Wednesday morning smiles

20 Sep

Here’s a quick little bit of silliness for your Wednesday morning to help propel you through the rest of the week.

This fun video features the great people I work with at Schlegel Road Elementary School. Thank you to principal Francine Leggett and AP Robin Jennings for putting it together.

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Click here to see our Schlegel Road video

The video, by the way, was inspired by one made several years ago by Todd Stahl of my Webster Thomas High School family. It’s still a classic. You can see that one here.

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Click here to see the Thomas video. 

 

Don’t let anyone tell you that we don’t enjoy our jobs here in Webster.

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Tuesday Webster mailbag

19 Sep

mailbagI’d like to begin today’s mailbag by welcoming one of the village’s newest businesses, MJ Gabel Advisors & Trustees of Fine Jewelry.

MJ Gabel is in the process of moving to the village from their location in Ontario, where they’ve been for six years.  As they have grown, they realized the need for more space, and Webster fit the bill.

Right now they’re renovating their new space, which they tell me is “in the heart of the village.”

They added, “Our new location will allow our staff the ability to work more efficiently, and allow our local clients more space to meet with their dedicated diamond specialist.”

Stay tuned for word about their official opening.

Chicken Till it’s Gone

The First Baptist Church of Penfield’s Chicken Barbecue is Saturday, September 30 from 2 till 6 pm (or sold out). Chickens will be prepared on site by Gale-Wyn Catering. Dinners are $10.50 and include a half barbecued chicken, coleslaw or macaroni salad, salt potatoes, roll and butter, plus a dessert. Guests can eat in or take out, and the facility is handicapped accessible.

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

Double Down

 

The Webster Lions Club will hold its semi-annual Texas Hold’Em charity poker event on Friday October 6 at the Elks Club, 7 Barrett Drive in Webster.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the event begins at 7 p.m. Cost is $40 ($45 at the door) for buy-in and $20 re-buy. First-place winner will take home $500, $150 for second-place and $50 for third.

All proceeds will benefit Webster Lions Club charities. For information call 585-234-5480 or email websterlionsclub@gmail.com.

Miracle Field Fund-Raisers

Two great events coming up in the next few weeks will benefit Miracle Field.

The first is the 3rd Annual Run Walk & Roll 5k and 1 mile stroll on October 8. This is an all-inclusive family-friendly event in which wheelchairs, gait trainers, adaptive bicycles and tricycles and other assistive devices are welcome.

The courses start and end at Webster Thomas High School 800 Five Mile Line Road.

Registration begins at 8 a.m., the 5K kicks off at 9:30 and the one-mile stroll at 9:35. To register online, click here.

The second event is an artisan dinner scheduled for October 12.

The exclusive dinner will be held at the Webster Arboretum and feature Jim Markeas, Winemaker, Mallee Estate Winery, Australia and Noé Perez, US Brand Ambassador, Bodegas Iliana & Bodegas Lambuena, Spain. They’ll be introducing guests to fine wines from across the globe.

The dinner begins at 6:30 and tickets are $40 per person. Click here for tickets

Oktoberfest at the UCC

OKTOBERFEST CELEBRATION 2017 at Webster UCC!
The Webster United Church of Christ’s annual Oktoberfest is almost here.

Oktoberfest is a German celebration that takes place when the late summer/early fall crops are harvested, it is also a time to tap barrels of wine and brew that had been sealed the year before. Communities gather to give thanks for blessings received. There is music for singing and dancing, tables are laden with food and drink – and a feeling of “gemutlichket” rules the day.

The members of the United Church of Christ, Congregational of Webster will honor those traditions as they celebrate Oktoberfest on Saturday, October 14 from 6 – 9 p.m. in the church’s Congregational Hall. There will be music for singing and dancing – plus a performance by members of a local German dance troupe.

Tickets are $5.00 per person, and German specialties like schnitzel, sauerkraut, potato salad, bratwurst, and desserts like apple strudel and black forest cake will be available for purchase.

Call the church office at 585-671-3757 to reserve your ticket or to get more information.

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New 5K will benefit Wayne Middle School

17 Sep

There’s a new race in town, and it sounds like it’s going to be a lot of fun.

color run(BTW, when I say “in town,” I mean Ontario. And when I say “race,” I mean an un-timed 5K and 1-mile fun run/walk. But the fun part? That’s totally accurate.)

It’s called the My School Color Run, and it’s being sponsored by the parent/teacher organization at Wayne Central Middle School as a fund-raiser to help offset the costs for the school’s 8th grade trip to Washington, DC.  Throughout the course participants will experience color splash zones where they’ll be doused in color and end with a final color toss celebration. (That’s the super fun part.)

The race is scheduled for Sunday morning, October 8, at Wayne Middle School, 6076 Ontario Center Road, Ontario. Check-in starts at 8:30 a.m. and the race starts at 10 a.m.

Cost for the 5K is $20 for Wayne Central students, $30 for general community members, and $15 for the 1-mile run/walk. Race-day registration will be available, but prices go up after Sept. 22 to $30/$45. Early registrants are also guaranteed a t-shirt and color pack.

To register online, click here.

There are also going to be vendors and at least one food truck. Bottom line, it should be a great time, for a good cause.

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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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Last minute mailbag reminders

16 Sep

mailbag

This morning is the last chance you have to score some awesome deals at the Hope Ministry Garage Sale Fundraiser in Murphy Hall behind Holy Trinity Church, 1460 Ridge Road in Webster. Everything is HALF OFF TODAY, and it runs only from 10 am to noon.

So start your errands early this morning and get out to the sale.

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Last call for the first-ever Webster Beer Walk, which takes place tonight in the village.

The Webster BID is hosting this event by popular demand after the Wine Walks were so well attended. It takes place TONIGHT from 4 to 7 p..m and the weather looks awesome. This is a great chance to visit some businesses you’ve never been in before (or never knew existed) for samples of beers and spirits.

Pub 235 and Salvatore’s will be the hosts on the North Ave side and Artecho, R Salon, beer mugWebster Hots, Burkes, Barry’s, Sweet Wood Barbecue and the Coach will entertain you in the Village center. Just to the West BC’s Chicken Coop, Webster Interiors and Dr. Stan Drabik will welcome you into their business and provide music.

Some of the brands you’ll enjoy include Stoneyard, Laqunitas, Triphammer, Apple Country Spirits, and Brewery Ommegang. Tickets are available at the Coach Sports Forum (our sponsor for the event), for $15 (cash only) or online at www.websterbid.com.

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The Webster Christian School Alumni Dinner is being planned for Saturday October 7 at 5:30 p.m. Alumni from 1980s to 1990s are invited. On Sunday, all attendees are invited to a service at Webster Bible Church at 10:30, which will be followed by a group outing.

The location of the dinner will be determined as soon as organizers have a good idea how many people will be coming. If you’re interested in attending, contact Michelle (DiMora) Ruggieri at ruggieri@frontiernet.net.

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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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Coming together as one

14 Sep

 

red car

Today, I share a short story about community.

My husband Jack and I were riding along the 104 bike path early Wednesday evening. We were headed east near Five Mile Line Road when we came upon a small car in the ditch. The driver, a 30-ish woman, had swerved to avoid another car which had cut her off, and ended up going off the side of the road. The tracks in the mud indicated her car traveled a good 100 feet or more before it stopped.

Being first on the scene, we immediately parked our bikes and ran to check on the passengers, which also included a young girl and a 3-month old baby.  Everyone was all right, although Mom was understandable pretty shaky. We chatted with the driver and I called 911.

Before we knew it, another three cars had stopped by the side of the road and four more people joined us. Everyone immediately fell into a different role.

One woman knelt down near the driver-side door for what seemed like forever, patiently comforting the driver and eventually convincing her to get out of the car and stand up on the bike path.

One man guided the young girl and her little brother up to the path, while another helped the driver contact her boyfriend to come pick her up.

Jack helped coordinate, I held the baby and kept the kids company on the bike path.

Before long, a young West Webster firefighter showed up. He and the other men worked together to pull the car out of the mud and drive it up to the side of the road. A NYS Trooper who had joined us suggested to the driver that we get her car off the highway while they waited for her boyfriend to arrive. So I slipped into the driver seat and drove the family to Lowe’s.

In the end, everything turned out OK. No one was hurt and the car had only suffered a scratch. The real story here is how caring people are.

Everyone who rushed to help came as strangers, and left as strangers. But for 45 minutes of our lives, we were one community — one family — simply helping someone who needed help.

Because that’s what good people do.

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Webster remembers

12 Sep

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The Village of Webster gathered Monday night to pay honor to the men and women who lost their lives during the horrific events of September 11, 2001. About 100 residents convened in Veterans Memorial Park for the 50-minute ceremony, joined by more than 30 Webster fire fighters and first responders, Village Mayor Darrell Byerts, a handful of other state, town and village representatives, and the Chorus of the Genesee.

Mayor Byerts acted as emcee, sharing the podium with many of those representatives who added their thoughts and personal recollections from the day.  Many of those comments were directed at the ranks of first responders who stood proudly near the edge of the park. And those were the comments I considered most meaningful.

We must never forget what happened that day and the brave people who lost their lives. But it’s also important to appreciate those who still keep up safe every day.

Mayor Byerts was the first to sound that call. He asked us to remember what it was like in the hours and days after 9/11. We were a country united, helping strangers in the street, showing our patriotism by flying flags from every pole we could find. We mourned the loss of 2,977 innocent lives. Among them were 412 emergency workers, including 343 FDNY firefighters.  We publicly thanked them for their efforts.

The same thing happened when Webster suffered the loss of two of our own firefighters at the hand of a madman on December 24, 2012. We came together again as one, and showed how much we love and respect our local firefighters.

But, as Byerts noted, that public outpouring of emotion didn’t last.

“As time passes, memories fade and those appointed to protect us are forgotten,” he said. “The words ‘thank you’ are rarely spoken.”

Syed Ahmed Mustafa, president of Northeast Quadrant Advanced Life Support, further reminded us that “People don’t become heroes because of what they do one day, but because of what they do every day.”

Those are powerful thoughts. What I took from them was this:

We must never forget September 11 and keep those who lost their lives close to our hearts. But one of the best way to honor them is to appreciate those who continue to race to the scene of a horrific accident or run into burning buildings, not knowing what exactly they’re going to find.

Or, by the way, WHO they’re going to find. Because, as Ahmed said, what 9/11 taught us is that “no matter where we work, pray or play, we are all American.”

Here are several more photos from the evening:

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How ’bout we bring the scarecrow contest back?

10 Sep

IMG_20170910_093342790Hubby and I took a bike ride Sunday morning into the village, and stopped by Dunkin’ for coffee. I found this handsome fellow welcoming customers at the side door. (His name tag identified him as “Dave.”)

It made me think about the time not too many years ago when the village hosted a scarecrow contest.  I dug back into my blog archives and the latest reference I found for such an event was in 2013.

According to that blog, both business owners and community groups were invited to create scarecrows, which were then displayed along Main Street (or in front of the appropriate business). Residents could then vote for their favorite, and ballot boxes were placed all over town. First, second and third prizes were awarded.

I kind of liked that contest. It was fun to see all the creative scarecrows, and the decorated the village streets quite nicely for autumn and Halloween.

It would be neat if the village would consider doing that again. (Maybe they already are…?)

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Calling all runners (and walkers)

9 Sep
Runners brick

A trio of Barry’s Runners visits the group’s brick at Jack’s Place on the day of the playground’s grand opening.

I have blogged and column-ed several times in the past about Barry’s Runners. We are a bunch of men, women, children — and occasionally dogs — who gather every Tuesday evening at Barry’s Old School Irish Pub in Webster to go for a walk or run. After completing a pre-mapped two, three or four-mile route, we reconvene at the pub for a pint, pretzels and good conversation.

We’ve met every week now for almost a year and a half, running (and walking) through snow, cold, sleet and heat, and always at Barry’s. This week, however, we’re changing things up a bit and going on our first ever road trip.

This Tuesday evening September 12 at 6:30 p.m., Barry’s Runners will be meeting at the brand new Jack’s Place playground in Penfield’s Rothfuss Park on Five Mile Line Road.

Jack’s Place, which officially opened only a few weeks ago, is a blue, dinosaur-themed playground built by the Jack Foundation, to honor the memory of 3-year old Jack Heiligman, who lost his life tragically last October. The foundation’s primary focus is to keep Jack’s happy spirit alive by encouraging others to spread random acts of kindness.

Barry’s Runners have taken that challenge to heart. Twice the group has collected gift cards from retailers all over the area and delivered them randomly — and often anonymously — to village people and houses.  (Read the column I wrote about the first of those efforts here.)

Most recently, the group purchased an engraved brick for Jack’s Place, one of many which were installed along the playground’s entrance walkway.

Tuesday’s plan is simple: meet at Jack’s Place (Rothfuss Park, 1648 Five Mile Line Road) at 6:30 p.m. Running/walking routes will be determined ahead of time so people can choose whichever length they’d like. There’s a mile-mile long path around the perimeter of the park, so that’s probably what I’ll be doing. After the run, we can play on the playground, and/or re-convene at Barry’s for some pints and friendship.

We’ll also be starting a new collection of gift cards on Tuesday (any amount, any place) that we can pass out on a future run.

We would love to see some new faces on Tuesday evening. There will be plenty of company for anyone who wants to do a short run, a long run, or just walk.

New friends await, so please join us.

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Summer fun continues in the village

8 Sep

Summer doesn’t officially end for a few weeks, and before it does, the Village of Webster is going to squeeze every bit of fun out of the season it can.

rogue oneThe Business Improvement District will be showing Star Wars Rogue One on Saturday September 9 beginning at dusk in Gazebo Park on North Avenue. This week’s movie is sponsored by the Webster Chamber of Commerce, who will be handing out free popcorn and goodies.

On Saturday September 16, Webster will host its first-ever Beer Walk, by popular demand. From 4 to 7 p.m., stroll through the village and stop into our local merchants to sample some great beers and ciders. So far the following businesses and brews are on the schedule:

Burke’s – Sam Adams
Pub 235- Triphammer
R-salon – Apple Country Spirits – Rootstock Hard Cider
Sweetwood Barbecue – Southern Tier Brewing Company
Salvatore’s – Sierra Nevada
Coach – Ballast Point
Barry’s – Guinness

Glass pickup will be from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at The Coach Sports Bar at 19 West Main Street, and proper ID is needed. Each participant must be present to get their glass.

Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at the Webster BID website (click on the Beer Walk link). Cash sale tickets will be available at The Coach starting Monday September 11. Proceeds will be donated to Challenger Miracle Field.

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Webster Museum hosts cemetery tour

7 Sep

 

IMG_20170902_154743206

Just in time for the spooky season, the Webster Museum has put together a Webster Rural Cemetery tour for children and adults later this month.

(Actually, it’s not going to be the least bit scary, because it’s happening in the middle of the day, AND there’s a scavenger hunt involved. So basically, it sounds like it’s going to be a fun way to learn a little history.)

The tour will take place on Saturday September 23 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Webster Rural Cemetery, located at 1087 Ridge Road. Participants will begin in the chapel, tackle the scavenger hunt, and then walk around the cemetery, stopping at different graves to hear stories about some of Webster’s residents and the parts they played in the development of our community.

Cost is $5 for adults, with children 16 and under free. All proceeds will benefit the Webster Museum.  There’s no pre-registration; you can pay when you get there, so bring the whole family!

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