Tag Archives: Cherry Ridge

Webster community mailbag

4 Jun

A couple of fun things coming up this weekend are atop my mailbag.

The first is the Webster Recreation Center’s annual Summer Celebration, this Saturday June 8 from 4 to 10 p.m.

This excellent family-friendly event features a bounce house, food trucks, live music, and fireworks at the end of the night. It’s free and no registration is necessary.

The Rec Center’s Music at the Arboretum series continues on Thursday, June 20 with a performance by Jazz Generation, beginning at 6:30 p.m. This is free (but weather-dependent). Bring your lawn chairs and blankets, plus snacks and drinks if you’d like!

Looking ahead at the Rec Center, mark your calendars now for the Summer Splash party on Saturday July 20 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the First Responders Spray Park on Chiyoda Dr. Rich the Magic Man will be there with foam bubble fun, and there’ll be free snow cones for all.

Then on Wednesday July 31, come out and see the beautiful new and improved Sandbar Park during Sandbar Splendor from 5 to 7 p.m. There’ll be lawn games, food trucks, raffles and music.

SPEAKING OF THE SPRAY PARKS…

Webster’s two spray parks are now open for the season, at Ridgecrest Park (off of Ebner Drive) and the beautiful, First Responders Spray Park near the Webster Recreation Center on Chiyoda Dr.

The First Responders Park (pictured here) is especially fun for kids and families. It’s a firefighter-themed playground and splash pad, with a nearby pavilion. The splash pad has all sorts of water-fun features including a fire hydrant, a dalmatian fountain and fire truck slide.  

Ridgecrest’s spray park is a smaller facility, but is just a short walk from the center of the village. It also boasts an adjacent playground and skate park.

    Also coming up this weekend is a program at the Webster Arboretum especially designed for those of you who love peonies.

    The Arboretum will present a Program about peonies, the “queen of flowers,” on Sunday June 9 at 6:30 p.m. Arboretum board member George Riehle will give a tour and present the program, focusing on the care and cultivation of peonies and tree peonies. Please register at the Webster Arboretum website.

    The Webster Arboretum is located at 1700 Schlegel Rd.

    ALSO on Sunday June 9, the Webster Museum will present what has become one of their most popular programs, the Antiques and Collectibles Roadshow.  

    If you’re curious about the value or origin of an antique you own, bring it to the museum on June 9 at 2 p.m. and the Palma Brothers will use their expertise to provide some insight. There’s no cost, you don’t need to register, and free refreshments will be provided.

    The Webster Museum is located at 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster.

    Finally, this notice which I actually got in my SNAIL MAIL: the Summer Concert Series at Cherry Ridge is back.

    The first concert is scheduled for Wednesday June 19 from 6:30 to 8 p.m., featuring the Rochester Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra. Gates open at 5 p.m., and food will be available for purchase beginning at 5:30 p.m. Bring your own lawn chairs, and make sure to pre-register here so you can skip the line. There’s no cost for this community concert.

    Looking ahead, on Tuesday Aug. 6, 8 Days a Week takes steps up on the Cherry Ridge stage, so make sure to mark your calendars now.

    Cherry Ridge is located at 900 Cherry Ridge Blvd., across from Webster Schroeder High School. Registration is requested. Click here to do so.

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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 6/4/2024)

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    Webster community mailbag

    27 Jul

    There’s more music in the village this week, when 8 Days a Week returns to Gazebo Park this Friday July 28 for the next Friday night concert.

    8 Days a Week is Upstate New York’s premier Beatles tribute band, and guaranteed they’ll have everyone dancing and along to songs we all know so well.

    The concert begins at 7 p.m. at Gazebo Park on North Ave. Bring your chairs and blankets, and a cooler if you’d like with food and beverages. It’s all free and family-friendly.

    Speaking of music, a few more opportunities to enjoy some live music are coming up in the next few weeks.

    This coming Wednesday Aug. 2, John Dady and John Ryan will be performing at the United Church of Christ for their weekly Caring Community Concert series.

    These concerts benefit local nonprofit organizations. There’s no admission, but each week the church collects a free-will offering benefiting that week’s chosen non-profit organization. The Dady and Ryan concert will benefit Webster Comfort Care Home.  

    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.) On Wednesday August 9, 8 Days a Week will take the stage. (So if you liked them at the gazebo, check them out here!)

    The Summer Concert Series at Cherry Ridge is in full swing. The next concert is scheduled for Tuesday August 8 from 6:30 to 8 p.m., featuring the Gateswingers Big Band. 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.

    Cherry Ridge is located at 900 Cherry Ridge Blvd., across from Webster Schroeder High School. Registration is requested. Click here to do so.

    Good food is in store at St. Martin Lutheran Church when they host their next Pulled Pork Drive-Thru beginning at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday Aug. 5.

    The take-out dinner includes pulled pork sandwich, salt potatoes, cole slaw and cookie for just $12. Proceeds will support the church’s annual Christmas Stocking Project reaching over 500 children and teens in Monroe and Wayne counties.

    Pull into the parking lot, place your order using exact payment, and the dinner will be delivered to you as you drive up in your car.

    St. Martin Lutheran Church is located at 813 Bay Rd.

    There’s always TONS of fun stuff happening at the Webster Public Library, too much for me to tell you about them all here. But I do want to shine a spotlight on a few of them.

    The first is the return of the very popular life-sized Candyland game.

    This year’s game is “lighter” than the one they’ve had in the past, but no less fun. Bring your family and friends and become part of the game we’ve all enjoyed playing for decades. Check out the flyer for times.

    And here’s a chance to check out one of our most natural areas, the Webster Arboretum.

    On Tuesday Aug. 8 at 6 p.m., the library will host a guided tour through the Arboretum, especially highlighting some of the new plantings there. The tour will take about 90 minutes and will require a lot of walking, much of it off the pathways, so wear some comfortable shoes.

    Registration is required for this event. Click here to sign up.

    Finally, here’s a reminder that the Webster Museum is now accepting donations for their annual Barn Sale, scheduled for Sept. 14 to 16.

    Donations are being collected at the barn located at 394 Phillips Rd. You can drive right down the driveway to the barn and put your donations inside (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.

    Items they’d love to see are antiques, collections and collectibles, kitchen and household items, décor, small appliances, toys, tools, and small furniture. They cannot accept books or magazines, 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).  

    That’s about enough for today. August and September are shaping up to be very busy months, so stay tuned for more news about

    • the Webster Jazz Fest
    • the Barry’s Irish Festival
    • a blood drive at Spry Middle School sponsored by The Steam Police
    • a new family hike at Four Mile Creek from the Friends of Webster Trails
    • an electronics recycling event
    • a hazardous waste recycling event
    • the return of the Webster Garlic Fest
    • the 2023 Mud Run
    • the Oktoberfest

    and more.

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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 7/27/2023)

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    Friday night concerts are back, and other mailbag news

    6 Jul

    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.  

    Coming up later in the summer at the gazebo:

    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.

    Webster NY Hope sends along this important message:

    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.

    Caring Community Concerts begin next week

    The United Church of Christ‘s Caring Community Concert series returns next week.

    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.

    Registration is requested. Click here to do so.

    * * *

    email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram (@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 7/6/2023)

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    Webster community mailbag

    22 Jun

    Summer is officially upon us, and Webster has teed up a whole schedule of live music, festivals and special events.

    But first, this important community event: The Webster Health Education Network (WHEN) is sponsoring a drug take-back event on Saturday June 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Webster Wastewater Treatment Facility , 226 Phillips Rd. This is your chance to safely dispose of unused, expired or unwanted medications. Only pills will be accepted; please no liquids or sharps.

    Learn more at Whendfcc.org

    ***

    And since we’re talking about doing good things for our community, here’s Webster HOPE’s Home’s June Wish List:

    • canned pineapple
    • canned beets
    • dish soap
    • laundry detergent
    • cooking oil
    • ketchup, mayonnaise
    • shampoos and conditioner
    • diapers (size 4 and 5)

    Webster HOPE is located at 1450 Ridge Rd., and open Monday from 5 to 7 p.m., Tuesday from 10 a.m. to noon, Wednesday from 3 to 5 p.m. and Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m.

    Find out more at websternyhope.org.

    ***

    Schutt’s Apple Mill‘s Summer Celebration returns on Saturday July 1 from 5 to 8 p.m.

    This is a great family-friendly event complete with a food truck, ice cream, a bounce house, magic show, animals, face painting, wagon rides and lots more.

    There’s a charge for some of the activities, but there’s lots of free stuff for everyone.

    Schutt’s is located at 1063 Plank Rd.

    ***

    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.

    Registration is requested. Click here to do so.

    ***

    The Friday Night Gazebo Concert series in the Village of Webster is coming together. Here’s the schedule:

    • July 7: The Red Hot and Blue Band
    • July 21: Celtic Cross
    • July 28: Eight Days a Week

    The concerts run from 7 to 9 p.m. in Veterans Memorial Park on North Ave. in the village, and are free. Bring a lawn chair and blanket and a cooler if you’d like! Information about more concerts as they’re added can be found at websterbid.com

    ***

    The United Church of Christ’s Caring Community Concert series is returning this summer, beginning July 12.

    These concerts benefit local nonprofit organizations through free-will donations. The first one will feature Allegro, and proceeds will benefit the Webster Hope Food Pantry. The rest of the summer features:

    • July 19: Ruby Shooz
    • July 26: Prime Time Brass
    • Aug. 2: Dady and Ryan
    • Aug. 9: 8 Days a Week

    There’s no admission charge, but each week the church collects a free-will offering benefiting that week’s chosen non-profit organization.

    ***

    On July 22, mark your calendars for the Summer Splash Family Event from 3 to 5 p.m. at First Responders Splash Park, on Chiyoda Drive next door to the Rec Center. If you’ve never been to this spray park before, you owe your children a chance to check it out because it’s good for hours of water fun. The event will include a bubble foam machine and Rich the Magic Man, plus FREE Snowie Ice sponsored by Gleason Orthodontics.

    ***

    The 50th annual Waterfront Art Festival returns on Saturday and Sunday July 29 and 30 at Charles E. Sexton Park (formerly North Ponds). It’s open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, and features quality fine art and crafts stretching all along the park’s beautiful, shaded pathways.

    There’s live music, food vendors, free alcohol tastings, dozens of local artisans and plenty of free parking. Admission is only $5, with children 12 and under free.

    Click here for more information.

    ***

    Looking ahead to August, mark your calendars for the Webster Jazz Fest, scheduled for Friday and Saturday August 18 and 19. More information to come about that, but you can check out details in the meantime as they’re posted at websterbid.com.

    * * *

    email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram (@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 6/22/2023)

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    Webster community mailbag

    4 Jun

    Cherry Ridge concerts are back!

    Events at Cherry Ridge assisted living community have been rather limited the last two years, but — finally — the free summer concert series has returned.

    The series kicks off on Tuesday June 14 with the always popular GateSwingers Big Band, an impressive 19-piece band featuring music from the 40s, 50s, 60s, and present day. On Tuesday July 19, Mr. Mustard makes its Cherry Ridge debut. This four-piece Beatles tribute band plays tunes that captivated an entire generation and you’re sure to know (if you’re cool and hip).

    The concerts are held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Gates open at 5 p.m., and food concessions begin at 5:30. You’ll want to bring your own lawn chair or blankets.

    The concerts are free but registration is required. If you’d like to skip the line, pre-register at www.st.annscommunity.com/concert-series.

    Cherry Ridge is located at 900 Cherry Ridge Blvd., across the street from Webster Schroeder High School.

    June programs at the Webster Public Library

    On Tuesday June 7 from 2 to 3 p.m., join Christine Simons for a digital tour of various Normandy beaches on D-Day. The presentation will also feature some French memorial museums, an American cemetery and memorial, and the Island of Guernsey, comparing how it is now to when it was occupied by Germany in WWII.

    Registration is required; click here.

    This summer’s Webster Library reading program for adults is called “Oceans of Possibilities.” All summer long, participants will enjoy ocean-themed reading challenges, prizes, book discussions, crafts and movies. On Tuesday June 21, stop by the library from 1 to 4 p.m. for a preview of the program, and enjoy some tasty treats. No registration is required.

    Here are two fun crafts for teens and tweens:

    • Monday June 13, 6 to 7 p.m., a yarn wall hanging. Teens grades 4-12 and adults are welcome. Register here.
    • Thursday June 30, 11 a.m. to noon, come paint an ocean scene! All materials and instruction are provided. Teens grades 4-12 are welcome. Register here.

    Here’s some summer fun for children and families:

    • Tuesday June 14, 10 to 11:30 a.m., The Marina Drive-in! Start off the morning in the storyroom decorating personal boats, then take a drive over to the Boat Marina (community room) to watch a short movie. You can even bring your boat home to continue the fun. Children ages 2 to 5 are welcome. Register here.
    • Tuesday June 28, 2 to 3 p.m., bring the entire family to play Ocean BINGO and kick off the summer reading program. All ages are welcome. Register here.

    This month’s make-and-take crafts:

    • Watermelon craft (for the kids)
    • Rainbow-beaded suncatcher (for teens)
    • DIY shelf decor (for adults)

    Materials are available while supplies last.

    The 2022 Tour de Cure, the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) premier cycling event, is returning to Webster on June 11.

    This huge events draws cyclists from all over the area, riding courses ranging from 12 to 100 miles. It’s the ADA’s largest fundraising event of the year, and they could use your help.

    Organizers are looking for cyclists to participate, and volunteers to help with the logistics. The event begins and ends at the Xerox campus in Webster, and is very well organized. Routes are available for all ages and abilities, and it’s not too late to sign up.

    If you’d like more information about participating, click here. If you’re interested in volunteering, click here.

    This notice from the school district:

    All of Webster CSD’s students need to turn in their school-issued electronic devices by the end of this school year, and in August returning students will be provided a new device for the 2022-23 school year.

    The district’s Transforming Learning through Technology (TLT) initiative puts a Chromebook in the hands of all One Webster students grades 3-12 and an iPad in the hands of all of our K-2 students, so they may take the devices back and forth from home to school to extend their learning beyond the traditional school day. As part of TLT, the devices are replaced every three years. All Webster CSD student devices will be replaced this year. 

    Elementary students should return their devices to their classroom teachers by the end of this school year. Secondary students are asked turn in their devices according to the following schedule: 

    • Spry and Willink middle schools –  June 16 and 17 during lunch and June 21 before the Checkpoint exam. 
    • Webster Thomas High School – return devices to the WTI room: 
      • June 8, 8:00-11:00 a.m.
      • June 9, noon-3:00 p.m.
      • June 10, 8:00-11:00 a.m.
      • June 13, all day
    • Webster Schroeder High School – return devices to the cafeteria:
      • June 8, noon-3:00 p.m.
      • June 9, 8:00-11:00 a.m.
      • June 10, noon-3:00 p.m.
      • June 13, all day

    New Chromebooks are being made available for pickup August 22 to 24, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and August 25 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Willink Middle School, 900 Publishers Parkway. For parents/guardians unable to attend one of these dates to pick up their child’s device, student devices will be delivered directly to the students during the first week of school. 

    If you have questions, email Brian Zimmer at brian_zimmer@webstercsd.org or call (585) 216-0099.

    Lots of fun family-friendly activities are coming up later this month, including a village-wide sidewalk sale, the first Family Games and Beer Night of the summer, and the start of the Movies in the Park. Stay tuned for more details about all of these events, and stay on top of everything going on in the village at www.websterbid.com.

    * * *

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

    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 6/4/2022)

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    St. Rita’s to host blood drive next week

    24 Jul

    blood-dropTwo opportunities to help save lives through blood donation are just around the corner.

    The first is Thursday, July 30 at St. Rita Catholic Church, 1008 Maple Drive in West Webster.  The drive will run from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. To make your appointment, go to redcrossblood.org and search for sponsor code 9390nyp.

    Cherry Ridge Assisted Living Community, 900 Cherry Ridge Blvd. (across from Webster Schroeder High School) will host a drive on Thursday Aug. 6, from 1 to 6 p.m. For this one, search for sponsor code cherryridgecommunitycenterrochester.

    As you can imagine, the Red Cross is in desperate need of whole blood and platelet donations right now, so please consider donating.

    * * *

    email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter. 

    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.

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    Webster community mailbag

    4 Jul

    mailbag iconToday’s mailbag is so packed that it’s taken me two days to pull it together.

    Let’s start with a reminder from the Webster school district, which would REALLY like you to register your kindergartner, or new student,  early. Having an accurate count of how many students to expect this September will help the planning process immensely.

    For details, please go to Student Registration at www.websterschools.org.

    Local business updates 

    The North Bee, one of our newest and cutest businesses, has some new hours: Tuesdaynorth bee 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Thursday 11 to 3,  Friday 10 to 2 and 6 to 8, and Saturday 10 to 3. They’re closed Monday and Wednesday.

    The shop will be available on Sundays for private events, and (this sounds like fun) on Tuesday nights in July and August starting on July 9, owner Amy Stringer will have a tent set up outside her shop with kids activities and free honey sticks for each child.  Remember that starting next Tuesday, the village will be starting their Movies in the Park series just across the street at Veterans Memorial Park. So stop by before the movie for some fun and honey!

    The North Bee is located at 27 North Ave. in the village.

    Exercise has its rewards

    ROC & Soul Fitness, 44 East Main St., has a lot of cool classes this month, but one in particular jumped out at me.

    unnamedThey call it “Barre in the Beer Garden,” a free, 45-minute barre class held Saturday July 13 at K2 Brewery on Empire Blvd. (21 and over please!)

    It’s being held in K2’s spacious new beer garden behind the brewery. If you haven’t been to K2 yet this summer and seen this gorgeous new facility, this would be a great opportunity to check it out.

    The class will begin at 10 a.m., and of course you’re invited to stick around for a beer, wine or cocktail afterwards.

    July’s Webster Public Library programs are out of this world!

    For starters, their galaxy-themed summer reading program is up and running, and all ages can participate.

    All you have to do is complete a galaxy game board or a galaxy reading bookmark. Each complete board or bookmark earns you an entry into the weekly prize drawing plus a free book of your choice. Plus, all completed boards will also be added to the grand prize drawing at the end of the summer!

    Your kids might also be interested in these two galaxy-themed programs:

    • Race Through Space With American Girls & Boys, Friday July 19 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

    Learn all about the history of the Space Program in America through the eyes of eight American Girl and Boy characters starting in the 1940s through 2018 where LUCIANA is featured in her real space suit from Space Camp! Don’t forget to bring your favorite doll or stuffed animal to learn right beside you! This program is for boys and girls.

    All ages welcome, both boys and girls, and no registration is required.

    Teens and tweens have several opportunities to make some Galaxy Crafts:

    • On Friday, July 12, make your own galaxy t-shirt. Please bring a black or very dark colored t-shirt, but all other supplies will be provided.
    • On Friday, July 26, make your own galaxy jewelry. All supplies will be provided.
    • On Friday, August 9, make you own galaxy painting. All supplies will be provided.

    All three of these programs run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and all youth entering grades 6-12 welcome. Registration is required (and limited) and is going on now.

    Find out more about these programs on the Webster Public Library website. The library is located at 980 Ridge Rd. at the back side of Webster Plaza.

    And don’t forget to visit representatives from library when they set up shop at Webster’s Joe Obbie’s Farmers Market on Saturday July 13. They’ll have raffles, free giveaways and summer program brochures.

    The market is located at Webster Towne Center on Holt Road near the gazebo, and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday through October.

    Makin’ Music at Cherry Ridge

    The next (and last) concert at Cherry Ridge is this coming Tuesday July 9, Featuring Ruby Shooz, beginning at 6:30.

    St. Ann’s Community at Cherry Ridge is located at 900 Cherry Ridge Blvd. (off Ridge Road near Five Mile Line Road), Webster. Bring your lawn chairs and/or blankets, and if you need dinner, picnic fare will be available for purchase beginning at 5 p.m.

    The concerts are free and open to the public. For details and rainy day information, call (585) 697-6700.

    Softball clinic held

    softballSome of our stand-out Webster athletes will be lending a hand when the Rochester Lady Lions hold a youth softball clinic on Tuesday July 9 from 5  to 8 p.m. at Mercy High School on Blossom Rd. in Rochester.

    Webster Schroeder Varsity pitcher Sydney Bolton will be there, along with program coaches and college softball players to facilitate hitting and fielding stations. The clinic will help girls fine-tune and improve their current skills. Players attending will receive a free clinic t-shirt as well as a tasty frozen treat from Kona Ice.

    Girls ages 9 to 13 of all skill levels are welcome. Cost is $20. Click here to visit their website for more information and a registration form.

    More to come

    I’m working on a few other blogs about upcoming events of interest, including a food truck rodeo at Webster Schroeder High School to benefit the Webster Marching Band, the Strive for 5 school bus safety event for new kindergartners, and the return of the Garlic Festival. There’s also a brand new business in town that I need to let you now about. So stay tuned!

    And please drop me a line if your organization has something coming up you’d like help promoting … or even if you want to send me a photo of your kids’ lemonade stand. I’d love to hear about them!

    * * *

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

    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.

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    Webster community mailbag

    20 Apr

    Let’s start today’s mailbag with a unique event being hosted next Wednesday April 25 by St. Ann’s Community on Ridge Road, which will be of special interest to anyone with a loved one who is dealing with memory impairment.

    From 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., people are encouraged to visit The Lifestyle of Rainier Grove, the memory care neighborhood at Cherry Ridge. Staff members will be on hand to demonstrate how they use sensory stimulation to bring enjoyment to residents and increase their social interaction.

    Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be available. Please RSVP by calling (585) 697-6701

    Rainier Grove at St. Ann’s is located at 900 Cherry Ridge Blvd. (across from Webster Schroeder High School). The event is open to the public. For more information, click here to see the Facebook event posting.

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    29595506_1997052513657004_6508532490232657654_nThe Webster Central PTSA will present a wellness night on Monday April 30 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Willink Middle School cafetorium, 900 Publisher’s Parkway.

    The event, called Coping with Stress and Anxiety in Family Life, is in response to PTSA survey results. It will explore stress and anxiety in our daily lives, provide tips on how to identify it and tools to cope with it.

    Facilitators will include Erica Ebert, WCSD instructional specialist and mindfulness coach; and Keith Greer, WCSD social worker, progressive recovery coach, speaker, trainer, and advocate at Recovery Coach University.

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    St. Martin Lutheran Church will host its bi-annual Spring Chicken BBQ and FunFest on Saturday, May 5 from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

    Dinners will include a half chicken, salt potatoes, cole slaw, roll, butter and beverage, for $10. Pie slices and other desserts will also be available for purchase.  A hot dog dinner for kids is just $2.

    Dinners are eat-in or take-out. Tickets can be reserved by calling the church office at 671-1899, or purchased at the event while supplies last.  Proceeds support the church’s Christmas Stocking Project, which reaches more than 500 local youth in Monroe and Wayne counties.

    St. Martin Lutheran Church is located at 813 Bay Road, Webster.

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    The Webster Arboretum Association’s spring plant sale is back, scheduled for May 12 from 8 a.m. to noon.

    This sale is just blooming with beautiful, healthy live plants which are grown by local garden clubs and local commercial growers in local soil, so they’re going to grow in your garden, too. Garden Club members will also share their favorite plants from their own gardens.

    Check it out at the Webster Arboretum, 1700 Schlegel Rd., Webster. It’s a perfect opportunity to grab a Mother’s Day gift.

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

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    New friends, brought together by art and apple cake

    27 Sep

    Pat and Josie and Buddy

    Pat Tingley, Josie Pancione and Pat’s dog Buddy.

    Today, I’d like to tell a story about two inspiring women — one an outstanding artist, the other an outstanding cook — and new friendships.

    Josie Pancione, 88, lives at the Cherry Ridge retirement community on Ridge Road. She’s a faithful reader of my Our Towns East Extra column.

    Some time ago, Josie tracked me down through the newspaper. She wanted to tell me all about an 87-year old friend of hers, Pat Tingley, who also lives at Cherry Ridge. Pat, she told me, was working on a huge painting in her garage. It was unbelievable, Josie insisted, a real sight to behold. And I might want to write about it.

    It took me a while, but early last week I finally found the time to go down to Cherry Ridge to meet Josie and Pat, and to see this incredible painting.

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    Pat Tingley’s painting stretches a full 18 feet long. The colors are so much more vibrant than my camera could capture.

    The painting is indeed impressive. The canvas is a huge 8′ tall by 18′ feet wide, and it fills the entire west wall of Pat’s garage. It’s alive with color: oranges, blues, and a dozen shades of purple and pink.

    The far left-hand side of the artwork depicts a pre-dawn scene on the Pacific Ocean, the sun glinting off the undulating waves, and a gull gliding through the growing brightness.

    On the far right, another pre-dawn scene on our country’s Atlantic coast, framed by a handsome birch tree. The magnificent Tahoe Rift slices down the middle, separating the two oceans.

    Pat describes the piece as “my concept of the composition of the earth, the creation of the earth, the ongoing of the earth.” And while it depicts both the Pacific and the Atlantic, it’s all just one ocean, Pat explained. “If you look at the way water moves, it’s one ocean.”

    Pat plans to move her painting from her garage a large blank wall in her living room. There, it will be one of the first things visitors see when they walk through the front door. When I asked her if she had plans to frame her masterpiece, her answer was immediate.

    No, she said, “You can’t frame creation. As soon as you frame it it becomes a static thing.”

    My story could have ended here, a pleasant tale of how one woman’s passion for art has brought meaning to her life and beauty to our world. I could have taken my camera and notebook and headed for home.

    But Josie Pancione had a different plan.

    After we’d all had a chance to appreciate and chat about the painting, Pat and Josie ushered me inside the cottage, where Josie had prepared an authentic, three-course Italian dinner.

    Pat’s dining room table was set with silverware and cloth napkins, and we settled in. Our meal began with dessert — a decadent apple cake — and fresh lemonade. We ate, and our pleasant conversation continued until our plates were bare and glasses were empty. Then it was time for me to head home, so the rest of the dinner came with me in to-go containers: pasta, sauce, meatballs, salad and freshly grated cheese, which Josie insisted should be sprinkled on everything.

    It was enough food to last me for days.

    There was only one more thing left to be done. As I headed toward the door, Josie called me over, spread her arms wide, and gave me a bona fide Italian two-cheek kiss.

    It was an enjoyable, charming and amiable meeting. There was magnificent art and delectable food. But what I enjoyed most was the opportunity to make two lovely new friends.

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

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    Webster Village Band is back in action

    26 Jun

    village band

    The Webster Village Band concert season has officially begun!

    Inclement weather held off last Thursday night, allowing the Webster Village Band to perform their first concert of the season at the band shell on Phillips Road.

    I’m told that attendance at the concert was quite good, which makes my heart smile. Perhaps Webster village and town residents are finally hearing about this wonderful musical group and realizing what a treasure we have in our community.

     

    The band performs most Thursday nights throughout the summer. Upcoming dates are July 6 and 20, and August 3, 10, 24 and 31. Concerts begin at 7 pm and audience members are encouraged to bring a blanket, lawn chairs and a cooler, and stretch out on the spacious lawn area in front of the band shell.  The concerts are free and open to the public.

    If it rains, the concerts are moved to the Cherry Ridge Senior Center, 900 Cherry Ridge Blvd. (across from Webster Schroeder High School).  For the latest weather updates, check the group’s Facebook page.

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    Santa conducts the Webster Village Band at last year’s Christmas in July concert

    The band also has a few special performance dates coming up. They’ll be at the United Church of Christ on Klem Road in Webster on Wednesday, July 5 from 6:30-8:00 pm, and will return for their annual Christmas in July concert at the Farmer’s Market (Kohl’s/Target Plaza) on Saturday July 22 at 10 am.

     

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

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