Bella’s Bumbas Workplace Expansion Project fund-raising effort a tremendous success

26 Aug

Our friends at Bella’s Bumbas have just announced some terrific news. They’ve concluded their recent fund-raising effort to build a new barn, and thanks to amazing community support, they not only reached, but surpassed their goal.

Bella’s Bumbas is a non-profit grassroots organization 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 nine years since Marty built the first Bella’s Bumba for their niece Bella, they’ve shipped  3,200 chairs to children in 68 countries, often adapting the chairs for each child’s individual needs, and charging the parents only for shipping.

Till now, they’ve been working out of a small house just north of the village. As the number of chairs they were building and shipping continued to grow, they got creative with how they used their available space. First the living room was the office, and the kitchen the workshop. Then the kitchen was the office and the larger family room was the workshop. Shelves were built everywhere to accommodate all the parts. Bubble wrap and shipping boxes were stacked in every available corner and stuffed into a ramshackle garage and adjacent chicken coop.

But now, they’re out of room, which is beginning to hamper their ability to offer life-changing mobility to even more children with disabilities.

A good look at why Bella’s needs more space

So last March they drew up some plans, started talking with contractors, and set their sights on an ambitious goal: to demolish their existing, dilapidated garage and replace it with a 22′ by 30′ garage, complete with a concrete floor, shelving, and lots of room to expand. The whole Workplace Expansion Project, including a new driveway to replace the crumbling one they have now, was estimated to cost $60,000.

The fund-raising began in earnest. Marty and Rebecca created a dedicated GoFundMe page for the project, and started coordinating some special events. They started out with a bang in May when a spaghetti dinner fundraiser hosted by the Webster Masonic Lodge raised more than $3,800.

All spring and summer the donations continued to pour in, from family, friends, neighbors, and anonymous donors, from all over the United States. Some were as small as $2, others in the hundreds. Together with some grants from local organizations, as of last week, the final amount totaled $63,000 — and more than two thirds of those funds raised came from individuals and local businesses, not the grants.  

Marty and Rebecca are blown away by the response, and especially wanted to thank:

  • North Avenue Salon for putting out a donation jar, which collected $67 (enough to purchase one of Bella’s Bumbas’ most expensive seats. “That’s a kid rollin,” Rebecca said);

Now that the funding is in place, the real work has begun. Demolition of the old garage began Monday, and Rebecca hopes everything will be completed by the first week of September.

“We wanted it up before the snow flies,” Rebecca said. Thanks to unbelievable support from the greater Rochester community, that’s gonna happen. Which means not only will Bella’s Bumbas have a new, bigger garage, but even more kids all over the world can receive the gift of mobility.

* * *

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 8/26/2025)

Tags: , ,

Schroeder students roll out kindness with shopping cart parade

25 Aug

Here’s an inspiring story from Webster Schroeder High School about a clever charitable event which brought the school community together to benefit local food cupboards.

It was called a “shopping cart parade,” and even though it happened last March, I thought that since the new school year is rapidly approaching, it would be timely reminder of the great things our students are doing for the Webster community.

As part of the Schroeder’s “One Warrior Week,” members of the school’s National Honor Society wanted to come up with some kind of donation event. But just putting collection boxes all around the school, or even something like making a canned food pyramid didn’t make the cut. They wanted to do something different, to really get their fellow students excited and involved.

What they came up with was a decorated shopping cart parade.

The first step was to secure 20 shopping carts, and Wegmans was more than happy to help. Then they spread the word through social media and encouraged the school’s clubs and athletic teams to decorate the carts as creatively as they could. The results were whimsical, original, artistic, and definitely fun.

Then, of course, they were all paraded down the hall to the cheers of their fellow students, who stepped up to the challenge and filled them with donations for Webster NY Hope and the Warrior Care Cupboard.

WROC Channel 8 posted a story about the event (the photos here are from that video). Click here or on any of the photos to see it.

* * *

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 8/25/2025)

Tags: , , ,

Help children experience the joy of writing, and receiving, letters

24 Aug

I remember when I was young, how much I enjoyed getting something in the mail. I used to sign up for travel clubs and marketing solicitations from the back cover of my comic books just so I could experience the thrill of opening the mailbox and pulling out something with my name on it.

My favorite pieces of mail, however, were hand-written letters from friends and relatives. In the days before Facebook and cell phones, when communication wasn’t as easy or instantaneous, letters were a vital connection to the world.

My memories of those days are one of the reasons I sign up every year to participate in the Webster Recreation Center’s Pen-Pal Program. It’s my way of bringing a little bit of that joy to a young person, while at the same time, encouraging vital reading and writing skills.

You can read about the program in the flyer, but here’s what it says:

Remember the old days when you used to write letters? Join the Webster 55+ folks and the Autumn Lane (Greece Elementary School) second graders as we become pen-pals. Sign up and you will be assigned a second-grade student to write a letter to each month. Then in May, we will take a trip to Autumn Lane to meet your pen-pal in person! You must be committed to this program for an entire year.

This will be the third year in which I’ve participated in the program, so I’ve had the pleasure of writing to and connecting with two Autumn Lane (then) second-graders. Our meet-and-greets in May are always an exciting day for both of us as we finally get to meet face-to-face and continue the conversations we started in our letters.

The program will run from October 2025 through next May. To register, visit the Webster Parks and Recreation website and search for activity #346905-A. Or call the Rec Center at (585) 872-7103 (which is a lot easier than navigating their website). There’s no cost, just your commitment to help some students fall in love with writing, and reading.

So please consider joining; you won’t regret it.

* * *

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 8/24/2025)

Tags: , ,

Front Porch Pickin’ brings Webster neighbors together through music

23 Aug
Abe Watson and Todd Baitsholts

There’s so much to love about Webster: our thriving businesses, excellent schools, a charming village center, and a calendar full of music and special events. It’s a lively, bustling place. But what I love most is how, even with all that activity, Webster still manages to hold on to its community-focused, small-town charm.

That spirit was on full display last Wednesday night, when Todd and Kristen Baitsholts opened their spacious front porch for three hours of music and neighborly fun. They called it Front Porch Pickin’, an open invitation for anyone to stop by, play a tune, or simply enjoy meeting new people.

Todd and Kristen’s house sits on a sweeping corner in the Millcreek Run neighborhood just off of Rt. 250. Its location near the entrance to their neighborhood means that people frequently pass by, driving, biking or walking. Very often, they’ll stop to chat, so they’ve gotten to know some of their neighbors.

But “some” is just not good enough for Todd.

Todd “loves community,” Kristen said. “He thrives on it. He loves meeting people, talking to people. He even bought a container of dog bones so he can give one to everyone who walks by with a dog, so he can meet more people.” Hosting a music night seemed the perfect way to accomplish that.

“I like to sit around and play guitar with other people,” Todd said. “It’s a big neighborhood. There’s gotta be people in the neighborhood who like to play guitar, who wanna get together. … Good or bad, young or old, come down with a guitar.” So he made a sign board, set it up in the front yard and hoped his neighbors would come.

The cool, almost-raining weather threatened to turn the first Front Porch Pickin’ into a washout. By the end of the evening, however, a handful of friends and neighbors perched on stools with their guitars, or just stood by enjoying the music, taking advantage of Todd and Kristen’s hospitality to strum a bit, share some beverages and make new friends.

But even though the gathering itself was small, its spirit was big; exactly the kind of front-porch hospitality that gives Webster its small-town feel.

Todd said that once they get up and running, he’d like to host his Porch Pickin’ get-togethers once a month.

“I figure if we get a few regular people we’ll put out a set list of what we want to play and people can practice and come along and get better,” he said. “This is just the beginning.”

* * *

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 8/20/2025)

Tags: ,

Webster community mailbag

22 Aug

Our very own Webster Village Band will perform their final concert of the summer on Thursday Aug. 28 at the Harmony Park band shell on Phillips Rd. Titled “The Band Concert,” the selections will be traditional band standards, plus music from Billy Joel and Jim Brickman.

The concert begins at 7 p.m. and are free and open to the public. Bring a blanket, lawn chairs and a cooler, and stretch out on the spacious lawn area in front of the band shell.

* * *

Take your whole family to the lake next Thursday Aug. 28 and say “Farewell, Matey!” to summer at a kids’ concert featuring the Happy Pirates.

I didn’t get a press release about this, but pulled this additional information from an article written by Robert Grenier at the Webster Herald:

The concert … will feature songs performed by Captain Gully, Scuttle, Sharkbait and maybe even a few special guests. Kids attending the event are encouraged to dress up like a pirate and prepare to sing and dance along to sea shanties and other pirate songs. … Food at the event will be provided by Melt, who specialize in gourmet grilled-cheese sandwiches.

The concert, sponsored by the Webster Recreation Center, takes place Thursday Aug. 28 at Sandbar Park, 302 Lake Rd., from 6 to 7 p.m. Food and drinks will be available starting at 4:30 p.m. It’s completely free and open to the public. No registration is necessary.

Also from the Rec Center, here’s a fun new program for anyone who loves yoga and loves the outdoors. They’re called Yoga Hikes, and they’re held every Thursday through Sept. 18 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Each hike begins with a short meditation, taking in the sights, smells and sounds of nature, followed by a hike which will incorporate an “energizing yoga practice.” A different park, trail or open space is chosen for each week.

Cost is $20 per hike. Register on the Webster Recreation Center website — look for activity #237051 *A-G.

Don’t forget about the Village of Webster’s Fall Kick-off on Saturday, Sept. 6. Three special events have been scheduled that afternoon and evening beginning at noon when the Red Hot and Blue Band hosts their annual St. Jude’s Benefit Concert. This year they’ll be joined by Sarah De Vallière and The Tug Hill Band.

At 4 p.m., the ever-popular Beer Walk returns to the village, where you can sample beer, cider and food from local businesses AND AT THE SAME TIME, there’ll be a car show on West Main, featuring a wide variety of cars from classic cars to hot rods.

This is all sponsored by Webster’s Business Improvement District. Click here to find out more details on their website.

* * *

St. Martin Lutheran Church will hold its Fall Drive-Thru Chicken BBQ on Saturday, Sept. 20 at the church, 813 Bay Road, Webster. The event begins at 4:00 p.m. and will continue until all dinners are sold out.

Dinners will include a half chicken, salt potatoes, coleslaw, roll, butter and cookie, and will cost $15.

The event will be drive-through only and there will be no advance sales; first-come, first-served. Cars should enter the parking lot, follow the signs, and purchase dinners using exact payment of either cash or
check. Cars will then pick up boxed dinners.

Proceeds from the BBQ will support both St. Martin’s Little Free Pantry and Christmas Stocking Project, which reaches more than 500 local youth in Monroe and Wayne counties.

* * *

The Webster Comfort Care Home’s annual Casino Night has been scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 20 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Webster Golf Club, 440 Salt Rd.

“Mayor” Pete Kennedy will emcee this fun night, which will feature gaming tables, a silent auction, raffles, cash bar, appetizers, desserts and a soft pretzel station. Tickets are $75 per person and must be purchased by Sept. 12.

 Click here for tickets. All proceeds benefit the Webster Comfort Care Home.

Interested in helping out by becoming a sponsor? Click here for details: Casino Night Sponsorship Packages.

* * *

Here’s a notice about a fund-raising walk sponsored by Embrace Your Sisters, a Canandaigua-based organization dedicated to providing emergency financial support for people with breast cancer. In the past, Webster residents have supported — and received financial support from — Embrace Your Sisters, so I’m pleased to share this information.

Embrace Your Sisters (EYS) announced their 2025 Positively Pink in Pittsford Walk Fundraiser will take place on Sunday, October 5, This year’s Walk takes place in October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

The walk is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 5 at Pittford Sutherland High School. Registration begins at 9 a.m. in the school parking lot. The walk itself will begin at 10 a.m., along a 1.8-mile route through Pittsford residential streets and along the Erie Canal. This year’s fund-raising goal is $25,000, and every walker who raises at least $30 will receive a t-shirt. You can click here to register in advance. If you have any questions, contact Suanne Lippman, EYS Second Vice President and breast cancer survivor, at 585-624-9690.

Since its founding, EYS has raised more than $700,000 with the help of sponsors, friends, and business partners, to meet short-term emergency funding needs of breast cancer patients, across our 13-county Finger Lakes region.

* * *

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 8/22/2025)

Tags: , , , , , ,

The Hojack Trail is getting better

21 Aug

It’s already one of the best trails in Webster — part of our town’s outstanding trail system — but the Hojack Trail is getting even better this summer.

Thanks to a large grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr Trails Maintenance Funds, the Friends of Webster Trails has been working hard for many weeks this summer, improving the Hojack Trail from Holt Rd. to Drumm Rd.

The grant, totaling $181,086, is administered by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, and the funds are also being matched by an extremely generous member of the local community.

In addition to resurfacing the entire stretch between Holt and Drumm roads, the Friends will be adding drainage, plantings, signage and benches. The entire cost will be covered by the grant and matching donation.

“The Hojack Trail is one of Webster’s gems, and this project will make it shine even brighter for the thousands of people who use the trail each year,” said Sarah White, secretary and social media coordinator for FWT. “Each part of the project addresses an area of focus from a community survey conducted in the spring, and it enhances the trail’s connection to other parts of the community.”

FWT was founded in 1997 in large part to help maintain the Hojack Trail, so this project harkens back to those roots.

The new stone surface is expected to be completed soon (if it isn’t already). Other parts of the project will be completed over the next several months.

* * *

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 9/21/2025)

Tags: , , ,

Playtime for kids, coffee time for parents: a new café with something for everyone

20 Aug

A new play café will be opening soon in Webster, offering families the best of both worlds: a bright, kid-friendly space where children can dive into imaginative play, and a coffeehouse vibe, where parents can sip, chat, unwind and catch up with friends while their kids explore.

It’s called Play-a-Latte, and it’ll be opening in just a few weeks in Webster’s Towne Center Plaza (Target Plaza).

Co-founders (and sisters) Richelle Acker and Kristi Phillips still have a lot of work to do before they can open their doors to the community, but when they’re done the results will be charming. The once-empty storefront will have been transformed into a kid-sized small town, featuring eight different custom-built playhouses including a doctor’s office, supermarket, café, ice cream cart and more. A “central park” with kid-sized picnic tables will sit in the middle of it all.

It’s all meant to encourage imaginative play, giving children the chance to step into roles, tell stories, and let their creativity lead the way.

A separate sensory room will offer a quieter, calmer space for children who need it, with dim lighting, fidget toys and sensory tiles and boards.

But it’s not all about the kids. The comfortable couches, chairs and café tables sprinkled throughout will encourage parents to relax while their kids play.

“We want our focus to be on both,” Richelle said. “We want the parents to enjoy coming in and hanging out, while the kids play”; a place for moms (and dads) to gather and connect, get to know each other and make new friends.

And perhaps even enjoy a latte. No worries, though, if you don’t like lattes. The coffee bar will be serving up a variety of comforting beverages, including hot coffee, iced coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and maybe hot cider in the fall.

The idea for the play café first came up around last Christmas, when Kristi stumbled across something online that sparked her imagination. A teacher by profession, she envisioned it as the perfect way to stay home with her own son while still working with children. Teaming up with her sister Richelle, whose background in business and event planning was a perfect complement, made the venture feel like a natural fit.

As soon as Play-a-Latte opens, parents will be able to go online and book 90-minute playtime spots. (Pre-registration is strongly recommended so the space doesn’t get too crowded and they don’t have to turn people away.) Parents can also book private birthday parties in the café’s dedicated party room. And keep an eye out for special events throughout the year, like mommy-and-me yoga, or a build-your-own-bouquet class. Richelle and Kristi might even introduce a book club where the parents can meet while their kids play.

“We have infinite ideas,” Richelle said. “We want to start slow and build it up and introduce new things as we get up and running.”

Should be great.

You can check out the new Play-a-Latte space for yourself when they hold an official ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Sept. 12 at 9:30 a.m., followed by their grand opening on Saturday Sept. 13. The café is located in the very southwest corner of Towne Center Plaza (at Ridge and Holt roads) next to Cold Stone Creamery. In the meantime, you can check out their Facebook page here and website here. They’re also on Instagram (Playalatte_PlayCafe).

* * *

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 8/20/2025)

Tags: , , ,

Yarn artists needed!

19 Aug

You’ve read before here in my blog about the terrific community collaboration between Webster Community Chest, and Webster Hope. 

Their goal is to hold a food distribution event four times a year: Easter, Thanksgiving, and sometime during the summer. With the community’s support, these regular distributions will really help our Webster neighbors who face food insecurity every day.

The agencies are gearing up right now for their upcoming holiday season distributions, and they always like to include a few extra helpful items in addition to the seasonal meal items. In past years they’ve asked for hand-crafted cotton washcloths, which they’ll still gratefully accept. But this year they’re asking for a new item as well, “scrubbies,” to give their recipients a new useful, homemade tool.

Scrubbies are made from a different, more abrasive, type of yarn, and they can be used to help with “scrubbing” pots, pans and dishes.

The Community Chest first came up with the idea to include hand-made washcloths and scrubbies a while ago. They work just as well as paper towels and sponges to wipe the counters and do dishes, and are washable and reusable. So they save families a lot of money.

If you like to knit or crochet and would like to become part of the Community Chest’s “Webster Yarn Artist Army,” you are hereby officially invited to join them. Check below the blog for instructions on how to make them. It’s really easy and a great way to put a personal, homemade touch in the meal packages.

The coalition will be collecting the scrubbies year-round and hope to include them in every food distribution they organize, so they can never have too many! You can drop off your creations at Webster Hope during open hours, or in the donation drops at the Webster Public Library for both Webster Hope and Webster Community Chest. Or you can email Webster Community Chest at webcommchest@gmail.com or call them at 585-671-2060 to arrange for pick up or drop off.

* * *

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 8/19/2025)

Tags: , , ,

Wanna hear about Prague?

18 Aug

As many of you might remember, I spent four weeks in Prague, Czechia earlier this year. I was accompanying my husband, who’d been awarded a Fulbright Specialist grant to work with a journalism organization headquartered in the city.

Of course, I took a LOT of photos when I was there (it’s what I do) and came home with lots of stories to tell. I’ve already shared many of those photos and stories with pretty much anyone who’d listen. But now, I’ve been asked by the Webster Public Library AND the Webster Recreation Center to put together a travelogue and share them with everyone else.

So if you’re at all interested in seeing some of those photos and hearing about my adventures, you have two opportunities in the next few months to do so. The first is at the Webster Public Library on Tuesday, Sept. 9 at 2 p.m. Registration is now open for that one.

If you can’t make it to that talk, the second one will be at the Webster Recreation Center on Tuesday, Oct. 21 at 10:30 a.m. It’s part of their regular Talks on Tuesday series. To register, navigate to the Recreation Center’s registration tab and click on the 55+ Programs box. Then search “Prague” as a keyword in the 55+ programs category. You’re looking for program #346940-J. If you have any problems, call the Rec Center at (585) 872-7103. They’ll take care of you.

There’s no cost for either talk, but they do like to have people register so they know how many to expect.

As you can see from the title slide above, I’m calling the travelogue “Prague, Czechia: the Weird and the Wonderful.” The wonderful portion of the talk will illustrate how stunningly gorgeous the city is, and feature the most popular tourist attractions. The weird portion will reflect the fact that when you have a whole month to explore a city, it’s possible to track down some very unusual, off-the-beaten-track attractions. And Prague has a lot of them.

For example, these two things. Nope, not going to tell you what they are. You just have to come to the talk!

* * *

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 8/18/2025)

Tags: , , ,

Another great Jazz Festival in the books

17 Aug

The Webster Jazz Festival seems to get better every year.

This two-day festival has been held for almost 20 years now, and somehow the organizers (our very own Webster Business and Improvement District) keep finding ways to improve it. This year’s big upgrade was having two of Friday night’s “Jazz in the Pubs” bands — Sarah De Vallière and Deepak Thettu and Friends — actually play outdoors, on West Main St.

What a brilliant idea that was. Not only was it easier for the bands to set up and gave them more space to perform, but it allowed for much larger crowds to spread out and enjoy the music, taking advantage of the perfect August weather. It also helped increase the visibility of the vendors who had set up tents along the sidewalks.

Four other bands performed at four other indoor venues throughout Friday evening, allowing patrons to more or less “pub-hop,” and I was happy to see that Annette’s, Ploty’s, the Cobblestone and Jojo were all pretty busy.

I was also very happy to see a strong presence from The Coach. Fritz had set up a beer tent on the patio, which did brisk business all Friday and Saturday night. Community members could also support the bar by purchasing t-shirts and other items which read “Stand By Your Bar.”

I’ve posted a few photos from Friday night above, but also have many others in this Facebook gallery. I’ve also included a nice selection of photos taken by my friend Mary White, who was there Friday night with her much-better-than-mine camera.

“Jazz in the Streets” on Saturday was awesome as usual. The music was terrific, the food vendors were busy, and the twinkly lights made Main Street extra charming as night fell. My favorite thing to do on this night is to just walk around the perimeter of the crowd, because it’s guaranteed I’ll see someone I know. Friday night was no exception; I was able to reconnect with a dozen friends, some of whom I haven’t seen in several years.

Oh, and of course I took a lot of photos, too. Click here for my full gallery from Saturday night.

* * *

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 8/17/2025)

Tags: , , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →