Please help spread the word: It’s ONLY A DRILL

25 Jun

The following is a re-posting of the blog I wrote last week about a MASS CASUALTY fire truckDRILL planned for THURSDAY which you’ll want to know about if you live or work or drive anywhere near northeast Webster.

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On Thursday June 27, Town of Webster emergency response agencies in conjunction with the Webster Central School District will be running a large-scale emergency drill at Schlegel Rd. Elementary School.

What that means is that beginning sometime between 8 and 8:30 a.m. you’re going to be hearing all kinds of sirens and see lots of fire trucks, police cars and ambulances descending on the school.

Don’t worry. It’s only a drill. School will be out for the summer, and while there will be students and adults there, they will be acting out pre-determined roles to simulate an actual emergency.

During the drill, Webster CSD, Webster Police Department, Webster Volunteer Fire Department, West Webster Volunteer Fire Department, Webster Emergency Medical Service, and Northeast Quadrant Advanced Life will simulate and respond to a large-scale school incident to test these agencies’ coordinated response. Several other area fire departments and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department will also be involved, and the New York State Police will be on hand to provide support.

Schlegel Rd. will be closed and Special Police will be diverting traffic from 7:30 a.m. to noon to assure the safety of the actors and emergency responders. Local resident access will be allowed.

Please help spread the word to friends and neighbors.

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Trying to stem the tide

21 Jun

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A quick shout-out this morning to some unsung heroes.

My friend Jim Lockwood sent me this photo a few days ago of several members of the New York National Guard unit from Queens, helping out at the lakefront. He wrote,

I watched these young National Guard soldiers sandbagging along the shore of Shipbuilder’s Creek lake outlet ( Forest Lawn) this morning. The sandbags really get heavy! The work is hard and the morning sun was getting warm. These young and some not so young troopers eagerly continued with today’s mission to shore up creek to prevent further flooding. I did chat with them for a minute, they are glad to be here and able to help.

These fellow were among many others helping out Wednesday. Thank you for all you’re doing!

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Webster will run mass casualty drill next week

20 Jun
fire truck

(Photo: S. Rosenberry)

If you live, or work, or even find yourself driving around the northeast corner of town with any regularity, please pull out your calendar right now and make a note about this important event.

On Thursday June 27, Town of Webster emergency response agencies in conjunction with the Webster Central School District will be running a large-scale emergency drill at Schlegel Rd. Elementary School.

What that means is that beginning at around 7:30 a.m., you’re going to be hearing all kinds of sirens and see lots of fire trucks, police cars and ambulances descending on the school.

Don’t worry. It’s only a drill. School will be out for the summer, and while there will be students and adults there, they will be acting out pre-determined roles to simulate an actual emergency.

During the drill, Webster CSD, Webster Police Department, Webster Volunteer Fire Department, West Webster Volunteer Fire Department, Webster Emergency Medical Service, and Northeast Quadrant Advanced Life will simulate and respond to a large-scale school incident to test these agencies’ coordinated response.

Schlegel Rd. will be closed and Special Police will be diverting traffic from 7:30 a.m. to noon to assure the safety of the actors and emergency responders. Local resident access will be allowed.

Please help spread the word to friends and neighbors.

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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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Summer events really get going this weekend

19 Jun
joe obbie

You’ll find farm-fresh produce at the Joe Obbie Farmers’ Market (photo courtesy the market’s Facebook page)

The Town and Village of Webster’s summer events calendar really starts this weekend, with the beginning of the Friday night concert in the park series, the Summer Celebration and the third week of the Joe Obbie Farmers’ Market.

Now the details:

The Village of Webster’s Friday Night Concert series begins this Friday June 21 at 7 p.m., when Steve Bartolotta takes to the gazebo stage in Veterans Memorial Park on North Ave.  Bring a blanket, quad chairs, and a cooler, and enjoy some music, absolutely free.

These weekly concerts run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. through the summer, except when events like the Jazz Fest and Firemen’s Carnival get in the way. The rest of the schedule looks like this:

  • June 28: The Thigh Masters, a Rochester-based party band offering a high-energy mix of classic, alternative and dance.
  • July 26: Gallows Road, classic soft rock
  • August 2: the 22-piece Rochester Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, playing big band tunes
  • August 9: The Germano Bros., an acoustic blend of classic rock, soft rock and blues songs.
  • August 16: Burnt Cane

The Tuesday evening Movies in the Park series begins July 9, and the always great Webster Jazz Fest will return on July 19 and 20. Stay tuned for more information about both of those. You can also keep up to date by visiting websterbid.com.

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summer celebrationThe Town of Webster’s annual Summer Celebration takes place this year this Saturday June 22 at Webster Parks and Recreation, 1350 Chiyoda Drive.

This family-friendly event kind of serves as our town’s Fourth of July celebration, including fireworks. It begins at 4 p.m. and features live music from Brass Taxi and State Line, food trucks, games, crafts, inflatables and more. The fireworks will begin at about 9:45 p.m.

For more information, click here.

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The Joe Obbie Farmers’ Market is up and running for the 2019 summer season. You’ll find it every Saturday through the fall at Webster Towne Center (Target/Kohl’s Plaza), featuring locally grown fresh produce, baked goods, jams and jellies, honey, maple syrup, fresh meats, plants, spices and crafts.

Special events this year include live music, balloon fun with Mr. Wally, the Christmas in July celebration on July 20 (Santa will be there), and more.

I’ll be highlighting several of these special events as they draw near, so stay tuned.

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One last tasty event to add:

St Martin Lutheran Church is holding a Pulled Pork Drive Thru BBQ on Saturday, June 22  from 4:30 until gone at the church on 813 Bay Road, Webster.  Pull into the parking lot, place your order, and the dinner will be delivered to you in your car.

The take-out dinner  includes pulled pork, roll, salt potatoes, cole slaw and cookie for $9.00.  Proceeds support the church’s annual Christmas Stocking Project reaching over 500 children and teens in Monroe and Wayne  counties.

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Homeless pups benefit from Eagle Scout project

18 Jun

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Even dogs appreciate a good playground, and thanks to a local Eagle Scout candidate, they have a new one at Pets Stop Here in Spencerport.

Justin Karnisky from Troop 110 in Webster recently completed his Eagle Scout project for the Spencerport-based nonprofit organization Pets Stop Here. Called a Rescue Dog Playground, it’s an agility playground for pups.

Pets Stop Here, Inc. is a volunteer dog rescue organization committed to rescuing domestic companion animals primarily from the Rochester area. Pets Stop Here  provides a safe and secure refuge for abused, unwanted, and neglected animals through foster homes or lodging at The Pup Stop while they await adoption.

Proud mom Karen, who also sent me these photos, reports that

Justin completed the fundraising and design of the project over the past few months, created a miniature model of the playground, and gathered several of his fellow Scouts to complete the assembly. As part of the project he is also doing a supply drive for the organization.

Attached are some pictures of the Scouts and of Justin with Dawn Saunders, who owns Pets Stop Here, Inc.

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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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You’ll want to bee at this event

17 Jun

bees

Bet you didn’t know that this week is Pollinator Week!

I learned about this internationally recognized celebration the other day from Amy Stringer at The North Bee, and since I had never heard about it before, I went looking for more information.

This is a real thing. According to the Pollinator.org website, the week was officially designated 12 years ago by the U.S. Senate as a “time to celebrate pollinators and spread the word about what you can do to protect them.” They call it a

necessary step toward addressing the urgent issue of declining pollinator populations. Pollinator Week has now grown into an international celebration of the valuable ecosystem services provided by bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles.

As individual, no-beekeeper people that most of us are, there’s not much we can do to show our support for the important job these creatures do, aside from learning more about them and respecting their role in our world. There’s no better place to do that this week than at The North Bee, one of Webster’s newest and cutest shops, located on North Ave. in the village.

north beeOwner Amy Stringer is celebrating the occasion all week, with an extra special event planned for this coming Saturday June 22. At her Pollinator Party on the Ave., Amy will be set up in a tent outside her shop with her observation beehive, pollinator information, activity sheets for the kids, and soil, seeds and pots for the kids to plant some pollinator seeds. Plus, she’ll have a real extractor, so kids (and adults) can try their hand at spinning out some honey, and you can even try honey straight off the frame right out of the hive.

The event will run from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday June 22, and is sure to be educational and fun for kids and adults alike.

The North Bee is located at 27 North Ave. in the Village of Webster, across the street from Veterans Park and the gazebo. For more information about the event and The North Bee, click here.

There is a event posted on Facebook. Pollinator Party on the Ave. Saturday the 22nd at The North Bee from 12-4.

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A great event for a great cause

16 Jun

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It was a rather dreary late spring day yesterday. That is, everywhere but under the tent set up outside Ploty’s Hometown Tavern, where laughs and smiles brightened the day for several hours yesterday afternoon and evening.

Hundreds attended a very special and heart-warming fund-raising event yesterday in support of Bella’s Bumbas, an incredible Webster-based organization that is changing the lives of children all around the world.

IMG_20190615_165812734_BURST000_COVER_TOPBella’s Bumbas is a non-profit organization run by Webster residents Marty Parzynski and Rebecca Orr, dedicated to building miniature wheelchairs for children with a wide variety of mobility issues. To date they have shipped 850 chairs to children in 27 countries, often adapting the chairs for each child’s individual needs, and charging the families only for shipping.

You can read more about this great cause in this blog I wrote back in 2017, and this follow-up blog.

And if you really wonder if this organization is truly making a difference, consider this: parents of Bella, whose diagnosis with spina bifida inspired the creation of the first Bella’s Bumba, were told she would never even sit up. Today, thanks to the strength she has gained from her Bumba, she is not only using a walker, but has even taken several steps on her own.

Folks who attended yesterday’s event were treated to pizza, drink specials, DJ music, and lots of raffles, including SO MANY GIFT BASKETS spread on tables inside and outside the tavern that I couldn’t even count them all. 

I’ve put more photos from the event on a small gallery here. Thank you so much for Eric at Ploty’s Hometown Tavern for hosting!

If you weren’t able to make yesterday’s event but love with what Rebecca and Marty are doing to change children’s lives, you can still help to provide some much-needed cash to keep their cause rolling (so to speak).  

Visit their GoFundMe page to read more about Bella’s Bumbas and throw them a little cash. Because they really ARE changing children’s’ lives.

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Running for fun at Plank North

14 Jun
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And they’re off!

Wednesday was a glorious day for a marathon!

At Plank Rd. North Elementary School, the entire student body came out to cheer on the school’s pre-K and kindergarten students as they completed their first-ever marathon.

The young racers have been working on the daunting distance since the beginning of the school year, running as much as a quarter mile every time they went outside. On Wednesday, they finally finished the whole 26.2 miles by running 1/8-mile laps around a coned-off track (one lap for pre-k and two laps for kindergarten).

In addition to having hundreds of fellow students and parents cheering them on, each runner was given an official numbered bib provided by Fleet Feet and — like real racers — began and ended their laps under an official Fleet Feet inflatable starting gate. Plus, each one received a medal after they completed their laps.

It was an exciting day for the whole school, but especially for these youngsters who are just now learning about the joys of running and the importance of staying healthy and fit. (I’m glad I wasn’t racing them. Some of them were REALLY fast.)

Here are a few more photos from the day:

And before I forget again, here are a few photos, courtesy Maureen Throumoulos, from the Special Olympics Annual Track and Field competition hosted at Webster Thomas High School last week.

About 500 athletes from nine area school districts took part in the event, which Webster hosted for the second year in a row.

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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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Ploty’s fundraiser will benefit Bella’s Bumbas

12 Jun

Got no plans for this Saturday night? I have a great idea. Head on out to Ploty’s Hometown Tavern in the Village of Webster for great drinks, music and prizes, all to benefit one of my favorite local agencies, Bella’s Bumbas.

Bella’s Bumbas is a non-profit 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 just their first year of operation, they shipped more than 300 “Bella’s Bumbas” around the world, often adapting the chairs for each child’s individual needs, and charging the families only for shipping. You can read more about it in this blog I wrote back in 2017, and this follow-up blog.

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At Saturday’s Ploty’s fundraiser, participants will enjoy drink specials, basket raffles, a 50/50 drawing, live music, and more. All monies raised will go to directly support Bella’s Bumbas’ mission to provide mobility to children with disabilities.

It’s sure to be a good time with friends new and old, and helping out such a wonderful organization as Bella’s Bumbas is just a bonus.

The event takes place from 4 to 9 p.m. at Ploty’s Hometown Tavern, 27 West Main Street in the Village of Webster.

Please bring cash because they don’t have any way to accept credit cards. (Bring lots of cash!)

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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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One more chance to vote on the bike racks

10 Jun

A few weeks ago I posted a blog about how the Village of Webster will be installing four new bike racks this summer. Village Board members will have the final decision on where they’ll be placed, but have invited input from the community to help them guide their decision.

I created a survey suggesting nine different locations throughout the village. Thank you to everyone who has taken a minute to fill it out (and it really only takes a minute). To date I’ve received 44 responses, but would love to get some more.

Here’s an update on what people have been telling me so far:

bike rack 1

The top two most popular locations so far for the bike racks with the Town of Webster logo are 1) in front of Barry’s Old School Irish/The Garage Sale Store and 2) in Veterans Park. Running a close third is a spot in front of Village Hall.

bike rack 2

The top two most popular locations for the racks with the bike insignia are 1) in the parking lot somewhere near Village Bakery and 2) in front of Barry’s/The Garage Sale Store. Those two spots are tied for first, and there’s not a close third.

I will be presenting my findings at the Village Board meeting later this week, so now’s the time to weigh in with your opinion if you’d like to. To read more about how the bike racks came to be, click here to go to my original blog. Or click here to go directly to the survey. It really only takes a minute.

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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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