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Two opportunities to help save lives

22 May

The two-day Webster Community Blood Drive is coming up in just a few weeks, on June 5 and 6.

You know the one. It’s the one advertised by the big white signs placed all around town, and where you get raffle tickets just for showing up to win some fabulous prizes from our local business owners.

I’ll get into a bit more detail about that in a minute. But first, in case you can’t make that drive, here’s another opportunity coming up tomorrow, May 23:

200398_3430269The North East Joint Fire District and Webster Volunteer Fire Department are hosting an American Red Cross Blood Drive at the Webster Volunteer Fire Department’s Enderlin Station, 35 South Ave. in the Village of Webster on Thursday fro 1 to 7 p.m.

This annual drive encourages friendly competition between Webster Fire Department and West Webster Fire Department to see which can donate the most units. But of course they’re also hoping that all eligible donors in our community will come out and “answer the call,” and give blood in honor of our everyday heroes.

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The Webster Community Blood Drive will return on Wednesday, June 5 at St. Paul’s Church on Hard Rd. and Thursday June 6 at the Webster Recreation Center. Both days will run from noon to 7 p.m.

Already we have commitment for prizes from Barry’s Old School Irish, Knucklehead Craft Brewing, ROC & Soul Fitness, Beyond Cuts, the Chicken Coop, Webster Hots and Ploty’s (although there will be many more). We’re also pleased to have several new businesses join us this year, including The Pickled Paintbrush, Lala, The North Bee and The Best You Spa. And of course, everyone’s favorite prize, a coupon for a free pint of ice cream from Bruster’s will be handed to every donor who walks through the door!

Stay tuned for more details. In the meantime, if you’re a business owner who would like to provide a raffle prize for the community drive, please email me at the address below!

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

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Memorial Day Parade details

21 May

 

It looks like the weather is going to start to become actually spring-like for a change, so we may luck out yet again for this year’s Memorial Day Parade on Monday morning.

This is always a very nice parade, and the ceremony that follows it at Webster Rural Cemetery is always moving. I highly recommend bringing your children to see both the parade and the ceremony, so they might begin to understand the huge debt we owe our servicemen and women.

Here are the details of Webster’s Memorial Day parade and ceremony, held Monday May 27, pulled from the Cottreall-Warner American Legion Post website:

  • 9:30 a.m.:  All groups participating in the parade will assemble at Spry Middle School on Sanford Street. All active duty and ex-service men and women are invited to take part in the parade.
  • 10:00 a.m.:  parade moves out from Spry, down South Avenue, turning west on Main Street and proceeding to Webster Rural Cemetery.

(I have seen two different times for this event, one saying the parade begins at 9:30, not 10. So get a seat early in case that’s what’s happening!)

The parade should completely arrive at the cemetery about 45 to 50 minutes after it begins at Spry. Following the service, refreshments will be served at the Elks Club on Jackson Road and all are invited to participate.

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An update on the bike racks

17 May

A little more than a week ago I posted a blog about how the Village of Webster will be installing four new bike racks this summer. Village Board members will have the final decision on where they’ll be placed, but have invited input from the community to help them guide their decision.

So I created a survey suggesting nine different locations throughout the village. Thank you to everyone who has taken a minute to fill it out (and it really only takes a minute). I’ve gotten 36 responses so far, but would love to have a lot more before I present my findings to the Board in a few weeks.

Here’s an update on what people have been telling me so far:

bike rack 1* The top two most popular locations so far for the bike racks with the Town of Webster logo are 1) in front of Barry’s Old School Irish/The Garage Sale Store and 2) in Veterans Park. Running a close third is a spot in front of Village Hall.

bike rack 2

* The top two most popular locations for the racks with the bike insignia are 1) in the parking lot somewhere near Village Bakery and 2) in front of Barry’s/The Garage Sale Store. There is not a close third in this race yet.

If you’d like to weigh in with your opinion, there’s still plenty of time. To read more about how the bike racks came to be, click here to go to my original blog. Or click here to go directly to the survey.

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Firefighters remember those lost to suicide

16 May

rememberThis is going to be cool.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and our Webster firefighters and emergency responders are joining a nationwide effort to mark it in a big way.

This Friday night May 17 at 9 p.m. they’ll be pulling all of their rigs out onto the tarmac and running their lights for a full minute. The display is meant to show support for all families who have lost loved ones to suicide.

Firefighters at Station 1 in the Village of Webster and Station 3 on Phillips Road will be participating. So if you’re driving by and see the spectacle, don’t worry. Better yet, take a few minutes to pull over, pause for a minute and show your support.

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The Wine Walks are back!

6 May

I think the village might be pushing things a bit. I mean, it IS only May and the way things are going this spring, it might actually still be snowing on May 18.

But that being said, the first Village Wine Walk of the season has been scheduled for Saturday May 18.

winewalk22

From 4 to 7 p.m. that evening, merchants throughout the village will open their doors for wine lovers to sample a wide variety of wines and spirits. Several new businesses will be participating this time around, including The Pickled Paintbrush, McAllister Sign, Webster Home Improvement and MJ Gabel Jewelers.

Tickets are just $15, and all proceeds will benefit the Webster Museum. They’re available online at the Webster Business Improvement District website or directly from Eventbrite.

This is a really fun event, and it usually sells out, so get your tickets soon.

Looking ahead in the village, Movies in the Park will begin July 16 with fun family flicks, another Wine Walks is scheduled for August 3, a Beer Walk on September 14 and the very popular Bourbon Bash returns on November 16.

Check the BID Facebook page and website regularly for updates and news of other events happening in the village.

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This year’s Peep Show was speeptacular

31 Mar

IMG_0495The 2019 edition of the Greater Rochester Peep show happened this weekend, and it was bigger and better than ever.

This annual extravaganza is sponsored by the Webster Community Chest. I’ve been attending since it began several years ago, and I don’t believe I’ve ever seen so many people checking out the entries before. I didn’t get a final official count, but there must have been easily more than 100 Peeps-themed entries spread throughout six exhibition rooms, the whimsical creations of dozens of local businesses and community groups who were vying for one of many “Peeple’s Choice” awards.

Live entertainment was provided this year for the first time, featuring demonstrations by local groups including the Rochester School of Irish Dance and DK Dance Studio. Organizers also brought back the children’s activity room this year, along with a snack bar, merchandise table and raffles.

Peep Show visitors purchase tokens to vote for their favorite displays. All funds raised through the voting, raffles and snack bar will be split among several local charities.

Thank you to all of this year’s sponsoring organizations, and everyone who spent so much time creating the spectacular displays. And congratulations to this yer’s organizing committee for a job well done. You have created an amazing event which touches all corners of our community and brings everyone together in so many ways. I am already looking forward to next year.

Here are a some photos from the show. To see a full gallery, click here.

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News from the schools

21 Feb
gyus and dolls

The Guys and Dolls, Jr. cast features Aidan Jacobs as Sky Masterson, Madeleine Tischner as Sarah Brown, Sam Nagar as Nathan Detroit, and Analiesse Brown as Miss Adelaide.

The Webster schools’ musical season continues in early March when the students of Spry Middle School present the Broadway classic Guys and Dolls, Jr. 

Three shows are scheduled, Friday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 9 at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. in the Spry Middle School auditorium, 119 South Ave.

Spry productions usually sell out, so if you really want to attend, make sure to get your tickets early. They’re available online here beginning Feb. 25 for $7.

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Parents of incoming kindergarteners in the 2019-20 school year are reminded that the Webster CSD Kindergarten Parent Orientation and Registration Night is Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 6:30 p.m. at your student’s school. Please note that this night is for parents only.

After Parent Orientation and Registration Night, kindergarten walk-in registration is available Wednesday-Friday, February 27-March 1 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., also at your student’s school.

For more information, go to Central Registration’s 2019-20 Kindergarten Registration webpage.

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And here’s another reminder about the upcoming information nights for the school district’s new Wondercare before and after-school childcare program. It’s being introduced next year at each of the district’s seven elementary schools in conjunction with the new start times.

Several information nights have been scheduled, and parents are asked to attend the one associated with their school if at all possible:

• Monday, February 25 at 7:00 p.m. for Plank Road North and Plank Road South at Plank North
• Wednesday, February 27 at 7:00 p.m. at Dewitt Road
• Thursday, February 28 at 7:00 p.m. at Klem Road South
• Monday, March 4 at 7:00 p.m. at Schlegel Road
• Tuesday, March 5 at 7:00 p.m. at Klem Road North
• Wednesday, March 6 at 7:00 p.m. at State Road

These evenings will be geared for parents only. (Family meet and greet nights will take place in August.) If you cannot attend your home school date, you may attend at another location.

For more information about the program, including pricing, visit the WonderCare webpage at websterschools.org, email wondercare@webstercsd.org or call 216-0017.

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Finally, thank you to Heather Dale for sending along this news and photos from St. Rita:

Throughout Catholic Schools Week St. Rita School participated in the Great Kindness Challenge, a national movement that empowered students to create a culture of kindness. The students did teamwork and cooperative activities with their buddy classes, reading and building structures out of all sort of creative materials.

On the final afternoon, classes came to the gymnasium for a Kindness Pep Rally and partake in a cooperative activity called Powerball, using small balls to move a large ball across the other teams line. Then to show our school love, we made a kindness tunnel leaving the gymnasium where each class got to go through and receive high fives from all the other classes.

In addition, families of St. Rita Schools also donated many cans of soup on soup-er bowl weekend, and there were other “spirit” days that included wearing ties that reminded them they are “tied up in teamwork” every day.

SRS School Great Kindness Challenge 2

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Congratulations to nine St. Rita School alumni, class of 2013, who received the Hands of Christ Award this year.

These seniors are active members of St. Rita, Holy Trinity and St. Stanislaus Kostka Parishes, and have consistently demonstrated a Christian attitude by word and example.

This Hand of Christ Award is a recognition program to assist parishes in affirming their high school seniors who have been the “Hands of Christ” in their church, home, school and community.

SRS Alumni Class of 2013

Standing with Bishop Matano are Julia Spagnola, Lauren Quatela, Hannah Tette and TJ Tytler. Other St. Rita alumni who received the award are Brandon Connor, Taylor Loiacono, Meghan McAliney, Esther Moore and Jacob Russo.

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Get ready to Peep!

20 Feb

peep

Good news for Peeps lovers. The 2019 Greater Rochester Peep Show is right around the corner.

If you’ve never heard about this really fun event, you’re going to want to keep reading, especially if you like eating those yellow (and now pink and purple and whatever other colors) marshmallow chicks and ducks. I’ve never been a big fan. I put them in the same category as those faux-orange circus peanuts. They squeak when you bite into them.

But I LOVE the Peep Show. This is a two-day event at the Webster Recreation Center, where two entire rooms are filled with incredibly creative sculptures, dioramas, and various other works of art created with Peeps. It’s simply the cutest thing ever.  (Click here for a small photo gallery from 2017.)

This year’s show is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday March 30 and 31. More details will come (but it’s free and great family fun). But for now, Peep Show organizers are looking for Peep creators.

Businesses, organizations or individuals are encouraged to enter a display for judging. Prizes will be awarded at the end of the show for the display that gets the most visitor votes.

Not feeling very artistic? You can support the event in other ways as well. You can hang a poster, donate a prize or become a partner in underwriting the show. Several levels of sponsorship are available, and all proceeds will benefit the Webster Community Chest.

Find out more about the show and how you can help by visiting the Rochester Peep Show website here, email peepshow@frontier.com or call 585-671-8738.

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It’s official –the Garlic Festival is back

24 Jan

garlic

I know, I know. I already told you last October that the Garlic Festival was returning. But now it’s really, really official, because the call has gone out for vendors.

The name has been changed — it’s now the Rochester Garlic Festival instead of the Webster Garlic Festival — but all of the other great things about the festival have not changed. There will be lots of garlic vendors and cooking demonstrations, other vendors and community agencies, live entertainment, food trucks and more. PLUS all proceeds will benefit Challenger Miracle Field!

The Rochester Garlic Festival is scheduled for Saturday Sept. 14, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday Sept. 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Webster Recreation Center.

BUT FIRST the festival needs vendors. Organizers are now accepting vendor applications. For details about booth fees, visit the Rochester Garlic Festival website, or click here to download an application.

Make sure to check the website frequently for updated festival information. You’ll also want to follow the festival on Facebook and Instagram.

Still have questions? Email Katie Kovar at info@rochestergarlicfestival.com. 

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Sharing Christmas joy in the village

19 Dec

The week before Christmas has become one of the most musical weeks of the entire year in the Village of Webster.

On Monday night, Robyn Whittaker, hairdresser extraordinaire, special event organizer, village cheerleader and all around good egg, hosted her third annual Christmas Carol Debacle. Robyn provides pizza and assorted spiked and non-spiked beverages for the event, which drew a big crowd of about 20 people this year, despite the promise of bracing winter winds .

The tuneful group stopped first at Rubino’s to serenade the employees and diners there. Then they wandered through a few east-side village streets, stopping at perhaps a half dozen other houses before heading back to The Coach via Burke’s Grill and The Bistro.

The following evening, the Chorus of the Genesee took to many of those same streets for their annual Soup and Carol Night. The group was quite a bit larger — numbering maybe 30 or more (I never got an actual count), the weather much more comfortable and the signing voices much more in tune.

The first stop, as it has been every year, was Webster Eye Care Associates, which is pretty much across the street from the Harmony House. The folks there have hosted the annual visit from the Chorus carolers for 24 years, and this year greeted the singers with doughnut holes, hot chocolate and gift bags.

A second regular stop is the Cataldi home, where there’s always hot cider for the Chorus carolers. These folks always have a holiday party that evening as well, complete with instruments, and gather on the porch to perform a carol of their own (this year it was Mele Kalikimaka, accompanied by ukuleles).

My running club, Barry’s Runners, also helped spread some holiday spirit Tuesday evening, with our third (maybe fourth) JACK Foundation Run.

The JACK Foundation, formed in memory of young Jack Heiligman who lost his life in a tragic accident in October 2016. The foundation’s goal is to remember Jack’s giving spirit by passing on random acts of kindness.

Tuesday night, the Barry’s Runners did that — literally. We collected $200 in gift cards from places like Dunkin’ Donuts, Yolickity, CVS, the Apple Store, Wegmans and of course Barry’s Old School Irish, and while we ran through the village neighborhoods, we handed them to strangers or hung them on doorknobs and mailboxes. Perhaps you were one of the lucky people to find one this morning. If so, please make sure to pass on the kindness.

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