Tag Archives: Village of Webster

Giving back on this Thanksgiving Day

25 Nov

A reader messaged me the other day, asking where she might find a neighborhood food pantry where her family could make a food donation. It got me thinking that many people out there could benefit from that information, especially at this time of year when we’re feeling so thankful for what we have, and want to help those in our community who are not so fortunate.

HOPE Ministry, housed at Holy Trinity Church, is the largest food pantry currently operating in town. The ministry has an extensive pantry, complete with fresh produce, and is open four days a week for any Webster resident who needs assistance.

Donations of food, hygiene and cleaning products are accepted during their open hours (but please no household donations). Hours are Monday 5 to 7 p.m.; Tuesday 10 a.m. to noon; Wednesday 3 to 5 p.m.; and Thursday 5 to 7 p.m.

Their current wish list includes:

  • chunky soup
  • canned cannellini beans
  • canned mixed vegetables
  • canned pineapple
  • body wash
  • aluminum foil

HOPE Ministry also has two floors of clothing for all ages and in all sizes. They’re always in need of gently used children’s clothing, toddler underwear and socks, and right now would love to get more hats and gloves (especially men’s).

HOPE Ministry is located at Holy Trinity Church, 1460 Ridge Rd., and there’s a cart outside for “contactless” donations.

Webster is also home to four “little free food pantries.” These are small, stand-alone pantries filled with non-perishable food items, where the concept is “take what you need, leave what you can.”

The pantries are hosted by the congregations of four local churches and can be found in the church parking lots. They’re at the Webster Baptist Church on South Ave, Immanuel Lutheran Church on West Main St., the United Church of Christ on Klem Rd., and St. Martin’s Church on Bay Rd.

Donations can be made at any time; just drive up, open the pantry and put in your donations. So maybe next time you head to Wegmans you pick up an extra half dozen cans of veggies, a few boxes of cereal, maybe some extra spaghetti, and swing by one of these pantries on the way home.

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends. May your day be filled with family and the blessings that life brings.

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In memory of a village treasure

21 Nov

On March 3, 2018, the Village of Webster lost one of its most precious people, Carol Klem.

I had known Carol for less than 10 years, but we shared a passion for local journalism, and a love for the village. When we first met — I don’t remember when or where it was, but it was probably at some village event — we immediately hit it off.  Aside from bonding over our love of writing and journalism, we recognized in each other the same determination to live life fully, not take life too seriously, and never completely grow up.

For more than ten years, Carol penned the Village Focus column in the Webster Herald, and was basically the village’s biggest cheerleader. On November 21, 2017, the Webster Village Board returned the favor. To show Carol how much her efforts were appreciated, they presented her with a proclamation and named the day after her. Every year hence, November 21 would officially be Carol Klem Day in the Village of Webster.

Given that today is Carol Klem Day 2021, I wanted to post something in memory of my friend. What follows is an article I wrote for the Webster Herald which ran the week before the proclamation.

If you’ve lived in the Village of Webster for any length of time, chances are very good you know Carol Klem — or at least know about her.

It helps that for the last 12 years, as Village Focus columnist, Carol’s smiling face has appeared every two weeks on the village website and in the Webster Herald.

But even if you don’t regularly read her column, you’ve almost certainly seen Carol around town, chatting with fellow journalists at Barry’s Old School Irish or at Golden Boys, visiting with local business owners, or darting back and forth during parades, festivals and other special events, snapping photos for her column.

Basically, the name Carol Klem has become synonymous with all things good about the Village of Webster. For years, she’s been the eyes and ears of Webster, like a town crier, using her column to cheer accomplishments both big and small. She has introduced us to new businesses and old businesses. She has written tender obituaries, announced births and anniversaries. She has told us about upcoming special events and charmed us with personal musings about small-town life. And every Christmas she has delighted us all with her epic holiday poem.

Carol was born in Rochester in 1938, the oldest of three children, and lived with her family in the Beechwood section of the city. While she was attending high school at Nazareth Academy, her parents decided to move to Webster, in a home they built on Basket Road.

At that time, Webster was very rural, and was really considered the “boondocks.” Moving from the city to farm country was a big adjustment, but it gave Carol lots of handy excuses for being late for school. One of them, her daughter Mary Kay remembers, was “the Schreiber cows were loose on Basket Road.”

Carol attended Nazareth College, where she studied English and music, and was hired at Holy Trinity School, where she taught first through third grades.

Carol was the school’s first lay teacher. “It was mom and all the nuns,” Mary Kay said. “It was really quite funny. I think she was very different from the nuns. I can’t imagine a bunch of nuns and my mom!”

It was while she was teaching at Holy Trinity that she met Gene, her husband of 57 years. They were introduced by then-pastor Fr. William Kalb in 1959, married the following year, and immediately started a family. Mary Kay was born in 1961, followed closely by Tom, Greg and Doug. Many years later, in 1978, little sister Meg joined the family.

Carol worked through her first pregnancy, then became a stay-at-home mom. It was only after all the kids had all grown and moved on that she re-entered the workforce, finding part-time work with the Webster Post, writing wedding announcements and obituaries.

At 47 years old, Carol Klem the journalist was born.

“I remember her starting with a portable typewriter,” Mary Kay said. “I couldn’t imagine she would ever be computer-literate, and Word proficient. Although she still has a knack for losing files.”

In 2005 Carol left the Post and was asked to join the Webster Herald as the Village Focus columnist. She had finally found her true calling: writing about the village she loves so dearly.

And she does love Webster dearly. In September 2015, in an interview she recorded for the non-profit Webster Together organization, Carol called the village “the heart of Webster.”

“I just love our town. I love the people in it, and I love the spirit,” she said. “I’d love to see the village definitely take off. I think that whatever happens, we have the right people to make the decisions.”

I think Carol would be happy with the direction the village is going. She’d be sad to see long-standing businesses like The Music Store close, but happy about all of the new shops that have moved into the village. And given the social butterfly she was, this COVID stuff would have driven her up a wall. I don’t think it would have slowed her down too much, though. I can picture her in a mask, swinging her little digital camera as she chronicled life getting back to normal.

I miss her ever-present smile, boundless energy and joie de vivre. I’ll be raising a glass to her today.

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

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The holidays in Webster Village: beer, shopping, Santa and a parade!

18 Nov

It’s getting cold out, but the holiday season in Webster is heating up, with a cool NEW event and some great improvements on an old favorite.

For starters, the village’s brand new “Hops and Stops” beer tasting event invites participants to not only enjoy some great craft brews, while also visiting many of our small businesses for some early Christmas shopping.

Hops and Stops will be Saturday Nov. 27 (not coincidentally Small Business Saturday). Glass pickup is at Finns Automotive, 44 East Main St, beginning at 2:45 p.m. Cost is $20 (tickets here). Please bring proper ID and you can’t pick up anyone else’s glass since they’ll also need to show an ID.

The beer walk itself runs from 3 to 6 p.m. There will be craft beer at some stops and food at others. These businesses will be participating:

  • Bernardi & Co. CPA
  • Webster Interiors
  • Woodland Silkscreen and Embroidery
  • OHHH, LORDEE! Everything Sauce
  • Village Vape or Smoke
  • The Modified Collective
  • Carl’s Pizza Kitchen
  • Crafty Christy’s Boutique
  • Dunkin’ Donuts
  • The Coach
  • BC’s Chicken Coop
  • The Cobblestone on Main
  • Barry’s Old School Irish
  • Lattimore Physical Therapy
  • Filling Station Pub & Grill

Kudos to the Webster BID for coming up with this great idea to get people out and shopping on Small Business Saturday!

Click here for more information and to get tickets.

White Christmas is Back!

Last year’s “reverse” Holiday Parade of Lights was fun, but I think everyone is excited to know that the REAL Parade of Lights will be returning the evening of Saturday Dec. 4. The parade is the highlight of a whole afternoon of holiday entertainment and activities planned during the Village of Webster’s White Christmas celebration.

This year’s event will feature something really fun: the gazebo in Veterans Park will be transformed into the North Pole for the day, complete with twinkling lights, elves, candy canes and much more. Santa will be there to greet the kids from 3 to 5 p.m. Kids can bring their letters and give them right to Santa or deposit them in his North Pole mailbox.

The Parade of Lights will begin at 6:30 p.m., winding its way from Phillips Rd. west down Main Street.

All of your White Christmas favorites will also be back this year, including carriage rides, hot cocoa, cookie decorating, storytime with Jason Poole from the Webster Public Library, caroling, and much more, including a “Toy Land,” for which everyone is encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate.

Put this one on your calendar, folks. (Maybe we’ll actually get some snow this year.)

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

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Webster community mailbag

17 Nov

I’ve got an important update from the PTSA/One Webster team that’s working on a float for this year’s Holiday Parade of Lights.

They need lights for the float!

They’ve actually been getting a good response from people interested in helping create Santa’s Workshop and who want to help build the float (read more about those opportunities in this blog here) but they desperately need lights for the float. After all, it is the Holiday PARADE OF LIGHTS.

They’ve made it very easy to contribute to the effort. Click this link here to order the lights directly (there are several price options) or donate any amount.

Speaking of fun events, I’ve heard from the organizers of the annual Greater Rochester Peep Show.

This show, which usually takes over much of the Webster Recreation Center in early April, had to go virtual these last few years. Now that it looks like the 2022 Peep Show might be a little more normal, they’re already ramping up to make it the best ever.

They’e currently looking artists to create a poster (rules are posted on the Peep Show website) and prizes will be awareded: $100 for first place, $50 for second place. The deadline for submissions is Nov. 25. They’re also looking for sponsors, vendors, and community groups or entertainers who would like to present demos at the show. Come January, they’ll start asking for volunteers.

As for all you Peep Show display makers, get to the drawing board and start planning your incredible displays. April will be here before we know it!

For more information about the 2022 Greater Rochester Peep Show, click here.

Get your books here, folks!

Now here’s a great chance to pick up some perfect holiday gifts for the reader in your family, and not drop a lot of dough.

The Friends of the Webster Public Library will be holding their Winter Holiday Book Sale beginning Saturday Nov. 20.

Winter and end-of-the-year holiday season books (hardcover, fiction and nonfiction) will be featured at this sale, including music CDs, DVD movies and Blu-Rays for children and adults. And everything is priced between 50 cents and $2.

The sale will run for several weeks (or until the books run out) during regular holiday hours.

Purchases may be made at the circulation desk. All monies raised will go to support library programs and initiatives.

In this month’s History Bit from the Webster Museum, a message of thanks.

NYA-WEH is “thanks” in the Seneca language. If we struggle to find things to be thankful for this year, we would do well to consult the Thanksgiving address of any of our native people, the Haudenosaunee.

A thousand years old, the words are still spoken before and after ceremonial and governmental gatherings. The speakers’ language and words may vary, but the message is the same: we must name and thank everything in the natural world that sustains us.
The address includes the people, the earth, the waters, the plants, the animals, the sun, moon and stars and the creator they believe to be responsible for all these gifts.

Each gift is named and thanked and honored by the refrain “now our minds are one.“ Consensus on gratitude!

The Webster Museum’s permanent Seneca exhibit now includes objects identified in the Seneca language.

The museum is open for your enjoyment (and maybe some new vocabulary…) on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 2 to 4:30 p.m.. Nya-weh for visiting!

By the way, I did mention above that Webster’s White Christmas in the Village will be back this year, It returns Saturday Dec. 4, complete with the Parade of Lights in the evening.

A more complete blog will follow shortly!

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

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Music, friends and confetti mark Barry’s Old School Irish’s 10th anniversary

9 Nov

It was pretty busy Saturday night at Barry’s Old School Irish in the Village of Webster. But that was to be expected, as the little Irish pub was celebrating its 10th annivesary.

Hundreds of well-wishers streamed in and out throughout the evening, coming for the friendly atmosphere, great live music, good food and perfectly poured pints. Friends met up with friends, and strangers became new friends. And all evening, people were sharing their favorite Barry’s memories, from the time the horse came in the pub to when there was a fireplace in the corner — next to a couch.

Here’s a slideshow of photos from that evening (in no particular order).

  • OK, how stinkin’ cute is this? Listening to Russ Conlon’s ballad.
  • “Can I have your attention for the toast?”
  • Bagpipers are a Barry’s party tradition
  • Guinness was there offering free pints with your choice of photo on top.
  • Sean and Sarah of Barry’s Crossing reunited for the occasion to provide live music.
  • Later in the evening, Russ Conlon treated Danny and Jess to a sweet and beautifully performed ballad.
  • Someone shot off a confetti cannon.
  • The annual “looking to the future” photo
  • The confetti cannon fortunately missed MOST of the pints on the bar
  • Sarah Mossey of Barry’s Crossing
  • Sean Rosenberry of Barry’s Crossing
  • The whole gang
  • Raising a toast to Barry’s Old School Irish
  • Barry’s Runners came out in force to celebrate at their favorite running spot. (Please join us some Tuesday night.)

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

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A photographic tour through Barry’s Old School Irish history

5 Nov

Barry’s Old School Irish is celebrating its 10th anniversary Saturday night.

There’s not much more I can say about this little Irish pub which I have not said before. How Barry’s has changed the face of Webster. How Barry’s has positively affected so many lives. How Danny and Jessica have become like family.

Several weeks ago I took my most recent stab at putting my feelings into words when I posted this preview of Saturday’s festivities. I have struggled since to come up a different way to note this remarkable occasion.

What I came up with is this photo retrospective from the last ten years. They begin with a shot of the unsightly bulding before Danny and Jessica purchased it, when the plumbing shop was still in business. There are photos from every anniversary (except #9, which didn’t really happen during the pandemic) and several special events, and concludes with the beautiful pub we have come to know and love.

  • Remember the old plumbing shop?
  • This was after the plumbing shop owner died and it was being prepared for a new owner,
  • The day before Barry’s officially opened. Look at the blank walls.
  • Look how young these kids were
  • Grand opening ribbon cutting
  • Grand opening
  • Maley’s surprise baby shower
  • Pre-Maley
  • Great Guinness Toast 2012
  • Great Guinness Toast 2012
  • An early traditional session, featuring local Irish music royalty Marty O’Keefe and Ted McGraw
  • First anniversary
  • First anniversary
  • Candlelight vigil for West Webster. 12/27/2012
  • 12/27/2012
  • 12/27/2012
  • Oops. This is a duplicate
  • Dan and Jess with Ted McGraw and Marty O’Keefe, 2012
  • Barry’s Crossing playing for the Great Guinness Toast 2012
  • 2nd anniversary
  • 2nd anniversary
  • 2nd anniversary
  • Guinness Toast 2013
  • Guinness Toast 2013
  • 3rd anniversary
  • 3rd anniversary
  • 3rd anniversary
  • New Year’s Eve 2013
  • New Year’s Eve 2013
  • 4th anniversary
  • 4th anniversary
  • 4th anniversary
  • 5th anniversary
  • 5th anniversary
  • 5th anniversary
  • 6th anniversary
  • 6th anniversary
  • 6th anniversary
  • 6th anniversary
  • 7th anniversary
  • 7th anniversary
  • 7th anniversary
  • 8th anniversary
  • New pews!!!
  • Barry’s today.
  • Compared to 2011

Here are some thoughts from Danny and Jess, taken from the Facebook event page.

Jessica and I are excited to celebrate the 10 Year Anniversary of Barry’s Old School Irish with everyone!

This little Irish Pub is special for so many reasons. A dream of ours to open after honeymooning in Ireland, which became a reality at 20 and 24 years old. We’ve brought 3 crazy kiddos into this world since the year we opened Barry’s- our kids have quickly gained MANY aunts and uncles from our community. We are so thankful to all those who call Barry’s home and are blessed to have made so many wonderful friends that have become family to us. We’ve shared a lot of lasting memories together in these 10 years, now let’s make a few more on November 6th during our Anniversary Party!

Here are some details, but you can find more information on the event page:

• 7 to 10 p.m.: live Irish Music by Sean & Sarah of Barry’s Crossing! They were our first ever musicians to play at the pub, and for a long time were the “house band.” They haven’t played together in a long time, and are reuniting for this performance.
• Irish Whiskey reps. in with samples & give-aways
• Irish Dancers in to perform
• Give-aways from Guinness, Proper 12, Magners, and more
• Bagpiper making an appearance

Barry’s Old School Irish is located at 2 West Main St., in the Village of Webster.

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

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Trick-or-Treat Trail Costume Contest winners announced

2 Nov

Congratulations to the following winners of this year’s Trick-or-Treat Trail Costume Contest!

0 to 5 years old

1st place: “Doctor & Patient” – Benjamin & Groot Bradford


Tied for 2nd: “Bar Maid” (Dixie Doud) and “Construction Worker” (Liam Murphy)
Tied for 3rd: “Elsa” (Sophia White) and “Paw Patrol Marshall” (Austin Hoffman)

6-12 years old

1st place: “Zombie Princess” (Teagan Hoffman)

Tied for 2nd: “Lumberjack/Scarecrow” (Michael Bovenzi) and “Witch” (Malaya Quinn)
Tied for 3rd: “Marie-White Cat” (Molly Koenig) and “Skeleton” (Elliana Palmer)

Families

1st place: “Fruit Salad” (Malarkey Family)

Tied for 2nd: “Nightmare Before Christmas” (Gallagher Family) and “Addams Family” (Spampinato Family)
Tied for 3rd: “Super Heroes” (King Family) and “Thomas the Train, Conductor & Gates” (Cline Family)

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I finally got a village Halloween

1 Nov

My husband and I moved into the village the summer of 2019, so this is our third Halloween here. We were told by our neighbors to expect hundreds of kids, many of them arriving in minivans (imported from other neighborhoods where the trick-or-treating is not as plentiful, I suspect). And, they added, people will sit outside in their driveways aside their fire pits to welcome the kids.

We and our firepit and several bags of candy were prepared for our Halloween in the new house. But it rained hard that evening, which kept a lot of trick-or-treaters at home and the firepit covered.

Last year, of course, was COVID. ‘Nuff said.

So yesterday, when the weather was expected to be dry and comfortable, we were ready again. And we were not disappiointed. The trick-or-treaters started arriving at 5:30 and we didn’t pack up until 8. Granted, our little corner of Fuller Ave. doesn’t attract nearly as many kids as the Dunning Ave./Park Ave. neighborhoods, so we overbought candy. But I dressed in a scary costume, and we sat by our fire pit with some adult beverages, finally enjoying a REAL Webster Village Halloween. (We even had a cooler full of “adult trick-or-treats” which turned out to be very popular.)

I did take a quick walk down to Dunning, since I was told the homeowners there go all out on Halloween with their decorations. I’ve posted some photos here. A lot of those houses were really neat.

But what I especially loved seeing was how everyone was greeting the kids OUTSIDE, on their porches or in their driveways. It’s so much different from the North Penfield neighborhood we came from. So … village-y.

I’m already looking forward to next year. And I think I’m going to like having all that leftover candy, so I might overbuy again.

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Photos from the Trick or Treat Trail

31 Oct

Well, it wasn’t as warm or sunny as we’ve experienced some years, and not as dry as most. But the few showers that we had yesterday afternoon didn’t deter hundreds of kids and their adults from strolling the Village of Webster’s streets during this year’s Trick-or-Treat Trail.

More than two dozen businesses participated this year, as well as the Webster Museum and Webster Volunteer Fire Department, which always uses the day to host its annual open house. The costume contest, modified this year to become a Covid-friendly walk-through event, ran so smoothly that I dare say it might become the norm for future years.

It’s always great to see how much fun the kids have, and how proud they are of their costumes. But I especially like seeing how many adults dress up as well, often as part of a family theme. It’s one of my favorite days of the year.

Many thanks to all the parents who let me stop them in their tracks so I could take photos. There’s more than 150 in my Facebook gallery, so there’s a good chance you’ll see yourself and your kids, or at least someone you know.

I’ve posted a few photos here, but click here to see the gallery.

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

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Trick-or-Treat Trail and costume contest details

28 Oct

Looks like the weather’s going to be a little bit iffy on Saturday, but nothing is going to stop this year’s Webster Village Trick-or-Treat Trail. ‘Cause we need this to help life return to normal.

As always, the day will begin with a costume contest, but this year it will look a little different. Instead of everyone crowding into the Village Meeting Room for photos and judging, participants are being asked to do a meeting room walk-through. Here’s what I mean:

From 11 a.m. to noon, contestants will enter the meeting room via the parking lot side of the building (behind the fire house), fill out an entry form, be given an entry number, have their photo taken, and exit through the South Ave. side of the building. After all the photos have been reviewed, winners will be notified on Monday Nov. 1. (And I’ll post the winners here as well.)

The Trick-or-Treat Trail proper begins at noon and goes until 2:30 p.m. Grab your kids, get everyone into costumes (including you, too, Mom and Dad), then stroll through the village, visiting friendly merchants who will be handing out candy. This is a great chance to check out some of the newer businesses in town, or even some older businesses you’ve never been in before.

And make sure you stop by the Webster Volunteer Fire Dept., because they’ll be holding their annual open house, complete with demonstrations, free fire hats, and candy of course. And turn the corner on Lapham Park to take the short walk to the Webster Museum. The volunteers there always have something special planned.

Keep an eye out for me and my camera; I’ll be wandering the streets, too, taking photos of as many kids and families in costume as I can. Then I’ll post a really big photo gallery on Monday.

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

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