Tag Archives: Missy Rosenberry

Get down and muddy at the Rec Center!

16 Sep

I wasn’t planning to post a blog today, but when I was out on my bike ride this morning, I came across something fun.

My ride took me on the Chiyoda Trail which wraps around the back of the Webster Recreation Center. I saw that preparations were being made for this Saturday’s first-ever Mud Run. This is going to be a non-competitive, untimed, half-mile slog through water and mud, with some challenging obstacles. What’s really neat about it is that kids and their adults can do it together. It’s only $5 per person, and there’ll be giveaways and snacks afterwards.

The Rec has long had an obstyacle/fitness course in their back yard, but this morning I saw that they were making it even more challenging. There were hay bales set up (for clambering over I suspect), some rope contraption I don’t remember seeing before, and two big mud pits.

As I came around the trail bend heading back towards the Rec Center, I saw the master architects behind it all: Jeff Janto and Josh Barnard, two Rec Center staff members who were dropping even more hay bales and wetting down the expansive field, trying to make even more mud and wetness before Saturday.

It was neat to see the preparations, but it saddened me a little; I’m not going to be in town, so I can’t crawl through the mud myself. It looks like SO MUCH FUN, and a great family opportunity to get down and dirty together. (Unfortunately, it looks like the weather will be nice. Can you IMAGINE how much MORE fun it would be in the rain?)

The Mud Run will be held this Saturday Sept. 18 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr. Registrations are still being taken. Sign up on the Parks and Rec website (program #301202).

Click here to see a little teaser video giving you an idea of what the Rec has planned, and check out the photos I took this morning:

  • I don’t know what this rope thing is, but it looks intriguing.
  • Jeff and Josh are the master architects behind the course layout.
  • These bales will be moved into the trail on Saturday, making more obstacles.
  • The mud in the biggest pit is already looking sloppy, but will be even more so by Saturday. Have fun! Get dirty!

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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

13 Sep

Busy weekend coming up, starting with the HUGE Webster Jazz Festival, which hits the pubs and streets on Friday and Saturday. Check back here tomorrow for more details about that, but here are a few other events coming up this weekend as well which might interest you:

The Webster Museum’s annual Barn Sale takes place this Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 394 Phillips Rd.

This really cool sale features vintage farm goods and furniture, toys, books, holiday goods, household goods, jewelry, glassware and more. You’re sure to find something to love.

The sale will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each of the three days, and on Saturday, everything is half price — or you can fill a bag for $5. This is the museum’s biggest operating expense fundraiser, so stop on by, find a treasure, and help them out.

ALSO, the Webster Museum’s outstanding Ward Mann exhibit, highlighting one of Webster’s most famous artists, will be closing soon.

The museum is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 2 to 4:30, and the last day you’ll be able to see the exhibit is Saturday Sept. 25.

The Webster Public Library has a very cool poster exhibit of its own right now. It’s called “September 11, 2001: The Day That Changed The World.”

The posters are provided courtesy of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, which explains,

“This educational exhibition recounts the events of September 11, 2001, through the personal stories of those who witnessed and survived the attacks. Told across 14 posters, this exhibition includes archival photographs and images of artifacts from the Museum’s permanent collection.”

The exhibition is on display through during normal library hours. You can also download the exhibition digitally here.to see it online. The library is located at 980 Ridge Rd., at the rear of Webster Plaza.

The library, by the way, is conducting a search for a new director, and they’d like the community’s input. Click here to complete a short, three-question survey to let your voice be heard.

Here’s a reminder about a super-fun event coming up this Saturday at the Rec Center. It’s the first-ever Family Mud Run, obstacle course and fitness trail. The flyer with all the information is above, but basically, we’re talking a non-competitive, untimed, half-mile slog through water and mud, with some challenging obstacles. It’s only $5 per person, and there’ll be giveaways and snacks afterwards.

Can you imagine how delighted your kids will be if you tell them, “Hey guess what? Why don’t we all go down to the rec center, run through some mud puddles, and get super dirty…just for fun?!?!” Bonus points when they find out you’re going to do it with them.

Click here to see a little teaser video giving you an idea of what the Rec has planned.

You’ll want to register ahead of time, and choose a time slot between 10 a.m and noon. Register for program #301202 on the Parks and Rec website.

Finally, here’s a useful tidbit from our friends to the south.

Penfield Rotary and Penfield Recreation will sponsor the annual Community Bike Drop on Saturday, October 2 at Penfield Community Center, 1985 Baird Rd. from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Keep those old or unwanted bikes out of our landfills by donating them to a good cause. All bicycles collected will be donated to R Community Bikes, Inc. for repair and redistribution to needy children and adults in the Rochester area. All types of bikes are needed, including children’s tricycles, toddler plastic bikes and bike parts. Receipts will be available.

R Community Bikes, Inc. is a grassroots 501c3 organization that collects and repairs used bicycles for distribution, free of charge, to Rochester’s most needy children and adults. Its mission is to meet the basic transportation needs of those in the community who depend on bikes to get to work and training sessions, as well as for recreation.

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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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First Responders 5K welcomed back to the village

5 Sep

In-person racing came back to Webster on Friday night when the First Responders 5K returned to the village after a one-year, covid-induced hiatus.

More than 200 men, women and children of all ages wound their way through the 3.1-mile course that took runners from the Webster Firemen’s Field, through east-side village neighborhoods and back. And like anything else that happens in our village, it was another great example of the kind of caring, supportive community we have here.

It was a perfect late-summer night for a run; cool and sunny, much MUCH better than the humid days we’ve recently experienced. The race began at 6:30 p.m. on the south side of Firemen’s Field on Ebner Dr. There, under the Fleet Feet archway bearing the huge First Responders 5K banner, 227 runners and walkers of all shapes and sizes streamed across the start line when the order to “GOOOOOO!” was broadcast loudly through the speakers.

  • At the start line
  • Photo courtesy Mary White

I was one of those runners, huffing and puffing alongside my good friend Dave Nicchitta, who kindly agreed (after much needling) to run the race with me. I had a lot of fun running with my friend, but even more than that, I was so proud to show off my village.

From the very beginning of the race and all through the neighborhoods, families were sitting in their front yards or standing along the road, clapping and cheering the runners, yelling encouraging comments and ringing cowbells. My husband and some friends set up a water and beer refreshment stand in the driveway, which was a popular stop near the end of the race.

And the volunteers? There were so many of them, one stationed at every intersection to guide the runners — and there were a lot of intersections and turns in those neighborhoods. Not to mention the Special Police, who managed the traffic along busy South Ave. during the race.

As I passed by one runner on the route, we chatted briefly and she told me how impressed she was with the route, how well the race was organized, and especially, how many volunteer race marshals there were. I simply told her, “Well, this is Webster.”

Thank you to everyone who helped make this race happen. For many of us, it was the first in-person race we’ve run in more than a year and a half. Thank you also to all those who participated. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the FRST Agency, a local charity that provides support, awareness, assets, and services to first responders seeking assistance in dealing with the effects of PTSD.

Click here to see a gallery of photos from the race which my husband and I took, and visit the Fleet Feet Rochester Facebook page to see a much bigger gallery of much better photos taken by Mary White (of Turkey Trot photography fame).

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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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New music festival will benefit ALS awareness

2 Sep

One thing I’ve learned about Webster in the years I’ve lived here is that when someone needs help, this community rallies around them, big time.

OK, make that TWO things: Webster loves its music.

Both of those truths will be on full display on Saturday, Sept. 11 at a brand new music festival called Webster Rocks for ALS Awareness. The event is being held in part to benefit Kacie Jones, a former Coach Sports Bar employee who was diagnosed with ALS two years ago.

The event website explains,

Kacie is a 30-year Rochester/Webster young man who has ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). He is in a fight for his life; a day-to-day battle to do even the simplest of tasks that most of us take for granted. On Saturday, Sept 11, we will come together for Kacie and others struggling to live with and fight ALS. Let’s help Kacie and his family raise awareness for ALS, provide alternative treatments, and bring about a possible cure for this disease.

Funds raised will also benefit Healing ALS, an organization dedicated to supporting awareness, research and care for those suffering from ALS.

The festival will be held on Saturday Sept. 11 beginning at 2 p.m. at the Webster Firemen’s Field on Ridge Rd. Food trucks will be on hand from 3 to 8 p.m., and alcohol sales will be provided by the Coach Sports Bar.

An incredible music line-up starts at 3 p.m., featuring Anthony Blood and Brody Schenk, State Line, Brass Taxi, Dial Up, and M80s. (Check the website for more details about the schedule.)

Tickets are $20 in advance (available from the Coach Sports Bar, 19 W. Main in Webster) and Eventbrite (but they charge fees, so stop by the Coach to save money). They’re still looking for volunteers, too, so ask about that when you’re picking up your tickets.

To read more about Kacie and his brave battle with this disease, check out this great story posted on WHEC-TV in March.

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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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News from the library

1 Sep

This month’s Webster Public Library Artist’s Wall features some good friends of mine and the incredible, life-changing nonprofit they have built from scratch, Bella’s Bumbas.

Marty Parzynski and Rebecca Orr began their business back in 2017. Their neice Bella had been born in 2015 with spina bifida, which caused paralysis of her lower limbs. Troubled by Bella’s inability to move around and interact with other children, they did a little research and found how to make a toddler-sized wheelchair using a commercially-available “Bumbo” infant seat and a child’s bicycle tires. Marty got to work, and before long had built one for his niece. He called it “Bella’s Bumba.”

When word started spreading about what Marty had done and how it had changed Bella’s life, he and Rebecca started getting requests for Bella’s Bumbas from other parents. So they set up a workshop in the garage and started to mass-produce the wheelchairs, using mostly donated parts. They asked families only to cover the shipping costs.

To date, Marty and Rebecca and their army of volunteers have built and shipped more than 2000 chairs to 46 countries, and counting.

Next time you’re at the library, stop by the wall, read more about their story, and check out the photos of some of the thousands of children whose lives have been changed by Bella’s Bumbas.

The display will be up through September.

Kindergartners and first graders and their favorite adults are invited to celebrate the end of summer with a Back-to-School Storytime on Thursday Sept. 2 at 11 a.m.

Listen to some special books and do a school-related craft to get into the school spirit! Please register each child individually so the library can keep the number small. Caregivers should not register but are required to attend with their children. Please remember your masks!

Speaking of storytimes … as long as the weather is being so nice, outdoor storytimes are continuing.

Every Thursday at 10 a.m. through October, storytimes will be held at the Harmony Park amphitheater, 10 Foster Drive (off of Phillips Rd.). PLUS, Tuesday evenings in September are family fun nights. Bring the whole family on Sept. 14, 21 and 28 from 5 to 7 p.m. for music and games with Webster Parks & Recreation, with storytime at 6 p.m. On the 14th, Bay Vista Taqueria food truck will be there, too.

Registration is not necessary but requested for the outdoor storytimes so they have an idea how many to expect. Click here to register for Sept. 14 and visit the Webster Library website to register for the others.

Now that the kids are back in school, how ’bout we adults take some time for ourselves? Check out these adult programs coming up at the library in September:

  • Sept. 14, 2 p.m.: Travelogue- Beautiful Medieval Towns of Brittany and Normandy, France
  • Sept. 15, 7 p.m.: Creating Paper Flowers with Linda & Katrina
  • Sept. 28, 1 p.m.: Legal Assistance for Seniors
  • Sept. 30, 3 p.m.: Libby Tips & Tricks via Zoom

Descriptions and registration links for these programs and more can be found on the library website.

Here’s a teaser about a couple of other fun youth programs in the works:

  • Make it Monday, Sept. 13: Pom Pom Cacti Night
  • Family Friday Campout, Friday Oct. 1

Visit the library website for more information and to register

Finally, the library is updating its hours for fall.

Beginning Tuesday, September 7 the library will be open Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and
Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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

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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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Do you know anyone in these photos?

31 Aug

I know, that really sounds like clickbait, doesn’t it? But I really am trying to find some good homes for these photos which were part of my Webster on the Web photo exhibit at the Webster Public Library in August.

I chose 24 photos for the exhibit, representing kids, community and events. It was fun having them up, but alas, a few days ago they had to be taken down to make room for September’s installation, featuring the awesome Webster-based nonprofot, Bella’s Bumbas (more on that in another blog).

(P.S., if you didn’t get to visit the library and see it, I’ve posted all the photos on a link you’ll find at the right side of this page.)

So now I have all these photos, most of them 8″ x 8″ or 10″ x 10″, which are going to get tossed if no one wants them. I’ve already delivered a handful of them to some proud parents and grandparents, but there are many more really cute ones that have gone unclaimed.

So, please take a moment and take a close look at all of the following photos and see if you can help me give them good homes. There are even a few which have no human subjects in them, but if you like ’em, they’re yours. If knowing the dates will help identify the children, you’ll find them in the photo link to the right.

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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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The photos are coming down

28 Aug

It’s been an eventful August.

Not only did I get a proclamation from the Town for outstanding community service (and had a day named after me!), I was honored to be the featured artist on the Webster Public Library’s Artist’s Wall for the entire month.

Well, today, those photos are coming down, and being replaced with photos highlighting the work of Bella’s Bumbas, an amazing Webster grassroots organization. (Click here to read more about them.)

Have no fear, however! If you didn’t have a chance to see my photos at the library, all is not lost. I’ve posted them all, complete with captions, to this blog page. You’ll find the link in two places: at the very top of this page, and in the gutter on the right. (Or you can click here.)

So, if you haven’t seen them yet, enjoy! If you DID stop by the library, here’s your chance as well to see all the photos again.

And, by the way, if you have a personal connection to any one of them and would like to have it for yourself, drop me an email.

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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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…and some positive business news

27 Aug

I know that yesterday’s blog about The Music Store closing hit some people hard. So perhaps this might soften the blow a bit:

Just across the street from The Music Store, Village HandWorks will finally open on Saturday Aug. 28 at 10 a.m.

This brand new shop, at 19 East Main St., will feature original hand-crafted goods, and supplies for weaving, knitting, sewing, and other handicrafts. Owner Jenn Ratcliffe will also be offering classes for anyone wanting to learn a new craft or practice their skills. A large comfy counch at the back of the shop will also welcome crafters who just want to sit and stitch and share their projects.

Even if you’re not a crafter yourself, how about poping in and saying hi to the Village’s newest small business owner, and welcome her to the Village family.

Village HandWorks is located at 19 East Main, right next door to the Village Quilt Shoppe.

While you’re out and about on Saturday, be sure to stop by the Webster Public Library for the Friends’ final Summer Pop Up Book Sale.

Weather permitting, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Friends will have tables in the library parking lot filled with all kinds of books for the entire family. This will be a Bring Your Own Bag Sale — fill your bag with gently used books for just $3, or two bags for $5. (Cash or check only please.) They REALLY need to get rid of these books to make room for more, so bring several bags!

BLOG UPDATE! Because the weather looks a little iffy on Saturday, the book sale has been moved inside the library. So do not worry if it’s a little rainy … the sale WILL GO ON!

The Friends of the Public Library would like to thank the community for their amazing support over this past summer. All funds raised from the sale will support library initiatives.

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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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The Music Store is closing

26 Aug
The Music Store is located at 18 East Main St., Webster

After 32 years anchoring the Village of Webster’s East Main Street business scene, The Music Store is closing. 

Owner John Bucci announced the news on his Facebook page last weekend. Every day since, he’s been fielding comments and customers who are surprised and saddened by the news. But everyone can take some consolation from the fact that neither Covid nor slow sales has driven John’s decision. Instead, he said, “It’s time, just plain and simple.” 

“It’s hard to do retail all these years,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about it, thinking of an exit plan, which means I was halfway out the door anyway.”

“I’m going out on my terms.” 

John doesn’t know yet what life has in store for him next, but he definitely wants to move on from the day-to-day grind of retail. One thing he’s especially looking forward to is being “excited about playing my instruments again.” 

The enjoyment part gets burned out from the business part. I’m looking forward to wanting to pick up my instruments again. To go downstairs and an hour and a half goes by, practicing, playing for enjoyment, getting my chops back im looking forward to that inspiration again.

I’m surrounded by (music) every day, 12 hours a day, so to continue to go home and play for two hours is just an extension of the job. That’s not enjoyable.  

He does know that he won’t be selling the business; it would be too difficult to find someone to buy into all the inventory and long hours. That means everything has to go, and he’s already started marking prices down. Students who need to rent an instrument for school will find some especially good deals. 

“All those rental instruments have to go,” John said, and he has a lot of them. Parents will be able to pick one up for less than what they would have paid for a year-long rental.    

Like the long-time customers who are stopping by to pay their respects, John has fond memories from his history in the village. Like when the village held its first White Christmas celebration many years ago. 

“We had a huge snowstorm…I built a snowman out front, I used a guitar speaker for a hat. That seems like it happened last year.”

When pressed about how it feels to have been such an integral part of the Village business scene for so long, John was at a loss for words. On his Facebook page, however, customers and friends are having no problem expressing exactly what his store has meant for Webster:

  • “John is hands down one of the nicest and honest people I have ever dealt with. He and his store will be greatly missed.”
  • “John, you have put your heart and soul into the Music Store. You have touched so many people with your passion for music.”
  • “You met all of our kids’ musical needs from preschool through senior year.”
  • “The store has been a musical cornerstone of mine for the better part of 30 years.” 
  • “John has been great to work with and I will treasure the guitars I bought there as well as his friendly support.” 

But perhaps this comment sums it up best: 

  • “This is one of the only cool places left in the area.”  

Thank you for being such an integral part of the Village of Webster family for so long, John. We will miss you , but we all wish you the best in the next chapter of your life.

The Music Store is located at 18 E. Main St. in the Village of Webster. Stop by, say hi to John and get some great deals.

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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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The gardens on my walk

24 Aug

Several weeks ago I devoted an entire blog to the beautiful gardens crafted by Maria Blanco all around her home at the corner of Phillips and Ridge Rd.

It struck me recently that Maria’s gardens, while spectacular, are not the only ones I admire on my daily walks. One of my regular walking routes takes me into the village, up North Ave. to the bike path, to Phillips, back into the village, and through neighborhood streets home. And all along the way, Rose of Sharon bushes, bursts of flowers and flowering shrubs, annuals and perennials, sunflowers, black-eyed Susans and whimsical signs cheer me and help quicken my step.

Yesterday, however, I slowed my step long enough to take photos of many of the gardens I see along the way. Perhaps yours is among them. If so, thank you for all your hard work and for brightening my mornings.

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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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