 900 Holt Rd. (Wegmans Plaza), next door to Hobby Lobby. They’re open weekdays (except Wednesday) 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and weekends 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram (@nourishedwebster).
This is news that I just couldn’t wait to share: White Christmas in the Village will be back this year!
As I was chatting with BID Chair Elena Bernardi at Saturday’s Family Games Night, she told me that not only will this very popular event return on Saturday Dec. 4, she also told me about a terrific addition to this year’s schedule.
Instead of having children visit Santa at Village Hall as in years past, this year Santa will be down at the gazebo, and Gazebo Park will be transformed into Santa’s workshop at the North Pole. There might even be workshop activities for the kids, but final plans are still being worked out. Isn’t that a cool idea?
All of our White Christmas favorites will also be back, including the carriage rides, caroling, and of course the Electric Parade.
More details to come of course, but spread the word!
I feature the people and places and events that make Webster the wonderful community it is — and throw in some totally-not-Webster-related personal ramblings every once in a while as well.
I love it when readers send me news about the great things happening in their schools or the community, so please email me anytime at missyblog@gmail.com
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