Webster has said its last, sad goodbyes to Hegedorn’s Market, but at least a small part of our hometown grocery will live on for much longer.
Regular blog readers have been following the story of the colorfully-painted ceiling tiles that for more than 30 years hung above Hegedorn’s check-out area. When the decision was made to close the store, Produce Manager Fred Palmer took it upon himself to make sure the panels were not only saved, but returned to the students who painted them all those years ago.
Thanks in large part to word spreading through social media, more than half of the 32 tiles were claimed, and Fred took photos of the artists with their panels when they came to pick them up (you can see many of those photos above and at the end of the blog). By the store’s closing day, 15 tiles remained unclaimed.
But even they have found homes.
Eight of the final 15 tiles have been donated to the Webster Public Library, where they’re currently on display. Library Director Adam Traub was very excited to adopt some of the tiles, saying,
Hegedorn’s has been a staple of the Webster community for generations; the Webster Public Library would like to thank Hegedorn’s for their contributions to this community by saving a piece of that history to share with generations to come. The tiles will be on display this summer in the main library (between Biographies and Graphic Novels), then hopefully find a permanent home in the ceiling of the children’s room.
This is actually a fitting end for some of the tiles since Adam and his classmate Greg Smalter created one of them.
The remaining seven tiles have been given to the Webster Museum. Museum Director Tom Pellett told me they’re considering installing several of them in the ceiling and/or walls of the toy room alcove.
He wrote, “We feel this is an important part of Webster. Not only because of Hegedorn’s history but also a reminder of the students who created them and Jack Morse, the art teacher who guided the project.”
Thank you to everyone who shared the blog and Facebook posts and helped find homes for these important pieces of Hegedorn’s — and Webster’s — history.
Here are more photos of the artists with their reclaimed ceiling tiles:
Ryan Johnson’s momCarrie (Frank) SwainBrad FrancisAdam BenfanteSantina BeachnerErin Cantaben’s DadWebster Library Director Adam Traub
The Village of Webster will welcome another new business in July, when Uncle Buck’s Catering Companyopens at 9 South Ave., in the former Carl’s Pizza Kitchen location.
The new restaurant, which owners Geoff and Carrie Buckert call their “scratch kitchen,” is the culmination of a whirlwind year for the young couple.
A little more than a year ago, on Mother’s Day 2022, the Buckerts bought a food truck. They already had a well-established and very successful catering operation, and a food truck seemed like a natural next step. Their thinking was that they’d run the truck part-time, and do a little catering on the side.
But life had other plans.
They quickly realized how fast their businesses were growing and how much more they wanted to do. In a blink of an eye, the catering and food truck business became Geoff’s full-time job, and Carrie found a job as a school nurse so she could have summers off.
Then Geoff heard that the Carl’s Pizza Kitchen location on South Ave. would soon be available. Business was booming, so opening their own scratch kitchen, kind of a nerve center for the operation, just seemed like a natural next step.
Which is how, just about a month ago — again on Mother’s Day — they signed the lease for their first scratch kitchen.
There’s still a lot of painting and cleaning to do, but Geoff and Carrie are trying to have their restaurant open by the middle of July, hopefully in time for the Firemen’s Carnival and parade. When they do, customers will find the food truck menu they’ve come to know and love, featuring specialty sandwiches and all the sides (and their famous Boardwalk Fries). But now with a brick-and-mortar kitchen, the menu can expand to include things like fish fries and soups, all made from scratch, fresh to-order, with their own homemade stocks and sauces.
The kitchen will be open for take-out and limited inside and outside dining. In the meantime, the food truck and catering company will continue full-speed ahead.
Geoff and Carrie, both Webster Thomas grads and current Webster residents, are thrilled to be setting up their scratch kitchen in the village.
“The biggest thing,” Geoff said, “is being where we grew up and where we have our family. That’s why we like it so much about being here. And it’s ours. It’s not anyone else’s.”
When they open in July, let’s be sure to stop in and let them know we’re happy they’re here, too. Stay tuned for more information about their opening date, but in the meantime you can visit their Facebook page or website to stay up to date.
One of the most colorful signs of summer in Webster is the return of the Joe Obbie Farmers’ Market to Webster Towne Center Plaza on Holt Rd.
The market opened for the season on Saturday June 10, and will be set up every Saturday at the plaza from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. through October, rain or shine.
If you’ve never been to this market you should start making it a regular Saturday morning stop. Varying with the season, you’ll find baked goods, pies, meats, poultry, goat cheese and goat cheese products, flavored nuts, herbs, spice blends, honey, maple syrup, cider, soap and body care products, plants and cut flowers, jewelry, crafts and of course a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.
The very popular Evening in the Park Market will also return in July to Charles Sexton Park (formerly known as North Ponds) on Wednesday evenings.
Starting July 19, the market will be set up at the park from 4 to 8 p.m. every Wednesday through August 30. These events will also have food trucks and live entertainment, in addition to the vendors, so remember to pack your quad chairs!
Holy cow, have I gotten a huge response from the blog I recently wrote about the Hegedorn’s ceiling tiles.
If you’re not familiar with this story (which is hard to believe), the gist of it is this: 32 years ago, students at Klem North Elementary School painted ceiling tiles which have been hanging above the registers at Hegedorn’s Market since around 1991. But rather than toss them in a dumpster when the store closes at the end of this month, the folks at Hegedorn’s are making an effort to return them to the students who painted them.
The blog has received dozens of comments and hundreds of “likes” and has been shared almost 70 times. I’ve heard from former students all over the state and the country who remember painting tiles, and are interested in getting them back — or at least seeing photos of them.
Hegedorn’s Produce Manager Fred Palmer has been taking the lead in removing the panels, and had originally planned to put them all on display above the produce case so customers would notice them and maybe recognize one.
Well, since the blog has received so much attention, putting them on display has not been necessary. Instead, people are being asked to call Hegedorn’s (585-671-4450), and the service desk is keeping a list of everyone who’s interested in retrieving their tile. Fred is planning to start making phone calls sometime this coming week.
In the meantime, all of the panels have been removed and are being kept in the back room of the store’s produce department. Fred was kind enough to let me spread them all out and take photos of them. It might help even more former students recognize their work, and it might be fun just to remember what all their classmates did.
Click here to see the entire gallery of panels, plus a few miscellaneous photos. I think I was able to photograph them all, but I see that I cut the name off of one of them. If you recognize the one with the Pepsi bottle, corn and carrots, please let me know!
P.S. If you happen to get your panel back, please snap a photo of you with it, so I can feature them in a future follow-up blog. And wouldn’t it be fun to also have your 4th or 5th grade photo along with it …????
P.P.S. Channel 10 and Channel 13 are both planning do stories about the ceiling tiles, so I’ll let you know when I hear more about that.
The Village of Webster’s business scene just keeps getting better, with the opening of another new shop on East Main St.
Oh Bella Co, located at 24 East Main, is a charming shop featuring clothing items and accessories especially for young women, but really perfect for most any age.
Owner Isabella Proietti is excited to bring her store to the village, after operating an online shop for five years.
“I’ve always wanted to open a retail shop,” she said. “I like the personal connections you can make. Online for clothing is a little hard because no one can feel the material and try it on. … Although I’ve done well online, I think it would be awesome to have a space, have people come in, talk to them,” she added.
A lifelong Webster resident, Isabella is especially excited to have found what she calls “the perfect space” right on Main Street.
Isabella describes her offerings as
kind of based on my style. I love traveling. I’ve been to different boutiques in Boston and Florida. So it’s a weird mix of beach vibe with a city Boston-girl vibe. I have both of those styles so I’m going to mix them. Cute and comfortable, based on what I look for when I go to the store, with lots of different options, for all ages.
Even though the storefront has been vacant for several years, she and her very helpful family members didn’t have to do too much to fix it up. Just some painting, updating the restroom and installing the changing areas. This week she’s been working hard to get all of the clothing racks set up and her merchandise tagged and ready to go.
That will officially happen this Saturday morning June 3 when Oh Bella has its grand opening celebration — complete with ribbon cutting ceremony — beginning at 10 a.m. The rest of the day, shoppers can browse Oh Bella’s charming selection of clothing and accessories, and grab some delicious desserts and treats made by @OliviaBrynCakes while you shop. Madison Sophia Jewelry will also be on hand with a selection of her beautiful jewelry items.
Take a moment to stop in on Saturday to welcome Oh Bella to the village!
The first Village of Webster Wine Walk for 2023 is coming up fast. It’s scheduled for Saturday June 3 from 4 to 7:00 p.m.
This is always a great time to get together with friends and stroll the streets of the Village of Webster, popping into businesses and sampling so. much. wine. Tickets are $15 each (plus Eventbrite’s $2.85 mark-up) and available only online. You’ll need to register ahead of time (click here), then bring your digital ticket (or paper copy) to the BACK entrance of JoJo Bistro beginning at 3:30 p.m. to sign in. You’ll get a bracelet and a wine glass and a map to guide you on your tour. (Pick up your glass before 5:30.) DO NOT FORGET YOUR ID. It is REQUIRED.
Some of the stops will include Barry’s Old School Irish, Brimont Bistro, The Coach Sports Bar, Woodland Silkscreen and Embroidery/OHHH, LORDEE! Sauces, and Finns Automotive. This is a great chance to visit several of the village’s newest businesses as well!
The Gazebo Concerts are held from 7 to 9 p.m. and are free.
There’s a Family Games Night tentatively scheduled for August 11, but that may change.
The Webster Jazz Fest is scheduled for August 18 and 19, with “Jazz in the Pubs” on Friday from 6 to 10 p.m., and Jazz in the Street” on Saturday from 4 to 11 p.m.
The Webster Fireman’s Field will be hopping in September, with a Fireman’s Field Evening/Coach’s ALS Fundraiser on Sept. 9; the Oktoberfest Sept. 15 to 17; the Zach Brown Tribute Band on Sept. 21; and an all-day cornhole tournament on Sept. 23 (actually, I think this national tournament will run for two weekends, but more info to come about that later).
This year’s Beer Walk is scheduled for Saturday, October 14.
Two brand new events have been added to the calendar this year as well: the Webster Village Bed Race will take over Main Street on Saturday Sept. 16, and a Health Fair is also in the works, but the date for that has not been set.
And of course, watch for blogs about the Trick or Treat Trail in October and Webster’s Winter Wonderland in December.
Whew. I hope you had your calendar out.
More information about all these events, when it becomes available, can be found at websterbid.com.
There are a lot of fine businesses in Webster. But every once in a while one stands out to me, usually because of the strong commitment they’ve made to support our community.
Such is the case for Rosy Glow Maternity, a small, woman-owned shop catering exclusively to expectant and brand-new mothers. Located in Sunrise Plaza across the street from Delta Sonic in Ridge Rd., Rosy Glow is owned by Kari Tetzlaff, a mother of five herself. It’s not a big place, but it’s comfortably stocked with a wide variety of fashionable, reasonably-priced clothing for women in all stages of pregnancy, plus a nice selection of self-care products, like sitz baths, nursing ware, nipple balms and post-partum products all made by women-owned, local small businesses.
Kari opened the shop almost two years ago. She was pregnant with her now three-year old, and was a little stressed out; Motherhood Maternity, her go-to maternity shop, had just closed their retail locations.
“We were moving here to Webster from the city, I was pregnant, and starting a new job. I was, ‘Now where do I go? How do I get myself dressed for this brand new job?'”
Fortunately, some of her new neighbors were able to help, giving her their unused maternity clothes. So at least she then had enough clothes to get dressed, but started to wonder, how can everyone else get dressed? “I don’t recommend moving when you’re really pregnant, but if you have to, you don’t always luck out having neighbors like that.”
That’s how the idea got started in her head, she said. But it wasn’t until COVID hit and she almost immediately lost her new job, that she decided she needed something to do with her free time. The answer was seemed clear: she’d open a maternity shop where all expectant moms can find the clothing and products they need for reasonable prices.
Starting a brand new business in the middle of the COVID shutdown was a risky proposition, she admitted. But, dealing with pregnancy doesn’t offer a whole lot of options like working via Zoom or ordering out from restaurants.
“You can go nowhere to get anything, but you’re still pregnant,” she said. “You still have to go to some prenatal appointments. You still have to go get blood work done, you still have to make it to the hospital to deliver your baby, go to the pediatrician after. Those are still non-negotiable. And what do you wear if you have nothing to wear?”
With Rosy Glow, Kari is trying to answer that question for all of the expectant and “newly-minted” moms out there who have few places to turn for comfortable clothes. She’s able to keep her prices low by selling only pre-loved items, carefully selected and purchased from women who no longer need them.
That approach presented its own challenges during COVID when new mothers were naturally uncomfortable letting her into their homes to pick up their items. So she invited women to drop them off at the shop or leave them on her doorstep. She also remembers spending many hours bundled up against the winter while sorting through items in cold garages.
But selling maternity clothes and products is just a part of Kari’s mission with Rosy Glow. She spends as much time as necessary with each customer, getting to know her, her situation, and the kind of support she needs. She’ll offer information about their birthing options. She’ll listen as they talk about their aches and pains and difficulties they’ve faced with their pregnancy. She’ll gently warn them about issues that might lie ahead, then offer encouragement that they’ll be able to overcome them. If they need more professional support, they only need to turn around to peruse the business cards tacked to the “resource board” near the checkout desk.
Every aspect of Kari’s business is focused on removing as much stress from a woman’s pregnancy as she can. Her philosophy is, “It should not be a struggle to get dressed.” For women who might have financial concerns, there’s an entire rack of free, take-what-you-need clothes in the front vestibule. She has a browse-and-borrow library stocked with books about pregnancy, birth, how to become a doula, and more. Her “Red Carpet” rental collection of gowns and fancy dresses is very popular.
“I really feel that I’m here to serve moms.”
I met Kari at the Blue Star Mothers Military Baby Shower a few weeks ago, where she was volunteering her time to connect with and support young mothers. She continues to support the Blue Star Mothers, donating the entire proceeds to them from a selection of clothes in her shop.
That’s the kind of commitment to community I’m talking about.
Rosy Glow Maternity is located in Sunrise Plaza, 1778 Empire Blvd., across the street from Delta Sonic. Find out more on her Facebook page and website and on Instagram (@rosyglowmaternity).
Just in time for Mother’s Day, a charming new business is coming to the Village of Webster.
Revelle’s Home Decor will be opening on Saturday May 13, the day before Mother’s Day. It’s located at 5 East Main St., in the east half of the former Savage Chef location. It’s kind of a small space, but it’s going to be packed with a wonderful variety of handcrafted items and new and refinished furniture.
Revelle’s is new to Webster, but not new to the new and beautifully refinished furniture business. Former customers will remember Revelle’s when they had a storefront in Hilton. Unfortunately, a house fire led to their having to close that business. Fortunately for Webster, however, the Revelles eventually found a new house in Wayne County and chose the Village of Webster as the perfect place to establish their new shop.
This new Revelle’s is going to be so much more than just furniture, though. When owner Peggy Revelle knew she was going to open a new shop, she sent out a call to local crafters who would be interested in displaying and selling their products in the store as well. She received more than 100 responses. From them, she carefully chose from among them eight of the most creative, unique, high-quality artisans to fill her walls and shelves.
So in addition to some incredibly beautiful refurbished and new handcrafted furniture pieces, customers will find a wide variety of wonderfully creative handcrafted home decor items, including candles, soaps and body butters, jewelry, pine-cone art, wood flower arrangements, decorative tumblers, paper craft wall art, decoupage and fabric-covered pots and more.
Basically, they’re the kind of gifts that might just make Mom finally admit that you’re her favorite.
Revelle’s Home Decor will open Saturday May 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’s located at 5 East Main Street, right next to the also brand-new M.O. Pasta. Stop in and welcome both new businesses to the Village of Webster!
After five years serving great pizza and Italian cuisine from the heart of the Village of Webster, Carl’s Pizza Kitchen is closing up shop at the end of the month.
Like many others, I learned the sad news from an announcement owner Carl Prinzing put on Facebook, which read,
It is with a heavy heart that we announce our permanent closing at the end of business Sunday April 30th 2023. It has been our honor to serve this community for the past 5 years! Due to the rising food and labor costs, combined with the decrease in annual revenue and staff shortage, there just aren’t any alternatives. From our family to yours we thank you for your business and we will miss you all.
The current state of the economy has dealt a lethal blow to many small businesses, but I’m particularly sad to see Carl’s go. Of all the pizza places in town, I’ve always liked theirs the best.
Carl told me he has no plans to open a new restaurant, but he does want to keep working in the food business somehow. For the immediate future, though, he said he’s just looking forward to landing somewhere he can make a steady paycheck, and be able to go home at the end of the day.
Thank you Carl’s Pizza Kitchen for being a valued village business for so long, and best of luck in the future.
As most anyone who drives or walks through the Village of Webster has noticed, Heart to Heart Bride has moved. The beautiful bridal shop with the gorgeous front-window dress displays anchored the northwest corner of the village’s four corners for 13 years, until just a few weeks ago.
But no worries. It hasn’t gone far.
The new Heart to Heart Bride shop is now open, just down the street, in the former Rochester Linoleum storefront at 1170 Ridge Rd. (at the corner of Rachel Dr.). The new space is five times larger than the village shop, with 13,000 feet of floor space. The extra space has not only given owner Sarah Ashworth a lot more room to stock and display her dresses and accessories, but has allowed her to greatly expand her inventory and offer several new amenities.
For starters, there’s a spacious and very comfortable private fitting suite, complete with a cushy couch and a personal fitting room, which can accommodate a bride and up to ten guests. For those with smaller entourages, there are eight semi-private fitting rooms, each with a full-length mirror and plenty of seating.
At the very back of the shop is the new mother-of-the bride and special occasion department, with eight additional private fitting rooms.
Probably the neatest addition, however, is the Celebration Lounge, a beautifully decorated area at the front of the shop where brides can relax with their friends and family members after their appointment to celebrate with a glass of champagne, snack on charcuterie, and snap some photos to commemorate the day she “said yes to the dress.”
One of the biggest things that hasn’t changed, however, is Heart to Heart’s focus on personal, individualized service. Sarah and her staff go to great lengths to connect with their clients well before they enter the store, communicating through email, Zoom, and phone calls to find out about the wedding and start getting an idea about what size, price point and design elements the bride is looking for. That way they’ll already have two or three suggestions awaiting the bride when she arrives for her fitting appointment.
Congratulations, Sarah, on your move. The Village of Webster will miss you and your beautiful show windows, which always brought a touch of glamor to our four corners. But your new place …? It’s just amazing.
Here are some photos so you can see for yourself:
These two racks are filled with just veils
The accessory shelf, complete with some sparkly sneakers
One of the semi-private fitting rooms
The mother-of-the-bride and special occasion department
Mother-of-the-bride department fitting rooms
Just some of the hundreds of dresses awaiting brides
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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