A personal invitation to participate in Relay for Life

21 May

If you still haven’t heard about Relay for Life, then you’ve been living under a rock.

The Relay is an annual fund-raiser for the American Cancer Society in which teams pledge to walk around a track for 12 straight hours in honor of those who have fought or are still fighting the battle against cancer.  This year’s event is being held June 1-2 at the Webster Thomas High School track. A lot of teams have signed on so far, but more support is still needed.

I am pleased to pass along this notice from Robyn Whittaker, Webster’s biggest Relay for Life cheerleader and CRO (Chief Relay Officer) for the village’s Relay for Life team:

If you haven’t ever been to the Relay because you think it’s a race, you should know the the only “race” is to the cure.  We invite the community to come out that night and see what we are all about.

The evening starts out by celebrating our survivors and then our caregivers as they start off the laps before the teams take the track. Each team differs in their numbers but not in their quest to help fight cancer. Entertainment , games at the team campsites along with fun ways to raise money fill up the time until 10pm when the Remember ceremony starts. The ceremony is heartfelt and touching and the silent lap led by a bagpiper in the darkness, lit only by luminaria honoring or remembering our loved ones, brings out many tears.

Fun laps take over and continue through the night to keep those who are not catching a few zzz’s in their tents on the track and having fun. Midnight brings on the Fight Back ceremony as participants learn how they can help fight cancer with lifestyle changes.

The event wraps up at 6am with those who chose to stay the whole night, packing up and feeling good about what they did. After all, cancer never sleeps.

Please come out to Thomas High School on June 1st at 6pm and join the event!!

Couldn’t have said it any better myself. For more information about Webster’s Relay for Life, click here.

 

Public input requested on planned village traffic improvements

20 May

The Village of Webster is considering making major improvements in traffic patterns for pedestrians, bicycles and automobiles, and is now inviting residents to weigh in on the plans.

A public meeting will be held on Wednesday June 5 to provide the public with a chance to review and comment on draft recommendations for suggested improvements to West Main and North Avenue.

The public meeting will include a presentation by study consultants about the village’s transportation characteristics and conditions, and evaluations of traffic flow, parking, and pedestrian and bicycle safety.  It will be followed by a discussion of village transportation needs as expressed by area residents.

Finally, recommended strategies and improvements will be presented for public comment. Preliminary recommendations include major changes at the Route 104/ North Avenue interchange and changes to East and West Main Streets. (Scroll down to see renderings of the proposed changes.)

This meeting is part of a major study of transportation in the village being funded by the Genesee Transportation Council in conjunction with the village’s new Comprehensive Plan. Its purpose is to improve circulation, accessibility, parking, and safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists in the village.

According to the release I received, during the development of the Comprehensive Plan,

the public expressed considerable concern about the lack of vitality and limited consumer buying opportunities in the business district; the location of parking and the perception of too little parking; generally increased traffic, as well as event-related congestion; poor signage; and the pedestrian and barrier and safety issues created by Route 104. Moreover the continued expansion of commercial activity in the Town of Webster outside the Village is creating increased competition for Village businesses and pressuring business owners and the Village government to seek changes that will keep and attract business investment and people.

The workshop will be held Wednesday June 5 at 7 pm in the Community Meeting Hall, 29 South Avenue. For more information on the Public Workshop, contact Glenn Cooke at info@WCCED.net or by calling (585) 269-4939.

 

Plans are to put dedicated bike lanes on West Main. Click on the image to enlarge.

 

Major changes in store for the Rt. 104/North Ave. interchange. Click on the image to enlarge.

A follow-up on the clean-up

17 May

In one of my blogs a few days ago I mentioned how I recently drove by a group of Webster High School Marching Band parents and students who were cleaning up a stretch of Ridge Road.  I lamented the fact that I didn’t know about it ahead of time so I couldn’t snap any photos.

Well, a big thanks to Patty Homeier for sending along the following two photos from her team.  Patty wrote that her group of three adults and three kids worked for about an hour and a half, and collected 10 large bags of trash (and a few car parts).

They and three other groups cleaned both sides of Ridge from Hegedorns to the movie theater.

Patty also mentioned in her email that her family is new to the marching band.  I think it’s pretty cool that even though they’re new to the organization, they’re already participating in events like this.  It’s a great example of how much Webster Marching Band families are committed to this community.

Thank you to the Webster Marching Band for cleaning up our Ridge.

I love the hard hats. (L-R) Mikayla Cassidy, Theresa Homeier and Anna Halpa.

Theresa Homeier works in the woods.

 

 

Webster BID announces summer schedule

16 May

The Village’s Business Improvement District (BID) has announced its summer lineup of special events, and this year they’ve added some exciting new ones.

So go grab your calendars. I’ll wait.

…..

OK, here we go.  First let’s talk about the events you’re already familiar with.

This summer’s Friday Night Concerts in the Gazebo begin on June 14, with a performance by Keys to the Cady.  Here’s the whole schedule:

* June 14: Keys to the Cady 
* June 21: Dang
* June 28:  Electro Kings
* July 19: Bill Tibero Jazz
* July 26: An Evening of Acapella
* August 16: Rochester Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra
* August 23: Johnny B and the MVPs

All of the concerts begin at 7 pm at the gazebo in Veterans Memorial Park on North Avenue.

The Tuesday night Movies in the Park series begins on July 9 with a showing of Rise of the Guardian. This year the BID has also partnered with the Webster Public Library to help keep kids entertained with a story hour before a few of the movies. Those two are indicated below along with another special event sponsored by Barnes & Noble.

* July 9: Rise of the Guardian and Webster Library Story Hour
* July 16: Thunderstruck and Webster Library Story Hour
* July 23: Wall-E
* August 6: Cool Runnings
* August 13: Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
* August 20: The Lorax, and Barnes & Noble Dr. Seuss Night

The very popular Webster Jazz Festival returns on Saturday July 20, and Village Days returns in August for not just one, but TWO weekends. The Village Days Music Fest will take place on August 9 and 10, and the Street Festival on Saturday August 17.

Now here’s where things get exciting.

The BID is introducing two brand new events this summer which not only will bring people into the village, but will help our community at the same time.

The first is called Helping Hands, a week-long promotion from June 14-22.

Here’s how it works: Participating businesses choose one of six charities, and donate a percentage of their revenues for the entire week to that charity.

Business owners will choose from the following charities: Holy Trinity Hope House, Webster Monarch House, The Webster Museum, Relay for Life Village Team, Webster Comfort Care Home and Webster Association for Senior Program Support.

Watch for more details and advertising from individual businesses about this great effort.

The second new event is called Eat in the Village.  The dates for this are still up in the air, but it’s tentatively scheduled for every Wednesday night from mid-July to mid-August.  On these evenings, participating village restaurants will offer patrons a 10% discount on food from 4:30 pm till close.

Keep an eye on the BID website for updates on all of these events as plans come together.

I’ve put all of these events on a handy dandy calendar below which you can click on, print off and paste to your refrigerator. It looks like a wicked fun summer ahead for the village of Webster.

On a side note, I learned about all of these events from BID president Tom Spoonhower, who announced them at the last Village Board meeting. If you haven’t attended one of these meetings recently or watched them on TV, you’re missing out.  They’ve actually been very entertaining in a small-town drama sort of way.  Frankly, though, a little less drama would be in the village’s best interests.

Village Board meetings are held the second and fourth Thursday of the month in the Community Meeting Hall, 29 South Avenue. Access is off the parking lot in the back. If you’d like to catch up on some of the recent action, click here to watch video of the meetings. (The videos take a while to post, so check back regularly.)

 

An exciting opportunity for your musicians

12 May

Several days ago when I was driving through town I noticed a group of young people and adults picking up trash along Ridge Road. My first thought was, “Huh. I’ll bet that’s folks from the Webster High School Marching Band. I think this is the stretch of highway they adopted.”  That was immediately followed by my next thought, “I wonder why they didn’t tell me they were going to be doing this so I could come out and take photos?”

Ah, well. Maybe next year. But seeing them did remind me of the great new program for young musicians which the Marching Band has introduced this year.  I’ve mentioned it before, but it deserves much more attention. It’s THAT great an idea.

It’s called the Webster Kidets Marching Band, and it’s designed for 5th and 6th graders in the Webster School District who’d like to see what it’s like to be part of a real live marching band.

To participate, a student should already be playing a musical instrument in school; chorus and orchestra students are encouraged to learn a percussion instrument to play with the group.The colorguard section is open to any student.

The band will hold four practices on June 3, June 24, June 26 and July 8, and then march in the huge Firemen’s Parade on July 10.  Brass, woodwind and percussion musicians are invited to sign up, as well as students interested in performing with the Kidets colorguard.

Registration is $30 per student, which includes a parade uniform (t-shirt) which the student can keep. The program can provide drums, mellophones, euphoniums and colorguard flags.  Flutes, clarinets, saxophones, trumpets and trombones must be provided by the students.

What a wonderful opportunity this is for young musicians to get a taste of the excitement and pride that comes with being part of a marching band.

For more details, including rehearsal times, log onto the Webster Kidets webpage.

 

You know how I ramble…

11 May

Don’t expect to find much point in today’s blog. It’s one of those times when I just have a whole bunch of disparate thoughts that need to be put down on paper — or more accurately, digitized.

That old abandoned barn which has stood for years on Ridge Road across from Webster Plaza is finally coming down. It makes me kind of sad. I always respected that old place. It stood proudly for so long, despite the slow encroachment of weeds, traffic and commerce. It was almost as though it was thumbing its nose at progress, forcing us all to remember back to simpler times when residents would walk across that property to bale some hay, not to pick up a prescription at Rite Aid.

There was a photo and caption in the Webster Herald a few weeks ago about the demolition. It noted that the Webster Museum Historic Properties Committee had learned that “the barn is being dismantled by Dutton Properties of Springwater, and the boards and beams will be reused.” Apparently this is “GREAT NEWS FOR PRESERVATION MONTH (May) in Webster!”

Well, I can see that the Preservation Committee would be pleased about plans to re-purpose the wood, but I wonder if they’re happy that it’s coming down.

Enough about that.

Photo courtesy Democrat and Chronicle

Yesterday’s Democrat and Chronicle had two nice articles about the Christmas Eve tragedy which you might have missed. One of them was about a Lake Road resident whom we hadn’t heard about before, who helped Joseph Hofstetter escape the scene in his truck after he was injured. Read that story by clicking here.

The second is about “Chip” Chiapperini.  The Greece Police Department new canine officer has been officially named “Chip” in his honor. Read that story here.

Moving on….

Congratulations to Webster Thomas and Webster Schroeder High Schools for being named — once again — to Newsweek magazine’s list f top 2,000 best high schools in the nation.

The ranking is based on six components, including graduation rates, college acceptance rates. average SAT/ACT scores, percent of students enrolled in AP courses, and other test rankings.

Both schools significantly improved their rankings from 2012. This year, Webster Schroeder landed at #738, up from 867 in 2012. Webster Thomas scored even better, coming in ranked at #290. Last year, Thomas was ranked #441. Congratulations to the students and staff at both schools.

Finally, those of you fully immersed in today’s social media culture might find this interesting. Yesterday I finally signed on to LinkedIn.

The way my husband describes it, LinkedIn is kind of like Facebook for professionals. It’s a great place to network and expand your professional contacts, without the food photos, sentimental videos and political rants that pervade Facebook these days.

I also think it’s a lot like Twitter, mostly because even though I belong to the network, I really don’t know how to best take advantage of it or how it will benefit me. But I’ve been getting invitations to join the network for months now, and since I’ve got this new column gig which makes me LOOK professional, anyway, I thought I’d take the plunge.

So if you’re on LinkedIn and want to connect, send me a message. But if I don’t respond, just chalk it up to the fact I don’t know what I’m doing.

 

Relay for Life is less than a month away!

8 May

The scene in the track infield during the 2011 event. Click on the photo to see a 2011 photo gallery.

It seems like the whole town is gearing up to go big at the annual Relay for Life. As the date draws near, I’ve been hearing about it from the schools, the town and from readers.

You know all about this terrific fund-raising event, right?  If not, here’s a great explanation from the American Cancer Society:

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At Relay, teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length.

This year’s event is scheduled from 6 pm Saturday June 1 through 6 am Sunday June 2, at the Webster Thomas High School track.  The first order of business are opening ceremonies, then a Survivors Lap, reserved for those who have fought cancer and won, or who are still doing battle.  Then everyone takes to the track and the event begins in earnest.

An enthusiastic walker from the 2011 event. Click on the photo to redirect to a 2011 gallery.

If you’ve never been to Relay for Life, you will not believe the happy carnival atmosphere that pervades the event. I attended for the first time a few years ago and was changed forever. I wrote the next day,

I attended one of the most inspirational events of my life last night. It was called the Relay For Life, and it can only be described as … well, a celebration of life….

…It wasn’t just people walking around a track. It was people skipping arm-in-arm around the track. It was people dressed in silly costumes, pushing strollers, walking backwards.  Entire families walking together, old and young alike. Friends from school and work dancing to the music being piped onto the field.  There was a band, a children’s chorus, and a magician. There were balloons and banners, flags and streamers. Everyone was smiling and laughing and enjoying the company of friends and family.

It’s yet another great example of how the Webster community comes together when there’s a need.

That even includes Webster residents who can’t make it over to the track.

On the day of the Relay, residents at The Maplewood in the village of Webster will stage a two-hour “mini relay” at the facility, beginning at 10:30 am.  Gary Sacco, The Maplewood’s Director of Recreation, explains that “The object is to keep the laps going continuously for the entire two hours. This is a nice way to warm up for the full event later in the day at Webster Thomas.” Donations will be accepted to benefit the American Cancer Society.

Walkers and volunteers who’d like to accompany the residents at the event, or who’d like to help work the mini-relay track, are welcome to attend.   Call Sacco at (585) 872-1800 x4017 or email him at GSacco@visitmaplewood.com if you’re interested.

Want to find out more? Click here for more details about the American Cancer Society’s Annual Relay for Life. Consider creating a team. Join a team. Or just come by and do a lap in memory of a loved one. And while you’re there you can buy a t-shirt to show your support.

The hammocks helped!

7 May

Some of you may remember a blog I posted last July about a small business that Webster Thomas grad Colin Johnson had just begun, called Hammocks that Help. The idea was simple: Colin would purchase hammocks from a craftsman in Nicaragua, sell them here in the states, and then return half of his profits to an organization called the 4 Walls Project, which builds homes for families in rural Nicaragua.

For every 100 hammocks sold, one complete new home can be built.  The first one was planned for a young couple, Felix and Margarita, and their one-year old daughter Seyling.

I got an email the other day from Colin, reporting some happy news. I am pleased to pass the message along:

To friends/family and customers,

Thank you all for supporting Hammocks That Help. Each of you has played a part in creating a new home for Felix, Margarita, and Seyling. Their house is finally finished and this family can now sleep a little easier tonight thanks to all of you. I hope all of you are enjoying your hammock and the satisfaction you get from helping out a family in need. Every one of you has really made a difference in Felix, Margarita, Seyling’s life and they could not be more grateful or happier about their new home.

Upon completion of the home Felix said, “You can see I could never build a house like this for my family. I have no money. Please tell the Americans who have helped us that this is such a great blessing to us and we thank them all and thanks be to god also.”

Scroll down to see some photos of the new home, the young family and some of the volunteers who helped build the home.

Colin has now set his sights on the next project, a second home for a family in need. If you’re interested in purchasing a hammock to help with the effort, or would just like to find out more about Hammocks That Help, log onto hammocksthathelp.com, email info@hammocksthathelp.com or call 585-831-0702.

 

At left, Felix and Margarita (holding Seyling) stand outside their new home with some of the volunteers.

We Webster folks really know how to throw stuff out

5 May

On Saturday morning, I took advantage of the electronics recycling event held at Webster Schroeder High School. It was hosted by the Webster Health and Education Network as a fund-raiser. They were asking for $5 from everybody who came by, and you didn’t have to donate, but I was more than happy to do so. Not only is WHEN very deserving of our support, but I consider $5 a paltry sum to pay to get rid of a car-load of old laptops, televisions, phones, charger cords, alarm clocks, and other electronic whatnots that have been cluttering up my house for too long. And I also like the idea that they’ll all be disposed of properly and not wind up in landfills.

As I drove through the collection area, I was happy to see that the tractor trailer belonging to Maven Technologies (the business who will be disposing of the electronics) was already piled high with donations — mostly huge computer monitors. That was great news for both WHEN and our environment.

It reminded me of Supervisor Nesbitt’s recent column, which noted that the town’s recent pharmaceutical collection event, held on April 27, was also a huge success.

Supervisor Nesbitt wrote that the event drew more than 380 participants, who contributed more than 613 pounds of outdated drugs to be destroyed. Too often these expired prescription drugs are flushed down the drain, and when they reach Lake Ontario, they can affect not only the immediate lake environment, but also our own health.

The town has already planned another pharmaceutical collection for sometime in October, so if you missed this one, start saving up your old drugs for the fall.

In the same vein, the Town Hall has received a lot of phone calls about when the town’s next shredding event might be.  The Town Clerk’s office is working on a date to have an event sometime in late summer or early fall.  Check the Town of Webster website for details and dates.

I think it’s great that we in Webster have all of these opportunities — plus the regular hazardous materials disposal events — to do the right thing for our environment. Kudos to the Town for recognizing the importance of such things.

 

Friday mailbag

3 May

Hey Webster, you’ve got a busy couple of weeks ahead.

Tomorrow — Saturday May 4 — the Webster Nursery School is hosting a garage sale fundraiser from 9 am to 3 pm.  This is a multi-family sale with “many great items all families can use,” including toys, books, games, children’s clothing and household items. From 2-3 pm you’ll find reduced prices on everything.  Baked goods will also be available for purchase.

The sale will take place in the parking lot behind the Webster Baptist Church, 59 South Ave.

 * * *

The Friends of the Webster Public Library will hold their annual spring used book sale, next Tuesday through Saturday.

Members of the Friends are invited to a sneak peek on Tuesday from 5-8:30 pm, a perfect chance to get the best bargains right off the bat. (If you want in on that action, you’ll be able to purchase a membership that evening.)

The rest of the book-loving public can shop on Wednesday and Thursday May 8 and 9 from 10-8:30, Thursday and Friday from 10-5, and Saturday May 11 from 10-1.

And before we leave the library, here’s a fun little invitation I saw on their newly revamped website (it’s next to the photo of a cat reading a book).

 Which type of pet reads the most? Send us a picture of your pet reading a book. Whichever pet type has the most pictures reading will win and be the best reader! Send pictures to Jenny Paxson and we’ll post them on the Webster Library Facebook page and they will also go on display at the library.

Sounds like fun. But my cats only read romance novels, and that would just be embarrassing.

* * *

Have a little history with your tea on Wednesday May 8, with the Webster Museum’s History and a Cup program. Bring a sandwich — the museum will provide the coffee or tea — and hear some stories about growing up in Webster.

History and a Cup begins at noon on Wednesday, at the Webster Museum, 18 Lapham Park in the village.

* * *

The Schroeder Varsity Girls Lacrosse team needs shoes!

No, not for themselves. They’re collecting black shoes (sizes 12 to 7-8) for students at Brown’s Hall Primary School (K-6) in Jamaica. Students are in need of black gently work or new shoes to wear to school (preferably closed-toed).

Donations are being accepted through May 10, and can be dropped off in the box near the front desk just inside Schroeder’s front door.

* * *

Dahlia season is upon us. Early spring is the best time to plant the tubers so they’ll bloom in late summer and early fall, when most of the other flowering plants are fading.

The members of the Rochester Dahlia Society and other gardening groups will be selling dahlia tubers and more mature plants at the Webster Arboretum, 1700 Schlegel Road, on Saturday, May 11 from 8-12.  Other sales will be held May 12 and 26 at the Rochester Public Market and May 25 at the Rochester Civic Garden Center.

* * *

My friends at Yesterday’s Muse book store recently sent this announcement about a local author:

Now available, the recently published memoir of a Rochester soldier who fought in World War II: A Long Way from Home: The Memoir of John Cipolla, 101st Airborne Division, 1942-1945, by Matt Fox.

The recent release of The Battle in Common, another locally-focused account of World War II, enjoyed a huge response. Fox’s work chronicles some of the same events, but from the perspective of one soldier. From the back cover:

“In 1942, shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, John Cipolla saw a recruiting poster for the airborne infantry outside of the recruiting office in his Rochester, NY neighborhood and signed up. After months of grueling training, he shipped out for Europe with the newly-formed 101st Airborne Division. The year he spent in Europe would be the most momentous year of his life. He took part in Operation Overlord, parachuting into Normandy the night before troops hit the beaches, and parachuted into Holland for Operation Market Garden. He was with the 101st at Bastogne, when they shivered in the snow and fought desperately to keep the Germans who surrounded them at bay. This book is John’s story, told from his perspective as a private in C Company of the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment.”

The book was written over a period of nearly seven years, during which time Fox interviewed Mr. Cipolla extensively, and performed exhaustive research to fill in gaps of chronology and verify facts. It was published last year by Mr. Fox through Amazon’s CreateSpace publishing service.

The book costs $10, and is available for purchase at Yesterday’s Muse Books, 32 W Main St in Webster, NY. Inquiries by phone or e-mail are welcome: 585-265-9295; yesterdays.muse@gmail.com.

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