Webster Library hosts event for budding writers

23 Sep

Writers and wanna-be writers are invited to a special event at the Webster Public Library this coming Saturday, Sept. 30 to learn more about the craft and how to get your work published.

Called “Readers, Writers and Connections,” the event will begin at 11 a.m. with a one-hour panel discussion by local history authors. The participants will discuss their writing process and how you, too, can write your own history pieces.

From 1 to 2 p.m., several publishers and editors will discuss their tips and tricks to be successful in publishing a book or article.

Then, from 2 to 3 p.m., science fiction author Edward Ashton will present a talk about what it’s like to have your book made into a movie. Ashton is the author of Mickey 7, which is set to be released next year.

Registration is required for this event. Click here for more information and to register.

And don’t wait till Saturday to check out the library’s display of books featuring local history, local authors, and publishing advice.

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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 9/23/2023)

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Webster community mailbag

22 Sep

Our first notice today comes from the Webster CSD.

If you have any questions or concerns about the upcoming Building our Future Capital Project vote, the district is holding a community forum thcis week. According to the district, “the $85 million project focuses on providing a safe educational environment for all students with zero tax impact for district residents.”  

Community members are invited to a forum this Thursday, September 28, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Webster Thomas High School library, 800 Five Mile Line Road.

Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more – and ask questions – about Building Our Future, including planned upgrades at all 11 schools. The Building Our Future capital project vote will take place Wednesday, Oct. 11 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Webster Schroeder High School.

This very special event from Webster Comfort Care Home.

Community members are cordially invited to a Celebration of Remembrance on Tuesday evening Oct. 3, where you can light a luminaria in honor or memory of your loved one(s).

Luminarias can be purchased for $10 each and will benefit the Webster Comfort Care Home in its mission to provide no-cost, compassionate care to the terminally ill and their families.

The Celebration of Remembrance will be held at the Comfort Care Home, 700 Holt Rd., from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday Oct. 3. Rain date will be Oct. 5.

I attended a recent Women’s Club of Webster luncheon recently (you’ll be reading more about them and the great things they do later), and came away with news of two upcoming events.

Their annual Card/Game Party “Fun-Raiser” has been scheduled for Tuesday Nov. 7 at Glendoveers on Old Browncroft Rd.

This always fun social event begins at 10 a.m. with coffee and danish, followed bya buffet luncheon at 12:30 p.m. The games themselves will be played from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day includes 50/50 drawings and lots of beautiful basket raffles. A cash bar will also be available.

Tickets cost $40. Checks should be made out to the Women’s Club of Webster and mailed to Diane Miller, 428 Seneca Park Ave., Rochester, 14617. Deadline to order tickets is Nov. 1.

And… if you’re a regular blood donor, you’ll be glad to hear that the Women’s Club of Webster will be providing the canteen cookies at the blood drive scheduled for Wednesday Oct. 11 from noon to 7 p.m. at the Webster Firemen’s Building, 172 Sanford Street.

Appointments are not required. Donors should feel free to just drop in. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 1-800-RED-CROS (1-800-733-2767).

The next Friends of the Webster Public Library Book Sale is just around the corner, Oct. 18 through 21. Here’s the announcement:

Find plenty of treasures for your mind at astoundingly low prices during the Webster Public Library Fall Book Sale. Gently used hardcover books will be available for $1, paperback books for $.50!

Members of the Friends of the Webster Public Library can visit Wednesday, Oct. 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. for a first look. Membership in the Friends of the Webster Public Library is required and can be purchased at the door.

The general public sale will be Thursday, Oct. 19 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday Oct. 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday Oct. 21 from 10 a.m. to noon. Friday and Saturday are BYOB Sale Days — bring your own bag, fill it with gently used books for only $5!

The sale will be held at the library, 980 Ridge Rd. Proceeds from the fall book sale directly benefit library programs, book collections and other special projects.

Also, remember that the very clever “Caps for Sale” fundraiser is coming up in November, and donations are hand-made caps are being accepted now.

The fundraiser is based on the popular children’s book of the same name, in which Bartholomew Cubbins had 500 hats. Right now, the library is collecting yarn for crafty people to turn into hats, and asking crafty people to make hats for the sale. Any size (infant to adult), any style, any technique (knit, crochet, felt, woven, felt, sewn), with any fiber (machine washable is appreciated, please include care information) will be accepted. If you can donate yarn or hats, you can drop them off at the library service desk during September and October.

The actual Caps for Sale fundraiser event will be November 2 from 5 to 7 pm and Saturday Nov 4 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the library. Adult hats will be $15 and children’s hats will be $10. Any unsold hats will be donated to Webster NY Hope and other charities.

Finally (at the risk of making this a very library-centric mailbag), click the flyer to see what kind of fun stuff they have coming up in the next few weeks.

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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 “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 9/22/2023)

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SchROder or SchRAYder?

21 Sep

It’s an issue many of us have encountered. How do you properly pronounce the name of Webster Schroeder High School?

I thought the question had been decided long ago; the proper pronunciation, as far as I knew, is “SchRAYder” with the long A. “SchROder,” I’ve always told people, is the name of the piano player in the Charlie Brown Christmas special.

But apparently it’s still an issue for some. Several days ago I got an email from Sandy Leary, who wrote that during a recent trip to Wegmans, she overheard some staff members chatting about how to pronounce the school’s name. She suggested I put the question out to my readers to determine the definitive answer.

Not surprisingly, my post attracted a LOT of attention, which tells me what a hot-button issue this really is. I heard from alums, current and retired teachers, parents of kids who attended Schroeder, and even someone who competed in sports against Schroeder many years ago. As of yesterday, I had received 111 comments. Only FOUR of them said the name should be pronounced “SchROder.”

Everyone was very firm in their convictions, for one reason or another. Much of the discussion revolved around the name’s spelling, which apparently comes from German roots. Diana M. pointed out that the umlaut over the O makes it sound like an A in German. Rosele W. agreed that SchRAYder is the German pronunciation, adding that her maiden name, Boehmer (pronounced Baymer) is similar.

My teacher friend Pat injected a little English rule of law, reminding everyone that “when two vowels go a-walkin’, the first one does the talkin’,” adding, “Except in Webster, it doesn’t!”

Most of the responses, however, were less about phonology and more about personal experience, basically saying that, “it’s always been SchRAYder since I/my kids went there.”

Others pointed out that during a sports contest, the cheerleaders pronounce it “SchRAYder,” and TV news stations do the same when they report on a story from the high school. Cathy A. wrote that she once asked the folks in the front office, who also confirmed the “SchRAYder” pronunciation.

Finally, I think the most definitive comment came from our friends at the Webster Museum, who confirmed that, “Herbert W. Schroeder, who the school was named for, pronounced his last name SchRAYder.”

Case closed.

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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 9/21/2023)

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Sloppy fun ahead

20 Sep

The Rec Center’s third annual Mud Run has been scheduled for Saturday Sept. 23.

The Mud Run is a a non-competitive, untimed, adaptive one-mile run/walk along the Recreation Center’s obstacle course/fitness trail which loops around the back of the facility. Some of the run will be through water and mud, and there will be some challenging obstacles. What’s really neat about it is that kids and their adults can do it together. It’s only $5 per person, and the event includes some pretty cool swag, and lots of food.

This is a mega-fun event that the whole family will enjoy together. I mean, what kid doesn’t enjoy getting super muddy, and especially love seeing their mom and dad get muddy with them? I had so much fun last year that I went through the course TWICE.

Visit the Webster Recreation Center website and search for program #301201. You can sign up for any 15-minute wave between 10 a.m. and noon. The Webster Recreation Center is located at 1350 Chiyoda Drive, off of Phillips Rd.

Thank you to all of this year’s sponsors, and especially to Gleason Orthodontics, which has long been a very generous sponsor of community events.

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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 9/19/2023)

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Webster’s new dog park will soon be open

19 Sep

Construction has begun on the new dog park planned in Webster Park.

In a recent press release, Monroe County Executive Adam Bello announced that ground has been broken for the dog park, which will be located in the large grassy area at the corner of Lake Rd., and Park Rd., which leads into the campground.

The 1.5-acre dog park will include separate areas for large and smaller dogs, agility equipment and drinking stations. Construction is expected to be complete by the end of October. The project is being funded by a $250,000 grant secured by Assemblymember Jennifer Lunsford, part of the Go Outside Monroe Initiative, dedicated to modernizing the county’s parks system. The funds will also be used to repair and replace existing equipment on the nearby playground.

When completed, the new Webster facility will be the third dog park within the Monroe County
Parks system, joining active locations at both Ellison Park and Greece Canal Park. Dog park users must be registered. For more information on how to do that, click here.

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(posted 9/19/2023)


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Ten years of Making Spirits Bright

18 Sep

There’s an awesome organization here in Webster which for the last ten years has been working quietly under the radar, doing awesome things for families in need during the holidays.

The aptly-named Making Spirits Bright (MSB) was founded in 2014 with one simple mission: to provide smiles for families in need during the holiday season. For many families in our area, the holidays are not a joyous time, as parents struggle put a decent meal on the table, let alone purchase Christmas gifts for their children.

The organization works with area school counselors and social workers to identify families that need assistance. Then they collect wish lists from each of the family members and begin collecting items.

Over the last ten years, Making Spirits Bright has helped 435 families through holiday-gift giving, dorm room preparations and COVID lock-down. They’ve served countless others by assisting other social services agencies and stocking community food stands.

Since day one, it’s been a labor of love for co-founders Colleen Bedford and Jamie Buss.

“We’re grateful to be here after all these years, spreading sunshine and doing what we love.” Jamie wrote. “Today’s world needs more kindness, compassion and empathy than ever before. We’re proud to be a catalyst for change and thank (the community) for being a part of this journey with us.” 

It’s clear they’re not planning to rest on their laurels or pause very long to celebrate this milestone, however. The call has already gone out for donations to support this year’s effort. The goal this holiday season is to serve 65 families, which would bring the ten-year total to 500 families.

Once again this year, the DiMarco Group has graciously donated space in BayTowne Plaza for Making Spirits Bright to use as they collect their donations (in the storefront which right now is Spirit Halloween). Hours of operation will be posted on the MSB Facebook page. The organization has been able to grow considerably due to DiMarco’s generosity. 

How you can help

There are several ways you can help:

  • Sign up as a group, organization, business or family to help out.
  • Adopt an entire family (choose the family size you’re comfortable with, two-person and up)
  • Adopt one person (any age/gender identity)
  • Organize a collection drive for some of the most needed items, like toiletries, hygiene items, cleaning supplies, gift wrap, gift boxes and gift cards.
  • Make a monetary donation, which are used to purchase items on the list which were not adopted. Any donations, large or small, is appreciated. Contributions can be made via credit or debit here.

If you’d like to volunteer your time and kindness to the organization, click here to fill out a form and they’ll be in touch.

If you have questions, or want to find out how to adopt a family, email thegoodnessinitiative@gmail.com. You can also get many of your questions answered here on the Making Spirits Bright FAQ page.

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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 “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 9/18/2023)

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September History Bit: the Town of Webster’s official tree

17 Sep

In this month’s History Bit, we shine a spotlight on the Webster Arboretum, and a beautiful little tree with the peevish name, the crabapple. 

Most people probably don’t realize that the flowering crabapple is the Town of Webster’s official tree. According to the Webster Arboretum website, that designation can be traced back to Elizabeth Sykes, a member of the Webster Country Gardeners Garden Club. Back around 1970, she urged the Town to adopt the tree as the Town Tree. (No one seems to know why she chose the crabapple).

Sykes then asked Jean Thompson and Carole Huther to approach the Town about establishing a crabapple arboretum. The perfect location seemed to be a parcel of land the Town had purchased several years earlier, two family farms on Schlegel Rd. owned by Herman Rieflin and Walter Wright. On June 21, 1971 the Town accepted the proposal and set aside 20 of the 80 acres for the arboretum. 

Of course the first plantings were crabapple trees.

In the years since it was established, the Webster Arboretum – officially known as the Webster Sesquicentennial Arboretum at Irving Kent Park, and now about 40 acres – has seen many improvements and expansions, especially in anticipation of the Town’s sesquicentennial celebration in 1990. The beautiful results of those efforts and continuing support from the Town of Webster, Webster community members and a dedicated team of volunteers can be seen today in its bountiful gardens and along its flower-filled paths.  

The Webster Arboretum is located at 1700 Schlegel Rd. To read more about this beautiful park, visit the Arboretum website.

Discover more interesting bits of local history at the Webster Museum, 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster. It’s open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Visit the website to learn more.  

P.S. If you’re enjoying these History Bit features and would like to read more of them, check out the link on the right of the blog home page, where I’ve posted all of the History Bits since September 2022.

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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 “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 9/4/2023)

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Webster Theatre Guild presents Oklahoma!

16 Sep

After not staging a musical last fall due to scheduling issues, the Webster Theatre Guild is back, and will be presenting Oklahoma!, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical, in six performances at the end of September and beginning of October.

Oklahoma! is the first musical written by the prolific duo. Set in rural Oklahoma, the musical tells the story of a farm girl and her courtship by two rival suitors, a cocky cowboy and an obsessed farmhand. It’s filled with catchy tunes, high-stepping dance, laughs and a breezy story.

More than 30 cast members, plus another dozen on the production crew, have been working since early August to put the show together. There have been some challenges; August rehearsals meant working around summer vacations, the Fringe Festival is presenting some conflicts, and a recent rehearsal had to move from Thomas High School to Willink to accommodate an open house.

But we’re talking about the Webster Theatre Guild, truly a community theater company, where everyone comes together to make things happen.

The composition of the cast itself is a great illustration of how much this organization reflects the Webster community. Among the company are Webster teachers, an attorney, a nurse, and a Wegmans employee. There are high school students and retirees. Mother and daughter Andrea and Anika Peterson are on stage together, as are three members of the Holcomb family.

For a few of the actors, this is their very first show, or the first time on stage in 20 years. Like Al Killenbeck, who after starring in Oklahoma! several decades ago with the Webster Theatre Guild, has returned as a member of the ensemble.

The Webster Central School District has been especially supportive this year, finding the time between school productions and extracurricular activities for the WTG to stage their musical. The district even got audition information out to students before the end of last school year. Thanks to that push, five Webster Schroeder and Thomas students are part of the production, four of them under the age of 18.

Oklahoma! will be presented in six performances:

  • Friday Sept. 29, 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday Sept. 30, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
  • Friday Oct. 6, 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday Oct. 7, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

All shows will be held at Webster Thomas High School, 800 Five Mile Line Rd. Tickets are $20, plus $2 transaction fee if ordered online), and are reserve seating. Tickets will also be available at the door. Click here for tickets.

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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 “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 9/16/2023)

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Webster Pediatric Dentistry opens new location

15 Sep

Webster Pediatric Dentistry (WPD) officially opened their new offices on Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting at their new location in the Crosspointe Professional Park.

The event celebrated WPD’s move from its original location on West Main St. in Webster, where it had been since the 1970s.

The practice is now owned by Dr. Lisa DeLucia, who has been with Webster Pediatric since 2010. When she took over the business in 2021, she almost immediately saw the need to make a fresh start and “put my own stamp on things.”

“We needed an updated space that fits families today,” she said. “We needed a little more privacy, but also have the ability to treat multiple kids at once.” The previous office had two floors, she explained, so “this space works better. We’re all on one floor, which is more accessible, and team-dynamic-wise, being on one level will be a really nice thing.”

Dr. Lelucia’s husband and three children (who got to skip school for the occasion) were on hand for the ribbon-cutting, as well as local dignitaries including Senator Samra Brouk, Assemblyman Brian Manktelow, Legislator Mark Johns, Councilwoman Ginny Nguyen and Webster Chamber of Commerce President Barry Howard.

The new Webster Pediatric Dentistry office is located at 1110 Crosspointe Lane, Suite D, right next to the Webster Chamber of Commerce offices. Community members are encouraged to attend an open house the evening of Oct. 12 for a tour of the new facility. Follow the Webster Pediatric Dentistry Facebook page for details.

Here are few more photos from the event:

I’ve actually blogged about Webster Pediatric Dentistry before. You’re probably familiar with the huge moose painted on the side of the original WPD office on West Main St. in the Village of Webster, then owned by William Salminen (or at least he was a practitioner there). In 2008, just after I started writing this blog, I got curious and tracked down the mural’s history.

I found out that it was Dr. Salminen’s wife Carol who had (what she called) the “crazy idea” to paint the animals on the building as a welcoming menagerie for their young patients. She even added animal tracks on the sidewalk leading to the door. Four years later, a juvenile moose was added to the mural.

Sadly, the new practice will probably never have a moose on the wall. But I don’t think he’ll be leaving the village anytime soon.

Another ribbon-cutting of sorts was held Thursday afternoon by the Town of Webster at the Webster Highway Department on Picture Parkway. It was a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction of the new, much larger facility.

This from the press release:

The current Webster highway facility was constructed over 50 years ago and no longer fits the needs of the Highway Department. This new facility is the culmination of several years of research, planning, and collaborative work across multiple departments and agencies. On February 24th of this year, the Webster Town Board voted 5-0 to approve the potential $28+ million bonding for this new highway facility.

The new facility will provide ample space for all of the highway equipment, with 30 truck spaces, a 6-bay mechanic shop, and a streamlined traffic flow design. New spaces for staff include locker rooms, break areas, offices and training rooms that will accommodate up to 60 employees. Safety and technology upgrades are also included in this project, to improve workflow and efficiency. Employees will continue to work in the existing facility while construction takes place and provide the same level of service to our residents.

You can watch a video of the entire ceremony here.

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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 9/15/2023)

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New local news magazine highlights Webster

14 Sep

Local news is fading away.

A few years ago Webster could count on four or five outlets where we could, at least occasionally, find news affecting us here in town. The Democrat and Chronicle used to do a better job of it, but they don’t even pretend to serve up local anymore. Two years ago, the Webster Post ceased publishing, too. Fortunately, we can still rely on the Webster Herald, and — of course — this blog.

But for those of us who really want to keep up with what’s going on in Webster, it’d be nice to have another reliable, journalistic outlet for local news. That’s why I was very excited to learn about Webster NOW, a new Webster-centric news magazine hosted on Facebook.

Webster NOW is the project of Garrett Wagner, a life-long Webster resident and father of a young daughter. He launched the program in June, and posts a new segment every two weeks. Garrett is quite literally the face of Webster NOW, delivering each installment in close-up, evening-news-anchor-like fashion.

Something that all viewers should know from the start is that Garrett is running for Town Board this November. So one of the main reasons he created Webster NOW is to increase his name recognition. Having said that, however, he ‘s striving to keep his segments unbiased and anti-political, his goals being to “educate and entertain, remind (community members) they have a voice, and teach them how to use that voice to make something happen.”

Which is not to say that the program is devoid of politics. Each 10 to 15-minute segment begins with a look at the most recent Town Board meeting, highlighting several particularly engaging topics, which are culled from Town Board agendas and online video.

But the program also touches on other issues affecting Webster residents, like the recent rash of car thefts, local business updates, and school board elections. Garrett also regularly includes interviews with local officials and business leaders, and occasionally offers up an opinion poll about a particular topic. And every Webster NOW edition ends with news of upcoming special events in town.

A CPA by trade, Garrett hasn’t been a writer or videographer all his life. For that matter, he said his high school and college teachers all encouraged him to find a career in which he didn’t have to write. So to produce each Webster NOW installment, he works with a team to collect news, write the script and edit the video before the final product airs.

Garrett is pleasantly surprised by how well Webster NOW has been received. The Facebook page already has 187 followers, a number which should continue to grow as more people discover the program.

He’s already got plans on how to make the show better and even more informational.

“I’d like to branch out a little more with other guests,” he said. “There are so many voices of things happening … a lot of little groups in Webster that do great things for the town that nobody knows about.”

In the shorter term, Garrett will be working to keep his two-week production schedule consistent, and if people continue to enjoy the program, maybe even hire a few more staff members to provide additional content.

“Because there’s so much happening in Webster,” he said.

I totally agree, and it’s great that Webster residents now have another way to become more connected with the community.

Click here to check out Webster NOW for yourself.

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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 “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 9/14/2023)

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