Antiques Roadshow returns to the Webster Museum

9 Feb

The Webster Museum is bringing back the very popular Antiques and Collectibles Roadshow, featuring Frank and Greg Palma, on Sunday, Feb. 16 beginning at 2 p.m.

If you’re curious about the value of a favorite piece, you’re invited to bring it in and the Palma brothers will share their expertise and insight into the history and value of the item.

There’s no admission, and free refreshments will be provided.

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And while you’re at the museum, make sure to check out their latest exhibit, Let it Snow!, celebrating winter in Webster in the days before remote car starters, heated seats and snowblowers.

A significant part of the exhibit will feature winter clothing. Until the 19th century, winter attire more often consisted of a cloak than a sleeved jacket or coat. Wool was the predominant material of choice for both cloaks and coats, and while it provided a measure of insulation, wool tended to be heavy especially when wet.

Outdoorsman, inventor and retailer Eddie Bauer developed the first quilted down jacket in 1939 after a run-in with hypothermia on a chilly hunting trip. Since the 1930s, the development of lightweight, waterproof, and less expensive synthetic materials further impacted the way we all dress on those cold winter days in Webster.

Read more about vintage winter wear and Webster snow sports at the Let it Snow exhibit, on display now.

The Webster Museum is located at 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster. It’s open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

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(posted 2/9/2025)


February History Bit: Happy birthday Village Hall

8 Feb

Today’s Bit of Webster History celebrates a notable birthday. Last week, the current Webster Village Hall turned 60 years old

The current Village Hall, located at 28 West Main St., was constructed in 1964 on the former site of Klem Chevrolet. In 1921, Walter Klem and his brother Frank took over the Johanson blacksmith shop, and eventually started selling Chevrolets. In 1963 the property was sold to the Village and Klem Chevrolet later moved to 740 Ridge Road.

The Klem building was demolished and construction of the new Village Hall began in 1964. Officials moved into the new building in the middle of January, 1965 and the first official function held there was a meeting of the Village Board. 

On January 27, 1965, the Village hosted a grand community celebration and open house. The event was advertised in the Webster Herald as an opportunity for village residents to “view and inspect the new village hall and its facilities, which include Customer Counter, Billing Machines, Vault, Mayor’s Office, Meeting Room and DPW Office and Garage.” Vice-Mayor Donald King was on hand to show off the facility, assisted by Trustees Milton Case and James Hall and several staff members. Mayor Hawley couldn’t be there because he was ill. 

Prior to 1965, the Village Hall was located next door in the area which is now an entrance to the back parking lot behind Village Hall. The two-story building was constructed in 1912. The first floor housed the Fire Department’s equipment, along with three steel cells used as the village and town jail. Two big front rooms on the second floor were used for village and town offices. A large assembly room in the back was used for elections, trials, and various meetings. The basement served as a warehouse for the public works department.

Thank you to the folks at the Village Hall and the Village’s Historic Preservation Committee for pulling all this information together.   

Want to learn more about Webster history? Visit the Webster Museum, located at 18 Lapham Park in the village. It’s open every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. There’s no admission charge. Or log onto webstermuseum.org. And if you’re especially interested in historic village properties, visit the Historic Preservation Commission website at websterhpc.com.

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(posted 2/8/2025)

Mobile Mammogram Unit is coming to the library

7 Feb

Ladies, today’s blog is especially for you.

If you don’t get a regular mammogram, and especially if you’ve never gotten one, you need to. An easy and quick opportunity to do that is coming up this month.

The Rochester Regional Mobile Mammogram Unit is coming to the Webster Public Library parking lot on Thursday, Feb. 27, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sign up for your spot on Feb. 10 at the library from 2 to 6 p.m., when you can also ask any questions you have. Some walk-ins will be accepted on the 27th, but PLEASE sign up, because if there are not 15 women guaranteed, the bus will have to come back. No insurance is required.

The Webster Public Library is located at 980 Ridge Rd., at the rear of Webster Plaza.

Rochester Regional Health’s Mobile Mammography Center is a spacious coach bus with a spa-like atmosphere that provides 3D mammograms. It features two private dressing rooms, certified technologists and an evaluation of results by a board-certified radiologist.

The coach is designed to screen every 15 minutes. If you need to use the lift, your appointment will be 30 minutes. Women must be at least 35 years of age, not exhibiting symptoms of breast-related problems and have not had a mammogram within the last year.

Rochester Regional Health’s Mobile Mammography Center offers state-of-the-art breast cancer screenings. Their goal is to make screenings more accessible to women where they live and work. The Center partners with businesses and organizations to visit locations in your neighborhood to make mammograms more accessible to all women in our community.

So take advantage of this opportunity while you can. If not for you, then for the ones you love and who love you.

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(posted 2/7/2025)

Girl Scouts help bring some joy to Women’s Club members

6 Feb

A huge thank you to the junior Girl Scouts of Troop 60344, who recently helped the Women’s Club of Webster (WCW) make some very special Valentine’s Day cards for some of the club’s elders.

Last Saturday afternoon, six junior Scouts and their leaders (and a few little brothers) joined four WCW members and a handful of other adults at the Webster Public Library to make a dozen Valentine’s Day cards for the club’s legacy members.

Minutes after everyone had gathered in the big study room at the Webster Public Library, the table was filled with construction paper, stickers, markers, crayons, blank greeting cards, glue sticks, scissors and glitter. Then, for the next hour and a half, it was a flurry of cutting, gluing and writing personal messages.

And there were cookies.

While the Girl Scouts focused on making the Valentine’s Day cards, the adults took the opportunity to make some thank you cards for our local troops who are deployed overseas. That effort was in support of the Mail Call: Letters From Home project that’s just ramping up here in Webster.

The goal of the Mail Call initiative is for Webster to write 1,000 cards or letters to our deployed troops, which will be included in care packages which the Blue Star Mothers of Rochester will be sending in June. The project will be hitting its stride in April, so stay tuned for more information about how you can help.

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(posted 2/6/2025)

Klem North students reading for a cause

5 Feb

The Klem Rd. North Elementary School PTSA has come up with a clever way to encourage kids to read, while benefiting a great community organization at the same time.

It’s an initiative called “Kids Read for Kids,” a partnership between Klem North and the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Rochester. The idea is simple: Throughout the month of February, Klem North students do as much reading as they can, and as they do, they collect pledges from friends, family members (or community members) tied to how much they read. You can pledge, for example, 50 cents for every minute they read, or a dollar for every day, or just make a one-time donation. At the end of February, the PTSA will split the donations 50/50 with the Ronald McDonald House.

The kids can read anything they want, and even count the time when parents or grandparents read TO them. The idea is to get young people excited about reading.

What’s especially neat about the Kids Read for Kids program is that it’s unique. Annie Murphy, Ronald McDonald House’s Senior Director of Philanthropic Relationships, explains,

Kids Read for Kids is the first initiative of its kind within the Ronald McDonald House network. Ronald McDonald House Charities of Rochester, NY (RMHCR) is one of 387 chapters worldwide, with nine in New York State. While some chapters, like Albany, have hosted read-a-thons where all proceeds benefit RMHC, our approach is unique.

Our version is a true partnership, with all funds raised evenly split between RMHCR and the school. This literacy-based community service initiative not only fosters a love for reading but also empowers students to make a meaningful impact—supporting both the Klem North PTSA and families with sick or injured children at RMHCR.

Klem North parents, grandparents and guardians are, of course, encouraged to participate and support their children. But community members not directly involved with the school can also help out. You can click here for more information, make a one-time pledge or support a Klem North student. The school has set an ambitious goal of $30,000, so they need a LOT of donations! You can also view a video about the program by clicking here.

About the Ronald McDonald House of Rochester

Since 1990, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Rochester, NY (RMHCR) has been a home away from home for families with critically ill or injured children. Our mission is to strengthen families and promote healing by providing essential care and support—free of charge—during their toughest times.

We began with our 24-room Westmoreland House and expanded in 2005 to include our House Within the Hospital at Golisano Children’s Hospital, which offers 7 rooms for families with the most critical needs. Over the years, we’ve added Family Rooms, Hospitality Carts, and the world’s first Mental Health & Wellness Family Room to support families in every way possible.

In 2024 alone, we served 9,678 families, saving them over $2.5 million in lodging, meals, and other support. From high-risk pregnancies to post-hospital recovery, RMHCR provides comfort and care for the whole family because we know that a child’s illness affects everyone.

With nearly 50 years of global impact and 35 years of local service here in Rochester, we’re committed to helping families stay close to each other—and close to the care their child needs.

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(posted 2/5/2025)

Webster Schroeder presents Hadestown this weekend

4 Feb

I’ve been attending musicals at Webster Schroeder High School for more than 20 years, ever since my kids went to school there. They’re always outstanding, with standing-ovation-quality acting and singing. And every year’s performance, it seems, is better than the last.

But I think they’re going to be hard-pressed to top this year’s production of Hadestown.

Webster Schroeder is bringing the hit Broadway musical Hadestown to the stage for four shows this Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I had the pleasure of attending one of the dress rehearsals a few days ago, and when I walked into the auditorium, I knew very little about the musical, aside from the fact that it was an eight-time Tony Award winner. I also knew (from my music theater nerd daughter) that it’s one of the hottest shows on Broadway. So when I heard that Schroeder had nabbed the rights to stage it (the first school in our area), I was very excited to see it.

Hadestown re-imagines the classic Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. It’s a love story, set against the backdrop of a dark, stylized, industrial underworld ruled by Hades and Persephone. Eurydice, driven by poverty and cold, seeks refuge in this harsh realm, while her musician lover, Orpheus, embarks on a long and perilous journey to bring her back.

I know, I know … that doesn’t sound like your typical high school musical. For sure it’s not as lighthearted as Mary Poppins or Seussical. But despite its darker themes, audience members will be equally captivated by the acting, choreography, music and staging. Because this is a Webster Schroeder production.

The quality of this year’s show is especially impressive given that Hadestown is a very complicated and very tech-heavy musical. Even though it was released as a “teen edition,” not much was removed from the current production on Broadway. A few adaptations had to be made to accommodate the limitations of a high-school production, but those adaptations are creative and intriguing.

Director Carrie Zugelder says Hadestown has been the most challenging production she’s ever done in her 24 years of producing musicals, for several reasons. She writes,

We have over 300 different lighting cues that happen throughout the show. We are running sound which includes body mics, sound effects and on-stage band amplification on a 32-channel sound board and every channel is used. This means that our sound designer and his assistant are controlling 32 different sound elements at any given time in the show. We are running three different fog machines placed strategically on and below the stage extension. The special placement of these machines requires student members of stage crew to be enclosed under the stage, in the dark, to make sure the machines turn on and operate at the right moments. 

The dedication shown by those students under the stage is matched ten-fold by the skill and dedication to the craft shown by the students singing and dancing on the stage.

Here’s a good example: The character Orpheus is a musician, who in this production plays a guitar. Rowan Murphy, who plays Orpheus, did not know how to play the guitar before he won the role. But he decided he wanted to learn all the guitar parts his character played, rather than rely on the on-stage pit band, so he started taking lessons back in November.

But there’s more!

The three Fates also have instruments assigned to them: a violin, a tambourine and an accordion. Most high school productions would have the instruments on the characters but have professionals play the parts while the characters mimic the playing…..not Webster Schroeder!  Both Fate #1 and Fate #3 self-taught their violin and accordion parts. Their playing on stage is legit.

Those examples are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the hard work these young actors have been putting in to bring Hadestown to the stage. (And they are young. For many of them, this is their first Schroeder production.) From the powerful opening song, to the lilting love ballads, to the jarring underworld chants, the music is challenging, but the harmonies are breathtaking. The choreography and staging are complicated but delivered without a hitch.

Basically, I suggest you try to put aside your preconceptions that a musical based on a Greek myth will be boring, and put yourself in that auditorium for an evening you will not forget.

Hadestown: Teen Edition will make its community premiere at Webster Schroeder High School with four performances from February 6-8. Evening shows will begin at 7:00 p.m., with a matinee performance at 2 p.m. on February 8, at the Webster Schroeder High School Auditorium (875 Ridge Road). Tickets are $14 and can be purchased online through Hometown Ticketing

Here are some more photos:

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(posted 2/4/2025)

Dogsledding in the village?

3 Feb

I heard on the radio the other day that it snowed at least a little bit EVERY DAY IN JANUARY. And February is starting out pretty much the same way. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a winter with this much snow. Everyone is grumbling about it.

That is, everyone except Village of Webster resident Devin Englerth.

Devin has a hobby that helps her glide through winter (literally) with a smile. Devin is a dogsledder, and when there’s this much snow, it means there are a lot more opportunities to take her dogsled, seven huskies and big black shepherd out for a run. And every once in a while, when the conditions are right, she doesn’t bother going very far to do so.

A few weeks ago, the conditions were perfect, so instead of packing up her dogs and heading to her usual sledding spot far on the west side of town, she hooked them all up and took them out on the streets of the village.

Perhaps you saw them that day. A lot of people did, and photos popped up all over Facebook from village residents surprised and delighted to see an actual dogsled speeding down their street. ‘Cause that’s not something you see every day.

I sat down the other day with Devin (and her dogs) to find out more about her history with the sport, both in the village and elsewhere.

Devin has been dogsledding since 2011, ever since she got her first husky. Not long afterwards, she joined the Seneca Siberian Husky Club, and tries to get out and run the dogs at least a couple times of year. That’s been difficult in recent years when lack of snow has made for poor conditions.

“You have to have a frozen base and the snow on top of it,” she explained. “If you go before it freezes my sled would sink in the slush.”

But not running makes for unhappy huskies.

“(Running) is all they want to do,” Devin said. Even when she goes out to fire up the snow blower they start getting excited, thinking they’re going to get out and go. And when she is able to finally hook them up out in a wide open space, they might be out there for two and a half hours.

The day she decided to run them in the village, “they were going crazy,” she said. They hadn’t been sledding in a long time, and the conditions were good, so “we went all over the east side of the village.”

It proved to be rather challenging. People were coming out to take photos, the dogs kept stopping to say hi to the neighbors, even deciding to go up a driveway or two. So they got tangled up a lot. But despite the distractions, they were out on the streets for more than an hour.

It wasn’t the first time Devin has dogsledded through the village, and it probably won’t be the last. Because sled dogs live to run.

(Thank you to Jessica Cataldi for this great blog idea, and to Stretch Sabin for these videos!)

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(posted 2/3/2025)

WHEN brings Listening Post back to the middle schools

2 Feb

A fun program spearheaded by the Webster Health and Education Network (WHEN) is helping build connections between middle school students and Webster community members.

The program is called the Listening Post, and it’s designed to foster student engagement through interactive and enjoyable activities like games and crafts. Last Thursday and Friday, WHEN brought the program to Spry and Willink middle schools, setting up tables in the cafeteria during the lunch blocks, filled with card games (UNO, Go Fish, Old Main and War) Valentine’s cards, stickers and markers. After finishing their lunch, students who were interested could come over and play a game or make a Valentine’s card for the residents of Maplewood Nursing Home.

WHEN used to hold these Listening Posts regularly before the pandemic, but this is the first time they’ve been offered since then. Linda Dioguardi, WHEN’s programming chair, remembered that the response back then was overwhelming. She was a little unsure how the students would react this time around and was hoping that there would be at least some interest.

Turns out she had nothing to worry about.

During the six lunch periods at Spry on Thursday, more than 125 students came over to the tables to play cards or make Valentines. The response at Willink the next day was equally enthusiastic.

WHEN volunteers and retired WCSD teachers joined the students at the tables to play some surprisingly competitive games of UNO or Old Maid, or to make some charming Valentine’s cards. And while they were participating in all the fun and games, the students didn’t even realize they were benefiting from positive interactions with adults who were truly interested in who they were and what they had to say.

The ultimate goal is to strengthen relationships and enhance the sense of community within — and outside — the school.

WHEN hopes to host a Listening Post at least once a month at each of the middle schools through the end of the year. This time only retired WCSD teachers and WHEN members were been invited, but as the program ramps up again, any retiree from the Webster community is invited — and encouraged — to participate. For more information, visit the Webster Health and Education Network website or email info@WHENdfcc.org.

The photo above is of some of the Valentine’s card makers at Willink. Here are a few others from the two Listening Posts:

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(posted 2/2/2025)

Webster community mailbag

1 Feb

The Webster Central School District and Webster Health and Education Network (WHEN) are hosting an encore presentation of Navigating the Tween Years: Social Media & Your Kid. This is an interactive parent forum discussing how technology has changed social development and what you can do to support your child’s health and well-being in a tech-powered world.

The event is Tuesday, February 4, 6:30-8 p.m. at Klem Road South Elementary School, 1025 Klem Road, Webster. Open to all Webster parents and guardians, but adults only, please. Click here to learn more.
Join us! Learn more at WHENdfcc.org/events.

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Color Webster Green will host a Heat Pumps 101 seminar this coming Wednesday, exploring the transformative power of heat pumps.

Learn how these innovative systems provide efficient and eco-friendly heating and cooling. This presentation is given by local residents Rebecca Collins, Jon Randall and Allen Hibner, who can discuss their personal experiences with heat pumps.

The event will be held at the Webster Public Library Community Room from 6 to 7:30 p.m. There’s no charge. The library is located at 980 Ridge Rd. at the back of Webster Plaza.

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The Webster Association of Senior Program Supporters (WSPS) will hold a Spaghetti Dinner at the Webster Masonic Temple, 30 Orchard St., on Friday Feb. 7 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Dinner includes spaghetti, meatballs, salad, bread, drink and dessert. Meat, meatless and garlic sauce options will be available. For takeout call 585-872-3500.

Cost is $12 for adults and $6 for kids 12 and under. All proceeds will benefit the WSPS, a group of volunteers who provide transportation for retirees and disabled residents who live within the Webster School District. They help residents get to and from medical and dental appointments, and provide rides to pharmacies, banks, barbers, hairdressers and tax preparation services.

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Here’s a quick run-down of what’s happening at the Webster Public Library this month:

For kids and families:

  • Celebrate Dental Health Month with Dr. DeLucia from Webster Pediatric Dentistry. Tues. Feb. 25 from 10 to 10:30 a.m. She’ll give a presentation about dental health and keeping our teeth clean. She’ll have lots of fun props, including a giant toothbrush and giant teeth, lots of giveaways and a chance to dress up as a dentist yourself. Registration is required.

For teens and tweens:

  • Make it Monday: Yarn-Wrapped Hearts, Monday Feb. 10, 6 to 7 p.m. Make yarn-wrapped hearts at this month’s craft night. Grades 4 and up and adults are welcome. Registration is requested.
  • Teen Library Club, Wednesday Feb. 26 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. For teens who like books, games, crafts, sharing your ideas, taking surveys, food, hanging out with friends, and becoming more involved in your library and the community. For grades 6 to 12, and registration is requested.

For adults:

  • Learn About Tuskegee Airman Leland “Sticky” Pennington, Thursday Feb. 13, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. On April 21, 1945, the Tuskegee Airman took off on a flight in his P-51 Mustang, named ‘Lucy Gal.’ World War II was drawing near a close, but his service as a bomber escort pilot was needed. En route to the mission, Pennington went missing in action and he has never been found. Registration is required.
  • The Black Church: In Plain Sight but Invisible, Tuesday Feb. 4, 2 to 4 p.m. The physical presence of the Black Church is a familiar aspect of American history and current events. Dr. Timothy Johnson leads his audience beyond the superficial into an in-depth historical overview of the Black Church. Registration is required.

This month’s Community Exchange is jewelry! Bring in some pieces you don’t wear any more and pick up something new. And while you’re there, consider donating some wet or dry dog or cat food to the Webster Pet Food Pantry, this month’s Donation Station beneficiary.

And I’ll be writing more about this soon, but also, the Rochester Regional Mobile Mammogram Unit is coming to the library parking lot on Thursday, Feb. 27. Sign up for your spot on Feb. 10 at the library, but if you can’t make it to register, some walk-ins will be accepted on the 27th. No insurance is required.

More to come about this tremendous opportunity.

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

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(posted 2/1/2025)

Bev Geier, Webster Rec’s longest-tenured fitness instructor, retires

31 Jan

We meet thousands of people as we go through life. Most of them will become little more than passing acquaintances. If we’re lucky, some will become close friends. But if we’re VERY lucky, we meet someone who really, truly makes our lives better.

Bev Geier is that kind of person.

For more than 55 years, Bev Geier worked as a fitness instructor for the Webster Parks and Recreation Department. During her long career, Bev touched the lives of thousands of young people and adults, motivating and inspiring them through her many fitness classes to become their better selves through regular exercise.

A few weeks ago, Bev retired as the department’s longest-tenured fitness instructor.

Bev worked for the Rec Center for so long that she kind of grew up with the organization. She remembers when, back in 1962, Charles Sexton came to Webster as the town’s first Recreation Director. Shortly thereafter, there was an article in the Webster Herald seeking people interested in teaching Swedish Gymnastics. Bev signed up, took the training sessions, and her career with the Webster Recreation Department officially began.

In the years since, Bev traveled with the Rec Center as it moved from Dewitt Rd. School to Ridgecrest School, to its current location on Chiyoda Drive. As the facilities expanded, so did Bev’s classes, growing from programs for girls to adding mothers and daughters, women’s classes, to special formats for “seasoned citizens,” and many more.

And she enjoyed every minute of it.

“For the past many years,” she said, “I have had the true pleasure of spending time with an amazing number of astounding people who shared (or łearned to share) the view that as we age it is beneficial and essential to keep moving if you want to be able to keep moving.”

“It’s been a great run and has afforded me the opportunity to meet and interact with so many nice people.” 

Praise for Bev as an instructor — and as an individual — has come from every corner of the Rec Center following her retirement.

Fitness Coordinator Jay Verna wrote,

Beverly’s contributions went beyond physical exercise ,as she understood from the outset the importance of connecting with people and how important social and emotional interaction is to our overall health and wellness. We are forever grateful for Bev’s dedicated service to our community and for her many years of inspiring people through exercise, healthy living, and being a great mentor, friend, and compassionate listener.  

Dylan Herold, who worked alongside Bev as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor, told me

I can’t say enough great things about Bev. She was a wonderful mentor to me… I owe a lot of my success to her. She was always the best to me she would give me good advice. Whenever I had a problem I was stumped on she always had a solution. …  I have a certification as a senior fitness specialist and I didn’t learn even half as much from that as I did from Bev herself.

She was a wonderful person not only as an instructor but her heart was a heart of gold … and I will forever be grateful to her for all she’s done for me.   

Many of her former students had even higher praise.

Deb Wishard remembered how welcoming Bev was the few times she had to bring her grandson to class.

One time we went to walk, and she grabbed his hand and made him walk with us. I was so thrilled.

Carol Schaefer said,

We really miss Bev. We miss her life stories and her gentle way.

Deb Wishard, a fitness instructor herself, said,

I always tell people, find somebody you want to be like when you get older and someone you don’t want to be like. Bev was one of the people that you wanted to be like.

Judy Sinaguglia said she really didn’t start exercising regularly until after the pandemic, when she finally decided to “get out and do something.” She started with Bev’s class.

I was so grateful. She not only was kind about beginners like me that had no idea what the heck this is all about, but it really helped me as a person, developing all my muscles. … Now I’m very healthy, I come out four days a week. She really started me off. She was older than I was. I thought, she’s been doing this for 50 some years, I can do it, too. It definitely motivated me. She was an inspiration to everybody.

Jean Callahan agreed.

She was an inspiration because she just kept going. Because she felt so strongly about helping people … she just kept going and going.  

Well, the time has finally come for Bev to stop “going.” But she leaves behind a legacy of friendship, kindness, and fitness that will be long remembered at the Webster Recreation Center.

In recognition of Bev Geier’s 55+ years of service to the Webster community, the Webster Town Board will honor her with a proclamation at the Board Meeting on Thursday, Feb. 6. The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Van Ingen Court Building, 1000 Ridge Rd.

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

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(posted 1/29/2025)