Webster community mailbag

8 Sep

So I took a few days off from the blog, which means I have several items backed up in my mailbox I have to let you know about. Let’s get right to it.

Vanetta and Monique at the Village Quilt Shoppe will be celebrating their little shop’s second aniversary this weekend, Friday Sept. 10 and Saturday Sept. 11.

Activities include:

• A trunk show by Ruthann Stillwell showcasing her and Susan Rooney’s patterns
• a demo calss featuring a curved table runner with no bindings
• Lots of specials, a raffle and refreshments

Attendees are asked to reserve a spot so Vanetta and Monique know how many people to expect. Just call them at 585-626-6916 or email them. Or better yet, stop in to reserve your spot.

The Village Quilt Shoppe is located at 21 East Main St., at the corner of Lapham Park.

Kiddie Academy of Webster, a daycare facility on Phillips Rd., will host a free STEM Adventures event for families and children on Saturday Sept. 11 from 10:30 to 12:30 p.m. Participants will explore the world of science, technology, engineering and math through age-appropriate and fun activities.

Registration is requested. Click here to do so and to learn more.

Kiddke Academy of Webster is located at 369 Phillips Rd.

Friday and Saturday Sept. 17 and 18 are going to be big days in the village.

We already know that the Webster Jazz Fest will be returning those days, with music in the pubs Friday night and music in the street Saturday. But I also just learned that there will also be GAMES in the street on Friday night, as the village hosts is second Family Game Night and Beer Garden that evening.

The first Family Games Night on July 30 was very well received, so this second one will feature all the same fun. From 6 to 9 p.m., West Main will be closed and filled with with activities including Dancing with Denise for the kids, sidewalk chalk, Giant Jenga, Giant Connect Four, Corn Hole, cookie decorating, food and drinks. So basically, you can pop int the pubs for some music, then out onto the street for some games. It should be a great evening for the whole family.

Stay tuned for more information about a THIRD Family Game Night scheduled for October 16, which will also feature music by Rochester’s Premier Oktoberfest Band The Krazy Firemen, who’ll be performing all evening.

For more information about all these events and more, visit the Webster BID website.

St. Martin Lutheran Chuch, 813 Bay Rd., will hold their Fall Chicken BBQ on Saturday, Sept. 25 from 4:30 until they’re sold out. Dinners will cost $10 and include a half chicken, salt potatoes, coleslaw, roll, and butter.

The event this year will be drive-thru only, and there will be no advance sales. The event will be first come, first served. Cars will enter the parking lot, follow the signs, and purchase dinners, using exact payment only, please. Cars will then proceed to the front entrance to pick up the boxed dinners.

Dinners will be assembled according to CDC recommendations. Due to current health restrictions, pie slices and other desserts will not be available.

Proceeds will support St. Martin’s annual Christmas Stocking Project, which reaches more than 500 young people in Monroe and Wayne counties.

ROC & Soul Fitness will be hosting an open house on Saturday Oct. 9 from 9 a.m. to noon.

This is a great opportunity to check out the studio, meet the owners, see some classes in action or even take an introductoy class. Visitors can get a tour of the studio and spa area, and try a free Introduction Barre Class at 11 a.m.

You can also take a chance to win a 5-class Fitness Bundle and a 5-pack for ROC & Soul’s Melt Saunas.

ROC & Soul Fitness is located at 44 E. Main Street, in the lower level shops behind Jojo Bistro.

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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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First Responders 5K welcomed back to the village

5 Sep

In-person racing came back to Webster on Friday night when the First Responders 5K returned to the village after a one-year, covid-induced hiatus.

More than 200 men, women and children of all ages wound their way through the 3.1-mile course that took runners from the Webster Firemen’s Field, through east-side village neighborhoods and back. And like anything else that happens in our village, it was another great example of the kind of caring, supportive community we have here.

It was a perfect late-summer night for a run; cool and sunny, much MUCH better than the humid days we’ve recently experienced. The race began at 6:30 p.m. on the south side of Firemen’s Field on Ebner Dr. There, under the Fleet Feet archway bearing the huge First Responders 5K banner, 227 runners and walkers of all shapes and sizes streamed across the start line when the order to “GOOOOOO!” was broadcast loudly through the speakers.

  • At the start line
  • Photo courtesy Mary White

I was one of those runners, huffing and puffing alongside my good friend Dave Nicchitta, who kindly agreed (after much needling) to run the race with me. I had a lot of fun running with my friend, but even more than that, I was so proud to show off my village.

From the very beginning of the race and all through the neighborhoods, families were sitting in their front yards or standing along the road, clapping and cheering the runners, yelling encouraging comments and ringing cowbells. My husband and some friends set up a water and beer refreshment stand in the driveway, which was a popular stop near the end of the race.

And the volunteers? There were so many of them, one stationed at every intersection to guide the runners — and there were a lot of intersections and turns in those neighborhoods. Not to mention the Special Police, who managed the traffic along busy South Ave. during the race.

As I passed by one runner on the route, we chatted briefly and she told me how impressed she was with the route, how well the race was organized, and especially, how many volunteer race marshals there were. I simply told her, “Well, this is Webster.”

Thank you to everyone who helped make this race happen. For many of us, it was the first in-person race we’ve run in more than a year and a half. Thank you also to all those who participated. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the FRST Agency, a local charity that provides support, awareness, assets, and services to first responders seeking assistance in dealing with the effects of PTSD.

Click here to see a gallery of photos from the race which my husband and I took, and visit the Fleet Feet Rochester Facebook page to see a much bigger gallery of much better photos taken by Mary White (of Turkey Trot photography fame).

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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.

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Local news is fading away

4 Sep

In yesterday’s hard-copy Democrat and Chronicle, the editors announced that publication of the weekly Post newspapers — including the Irondequoit/Penfield/Webster edition we get here in town — will be discontinued after Oct. 24.

The D&C merged with Gatehouse Media — which publishes the Post newspapers — about two years ago. I must admit that after the merger, the quality of our local Post edition greatly improved. Before the merger, the Webster Post was really a waste of subscription money (and I say that tongue-in-cheek because the subscription was free). It offered very little interesting and useful local news aside from school district press releases. But when the D&C came on board, several reporters were assigned to provide content. Yes, it was still mostly filled with press releases, but finally there were also some interesting feature stories. It was more than worth what I paid for it.

But now the Post is folding, and with it one more source for local Webster news.

But we here in Webster are in a better place than many communities when it comes to local, journalistic news (that is, not Facebook groups). We have three distinct outlets we can turn to for information about events, town and village government news, feature stories and lots more.

The first, of course, is this Webster on the Web blog. But you already know about that. I’m actually working on making this an even more useful stop by adding pages with links to community organizations, and maps pinpointing local services. But I’ll tell you more about that in a few days.

There’s also our very own weekly newspaper, the Webster Herald. New editor Colin Minster is still getting his legs under him, but is clearly learning more and more about our town and village every day, and is providing a great mix of news and features.

Thirdly, there’s Webster Online News, a website run by former Herald editor Anna Hubbell, which posts local news and events stories, plus other interesting tidbits like a Cook Nook and Health Corner.

Not only are these three news outlets at your service, we’re collaborating to make our products even more accessible. When you log onto Webster Online News, for example, you’ll see one of my blogs re-posted there every week. You’ll also see a link to the website on the right side of this page. Plus, starting this coming week, the Herald will also be cross-publishing a Webster on the Web blog every two weeks, focusing specifically on Village happenings.

So log on, subscribe, spread the word, and keep reading. We’ll keep you up to date on Webster as well as we can.

And rest assured, we’re not going anywhere anytime soon.

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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.

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Going back to school — sort of

3 Sep

This has been a very weird start to the new school year for me.

The first day of school for students isn’t until Wednesday, but teachers and support staff were already back all last week, setting up their classrooms, reconnecting with their colleagues, and basically preparing mentally and physically for another unusual school year.

But I’m not there.

Having retired from my job as a library teaching assistant from the district in June, I’m watching from the sidelines for the first time in 20 years. It’s definitely a little weird, and a little sad. But thanks to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, I’ve been able to vicariously enjoy those back-to school meetings and strategy sessions.

I saw photos from State Road Elementary School, for example, where staff members held their opening circle outside in the parking lot and playground. Facebook photos from Plank North showed all of my former colleagues clumped up in very familiar discussion groups. Some schools are posting their staff photos, where everyone is packed on risers and clearly grinning broadly behind their masks with opening-day excitement. Others, like Webster Schroeder, had their teachers hold personalized signs indicating how long they’d been in the district.

I even got a special invitation several days ago from Schlegel Elementary School principal Francine Leggett to join my former colleagues when they took a field trip on Wednesday to Jack’s Place playground in Webster Park to explore and reflect upon this year’s theme of “We are crew.”

In short, the idea of “being crew” is that everyone (students and staff) is working together towards the same goal, helping each other achieve and be successful. On their field trip this week, teachers and support staff actually took an important first step toward connecting with their student community by taking a bus ride through every one of the neighborhoods the school serves, before arriving at the playground.

I don’t miss all the meetings, but it was nice to see many of my old colleagues in photos and on the playground. Here are a few photos from that day at the park.

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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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New music festival will benefit ALS awareness

2 Sep

One thing I’ve learned about Webster in the years I’ve lived here is that when someone needs help, this community rallies around them, big time.

OK, make that TWO things: Webster loves its music.

Both of those truths will be on full display on Saturday, Sept. 11 at a brand new music festival called Webster Rocks for ALS Awareness. The event is being held in part to benefit Kacie Jones, a former Coach Sports Bar employee who was diagnosed with ALS two years ago.

The event website explains,

Kacie is a 30-year Rochester/Webster young man who has ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). He is in a fight for his life; a day-to-day battle to do even the simplest of tasks that most of us take for granted. On Saturday, Sept 11, we will come together for Kacie and others struggling to live with and fight ALS. Let’s help Kacie and his family raise awareness for ALS, provide alternative treatments, and bring about a possible cure for this disease.

Funds raised will also benefit Healing ALS, an organization dedicated to supporting awareness, research and care for those suffering from ALS.

The festival will be held on Saturday Sept. 11 beginning at 2 p.m. at the Webster Firemen’s Field on Ridge Rd. Food trucks will be on hand from 3 to 8 p.m., and alcohol sales will be provided by the Coach Sports Bar.

An incredible music line-up starts at 3 p.m., featuring Anthony Blood and Brody Schenk, State Line, Brass Taxi, Dial Up, and M80s. (Check the website for more details about the schedule.)

Tickets are $20 in advance (available from the Coach Sports Bar, 19 W. Main in Webster) and Eventbrite (but they charge fees, so stop by the Coach to save money). They’re still looking for volunteers, too, so ask about that when you’re picking up your tickets.

To read more about Kacie and his brave battle with this disease, check out this great story posted on WHEC-TV in March.

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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.

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News from the library

1 Sep

This month’s Webster Public Library Artist’s Wall features some good friends of mine and the incredible, life-changing nonprofit they have built from scratch, Bella’s Bumbas.

Marty Parzynski and Rebecca Orr began their business back in 2017. Their neice Bella had been born in 2015 with spina bifida, which caused paralysis of her lower limbs. Troubled by Bella’s inability to move around and interact with other children, they did a little research and found how to make a toddler-sized wheelchair using a commercially-available “Bumbo” infant seat and a child’s bicycle tires. Marty got to work, and before long had built one for his niece. He called it “Bella’s Bumba.”

When word started spreading about what Marty had done and how it had changed Bella’s life, he and Rebecca started getting requests for Bella’s Bumbas from other parents. So they set up a workshop in the garage and started to mass-produce the wheelchairs, using mostly donated parts. They asked families only to cover the shipping costs.

To date, Marty and Rebecca and their army of volunteers have built and shipped more than 2000 chairs to 46 countries, and counting.

Next time you’re at the library, stop by the wall, read more about their story, and check out the photos of some of the thousands of children whose lives have been changed by Bella’s Bumbas.

The display will be up through September.

Kindergartners and first graders and their favorite adults are invited to celebrate the end of summer with a Back-to-School Storytime on Thursday Sept. 2 at 11 a.m.

Listen to some special books and do a school-related craft to get into the school spirit! Please register each child individually so the library can keep the number small. Caregivers should not register but are required to attend with their children. Please remember your masks!

Speaking of storytimes … as long as the weather is being so nice, outdoor storytimes are continuing.

Every Thursday at 10 a.m. through October, storytimes will be held at the Harmony Park amphitheater, 10 Foster Drive (off of Phillips Rd.). PLUS, Tuesday evenings in September are family fun nights. Bring the whole family on Sept. 14, 21 and 28 from 5 to 7 p.m. for music and games with Webster Parks & Recreation, with storytime at 6 p.m. On the 14th, Bay Vista Taqueria food truck will be there, too.

Registration is not necessary but requested for the outdoor storytimes so they have an idea how many to expect. Click here to register for Sept. 14 and visit the Webster Library website to register for the others.

Now that the kids are back in school, how ’bout we adults take some time for ourselves? Check out these adult programs coming up at the library in September:

  • Sept. 14, 2 p.m.: Travelogue- Beautiful Medieval Towns of Brittany and Normandy, France
  • Sept. 15, 7 p.m.: Creating Paper Flowers with Linda & Katrina
  • Sept. 28, 1 p.m.: Legal Assistance for Seniors
  • Sept. 30, 3 p.m.: Libby Tips & Tricks via Zoom

Descriptions and registration links for these programs and more can be found on the library website.

Here’s a teaser about a couple of other fun youth programs in the works:

  • Make it Monday, Sept. 13: Pom Pom Cacti Night
  • Family Friday Campout, Friday Oct. 1

Visit the library website for more information and to register

Finally, the library is updating its hours for fall.

Beginning Tuesday, September 7 the library will be open Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and
Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Webster Public Library is located at 980 Ridge Rd., at the back of Webster Plaza.

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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.

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Do you know anyone in these photos?

31 Aug

I know, that really sounds like clickbait, doesn’t it? But I really am trying to find some good homes for these photos which were part of my Webster on the Web photo exhibit at the Webster Public Library in August.

I chose 24 photos for the exhibit, representing kids, community and events. It was fun having them up, but alas, a few days ago they had to be taken down to make room for September’s installation, featuring the awesome Webster-based nonprofot, Bella’s Bumbas (more on that in another blog).

(P.S., if you didn’t get to visit the library and see it, I’ve posted all the photos on a link you’ll find at the right side of this page.)

So now I have all these photos, most of them 8″ x 8″ or 10″ x 10″, which are going to get tossed if no one wants them. I’ve already delivered a handful of them to some proud parents and grandparents, but there are many more really cute ones that have gone unclaimed.

So, please take a moment and take a close look at all of the following photos and see if you can help me give them good homes. There are even a few which have no human subjects in them, but if you like ’em, they’re yours. If knowing the dates will help identify the children, you’ll find them in the photo link to the right.

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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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The First Responders 5K is back

30 Aug

I like participating in 5Ks. (You’ll notice I didn’t say “run” 5Ks, because the pace I set cannot actually be called “running.”) So I’m pleased to see that after more than a full year off, in-person races are coming back.

I was especially thrilled to see that the First Responders 5K is not only returning later this week, but will offer both in-person and virtual options.

This is one of my favorite races for a few reasons. First, it’s in the Village of Webster. I can walk to the start line AND it runs right by my house. Second, SO MANY of my Webster friends also run. And finally, a portion of the proceeds benefit a great cause.

The race website explains,

The First Responders 5K presented by L3Harris recognizes the strength, perseverance, and courage of police officers, firefighters, EMTs, 911 operators and their families in our local community.

First responders put their lives on the line for us every day as they face hardships that most of us will never know. The repetitive negative experience of stressful and potentially traumatic events that first responders face on a daily basis leaves them particularly vulnerable to post-traumatic stress disorder. We hope that this event can raise awareness for PTSD in first responders, and raise funds for a local charity, FRST Agency, that will provide support, awareness, assets, and services to first responders seeking assistance in dealing with the effects of PTSD.  

The in-person race is scheduled for Friday Sept. 3 at 6:30 p.m. It will begin and end at the south side of Fireman’s Field on Sanford St., and take racers through east-side village neighborhoods. Cost is $30, or $15 for active first responders. Each racer will also receive a t-shirt and grab-and-go snack bag after the race.

My family will once again be setting up our “refreshment” stop on Fuller Ave., with water — or beer if you’re a first responder — so watch for our signs (“Running in gear? Have a beer!” “In turnout gear? We’ll turnout beer!”).

The virtual race, by the way, can be run any day between Sept. 3 and 12. Cost is $20, and you’ll also get a t-shirt. 

To register for either option, and for more information including a course map, click here .

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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.

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An open letter to Danny and Jessica Barry

29 Aug

Dear Danny and Jess,

I wanted to send you this heartfelt congratulations and thank you for your wonderful Irish Festival yesterday.

Jack and I got there right when the gates opened to catch the early entertainment and right away were very impressed by what we saw. There were food vendors, the beer truck (of course), plenty of tables to sit at or hay bales to perch on, and lots more room to set up your chairs and blankets.

The entertainment line-up was packed with many of the pub’s most popular entertainers, and the Irish dance schools were a special treat.

I LOVED the kids’ lemonade stand (and Mom’s homemade cookies) and kids’ activity area. I didn’t try them out for myself, but I was tempted by the lawn games (giant Jenga, cornhole, and I even saw some hurling and Kan Jam in the back). And the vendors! So many of them with some really neat stuff. We were especially pleased to be able to reconnect with and support our old Irish Import Shop friends. (And I got some Christmas shopping done!)

Seeing old friends like that was one of the best things about the day. Of course all of the Barry’s regulars were there, but so were members of the Rochester Irish community whom we hadn’t seen in forever.

This day drew the Irish community together like no other I’ve seen in years. It had the comfortable, welcoming feel of the original Rochester Irish Festival back in the 1990s, and is something our community has needed for a long time. That was easy to see by scanning the crowd. Green t-shirts, dresses and leggings were clearly the uniform of the day as festival attendees proudly put their Irish heritage on display.

By the way, I don’t know how you did it, but you dialed up some ideal weather. Earlier in the week the weatherdudes said there was a possibility of thunderstorms, but clearly Irish eyes were smiling on you. Sure, the heat was a little oppressive when you were sitting out in the sun (can you work on that next year?) but all you had to do was keep moving your hay bale or quad chair a little more to the east to stay in the shade.

Thank you also to all the volunteers who helped set up, man the parking lot in stifling heat, provided security, checked guests in, handled concessions and managed a hundred other tasks. As far as I could see, there was nary a glitch in the planning.

Basically — and I steal this thought from a friend — the Barry’s Old School Irish Festival pretty much was Barry’s West for a day. All of the friends, community, good food, good drink and good music we have come to expect from Barry’s were there, just like we find every week at the pub … just more spread out.

I know that was the vibe you were going for. So basically, you nailed it.

It’s no coincidence that as we turned off of 260 and followed the line of cars past the corn fields to your farm, the first thing I thought of was that scene from Field of Dreams. “If you build it, they will come.”

Well, you did, they did, and it was definitely a dream come true.

Well done, my friends. We’re already looking forward to next year’s festival, and hope to become more involved, with an eye perhaps to turning it into a two-day event?

Love, Missy

Here are a few photos from the wonderful day (taken from the Barry’s Old School Irish Facebook page). Visit the page to see more.

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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.

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The photos are coming down

28 Aug

It’s been an eventful August.

Not only did I get a proclamation from the Town for outstanding community service (and had a day named after me!), I was honored to be the featured artist on the Webster Public Library’s Artist’s Wall for the entire month.

Well, today, those photos are coming down, and being replaced with photos highlighting the work of Bella’s Bumbas, an amazing Webster grassroots organization. (Click here to read more about them.)

Have no fear, however! If you didn’t have a chance to see my photos at the library, all is not lost. I’ve posted them all, complete with captions, to this blog page. You’ll find the link in two places: at the very top of this page, and in the gutter on the right. (Or you can click here.)

So, if you haven’t seen them yet, enjoy! If you DID stop by the library, here’s your chance as well to see all the photos again.

And, by the way, if you have a personal connection to any one of them and would like to have it for yourself, drop me an email.

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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.

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