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Photos from the Firemen’s Parade

13 Jul

Not much to say about yesterday’s Fireman’s Parade. As always it was a great event, and the Webster community came out in force. One report I heard was that chairs were being set up along Main Street even before 7 am.  One of the marchers told me the crowds were bigger than she had ever seen before, 4 and 5 deep all along the route.

I took tons of photos, of course (actually, only about 200) and have posted a few of my favorites here. The rest can be seen by clicking here or on one of the photos.  I didn’t get a photo of everything in the parade (there were SO many fire trucks!) but I did try to capture the highlights. And you’ll notice that small children are some of my favorite subjects.

The Fireman’s Carnival continues tonight and tomorrow, culminating with fireworks at midnight. Click here  for details.

 

A famous local fiddler, cool science and a kiddie parade

11 Jul

Several little tidbits of information I want to toss out today, before I get to photos of last night’s kiddie parade. A few of these have been hanging around my email box for weeks, just waiting for me to get around and blog about them.  But this first nugget came to my attention just yesterday afternoon, and will interest anyone following the career of one of Webster’s finest musical talents, Kate Lee.

Kate is a 2010 graduate from Webster Schroeder High School, and an incredible fiddle player who has already been making a name for herself in Nashville, where she attends Belmont University.  Last November, for example, she was one of several back-up musicians for Rascal Flatts on the Country Music Awards television program.

Yesterday she announced something even more exciting. On July 24 she’ll be playing violin for the Heart & Soul Concert behind Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks in Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Wow.

Keep an eye on this young lady, folks, ’cause she’s going places.  Actually, you can see her for free at the Little Theater the day after the Heart & Soul Concert, playing a free concert from 7:30-9:30 pm.  Check out her website here.

* * *

This Friday, CDS Monarch’s Wolf Life Transitions Center on Hard Road will host a Luau Dance from 6:30-8:30 pm.  As always, there will be refreshments and music from DJ Delight. Cost is $5 per person for community members. RSVP to Summer at 347-1661 or Summer.Vanscott@cdsmonarch.org.

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Cherry Ridge is hosting a concert series this summer, called Under the Stars. Gateswingers Big Band will perform on Tuesday, July 24, and Gentlemen of Song will perform on Thursday, August 16. The concerts are held on the Cherry Ridge Lawn from from 6:30 – 8 pm and there’s no charge. Refreshments will be served and attendees are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs. In case of inclement weather, concerts will be moved inside.

Cherry Ridge is located in Webster, across from Webster Schroeder High School.

* * *

Remember that great idea you had at the beginning of the summer? “Hey, let’s NOT sign the kids up for camp this year, so we can spend more quality time with them!”

So now you’re wondering what the heck you were thinking, and you’re all stressed because this late in the game all the summer camps are full. Don’t sweat. Here’s a super option:

It’s called “Cool Summer of Science with Mr. Noon,” a series of week-long summer science classes (for 4-6 year olds and 7-9 year olds) taught by Williamson High School science teacher Brendan Noon. The classes feature age-appropriate hand-on activities that are not only fun but help develop the skills kids will need to meet the next generation of National Science Standards. (So they’ll be learning while they’re having fun, but don’t tell them.)

Upcoming classes include weather and the interaction between organisms and their environment.  You can click here for more details, but I’ll tell you right now the kids will be making clouds, playing in a pond and collecting slimy things.  Sounds like fun to me.

Classes cost $25/day and are held from 9 – 10:30 am Monday-Friday, at 153 Salt Road in Webster. For more information log onto the Science With Mr. Noon Facebook page or email Mr. Noon at Brendan.Noon@yahoo.com.

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Finally, a quick note about the Kiddie Parade which took place last night in the South Avenue/Spry Middle School neighborhood. This annual warm-up for the Fireman’s Parade (which happens tonight in the village) is always an adorable affair.  I love the idea of this parade, because it gives kids of all ages a chance to get dressed up in costumes, march in a real parade (albeit a very short one) and throw candy at high velocity at the people lining the parade route.

(And I had forgotten about the candy at high velocity part. Popping in and out of the parade taking pictures, I felt at times like I was in a war zone dodging bullets. A strawberry Dum-Dum actually hit me so hard in the shoulder it made a mark.)

It’s also fun to see how much the kids’ parents enjoy the parade. Many of them dress up in themed costumes, and it’s obvious how much thought and effort work goes into many of the “floats.”  I’ll bet some families start working on them months in advance.

One child who was watching the parade walk by described it this way: “It’s like Halloween, only earlier.”  I’m not sure whether he was referring to the costumes or the abundance of candy.

As usual, I took lots of photos. Click here or on the photo above to see the gallery.

email me at missyblog@gmail.com

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Webster Jazz Fest hit a high note again this year

8 Jul

Thousands were already on hand when the festival began, and more kept arriving all evening.

If you didn’t make it into the village of Webster last night for the Jazz Festival, you missed a wonderful evening filled with great music, great food, good friends and incredibly good weather.

Mother Nature threatened all day to make the evening a wet one, but by the time the music really started to groove, the rain clouds had parted and blue skies prevailed.  It wasn’t even that hot or muggy.  By 5:30, when the Bill Tiberio Band hit the downbeat at the Four Corners stage, hundreds of people had already settled into their lawn chairs or on blankets, or had staked out the handful of cabaret-style tables in the middle of West Main.

As the weather continued to get even better, people kept arriving and the crowds kept getting bigger.  At around 7:00 everyone turned their quad chairs around to face the Corning Park stage, where jazz fest regulars Paradigm Shift performed a set.  Then at 8:30, pianist Lao Tizer wowed the crowd with his take on contemporary jazz. I even liked his stuff, and jazz normally bores me to tears.

The Bill Tiberio Band opened the show.

On a side note….

I spent most of the evening (when I wasn’t wandering around taking photos) at Barry’s Old School Irish, which has become a second home of sorts for my family.  I was reminded how last year when I was at the Jazz Festival I also spent most of my evening on that corner.  At that time, though, there was only a sign announcing that Barry’s would be “coming soon.”  In the blog I wrote a few days later, I remarked:

Barry’s calls itself an “old school Irish pub, cafe and bakery,” whatever that means. My husband is Irish and he’s never heard of such a thing.  And he went to an old school, complete with nuns wielding hand-smacking rulers.

When Barry’s finally did open up its doors, we sure didn’t get any ruler-smacking nuns. But we did get a bunch of new friends, which helped make this year’s Jazz Fest even better that last year’s.  And I didn’t think that was possible.

Jazz Festival headliner Lao Tizer (center) was a crowd favorite.

The waitresses who worked the crowd were an inspired idea. They brought tons of business to the village restaurants.

These t-shirts were another great addition this year. I’m sorry I forgot to purchase one before I left.

As the sun set the music got cooler…

… and the dancers came out.

Jazz Festival returns to Webster Village this weekend

5 Jul

I hope this recent string of good weather keeps up for a few more days, because the Jazz Fest rolls back into town this Saturday.

This year’s featured entertainers include The Bill Tiberio Band, Paradigm Shift and contemporary jazz keyboardist Lao Tizer. You can click here for more details about the evening’s events, but here are the basics:

Everything happens on West Main Street in the village, where the street will be cordoned off, two stages set up, and there’ll be plenty of room to set up chairs and blankets for the evening. You can start setting up at 4:15, and the music begins at 5:30. Admission is free.

Here’s the schedule:

  • 5:30 pm: The Bill Tiberio Band on the East Stage (near the four corners)
  • 6:50 pm: Paradigm Shift on the West Stage (near Corning Park)
  • 8:30 pm: Lao Tizer plays two sets on the East Stage

Bring your own picnic fixings and beverages or you can buy something from one of many food vendors set up along the street.

Aside from a possible thunderstorm, the weather looks like it might cooperate. But if not, the rain plan is for Bill Tiberio to play at The Coach Sports Bar (23 West Main St.), Paradigm Shift at Hatter’s Pub (5 West Main St.), and Lao Tizer at The Coach.

This is always a wonderful event, and the whole town seems to come out for it. It’s a great chance to meet up with family and friends on a beautiful summer evening.

 

Friday mailbag

21 Jun

Today’s version of the mailbag is more like the way I always meant it to be; not just a calendar of events, but odds and ends of different comments, events and photos that have recently come across my computer screen.

In that spirit, I’d like to start with a photo I received yesterday from Jen Calus, the PR person for the Webster School District. She sent along with this explanation:

Elementary students throughout the Webster School District celebrated Flag Day on June 14. The students at Klem Road North sang a variety of patriotic songs for family and friends assembled by their flagpole. In this photo, kindergartners belt out “You’re a Grand Old Flag.”

The photo was so cute I just had to post it:

 A rather unusual event will be taking place in Webster village Saturday afternoon. It’s a free fiddle workshop hosted by Barry’s Old School Irish’s house band, Barry’s Crossing.  The workshop is designed for advanced beginners and intermediate players, but fiddlers of all ages and skills levels are welcome.  Spectators are encouraged, and everyone is invited to hang around after the workshop for a short fiddle set by Sarah and Sean of Barry’s Crossing.

The half-hour workshop will begin at 3 pm at Barry’s Old School Irish, 2 West Main Street, Webster. There is no charge.

* * *

This news about a very nice event hosted by some of our high school kids, also comes from my colleague Jen Calus:

For the second year in a row, the Webster Thomas High School cross country team will hold a 12-hour relay to raise funds for Reece’s Rainbow, an organization that helps facilitate international adoptions of children with Down Syndrome. The event will be held at the Webster Thomas track tomorrow, Saturday June 23, from 9 am to 9 pm.  Last year the team raised more than $2700.  To find out more about the event and how to donate to this great cause, click on the photo of Ashlyn on the left.

* * *

Important reminder: This is the first weekend that the NYS DOT has chosen to close half of the Irondequoit Bay Bridge.

All westbound lanes of the Irondequoit Bay Bridge will be closed beginning tonight (Friday June 22) at 8 pm, and will not reopen until early Monday morning.

This is going to cause major headaches, especially since both high school graduations will be taking place Saturday morning at RIT. So if you have anyone coming into town for those, make sure to advise them to avoid 104 West. Or Empire Blvd., for that matter. I recommend everyone head south to 286 and 441 and get on 590 well south of the city.

 

The Village Band adds even more music to Webster summer

21 Jun

Several days ago Mayor Peter Elder was kind enough to drop me an email about last week’s Village Band Concert. It made me think that in my recent blogs about this summer’s village events. I totally forgot to mention this wonderful musical treasure we have here in Webster.

The Village Band plays six more times this summer — just about every other Thursday night — in the Gerald R. Barrett Bandshell at Harmony Park, at the corner of Phillips Road and Foster Drive, just south of Ridge Road.

The band played a selection of pieces in honor of Flag Day. They also flew a special flag which was flown on several missions

Mayor Elder introduces the band.

(including in Korea), donated by a village resident.  In these photos from the event, you’ll also see one of Elder rededicating a new plaque in honor of former band director Gerald Barrett. The original one was defaced by vandals a few years ago.

The band’s next concert is Thursday June 28, starting at 7 pm.   Click here to see the entire schedule.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dedicating the new plaque.

 

It’s officially summer in Webster

16 Jun

The band Wingin’ It kicked off the Friday Night Gazebo Concert series last night.

The Village of Webster hosted its first Friday night gazebo concert of the summer last night, which means that the season has officially begun.

A band called Wingin’ It took to the stage for a two hour concert featuring a lend of Irish and American pop music.  It was a gorgeous evening, and there was a decent crowd on hand, but I

expect those numbers to grow as the summer progresses.  And by 8:30 there was a definite chill in the air, which sent a lot of people packing a bit early.

The free gazebo concerts continue all summer, from 7-9 pm every Friday night.  Here’s who’ll be there:

June 22: Marty Roberts (beach classics, country and originals)
June 29: Lester Funk (blues and classics)
July 6: The Mark Cassara Band, kicking off Webster’s Jazz Festival Weekend
July 20: The Jack Allen Big Band
August 3: Friend Unplugged
August 10: Moondance (jazz, country and classics)
Agust 17: Eggman’s Traveling Carnival

You’ll find a little more information at the Village of Webster website.

Also on the website, you’ll find a list of the movies scheduled for this summer’s Movies in the Park series, which begin July 10 with The Tale of Despereaux.

The Webster Jazz Festival hits town July 7, and plans this year are for the already hugely popular event to be bigger and better.

A young fan gets a personal concert from strolling fiddler Sharon McHargue.

Jazz keyboardist Lao Tizer will headline the entertainment. More detail coming about that event soon.  PLUS in the coming summer months there are TWO farm markets every Saturday morning, the annual Garden Tour, special events at the museum, Village Band concerts, Village Days (now in September), the Firemen’s Carnival….

Whew.

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A tale of two farm markets

9 Jun

Vendors at the village market tucked their tents amid the parked cars.

Webster’s two farm markets officially opened for the summer this morning, despite the rain. Being that this is the first time (in my memory, anyway) that Webster has had TWO markets, I was curious about how they’d be set up and what the crowds would be like.

This was one of the nicer stands, real farm-market-ish.

For those not in the loop, this summer the Joe Obbie Farm market, which had been in the village for years, most recently in the community parking lot behind the fire station on South Ave., decided to move to the Towne Center parking lot, near the gazebo.  The village, in turn, has organized a second farm market, with vendors setting up in parking spaces along both West and East Main.

The Joe Obbie set up at Towne Center was much more organized.

I swung by the village first this morning. The rains had stopped by the time I got there, and the sun was out, but still there weren’t many people on the street.  Part of the problem was there weren’t many vendors on the street.  I visited briefly with Mayor Peter Elder, who was out and about, who told me that the morning rains prohibited many vendors from setting up shop. So there were only ten vendors situated sporadically along Main Street, making them a little difficult to pick out among the parked cars. Some of them really didn’t have a great selection of products, either, so the whole thing seemed a bit anemic.  But I think we can chalk that up in part to its being a brand new event, still finding its legs.

The Joe Obbie Farmer’s Market in contrast, was big and bountiful and crowded. There were more than two dozen vendors, all gathered together with their large tents, drawing nearby shoppers with a carnival-like atmosphere. As I walked around I heard the vendors talking about the morning’s rainstorms, but they didn’t seem to have permanently dampened the event. It was clear the market was thoroughly enjoying its new roomier location, which allows more vendors than I’ve ever seen before (especially this early in the year) and gives everyone more room to spread out. Plus the Girl Scouts had set up a kids’ area in the gazebo.

Girl Scout troop 60367 created this fun area for kids, where they coul dmake crafts while their parents shopped.

The Joe Obbie market has years of organization behind it, so no surprise it’s bigger and better right now.  I look forward to seeing how the new village market grows and matures. We’ll check back in a few more weeks…perhaps when the weather is better.

Webster mailbag

6 Jun

Lots of neat stuff coming across my computer screen these days, starting with these three don’t-miss events this weekend:

Webster Museum’s Annual Barn Sale takes place today through Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm. This sale is so big the museum can’t fit everything, so it will be held at 394 Phillips Road, one of Webster’s most beautiful and historic properties.

The sale features art work, books, fancy dishes, dolls, tools, comics, and pottery. There will be items for collectors, and kids of all ages. Garage sale patrons can also take a tour of the Victorian home (built in 1856) for a $5 donation.  All money raised from the sale and tours raised supports the museum’s education programs, speakers’ programs, and the Historic Homes Project.

* * *

Webster’s TWO farm markets open for business this Saturday June 9. The Joe Obbie Market will be moving to Webster Towne Plaza (where Target is) and set up near the gazebo. Plus, Main Street in the village will host a brand new market on the same day, stretching down both East and West Main. I think they’ll be setting up in the parking spaces, so please drive carefully when you make your way through the village this Saturday.

Both markets open at 8 am.

* * *

The Webster Marching Band holds its semi-annual Bottle and Can Drive this Saturday from 9:30 am to 4 pm. Simply collect all your returnables, stick them in a garbage bag and put them out by the curb. If they happen to miss you, you can call to arrange a pickup. Click on the flyer to the right for more details.

* * *

Now, in true mailbag fashion, here are some odds and ends that people have emailed me recently:

My friend Jamie Buss sends me this shout-out to the students at Klem South Elementary:

Just wanted to brag about the kids at Klem South a little.  I ran a fundraiser at school for the Dream Factory, called Dollars for Dreams, in which kids donated their spare change for a two-week period.  Each class had their own milk jug to fill and we made a friendly contest out of it.  The top fundraising class from each grade would get to pick a theme-day of their choice (hat day, toy day, silly clothes day, etc.).  The fundraiser ran the last two weeks in May and the kids raised a grand total of $862.83 (one 3rd grade class raised over $120 alone)!  This is enough money for a dream recipient’s family (of five) to stay at a resort in Orlando, FL for an entire week, which would include mini golf, horseback riding, swimming, all the ice cream they can eat, PLUS tickets to the Disney theme parks, Sea World and Universal Studios AND spending money for their trip.  A little effort goes a LONG way in this case!

Great job, kids!!!

Congratulations to Rising Earth Massage Therapy as the Webster Chamber’s Business of the Month for June 2012. The Chamber recognizes Webster businesses that demonstrate outstanding community service as well as their exemplary business character and reputation. Rising Earth Massage Therapy is located at 1130 Crosspointe Lane Suite 2B in the Ridgewood Office Park.

And by the way, today’s the second day of Webster’s Community Blood drive, the one where they give you coupons from local businesses just for showing up. I got denied today because of low iron, but I got my coupons anyway (I love these people), and sure enough, there are three coupons for free ice cream alone  (and the Bruster’s coupon is for  FREE PINT).

Today’s drive is at the West Webster Fire Hall from noon to 7 pm. Please donate and help save lives.

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Readers’ photos from Webster’s Memorial Day parade

29 May

Many thanks to Patty Homeier and Joyce Annis for answering my call for photos of Webster’s Memorial Day parade and ceremony. Whether they knew it or not, the two ladies acted as a team; Joyce sent photos from the parade, and Patty, who marched in the parade with the Girl Scouts, sent some of the ensuing ceremony. So the whole event was covered.

I am pleased to post their photos here, beginning with my favorite. (Actually, this one could be an award winner in a photography contest.) 

The young ladies in the photo are Alexa Swift and Theresa Homeier, of Girl Scout Troop 60851.  Patty explained how she got this shot:

“I am one of the Girl Scout leaders and happened to peek up during a prayer to see if the girls were behaving or goofing.  That’s what I saw when I looked up.  AND my camera happened to be on.  I got lucky.”

She also took this photo of Alexa, Theresa and their friend Millie Kearns, who was visiting from Gates:

Here are a few more of Patty’s photos from the ceremony:

Joyce provided these photos from the parade itself:

Thanks again, Patty and Joyce!

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