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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)

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(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)

The Friends of the Webster Public Library reached an amazing milestone on Wednesday when they presented a check for $20,000 to Library Director Adam Traub.

That’s an impressive amount in itself, but even more so is the fact that the donation brought the total year-to-date donations from the Friends to $80,000.

Wow.

But a number like that really doesn’t mean much to many of us until we realize that without those volunteer-driven funds, the library quite possibly could not run many of the programs that we’ve come to know and love. Funds raised by the Friends, for example, support story hours, Night Out at the Library, STEAM Adventure, and many special programs like the Rochester Mandolin Orchestra Holiday Concert.

Chances are you’ve helped the Friends in their quest to raise funds for the library by supporting one or more of their many fund-raising ventures. They include the spring and fall book sales, the lobby bookstore, the vintage and collectible book sales, last month’s hat sale, the Kittelberger flower bouquet cards, and sales of t-shirts, sweatshirts, tote bags and other merchandise. 

So thank YOU, Webster community, for your generous support of the Friends of the Webster Public Library. And thank YOU, Friends, for all of your hard work helping make our library the great place that it is.

Pictured above: (Kneeling): Adam Traub, Library Director. (Middle row): Jenny Paxson, Library Liaison to the Friends; Ginny Nguyen, Town Board Liaison; Eileen Brookins; Linda Wilson; Deb Suffoletto; Peg Ehmann: Ruth Tetlow;  Brenda Rubenstein; and Gail Dominik. (Back row): Richard Reid; Mark Johns, Monroe County Legislator; and Ted Cole.

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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 12/18/2024)

The holiday season got an early start last Friday morning at Webster Montessori School (WSM), when the school hosted its first-ever Mini Macy’s Parade.

The parade featured more than 50 very creative hand-crafted miniature floats, so many that it took almost 45 minutes for them all to snake through the school’s gymnasium through a parade route lined with streamers.

Very much like the actual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, it was a festive affair. Students from all of the school’s classrooms gathered in bunches to enjoy the spectacle, while parents and grandparents sat along the walls. One after another, the mini floats rolled by, pulled by 5th and 6th grade float handlers selected from the school’s Upper Elementary classrooms, each one as delightful as the one before.

The variety of float designs was impressive and very entertaining. There were a lot of nods to actual Macy’s parade floats and balloons, like Dino the Dinosaur, Mickey Mouse, the Peanuts gang and several turkeys. But plenty of others broke the mold entirely, like a school bus (with pictures of actual WSM students in the windows), the “used car sale lot,” and “Old McDonald’s Farm,” and others highlighting local businesses including Kodak, Knucklehead Brewery and Wild Wings. And of course, pop culture was well represented with floats depicting Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, Bluey, and the movies Coco and Frozen.

Appropriately, the final float carried Santa Claus, who then surprised the assembled students and adults with an in-person appearance, accompanied by Mrs. Claus.

Jennifer Thornquest, WSM’s Director of Advancement and Community Engagement, pulled together most of the parade details and acted as announcer. She organized the parade line-up by theme, and as she introduced each float, described for the audience the float’s builder, topic and pertinent details, much like in the actual Macy’s parade. AND she matched each float with an appropriate theme song (for example, the fire truck float was accompanied by Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire”). It all made for a very Macy’s-parade-like experience.

The event was truly a school-wide endeavor. Thornquest wrote,

All families of our Webster Montessori community were encouraged to submit a float of any theme, size, and style. The hope was to encourage families to craft together, brainstorm ideas and promote creativity. Most of our floats were completed by the adults AND children in their households, making each float unique and a beautiful collection of joint collaborations. 

Families had about a month to work on their creations. Staff members assisted with some of the in-classroom submissions, including what Thornquest called the school’s “marquis/signature float” which they plan to use every year: a hand-knit rendition of the school’s mascot, a great-horned owl, created by staff member Sarah Reynolds. For its first parade this year, the owl was perched atop a custom basket that mirrors the design of the school’s main lobby.

Three floats were chosen as top prize winners. “The Adorable UFO” by Maren K. and family came in first place; “Mermaid World” by Vivienne and Hailey F. and family took second; and there was a tie for third place between “Nemo and Friends” by Porter and Maverick T. and family, and “Cocomelon and WMS Friends School Bus Float” by Chloe M. and family. Each winner received a $30 Wegmans gift card and all four will be featured on illuminated dollies at the Webster Village Parade of Lights during Winter Wonderland on Dec. 7.

Because it’s what I do, I took a photo of almost all of the floats, which I’ve included in this Facebook gallery. You can also click here to see the story that WROC-TV broadcast about the event, and click here for WHEC-TV’s story.

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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 11/20/2024)

In this month’s History Bit, we honor the big bicycle with the funny name: the penny-farthing. 

If you’ve ever visited the Webster Museum, chances are you’re already familiar with the penny-farthing. It’s that old-fashioned bicycle with the big front wheel and little back wheel that sits in a case just inside the museum’s front door.  

It’s such an iconic piece of Webster history that many years ago it was chosen as the logo for the Webster Museum, and more recently, as the name for the museum’s new members and friends newsletter. 

More about that later, but first, a little history.  

The penny-farthing, or high-wheel bicycle, was invented in 1871 by the British engineer James Starley. Its name comes from the large disparity in size between the front and rear wheels, which resembled the British penny and farthing coins. This was the first efficient bicycle, replacing the velocipede or “bone shaker,” a pedal-driven cycle with wooden or metal wheels that was uncomfortable due to the lack of shock absorption. What made the penny-farthing better was its large front wheel, which allowed for greater speed.

In 1976, the Neuert family donated a penny-farthing to the newly created Webster Through the Years Museum. It was built around 1877 and was purchased by Marion’s father-in-law, Jacob Neuert for $49.50 in the 1890s. Jacob passed the bicycle onto his son, Ray, who attempted to ride it in the Webster Centennial Parade in 1940. Unfortunately, a loose tire sent Ray “over the top,” resulting in several broken toes. More recently, the penny-farthing was ridden by descendants of the Neuert family in several Webster parades.

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen the penny-farthing ridden in one of our parades, but its memory is being honored again as the title of a brand new members and friends newsletter penned and designed by Webster Museum volunteers. 

The Penny-Farthing, introduced in October, is packed with historical photos and stories, event notices, and information about the museum. The next issue will be published this month, then every few months in the new year. If you’d like to be added to the distribution list, email WebsterMuseum@gmail.com. And if you’d like to see last month’s edition, click here.

Stop in and see the penny-farthing for yourself at the Webster Museum, 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster (and imagine trying to ride it!). The museum is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

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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 11/11/2024)

A holiday classic is returning to the Auditorium Theatre this weekend, and once again some of our very talented local kids will be taking part.

About 45 boys and girls ages 5 to 18 from Webster’s Dancing With Denise studio will be performing alongside the full international professional Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet troupe this year, filling the roles of little snowflakes, mice, party children, snow sprites, snow maidens, and variations. It’s a rare opportunity for these kids to audition, rehearse and perform with a professional, international touring ballet company.

The Nutcracker is truly a magical show, from the bright Christmas-Eve-celebration colors, costumes and staging in the first act, to the sparkling wintry scenes in Act II, all wrapped in the beautiful music we all know so well. The addition of adorable local children makes it even more enchanting.

Aside from the children, The Nutcracker features an award-winning ensemble from Ukraine, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, and more. It’s marking its 32nd tour this holiday season, with stops in more than 50 cities across the country. As part of their “Dance With Us” program, the company partners with local dance studios like Dancing with Denise to cast young talent to perform onstage alongside the professional artists. This is the 16th year Dancing with Denise has had the privilege of being chosen to host this magical event. 

Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet will take the stage on Saturday Nov. 9 at 3 p.m. at The West Herr Auditorium Theatre. Word is the show is almost sold out, so get your tickets soon. Click here to order online.

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Preparing for the Nutcracker isn’t the only thing keeping these young dancers busy.

The Dancing with Denise Nutcracker families organized their first-ever Making Spirits Soar Project this year, creating performance care packages for each of the professional dancers.

Thanks to tremendous support from all the DWD families, enough funds were raised to purchase, create, and decorate care packages for all 40 of the Nutcracker cast members. The idea is to provide the international dancers with food and treats to give them energy and protein while they’re on tour.

The Dancing With Denise students will present the care packages to the dancers during their stage rehearsal on the day of the show. (A few photos from the packing day are below.)

The Dancing With Denise studio is located at 1077 Gravel Rd. in West Webster.

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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 11/6/2024)

Here’s your last reminder about two fun events coming up this weekend and next in the Village of Webster.

This Saturday Oct. 26, the village’s ever-popular Trick-or-Treat Trail returns to downtown streets from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Basically, for three hours, kids (and parents) can wander the village and pop in and out of dozens of businesses, trick-or-treating. The costume contest this year will begin at the same time as the trail, right at 11 a.m., at Village Hall. It only takes a few minutes to file through the Community Meeting Room and have your photo taken for the judging. Then you can head out for trick-or-treating.

And don’t forget to stop by the Webster Volunteer Fire Dept., where they’ll be hosting their annual open house, complete with demonstrations, and then take the short walk to Lapham Park to visit Webster Museum. The volunteers there always have some sort of scavenger hunt planned.

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This year’s Bourbon Bash takes place next weekend, Saturday Nov. 2 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Harmony House, 58 East Main St.

Local distilleries including Black Button and Smokin’ Tails, and distributors including Woodford Reserve, Buffalo Trace and others will be available for sampling. Several Village of Webster restaurants will provide food samples to complement the bourbons. The event will also feature raffles and bourbon products for sale.

Click here for tickets. They cost $33.85, which includes the Eventbrite fee.

ID is required at entry.

The Trick or Treat Trail and the Bourbon Bash are brought to you by the Webster Business Improvement District. Stay tuned for more information about the next big event, Winter Wonderland, scheduled for Saturday Dec. 7 beginning at 3 p.m.

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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 10/24/2024)

News from the Friends of Webster Trails

This coming weekend, you can help the Friends of Webster Trails make our natural areas more resilient by helping with the ReTree Webster effort.

ReTree Webster is a program which recognizes that Webster’s forests are under attack from insects and disease. As thousands of ash, hemlock, oak and beech die, they’re replaced by invasive and, usually, non-native trees.  The Friends of Webster Trails developed the ReTree program to fight back, by purchasing or growing new trees and planting them in our open spaces.

The Friends’ annual ReTree planting event is this Saturday, Oct. 19 from 9 to 11 a.m. They’ve got lots of trees that need planting and could use lots of help moving the seedlings from the nursery to the field. This would be a great family activity, a way to teach your kids about the importance of respecting nature.

Due to limited parking at the planting site, volunteers will meet at 9 a.m. the ReTree Nursery/First Responders’ playground on Chiyoda Dr. and carpool from there. Bring work gloves, shovels and tick repellent.

Hiking and a treat

Also from the Friends: the annual Hot Cocoa Hike has been scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 2, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Hike in the dark, with a sweet treat at the end. Bring your flashlight for a family-friendly hike through the woods of the Chiyoda trail. The loop is approximately 1.3 miles long, and includes a stop for socialization and hot cocoa.

The trail will start at the right-hand (west) side of the Parks and Rec building and be marked by lights along the way. This is not a guided event. You are responsible finding your way to the hot cocoa and back by following the marked path. So that everyone can enjoy this event, please leave your dog at home; you can bring them back to enjoy the trail another time.

This is a fun, free, and self-guided hike. Please leave the parking lot between 7 and 8 p.m., arriving at your hot cocoa stop by 8:30 p.m.

Note: Please bring a flashlight and your own travel mug. This is a carry-in carry out event. Please be sure to register so the Friends know how much hot cocoa to have on hand.

Presentation will discuss vision issues

Community members who are concerned with vision issues that might arise as we get older are invited to attend an informational talk at the Webster Public Library on Wednesday, Oct. 23, sponsored by The Visionaries, a support group for adults with low-to-no vision.

Dr. Robert Ryan from the University of Rochester’s Flaum Institute will talk about making vision a health priority. He’ll explain some of the issues people may face such as macular degeneration, dry eye, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, nerve damage, and the current treatment options available at Flaum.

The talk will begin at 2 p.m. in the Webster Public Library Community Room, and doors will open at 1:45. No registration is necessary. For more information on The Visionaries or this event, contact Ed Wilkonski at (585) 441-8264.

Get your tickets now for the Beer Walk and Bourbon Bash

Tickets are now available for two of the Village of Webster’s most popular events, the Beer Walk and Bourbon Bash.

The annual Beer Walk (which this year is the Wine and Beer Walk) returns to the streets of Webster on Saturday Oct. 19, from 4 to 7 p.m. Participants will wander through the village and pop into local businesses, which will be providing snacks and samples of craft beers, poured in your own personal mini pint glass.

You’ll pick up your glass, wristband and punch ticket at the Coach Sports Bar, 19 West Main. Take a photo of the map of participating vendors, and after sampling food and drinks at the Coach, continue your adventure to any of the remaining stops on the map. Bring your ID, because you won’t be allowed to start without it.

Tickets are $20 (plus an eventbrite service fee), and this event usually sells out, so click here and get your tickets today.

The Bourbon Bash has been scheduled for Saturday Nov. 2 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Harmony House, 58 East Main St.

This popular event lets you sample lots of bourbons, along with some tasty treats. Local distilleries like Black Button and Smokin’ Tails will be there, along with distributors such as Woodford Reserve, Buffalo Trace. Village of Webster restaurants including The Coach and BC’s Chicken Coop will have food samples to complement the bourbons. There will also be some raffles of bourbon products. ID is required for entrance.

Both of these great events are sponsored by the Webster Village Business Improvement District. And stay tuned for more information about another fun BID event, the Trick or Treat Trail on Saturday Oct. 26.

Two great ways to support the Friends of the Public Library

The Friends of the Webster Public Library are hosting two big fundraising events next month.

The first is the Library Hats for Sale fundraiser, from Nov. 5 through Nov. 23 (or while supplies last). Dozens of handcrafted hats will be on sale, created by the library’s very own Sit and Stitch group and Friends members. They’re priced to sell and are great for gifts or stocking stuffer for that special person you want to surprise with a one-of-a-kind gift.

Of course, it’s perfectly OK to buy one for yourself, or buy one and donate it to the library’s Hat and Mitten Tree which supports Webster Hope. 

The hats will be on sale during regular library hours.

The Friends will also host a Vintage and Collectible Book Sale on Saturday Nov. 16 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the library’s Community Room. A dozen different tables will be set up, each with a different theme, offering a total of 199 hardcover and paperback books priced between $8 and $125. Many are priced between $10 and $30, attractive for collectors or those who might like to resell them.  

The table themes are:

• Railroads
• Louis L’Amour westerns (hardcover, faux leather-bound editions)
• Scotland or Scottish themes
• War
• books about New York State and the upstate/Rochester area
• Older Fiction Books
• Juvenile Books
• Miscellaneous topics  (two tables)

Three tables will each have two separate topics on them:

• Art books and books about Music
• Bill O’Reilly’s “Killing” series of hardcover books (many first printings, some signed by O’Reilly); and hardcover novels by early-20th century novelist Louis Bromfield
• books about George Washington; and novels and stories illustrated by N. C. Wyeth

Make sure to get there early for the best selection. Proceeds from both sales will benefit Webster Public Library.

What’s happening at the Rec?

Lots of fun events for all ages coming up at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr.

• Spooky Luncheon for ages 55+, Thursday Oct. 31 at noon. Dress up in costume and enjoy snacks, lunch, sweet treats and fun. Register for activity #341802-A by Oct. 25. Cost is $8.

• Saturday Night Live-themed Halloween Fitness Class Sampler, Saturday Oct. 26 from 8 to 11:30 a.m. Try one of the Rec Center’s regularly scheduled Saturday morning classes. The instructors will be dressed as their favorite SNL characters, and you’re encouraged to do the same. There’s no charge.

• Concert Apparel and Coat Drive hosted by the Webster Central School District PTSA, Saturday Oct. 26 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the Rec Center’s front patio. At the same time, you can also drop off your carved pumpkins for the Pumpkins on Parade event that evening.

• Pumpkins on Parade, Saturday Oct. 26 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. At this amazing family-friendly event, the Rec Center lines the Chiyoda Trail — which stretches for a mile around and behind the Rec Center — with brightly glowing Jack-o-lanterns. Visitors can walk along the trail and enjoy all the creativity and spookiness. Then afterwards, there’s free cider and donuts and family fun. Click here to read the blog I wrote about it.

• Coming up in November and December, watch for more details about the Family Scavenger Hunt on Saturday Nov. 2 along the Chiyoda Trail, and the Afternoon With Santa, Saturday Dec. 14 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

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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 10/13/2024)