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Webster celebrates Veterans Day

9 Nov

veterans-day

Veterans and all those who love and appreciate them are invited to the Village of Webster’s Veterans Day ceremony, honoring all those who have give so much to serve and protect our country, and those who continue to fight for our freedom.

The brief ceremony, hosted by the Webster VFW and American Legion, will be held at Veterans Memorial Park on North Ave. in the village, on Monday Nov. 11 at 11 a.m.

The timing commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front, which took effect at 11 a.m., the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.”

A luncheon for Veterans and their families will follow the ceremony at our community meeting hall at 29 South Avenue.

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Barry’s Old School Irish anniversary draws near!

4 Nov

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Do you remember this corner?

If you lived in Webster, say, 9 or 10 years ago, you might remember this unusual garden, complete with a mini-waterfall. It stood  at the the village’s four corners, welcoming visitors to our main business corridor.

It adorned the storefront of the Living Plumber at 2 West Main St., and it stood for as long as I can remember.

That is, until the Living Plumber’s owner passed away, the village cleaned it up, Danny and Jessica Barry moved in, and committed to turning that corner into something really special: a friendly little Irish pub.

This weekend, on the occasion of the pub’s 8th anniversary, it’s clear that the Barry’s have done that — and so much more. They’ve created a super friendly, welcoming pub for the whole family. A place where you can set up your computer in the middle of the day to work while listening to live Irish music by musicians jamming in the corner.  Where everyone who comes in is immediately considered part of the family.

Barry’s Old School Irish has not only changed that corner for the better, it has changed our village.

Help them celebrate this Saturday Nov. 9 when Danny and Jessica host Barry’s Old School Irish’s 8th anniversary party.

Here’s a quick rundown of what’s in the works:

  • 7:30 to 11 p.m.: Live Irish music by Billy Herring
  • 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.: Tullamore Dew and Jameson Irish whiskey reps will be handing out samples and giveaways
  • 10 p.m.: The official anniversary toast with whiskey on the house

Plus, watch for Irish dancers and a bagpiper to make an appearance. You’ll find more details here.

9232011 dan and jessI’m pleased and proud to say I’ve been an extended member of the Barry’s Pub family since before they even opened, when I popped in to interview the new owners for this blog and took that iconic picture of them holding the sign that would soon adorn the outside of their pub. There were no pictures on the walls, no musicians in the corner, no hamburgers on the grill.  Just two young kids with a dream which they continue to expand upon every single day. (Check out a few other photos from that day below.)

If you STILL haven’t stopped by this little Irish corner of the world, at 2 West Main Street right smack in the middle of the village, you’re missing something special.

 

 

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Photos of this year’s pet costume winners

3 Nov

 

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Better late than never, I present today photos of this year’s pet costume contest winners!

This contest has been run for the last few years during the village’s Trick-or-Treat Trail, but it’s been difficult to get the word out and actually get people and their dogs to meet up at the appointed time and place. So this year, Peter Elder — who organizes the contest every year — came up with a creative solution.

He wrote,

My son and I served as judges for the dog costume contest and since we could not find anyone gathered in front of Village Hall, we spread out through the (very large) crowd and found several dogs and their owners in costumes. After passing through once, we went back and awarded them first second and third prizes.

Peter added that this was “an excellent strategy for making the people and the dogs happy. … People loved being stopped and given gift cards.”

The three lucky winners this year are included here.

Make sure to get out there and trick or treat with your pup next year, ’cause you never know…you might get a treat yourself!

Also, we’re hoping to resurrect the business-sponsored scarecrow contest next year as well, so watch for more news about that!

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Hiking and hot cocoa and bourbon!

1 Nov

As a cold, miserable November dawns, allow me to tell you about a few events that will definitely warm your whole body.

The first is the annual Hot Cocoa Hike sponsored by the Friends of Webster Trails. This year’s hike will take place at Gosnell Big Woods Preserve, 680 Vosburg Rd., on Saturday Nov. 9 beginning at 7 p.m.

hot chocolateThis is a fun, free, self-guided hike under the (almost) full moon! The route is approximately 1 mile (one way), up to two miles total and will be marked with lights for you to follow, starting at the parking lot. This will not be a guided event, so you are responsible for finding your way by following the marked path. When you arrive at the final destination you’ll be rewarded with free hot chocolate.

So that everyone can enjoy this event please leave your dog home and bring them back to enjoy the trail another time. Please also bring a flashlight and your own travel mug as cups will not be provided.

If you plan on attending, please sign up here and provide an email address so that you can be reached in case of changes. An email will be sent by 3 p.m. that day if there is extreme weather that requires the hike to be rescheduled.

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The Village of Webster’s Bourbon Bash will return on Saturday Nov. 16, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Harmony House, 58 E. Main St.

Sample bourbons and whiskey from local distilleries and Webster Wine and Spirits, complemented by food samples from local restaurants.

Participants will be provided bottled water to enhance their sampling experience, and the opportunity to purchase a raffle ticket for a bourbon basket donated by Webster Rotary. proceeds of the event will benefit Webster Local Charities.

Tickets are limited and can be purchased online here or at websterbid.com. Cash sale tickets are also available at Hegedorns.

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Looking ahead, make sure to mark your calendars for White Christmas in the Village, this year on Saturday Dec. 7 from 3 to 6 p.m. An entire afternoon of holiday activities in the village concludes with the ever-popular Holiday Electric Parade. Check back on the BID website for more details.

electric parade

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Another successful Trick or Treat Trail!

26 Oct

Wow! This year’s Trick or Treat Trail in the village was AMAZING! The weather couldn’t have been much better, there were more businesses participating than ever, and more kids and adults on the streets than I can every remember seeing for this event.

As usual, I took a ton of photos (literally a gallery of 249), which I have posted here, and if you were out there today, chances are good you and your kids will be in one of them.

But this year I also asked a guest blogger, brand new Eagle Scout (an budding journalist) Justin Karnisky, to help me out in covering this event, and he took a bunch more. I am pleased to post his report — and his photos — for you here.

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Webster Trick or Treat Trail 2019
By Justin Karnisky, Troop 110 Eagle Scout

The annual Webster Village Trick or Treat Trail event was held on October 26. Fifty-two local businesses participated, including The Garage Sale Store, Barry’s Irish Pub, Coach, Lala, Carl’s Pizza Kitchen, The Music Store, and more. Residents could even trick-or-treat at the Village Hall.

Donna Rickard, from the Garage Sale Store, explained that her business has participated in the Trick or Treat Trail every year since its inception. She said, “Even the adults participate, with their dogs. It’s a lot of fun to participate, and the adults can see the local businesses.” She had so many trick-or-treaters, she ran out of candy and had to go get more!

Popular costumes included bananas, Pokemon characters, emojis, inflatable t-rexes, and Spider-Man. Some of the more unique costumes included the Statue of Liberty, the Monopoly Man, bacon, and French fries. Some families coordinated their costumes, such as the Oldfield family, who were dressed as Ghost Busters. The Urbanski family dressed up as characters from the children’s story Curious George. This was their first year participating in the event. Dave Urbanski and his sons, Lukas, age 4, and Julian, age 6 months, were happy to be out trick-or-treating.

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The Music Store has participated in the event since it started. John Bucci, owner, said, “I like seeing all the local businesses participating, and seeing the kids and all the costumes.”

There was a steady stream of trick-or-treaters throughout the streets. The streets were closed to traffic and were kept safe by the Webster Police Department.

If they were tired from trick-or-treating, families could also enjoy a hayride throughout the village. Overall, the event had a great turnout and is a welcome opportunity to trick-or-treat safely during the day, for all ages.

A big THANK YOU to Justin for a wonderful report. I’m hoping everyone had a chance to enjoy the day and perhaps visit a few businesses you had never been to before.

Once again, if you’d like to see a few hundred more photos from this year’s Village of Webster Trick or Treat Trail, click here.

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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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Get your kids’ — and pets’ — costumes ready for Halloween in the Village

24 Oct
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These kids were having fun last year despite the rain.

It looks like the weather is going to be pretty nice this Saturday for the Village of Webster’s annual Trick-or-Treating Trail. Certainly it will be better than last year, when it rained most of the day. But if you look at the photos I took, it’s clear that people were having fun anyway, which is a testament to what a great event this is.

This year, organizers tell me that the Trick or Treat Trail is going to be even bigger than ever. It seems like new businesses are cropping up almost every week, especially on East Main St., so a lot more businesses will be joining the fun and handing out candy.

You can get more information at websterbid.com, but here are some details:

11 a.m.: Costume contest in the Community Meeting Room, 29 South Ave. (right next to the fire department). Prizes will be awarded in several categories.

Noon – 3 p.m.: Trick-or-Treat Trail. Look for the bright orange pumpkins in the front windows of participating businesses. Make sure to work your way into the lower parking lot on East Main to visit the Village Bakery, ROC and Soul and more.

12:30 p.m.: The Howl-o-ween Pet Costume Contest and parade returns so your pet can join in the fun. Meet at Village Hall for judging, and there will be prizes!

Special activities:

Make sure to stop by the Webster Volunteer Fire Department on South Ave., which will be hosting an open house all afternoon.

Firefighters will be on hand to pass out candy, plastic fire hats, give demonstrations, tours of the fire engines, and more. Cider and donuts for everyone!

Also, be sure to walk the short distance down Lapham Park to the Webster Museum, where they always have some special activities planned.

By the way, it’s all FREE!

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Village Trick-or-Treat Trail details

14 Oct

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Now that we’re well into the bewitching-est month of the year, here’s a preview of the Village of Webster’s annual Trick-or-Treat Trail.

It takes place this year on Saturday October 26. It begins, as always, with a costume contest at 11 a.m. in the Community Room at Village Hall, 28 W. Main Street. Prizes are awarded in several categories.

Then, from 11:30 to 2 p.m., kids can wander through the village, trick-or-treating at businesses up and down Main Street and North Ave.

This is a great opportunity to check out some of our village’s newest businesses, including the Village Quilt Shoppe, Jojo Bistro, Lala of Webster, The Pickled Paintbrush and Chandeliers Boutique.

AND AND AND The Webster Fire Department will be hosting an open house during the event, handing out candy and fire hats for the kids, and offering up demonstrations and other fun stuff. Plus, the Webster Museum always has special activities going on, so make sure to pop up to see them on Lapham Park.

This is always a very fun event and well attended, even if it’s rainy and cold, like last year. I always enjoy seeing all of the kids’ costumes (basically they mirror whatever cartoon or video game is popular this year) and especially like seeing when entire families get into the spirit and have group costumes. Click this link to see a whole gallery of photos from last year.

Stay tuned for more details; rumor has it, a new and improved pet costume parade and contest will be back this year. I’ll pass along details as soon as I know more about it.  In the meantime, you can watch websterbid.com for updates.

 

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Weekend reminders and 9/11 photos

12 Sep

garlic fest logo

A couple of reminders about a few events coming up this weekend you won’t want to miss.

The first is the return of the Webster Garlic Festival — now called the Rochester Garlic Festival — on Saturday and Sunday at the Webster Recreation Center.

This is a great family-friendly event with a lot of entertainment, food, vendors and, of course, garlic. But you don’t have to like garlic to enjoy the festival, because most of the vendors are non-garlic ones.

Click here to read a column I wrote about the festival for more details, or visit their website here.

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quilt shoppe logo

This Friday and Saturday, make sure to pop into the Village Quilt Shoppe at 21 E. Main Street in the Webster, as this brand new business celebrates its grand opening.

Owners Monique Liberti and Vanetta Parshall opened their new shop in August and have already been warmly welcomed to the village by seamstresses who love having a convenient local source for quality fabrics and notions.

The grand opening is scheduled for Friday and Saturday Sept. 13 and 14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with food, door prizes, gifts for everyone and scissor sharpening on Saturday.

Whether you’re a quilter or not, why not stop in and say hi.

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Last night’s Village of Webster 9/11 remembrance ceremony was a very nice affair once again. The approximately hour-long ceremony was well represented by first responders and local and regional politicians. The speeches were quite moving, and the late-summer temperatures very comfortable.

This year’s musical selections were presented by the Webster Village Band, which was a change from past ceremonies, at which the Chorus of the Genesee performed. The band did a nice job, but I was disappointed to not see some of my Chorus friends and hear their sweet harmonies.

The attendance by community members was also rather disappointing, numbering about 65. There were more musicians and official ceremony participants than there were audience members. And aside from a few little girls who had come with their firefighter father, I didn’t see any young children.

That’s too bad. I think it’s important that the younger generation know about and learn about what happened on 9/11/2001. No matter that the world it created is the only one they will ever know. They need to hear about the thousands who died, the heroic first responders, and to see how our country persevered, and became stronger.

They need to never forget, too.

Click here to see more photos.

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Village remembers 9/11

8 Sep

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One of the most solemn anniversaries in our nation’s history comes around again this week. The two simple words by which we all know it belie the horror of the day: 9/11.

The Village of Webster always does a very nice job commemorating the occasion, with a ceremony held at the gazebo at Veterans Memorial Park on North Ave.

Scheduled for Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., the event usually lasts around 45 or 50 minutes, and includes first responders and local and regional political representatives who offer some comments. The Chorus of the Genesee also participates, performing some patriotic tunes.

Members of the Webster Fire Department are planning to congregate at the station on South Ave. at around 6:15 and march as a group to the ceremony. You won’t want to miss that.

 

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Thoughts on the First Responders 5K

2 Sep
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(Photo courtesy Mary White)

An amazing 625 people — both adults and children — participated in the second annual First Responders 5K on Friday night, which began on Sanford Street near Firemen’s Field and wound through the east side of Webster village.  It’s an impressive number considering it was the start of Labor Day weekend AND it was a Friday night, two very good reasons that race participants might have had other things to do or places to be.

But again this year, Webster and our surrounding communities showed how incredibly

holly and me

Before the race with my friend Holly. (Courtesy Mary White)

supportive they are of our first responders. And not only did the race attract a lot of runners, but the number of village residents who took the time to sit out front of their homes and cheer the runners as we raced by was heartening and very much appreciated.

Kudos to all of the firefighters and police officers who ran in their full gear; the weather was much improved over last year’s heat and humidity, but it must have still been a struggle to complete the 3.1-mile course while wearing many pounds of gear.

I took a few pictures, but not as many as our favorite Turkey Trot photographer Mary White. I’ve posted a few here, but if you’d like to see a lot more, click this link for an entire gallery.

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

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