A Polar Plunge update

6 Feb

polar plungeJust a quick update this morning on the status of the Webster School District’s Polar Plunge team, which will take to the very cold Lake Ontario waters this Sunday at noon to benefit Special Olympics.

I have joined the team.

Together with seven of my Schlegel Elementary School colleagues (Bill Ambler, Dan DeStephano, Meg Dugan, Janet Gibson, Jill Mancini, Greg Pittman, Becky Plouffe), Dan Crowley our captain (my Plank North colleague) and Linda Law from Webster Schroeder, we have raised almost $2500 already.

When I signed up last night I had set a modest fund-raising goal of $100, which was eclipsed in about three hours (THANK YOU Sara, Sarah, Julie and Pat!) I’m now working on reaching $200, at which point I have pledged to throw myself face-first into the lake.

My personal page says I’m still at $100, but it’s actually $150 because of a few donations that were not recorded there yet. So basically, I’m almost there.

Not sure how excited I am about that fact.

If you’d like to help me reach my goal, click here to access my page and consider throwing a few bucks my way. It’s for a great cause (and I mean Special Olympics, not just seeing me go face first into the icy lake).

 

“Anything Goes” opens this Thursday

6 Feb

wizard of oz

Congratulations to the students of Willink Middle School for an outstanding performance of The Wizard of Oz last weekend! It was a fitting kick-off to the spring musical season, which continues this coming weekend when Webster Schroeder High School presents Anything Goes. 

The scene is a cruise ship in the late 1930s. Carefree broker Billy Crocker finds out that the woman he’s in love with is engaged to someone else and about to set sail on the luxury liner S.S. American, he sets in motion a madcap plan to stow away on the ship, win socialite Hope Harcourt’s hand, impress his boss, and evade law enforcement who anythinggoes_home400think he’s Snake Eyes Johnson, Public Enemy #1.

It’s a funny musical adventure, packed with Cole Porter songs you already love (like “Friendship” and “I Get a Kick Out of You”).  Showtimes are Feb. 7, 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee performance on Feb. 9 at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $10-$15, available online at www.Showtix4u.com or at any Wegmans.

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Teachers “Plunging” for a cause

5 Feb

polar plungeI work with some pretty crazy colleagues. Crazy dedicated to students, that is.

Several of my colleagues at Schlegel Road Elementary School — and at least two others from Schroeder and Plank North — are teaming up to participate in the Polar Plunge this coming Sunday, which takes place annually at Ontario Beach Park.

In this very, very cold event, participants raise money for Special Olympics by “plunging” into Lake Ontario. There’s no swimming skills involved; even dipping a toe in counts as a plunge.

The Rochester Polar Plunge is the largest Polar Plunge in New York and one of the largest in the entire U.S. It’s part of the Special Olympics New York Polar Plunge series. There are over 15 Polar Plunges statewide and the event serves as the signature fundraising initiative to benefit the athletes and programs of Special Olympics New York.

The first Plunge in Rochester was held in 2001 and had 75 plungers with $15,000 being raised. It has since grown tremendously, drawing 2,300 plungers in 2016, who raised more than $300,000.

Here are the current team members (maybe one of them has taught your kids):

From Schlegel: Meg Dugan, Bill Ambler, Dan DeStephano, Jill Mancini, Janet Gibson and Becky Plouffe. Joining them are Dan Crowley from Plank North and Linda Law from Schroeder.

The team members are still looking for donations to encourage their efforts. You can click this link to support one specific team member or the entire team. And if you’re not doing anything this Sunday at noon, come on down to the lake and watch your WCSD teachers take the Plunge!

(Believe it or not, I’m seriously considering joining them……)

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Webster community mailbag

4 Feb
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The Webster Chamber of Commerce recently honored Joseph A. Vitello (2nd from right) as their 2019 Business Person of the Year. Also pictured (l to r) are Joe’s mother and wife, Barry Howard, Webster Chamber President/CEO and Dawn Sargent, Webster Chamber Board Chair.

Congratulations to Joseph Vitello for recently being named Webster Chamber of Commerce’s 2019 Business Person of the Year.

Vitello is a Senior Product Advisor for Heartland Payroll Solutions who has been an enthusiastic Chamber member for a number of years and is a familiar face at Chamber breakfasts. He’s been active in our Webster business community and many businesses know him as a leading sales professional in his company.

Vitello was recognized at the Chamber’s most recent Breakfast Before Business meeting, where was presented with a plaque by Barry Howard, President/CEO of the Webster Chamber of Commerce.

Kindergarten Orientation, Registration Set

Parents of incoming kindergarteners in the 2019-20 school year are reminded that the Webster School District’s Parent Orientation and Registration Night is Tuesday, February 26 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at your student’s school. Walk-in registration is available Wednesday through Friday, February 27 to March 1, during the school day, also at your children’s school. For more information, go to websterschools.org, then select Central Registration under the Departments tab.

February at the Library

Here’s a quick run-down of some of the fun things happening at the Webster Public Library this month:

* Wednesday Night Book Discussion

This month’s book discussion group is reading The Stranger in the Woods, the real-life adventure of Christopher Knight, who lived alone in the woods of Maine for 27 years. The group’s next meeting is Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. All are welcome to come and no registration necessary.

Can’t make it this month? Stop by on March 6, when the group will be discussing The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict. You can pick up a copy at the circulation desk.

* The Wonders of Washington State

Lake Quinault, Quinault Rain Forest, Ruby Beach, Olympic National Park, Vancouver Island, North Cascades National Park, Seattle and San Juan Island … Is it possible to visit all of these breathtaking spots in 2 weeks? Yes, it is! Experience the beauty of Washington State in a travelogue presented Tuesday Feb. 12 from 2 to 3 p.m. in the community room.

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* Love Not Loving

Do you hate hearts and flowers? Do you think Cupid is stupid? If you don’t fall for this overrated Hallmark holiday, then you’re in luck! Bring your friends and join us in celebrating Anti-Valentine’s Day with fun activities and tasty treats! Grades 6 to 12 are welcome, and registration is required. Click here for more information.

* February Break activities

Looking ahead to February break, make sure to check the library schedule for all sorts of fun and educational activities for the kids. They can test their engineering skills with the Family Egg Drop Challenge, discover what’s inside a microwave in How it Works, use everyday household items in Building Mini Launchers, learn the beginnings of coding in Offline Coding for Beginners, or build a giant castle on Boxing Day!

Visit the Webster Public Library website for more information about all these programs.

The First Baptist Church of Penfield’s next Saturday Flapjack Breakfast is scheduled for February 16 from 8 to 10 a.m. at the church, 1862 Penfield Road.

For just $5 per person, you get all-you-can-eat pancakes, pure maple syrup, scrambled eggs, sausage, and beverages. All are welcome, and the venue is handicapped accessible.

Proceeds this month will benefit the Resolve, an organization dedicated to intervening and preventing domestic and sexual violence against women

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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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Challenger Miracle Field needs a little help

28 Jan

challenger

About a week ago I told you about a Sweetheart Dance being hosted by Miracle Field of Greater Rochester on Saturday Feb. 9 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Webster Parks and Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Drive.

All players and friends of Challenger Miracle Field are invited (which means pretty much everybody!) for three fun hours of music, refreshments, a photo booth, and lots of dancing. It’s all free, but interested participants are asked to register in advance (Click here) .

But wait, there’s more!

Organizers have sent out a call for help. They’re hoping that community will be able to donate some much-needed items for this event. They include:

  • mylar balloons
  • a helium tank
  • flowers
  • centerpieces
  • Valentine’s Day decor like hearts, banners, signs and cutouts
  • pizza
  • bottled water
  • punch
  • cookies
  • paper goods

If you can help, please email events@rochestermiraclefield.org. And don’t forget to register for the dance!

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Spring musical season is upon us

26 Jan

We’re about to face some of the coldest weather we’ve had all winter. But perhaps this news will warm your heart:

IT’S SPRING MUSICAL TIME! 

Both Willink and Spry middle schools and Thomas and Schroeder high schools will be staging their spring musical productions in the next two months.

Willink kicks off the schedule next weekend with Off to See the Wizard, presented in three shows on Friday Feb. 1 and Saturday Feb. 2.

Daniella Gibson leads a cast and crew of more than 100 sixth, seventh and eighth graders as they present the well-known story of a Kansas farm girl, her dog Toto and their adventures in Oz. Joining her as the main characters are Trevor Heaphy as the Scarecrow, Marcello Servanti as the Tinman, Ryley Norton as the Cowardly Lion, and Martina Nicolay as the Wizard of Oz.

This musical classic will be performed at Willink Middle School, 900 Publishers Parkway,  on Friday, February 1 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, February 2 at 1 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $9.00 per adult and $6 for students and senior citizens and can be purchased the week of January 28 through the Drama Club website .

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anythinggoes_home400

Next up is Anything Goes at Webster Schroeder the following weekend, Feb. 7 through 9.

The scene is a cruise ship in the late 1930s. Carefree broker Billy Crocker finds out that the woman he’s in love with is engaged to someone else and about to set sail on the luxury liner S.S. American, he sets in motion a madcap plan to stow away on the ship, win socialite Hope Harcourt’s hand, impress his boss, and evade law enforcement who think he’s Snake Eyes Johnson, Public Enemy #1.

It’s a funny musical adventure, packed with Cole Porter songs you already love (like “Friendship” and “I Get a Kick Out of You”).  Showtimes are Feb. 7, 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee performance on Feb. 9 at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $10-$15, available online at www.Showtix4u.com or at any Wegmans.

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guys and dolls

The Spry Middle School Drama Club will present Guys and Dolls, Jr. on March 8 and 9.

In case you’re not familiar with this show, here’s a quick description from imdb.com:

All the hot gamblers are in town, and they’re all depending on Nathan Detroit to set up this week’s incarnation of “The Oldest Established Permanent Floating Crap Game in New York”; the only problem is, he needs $1000 to get the place. Throw in Sarah Brown, who’s short on sinners at the mission she runs; Sky Masterson, who accepts Nathan’s $1000 bet that he can’t get Sarah Brown to go with him to Havana; Miss Adelaide, who wants Nathan to marry her; Police Lieutenant Brannigan, who always seems to appear at the wrong time; and the music/lyrics of Frank Loesser, and you’ve got quite a musical.

The original 1955 movie starred Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando. When it was made into a Broadway play, it was just as entertaining, and many of the songs have become embedded in our theater culture (including “Luck Be a Lady”).

I don’t have a whole lot of details yet, but it appears that Guys and Dolls will take the stage on Friday March 8 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday March 9 at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. More details to come as I find out about them, but you can also keeps tabs on the show at the Spry Drama Club website.

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Concluding the spring musical schedule this year is Webster Thomas’ production of Cinderella from March 28-30.

This will the Rodgers & Hammerstein, Broadway version of the play, so it should be spectacular. I’m still getting details about this as well, but I do know that the shows will be March 28, 29 and 30 at 7 p.m., with a matinee on March 30. Tickets will be $12.

The cast will also be hosting a breakfast with Cinderella on Saturday, March 23 at 9 a.m., which will be a great way for your kids to get excited about the show. More details will follow about that as well.

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Make your own essential oil sprays

25 Jan

lala make and take

Just a quick note this morning to pass along news of a special event being hosted this Saturday at one of Webster’s most special new shops, Lala of Webster.

It’s called an Essential Oil Open House Make & Take Event. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., customers can stop in anytime and make your own essential oil sprays. Owner Lisa Schlonski will provide 21 different “recipes” for hand cleaners, air fresheners, body sprays, counter sprays and more, all using distilled water as a base. It’s a great way to sample several different products, using 100% therapeutic grade oils, at a much lower investment. The average cost to make one of the recipes is $2.77.

The open house is Saturday Jan. 26, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Lala of Webster, 38 East Main Street in the village. Visit Lala’s Facebook page to learn more about this cute little shop.

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It’s official –the Garlic Festival is back

24 Jan

garlic

I know, I know. I already told you last October that the Garlic Festival was returning. But now it’s really, really official, because the call has gone out for vendors.

The name has been changed — it’s now the Rochester Garlic Festival instead of the Webster Garlic Festival — but all of the other great things about the festival have not changed. There will be lots of garlic vendors and cooking demonstrations, other vendors and community agencies, live entertainment, food trucks and more. PLUS all proceeds will benefit Challenger Miracle Field!

The Rochester Garlic Festival is scheduled for Saturday Sept. 14, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday Sept. 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Webster Recreation Center.

BUT FIRST the festival needs vendors. Organizers are now accepting vendor applications. For details about booth fees, visit the Rochester Garlic Festival website, or click here to download an application.

Make sure to check the website frequently for updated festival information. You’ll also want to follow the festival on Facebook and Instagram.

Still have questions? Email Katie Kovar at info@rochestergarlicfestival.com. 

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Webster community mailbag

18 Jan

basketballThe annual Webster Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship returns on Saturday Jan. 26 at Willink Middle School, Publisher’s Parkway.

Knights of Columbus councils have been hosting these annual competitions since 1972. They’re designed to provide an athletic outlet for children and encourage the values of sportsmanship and healthy competition. Kids compete within their own gender and age, and can progress from the local level to district, regional and state/province competitions.

Boys and girls ages 9 to 14 may participate. Registration  begins at 1 p.m. and the competition begins promptly at 1:30. For more information contact Mark Ludington at 585-613-0515

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Miracle Field of Greater Rochester will be hosting a Sweetheart Dance for players and friends of Challenger Miracle Field, on Saturday Feb. 9 from 5 to 8 p.m.

There’ll be a DJ, refreshments, a photo booth, and lots of dancing, of course.

This is a FREE event for the whole family, but  interested participants are asked to register by Feb. 2 so the organizers know how many people to expect. Click here to register.

For more information, email events@rochestermiraclefield.org.

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Speaking of Valentine’s Day, here’s a great gift idea: a singing Valentine from our very own Rochester Rhapsody women’s barbershop quartets.

Rochester Rhapsody Chorus, the Rochester chapter of Harmony, Incorporated, an music-notes-heart-magnetinternational organization of female a cappella singers, will offer Singing Valentines to local community members whose admirers are looking to deliver messages of love and friendship in a special way. Members of the chorus will deliver pre-ordered Singing Valentines on Thursday, February 14 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Small groups from Rochester Rhapsody, a local non-profit women’s chorus, will provide the sweet sounds of harmony as a memorable Valentine’s Day gift to surprised and delighted recipients. Vocal ensembles will travel throughout the greater Rochester area to deliver Singing Valentines to sweethearts, co-workers, family members and friends at various locations, including assisted living facilities, workplaces, schools, hospitals and restaurants.

Recipients will be treated to Valentine music in 4-part a cappella harmony delivered by an ensemble in Valentine’s Day attire, along with a rose and card with the sender’s personalized message. “Ringing Telegrams” (telephone singing valentines) are also available for recipients who live out-of-town.

All proceeds from the Singing Valentine fundraiser go to benefit women’s vocal and performance education for the non-profit chorus. Special prices for ordering early, or ordering more than one Singing Valentine, will also be offered. To make arrangements, call (585) 820-3062 or email rhapsodysingingtelegrams@yahoo.com.

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Changes are coming to Sandbar Park

17 Jan

document

You may have heard that the Town of Webster is engaged in a long-term project to upgrade the facilities at Sandbar Park, located on Lake Road. The park has long been known as the best place in Webster to watch a summer sunset, but the little strip of land has a lot more potential than that.

Right now, the park features access to both Irondequoit Bay and Lake Ontario, has some wetlands and a wooded area. It was originally purchased in 2003, and as the Town has paid off the bond, nothing much has been done with it aside from adding a parking lot and a few picnic tables. But as the project has moved forward, residents are already proposing some new ideas.

In a story posted to the WHEC Channel 10 website last summer, Supervisor Nesbitt mentioned some of those suggestions.

One of the things people have brought to us is they would like to have a handicap pier so people can go out there to fish in the bay. A shorter pier,’ he said, adding ‘we would also like a destination for paddle boards and kayaks, so people can bring those in and launch them from that area into the bay. We would like to work with the restaurant in some way in how to incorporate that into the scheme.

(You can see the whole story here.) 

In 2015, the Town received $118,000 in state funding to create a committee and start formulating some design ideas for improvements to Sandbar Park. On Wednesday January 23, the committee will present their ideas at a public information meeting.

Members of the project committee will be there along with representatives of Bayer Landscape Architecture, who’s working with the Town on the project. Webster residents are encouraged to find out more about what they’re thinking, and ask questions.

The meeting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Town Board Meeting Room, in the Justice Court Building, 1002 Ridge Road.

If you’d like to stay informed of everything that’s happening as the progress progresses, visit this website to sign up for project notifications, and click here for the project’s Facebook page.

Here’s another upcoming meeting you might want to know about:

The Town of Webster and Rochester Transit Authority have scheduled a public information meeting on Monday Feb. 4 to discuss bus serice to and from Webster.

The meeting with the Transit Authority will give Webster residents, business owners, and others an opportunity to ask questions on how employees and others might find transportation from other areas in to Webster for employment and shopping opportunities.

The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the Town Board Meeting Room, Justice Court Building.

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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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Please mark your calendars for this important meeting with the Rochester Transit Authority.

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