Webster community mailbag

8 Jul

mailbag iconThere’s a lot of good eating and great family fun in today’s mailbag.

The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, 1130 Webster Road (at the corner of State Road) will host a drive-thru takeout chicken dinner sale on Thursday July 12 from 4 to 6 p.m. Dinners will be cooked up by Heintzelman’s BBQ Pit of Ontario. They cost $12, and include a half-side of chicken, salt potatoes, cole slaw and cornbread.

Proceeds will benefit the church’s Outreach Committee which supports local charities in the greater Rochester area.

* * *

Here are a few fun notes from our friends at the Webster Public Library:

  • First, keep an eye out for them in the Webster Firemen’s Parade on Thursday July 12. One of the librarians will be riding the Book Bike and be giving out free books at the end of the parade. (What’s not to love?) Don’t know about the parade? Check out my previous blog.
  • Did you get a chance to see the terrific “We All Have a Story” photography exhibit at the library in May and June? The display highlighted images by local portrait photographer — and school district staff member —  Linda Hayes and was very well received.

On Thursday July 19 from 6 to 7 p.m. you can meet Linda herself as she discusses her process as a photographer. What motivates her? What inspires her? How did she get those great images!? You’ll hear about the project and her work from start to finish.

Registration is requested by visiting the Webster Library website. Date:

  • And one final note from the library: They’ll be at the Joe Obbie Farmer’s Market on Saturday July 28, and hosting a Cookbook Swap. Bring a cookbook you don’t use much anymore and you can swap it out for another one.

The Joe Obbie Farmer’s Market runs from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. every Saturday through October 27, rain or shine, in Webster Towne Center (Kohl’s/Target plaza). Check out the Joe Obbie Farmer’s Market website and Facebook page for details.

* * *

St. Martin Lutheran Church is holding a Pulled Pork Drive Thru BBQ on Saturday, July 21 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. Proceeds support the church’s annual Christmas Stocking Project reaching over 500 children and teens in Monroe and Wayne counties.

St. Martin Lutheran Church is located at 813 Bay Road in Webster.

* * *

Finally, the First Baptist Church of Penfield would like me to tell you about their upcoming Vacation Bible School.

This year the week has a superhero theme, with activities to help children have “super speech, fantastic conduct, to share incredible love, lightning fast faith and magnificent purity.”

The First Baptist Church of Penfield’s Vacation Bible School is August 6 to 10, form 98 a.m. to noon, and is open to children ages 4 through 11. Cost is $25 per child, or $50 per family. To register call the office at (585) 586-2876 or visit the church’s website.

The First Baptist Church of Penfield is located at 1862 Penfield Road.

* * *

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

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.

Tags: , , , ,

New East Main shop caters to artists

7 Jul
IMG_20180706_123735457

One of two incredible murals which grace the walls of Press On Main.

East Main Street is beginning to come alive again, at least a little bit, and Press On Main is leading the way — very colorfully, I might add.

The new screen print shop/artists’ corner, owned by Noah Calieri and Cory Ward,  opened in May in the old Singh Mart at 21 East Main Street. They even hosted a soft opening celebration on June 22, complete with food, live music and raffles.

But all of that actually happened so quietly that I didn’t even know about it until last week, when a friend of mine noticed the shop and told me about it.

But despite its low-key introduction to our village, I think Press On Main is going to make a splash very soon.

Walk into the new shop on the corner of East Main and Lapham Park and the first thing you notice is an explosion of color. Aside from a few t-shirt racks and Calieri’s desk, the front of the shop is still rather bare. The walls, on the other hand, are bursting with color from murals and art pieces. But you probably won’t recognize any of the artists’ signatures, and that’s by design.

IMG_20180706_123601880

Noah Calieri in his shop

Calieri says the main purpose of his shop is as a “showcase for the amateur artist, somebody that’s not already selling their art….It’s awesome that people just make art and nobody looks at a lot of it. I want that to be where the spotlight is.”

So he envisions having a lot of “little” art shows to highlight these occasional artists and help them celebrate their work. He’s even playing around with the adorable idea of having an art show for toddlers or maybe a stick-figure competition. He’d hang their “art” on the walls, and have all the kids come together for an art-themed play date.

But as much as Press On Main is about artists, it’s mostly about screen printing. Calieri is first and foremost a graphic designer and screen printer. His services are geared especially for businesses and organizations who need smaller lots of t-shirts, like for staff members or 5K races. But what he’s really hoping to do is use his screen-printing expertise to help artists recreate their art, duplicate it and display it on a variety of media.

“I’ll give (artists) a service to do posters, t-shirts, just about any media that we can put a print on,” even including things like canvas or wood. The options are really endless. Just check out the rainbow-colored cowboy hats in the front window.

Calieri is still finishing up some paperwork with the town, so he can’t sell anything from his storefront quite yet. And he doesn’t even have any regular hours; they’ll be established when he has his grand opening, tentatively planned for early August.

But when you see the front door propped open, make sure to stop in and say hi to Noah. Then keep an eye on this little shop, because I think it’s going to do big things for our village.

Press On Main is located at 21 East Main Street in the village of Webster. They’re not on Facebook or have a website yet, but you can connect with them on Instagram at 21EMainArt.

* * *

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

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.

Plank North students in the news

6 Jul

IMG_1343

Just a quick shout-out to two young Plank North Elementary School students who were recently featured on WROC-TV news.

Gabby and Mia Fallone were interviewed on the July 4th, 5:30 p.m. newscast about the school’s recent Jar Wars competition, which was held in anticipation of the end-of-year Field Day.

There’s a dunk tank at the Field Day every year, and every year a handful of teachers vie for the honor of being the one to get dunked. Their photos are plastered to a series of jars set up in the school’s front hallway, and students drop their coins and dollars into the jar of the teacher they’d like to see in the tank. All the proceeds are donated to Golisano Children’s Hospital.

Jar Wars raised $246.38 this year for the hospital. Gabby and Mia presented the check in person last week, and the event was covered by WROC.

Click here for a link to the video.

* * *

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

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.

 

Tags: , ,

Make a rain barrel — be an H20 hero

5 Jul

shipbuilders creek

Early last week I attended a Town of Webster meet-and-greet at the public library, where I met Sydney VanWinkle, who was representing an environmental organization called H20Hero.org. They’re working hard to protect our local water supplies, a precious natural resource.

One of their primary focuses right now is an area called Shipbuilders Creek Watershed, which encompasses (very roughly) the area from Bay Rd. east to Five Mile Line Rd., and Plank Rd. north to the lake. (See the map for specifics.)

When she found out that I live in the watershed, Sydney’s eyes got really big. It’s homeowners like me, who live in the watershed, that she’s particularly interested in reaching, because if we each do a little bit, together we can help their cause immensely.

Here’s a little background information from the brochure I picked up:

Shipbuilders Creek is an eight square mile watershed…discharging into Lake Ontario.

Over the years, the original land use of the watershed has gone from primarily agricultural to a mix of residential and commercial use, including relatively heavy commercialized areas along Empire Boulevard and Ridge Road.

Unfortunately, as the community developed, the value of the Creek as a resource was not always recognized, Sections have been piped, and water quality declined because of pollution from storm runoff.

And this is what we can do:

You can help restore Shipbuilders Creek by making your home part of the solution to storm water pollution. Storm water runoff from roofs and driveways transports pollutants including fertilizers, herbicides, grass clippings, sediment, automotive fluids and bacteria to the Creek.

Downspout connections, rain barrels, rain gardens and streamside plantings are easy ways you can capture and reuse rainwater, or soak it into the grounds, so that it does not become storm water runoff.

rain barrellThere’s a really good opportunity for you to find out more about all of this, and make a rain barrel for your own home, coming up at the Webster Public Library.

On Tuesday July 17, the library will host a Rain Barrels and Rain Gardens Workshop beginning at 6 p.m. Any and all town residents — especially those who live in the Shipbuilders Creek watershed — are encouraged to attend.

In addition to learning about rain barrels and rain gardens, participants will build their own rain barrel which they can then take home with them and start putting to good use.

All tools and materials will be supplied at the workshop. Workshop fee is $40/rain barrel. Pre-registration is required. To do so, click here.  Residents from the watershed area will also receive a $30 gift card for plantings.

If you can’t wait until then to find out more, Sydney will be at the Joe Obbie Farmer’s Market this Saturday July 7, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Webster Towne Center (Kohl’s/ Target Plaza) on Holt Road.

In the meantime, you can read more about the project by clicking here, or email Sydney directly at srv7357@rit.edu.

* * *

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

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.

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Webster Firemen’s Parade 2018 — the details

4 Jul

firetrucks

This morning I noticed that a lot of people were clicking on the blog I wrote in May about the village’s Memorial Day parade. I suspect that people REALLY don’t want to know about that parade, but instead are searching for information about the upcoming Firemen’s Parade.

So here, quickly, are the details. I’ll write a more complete blog about the parade and the carnival itself soon.

The Webster Firemen’s Parade begins at 6:30 p.m., Thursday July 12 from the corner of Phillips and Ridge roads, travels west down Main Street, ending at Firemen’s Field in the village.

This is a huge parade. It will last 90 minutes or more. People start staking out their viewing spots the night before. If the weather stays this nice, you won’t want to miss it. Even if it’s not this nice, you won’t want to miss it.

* * *

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

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.

Tags: ,

Village looks to upgrade two of its parks

30 Jun

If you’re a fan of our village parks, here’s something that might interest you:  Our village administrators are looking to make improvements to two of them, Schantz Park on State Rd. and Veterans Memorial Park (Gazebo Park) on North Ave.

A lot of changes are being proposed, all of which can be seen in the photos I’ve included above. You can also click here to see a detailed .pdf document:  2018.06.26 DRAFT Webster Parks Public Meeting. But here are some of the highlights:

Improvements to Schantz Park would focus mostly on the southeast portion of the park, adjacent to State Road. The tennis courts, which are infrequently used and are in very poor repair, would be removed entirely. Replacing them would be a much larger parking lot, a pavilion and a natural play area. All would presumably make the park more comfortable and welcoming for families and fans who come to watch ball games played there.

Plans for Veterans Memorial Park are much more extensive.

The biggest change would be the addition of a sidewalk encircling the entire grassy area of the park, expanding into a larger paved area directly in front of the gazebo. The idea here is to encourage better circulation and additional seating area, with the added benefit of providing easier access for those with disabilities.

The veteran’s memorial itself and its gardens would be moved from the southeast corner of the park to the northeast. And fear not, the park will still have a clock, although chances are very good it’s going to be replaced with something as handsome, but a lot less troublesome.

Sculptures, additional plantings, a rain garden, and a decorative gateway will make things look pretty.

While plans have been sketched out for both parks, right now the village is only planning to try for a state grant to work on Veterans Park, and focus on Schantz Park some time in the future.

The proposed upgrades come from recommendations provided by a six-member advisory committee comprised of village and local business representatives. Matt Chatfield, Executive Director of the Webster Economic Development Alliance, explained that the public meeting was the next step in the “quick concept phase” of the proposal.

“The grant application is just the first of many steps in this process,” he said. “If the Village is awarded funding, there will be several additional public involvement opportunities prior to any final design and construction.”

Of course this is going to be a long process (anything involving government administration usually is). The grant application isn’t due until the end of July, and we won’t know until December if we’ve been awarded any funds. If so, then there’s an entire year-long park design process. Construction wouldn’t even begin until late 2020.

No other information/comment gathering sessions are planned at this point. However, if you’d like to share your opinions about the planned improvements, you can fill out this form here. (It only asks your thoughts about Veterans Memorial Park because it’s the only one on the table for now.)

* * *

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

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.

 

Tags: , ,

Webster mini mailbag

26 Jun

Just two quick events I want to highlight today which came across my email box recently.

art-festThe first is the third annual Webster Waterfront Art Festival, which will return to North Ponds Park on July 28 and 29.

The event features artists from all over Monroe County, food trucks, entertainment, a wine tasting booth and more.

I’ve enjoyed walking the paths these last two years, checking out the artisans, listening to music, and actually picking up a few Christmas presents along the way. It was a great day when Webster landed this event, and it has been an outstanding addition to the town’s summer events calendar. Don’t miss it if at all possible.

I’ll be posting more details in my blog in the weeks ahead, but in the meantime, you can check out the website here.

* * *

CaptureSummer is also reunion time, and just yesterday I was informed that plans for the R.L. Thomas Class of 1978 40th reunion are under way.

You can check out the flyer to the left for the details, but here they are anyway:

  • Date: Saturday September 8
  • Time: 4 p.m.
  • Location: Ukranian Cultural Center, Jackson Road, Penfield
  • Includes: Buffet dinner, cash bar, laughs, fun times, embarrassing memories and photos.
  • Cost $28 per person.

Registration deadline is August 31. You can download the form and mail it in, but if you do that and it’s hard to read…. well, we Webster kids are smart; I’m sure you’ll figure out another way to register.

Keep up on all the latest details at the RL Thomas Class of 1978 Facebook page and make sure to spread the word!

* * *

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

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.

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

Community meetings scheduled this week

24 Jun

 

welcome to webster

So I came across some information mostly by chance about a few community meetings coming up that I think everyone should know about.

The first is the Town of Webster Community Meet & Greet, Monday June 25 from 7 to 8 p.m. in the community room at the Webster Public Library.

Participants will get a chance to meet their state, county and town elected officials, along with first responders and leaders of several community organizations, including the Webster Special Police, who will be recruiting new officers during the event.  It’s a good chance to learn about upcoming projects and ask questions. Bring the kids, too, because there’s going to be some crafts set up for them.

Then on Tuesday June 26, the Village of Webster will host an Open House Meeting at the Community Meeting Room, 28 W. Main Street, to discuss updates to some of the local parks, and other plans for the village.

The meeting is scheduled from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

I’m planning to be at both meetings, so I hope to see you there!

* * *

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

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.

Tags: , , , ,

There’s a new chicken in town

23 Jun

IMG_8693So have you seen the handsome new rooster that’s standing outside BC’s Chicken Coop on West Main Street?

At six feet tall, and made of metal, he’s really colorful, and his name is Tucker.

The story about how Tucker came to grace the Coop’s front sidewalk is a delightful one. My daughter Erin, who writes the Village Beat column for the Webster Herald, dug up the details, and wrote:

Tucker is named for Brian Tucker, a good friend and customer of the Coop who had recently reached out to Brandie and Chris with an offer to help. While they appreciated it, they hadn’t any need for his services. Still, Brian wanted to help somehow, and recently there had been a post on the restaurant’s Facebook page referencing a rather large metal rooster.

Now, Chris and Brandie had been eyeing the bird, but unfortunately couldn’t bring themselves to go and buy it from Tractor Supply. Then they got a call from Brian.

Wanting to help somehow, Brian bought the rooster himself from Tractor Supply, much to the surprise of those at the Coop who had been busy working at the time. They had no idea what was happening until they simply got the call from Brian telling them to make their way out to Tractor Supply and pick up their newly-acquired rooster.

Tucker is just the latest addition to what has become THE place to go in the village of Webster for great fried chicken and ribs (and lots more, like their cornbread, which is my favorite).

Owners Christina Wasson and Brandie Rauber moved to their current location at 159 West Main Street last July after spending six and a half years at a much smaller location on South Avenue. They — and their business — have weathered a lot while building their business, and through it all have become strong supporters of our Webster community.

It’s great to see them getting back some of that love in return.

Stop by BC’s Chicken Coop sometime and say hi to Tucker. Then stop in and get some awesome fried chicken.

* * *

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

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.

Tags: , , , ,

Will Ridge Road get a Country Max?

20 Jun

Representatives from Country Max, a Rochester-based garden supply and pet supply store, were on hand at the Webster Planning Board meeting Tuesday night to present their plans to build a store on the southwest corner of Ridge and Hatch roads.

The proposal includes constructing a 26,000-foot building with outdoor nursery, bag yard and parking lot on a 6.72-acre parcel (which is actually comprised of two lots, at 1165 Hatch and 711 Ridge). Two entrances will be included, one off of Ridge and the other off of Hatch.

The plan is already getting a lot of attention. About a dozen town residents attended the meeting to hear the proposal. Several of them were residents of the cul-de-sac on Bishops Lane; the large store will be built pretty much in their back yards.

After an engineer representing Country Max presented the plans, many of those in attendance approached the podium to ask questions and express their concerns. Among them were:

  • noise levels from equipment and trucks
  • buffer space between the houses and the store
  • increase in traffic on Ridge and Hatch roads
  • intrusive lighting
  • maintenance of the buffer zone (which will include a mowed area and retention ponds)
  • possible unsightliness from discarded pallets and heavy equipment behind the store

There was a lot of discussion especially about the amount of buffer space between the Bishops Lane homes and the store, and what Country Max was planning to do to maintain some of the wild area in the buffer zone and conceal the back of the store from the nearby homes.

One woman simply asked “Why?” Why does Country Max need to build a brand new store in Webster less than a mile from Thomas Landscaping, less than three miles from Lowe’s, and when there are already Country Max stores in Fairport and Ontario.

“What’s wrong with some green grass on Ridge Road instead of just commercial here and commercial there?” she asked. “The Town of Webster is becoming the Mall of Webster.”

Another resident added to that thought by wondering why they were constructing a new building rather than moving into the empty Kmart or Grossman’s.

The Country Max representatives did their best to answer the residents’ concerns.

In addition to a 50-foot town-owned strip of green space on the north side of the cul-de-sac, the store will have a 100-foot buffer, they said. The store is only open during the daytime hours (no later than 8 p.m.) and there won’t be any after-hours loading. Lighting will not be intrusive, they assured the residents; even the after-hour security lighting will be pointing down, and the parking lot lighting will be pointing mostly to the north.

As for concealing the store from the residents’ back yards, Country Max is already planning a stand of evergreens along some of the back lot line. Several people asked that those trees be extended along the entire lot line, a proposal which the Planning Board members seemed to think was reasonable.

With regards to traffic, Country Max will be working with both the State of New York (which is responsible for Ridge Road) and the Town of Webster (responsible for Hatch Road). They don’t expect the increase in traffic to be significant enough to warrant a traffic study.

Planning Board Chairman Anthony Casciani even said that during busy hours, the existing traffic light at Hatch Road, and the ability to exit onto Hatch Road would both help.

The representatives also address the “Why?” question.

“We’re actually returning to Webster,” he said.  “We’re happy to be back, part of the Webster community. We’ll try to be as likable as we can, promise not to close other businesses down, (to be a) friendly competitor. It’s a great community to be involved in.”

The planning board meeting marks just the beginning of what will probably be a pretty long process. According to the engineer, if and when Country Max receives approval, construction won’t begin until at least the fall.

The discussion will continue at another public hearing scheduled for Tuesday night Aug. 7, at 7 p.m. at the Town Board Room in the VanIngen Court Building, 1002 Ridge Road (that’s the one in back that used to be the library).

* * *

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

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.

Tags: , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →