When life gives you lemons…

26 Jan

I really love the way our local small business owners are not only persevering through these difficult times, but are finding creative ways to do so.

The most recent example is our very own Village Quilt Shoppe at 21 E. Main Street. Even before the pandemic hit, disaster struck the brand new business just days before the village’s White Christmas celebration, when a water leak from the above apartment flooded the shop, ruining shelving, flooring and inventory.

But owners Vanetta Parshall and Monique Liberti made the best of it, laudering the wet fabric (which they call “flood fabric”) and selling it at a discount. Thanks to their loyal customers, they sold enough to cover the insurance deductible for repairs.

This weekend Vanetta and Monique will be looking back on those difficult days with a Flood Party, and will be displaying several of the projects which were made with the flood fabric. Thanks to Covid, the celebration won’t be very big, but they do promise a hot chocolate bar, cookies, and a demo held every half hour between 11 and 2.

So even if you’re not a quilter, if you’re in the village Saturday, stop on in, check out the shop and meet Monique and Vanetta, two of the nicest people in town.

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

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Celebrating our 2021 senior class

25 Jan

You may recall that last year, after the pandemic shuttered the schools in March, our seniors lost out on a lot of the fanfare and celebration normally marking the end of high school. Even though things still aren’t back to normal, everyone is hoping the experience for this year’s seniors will be much more positive.

Our Webster Central PTSA has plans to make sure that’s the case.

Once a month through June, the PTSA will be surprising each senior with a fun gift or special event, planned for on or around the 21st of each month (in honor of 2021 of course). Every student at Webster Thomas and Schroeder high schools, whether remote, hybrid, GOAL or other, will be included.

According to Webster Central PTSA programming co-chair Stacie Peters, the effort is part of a movement happening all around the country, where PTSAs are celebrating the senior class of 2021. She first heard about it from Schroeder parent Amy Peterson. From there, Peters, Schroeder High School PTSA/WTA liaison Linda Law, Thomas PTSA/WTA liaison Denise Warren, and Thomas PTSA Chair Bridget Ziskind organized a team of parents to brainstorm ideas.

Each senior received a baggie like this one (S. Peters)

The PTSA got things rolling last Thursday and Friday, handing out small bags of Hershey’s Kisses, complete with inspirational messages, to almost 360 Schroeder seniors and 335 Thomas seniors. They included in-school and 100% remote students, EMCC students, early senior graduates, early-graduating juniors, and a dozen GOAL students.

The whole undertaking was “more complex than we thought,” Peters wrote.

“Since most every senior has to take a social studies and English class, we used those teachers to pass Kisses out,” she wrote. “We had them bagged up and dropped off to teachers with senior names on them. … The awesome secretaries in both buildings broke lists down for us” to help with the distribution.

“(Schroeder principal) Mr. Benz, (Thomas principal) Mr. Widor, and all the teachers in the buildings have been supportive in helping us with this effort,” Peters added.

The whole idea is to do something special for the class of 2021, and inject some excitement into their final year of schooling. Judging by the smiling eyes you see in these pictures, the effort so far has been a success. (Thank you to Jen Calus for the student photos.)

Stay tuned in the next several weeks to find out what the next senior surprise will be.

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Building snowmen, dropping eggs. Lots of library fun ahead

24 Jan

If you haven’t popped by the Webster Public Library’s Facebook page recently, you’re missing out on a lot of fun events. Here are just a few of the ones I found when I visited recently:

Snow Building Contest

We got measureable snow just in time for the library’s latest celebration of winter, a Snow Building Contest.

From now until the end of February, everyone is invited to get bundled up, get out in the snow and build something spectacular! It can be a person, an animal, a castle, a Baby Yoda, a Pikachu, whatever. When your masterpiece is finished, take a photo and email it to sarah.brown@libraryweb.org. All of the creations will be posted on Facebook so people can vote on which is the best.

How to Recycle

If you’ve ever been even a little bit confused about what materials can be put in the recycle bin — like plastic mailing envelopes and packing materials, for example — this Zoom-based program is for you.

On January 26 the library will host Tina Stevens, Monroe County’s Waste Diversion and Education Coordinator, for an informative program via Zoom where you can learn the dos and don’ts of recycling and ask your questions.

Register here to be sure that you receive the Zoom invitation.

The Egg Drop Challenge

You’ve heard about these challenges before. Here’s your chance to try it out for yourself and impress everyone with your engineering skills.

The challenge is to build a structure to protect an egg as it’s dropped from a very great height and plummets to the ground. Each group will pick up their mystery supplies from the library and build their contraption using only those mystery supplies (plus tape).

Once your contraption is finished, return it to the library. They’re going to live-stream the challenge on Facebook, when everyone can see which groups built the best structures, and which ones failed miserably (or at least messily).

Adults and children are invited to participate. Click here to register. Only 10 spots are available. Groups can pick up their mystery supplies between Feb. 1 and 12, and return their finished structure to the library by Feb. 19. The climactic event will be live streamed on Feb. 20 at 10:30 a.m. (weather permitting).

Let’s Explore Webster

Finally, here’s a link to Doreen and Laureen’s most recent addition to their excellent Let’s Explore Webster video series. This month they return to the Webster Arboretum to highlight its extraordinary winter beauty.

There’s so much going on all the time at the Webster Public Library. You definitely want to make the time to stop by in person or online.

The Webster Public Library is located at 980 Ridge Rd.

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A wonderful sound is spreading through our schools

22 Jan
This Schlegel hallway was quiet before the school day began, but would soon be filled with the sounds of children in nearby classrooms.

It’s noise.

I’m not talking about construction noise or clanging HVAC equipment. I’m talking happy noises, like the sounds of children laughing, chatting, and learning.

Those are sounds I didn’t hear much back in September when we returned to school.

We entered the new school year with much trepidation. Everyone — students, teachers and staff — was delighted to be back after months of working remotely. But we encountered all sorts of new rules and precautions to keep everyone healthy. We tiptoed hesitantly through our days, carefully navigating new protocols and systems, afraid that any misstep would send us back to 100% remote learning.

And what that all sounded like was … silence.

But it struck me the other day as I was walking through the halls of Schlegel Elementary that the school was back to sounding like a school again. I think we’re all relieved and a little surprised that we made it this far without having to go fully remote again, and you can sense that feeling in how comfortable everyone has gotten with the new schedule, distancing and masking requirements.

You can see it especially in the students. They’re smiling (you can tell by their eyes), chatting animatedly with their friends, giggling at knock-knock jokes, and skipping through the halls, tossing a carefree “hello!” as they pass.

In short, kids are being kids again.

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Elusive finch draws bird lovers to Webster

21 Jan
Male Pine Grosbeak (S. Webster)

Local and regional birders are all atwitter about a rare sighting in our area which has drawn birdwatchers to Webster from far and wide.

The cause of the excitement is a large, plump, colorful finch called the Pine Grosbeak. Typically found in much colder climates like Canada and Alaska, a couple dozen of them have migrated much farther south this winter, and have been spotted at Webster Park and Mendon Ponds Park.

Greg Lawrence, a research scientist from SUNY Brockport and a board member of the Rochester Birding Association, explained that the migration event is unusual because the Pine Grosbeak is an “irruptive” species. Basically, that’s a species that usually only migrates short distances, but will occcasionally move far south in large numbers. He theorizes that’s the case this year because the food supply is poor up in their Canadian breeding grounds.

He added that it’s been eight years since the Pine Grosbeaks last migrated this far south.

Birders have identified two groups of about a dozen birds each, most of them females and juveniles. Apparently, sightings of male Pine Grosbeaks are even more rare, but one has been spotted in Webster Park, an event which Lawrence called “unique.” It’s so unusual that birders have traveled from all over the state and even Pennsylvania in hopes of catching a gimpse of the beautiful finches.

Female Pine Grosbeak (S. Webster)

The stunning images you see here are courtesy Suzie Webster, a local photographer and birder, who has especially enjoyed the hunt.

She wrote,

Some other photographers and I have had so much fun trying to track (the finches) down and get the timing right so they are in a place that they can be photographed to highlight their beauty. … They are a very challenging bird to photograph because they are frequently high up in tree tops and don’t always come down low enough to get a clear image.

Having the opportunity to photograph and view the rare and uncommon Pine Grosbeaks here in Webster and in Mendon has made winter nature photography much more exciting and colorful! Spring and summer were full of brilliantly colored birds to find and photograph such as the Warblers, but winter is a lot more challenging overall. I’m thankful that this year just happened to be an irruptive year for the Pine Grosbeaks and a few other winter species because it has made outings more exhilarating and fun!

According to Greg Lawrence, the Grosbeaks will probably hang around through March or April before heading back north, and perhaps even longer if they can find enough food. So there’s still plenty of time to get out on the trails and try to see one for yourself. A nice hike to appreciate these stunning Canadian visitors would be a welcome diversion from all the negative news which dominates our lives these days.

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What can be done with that ugly West Webster corner?

20 Jan

Every once in a while I remember to log onto the Town of Webster website and check in with Supervisor Flaherty’s weekly column. Usually I find something interesting and perhaps even learn something I didn’t know.

When I was doing that recently, I came across a column he wrote back in September which addressed a thorny issue I’ve thought about often: cleaning up the corner of Ridge Rd. and Gravel Rd. in West Webster.

You know the place: the Jade Palace Restaurant sits on the northeast corner and the old Webster Furniture Strippers on the northwest corner. The restaurant itself is pretty unslightly and overgrown, but the former Furniture Strippers shop is even worse. It’s downright decrepit, an embarrassment to the hamlet.

I had heard for years that the reason the Furniture Strippers shop has not yet been razed was due to environmental concerns regarding the chemicals they used, which seeped into the ground. Basically, the property is a toxic waste site, and no one wants to take responsibility for it.

Supervisor Flaherty goes into a lot of political background in his column about how the owners have defaulted on their taxes, meaning the county can take possession of the property. But because of the environmental issues, the county wants nothing to do with it. You can read all of that background here if you’d like. But I was interested in the bottom line: when will someone bulldoze that building?

Here’s what he had to say about that:

The first part of the plan is to get the DEC reports on the building in the last 30 years and if they show that the environmental issues at the site are “minimal or non-existent,” the County may take title to the property and market it for sale. At that point, a developer most likely would want to buy it if they saw the cost to take down the building was NOT going to have hundreds of thousands of dollars of environmental remediation. If the DEC reports are not definitive enough to have Monroe County take title, we will move on to plan B which most likely entails a phase 1 or 2 environmental study of the property to determine the true environmental risk and what needs remediation.

All of which means this issue is STILL not going away anytime soon. But Supervisor Flaherty does assure us that he’s still working on it, writing,

I am not comfortable just throwing my hands up and saying “oh well… nothing we can do. It’s Monroe County’s decision.” Fact is, the property is IN Webster. It is an eyesore at best, and a safety risk at worst. It also is impeding the development of that corner and all neighborhoods that spawn off of it.

Let’s hope his commitment stays strong. West Webster deserves better.

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Journalist collaboration means more news and insights for Webster residents

18 Jan

I’m very excited to announce today a new collaboration which will go a long way to keep Webster residents entertained and informed.

Beginning later today and every Monday, you’ll find a link to one of my blog posts on the (relatively) new website, Websteronlinenews.com.

Webster Online was established early last year by Anna Hubbel, whom you might know as the editor of the weekly Village of Webster newspaper, the Webster Herald. Designed as a totally independent enterprise from the Herald, the site’s original purpose was to keep the Webster community informed during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

More recently, Anna has been trying to broaden the site’s horizons, offering more community-oriented content including opinion pieces and features about cooking and books. And now, my Webster on the Web community blog.

While Anna will continue to focus on keeping her website updated with local news and information, my weekly “column” will provide a more personal look at the people and events here in our town and village. You won’t find links to ALL of my blogs there (I don’t want to lose you as a reader completely!) but once a week we’ll choose one blog to cross-post to the website. Today, for example, you’ll find a link on Webster Online to my recent blog about Dan Johannson, a 2013 Webster Thomas grad who’s making news in North Dakota.

I’m look forward to working with Anna on this new partnership, and offering the Webster community easy community access to a pair of accurate, informative and positive places to find news and features.

So log onto Webster Online and check it out for yourself. You’ll also find a link to the website on the right side of this page.

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

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.

Webster community mailbag

16 Jan

Here’s a great socially-distanced, outdoor activity that everyone in the family will love.

It’s a Scavenger Hunt hosted by the Webster Recreation Center on Saturday Jan. 23. Children and their adults are invited to participate in a fun morning of searching, exploring and discovering one of our local parks.

The event, held at the Rec Center at 1350 Chiyoda Dr., is designed for children of all ages, with three different levels of scavenger hunts (under 5 yrs old, 5-8 yr olds, and 8-12 yr olds). You can sign in anytime between 9 and 11 a.m., work together to find the clues around the park, and record your answers in the special scavenger hunt answer key. When you’re all done, return your answers to earn a fun prize.

Cost is $5 per child or $20 per family. Pre-registration is requested (register the children only), but payment will be taken at the event. To register, visit the Webster Parks and Recreation website and search for program #101205-A. All proceeds will be donated to the Friends of Webster Trails for maintenance and improvements of trails in Webster.

So bundle up and have some fun!

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The Webster Public Library will host a Webster Area Preschools “Open House” from January 25 to 29.

During that entire week, during their regular hours, the library will have a special display set up in front of the community room with information about Webster area preschools, including brochures, registration information, and virtual events. If you have any questions, contact Jason at (585) 872-7075 x6119 or jason.poole@libraryweb.org.

The library is also offering several adult programs via Zoom this month. Still coming up are Meditation and Self Love on Jan. 20 and Recycling 101 on Jan 26. Registration is required. For class descriptions and registration links, visit the library’s website, choose Events and Classes and find the class you’re interested in on the calendar.

February will also be a busy month at the library. Here’s a visual gallery of some the programs that are coming down the pike:

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Finally, here’s an opportunity to show off your inner photographer.

The Webster Museum is putting together a gallery of “favorite spots in Webster.” This is a follow-up to the museum’s popular holiday photo gallery last month.

This time, they’d like you to take a photo of your favorite Webster spot, then email it to photos@webstermuseum.org to be included in the gallery.

Check back at the website often, because they’ll be updating the gallery as submissions come in.

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Businesses helping businesses during this difficult time

15 Jan

A ripple of kindness is quietly spreading through the Webster community.

It’s called Webster Business Pay it Forward, an effort begun by businesses almost a year ago to help their fellow small business owners weather the Covid economy.

I first heard about the program from one of my readers (thanks, Nancy!) who saw a Facebook post from Ric Thomann of Webster Interiors. Ric had purchased ten gift cards and long-stemmed roses from Kittelberger Florist, which were to be given out free to the first ten customers who visited Kittelberger and mentioned the program. Not only did the gift card purchase benefit Kittelberger, chances were good the patrons who used them would be spending even more than that in the store.

The roses were just an extra special touch.

Ric was able to give me a little background, particularly that the movement was spearheaded locally by Dr. Joe Manza of Wellness For You NOW Chiropractic on North Ave.

Ric wrote,

During the earlier stages of Covid, Joe went out to a few businesses and pre-paid for some products from the Webster businesses and then splashed what he did on his and Webster Facebook group pages to encourage the community to take advantage of his generosity and hopefully bring additional awareness and customers to those businesses.

The Webster BID, the Village of Webster’s business association, got wind of the idea and started spreading it through the village, benefiting almost a dozen small businesses to date.

Dr. Joe, however, refuses to take credit for the original idea, saying that the concept began with a business growth group he belongs to called Black Diamond Club. He started the ball rolling “early on in the apocalypse” by opening a tab at the Lake Road Country Store for $150 worth of fish frys for anyone who had lost work and needed a hot meal.

He wrote,

Not too long after I posted this offer on Facebook, a high school friend of mine who operates a very small musical instrument repair business jumped in and added to my tab. That made my heart melt! Later on, I did another one at Knucklehead Brewing. I bought ten growlers for any first responders, nurses, fire, police … as a thank you for their hard work.

And he didn’t stop there, paying it forward to Performance Hobby, The Goodie Shoppe, Kiss Me Cookie and The North Bee. Come February, he’s planning to do it again, to benefit another local business, Barbells & Body Fuel.

The big idea is that it is absolutely necessary to support our community in as many ways as possible. Too many people have been negatively impacted by the virus and the lockdown. Job loss, reduced incomes, business closings, depression, and so forth have become the side effects of this situation.

I have heard personally that this little initiative has helped so many people and businesses which makes me hope others are inspired to contribute to the cause, just like my friend did by adding to my tab. If we can come together to serve our community by giving just a little bit more or extra – if/when possible – so that life is a little less of a struggle and a bit brighter for those in need then we are all better off.

The Webster Business Pay it Forward initiative is still going on. The wave of kindness continues to spread, so you’ll want to keep an eye out for it, for your opportunity to help support our local businesses.

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

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Local athlete makes a splash in North Dakota

14 Jan

I received a Proud Momma email the other day from one of my most faithful readers, AnnMarie Johansson, who knows I like to highlight Webster’s young people and their accomplishments.

AnnMarie wanted to let me know that her son Dan, a 2013 Wester Thomas graduate, is making a name for himself as the equipment manager for the University of North Dakota.

The local newspaper there, the Grand Forks Herald, recently featured Dan in a long article on the front page of its Friday sports section. It describes how the very physical job keeps him in constant motion, leads to a lot of late nights and early mornings, and very few days off.

Ann Marie wrote that back in the day, Dan played a for the Webster Cyclones youth hockey association and “maybe a year or two for JV,” adding, “He was never ‘good enough’ for varsity.”

She and her husband Eric are, naturally, very proud of their son.

Click the “Download” buttons below to check out the article yourself.

page-1Download
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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

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