The 2024/25 school year is barely over, but the Webster Central School District is already thinking about next year, and how to make the first days of school a little less scary for our youngest students.
Getting on a big school bus on that first day can be especially intimidating. The district’s annual Strive for Five for School Bus Safety program hopes to make that experience easier.
This year’s program will be held from Aug. 4 to 7 at Willink Middle School. Now in its 18th year, it’s designed for 2025/26 incoming kindergartners giving our youngest One Webster students a chance to become familiar with school buses and learn important safety procedures.
New kindergartners (no additional children please) and their parents/guardians will board buses at Willink (900 Publisher’s Parkway) at 5:50 p.m. Buses will depart promptly at 6 p.m. and children and their parents will be transported to the bus garage at 1000 Document Drive for a fun and informative safety program, then ride the buses again back to Willink.
While at the bus garage, students will rotate through stations teaching them important safety elements, including:
Loading and unloading the bus
Proper crossing procedures
Danger zones surrounding the bus
Appropriate behavior on the bus
Emergency equipment/evacuation
Families are asked to attend the evening assigned to their particular school as indicated below, if at all possible. If you can’t make your assigned evening, you can come on another, but the district really likes to spread everyone out as much as possible.
August 4 – Plank South August 5 – Klem South and Schlegel Rd. August 6 – Klem North and Plank North August 7 – Dewitt Rd. and State Rd.
Private and parochial students residing in the Webster Central School District can attend any one of the four dates. Families will receive a letter detailing the Strive for Five program prior to the event.
The program will be held outside and will take place rain or shine.
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Crerated in 2001 by Lisa Kretzer, Employ-Ease offers small business owners a more personal solution for handling the administrative burdens of having employees.
Lisa’s mission is simple: “we make it easy to employ.” That philosophy is embedded into the very name of the company. As a Professional Employer Organization (PEO), Employ-Ease assumes liability for payroll generation and taxes, employment insurances, employee benefits, and various HR necessities, allowing business owners to focus on what they do best, the work that drives revenue. With more than 38 years of experience in the payroll industry, Lisa has become a partner for her clients across industries who value both her knowledge and personal approach.
Lisa jokes that she’s “not a numbers person,” but she is incredibly organized. She finds joy in keeping systems like payroll, taxation, and insurance running smoothly, and in meeting the wide variety of people and businesses that cross her path. After her long-time employee of 21 years retired, Lisa was fortunate to find a new right hand in Katherine House, someone just as committed, detail-oriented, and client focused.
Lisa is also active in the community, volunteering at Harris Hill Elementary and Wayne Elementary, and supporting Webster Comfort Care. Her roots in the area are deep, and her commitment to helping others — both through her business and in the community — runs strong.
The Webster Chamber of Commerce Events and Honors Committee presents a Business of the Month award to one of their member businesses at each of their monthly breakfast meetings. It’s one way the Chamber helps keep their member businesses and organizations visible throughout the Webster community.
The next breakfast meeting is Friday July 25, beginning at 7 a.m. at the Webster Golf Club, 440 Salt Rd. Network with as many as 90 business and organizational leaders before breakfast, enjoy an informative program and then take part in the “pass-the-mic” time, when everyone has an opportunity to be visible.
Visitors and members are welcome. Please register here.
Pictured above: Webster Chamber of Commerce Board Chair Tim Shortsleeve presents the July Business of the Month award to Lisa Kretzer of Employ-ease, who accepted the honor at the monthly Chamber Breakfast.
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Right off the bat today, I’d like to give a huge shout-out to my new friend and great photographer, Dianna McIntyre.
I met Dianna by chance on Thursday night before the Fireman’s Parade. They were with the Miracle Field contingent, and I’d paused to grab a few pictures of the group’s parade preparations. We bonded over our fancy cameras, and on a whim, I asked if they’d be interested in taking some photos for me at Saturday’s Kiddie Parade, since I couldn’t be there. Dianna enthusiastically agreed, and you see the results today.
I think the firefighters hit on a winning formula for this year’s Kiddie Parade. Due to concerns for the kids’ safety (I’m sure), last year they had the parade totally within the confines of the carnival grounds … which really wasn’t great. The paraders basically just circled the grounds two or three times.
Saturday, though, the line-up was back at Spry Middle School and the parade marched down Sanford St. to the carnival field and then around the grounds. That route allowed options for community members who wanted to watch.
There seems to be some problem with my previous blog link taking you to more photos on Facebook, so if you’d like to see more, please go directly to my Facebook page. And if you’d like to see a lot more of Dianna’s work, check out their Instagram page at photographybyjax_97.
Here are a few bonus photos Dianna took at the fireworks Saturday night:
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That was the overwhelming impression I got from Thursday night’s Fireman’s Parade. In most respects, the parade was pretty much like all the others in previous years (although we had better weather than some years), but last night, there seemed to be even more firetrucks and emergency vehicles than ever, all blowing whooping their sirens. I had to look up several of the towns they came from to see where exactly they were, and still couldn’t figure out them all (Cheswold? Isn’t that in Delaware?)
As I said, the almost two-hour long parade was pretty typical as our Fireman’s Parades go, with representation from a lot of community agencies and local businesses along with the first responders. But I did see a few things I haven’t seen before.
Like how Wilbert’s prepared for the onslaught of kids with empty candy bags by filling not one but TWO wheelbarrows with suckers. I was able to get a picture for the first time EVER of the Shriners” mini-cars in their pre-parade repose before being driven around in frantic circles. And when was the last time you saw one of those little cars break down during the parade? Pulling its rip-cord repeatedly didn’t work, and it ultimately had to be towed back to the parade start.
And did you see that Kittelberger float with all the fresh flowers? What an amazing job they did, reminiscent of floats in the Rose Parade.
My friend Dave Bay from the Chorus of the Genesee — a first-time Fireman’s Parade viewer — had a few other interesting insights. He noticed, for example that the “OCD boys from Webster Northeast” had sorted their vehicles in number order; that the Penfield and Fairport fire departments have their own bands; and that vintage white fire truck looked like it had just come off the showroom floor, despite being perhaps 80 years old.
As always, as I ran (sometimes literally) up and down Main Street snapping photos, I saw a lot of friends and acquaintances and reconnected with a lot of the local business owners I’ve come to know. That’s one of my favorite things about this parade; it brings out the whole community so that for one evening, we are all one neighborhood.
I also met Dianna, a very nice young lady who was walking with the Miracle Field contingent, who has kindly agreed to take pictures for me at Saturday’s Kiddie Parade, since I won’t be able to be there. So watch for that blog!
There were a couple of big gaps in between some of the marching groups, but in general the parade seemed to come off without a hitch. So well done, firefighters, and thank you for another great spectacle. See you again next year.
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As you all probably know, I get most of the fodder for my mailbag and calendar items from various newsletters and emails I get from agencies around town. And I DO know that many of you rely on my blog to find out what’s happening in town.
BUT I don’t hear about everything (I was whining about that a few days ago, I think), and even if I do, sometimes the information doesn’t make it into my blog in a timely manner. So I recommend that if you want to get event news straight from the source, you should also sign up for things like the Town of Webster newsletter, the Webster Public Library newsletter and the Webster Recreation Center newsletter, all of which will be emailed to your inbox every month.
And just last week, I was thrilled to see a new source of information added to that feed: the very excellent Village of Webster newsletter.
The Village has been publishing this newsletter now for almost a year. It’s called The View From Main Street and it’s always been available online, but I keep forgetting to go to the Village website to check it out. So I was very happy to see that it will come to ME every week.
And this newsletter is very excellent, as I said. It’s always packed with information about events and new businesses. This week, for example, there are features about the Fireman’s Carnival; three new businesses which have opened or will open soon; a nice piece about Village Trustee Jude Lancy, who will soon be moving out of town to explore new adventures (and play with her grandkids); another nice piece about former Webster Village Band Director Tom Indiano, who passed away in June; plus news from the Webster Museum and about the Jazz Fest coming up in August.
Check it out for yourself. Here’s the link to the newsletter, and this link will take you to past editions. If you’d like to sign up to get the newsletter in your email box monthly, click here.
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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).
The Women’s Club of Webster is hosting a special celebration in honor of the organization’s 60th anniversary, and the entire community is invited to join the festivities.
The event will take place on Wednesday, July 23 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Webster Arboretum, 1700 Schlegel Rd. It will be a casual, come-and-go-as-you-like gathering filled with fun and community spirit. There’s no admission charge, and everyone is welcome to stop by, stay as long as they want, and enjoy a relaxing afternoon.
Guests will enjoy snacks, beverages and music, along with the opportunity to meet club members and connect with many of the local non-profit organizations the Women’s Club supports through its charitable mission. It’s a great chance to learn more about the club’s six decades of community service, and perhaps discover how you might want to get involved.
“This is a celebration not just of our organization’s history, but of the entire Webster community that has supported us over the years,” said Women’s Club president Diana Holzwasser. “We hope people of all ages will stop in, enjoy some refreshments, and help us mark this milestone.”
About the Women’s Club of Webster: Founded in 1965, the Women’s Club of Webster is an energetic, involved and fun-loving group of women of all ages and from many different backgrounds, dedicated to supporting civic and educational organizations within the Webster community and surrounding areas.
Stop by the party to learn more, and remember, you do NOT have to be a Webster resident to join the club!
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Even in the six days since my first blog about this week’s Fireman’s Carnival, there’ve been some exciting updates.
For starters, I recently heard that the Celtic rock band 1916 will be performing on Thursday night in the beer tent, right after the parade. These guys are top-notch performers and will get the crowd rocking to really kick off the carnival.
As for the parade, there’ve been some last-minute additions to the line-up, so it promises to be one of the biggest and best ones yet. We’re talking more than 100 units, including 27 first responder agencies, including fire departments from all over the Rochester area. Look also for marchers and floats from dozens of community agencies, local businesses, local government representatives and so much more.
And of course there will be much tossing of candy, sometimes at great velocity.
The parade will line up east of town at Phillips Rd., and will kick off at 6:30 p.m., traveling down Main Street to Fireman’s Field at the west edge of the village.
You can visit the Carnival Facebook page for the latest updates as they happen, but here are the highlights:
Wednesday July 9:
Unfortunately, there will NOT be a craft beer night this year. But Schutt’s Apple Mill will be there with their hard cider. The carnival will be open 6 to 11 p.m.
Thursday July 10:
Carnival is open 6 to 11 p.m., and the parade begins at 6:30 p.m. (you do NOT want to miss the parade)
Aside from the chance for a few pop-up thunderstorms, the weather looks spectacular, so come on down and make some memories.
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It used to be a fried chicken place. Then a pizza joint. Then a scratch kitchen. Now, the little restaurant at 9 South Ave. in the Village of Webster is serving up something completely different: empanadas — with all the fixin’s.
It’s called Munchie’s Roc City Empanadas, and even though the restaurant is less than a week old, owner Luis “Munchie” Carrasquillo is already seeing a steady stream of customers, even in this oppressive heat, when just stepping outside feels like a chore. Fans of the Munchie’s food trucks, familiar from local festivals, markets and street corners, are tracking him down at his new location, and plenty of new customers are discovering empanadas for the very first time. And from what I’ve seen, the prevailing — very enthusiastic — opinion seems to be that this is the kind of restaurant the Webster area has needed for a long time.
When Luis officially opened late last week, he was working with a limited food truck menu: six kinds of empanadas and eight sides, including traditional favorites like Spanish rice, maduros, bacalaitos and tostones, along with staples like French fries and mac and cheese. But this week, he’s rolling out an expanded menu, and also launching Taco Tuesdays and Fish Fry Fridays. (And keep reading to find out about his Fireman’s Parade Day specials.)
Munchie’s Roc City Empanadas may have just opened its first brick-and-mortar location, but the brand has a long history rooted in resilience and creativity.
Luis first tried to open a restaurant in the early 1990s, setting up shop on Clinton Avenue in downtown Rochester. Unfortunately, sales were slow, and he quickly found himself in financial trouble, just days away from shutting down.
Then came the phone call that changed everything.
A worker from a nearby construction crew ordered a meal for delivery. As soon as he started eating, his coworkers took notice, and they all placed their own orders. On the way back to prepare the food, Luis had a game-changing realization: if customers wouldn’t come to him, he’d bring the food to them.
He began packaging $5 and $10 meals and drove around his neighborhood, selling them out of the trunk of his car to patrons and employees at local businesses. He developed a loyal following, with customers looking forward to his regular visits. The demand grew so strong that he eventually stopped selling from the front of the restaurant entirely; his mobile method was more profitable and far more successful.
Then COVID hit. His usual stops closed their doors or no longer allowed outside vendors. So Luis pivoted once again, investing in a food truck. It needed a lot of work, but before long, Munchie’s Roc City Empanadas was officially on the road, and business has been rolling ever since.
Luis is a Village of Webster resident, so when it came time to take the next step and open his first Munchie’s Roc City Empanadas restaurant, the village was a natural choice.
“We’re home,” he said. “Webster is my place.”
He’s excited to share his passion for empanadas with the community, so keep an eye out for him at local festivals and special events. He’s already cooking up a special for this Thursday, Fireman’s Parade Day: his empanada-and-side combo, normally $15, will be just $10 that day. Individual sides will go for $5. And don’t forget to grab some fried dough while you’re at it. After all, it is carnival time.
Now that he’s in Webster, though, don’t expect Luis to sit still for long. He said,
This branding, this logo will go everywhere. By the time it’s over with, Penfield, Fairport, Irondequoit, Greece, Pittsford, all the surrounding suburbs will have a Roc City Empanada restaurant. That’s our goal in the next couple years. … We want everybody to have this experience.
We started in the city, in the middle of everything. Now we want to go out in the circle and have everybody experience what it is to eat a Roc City Empanada.
Webster is fortunate that Luis Carrasquillo has chosen our village to be the launchpad for his future success, serving as ground zero as Roc City Empanadas heats up the Rochester food scene.
Munchie’s Roc City Empanadas is located at 9 South Ave. in the Village of Webster. For now, the restaurant is open every day, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., until Luis can gauge the flow of the neighborhood and see what hours best suit his customers. Keep tabs on his Facebook page and website for details about the hours, when and if they change. You can also call (585) 435-6848.
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After missing last year’s XRX Amateur Radio Club Field Day completely last year because I was out of town, I was pleased to be able to pop by this year’s event, held Saturday through Sunday, June 28 to 29. Even still, I only had about a half hour to hang around and chat with some people before leaving town again, but it was enough to learn about some new wrinkles in the annual ham radio marathon event.
But rather than my trying to describe everything I saw, I’ll instead share with you this great follow-up report prepared by Field Day Chair Bob Karz:
(Last) weekend over 30,000 amateur radio operators (hams) throughout the country participated in an emergency preparedness exercise called “Field Day” at more than 1,000 parks and other publicly accessible sites. While nominally a civil defense preparedness exercise, it’s also a contest, an educational opportunity, and a chance to showcase our equipment and skills to the general public.
Field Day operations use generators, batteries, or solar cells for power along with temporary antennas to simulate emergency conditions. Locally the XRX Amateur Radio Club, Monroe County Amateur Radio Services, and the Rochester Amateur Radio Association joined forces to set up a Field Day site at the lower soccer fields in Webster’s Kent Park. Thirty-five amateurs took part from 2 p.m. Saturday to 2 p.m. Sunday. We made 900 contacts with other stations in every state except Alaska, and most Canadian provinces as well as Italy, France, England, Wales, Jersey (the island, not the state), and Russia. Contacts were made using voice, Morse code (yes, Morse is still used) and a computer mode called FT8. All contacts were made completely independent of the power grid and internet just as in an actual emergency.
Our site included three transmitting stations operating simultaneously using the call sign W2XRX, and a fourth station (called a “GOTA” or Get on the Air station) using the call sign WB2EOC specifically reserved for beginners. The GOTA had a full time “coach” helping the newcomers through their first contacts and kept a map showing the states they had contacted. By the end of the event, the GOTA operators had made 59 contacts with 21 states.
Field Day is also an opportunity try new things. This year our GOTA station was powered by banks of solar cells rather than the generators. GOTA also made a contact using an antenna held aloft by a kite. For the first time, we put up antenna for the main station, W2XRX, on the 160-meter band, a set of frequencies near the AM broadcast band, and made three contacts.
Amateur radio has kept up with the times more than many people realize. This year, some of us brought along SDRs (software defined radios) where most of the electrical parts are replaced by a computer. I also brought a Morse keyer (a device to send Morse code more easily than with a conventional key) which “understood” Morse. That is, the speed and other adjustments are controlled not by switches and knobs, but by sending it Morse code.
This year we also had a tutorial on a new computer mode called JS8Call. This mode allows for more informal conversations than the older FT8 which is limited to reports of signal strength and location.
Field Day is also food, conversation, and getting together with old friends. In a genuine emergency, our skills and equipment from Field Day will enable us to get on the air, sending out health and welfare messages when other methods of communication fail.
Here are some more pictures from the day (Bob took most of them):
Larry Lavery, WW2J making a contact
Visitors make a contact with help from GOTA Coach Joe DiVincenzo, AD2DB. Note the computer display and the SDR radio on the right. The laptop is for logging contacts as they are made.
Erin Platteter, AA2FO makes a GOTA Contact
Jon Dickason, N2JAC showing GOTA Progress
GOTA kite antenna
Solar power for the GOTA station
Making a GOTA contact
Next year’s Field Day is scheduled on June 27 and 28, again at Kent Park. So mark it on your calendar now and plan to stop by; they’d love to see you, tell you all about their hobby, and maybe even get you on the air.
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For today’s History Bit, we continue our stroll down Webster Museum’s recreated Main Street, passing Witmer’s, the Candy Kitchen and Mayor Hawley’s office, to discover nostalgic tribute to the service stations and dairies that once dotted our community.
At the heart of the exhibit is a colorful collection of vintage service station memorabilia, artifacts which pay homage to the many local garages and filling stations that kept Webster’s cars running smoothly for generations. Long before the days of self-service pumps and drive-through oil changes, town residents relied on friendly, full-service attendants at places like Furber’s Garage, Merz’s Sunoco and the Esso station at the village’s Four Corners. Mechanics knew their customers by name, and a quick stop for gas often turned into a neighborly chat. The exhibit also features photos and descriptions of many of the service stations.
Just across the display, Webster’s agricultural side gets equal billing. Before sprawling neighborhoods and supermarkets, fresh milk was delivered daily by local dairies like Webster Dairy and Forest Farms Dairy. Glass milk bottles bearing familiar names and phone numbers bring back memories of clinking crates left on doorsteps.
Together, the memorabilia offer a window into a time when Webster was a small, tight-knit community—when you got your car fixed down the street and your milk came from just a few roads over.
Stay tuned for the next stop on our museum tour of Webster in September when we peek into a typical farmhouse and see what life was like. In the meantime, you can find out more about the Webster Museum on their website, or stop by for a personal tour.
The Webster Museum is located at 18 Lapham Park in the village, and is open every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. There’s no admission charge.
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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).
I feature the people and places and events that make Webster the wonderful community it is — and throw in some totally-not-Webster-related personal ramblings every once in a while as well.
I love it when readers send me news about the great things happening in their schools or the community, so please email me anytime at missyblog@gmail.com
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