Tag Archives: Village of Webster

A pleasant reminder of what normal looked like

11 Jul
Comic Rudolph Valentino. Photo courtesy Kijana Crues Imaging

One of the main reasons I wanted to move into the Village of Webster was the convenience of being able to walk into town for parades and festivals, and to the gazebo for concerts and other musical events.

This summer has been a bust, of course, with just about every special event you can think of being cancelled. We haven’t been able to enjoy our regular Friday nights at the gazebo at all.

Until last night.

Last night the Village of Webster welcomed comic Rudolph Valentino to the gazebo in Veterans Memorial Park, where he — and his funny friends Yolanda Smilez and Kevin Markman — offered up almost a full hour of clean stand-up comedy to an appreciative audience.

no laffing matterThe event was organized as a release show for Valentino’s new comedy album, “Ain’t No Laffing Matter.” 

The crowd wasn’t as big as I expected it to be, numbering perhaps 50 to 75 people. I expected a lot more people, like me, would jump at the opportunity to enjoy some free outside entertainment again, something we haven’t been able to do in a long time. I was disappointed for the entertainers and their staff who had clearly taken some time to also put together raffles and some concessions.

Rudolph himself, however, was not disappointed. “The crowd was great,” he wrote on the Webster Neighbors Facebook page. “Especially since we put this together in 10 days.”

That was the kind of positive attitude we saw last night from the comics and audience members alike — who all did a great job, by the way, maintaining social distancing.

It was great to pull out the quad chairs again and enjoy a summer evening at the gazebo. I look forward to more events like this to help keep us all sane this summer.

If you’d like to check out Valentino’s new album, “Ain’t No Laffing Matter,” click here.

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The village is open for business!

13 Jun

Things are far from being back to normal, but our village businesses are showing some signs of life.

Especially now that we have reached Phase III, village businesses are beginning to open their doors to retail sales again. What’s different is that staff members will be wearing masks (and customers should be as well), and there might be one-way tape marks on the floor and in front of the registers encouraging proper social distancing.

However, what hasn’t changed is that the same friendly owners and staff members will be there to welcome you, and they’ll be very happy to see you.

Frankly, I’m relieved to see that most of our village businesses were able to weather the pandemic. The one notable exception is The Pickled Paintbrush, which closed for good about a month ago. (But even that unfortunate news has a happy upside, which I’ll mention later.)

You, the loyal customers, are the main reason these businesses are still here. John Bucci, owner of The Music Store, 18 E. Main St., was blown away by the support his shop received while he was closed, making purchases via email, phone calls or online.

John Music Shop

John Bucci behind the counter at The Music Store

“Everybody was just being amazing,” he said. “People who needed a set of guitar strings, buying three or four, saying ‘We gotta keep you here, I gotta do what I can.’ Whatever they wanted, if I was even close to what they needed they were fine.”

He’s been in business for 31 years, he added, and always wondered “Does it matter? Then to hear the phone calls and the people going ‘Yeah, we got to keep you in business.'”

I also stopped by Nest Things, 11 E. Main, where owner Gail Maier took a few minutes to show me the beautiful garden she’s created behind her shop. Stop by for yourself and she’s be happy to give you a tour.

The Village Quilt Shoppe, 21 East Main, one of Webster’s newest shops, is also back in business after staying busy helping craft thousands of face masks for healthcare workers and social agencies.

Working on projects at the Village Quilt Shoppe

Chandeliers and Performance Hobbies are also up and running again, and I’ve seen people popping in and out of The North Bee on North Ave.

Staff members of Chandeliers Boutique

But probably the most exciting news comes from LaLa of Webster, at 38 E. Main. After only a little more than a year and a half in business, LaLa not only weathered the storm, but is expanding.

Owner Lisa Schlonski will be expanding into the former Pickled Paintbrush space, which is right next door to her current shop. It will more than double the floor space she already has, including adding a third floor, which will become a clothing boutique.

Lisa hopes to finish renovations in just a few weeks, so watch for notice of a grand reopening party.

It doesn;t look like much now, but this is going to be LaLa’s new clothing boutique
The first floor of the former Pickled Paintbrush, soon to be the expanded LaLa.

Plus, of course, the restaurants are opening up. I saw some brand new, beautiful patio seating at The Filling Station, and Barry’s outdoor patio is getting so busy that they’re taking reservations.

So let’s keep supporting our local businesses and show them how much we appreciate them.

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

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Birthday parade honors former St. Rita principal

13 May

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Support our local restaurants and get some good eats to go

27 Mar

small town

Holy cow, does the Village of Webster have a lot of great restaurants. I came to that realization when I started to come up with a list for this blog.

Somebody asked me a little while ago if I knew of any village restaurants offering take-out. At the time I only knew for sure about a few of them, but I knew there must be many others.

There sure are. Here’s a list. I’m hoping this will be a good resource for all of us who are getting sick and tired of making dinner at home every night and REALLY need to get some take-out. You can stop by for take-out or most of these places will deliver (check the websites for details).

To make this easier on me, I did not include hours of operation or menus. You can also find that information on their web or Facebook pages.  Also remember that many of these restaurants do use food delivery services like DoorDash and UberEats, so look into that option.

First, here’s the short list of restaurants which DON’T appear to be offering take-out at this time: The Filling Station, The Coach, Golden Boys (couldn’t find any info on their websites) and Burke’s Grill (the information is sketchy. Best to call them at 585-265-1370). If I’m wrong about any of these, let me know.

Restaurants

Barry’s Old School Irish, 2 W. Main St. Offering their homemade menu and homemade Irish cream. 585-545-4258.

BC’s Chicken Coop, 159 W. Main St. They just started offering low-cost delivery even outside the Webster area. Call (585) 265-1185.

Brimont Bistro, 24 W. Main St. “We will be here for to go orders and larger take out catering orders as we have always done. Lunch menu will be served during dinner hours as well as lunch hours, entree prices will be reduced by $3 to $5 during this time.” Call
585-872-3170.

Jojo Bistro & Wine Bar, 42 East Main St. Just started up their to-go options on Thursday. Order through their website, restaurantjojo.com. They also have a wine special going on and are accepting cash tips to split among their displaced employees.

eat localMaria’s Mexican  Restaurant, 75 W. Main St. They’re open Wed. through Saturday 3 to 8 p.m. You can order on the web at mariasmexican.weborder.net, and if you have any problems you can call 585-872-1237 or 585-872-5753. They’re also preparing take-our margaritas!

Pub 235, 235 North Ave. Pick-ups will be available 4 to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. They’re also filling growlers, selling 32-ounce mason jars, and wine by the bottle. Call 585-216-1750 for delivery (Webster-Ontario-Penfield, $10) or for pick-up.

ROC Style Chicken & Burger, 5 W. Main. Webster location: “We are still doing takeout and pickup during regular hours. In both locations! Webster and Chili. http://www.roc.style for the details….we (Webster location) are also offering mix and match six packs of to-go beer/cider/white claws as well as half off bottles of wine. Call (585) 236-1902, or order online from Webster at http://www.oowebster.com

Village Bakery, 44 E. Main St. The Village Bakery is accepting online pre-orders only for pick-up or delivery, Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. There’s a $10 delivery fee. They won’t be handling any payments or selling additional items at the store. Place your order at villagebakeries.com.

Waffle Factory, 30 North Ave. Accepting orders for pick up (call 585-626-1152), through GrubHub or DoorDash, or you can step up to their window and order there. Then you can sit in the park next door while you wait!

Webster Hots, 55 E. Main St. Accepting orders by phone (585 -265-0824) and online at websterhots.com. They’re open at 11 a.m. every day, till 11 p.m. on weekdays,  1 a.m. Friday and Saturday and 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Pizzerias

Of course, pizza is always an easy go to-meal, and most of us order them by phone anyway, so not much different there. Here are some handy phone numbers for reference:

Carl’s Pizza Kitchen, 9 South Ave., 585-236-1819. “No contact free delivery, curbside pickup or take out”

Martino’s Pizzeria, 160 W. Main St., 585-872-4140. Hours for pickup or delivery are 4 to 9 p.m. daily. Curbside pick up and no contact delivery are available.

Marvin Mozzeroni’s, 27 W. Main St.  (585) 872-1990.  “Touchless delivery” and “curbside pickup” are available.

Salvatore’s Old Fashioned Pizzeria, 195 North Ave., 585-872-2210.  Until March 31, Salvatore’s is also offering 20% off orders for active military, first-responders and health workers with employee IDs.

Rhino’s Pizzeria & Deli, 85 Donovan St., 585-872-3150.

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

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Let’s support our local businesses

26 Mar

shop localLooking for a way to help others during this difficult time? Here’s a great one: support your local businesses by buying gift cards.

Many Village of Webster businesses are offering discounts on their gift cards, so now is a great time to stock up for later or to give to friends for gifts. Here’s the current list, and it’s being updated every day (log onto websterbid.com for the latest information).

Beyond Cuts Salon: 15% added to all Gift Certificates and Gift Cards .. Available in any amount. Call or text 585-872-5531 to purchase.

Savage Chef, A weekly service that provides fully prepared fresh healthy meals for delivery or pickup: Save 10% on all gift certificates and gift cards, available in any amount. Order directly through their website.

Yesterday’s Muse Books, used, new, rare, and collectible books in all subject areas and age ranges: Save 10% on all gift certificates and gift cards, available in any amount.
Digital gift cards available in the shop’s online shopping cart and redeemable on their website. Print gift certificate orders taken by phone (credit card) or email (PayPal), and redeemable in-store once quarantines are lifted. Use this link to order gift cards to use online. Order by phone at (585) 265-9295, Monday-Saturday from 10-1, and leave message if no answer. Or by email: yesterdays.muse@gmail.com

Barry’s Old School Irish gift certificates and gift cards available in any amount. Phone  (585) 545-4258, from Tuesday-Saturday 11:30 a.m.  to 7 p.m. You can email them at
barrysirishpub@gmail.com

Webster Hots: Save 10% on all gift certificates and gift cards, available in any amount. Purchase by phone at (585) 734-5620. They’re open Monday 4 to 11 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Furnari Jewelers, specializing in diamonds and custom made jewelry: Save 10% on all gift certificates and gift cards, available in any amount. Contact Mark at: mark@furnarijewelry.com or call (585) 683-9917.

Finns Garage: Save 10% on all gift certificates and gift cards, available in any amount. Call (585) 265-9620 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Performance Hobbies: Save 10% on all gift certificates and gift cards, available in any amount. Available by calling (585) 872-4990, Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can also email tmcp51d@aol.com.

Chandeliers Boutique, boutique shopping at affordable prices. Clothing, jewelry, purses, accessories, gifts and more: save 10% on all gift certificates and gift cards, available in any amount.  Order by calling (585) 622-1266.

Professional Nutrition Services/Holistic Health Center, alternative/holistic therapies to help you achieve your best health: Save 10% on all gift certificates and gift cards, available in any amount. Order by calling (585) 787-4251 or emailing Profnutritionstore@yahoo.com. 

Webster Interiors Home Furnishings & Decor, home furnishings, window treatments, and design services. Save 10% on all gift certificates and gift cards, available in any amount. Order by calling (585) 545-4503 or emailing ric@websterinteriors.com

R Salon, save 10% on all gift certificates and gift cards, available in any amount. Email  scott@rsalon.com.

Also, stay tuned everyone, because I’m compiling a list of all of our village restaurants that are offering take-out. I’ll post that in a day or two.

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

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Barry’s Old School Irish gearing up for St. Patrick’s Day

4 Mar

barry's old school

Now that it’s finally March and Valentine’s Day is in the rear-view mirror, planning for St. Patrick’s Day here at our little corner Irish pub is in high gear. And of course, when Danny and Jessica Barry do the planning, the St. Patrick’s Day celebrating can no way be contained to just one day.

Starting Sunday March 8, Barry’s will host a series of events, one almost every day, building up to a full schedule of events on Parade Day and St. Patrick’s Day itself.

You can check the Barry’s Old School Irish Facebook page for more details, and I’ll post more soon, but here are some highlights:

  • Sunday March 8: Whiskey tasting from 2 to 4 p.m.  Cost is $20 per person and registration is required.
  • Tuesday March 10: Our weekly Barry’s Run/Walk,  and free etched pint glasses on the house, courtesy Guinness. 6 to 8 p.m.
  • Wednesday March 11: Trivia Night, beginning at 7:15 p.m. Gotta register for this one, too, since table space is limited.
  • Thursday March 12: Open Mic Night at 7 p.m.
  • Friday March 13: Irish Music Sing Along with Kevin Reynolds
  • Saturday March 14 (Parade Day): Music, dance and food all day beginning at 8 a.m. including, for the first time in several years, a return engagement by Barry’s Crossing.
  • Tuesday March 17: More music, dancing, food, great drink, bagpiper, all day.

Check the Barry’s Old School Irish Facebook page for details.

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Officers + autism community = awareness

11 Feb
peak

Monroe County Sheriff’s deputy Mike Ottley and his K9 companion Peak.

An adorable and oh, so droopy and cuddly bloodhound puppy recently paid a visit to the Jujitsu Buddies class at Strike Back Martial Arts in the Village of Webster.

Accompanied by his handler, Deputy Mike Ottley of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the four-month old bundle of floppy skin and monstrous paws happily played with a crocheted dragon and endured much petting while Ottley chatted with the students about his role as a deputy.

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Sheriff’s Office SCUBA Commander Lt. Chris Fay helps Colton Sprague into a SCUBA suit at a recent No Gi Jujitsu class. 

It was a fun event for the students in class that day, but it had a serious purpose. It was one of a series of visits by law enforcement officers organized by Strike Back Martial Arts owners Dave Nicchitta and Mike Palmer.

Over the past several weeks, Nicchitta and Palmer have invited local law enforcement officers to visit the studio’s jujitsu classes for special needs children and adults. Officers visited three of the studio’s classes: Strike Back Fitness for kids and teens with Down syndrome, No Gi Jujitsu for teenagers with autism, and most recently, Jujitsu Buddies for younger children with autism.

The goal of the visits has been to give both students — especially those with autism — and officers a chance to ask questions get to know each other a little better.

“Autism is one of the fastest growing disabilities in America,” said Nicchitta, who is himself a Monroe County Sheriff’s deputy. “The way it presents itself can be misinterpreted as inappropriate or criminal behavior.”

“Data tells us that one in five teens with autism will be stopped and questioned by police before age 21, and people with disabilities, including autism, are five times more likely to be jailed than those without disabilities.”

Those with autism in particular often have a hard time looking people in the eyes or following multi-step directions. They can also become extremely agitated in the presence of flashing lights, sirens and loud radios, and may not like being touched. In a high-pressure situation, an officer might misinterpret such behaviors as combative or non-compliant.

Nicchitta hopes that through programs like these, and through additional opportunities he’s offering to the Rochester-area law enforcement community, he can help raise awareness.

“When an officer encounters someone who is acting unusually, we hope we can get the officer to just take a moment and think, is there something else going on here?”

The class visits are as beneficial for the students as they are for the officers.

“I wanted to create a non-stressful environment where our students can interact with law enforcement in a positive way,” Nicchitta said. “That way the students can keep that experience in the back of their heads if a situation occurs where they have to interact with officers.”

Strike Back Martial Arts is located at 55 East Main St. in the Village of Webster. The studio offers offers adaptive jujitsu classes designed for children and adults with autism, Down syndrome and other physical and emotional disabilities, as well as non-adaptive jujitsu classes.

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Students in Strike Back Martial Arts’ Jujitsu Buddies class listen — and watch Peak — as Deputy Ottley talks about his job.  

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The Village Quilt Shoppe is back!

8 Jan

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Vanetta Parshall, Monique Liberti and their cute little quilt shop are back in business on East Main St.

They’ve been closed for a little more than a month, thanks to a water leak in the apartment above them which significantly damaged the shop and destroyed a good chunk of their inventory. Along with many friends and family members, they’ve been working hard in recent weeks to bring the shop back up to par. (Check out the photos to see for yourself!)

Vanetta and Monique have even managed to turn a very negative event into a lot of positives.

When I stopped in yesterday, their first day back in business, I saw that the shop is not only back in full swing, but in many ways is better than before. The ladies saw the forced-renovation opportunity to add more and better shelves, increase their inventory, and put down a whole new floor. This week they also introduced their new loyalty program and a monthly gift certificate drawing for customers who pay with cash or check.

Also, during the month of January for every sale over $25 customers will receive a sealed Red or White Fabulous February envelope, which can then be returned (unopened) in February to find prizes inside like gift certificates and discounts.

To celebrate their reopening, The Village Quilt Shoppe will host a “We’re Back” party this Saturday Jan. 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be raffles, sales, treats and a hot chocolate bar.

The shop is located at 21 East Main, at the corner of Lapham Park. Find out more on their website here and Facebook page here.

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Great news from the Village Quilt Shoppe

29 Dec

quilt shoppe

As many of you know, the Village Quilt Shoppe on Main St. in Webster, which only opened in September, has been closed for almost a month because of water damage caused by a leak in the ceiling. It was very unfortunate timing, because the shop missed out on White Christmas in the Village, an excellent opportunity for the community to discover this charming new business.

But GOOD NEWS, quilters and cute-new-business lovers: the Village Quilt Shoppe will be re-opening on Tuesday January 7.

Owners Monique Liberti and Vanetta Parshall are celebrating the occasion with what they’re calling their “We’re Back Party,” complete with sales, raffles food and a hot chocolate bar. (Read more about that on their website here.)

Even if you’re not a quilter, it’s worth stopping in to check out this new shop. Monique and Vanetta are incredibly nice people who have created a wonderfully welcoming shop. Please consider popping in during their We’re Back Party just to say hi and welcome to Webster! (Then buy a late Christmas gift for that quilter in your family.)

The Village Quilt Shoppe is located at 21 East Main St. in the Village of Webster. Visit their website here and their Facebook page here for more information.

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

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The Village Quilt Shoppe is closed — but NOT FOR LONG

21 Dec

quilt shoppe

Earlier this month, during the Village of Webster’s White Christmas celebration, I stopped by one of our newest businesses, the Village Quilt Shoppe, which is located at the corner of Lapham Park and East Main.

When I looked through the window, my jaw dropped and my heart sank.

The place was stripped bare. No rolls of fabric. No cutting tables. No … anything … except bare walls and a few commercial fans. I was flabbergasted. What could have happened to them? Their business was (seemingly) thriving! I  mean, every business struggles a bit when they start, but had they failed already? Had they skipped out on their rent in the middle of the night?

Then I saw a sign on the front door which explained everything. The apartment above the shop had a water problem, which leaked down into the shop and did a lot of damage. Sure enough, I looked up and saw several ceiling tiles missing. So they’ve had to close for a while to do some clean-up and renovations.

The timing was unfortunate, right during one of the busiest village days of the year. I am disappointed they were not able to be open for even more people to discover what a wonderful shop this is.

BUT THEY WILL BE BACK. Owner Monique Liberti told me that they’re still trying to nail down some contractors to do the work and hope to open again in early January.

So they’ll be seeing everyone again soon!

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

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