The Daisies of Webster Girl Scout Troop 60344 got an inside look at the Pirate Toy Fund warehouse recently, learning about the great ways this organization gives back to the community, and getting the chance to help their cause.
The Pirate Toy Fund is the only nonprofit organization in the country dedicated to distributing new toys year-round to children in need throughout the Greater Rochester region. It was co-founded by local children’s entertainer Gary the Happy Pirate and Dave and Lorrie Simonetti. Since 1995 it has distributed almost 400,000 toys through more than 70 program partners including camps, the Red Cross, Salvation Army, and law enforcement agencies throughout Western New York.
The Daisies first got a personal tour of the warehouse from Otto Harnischfeger, the fund’s Executive Director. After the tour, they girls were given a snack and special Pirate Toy Fund pins to proudly display on their uniforms.
The Daisies were working on their “Make the World a Better Place” Daisy Petal, one of ten petals on their uniforms, each representing one line of the Girl Scout Law. Troop 60344’s Brownie was also on the tour; she was fulfilling some of the steps for her “Give Back” badge by learning about a business that gives back to the community, and supporting that mission. Every girl brought at least one new toy to donate.
Troop co-leaders Linda Meyers and Daniela Viavattine knew this would be a valuable opportunity for the young ladies. Linda said,
We thought it would be a great idea for our girls to see a wonderful Rochester-based organization that’s helping the community all throughout the year, and especially at the holidays now. Fortunately, our girls come from homes that can generally provide presents for their children, and we thought it would be great for our girls to help out for children and families that maybe aren’t able to do that.
Webster Troop 60344 has 15 Girl Scouts, 14 first-grade Daisies and one second-grade Brownie. The Daisies come from Klem North, Plank North and Dewitt elementary schools. They are Adriana Gringer, Alayna Henrichs, Alexa Weber, Avery Ganter, Charlotte Lloyd, Claire Frisk, Emerson Ganter, Harper Bozzelli, Julia Meyers, Kennedy Kleps, Lily Pettit, Mackenzie Johnston, Natalie Wigton and Penelope Patterson. Brownie Sophia Elias attends St. Kateri.
It’s getting cold out, but the holiday season in Webster is heating up, with a cool NEW event and some great improvements on an old favorite.
For starters, the village’s brand new “Hops and Stops” beer tasting event invites participants to not only enjoy some great craft brews, while also visiting many of our small businesses for some early Christmas shopping.
Hops and Stops will be Saturday Nov. 27 (not coincidentally Small Business Saturday). Glass pickup is at Finns Automotive, 44 East Main St, beginning at 2:45 p.m. Cost is $20 (tickets here). Please bring proper ID and you can’t pick up anyone else’s glass since they’ll also need to show an ID.
The beer walk itself runs from 3 to 6 p.m. There will be craft beer at some stops and food at others. These businesses will be participating:
Bernardi & Co. CPA
Webster Interiors
Woodland Silkscreen and Embroidery
OHHH, LORDEE! Everything Sauce
Village Vape or Smoke
The Modified Collective
Carl’s Pizza Kitchen
Crafty Christy’s Boutique
Dunkin’ Donuts
The Coach
BC’s Chicken Coop
The Cobblestone on Main
Barry’s Old School Irish
Lattimore Physical Therapy
Filling Station Pub & Grill
Kudos to the Webster BID for coming up with this great idea to get people out and shopping on Small Business Saturday!
Click here for more information and to get tickets.
White Christmas is Back!
Last year’s “reverse” Holiday Parade of Lights was fun, but I think everyone is excited to know that the REAL Parade of Lights will be returning the evening of Saturday Dec. 4. The parade is the highlight of a whole afternoon of holiday entertainment and activities planned during the Village of Webster’s White Christmas celebration.
This year’s event will feature something really fun: the gazebo in Veterans Park will be transformed into the North Pole for the day, complete with twinkling lights, elves, candy canes and much more. Santa will be there to greet the kids from 3 to 5 p.m. Kids can bring their letters and give them right to Santa or deposit them in his North Pole mailbox.
The Parade of Lights will begin at 6:30 p.m., winding its way from Phillips Rd. west down Main Street.
All of your White Christmas favorites will also be back this year, including carriage rides, hot cocoa, cookie decorating, storytime with Jason Poole from the Webster Public Library, caroling, and much more, including a “Toy Land,” for which everyone is encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate.
Put this one on your calendar, folks. (Maybe we’ll actually get some snow this year.)
I’ve got an important update from the PTSA/One Webster team that’s working on a float for this year’s Holiday Parade of Lights.
They need lights for the float!
They’ve actually been getting a good response from people interested in helping create Santa’s Workshop and who want to help build the float (read more about those opportunities in this blog here) but they desperately need lights for the float. After all, it is the Holiday PARADE OF LIGHTS.
They’ve made it very easy to contribute to the effort. Click this link here to order the lights directly (there are several price options) or donate any amount.
This show, which usually takes over much of the Webster Recreation Center in early April, had to go virtual these last few years. Now that it looks like the 2022 Peep Show might be a little more normal, they’re already ramping up to make it the best ever.
They’e currently looking artists to create a poster (rules are posted on the Peep Show website) and prizes will be awareded: $100 for first place, $50 for second place. The deadline for submissions is Nov. 25. They’re also looking for sponsors, vendors, and community groups or entertainers who would like to present demos at the show. Come January, they’ll start asking for volunteers.
As for all you Peep Show display makers, get to the drawing board and start planning your incredible displays. April will be here before we know it!
For more information about the 2022 Greater Rochester Peep Show, click here.
Get your books here, folks!
Now here’s a great chance to pick up some perfect holiday gifts for the reader in your family, and not drop a lot of dough.
The Friends of the Webster Public Library will be holding their Winter Holiday Book Sale beginning Saturday Nov. 20.
Winter and end-of-the-year holiday season books (hardcover, fiction and nonfiction) will be featured at this sale, including music CDs, DVD movies and Blu-Rays for children and adults. And everything is priced between 50 cents and $2.
The sale will run for several weeks (or until the books run out) during regular holiday hours.
Purchases may be made at the circulation desk. All monies raised will go to support library programs and initiatives.
In this month’s History Bit from the Webster Museum, a message of thanks.
NYA-WEH is “thanks” in the Seneca language. If we struggle to find things to be thankful for this year, we would do well to consult the Thanksgiving address of any of our native people, the Haudenosaunee.
A thousand years old, the words are still spoken before and after ceremonial and governmental gatherings. The speakers’ language and words may vary, but the message is the same: we must name and thank everything in the natural world that sustains us. The address includes the people, the earth, the waters, the plants, the animals, the sun, moon and stars and the creator they believe to be responsible for all these gifts.
Each gift is named and thanked and honored by the refrain “now our minds are one.“ Consensus on gratitude!
The Webster Museum’s permanent Seneca exhibit now includes objects identified in the Seneca language.
The museum is open for your enjoyment (and maybe some new vocabulary…) on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 2 to 4:30 p.m.. Nya-weh for visiting!
By the way, I did mention above that Webster’s White Christmas in the Village will be back this year, It returns Saturday Dec. 4, complete with the Parade of Lights in the evening.
Now, I’m no stranger to working out. I walk, run, do a little weightlifting, a little yoga. But Pilates? Had no clue what it was. So when I sat down for a chat the other day with Erin Ferrante, owner of the new To the Core Pilates studio, I thought I should let her know that right off the bat.
To her credit, she didn’t laugh, or even giggle. On the contrary, she assured me that’s not unusual; a lot of people around here don’t know much about Pilates.
I came to realize that that example of non-judgmental acceptance pretty much sums up Erin’s approach to her new business and the people who walk through her door: everyone is welcome, no matter what shape you’re in or where you are in your fitness goals.
Even if you know nothing about Pilates.
To the Core Pilates opened on Oct. 4 in Towne Center plaza (Target plaza) next door to Visionworks. It’s a dream come true for owner Erin Ferrante, who first fell in love with Pilates when she was living in Aspen, Colorado several years ago. When she came back home to Wayne County, she brought that passion for Pilates with her, along with a dream of opening her own studio. She even had her eye on a plaza she knew very well from her Wayne County youth.
She remembers, “I said, ‘Mom I just want to move home and open a Pilates studio in Webster Plaza. A couple years later, here I am.”
She started small, first offering classes in an under-used building at Thornbee Farm in Walworth, owned by her aunt and uncle. The venture was extremely successful. She soon realized she needed more room, and was ready to take the next step. She found an 1800-sq. foot studio space in Towne Center, and started introducing what she calls a “very west coast fitness regimen” to the greater Webster community.
“There’s not really Pilates around here,” she explained.
A lot of people don’t know what it is. I’ve found that’s been one of the biggest things. People know how to lift weights around here or do burn boot camp. Pilates is a type of exercise where we focus on slow, controlled toning exercise. We do things that are high intensity but it’s a very low-impact workout.
So basically, Pilates stresses low-impact flexibility, muscular strength, and endurance. Which is pretty much why everyone can do it, regardless of fitness level.
I’m trying to help people understand that they don’t have to jump around to get a good workout. … The high impact stuff is not good for your joints and muscles. … The awesome thing about Pilates is we use very low weights, very high reps. I want to teach people that good exercise, maybe three days a week, clean eating and a little bit of walking is going to get them to the goals they’re looking for.
“I want people to feel like this is really a welcoming community when they come in the door,” she added. “No matter what their fitness level is, we can help them.”
It’s an approach that’s already winning a lot of fans, like Maria Derks. Packing up from an intense Barefoot Boot Camp class, she agreed with Erin, calling the atmosphere at To the Core Pilates as “very intimate. (Erin) makes me feel special,” she said. “She wants to make us all feel welcome.”
To the Core Pilates is located at 1028 Ridge Rd. (Towne Center plaza), next door to Visionworks in the plaza’s northwest corner. Classes offered include Pilates, core, yoga and high-intensity Barefoot Boot Camp. Plus, this coming Wednesday Nov. 17, Erin will also be hosting a special Nourish: Body & Mind nutrition workshop led by Erica of Revive Your Tribe, designed especially for women.
I thought I’d give everyone who’s following the GoPro story a quick update.
For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, a brief summary:
On Nov. 1, DP (Don) Dunn was walking along the pier and found a GoPro which had washed up on the shore. He emailed me about it and sent some photos he’d pulled off the SD card. I posted a blog and within two hours the owner had been located. Ollie Bartholomew, who lives in Westchester County, had lost it in the lake while visiting some friends over the 4th of July holiday. It took four months for it to wash up on the shore. (Click here to see the follow-up blog I wrote.)
The second half of this story, and perhaps even more heartwarming, is that Ollie offered to donate $100 in my name and Don’s name to charity as kind of a reward. Don and I chose to donate to a GoFundMe page for a friend of his, Kevin Woolever, who is fighting ALS and is in danger of losing his home.
And now the update:
On Friday Nov. 5, Don had packed up the camera and shipped it back to Ollie, who received it the following Monday and was kind enough to send along some close-up photos of how somewhat battered it was from its time in the drink.
But then he sent the following little video, which is priceless. Ollie actually encapsulated the camera — and therefore the whole fun story — in a display case for his office.
Last Thursday, Andrew Freeman from Spectrum News put in a marathon day interviewing all three of us for a piece which will air sometime this coming week. Don told his part of the story at the lake, where it all started. Andrew came to my house and we talked as I sat at my dining room table/office. Later that afternoon, he and Ollie talked via Zoom from Ollie’s high-rise Manhattan office.
It was a really fun day, and I’ll let you know when I see the story pop up online.
Ollie in his office
The view from Ollie’s office
Don chatting with Andrew at the lake
I’m also very happy to report that several very kind people have donated to Kevin’s GoFundMe page as a result of my blog. My sincere thanks to those folks for helping continue to spread the kindness.
Click on the link above to read more about about Kevin’s story.
A new museum is taking shape at the West Webster Fire Department on Gravel Rd., and it’s pretty neat.
The museum is located in its own bay on the north side of the station, specially designed for that purpose when the new station was built in 2019. It’s not a huge space, but it’s packed with old artifacts representing the WWFD’s long history.
I got a personal tour the other day from Al Sienkiewicz, one of about a dozen WWFD members who have been working on the museum for more than a year. Al gave me a quick lesson in the department’s history, including how it was created following a fire in 1925 which devastated West Webster.
The centerpiece of the exhibit is a 1935 Ford pumper engine. Surrounding the engine are displays of old communication equipment, nozzles, first aid equipment and more. Three mannequins illustrate the transition of turnout gear, from a long overcoat to today’s short coat, bunker pants and complete equipment ensemble.
The WWFD also has a 1974 Cadillac ambulance, which replaces the pumper in the museum for six months of the year.
There’s still a lot to do before the committee considers the museum finished … if they ever do. For example, they’re working on restoring a huge 1924 map of the fire district for one wall and figuring out how to best use another large, blank wall on the south side of the bay. They’ll be adding informational placards on some of the exhibits, and Al would like to create a display about the civil side of the department.
The museum isn’t officially open to the public yet, although many people got a sneak peek at the WWFD’s Fire Prevention Open House last month. In the meantime, they continue to collect items for more displays and fine-tune their current ones.
They’re still on the lookout for antique fire equipment to include in the museum, especially anything from the WWFD. If you come across something in your attic that you’d like to donate, drop them an email at info@westwebsterfd.org or call them at 585-671-4141.
You have an opportunity in a few weeks to honor a life ended too soon, while helping to save others.
A blood drive being held Saturday Nov. 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Webster Schroeder High School honors the memory of Schroeder graduate Colin Montesano ’14, who passed away suddenly at age 21.
Colin had wanted to dedicate his life to helping others by becoming a physician and studied at the University of Pittsburgh. He was also an active community volunteer, talented athlete and an organ donor, so Donate Life will be at the blood drive signing people up to be organ donors.
Local businesses are donating food for the event and there will be raffle baskets for people who donate. Plus, anyone who is an organ donor or signs up to become a donor will receive raffle tickets with a chance to win prizes.
Here are the drive details:
Blood Drive in honor of Colin Montesano Saturday, November 27, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Webster Schroeder High School 875 Ridge Road, Webster
Please register ahead of time by clicking here to avoid long wait times.
Aside from this being a great thing to do in Colin’s memory, this is also a critical time of year for blood donations. Thanks to COVID, blood donations are already at a critically low level. They decline even more from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day as people get busy with holiday activities, so the Red Cross really needs your help.
The Webster Central PTSA is looking for a few (OK, many) willing elves to help create Santa’s Workshop for this year’s White Christmas in the Village AND work on a float for the Holiday Parade of Lights.
Yep, both White Christmas and the Parade of Lights will be returning this year on Saturday Dec. 4, and the events’ organizers have asked the Webster Central PTSA for help making them the best ever.
Here are the details:
SANTA’S WORKSHOP
Santa’s Workshop will be located this year in Veterans Memorial Park, and Santa will greet children at the gazebo. The PTSA needs help with ideas, construction and volunteers for the day of the event. If you’re interested in helping out, click this Eventbrite link, go to “Register,” then “Get Tickets,” at which point you’ll be given the option to sign up and help as part of the design team, set-up team, break-down team or volunteer during the event.
The Business Improvement District will be providing funds for supplies and will even be donating money to PTSA for future events. So none of this will even cost the PTSA a penny.
PARADE FLOAT
Everyone is also invited to participate in a One Webster collaborative effort between the Webster Central School District and Webster Central PTSA to create a float for the Parade of Lights and walk alongside it. There are several opportunities for people to help, including donating colored lights, decorating the float on Dec. 2, walking in the parade on Dec. 4 (you can be part of a group, such as a club or sports team, or you can walk to represent PTSA), and disassemble the float on Dec. 5.
If you’re interested in helping in any of these ways, register by clicking this eventbrite link. Once you click “Register,” select your group or just type in PTSA, and then you’ll be asked to select which of the four opportunities you are interested in helping with. Feel free to select more than one if you like.
It was pretty busy Saturday night at Barry’s Old School Irish in the Village of Webster. But that was to be expected, as the little Irish pub was celebrating its 10th annivesary.
Hundreds of well-wishers streamed in and out throughout the evening, coming for the friendly atmosphere, great live music, good food and perfectly poured pints. Friends met up with friends, and strangers became new friends. And all evening, people were sharing their favorite Barry’s memories, from the time the horse came in the pub to when there was a fireplace in the corner — next to a couch.
Here’s a slideshow of photos from that evening (in no particular order).
OK, how stinkin’ cute is this? Listening to Russ Conlon’s ballad.
“Can I have your attention for the toast?”
Bagpipers are a Barry’s party tradition
Guinness was there offering free pints with your choice of photo on top.
Sean and Sarah of Barry’s Crossing reunited for the occasion to provide live music.
Later in the evening, Russ Conlon treated Danny and Jess to a sweet and beautifully performed ballad.
Someone shot off a confetti cannon.
The annual “looking to the future” photo
The confetti cannon fortunately missed MOST of the pints on the bar
Sarah Mossey of Barry’s Crossing
Sean Rosenberry of Barry’s Crossing
The whole gang
Raising a toast to Barry’s Old School Irish
Barry’s Runners came out in force to celebrate at their favorite running spot. (Please join us some Tuesday night.)
Santa Claus made a very special pre-holiday visit to town Saturday, bringing his North Pole workshop skills to the Bella’s Bumbas workshop in Webster. But rather than working on toys, he tried his hand at cobbling together his very own Bumba chair.
Ably assisted by elves Teagan Orr, Kenzie Fedele and Bella Shorr herself — whose story launched Bella’s Bumbas — Santa learned how to build a chair from the wheels up.
Bella’s Bumbas is run by Webster residents Marty Parzynski and Rebecca Orr, dedicated to building miniature wheelchairs for children with a wide variety of mobility issues. In the four years since Marty built the first Bumba for their niece Bella, they’ve shipped close to 2000 chairs to children in more than 50 countries, often adapting the chairs for each child’s individual needs, and charging the parents only for shipping.
Marty and Rebecca arranged for the special visit from Santa, originally inviting six of their “Bumbaleers” to attend. At the last minute, several of them couldn’t make it, but Kenzie and Bella’s delight alone at seeing the jolly old elf was enough to fill the room. They got their own elf hats, and were treated to a reading of the Christmas classic The Night Before Christmas, courtesy Santa himself.
The special Santa-built chair — which was signed by everyone that day — will soon be packed up and sent to a very lucky little boy named Tate in Connecticut.
Here are some more photos from that special afternoon when Bella’s Bumbas’ workshop became Santa’s workshop.
Kenzie Fedele, Teagan Orr and Bella Shorr are all ears as Santa reads The Night Before Christmas.
Santa’s elf Teagan Orr shows Santa how to install a wheel
Bella keeps an eye on how things are progressing in the workshop
Santa, Teagan Orr, Marty Parzynski and Kenzie Fedele
Santa signs the finished chair
This specially signed chair will be sent to a lttle boy in CT named Tate
Santa presents his three elves with gifts after the chair is done.
This special chair, resting under the big check Bella’s Bumbas received in September, is destined for Josue in Mexico.
Marty Parzynski chats with Santa about Josue’s specially designed chair
Bella’s Bumbas, by the way, relies entirely on donations to do their amazing work.
They recently received a huge one from a combined team of construction workers who are building the new Amazon warehouse in Gates.
When Rebecca and Marty were invited to stop by the work site on Friday Sept. 24, they had no idea why. When they got there, they were directed to a huge parking lot where row after row of tables were set up. Before long, they found themselves front-and-center in a short ceremony in which they were presented a huge check for $13,600.
Turns out, the construction team had been collecting donations and holding raffles for several weeks to raise money for Bella’s Bumbas. The tables were set up for a thank-you BBQ luncheon for everyone who donated. It was just the beginning of a continuing stream of donations from the team which eventually added up to $15,000.
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Rebecca explained,
Bella’s Bumbas, Ltd. was given an AMAZING donation from a combined group of construction workers building the new Amazon warehouse in Gates, a total of $15,000. Project ROC1 Team did raffles, a BBQ, and donations to bless Bella’s Bumbas. From that we have received several “residual” donations, thanks to S.M.A.R.T. local Union 46 and all their support. S.M.A.R.T. local Union 46, not only helps make parts for our little chairs, they also share our “mission of mobility.” That same morning (which coincidentally was also the third anniversary of our moving into our current shop location) we also received an amazing $3000 from Webster Presbyterian Church.
The donations Bella’s Bumbas received from the Project ROC1 Team and in the following days allowed them to ship about 55 Bumbas around the world, absolutely free, including to the Upstate Golisano’s Children’s Hospital in Syracuse, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Haiti, Honduras, Canada, Belize, Turkey and Guatemala.
“Today we are truly THANKING God first and all our amazing supporters over the last four years,” Rebecca wrote.
We have been blessed beyond our wildest dreams. It has been a rewarding, blessed, chaotic, hectic, and WONDERFUL 4 years (and many more to come). We have received the most precious donations from $5 to $10 monthly thru auto payments, to $15,000 from fundraisers groups have done for us. From organizations locally to individuals we have never met.
Donations are not the only way Bella’s Bumbas operates. Our amazing volunteers, some local, some as far away as other countries, each doing their own special part of our “Mission of Mobility.” We are often baffled as to how to truly express our thanks and gratitude to so many people for the almost 2000 “bumbaleers” (named by an amazing grandmother, Ann Reid ) in now 53 countries.
We know each one of our very special bumbaleers has touched so many lives with their smiles,and laughs, and true little miracles.
“Bella’s Bumbas ‘Mission of Mobility’ all started for one little girl, our Bella, born with Spina Bifida, and is now also a BLESSED network of families encouraged and uplifted by each other,” Rebecca concluded. “Thank you seems so small compared to what Bella’s Bumbas has become with so many blessings.”
“THANK YOU from all of us here at Bella’s Bumbas and our little bumbaleers.”
Check out these photos and video of some of those happy little bumbaleers:
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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