A heartfelt thank you from the “Truck Parade” birthday girl!

3 Feb

Today I’m pleased to bring you one more blog about the truck parade held a week ago in honor of 88-year old Ruth Childs.

The parade was inspired by a single Facebook post, in which Ruth’s daughter Bonnie asked if anyone knew who drives the “long white truck with a lot of lights” that goes past Ruth’s apartment window every evening. She was hoping the driver could flash their lights and beep their horn on Friday night, Ruth’s birthday.

You can read the whole story here about how the resulting truck parade turned out, but simply said, it was an incredible outpouring of Webster community love that brought Ruth to tears. It came to her as a complete surprise, and she wanted to make sure to express her thanks.

“I did not know what my daughter had done,” Ruth said. “She just told me there was going to be a surprise. I had no idea until we had to get outside and start waving.”

I just wanted to thank all of the people that were involved, who came to wish somebody happy birthday that they didn’t even know. I thank them for giving up their evening, because once you work all day, especially on Friday, you just want to go home and do your own thing. I thought it was just wonderful and I was overwhelmed.

It was the best birthday ever.

Her daughter Bonnie was also extremely grateful for the outpouring of support, writing,

The effort put forth to make a complete stranger so happy was beyond heartwarming. When they sang Happy Birthday I don’t think there was a dry eye. I think it was a morale booster for the entire community!

Just reading the Facebook comments is evidence that we are all looking for the good that exists in the world and Webster has proven to be a shining star. I challenge you to find any post with more than 200 comments and  ZERO negative remarks. That’s when you know something special is happening! 

We live in an amazing community.

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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 2/3/2024)

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Webster community mailbag

2 Feb

St. Martin Lutheran Church will host a free Mardi Gras Pancake Supper on Shrove Tuesday, Feb. 13 from 5 to 7 p.m., to thank the community for supporting their missions over the year.

Dinner will include sausage and applesauce, with unlimited pancakes and syrup. Participants are invited to come dressed in Mardi Gras style. Beads will be provided, and you can make your own masks.

The event will be held at St. Martin Lutheran Church, 813 Bay Rd. Everyone is invited to this family-friendly event, so bring your friends. There’s no cost, but a free-will offering of a boxed or canned good for the church’s Little Free Pantry would be gratefully accepted.   

Catch this musical if you can!

This year’s spring musical season in our secondary schools continues with Webster Schroeder’s production of Catch Me if You Can, which will take the stage next Thursday through Saturday.

Based on the 2002 Dreamworks hit movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, the musical Catch Me if You Can introduces us to Frank Abagnale Jr. (Ryan Parody), a precocious individual seeking fame and fortune. He ran away from home in 1964 at the age of 16 with nothing but his boyish charm, big imagination, and millions of dollars in forged checks. From 1964 to 1969 Frank successfully posed as a substitute teacher, a pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer, living the high life and winning the girl of his dreams. When Frank’s lies catch the attention of FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Jack Baker), Carl does whatever it takes to bring Frank down. It’s the true-life story of the world’s (now) most respected authority on forgery, embezzlement, cybercrimes and scams.

Shows are Thursday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m.; Friday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m.; and Saturday, Feb. 10 at 2 and 7 p.m. at Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Rd. Tickets are $14 and available now through WebsterSchroederMusicals.com.

Start your Super Bowl Sunday off right

If you’re planning to spend a lot of time on the couch on Super Bowl Sunday (like I am), you might want to consider starting off your day with a fun workout.

The Webster Recreation Center has cooked up a FREE Super Bowl-themed “Football & Fitness” sampler workout for Sunday Feb. 11. Beginning at 9 a.m. you can sample four workouts with four different instructors, split into 15 minute “quarters.”

You can even earn raffle tickets for some great prizes. Check out the poster for details.

It all happens at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr., beginning at 9 a.m. There’s no cost, registration is not required and you don’t have to be a member of the Rec to join the fun.

Kindergarten registration opens

Kindergarten registration is now open for the class of 2037.

Families are asked to go online now to register their children who will be entering kindergarten this September. (Families who do not have access to a computer may call the Webster Central School District at 585-216-0029 to have a registration packet mailed to them.) 

Families are encouraged to register early as it takes a substantial amount of time and planning for the appropriate number of students to be enrolled in each of the seven elementary schools. In the event there’s not enough space for a child to enroll at their home elementary school, registrations will be processed in the order in which they are received. 

Parents/guardians can get more information and register online at www.websterschools.org/registration.

Investors sought for Shark Tank-style panel

This news also from the schools which will interest local business owners:

High school students in the Webster Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) will pitch their businesses in Shark Tank-style to a panel of investors this spring, and Webster YEA! is looking for local businesses and persons to be the next Kevin O’Leary, Daymond John, or Barbara Corcoran for these budding entrepreneurs.

YEA! transforms Webster Schroeder and Webster Thomas students into real, confident entrepreneurs. Through the year-long program, Webster YEA! students generate business ideas, conduct market research, write business plans, pitch to a panel of investors, and launch their very own companies. Investors pledge $700 toward student businesses and join the in-person Shark Tank-style presentation of student entrepreneur business proposals to be held on Thursday, March 21.

Interested in being an investor and on the panel? Contact program coordinator Jim McEntee at james_mcentee@webstercsd.org.

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 2/2/2024)

Class of ’93 donation honors former Thomas VP John Soper

1 Feb

When we graduate from high school, we all leave a little bit of our hearts behind. It might take some time, but eventually most of us come to look back fondly at our alma maters, the good times we had there, and the teachers and administrators who helped guide us.

That’s what the members of the Webster Thomas Class of 1993 were thinking when they celebrated their 30th reunion last summer. As part of the reunion, they decided they wanted to do something to give back to the school, and especially honor their vice principal, John Soper. So, in his memory, they held a fundraiser to raise money for the Webster Thomas Food Pantry.

Class of ’93 representative Andy LaManna explained they chose Soper for the recognition because he was “a great human being … very much appreciated by the class.”

He added,

When the class of ’93 had the reunion planning, we wanted to do something different. Knowing that no student should have to worry about being hungry during the school day (there’s enough other things to worry about in high school), we decided that we would take up a collection to raise money for the Webster Thomas Food Pantry that is right at the school.

What ended up happening was amazing. Both those that could, and those that could not make the reunion donated to the pantry. All in all we raised over $3000.

Unfortunately, Soper passed away in 2016. John’s wife Judy was very appreciative of the sentiment, writing,

John was truly dedicated to his students and the Webster schools. He took great joy in being personally involved with his classes as vice-principal and later as principal. Seeing former students succeed was his reward. Being an educator was his true calling. He would have been so honored by this dedication from the class of 1993.

Glenn Widor and Ari Halaris

Webster Thomas administrators were pretty much blown away by the generous donation. Principal Glenn Widor said, “The Class of ’93 donation made it possible for our Thomas/OWL students to know and more importantly feel that people care and want to help in numerous ways even after graduating! Having a pantry that provides essentials for those in need is of great value.”

OWL administrator/director Ari Halaris added, “I’m honored to work in a school where alumni continue to show support for our schools and programs. It’s great to have a stocked pantry right within the buildings.”

The funds were used to purchase nonperishable food for the cupboard, and provide food vouchers for students to use over breaks and vacations.

Every one of our secondary schools has a food pantry to serve those students who need extra support and don’t get enough to eat at home. Wouldn’t it be cool if other Webster class reunions did something similar to support the pantries at Schroeder, Willink, and Spry? What a great way for Webster alumni to help our current Webster students.  

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 2/1/2024)

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Gathering Place Webster: a place for adults and kids to volunteer together

29 Jan

Earlier this month I posted a blog spotlighting the many organizations in Webster which offer ways for people to give back to their community through volunteering.

I’ve been surprised by how many people commented that they’re looking for something they could do as a family. So I thought I’d highlight a few organizations which really stood out to me as offering volunteer opportunities for both young and old.

The first of those is Gathering Place Webster. Operating out of the community room at the United Church of Christ on Klem Rd., Gathering Place Webster offers a wide variety of easy and accessible community service opportunities, like filling diaper bags for moms in need, making bag lunches for the chronically homeless, and to making “COZY bags” for kids and teens at the homeless shelter. What’s really neat about all these projects, however, is that not only can very young children get involved, but each one is specifically designed so that children of all ages can participate.

Gathering Place director Wendy Lesko explained, “We started this so that young families could get their kids started volunteering early … to show families with children how they can do community service from diapers all the way up; start teaching them when they’re young.”

Even though the organization is located within the United Church of Christ, it’s not officially affiliated with the church, and receives no funding from the UCC. It’s a completely separate 501c3 which rents space from the church.

Basically, Lesko explained, “the church made room for the Gathering Place to exist.”

We call it Gathering Place so that we could try to have nonreligious programming that would be comfortable for non-church people to come and participate in. … We don’t want people to think they can’t do community service because they don’t belong to a church.

Families interested in finding out more Webster are invited to attend the group’s next Community Service Sampler on Saturday Feb. 3 at 10 a.m. at UCC Webster, 570 Klem Rd. Participants can choose among a dozen different projects spread out on large tables set up around the church’s community room. Each table will include the project description, the agency it serves, the agency’s contact information, and step-by-step instructions on how to assemble the project. You can choose which project you’d like to work on, or stop by all the tables to sample the many different ways you can serve your community.

Here’s a quick look at all of the projects:

  • Bag Lunch Outreach: make 80 bag lunches to feed Rochester’s chronically homeless
  • Purse Project: fill purses with care items for women in need
  • Snack Bags for Baber: fill snack bags for the guests of the Baber hot lunch program
  • Buddy Bags: fill grocery bags with kid-friendly groceries
  • You for Youth Cozy Bags: fill drawstring bags with items for unhomed kids and teens (like socks, stuffed animals, blankets) to help them create a cozy space
  • You for Youth Backpacks: fill backpacks with care items for teens like a journal, Chapstick, lotion, socks
  • Care Kits: fill bags with personal hygiene items for people in need
  • Care Kits for Women: fill bags with personal hygiene items for women in need
  • Diaper Bag Project: fill diaper bags with baby items for women in need
  • Birthday Kits: create birthday kits with items to help struggling families celebrate
  • Warm Fuzzy Blanket program: make fleece blankets to be given to kids/teens having a hard time
  • Happy Birthday Cha Cha Cha: wrap birthday gifts to be distributed to kids via the RCSD

The event has plenty of easy ways for very young children to help out, too, like coloring lunch bags or making personalized notes to include in each kit. And if the kids get tired, they can go off in the corner of the room and play while moms and dads continue to work.

“It’s a social thing as well,” Lesko said. “Moms and dads are chatting and connecting with each other in community, while their kids are safely doing a community service project just steps away from them. It’s a dream come true.”

What a great way to get kids involved in our community in a fun way, and get them used to the idea that giving back and helping others is not only the right thing to do, but just feels good. Teaching responsibility and compassion today will go a long way towards raising responsible and compassionate adults. Not to mention we’re helping those in our community who need help the most.

Basically it’s a win/win for everybody.

The Community Service Sampler is this Saturday Feb. 3, beginning at 10 a.m. at United Church of Christ Webster, 570 Klem Rd. To read out more about Gathering Place Webster, visit their website here or Facebook page here.

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 1/30/2024)

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Truck parade offered some heartwarming surprises

28 Jan

It was a cold, spitty evening, but the much-anticipated tow truck parade held Friday night went off (you could say) without a hitch.

The parade was held in honor of 88-year old Ruth Childs, who had come to enjoy seeing the same truck pass by her Holt Rd. apartment window around the same time every evening. She described it as a “long white truck with a lot of lights.” Her daughter Bonnie Smorol shared Ruth’s story on Facebook, asking if anyone knew who the truck driver was, so perhaps on her birthday Friday night, he (or she) could flash their lights and beep the horn. (Read the whole story on the blog I wrote.)

Of course, the Webster community being what it is, that simple request turned into a full-blown truck parade as one company after another offered to help celebrate Ruth’s birthday in a big way.

By last week, at least seven companies from all around Rochester had joined the call. Last Friday night at 6:30 p.m., they met on the south end of the Wegmans parking lot, and by the time they’d all arrived, almost two dozen tow trucks, flatbed trailers, utility vehicles, pickup trucks and even a few SUVs, were lined up and ready to roll, led by two Webster police cars and trailed by a WVFD firetruck.

I’m not sure about everyone else, but I thought the trucks were simply going to drive by Ruth’s Legends at North Ponds apartment along Holt Rd., much like the “long white truck” does every evening. But the truckers had other ideas.

Ruth — who was wearing a birthday tiara and grasping a beautiful bouquet of flowers — knew something was going to happen, but didn’t know what. She was waiting outside the Legends lobby, looking adorable with a birthday tiara and a bouquet of flowers, accompanied by her daughter Bonnie, several other family members, friends and Legends residents.

After pausing at the Legends driveway to make sure everyone was assembled, one by one, each truck pulled right into the circle driveway in front of the apartment complex. Then every driver climbed down from their trucks, gathered around Ruth and sang Happy Birthday.

It was a touching moment that brought Ruth to tears. She shook hands with several of the drivers, one even offering to take her for a tow truck ride some day. Unfortunately, the “long white truck” driver is still a mystery, but I think everyone else made up for it. It was an amazing outpouring of community support, and a great example of how people can make a difference when they work together. It made me proud to say I live in Webster.

I’ve posted a few photos and the video here, but you can see a larger collection in this gallery. A huge thank you to Jet Thomas for sending me some of his photos and video. Channel 10 was there as well, and posted this really nice story. I especially like hearing the reaction from the studio crew in the background when it ran.

Thank you to the truck companies and drivers who made this happen, to Rachael Davey from Ricci and Sons Towing for pulling it all together.

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 1/28/2024)

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Webster community mailbag

26 Jan

The secondary schools’ lineup of spring musicals begins in just a few weeks when the Willink Drama Club presents Finding Nemo JR. on Friday, Feb. 2 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 3 at 1 and 7:30 p.m. at Willink Middle School, 900 Publishers Parkway.

An adaptation of the beloved 2003 movie, Finding Nemo JR. tells the story of Marlin (Jeremiah Fischer), an anxious and over-protective clownfish who lives in the Great Barrier Reef with his kid Nemo (Harper Johnson), who longs to explore the world beyond their anemone home. But when Nemo is captured and taken to Sydney, Marlin faces his fears and sets off on an epic adventure across the ocean. With the help of lovable characters Dory (Peyton Short), Crush (Rylie Biroscak), and the supportive Tank Gang (Jeremiah Clark, Ella Boneberg, Benedict Sweeney, Leah Schinaman, Kayla Vanderlinden, and Sierra Strelick), Marlin and Nemo both overcome challenges on their journey to find each other and themselves.

Featuring memorable songs such as “Just Keep Swimming,” “Fish Are Friends Not Food,” and “Go With the Flow,” Finding Nemo JR. showcases a large, energetic cast and crew of more than 100 sixth, seventh and eighth graders.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $6 for students and seniors, and free for children ages 3 and younger. Tickets can be purchased online here but should also be available at the door.

Challenger Miracle Field invites the community to a Valentines Dance on Friday and Saturday Feb. 9 and 10, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Webster Country Club, 440 Salt Rd.

Participants ages 20 and under are invited to attend Friday night, and those 21 and older can come on Saturday. Both nights will feature dinner, a photo booth, and a DJ providing the dance music.

Cost is $10 for 1 to 2 people, $25 for a group of three or more. Click here to register. Registrations are due by Feb. 2.

Beyond Cuts Salon on North Ave. in the Village of Webster is working with RocMaidan to send relief supplies to the Ukraine.

The salon is now collecting any size bottles of Ibuprofin (Advil) or Acetaminophen (Tylenol), and cold medicines and bandages of any size, which will be added to the medical backpacks which RocMaidan regularly ships to the Ukraine for soldier and civilian casualties.

Please drop your items off at the salon, 33 North Ave., during normal operating hours.

The annual Robynpalooza Golf Tourney has been scheduled for June 14, 2024 at the Morgan’s Crossing Golf Club in Scottsville.

This tournament is in its 13th year of having fun and raising money for local charities. Last year’s event raised $18,000, which benefited the Genesee Land Trust, Webster Public Library, Human Kindness and Webster Rotary charities. Business owners are encouraged to support this year’s Robynpalooza by purchasing a sponsorship, which range from $100 to $2500.

For more details, visit www.websterrotaryny.org or call 585-678-1378.

The next general meeting and luncheon for the Women’s Club of Webster will be held on Thursday Feb. 15 at Proietti’s Restaurant, 980 Ridge Rd. Cherie Wood, Webster’s coordinator for Wreaths Across America Webster, will be this month’s speaker.

The event begins with a social mix-and-mingle at 11:15 a.m., followed by a brief meeting at noon and lunch at 12:30 p.m. Then Cherie will speak about Wreaths Across America and other projects supporting Blue Star families and Gold Star mothers.

Lunch will feature a buffet featuring Proietti’s famous Chicken French, stuffed shells, zucchini marinara, salad, and a cannoli.  The cost is $24. Send your check made out to WCW by February 8 to Carolyn Rittenhouse, 405 County Line Road, Ontario, NY 14519. Questions? Phone Carolyn at 585-265-1303.

New members are always welcome.

The CDS Wolf Foundation invites community members to join a fun afternoon of bowling at the 17th annual Strikes for Abilities Bowling Party, scheduled for Sunday Feb. 25 at Bowlero Webster, 2400 Empire Blvd.

Registration costs just $250 for 5-person teams, and includes two hours of unlimited bowling, bowling shoes, pizza and unlimited soft drinks, prizes, a cash bar and raffles.

To learn more and sign up, click here.

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 1/26/2024)

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Finns Garage is under new ownership

24 Jan

These days, it can be hard to find a mechanic who’ll do a good job at a reasonable price and not try to up-sell you on every little thing.

We were fortunate to find one of those trustworthy mechanics when we moved to the Village of Webster four years ago: Finns Automotive at 45 East Main Street. So when I got the email from owner Kevin Finn that after 20 years in business he had sold the shop, I got a little panicky.

But then I walked down there, chatted with Kevin about his decision and met the new owner, James Robinson. When I left, I was feeling much better.

Kevin and his wife Susan have actually been thinking about selling the business for the last three years and have been actively looking for a new owner most of that time.

“I felt it was time,” Kevin said, “as long as I was healthy and we were able to financially do it. … We’re looking forward to some other endeavors. For me it includes spending time with the BID (Webster’s Business Improvement District) in addition to some other volunteer work.” He and Susan are also looking forward to having more time to visit with family and friends and doing some traveling.

The shop’s new owner, James Robinson, is actually a longtime Finns Automotive customer. He brings to the business a 24-year history of working with cars, beginning when he was just 14 years old, and he studied automotive mechanics at MCC. He plans to “keep (the shop) the same as it is,” especially looking forward to working with all of the customers who have come to trust Finns to take care of their vehicles.

And as a sign of that trust, he’ll be keeping the “Finns Automotive” name.

Kevin Finn has already received a lot of handshakes and pats on the back in support of his decision, and with thanks for being a valued part of the Village of Webster business community. He’s planning to be at the shop for several more weeks, so stop in to congratulate him and say hello to James.

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 1/24/2024)

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Carriage block follow-up

22 Jan

I’m always a bit surprised and pleased to see how many of my readers seem to be very interested in our local history. My recent History Bit about carriage blocks was the most recent example of that. I’ve received a lot of “likes” on the Facebook posts about them, and many comments. And what’s been especially cool is that several people actually were able to add to our knowledge of Webster carriage blocks, point out a few which I’m not sure even the Webster Museum knew about.

In that original post from about a week ago, I highlighted the three blocks I knew about then — one on Corning Park in the village, another in front of the Holt Homestead at 757 Holt Rd., and a third in front of 394 Phillips Rd. Thanks to my readers, I’ve since learned about three others.

The first of the three is the smallest, basically no more than a small cement block adjacent to the driveway entrance way of 183 East Main St., in the Village of Webster. Jeannette Chambers, the home’s former owner, wrote, “We always had fun as kids jumping from it or standing on the step pretending to be the doorman. You couldn’t park under the portico because your front door driver side would hit the step.” The house was built in 1917, so it probably dates to then.

The second has been a bit more elusive. I’m told there’s a carriage block at 1319 Lake Rd., just east of Mama Lor’s Restaurant, tucked back on the property, adjacent to a fence. I went by there to see if I could find it and photograph it, but couldn’t locate it. Stay tuned if you’re interested in learning more about that one. (update: I’ve since learned that the home’s owners recently did some landscaping and have removed that small piece of Webster history.)

This third one is the most interesting. It’s not a concrete block, but instead a fancy cast-iron step that sits in front of the home at 1771 Lake Rd. It sports not only two steps, but a decorative hitching post as well (or, as one reader suggested, it might be a grab bar). It’s marked with dates from the late 1800s.

Thank you to everyone who chimed in to let us all know about these treasured pieces of Webster’s history. Webster’s carriage steps collection is a great illustration of how different they can be.

If you know of any others in town, please let me know!

And now, a history riddle

Piggybacking this little bit of Webster history, I bring you a plea from the owner of one of Webster’s oldest and finest homes, the Whiting home at 351 Holt Rd.

The property’s current owner, Tom and Gwen Wiederhold, are trying to dig up old photos of their home. Tom writes that he knows there are still Bowman and Whiting families in the area but doesn’t know how to contact them. He reached out to me to help spread the word and see if any of my readers can help. If you can, please email Tom at thomaswiederhold@ymail.com

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 1/22/2024)

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Community truck parade will surprise 88-year old on her birthday, and you’re invited

20 Jan

Once again, the Webster community has come together in a big way to help out a neighbor, this time making sure a sweet 88-year old lady gets a birthday gift she’ll never forget.

This heartwarming story began when Bonnie Smorol posed a simple plea on the Webster Neighbors Facebook page:

This is a VERY random post and I’m not crazy, but here goes. My elderly mother lives in Webster and every night she watches for the white (maybe) flatbed truck with “tons of lights on it” which heads north on Holt usually around 7:30 p.m. She calls it “her truck.” I’ve been hearing about “her truck” for years now.

Her 88th birthday is the end of this month and if I could get the driver to even just flash the lights as they drive by on her birthday she would be overjoyed!

The response from the Webster community was immediate and overwhelming. In the days following that post, it was “liked” more than 900 times, shared more than 400 times and garnered 272 comments, every single one of them cheering for the possibility of finding that white-ish truck. But even beyond that, one trucking company after another chimed in. Before long, that one-truck search had blossomed into a multi-truck spectacle.

Rachael Davey, a tow truck driver for Ricci and Sons Towing, has taken the lead in organizing what has now become dozens of participants in what she’s calling a “Parade of Lights.” She told me that at least four other trucking companies will be taking part — AP Enterprises, Barth Towing, Glen and Sons Towing and Aarango Towing — most of whom will be bringing two or three or more trucks each. Several others have expressed interest, including Roze Property Care, Glen & Sons Towing, Greasy Monkey Towing and Todd’s Towing. So it’s going to be a BIG group. And best of all, they’ll all be escorted by Webster Police cars with lights flashing.

In total, 20 or more professional trucking company vehicles (that we know of) will be parading by Ruth’s window the evening of her birthday, Friday Jan. 26. My bet is that many, many more than 20 vehicles will show up, giving Ruth what will undoubtedly be a very memorable 88th birthday present.

Unfortunately, so far no one’s been able to identify who’s driving that white flat-bed truck that passes by Ruth’s apartment every evening and prompted this outpouring of love. But almost certainly, all of the other trucks — and cars and SUVs and pickups — will more than make up for it.

As for Bonnie, she’s been blown away by the response. She wrote,

I am completely overwhelmed by the heartfelt response to my search for that one particular truck that has made such an impression on my mom, especially during COVID when she was quarantined in her small apartment that faced Holt Rd. I don’t think people realize they might be making a difference in someone’s life and they never even know it! 

My faith in humanity has been restored. It seems you only hear about the bad things that are happening in the world but it’s amazing to know there are so many kind, thoughtful, caring people living among us who are willing to make a stranger happy! They even want to know what size sweatshirt she wears! 

I knew the people of Webster were awesome but I had no idea it was such a tight and giving community. … It’s beyond heartwarming to know there are so many people who truly just want to reach out in kindness. My heart has grown two sizes.

JOIN THE PARTY! Community participation is more than welcome and encouraged!!

If you’d like to participate in the Parade of Lights with your car or truck, plan to meet up with the rest of the drivers in the Holt Rd. Wegmans parking lot at 6:30 p.m. on Friday Jan. 26. Everyone will line up and leave from there, parading north along Holt Rd. past Ruth’s apartment in the Legends at North Ponds. (P.S. at least one television station said they were going to try to be there, too.)

Let’s show everyone what a loving community Webster is.

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 1/20/2024)

 

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Looking ahead to two great family events

19 Jan

Hip deep in the cold and snow of winter as we are now, sometimes it’s hard to poke our heads up and imagine that spring is not far off. Perhaps this thought will bring some cheer: Community Arts Day is only 12 weeks away!

This very family-friendly festival, which is marking its 47th year, showcases the musical and artistic talents of Webster School District K-12 students, and involves the entire community in a day to celebrate the arts. It was created as a collaborative effort to raise money to encourage and enhance fine arts programs throughout the district. 

This is always one of my favorite events of the whole year, because I see so many friends and neighbors performing or wandering the halls of Schroeder, and reconnect with lots of local organizations. I highly recommend you put it on your calendars now.

Details are still coming together, so if you’re a vendor or want to provide some entertainment, best keep on top of the plans by “liking” their Facebook page.

Looking even farther ahead, I recently got an email about this year’s Webster Garlic Fest, scheduled for Sept. 7 and 8 at the Webster Recreation Center.

This event seems to grow bigger and better every year. Reports are that last year it drew 3,000 people and had more than 100 vendors.

That means, if you’re a vendor and want to get on board (especially if you want a spot inside the Rec Center gymnasium), now is the time. The call has gone out for vendor/crafter/food truck registrations. Cost is $150 for a 10′ x 10′ indoor or outdoor space.

Click here to apply.

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(posted 1/19/2024)

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