Webster Theatre Guild presents “Shrek the Musical” this weekend

8 Oct

There’s good news — and better news — about the Webster Theatre Guild’s production of Shrek the Musical this weekend and next: first, there are still some tickets available, which I found surprising because this is the kind of show, featuring top-tier talent, which will likely sell out.

Next, if you’re an educator or a student, you can get discounted tickets to the matinees on Saturday Oct. 11 and Saturday Oct. 18.

Webster has come to expect amazing productions from the Webster Theatre Guild, and Shrek will be no different. The cast includes 59 incredibly talented dancers and actors, ages 10 through 70+, drawn from respected theater groups from all over the city, including GEVA, Blackfriars Theater, Pittsford Musicals, School of the Arts and our very own Webster high schools.

photos by Samper Images

Directed by Bill Ambler, supported by choreographer Shari Bischoping and orchestra leader Laura Mueller, Shrek the Musical will be presented in six shows, all taking place at Bishop Kearney High School, 125 Kings Hwy South, Rochester:

  • Friday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, Oct. 11 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
  • Friday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, Oct. 18 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
    (ASL Interpretation TBD)

Tickets are $20 (plus a handling fee). Educators and students will get a $5 discount for matinee tickets. Click here to get yours now. For the matinee discount, go to the ticket site, put the matinee tickets in your shopping cart and apply the discount code SWAMP5. You can also purchase discount tickets at the door with your educator or student ID.

* * *

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 10/8/2025)

Tags: , , ,

Sign up now for the Webster Museum’s annual Festival of Trees

7 Oct

Yes, it’s only October, but the Webster Museum is already thinking ahead to the holidays, and their annual Festival of Trees.

This year’s Tree Festival will begin on Saturday, Dec. 6, which is (not coincidentally) the same day as the Village of Webster’s Winter Wonderland holiday event. Starting that day and through the end of the year, museum visitors can vote for their favorite decorated mini-Christmas tree among 15 to 20 beautiful and creative entries. (Online voting will also be offered.)

But before that can happen, individuals, families and organizations need to step up and do some decorating! Two $25 prizes will be awarded for the trees getting the most votes.

Spots are filling up quickly, but there’s still time to get involved. If you’re interested in decorating a tree, call Gwen Hoffman at (585) 738-6221.

By the way, the museum is also looking for a few additional music groups willing to share their talents during the Winter Wonderland festivities at the museum. So call Gwen if you’re interested in doing that as well.

* * *

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 10/7/2025)

Tags: , , ,

So what’s up with Roc City Empanadas?

6 Oct

There’s been some chatter on social media in recent weeks about the new Roc City Empanadas restaurant on South Ave. in the village. Luis Carrasquillo — better known as “Munchie” — opened the restaurant in early July and for a while did some brisk business. But then the open hours became sporadic, and more recently, it almost seems like it’s closed permanently.

Well, the sporadic summer hours were due to the fact that Luis was juggling his new restaurant responsibilities with a very busy food truck schedule. When that started to slow down, he started to focus more on the restaurant. But when the restaurant went dark again in early September, people started to question whether Luis was really committed to the village.

But here’s the real story, which I tell with Luis’ blessing, because he really wants people to know what happened.

About a month ago, Luis was involved in a frightening accident. He was on the shoulder of Five Mile Line Rd., helping a friend secure a fence to her trailer, when another driver struck him. The impact sent him flying ten feet.

Luis suffered a compound fracture to his leg and was losing blood rapidly. A veteran who happened on the scene applied a tourniquet, most definitely saving his life.

Last I spoke with Luis (about two weeks ago) he’d already had six operations to try to save the leg. I don’t know where things stand now (I’m trying to get in touch with him again), but I do know one thing: Luis Carrasquillo feels blessed.

Not angry, not depressed, not despondent. Blessed.

Luis’ religious faith is rock-solid, and he’s certain that God was with him that evening, not only because he survived the accident, but because so many other things went RIGHT. Like how he was thrown clear of the traffic and not into the roadway. Like how the tourniquet (which belonged to his friend) just appeared on the ground next to her crushed vehicle. How the veteran showed up and knew how and where to apply it. The ambulance got there in record time. And most important of all, how one of the MRIs revealed a growth in his forehead which was causing him headaches.

Luis still has a long road ahead, but he wants everyone to know that his commitment to the Village of Webster — his home — is unwavering.

“I want the people to know, don’t give up on me,” he said. “”I don’t want people to be sad. I am so happy with my lord and my community and I love all of you guys. … and I want to find the veteran and give him a hug.”

As Luis recuperates, he hopes that friends and family will be able to keep the restaurant open three or four days a week, mostly on the weekends, offering pretty much his entire menu. Those same friends and family are also working with the United Way to create a GoFundMe. So keep an eye out for the OPEN sign, and stay tuned for more information about that fund-raising effort.

* * *

Update!

One of my readers (“Pooch”) posted a comment last night (which you can read below) saying the restaurant happened to be open last Friday, and he spoke to Luis’ son Angel. The GREAT news is that Luis was scheduled to be released last weekend. Let’s hope that happened.

Pooch continued,

Store hours will continue to be sporadic until Luis recovers. Please hang in there! Try to get there when they are open. Luis’s faith is really strong and he wants everyone to know that he apologizes for the delay in getting the store open with regular hours, but it will happen! Luis is a strong strong man, and a man of his word…

Thanks Pooch!

* * *

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 10/6/2025)


Tags: , , ,

There’s no place like home

5 Oct

So I was out of town for most of the last two weeks, which some of my most loyal readers might have suspected given the rather sporadic nature of my blog posting. My husband and I took a trip up to Maine — a state neither of us had been to before — by way of Cape Cod, where I have family.

I studiously avoided calling the trip a “vacation,” since retirement itself is kind of a long-term vacation. And I managed to write and schedule a lot of blogs in advance to automatically post almost every day so that I basically didn’t have to “work” at all while we were traveling.

It was a terrific trip, dampened only by the heavy rains we encountered in Cape Cod, which apparently the entire Northeast was experiencing at the same time. The weather during the following eight days, however, was gloriously sunny and warm, which made up for the soggy start.

From Cape Cod we headed north for two days in Camden, Maine, then three days in Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park, then spent some time in Concord, Mass., soaking up some Revolutionary War history. We saw spectacular scenery, met some nice people, learned some history and did a lot of hiking and bike riding.

But, funny thing …. as enjoyable as every day was, my mind kept coming back to Webster.

  • As I drove through the peak colors in Concord, I wondered if that beautiful red maple in front of the Baptist Church was in its full glory yet.
  • As I rode along an Acadia Park Carriage Trail, bursting with colorful autumn foliage, I thought of the equally beautiful Four Mile Creek Trail — my favorite of all the Webster trails.
  • As I hiked up Mt. Megunticook in Camden and saw a sign soliciting volunteers to help maintain the trails, I thought, “Hmmm…. the Friends of Webster Trails should do that, ’cause they need volunteers ….”
  • As I let the bracingly cold ocean surf run over my toes on Sand Beach in Acadia, I wondered if Lake Ontario is warmer at this time of year.
  • As I wandered through Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, I took special note of gravestones which needed to be righted or cleaned, and thought of the hard work being done at Webster Union Cemetery to do that for our founding fathers’ stones.
  • And as I lay my head down on my pillow at the historic Colonial Inn hotel in Concord that last night, I thought, “This is nice, but it will be nice to be in my own bed tomorrow night.”

I think the lesson I learned these last few weeks is that it’s a lot of fun to see new places, chalk up some new experiences, meet new people and try new foods. I loved every minute of it, but in the end, my heart remains solidly in Webster.

It’s good to be home.

(Click here if you’re at all interested in seeing more photos from the trip.)

* * *

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 10/5/2025)

Tags: ,

Join me for BINGO and help benefit a great organization

4 Oct

“B-14!”
“N-32!”
“G-60!”

You’ll have to excuse me. I’m practicing my bingo-calling skills, because they’re somewhat lacking.

OK, to be totally honest, they’re entirely lacking, because I’ve never before been a bingo caller. So I have to practice up, because just a short while ago, my friend Jamie Buss asked me to be one of two guest bingo callers at a brand-new bingo fundraising event a few weeks from now to benefit Making Spirits Bright.

Jamie Buss and Tracy Nappi are the driving force behind Making Spirits Bright, a nonprofit organization established in 2014 with one simple mission: to provide smiles for families in need during the holiday season. Over the last 11 years, Making Spirits Bright has helped nearly 600 families, mostly through generous donations from community members, who sign up to fill families’ wish lists.

But sometimes some of those wish lists go unfilled, and many include big-ticket items. That’s where this family-friendly afternoon of BINGO will come into play (pun intended).

The fun happens on Sunday, Oct. 19 from 1 to 4 p.m., at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr. (Don’t worry, it’s a bye week for the Bills.) Participants will each get 10 games with three boards each game, a BINGO dabber, light refreshments and drinks. Winners will receive gift cards and gift baskets donated by local businesses and Making Spirits Bright supporters. You can buy tickets for some fabulous raffle prizes, and if you bring a new toiletry item, unopened cleaning supply, or gift-wrapping item (wrapping paper, ribbon, etc.) you’ll get a free raffle ticket.

Admission is $15 for kids and $25 for adults, capped at $75 per family. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

And business owners, Making Spirits Bright is still looking for event sponsors. For as little as $100 you can get some great visibility for your business, a ticket to the event, have a lot of fun and feel good about supporting a terrific organization. Click here for more details.

By the way, my bingo-calling partner in this fun adventure will be Mike Petzing. You know him as the owner of Shamrock Jack’s Irish Pub where he showcases his BINGO-calling prowess once a month.

(Great … so HE has experience. I’d better get back to practicing.)

“O-63! N-35! I-30! BINGO!” (Wait. I’m not supposed to be yelling that …..)

* * *

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 10/4/2025)

Tags: , , ,

Webster community mailbag

3 Oct

Town leaf collection schedule announced

The Town of Webster has announced that leaf collection will begin in mid-to-late October, following the conclusion of paving and drainage projects, and depending on how many leaves have fallen and weather. Crews will begin working in Zone 1 to Zone 5, and then back to Zone 1. Highway crews make several passes throughout the season.

Make sure to place leaves at the edge of your lawn (NOT in the roadway, gutters, or drainage ditches), do not bag them, an Don;t place brush, rocks, wood, plastic, or other foreign material with your leaves

Announcements will be made ahead of the final pass. After the final pass, any leaves will need to be taken care of by residents through their refuse collection company or another means.

The Village of Webster hasn’t announced any specifics for their leaf collection efforts yet, but you can check the Village website for updates.

Webster Chamber hosts networking event

Webster Chamber of Commerce members host monthly after-hours networking events to earn visibility for their business/organization. Members and those investigating Chamber membership are welcome to attend. 

The next After Hours event will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 15 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Marina Auto Group, 943 Ridge Road. This event is also being hosted by Marina family member Rose Gabriele Angell of RE/Max Plus. There’s no fee to attend, but registration is required.

WHEN will host fall Drug Take-Back event

Webster Health and Education Network, together with the Town of Webster and the Webster Police Department will host a DEA National Drug Take Back event on Saturday, Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Webster Town Court, 1002 Ridge Rd. (behind Town Hall; look for the blue roof). Clear out your medicine cabinet to help to keep Webster safe. This will be a drive-through event so you don’t even have to get out of your car! 

This is your chance to safely dispose of unused, expired or unwanted medications. Registration is not required, but if you register you’ll get a reminder via email about the event. You can register and get more details here.

Save some lives — give blood

The American Red Cross has four blood drives in Webster these next several weeks:

  • Friday, Oct. 3, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Webster Public Library, 980 Ridge Rd.
  • Tuesday, Oct. 7, 1 to 6 p.m., Webster American Legion, 818 Ridge Rd.
  • Thursday Oct. 16, 1 to 6 p.m., Webster Firemen’s Building, 172 Sanford St.
  • Saturday, Oct. 25, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., St. Martin’s Lutheran Church, 813 Bay Rd.

You don’t need to have an appointment, but it will speed things up a bit. Click here to make yours.

St. Martin’s announces next BBQ event

Good food is in store at St. Martin Lutheran Church when they host their next Pulled Pork Drive-Thru on Saturday Oct. 18 from 4:30 p.m. until they run out.

The take-out dinner includes pulled pork, salt potatoes, roll, cole slaw and cookie for just $15. Pull into the parking lot, place your order using exact payment, and the dinner will be delivered to you as you drive up in your car.

Proceeds will support the church’s annual Christmas Stocking Project reaching over 500 children and teens in Monroe and Wayne counties. St. Martin Lutheran Church is located at 813 Bay Rd.

The Friends of the Webster Public Library’s Book Sale will be held Wednesday, Oct. 22 through Saturday, Oct. 25. The first day of the sale — Oct. 22 from 4 to 7 p.m. — is exclusively for Friends members. Membership can be purchased at websterlibrary.org or at the door.  

All are welcome to attend the book sale on Oct. 23 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Hardcover books will be $1 each and paperbacks are only 50 cents each. Oct. 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Oct. 25 from 10 a.m. to noon are Bring-Your-Own-Bag Sale days, when you can fill your bag with books for only $5. All are welcome to attend the BYOB Sale days.

Proceeds from the sale support the library.

Fashions and fun

The Women’s Club of Rochester will host their annual Fashion Show/Luncheon on Saturday, Nov. 8 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Penfield Country Club.

In addition to some great fashions from J. Jill and a delicious luncheon, there’ll be an auction, 50/50 raffle, and a Lottery Board. Guests will arrive at 11 a.m., lunch is served at noon, and the fashion parade begins at 1 p.m. Menu options include apple crisp with salad and roll, a “mile-high” Reuben, or C=chicken French.

Tickets are $37 per person, and reservations must be made by October 23. Send your check, made out to the Women’s Club of Rochester, and meal selection to Margaret Zanghi , 2 Onyx Drive, Penfield, NY 14526.

* * *

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 10/3/2025)

Tags: , , , ,

Nina Scalzo Smithson inducted into HS Girls Soccer Hall of Fame

2 Oct

A belated congratulations to Webster Schroeder alumna Nina (Scalzo) Smithson (class of 2000) for her recent induction into the New York High School Girls Soccer Hall of Fame.

As a forward for Webster Schroeder, Nina had a remarkable high school career, leading her team in scoring all four years. She set a school record with 90 goals and 50 assists, a performance that earned her numerous accolades, including being named Greater Rochester Player of the Year in 1998 and Monroe County Division I Player of the Year in 1999. She was a three-time All-Greater Rochester and All-County first-team selection and was named first-team All-State as a junior and senior.

After high school, Nina continued her successful career at Syracuse University, where she became a four-year starter. She ranks fourth all-time at the university in career goals (24) and points (61) and sixth in assists (13). She earned Soccer Buzz All-Regional Honors, becoming the first player from her program to be selected to the first team.

The induction ceremony for the Class of 2025 took place on September 6, at Niskayuna High School in Schenectady. Nina is the first athlete from Webster Central School District to receive this honor.

* * *

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 10/2/2025)

Tags: , ,

SparX Robotics hosts community open house

1 Oct

The community is invited to an open house hosted by the One Webster SparX robotics team on Wednesday, Oct. 8 at 6 p.m. at Webster Thomas High School. This event is a great opportunity to see the incredible talent and innovation of the SparX team, which is made up of students from both Webster Thomas and Webster Schroeder high schools.

The team will be fresh off the Rah Cha Cha Ruckus competition held on September 28. This local event gives robotics teams a chance to use last year’s robots to practice their skills and get new members up to speed.

Images from a few of this year’s competitions

The SparX Open House will give students an opportunity to showcase their robotics projects and share their experiences in STEM education. This is also an opportunity for students to connect with community leaders and inspire the next generation of innovators. For anyone interested in serving as a mentor, this is a great opportunity to learn more about the program. (If you’re interested but can’t attend the open house, email team coach David Schenk at david_schenk@webstercsd.org.) 

The SparX team competes annually in the FIRST® robotics competition. The team will receive this season’s new challenge in January, where they will be tasked with building a robot to compete in a high-pressure, specialized game with other robots.

About FIRST® Robotics

The FIRST robotics competition is a global competition that combines the excitement of sports with the rigors of science and technology. It’s run by the nonprofit organization FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), which was founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen. Each year, teams of high school students, along with professional mentors, are given a new, action-packed game to play with their robots. They receive a standard “Kit of Parts” and have just six weeks to design, program, and build an industrial-sized robot to complete the game’s specific tasks.

* * *

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 10/1/2025)

Tags: , , , ,

Their light shines at Webster Comfort Care

29 Sep

Webster Comfort Care Home will be hosting a very special event on Oct. 7 which will give you and yours a chance to remember someone special who has passed away. It’s called “Their Light Shines,” a memorial luminaria gathering to honor and celebrate the lives of loved ones we carry in our hearts.

For this beautiful evening of remembrance, participants are invited to purchase a luminaria and personalize it in honor of a loved one. On the evening of Tuesday Oct. 7, they’ll all be placed around the Comfort Care Home’s parking lot, and at sunset, they’ll all be lit. It makes for a very powerful and moving scene.

After a brief welcome at 7 p.m., light refreshments will be served and music provided by the Threshold Singers.

Each luminaria costs $20. To purchase yours, log onto www.webstercomfortcare.org. Even if you can’t attend, consider purchasing luminaria to honor your loved ones. That way, their light will shine even if you can’t be there.

Webster Comfort Care Home (WCCH), located at the corner of Holt and Klem roads, provides free hospice care to the terminally ill of our Webster community. The dedicated staff members and volunteers there uphold the dignity and ease the suffering of its residents, while supporting their loved ones in a warm, home-like atmosphere.

* * *

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 9/29/2025)

Tags: , ,

Webster Marching Band presents Autumn Fanfare

28 Sep

Get ready for a spectacular evening of sight and sound when our very own Webster Marching Band presents its 39th annual Autumn Fanfare field show and competition on Saturday October 4 from 6 to 10 p.m. at Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Rd.

Autumn Fanfare is always a spectacular evening of storytelling through music, marching, and even a little bit of acting. There are always huge set pieces involved to move the music-story forward. This is an awesome opportunity to see what our hometown marching band has been up to, and be impressed by the incredible amount of hard work these kids put in every year to create a show that will blow you away.

This year’s show is called In Times Of…, described as,

a powerful exploration of the human experience and the emotional arc of a lifetime. Like pages in a book, each movement reveals a new chapter, from the innocence of youth to the struggles of adversity, from the heartbreak of loss to the power of reflection. This show explores the moments that define us and the resilience that carries us forward.

In Times Of … serves as a powerful reflection on how life shapes us from the inside out. This show reminds us that we are not defined by a single moment, but by the way we move through all of them.

Wow. I mean, just wow.

Autumn Fanfare is a true spectacle, featuring 12 bands from across the region, who compete for top honors. Participating schools include Corning, Greece, Horseheads, Jordan-Elbridge, Lancaster, LeRoy, Medina, Orchard Park, Rochester, Victor, Webster and West Seneca. Every one of their amazing performances will have you at the edge of your seat and on your feet.

The show will take place on Saturday, October 4, from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Webster Schroeder Stadium, 875 Ridge Road, Webster. Gates open at 5 p.m.

Tickets are $12 at the gate or $10 pre-sale (cash only) available at Costanza Sausage, Herman’s Farm Market, and Canandaigua National Bank’s Webster branches. You can also purchase pre-sale tickets online here (an additional fee applies). Ages 5 and under are free.

* * *

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 9/28/2025)

Tags: , , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →