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Get your group together and scare a village

8 Oct

One of last year’s scarecrow entries.

The Village of Webster will host its second Scarecrow Contest this fall, to coincide with the annual Halloween in the Village events scheduled for Saturday October 27.   Last year the contest was only open to businesses, but this year community groups are also invited to participate.

So that means Cub Scout and Girl Scout troops, church groups and service organizations can create their own scarecrows.  The details are a bit sketchy right now, but for sure your creation shouldn’t be gory or profane, and ideally it should tie to the theme of your organization. There’s no cost, and prizes will be awarded for the top three entries. Right now the best way to get more details is to email Mayor Elder at pelder@villageofwebster.com.

Then make sure to be in town on Saturday the 27th for the annual Halloween in the Village celebration when the winner of the Scarecrow Contest will be announced.  Click here to get a whole rundown of the day’s events.

Village Days, rain or shine

22 Sep

Courtesy weather.com

So the weather doesn’t look really promising this morning, but Village Days will take over Main Street today, rain or shine. With any luck, the worst of the rains will move off by mid-morning, and we’ll just have cloudy and cool weather this afternoon.

In any case, I will most certainly be there, snapping pictures of all the people and action, so stay tuned for one of my patented Facebook galleries.  (Maybe you’ll be in it?)

 

Village Days hits town this weekend

17 Sep

Village Days has returned.

Some young aviators ready their planes before last year’s Model Plane Flying Contest.

The event, which has in years past been scheduled in mid-August, took a skip-step this year and has landed on a brand new weekend, this Friday and Saturday September 21 and 22.  The village decided to move the festival to get away from what has traditionally been a VERY busy summer weekend for vendors.  Being up against five other festivals that weekend made attracting vendors to Webster a difficult proposition.  It was also always really, really hot.

So what used to be a celebration of summer is now a celebration to welcome autumn, with even more vendors and more entertainment than ever before.  They’re also combining Saturday’s sidewalk sale activities with the Main Street Farmer’s Market.

The fun starts Friday night with an Octoberfest theme, featuring a Super Food Court and a concert by The Krazy Firemen at the gazebo. On Saturday, Main Street will be closed for a street festival from 9:30-4, including lots of food, kids’ activities and live music. Here are some details:

Friday September 21:

Super Food Court from 5-10 pm, featuring German specialties from Nancy’s, Joe’s Push Cart, Hatter’s Pub, Coach Sports Bar and Brimont Catering.  The Krazy Firemen, “Rochester’s original Octoberfest band,”  plays in the gazebo from 6:30-9:30 pm.

Saturday September 22:

Street Festival from 9:30 – 4, featuring craft and food vendors, bounce house and slides for the kids, face painting and live music. Performance Hobbies will hold their annual Model Plane Flying Contest at 1 pm at the gazebo.  The Super Food Court will once again be in full swing, and live music at the gazebo begins at 4 pm.

Hope to see you there.

 

 

Tuesday in the village: Mobs and memories

11 Sep

R.J. Short did billboard duty, trying to attract cash mobbers.

I had the pleasure of attending two very worthwhile events in the village last night.

The first was the inaugural Webster Cash Mob, an event which was meant to encourage shoppers to descend en masse on one local business during one very short window of time, therein giving that small business owner an economic boost.  The target of this first cash mob was Yesterday’s Muse Bookstore on West Main Street.

Unfortunately, the number of people who actually “descended” on Yesterday’s Muse was far less than a mass. It was more like 15-20. I think the mob organizer, Renee Short, was a little disappointed by the turnout, but undeterred.  She was already planning a second mob for sometime in October.

When that one happens, I challenge this village to overwhelm the place.

My next stop was Veterans Park, where the village held its annual 9/11 memorial ceremony. While this year’s event paled somewhat to last year’s tenth-anniversary observance, it was still moving.

The 30-minute ceremony featured speeches by Mayor Peter Elder, Senator Michael Nozzolio and Assemblyman Mark Johns, and some beautiful music by the Chorus of the Genesee and village piper Jack Jacob Jarosinski.  It concluded with Taps, beautifully performed from the hilltop by a lone bugler.  Always makes me want to cry.

Webster is only one of a handful of Rochester-area towns still commemorating the events of 9/11/01.  I asked Mayor Elder about that, to which he responded, “If we don’t remember the heroes of 9/11, we’ll forget the sacrifices they made. We need to keep those memories alive.”

And how many more years does he expect Webster to continue the tradition?

“As long as we possibly can. It’s very important.”

Click here or on the photo to redirect to a small gallery of photos from the ceremony.

 

Webster remembers

11 Sep

The Village of Webster remembers the tragic events of 9/11/01 this evening with a memorial service at Veterans Memorial Park on North Avenue.

Last year’s ceremony was a very memorable event, which began with a solemn procession of first responders from the Webster Fire Department’s Enterline Station on South Ave to the park. It was followed by addresses from local officials, a presentation of the flag by the Cub Scouts, and some very moving music. I expect this year’s ceremony to be just as nice. Click here to see a Facebook gallery of photos from last year.

The ceremony begins at 7 pm at the gazebo, and the weather looks great.

 

Bay Bridge is closed — and other news of note

7 Sep

For the third time this summer, half of the Bay Bridge will be closed to traffic this weekend.

Beginning tonight (Friday) at 8 pm, all EASTBOUND lanes over the bridge will be closed, and will not reopen until Sunday around noon.

Detour signs will be posted, directing eastbound traffic south on 590, onto Empire Blvd. to Bay, then north on Bay Rd. back to Rt.104 east.  It will probably be a really good idea to avoid Empire Blvd. entirely this weekend and try to get around via Browncroft/Atlantic  or Blossom Road. Even these routes will probably be busy, so plan ahead.

Going westbound over the bridge won’t be much easier; that will also be reduced to two lanes during the same period.

* * *

As I was driving through the village recently, I noticed with some sadness that Barker’s Dozen Gourmet Dog Treats has closed up its North Avenue shop. The little bakery only opened up a year ago April.  I always thought it was a clever idea and knew a lot of people who were big fans (including 499 of them who “like” the Facebook page).  But perhaps store owner Gabriella Martinez … ummm … bit off more than she could chew when she tried to move her home-based business to a storefront.

On her Facebook page, Gabriella does explain to her fans that, “We are just switching it back to an online storefront so I can focus more of my time on Pup Culture.”  This, apparently, is a digital magazine about dogs, “focused on furthering our human-dog relationship.”  Check out the Pup Culture website here.

* * *

You may have seen a mention in my blog a little while ago that a local “cash mob” was in the works. In a cash mob, a large group of people gather at a local business at a specified time and spend money — generally around $10-$20 —  giving that business an economic jolt. What a great way to support small businesses.

Well, the details have been finalized. The very first Webster cash mob will take this coming Tuesday September 11, from 5-7 pm at Yesterday’s Muse Books on Main Street in the village.  To participate, just show up and buy some books! Afterwards, the mob will be meeting across the street at Hatter’s Pub (another local business worth supporting) for a post-mob celebration.

The Webster Cash Mob folks plan to pick a new local business each month to mob. So this is just the beginning. You can follow the group’s Facebook page to stay updated.

* * *

You might also consider stopping by Veteran’s Park after the mob, where the Village will hold its annual 9/11 Memorial Service, beginning at 7 pm.  The gathering pays tribute to the thousands of fire fighters, policemen, EMT’s, and airline personnel, and private citizens who were killed in the line of duty on that awful day.

Last year’s ceremony was very moving and very meaningful. Definitely worth taking the time to attend.

 

 

Scenes around town

17 Aug

OK, I’m a bit ashamed to admit it, but I was planning to post this blog more than a week ago before I left on vacation. But I was sitting on it while I awaited more information. Then when it finally arrived I totally wrote a whole new blog with it and forgot about this one.

I just came across it again. So consider this a bonus blog.

* * *

The following photo and caption were submitted by my friend Kelly Mutschler, who’s a little proud of what her daughter Maggie and her volleyball teammates are doing for the community.

Members of the Webster Schroeder Volleyball team spent time a few weeks ago volunteering with the American Cancer Society. The girls assembled kits for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, which will  be distributed to the attendees of the kickoff breakfasts in Rochester and Waterloo this month.  Jessica Shatzel, a fundraising coach for this event, said,

It was my pleasure to work with the Webster Schroeder Girls Volleyball team who came to volunteer at the American Cancer Society’s Lakes Office in Rochester. The girls were here from 9 am until 1 pm and in that short time were able to assemble about 800 team leader kits for our upcoming Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Kickoff Breakfast. This was no small task as folders needed to be stuffed, tee shirts folded and ribbons tied, but they kept a positive and hardworking attitude throughout, an excellent representation of both the school and the athletic department. I am so grateful for all of their help! Without volunteers like these girls, events like this would not be possible.

Front row: Ciara Lutz, Cailyn Hart, Deanna Callerame and Jane Vanvessem. Back row: Cassie Campbell, Maggie Mutschler and Courtney Miller.

These are the same ladies who are holding the mattress fundraiser tomorrow which I mentioned in my Thursday blog.  Click here for more information and for a $50 coupon.

This next photo is one I snapped a few weeks ago at Barry’s Old School Irish, where I was was having a gabfest with my friend and colleague Carol Klem. While our meeting was going on, at the next table over, several of the ladies from the Webster Museum’s Historic properties Committee were also meeting.  They were starting to plan out which local homes would be recognized this year for their historic significance.

Webster owes this committee a debt of gratitude for regularly reminding us that our town has a very rich and exciting history.

And speaking of Barry’s Old School Irish, the little pub/bakery on Webster’s Four Corners will host a second Fiddle Workshop tomorrow from 3-4 pm.

The free workshop will be led by Barry’s Crossing fiddle-meister Sean Rosenberry. It’s designed for advanced beginners and intermediate players, but fiddlers of all ages and skill levels are welcome, and participants are invited to bring other traditional Irish instruments as well.  Spectators are encouraged. Following the workshop, Sarah and Sean of Barry’s Crossing will perform a short fiddle set.

While family and friends watch, young fiddlers perform the tune they just learned at the first Fiddle Workshop in June.

For more information about the workshop, visit the Barry’s Crossing website and choose the “Shows” tab.

Barry’s Old School Irish is located at 2 West Main Street, smack dab in the middle of the Village of Webster. There is no charge for the workshop.

 

So where did Village Days go?

13 Aug

A young Village Days patron trying out the bounce house last year.

If you’ve been wondering lately why you haven’t seen any advertisements about Village Days yet this summer, there’s a good explanation for that.  It’s not happening this summer.

But wait!  Village Days WILL be happening this fall.  Specifically, Village Days has been moved from the middle of August, when the event has traditionally been held, to the first weekend of fall, September 21-22.

Organizers decided to move the festival this year to get away from what has traditionally been a VERY busy summer weekend for vendors.  Being up against five other festivals that weekend made attracting vendors to Webster a difficult proposition.

So the move promises to make Webster’s annual celebration of summer even bigger and better than ever before.  Organizers are not only expecting many more vendors to participate, but they’re combining the event with the regular Saturday morning Main Street Farmer’s Market, a sidewalk sale, and a Soap Box Derby.

More details will be forthcoming in the next few weeks, but here are some highlights:

  • Friday night September 21 will feature an Oktoberfest theme. The Krazy Firemen will perform in the gazebo, and food vendors will offer German specialties.
  • Vendors and community groups will be set up along both East and West Main Street all day Saturday
  • The Main Street Farmer’s Market vendors will be encouraged to stay set up all day
  • Local businesses will have a sidewalk sale
  • Open houses at the fire department and Webster museum (which will also have children’s games in the front yard)
  • Soap Box Derby Saturday and Sunday
  • Rock and roll music in the gazebo Saturday night
  • Lots of kids’ activities including a bounce house

Stay tuned for more details.

 

 

Revisiting the Main Street Farmer’s Market

5 Aug

A shot from the Main Street Farmer’s Market in June

This being Saturday, I thought it might be a good time to revisit the state of the Main Street Farmer’s Market, which is trying to get a foothold in the village every Saturday morning.

The Main Street market was established, of course, to counter the decision by the Joe Obbie Farm Market to move from the community parking lot behind the fire hall to the Target Plaza.  The decision was a good one for them, judging by the number of vendors it attracts and the crowds of people who visit every weekend.

In contrast, the new Main Street Farmer’s Market has been, well, unimpressive.

On a good day there might be seven or eight vendors on the street.  But too often there are only four or five, and for a while they were so spread out it was hard to find them.  At least now all of the vendors have been clustered along West Main Street, so it looks a little bit better.

Granted, encouraging market growth is a Catch-22: it’s hard to attract new vendors when no one comes to buy your products, and no one wants to come to town if there are no vendors.  And it’s not like the village isn’t trying. I’ve seen cents-off coupons distributed to encourage new customers, and there are lots of special events coming up to draw families to town during the market.  So, little by little, those efforts might begin to turn things around.

In the meantime, there are still concerns about the safety of having vendor stalls along busy Main Street. No matter how many signs you put up, cars will continue to drive at unsafe speeds through the village.  That’s a concern which can only get worse as the farm market becomes more popular, and there’s little chance the market will be moved back off the street to a parking lot again. BID leaders like the idea of residents seeing a busy village, where there’s always something going on.

Unfortunately, right now the Main Street market isn’t quite pulling its weight in that regard. But it’s still early, and I hope things eventually improve, because the market is a good thing for the village. (And please slow down as you drive through!)

The Main Street Farmer’s Market is open from 8 to 12:30 every Saturday morning through October 13.  Upcoming special events include:

August 11: Dig Safely Day – Can Ya Dig it??

Stop by the Village Hall from 9 to noon to check out some of the village’s excavating equipment. Children are invited to pose for photos. There will also be balloons and tattoos.

August 18: Cooking Demo with Jim & Jeannean LaMonica

Jim & Jeannean from Uncle Jim’s Donuts & LaMonica’s Pizza are still cookin’ after all these years. They’ll hold a demo featuring the delicious seasonal vegetables from our area.

September 1: Storytime with the Mayor

Village Mayor Peter Elder will be at Yesterday’s Muse Bookstore at 11 am to read a story to children.

September 8: Lacrosse Clinic

Tom Spoonhower of Metro Sports will hold a Lacrosse Clinic, teaching tips and tricks for players of all ages.

Also, every week the Village Band will be on hand to provide music, and the Webster High School Marching Band will hold a bottle and  can drive every Saturday.

Click here to go to the village website for more details.

 

Hojack Trail extension officially open

27 Jul

Hikers have something to celebrate this evening.

The much-anticipated extension of the Hojack Trail will officially open to the public this evening (Wednesday July 25) with a ribbon-cutting at 7:30 pm,  where the trail crosses Route 250 (South Ave.).

The Hojack Line itself has always passed through the village, of course. But what’s new and wonderful is that the old railroad tracks have been removed in the section from Holt Road east to Xerox, making an already great trail even better.

The project has been in the planning stages for years. Its completion is a result of outstanding cooperation between the Town and Village of Webster highway departments to remove the tracks, prepare the railroad bed for a walking trail and leveling the crossings for automobile traffic. Original plans were to have the new extension ready by July 31.  And look at this — they did it.  So there’s still plenty of time to try it out and hike it this summer and fall.

Many thanks to Webster town and village officials who helped make this happen.  It’s a valuable addition to Webster’s already exceptional trail system, thanks in large part to the volunteers of the Friends of Webster Trails.

If you don’t know the history of the Hojack Line, I recommend you click here to read a very informational piece on the Friends’ website.

 

 

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