Tag Archives: Village of Webster

Loving life in the village

13 Jun

I love living in the Village of Webster. The people are friendly, the streets are extremely walkable, there are parks within walking distance, and great restaurants and pubs just around the corner. We live on a street, but feel like we are part of a neighborhood.

Saturday (June 12) was a great example of what’s to love about Webster. For starters, that afternoon our Park Ave. neighbor Doug Pucci hosted his second annual Village Block Party, featuring two food trucks and a free concert by his Red Hot and Blue Band, playing from Pucci’s spacious porch.

Everyone in the village was invited, and more than 100 answered the call. Adults spread their quad chairs across the lawn and closed-off street and listened to the music, or stood in small groups visiting with neighbors. Children chalked in the street, played with bubbles and danced in the grass.

It was the perfect opportunity for long-time neighbors to reconnect after a long pandemic. It was also a chance for new residents to meet their new neighbors and start to to know the feeling that they are part of the village community.

It was the quintessential village experience.

  • The lemonade sales force: Emilio Martinez, Owen Knapp and Will Brunswick
  • The home office

Earlier in the day, I was riding my bike and happened upon a woman setting up chairs and a table in the lawn of the apartment complex near my house. She was taping some kind of sign onto the table. Curious (and being who I am), I stopped to find out what was going on.

Her name was Jennifer Martinez, and she explained that she was setting up the table for her son and his friends, who were going to hold a Free Lemonade stand later that afternoon.

Apparently every year since her son Emilio was very young, Jennifer’s mother Gail had held a garage sale. And every year during that sale, Emilio would set up a lemonade stand. This year, Gail wasn’t able to hold her sale, so Jennifer suggested that Emilio simply set up his stand outside their home instead.

In years past, Emilio had charged for his lemonade. But not this year. When I asked Jennifer about that, she said that the idea to hand out the lemonade for free was “just to be kind.” Then, after giving it a bit of thought, she added, “It’s nice to be among people again.”

Emilio and his fellow business owners Will Brunswick and Owen Knapp, all 7th-grade friends at Spry Middle School, were enthusiastic lemonade hawkers, even though they weren’t earning any cold, hard cash. They stood out on the sidewalk yelling “free lemonade!” to all the cars driving by on busy South Ave, and any time a biker, walker or runner got within 50 yards of the table, one of them (usually Owen, wearing a flag cape), would chase them down “selling” their wares at full volume.

At first the salesmen were only getting a lot of honks and waves from passing cars. But while I was there (getting my free lemonade), they were able to wave down a passing FedEx delivery truck, whose driver gratefully accepted the refreshment. And if yelling to someone didn’t work, they would take the lemonade to their customers, at one point skittering across South Ave., two-fisting cups of lemonade, to deliver them to people who were setting up for the block party.

The highlight of the day was probably when the boys were able to attract the attention of a passing police car. The officer didn’t stop, but she did come back a few minutes later and invited another colleague to join her. So at one point two Webster police officers were standing at the table enjoying some lemonade.

The kids even earned a little money after all. Some patrons couldn’t resist throwing a dollar on the table, and one family brought them some fresh-picked strawberries.

A friendly neighbor who didn’t mind at all a random stranger stopping to chat. Free lemonade and kids having fun doing something other than sitting in front of a screen. Just two more things I love about village life.

  • Two of the boys’ favorite customers
  • Jennifer handing out a free lemonade
  • Owen, Emilio, Jennifer and Will with Jennifer’s parents Gail and Rich

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Webster community mailbag

8 Jun

And the fun just keeps on coming.

If you live in or near the village, you may remember the Village Block Party held back in September on Park Ave. The event was hosted by The Red Hot and Blue Band, who set up on the porch of RHB band member Doug Pucci, who lives at the corner of Park Ave. and South Ave.

The band played for three straight hours, while community members sat around and listened (socially distanced of course), and children danced and made chalk drawings in the middle of the closed-off street. It was a much-needed and greatly appreciated respite from the depths of the pandemic.

Well, the Village Block Party is back again this year, and it’s going to be even better.

On Saturday June 12, Webster community members are all invited to come together to enjoy the rockin’ sounds of the Red Hot and Blue Band, beginning at 3 p.m. And bring some cash, too, because this time the party will feature two food trucks, Terry’s Tips and Beef and Netsins Ice Cream.

Aside from the food trucks, there’s no charge for this event. Just bring your quad chairs and join your neighbors for an afternoon of good music and good food. It all happens on Park Ave. between South Ave. (Rt. 250) and Lapham Park.

This week’s Friends of the Webster Public Library Pop-up Book Sale has become a Bring-Your-Own-Bag Book Sale!

On Thursday June 10 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., bring your bag to the library and fill it with gently used books for just $4. It’s an inexpensive way to stock your personal library for a summer-full of great reading for you and your family.

The sale will be held in the Webster Publc Library parking lot, at the rear of Webster Plaza, 980 Ridge Rd. All monies raised will go to support library initiatives.

Don’t forget about this weekend’s Webster Summer Celebration, returning on Saturday June 12 to the Webster Recreation Center.

From 5 to 10 p.m., the whole family is invited to come out for dinner and snacks from some great food trucks (including Wraps on Wheels, Nancy’s Fried Dough, Effortlessly Healthy, Bay Vista Taqueria and Seabreeze Catering and Hot Sauce), while enjoying some great live music.

Festivities will conclude at 9:45 with a fireworks display. For more information, especially about parking for the fireworks, please visit the Webster Parks and Recreation webpage.

This Saturday also maks the opening of the Joe Obbie Farmers’ Market.

This blurb from the market’s Facebook page seems to indicate that exciting changes are in store:

Things are lining up for what we believe to be one of our biggest and best market years ever. We are happy to announce that the market has grown with new vendors being added. We are pleased to see many old faces return as well. And also very pleased to announce the addition of a food truck and a possible lemonade truck.

The market is located in Webster Towne Center plaza, in front of Old Navy and near the gazebo. It’s open every Saturday through November from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Several Village of Webster shops will be holding a sidewalk sale next week on Friday June 18 and Saturday June 19. Take a stroll through the village, pick up some bargains and visit with with some of our very friendly small business owners.

The shops that will be participating in the sidewalk sale include Lala of Webster, Nest Things, The North Bee, Yesterday’s Muse Books, and the Village Quilt Shoppe.

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The Village is blooming!

28 May

In anticipation of some beautiful summer weather and an influx of downtown visitors, the Village of Webster’s Main Street is looking spiffy.

Up and down the street, flower beds have been planted with hundreds of annuals which already look nice, but will be spectacular once they’ve had a chance to grow.

Things are looking especially flower-ful in front of Village Hall, where Village Clerk Heather Halstead has been coordinating several planting projects, the results of which can be seen in these photos she’s provided. Before long, some luxuriant light-pole hanging baskets will be added to the display, so the entire village will be bursting with color.

I think the effect is charming.

That charm continues into the evening as well. I love that the trees up and down Main Street still sparkle after dark. This might be the first year the Village chose not to remove the white twinkly lights after winter (I can’t remember). In any case, I love them and they give our village a very welcoming, small-town feel.

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New bench at Milton Case Park honors beloved WCSD staff member

24 Apr
The new bench is located behind Spry Middle School at the entrance to Milton Case Park.

Nature lovers who enjoy walking the trails of Milton Case Park in the Village of Webster have a brand new place to sit and relax.

A new bench has just been installed at the northernmost entrance to the park, behind Spry Middle School, thanks to the efforts of Girl Scout Troop 60672.

The girls built the bench as part of their Silver Award Project. It wasn’t their original idea to build a bench, but when the pandemic hit they came up with a more appropriate project, and a perfect way to honor the memory of a very special WCSD staff member, Tammy Serio-Miller.

Serio-Miller was a nurse in the Webster Central School District for many years, including at Spry, until she passed away last October. A Webster resident, she enjoyed walking in the woods behind Spry. So the girls built the bench especially in her memory, but also as a way to honor all of the nurses and health care workers who have worked so hard during the pandemic.

The bench was dedicated in a short ceremony last week. WROC-TV Channel 8 was there; click here to see their story.

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Cobblestone on Main is finally opening!

17 Apr

I’m pleased to share some very exciting news with everyone today. Finally, after months of anticipation, the new Cobblestone on Main restaurant, at 109 W. Main St., will be opening for business this Thursday, April 22.

This news has been a long time coming. The Cobblestone is the culmination of a dream for Dan Bresnahan and his daughter Sarah, who are teaming up to run the new establishment. They were originally hoping to open a month or more ago, but you know how it is when you start a new business. especially a restaurant. There are a lot of unexpected hurdles, paperwork that needs to be done, approvals to be secured.

But all of that is finally in the past, and this Thursday at 4 p.m., The Cobblestone on Main will open its doors to a very welcoming Webster community.

I’m certain that everyone will be delighted and charmed by what they find. The Cobblestone on Main has a very family-friendly feel, with a homespun decor which includes things like family recipes wrapped around the candles on every table. The focus is on casual dining. “We want it to be family-friendly and date-night worthy,” Dan said, to which Sarah added, “Somewhere where you can come where we do our best to remember your name and what you drink.”

There are two main dining rooms on the first floor, with a dozen tables and several booths. On the lower floor, at parking-lot level, is another, smaller room with three large-screen TVs, and a larger room which will serve as the restaurant’s event space (which is already booked into the summer months, so call early to reserve your spot). That’s enough room to sit 110 people in Covid-appropriate comfort.

Dan describes the menu as “traditional American fare with a gastro-pub twist.” Diners will discover some unusual approaches to familiar dishes like nachos and chicken wings, and “bold flavor combinations.” He’s particularly proud of his chef. “He’s a creative chef who’s put a great team together,” he said. “The talent in the kitchen is very strong.”

That strength is obvious as well in the serving staff. “I don’t think I’ve ever worked with a group of people who are so passionate and excited about” their jobs, Sarah said.

“We want our restaurant to be a place where everyone feels comfortable coming,” Da

n said. “We want it to be an experrience when you come here.”

But more than anything, Dan and Sarah are excited about becoming an integral part of the Webster community. That’s especially true after seeing the unbelievable community support they’ve received, even before officially opening.

So I guess they already know we’re all thrilled to have them here in town. But it’s worth saying, anyway.

Welcome to Webster, Cobblestone on Main. We wish you many successful years ahead.

A look inside the new Cobblestone on Main restaurant, including a peek at one of the adorable, family-recipe candle holders.

The Cobblestone on Main will hold a soft opening on Wednesday night, when Dan and Sarah will host all the friends, family, vendors, and construction workers who helped them make their dream a reality. The restaurant will open to the public this Thursday April 22 from 4 p.m. to midnight.

For more information about The Cobblestone on Main restaurant check their Facebook page. They will NOT BE taking reservations, so if you’d like to check them out anytime soon, make sure you get there early or plan on waiting a bit.

And if you’d like to read the first blog I wrote back in January about this great new restaurant, click here.

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Polar Freeze Ice Cream is open in the village!

9 Apr

The Village of Webster just got a lot sweeter.

Just in time for this weekend’s gorgeous spring weather, Polar Freeze Ice Cream has opened in the Village of Webster.

The shop, located at 16 West Main Street, doesn’t look like much yet. When you walk in, you won’t even see any tables or chairs yet (they’ll come in a few months), only a service counter and a very large menu board advertising their 20-or-so ice cream flavors, almost two dozen topping options, plus shakes, floats, sundaes and more.

Polar Freeze is actually the second location for Bianca Cruz-Lopez and her husband Josue, who up until last summer owned and operated M. Sweet Retreat in East Rochester. They had to close that shop, but they never lost the desire to serve up small town sweet treats.

I stopped in on Wednesday, their opening day, and asked Bianca why they decided to come to Webster. She said it “just felt like the perfect ice cream spot.”

Two-year old Jojo and her sister Annalilese were happy customers on Polar Freeze’s opening day.

I would have to agree. Hank’s took their awesome ice cream with them when they closed several years ago. Webster Hots has tried to fill the void, but as far as I’m concerned, the more ice cream options in the village, the merrier. And in my 20-plus years in Webster, I can’t remember ever having a dedicated ice cream shop right in the village.

I’d say we’re pretty lucky that Bianca and her husband decided to bring their passion for ice cream to our village.

Right now, Polar Freeze is open from noon to 9 p.m. every day, and this summer will be open noon to 10 p.m. On Monday April 12 they’ll be hosting their grand opening celebration. That would be a great day to stop by, say hi, and welcome them to our friendly village. You can park on Main Street or find ample spaces in the parking lot behind Village Hall.

Visit their Facebook page to find out more.

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Webster community mailbag

1 Apr

I’m going to lead today’s mailbag with a few items from the Webster Public Library. They’ve always got a lot of really neat stuff going on.

For starters, when I stopped in the other day I saw that the Friends of the Library are selling some rockin’ t-shirts as a fundraiser. For $15 you can be as cool as these library staff members/models:

Coming up on April 11, the library will be celebrating National Barbersop Quartet Day by hosting an online concert featuring three local barbershop quartets. Webster is lucky to be home to an outstanding barbershop society, the Chorus of the Genesee, so you know they’re going to be a part of this. Two of the performances you’ll see that day were filmed at the Chorus’ home base, the Harmony House.

The concert will be streamed live at 3 p.m., Sunday April 11. It will also be available any time after that time to watch, but it’ll be neat to watch it live, so mark your calendar.

Here’s a brief round-up of this month’s adult prgrams at the library:

  • Favorite Cruises & Ports of Call Travelogue, Tuesday, April 6, 3 p.m.
    Webster resident John Bustard will be the guide in a visit to the British Isles, Italy, Greece, the Panama Canal, Alaska and the Caribbean.
  • Interested in Serving as a Library Trustee? Wednesday, April 7, 7 p.m.
    Learn about the basic functions and responsibilities of a trustee, and listen and ask questions of our current Board members.
  • Herb Gardening: An Online Program, Tuesday, April 13, 7 p.m.
    Participants will learn the benefits of herb growing from their beauty and use in cooking, to their medicinal uses and healing properties.
  • Debt: An Online Presentation (Part 1 of the Financial Series), Wednesday, April 14, 7 p.m.
    Learn simple strategies for living debt free and making smart decisions.
  • Home Ownership: Choosing to Buy Versus Rent (Part 2 of the Financial Series), Wednesday, April 21, 7 p.m. Discusses the pros and cons of owning your home ownership vs. renting.
  • Planning for Retirement: An Online Presentation (Part 3 of the Financial Series) Thursday, April 29, 7 p.m.
    Covers the basics of retirement including financial concerns, phases of saving, financial lessons and more.

These programs are all free and open to the public but registration is required. Visit the Webster Public Library website for more information and registration. A Zoom invitation will be sent (via email) the day before the program to everyone who has registered.

I have Webster Online to thank for these next few news items. If you haven’t checked out this new(ish) news website yet, click here to take a look Or you can always find a link over there on the right side of the blog. There’s a lot of great information there (and a weekly link to my blog).

Knights of Columbus moves out of Barrett Drive

After 40 years in their same location on Barrett Drive across from the post office, the Webster Knights of Columbus Center is moving.

As with many changes taking place in the last year, Covid-19 is the culprit. Thanks to the pandemic, the Knights lost a lot of revenue from community events they would normally host. The financial hit was just too much to manage, resulting in the difficult decision to move.

Fortunately, the Knights will not be moving far. Their new home will be in the old Holy Trinity School annex on Ridge Rd. just east of the village. They hope to open the new location sometime this summer and continue the great work they do for our community.

Town Board in-person meetings return

Beginning April 1 all Town Board meetings will reopen to the public — with restrictions, of course.

To participate in person, visitors must wear a mask and maintain social distance at all times. Seating will be limited inside the board room and visitors will be rotated in as necessary, based on cppacity.

Meetings will still be available for viewing live on Spectrum Channel 1303 or on the Town’s website. There continue to be opportunities for public comment during the meetings by calling 585-872-7011. Or, residents can submit comments and questions using the online Board Meeting Comment Form.

Village of Webster Board meetings are still being held via Zoom. For more information and links, visit the Village of Webster website.

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So, what have those museum folks been up to?

31 Mar

Have you been wondering what’s been going on at the Webster Museum during shutdown? In a word … lots. The volunteers there have really been taking advantage of this time to revamp, reorganize and rethink their collections and future plans. Here’s a great report from museum volunteer Kathy Taddeo:

You might expect that your all-volunteer community museum would keep working during a pandemic. You would be correct.

When the Webster Museum reopens, you will see ample evidence that volunteers have been busy. You will notice lighting improvements inside and out. You will see exhibit spaces relocated and reorganized for better historical interpretation. You will see various surfaces painted, polished and refurbished. You will see new items from our extensive collections on display in our permanent exhibits. Just as you may have noticed that the museum’s exhibits at Hegedorns and the public library have changed regularly during closure, you will notice new rotating exhibits in the usual cases at the museum itself. You may have seen volunteers as they continued to participate in community events such as the town’s Reverse Parade, the village’s Snowman Hunt and the Community Chest’s “Peep” Show.

Important and consequential work is happening invisibly as well. Board and committee meetings continue by Zoom with consequent tasks completed at home. Our volunteer webmaster continues to add new features and update favorites to the museum’s website, including photo galleries for the community to exhibit their talents. Collection inventories and document preservation continue. Collaborative research projects, plans for reopening when we can and needed estimates for building repairs are all still happening, though in new and different ways.

And planning… soooo much planning.

The Webster Museum Board has been meeting since October 2020 to initiate, design and undergo the rigorous process of self-reflection known as Strategic Planning. This process is intended to provide an organization with a structured way to examine its current philosophies and operations and align them with contemporary culture as well as with its own mission and vision for the future.

Despite the necessity of meeting by Zoom, Board Members have completed organizational and needs assessments and surveyed its volunteers and members for suggestions. Multiple extra Zoom meetings to design the process resulted in four study groups currently at work before, during and after more extra Zoom meetings to recommend actions to enhance the museum’s contributions to the Webster community. The Webster Museum Board expects this on-going and cyclical strategic planning process to take about five years.

The work of Strategic Planning may be invisible, but the results are expected to be tangible. We look forward to more visibility when it is safe to invite you back for a visit.

Make sure to check out the Webster Museum website for the latest updates on programs and exhibits.

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Village neighborhood hosts some Easter fun this week

19 Mar

Children — and adults — are invited to enjoy some socially-distanced Easter-themed fun this week, courtesy your Village of Webster neighbors on Curtice Park.

Curtice Park resident Jennifer Cave has designed a neighborhood scavenger hunt to celebrate the upcoming Easter holiday, give kids something fun to do, and help them get a little exercise (but don’t tell them about that part!). The idea is simple: with scavenger hunt card in hand, participants can walk up and down Curtice Park and look for different Easter pictures displayed in the houses’ front windows.

Jennifer writes that she got the scavenger hunt idea from an email she received and decided to do it in her neighborhood as well.

I thought, I want to do something fun for the kids who have had so much cancelled on them this year. With that said, I printed out pictures with a small explanation (for the neighbors) asking if they would hang a picture in their window to help make this Easter special. I wanted to respect everyone’s comfort levels, so I just put it in people’s doors and left. To my surprise there was a large turnout, over 75% of the houses put up pictures within a day or two.

On Saturday and Sunday, the first few days of the scavenger hunt, several neighbors even put some Easter treats at the end of their driveways for the kids. That idea came from one of Jennifer’s neighbors, and the idea quickly caught fire. A neighbor on a nearby street even donated some candy. But that’s the way Webster rolls.

I’ve been blown away by the support of my neighborhood and really hope to bring some joy to families. It doesn’t have to be just kids, if adults want to get some exercise and do the scavenger hunt I’d love to see that as well!

Just print off the scavenger hunt paper you see here and you’re good to go. The pictures will remain posted through Easter.

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Polar Freeze is coming to the village

18 Mar
This will be the new home for Polar Freeze, 16 West Main.

There aren’t a whole lot of details yet, but I’m pleased to help spread the news that Polar Freeze Ice Cream is coming to the Village of Webster!

I, for one, am very excited by this news. We need more ice cream in the village. Hank’s took their awesome ice cream with them when they closed several years ago. Webster Hots has tried to fill the void, but as far as I’m concerned, the more ice cream options in the village, the merrier.

Polar Freeze will be moving into the vacant storefront at 16 West Main St., across the street from The Coach.

It’s actually the second location for Bianca Cruz-Lopez and her husband Josue, who up until last summer owned and operated M. Sweet Retreat in East Rochester. They had to close that location, but by the looks of their Facebook pages, they never lost the desire to serve up small town sweet treats. We’re just lucky they decided to settle their new shop in Webster and not East Rochester.

Bianca and Josue are very excited to come to Webster. They’re planning to keep the same menu they had in East Rochester (apparently everyone loved it) and add some new items … like canoli ice cream (!) and sundaes.

Right now the new place doesn’t look like much, as Bianca and Josue work hard to refurbish and remodel (with the help of their children, offering building and business advice — check out the adorable Facebook video). Their goal is to open up mid-April, but we should know more in a few weeks.

So in the meantime, visit and “like” the Polar Freeze Facebook page to keep up on the latest developments. And just think about it — by summer we should be able to get dinner at the new restaurant, The Cobblestone on Main, then head across the street to Polar Freeze for dessert!

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

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