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The Webster Recreation Center is organizing a community-wide clean-up event to honor a beloved long-time staff member who passed away in 2023.  

It’s called the Helping Heroes Clean-up Day, scheduled for Saturday, April 26, held in honor of Tom Smock, who was not only a valued member of the Webster Recreation Center community, but the greater Webster community as well. 

The whole idea of Helping Heroes Clean-up Day is for households, especially the elderly, who need some extra help cleaning up yard debris, to sign up for assistance, AND – to honor Tom’s giving spirit — for community members to sign up to volunteer. 

Helping Heroes Day is a very appropriate way to honor Tom. Recreation Supervisor Julie Schillaci wrote, 

Tom worked for us from November 2016 to September 2023 as a part-time custodian.  However, he was so much more! He interacted daily with the 55+ folks, fitness members, and all the kids in our building. … Tom was such a generous and humble guy.  He would always lend a hand with whatever was needed at the Recreation Center and he is sorely missed around here.

But Tom’s kindness and generosity stretched well beyond the confines of the Webster Recreation Center. In the eulogy she gave at Tom’s funeral, long-time friend Pat Font painted a picture of the kind of guy Tom was:  

Tom was a simple guy who loved the simple pleasures of life. He had lots of wonderful qualities – he was a very likeable guy to anyone who met him. … (He) had the biggest heart ever – he would give anyone the shirt off his back. He constantly gave to charities, never missed anyone’s birthday, and gave of his time and talents to anyone who needed help. 

Tom was a registered nurse, an active outdoors-man, accomplished gardener and great at repairing pretty much everything. He was a devoted Rotarian and served as the organization’s president. No matter what challenge he chose to tackle, Tom Smock committed his time and talents to their fullest. 

Right now the Rec Center has about 10 houses registered for spring clean, and about 30 volunteers signed up so far. They’d LOVE for more homes to sign up, so spread the word to you elderly neighbors. They’d also LOVE LOVE for a lot more volunteers to help out. Many hands make light work.

To register or volunteer, call the Webster Recreation Center at (585) 872-7103.  

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

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(posted 3/29/2025)

Today’s blog is about community.

My regular readers know that I love to highlight the kind and generous people who make up our incredible community. When something important needs to be accomplished, if a neighbor needs help, the Webster community responds without hesitation. From my position as a community blogger, I see that happen every day in big and small ways.

The most recent example of that spirit can be seen is the response to the first-ever Mail Call: Letters From Home challenge. During the month of April, mailboxes will be placed in businesses and agencies throughout the town, where people can deposit cards, letters and notes for the troops. The hope is to collect 1,000 letters, which will then be included in care packages the Blue Star Mothers will be sending overseas in June.

I’ll be posting more details about this effort shortly, but I needed to write — right now — about what’s been going on so far. Because even before the Mail Call Challenge has officially begun, the Webster community has rallied big time to support it.

For the last month or more, Cherie Wood, the event’s organizer, has been working hard behind the scenes, collecting blank greeting cards, arranging for the mailboxes, and contacting local businesses to ask them to host a mailbox where the cards and letters will be collected.

Step one was collecting the cards. When the call went out, the cards started flowing in. They came in a few at a time, dozens at a time stuffed in manila envelopes, and by the box-load. Individuals dug through their attics and pulled together all of their blank cards. Others donated note pads and blank post cards. Craft clubs dedicated their time to create beautiful cards. Girl Scout Troop 60344 joined forces with the Women’s Club of Webster to make cards. One woman dropped off a box filled with 374 individually crafted, stamped and decorated cards her mother had made, heartened by the thought that they would be going to a good cause.

As for the mailboxes, Webster Lowe’s donated 13 mailboxes, 13 posts, post brackets and buckets filled with cement to stand them in. Jerry, one of their employee veterans, is designing the stand for their store. And Vital Signs, who made all the mailbox wrappers, did so at a very deep discount.

As Cherie started approaching businesses who would agree to host a mailbox, she thought she might have a little difficulty finding 13 locations. BUT NO!!!! Not only has she found those locations, but the response has been enthusiastic. Or, as Cherie wrote, “some of them have been over-the-top excited to do this.”

For example, she reported,

• Lori at Mama Lor’s already has it planned out: the hostess station will encourage customers to write a card while they wait for their tables or meals.
• Doctor Joe Van Cura, owner of Pearl Vision, is newly discharged from a medical unit.  He knows the difference a card or letter can make.
• Joe Campeau, manager of KeyBank on Empire is a new veteran, and knows how important getting these cards and letters from home means during deployment. 
• The American Legion and VFW are beyond excited to host a mailbox. Imagine one of our young soldiers getting a letter from a veteran who has been there. 
• Jersey Mike’s Subs, a frequent supporter of military fundraisers, enthusiastically said “YES!  We want a Mail Call mailbox!”
• The folks at Salvatore’s said, “These service members fight for us. The least we can do is support them with a note of encouragement. We are IN!”
• The Webster Library is planning a Drop In & Make a Card day on Saturday, April 5 from 11 a.m to 3 p.m. Bring the family!
• The Webster Recreation Center will have their mailbox available for everyone, and they will have card making parties during their spring camps.
• The Webster Town Hall was very pleased to support our military by hosting a mailbox.

That is so cool.

Stay tuned for more information about the Mail Call: Letters From Home Challenge and a complete list of mailbox locations. Then you can also be a part of this important initiative.

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

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(posted 3/19/2025)

Now here’s something that I’ve never heard about before, but I can definitely get behind.

It’s the National Historic Marker Day, an opportunity for community members a chance to show some love to our town’s historic markers.

The annual event is a celebration of local history and service, and this year will be held on Friday April 25. The hope is that individuals or community groups (like the Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts) will volunteer to clean historical markers, important to help prevent deterioration so that our generation — and future generations — can continue to enjoy them.

Here in Webster alone we have a dozen markers, and they could all use some TLC:

• Bay Road Elementary School, 695 Bay Rd. (now Hillside Children’s Center)
• Bresson House, 199 W. Main St.
• Early Church, 109 W. Main St. (now Cobblestone on Main)
• F.M. Jones House, 135 E. Main St.
• First High School, 97 South Ave. (now apartments)
• Fort Site, Lake Rd.
• Holt Homestead, 757 Holt Rd.
• Immanuel Lutheran Church, 131 W. Main St.
• Irondequoit Bay
• Jayne & Mason Bank buulding, 11 E. Main St.
• The Dean House, 93 W. Main St.
• Webster Baptist Church, 59 South Ave.
• Webster Grange, 58 E. Main St. (the Harmony House)

This website has everything you need to know about the day, including how to register, what you should do to plan for your project, even applying for grant money. There’s a downloadable volunteer kit that includes a planning document, marker cleaning guide, lesson plans, tips for publicizing your project, and more. Registered volunteers may also be eligible for a special giveaway once you share your marker cleaning photos on social media. You’ll find more information about that on the website as well.

If you’ll be participating in National Historic Marker Day, please let me know, and plan to send me some photos.

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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 3/11/2025)

A couple of events from my friends at the Webster Chamber of Commerce today.

The first is the announcement about their next Eat, Drink & Connect event. These networking events are great opportunities to develop current business connections and start new ones. They’re also a chance for Chamber visitors to socialize with Webster Chamber members and find out more about the organization.

Normally, these occasions are hosted by one Webster Chamber member, but this month the Chamber is adding a twist and making it a co-chamber event.

On March 13 from 5:30 to 7 p.m., the Webster and Brighton Chambers of Commerce will be hosting a joint event at the Preservation Beer Company in Fairport. The featured speakers will be from LifeWave. LifeWave Directors Kendall Welden and Sarah Robinson will present information about their wearable patches for health and wellness. 

There’s no fee for Chamber members to attend; the guest and visitor fee is $10. All attendees must pre-register: 

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This second note is from Webster Chamber member Embrace Your Sisters, a Canandaigua-based organization dedicated to providing emergency financial support for people with breast cancer. The organization covers 13 counties, and more than $600,000 has been distributed to date.

In the past, Webster residents have supported — and received financial support from — Embrace Your Sisters, so I’d like to share this information about one of their upcoming events, the 18th annual Tea at Two Fashion Show on May 4.

Here’s the press release I received:

Public Preparation for 18^th Annual Embrace Your Sisters Tea At Two Fashion Show Fundraiser

Save-the-date for the 18^th annual Embrace Your Sisters (EYS) Fashion Show Fundraiser on May 4, 2025, at 2 p.m. (doors open at 12:30 p.m.). Once again, the show will be held at Casa Larga Vineyards & Winery in Fairport. 

The Fashion Show is one of two annual events which are coordinated by the volunteer EYS Board members to raise money in support of breast cancer patients, with short-term emergency funding, across Monroe County and the neighboring 12 counties. Over the past 19 years of EYS, they have distributed over $600,000! Embrace Your Sisters is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, EIN: 80-0277604.

Currently, the public is being offered the opportunity to join in on the community support and earn visibility. Sponsorships, Program Ads, and donated products and services for the Silent Auction are all ways to participate. The deadline to participate in any of these ways is March 21.

Plus, your attendance at the 2025 Embrace Your Sisters Tea At Two Fashion Show Fundraiser will be very appreciated. A critical mass of attendees makes the silent auction, liquor and wine pull in handcrafted bags, jewelry, music, appetizers, desserts, beverages, speakers, and of course, the runway fashions, even more enjoyable! Click here to buy your ticket or a table of 10.

If your loved one, friend, or colleague has been challenged with a breast cancer diagnosis, please tell them about Embrace Your Sisters. To read more about the Tea At Two Fashion Show and express your interest, click 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 3/9/2025)

Hot on the heels of the recent announcement that registrations are being taken for this year’s Community Arts Day, I also got an email from the organizers of the Webster Garlic Fest that plans are ramping up for that tasty festival, too.

This year’s Webster Garlic Fest is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday Sept. 6 and 7 at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr.

This festival keeps getting bigger and better every year, and organizers continue to open up more and more spots for vendors. This year, 160 spots are available for vendors to set up inside the Rec Center or along the pathway outside. Applications are now being accepted for Garlic Fest vendors, and if you’re at all interested, I suggest you apply really soon, because spots fill up quickly for this very popular festival. Click here to apply.

If you’re not familiar with the Garlic Fest, it’s a great family festival for anyone who loves all things garlic. The Rec Center gymnasium and grounds outside are packed with crafters, food vendors, distilleries, wineries, food trucks and, lots and lots of garlic growers. Many of them provide tastings and samples. And even if you’re not a big fan of garlic, there’s lots of other neat things there. In past years there have been baby goats (in pajamas), alpacas, a huge 70-year old tortoise, Mr. Wally the Balloon Man, a comedian and entertainers.

This year’s schedule of vendors and entertainment won’t be finalized for a while, so stay tuned. In the meantime, bookmark the Webster Garlic Fest website to stay up on the latest.

All proceeds from the Webster Garlic Fest benefit:

• Wreaths Across America: Honoring and remembering veterans resting in local cemeteries on National Wreaths Across America Day, this year happening on December 13, 2025

• Blue Star Mothers ROC NY8 (Military Families):
  Building Care Packages for locally deployed service members and helping military families in our area.

• Gold Star Mothers Rochester (mothers who have lost a child, spouse, sibling or parent in active duty):
  Helping community veterans-in-need with meals, resources, and year-round support.

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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 2/21/2025)

In today’s History Bit, we take a closer look at a place that I’ve written a lot about, but never really featured in any depth: the Webster Museum.

Located at 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster, the volunteers at the Webster Museum work tirelessly to keep the people, places, artifacts and stories from our town’s early days fresh in our minds. These nuggets of history made our town and village what they are today, and should never be forgotten. 

Unfortunately, however, many people don’t even realize that our town has a history museum, let alone have visited it. So today, and several more times this year, these Bits of Webster History will focus on the permanent exhibits at the Webster Museum. For some, they may be reminders of things you already know about. For others, they’ll hopefully serve as an introduction to the valuable resource that is the Webster Museum, and will spark a visit to find out more.   

Our first stop, just to the left inside the front door, is the Village of Webster’s Main Street. Here you see a recreation of Witmer’s Variety Store, which for many years was one of the village’s mainstay businesses, located in the east half of 1 East Main, where Jeff’s Computer Service used to be.  

The store was owned and operated by Mabel Witmer, whom everybody simply knew as “Mrs. Witmer.” It was a true variety store, selling just about everything under the sun for the home, work and school – even school uniforms. 

Mrs. Witmer ran the shop for many years before it closed in the mid-1970s. The exhibit’s display cases, and much of the merchandise in the cases and on the shelves along the wall came directly from the store. They illustrate the incredible assortment of items available at Witmer’s Variety, and provide a good sense of why so many town and village residents came to rely on the shop for their everyday needs. 

Make sure you don’t leave the store without paging through the binder on the counter, which has several historical photos of Main Street, including one of Mrs. Witmer in her shop. 

Stay tuned for our next stop along Main Street in the next few months, when we  remember another beloved and long-standing village business, the Webster Candy Kitchen. In the meantime, you can find out more about the Webster Museum on their website. Or, better yet, stop by for a personal tour. 

The Webster Museum is located at 18 Lapham Park in the village, and is open every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. There’s no admission charge.  

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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 1/5/2025)

To all of my friends and readers on this very special day, Merry Christmas! My wish is that you’re spending it surrounded by family and are fully able to relax and soak in the magic of the day.

Thank you for being part of my life; I feel blessed to be able to write this blog and know that so many people out there are touched by my words.

Your blogger friend, Missy Rosenberry

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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 12/24/2024)