Webster community mailbag

10 May

I was going to put this mailbag off for a couple more days, but I just heard news of a great fundraiser happening on Friday night, and I don’t want anyone to miss out.

It’s a big kickball game hosted by Spry Middle School on Friday night May 13 at Rochester Challenger Miracle Field, located on Ridge Rd. behind Town Hall. (Parking is off of Van Ingen Drive.) Three dozen Spry students will be playing, representing the school’s three houses (red, white and blue). Each house team will also include two Challenger players.

The kickball game is the culminating event of this year’s Spirit Week at Spry. Each year the school’s Student Council chooses a charity to benefit from a Spirit Week competition. Usually the game is basketball, but Challenger Miracle Field was chosen this year, so kickball seemed more appropriate.

The game will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Admission is $5 per person, and concessions will be available for just $1. There’s plenty of free parking. All proceeds from admission and concessions will benefit Challenger Miracle Field.

Make plans to stay around after the game. That’s when the Spirit Stick will be awarded to the house which has accumulated the most spirit points all week — including extra points for winning kickball!

I found out about ALL of the following events in the Webster This Week newsletter, published weekly by the Town of Webster. If you haven’t signed up for this great source of information yet, you should.

Remember that the Webster Public Library’s spring used book sale happens this Thursday through Saturday, May 12-14. Nothing is priced more than $1, and all paperbacks are just 50 cents.

Hours are Thursday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to noon. The Webster Public Library is located at 980 Ridge Rd. at the back of the plaza, off of Van Ingen Drive.

Got stuff to shred?

Reliant Federal Credit Union is holding a free shredding event at their Webster branch, 870 Holt Rd., on Saturday May 14 from 9 a.m. to noon.

There are no quantity limits, but everyone is asked to remove file folders, binders and plastic bags. And plan on taking your empty boxes back home with you.

While you’re there, you can take advantage of raffles and giveaways, and enjoy refreshments and entertainment.

Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, 131 W. Main Street in the Village of Webster, is holding a food drive this Saturday May 14 from 10 a.m. to noon.

Donations of non-perishable food, cleaning supplies and personal hygiene items will be used to support the Weekend Food Backpack Program and the church’s Little Free Pantry.

Also on Saturday May 14, the Ukrainian Cultural Center of Rochester, 1040 Jackson Rd., will hold a Sunflowers for Ukraine paint and sip fundraiser event.

Artist Deanna Derhak will guide participants in painting an original sunflower composition using acrylic paint on a 12″ x 12″ canvas. All supplies are included, and yes, there will be wine available.

The event will be held from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Cost is $40. Click here for tickets.

The Webster Volunteer Fire Department is hosting a Vendor Fair and Craft Event on Sunday May 15 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Firemen’s Exempt building, 172 Sanford St. (on the south side of Firemen’s Field).

In addition to the great items for sale, there’ll be crafts, a raffle, 50/50 ticket sales, and a door prize of $100 worth of scratch-off tickets.

Admission is free and there’s lots of parking.

On the other side of town, the West Webster Fire Department is holding a Bike Helmet and Safety Rodeo on Saturday May 21 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The event, designed for children ages 4 to 14, will feature a bike safety course, helmet fittings and bike safety checks. There’ll be lots of activities, and of course lots of fire trucks! Helmets will be provided on loan for anyone who needs one.

Registration is free. The West Webster Fire Dept. is located at 1051 Gravel Rd.

The Wine Walks are back!

The Village of Webster’s first Wine Walk of the season has been scheduled for Saturday May 21 from 4 to 7 p.m.

Glass pickup will be at Webster Interiors, 975 Ebner Dr. from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15 (plus sales tax and fees) and are available here. For more information, visit the Webster BID website.

The Webster Lions Club will host a Sticky Lips BBQ fundraiser on Thursday May 26 from 3 to 6 p.m. at 1175 Ridge Rd.

Meals will be $15 each, and include a quarter charcoal-cooked chicken, smoked St. Louis ribs, mac salad, BBQ beans and cornbread. You can pay at the event of get pre-sale tickets online at www.StickyLipsBBQFundraisers.com.

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

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(posted 5/10/2022)

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West Webster shines at the Webster Museum this month

9 May

The Webster Museum is highlighting West Webster this month! Here are some quick details about what’s coming up.

There are five brand new exhibits focusing exclusively on the hamlet, with lots of photographs, maps and artifacts. The exhibits can be seen during the museum’s normal operating hours, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 2 to 4:30.

Several additional programs have been scheduled through the next few weeks featuring speakers recalling their memories of growing up in West Webster.

On Wednesday May 11 at noon, Todd cousins Steve Van Buren and Pat Todd Milne will speak. On Sunday May 15, the museum will open at 2 p.m. for visitors to see the exhibits, then at 3 p.m. will host a panel of memory-sharers: Deb Oakley, Peter Burkhardt, Karen McDade, Valerie Fisk Kazarro and Steve Van Buren. Attendees are encouraged to share their memories as well.

Finally, on Wednesday May 18 at noon, the final installment of the History and a Cup series will feature the memories of David Davis and Robert Ryan.

The Webster Museum is located at 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster.

Check back Wednesday for news of a fun and educational West Webster Cemetery tour coming up in June, and how you can be a part of it.

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 5/9/2022)

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Blue Star mothers host Baby Shower for Military

9 May

A week ago Sunday, 15 expectant Blue Star moms and new mothers were showered with gifts at the Cottreall-Warner American Legion Post in Webster, at a special Baby Shower for Military.

Blue Star Mothers are mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers, foster mothers and female legal guardians who have children serving in the military, guard or reserves, or children who are veterans. 

The event is organized annually by the Blue Star Mothers Rochester Chapter NY8 (BSM NY8). The group’s members have been collecting items for nine months in preparation for this year’s event, held Sunday May 1. Fifteen “Baby Baskets of Loving Care” were prepared, each filled with gifts for moms and their babies including baby clothing, handmade outfits, homemade blankets, sweaters, booties and hats, diapers, wipes, baby supplies, toys, homemade boppies and more. Each family also received a Diaper Genie and bouncy seat.

The Baby Shower for Military is one of the most important service projects of the Blue Star Mothers Rochester Chapter. Each year BSM NY8 honors up to 20 local military families, and for some of these expectant mothers, it may be the only baby shower they get, since they’re usually stationed far away from their close relatives.

This year’s shower was co-chaired by BSM NY8 president Amy VanDerwerken and vice president Jill Harris. It was held at the Cottreall-Warner American Legion Post 942 (as it has been for the last several years) which donated the use of the hall. The Post’s Auxiliary Unit also donated $400 for diapers and baby wipes. Additional assistance was received from the American Red Cross, Chili Chain Gang, Greece American Legion (and Auxiliary), Francis Hibbard Post 4658 (and Auxiliary), Hegedorn’s Supermarket, the Monroe County Department of Disabled Veterans Chapter 15, Target, Walmart, Donuts Delite, Schutt’s Apple Mill, Tops Friendly Markets, BJ’s Wholesale Club and Kinecta.  

Thank you to Jill Harris and Gordon Clarke for the photos.

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

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(posted 5/9/2022)

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Thomas grads invited to register for alumni car show

6 May

The fifth annual Webster Thomas “Coffee and Cars” Alumni Car Show is Thursday June 2 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the high school, 800 Five Mile Line Road.

The occasion is a homecoming of sorts for former Webster Thomas students who took auto tech classes while in school. It traditionally attracts everything from muscle cars and hot rods, to antique cars and fire engines, to cars which might look “normal” but have a little something special under the hood.

Titan graduates who’d like to have their ride included in this year’s Coffee and Cars need to register in advance. Email your vehicle’s year, make and model, along with your year of graduation to sean_campbell@webstercsd.org.

Then start getting those motors polished up!

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 5/5/2022)

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Webster community mailbag

4 May

The Webster Arboretum Association, together with local growers and local garden clubs will host the 2022 Webster Arboretum Plant Sale on Saturday May 7 from 8 a.m. to noon.

A tremendous variety of beautiful, healthy plants from standard to uncommon will be available including annuals, dwarf conifers, hostas, geraniums, tomatoes, and more. It’s a great way to celebrate spring and get some live plants perfectly suited for your garden. And don’t forget … Mother’s Day is Sunday!

The sale will be held at the Webster Arboretum, 1700 Schlegel Rd. Webster.

The Webster Central School District Budget Vote and School Board Election is coming up Tuesday May 17. The vote will be held at Webster Schroeder High School from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. To view detailed information about the district’s 2022/23 proposed budget, click here.

For the Board of Education election, community residents will be asked to elect three individuals for three-year terms. Nine people are running. The three candidates receiving the greatest number of votes will be deemed elected and will begin their terms of office on July 1, 2022.

Click here to read bios about all of the candidates. You’re also invited to join a live-streamed Meet the Candidates Night on Tuesday May 10 from 7 to 9 p.m. The link is: www.websterptsa.org/mtcn2022. If you can’t make it Tuesday, check back on the PTSA website for a recorded video.

The Friends of the Webster Public Library will host their annual Spring Book Sale from Thursday to Saturday May 12 to 14. Hardcover books are just $1, and paperbacks just 50 cents.

Hours are Thursday May 12 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. Friday and Saturday are also BYOB Bag Sale, when $5 fills a bag. (Bring your own bag.)

If you haven’t noticed yet, the New York DOT has begun a huge Rt. 104 roadwork project on the east side of town. It involves resurfacing, improving traffic signals, replacing guard rails, repainting pavement markings and crosswalks and more.

This is going to be a summer-long project; they don’t anticipate finishing everything until November. So keep an eye out for workers, obey flagmen, and how ’bout we all slow down a bit when we’re going through the construction zones?

Click the photo below for details. (You can also see the map on the Town of Webster webpage.

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

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(posted 5/4/2022)

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Introducing the Braman Nature Preserve

3 May

Six years ago, from January through December 2016, I took on an ambitious project. I challenged myself to visit 100 east-side parks and walk or bike or run at least a mile of the trails at each one — if there were any.

I called the project my “2016 Tour de Parks,” and I chronicled my journeys in a blog. (It’s still online; if you’re interested, click this link.) My quest was ultimately successful. I notched my last park in early December, and by the time I was done I’d actually visited 102 parks.

So you’d think I’ve seen every park and natural area there is to see in our town. But recently I heard about a nature preserve which lies only a few miles east of my home, and has existed for more than 10 years: the Braman Nature Preserve.

I decided that I should check it out, too. So last Sunday my husband and I headed out to explore it and take a short hike.

The Eva and Harlan Braman Nature Preserve is located at 1775 Ridge Rd., near the Town of Webster’s easternmost border. It’s very easy to drive by (we did, twice). There’s no large sign announcing its existence. But basically, the entrance is just east of Basket Rd., across Ridge from the intersection with Ridge Rd. Junction.

The preserve is comprised of about 60 acres of former farmland, now fields, and about 11 acres of forest. The land was donated to the Genesee Land Trust in 2011 by Laurel Bruns and Gary Braman in honor of their grandparents, Eva and Harlan Braman. About 1.5 miles of grassy trails are regularly mowed into the fields and through the woods.

The hike begins along a path which at this time of year is very muddy and swampy, although the Land Trust workers have tried to mitigate the mess by putting down a rudimentary boardwalk along part of it. That path leads to a large field — which only looks large until you take a second path leading to another field which is probably four times larger.

The main trails generally follow the edges of these two fields, but one does dip into the woods for a bit along Halesworth Lane, so for a while you can admire some very nice residential back yards. Having a trail map is helpful to keep from wandering onto the farmer’s property to the west (because the trails are not particularly well marked). Birdsong filled the air at every step of our hike. There was never a time when I COULDN’T hear 104 traffic and nearby construction vehicles, but the birds managed to drown it out most of the time. It’s a very peaceful hike.

There is a sign at the trailhead which warns that the trails are seasonally wet and muddy. That was an understatement. My sneakers, socks and pants all went into the washer when I got home.

The reason the Braman Preserve crossed my radar is that the Genesee Land Trust would like to create a six-space gravel parking lot at the park’s entrance. I saw an announcement about their plans in a recent Town newsletter.

A parking lot would be a great improvement. Right now the only place to park is along the shoulder of busy Ridge Rd. A parking lot would certainly encourage more nature lovers to discover this beautiful preserve. (It would also be great if the Trust could build a few more boardwalks to traverse the swampiest areas!)

So check it out sometime for yourself, even before they build the parking lot. Just don’t wear any shoes which you can’t afford to get muddy.

Here are a few photos from our hike, and scroll to the bottom to see a trail map.

  • There are a few of these trail signs but they don’t guide very well.
  • This is one of the small signs marking the trailhead.
  • A restful spot
  • Occasional birdhouses are placed along the trail. They help keep you on track.
  • This sign at the trailhead warns that you might want to wear boots. It’s sage advice.

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 5/3/2022)

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 5/4/2022)

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Explore a secret garden this weekend

2 May

The Webster Schroeder Theater Company invites the community to discover a little bit of magic this weekend, and explore The Secret Garden, a charming musical the whole family will love.

In this upbeat adaptation of the literary classic by Frances Hodgson Burnett, a young girl is sent to live in England after her parents die in India. Her new home, Misselthwaite Manor, turns out to be a gloomy fortress. However, she discovers a strange walled garden that has been locked up for years. With the gardener’s apprentice — who can talk to the animals — she coaxes the garden back to life, and discovers it has a wonderful, magical effect on all who come into it.

An uplifting musical score adds to the delightful story line, making it a production that’s perfect for the entire family.

The Secret Garden will be presented in two performances, Friday and Saturday May 6 and 7 at 7 p.m. at Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Rd. Tickets are $8 for students and seniors, $10 for all others. Click here for tickets.

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 5/3/2022)

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A public apology from the museum

2 May

As you might know, last Sunday’s much-anticipated talk at the Harmony House by shipwreck explorer Jim Kennard hit an unexpected snag, causing it to be postponed. Apparently that took a lot of people by surprise.

Today, the museum released the following statement:

The Webster Museum regrets the necessary cancellation of its May 1 program at the Harmony House due to the sudden illness of the speaker. We attempted to inform the public by contacting all the publications who had so kindly supported our program and placing signage at the venue.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused by this cancellation and wish Jim well in his recovery.

Stay tuned to my blog for updates, because I’ll let everyone know as soon as it has been rescheduled.

Make sure never to miss any of my blogs by subscribing using the email function along the right side of this page. Every time I post something you’ll be among the first to know.

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 5/2/2022)

Picture Webster beautiful

1 May

Hey all you photographers out there! Here’s your chance to get your work noticed!

The Town of Webster and Webster Recreation Center are hosting a Webster Photo Contest, open to anyone of any age, and you don’t even have to be a resident of Webster.

The goal, according to the Rec Center, is to “capture, in photo, the very best picture that represents the Town of Webster.”

The rules are simple:

  • Photos must have been taken in Webster or be a photo showing Webster, NY
  • Submissions must have been actually taken by the submitter
  • Photos must be emailed by June 3 to jschillaci@ci.webster.ny.us
  • Submitted photos may be used by the Town in future marketing or communication materials

There’s no charge to enter, and registration is not necessary. The original photo resolution is preferred via email. The winning photo will be printed and put on display at the Webster Recreation Center with the photographer’s name. So you could be famous!

So get out there and get snapping!

(I’m not going to enter, but I dropped a few of my favorite Webster photos here. If you’d liek to see more of my favorites, check out my “Artist’s Wall” page, where I’ve posted two dozen photos which were displayed last August at the Webster Public Library. Two of them are below.)

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 5/1/2022)

Our local heroes are invited to go fishin’

30 Apr

The Genesee Valley Chapter of Heroes on the Water is up and running, and has planned their first event for this coming Saturday May 7 at Mendon Ponds Park.

Heroes on the Water, established in 2007, is a veterans charity which

creates alternative wellness programs to serve veterans, active-duty military personnel, first responders and their families. These experiential programs incorporate structured activities proven to improve the lives of these men and women. Each experience reduces the impact of post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury while providing much-needed camaraderie and support (from the Heroes on the Water website).

The primary therapy utilized by the program is kayak fishing, offered at free events hosted by more than 60 volunteer-led chapters around the country.

Our local chapter (Genesee Valley New York Chapter of Heroes on the Water) was chartered a year ago, the efforts of four Webster friends: Tracy Holley, Gordon Clarke, Ned Stromfeld and Justin Erdley. During its first summer, activities mostly focused on get-to-know-you events and purchasing equipment. This year, though, the group is ready to hit the ground running, with several fishing kayaks, plenty of equipment, and plans for five fishing events, the first of which is this coming Saturday.

There are still participant spots available for the May 7 event, which will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 100 Acre Pond, Mendon Ponds Park. There’ll be plenty of volunteers to help you out if you’ve never kayak fished before, and there’s no charge. Plus, there’ll be food afterwards.

For more information, check out the Genesee Valley Chapter’s Facebook page, or if you just want to jump in and register right away, click here for the eventbrite page.

Spread the word to all of the local heroes you know!

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 4/30/2022)

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