Photos from the Fireman’s Parade

12 Jul

Our Webster Volunteer Fire Department must have some sort of lucky charm which they can rub every year at parade time. I can’t remember (at least in recent memory) having a nicer evening for the annual parade. Especially since it was still raining in the morning.

With 99 units and lasting a good two hours, this year’s parade did not disappoint, especially for kids who love trucks and love candy. And thanks to the good weather, the crowds were pretty thick.

If you were in the parade, chances are very good you’ll be in one of the 280 photos in this gallery … and I take that many of them because I hear from you all how much you like to see them, especially if you couldn’t be there to watch.

So grab a coffee, sit back and enjoy the photos. And if you took any of your family gathered for the parade, send them along and I can add them to the gallery.

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(posted 7/12/2024)

July History Bit: the Webster Fireman’s Carnival

11 Jul

If you’ve seen this week’s edition of the Webster Herald, you’ve already seen this month’s History Bit, which you’ll see in its entirety below.

To research that article, I drew heavily from the Webster Volunteer Fire Department’s 1906-2006 100th anniversary volume, and historical editions of the Herald. I discovered all sorts of interesting facts about the carnival, but had to leave many of them out in the interest of newspaper space. Since I have no space concern in a blog, I’ve posted much of that additional information here, following the original Bit.


Some Webster Fireman’s Carnival history

With the return of the Webster Fireman’s Carnival this week, it seems an appropriate time to take a look back at the history of this very popular and long-running summer event.  

According to the Webster Volunteer Fire Department’s 100th anniversary history book, the Fireman’s Carnival turns 87 years old this year. The first carnival was held July 23 and 24, 1937 on Ridge Rd. just west of Corning Park, where Pierce St. is now. The first chairman, Russell B. Mason, reported a net profit of $514.63. 

Not much is known about that first year, but we do know that the carnival was held at the same location the following year. The July 15, 1938 edition of the Webster Herald reported that carnival-goers would enjoy four thrilling rides, plus free dancing and entertainment. They could also enter to win cash door prizes, a radio from Hawley’s Hardware and a refrigerator from Netzman’s Appliances. 

The 1938 carnival was even more successful than the first, netting about $1100 despite some challenges. It rained buckets Friday night, and on Saturday the Ferris wheel broke down. Fortunately, though, carnival-goers had other entertainment options, including a hoop-rolling contest and a “Dutch bowlers” (cricket) demonstration game, which attracted an audience of 700. 

Even before the 1938 carnival, the Webster Fire Department was well into the planning stages of purchasing its own property for use as carnival grounds. That September, they finalized the sale of a 24-acre tract of land owned by William Partridge near their current festival location west of Corning Park, purchased for $2500. The firemen have held their carnival on that property, now known as Fireman’s Field, every year since. 


Now, here are some other interesting things I read:

  • In 1939, just two years after the first carnival, stands were built on the new property and a water line installed.
  • In 1940, wooden toilets were installed.
  • Several improvements were made between 1946 and 1950, including constructing two bridges across the stream, and building a storehouse and a building with flush toilets.
  • In the early 1950s there was talk of building a community pool, with an awning, on the site. But those plans never got off the ground.
  • In 1956 the Webster School Board asked for a right-of-way across the Fireman’s Field to Ridgecrest School. At the time, the board was granted permission to allow children to walk across the field to school, In June of 1957, a road was built across the field from Ebner Rd. (which at the time ended at the village line) to the Ridgecrest property line.
  • The “clubhouse,” now known better as the Firemen’s Exempt building, was erected in 1960.
  • In the early 1970s, restrooms were enlarged and remodeled, hot water and sinks were added to the food booths, and several stands were rebuilt after suffering damage in a windstorm.
  • Carnival organizers applied for their first Game of Chance license in 1982.
  • In 1983, McDonald’s inquired about purchasing a parcel of the property along Ridge Rd. The motion was voted down. Three more offers were made in 1986 for “the front piece of the carnival grounds” for $100,000, $200,000 and $270,000, which were all turned down. (It appears that the decision to sell the property was finally made in late 1987.)
  • In 1985 (and for several years in the late 80s and early 90s) the carnival was opened up Friday night to local homes for the handicapped so they could enjoy the festivities without the crowds.
  • In 1986, 2.765 acres adjacent to the carnival field were purchased from the school district for parking.
  • The beer stand ticket booth was built in 1988.
  • In 1999, a few buildings were removed to make room for more rides.

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(posted 7/11/2024)

A look inside the new Mary Wee Pub

10 Jul

The new Mary Wee Pub is slowly taking shape at the Village of Webster’s four corners. Fans of the former Barry’s Old School Irish — and pretty much everyone who loves our village — are anxiously awaiting to see what the new corner pub will be like, inside and out.

New owner Mark Petzing, of the Shamrock Jack’s family, is putting his own twist on the interior design of his new pub, and I dare say, those who knew the old Barry’s Pub would hardly recognize the place.

First thing you might notice when you walk in is that the wall separating the bar from the “bakery” area has been removed. That leaves space for the much longer bar, which wraps from the wall near the bathrooms all the way to the west wall, plenty of room for as many as 15 bar stools. There are still two bathrooms, but Mark has reconfigured them to be side-by-side, one of them replacing what many of us know as “keg alley” in the southeast corner of the pub.

Probably the most exciting feature of the new design is the indoor/outdoor seating Mark has planned for the big, north-facing front window. That window will be replaced with a garage door, which can be raised on nice days, allowing patrons to sit inside along a counter, looking out. At the same time, patrons can sit at bar stools outside, along the same counter, across from their friends. Additional high-top and lower-table seating will fill the rest of the inside space.

Even with all that, Mark has somehow managed to actually make the pub look bigger, despite having the same floor space to work with. It already seems like it’s going to be much brighter as well, with plenty of up-lit lighting fixtures, plus two big front doors and the garage door to let the outside light stream in.

True to its name, Mark says his new pub will have a “wee bit of everything.” He’ll be serving a limited menu; right now he’s thinking soups, salads, and sandwiches, what he calls, “simple, consistent, good food.” Plans are to have eight taps, with Irish favorites including Guinness, Smithwicks and Harp, and “a couple Gennys.” There’ll be three TVs for sports fans, a jukebox, and live music.

It’s come a long way in the last few months. But there’s still lots to do, and Mark doesn’t expect to open until sometime in September or October.

Finally, about the name, the “Mary Wee.” Since the signs went up in the windows, everyone’s been talking about the unusual name.

Here’s the story, straight from Mark himself:

My grandfather is Jack, and over time everything was named after him. I always wanted to be different from my family, separate from my family but at the same time, I want to be part of my family. Shamrock Jack’s is an important part of my life. 

But my grandmother Mary, I loved her. My grandmother was older and she liked whiskeys and bourbons. They would water down her whiskeys, and put a little around the rim. She’d always smile, the sweet little thing, she’d say “Oh, thank you.” And when my mom and my aunts weren’t looking, she’d say, “Mark, give me a wee bit more.”

So people ask why is it not “Wee Mary’s?” Because I want you to think about it. And it means nothing at all, but it means a ton to me. Come in and have a whiskey and I’ll tell you the story and we’ll laugh.

As work on the new Mary Wee Pub continues, stay tuned for more details and more photos from our new little corner Irish pub. And when you can finally visit and have a pint, make sure to look for the picture of Mary on the wall, and raise a pint to her for inspiring her grandson’s new pub.

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(posted 7/10/2024)

Webster honors one of its own

9 Jul

The Webster community came out in force Tuesday afternoon as a funeral procession for fallen Cleveland police officer Jamieson Ritter wound its way through the village en route to Falvo Funeral Home.

Jamieson Ritter, 27, a Webster native, was killed in the line of duty on July 4, 2024. He was a Cleveland police officer.

Ritter, a Webster native, was shot last Thursday as officers attempted to serve a warrant. He was just 27 years old. A memorial service was held for him yesterday in Cleveland before his body was returned to his home town for funeral services.

Led by a dozen motorcycle officers, the procession passed through the village’s four corners at around 2:15 p.m. It was welcomed by crowds of community members who had gathered to show their respect with waving flags and hands over their hearts. At the Webster Volunteer Fire Department station, assembled firefighters snapped to attention and saluted as the hearse passed by the firehouse. A dozen more police cars, representing towns from all over Monroe County and beyond, followed behind.

Before arriving in Webster, the procession had traveled from the Thruway along routes 490, 590 and 104, welcomed along the way by knots of adults and children stationed on overpasses, and fire trucks with all their lights ablaze, some of which hoisted huge American flags.

Once again, Webster, you showed everyone what our town is all about.

Here’s a short video:

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(posted 7/9/2024)

Rain, rain stay away

9 Jul

Thanks to Hurricane Beryl, it looks like the weather for the start of the 2024 Webster Fireman’s Carnival is about the worst it could be. But that could change, and our hardworking firefighters will do their very best to make sure the festivities continue unabated. For the latest updates, make sure to check out the Webster Fireman’s Carnival Facebook page or website.

In the meantime, things are hopping over at Fireman’s Field. The rides are arriving and are being set up, the parking lot has been marked off, and the snow fencing and barrels arranged, so right now everyone is expecting a great carnival and great crowds.

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(posted 7/9/2024)

New Webster Hope garden has a healthy start

7 Jul

Today I’m pleased to provide a follow-up to a blog I posted in late April about a garden improvement project at Webster NY HOPE.

For the past 25 years, Webster NY HOPE has been helping our neighbors in need by providing food to as many as 80 Webster families each week. For the last ten of those years, the agency has been supplementing their food distribution with fresh vegetables, harvested from a large garden created in 2015 by Girl Scout Katie Roy, who built it as a Gold Award project.

The garden has been a tremendous asset; last year alone, HOPE volunteers harvested more than 500 pounds of fresh produce, which was often distributed on the same day that it was picked.

But over the last decade, the garden had fallen into disrepair, so NY HOPE decided to give it a big upgrade. The idea was to replace the old, worn-out beds with 27 raised, sturdy metal containers, allowing for plenty of room in between for access and, if necessary, adding more containers. As an added benefit, each container could be sponsored by a community group, or perhaps in memory of a family member.

The project began in earnest in late April, when more than 30 community volunteers gathered in Holy Trinity’s Murphy Hall for what NY HOPE Director Margery Morgan called a “mass assembly day.”

“The Knights of Columbus helped out, HOPE volunteers, volunteers from the Presbyterian Church and Webster Methodist, and we just made a day of it.” she said. “And then it took hours of work after that,” removing the old beds, fixing the fence, and actually planting the new gardens.

The next big challenge was to solicit sponsors for the 27 new containers. That doesn’t sound like an easy task, but turns out it was. In no time, NY HOPE had not only sold the original 27 sponsorships, but actually had so many requests that next year they’ll be adding nine more gardens to meet the demand.

On Sunday June 30, the new gardens were officially opened with a ribbon cutting and blessing from Holy Trinity Deacon Gary Terrana and Fr. Jorge Ramirez.

Morgan explained that the plantings chosen for the gardens were selected in part for what grows well with what, and what doesn’t grow well, “to maximize the benefits.” She added,

We keep track of what we put in every year and see what our recipients, the families that come to HOPE, like. We’ve stayed away from hot peppers; they don’t seem to go. We’ve gotten more sweet peppers, zucchini, tomatoes … beets, because we have a large Ukrainian population and beets fly off our shelves, potatoes, garlic … We try to keep it going all season.

Now that the gardens are growing healthy and lush, many hands will be needed to keep the beds weeded and watered and, when the time comes, to harvest the produce. NY HOPE has posted a form on their website where interested volunteers can sign up for a week (or two if you want!) to take care of what needs to be done during that time. This is a great volunteer opportunity for service organizations, families, or individual community members.

Take a drive by and check out these beautiful gardens for yourself. They’re located behind Holy Trinity Church, 1460 Ridge Rd., just south of the cemetery.

By the way, special thanks to Welch’s Greenhouses for providing 18 yards of enhanced topsoil at a deep discount, and to Premier Sign Systems for donating all of the 27 signs.

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(posted 7/7/2024)

Fireman’s Carnival is just around the corner

5 Jul

The activity over at Fireman’s Field is beginning to heat up in anticipation of the 2024 Fireman’s Carnival, scheduled for Wednesday July 10 through Saturday July 13.

Without a doubt, the Fireman’s Carnival and parade are among the most anticipated events of the Webster summer season. Now 87 years old, the carnival has been making memories every year for several generations of kids and adults.

This year’s carnival will be no different, with the return of the always popular beer tent, game booths, rides and live entertainment, great food, raffles and much more. You can check out all the details about what will be happening — and when — at the NEJFD website and Carnival Facebook page but here are some of the highlights:

Wednesday July 10:

  • Craft Beer Night in the Beer Tent, and live music by Plan B

Thursday July 11:

  • Firemen’s Parade begins at 6:30 p.m. (you don’t want to miss this)
  • Rescue 11 plays in the Beer Tent

Friday July 12:

  • Uncaged plays in the Beer Tent

Saturday July 13:

  • Kiddie Parade (new location! Check the details below)
  • Free raffles for kids and adults
  • Knight Patrol and Night Train play in the Beer Tent
  • Fireworks at midnight

And of course, games, rides and food every night.

Hours are Wednesday and Thursday 6 to 11 p.m., Friday 6 to midnight, and Saturday noon to midnight at Fireman’s Field, on Ridge Rd. just west of the village.

Here are the details about the new location for the Kiddie Parade, straight from the Webster fireman’s carnival Facebook page:

We are excited to announce a new, safer and more condensed route for the Kids Costume Parade! Due to concerns regarding the length of the parade and safety issues with the parade occurring on the roads, the parade will occur entirely on the carnival grounds.

Parade date: Saturday July 13th
Parade registration begins at 11 am
Parade begins at Noon
Prizes for best costumes and other categories. All entrants receive a gift, snowcone and a ride ticket.

We also have Rich the Magic Man, and Andrew St. James onsite to entertain the children. There is a free to enter bike raffle and an appliance giveaway thanks to Orville’s Home Appliances

Admission to everything is free, and to save money on rides, you can buy advance sale wristbands through the Carnival Facebook page or website. You’ll also want to follow the Facebook page for more details and regular updates.

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(posted 7/5/2024)

Get your tickets now for Webster Community Night at the Red Wings

3 Jul

If you haven’t gotten your fill of Rochester Red Wings games this season, here’s a good opportunity to do so, at a great price.

On Friday Aug. 16, the Webster Recreation Center will be partnering with the Red Wings to host a Webster Community Night. The focus will be on our community that evening; Supervisor Tim Flaherty will be throwing out the first pitch, and Webster-based musician Sarah De Vallière is singing the national anthem.

The game starts at 6:45 p.m. Tickets are only $10; you can use the QR code on the flyer, or click here.

The Wings will be in the middle of a home stand with their cross-state rivals, the Syracuse Mets, and they’re doing really well this year, so this should be an exciting game to watch. And what a great way to spend an evening with the family.

Several businesses and community groups already have signed up as sponsors for the evening, and will have promotional tables set up with giveaways, including Webster Golf Club, Webster Public Library, Wellness 360 Physical Therapy, Kittelberger Florist & Gifts, Diamond Collision and fairlife. If your business is interested in joining them, email Gunnar Hausknecht at ghausknecht@redwingsbaseball.com or call (585) 454-1001 ext. 3024


Speaking of Sarah De Vallière, this very popular local musician will be performing a free concert at the Webster Arboretum on Thursday Aug. 22 as part of the Webster Recreation Center’s Music at the Arb series.

These concerts are held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Arboretum’s gazebo, with plenty of room for music lovers to relax in chairs or on blankets, with a cooler at their side filled with drinks and snacks. There’s no charge, and there’s plenty of parking.

BUT BEFORE THAT, the next Music at the Arb concert is scheduled for Thursday July 18, featuring Doctor’s Orders, an acoustic folk and pop duo playing a variety of songs from the Beatles to John Prine, and pretty much everything in between.

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(posted 7/3/2024)

This year’s Field Day was a great success

2 Jul

I got a nice email the other day from Bob Karz (K2OID), chairman of the XRX Amatuer Radio Field Day held June 22-23 at Kent Park. You may remember the blog I posted a few weeks ago previewing this annual event, which is part contest, part open house for ham radio operators, the challenge being to set up in a remote location, and over a period of 24 hours make as many radio contacts as possible.

Bob filled me in on everything that happened (and didn’t happen) and remarked on how successful this year’s event was. He was excited to report that they welcomed 20 visitors from the community (“which is high for us”), who’d come by to see what the event was all about and maybe even try their hand at making a contact. He also reported that the “space weather” was

about the same as last year — good, but not spectacular. We were hoping for better, but like the weather outside, it’s variable.  Nevertheless, we made over 1100 contacts (more than last year) with stations in every US state and every Canadian province. That’s something we’ve never done before.

“Perhaps most significantly,” Bob added, “five newly licensed hams made their very first radio contacts at this year’s Field Day.”

In a follow-up email, Bob added even more details about the day:

We had a nice “fox hunt” that went on while we were making our contacts.  Several of us (but not me) found the “fox.” …  This year for the first time we had a station run off solar power alone rather than using our generators.   

Like many clubs we posted our location on the “Field Day Locator” website (Field Day Station Locator (arrl.org) so hams visiting our area might join us. Sure enough, Rick Rogers, K7RCR who was visiting relatives down the road in Lincoln stopped by and joined us. We now have a friend in Tucson.  

We also had a surprise visit from Scott Bauer, W2LC. Scott drove from Syracuse. He is the Western New York Section Manager for the national amateur radio organization and was visiting as many Field Day sites as possible. By the rules, he could only operate from one of them…ours. He is the most amazing Morse Code operator we’ve ever seen. He has trained himself to send Morse with one hand and simultaneously take notes with the other!

Bob concluded, “We had a great Field Day … The results will be released in January, and we expect to have an even better showing than the top 13% of our classification we achieved last year.”

I hope that anyone who wanted to, had the chance to stop by. But if not, no worries. Field Day will return next June, so stay tuned.

73

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(posted 7/1/2024)

Meet this year’s 5th grade Citizenship Award winners

30 Jun

I love highlighting our young people, because kids are actually doing good things in our community, and we don’t often hear about it when they do.

Today I’m happy to pass along news of this year’s WCSD Citizenship Award winners. The award is given out annually by the Webster Retired Educators Association, honoring one fifth grade student at each of our seven elementary schools who exemplify the qualities of service, scholarship, leadership, and sportsmanship. They participate actively in school and community activities, use their best ability consistently in all subject areas, demonstrate leadership abilities in a variety of school activities, and treat classmates with fairness, respect, generosity, and courtesy.

This year’s winners are Kylie Swallow (Dewitt Rd.), Alainna Mee (Klem Rd. North), Anastasia Piwko (Klem Rd. South), Ellice Hall (Plank Rd. North), Benjamin Baker (Plank Rd. South), Clara Kovach (Schlegel Rd.), and Olivia Tymkiv (State Rd.). 

Here’s what their teachers had to say about these star students:


Kylie Swallow is DeWitt Road Elementary School’s Citizenship Award winner. She starts each day with a positive attitude and models scholarship, leadership, and sportsmanship in all areas of life. In the classroom, she’s a model of Cooperation, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence (C.A.R.E.). Kylie puts 100% effort into her learning, being an active participant and asking intriguing questions that spark curiosity in others. She demonstrates leadership by applying new strategies during group work, works hard, and is persistent in the classroom. Kindness is always on her mind. She is a C.A.R.E. leader, runs food drives, and leads morning meetings. She also volunteers in other classrooms and has even given up her recess to join a class in physical education (PE) to help encourage students to do their best! She is also a member of the band. Outside of school, Kylie enjoys basketball. Whether dribbling down the basketball court during recess or playing a competitive game in the classroom or gym, she’s the first to celebrate someone else’s success because she respects everyone to the fullest. She has natural talent in anything competitive and leads her team to success, all while staying humble and kind.

Alainna Mee, Klem Rd. North Elementary School’s Citizenship Award winner, shows leadership qualities and a caring attitude, is courteous, and is helpful to others. She excels in the classroom and in the Webster community. When asked to describe her, teachers use words like “positive, humorous, genuinely kind, responsible, selfless, and cooperative.” Alainna shared her love of learning as a second grade reading buddy. She is also a member of the Klem North Band and has performed at Community Arts Day and Solo Festivals, where she received two outstanding ratings. Alainna also participates in chorus and was selected to the All-County chorus this year. Outside of school she’s plays with the the Lakefront Soccer team and dances with the Deborah McKay School of Dance, where she’s studied tap, jazz, and ballet since the age of 4. She also actively participates in Girl Scouts, where she consistently sells more than 300 boxes of cookies each year. Alainna shows integrity at school and in the community. She’s quick to lend a hand to a student in need and always makes a conscious effort to include all students. Her caring heart, positive attitude and amazing sense of humor make her the true definition of a Klem North Star.

Anastasia Piwko is Klem Road South Elementary School’s Citizenship Award winner. Throughout the school year, she demonstrated scholarship. Teachers can count on her to participate in lessons, put her best effort into her work, collaborate respectfully with her peers, and offer a kind word to anyone who might need it. She takes pride in a job well done and consistently goes above and beyond in all that she does. Anastasia demonstrates leadership and service within her school community. You might find her being a role model to younger students as a first grade safety patrol member or you might hear her musical talents as she plays in the Klem South Band, competes at Solo Fest, sings in the chorus, or performs in the Klem South musical. Anastasia shows good sportsmanship outside of school where she has played basketball and lacrosse. But nothing compares to her love of gymnastics, where she’s always working hard to learn and practicing new skills. Anastasia even took her gymnastics skills to new heights when she took aerial arts lessons, using silks and hoops to do tricks 10 feet off the ground. She is also highly creative, having taught herself how to crochet. 

Ellice Hall, Plank Rd. North Elementary School’s Citizenship Award winner, consistently demonstrates all of the criteria set forth for this honor. She always pushes herself to do her best, and follows through on all assignments and activities in school. No matter the task or activity, Ellice does not waver in her commitment to it. She is an active member of her school community, each morning and afternoon serving as a library helper, as part of the safety patrol, as a member of the winning Battle of the Books team, and as the Scarecrow in this year’s production of The Wizard of Oz. Whether Ellice is playing a game in physical education class or working with her group on a novel in the classroom, she is able to set the right tone for a positive and productive experience as a leader as well as a team player. She is respected by her peers and is a role model to all. The final year of elementary school can be a challenging one, but Ellice has soared in independence, motivation and organization. 

Benjamin Baker is Plank Road South Elementary School’s Citizenship Award winner. He’s recognized for his good citizenship, leadership and character. Benjamin has been a shining example of a role model, both within and outside of school. He’s rocked the stage with his musical talent in band and represented his classmates well within the student council. A natural leader, he listens to all ideas, and helps his peers come to a consensus in a respectful manner. Benjamin’s impact goes beyond school activities. He’s dedicated his time to serve others in the community, volunteering and making a positive difference. Plank South teachers and administrators have said he’s an incredible, kindhearted student who’s always willing to help others. He has a positive attitude and works hard at whatever he does. He’s kind to peers and they gravitate towards him. He leads by example. Benjamin uses his voice with purpose, whether it’s to meaningfully engage in class discussions, to tell a joke to make someone’s day, or to stand up for a friend in need. He’s responsible, hard-working, creative, kind to others, and patient. 

Clara Kovach, Schlegel Rd. Elementary School’s Citizenship Award winner, exemplifies outstanding behavior and character, and is a true role model, consistently demonstrating the C.A.R.E. attributes and essential skills. Choosing to be kind, showing respect, and being her highest self comes naturally to her. Her positive attitude is contagious to those around her. Clara is a self-motivated learner, a leader by example, and a kindhearted friend. She lends a hand to anyone in need. Her kindness and empathetic nature help others feel comfortable. Clara strives to be her very best and takes pride in her academics. She consistently uses feedback to improve their work and challenge herself to grow. Clara takes all of her responsibilities seriously, including orchestra, chorus and CREW assemblies. She’s attended art club, and has researched and shared a couple of change makers this year for the announcements. She’s just as active and dedicated outside of school participating in gymnastics and book clubs, and she loves crafts, reading, and writing short stories. Her new hobby is crocheting and sewing, and she always enjoys family time. She makes new friends wherever she goes. 

Olivia Tymkiv is State Rd. Elementary School’s Citizenship Award winner. Classmates, teachers, and administrators say she exemplifies the Excellence in C.A.R.E. every day, is eager to learn, willing to help others achieve, and shows kindness and grace to everyone. Olivia approaches challenges with a positive attitude and isn’t afraid to take chances. She’s respectful, shows integrity, asks questions, completes work to the best of her ability, and can be counted on to be a helper and role model to her peers. She embraces opportunities to participate in extra activities, such as an optional fourth grade book club. She has also been one of State Rd.’s flag bearers, and helps on the bus loop even when she’s not officially on safety patrol that term. Olivia participated in the morning announcements, joined groups like Lego club, and has participated in science fairs over the years. She’s musically talented and enjoys singing in chorus as well as playing the viola in orchestra. She’s donated her time and given up many recesses to support the PE teachers with the set-up and break-down of equipment and is a fabulous bus buddy. Olivia encourages others to be their best selves while continuing to grow herself. She comes from a family who is steadfast in their faith and service, and she spends quality time with them.


Each honoree received a medal and their name engraved on a plaque that is displayed in their elementary school. Additionally, the honorees will be recognized at the first Webster CSD Board of Education meeting in September, followed by a reception sponsored by the WREA.

Congratulations to these kids and good luck as you continue your educational careers!

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(posted 6/30/2024)