Tag Archives: Village of Webster

Ladies and gentlemen, start your beds!

15 Aug

Registrations are now being taken for the Webster Community Bed Races, which are returning to the village on Sept. 16 after a many-year absence.

Teams of four bed pushers and one “sleeper” will navigate an obstacle course down East Main St., cheered on by crowds lining the sidewalks. The beds must be non-motorized, and the “sleeper” must wear some kind of sleepwear. Races will be held in two-bed heats, with a final elimination race. Creativity is greatly encouraged!

Complete rules, bed design specifications and registration links can be found on the Webster BID website, but here are a few highlights:

  • Beds can be no larger than a standard double bed
  • Wheels must be NO larger than 8 inches
  • There are five people per team, four pushers and one sleeper
  • Each race will include one challenge stop

It’ll be a great event to watch from the sidelines, but definitely more fun to be a participant. Sign-up is happening now, and racers are encouraged to register soon before the race card fills up. Cost is $25 per team for ages 14-19, $50 for ages 20 and over. Deadline for entries is August 31.

This is a great chance to advertise a business, collaborate on a fun family activity, or get some neighbors together for an unforgettable morning. You can even use the opportunity as a fundraiser for your favorite charity, asking friends and neighbors to pledge money, and post signs on your bed to raise awareness. For more details about bed specifications and to register, visit the Webster BID website.

I’m really looking forward to the creativity on display that day!

The 2023 Webster Bed Races will be held Saturday Sept. 16 at 10 a.m. on East Main St. in the Village of Webster. The event is sponsored by the Business Improvement District along with Webster Rotary, Webster Lions Club and Webster Kiwanis, and proceeds will benefit the Webster Community Chest.

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(posted 8/15/2023)

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Enjoying one last Family Games Night

12 Aug

Dozens of families enjoyed the last Family Games Night of the 2023 summer season on Friday night at Gazebo Park.

Children young and old bopped between Giant Jenga, corn hole, giant Connect Four and other games. There were balloons and snacks, and Dancing With Denise kept everyone hopping to a beat — when they weren’t twirling hula hoops.

Thank you Webster BID for a fun evening. Moving these events off of Main Street to Gazebo Park was a great decision, and I know these family-friendly events will continue to be popular in the coming years.

Here are a few more photos from the evening:

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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 8/12/2023)

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First Responders 5K returns to village streets in three weeks

10 Aug

I like participating in 5Ks. (You’ll notice I didn’t say “run” 5Ks, because the pace I set cannot actually be called “running.”) So I’m really looking forward to one of my favorite 5Ks ever, the First Responders 5K.

This is a favorite for a few reasons. First, it’s in the Village of Webster. I can walk to the start line AND it runs right by my house. Second, SO MANY of my Webster friends also run. And finally, some of the proceeds benefit a great cause.

The race website explains,

The First Responders 5K recognizes the strength, perseverance, and courage of police officers, firefighters, EMTs, 911 operators and their families in our local community.

First responders put their lives on the line for us every day as they face hardships that most of us will never know. The repetitive negative experience of stressful and potentially traumatic events that first responders face on a daily basis leaves them particularly vulnerable to post-traumatic stress disorder. We hope that this event can raise awareness for PTSD in first responders, and raise funds for a local charity, FRST Agency, that will provide support, awareness, assets, and services to first responders seeking assistance in dealing with the effects of PTSD.

A portion of proceeds, as well as 100% of additional donations, will be donated to the FRST Agency. 

The race is scheduled for Friday Sept. 1 at 6:30 p.m. It will BEGIN AND END at the south side of Fireman’s Field on Sanford St., and take racers through east-side village neighborhoods. Cost is $40 (plus fees) or $15 for active first responders. Each racer will also receive a t-shirt, and food and drink after the race.

My family will once again be setting up our “refreshment” stop on Fuller Ave. with water — and beer — so watch for our signs!

To register for the race, and for more information including a course map, click here . They’re also looking for volunteers, which is an easy gig and nets you a t-shirt, too. You can also find out more about that opportunity on the website.

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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 8/10/2023)

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Webster community mailbag

8 Aug

I’m going to lead today’s mailbag with an event I only just learned about myself when I was reading through the Town’s Webster This Week newsletter.

It’s the Water Lantern Festival, being held this Saturday Aug. 12 at Charles Sexton Memorial Park (formerly North Ponds). It’s one of hundreds of similar festivals held world-wide every year by an organization called One World Lantern Festival, which describes it as:

an incredible experience where thousands of family, friends, and strangers celebrate life together. Water Lantern Festival brings together individuals from all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life to join in one emotional and memorable night. You’ll cherish these moments as you witness the beauty of thousands of lanterns and the lights reflecting upon the water.

Participants design their own lanterns, and are invited to inscribe their “hopes and dreams, or a letter to a loved one,” or any other meaningful message, and then send them floating out onto the water. I imagine the scene of countless illuminated lanterns floating on the pond will be spectacular.

Webster’s Water Lantern Festival will begin at 6 p.m. with food trucks, music and activities. Lantern designing begins at 8:30 p.m. and launch is from 9 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $26.98 (plus processing fees and taxes) and include a lantern kit, a commemorative drawstring bag, playing cards, conversation cards and access to the food trucks and music. IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING, you should get your tickets by Wednesday Aug. 9, because the price goes up after that to $45.99 and even higher on the day of the event.

Click here for more information about the festival and ticket options.

The Village of Webster’s next and last-one-of-the-summer Family Games Night is this Friday Aug. 11 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Gazebo Park on North Ave. These great — and totally free — family events feature giant games, sidewalk chalk, great food and drink, and Dancing With Denise. Come for just a short time, come for the entire event; you and your kids will have a blast.

Remember to visit the Webster BID website regularly to keep up to date on village events.

Webster NY Hope has published this month’s wish list, which includes:

  • toothbrushes
  • toilet paper
  • pasta
  • cooking oil
  • towels (used or new)
  • socks for all ages
  • underwear for all ages
  • queen sheets

Items can be dropped off at Webster Hope, 1450 Ridge Rd., during their normal operating hours, Monday from 5 to 7 p.m., Tuesday from 10 a.m. to noon, Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m.

The Webster Marching Band‘s next Bottle and Can Drive happens this Saturday Aug. 12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. All you have to do is place those bags outside your house or at the end of the driveway, with a little note indicating they’re for the band, and they’ll be whisked away for a good cause.

Or, if you plan to be out and about on Saturday, you can drop them off at the collection site, Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Road, by 3 p.m.

OR, you can call the Bottle and Can Hotline (234-8684, option 1) ANYTIME to arrange a pickup at a time convenient for you.

The United Church of Christ‘s last Caring Community Concert of the summer takes place this Wednesday Aug. 9 when 8 Days a Week performs.

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. This week’s concert will benefit the Friends of Webster Trails.  

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.)

Finally, looking ahead, these two events take place in a few weeks:

The Steam Police will sponsor a blood drive in the Spry Middle School cafeteria on Friday Aug. 18 from 1 to 6 p.m. There’ll be food, drinks, t-shirts, raffle prizes, and a whole lot of gratitude.

For an appointment (always a good idea), visit redcrossblood.org and use the keyword “SPRYMS” or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

An electronics recycling event is scheduled for Saturday Aug. 19 on the Xerox campus off of Orchard St. (near the Rec Center). TICKETS ARE REQUIRED for this event, and you can sign up here for the time slot you want.

Some slots are already booked up, so sign up soon.

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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 8/8/2023)

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Revelle’s Home Decor has landed safe and happy in Ontario

5 Aug

Dave and Peggy Revelle were all smiles on Saturday when they officially introduced their new Revelle’s Home Decor location to the public with a grand opening ceremony.

You may remember Revelle’s from when they briefly had a shop on East Main Street in the Village of Webster, adjacent to M.O. Pasta. They opened that storefront in May, but it took only a few months before they realized the space was much too small for the products and services they really wanted to feature. (Click here for the blog I wrote when they opened.)

Their new shop, located at 1864 Rt. 104 East in Ontario, measures 3,000 square feet, several times larger than the original. That means a LOT more space to display their own hand-crafted products, feature lots of local crafters, and devote a spacious back room to paint parties.

It was really that paint party aspect of the business which ultimately drove the need for a bigger space, Peggy said. “We thought we would try (the smaller Webster location) without the paint parties,” she said. “But in my heart it wasn’t happening. … This is what I’ve always done.”

So only about a month after closing their East Main Street shop, they’d found and started renovating their new place, which previously was a bait shop and seafood market. For Dave Revelle, the location is like “coming home,” since he grew up just a few miles away on Fisher Rd.

(L-R) Lisa Fede, Peggy and Dave Revelle, Gina Weatherell
Dave and Peggy Revelle

In addition to the incredibly beautiful refurbished and new handcrafted furniture pieces that the Revelles themselves are known for, Peggy is currently displaying beautifully crafted items from 23 local artisans, and hopes to add more in the near future. She’s also set up a smaller side room as her “Christmas room,” which will feature holiday-themed crafts year-round.

Plus, of course, there’s plenty of space now for paint parties, which Peggy is already booking. The first is scheduled for Aug. 17; participants choose from the website the sign they’d like to create, and Revelle’s will provide all the instruction and materials. (More information here).

Revelle’s Home Decor is located at 1864 Rt. 104 East, less than a mile east of Ontario Center Rd. To learn more, visit their website here and Facebook page here.

Here are some more photos from the grand opening celebration:

In the Christmas room
The spacious paint party space
So many great artisans

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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 8/5/2023)

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A bit of Webster history: the town’s first “telephone”

4 Aug

You never know what fascinating nugget of Webster history you’ll discover when you visit the Webster Museum. 

For example, just inside the front door hangs one of Webster’s very first “telephones,” which was used from 1887 to 1901. It hung in what was most recently the Music Store on East Main St. in the village, when the old post office was located there. A second one was installed in the railroad station on North Ave. 

The two instruments were connected by two wires strung across poles and roofs of houses along North Ave. They operated in much the same way as the old tin-can telephones we used to use when we were kids. Remember them? Stretch a string between two tin cans and you could talk back and forth just by keeping the string taut.

When the postmaster wanted to know when to expect the mail trains, he would knock vigorously on the center of the disc. This would cause the wires to vibrate and ring the bell on the telephone at the other end. To communicate, you would talk and listen through the center of the disc.  

This particular telephone has been in the Webster Museum’s collection since the museum opened in 1976. It was donated by Peter and Jay Smith, whose father was the postmaster (although the bell is not original).

Learn more about this and other interesting bits of local history at the Webster Museum, 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster. It’s open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Visit the website at webstermuseum.org to learn more.    

If you like these little bits of Webster history, make sure to check out the link above (or in the right-hand column) labeled “Webster History Bits” to see all of the ones I’ve posted in the past year.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@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 8/4/2023)

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More music and family fun in the village

3 Aug

There’s so much summer fun happening in the village these days, I’m having a hard time keeping on top of it all. So here’s a quick reminder about a few things coming up. (P.S. more information about these events can be found on the Webster BID website.)

This Friday Aug. 4, the Friday Night concert series at the gazebo continues with a performance by singer/songwriter Sarah De Vallière. She describes her music as “Randy Newman meets Joni Mtchell in a bar.” Not sure what that means, but I have seen Sarah play and she is very talented and very entertaining.

The concert will be at Village Memorial Gazebo park on North Ave., and begin at 7 p.m. There’s no cost, and you’re welcome to bring your chairs, blankets and a cooler with food and refreshments.

Next Friday, grab the family and come back to Gazebo Park for the next Family Games Night.

From 6 to 9 p.m. you’ll enjoy giant Jenga, giant Connect Four, corn hole, sidewalk chalking, beer and wine from The Coach and takeout from West Main Street restaurants.

Looking ahead, you definitely don’t want to forget about the Webster Jazz Festival, which is returning Friday and Saturday Aug. 18 and 19.

On Friday, enjoy Jazz in the Pubs at six local pubs and restaurants, then on Saturday the jazz takes to the street when four outstanding jazz bands perform beginning at 4 p.m. on the big West Main Street stage. Click here to see details about who’s playing and when.

ALSO… don’t forget to register for the Village Bed Race on Saturday Sept. 16.

This is going to be tons of fun, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what kind of creative contraptions the bed race competitors will come up with. Teams will be separated into two age groups, 14 to 19 and 20 and up. The course will include one challenge stop, there’ll be two heats and one final elimination race.

Complete rules, bed design specifications and registration links can be found on the Webster BID website, but here are a few highlights:

  • Wheels must be NO larger than 8 inches
  • There are five participants for each bed, four pushers and one sleeper
  • Sleeper must wear some type of sleepwear during the race

Gentlemen and ladies, start your beds!!!

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@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 8/3/2023)

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Jazz Festival details: who’s playing and when

30 Jul

Get ready to dance in the streets in a few weeks, when the Webster Jazz Festival returns.

The event will stretch over two days Friday and Saturday Aug. 18 and 19, kicking off with “Jazz in the Pubs” Friday evening beginning at 6:30 p.m. Six different bands are scheduled to perform at six different village pubs and restaurants, with staggered start times, so you can visit visit several (or all) of the venues for a drink and a bite to eat, and enjoy as many bands as you like. The musicians represent some of the best from the Rochester music scene, including some returning favorites and some new faces.

The music continues Saturday night when jazz takes to the street.

Beginning at 4 p.m., an outstanding lineup of musical entertainment will perform from the big West Main Street stage, featuring musicians from around Rochester and Upstate. There will be some tables and chairs set up, but they go pretty fast, so plan to bring your own, set them up in the middle of the street and enjoy music all evening long.

This year’s Webster Jazz Festival brings back some familiar faces and some new ones. Nicholas Brust, a Webster Schroeder HS grad, returns to his hometown for his first appearance at the festival. Deepak Thettu, another Schroeder grad, will play both Friday and Saturday evenings. Paradigm Shift and Marco Amadio return and newcomers Sarah DeValliere and Tyler Scott Owens will knock your socks off. Simple Pleasures with Grammy-nominated Jimmie Highsmith, Jr. and vocalist Julie Delario keep the party going on Saturday night.

Here’s the schedule (click on the name to get more information about each band):

Friday Aug. 18:

  • 6:30 p.m.: Jazz Generation at JoJo’s Wine Bar, 42 E. Main St. An instrumental acoustic guitar duo presenting a mix of popular world jazz music.
  • 6:30 p.m. Joe Chiappone and Vince Ercolamento at Barry’s Old School Irish, 2 West Main St., jazz guitar and saxophone.
  • 6:45 p.m.: Sarah De Vallière at Cobblestone on Main, 109 W. Main St. An award-winning composer, classically-trained pianist and outstanding singer-songwriter, performing “cinematic folk rock with nuances of jazz and pop.”
  • 7:00 p.m.: Marco Amadio on the piano at Brimont Bistro, 24 W. Main St.
  • 7:15 p.m.: Paradigm Shift at Ploty’s Hometown Tavern, 27 W. Main St., performing “organic, funky grooves with street-level ambiance.”
  • 8:00 p.m.: Guitarist Deepak Thettu and Friends at The Coach Sports Bar, 17 W. Main St. Another graduate of Webster Schroeder High School.

Saturday Aug. 19:

  • 4:00 p.m.: Nicholas Brust, bandleader, composer, a premier saxophonist of his generation, and graduate of Webster Schroeder High School
  • 5:45 p.m.: Tyler Scott Owens, Rochester-based vocalist and songwriter
  • 7:00 p.m.: Smooth jazz sounds from Judah Sealy, a graduate of School of the Arts and Roberts Wesleyan College
  • 9:00 p.m.: Simple Pleasures, a high-energy group led by Grammy-nominated saxophonist Jimmie Highsmith, Jr.

This is always a huge event, so you’ll really want to be a part of it.

To find out more about the 2023 Webster Jazz Festival, visit the Webster BID website.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@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 7/30/2023)

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More thoughts about Barry’s Old School Irish

29 Jul

The word “close” is not in our vocabulary.

That was perhaps the most important, and most encouraging, part of the message Danny and Jessica Barry posted to Facebook and Instagram Wednesday morning as the news began to sink in that Barry’s Old School Irish in the Village of Webster will be closing in September. And it was a comforting statement, to say the least.

The message was clear: Yes, Barry’s is closing, but only temporarily. Plans are in the works to bring it back even bigger and better than before.

If you’re not on Facebook or Instagram, and didn’t see the recent article in the Democrat and Chronicle, here’s the gist:

Opening and running a very successful Irish pub was their original dream. Having done that (in spades), now they want to focus full-time on the next stage of their dream, producing and packaging their very own Barry’s Irish Cream Liqueur. To do that, they need a bigger space where they can house both their production facility and the pub.

In their Facebook message, they wrote,

We’re blessed to have this opportunity to launch Barry’s Irish Cream, which is literally the bottling of all the love and warmth this Barry’s Irish Pub Family has created together. … We can’t wait for the day to bring these two dreams under one roof, that is going to be one heck of a story and one heck of a party. Barry’s will be built for the long haul! read the entire message on their Facebook page.)

The Barrys really want to keep their new operation in Webster, which is great news for our town and all of us who have come to consider Danny and Jess extended family. And until they open again, they’re making plans for several events throughout the year to “keep our pub family/community together, to keep the hugs and handshakes flowing.”

The first will be the 4th annual Barry’s Irish Festival on September 16. Tickets for that will available soon online and at the pub, and I’ll be posting more details in a future blog.

We’re all saddened to the core that Danny and Jessica’s friendly pub will no longer be anchoring our village’s four corners. But we’re gladdened to know that we have not seen the last of them, and I think speak for us all when I say we’re excited for them as they embark on this new adventure.

Danny and Jessica concluded their message on Wednesday with this:

Cheers to our Pub Family, and let’s rock this thing!

Rest assured, my friends, we — your pub family — are ready, willing and excited to take this ride with you.

Danny and Jessica have set a closing date for Saturday Sept. 9. Stay tuned for details about special events leading up to that final day, and the big celebration that will inevitably happen that day.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@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 7/29/2023)

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July History Bit: The Village of Webster’s very own pioneer cemetery

24 Jul

The Town of Webster has several beautiful cemeteries, most very familiar to us. But the smallest of our town’s cemeteries is often forgotten, even though many of us pass by it almost every day.  

Robb Cemetery is an 8700-square foot parcel of land on East Main Street in the village of Webster, just west of Phillips Road. It is a true pioneer burial ground, with at least eight known burial sites dating back to 1823. 

The land was originally set aside from the farm of Andrew Robb as a family burial ground – the only one in Webster – but other friends and relatives were also buried there.  

For many years there was no indication the land held a cemetery – no signage, not even any gravestones. At one point, interestingly, one of the neighboring homeowners decided to just lay claim to it and paved it over for a parking lot.

In 2013, though, the Village of Webster officially took possession of the property, cleaned it up, and erected a handsome sign naming all of the pioneers known to have been buried there.  

A fascinating little piece of that cemetery’s history now resides at the Webster Museum. It’s the headstone for Nelly Wood, who died in 1838 at age 84. It was found many years ago in the basement of the house just west of the cemetery. No one really knows how long it was there, or Nelly’s connection with the Robb Family. But it is a nice reminder of the significance of Webster’s very own pioneer cemetery. 

Stop by the museum to see it for yourself any Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. The Webster Museum is located at 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster. 

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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 7/24/2023)

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