If you love barbershop music, and music in general, you’ll will want to mark Thursday Aug. 12 on your calendar. At 6 p.m. that evening, members of Webster’s own Chorus of the Genesee and several local barbershop quartets will present an after-hours concert at the Webster Public Library.
The library has featured the barbershop quartet community a few times this year, most recently on National Barbershop Quartet Day in April when they posted a video to their Facebook page. And in February, Laureen and Doreen highlighted the Chorus of the Genesee and their home base, the Harmony House, in one of their outstanding “Let’s Explore Webster” videos.
The videos are great, but it’s nothing like seeing these guys in person. The harmonies will blow you away.
The concert begins at 6 p.m., but you’ll want to get there a little early because that’s when the library closes. There’s no cost, and registration is recommended, but not required. You can register here.
Here are a some positive village business updates to start off our morning.
The patio tables and chairs are finally in place the Cobblestone on Main restaurant, and they’re already very popular.
The patio was completed several weeks ago along the front of this fabulous new village restaurant, but it took a while for the area to be ready for service. The new tables and chairs are a beautiful addition, especially since the Cobblestone has been seeing steady business every since it opened in April, and can really use the extra seating.
Cobblestone on Main is located at 109 West Main St. Check out their Facebook page here and their website here.
It’s been a long time coming, but Village HandWorks finally has an opening date … sort of.
Village HandWorks is the Village of Webster’s newest shop, going in at 19 East Main St., right next door to the Village Quilt Shoppe. It will feature original hand-crafted goods, and offer a place for crafters to practice their skills, take a class or two, or just gather to sit, stitch and share their projects.
Originally scheduled to open last month, there were some unexpected delays, as there often is with a brand new business. But a few days ago I noticed that owner Jenn Ratcliffe posted a message in the front window indicating she’s planning to open in mid-August.
In the meantime, it’s fun to peek in the window and see the spinning wheel and loom she’s set up and will be using once the shop opens, so anyone who’s walking by can watch her work.
Stay tuned for updates.
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Here’s a brand new family event happening this Sunday at Veterans Memorial Park (Gazebo Park on North Ave.).
Village of Webster dance studio Roc Dance is partnering with Roc and Soul Fitness to present a Webster Village Family Activity Open House Sunday afternoon Aug. 8 from noon to 3 p.m.
The event will include kids’ dance and soccer classes and adult barre and yoga classes. All of the classes are free to attend, and if you participate in any one, you’ll receive some free goodies.
Click on the flyer above for more information and schedule details, or visit the Roc Dance Facebook page.
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There’s still time to register for the 2021 Miracle Field Hitting Derby and Year-End Picnic, beginning Saturday, August 7.
The month-long event is a fun and friendly competition held over four sessions, which will benefit Challenger Miracle Field. In addition to bragging rights on the field, participants can also earn cool prizes through several fundraising levels.
For more information and registration forms, click here.
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RL Thomas 1970 grads, mark your calendars now for your next class of 1970 reunion, scheduled for Friday and Saturday Sept. 17 and 18. Details are still coming together, so for updates or questions, email RLT1970Alumni@gmail.com. Or make sure you’ve joined the Class of 1970 Facebook group.
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There’s still plenty of August left, and the Village of Webster has packed in a lot of events.
For starters, the Wine Walks are back! Coming up Saturday Aug. 21 from 4 to 6 p.m., join your friends and neighbors, sample some wines and check out some businesses you’ve never visited before.
Glass pick-up will be at Finn’s Automotive 45 East Main St., where they’ll also give you a map of the participating shops. Cost is $15. Click here for more details.
The gazebo in Veterans Memorial Park on North Ave. will host concerts each of the next three Friday nights.
Tonight (Aug. 6) features Judah Sealy Smooth Jazz. Next week (Aug. 13) will be the “Acoustic Americana” sounds of Spooky & the Truth, and on the 20th, Jimmie Highsmith Jr. takes the stage with his unique blend of smooth urban jazz.
All concerts begin at 7 p.m. Bring your own chairs, blankets, and coolers. For more details, click here.
Finally, the next Tuesday night Movie in the Park will feature Sing on Aug. 10 in Veterans Memorial Park.
Here’s the summary:
In a world of anthropomorphic animals, koala Buster Moon owns a theater, having been interested in show business since his father took him to his first music show as a child. To raise money following some financial problems, Buster plans a singing competition with a prize of $1,000. But Buster’s assistant accidentally appends two extra zeroes, and the promotional fliers showing $100,000 are blown out of Buster’s office into the city streets.
Click here for more details about this showing and upcoming movies in the park.
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Here’s a late addition to my mailbag:
The Webster Marching Band will hold a Bottle and Can Drive on Saturday Aug. 7 at Willink Middle School. Please bring your returnables between 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., and they’ll even take them out of your car for you.
Willink is located at 900 Publisher’s Parkway, adjacent to Thomas High School.
You might think you’re totally unfamiliar with the name “Jon S. Gerling.” But it may surprise you to learn that you’ve very likely passed by this name countless times, especially if you’ve lived in Webster a long time and have children.
That was the case for me. Despite having lived in the area for almost 20 years, and having visited the Ridge Park playground and pavilion dozens of times, it took me that long to notice the small memorial that stands at the south end of the park, easily visible from Ridge Rd.
It announces that the baseball field next to you is the Jon S. Gerling Memorial Field.
The first time I noticed the memorial, I did a little online research to find out what I could about Mr. Gerling. Which was not much. I did find out that he died in 1977 at age 35 after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage. And clearly he was a huge supporter of Webster baseball, since the obituary invited people to donate to the Webster Athletic Association in his memory.
Ridge Park, which is adjacent to Town Hall, is now home to Challenger Miracle Field of Greater Rochester, an outstanding adaptive playing field. So that kind of overshadows the Jon S. Gerling Memorial Field.
But let us not forget Jon S. Gerling. Perhaps next time you’re in the park, you can wander on over and take a closer look at the memorial and give a silent thank-you to Jon’s efforts to promote sports in our town.
If anyone has any more information about Jon Gerling, please email me!
In the 13 years I’ve been writing this blog, I’ve taken a LOT of photos.
I mean, they easily number into the tens of thousands. You know me; I can take 150 at one parade alone. Through the years, they’ve captured adults and children, chronicled events both happy and sad, helped announce new businesses and shined a spotlight on unsung heroes and hidden gems in the community. They are sometimes whimsical, sometimes very serious.
In a sense, the photos have become a historical record of Webster people, places and events.
One of the 24 photos I chose for the display
It’s probably partly for that reason that Laureen Anthony-Palmer at the Webster Public Library invited me to put together a display of my photos for the library’s Artist’s Wall. It took me a while to warm up to the idea, but eventually I decided it would be kind of fun, and I started digging into a dozen years’ worth of backed-up photo files and Facebook galleries.
Choosing just a small percentage of those photos, as you might imagine, was rather difficult. But it was indeed fun to look back through the years at all the events I’ve been to and people I’ve met. Eventually I selected 24 of my favorites for the display, wrote captions, mounted them and — with my husband’s help — hung them at the library a few days ago. They’re organized into three sections representing the main things I like to highlight in the blog: kids, community and events.
The photos will be on display through August, so I invite you to stop by any time during normal library hours and take a look. You might even see yourself or someone you know in one of them.
Friday night’s first-ever Family Game Night seemed to be a popular event. When I joined it about an hour into the evening’s festivities, a few hundred people were milling around or seated at the tables. Many were enjoying their beverages or having dinner, others were listening to the musician, or chatting with friends, or playing games and chalking the street with their children.
Basically, everyone who attended was having a good time doing SOMETHING, appreciating the excuse to get out of the house again and spend some time with friends and neighbors on a beautiful summer evening.
The best part of the evening, however, was the opportunity for kids to have some fun in a safe environment while their parents socialized. The organizers — the Webster Business Improvement District — had put out giant games for the kids to play with, like Jenga, Connect Four and Cornhole. There was also plenty of sidewalk chalk to be had, and by the time I got there, West Main Street was already filled with artwork.
It was all a very pleasant ending to the village’s Christas in July Week.
Here’s a gallery of photos from the evening:
The happy meeting which I mentioned in the headline referred to the chance I had to meet and share a pint with Colin Minster, the new editor of the Webster Herald.
Colin replaces Anna Hubbel, who has been with the paper for the last seven years. Colin brings with him experience as a writer and researcher for the Finger Lakes Times, but this is his first full-time editing position. He’s fairly new to Webster, but in the short time he’s been here, he seems to have fallen in love with the town, and is looking forward to telling everyone more about it.
“I like Webster a lot,” he said. “There are so many cool, fun things that Webster does. It’s such a cool town.”
So you can expect the Herald to continue to cover hard news stories, like the recent sewer consolidation discussions, but also lots of community news, like Colin’s reflections on the recent Waterfront Arts Festival. Both stories ran on the front page of last week’s edition. He also hopes to fire up a few columns of his own.
Colin currently lives in Penn Yan but is looking to buy a house in Webster.
Welcome to Webster, Colin. I think you’re really going to like it here.
A friend of mine noticed last night as she was heading toward my house that village workers are stringing up Christmas lights on Main Street.
You know what that means, of course.
IT’S CHRISTMAS IN JULY IN THE VILLAGE!
We’ve all been pretty parade-starved these last few summers, so I think the most exciting news about this week is the Firemen’s Holiday Parade taking place Thursday night from 7 to 8 p.m. on Main St.
Now this is not going to be anywhere near as big as the Firemen’s parades that herald the return of the Firemen’s Carnival every year, but c’mon… it’s a parade. And it’s an excuse to wear Santa hats and jingle bells in July.
True to the “Christmas in July” theme, there will also be caroling and Christmas cookie decorating at the gazebo Thursday night.
Then, on Friday July 30, West Main Street will be closed for an evening of family games and entertainment…and beer.
The village’s first-ever Family Games Night and Beer Garden will feature sidewalk chalk art for the kids (and adults), giant street games like Jenga and Connect Four, and a free yoga class. The Coach Sports Bar will be serving up beer and wine and Webster Hots will offer dinner options.
Live acoustic music is also on tap from 6:30 to 8 p.m. featuring Steve Bartolotta.
Christmas in July events actually start tonight, with a showing of Elf (yes the Christmas movie!) at Movie Night in Gazebo Park beginning at 8 p.m.
It’s all being brought to you by the members of Webster’s Business Improvement District, the group that organizes all of the fun events in the village, from the Trick or Treat Trail to White Christmas. For more details, visit websterbid.com.
You’ve read about this magical place in my blog before. Miracle Field is located in Ridge Park adjacent to Town Hall. This beautiful facility was specifically designed for individuals with physical and/or cognitive challenges and is fully wheelchair accessible. It offers those with developmental, physical or intellectual disabilities a barrier-free, safe, accessible place to experience the health benefits and joy of play through baseball, other team sports, and adaptive recreational equipment.
On Saturday, these young athletes were joined on the baseball diamond by local first responders — police officers, State Troopers, EMTs, firefighters — who ran with them around the bases and assisted them in the field.
Heroes helping heroes.
It’s a delight to see the joy on the faces of these young people when they hit the ball, round the bases and score runs. Or when they successfully snag a grounder — which is such a joyous event they’d rather show it to the adult standing next to them than actually throw it to a base. Their mile-wide grins are infectious, and their jubilation as they cross the plate makes every heart smile.
Saturday’s event featured several ballgames, plus kids’ activities, a dunk tank, a fire truck to climb on, a mounted patrol officer with her horse to pet, food trucks, give-aways, and lots more. It was a super, well-coordinated event that was a delight for everyone who attended. Thank you to Linda Burke, Don Barone, Ron Kampff, the rest of the Miracle Field members and staff, and all of the volunteers for making it a great day. I look forward to next year.
I stopped by the Waterfront Art Festival with my camera yesterday, just long enough to walk the entire circle of artisans spread across the lawns and around the ponds at North Ponds Park. I didn’t have more than a few dollars on me, which in retrospect was probably a good thing since I would have dropped a lot of cash at some of the booths. (Thinking ahead to Christmas already.)
This year’s festival really does seem bigger than the ones I’ve walked through in previous years, and both the variety and quality of the arts and crafts on display were impressive. (Visit the festival’s website to see a list.)
There was also a “food court” of sorts with several food trucks, a wine/beer/cider tasting tent and and some decent entertainment. And the weather was gorgeous, something else that will continue today along with the festival.
As I am prone to do at events, I took a lot of photos. There are a few here, but click here to see a Facebook gallery with many others.
The Waterfront Art Festival continues today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at North Ponds Park, right off of Rt. 104. Admission is $3 for adults, free for kids 12 and under, and there’s plenty of free parking.
From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. first responders will be playing ball games alongside the Challenger players. Visitors are invited to watch the games, cheer on these amazing athletes, and then hang around to visit with law enforcement representatives, first responders and mounted police officers. Plus there’ll be carnival games, food trucks, a dunk tank and a visit from Spikes, the Red Wings mascot.
Miracle Field is located on Ridge Road behind Town Hall. This beautiful facility was specifically designed for individuals with physical and/or cognitive challenges and is fully wheelchair accessible. It offers those with developmental, physical or intellectual disabilities a barrier-free, safe, accessible place to experience the health benefits and joy of play through baseball, other team sports, and adaptive recreational equipment.
It’s all free, there’s plenty of parking, and it’s going to be great family fun. Click here to learn more about Challenger Miracle Field.
The Waterfront Art Festival also returns to North Ponds Park this Saturday and Sunday after taking last year off (much like most everything else in life).
The Waterfront Art Festival is a fine art and craft show and sale that was started in 1973 on the Canandaigua City Pier. It was held in Canandaigua for 41 years before moving to Webster, where it has grown every year and become a highly anticipated summer event.
This year’s festival will feature almost 60 artisans displaying a wide variety of unique, high-quality pieces ranging from stoneware, beads and culinary items to jewelry, glassware and soaps… and so much more.
PLUS, there’s lots of live music (check the line-up here), a food court and wine/beer/cider tastings tent, all set up along the pathways and lawns of the picturesque, shady North Ponds Park.
Admission is $3, and kids 12 and under are free. There’s also plenty of free parking.
Here’s word of a unique new “summer camp” experience for kids who like to sew.
The Village Quilt Shoppe, 21 E. Main Street in Webster, will offer a Stitch by Stitch Kids Summer Camp from Tuesday July 27 through Thursday July 29. Over the three days, young students will create their own drawstring backpacks, while learning more about sewing machines and techniques.
Classes will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. each day, and be taught by instructor Kelly Goodman. Cost is $60.
For more information, including a supply list, email The Village Quilt Shoppethrough the contact page on their website, call them at 585-626-6916 or stop by their shop.
St. Rita Church in West Webster will be hosting their next “Saturdays at St. Rita” event this weekend.
From 6 to 8 p.m. on July 24, the community is invited to an ice cream social at the church, 1008 Maple Drive.
BUT THERE’S MORE THAN JUST ICE CREAM! You can also get dinner from Verno on the Roll, AND play miniature golf for free! There’s a book sale, gift basket raffle, and live music.
And of course, it’s all a warm-up to the annual St. Rita Fiesta, scheduled this year for Aug. 28. Stay tuned for more about that.
Today’s kind of a mini-mailbag, highlighting some news I’ve gathered from various Town of Webster sources, including the weekly digital newsletter and the July edition of the hard-copy Webster Today.
Joshua Ramph (courtesy Town of Webster newsletter)
There’s a story in the digital newsletter, for example, about a recent Eagle Scout project which improved Miracle Field of Greater Rochester. Joshua Ramph from Troop 108 — assisted by several businesses, friends and Scouts — replaced the chain link fence there with a handsome split-rail fence.
You can read a little bit about the project in the newsletter, but I’m also trying to track Joshua down for more details, so look for a blog about this soon.
There’s also a notice on the website about how the Town is honoring veterans every week through September, and they’d like community members to submit names of past and present service members.
They explain,
In the absence of our usual summer parades and ceremonies, we will be recognizing our military with a virtual celebration each week, along with special recognition at Town Board meetings.
Here is where we need your help! Do you have a family member or friend who is a veteran or currently serving in our military that you would like to see honored by the Town?
We invite you to complete our online nomination form to submit their name, from now until September
To submit a name, click here and fill out this form. If you have any questions, email Communications@ci.webster.ny.us. This interesting note from the recent Webster Today: the Town is looking into the possibility of building a dog park. They’re in the very early planning stages, and are looking for community input.
So if you really like the idea of a dog park, click here and fill out the survey. It’s only an eight-question survey, so it shouldn’t take much time at all. And while you’re there, you can also fill out one of the other surveys you’ll find. There’s a Webster Parks and Recreation survey, one about the police department, and another about community sewers.
Finally, this actually came across my Twitter feed and Facebook page:
I have to believe that some of these “rumors” are tongue-in-cheek, or perhaps fueled without support by certain Facebook pages. If you need to get the straight story about these issues or any other Town news, I suggest you follow the Town Facebook page,Twitter feed, or just contact Town officials.
And definitely make sure to read the monthly Webster Today cover to cover.
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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