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When I sat down with Jim and Jeannette Lockwood last week in the comfortable living room of their Lake Road home, I knew it was going to be an enjoyable conversation. After all, I had met Jim several times previously, and knew he was a very friendly fellow.

The first time was a year ago, when he was sitting in the gazebo at Towne Center (Target Plaza). I had gone by to take some photos for my blog, and started up a conversation with Santa. I discovered that Jim was a Webster resident and a regular on the Webster Santa scene, including White Christmas in the Village. I decided right then and there that I wanted to devote a story — or at least a blog — to him and his experiences as Santa.

Fast forward one year. I started thinking about what I should write for my holiday week column, which just so happens would land squarely on Christmas Day. The previous year’s conversation with Jim came to mind. It was the perfect answer.

So I got Jim’s phone number from the village, and called him up one day. He was more than happy to meet with me, and we arranged to meet the following Wednesday at Barry’s Old School Irish in the village.

You might remember that Wednesday. It snowed. A lot. There was so much snow that even Santa shouldn’t have been be driving (at least not without Rudolph). So I called Jim to reschedule for the next Monday.

The next Monday I was on the couch all day with a bad back. I called Jim again. It looked like I might never get to meet Santa.

Third time’s the charm, as they say. Later that week the weather was good and my back was behaving, and I finally was able to make my interview with Santa.

We talked for more than an hour. It was fascinating to hear his stories and the knowledge he has gained in his 20 years of playing Santa. I learned so much more than I could have ever stuffed into my 600-word column (as it is, I ran long with the hopes my editors wouldn’t cut it down too much). I had to remove so much cool information to make it an acceptable length. I think it’s still a pretty interesting column, but I wish I could have included so much more.

And so that’s what I’m doing here.

If you’re interested, here are the more complete answers Santa Jim gave to my questions, including ones I touched on in the column, and several others I didn’t have room for.

How does someone who needs a Santa go about contacting and booking one?

Jim is listed on two different online agencies, Gigmaster and Gig Salad. Most first-time bookings come through those two sites. “I’ve had to turn down 50, 60 people already,” he told me. “My weekends are booked. Everybody wants a Santa on a weekend.” On the day of my interview, he had three or four emails waiting for responses, and he got another call while I was there.

When do you first put on the Santa suit?

His first event every year is the second Saturday in November, when he arrives at the Eastview Mall in a limousine.

“(The organizer) gets hundreds of kids in front of the mall. I don’t know where they come from. A limousine picks me up, they drive me around to the front. The limousine guy talks to the kids for a second, he opens the door and I greet all the children. Inside the mall doors is the Fairport Marching Band. We parade through the entire mall. It’s like ten miles. Inviting al the children to join us. It’s like the Pied Piper.”

How many events does Jeannette attend with him as Mrs. Claus?

“As little as possible,” she said. “I’m not like him; I’m not a forward person. It’s overwhelming to me.” Two events Jeannette always accompanies Jim to are the Webster’s White Christmas in the Village Offices and the Webster Volunteer Firemen’s Christmas Party the next day. Jim added, “They want to keep the same Santa to do both because a lot of the same children will go to both functions. So the fire department and the village work together to have the same Santa.”

Is the beard real?

Yes. He’ll shave it off immediately following his last event on the 27th, start growing it again in March, and start bleaching in September.

Do a lot of kids pull on the beard?

No, but they like to run their fingers through it. It’s the older women who yank on it. They say “I’ve always wanted to do that.”

How many children cry?

Some, but not as many as you might think. “There’s an age group.” For children ages 1 to 3, he says, “Chances are about 50/50. The 2-year olds are gonna cry.”

Do kids ever come up to you when you’re not in your suit and ask if you’re Santa?

Yes, but not a lot.

“If a child comes up to me and says, ‘Are you Santa?’, I’ll look at him and say, ‘No, I’m not Santa, but I heard he’s a great guy,’ or ‘Santa’s my brother.’”

“When I go out I don’t dress as Santa. I think Santa belongs in red suit in the appropriate places….I will not admit to anybody that I’m Santa when I’m not in a suit. Even when you’re in the suit you never admit to being Santa. You portray Santa. You’re not Santa.”

What do kids ask for?

“The most common one is anything from the Frozen movie. They’re all wearing the costume, they come up to me, they have the little dresses. They know all the characters’ names.”

For the boys, “Little tots want tractors and they want trains and planes and everything. When they get into the 7 and 8 and 9 years old all of a sudden it’s iPhones, Ipads, smartphones, stuff they see their mom and dad use. They don’t even know what it is but they’re asking for it.”

“A good percentage just freeze up and they can’t remember what they want.”

“I’ve had some very serious, sad incidents where children have come up and (ask), ‘Can you bring Daddy home he’s in prison. You go to school to learn what to say. And that would be, ‘You know, he’s good at making toys, and he can bring stuff like toys and puppies, but there’s some things Santa can’t do. But I’ll pray with you that Daddy’s safe.”

“I get a lot of them that mommy’s sick, she’s got cancer, she’s in the hospital. I’ll pray with them right there.”

“There was a little guy about three years ago, he could hardly talk and I put him up on my knee. …I said to him, what would you like for Christmas? And he said ‘dirt.’ Just as plain as that, he wanted dirt. I looked at his mother and she says, ‘He wants dirt. He’s used to playing outside in the summertime with his cars and his trucks in dirt.’ He wanted Santa to bring him dirt so he could play inside.”

Do any kids tell you you’re not real?

“I’ve had very few children tell me there is no Santa. I’m not saying they’re believers, but nobody is going to admit there’s no Santa.”

“When children get to be about 6 or 7 or 8 years old, they’re starting to really question Santa; you might get another year or two out of them because they’re afraid to admit that Santa doesn’t exist because they’re not going to get anything. When they get to be about 9 or 10 years old they know, but they’re not going to admit it, because they’re going to get a gift from Mom or Dad but, they’re going to get one from Santa too.”

“So it’s a game that’s played.”

Tell me more about the “Santa School”

“Santa School” is officially called the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School. It’s in Midland, Mich., but actually began in 1937 on Charlie Howard’s farm in Albion, NY. “If you want to be a Santa this is where you go,” Jim said. It’s where “you learn how to be Santa.”

The three-week course is held every summer, and they only take 80 students, a mix of brand new and experienced Santas.

They teach you “how to transform yourself from Joe Blow into Santa Claus. You learn how to dress head to toe, apply makeup, rosy cheeks. if you have a real beard they have a hairdresser there to show you all the products that you use. If you’re a ‘traditional’ bearded Santas, they have people there who specialize in wigs, teach you how to comb out a wig.
Make you be the best Santa that you can be

“Then they start on how you talk to children, how can you identify children from ten feet away. How you know what you hope to expect. When you’re talking to one child, you’re kinda of eyeballing the next one.”

“Do they have limitations? You try to identify which ones. You try to guess their age. That’s pretty easy to do — just ask them what grade they’re in. If they’re not school age yet, you say ‘Wow, when was your last birthday?’ or ‘Didn’t you just have birthday?’ Then they’ll say, ‘Oh yes, I’m TWO now!’”

“There’s little things that help you along talking to children.”

“We do an interview with a radio personality like you’re on the radio. He throws you some real tough questions sometimes. Helps you learn to act on your feet.”

They teach you how to present yourself in a parade. Santa doesn’t do the Di wave. Like when I’m on the firetruck (at the Webster parade), there’s thousands of kids. You try to pick out, point your finger at two or three kids, try to get their attention, and they’re saying ‘Wow, Santa sees me, he knows me.’ It just brings a personal contact with the children.”

“If you’re walking, you have to wave to both sides, be really active all the time, looking at children, look at both sides.”

They also have exercise classes.

“Most of us are old fat guys The clock is ticking, we know that. They want to keep Santa healthy. You gotta to see 80 fat old men, and they bring in this 22 year old girl in tights. ‘C’mon Santas, we’re going to exercise!’”

“Yeah, right.”

There’s also a lawyer there every year who “tells it like it is, how liable you are for all kinds of things. All somebody has to do is make an accusation and you are done.”

“You always wear white gloves. In every picture that Santa is in with a child on his knee.
one hand goes on your knee, and the other hand goes around the child or the lady or the gentleman and you’d better see the fingers on the other side of the picture.”

About his Santa suits (they’re called suits, not costumes):

“I have five suits.” The gold standard are the very expensive Charlie Howard suits, made of 80% wool, 20% rayon. “The suits are still manufactured to his specifications,” crimson red, and hand-sewn with a satin lining.

Wonder if you’ve seen Santa Jim out and about?

Here’s a sample of the places he does every year in addition to his Webster village events:

Gander Mountain, Eastview Mall (he shares this job with four other Santas), Wegmans (441 and 250), Country Club of Rochester, Fabulous Flowers, Ridgemont Country Club, Baywinde, Westside Nursing Home in Greece, Indian Landing School, The Landing at Brighton
Rochester Museum and Science Center, Gates Police Department, and St. Joseph’s homeless shelter and soup kitchen.

He also visits a lot of private parties. One this year was for a woman in Greece. “She’s had so many deaths in the family the last few months. She’s having a party for her family. She write me two letters yesterday, She’s so anxious for Santa to come bring some joy into the family’s life.”

What do you do in the off season?

Believe it or not, he makes Santa hats. Not like the ones you’ll find at the Dollar Store, but finely crafted, hand-sewn and hand-embroidered “casual” Santa hats for sale in the professional Santa marketplace

“I’ve sold over 400 hats to Santa and each hat goes from a range from $75 to $125 per hat.
Other Santas make beautiful belts, buckles, boots.”

It’s really a year-round commitment for Jim.

“The Santa season is one part of it, the other part of it will pick up around February or March. That’s when the serious Santas start thinking about next year. I’ve already got orders for hats for next year.

Danny Barry, behind the bar, chats with some of the friends and family who filled the little pub.

Yesterday, Joseph B. Barry, Sr. was laid to rest at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.  He was probably best known as long-time owner of Crescent Beach Restaurant in Greece. (Read his obituary here.) But to many of us in Webster, he was “Grandpa Joe,” who occasionally stopped by Barry’s Old School Irish in the village to chat with the patrons and make sure his grandson Danny Barry was running the place properly.

I had the pleasure of meeting Grandpa Joe a few times, but never got to know him very well.  It was obvious, however, how much he was adored and respected.  I always enjoyed watching people interact with him. It was like he was holding court, with people gathered around him to absorb his wisdom.

That respect was ever more evident yesterday afternoon when family and friends gathered at Barry’s Old School Irish after the funeral for an honest-to-goodness Irish wake in honor of Grandpa Joe.

Correction. Family and FAMILY gathered, because when it comes to the Barrys, the whole town is considered family.

Stories were shared, hugs were freely given, much whiskey was poured and many taps were flowing.  And I never felt more proud and honored to be part of the Barry family.

In the obituary that ran in the Democrat and Chronicle on October 8, Joe’s grandson Mike is quoted,

(Crescent Beach) was just a building with windows and doors, but it was special because of how he made people feel when they walked in.

Anyone who has ever walked into Webster’s hometown Irish pub knows that Danny Barry has exactly the same approach. Grandpa Joe is most certainly at rest, confident that his legacy lives on within the welcoming walls of Barry’s Old School Irish.

Three of Joe Barry’s sons, (L-R) Chris, Mark and Hon. David (Mike) Barry, Sr., with Danny Barry.

Well, it’s not exactly paradise, but it is a place that deserves a lot more respect than it’s been getting.

I’m talking about Robb Cemetery, an 8700-square foot parcel of land on East Main Street in the village of Webster, spitting distance from Phillips Road. It is a true pioneer burial ground, with at least eight known burial sites dating back to 1823.  (The map below shows a ground-penetrating radar study of the property completed in 2011. All of the red rectangles are suspected burial sites.)

You’ve probably driven by it countless times without realizing what it is, because there are no signs on the property indicating its historical significance.  Plus, it looks like it could simply be someone’s back yard, especially since the homeowners on the property’s eastern edge decided to pave over part of it and put in a parking lot.

The Village’s Historical Preservation Commission is trying to do something about both of those things.

I’ve been somewhat familiar with the Robb Cemetery, and the controversy surrounding its ownership, for a long time.  But I was finally brought up to speed when I attended a recent meeting of the Village’s Historic Preservation Commission.  Reclaiming Robb Cemetery and giving it the recognition it deserves has been one of the commission’s primary goals for a long time now.  It’s a three-fold process: 1) getting the property officially transferred to the village, 2) erecting proper signage, 3) and getting that obnoxious parking lot removed.

What really irks me about this whole issue is that the parking lot shouldn’t even be there.  The neighbors do not own that land, and were denied permission TWICE by the village to pave any part of it.  But they went ahead and did it anyway.

Yes, you read that right. The village told them no, and they went ahead anyway.

You would expect  that our village leaders would want to do something about that.  These folks basically thumbed their nose at the Board and paved over an important piece of Webster history.  Chances are very good there’s even a burial site under the pavement itself. (See the map.)

The previous administration was, in fact, taking steps to get the paved area removed.  Mayor Cahill, however, does not seem to be of the same mind, stating that “I’m not going to put pressure on the current owners to remove something that has been there for years.”  That is unfortunate.

There is good news, however.  Gov. Cuomo has just signed a bill which officially deeds that property to the Village of Webster.  That was a big step.  Now it’s up to the Village Board to keep the ball rolling, get the pavement removed,  and give those buried at Robb Cemetery the respect they deserve.

In 2011, ground-penetrating radar was used to create this map of Robb Cemetery. The red rectangles represent “disturbances” which are believed to be grave sites. Click on the map for a closer look.

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Webster has two high schools and two Wegmans. So why not two CrossFit gyms?

That’s the thinking of Chris O’Donnell, owner of CrossFit Recourse, Webster’s newest CrossFit “box,” located in the village on Donovan Ave., just down the road from Hank’s.

CrossFit Recourse opened just two weeks ago, offering area residents a second choice when they choose to tackle this intense workout regimen.

For the benefit of those who have never heard of CrossFit, I generally describe it as a torturous but very rewarding strength and conditioning program comprised of a series of short, intense workouts which include (but are not limited to) running, rowing, jumping rope, ladder-drills, weightlifting, flipping tires, carrying heavy objects, pull-ups, sit ups, chin-ups, box jumps and medicine-ball throws. The chosen activities are done repeatedly, at top intensity, for 15-30 minutes straight.

When you’ve completed one of these workouts, you’re pretty much dead. But it’s an “I-really-feel-great-physically-and-emotionally” kind of dead.

As a CrossFit aficionado myself, I was pleased as punch when CrossFit Webster opened up in June on the west side of town (in Penfield, actually, near Wal-Mart). Then, when I heard about CrossFit Recourse, well, I was so excited I felt like doing 20 burpees.

(If you know burpees, you’re laughing right now.)

The fact that it’s in the village is a bonus. Chris explained that when he was researching where to locate his new CrossFit box — trying to stay away from existing facilities — he saw “a huge void on the northeast side of Rochester.”  The warehouse space in the village of Webster seemed perfect. Right off of Rt. 250 and less than a half mile from 104, it’s very easy to get to, especially from Wayne County. The nearby Hojack Trail offers a great place for running, and the big parking lot provides lots of space to throw in some … well, creative workouts.

True to the spirit of CrossFit, the 4,000-square foot facility is pretty much just a big open warehouse with rigging in one corner

and a few other pieces of equipment set up nearby.  If you don’t fully understand CrossFit, that’s all you’ll see when you walk in.  I, on the other hand, saw a space filled with the promise of sweat, effort, struggle, achievement and self-respect.

More equipment and matting are on the way, but right now Chris has enough equipment to accommodate classes of 15 people.

That includes all the basics, including a rower, kettle bells, Rogue rig, high-quality weight lifting equipment, medicine balls, boxes, and more.

He’s also put in two brand new bathrooms and showers.

Workouts (WODs) for experienced CrossFitters are held three times a day Monday-Friday, and once on Saturday morning. “On-Ramp” classes designed for those new to CrossFit are also offered three times day during the week and twice on Saturdays. Visit the CrossFit Recourse website to see the entire schedule and get registered.

And here’s something really cool for anyone who’s thinking about trying CrossFit but is a little intimidated. CrossFit Recourse hosts a FREE class every Saturday morning at 9 am for anyone who just wants to try it out. Or as Chris put it, to “get comfortable with it.”

For more information about CrossFit Recourse, check out their website here, or their Facebook page here, or give Chris O’Donnell a call at (585) 313-5105.  The box’s mailing address is 205 North Avenue, but you’ll find their entrance off of Donovan Street. Turn right in front of Hank’s.

Don’t expect to find much point in today’s blog. It’s one of those times when I just have a whole bunch of disparate thoughts that need to be put down on paper — or more accurately, digitized.

That old abandoned barn which has stood for years on Ridge Road across from Webster Plaza is finally coming down. It makes me kind of sad. I always respected that old place. It stood proudly for so long, despite the slow encroachment of weeds, traffic and commerce. It was almost as though it was thumbing its nose at progress, forcing us all to remember back to simpler times when residents would walk across that property to bale some hay, not to pick up a prescription at Rite Aid.

There was a photo and caption in the Webster Herald a few weeks ago about the demolition. It noted that the Webster Museum Historic Properties Committee had learned that “the barn is being dismantled by Dutton Properties of Springwater, and the boards and beams will be reused.” Apparently this is “GREAT NEWS FOR PRESERVATION MONTH (May) in Webster!”

Well, I can see that the Preservation Committee would be pleased about plans to re-purpose the wood, but I wonder if they’re happy that it’s coming down.

Enough about that.

Photo courtesy Democrat and Chronicle

Yesterday’s Democrat and Chronicle had two nice articles about the Christmas Eve tragedy which you might have missed. One of them was about a Lake Road resident whom we hadn’t heard about before, who helped Joseph Hofstetter escape the scene in his truck after he was injured. Read that story by clicking here.

The second is about “Chip” Chiapperini.  The Greece Police Department new canine officer has been officially named “Chip” in his honor. Read that story here.

Moving on….

Congratulations to Webster Thomas and Webster Schroeder High Schools for being named — once again — to Newsweek magazine’s list f top 2,000 best high schools in the nation.

The ranking is based on six components, including graduation rates, college acceptance rates. average SAT/ACT scores, percent of students enrolled in AP courses, and other test rankings.

Both schools significantly improved their rankings from 2012. This year, Webster Schroeder landed at #738, up from 867 in 2012. Webster Thomas scored even better, coming in ranked at #290. Last year, Thomas was ranked #441. Congratulations to the students and staff at both schools.

Finally, those of you fully immersed in today’s social media culture might find this interesting. Yesterday I finally signed on to LinkedIn.

The way my husband describes it, LinkedIn is kind of like Facebook for professionals. It’s a great place to network and expand your professional contacts, without the food photos, sentimental videos and political rants that pervade Facebook these days.

I also think it’s a lot like Twitter, mostly because even though I belong to the network, I really don’t know how to best take advantage of it or how it will benefit me. But I’ve been getting invitations to join the network for months now, and since I’ve got this new column gig which makes me LOOK professional, anyway, I thought I’d take the plunge.

So if you’re on LinkedIn and want to connect, send me a message. But if I don’t respond, just chalk it up to the fact I don’t know what I’m doing.

The scene in the track infield during the 2011 event. Click on the photo to see a 2011 photo gallery.

It seems like the whole town is gearing up to go big at the annual Relay for Life. As the date draws near, I’ve been hearing about it from the schools, the town and from readers.

You know all about this terrific fund-raising event, right?  If not, here’s a great explanation from the American Cancer Society:

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At Relay, teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length.

This year’s event is scheduled from 6 pm Saturday June 1 through 6 am Sunday June 2, at the Webster Thomas High School track.  The first order of business are opening ceremonies, then a Survivors Lap, reserved for those who have fought cancer and won, or who are still doing battle.  Then everyone takes to the track and the event begins in earnest.

An enthusiastic walker from the 2011 event. Click on the photo to redirect to a 2011 gallery.

If you’ve never been to Relay for Life, you will not believe the happy carnival atmosphere that pervades the event. I attended for the first time a few years ago and was changed forever. I wrote the next day,

I attended one of the most inspirational events of my life last night. It was called the Relay For Life, and it can only be described as … well, a celebration of life….

…It wasn’t just people walking around a track. It was people skipping arm-in-arm around the track. It was people dressed in silly costumes, pushing strollers, walking backwards.  Entire families walking together, old and young alike. Friends from school and work dancing to the music being piped onto the field.  There was a band, a children’s chorus, and a magician. There were balloons and banners, flags and streamers. Everyone was smiling and laughing and enjoying the company of friends and family.

It’s yet another great example of how the Webster community comes together when there’s a need.

That even includes Webster residents who can’t make it over to the track.

On the day of the Relay, residents at The Maplewood in the village of Webster will stage a two-hour “mini relay” at the facility, beginning at 10:30 am.  Gary Sacco, The Maplewood’s Director of Recreation, explains that “The object is to keep the laps going continuously for the entire two hours. This is a nice way to warm up for the full event later in the day at Webster Thomas.” Donations will be accepted to benefit the American Cancer Society.

Walkers and volunteers who’d like to accompany the residents at the event, or who’d like to help work the mini-relay track, are welcome to attend.   Call Sacco at (585) 872-1800 x4017 or email him at GSacco@visitmaplewood.com if you’re interested.

Want to find out more? Click here for more details about the American Cancer Society’s Annual Relay for Life. Consider creating a team. Join a team. Or just come by and do a lap in memory of a loved one. And while you’re there you can buy a t-shirt to show your support.

It’s fortunate that many of us have this week off to rest up, because this Saturday kicks five straight weeks packed with special events (and I haven’t even started to look at April yet).

Today, though, I’d like to highlight one in particular.  It’s a Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser hosted by Katy Corpus of Webster, to support her upcoming trip as a People to People Ambassador to France, Italy and Greece in July.

People to People was founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 with the goal of educating youth to interact with people from other nations respectfully through full cultural immersion.  The students travel without their parents, which allows them to take charge of their own learning and education while overseas.

Katy explained in an email what the trip is all about and why she decided to take on this challenge:

Ever since I was little, I’ve wanted to travel the world. I’ve always believed that there is more to see, more to learn, more to discover in the world than what is just in your surroundings. I also believe that in order for one to be knowledgeable enough to help change the world, one must first see it. This trip will help me start my journey of seeing the world.

I will be going to France, Italy, and Greece (not necessarily in that order) for 19 days in July 2013. I will be learning about intercultural relations, cultural history, leadership skills while seeing the sights and cultures of European countries. I will also take part in a home stay, where I stay with a host family for a few days to truly learn about culture by actually living it.

Here are the details:

Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser
Saturday 23, 4–7 pm
Webster Thomas High School, 800 Five Mile Line Rd, Webster
Cost: $9.00 for adults, $6.00 for children or seniors
Desserts will be available for purchase.

The dinner will feature vegan and  gluten-free options, and diners can eat in or take out. There’ll be entertainment, silent auction and raffles, and vendors.  Call Ken at 585-347-4950 for more information.

Tickets can be  purchased at Computer Works Pro, 1991 Empire  Blvd.,  Webster; Barry’s Old School Irish Pub, 2 West Main St., Webster; or click here to order online.

I’ve only known the Corpus family for the last few years — I first met them when I did a blog about the new Computer Works Pro business which Ken owns (it’s in the gingerbread plaza at the corner of Empire Blvd. and Terrel Drive).  I can assure you this is a great Webster family and a very worthy cause.  I’ll be there early.

* * *

Now, here’s a preview of the exciting things coming up in the next installments of What to Do in Webster?

* Webster Thomas High School presents Footloose, Feb. 28, March 1 and Marh 2 at 7:30, and Sunday March 3 at 2:00. Tickets are on sale now at Wegmans and will be sold at the door.

* The annual Spry vs. Willink Benefit Basketball Game is Friday, March 1 at Schroeder High School. Proceeds will benefit the West Webster Fire Department, and he firefighters and families of those impacted by the Christmas Eve tragedy.

* Also on Friday March 1 is a Neighbors Helping Neighbors Benefit Pasta Dinner sponsored by the Forest Lawn community residents which will also benefit the Lake Road families. Tickets will be $10 for adults and $5 for children.

* Spry Middle School will present Alice in Wonderland in three shown on March 15 and 16. General admission tickets will be $6 and can be purchased at the door.

* Webster Schroeder High School presents The Wiz on March 21 and 22 at 7:30, and March 23 at 2:00 and 7:30.  Tickets are $10 each,and can be purchased at Hegedorns on online at the Webster Thomas Players website.

* The second annual Schlegel Road Beautification Fair will be held on Saturday March 23 from 10-4.  They’re still looking for vendors and raffle prize donations. Check the event’s Facebook page for more information.

More details will be forthcoming about all of these events … and even a few others in March I didn’t get to yet.

SPOILER ALERT!!

If you’re on my Christmas list (you know who you are) you might NOT want to read today’s blog.

* * * *

 I’m going to try something new this Christmas. I’m going to buy local.

I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that this is a new concept for me.  Like most people, I’m a big Kmart/Walmart/Kohl’s/Target shopper when it comes to the holidays.  But after all these years I’m beginning to get tired of the same old, same old.  I feel the need to get more creative in my gift-giving.

So I’m going to try to keep my Christmas dollars in the village as much as possible. It doesn’t hurt that Webster has so many wonderful little shops with such a wonderful variety of gift ideas.  And it doesn’t hurt that I’ve come to know so many of our village’s small business owners and really want to support them.

So I’m going to try my best to shop local this year. I know, for example, that my kids will definitely want one of Barry’s Old School Irish’s new t-shirts or hoodies. I know someone on my list who just LOVES Nest Things. (That place is a gift-giver’s dream store.)  I’m thinking a stop by The Music Store would be a good idea for my son the musician, who can never own enough things to beat, strum, pick, or fiddle with. And I haven’t even begun to list all the people who would like gift baskets or stocking stuffers from Webster Gourmet.  And books?  I don’t have small children anymore, but I’m sure someone on my list would love a book or two or five from Yesterday’s Muse.

And that’s just a start. I figure I can get my entire list taken care of in one day.  And I know the day.

Small Business Saturday is coming up on November 24.  Yes, that’s the day following Black Friday, a day I never ever venture out onto the roads. On Black Friday, not only is Ridge Road backed up for miles, but the process of entering and exiting Towne Center Plaza becomes an hour-long ordeal, a situation which will repeat itself every weekend until Christmas.

The following day, however, the traffic through the village will be very manageable, and the parking plentiful. So that is when I will be finishing up my Christmas shopping. You’ll find me strolling through the village of Webster, or perhaps hanging out at Barry’s warming my hands around a hot chocolate before heading out for round two.  Hope to see you there.

By the way, click here to download a whole slew of money-saving coupons courtesy our Webster Village businesses.

Perhaps you were lucky enough to be in the audience last year when the Working Class Theatre Company performed  The Complete Works of William Shakespeare — Abridged at the gazebo.  If so, I’m sure you were as impressed as I was with the talent this little company brings to the stage.

So you’ll be interested in this news: the Working Class Theatre Company has returned with a brand new play, which they’ll present in five shows this coming weekend at the Harmony House.

The production is called What’s the Capital of Bolivia?, and it’s directed by Sander Nagar, who also directed last summer’s hilarious Shakespeare parody.

There are a lot of reasons to be excited about this performance. For starters (and this one’s obvious), it means that live theater is returning to the village. And there’s nothing like a good play to invigorate a town’s night life.

Secondly, this particular play is a world premier. It’s written by local playwright Robert G. Barone and has never been produced anywhere else before.

Jimmy Johnson and Scott Ellsworth play brothers home for their mother’s funeral. Tony Perri plays their father.

The last really neat thing about this performance is the way it’s being performed. The entire set has been plopped down not on the stage, but in the middle of the Harmony House floor. Taped lines outline the acting area, so in some places the actors will be only a few feet from the front row of the audience. It’s kind of like theater-in-the-round (except it’s a square).  Nagar explained that the decision to perform on the floor was a deliberate attempt to deeply engage the audience. “While you’re watching,” he said, “you feel like you’re a fly on the wall.”

The theater company is hoping that this weekend’s production will be just the first of many appearances at the Harmony House, Nagar said. For a while now, he’s been working closely with the Chorus of the Genesee, who own the facility, and is pleased that to have “finally gotten a foot in the door.”

“We’ve always considered Webster our home,” Nagar said. Ultimately, he added, the Working Class Theatre Company would like to set up their own space in Webster, and settle into a three-play season: one show in the fall, one in the spring, and a summer production at the gazebo. Then maybe also sprinkle some staged readings throughout the rest of the year.

This view from the Harmony House stage shows how the performance area is set up on the floor.

It looks to me like they’ve got a real good start.

Downed trees block Five Mile Line Road in Penfield. (Screen capture from D&C video by Jamie Germano.)

It could have been much worse. And I dare say, I think we were all expecting Sandy to hit us harder than she did.  But fortunately — as is often the case — the predictions of gloom and doom were not completely fulfilled.

Not to say things aren’t bad out there this morning, for thousands of Webster residents. Especially along the lake shore, there’s water in basements, trees are down, lines are down, and thousands are without power. And since the problem is so widespread, it may take a long time for everyone to get it back again.

But for most of us away from the lake, aside from some extra detritus in the yard and a leaky roof or two, we fared pretty well. After all, I got a day off of school, most of the leaves are down from the trees now, which will allow me to finish up my yard work weeks ahead of time, and the outlet bridge got swung into place a few bonus days ahead of schedule (boy, did THAT little bit of news light up my blog!). We’re also pretty fortunate that this all blew through last night and not Wednesday night.  And thank goodness it wasn’t snow.  Yikes.

Still, take care when you’re out on the roads today, because several of them are closed and more branches may yet come down.  Here’s an update from the D&C of the roads that are closed this morning:

As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, the following roads are closed: Stone Road, between Castleford and Willis in Greece; Latta Road, between Silver Fox Lane and Castle Creek in Greece; 5 Mile Line Road, between Whalen and Route 286 in Penfield; Lake Road, between Pellet and Baker in Webster; Holt Road, between Nestwood and Shoemaker in Webster; East Avenue, between Anita and Sweden Walker Road in Sweden; Roosevelt Highway, between Route 260 and Hamlin Parma Town Line Road in Hamlin; and, True Hickory Drive, off of Hemlock Woods Lane in Greece.

The Webster Recreation Center is also closed to the public today, as it has been designated an emergency shelter. The Webster Lunch 60 Program will also no run today.

How did you and yours survive the storm? Did you have any significant damage to your home?  Feel free to comment and share your stories, and send along some photos for my blog if you’d like.