Town Highway Garage, up-close and personal

17 Jan

I found myself the other day in a spot I never would have expected: face-to face with a 15-ton snowplow.

Actually, to be more accurate, I was face-to-face with MANY snowplows, parked so close together that I had to do some fancy maneuvering to get through and around them. The occasion was my recent tour of the Town of Webster Highway Garage on Picture Parkway, which I took to learn more about the plans Webster has to expand the current facility, which has become outdated and too small.

My visit early last week was the first in a series of tours the town is offering to community residents interested in getting a close-up look at the current facility’s condition and first-hand information about the Highway Facility Modernization Project. My tour guide was Webster’s Superintendent of Highways Supervisor Patrick Stephens, who walked me (and two other town residents) through the facility’s current equipment and materials storage buildings, the administration offices and the salt barn. On the way, he pointed out several specific instances of the buildings’ poor condition, like crumbling support beams and outdated electrical equipment.

The physical condition of the property aside, it became very clear during the tour that there simply is no longer enough room for all of the town’s equipment to be safely stored. As the town grew, administrators tried to keep up with the addition of new and much bigger equipment by adding onto the existing buildings bit by bit, to the detriment of efficiency. So right now, the main truck fleet is parked in multiple buildings, and are angled in, double-stacked and cross-parked one in front of another just to fit them all. In the main storage building, the trucks are parked nose-to-nose, which requires complicated maneuvers around other trucks, and backing out of narrow doorways to get out. Space is at such a premium that a lot of equipment is stored outside, unprotected from the elements.

The drivers do what they need to do, and have become rather adept at playing what amounts to a shifting-squares puzzle. But, “We’d like to spend our time on other things rather than being good at jockeying things around,” Patrick said.

A third consideration for replacing the current building are the staff facilities. Originally designed to accommodate a staff of 18, the break room, kitchen, small restrooms and limited locker space now must serve a full-time staff of 40, plus seasonal staff. The new facility would include separate men’s and women’s locker rooms, larger bathrooms and a break room that would comfortably and safely accommodate 50 to 55 staff members.

As he conducted our tour, Patrick patiently answered all of the questions I had, no matter how ignorant I thought they sounded. But that was exactly what the tours are all about, Patrick said.

The purpose of the tours is to give as much information to the community as possible at the beginning of this process, in as many first-hand, face-to-face meetings as possible. …  Once we get into the budget process, a lot of people will have concerns. We want as many people as possible to understand why (we need a new building), that it’s not just for convenience.  

When we say ‘need,’ they understand what that need is.

The final design plans are mostly complete, but some financial details still need to be hammered out. Town officials hope to be able to present a preliminary cost proposal to the Town Board in February. In the meantime, community members are encouraged to learn more about the project by signing up for one of the half-hour tours. They’re offered two or three times a week through March 3. They’re a half hour long, and are limited to ten participants, 18 and over. The Town Highway Garage is located at 1005 Picture Parkway, off of Hard Rd.

If you can’t attend one of the in-person tours, you can watch a virtual online tour here.

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(posted 1/17/2023)

Library helps make donating easy

16 Jan

There are so many great causes and community agencies in our area that desperately need community support to continue doing the great things they do. For folks who really want to help out by making some kind of donation, sometimes it’s hard to sift through all the opportunities out there.

The Webster Public Library has found a way to help with that dilemma.

They’ve recently created what they’re calling a “Donation Station” right next to the circulation desk, with information about three local organizations, including a list of what they need, and a box for each where you can deposit your donations.

Currently, the Donation Station is collecting items for:

  • Bella’s Bumbas: packing material (bubble wrap, air pillows, packing paper) that Bella’s uses to ship their chairs to recipients around the world
  • Hope House: non-perishable foods, toiletry items, cleaning supplies, new underwear and socks for all ages, gently used clothing

The station is also collecting used cell phones, ink cartridges and eyeglasses.

If you’d like to ask the library to include your non-profit organization to be featured at their Donation Station, click here to fill out a form. Space will be considered on a case-by-case, first-come, first-served basis.

To learn more about the Webster Public Library’s new Donation Station, click here.

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(posted 1/16/2023)

Webster Baptist Church: some history and a call for donations

15 Jan

If you know the Village of Webster even a little, then you’re probably familiar with the Webster Baptist Church. This beautiful cobblestone church on South Avenue, with its stately bell tower, has stood proudly in our village since the mid-1800s.

What you probably didn’t know is that the Webster Baptist Church is actually famous for precisely the reason it’s so beautiful: it’s the only cobblestone building in the country that’s still being used for its original purpose.

According to Webster Through the Years by Esther Dunn (1971), the church was originally established in 1832, in a frame meeting house built on the site of the current church. In 1855 the old frame building was moved to Corning Park and used as the Webster Academy until it was destroyed by fire in 1872.

The new cobblestone building was built on the same site and dedicated on Jan. 1, 1857. Most of the field stones were donated by citizens of the community, and the cobblestones were gathered by members of the congregation along the shores of Lake Ontario. Each was passed through a hole in a board to make sure it was of a certain shape and size.

In recognition of its rich history, the Webster Baptist Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. That designation alone illustrates how important this building, and its history, are to our village.

Now, it needs our help.

It’s been a long time since the Webster Baptist Church has seen any major renovations, and it’s really beginning to show its age. The stained glass windows all need repairing, to the tune of $8,000 to $10,000 each. In many places, the cobblestone facade needs some professional attention. And the church entrance has to be updated with a ramp or new sidewalk to accommodate handicapped parishioners. And all of these expenses are piled on top of the regular costs for upkeep and utilities.

To help raise money, the Webster Baptist Church is holding a year-long fundraiser. Community members are invited to purchase individual bricks to show their support for this historic church. Bricks cost $150 each (but larger donations are more than welcome) and they can be personally inscribed. The bricks for now will be placed near the front of the building in a small area currently filled with white stones. If enough bricks are purchased, the hope is to use them to build a new sidewalk leading to the front door. It’s estimated that would take about 1,500 bricks.

Church Moderator Diana Marchner hopes that the entire community — individuals as well as businesses — will pull together to help save the church by purchasing bricks, or just donating any amount they’d like. 

“(The church) is historical,” she said. “It should be important to the Town of Webster and the Village as well as just our church.”  “We need everyone’s commitment to make this possible.” 

Ultimately, Marchner added, the goal is to “get to a point where we don’t have to worry about the money, just worry about the people.”

“I don’t want to get people to church because we need their money. I want them to come to church because we love them.”

Click here for more information and a form to fill out to buy a brick or donate any amount to the Webster Baptist Church. You can also visit this GoFundMe page to donate online.

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(posted 1/15/2023)

Third graders meet the Webster Public Library

13 Jan

In a program that brings the Webster community and the Webster Public Library (WPL) together, our school district’s third graders are getting a jump-start on their love for reading by getting a close-up look at the library and all the services it offers.

All of Webster’s third grade students will be taking field trips to the Webster Public Library (WPL) this school year as part of a get-to-know-the-library program that will run through June. The idea came from discussions WPL Outreach Coordinator Jason Poole and Schlegel Elementary School librarian Jamie Palmer were having last year about school visits. At the time, due to the pandemic, schools were not allowing visitors, but students could go on field trips. Classes were already visiting the downtown library; giving them the chance to see their local library as well seemed like a natural next step.

Earlier this year, Schlegel Rd. Elementary students were the first to make the trip, in a trial run of the new program. It “went pretty well but was a little chaotic,” Poole said. He added,

After discussion with the youth department, we changed our approach to the current system, adapting and combining elements of existing in-house programming (staff area tours, storytimes, crafts, etc.) to create four stations that offer students a little taste of all WPL has to offer them. A charcuterie board of library experiences, if you will.

It’s one of the few programs that touches all areas of the library.

In December, Plank North Elementary third graders visited and experienced the newly-tweaked program. During their tour, the students made a craft in the teen area, explored the Children’s Room, and sat for storytime. They even got a close-up, behind-the-scenes look at places usually hidden from the public, including the back offices and the receiving end of the outdoor book drop.

But teaching students how to use the library really wouldn’t mean much if they couldn’t actually check out books. So, working closely with the library’s circulation department, Palmer and Poole came up with an ambitious plan to also make sure every one of the visiting third graders could sign up for a library card, if they didn’t have one already. Allowing them to do so without a parent or guardian present meant adjusting the library’s standard policy, but it was definitely well worth the effort, Poole said. Using their brand new library cards, each student could actually check out a book before they left the library. For a child who’s never been able to do that before, it’s a pretty exciting experience.

“Third graders are pretty much at the perfect developmental stage to really begin to appreciate the value of having their own library card,” Poole said.  

As an added bonus, each student also received a coupon, redeemable on their next library visit for a goodie bag with lots of little gifts including a card holder, an activity booklet, a WPL pin, and several other fun items.

So far, Schlegel and Plank North are the only two schools to have made the WPL trip, but the rest of the schools will be visiting in the next several months. Still, the Webster Public Library has already touched the lives of 146 students. In the process, 90 new library cards were issued, 26 cards were replaced, and four account problems were resolved. A whopping 80% of these third graders did not have access to the library before the trip, and now they do.

It’s a proud feeling to be trusted with the responsibility of having a library card, and a thrill to be able to walk into the library and leave with your favorite book.

What an awesome way to reinforce the joy of reading, and start these young people on their journey to lifelong learning.

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(posted 1/13/2023)

Webster community mailbag

12 Jan

I’m going to lead this mailbag today with two great opportunities to give back to our community through volunteering.

Webster HOPE, located at 1450 Ridge Rd., is looking for volunteers to help stock their food pantry, work in the gardens, organize the clothing closet and work with their clients. They’ve also noted several items on their January wish list which they need to keep their food pantry stocked. Check out the flier below for more information.

The mission of Webster HOPE is to serve the needs of residents in the 14580 zip code area, by providing food, clothing, household goods, furniture and financial assistance to those in need.

Webster Comfort Care Home, at 700 Holt Rd., is also in need of volunteers and nurses to help them with their mission to provide compassionate end-of-life care for terminally ill patients. For more information, visit webstercomfortcare.org.

This from the school district:

Webster CSD Parents/Guardians Invited to Family Engagement Roundtable

The Webster Central School District invites parents and guardians to a Family Engagement Roundtable. The evening will feature discussion with Dr. Robert Chalwell, Webster CSD Executive Director of Family & Student Services & Inclusivity, Janine Sanger, Webster Health & Education Network Executive Director, a Webster CSD parent, and a Webster CSD student.

The roundtable will be held on Thursday Jan. 19 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Spry Middle School, 119 South Ave. Please RSVP and submit questions by clicking here. Questions may also be submitted via email or audio file to robert_chalwell@webstercsd.org or in-person to Lindsay Young at the district office, 119 South Ave., Webster.

If you can’t attend and would like to watch the roundtable online, you can do so at websterschools.org/familyengagement.


The annual Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship has been scheduled for Saturday Jan. 21 at Webster Thomas High School, 800 Five Mile Line Rd. Registration begins at 3 p.m. and the contest begins at 3:30. It’s open to all boys and girls ages 9 to 14.


Webster Parks and Recreation will host Rich the Magic Man on Monday Jan. 16, when he brings his amazing show to the Webster Arboretum Lodge from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. There’ll be magic, bubble fun (including big enough bubbles to put a kid inside), and a mini dance party.

Cost is $10 per ticket. Sign up through the Webster Recreation Center online or call 585-872-7103.

And since we’re talking about Webster Parks and Recreation, believe it or not, they’ve opened registration for summer camp.

This year, the Rec will be offering camps for children from preschool through 5th grade. Check out the flier below and visit the Webster Recreation Center website for more information.

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(posted 1/12/2023)

Planning begins for Wreaths Across America Day 2023

10 Jan

You would think that following the very successful Wreaths Across America Day at Webster Union Cemetery in December, the effort’s organizers would take a well-deserved break and recharge their batteries before jumping right into planning for Wreath Day 2023.

They did. For about … maybe two weeks.

If you follow the Wreaths Across America – Webster Union Cemetery Facebook page like I do, you’ve probably noticed an uptick in activity as plans are already ramping up for this year. The Webster community was so incredibly supportive of our town’s very first Wreaths Across America Day on Dec. 17 that organizers hope to add at least one additional cemetery this year. Which is why, 11 months before that happens, the call is already going out for community members and businesses to sponsor wreaths.

There’s actually a great incentive right now, too. Through Jan. 17, for every wreath sponsored through the Gold Star Mothers, Webster will get two wreaths for our fallen heroes. (Click here to sponsor.) This is an excellent opportunity for our community to get a huge head start on this year’s event. Sponsoring a wreath costs just $17.

The national Wreaths Across America organization has also recently announced the theme for 2023. This year, the focus will be on the storylines of veterans and military families who’ve found success through their own service, while also highlighting local volunteers across the country and the success that comes from serving their communities.

So stay tuned for more updates from Wreaths Across America in Webster, and let’s help make sure this incredible program continues to grow. Click here to see and follow the Facebook page, click here to sponsor a wreath (or several), and click here to see the blog I wrote following Wreaths Across America Day on Dec. 17 to see what a moving and inspirational event this is.

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(posted 1/10/2023)

Check this out: the history of the Webster Public Library

9 Jan

I don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine living in a town that does not have a public library. A public library is a vital part of any community, for all ages and for so many reasons. In particular, the services our Webster Public Library provides for our town can’t be overstated.

So it’s difficult to imagine a time when there wasn’t enough interest among the residents of our young town to support a public library. That fact alone led me to dig deeper into the history of our very own Webster Public Library for my January Webster History Bit. With significant assistance from Esther Dunn’s authoritative Webster Through the Years volume, this is what I found out:

The first Webster library was established in 1881 by a group called the Literary Society. Mary Jane Phillips kept the books in her home on Main St. in the village, just west of what is now the Cobblestone on Main restaurant. Society members, who paid $1.20 annual dues, were the only ones who could check out books.

The second town librarian was Mary Jane Andrews, who moved the books to her store on the south side of Main Street, just west of the four corners. In 1889, the library moved again, to 11 South Ave., in the building now occupied by B3 Beauty and Carl’s Pizza Kitchen. 

Soon afterwards, community support for a town library waned. In 1894, the library was disbanded, and the 1000 books were distributed among the board members. and for almost the next 30 years, Webster had no library at all

For almost the next 30 years the town of Webster had no library at all, until 1923, when the Monroe County Traveling Library was established. It traveled to 222 stops about every six weeks, mostly at schools but also crossroads or well-known shops. In Webster, the principal stations were at Dewitt and Bay roads, Vosburg and Lake roads, Forest Lawn, Nine Mile Point, Union Hill, Hard and Ridge roads, and West Webster.

Finally, in 1929 the first Webster public library was officially established at the new Webster High School (now Spry Middle School). It had 657 books, 265 borrowers and a circulation of 6,246. 

The library has moved several times since those early days, first to the Reitz Building on West Main (now Yesterday’s Muse Books), then to Webster Town Hall, to what is now the Town Court building at 1 Van Ingen Drive, and finally to its current location in Webster Plaza. It’s also grown – a lot. Today, the Webster Public Library has more than 260,000 items in its collection, 34,000 borrowers, and circulates about 334,000 items a year. 

So next time you have a chance — especially if you’ve never been there — stop by the Webster Public Library and show it some love. It’s come a long way.

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

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(posted 1/9/2023)

Webster is getting a dog park

6 Jan

As you can see from the headline, our canine friends are finally going to have an outdoor dog park of their own.

A few weeks ago, Monroe County Executive Adam Bello announced that the county will be constructing a new dog park in Webster Park, which should be completed before the end of the summer.

The 1.5-acre park will be located in the large grassy area just south of Lake Rd., at the corner of Park Rd., which leads into the campground. It will include separate areas for large and smaller dogs, agility equipment and drinking stations.

According to the county’s press release, 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.

Chris Bilow, Commissioner of Webster Parks and Recreation, already knows that the park will be popular with town residents. He wrote,

I am excited that the county is making this possible for the Webster community. The request for dog park space is something we hear from residents quite regularly. As we worked with county staff on a potential location and operation it became clear that partnering with the county on the project and having the county operate their current system for dog parks made all sorts of sense.

Thank you to all of the people and agencies who are making this project a reality. It’s something we’ve needed here in Webster for a long time.

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(posted 1/6/2023)

The case of the mystery ornament

5 Jan

Yesterday, as I was dragging my Christmas tree to the curb for the Village to pick up, I was reminded of a nice story that happened seven years ago this week.

In the first week of January 2016, My husband and I had decided to take a winter hike at Helmer Nature Center in Irondequoit. It happens that Helmer is the location where the Town of Irondequoit collects Christmas trees every year for recycling. We noticed that someone had placed an ornament on top of a post near the pile of trees. Clearly, some family had left it on their tree, a kind person had noticed it and put it somewhere obvious in case the family came back looking for it.

At my husband’s suggestion, I snapped a photo of the ornament and posted it on my Facebook page. I was still writing a weekly column for the Democrat and Chronicle at the time, so the page had a lot of readership. Someone at Channel 13 saw the post and did a short piece on their newscast. That caught the attention of the Irondequoit family who had lost the ornament, the Rusters.

Turns out the photo is of (then) 22-year old Teigan Ruster, who was just a year old when it was taken. The family returned to Helmer Nature Center the next day and was thrilled to get the ornament back.  

The whole story was picked by by Channel 13 reporter Matt Molloy, who actually came to interview me at the Webster Thomas High School library where I was working at the time. Click here to see his report.

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(posted 1/5/2023)

Webster community mailbag

4 Jan

Even when there’s not much going on in the great wide Webster world for me to write about, I can always count on three of my most reliable sources — the Town of Webster, Webster Public Library and Webster Rec — to throw me some tidbits via their regular newsletters.

Daphne Geoca at the Webster Recreation Center sent along her monthly Webster 55+ newsletter, which is always packed with information about fitness programs, social opportunities, dining opportunities, entertainment and more, so many that I can’t list them all here. But they range from the Lunch Club, Senior Stretch and Balance Bootcamp to Decluttering Dynamics, Mindfulness and Bingo.

There were a few highlights, however, like the three-course Pasta Palooza dinner on Thursday Jan. 26 beginning at 4:30 (check out the flier for details); Pizza and a Movie on Friday Jan. 20 beginning at 12:30, featuring The Lake House, and a whole page full of Talks on Tuesdays including “The Science of Color” and a chance to meet Webster Supervisor Tom Flaherty. And don’t forget about the spaghetti dinner being hosted by the Masonic Temple this Friday Jan. 6, to benefit the Webster Association of Senior Program Supporters. (Check that flier, too.)

Click here to see the whole newsletter.

As always, there was a ton of great information in this week’s Webster This Week newsletter. Here are a few highlights:

  • You can sign up for a tour of the Town Highway Facility on Picture Parkway between Jan. 9 and March 3 to see the current facility conditions and learn about planned improvements. Visit the website here or call (585) 872-1443 to register for a half-hour tour.
  • Three nearby blood drives are coming up later this month. Click here to make an appointment:
    • Jan. 5, Xerox building 209 on Mitcheldean Drive from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
    • Jan. 19, Immanuel Lutheran Church on West Main from 1 to 6 p.m.
    • Jan. 23, the American Legion on Ridge Rd. from 1 to 6 p.m.

The Red Cross is offering a great promoton this month, too. Anyone who donates in January will be entered into a contest for a chance to win a trip to this year’s Super Bowl. Click here for details.

  • The Women’s Club of Webster‘s January general meeting and luncheon takes place on Thursday Jan. 19 at Proietti’s Restaurant, 980 Ridge Rd. beginning at 11:15. Mark Dwyer from Foodlink will be speaking. Cost is $23. Register by Jan. 12 by sending a check to Carolyn Rittenhouse, 405 County Line Rd., Ontario 14519.

The Webster Public Library‘s January schedule is packed with all sorts of adult programs and family fun. Here are some highlights from their latest email:

  • You can pick up your very own Webster Public Library tote bag for just $10 on your next visit. They’re pretty good looking, especially if you like purple.
  • Learn about Argentina and Chile at a travelogue presentation on Tuesday Jan. 10 from 2 to 3 p.m. Your tour guide will be WPL Director Adam Traub himself. Registration is required.
  • Hear the story of Rochester’s 100-year old airport told by former Airport Director Rick Iekal. The program takes place Thursday Jan. 26 from 7 to 8 p.m. and registration is required.
  • Read with the Amerks on Monday Jan. 23 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., when an Amerks player will stop by the library for storytime, a brief hockey demonstration and an autograph session with the Moose. Every child who attends will get a free Amerks ticket. All ages are welcome and no registration is required.
  • Monday Jan. 30 is National Puzzle Exchange Day. This is a great opportunity to trade in your gently used puzzles for something new to you. It’s going on all day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • January’s make-and-take crafts include a marshmallow snowman for kids, snowflake paper lanterns for teens and a CD case desk calendar for adults. Materials are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
  • The library will host a Preschool Open House on Monday, January 9 at 6:30 p.m. Representatives from preschools and nursery schools in the Webster area will be available to chat with parents and provide information about their programs. Registration is not required.

Visit the Webster Public Library website for even more crafty events, a preschool drive-in, World Read Aloud Day storytime, and more.


Congratulations to Webster Comfort Care for winning this year’s Festival of Trees competition at the Webster Museum. The beautifully decorated tree received more votes than any of the others scattered throughout the museum during the event. Thank you to everyone who voted and helped make the Webster Museum festive this year!


This press release actually came from the Webster CSD before Christmas. I LOVE this idea.

Throughout the school year, the lost and found items at each of the district’s schools pile up, despite the schools’ concerted efforts to return the items, including spreading them all out on tables at open houses. Some students in Cari Horn’s class at Willink Middle School had a great idea on how to put those items to good use.

The students and their teacher gathered the lost and found items from Willink and other schools. They washed, dried, folded, sorted and packed the items, and then donated them all to Webster NY Hope (formerly Hope House), a social ministry agency located on Ridge Rd. in Webster that provides clothing and other household items to Webster residents in need.

In all, the students were able to donate 36 copy paper boxes filled with lost and found items to Webster Hope. Plus, four bags and one box of items were handed over to a Willink retiree who brings the items to various places that service families in need.

The program was so successful this year that Horn is planning to repeat it.

“We had such a great time and are looking forward to doing it again in the spring.” she said.

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(posted 1/4/2023)