The Village of Webster’s summer schedule is heating up, none too soon, much to the delight of a COVID-weary community which sorely missed out on last summer’s music and dance.
The Friday Night Concerts at the Gazebo, sponsored by Webster’s Business Improvement District (BID), start up again on Friday June 25, featuring Keys to the Caddy from 7 to 9 p.m. The concerts continue on July 9 (performer TBD) and July 23, featuring The Red Hot and Blue Band.
Movies in the Park are also returning to Veterans Memorial Park this summer, scheduled for July 13 and 27 and August 10 and 24. Movies and times are still being determined.
And finally (and this is very exciting) the Webster Jazz Festival will be returning in September, with Music in the Pubs on Friday Sept. 17 from 6 to 11 p.m., and Music in the Street on Saturday Sept. 18 from 4 to 11. I’ll tell you more about that as the time gets closer.
As you can see, details are still being hammered out for many of these events, and I expect others will be added in the next several weeks (I’m hoping for another wine walk, myself). So stay on top of things by visiting the BID website often, where you can also sign up for the BID newsletter.
Another sign of summer, Webster’s two spray parks are now open, dawn to dusk, every day of the week. They’re located at Ridgecrest Park on Ebner Drive, and the First Responder’s Spray Park, 1350 Chiyoda Drive, next door to the Weebster Recreaytion Center.
And ANOTHER sign of summer: The Joe Obbie Farmers’ Market will be opening on June 12! Here’s a blurb from the market’s Facebook page with some more details:
Things are lining up for what we believe to be one of our biggest and best market years ever. We are happy to announce that the market has grown with new vendors being added. We are pleased to see many old faces return as well. And also very pleased to announce the addition of a food truck and a possible lemonade truck. We are still waiting on final word from NY agri markets on the set up this year but are confident things will be more relaxed as we return to normalcy. More information will posted as we close in on June 12th.
It’s the First Annual WCCH Duck Derby, this Saturday June 5 at the Beeches Pavilion at Webster Park. Volunteers will conduct a race of rubber ducks down Mill Creek. Participants can purchase ducks for $5 each, then cheer them on as they ride the “rapids.” Cash prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place ducks. Ducks can be purchased online at www.webstercomfortcare.org.
This is a family-friendly event for children and adults of all ages. Child-friendly activities and refreshments will be available while ducks are racing.
By the way, put this one on your calendar, too: the WCCH “Lift Your Spirits” Wine and Beer Tasting Event is BACK this year, on Friday October 22 at ArtisanWorks.
Webster Marching Band Bottle and Can Drive
Don’t forget about this weekend’s bottle and can drive on Saturday to benefit the Webster Marching Band. This will be a drop-off drive only. Just pack up your returnables and swing by Willink Middle School on Publisher’s Parkway between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to drop them off. There will be plenty of worker-bees there to help you, so you won’t even have to get out of the car.
If can’t make it to Willink on Saturday, they’ll come to you. Simply call the Bottle and Can Hotline, 24/7 at 234-8684 (option 1), leave a message and they’ll call you back for details. You can also drop off returns at any time to area bottle return companies (Can Kings, Nickleback, Upstate Bottle Return) and just tell them to credit the Webster Marching Band for the return.
Dancing for a Cause
A big shout-out to Denise Baller and Dancing With Denise for not only shining a spotlight on her dancers during her school’s upcoming recital, but also on a terrific local organization, Bella’s Bumbas.
At the studio’s backyard dance recital this Saturday, Denise and her students’ families will present Bella’s Bumbas with a donation to cover the cost of building several pint-sized Bella’s Bumbas wheelchairs for children with mobility issues.
On the Dancing With Denise Facebook page, Denise writes, “It’s a wonderful, teachable moment to show my students how spreading compassion and love can make little ones who aren’t as mobile ‘feel better when they are dancing’!”
Almost 150 community members attended yesterday morning’s Memorial Day remembrance ceremony at Webster Rural Cemetery, spreading out all around the cemetery’s gently sloping front yard on a spectacular spring day.
It was a smaller crowd than in years past, in large part because it did not follow a parade. There was also limited participation from children and young Scouts, who would normally place flags next to the small white crosses representing each of our country’s wars — which were also absent this year.
But the fact there was a ceremony at all gave us all a little something to cheer about, especially since COVID won last year and the event was cancelled.
Despite the continuing pandemic-related precautions, the ceremony was nonethless as moving and meaningful as always. The six new flagpoles recently erected by Eagle Scout candidate Brennan Gallatin, proudly flew the flags representing our armed services, and are an outstanding addition to the memorial.
And flapping in the breeze in the middle of the semi-circle of armed services flags, an American flag flown in honor of Rex Daniels, a 1968 R.L. Thomas grad who was KIA in Vietnam on April 16, 1971. That flag came to Webster after being flown over Capitol Hill last month, on April 16, 2021, exactly 50 years to the day Daniels lost his life.
It was a wonderful ceremony, and it was great to see the community continue to come together to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Actually, it was just great to see our community come together again. It’s been so long.
When it comes to blog ideas, I’ve found it’s either feast or famine. As it turns out today, it’s definitely a feast. I’ve got so many things to tell you about I need to throw them all into one big mailbag so they don’t get too stale.
So here we go….
Image courtesy Town of Webster website
The Town of Webster is hosting a series of open houses for anyone interested in finding out more about plans for redeveloping Sandbar Park and upcoming REDI projects (Resiliency & Economic Development Initiative) which will include, among other projects, raising a portion of Lake Rd.
There’s going to be a lot of information presented at these meetings, so if you’d like to read up on all the projects in advance, click here for a good overview of what will be happening and why.
The open houses will be held:
Wednesday June 2, 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Drive
Tuesday June 8, 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Rec Center
Thursday June 10, 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Rec Center
Saturday June 12 at the Joe Obbie’s Farmer’s Market, in the Kohl’s Plaza
The Webster Museum needs your help
Webster Museum volunteers have scoured available online resources for information about Asa Bass and his family. Museum staff members think this family may have been the first black residents of what is now Webster.
Asa (1792-1872) was born in Vermont, was a pioneer who came here in 1812 and bought at different times three different properties between the northern sections of what are now Phillips Road and Route 250. Among his neighbors were the Foster and Wright families.
Asa and his wife Matilda Fuller Bass (1790-1866) had at least two children, Jane Bass Gould (1820-1891) and Chester Bass (1724-1873). Jane married Charles Gould and they had three children: Anna, Nelson and Elijah. Chester married Sarah Gracen and they had at least one child, Francis Bass Vond. One of Asia’s nephews, Asa Boyd, lived with the family for many years.
The museum has many facts, but few stories about Asa and his farm and family lives. They’re hoping to hear from relatives of people who may have been friends or neighbors as well as descendants of this family.
Any information, even the smallest clue, would be greatly appreciated. Please send to Kathy at ktaddeo5@icloud.com
Yee haw! Challenge your kids at this rodeo!
The Monroe County Office of Traffic Safety will host a Bicycle Skills Rodeo on Saturday June 5 at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr.
Children will learn, practice and demonstrate their bicycle handling skills. Make sure to bring your bicycle and helmet to participate in this family-friendly event for kids age 4-14. (There will be a few helmets available if you need one.)
The event is free, but registration is required. Visit the Webster Parks and Recreation website and look for program #201000. Four half-hour time slots are available beginning at 10 a.m.
Bri-Pen Senior Rides hosts Open House via Zoom
This note from some of our neighbors to the south.
Bri-Pen Senior Rides is hosting an open house via Zoom for those who might like more information about driving for the service.
Bri-Pen Senior Rides is a volunteer-based service that provides rides to adults 65+ in the Penfield and Brighton areas who do not have transportation to medical or other essential appointments. They are urgently seeking volunteers to drive or offer their assistance in dispatching rides to clients.
The group will hold an Open House via Zoom on Thursday, June 10 at 4 p.m. to answer questions about how to get involved, as well as to share the history of the program.
Drivers are trained by Lifespan, and qualified drivers are offered additional umbrella insurance to drive for the service.
A link to the Zoom meeting can be found on the Penfield Recreation website calendar, or call 340-8655 for details.
Our treed and open space areas in Webster offer peaceful places to enjoy and explore, places that Friends of Webster Trails helps preserve for future generations. The future of our trees is threatened, however. Emerald Ash Borer. Wooly Adelgid. Oak Wilt. Beech Tree Canker. Those are just some of the challenges our green infrastructure faces.
Friends of Webster Trails is in the early stages of identifying how to address the problem, and they’re putting together a committee to work on it over the next several months.The goal is to enter 2022 with concrete plans to put into action.
The Webster-based Rochester Rhapsody chorus, an organization of female a cappella singers specializing in the barbershop harmony style, is excited to report they’ll be returning to live rehearsals, which were on hold for a long time thanks to COVID.
To kick off the summer, they’ll be spreading their love for music with a grand reopening for women of all ages.
Female guests can attend Rochester Rhapsody chorus’ “A Cappella Lives!” open rehearsal on June 14 from 7 to 8:15 p.m. at Temple Beth El, 139 S. Winton Road, Rochester.
Women of all ages can enjoy an evening of music in a relaxed environment and participate in a cappella 4-part harmony, vocal skill building, singing a variety of music, and meeting with other women singers. Information about the chorus’ audition process will also be provided.
This is a great opportunity for women who love to sing but have never tried a cappella.
There’s SO MUCH COOL STUFF happening at the Webster Publc Library. Here are just a few snippets just for your kids:
This year’s Summer Reading Kickoff takes place at the North Ponds Park pavilion on Thursday June 24 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
There will be games and crafts, raffle baskets and book drawings, a scavenger hunt, and Star Wars costume characters! No registration is required. The event will include a 20-minute storytime with Jason at 6:15, so bring your blankets!
Your kids’ next craft challenge: create an animal habitat!
For the Animal Habitat Challenge, kids will use supplies provided, and/or anything else you have at home. The library will provide the animal, some fun crafting supplies and a box for your diorama.
Pick up your kits from the library between June 7 and 11 and submit a photo of the completed habitat by June 18. Voting will take place on Facebook from June 21 to 27. Click here to register.
Step into the magical world of Candy Land! Between June 14 and June 30, families and small groups will be able to register for time slots to make their way through a live-action version of this popular family game. Venture through the enchanted storytime room full of gumdrops, candy canes, lollipops, and so much more. Do you have what it takes to make it to King Candy’s castle first? Click here to register.
The Webster Public Library is located at 980 Ridge Rd., at the back of the plaza. Make sure to check out their website for all of the great youth and adult programs they’ve put together. I’ve just scratched the surface.
Webster’s semi-annual Community Blood Drive returns this coming Wednesday and Thursday, June 2 and 3.
The two-day drive is always one of the most popular and well-attended drives of the entire year. It might have crept up on everyone, however, because for the first time in more than 40 years it has not been heralded by the big white signs plastered all around town. Turns out that after decades of use (these drives have been going that long), the signs have worn out so much that most of them need to be replaced.
Rest assured, however, one of the most popular attractions at this drive is returning: the Bruster’s coupon for a free ice cream cone.
The coupon will be handed to every presenting donor, along with one of the coolest Red Cross t-shirts I’ve seen in a long time. Those two give-aways alone should help make it worth everyone’s while to make the trip and donate blood.
Of course, those bonus items are piled on top of the fact that your donation can save as many as three lives. Thanks to many drives being canceled or experiencing low turnout because of the pandemic, there’s a critical blood shortage right now, so please consider donating.
By the way, all donations are tested for COVID-19 antibodies, so if you’re wondering if you might have contracted COVID, this is a good way to find out. And even those donations that test positive for antibodies could provide convalescent plasma for critically ill coronavirus patients.
The two-day Webster Community Blood Drive will be held Wednesday June 2 and Thursday June 3 from noon to 7 p.m. both days at the Webster Volunteer Firemen’s Building, 172 Sanford St., right behind Firemen’s Field. To assure proper social distancing, appointments are required. Visit RedCrossBlood.org to set one up or call 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767).
In anticipation of some beautiful summer weather and an influx of downtown visitors, the Village of Webster’s Main Street is looking spiffy.
Up and down the street, flower beds have been planted with hundreds of annuals which already look nice, but will be spectacular once they’ve had a chance to grow.
Things are looking especially flower-ful in front of Village Hall, where Village Clerk Heather Halstead has been coordinating several planting projects, the results of which can be seen in these photos she’s provided. Before long, some luxuriant light-pole hanging baskets will be added to the display, so the entire village will be bursting with color.
I think the effect is charming.
That charm continues into the evening as well. I love that the trees up and down Main Street still sparkle after dark. This might be the first year the Village chose not to remove the white twinkly lights after winter (I can’t remember). In any case, I love them and they give our village a very welcoming, small-town feel.
There will be no Memorial Day Parade this year in the Village of Webster, but the annual Remembrance Ceremony at Webster Rural Cemetery will still take place.
It too, however, will be a little different, thanks to COVID. A recent post from Webster Online explained what the socially distant ceremony is going to look like:
According to the American Legion Cottreall-Warner Post #942 … there will be no crosses and placing of flags and flowers by the Scouts and youth. Attendees will be asked to spread out on the grassy area, as opposed to congregating by the fence (as they have in the past). Attendees will also be expected to wear masks and social distance.
Instead of refreshments at the Elks Club following the service, Legion family and other military participants are invited to the Post Home (818 Ridge Road, Webster) for hots and soft drinks.
There will be some very meaningful additions to this year’s ceremony, however.
Six stately, 18-foot flagpoles have recently been erected at the cemetery, thanks to the efforts of Eagle Scout candidate Brennan Gallatin and a dozen or so Scout and parent helpers.
The new poles stand in a proud semi-circle several feet from the American flag which has long anchored the memorial on the cemetery’s front lawn. They fly flags representing the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard and Space Force.
When Brennan needed an idea for his Eagle Scout project, doing something at the cemetery seemed perfect. “We (Scouts) go there every Memorial Day,” he said. “That area hadn’t seen a lot of change in a while.”
Completing the project before the Remembrance Ceremony was important, he added, “So the community can see it and it makes (the cemetery) look nice for the ceremony.” He and his crew worked for several hours last Saturday to make sure that would happen.
“The project was great to do,” Brennan said. “Especially when it was done, it was pretty cool to see it.”
Working together to erect the poles
Brennan (center) with some of his crew
Honoring Webster Thomas grad Rex Daniels
In addition to the new flagpoles, this year’s ceremony will be extra meaningful in another way.
On April 16, an American flag was flown over Capitol Hill in honor of Rex Daniels, a 1968 R.L. Thomas grad who was KIA in Vietnam on that day in 1971, exactly 50 years earlier. That flag has made its way to Webster and will be flown during the Memorial Day ceremony.
Webster’s Memorial Day Remembrance Ceremony is scheduled for Monday May 31 at 10 a.m. at Webster Rural Cemetery, 1087 Ridge Rd., just west of Jackson Rd.
You know life is beginning to get back to normal when you hear that some of our favorite Webster summer events are back on the calendar.
Specifically, the Town of Webster’s annual Summer Celebration is returning on Saturday June 12 to the Webster Recreation Center.
From 5 to 10 p.m., the whole family is invited to come out for dinner and snacks from some great food trucks (including Wraps on Wheels, Nancy’s Fried Dough, Effortlessly Healthy, Bay Vista Taqueria and Seabreeze Catering and Hot Sauce), while enjoying some great live music.
Festivities will conclude at 9:45 with a fireworks display. For more information, especially about parking for the fireworks, please visit the Webster Parks and Recreation webpage.
Then, on July 24 and 25, the Waterfront Art Festival returns to North Ponds Park. Details are still coming together, but in past years this terrific event has featured a dozens of local artists, live music, free parking, and a wine, beer and cider tasting tent, all for a reasonable admission fee.
The Little Free Library on the left, and gallery on the right
A close-up look at the gallery
Certainly most everyone by now is familiar with the concept of Little Free Libraries, mini libraries installed outside homes and schools, packed with books and magazines free for the taking.
A few months ago I posted a blog about one family who turned their little library into a puzzle exchange. Recently I was delighted to discover another extremely creative twist on the Little Free Library idea: the Little Free Art Gallery. In this case, instead of books, visitors will find pocket-sized pieces of fine art neatly arranged on miniature easels inside the box. Anyone is welcome to leave a piece, take a piece or just enjoy the artwork that others have left.
Even better than learning about these whimisical, pint-sized art galleries is finding out there’s one only a few minutes east of Webster.
Julie and Jim Gocker live on Ontario Drive, about a half mile north of Lake Rd. in Ontario. About three years ago, Jim built and installed a Little Free Libray in front of their lake-side home. It was the perfect way for Julie, a retired school library teaching assistant, to share her love for books with her neighbors.
Last year, just as the pandemic started, Julie read somewhere about Little Free Art Galleries, and hatched the idea to build one of their own. Given her background and having raised a family of artists and teachers, the library expansion seemed like a natural next step.
“It’s such an important thing to appreciate, either having a book to read or a picture to look at,” Julie said. “Those are important to us, and because we live in a walking neighborhood we just thought it’d be kind of cool.”
“I have to say that the plus to the whole COVID thing is seeing kids on bikes, swimming in the lake, and walking with their parents instead of being off on the soccer field or lacrosse field,” Julie added. “They’re home doing family things and taking books. So we thought it’d be a perfect year to do our Little Free Art Gallery.”
Building the gallery kept Jim busy for a while in the depths of the pandemic. When it was done, they waited for the weather to turn, and installed it on May 1.
This was the very first piece of art submitted to the new gallery. By Emilee, future artist extraorindaire.
Julie and Jim stocked the new gallery with their own creations until other people started adding their own. Their first artist in residence was a young neighborhood girl named Emilee, who filled her canvas with a large pink, green and yellow flower.
Perhaps it’s because the gallery is fairly new, but Julie said they haven’t had a lot of submissions yet, even though they keep restocking the gallery with several blank canvases every week. “They all disappear, but nobody’s been bringing any more paintings back to us,” Julie said. “We think Emilee’s probably going to have an art show.”
Of course the Gockers would love to see more artists contribute to the gallery, but they also encourage visitors to help themselves to a pint-sized painting at any time. Most of them are only 3″ square, the perfect size for your desk at work or home. But if you just want to stop by and admire the artwork — just like you would in any art gallery — you’re perfectly welcome to do that as well.
You’ll find the Gockers’ Little Free Art Gallery at 697 Ontario Drive in Ontario. And while you’re there, how about showing some love to their Little Free Library, too? They’ve already got a good stock of adult books, but could really use some children’s books.
Supervisor Tom Flaherty reads the proclamation as Marty Psrzynski and Rebecca Orr watch — and Bella poses.
You have seen me sing the praises of Bella’s Bumbas for several years now.
This amazing grass-roots organization was begun in March 2017 by Webster residents Rebecca Orr and Marty Parzynski. Its simple purpose: to build miniature wheelchairs for children with a wide variety of mobility issues. To date they’ve shipped almost 2000 chairs to children in at least 45 countries, charging the families only for shipping.
Last night, Bella’s Bumbas got some well-deserved recognition, when Marty and Rebecca were presented with a proclamation by the Webster Town Board recognizing their selflessness and the service they provide for children everywhere.
The Proclamation for Outstanding Community Service (which is pictured below) briefly describes (in proclamation-speak) the history of Bella’s Bumbas beginning with the first chair Marty built in 2017 for his niece Bella. You can read the whole story in this week’s Webster Town Newsletter.
But you may notice that the proclamation ends on a very high note, declaring today — Friday May 21 — “Bella’s Day” in the Town of Webster. I suggest everyone try to celebrate the day and honor this great organzation by taking a moment to read more about them, and perhaps then dropping some cash in their GoFundMe account.
Supervisor Flaherty chats with Bella before presenting the proclamation.
The Town Board, Bella, her friends and family members before the meeting.
Before the meeting, Marty introduces Supervisor Flaherty to a Bella’s Bumba.
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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