Tag Archives: Village of Webster

Another successful Trick or Treat Trail!

26 Oct

Wow! This year’s Trick or Treat Trail in the village was AMAZING! The weather couldn’t have been much better, there were more businesses participating than ever, and more kids and adults on the streets than I can every remember seeing for this event.

As usual, I took a ton of photos (literally a gallery of 249), which I have posted here, and if you were out there today, chances are good you and your kids will be in one of them.

But this year I also asked a guest blogger, brand new Eagle Scout (an budding journalist) Justin Karnisky, to help me out in covering this event, and he took a bunch more. I am pleased to post his report — and his photos — for you here.

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Webster Trick or Treat Trail 2019
By Justin Karnisky, Troop 110 Eagle Scout

The annual Webster Village Trick or Treat Trail event was held on October 26. Fifty-two local businesses participated, including The Garage Sale Store, Barry’s Irish Pub, Coach, Lala, Carl’s Pizza Kitchen, The Music Store, and more. Residents could even trick-or-treat at the Village Hall.

Donna Rickard, from the Garage Sale Store, explained that her business has participated in the Trick or Treat Trail every year since its inception. She said, “Even the adults participate, with their dogs. It’s a lot of fun to participate, and the adults can see the local businesses.” She had so many trick-or-treaters, she ran out of candy and had to go get more!

Popular costumes included bananas, Pokemon characters, emojis, inflatable t-rexes, and Spider-Man. Some of the more unique costumes included the Statue of Liberty, the Monopoly Man, bacon, and French fries. Some families coordinated their costumes, such as the Oldfield family, who were dressed as Ghost Busters. The Urbanski family dressed up as characters from the children’s story Curious George. This was their first year participating in the event. Dave Urbanski and his sons, Lukas, age 4, and Julian, age 6 months, were happy to be out trick-or-treating.

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The Music Store has participated in the event since it started. John Bucci, owner, said, “I like seeing all the local businesses participating, and seeing the kids and all the costumes.”

There was a steady stream of trick-or-treaters throughout the streets. The streets were closed to traffic and were kept safe by the Webster Police Department.

If they were tired from trick-or-treating, families could also enjoy a hayride throughout the village. Overall, the event had a great turnout and is a welcome opportunity to trick-or-treat safely during the day, for all ages.

A big THANK YOU to Justin for a wonderful report. I’m hoping everyone had a chance to enjoy the day and perhaps visit a few businesses you had never been to before.

Once again, if you’d like to see a few hundred more photos from this year’s Village of Webster Trick or Treat Trail, click here.

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Get your kids’ — and pets’ — costumes ready for Halloween in the Village

24 Oct
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These kids were having fun last year despite the rain.

It looks like the weather is going to be pretty nice this Saturday for the Village of Webster’s annual Trick-or-Treating Trail. Certainly it will be better than last year, when it rained most of the day. But if you look at the photos I took, it’s clear that people were having fun anyway, which is a testament to what a great event this is.

This year, organizers tell me that the Trick or Treat Trail is going to be even bigger than ever. It seems like new businesses are cropping up almost every week, especially on East Main St., so a lot more businesses will be joining the fun and handing out candy.

You can get more information at websterbid.com, but here are some details:

11 a.m.: Costume contest in the Community Meeting Room, 29 South Ave. (right next to the fire department). Prizes will be awarded in several categories.

Noon – 3 p.m.: Trick-or-Treat Trail. Look for the bright orange pumpkins in the front windows of participating businesses. Make sure to work your way into the lower parking lot on East Main to visit the Village Bakery, ROC and Soul and more.

12:30 p.m.: The Howl-o-ween Pet Costume Contest and parade returns so your pet can join in the fun. Meet at Village Hall for judging, and there will be prizes!

Special activities:

Make sure to stop by the Webster Volunteer Fire Department on South Ave., which will be hosting an open house all afternoon.

Firefighters will be on hand to pass out candy, plastic fire hats, give demonstrations, tours of the fire engines, and more. Cider and donuts for everyone!

Also, be sure to walk the short distance down Lapham Park to the Webster Museum, where they always have some special activities planned.

By the way, it’s all FREE!

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Village Trick-or-Treat Trail details

14 Oct

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Now that we’re well into the bewitching-est month of the year, here’s a preview of the Village of Webster’s annual Trick-or-Treat Trail.

It takes place this year on Saturday October 26. It begins, as always, with a costume contest at 11 a.m. in the Community Room at Village Hall, 28 W. Main Street. Prizes are awarded in several categories.

Then, from 11:30 to 2 p.m., kids can wander through the village, trick-or-treating at businesses up and down Main Street and North Ave.

This is a great opportunity to check out some of our village’s newest businesses, including the Village Quilt Shoppe, Jojo Bistro, Lala of Webster, The Pickled Paintbrush and Chandeliers Boutique.

AND AND AND The Webster Fire Department will be hosting an open house during the event, handing out candy and fire hats for the kids, and offering up demonstrations and other fun stuff. Plus, the Webster Museum always has special activities going on, so make sure to pop up to see them on Lapham Park.

This is always a very fun event and well attended, even if it’s rainy and cold, like last year. I always enjoy seeing all of the kids’ costumes (basically they mirror whatever cartoon or video game is popular this year) and especially like seeing when entire families get into the spirit and have group costumes. Click this link to see a whole gallery of photos from last year.

Stay tuned for more details; rumor has it, a new and improved pet costume parade and contest will be back this year. I’ll pass along details as soon as I know more about it.  In the meantime, you can watch websterbid.com for updates.

 

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Webster community mailbag

3 Sep

Drumming your way to good health

This looks really cool.

Folks at the Webster Public Library are introducing their new health and wellness series with a very interesting event.

Two african Djembe Drum on white background.Two Herons Drum Circle from Geneva will visit the library on Saturday Sept. 14 to present — well, a drum circle — from 3 to 4 p.m.

What the heck is a drum circle, you may ask. I did too, so I checked Two Herons’ Facebook page, where they describe a drum circle as a “unique, interactive community drumming experience.”

They go on to say that regular participation in drumming classes,

Reduces tension, anxiety and stress; Helps control chronic pain; Boosts the immune system; Creates a sense of connectedness with self and others; Helps us experience being in resonance with the natural rhythms of life; Releases negative feelings, blockages and emotional trauma; (and) Provides a medium for individual self-realization.

Okay. In any case, it sounds like a lot of fun.

The program is designed for adults and teens. Drums and other percussion equipment will be provided or you can bring your own. Registration is required at www.websterlibrary.org 

You’ll also want to check the library’s website for some other really neat programs they’ve got planned this month, including

  • A do-it-yourself Marbled Coaster Tiles craft project for teens and adults on Monday Sept. 16
  • A Love Your Library celebration in honor of National Library Card Sign-up Month with snacks, games, crafts, and a photo booth on Saturday Sept. 21.

Plus, the library is collecting new and gently used coats through October 6, which will be distributed at the Project Homeless Connect Rochester event, being held at the Blue Cross Arena on October 15.

Find out more details about all these upcoming Webster Public Library events on their website.

An update from the Village Quilt Shoppe

The Village Quilt Shoppe has settled in quite nicely at 21 East Main St. and is gearing up for its grand opening in just a few weeks.

It’s scheduled for Sept. 13 and 14, and owners Monique and Vanetta promise a “great party” with food, raffles and much more. Stay tuned for more details about that.quilt shoppe logo

In the meantime, Monique and Vanetta have all sorts of special events in the works, including their Embroidery Block of the month series beginning in September, and a bird cage quilt or table runner class. 

The first weekend of every month the shop will host a “Weekend Retreat” with a different project every month, and the monthly “Sunday Embroidery Tea” gives quilters a chance to learn new stitches and perfect those you already use. The second Saturday of the month is “Quilters Anonymous Night,” and “Open Sew Friday” is another chance to gather with friends old and new to work on your projects. 

Check the Village Quilt Shoppe calendar regularly to stay on top of all their classes and special events.

Electronics recycling opportunity

Got some old unused or broken electronics kicking around your garage that you don’t know what to do with? 

Take them over to the Electronics Recycling Event on Saturday Sept. 14 from 9 a.m. to noon at Xerox (take Phillips Rd. to Caracas Dr.).

Items which can be accepted include:

  • computers and accessories
  • TVs and monitors (limit of two per vehicle)
  • electronicstelephones and answering machines
  • microwaves
  • IT storage devices, cables and accessories
  • printers, scanners and accessories
  • gaming devices
  • routers and servers
  • office copiers and fax machines
  • stereo, video and audio equipment
  • other small electronics such as mobile devices
  • most small home appliances (no freon)

For a complete list of acceptable items, click here.

Eating good in the neighborhood

Breakfast and dinner are on the menu on Saturday Sept. 21.

If you really don’t feel much like cooking breakfast that morning, you can hop on over to the First Baptist Church of Penfield for their first Flapjack Saturday Fundraiser of the season.

From 8 to 10 a.m., enjoy an all-you-can-eat breakfast of pancakes, maple syrup, scrambled eggs, sausage, and more for just $6 per person. All proceeds will benefit Penfield Hope, an agency which offers emergency financial assistance, non-perishable food, diapers, children’s clothing, and more to Penfield neighbors in need.

The First Baptist Church of Penfield is located at 1862 Penfield Rd., at the four corners.

That evening, let St. Martin Lutheran Church, 813 Bay Rd. in Webster, make dinner for you at their fall BBQ and FunFest.

From 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. you can get a half chicken, salt potatoes, cole slaw, roll, butter and beverage for $10 per person. Pie slices and other desserts will also be available for purchase. A hot dog dinner for kids is $2. Kids will also enjoy a bounce house, face painting and balloons.

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Thoughts on the First Responders 5K

2 Sep
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(Photo courtesy Mary White)

An amazing 625 people — both adults and children — participated in the second annual First Responders 5K on Friday night, which began on Sanford Street near Firemen’s Field and wound through the east side of Webster village.  It’s an impressive number considering it was the start of Labor Day weekend AND it was a Friday night, two very good reasons that race participants might have had other things to do or places to be.

But again this year, Webster and our surrounding communities showed how incredibly

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Before the race with my friend Holly. (Courtesy Mary White)

supportive they are of our first responders. And not only did the race attract a lot of runners, but the number of village residents who took the time to sit out front of their homes and cheer the runners as we raced by was heartening and very much appreciated.

Kudos to all of the firefighters and police officers who ran in their full gear; the weather was much improved over last year’s heat and humidity, but it must have still been a struggle to complete the 3.1-mile course while wearing many pounds of gear.

I took a few pictures, but not as many as our favorite Turkey Trot photographer Mary White. I’ve posted a few here, but if you’d like to see a lot more, click this link for an entire gallery.

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An invitation for park lovers

30 Aug

I’d like to extend an invitation today to anyone who loves — and appreciates — our Village of Webster parks.

tree marker

Expanding the village’s tree marker program is one goal of the Village Board’s Parks and Recreation Committee. 

First, a little background. Only a month or so after I became a new village resident, I was approached and asked if I would like to join the Village of Webster Parks and Recreation Committee. Apparently, the new village bike racks which I’ve been pushing for also fall under the purview of the Parks and Rec Committee. Since I seemed so invested in that issue, joining the committee itself seemed a natural next step.

I figured I should try to get more involved in my new hometown, so I accepted the appointment. Now I’d like to invite others to join the committee as well.

Many village residents are surprised to learn that our little village actually has FIVE different parks within its boundaries:

  • Harmony Park on Phillips Rd., which features the Village Band bandshell
  • Veterans Memorial Park on North Ave. with the gazebo
  • Wilmorite Park on Iroquois St., with a playground, picnic table and basketball court
  • Schantz Park on State Rd., with tennis courts, a rock wall and playground
  • Milton Case Park, behind Spry Middle School, with 14 acres of woods and several trails.

One of the primary goals of our committee is to bring more awareness to these natural resources. We’ll also work to see that they are maintained and — hopefully — improved, and encourage development of new parks. To that end, at our most recent meeting, we discussed tentative plans for

  • a “discover your parks” scavenger hunt
  • creating a survey about park usage
  • distributing an informational brochure describing the parks
  • updating and expanding the tree marker program
  • visiting each park to inventory their condition, and more.

Thing is, counting me, there are only two people on the committee right now. We could use two or three more to help us implement all of our great ideas, and come up with new ones.

We meet once a month, on the fourth Thursday at 7 p.m. in the community meeting room at Village Hall. Our last two meetings have lasted less than 45 minutes, so it’s not a huge time commitment.

If you’re interested at all, or would like to find out more information, please email me at missyblog@gmail.com and I’ll be happy to answer any of your questions.

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Race in Webster Village Friday night will affect traffic

29 Aug

first responders

If you find yourself driving in and around the Village of Webster on Friday night, be prepared for some possible temporary road closures.

The second annual First Responders 5K will be winding its way through (mostly) the east side of the village Friday night Aug. 30, beginning at 6:30 p.m. 

first responders logoThe race is designed to raise awareness of PTSD in first responders, and raise funds for FRST Agency, a newly created organization that will provide support, awareness, assets, and services to first responders seeking assistance in dealing with the effects of PTSD.

It will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Sanford St., on the south side of Firemen’s Field. Runners will head east down Sanford Street to South Ave., and then snake their way through the east-side neighborhoods before returning to Firemen’s Field. The course will take runners along Fuller Ave., Dunning Ave., Meadow Dr., Southwick Dr., Hawley Dr., Judson St., Harmon St., and Curtice Park, requiring temporary restrictions on these streets. In addition, Rt. 250 between State Rd. and Main St. will be closed for a short time and restricted for about an hour.

Click here for a map of the race route.

Organizers have mailed notices to all the affected residents on these streets, noting that while some streets will be closed during certain times, local residential traffic will be delayed but accommodated. So it’s not like you’re going to be trapped at home — or stuck on Main Street — for the entire race.

However, if you live on one of these streets and CAN afford to be stuck at home, please consider pitching a chair or two in your driveway and come out to cheer on the runners. As a frequent participant at races like these (and I will be running Friday night as well), I can attest to how great it feels to have people along the route encouraging you, ringing cowbells and handing out high-fives. This is a great community event, and it would be awesome to see the community come out in force to support it. (The race will run by my house twice, so I’ve convinced my husband to offer a special “water” stop for first responders in gear.)

If you’d like to participate as a runner OR walker, registration will be open on-site up to the start of the race. Just look for the registration tent at Firemen’s Field after 5 p.m. that evening.

For more information about the race, or to register online, click here.

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Checking in with the Quilt Shoppe

12 Aug

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I had the opportunity to pop into the new Village Quilt Shoppe Saturday just to say hi to owners Monique Liberti and Vanetta Parshall and see how their first few days went.

Monique told me they have been warmly welcomed to the village. Since I stopped in a week ago, she and Vanetta have equipped their classroom space at the back of the store, added a few more decorations to the shop and a new sign out front.

If you haven’t yet, try to pop in this week and let them know how happy we are to have them in the village. (Even if you’re not a quilter.)

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New Chandeliers Boutique helps continue East Main’s renaissance

19 Jul

Webster’s East Main Street is coming back to life, and that’s great news for the village.

For too long, East Main, especially the north side, seemed to be struggling, pock-marked with empty storefronts. Aside from a restaurant or two and a few shops on the south side of the street, there really wasn’t much reason to be down there. A few art-themed shops tried to make a go of it, but didn’t last very long.

The only good thing about the situation was that it was really easy to find a parking spot.

But all that seems to be a thing of the past. Now under the ownership of Charlie Fitzsimmons, that once vacant stretch of East Main Street is seeing a renaissance. Several new businesses have moved in in the past year, including the Village Bakery, ROC & Soul Fitness, Suzanne Neace Photography, The Pickled Paintbrush, Lala of Webster and an expanded rSalon & Spa.

Most recently, another unique new shop has joined them, Chandeliers Boutique.

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Chandeliers opened its doors just a few weeks ago at 32 E. Main Street. I stopped in the other day, and was pleased to discover a large, spacious shop filled with dresses, tops, shoes, skirts, pants and jewelry. Staff member Karen McKissock came out to greet me personally, and we were soon joined by store manager Marlane McCue. Together, they tried to put the essence of the shop into words.

It’s “boutique shopping at affordable prices,” Marlane said, featuring “items you’re not

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Karen McKissock and Marlane McCue at Chandeliers.

going to find in the mall. You’re not going to see someone else walking around the street with it on.” 

Karen added that Chandeliers offers “a more personal shopping experience. There’s coffee, there’s help if you need it. If you try something on and you need advice, we’re here.”

The fashions, Karen said, are not really dressy, but rather “casual and comfortable.” Things that go from “business to casual easily,” Marlane added.

This is actually the third location for Chandeliers, which can also be found in Canandaigua and Pittsford. Marlane said that owner Darlyne Truax was looking at several possible spots in Webster but ultimately decided on 32 E. Main because she liked Fitzsimmons’ “goals” for the village.

“I think she really was very happy about … how ambitious he was about bringing people into the town. To make it a walking village.”

That dream is becoming a reality. Chandeliers, together with its neighbors The Pickled Paintbrush and Lala of Webster, combine to make a perfect trio of cute “let’s wander in here” shops, exactly the kind of stores we need here in Webster to bring people back into town.

If you’re headed into town for the Jazz Fest this Friday and Saturday, it’s a great chance to stop in and check them out. They’re right next door to each other on East Main Street.

Chandeliers is open seven days a week. If you’d like an especially personal shopping experience, ask them about their after-hours shopping get-togethers, when you can gather a bunch of friends for refreshments and a private shopping party.

Find out more about Chandeliers on their website, or call 585-622-1266.

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Photos from the Kiddie Parade

13 Jul

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The fire trucks had their parade on Thursday, but on Saturday afternoon it was all about the kids.

The annual Firemen’s Carnival Kiddie Parade kicked off from Spry Middle School at noon on Saturday under very sunny, hot skies. At about 15 minutes long, it was a much, much shorter parade than its big brother Firemen’s Parade, but none the less entertaining.

It’s always fun to see the creative floats and costumes that many a mom and dad have come up with. But it’s also delightful to see the little ones being pulled in a wagon or pedaling along furiously wearing just a Halloween costume.

As exciting as it is for these kids to be in an actual parade, I think they especially (and maybe even mostly) liked throwing candy to the crowd.

I took a lot of photos, of course. Click here to see a whole gallery.

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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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