The Webster Museum is highlighting West Webster this month! Here are some quick details about what’s coming up.
There are five brand new exhibits focusing exclusively on the hamlet, with lots of photographs, maps and artifacts. The exhibits can be seen during the museum’s normal operating hours, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 2 to 4:30.
Several additional programs have been scheduled through the next few weeks featuring speakers recalling their memories of growing up in West Webster.
On Wednesday May 11 at noon, Todd cousins Steve Van Buren and Pat Todd Milne will speak. On Sunday May 15, the museum will open at 2 p.m. for visitors to see the exhibits, then at 3 p.m. will host a panel of memory-sharers: Deb Oakley, Peter Burkhardt, Karen McDade, Valerie Fisk Kazarro and Steve Van Buren. Attendees are encouraged to share their memories as well.
Finally, on Wednesday May 18 at noon, the final installment of the History and a Cup series will feature the memories of David Davis and Robert Ryan.
The Webster Museum is located at 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster.
Check back Wednesday for news of a fun and educational West Webster Cemetery tour coming up in June, and how you can be a part of it.
Important update: This event has been postponed due to COVID concerns. Stay tuned for the new date!
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Didn’t make it to a sunny, warm beach during Spring Break last week? No worries, Lala of Webster is bringing the beach to us!
It’s Jimmy Buffett Night in the Village this Thursday night. From 5 to 7 p.m., Lala will be featuring Jimmy Buffett-themed music, food and drink. Everyone’s encouraged to come dressed in your favorite tropical attire and bright colors, and escape for some beach-time (or at least beach-like) fun.
Then, just like Betty White Night in February, the party continues next door at Jojo Bistro, which will have live music and be serving up some Buffett-themed drink specials. Need dinner? Across the street, Webster Hots will have a Cheeseburger in Paradise and Margaritaville combos, featuring a burger and fries for $8 or two burgers and a large fry for $13.
There’ll be door prizes as well, so make sure to head into the village this Thursday night and shake off the spring chill. (P.S. keep an eye out for parrots.)
Lala of Webster is located at 38 East Main Street.
I hope you know by now that the Webster Museum is one special place to visit any time of the year. But May is a particularly good time to stop by, as the museum celebrates Preservation Month.
They’re kicking off the month with a special presentation on Sunday, May 1 by nationally-known shipwreck expert Jim Kennard. Over the past 35 years, Kennard has located more than 200 shipwrecks in the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water using side scan sonar systems that he developed.
Kennard will take everyone along his personal journey and his underwater explorations of Lake Ontario, sharing stories he’s gathered while researching and locating the most historically significant shipwrecks of our Great Lakes. These include the 1780 British warship HMS Ontario and the sloop Washington lost in 1803.
Kennard has also authored a book, Shipwrecks of Lake Ontario: A Journey of Discovery, which will be available for purchase. He’s been featured in local publications as well as National Geographic, National and local news stations, the Discovery Channel and most recently National Geographic’s “Drain the Oceans” series on the American Revolution.
Jim will share stories gathered over those 50 years while researching and locating the most historically significant shipwrecks in our Great Lakes. These include the 1780 British warship HMS Ontario and the sloop Washington lost in 1803.
Jim’s groundbreaking book SHIPWRECKS OF LAKE ONTARIO – A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY, which includes Jim’s explorations as well as those of his shipwreck colleagues, will be available for sale at the presentation. Jim will sign copies as requested.
The presentation will take place at the Harmony House, 58 East Main St., on Sunday May 1 beginning at 2 p.m. The presentation is free of charge but donations will be gratefully accepted.
The annual History and a Cup series also returns in May, on Wednesdays May 4, 11 and 18 at noon. This year’s series features presentations by former residents of West Webster. They’ll all take place at the museum, 18 Lapham Park.
On Sunday May 15 at 2 p.m., both the West Webster Firehouse on Gravel Rd. and the Webster Museum will host a West Webster reunion. Following that, at 3 p.m. at the museum, a panel of former West Webster residents will share their memories of growing up in the hamlet.
Looking ahead to June … starting on Thursday June 2, donations will be accepted for the September Barn Sale. They may be left in the barn at 394 Phillips Road.
Then (this is gong to be fun) make sure to stop by the West Webster Cemetery on Sunday June 19 from 2 to 4 p.m. for a historical tour, featuring men and women portraying former West Webster residents. More to come about this as well.
OK, OK, it’s not summer yet. But I came away from the most recent meeting of the Webster Business Improvement District (BID) very excited by the long list of special events our local merchants are planning for late spring and summer, reminding us what a normal summer feels like in the Village of Webster.
The BID is the organization, remember, that organizes the very popular Trick or Treat Trail, White Christmas in the Village, Movie Nights, Friday Night Gazebo Concerts,Wine Walks and others. Those events are definitely returning this year, but they’re just the tip of the iceberg. Basically, every month this summer — from June through September — the BID has scheduled at least one entertaining, family-friendly event, and sometimes two or three or more.
It all starts in late June with the first Family Games Night and Movie Night. Then in July things really kick up a notch with more movies, another Family Games Night, the return of the Friday night concert series in the gazebo, and a second Wine Walk (the first one is on May 21).
In August, there are more concerts, yet another movie night and game night, plus the Webster Jazz Festival hits the pubs and West Main St. later in the month.
Things don’t cool down too much in September, either. The BID will be getting involved with the second annual ALS Awareness Concert, and are talking about a brand new (albeit tentative) event called a “Parking Day.”
Looking ahead to the fall, the Oktoberfest, Beer Walk and Trick or Treat Trail will return in October, and the annual Bourbon Bash in November.
There are still a lot of details to work out with many of these events, and some of them are not yet set in stone. As dates are finalized, you’ll find all the information you need at the Webster BID website. For example, you’ll already find dates there for the two Wine Walks, some of the gazebo concerts and the Jazz Festival.
Basically, Webster summer fun is back big time after two long summers without much to do. So get your calendars out and start filling them in!
Last week, my husband and I took a short trip to Baltimore, just to DO something and get out of town for a few days. It reminded me of the first and only other time I had been to Baltimore and its beautiful Inner Harbor area, when I visited with my daughter many years ago for a wedding.
It also reminded me of a blog I wrote shortly after that trip, which has always been one of my favorites. I thought I’d re-post that today just for fun. It was originally posted almost 11 years ago, in July of 2011. So, many of the references are a bit out of date (and I might have re-posted it once before) but it’s still a fun read.
The resort town of Webster, New York (Wait. Whaaaaaat?!)
(originally posted July 4, 2011)
My daughter and I recently visited the beautiful port city of Baltimore. One evening we were doing some souvenir shopping at the city’s Inner Harbor area, when one of the shopkeepers noticed my Webster Village Days t-shirt. He asked me where Webster was. I told him it was a small town near Rochester, New York. He replied, “Oh, is it a resort area?”
We laughed for about 30 minutes.
After we recovered, we got to thinking. Calling yourself a resort town or family vacation spot is really only a matter of packaging, isn’t it? Any savvy marketing professional could put the right spin on any town and turn it into an enticing vacation destination.
Case in point: if you look closely enough, you’ll see that Webster offers as many — or more — attractions as any respectable tourist trap. For example:
Water Park
Wet, wacky fun is just around the corner at the Spray Park at Ridgecrest Park on Ebner Drive. Enjoy enchanting water-spray animals AND a splash pad! Or if that’s inconvenient, just have the kids put on their swim suits and push them out the back door. Even if there’s not a cloud in the sky, it’ll start raining within ten minutes.
Beaches
YOU might not call it a beach, but we’re extremely proud of our rocky, weedy shoreline. Take a romantic stroll with your loved one to the end of the fishing pier to see the Great Webster Lamppost, some REALLY BIG rocks, and some stunningly beautiful graffiti art.
Go-karts
Your exciting go-kart adventure awaits at Webster’s shopping superstore, Wegmans. These spunky little vehicles feature the added convenience of an attached shopping basket. Climb in and join your friends for some exhilarating speed-demon action (the carts can be revved up to a breathtaking two miles an hour). This attraction is absolutely free and is open 24/7 (which is great, since the only time the aisles are empty enough for go-karting is between 2:13 am and 2:56 am).
Pedal cars
These two-man pedal carts are all the rage on boardwalks from Virginia Beach to Venice Beach! Webster goes one better! Sneak your Wegmans go-kart out into the parking lot and tour the sights along the plaza’s scenic access road. Can’t get more fun than that!
Nightlife
Don’t miss Webster’s Bar District, conveniently located in the village’s historic Four Corners area. You’ll find a nice selection of watering holes within steps of one another, with yet another one coming soon! (And remember, what happens at the Four Corners stays at the Four Corners!)
Tour Guides
My daughter needs a job. (But plan on her boyfriend tagging along.)
Walking Tour
Would you rather venture off on your own to discover the wonders of Webster Village? No problem! Erin can email you everything you need to know to enjoy all the wondrous things Webster has to offer. (Be sure to allow a good 15 minutes for the whole village, 17 if you’re accompanied by young children or senior citizens.)
Music in the Streets
Free, family-friendly musical entertainment abounds in Webster! For example, on cool autumn evenings, bring the kids, set up some lawn chairs in the Webster Schroeder High School parking lot and watch the marching band rehearse. Flutes, trumpets, big drums, flags…what more could a music lover want?
Local-only spots
In Baltimore you’re not considered a “local” until you’ve been to Dick’s Last Resort, which they advertise as “The joint your mama warned you about.” In Webster it’s Empire Hots (or “E-Hots” in the local parlance). Consider yourself warned about this place, too.
Taffy
Try some of our famous Lake Ontario Fresh Water Taffy!!! (On second thought, that’s not a good idea.)
Famous Local Animal
Canada has its moose and Baltimore has its crabs, but Webster has famous local wildlife, too: DEER! You’ll see helpful signs along all the roadways indicating the best places to view these graceful, doe-eyed creatures. And if you don’t catch a glimpse right away, don’t worry! Keep driving long enough and one will jump out to meet YOU!
Tacky Webster Souvenirs
Make sure to pick up some souvenirs to commemorate your trip and take home to your loved ones! Our most popular ones include:
Refrigerator magnets in the shape of the WEBSTER bushes
Back scratchers that read “Where Backs are Worth Scratching”
Snow globes (actually, we call them “lake-effect globes,” and they have snowplows inside). Collect the whole series! County of Monroe Plow, Town of Webster Plow*, Pick-up Truck With Plow Blade, Man With Snow Blower, and the new, limited-edition Man With Shovel® which comes with a bonus bottle of Advil.
“Deer poop” (they’re really Raisinettes — see “Famous Local Animal” above)
See? Webster really is a great tourist destination ! It’s just a matter of how you look at it. So grab your fanny packs and instant cameras, pack your bags and visit Webster, New York, where life is always a vacation!
* (Allow 4-6 weeks extra delivery time for the Town of Webster Plow if you live on a dead-end street.)
Cold and drizzly weather didn’t deter more than 500 kids and their parents from attending last weekend’s Easter Egg Hunt, sponsored by the Webster Business Improvement District (BID).
The event was held Saturday April 16 at the Firemen’s Field. Excited children and their parents started arriving shortly after 9 a.m. and were split into three age groups. At 10 a.m. everyone was released to the field to hunt for plastic Easter eggs and various other surprises. Not that there was a whole lot of “hunting” required; business owners had donated so many eggs (about 5,000) and prizes that they simply had to be scattered around the grassy field for the children to find.
Two lucky children in each group found tickets which could be redeemed for special prize baskets. But all of the other eggs held something pretty great, too, because the participating businesses were very creative and unbelievably generous with their donations. There were gift certificates and coupons, dental floss and lapel pins, small toys and rings, and Kelly at Burke’s Grill even stuffed $1 bills into her eggs. There were even a lot of prizes that were too big to hide in eggs, like toothbrushes, sunglasses and fidget spinners.
The Easter Bunny himself was even there to greet the children.
The event was a terrific follow-up to February’s Fall in Love With Webster festivities, demonstrating how committed our business owners are to collaborating on outstanding community events. More than 45 businesses participated in the hunt by providing filled Easter eggs and/or items for the grand prize baskets.
An event like this cannot be pulled off without a lot of help. A huge thank you to:
the team of dedicated volunteers, led by Lisa Scholnski and Jody Laurer, including Rhonda Gefell, Ray Gefell, Evan Gefell, Karl Laurer, Steven Schlonski and Stephen Vitello
Dennis Montgomery and the Webster Volunteer Fire Department
Jake Swingly, Superintendent of Public Works
Jake’s son Kyle (“Mr. Bunny”) Swingly
Brian and Nolan Bernardi and Robyn Whittaker
Kudos to everyone who helped organize and run this event, and gave our young people a special Easter memory.
Here’s a short slideshow of more photos from the morning, courtesy Jody Laurer:
With the conclusion of Webster Thomas High School’s recent production of Little Shop of Horrors, the final curtain has come down on the high schools’ 2022 spring musical season. But each school actually has a spring drama in the works.
Mark Stoetzel, the drama director at Webster Thomas, emailed me not long ago with some exciting news about their production of The Neighbors, planned for late May: it’s going to be staged outside.
The Webster GeoTech Class is building an outdoor stage in one of the school’s courtyards, complete with a pergola. On May 27 and 28, students will hit the stage to perform several one-act plays they’re writing themselves, each set in a townhouse complex.
More details to come as the date approaches.
The Webster Schroeder Theater Company is also working on a drama, The Secret Garden. Shows are scheduled for Friday and Saturday May 6 and 7 from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are available now, but I’m having trouble finding a link or details on how to purchase them. If anyone can fill me in, please email me so I can share that information.
The Webster Museum has all sorts of programs planned in the coming weeks. They seem particularly excited about their upcoming exhibit focusing on the history of West Webster. The little hamlet had its very own zip code not too long ago (14581) and is currently anticipating a revitalization.
Among the materials the museum has collected are the two maps below. The first was drawn by Maguerite Collins around 1938, possibly as a class project. It shows the names of some of Webster’s earliest settlers and when they arrived. The second map, created in 1852, adds more names.
Descendants of some of these early settlers still live here today, and many of them never left. Interested community members are invited to “meet” some of them on Sunday June 19 from 2 to 4 p.m., when the Webster Museum hosts a West Webster Cemetery Tour. Costumed characters will on hand representing many of the hamlet’s former residents who are buried there, and guaranteed they’ll have some interesting stories.
More information to come about this fun event. (Teaser: I’m going to play a character!)
Stay tuned also for more details about the museum’s upcoming West Webster exhibit. Among the history to be shared will be photos and artifacts from the West Webster Fire Department. It was originally housed in Webb’s garage, then Brewer’s barn, then the former Goetzman Store, followed by its move to its current home on Gravel Road. A number of former West Webster residents have shared memories of turkey raffles, liverwurst sandwiches, craft shows and ice rinks in the firehouse parking lots.
Several programs have been scheduled in May to highlight West Webster history. I’ll tell you all about them in a future blog.
The Webster Museum, located at 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster, is open 2 to 4:30 pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Beer lovers will want to be a part of a program scheduled for this Thursday April 21. Will Cleveland, former investigative reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle, will talk about the past and future of the Western New York beer scene, a beat which he has covered since 2014.
The program, called “Rochester Craft Beer: The History and Future of the Scene,” runs from 7 to 8 p.m. and registration is required.
Tweens and teens, you can make your very own hair scrunchies on Wed. April 20 from 1 to 2 p.m. Materials will be provided. Kids in grades 4 to 12 are welcome. Registration is required.
This month’s make-and-take crafts include recycled milk cap fish (for kids), clothespin peek-a-boo eggs (for teens) and a bead bracelet (made from magazines) for adults. Materials can be picked up at the library during regular business hours while supplies last.
This is a drive-through event. Dinners will include a half chicken, salt potatoes, cole slaw, roll and butter for $12. There will be no advance sales; cars can pay when they enter the parking lot, first come, first served. Signs will direct cars to the pay station, and then to the side entrance where you can pick up the boxed dinners.
Proceeds will support St. Martin’s Christmas Stocking Project which reaches more than 500 youth in Monroe and Wayne counties.
The Tour de Cure is returning to Webster on Saturday June 11, and even if you don’t plan on riding, you can still help out.
In this annual premier cycling event, riders sign up to cycle anywhere from 12 to 100 miles, to benefit the American Diabetes Association. It begins and ends in one of the old Xerox parking lots near the Webster Recreation Center. If you’d like to participate, you can sign up here. Or you can help the cause by becoming a volunteer. More information about those opportunities can be found here.
Finally (and this is especially for all of you who are still reading this long blog, because I know you appreciate local news) I want to draw your attention once again to what’s happening with the Webster Herald.
Our little town newspaper recently experienced another editorial change, when Colin Minster left in March. A new editor, Tim Young, has since taken the reigns, and accepted the daunting challenge of publishing a weekly newspaper.
And it is daunting. I’ve said this before, but it deserves repeating: with a small, hyper-local, weekly publication like the Herald, the editor has to be a Jack-of-all-trades, not only managing the layout and editing, but actively searching out and writing stories of local interest. It’s a 24/7 position from which you can never take a vacation.
The job is made that much more difficult without support from advertisers, contributors and subscribers. I think we can all agree that local news is a dying breed. The Webster Post isn’t around any more, and the Democrat and Chronicle couldn’t care less about Webster local news. The Herald is now one of the few places we can go to to find news about our community. So we need to do everything we can to make sure the Herald doesn’t go anywhere anytime soon.
Tim touched on a few of these concerns in the column he wrote a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, it’s not online anywhere, but you can click here to see a photo of it. In the column, Tim talks about how staffing issues are a challenge and that advertising is hard to come by. He also notes that people are actually complaining about all the legal advertising in the Herald, pointing out that those legals are the only things that are keeping the paper afloat.
It’s not fair to criticize the job a weekly editor is doing without being willing to help do something about it. Like make sure to renew your subscription every year. Encourage your friends to subscribe. Send in sports stories and photos, and your child can be pictured in the paper. Advertise your business. And how about stretching your writing chops and consider becoming a free-lancer? You’ll be paid for your work, and see your own byline in the paper.
Tim would love to hear from you. Email him at tim@empirestateweeklies.com. Let him know that this community is behind him and we still appreciate local news.
Do you know of any event coming up in Webster, or sponsored by a Webster organization, which you’d like publicized in my blog? Pretty much anything that comes across my email will find its way in sometime or another, so let me know about it!
The Webster Quilt Guild invites community members to “Envision the Possibilities” at their 2022 Quilt Show, scheduled this year for Saturday and Sunday April 23 and 24 at Holy Trinity Church.
The show will showcase approximately 250 quilts, plus special displays of quilts crafted for the Breast Cancer Coalition, Quilts of Valor, Bivona Child Advocacy Center, Asbury Storehouse, and Meals on Wheels. So even if you’re not a quilter, it’s worth coming just to see these beautiful creations.
In addition to the quilts, the show will include vendors, a boutique table, and a book and pattern sale. There will also be dozens of “wee” quilts for purchase, miniature 10″ by 10″ quilts that make great gifts and are perfect for things like wall hangings, hot pads, mug mats, plant mats and more. About 60 of these were recently on display at the Webster Public Library (pictured below).
PLUS, you can take a chance on the beautiful “Quilter’s Patch” quilt created by Guild members, which will be raffled at the end of the two-day show. (That quilt is pictured at the beginning of the blog.)
The “wee” quilts
The guild will also be collecting non-perishable food items in support of the Webster Backpack Food program.
The “Envision the Possibilities” quilt show will be held Saturday April 23 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Sunday April 24 from noon to 4 p.m. at Holy Trinity Church, 146 Ridge Road, Webster. Admission tickets are $5 and will be available at the door.
The Webster Quilt Guild’s mission is to share quilt-making experiences, encourage friendships, promote the history, art and skill of quilt making, and support community services. The guild has 80 members and is celebrating its 47th year. The organization creates hundreds of donations each year for agencies in the Rochester area.
The photo below shows last year’s Quilt Show award winners:
Just a quick post today to update you all on Amy Stringer’s efforts to raise money for Ukraine by creating and selling hand-made beeswax ornament at her Village of Webster shop, The North Bee.
Sunflowers, or sunyashniki, are the national flower of Ukraine. Amy has created three different designs, each being sold for $10 apiece. Funds raised will be donated to ROC Maidan, who will distribute them to where they’re needed to help refugees and soldiers and offer humanitarian aid.
A second local TV news station has taken notice of Amy’s efforts. WROC-TV Channel 8 stopped by the shop yesterday morning and posted this story later in the day.
Amy originally scheduled the sale to just run through March, but the community has been so supportive (she’s already raised $3,000), she’s decided to continue it. Beginning today, a portion of the proceeds from each ornament sold will be donated to ROC Maidan.
What do you do with a bunch of old tires that you don’t want to throw away? Paint ’em green and stack ’em up outside your business as a holiday tire tree!
That’s what Kevin Finn has done outside Finn’s Automotive on East Main St. I first noticed the “tree” back in December when it was decorated like a Christmas tree. In February, it was plastered with hearts for Valentine’s Day. In March it sported a St. Patrick’s Day theme.
Then just yesterday, just in time for Easter, the tire tree has sprouted bunny ears.
Next time you’re in the village, make sure to check out Finn’s whimsical tire tree; it’s sure to make you smile. (I can’t wait to see what Kevin has in store for later this spring and summer.)
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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