Tag Archives: Village of Webster

Big changes in store for Good Smoke

26 Nov

good smoke

Since Good Smoke BBQ opened last January on West Main Street in the village of Webster, it has become one of my favorite village restaurants. I don’t believe I’ve ever enjoyed barbecued anything so much. Good Smoke’s sweet sauces are delightful, their side portions ample and their corn bread is delicious.

So when I heard recently that Good Smoke would be undergoing some major changes — including a significant menu shift — I was disappointed. But intrigued.

In short, before the end of the year, Good Smoke will become known as Roc Style Chicken and Burger, featuring a brand new menu with a lot less barbecue and a lot more, well, chicken and burgers.

Good Smoke management officially announced the changes on social media yesterday. Roc StyleTheir post read, in part,

We have a concept that we have been developing for years which we believe will be perfect for these locations. We are still working out the last details but would love to share the concept that we are incredibly excited about: Roc Style Chicken and Burger.

Roc Style is a celebration of Rochester’s culinary traditions. It is a celebration of our great city and the incredible lifestyle it affords us. Sweet and Sour sauce, Meat hot sauce, White hots… and much much more. Triple dipped, hand breaded to order, butter milk marinated chicken sandwiches. Over a dozen home made sauces for your wings, bone in or house made boneless. Hand pressed burgers and Zweigles dogs, plates with our super popular meat hot sauce. Awesome appetizers to share. A new menu but the same Good Smoke drive for ridiculous food quality and incredible customer service.

Small changes are already in the works. Table service was introduced a few weeks ago, and the restaurant is serving a limited beer menu. Major renovations will begin after Thanksgiving, including replacing the front counter with a bar, and swapping out much of the bench seating for high-top tables.

The owners will close the restaurant after Wednesday night’s (Nov. 27) dinner hours and hope to re-open within just a few weeks.

When I spoke with general manager Jeremy White a few days ago about the plans, he was excited about the additional service opportunities the new arrangement will offer, especially the new table service.

“With table service we can actually interact with the guests,” he said. That will allow a more personal experience for the guests, and more flexibility for them to add things, like beer and wine, to their order.

Reaction to Good Smoke’s announcement on Facebook has been mixed. Many people are very disappointed (and in true Facebook tradition, are being rather snarky about it). Others are more supportive.

I’m going to go with supportive, and I wish them luck. Having fallen in love with Good Smoke, I can handle traveling to their East Rochester location to get my three-meat platter, baked beans and corn bread. It won’t be just steps from my home anymore, but I can’t fault a business owner for making a business decision that seems right for the market.

Bottom line, we need reasonably-priced restaurants in the village, and if this change will help Good Smoke stay here and help our village remain strong, then more power to them.

Good Smoke BBQ is located at 5 West Min Street, Webster. To keep updated on the changes, visit their Facebook page. You can also email questions and comments to info@goodsmokebbq.com.

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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Webster

23 Nov

IMG_20191122_202514083The village is sparkling.

If you’ve been “downtown” in the last few days, you’ve seen that the trees are adorned with twinkly white lights and the star decorations have been hung on the streetlamps. Now all we need is a little snow to make the village really look like it’s holiday time.

The village has hosted a few special events in the last few weeks, but it’s almost like everything else is just anxiously waiting in the wings, ready to pounce as soon as Thanksgiving passes.

Here’s a quick run-down of just some of the events coming up in the next few weeks thanks to the Webster Herald for alerting me to a few of these):

Breakfast with Santa

Santa will make one of his first Webster visits on Sunday Dec. 1, when the Webster Lions Club hosts Breakfast with Santa from 8 a.m. to noon.

The breakfast, which takes place at the Webster Golf Club (440 Salt Rd.), is FREE, but  donations will be accepted to benefit the Webster Community Chest, Santa’s Workshop and other local charities.

Community holiday party 

If you can’t make that trip to see Santa, he returns to Webster on Friday Dec. 6, when he visits St. Martin Lutheran Church on Bay Rd. for the church’s annual holiday party.

The entire community is invited to see Santa arrive by fire truck at around 6 p.m. He’ll visit with children until 8 p.m. and free photos will be taken (but feel free to bring your own camera).

Other activities that evening include cookie decorating, games, crafts, and the opportunity to make a reverse Advent calendar (I do this every year). Free pizza and beverages will also be provided for all.

Admission is free but please bring a canned good for the Little Free Pantry at the church, which provides food 24/7 for our neighbors in need.

St. Martin Lutheran Church is located at 813 Bay Rd.

Webster Village Band holiday concerts

The Webster Village Band has three upcoming holiday concerts on their schedule:

  • Thursday, Dec. 5, at Eastview Mall, Victor, 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, Dec. 14, Webster Schroeder High School, 3 p.m.

The concert program will contain some all-time holiday favorites and a few newer compositions to delight audiences of all ages. Performances are free of charge and light refreshments will be served following the performance at Schroeder High School.

And make sure to watch for the band on their float during the Parade of Lights on Sat. Dec. 7, which begins at 6:30 p.m. (More info to come about that!)

Webster Village Band Photo 2018

Country Gardeners sale

The Country Gardeners of Webster, Klemwood Garden Club and the Webster Arboretum will hold their annual Garden Club Holiday Sale on Saturday December 7 from 9 am to noon at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Drive.

This huge sale features fresh wreaths, arrangements, poinsettias, centerpieces and gifts that are created by hand by the club members for this sale. This is always a very popular event, so you want to get there early.

The sale is the Country Gardeners’ annual fundraiser, so think about decorating your own home, and purchasing gifts for family, friends and holiday hostesses.

Admission is free.

Another breakfast with Santa 

Santa will also be a special guest at the First Baptist Church of Penfield’s December Flapjack Benefit Breakfast on Saturday Dec. 14. From 8-10 a.m. they offer an all-you can-eat breakfast with pancakes, maple syrup, scrambled eggs, sausage and beverage for just $6 per person. All proceeds will benefit the Open Door Mission.

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

Cookies, cookies, cookies!

Two local organizations are ready to help you with your holiday baking this year.

St. Martha’s Guild will hold its annual Gourmet Cookie Fundraiser on Saturday Dec. 7 from noon to 2 p.m. at Holy Cross Anglican Church, 615 Bay Rd.

Cookies, pastries and brownies of all kinds will be offered for sale.

The following weekend, on Saturday Dec. 14, the Women’s Club of Webster will host its 27th annual Christmas Cookie Sale in the community room of the Webster Public Library, on Van Ingen Drive.

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There will be more events to come, and more information about some of these in future blogs. So stay tuned, keep adding them to your calendar, and get ready for a very busy holiday season.

As for me, I’m getting an early start — I’m heading down to LaLa this afternoon to do some Christmas shopping. 

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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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LaLa’s been here a YEAR already?

12 Nov

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LaLa of Webster, located at 38 East Main St., turns one year old this weekend, and owner Lisa Schonski is celebrating all day Saturday Nov. 16 with wine, cookies, special events, vendor visits, and raffle prizes. It’s her way of thanking the Village of Webster for welcoming her so warmly and supporting her shop all year.

I remember the first time I stopped into LaLa last November, shortly after it opened. I was immediately impressed by the friendly, smiling welcome I received, how the store sparkled from head to toe with gift items and jewelry, and how great it smelled.

In the blog I wrote after my visit, I said, “It was like walking into a cloud of beautiful aromas, emanating from the array of personal care products that line the walls, shelves and counters of this gorgeous new shop.” I knew right away that it was the kind of retail establishment Webster really needs to help revitalize the village, and I’m tickled pink that it’s been successful. 

One of the best things I like about LaLa is that every time I go in there, I see something new, and usually it’s something I’ve never seen anywhere else.

That was no different last Saturday when I popped in for some updated photos, and discovered a sort of Christmas wonderland in the lower level, with a tremendous array of creative and unique gift items that just made me smile.

A great number of Lisa’s products are created by local artisans, many of whom will be on hand at the open house to talk about — and demonstrate — their crafts. Visitors will enjoy wine and cookies, and perhaps even win some outstanding raffle prizes, including an huge LaLa gift basket.

Basically, this would be a great time to pop in and check out LaLa of Webster again, or for the first time.

The shop’s located at 38 E. Main St., and will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit LaLa’s Facebook page to see some of the raffle prizes that will be given away.

Here’s a selection of photos I took Saturday:

 

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Webster celebrates Veterans Day

9 Nov

veterans-day

Veterans and all those who love and appreciate them are invited to the Village of Webster’s Veterans Day ceremony, honoring all those who have give so much to serve and protect our country, and those who continue to fight for our freedom.

The brief ceremony, hosted by the Webster VFW and American Legion, will be held at Veterans Memorial Park on North Ave. in the village, on Monday Nov. 11 at 11 a.m.

The timing commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front, which took effect at 11 a.m., the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.”

A luncheon for Veterans and their families will follow the ceremony at our community meeting hall at 29 South Avenue.

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Ah, the joys of raking…

5 Nov

Pile of autumn maple colored leaves isolated on white background.

As many of you know, I’m a fairly new resident of the Village of Webster. My husband and I moved here from our North Penfield home in April, and I totally love it.

I love being only a short walk from the center of the village, and all the pubs and restaurants there. I love being able to stroll to village events without having to worry about traffic and parking. I love being so much closer to great Christmas shopping, and only eight minutes from my job at Schlegel Rd. Elementary.

But you know what I love BEST about living in the Village of Webster?

I DON’T HAVE TO BAG ANY LEAVES!!!!!!!

I’ve been tapping out this blog for more than 10 years now, and pretty much every single year I whined about how the Town of Penfield still requires its residents to bag their leaves every fall and leave them for their refuse collector. I envied my Webster neighbors over the back fence who simply pushed theirs to the curb while I raked and swept and piled and stuffed and tied bags for hours every weekend.

We had several large trees in our yard, which meant that we would typically collect more than 100 bags of leaves every fall. And since our refuse collector only allowed us to put out eight of them every week, we would be placing them at the curb well into January.

In contrast, last weekend, it took Jack and me only about 90 minutes with our rake, tarp and leaf sweeper to clear our yard and dump all the leaves at the curb for pick-up. We estimated we’ll have to do it one more time in a week or two. But then…we’ll be done.

So thank you, Village of Webster, for providing this service. My tax dollars are well worth it.

Here’s a run-down of the village and town leaf collection information, from their websites:

Webster Village

This service begins when the autumn leaves begin to accumulate on the ground and will be on a daily basis until the beginning of December, or until the first heavy snowfall, whichever comes first. The Public Works Department will traverse each Village street once a week to remove leaves from the curb. To help make leaf pickup easier for yourself and our DPW staff, we request you follow some simple guidelines:

-Do not place brush, rocks, pumpkins, wood, plastic, or other foreign material with your leaves
-Do not bag your leaves for Village curbside pickup
-Do not place leaves in roadway, or on top of drainage structures, concrete, in gutters, or drainage ditches

The village also provides brush removal one day every month. For more details about that, visit the Village of Webster website.

Town of Webster

We start on the west side of town heading east and will make as many passes through town as possible during the leaf pick-up operation, weather permitting. There is no set schedule for particular streets throughout the town. Leaf season typically runs six weeks and start and finish dates vary based on actual leaf drop.

Please be patient with us during this process, as leaves do not all fall at once, and we never know what to expect for our weather conditions.
– Make sure leaves are on the edge of the road and not in the road or gutter
– Rake only leaves (and not twigs or branches) to the road’s edge
– Placing leaves in the road or gutter significantly slows down the entire operation. It is against the law to place leaves or any debris in the road.

For more information, visit the Town of Webster website.

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Barry’s Old School Irish anniversary draws near!

4 Nov

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Do you remember this corner?

If you lived in Webster, say, 9 or 10 years ago, you might remember this unusual garden, complete with a mini-waterfall. It stood  at the the village’s four corners, welcoming visitors to our main business corridor.

It adorned the storefront of the Living Plumber at 2 West Main St., and it stood for as long as I can remember.

That is, until the Living Plumber’s owner passed away, the village cleaned it up, Danny and Jessica Barry moved in, and committed to turning that corner into something really special: a friendly little Irish pub.

This weekend, on the occasion of the pub’s 8th anniversary, it’s clear that the Barry’s have done that — and so much more. They’ve created a super friendly, welcoming pub for the whole family. A place where you can set up your computer in the middle of the day to work while listening to live Irish music by musicians jamming in the corner.  Where everyone who comes in is immediately considered part of the family.

Barry’s Old School Irish has not only changed that corner for the better, it has changed our village.

Help them celebrate this Saturday Nov. 9 when Danny and Jessica host Barry’s Old School Irish’s 8th anniversary party.

Here’s a quick rundown of what’s in the works:

  • 7:30 to 11 p.m.: Live Irish music by Billy Herring
  • 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.: Tullamore Dew and Jameson Irish whiskey reps will be handing out samples and giveaways
  • 10 p.m.: The official anniversary toast with whiskey on the house

Plus, watch for Irish dancers and a bagpiper to make an appearance. You’ll find more details here.

9232011 dan and jessI’m pleased and proud to say I’ve been an extended member of the Barry’s Pub family since before they even opened, when I popped in to interview the new owners for this blog and took that iconic picture of them holding the sign that would soon adorn the outside of their pub. There were no pictures on the walls, no musicians in the corner, no hamburgers on the grill.  Just two young kids with a dream which they continue to expand upon every single day. (Check out a few other photos from that day below.)

If you STILL haven’t stopped by this little Irish corner of the world, at 2 West Main Street right smack in the middle of the village, you’re missing something special.

 

 

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Photos of this year’s pet costume winners

3 Nov

 

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Better late than never, I present today photos of this year’s pet costume contest winners!

This contest has been run for the last few years during the village’s Trick-or-Treat Trail, but it’s been difficult to get the word out and actually get people and their dogs to meet up at the appointed time and place. So this year, Peter Elder — who organizes the contest every year — came up with a creative solution.

He wrote,

My son and I served as judges for the dog costume contest and since we could not find anyone gathered in front of Village Hall, we spread out through the (very large) crowd and found several dogs and their owners in costumes. After passing through once, we went back and awarded them first second and third prizes.

Peter added that this was “an excellent strategy for making the people and the dogs happy. … People loved being stopped and given gift cards.”

The three lucky winners this year are included here.

Make sure to get out there and trick or treat with your pup next year, ’cause you never know…you might get a treat yourself!

Also, we’re hoping to resurrect the business-sponsored scarecrow contest next year as well, so watch for more news about that!

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

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

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

 

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