Remember the Webster Community Chest’s (WCC) food pantry? For years, the pantry provided meal assistance to individuals and families in our community until the WCC lost their former space in what is now the Van Ingen Court Building behind Town Hall. Recently they’ve been distributing food through several “little free food pantries” in town, but you know they’d like to do a lot more than that.
Well, I got some good news recently: the WCC is working on a very innovative plan to re-open the food pantry. Their idea is very clever. They’re going to be distributing meal bags.
As a recent press release explained,
The pantry will … operate more like an “Instacart model” for meal preparation support. Residents will be able to place orders for specific meal types, as offered on the WCC website order form, and ingredients to create the meals will be bagged up for their pick-up. Delivery may also become an option, as volunteers are available.
The bags will include all the items for a complete meal, plus a recipe card. For example, the spaghetti dinner bag would include pasta, sauce, parmesian cheese, green beans and more. People can request one of each choice or multiples. Once they receive the orders, WCC volunteers will pack the orders on-site, then take them to another location for pick-up.
It’s a great idea, right? Only problem is, the WCC doesn’t have any storage space. Before they can launch their plan, they need a small place to store and pack non-perishable foods. It only needs to be about 200 to 300 sq. ft., and there won’t be much foot traffic at all. The space needs to be secure, protected from the elements and able to be accessed a few times per week. Extra parking or amenities won’t even be required. It could even be a very temporary location if need be.
If you can help, please call committee chair Joanne Nania at 585-503-2450.
Can you help? Do you or someone you know have some un-utilized space within your business or facility that could be used for this purpose? If so, please contact Joanne Nania at joanne.nania@gmail.com or webcommchest@gmail.com
Events at Cherry Ridge assisted living community have been rather limited the last two years, but — finally — the free summer concert series has returned.
The series kicks off on Tuesday June 14 with the always popular GateSwingers Big Band, an impressive 19-piece band featuring music from the 40s, 50s, 60s, and present day. On Tuesday July 19, Mr. Mustard makes its Cherry Ridge debut. This four-piece Beatles tribute band plays tunes that captivated an entire generation and you’re sure to know (if you’re cool and hip).
The concerts are held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Gates open at 5 p.m., and food concessions begin at 5:30. You’ll want to bring your own lawn chair or blankets.
Cherry Ridge is located at 900 Cherry Ridge Blvd., across the street from Webster Schroeder High School.
June programs at the Webster Public Library
On Tuesday June 7 from 2 to 3 p.m., join Christine Simons for a digital tour of various Normandy beaches on D-Day. The presentation will also feature some French memorial museums, an American cemetery and memorial, and the Island of Guernsey, comparing how it is now to when it was occupied by Germany in WWII.
This summer’s Webster Library reading program for adults is called “Oceans of Possibilities.” All summer long, participants will enjoy ocean-themed reading challenges, prizes, book discussions, crafts and movies. On Tuesday June 21, stop by the library from 1 to 4 p.m. for a preview of the program, and enjoy some tasty treats. No registration is required.
Here are two fun crafts for teens and tweens:
Monday June 13, 6 to 7 p.m., a yarn wall hanging. Teens grades 4-12 and adults are welcome. Register here.
Thursday June 30, 11 a.m. to noon, come paint an ocean scene! All materials and instruction are provided. Teens grades 4-12 are welcome. Register here.
Here’s some summer fun for children and families:
Tuesday June 14, 10 to 11:30 a.m., The Marina Drive-in! Start off the morning in the storyroom decorating personal boats, then take a drive over to the Boat Marina (community room) to watch a short movie. You can even bring your boat home to continue the fun. Children ages 2 to 5 are welcome. Register here.
Tuesday June 28, 2 to 3 p.m., bring the entire family to play Ocean BINGO and kick off the summer reading program. All ages are welcome. Register here.
This month’s make-and-take crafts:
Watermelon craft (for the kids)
Rainbow-beaded suncatcher (for teens)
DIY shelf decor (for adults)
Materials are available while supplies last.
The 2022 Tour de Cure, the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) premier cycling event, is returning to Webster on June 11.
This huge events draws cyclists from all over the area, riding courses ranging from 12 to 100 miles. It’s the ADA’s largest fundraising event of the year, and they could use your help.
Organizers are looking for cyclists to participate, and volunteers to help with the logistics. The event begins and ends at the Xerox campus in Webster, and is very well organized. Routes are available for all ages and abilities, and it’s not too late to sign up.
If you’d like more information about participating, click here. If you’re interested in volunteering, click here.
This notice from the school district:
All of Webster CSD’s students need to turn in their school-issued electronic devices by the end of this school year, and in August returning students will be provided a new device for the 2022-23 school year.
The district’s Transforming Learning through Technology (TLT) initiative puts a Chromebook in the hands of all One Webster students grades 3-12 and an iPad in the hands of all of our K-2 students, so they may take the devices back and forth from home to school to extend their learning beyond the traditional school day. As part of TLT, the devices are replaced every three years. All Webster CSD student devices will be replaced this year.
Elementary students should return their devices to their classroom teachers by the end of this school year. Secondary students are asked turn in their devices according to the following schedule:
Spry and Willink middle schools – June 16 and 17 during lunch and June 21 before the Checkpoint exam.
Webster Thomas High School – return devices to the WTI room:
June 8, 8:00-11:00 a.m.
June 9, noon-3:00 p.m.
June 10, 8:00-11:00 a.m.
June 13, all day
Webster Schroeder High School – return devices to the cafeteria:
June 8, noon-3:00 p.m.
June 9, 8:00-11:00 a.m.
June 10, noon-3:00 p.m.
June 13, all day
New Chromebooks are being made available for pickup August 22 to 24, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and August 25 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Willink Middle School, 900 Publishers Parkway. For parents/guardians unable to attend one of these dates to pick up their child’s device, student devices will be delivered directly to the students during the first week of school.
Lots of fun family-friendly activities are coming up later this month, including a village-wide sidewalk sale, the first Family Games and Beer Night of the summer, and the start of the Movies in the Park. Stay tuned for more details about all of these events, and stay on top of everything going on in the village at www.websterbid.com.
The Webster Museum has come up with a very interesting and fun way to learn more about West Webster history, and some of the people who lived there … and are buried there.
On Sunday June 19, from 2 to 4 p.m., the museum will host an historical tour of the West Webster Cemetery, featuring a dozen reenactors portraying many of the former residents who now rest there. The characters will be hanging out by their gravestones, awaiting visitors to wander by and hear their stories.
What’s going to be really fun about this day is that I have volunteered to be one of the reenactors. I chose to portray Martha Cottreall, who died in 1934 at the age of 72. I’ll talk about my life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and especially about the accomplishments of my husband — who participated in a famous Arctic rescue operation — and son, who fought in WWI. (If you ever wanted to meet me, this would be a great chance!)
Tour visitors will also hear from Angelina Aldridge (wife of John O. Aldridge), Ebenezer Cook, Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Drake, and Sylvester Brewer (who will talk about the Civil War and the Army of the Grand Republic), among others.
It should be a fascinating way to learn more about our town’s oldest cemetery, and to hear some of the memories of West Webster’s past, spoken by voices of the present.
There’s no charge to attend the event, but donations are always gratefully accepted. Attendees are being asked to park at St. Rita’s Church, across Maple Dr. from the cemetery. NO PARKING signs will be posted along Old Ridge Rd. and Maple Dr.
If you’d like to learn more about the cemetery before Sunday’s tour, you’re invited to attend a presentation at the museum on Saturday, June 18 at 2 p.m. when Peter Elder will talk about the cemetery’s history.
The Webster Museum is located at 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster. It’s open 2 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
The Village of Webster recently welcomed a new business to East Main Street, and it’s already become an enthusiastic supporter of the Webster community.
Curated officially opened its doors on May 20 at 44 East Main, in the lower parking lot between Village Bakery and ROC & Soul Fitness. Those who walk through the door will find themselves immersed in what feels like a beautifully-appointed home, a comfortable, welcoming space decorated with artfully-placed furniture, decorative and functional home items, and gifts.
Owner Justin Brown explains that, true to the meaning of the word “curated,” his shop features a collection of items gathered over time.
I’m a mix of vintage and new pieces. In my design aesthetic I always intermix the two. I like to have mixed metals, mixed woods. … We have a lot of items from upholstery to lighting, special order, case goods, all the way to gift items for the kitchen and women’s jewelry. It’s a collection of pieces that I personally love.
Justin brings with him extensive experience in retail and interior design, having worked for American Eagle, Anthropologie, MacKenzie Childs in New York City, and most recently the Windsor Cottage Store on Winton Place.
When the owner there decided to close up shop after 21 years, Justin thought to himself, “I always wanted a shop of my own. No time like the present.” So he started investigating available storefronts. Webster was the first place he considered, and despite looking at several other locations, he kept coming back to 44 East Main.
“I wanted to be in a village atmosphere,” he said. “I wanted people to be able to get out, walk store to store and have a local mentality, not necessarily be next to a big box retailer or franchises.”
“(This location) really does have a neighborhood feel. Having the bakery next door, ROC & Soul, Lalas, it really gave me a feel of a neighborhood but still has lots of options for clients and residents to come to park, walk around and enjoy a sense of neighborhood.”
Pulling the new shop together was a labor of love. It was “raw space,” Justin said, requiring a full build-out, including framing, insulating, drywall, floors, baseboards, a drop ceiling and more, even before painting could begin. Construction delays put him behind schedule, so that by the time everything was done, he had less than a week to move in, get all the merchandise delivered and set up before his already-planned grand opening on May 20. But with lots of help from his husband, parents, sisters and in-laws, it all came together in time.
Justin has already demonstrated that he wants to be a strong village and community partner. He’s joined the Business Improvement District and less than 48 hours after officially opening his doors, participated in the first Webster Wine Walk of the season.
“It’s the least that I can do as a small business owner,” Justin said. “If I’m asking the community to support me, I need to support the community.”
“I feel it’s only right.”
Curated is located at 44 East Main St., in the lower parking lot between Village Bakery and ROC & Soul Fitness. Read more about the shop on their website and Facebook page.
The Webster Thomas Drama Club normally likes to stage their annual production in the fall. But this year, due to COVID restrictions, they decided to postpone it until spring in the hopes of being able to perform in front of a live audience.
Their efforts have paid off big time. Not only will the audience be treated to a live show, but will also see it performed outside on a brand new stage built by the GeoTech class in the school’s Gold House courtyard.
This inaugural Thomas Courtyard Stage production, called The Neighbors, is a collection of one-act plays written by Thomas students, all set in a townhouse complex (the two photos are from rehearsal). The show will include:
The Party, by Giuliana DiTullio: Five college seniors wake up in their trashed apartment after a night of poor choices. With family on the way, can they clean up their act in time?
The Will, by Kilian Laird: A dysfunctional family comes together for the reading of Grandma’s will. Can the estranged sisters set aside years of petty bickering?
The Heirloom, by Frank Russo: A sibling rivalry blows up, and Dad’s precious family heirloom is caught in the cross-fire. Can Freddy prove his innocence?
The Ghost, by Jenna Dow: Rosalind and Charlie come home for her mother’s funeral, but strange things are afoot.
The Mouse, by Catherine Magaw: Moving to take care of an elderly mother is hard enough, but Christine and George weren’t planning on a little houseguest.
The show will hit the stage on Thursday June 9 and Friday June 10 at 7:30 p.m. each evening. General admission tickets, available at the door, will be $10. Signs around the building will guide theater-goers to the new stage, but it’s easiest to park in the northeast parking lot by the Field House.
Director Mark Stoetzel and his students are very excited about the new stage. It’s been in the works for months, and is very sturdy and attractive, complete with a pergola. I’m certain the school will get a lot of use out of it in years to come. Below are a few photos from the design and construction phase.
The Webster Marching Band’s first Bottle and Can Drive of the summer takes place this Saturday, June 4. And the exciting news is that the band is once again offering curbside pickup in addition to their regular drop-off option at Webster Schroeder High School.
You can drop your returnables off at Schroeder (875 Ridge Rd.) between 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., OR you can place them at the end of your driveway this Saturday morning, and someone will be by to pick them up.
If you won’t be around on Saturday it’s easy to schedule a pickup at your home. Log onto http://bit.ly/3tOdZht, fill out the short form and someone will be in touch. The next drive will be Aug. 13, so put it on your calendar now.
The Disability Dream and Do (D3Day) sports camps were created by Dave Clark, the only pitcher in professional sports history to pitch on crutches, and Doug Cornfield, a former NCAA medal winning runner at Georgia, who himself had a child born with no arms. These camps allow professional players to interact with children with special needs in various drills and compete in sports with no limitations.
D3 participants have an opportunity to hit, throw, catch and run the bases with instruction from the best regardless of anyone’s limitations.
Lunch is provided for all participants, their family members and caregivers.
Space is limited, so be sure to sign up soon. There is no cost to D3 participants and their families. Click here to register and find out more. And if you’d like to read more about this outstanding program, click here.
The Joe Obbie Farmers Market returns for its summer season on Saturday June 11.
As every year, the Farm Market will be open every Saturday through Oct. 29 from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Webster Towne Center (Target Plaza), near the gazebo.
This year the market is introducing something new as well, “An Evening in the Park.” Every Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m. in July and August the market will also set up at Charles Sexton Memorial Park (formerly North Ponds), between Rt. 250 and Holt Rd.
Make sure to stop by every week for locally-produced jams, meats, eggs, honey, maple syrup, fresh fruits and vegetables, flowers and crafts.
Also on Saturday June 11, kick off your summer at Webster’s Summer Celebration, scheduled from 4 to 10 p.m. at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr. State Line and Brass Taxi will be performing, plus there’ll be food trucks (including Bay Vista Taqueria, Macrollin’, Nancy’s Fried Dough, Pub 235, Terry’s Tips and Beef, Tuscan Wood Fired Pizza and Wraps on Wheels) lots of family activities and fireworks to end the evening.
I can’t remember when we’ve had a more beautiful day for our Memorial Day Parade and Remembrance Ceremony. It was as if Mother Nature was also happy to see the parade again after its two-year hiatus.
As in previous years, the parade participants started gathering around 9 a.m. at Spry Middle School, stepping off onto South Ave. at 9:30 and winding a little more than a mile north to Main Street, then west to Webster Rural Cemetery.
The crowds lining the streets seemed much smaller than in previous years, despite outstanding weather. That surprised me; I figured everyone would be really excited about the parade’s return. The number of participants also was smaller this year. Perhaps that can be attributed to lingering fears of COVID. I especially missed all of the Girl Scouts and Brownies.
Regardless, the ceremony at Webster Rural following the parade was moving and meaningful as usual. I was especially touched by the remarks made by Sean Miller, Commander of the Ridge Webster VFW Post 9483. He reminded us what a day in the life of a servicemember is like, and how we take our regular meals, comfortable beds, long weekends, and even our daily commutes for granted, compared to the hardships our men and women in the service face every day.
As usual, I took a lot of photos. Click here to check out my Facebook gallery. If you have any you’d like me to add to the gallery, feel free to email them to me at missyblog@gmail.com.
Anyone who happened to drive by Thomas High School Wednesday morning might have been alarmed to see dozens of firefighters, police officers, EMTs and their emergency vehicles swarming around what appeared to be a horrific accident that had just occured in front of the school.
But they needn’t have worried. The realistic accident scene was actually a very carefully arranged and pre-planned mock DWI scenario. It’s organized annually by our local emergency responders as a training exercise, and hosted by the school district during prom and graduation party season as a serious, real-life lesson for our students.
The scene imagined a two-car accident occurring just down the street from the high school, at the corner of Five Mile Line Rd. and Publisher’s Parkway. About 700 juniors and seniors watched from bleachers in the parking lot as School Resource Officer David Herrle described what happened.
It was prom night, and the young driver of one of the cars had had too much to drink. The other driver, distracted by the friends riding with him, didn’t see the drunk driver bearing down on him as he made the turn. He was t-boned.
Somebody called 911, and emergency vehicles started arriving. First a police car, and then a second. Finally, after what seemed like a very long time, an ambulance, two fire trucks from West Webster, and two more from the Webster Volunteer Fire Department pulled up.
As the officers and firefighters surveyed the scene, they found that the distracted driver, who was not wearing a seatbelt, had been ejected. He was lying on the sidewalk nearby, dead. Firefighters placed a sheet over him. Another student in the car suffered a broken ankle and, after getting out of the car, hobbled to the ambulance.
The drunk driver was unscathed, and with some assistance was able get out of her car. Her three passengers, however, had to be removed with the help of the Jaws of Life, an agonizingly long and fightening process if you’re trapped and hurt.
As the firefighters were removing doors and cutting the roof off the car, the young lady who was driving drunk was taken aside by a police officer, given a field sobriety test and arrested.
The whole scenario only took about 45 minutes, but for those who were taking it seriously, they might be among the most important 45 minutes of their lives.
Acerin Menough, a Thomas High junior, was especially surprised by how long it took to get everyone extracted. After the presentation, she told me,
It took a lot longer than I thought it was going to take. I thought it would take maybe like ten minutes for them to get everybody out of the cars but it took an entire block, like 45 minutes to an hour. That was pretty scary, knowing that I could be totally fine driving and then somebody could hit me, and I could end up dying because of it. But I also found it very interesting seeing how they opened the cars and how hard it was to get into the cars.
But Acerin was also bothered by how some of classmates were behaving. When I asked her if she thought everyone else would take it seriously, she said,
“Probably not. A lot of them weren’t paying attention or messing around on their phones, which is really upsetting, because this could save their lives. A lot of them just don’t care and they don’t understand the impact of that.”
Speaking as a mother, I hope the message being shared that day sunk in at least a little bit with everyone. But I know that’s wishful thinking. Young people these days tend to think they’re invincible. Bad stuff like that can happen to someone else, but never to me.
But I couldn’t help thinking back to one of these mock DWI presentations I watched many years ago when I was working at Thomas. In addition to the student actors, the school had brought in the mother of the driver who “died.” She was standing on the school’s front walk when a police officer told her that her son had not survived. As any mother would when given that news, she collapsed with grief. As I watched, I found it easy to imagine how devastated she was, to feel the searing pain of losing a child. I cried, too.
I don’t imagine many high school students read this blog. But if you have one, or know of one, perhaps you can present him or her with that perspective: you might think it’s OK to be cavalier with your life, cut corners and take chances. But think what the news of your hospitalization — or death — would do to your parents.
Thank you to all of the organizations who joined forces to stage this important demonstration: the Webster Police Department, Webster Volunteer Fire Department, West Webster Fire Department, Webster EMS, Northeast Quadrant ALS and Webster Central School District. Thanks also to Wilbert’s U-Pull It for donating the vehicles and Barth Towing for getting the vehicles to and from the accident scene.
The entire scenario will replayed at Webster Schroeder on Thursday June 2 in the back parking lot.
Here’s a slideshow of photos from the event:
About 700 juniors and seniors were gathered for the presentation
The scenario imagined a t-bone accident not far from the school.
The driver of one of the cars was ejected and did not survive
Firefighters had to use the Jaws of Life to extract some of the passengers
This student had just broken his ankle. Others were more seriously injured
This young lady played the part of the drunk driver. Here she is given a field sobriety test.
The drunk driver is arrested
Another passenger is extracted
To get to the last passenger, firefighters had to remove the car’s roof
School Resource Office David Herrle narrated the presentation. Here he watches the firefighters work.
The last passenger is finally extracted and taken to a waiting ambulance.
When Christina Barnum opened her adorable Crafty Christy’s Boutique last October, she had a few simple goals.
She wanted her shop to be unique. She wanted to specialize in vintage clothing, handmade jewelry and artisan pieces designed “for the flower child in all of us.” She endeavored to recycle, reuse and recreate as much as she could in the items she made and sold.
And especially, she wanted to support the military, reflecting her own service in the Marines. One of the ways she hoped to accomplish that was to offer craft therapy classes for veterans.
Last weekend, Christina held the first of those classes, and reported that it was a “huge success.”
She wrote,
Eight ladies came last Saturday and all had a great time. I am proud of myself for reaching my goal of reaching out to the community. My thanks go out to the generous donation that enabled me to give each veteran a gift certificate to pay it forward to other veterans. All the ladies are looking forward to attending more classes.
Here are a few photos from the afternoon:
In her own small way, Christina Barnum is making the world a little better for our veterans.
Crafty Christy’s Boutique is located at 7 West Main St. in the Village of Webster, in the lower parking lot across from the gazebo. Find out more on her Facebook page and website. You can also click here to read the blog I wrote shortly after the shop opened.
The bi-annual Webster Community Blood Drive returns next week, on Wednesday and Thursday June 1 and 2, and it’s coming at a critical time.
The American Red Cross is facing a national blood crisis, its worst blood shortage in more than a decade. As a result, doctors have been forced to make difficult decisions about who receives blood transfusions and who will need to wait until more products become available. Blood and platelet donations are critically needed to help prevent further delays in vital medical treatments.
So Webster, that means next week we really need to step up to the plate.
The two-day drive will be held Wednesday June 1 and Thursday June 2, from noon to 7 p.m., both days at the Firemen’s Exempt Building, 172 Sanford St.
Regular Community Blood Drive donors will be pleased to know that Bruster’s will once again be offering a coupon to every presenting donor, good for a free small cone or dish of ice cream. The Red Cross will also be giving all donors a $5 e-gift card, good for use at a merchant of their choice. (Make sure your donor account is up to date so you can get the email.)
Walk-ins will be accommodated, but it’s always best to make an appointment. Visit redcrossblood.org and enter “webstercommunity” to schedule your appointment. Or call 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767). And make sure to fill out your RapidPass on the day of your donation to save at least 15 minutes.
This is also your last opportunity to have your blood tested — for free — for COVID antibodies, which will be done for every donation through June 3.
This is always one of the best-attended drives of the entire year, and the Red Cross really has come to count on our community in times like these. Let’s not let them down.
I feature the people and places and events that make Webster the wonderful community it is — and throw in some totally-not-Webster-related personal ramblings every once in a while as well.
I love it when readers send me news about the great things happening in their schools or the community, so please email me anytime at missyblog@gmail.com
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