2019 Fireman’s Parade in photos

11 Jul

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It was nip and tuck for a while, but the rain did hold off long enough Thursday night for the almost 90-minute Fireman’s Parade to wind its way completely down Webster’s Main Street. It was a little warm, but that didn’t seem to keep many people away; as usual, the parade route was lined with children and families from start to finish.

For those of us who have seen it before, there wasn’t much new this year. There were LOTS of fire trucks and ambulances (it always amazes me how far away these rigs come from to participate), a lot of businesses, a few politicians, dance groups, and community agencies. Much candy was thrown and many children were able to fill their collection bags rather full with dum-dums and tootsie rolls.

As usual, I took a lot of photos, trying to highlight not only the parade participants, but also the children, families and pets who lined the street. It’s really a party atmosphere every year for the Fireman’s Parade — literally, as evidenced by the many house parties being held along the route.

Click here to see my photos. If you took any of your own which you would like me to add to my gallery, please feel free to email them to me!

The annual Kiddie Parade happens Saturday at noon, and I’ll be taking a lot of photos of that as well, so watch for those!

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Got some gently loved children’s books?

10 Jul

HBM logoThe ninth annual Henderson Ford Toy Drive has begun!

The dealership is collecting books appropriate for grades pre-K through 8th grade (ages 5 to 14). They’ll be donated to Rochester School #50, Helen Barrett Montgomery, which educates children speaking more than 26 different languages.

You can drop off your donations at any of the following locations, through August 31.

  • Henderson Ford, 810 Ridge Road, Webster
  • Steinmiller Insurance, 1223 Bay Road, Webster
  • Neubert Financial Services, Inc., 599 Ridge Rd., Webster
  • The UPS Store, 1900 Empire Boulevard, Webster
  • Webster Chamber Health Insurance Service, 1110 Crosspoint Lane Suite C, Webster
  • A Different Point of View, 2920 Monroe Ave., Pittsford
  • Edge Advertising Group, 6 North Main Street, Suite 220, Fairport

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Baseball and carnival news

9 Jul

boys

A couple of quick notes this morning. First, this photo sent to me by Melissa Bolton with happy news about some of our local athletes.

Last weekend, the Webster Warthogs 15U Baseball team competed in PBR East West Battle Championship in Cortland and brought home the title. Congratulations for another job well done, and for continuing to make Webster proud!

Next. I grabbed these photos this morning from the Firemen’s Field, where the carnies are setting up shop.

The annual Firemen’s Carnival begins tomorrow (Wednesday) at 6 p.m., featuring craft beer and entertainment by Claudia Hoyser, in addition to the ever-present rids, games, food and drink.

The HUGE parade begins at 6:30 on Thursday, kicking off from Phillips Rd. and heading west along Main Street to the carnival site. Thanks to my friend Sarah, I got a sneak peak at this year’s parade line-up, and all I gotta say is … wow.

There are no fewer than 90 units marching this year, and I counted 25 different fire departments, from as far away as Canada, many of whom are also bringing representatives from their ambulance corps. So if your kids like fire trucks, lights and sirens, get a seat early.

No, really. People start setting up their chairs along Main Street early in the morning for this parade. It’s THAT good.

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The Carnival is back!

8 Jul
carnival

This awesome aerial photo of the Firemen’s Carnival is courtesy the Webster Volunteer FD Facebook page.

This coming week is one of my favorites of the entire Webster year, because this it’s CARNIVAL WEEK!

The 2019 Webster Firemen’s Carnival will open up shop this coming Wednesday night at 6 p.m., then run Thursday and Friday night from 6 to “close” (not sure when this is, but I know the entertainment ends at 11), and then all day Saturday from noon to midnight.

For details about every day’s activities, visit the Carnival’s Facebook page or web page. But here are some highlights:

  • Wednesday July 10 is Craft Beer night featuring wine and lots of local breweries. Entertainment by Claudia Hoyser from 7 to 10 p.m., rides, games, food and drink all night.
  • Thursday July 11, the HUGE Firemen’s Parade kicks off at 6:30 p.m. from Phillips and Main, and travels west down Main through the village to Firemen’s Field. This is a don’t-miss event, especially for kids. Lots of fire trucks, candy and clowns.
  • Friday July 12, entertainment in the beer tent is provided by Stateline from 8 to 11 p.m.
  • Saturday July 13, the Kiddie Parade starts at Spry Middle School at noon. kiddieRegistration begins at 11 a.m. Even if your family is not participating, this is a great parade to watch, and there’s lots of candy thrown (sometimes at high velocity. You might want to consider a helmet). At the festival proper, there are bike and grill raffles at 4:30 p.m. for kids 16 and under, and live entertainment is provided by Knight Patrol. The festival concludes with a huge fireworks display at midnight.

Pre-sale ride tickets for every night are available for a discounted price, so check out one of the websites for more information about that.

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Summer events in the village

6 Jul

If you’re ever wondering what special events the village has in store, the best place to look is the Webster Business Improvement District (BID) website. You might want to bookmark it since every week this summer there are new things happening your entire family will love.

For example:

* The Movies in the Park series begins Tuesday night July 9, with a showing of Wonderwonder park Park. These movies run pretty much every Tuesday through the summer, beginning just after dusk at Gazebo Park on North Ave. Bring your chairs, blankets and picnic baskets, and enjoy free popcorn courtesy Hegedorn’s Family Supermarket.

Upcoming showings include Small Foot, Frozen, The Good Dinosaur, Monster University, The Lego Movie (part 2), and How to Train Your Dinosaur (Part 2). For show dates and approximate start times, stay tuned to the BID website.

* The Friday Night Concerts series has begun, and continues Friday July 26 with a performance by Gallows Road. Future performers will include the Rochester Metropolitan Orchestra, The Germano Brothers and Burnt Cane.

The concerts run from 7 to 9 p.m. in the gazebo on North Ave. For details, check out the Friday Night Concert section of the BID website.

* The next Village Wine Walk is Saturday August 3 from 4 to 7 p.m.

This is an extremely fun event, where participants stroll through the village, sampling wines and spirits at several different merchants. It’s a great opportunity to learn something new our our village businesses.  Holistic Health Center, The Pickled Paintbrush, MJ Gabel Jewelers and Barry’s Irish Pub are just a few of the welcoming stops along the trail this time around.

Click here for more information and to get your ticket. Glass pickup is from 3:30-5:30 at Roc & Soul Fitness, located at 44 East Main St, in the lower parking lot.

* Not to be outdone, beer lovers will enjoy their very own Beer Walk this coming September, but I’ll tell you more about that at a later date.

PLUS, the Webster Firemen’s Parade and Carnival is coming back to town next week, and the Webster Jazz Fest in just two weeks. These are huge events which require blogs all their own, so stay tuned for more information about them.

jazz-festival-footer

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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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So I WAS going to be productive today…

5 Jul

IMG_20190705_105557283Thank you to the Webster Public  Library and the Friends for saving me on this it’s-way-too-hot-to-garden day!

 

Construction update

5 Jul

new infoThe original start date of July 8 for the 104-to-590 flyover ramp construction has been pushed back, per information received from the Laurelton Fire Department. Work will now not begin until July 11.

Bad news is… it might last longer than expected.

 

Webster community mailbag

4 Jul

mailbag iconToday’s mailbag is so packed that it’s taken me two days to pull it together.

Let’s start with a reminder from the Webster school district, which would REALLY like you to register your kindergartner, or new student,  early. Having an accurate count of how many students to expect this September will help the planning process immensely.

For details, please go to Student Registration at www.websterschools.org.

Local business updates 

The North Bee, one of our newest and cutest businesses, has some new hours: Tuesdaynorth bee 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Thursday 11 to 3,  Friday 10 to 2 and 6 to 8, and Saturday 10 to 3. They’re closed Monday and Wednesday.

The shop will be available on Sundays for private events, and (this sounds like fun) on Tuesday nights in July and August starting on July 9, owner Amy Stringer will have a tent set up outside her shop with kids activities and free honey sticks for each child.  Remember that starting next Tuesday, the village will be starting their Movies in the Park series just across the street at Veterans Memorial Park. So stop by before the movie for some fun and honey!

The North Bee is located at 27 North Ave. in the village.

Exercise has its rewards

ROC & Soul Fitness, 44 East Main St., has a lot of cool classes this month, but one in particular jumped out at me.

unnamedThey call it “Barre in the Beer Garden,” a free, 45-minute barre class held Saturday July 13 at K2 Brewery on Empire Blvd. (21 and over please!)

It’s being held in K2’s spacious new beer garden behind the brewery. If you haven’t been to K2 yet this summer and seen this gorgeous new facility, this would be a great opportunity to check it out.

The class will begin at 10 a.m., and of course you’re invited to stick around for a beer, wine or cocktail afterwards.

July’s Webster Public Library programs are out of this world!

For starters, their galaxy-themed summer reading program is up and running, and all ages can participate.

All you have to do is complete a galaxy game board or a galaxy reading bookmark. Each complete board or bookmark earns you an entry into the weekly prize drawing plus a free book of your choice. Plus, all completed boards will also be added to the grand prize drawing at the end of the summer!

Your kids might also be interested in these two galaxy-themed programs:

  • Race Through Space With American Girls & Boys, Friday July 19 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Learn all about the history of the Space Program in America through the eyes of eight American Girl and Boy characters starting in the 1940s through 2018 where LUCIANA is featured in her real space suit from Space Camp! Don’t forget to bring your favorite doll or stuffed animal to learn right beside you! This program is for boys and girls.

All ages welcome, both boys and girls, and no registration is required.

Teens and tweens have several opportunities to make some Galaxy Crafts:

  • On Friday, July 12, make your own galaxy t-shirt. Please bring a black or very dark colored t-shirt, but all other supplies will be provided.
  • On Friday, July 26, make your own galaxy jewelry. All supplies will be provided.
  • On Friday, August 9, make you own galaxy painting. All supplies will be provided.

All three of these programs run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and all youth entering grades 6-12 welcome. Registration is required (and limited) and is going on now.

Find out more about these programs on the Webster Public Library website. The library is located at 980 Ridge Rd. at the back side of Webster Plaza.

And don’t forget to visit representatives from library when they set up shop at Webster’s Joe Obbie’s Farmers Market on Saturday July 13. They’ll have raffles, free giveaways and summer program brochures.

The market is located at Webster Towne Center on Holt Road near the gazebo, and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday through October.

Makin’ Music at Cherry Ridge

The next (and last) concert at Cherry Ridge is this coming Tuesday July 9, Featuring Ruby Shooz, beginning at 6:30.

St. Ann’s Community at Cherry Ridge is located at 900 Cherry Ridge Blvd. (off Ridge Road near Five Mile Line Road), Webster. Bring your lawn chairs and/or blankets, and if you need dinner, picnic fare will be available for purchase beginning at 5 p.m.

The concerts are free and open to the public. For details and rainy day information, call (585) 697-6700.

Softball clinic held

softballSome of our stand-out Webster athletes will be lending a hand when the Rochester Lady Lions hold a youth softball clinic on Tuesday July 9 from 5  to 8 p.m. at Mercy High School on Blossom Rd. in Rochester.

Webster Schroeder Varsity pitcher Sydney Bolton will be there, along with program coaches and college softball players to facilitate hitting and fielding stations. The clinic will help girls fine-tune and improve their current skills. Players attending will receive a free clinic t-shirt as well as a tasty frozen treat from Kona Ice.

Girls ages 9 to 13 of all skill levels are welcome. Cost is $20. Click here to visit their website for more information and a registration form.

More to come

I’m working on a few other blogs about upcoming events of interest, including a food truck rodeo at Webster Schroeder High School to benefit the Webster Marching Band, the Strive for 5 school bus safety event for new kindergartners, and the return of the Garlic Festival. There’s also a brand new business in town that I need to let you now about. So stay tuned!

And please drop me a line if your organization has something coming up you’d like help promoting … or even if you want to send me a photo of your kids’ lemonade stand. I’d love to hear about them!

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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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Parts of Lake Rd., Rt. 104 will be closed for construction soon

3 Jul

CaptureIt’s not really summer until road construction begins.

July 8 is going to throw us a real doozy. The east-bound access ramp from Rt. 104 in Irondequoit to Webster will be closed beginning July 8 for about a month.

As it stands, the flyover ramp leading eastbound motorists from Route 104 in Irondequoit to the Irondequoit Bay Bridge will be closed for about a month so that workers can complete deck repairs and joint replacement.

The Bay Bridge itself will not be closed, and westbound traffic won’t be affected. Drivers will be detoured south on 590 to Empire Blvd., then back north. You can read more about that headache, and see a map in this D&C article.

That same day, a portion of Lake Rd. will be closed between Pellett Rd. and Whiting Rd. for culvert replacement. Detours will be posted directing drivers to Whiting Rd., Klem Rd. and Bay Rd. Read more about that on the Town of Webster website. That one, at least, will only be for a few weeks.

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Webster native & GRAMMY winner Kate Lee will play at Eastman

2 Jul

Kate Lee & Forrest O'Connor at Kilbourn Hall Info

Americana duo Kate Lee and Forrest O’Connor of the GRAMMY Award-Winning Mark O’Connor Band will be performing a show at Eastman Theatre’s Kilbourn Hall on July 10.

Kate is a Webster Schroeder High School alumna (class of  ’10) and one of the best fiddlers I have ever met. She attended Schroeder with my son, and they occasionally played together at musical events. She was an amazing talent those many years ago and has only gotten better.

Over the last three years, she and Forrest have earned national recognition as the lead singers and primary songwriters of the Mark O’Connor Band, which features O’Connor’s father, seven-time CMA Award-winning violinist Mark O’Connor. Lee and O’Connor wrote the majority of the band’s first album, Coming Home, which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Bluegrass Albums Chart and won a GRAMMY Award in 2017. The group spent the past summer opening for the Zac Brown Band, including two appearances at Fenway Park.

Lee (vocals, violin) and O’Connor (vocals, guitar, and mandolin) began performing together in 2014 under the name Wisewater, whose EP, The Demonstration, reached #13 on the iTunes Singer-Songwriter chart.

O’Connor is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard and former Tennessee State Mandolin Champion, while Lee is a Belmont graduate and violinist who has frequently backed up stars ranging from John Legend and Kelly Clarkson to Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood at the CMA Awards shows.

For their upcoming show at Kilbourn Hall, Lee and O’Connor will be accompanied by Eastman School of Music graduate Geoff Saunders on bass, who has performed with Chick Corea, Gloria Estefan, and Bobby McFerrin, among others. They will also be joined by two-time national mandolin champion Isaac Eicher and Americana-Country vocalist Mallory Eagle.

The show is a double-bill with singer-songwriter Chris Wilson and begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased through eastmantheatre.org or by calling (585) 274-3000.

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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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