Tag Archives: The Coach

Come on in, Webster, the music’s fine!

10 Mar

Despite being such a small town, the Village of Webster has an amazing amount of great music.

Every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, plus the occasional Wednesday, you can find live music SOMEWHERE in the village, performed by a variety of local and regional bands, playing folk, Irish, country, oldies, rock & roll and more.

Pub 235, at 235 North Ave., starts off every musical week on Tuesdays with Eggman’s Traveling Carnival, which plays from 7 to 9 p.m. Once a month or so, Nate Michaels also takes the stage.

Jojo Bistro & Wine Bar at 42 E. Main St has live music every Thursday night from 6 to 8 p.m. Among the regulars performing there are Thurlow, Amanda Ashley and Sean Rosenberry.

The music at Barry’s Old School Irish, 2 West Main St., starts Friday night, and it’s usually Irish. Saturday, a folk music jam session meets in the bakery side of the pub from noon to 2 p.m., followed by a traditional Irish music session from 2 to 5. Then, after THAT, another (usually non-Irish) band provides entertainment. Barry’s often brings in bands from Buffalo in addition to featuring local talent.

The Coach Sports Bar, 19 West Main, also usually has music on Saturday nights from 9 to 1 p.m.

Even the village’s newest restaurant, Cobblestone on Main, at 109 West Main, has dipped its toes into the local music scene. Cobblestone has already hosted Claudia Hoyser three times, and will be welcoming Amy Montrois later this month and in May.

Owner Dan Bresnahan has chosen to schedule his live music dates on Wednesdays, so he doesn’t step on any other venue’s toes. At least for now, however, he doesn’t expect to host entertainers every week, but rather have them in for special events. But, he adds, “We want to help support local music. They suffered as much as anybody during COVID.”

This weekend in particular is a big one for local music, thanks in large part to Saturday being “Parade Day.” For some bars and restaurants, Rochester’s St. Patrick’s Day parade marks the beginning of the St. Patrick’s Day season. So in addition to the regular music dates mentioned above, several venues have added even more bands to their schedules.

Barry’s Old School Irish’s Saturday music schedule, for example, begins with a traditional Irish session at 10 a.m. and continues all day and evening with three more bands. (Click here to see the whole schedule). Cobblestone is featuring two bands, Sean Rosenberry from 2 to 5 p.m., followed by Leecy & Greg from 6 to 9 p.m.

On St. Patrick’s Day itself next Thursday, look for even more music at Barry’s Old School Irish.

As the pandemic continues to wane and we all feel more and more like going out in the evenings and getting back to normal, it’s great to know there are so many opportunities so close by to enjoy exceptional live music. And it’ll only get better as the weather gets warmer and the music gets piped onto the patios. (Or sometimes the musicians themselves set up outside.)

Thank you to the pub and restaurant owners who understand how important music is in our lives, and for supporting our local musicians.

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

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Birthday parade honors former St. Rita principal

13 May

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Birthday parades seem to be popping up every week these days, but this one was an extra special one.

On Monday evening, a parade of cars of cars honoring Sister Katherine Ann Rappl streamed through the St. Rita parking lot, offering gratitude and 80th birthday wishes to the school’s former principal.

It was a complete surprise for Sister Rappl, who clearly enjoyed the parade, which numbered about 140 cars. Thank you so much to Julie Schillaci for passing along the included here.

Julie also sent this write-up about the school’s beloved former principal:

No matter how many years pass, alumni of St. Rita School in Webster will always be “God drops” to Sister of Mercy Katherine Ann Rappl.

Exceptional students at the school are recognized with this honorary designation and receive raindrop-shaped sun catchers to hang in their windows to remind them 84CD1B72-D0E9-48EF-96F8-E6E6EF5CF9F9of how they capture God’s love.

The phrase “God drops” was one that Sister Rappl picked up during a National Catholic Educational Association Conference workshop years ago

“A raindrop is fully made up of what a cloud is made up of,” she always said, noting that people are God drops because they are made up of the same substance as God. God’s life is inextricably intertwined with their lives, she said.

And for the past 30 years, the lives of the students at St. Rita School have been intertwined with Sister Rappl, who began working there as principal in 1983.

She taught at St. Andrew and St. John the Evangelist, Rochester; St. Salome, Irondequoit; St. Louis, Pittsford; and St. Patrick Junior High School and Notre Dame High School, Elmira.

Formerly known as Sister Mary Benedicta, her home parish was St. Thomas the Apostle in Irondequoit, and she attended the parish school. She said the Sisters of Mercy who taught her at Our Lady of Mercy High School in Brighton were very influential in her discerning her vocation, and she became a Sister of Mercy in 1958.

Sister Rappl loves being in Catholic education because she has been able to teach children both academics and their faith, and she has gotten the chance to see students grow.

“That’s a big joy in seeing how they learn to take responsibility and control of their behavior from kindergarten to sixth grade,”

And, she always points out, J.O.Y. — an acronym that stands for Jesus, others and yourself — is the school’s theme.

“I always tell students don’t let anyone take your joy away from you,” Sister Rappl received the “Lighting the Fire Award” from the Catholic School Administrators Association of New York State for her 50 years of service in Catholic education.

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You may have heard some commotion last night in the village around 7 p.m. That was yet another birthday parade, this one for Fritz Sierk, owner of The Coach Sports Bar on West Main.

This one featured not only a fire engine and other emergency vehicles, but also the WFD’s antique engine, and that huge Teamsters semi, blasting music.

Hard to tell if Fritz saw it all; he seemed to have something in his eye for part of it.

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

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Here we go a’caroling…

20 Dec

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The streets of Webster were alive with the sound of music earlier this week as two separate groups strolled the neighborhoods, caroling at businesses and houses along the way.

The first of the musical meanderings took place Monday night, when BID president Robyn Whittaker hosted almost 30 friends, business acquaintances and assorted other local residents on her second annual village caroling party.

And a party it was. Participants first gathered at The Coach, where Robyn had provided plenty of soda, beer, hot cider (spiked if you wanted to) and pizza. When 7 p.m. rolled around, everyone filed out of the pub, and that took a while because there were about 30 of us. First stop was for a group photo in front of the Coach. Then it was off to do some singing.

The stops were pretty much determined on the fly, depending on what businesses were open and what homes seemed to be occupied. In about an hour, the tuneful group had visited the Webster Barbershop, Rubino’s, Brimont Bistro, and about a dozen homes. The business owners were tolerant; some of the homeowners were hesitant to come out, but most others happily stood on their cold porches — occasionally with small babies or children in tow — to enjoy the music.  But no matter who the group was singing for (or not singing for), the enthusiasm and the singing never waned, continuing even as everyone walked from house to house on the streets and sidewalks.

The very next evening, I joined the Chorus of the Genesee for their annual Soup & Carol Night. Unlike Robyn’s event, which is brand new, the Chorus has been hosting this evening of caroling for at least 24 years. There were also a whole lot more people at this event. I counted about 60 men, women, children and dogs. I was told that it was more than double what the Chorus usually draws. It helped, I think, that the weather was pretty pleasant.

Everyone gathered at the Harmony House, enjoying coffee and cookies, sheets of music and Santa hats were handed out, and when 7 p.m. rolled around, everyone filed out into the street.

The first stop, as it has been every year, was Webster Eyecare Associates, which is pretty much across the street from the Harmony House. The folks there have come to expect this annual visit by the Chorus carolers, and this year — for the first time — had donut holes and hot chocolate for the chilly singers.

I hope you had a chance to enjoy, or even participate in, one or both of these caroling events. This is what small-town life is all about.

This is truly Webster.

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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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