webster on the web

Birthday parades seem to have become a “thing.”

The first one I heard about –– and participated in — was for Josh Nodine, who back on March 28th was supposed to be leaving on a Dream Factory trip to Walt Disney World. When that trip was put on hold, his mother decided to organize a birthday parade past their State Rd. house instead, for her son who loves vehicles of all kinds.

Despite a chilly spring rain, more than 170 cars and trucks and fire trucks and emergency vehicles drove by the house while Josh and his family stayed dry under a canopy, drivers and passengers all honking and waving. (I wrote a  blog about it, which you can read here.)

Just last weekend, another birthday parade was arranged for a young Plank North Elementary student who was turning 10. That one included representation from the Webster Volunteer Fire Department; American Legion Post 942 Veterans, Sons, and Auxiliary members; Legion Rider Post 942 members; friends, teachers and family members.

Then yesterday morning, The WWFD, Webster police department and other first responders were out and about again, this time brightening the day for four-year old Tristan in the Hightower Way neighborhood.

After the event, his dad Tim posted this on Facebook:

We moved to Webster in 2016, just before Tristan was born. He was diagnosed with a rare, life threatening disease later that year and underwent a bone marrow transplant in July of 2017. Today is his fourth birthday and this wonderful community and first responders came by this morning to honor our little warrior. What a wonderful and caring community we are so lucky to live in.

These events are special not only for the children involved, but for everyone else in the neighborhood as well, judging from this message I received from Colleen Marino after seeing yesterday morning’s parade:

Our neighborhood was just treated to a wonderful drive-by that included many police cars, trucks and emergency vehicles. What a treat! Thanks to all that participated! I don’t know who it was for but a great morale boost for the neighborhood!

Finally, I’ve heard about yet another parade scheduled for Tuesday April 28.

This one is being organized by the daughter of a woman turning 90 years old that day, and will be traveling down Ridge Rd. just east of the village. Plans are to organize everyone at Holy Trinity Church before noon, with plans to parade past the mother’s house at noon. I know the Webster fire department has been contacted, so this one will also include emergency vehicles.

You’ll want to keep an eye out for this Ridge Rd. parade, but you probably won’t need to put up your lawn chairs the night before.

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Here, for a change, is some “normal” news.

The Webster Central School District music program has once again been honored as a Best Community for Music Education from The NAMM Foundation, for its outstanding commitment to music education. This is the 15th year the district has been recognized.

The Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students.

To qualify for the Best Communities designation, the district answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program, and community music-making programs. Responses were verified with school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.

We’re so very fortunate to live in a district which recognizes the critical importance of music education for young people, and which employs the kind of excellent teachers needed to make that connection with our students.

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

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.

Nothing is going to stop the Easter Bunny, not even a global pandemic.

I caught up with him twice today, first at Wickham Farms in Penfield. This huge farm market usually does Easter up big time with a scavenger hunt, games and other special treats.  This year, of course everything had to be put on hold, but for a couple of hours this afternoon, the Easter Bunny was parked out front on a tractor waving to all the kids and parents who drove by.  (P.S. Their scavenger hunt this year has gone online. Here’s the link so your kids can try it.)

Then a bit later this afternoon, this fuzzy friend went by my house on a riding lawn mower, spreading joy throughout the Village of Webster. Thank you to Kyle Swingley and his family for making this very unusual Easter day a bit more fun.

Happy Easter my dear readers.

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

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’ll bet many people, like me, are taking advantage of our extra “time off” to get a hand up on spring gardening. This is a reminder that there’s still plenty of mulch for Webster residents ready for the shoveling behind Town Hall on Ridge Rd.

I really like what the town has done this year as well to assure proper social distancing. They have separated what is normally one huge mulch pile into several smaller ones, and have coned off each pile as an individual shoveling station. Just back your car up to one and you have a personal mulch pile.

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

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.

Here’s the latest gallery of inspiration and art from our neighborhoods!

Jenny Sanchez sent me a couple of her family’s creations, a cute little guy meant to brighten the day for delivery people, and a beautiful Easter egg!

Amy Weetman and her kids have been very busy in their neighborhood. She also shared with me that she got a lot of her ideas on this website if you’re looking for some.

And finally, here are some random I’ve seen in the village on my daily walks:

It looks like it’s going we have a nice couple of days coming up, so get out there and make art, then send me a photo to share!

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

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 pulled that headline from the email I received a few days ago from one of my readers, Andy LaManna, who wanted to share with me a positive story that’s come out of this crisis we’re all facing.

Andy is on the board of directors at the Webster Ice Rink which, like pretty much every other business and sporting venue, has had to close.

When the board was doing their final inventory, they discovered they still had more than 20 cases of soda and vitamin drinks. Rather than pour them all down the drain, they reached out to Teamsters local 118 to see if that organization would be interested in accepting them as a donation.

“It was a small token of appreciation from the rink for all of the work that the transportation industry is doing in this extraordinary time,” Andy said.

Teamsters president Paul Markwitz responded almost immediately, Andy continued, and was very thankful.

Markwitz wrote,

Thanking Andy and the entire Board of Directors at the Webster Ice Rink is not enough. Rochester area Teamsters are working in many essential functions through-out our area. To have the Webster Ice Rink leadership recognize these employees is just amazing! The product donated was immediately delivered to one of our law enforcement agencies where we have first responders working very long extended shifts. This expression of generosity is certainly heartfelt!

On Tuesday, the Webster Ice Rink Board of Directors orchestrated the delivery (keeping proper social distance, of course).

Andy LaManna, right, delivering more than 20 cases of soda and vitamin drinks to Teamsters Local 118 president Paul Markwitz. Photo courtesy rink manager John Tuite.

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

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.

Thank you to everyone who’s been sending me photos of their children’s artwork! I know it’s brightening people’s days.

This first one, very stained-glass-window inspired, could be found on Sweet Creek Circle (before the rains, of course):

Melissa Bolton sent me these photos of artwork and the effort to photograph it:

My friend Charlene saw this on one of her recent runs:

Another friend sent me these photos from a chalking session on Wood St.:

And finally, these:

It’s lookin’ good in the neighborhoods!

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

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.

In case you’re wondering if homemade masks are really needed or appreciated, please read this funny piece.

Recently my friend Mary Heveron-Smith posted the following conversation she imagined having with the piece of fabric she was preparing for a homemade mask. Mary, like many others, is working tirelessly to help the cause, making masks for medical personnel. It clearly is a very, well, repetitive task and the mind must wander a bit…

(This is reprinted with her permission.)

“A Conversation” by Mary Heveron-Smith

Me about to cut into fabric…

FABRIC: Could I ask what you’re doing?

ME: I’m making a mask to give to a hospital.

FABRIC: You?

ME: Do I detect some sarcasm here?

FABRIC: Well, you’ve made your share of mistakes…

ME: (starting to cut again): Okay, wise guy…Bringing up history is not the way to have a good relationship.

FABRIC: Seriously, though. Is anyone going to take a homemade mask seriously? Didn’t one of the big hospitals say basically, ‘Home sewists, you can give your machines a rest. We’ve got this.’

ME: You listen to the news?

FABRIC: Hello! You put me and the other fabrics like 20 feet from the TV, and the volume…

ME: Okay, whatever. We’re in that demographic. In an ideal world, everyone who needed an N95-type medical mask would get one. And, with our own Hickey Freeman, gearing up to make medical protection equipment, we should be fine here.

FABRIC: What happened to cooking?

ME: Steve’s on it. Chicken soup yesterday to die for.

FABRIC: So, back to this MASK…

ME: Sew Creative (in Fairport) was asked the other day for 1700 masks for an area regional health network. The requests keep coming in. Medical professionals are people just like me, and they like safety nets.

FABRIC: Okay, I get that. But let’s be honest: when you make anything, your hands are all over the fabric.

ME: Fair question. First, I wash my hands a ton. Second, I’ll drop you off in a bin outside of either Sew Creative in Fairport or The Village Quilt Shoppe in Webster.

FABRIC: And?

ME: In either case, you’ll be laundered meticulously, either through a hospital service or under hospital guidelines. You’ll get a special medical filter placed inside the pocket, plus you’ll have elastic strung through you, unless I make some ties for you.

FABRIC: Will I be famous? Will I get used?

ME: My biggest hope? That this virus will die a fast death, and you’ll just be a cute historical artifact.

FABRIC: You really think I’m cute?

For more information, go to roccovid19masks.org

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I received the follow-up email from Mary:

I wrote this to address some of the skepticism I was hearing about the mask-making project at first. I read about the call for masks, watched the video done by the physician who started this, followed updates by Lisa Swisher of Sew Creative in Fairport, and donated some ready-to-sew mask-making kits to Monique Liberti of Webster Village Quilt Shoppe. I’ve been impressed with what I’ve seen and heard.

I knew, from my own sewing projects over the years, something about the passion and professionalism of the sewists here. So I was not totally surprised when Lisa at Sew Creative reported that 1,600 masks were sewn and donated in four days. What blows me away even more is the way that these sewists, while adhering strictly to the standards set out for the masks, are using their creativity to exchange ideas and to get all the details just right. In a mask-makers FB group I started, we’re exchanging information on how to best make the ties that hold the masks on (because elastic is in short supply); which kind of wire to use for the part that must go over the nose; and how to build for comfort and safety.

Mary pointed out that Sew Creative and The Village Quilt Shoppe are not making any money on this project, and are contributing materials and a whole lot of time. We need to continue to support them by purchasing sewing materials for your personal projects.  Check out their websites for more information.

To find out more about this effort and hear from Dr. Nick, who spearheaded the project with his wife, visit roccovid19masks.org.

You can also listen to Dr. Nick himself discuss the project in this audio clip from “The Buzz” radio.

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

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.

As you can imagine, the Red Cross is facing a severe shortage of blood donations right now. People are afraid to go out, or can’t go out, and are afraid that perhaps donating blood will expose them to a greater chance of getting infected.  Many of their drive locations, like high schools, colleges and businesses are closed, sending a lot of potential donors home. But the need remains critical.

Here’s an email I got from the Red Cross:

Even in this unprecedented crisis, patients and hospitals still depend on lifesaving blood to treat illnesses and injuries that can’t wait: patients who need surgery, mothers facing complications from childbirth, accident victims, patients fighting cancer and countless others.

We understand why people may be hesitant to attend a blood drive or give at their regular donation center. That’s why we want to reassure you that the Red Cross has implemented additional precautions to help ensure the safety of our donors and staff, including temperature checks prior to entering the blood drive, frequent disinfection and social distancing between donation beds where possible. Learn more about why donating blood is a safe process.

Healthy individuals are urged to schedule an appointment to donate blood in the days and weeks ahead.

There are three opportunities coming up locally nest week:

Town of Penfield, 1985 Baird Road
Monday, April 6, 2 to 7 p. m.

St. Martin’s Lutheran Church, 813 Bay Rd
Tuesday, April 7,  1 to 6 p.m.
Sponsor Code: StMartinsLutheranChurchWebster

American Legion, 818 Ridge Road
Wednesday, April 8, 1 to 6 p.m.
Sponsor Code: WebsterCommunity

Please consider making an appointment. It’s a wonderful and easy way to help our community during this difficult time.  Click here to schedule your appointment.

Really, it’s safe.

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

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.

Josh Nodine and his family, with some law enforcement friends, in front of their State St. home.

I was honored to participate in a very special birthday celebration yesterday.

Josh Nodine was supposed to be leaving yesterday — his 12th birthday — on a Dream Factory trip to Orlando. Thanks to the coronavirus, however, that trip had to be put on hold. So his mother Jamie tried to come up with something else that would make the day special for him.

That something was a parade. She explained her idea on her Facebook post here:

We were supposed to be leaving for Josh’s Dream Factory Trip on his birthday. His dream was to fly on an airplane and ride roller coasters at Disney World. Since that trip won’t be happening when we planned, we need something else to brighten Joshua’s birthday! Josh loves cars and trucks. He loves motorcycles and emergency vehicles. He loves buses and garbage trucks. He loves anything with an engine! He loves to wave and have people wave back. So we want to create a “parade” for him! Drive by our house and wave to Josh on his birthday! We will be in the driveway, rain or shine, watching and waving back.

The invitation was originally designed just for family and friends. But word started to spread, so much that the Sheriff’s Department was called in for traffic control, and both Webster and West Webster fire departments brought trucks.

A steady rainfall clearly did not deter anyone from coming out for the celebration. Josh, his mother Jamie, father Ben and brother Caleb were all set up by 12:30 under a tent in their driveway of their State Rd. home. The fire trucks started the parade a little before 1 p.m., lights blaring, and before it was all over (about a half hour later) more than 170 cars and trucks had passed, every one of them with people hanging out their windows, yelling their birthday wishes.

What was especially charming is that many of the families and friends who streamed by had made signs, attached balloons to their cars, blew bubbles and played kazoos. In one car, a boy was playing Happy Birthday on a saxophone. A few folks even tossed gifts out their windows (one lady assuring Jamie that “I bubble-wrapped it!”).

The delight on Josh’s face was heart-warming as he watched his friends, teachers and students from Klem South (his current school), Schlegel Rd. (his former school) and complete strangers stream by, every single one of them offering birthday wishes.

Josh often sits outside his home waving to passing cars, even on a normal day, so keep an eye out for him. And it’s never too late to wish him a happy birthday.

Here are several photos of the event, and make sure to check out my Webster on the Web Facebook page for a video of the entire parade!

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There was a lot of media representation there yesterday, so you can read more of this story here:

Democrat and Chronicle

Channel 8 WROC-TV