webster on the web

Here’s a quick update to follow up on yesterday’s blog about the Webster Public Library’s programs this month.

This Saturday, May 11 from 10 a.m. to noon, the library will host a Volunteer Fair.

I know for a fact that our community is a very giving one, and both teens and adults are always on the lookout for volunteer opportunities (especially judging by the traffic I get to by Volunteering in Webster link).

The library’s annual Volunteer Fair is a great way to check out volunteer opportunities at almost two dozen local agencies, all in one place and one time, and meet with the directors of these local agencies one-on-one to ask all your questions.

Right now, these organizations are signed up to be there:

• Bella’s Bumbas
• Challenger Miracle Field of Greater Rochester
• Friends of the Webster Public Library
• Gathering Place Webster
• Girl Scouts of Western NY
• Habitat for Humanity
• Heritage Christian Stables
• Lasagna Love
• Lifespan
• Literacy Rochester
• Maplewood Nursing Home
• Never Say Never Foundation
• North East Joint Fire District – Webster Fire Department
• Penfield Volunteer Ambulance Explorers
• Rochester General Hospital Volunteers
• St. Ann’s Community
• Trillium Health
• URMHC/Meals on Wheels
• Webster Comfort Care Home
• Webster Community Chest
• Webster Hope, Inc.
• Webster Museum
• Webster Public Library Board
• West Webster Cemetery Association
• Webster Volunteer Fire Department & Northeast Joint Fire District

Registration is recommended if you would like to be reminded about the fair but not required. Attendees can come any time during the fair and ask questions and get information. If you are unable to attend, information about the attending organizations will be available at request.  

If you’re an organization that would like to participate, email jennifer.paxson@libraryweb.org. 

The Webster Public Library is located at 980 Ridge Rd., at the back of Webster Plaza.

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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 5/7/2024)

The Webster Art Club will be strutting their stuff this month at a big art show hosted at the Pittsford Barnes & Noble from May 4 through May 31.

Seventeen Art Club members have submitted 55 pieces for this particular show, which will be judged by retired Webster art teacher Carolyn Carlton. An opening reception will be held on Saturday May 4 at 1 p.m. in the community room on the second floor — a good chance to meet the artists.

This month’s show is a great representation of how creative and incredibly talented these artists are, and how fortunate we are that they choose to share their work with us.

Mary Coy, president of the Webster Art Club, says this about the club:

As a club, we focus on community first, art second.  We’re known to be a friendly group of artists of all levels who support each other on our artistic journeys. Our season runs from Sept-June, with monthly meetings the second Wednesday of the month from 6:30-8:30pm at the Webster Recreation Center on Chiyoda Drive.  We invite different artists in the community to come and share their process with us. We also have Open Art sessions every Wednesday morning, also at the Rec Center, where members come together to work on their own projects. Once a month we provide an Open Art Focus, a specific activity for those who want to learn something new.

One of our favorite meetings of the year is in March when we invite the Advanced Placement Art students from Schroeder and Thomas high schools to give a presentation of their art. We enjoy being connected  to a younger generation of artists, for they have new ideas to teach us.

Other activities the group participates in are field trips to different galleries, a rotating art display at the Rec Center and Creative Canvas workshops for the Rec Center, (the next one will be held May 15 at the arboretum).

Find out more about the club on their Facebook page and website.

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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 4/30/2024)

The Webster Art Club will be strutting their stuff this month at a big art show hosted at the Pittsford Barnes & Noble from May 4 through May 31.

Seventeen Art Club members have submitted 55 pieces for this particular show, which will be judged by retired Webster art teacher Carolyn Carlton. An opening reception will be held on Saturday May 4 at 1 p.m. in the community room on the second floor — a good chance to meet the artists.

This month’s show is a great representation of how creative and incredibly talented these artists are, and how fortunate we are that they choose to share their work with us.

Mary Coy, president of the Webster Art Club, says this about the club:

As a club, we focus on community first, art second.  We’re known to be a friendly group of artists of all levels who support each other on our artistic journeys. Our season runs from Sept-June, with monthly meetings the second Wednesday of the month from 6:30-8:30pm at the Webster Recreation Center on Chiyoda Drive.  We invite different artists in the community to come and share their process with us. We also have Open Art sessions every Wednesday morning, also at the Rec Center, where members come together to work on their own projects. Once a month we provide an Open Art Focus, a specific activity for those who want to learn something new.

One of our favorite meetings of the year is in March when we invite the Advanced Placement Art students from Schroeder and Thomas high schools to give a presentation of their art. We enjoy being connected  to a younger generation of artists, for they have new ideas to teach us.

Other activities the group participates in are field trips to different galleries, a rotating art display at the Rec Center and Creative Canvas workshops for the Rec Center, (the next one will be held May 15 at the arboretum).

Find out more about the club on their Facebook page and website.

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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 4/30/2024)

St. Martin Lutheran Church will host a free Mardi Gras Pancake Supper on Shrove Tuesday, Feb. 13 from 5 to 7 p.m., to thank the community for supporting their missions over the year.

Dinner will include sausage and applesauce, with unlimited pancakes and syrup. Participants are invited to come dressed in Mardi Gras style. Beads will be provided, and you can make your own masks.

The event will be held at St. Martin Lutheran Church, 813 Bay Rd. Everyone is invited to this family-friendly event, so bring your friends. There’s no cost, but a free-will offering of a boxed or canned good for the church’s Little Free Pantry would be gratefully accepted.   

Catch this musical if you can!

This year’s spring musical season in our secondary schools continues with Webster Schroeder’s production of Catch Me if You Can, which will take the stage next Thursday through Saturday.

Based on the 2002 Dreamworks hit movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, the musical Catch Me if You Can introduces us to Frank Abagnale Jr. (Ryan Parody), a precocious individual seeking fame and fortune. He ran away from home in 1964 at the age of 16 with nothing but his boyish charm, big imagination, and millions of dollars in forged checks. From 1964 to 1969 Frank successfully posed as a substitute teacher, a pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer, living the high life and winning the girl of his dreams. When Frank’s lies catch the attention of FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Jack Baker), Carl does whatever it takes to bring Frank down. It’s the true-life story of the world’s (now) most respected authority on forgery, embezzlement, cybercrimes and scams.

Shows are Thursday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m.; Friday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m.; and Saturday, Feb. 10 at 2 and 7 p.m. at Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Rd. Tickets are $14 and available now through WebsterSchroederMusicals.com.

Start your Super Bowl Sunday off right

If you’re planning to spend a lot of time on the couch on Super Bowl Sunday (like I am), you might want to consider starting off your day with a fun workout.

You can even earn raffle tickets for some great prizes. Check out the poster for details.

It all happens at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr., beginning at 9 a.m. There’s no cost, registration is not required and you don’t have to be a member of the Rec to join the fun.

Kindergarten registration opens

Kindergarten registration is now open for the class of 2037.

Families are asked to go online now to register their children who will be entering kindergarten this September. (Families who do not have access to a computer may call the Webster Central School District at 585-216-0029 to have a registration packet mailed to them.) 

Families are encouraged to register early as it takes a substantial amount of time and planning for the appropriate number of students to be enrolled in each of the seven elementary schools. In the event there’s not enough space for a child to enroll at their home elementary school, registrations will be processed in the order in which they are received. 

Parents/guardians can get more information and register online at www.websterschools.org/registration.

Investors sought for Shark Tank-style panel

This news also from the schools which will interest local business owners:

High school students in the Webster Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) will pitch their businesses in Shark Tank-style to a panel of investors this spring, and Webster YEA! is looking for local businesses and persons to be the next Kevin O’Leary, Daymond John, or Barbara Corcoran for these budding entrepreneurs.

YEA! transforms Webster Schroeder and Webster Thomas students into real, confident entrepreneurs. Through the year-long program, Webster YEA! students generate business ideas, conduct market research, write business plans, pitch to a panel of investors, and launch their very own companies. Investors pledge $700 toward student businesses and join the in-person Shark Tank-style presentation of student entrepreneur business proposals to be held on Thursday, March 21.

Interested in being an investor and on the panel? Contact program coordinator Jim McEntee at james_mcentee@webstercsd.org.

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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 2/2/2024)

One of the best things about volunteering for the Webster Museum is the über-informative “News You Can Use” newsletter sent out each month to volunteers. It has so many neat little history tidbits gleaned from the recesses of the Webster Museum, some of which you’ll be seeing some day in my History Bits feature.

So I’ll save those for future use, but here are some other newsy items of interest:

• The museum’s recent Kittelberger Florist fundraiser was reportedly a “huge success.” More than 180 tickets were sold, meaning $1800 was raised for the museum. Thank you to everyone who sold, and bought, the tickets. If you missed it, I have a feeling it’ll be back again next year, so watch for it.

• Now on display in the museum’s exhibit space at the Webster Public Library, “Quirky Cameras,” featuring cameras that look like anything but a traditional camera. The collection is courtesy Frank Calandra.

• A new exhibit on the Webster Grange is taking shape at the museum. Formerly known as the National Order of the Patrons of Husbandry, the Grange was a secret society founded in 1867 to protect and advance agricultural interests. In the early 1900s, the Webster Grange was the largest in the country. It brought Rural Free Delivery of mail to town, and was instrumental in establishing telephone service. The exhibit will be completed soon, so stop by the museum to check it out.

Finally, what you’ve all been waiting for: the results from the 2023 Festival of Trees.

This year’s contest included 15 beautifully decorated mini-trees, from these organizations:

• Webster Firemen’s Ladies Auxiliary
• Webster Citizens Action League
• Webster Republican Committee
• Jack’s Foundation
• Lala of Webster
• Webster American Legion Auxiliary
• Well Field Preservation
• Webster Arboretum
• Webster Community Chest
• Webster Quilt Guild
• Webster Garlic Fest (Wreaths Across America)
• Webster Comfort Care Home
• Country Gardeners
• Webster Grange
• Museum Volunteers.

More than 300 museum visitors took the time to vote, and I can tell you from personal experience, it was a difficult choice.

This year’s winners were Webster Comfort Care Home and the Webster Quilt Guild. Thank you to everyone who participated in any way to make this event a great success. And special thanks to The Saxophone Therapy Project and The Goodwin Family Performers who provided entertainment during the Webster’s Winter Wonderland festivities.

The Webster Museum is located at 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster. It’s open every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday 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 “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 1/4/2024)

My more discriminating readers may recognize this month’s History Bit as identical to the one I posted last December. But you’d be wrong. (I actually changed a few words.) But this beautiful creche deserves revisiting every year. So here you have it again!

Hand-crafted creche a Webster Museum holiday tradition

We can always count on the Webster Museum to be especially beautiful and sparkly this time of year, with holiday decorations and miniature Christmas trees sprinkled throughout the displays.  But for more than 40 years, the real star of the show has been the Burkardt Family Creche.  

This beautiful, hand-carved creche, on display near the museum’s entrance, has a fascinating history all its own. This creche was made in Germany by C. Jess, a church architect. He made one piece a year between 1918 and 1944, each year giving the newly carved piece to his sister Freda in Frankfurt, Germany. 

Freda and her husband Henrick kept the creche hidden during World War II so that it wouldn’t be destroyed in the frequent bombings. It would have been passed on to their only son, but he was killed during the war, so they sent it to Freda’s brother, Rudolph Burkardt Sr., who lived with his family on Salt Rd. in Webster. 

The Burkardts displayed the creche in their home for decades before donating it to the museum in the late 1970s, where it’s been a treasured centerpiece of the museum’s holiday decorations ever since. 

The scene has roughly two dozen pieces, all hand carved out of linden wood. In addition to Baby Jesus, Joseph and Mary and the Three Kings, it also includes a shepherd boy, angels, sheep, camels, oxen, and even an elephant.

The Burkardt Family Creche will be on display at the Webster Museum until January, when museum volunteers will painstakingly wipe each piece with oil and pack them away until next year. So come see it while you can, and while you’re there, make sure to vote for your favorite community-decorated Christmas tree during the museum’s Festival of Trees. Votes will be accepted through Dec. 31. You can also vote online at webstermuseum.org.  

The Webster Museum is located at 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster. It’s 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 “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 12/10/2023)

I had a terrific time last Saturday, accompanying Santa and one of his elves as they strolled through the Village of Webster, checking out the Small Business Saturday savings and handing out treats to the children. It was so much fun to see the children’s eyes light up when they saw Santa, and the smiles he brought to everyone’s faces.

We were out there for 90 minutes in the morning and again in the afternoon. My husband caught some of the action on video, which we’ve put together in my first-ever “vlog.” Click the photo below to see that video.

Two local television stations, Channel 10 and Channel 13, sent cameras to capture some film as well. After all, Santa showing up in the Village of Webster? That is definitely news.

Click here to see Channel 13’s coverage.

I also took a lot of still photos, which I’ve put into a gallery here. (P.S. the elf is my daughter.)

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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 “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 11/27/2023)