The Village of Webster is charming pretty much all year, but it’s particularly beautiful during the summer months.
This time of year the flower beds are in full bloom, the big planters lining the streets have grown tall, and the hanging baskets on the light poles are overflowing with color. The Village Hall gardens are looking spectacular, as are the flowering shrubs and gardens down at the little pocket park at North Ave. and Rt. 104, welcoming visitors to the village.
Maintaining all of these plantings takes a lot of time and effort. On my morning walks I often see the watering guy puttering around town in his golf cart, diligently poking a watering wand up into each and every planter and hanging basket.
So thank you, Village employees for keeping our little corner of the world so beautiful. Your efforts are appreciated.
The beginning of the new school year is coming fast, so before long we’ll be thinking about buying supplies, getting up early again, and catching the bus.
For our youngest students, getting on a big school bus on that first day of school can be a little scary. A great program called Strive for Five for School Bus Safety helps allay some of those fears.
The program, now in its 16th year, is designed for 2023/24 incoming kindergartners. It gives children a chance to become familiar with school buses and learn important safety procedures.
New kindergartners (no additional children please) and their parents/guardians will be picked up at Willink Middle School, 900 Publisher’s Parkway. Buses will depart promptly at 6 p.m. and families will be transported to the bus garage at 1000 Document Drive for a fun and informative safety program, then ride the buses again back to Willink.
While at the bus garage, students will rotate through stations teaching them important safety elements, including:
Loading and unloading the bus
Proper crossing procedures
Danger zones surrounding the bus
Appropriate behavior on the bus
Emergency equipment/evacuation
Families are asked to attend the evening assigned to their particular school, as indicated below, if at all possible. If you can’t make your assigned evening, you can come on another, but the district really likes to spread everyone out as much as possible.
August 7 – Plank South August 8 – Klem South and Dewitt August 9 – Klem North and Schlegel August 10 – Plank North and State
Private and parochial students residing in the Webster Central School District can attend any one of the four dates.
The program will be held outside and will take place rain or shine.
I heard some news the other day about one of our village’s newest businesses, Revelle’s Home Decor, and it’s kind of a good news/bad news situation.
The GOOD news is that business is good for Revelle’s. The BAD news is that means they’ve already outgrown their new place on East Main Street.
Revelle’s Home Decor only opened two months ago at 5 East Main, right next to the (also brand new) M.O. Pasta. I stopped in there several times and always had a wonderful chat with owner Peggy Revelle, who clearly was looking forward to becoming an integral part of the local business scene and participating in Village events.
So the loss of Revelle’s is really a loss for the village. But, as I said, this is good news for the family-owned business. Clearly, business has been so good that they’ve already realized they need more space for all the things they want to do, including featuring more new furniture and local crafters and vendors. Peggy also said their paint parties have really taken off, and they need a lot more space for them.
Revelle’s has already found a new space in Ontario at 1864 Rt. 104 East, less than a mile east of Ontario Center Rd.
In anticipation of the move, Revelle’s Home Decor’s Webster Village store is now closed. But in just a few weeks — sometime in August — you can visit their much bigger shop in Ontario, just 10 minutes down Rt. 104.
In the meantime, another business is already planning to move into the empty Revelle’s space, so stay tuned for news about that.
The Soul Connection Tour is just about ready to leave the station!
That would be the thank-you trip that Bob Freese and Peg Schaeffer are planning to take to Newfoundland later this month, to hand out candy bars a small token of appreciation for the kindness the residents there showed on 9/11. The story about how Newfoundlanders opened their homes to almost 7,000 stranded airplane passengers was made popular by the hit Broadway musical Come From Away.
This is the second time Bob and Peg have made the trip. On their first, back in 2019, they handed out 600 Hershey Bars to strangers they met along the way, each wrapped with a personally-signed thank-you message. (Click here to read the blog I wrote about that trip.)
This time, Bob and Peg want to hand out at least 1200 candy bars. That goal in itself shouldn’t be difficult — they’re going to meet a lot of people on their travels. But buying and preparing all those candy bars? That’s another matter.
Fortunately, they’ve been getting a lot of help. Last Thursday they hosted a “signing party” at the Webster Chamber of Commerce office, and 15 folks showed up to sign and wrap. Most everybody came with an armload of candy bars to donate to the cause. By the end of the afternoon, 550 candy bars were ready to go. The wrappers, by the way, had been signed by people from more than a dozen states.
At the signing partyCandy bars ready to goBob and Peg’s “ugly sticks” ready for the trip
But the kindness of the Webster community is reaching well beyond that signing party. For example, Denise Baller and her Dancing With Denise dancers and parents are donating, signing and wrapping 500 candy bars on their own, and the staff at Webster Comfort Care have prepared another 180.
Like on their last trip, Bob and Peg will be distributing the candy bars across the country as they travel from town to town. They’re especially looking forward to attending a performance of Come From Away when they’re in Gander, where they hope to be allowed to present candy bars to all the actors and audience members.
Another highlight of the trip will be a potluck supper they’re hosting while in Gander. They’re inviting the whole town, and all of the “real” people whose stories are depicted in the play. It’s their way of celebrating the “soul connection” the world has with Newfoundlanders.
A family reunion of sorts took place Friday evening, when employees of the now-closed Hegedorn’s Market gathered for a good-bye picnic.
The event, held in a lodge at Charles Sexton Park, was organized by former front end manager Jeannie Uhl, with help from Cindy Frank and others to track down as many current and former employees as possible.
When I was there, the party was just getting busy. A few dozen people were already there, with more arriving every minute. They were seated inside and outside the lodge, enjoying a dish-to-pass dinner and visiting with their former colleagues.
They shared laughs, memories both happy and sad, and lots of stories — like how long-time customers would come to the store that final week just to take a stroll through the aisles. And how one more of the painted ceiling tiles had finally been claimed by its original artist.
But mostly they enjoyed one last chance to all be together as a family, like they were when they were working at Webster’s hometown grocery.
The fine folks at the Webster Museum have begun planning in earnest for their annual Barn Sale, scheduled for September 14 through 16.
This is probably the museum’s biggest fundraiser every year, and its success relies on community support. That opportunity begins next week, when the barn doors will be open and accepting donations.
Here’s more detail, in the words of Webster Museum Board Member Jan Naujokas:
The barn doors are open for donations beginning July 9 at 394 Phillips Road. Come down the driveway to the barns. Donations can be left inside the large barn. Donation receipts are on the table. Although you can donate any day, museum volunteers are on site Monday mornings if you would like assistance unloading your donations.
We love your antiques, collections and collectibles, kitchen and household items, décor, small appliances, toys, tools, and small furniture.
We can no longer accept books or magazines (visit the Webster library to donate these items). We cannot accept computers, clothing, linens, baby cribs or car seats, large furniture, snow skis or water skis, large exercise equipment, audio or video tapes (VHS tapes, music cassettes, etc), or entertainment electronics, (TVs, stereos, DVD players, etc).
Your donations last year helped support tours for children from our local elementary schools, and programs and exhibits for the community. Thank you! Please think of us again this year if you have gently used items to donate.
The Webster Museum, at 18 Lapham Park in the Village Webster, is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 2 to 4:30 p.m. To learn more, visit their website and “like” them on Facebook.
The Village of Webster summer season officially kicks off this Friday July 7 with the first in the Friday Night Gazebo Concert series, featuring the Red Hot and Blue Band.
RHB plays Americana, Roots, and Blues Rock music that will get you dancing and bring back a lot of great memories.
The concerts begin at 7 p.m. at the gazebo on North Ave. and admission is free. Bring the whole family, some folding chairs and a blanket, and a cooler if you’d like, then enjoy some beautiful music.
Here’s a quick look at what else is being planned in the village this summer. For more information about all of these events and more, visit websterbid.com.
We are seeing more Webster households in need of assistance with food and hygiene items. Therefore, we are having a food and garage sale donation drive-up on Saturday, July 22 from 10-noon.
Hope volunteers will be collecting items behind Holy Trinity Church, 1460 Ridge Road, near the Knights of Columbus building. Tax receipts available on request. We suggest entering from Phillips Road, and drop-off for garage sale and food donations will be on your right. You don’t even need to leave your car.
Garage sale is scheduled for Sept. 13 to 16. More to come about that.
That same evening, Saturday July 22, Hope is holding a fundraiser at the Panera restaurant in Towne Center Plaza, from 4 to 8 p.m. Just mention Webster Hope as you order and Hope will receive a donation to help low-income Webster residents.
Covid couldn’t deter the Class of ’71
Thanks to the pandemic, the RL Thomas Class of ’71 had to postpone their 50th reunion. But undeterred, they they decided to throw themselves a 70th birthday party instead.
The event was held on Saturday June 24 at Schutt’s Apple Mill, and featured food trucks, two alumni bands, a cornhole tournament, foosball tables, horseshoes, hay rides, and a memorabilia table. More than 160 folks attended, and for six hours played games and did a lot of talking and reminiscing.
Thanks to Dave Eckler for the report and photos!
The R.L. Thomas Class of ’71 will be holding a 70th Birthday Bash on Saturday June 24 at Schutt’s Apple Mill from 5 to 7 p.m. Thanks to COVID, the class was unable to hold its 50th reunion, so they’ve decided to celebrate their 70 birthdays together instead.
These concerts benefit local nonprofit organizations. The first one, scheduled for Wednesday July 12, will feature Allegro, and proceeds will benefit the Webster Hope Food Pantry. (See the flier below for the whole schedule.)
There’s no admission, but each week the church collects a free-will offering benefiting that week’s chosen non-profit organization.
The concerts all begin at 6:30 p.m., and food concessions begin at 6. The concerts are held on the United Church of Christ front lawn, at 570 Klem Rd. (In case of rain it’s moved indoors.)
For more information about the concerts, click here.
More concerts, more concerts, more concerts
The Summer Concert Series at Cherry Ridge is in full swing. The next concert is scheduled for Tuesday July 11, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., featuring Eight Days a Week. The concerts are held outside, and the grounds open up at 5 p.m. with food available for purchase. So bring your lawn chair and enjoy some beautiful music.
On August 8, the GateSwingers Big Band will perform, also beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Did you see those two massive tanks that were creeping through town last night?
They came through Four Corners about 6:45, heading west down Main Street accompanied by a huge escort, including state troopers. The first tank to come through actually clipped the traffic light, causing the whole procession to come to a stop until a support crew with a cherry-picker could get up there and physically lift the wire up so the trucks could fit under.
When I posted this on my Facebook page last night, the theories as to what they might be and where they were going ranged from the serious to the farcical, including wind turbine parts, grain silos, submarines or the new Elon Musk rides for the Carnival.
But a few people were able to find out the real answer, including my friend George Baker, who spoke to one of the escort drivers. Apparently the tanks were destined for a downtown brewery.
Which means my friend Andrew actually came pretty close when he said to me, “I told my wife I would only have one drink tonight. I’m glad it finally arrived.”
If you happened to be driving or walking through the Finchingfield Lane neighborhood on Monday night, you would have seen a Fourth-of-July-inspired light display which you likely didn’t expect.
No, it wasn’t fireworks, although they were very much in evidence that evening. It was, instead, a series of 300 luminaria — little white bags, each with its own tealight candle — lining several of the neighborhood’s streets.
The display, which stretched for an estimated half mile along four streets, was the work of Canoe Birch Lane resident Mike Pauly, his wife, daughters, and several very helpful and enthusiastic young neighbors. It’s a project Mike has been doing every year around the Fourth of July for more than 20 years … but not always here in Webster.
Mike and Rachel Pauly (in back) with most of their young helpersDougie Gibson lights one of the luminaria
The tradition actually began when he and his family were making regular summer camping trips to Woodstream Campsite in Gainesville.
Mike remembered that a few other families would put about 20 candles out in front of their campers. His father liked the idea and thought they could do it, too. But they weren’t happy with just putting out a few dozen.
“We expanded on it,” Mike said. “It wasn’t long before we put 500 out and filled up most of the campground.” It became an annual project, with kids from all over the campground helping fill the bags and light the candles. After a while, the campground even started offering wagon rides so everyone could enjoy the spectacle.
They don’t make it down to Woodstream much anymore, so they haven’t put out the luminaria for a few years. But last year Mike’s wife Rachel had a great suggestion: why not continue the tradition in their own neighborhood?
And that’s what happened. Last year they started relatively small, putting out 200 luminaria. This year that number grew to 300. Young neighborhood helpers worked for several hours over a few days to fill the bags with sand and place the candles. Then, at about 7 p.m., Mike, Rachel, their two daughters and their team of helpers started working their way through the neighborhood to place the bags. Another trip through to light all the candles, and the streets were glowing. With everyone working together, the whole process only took about an hour and a half.
The result was beautiful, and the reactions have been very positive. “People have been saying, it looks great, thank you for doing it,” Mike said.
Unfortunately, it’s a short-lived display. The candles only last two to four hours, and Mike went around Tuesday morning to collect all the bags. So if you didn’t see them Monday night, you’ll have to wait until next Fourth of July.
Why does Mike continue to do this every year? I never actually asked him, but I can pretty much guess the answer: to bring joy to his neighbors and strangers who walk or drive by, and to bring a little light into everyone’s lives as we celebrate this important holiday.
What a very community-inspired, Webster-like thing to do.
This is a really good opportunity to check out many of our brand new businesses. Click on the name above to keep updated on what special things they have planned. (For example, Oh Bella is offering treats, and free gifts.)
The sale will take place on Friday and Saturday July 7 and 8, beginning at 10 a.m. each day. It’ll happen rain or shine, with some displays outside (weather permitting) and some inside — or a little of both! So let’s hope for good weather, put on some comfortable shopping shoes, and head on down to the village this Friday and Saturday.
I feature the people and places and events that make Webster the wonderful community it is — and throw in some totally-not-Webster-related personal ramblings every once in a while as well.
I love it when readers send me news about the great things happening in their schools or the community, so please email me anytime at missyblog@gmail.com
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