Ladies and gentlemen, start your wallets!

10 Oct

The time and location of the next Webster Cash Mob has officially been announced.

If you’ve never heard of a “cash mob,” the idea is simple. It’s kind of like a “flash mob,” where people show up at a specified time and perform some sort of choreographed dance routine or activity.  In a cash mob, local residents show up at a predetermined small business at a certain date and time and spend money, giving the business an economic jolt.  Mobbers typically spend $10-20 dollars.

This month’s “mob target” is The Art Stop, at 10 North Avenue in the village.  The Art Stop, open since 2003, sells fine art supplies, creative items for children, and gift items.  They also have a custom frame shop and a gallery featuring work by local artists, and offer art lessons in their second-floor studio.

The Cash Mob will descend on the Art Stop on Saturday Oct 20 from 1:00 – 3:00 pm. Afterwards, mobbers will meet at Barry’s Old School Irish for a pint and a scone.

You can find out more about this cash mob and future Webster Cash Mob efforts by “liking” the group’s Facebook page, or contact Renee Short at 585-670-9385.

 

High schools show their spirit this week

9 Oct

I got to wear pajamas to school today.

You see, it’s Homecoming Week at the Webster high schools, which means that every day this week there’s a different dress-up theme for students.  At Thomas High School, faculty members are encouraged to participate as well.  So Tuesday — Pajama Day — we all got to wear our fuzzy pajama pants, or something equally comfortable, like sweats.  Wednesday, we can dress up like superheroes or space aliens, and Thursday is “music genre” day. I’m thinking of pulling some polyester disco pants out of the box in the attic.

It all culminates on Friday with color day, when each class dresses in a different color.  When the entire student body gathers in the gym at the end of the school day for the pep rally, the effect is dramatic. The bleachers are transformed into a rainbow, enveloping the gymnasium floor. And the noise is deafening.

I know that Spirit Week at Schroeder is much the same, down to the deafening pep rally on Friday.  I think this is only the second year in which both schools have held their Homecoming celebrations in the same week, a decision which I think was long overdue.  Even though we have two high schools, we are still one community, and should make an effort to hold joint events a whole lot more often than we do.

Which is why I am really excited to see that the Homecoming Parade is back for a second year on Saturday morning.  Students will be making floats and walking with their classes, or teams, or clubs. The parade begins at Spry Middle School at 10 am and will proceed through the village.

There’s actually a whole line-up of Homecoming sporting events taking place this week, including the Schroeder Varsity football game on Friday and Thomas Varsity game on Saturday night.  Click here for the entire schedule of this week’s events.

** P.S.  Like last year, I will not be able to attend this weekend’s Homecoming Parade. So like last year, I’m asking my readers to submit photos for me to post in my blog.  If you’re interested, choose a half dozen or so of your favorites and email them to me at missyblog@gmail.com. Thanks! **

 

Making a village scarecrow? Here are some more details

8 Oct

I got an email from Webster Village Mayor Peter Elder today, which provided some more details about the Scarecrow Contest which the village has opened up to the community this year. (See my previous blog.)

Mayor Elder wrote,

The Village is pleased to be organizing the Scarecrow Contest this year. Village businesses are encouraged to make one, but this year community groups are welcome to create scarecrows as well. Scarecrows should be created as soon as possible, but no later than the 19th. The sooner they are up, the more votes they can collect. When they are created, I will need to be contact to give guidance of where they will be placed (they can also be dropped off at Village Hall).

Awards will be given first through third prizes.

Sky’s the limit on creativity (no gross, profane or lewd scarecrows), but each one must have a clear, legible label of which organization is sponsoring it so that people can vote. Ballot boxes are located at Mark’s Pizzeria, Hatters, Village Hall, the Webster Museum.  Anyone with questions can just call me at 662-9906.

Once the scarecrows are placed around the village, community members will be encouraged to vote for their favorite. The winners will be announced during the Halloween in the Village event on Saturday October 27.

Get your group together and scare a village

8 Oct

One of last year’s scarecrow entries.

The Village of Webster will host its second Scarecrow Contest this fall, to coincide with the annual Halloween in the Village events scheduled for Saturday October 27.   Last year the contest was only open to businesses, but this year community groups are also invited to participate.

So that means Cub Scout and Girl Scout troops, church groups and service organizations can create their own scarecrows.  The details are a bit sketchy right now, but for sure your creation shouldn’t be gory or profane, and ideally it should tie to the theme of your organization. There’s no cost, and prizes will be awarded for the top three entries. Right now the best way to get more details is to email Mayor Elder at pelder@villageofwebster.com.

Then make sure to be in town on Saturday the 27th for the annual Halloween in the Village celebration when the winner of the Scarecrow Contest will be announced.  Click here to get a whole rundown of the day’s events.

Too many school supplies to count!!!

3 Oct

This was the scene outside Mitch Nellis’ Eastridge High School room during the sorting phase of the collection drive.

I got an email a few days ago from Mitchell Nellis. He’s the brains behind Greenseed Educational Supplies, the organization that coordinates the effort at the end of every school year to recycle gently used school supplies.  I know that many of my readers are really interested when I post blogs about Webster Thomas’ annual participation in this effort.  So I thought I’d post a follow-up and let you know how things went this year.

In a word, spectacular.

As a matter of fact, Mitch received so many supplies at the end of the school year that he didn’t even try to count them all.  (That was pretty good news, but disappointing to those of us who love to spout statistics.)  But he did report that the supplies were distributed to 19 local organizations — including city schools and community service agencies — and schools in Africa and South America.  Here’s a list of the local places the supplies landed:

* RCSD #29
* RCSD #30
* RCSD #58
* RCSD #44
* Urban Choice Charter School
* Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.’s literacy program
* Strong Behavioral Health
* Christian Grove St. Church
* Purple Crayon Day Care
* Saving Wild Horses Through Grace Ministries
* Pack 925 Cub Scout Troop
* Young Audiences of Rochester/ArtPeace — Arts for Learning
* Homeschool Programs in Middleport
* Unity Chemical Dependency Inpatient Unit
* CHESS homeschooling co op
* United Christian Community Program
* Compeer Rochester, Inc.
* Community Support Shoppe, Inc.
* Journeys of Solutions, Inc.

Webster was once again blew Mitch away with the amount of donated items we collected from Spry and Willink Middle Schools, Plank North Elementary and Thomas High School.  Hopefully even more Webster schools will participate next year and even more worthy agencies and schools will benefit.

If you’re connected with the PTSA at a school which would like to get involved, drop me a line and I’ll let you know how to do so.  And if you know of any community group which could use supplies next June, contact Mitch at mitchellnellis@ hotmail.com.

 

Want full-day kindergarten? Let your voice be heard.

3 Oct

Full-day kindergarten may be in Webster’s near future.

For the last several months, the Webster Central School District has been looking into the possibility of replacing the elementary schools’ current half-day kindergarten programs with full-day programs.  An advisory committee consisting of 80 parents, teachers, administrators and community residents has been meeting since March to review current literature on the subject, and visit existing full-day programs in Monroe and Wayne counties.

Now they’d like to get some input from the greater Webster community.  They’re inviting all residents to complete a short survey to gauge interest.  It’s only got a handful of questions, so it doesn’t take very long. A few of the questions are kind of confusing, but I expect it should give the district a general idea of where people stand.

The district stresses that a move to full-day kindergarten will not require the addition of classrooms at any of the schools.  What other costs will be involved, I can’t tell you.

The survey will be available through October 12, and can be accessed online by clicking here.  Hard copies can also be found in the main office of each elementary school.

The Board of Education will receive a report from the Full-Day Kindergarten Advisory Committee in November, which will include the community survey results, along with research and site visit findings.

 

 

Wednesday Mailbag

3 Oct

News about all sorts of special events have been landing in my email box lately. So let’s get right to it…

The westbound lanes of the Bay Bridge will be closed again this weekend, beginning Friday at 5 pm, through Sunday around noon.  Traffic is going to be heavier on Empire Boulevard for the duration, so you may want to plan some alternate routes.

* * *

Webster resident Sara Cullen is organizing a benefit to fight eosinophilic esophagitis, an allergic inflammatory condition of the esophagus. The event is called Spin to Win, and is planned for Saturday October 6 from 8:30 to 10:30 am at Gold’s Gym, 855 Publisher’s Parkway.

Cullen’s eight-year old son Donovan suffers from the condition. Participants may contribute by taking a two-hour spin class at the gym from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., or taking a 9:30 a.m. body pump class. There is a $20 donation to participate.

All proceeds will go toward research through CURED, Campaign Urging Research for Eosinophilic Disease.

For more information, go to www.curedfoundation.org, or call the gym at 347-0047 to register to participate.

* * *

Did you hear that the school district is “re-evaluating” the Senior Project and has put it on hold?  That hasn’t stopped Schroeder senior Kaitlyn Newcomb from doing her own project.

Kaitlyn has organized a fund-raiser for the Webster Community Chest which is really unique. It’s called “Hoof’n It,” and will take place this Saturday morning, October 6, at the Webster Firemen’s Field. It’s a horse ride and walk. For $5 each, participants can mount a horse and take a guided 5-mile ride around the village of Webster. Anyone who does not want to ride is invited to walk along with the horses.

Registration will begin at 9 am the the ride begins at 10. Cash, check and non-perishable food donations will be accepted.  For more information, contact Kaitlyn at HoofinItWithRio@gmail.com.

* * *

Planning to go climb the iceberg at the Webster Aquatic Center on Columbus Day?  Better make other plans.

The Aquatic Center has sent word that the Iceberg Adventure scheduled for Monday has been cancelled. It’ll be back again on December 27. Contact WCSD Community Programs at 670-1087 with any questions.

* * *

Finally, this invitation from the school district:

Veterans Invited To Dinner in their Honor

Veterans living in the Webster Central School District are cordially invited to a complimentary dinner sponsored by Spry Middle School Student Council along with the Webster-Fairport B.P.O. Elks #2396 as a way of showing our appreciation to the men and women of this community who served, or are actively serving, in our country’s military. Spouses are also invited.

The event will take place Tuesday, November 13  from 4:00-6:00 PMat the Elks Lodge, 1066 Jackson Road, Webster. Reservations are required. Please call Flora Senecal at Spry Middle School at 216-0093 by Monday, November 5.

 

What I learned at camp

1 Oct

Misty or not, the Adirondack colors were more than spectacular.

So here’s what I learned at camp this weekend:  Asses like applesauce.

No, no, no — we’re talking about donkeys.  Apparently, according to my new friend Jen, the donkeys that live in the general vicinity of Las Vegas like eating applesauce out of single-serve containers. Through a car window.

As you can imagine, there’s a whole lot more to the story than that, but I won’t get into that here. Suffice it to say that was just one of dozens of stories I heard at Camp Gorham last weekend, most of which made me laugh so hard my belly hurt.

The occasion was YMCA Camp Gorham’s Women’s Adventure Weekend, a women-only, action-packed, stress-free weekend where participants could climb a wall, hike a mountain, shoot some arrows, ride a mountain bike, or just sit back in an Adirondack chair overlooking the lake and read a book.

There were about 60 women there, most of whom were from Rochester, several from Webster itself. So I saw a few ladies there I already knew. But the real fun was meeting so many new people and making so many new friends. It’s amazing how quickly strangers can become friends when you bunk with them for three days and hear them cheering you on as you hold on for dear life to the top of a 25-foot telephone pole.

The women of Birch Cabin, and my new friends.

And yes, I did finally get up on top of that pole. And I climbed the climbing wall and rode my first zip line. I kayaked on a lake that was so calm its surface reflected the mountains like a mirror. I went mountain biking and sang goofy songs around a campfire. And in the evenings, I relaxed in front of wood stove in a cabin filled with new friends and laughed till my belly hurt.

It was darn close to being the best weekend ever.

Oh, and aside from that fascinating fact about donkeys, camp also taught me that:

* It IS possible to survive without TV, computer or cell phone for an entire weekend.
* Sleeping in the top bunk is still fun, even as an adult.
* The air smells better in the Adirondacks.
* No matter how much it rains, the autumn Adirondacks colors are awe-inspiring.
* Being able to change into dry socks and shoes is one of life’s simple pleasures.
* It’s so quiet in the woods up there that you can actually hear the autumn leaves as they fall through the trees.
* When you put … another beverage … in a Styrofoam coffee cup with a coffee cup lid on it, it looks just like coffee.
* In Gaga, double-touch isn’t the same as two-hand touch.
* It’s possible to knock an archery target over forward.
* Adirondack chipmunks have some serious attitude.

 

Photographic evidence that I did stand on top of the pole. Then I jumped straight out to try to grab that trapeze. I was unsuccessful.

I also learned that in Eagle Bay, NY, throwing your sneakers over the power lines counts as entertainment.

 

Red light, green light

27 Sep

Last weekend I found myself driving home along Ridge Road a few minutes after midnight. Believe it or not, the Powers That Be in the state believe it is still necessary at that time of night to have the light at the Webster Square/CVS intersection change to red on a regular cycle. This, despite the fact that those businesses had closed up shop hours ago and there are no cars in the parking lots. You can imagine how frustrating it is to sit there at that light at midnight, waiting for… nothing.

C’mon, New York State. Wise up.

Explore Webster, win prizes!

24 Sep

I love a good challenge. So when I heard about this upcoming event sponsored by the Webster Health and Education Network, I immediately jumped on board.

It’s called the  All-Around Webster Scavenger Hunt. As the name implies, the hunt will guide participants to locations all around our fair town, where they collect clues, and possibly win prizes.  The idea is to give people a fresh look at the many parks and recreational sites in our community, and in some cases, help them discover places they’d never been to before.  And if you have a good time with your family while you’re doing it, all the better.

Clues will be found at the following locations:

* Bay View Family YMCA
* Abraham Lincoln Park
* The Big Woods
* Veterans Park, Webster
* Webster Skate Park
* Bird Sanctuary
* North Ponds Park
* The Webster Arboretum
* Kent Park
* Webster Parks and Recreation Center

This three-day event kicks off on October 6 and will run through October 8.  The cost is $5 for each team (up to 6 people on a team, including at least one adult). You can register and pick up your Scavenger Map at the Bay View Family YMCA on Saturday October 6 from 7 am to 7 pm, Sunday from 9 am to 9 pm, or Monday from 5:30 am to 10 pm.  Return you completed registration form to the Y, the Webster Parks and Rec Center, or the health office at any of the school buildings.  Correctly completed forms will be entered into a prize drawing.

Click here for  more information.

 

 


 

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