Tag Archives: Village of Webster

Art show comes to Press on Main

9 Aug

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Have you checked out the new Press on Main screen print/art shop yet? It recently opened at 21 East Main, at the corner of Lapham Park, in the old Singh Mart.

It’s kind of hard to describe the shop … it’s colorful … there are some t-shirt racks … when I was there, the front window had a display of paint-splattered cowboy hats. (See what I mean? Tough to describe.) Basically, Press on Main is a shop like you’ve probably never seen before.

Which means you’ll want to stop in and see it for yourself. A great opportunity to do that is coming up from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday August 17, when owner Noah Calieri will be hosting an art show featuring several artists, and entertainment by the local rock band The Fix. Noah also said there will be an open mic if anyone else would like to perform

There’s going to be cake, clothing and artwork for sale and art raffles.

If you’d like to read more about Press on Main, this unique new shop, click here to read the blog I wrote.

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Happy anniversary, Kittelberger!

8 Aug

kittelberger cropped

Kittelberger Florist & Gifts, one of Webster’s best-known and respected businesses, is turning 90 years old this week (sort of), and they want to celebrate with the whole town.

I say that Kittelberger’s is “sort of” turning 90 for one main reason. Owner Bill Horeth explained in an email that they’ve actually been around a lot longer than that. He wrote,

Our family uses 1928 as our official starting date but actually it was much earlier. Jenny and Will Kittelberger lived on the property where the current store still is. Jenny had a small greenhouse from which she sold annuals and plants. The earliest records we can find of sales for Jenny were in 1915 in which she sold plants to a church. Jenny and Will brought Willy Fuchs over from Germany to work with them and help garden. After meeting Pauline (at night school to learn English) they married and carried on Jenny’s love of flowers. This 1928 date represents our families start of Kittelbergers.

Over the next 90 years the business has seen  many changes. When Xerox started to become a significant presence on that side of town, the original Kittelberger house demolished to make way for Orchard Street to connect the village. A ranch house was built next to the shop, which is now part of the gift area.  Several more renovations happened in the 70s, 80s and after, creating the Kittleberger shop we all now know and love.

Kittelberger’s loves Webster as much as Webster loves them.  Bill continued,

We have loved the privilege of doing business in Webster. Like flowers and plants, our roots have been planted here and remained on the same soil. The families of Webster and surrounding areas have not only been our customers, but have become our friends. We have celebrated with them, brought comfort at times of sorrow, welcomed new members to the family, and helped them show signs of affection and love. Many smiles have been brought to faces and have brightened doomy days. We are proud to be a part of the Webster Community and look forward to keeping Webster, Where Life Is Worth Living!

The entire Webster community is invited to join in the celebration of Kittelberger Florist’s 90 (plus) years in Webster. The anniversary bash kicks off this Thursday night August 9, when Kittelberger hosts a gazebo concert featuring Rochester Brass and Electric, beginning at 7 p.m.

On Saturday August 10, following the village’s final Wine Walk of the season, make your way down to Kittelberger’s, 263 North Ave., at 7:30 p.m. for a formal celebration with food trucks and fireworks.

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So many things happening in the village

24 Jul

This time of year is packed with so many village events, it’s hard to keep up with them. But here’s a quick run-down:

Movies

toystoryTONIGHT (weather permitting) is the next family-friendly Movies in the Park, featuring the classic favorite (can we call it a classic yet?) Toy Story. Tonight’s movie will begin around 8:45 in Gazebo Park on North Ave. Hegedorn’s will be on hand to provide free popcorn, but feel free to bring your own picnic baskets, and don’t forget chairs and blankets. You can get up-to-the-hour weather updates here.

The upcoming movie schedule includes Early Man on July 31, Cars 3 on August 7, Coco on August 14, and Disney’s Big Friendly Giant on August 21.

Music

The Friday Night Concert Series heats up again this weekend when The Industrial Blues Band takes to the gazebo stage this Friday July 27 beginning at 7 p.m., with their mix of contemporary blues and classic rock.

Upcoming concerts feature Escape Terrain on August 3, the Rochester Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra on August 10, and Travis Fitch on August 17. PLUS there’s a bonus concert on August 9, when Kittleberger Florist hosts Rochester Brass and Electric to help celebrate their 90th anniversary.

Wine Walk

The last Village Wine Walk of the summer takes place on Saturday August 11 from 4 to 7 p.m.

These are really fun events. For $15 you get a wine glass and a map, and enjoy an evening with friends strolling through the village, sampling wines at lots of local businesses.

New venues have been added for this final summer walk, and after it’s done, hang around and enjoy some fireworks, hosted at Kittelberger Florist to celebrate their 90 years in business.

Wine not your thing? The village’s second Beer Walk is scheduled for September 15, and a Bourbon Bash on November 10. More details to come about those.

village band

More Music

Finally, don’t forget about the Webster Village Band! They host concerts almost every Thursday during the summer at the band shell on Phillips Road.

The concerts begin at 7 p.m. and are free and open to the public. Feel free to bring a lawn chair and blanket and some snacks and beverages.

The next concerts are scheduled for this Thursday, July 26, then August 2, 16 and 23. In the event of rain, concerts are moved to Cherry Ridge Senior Center, across the street from Webster Schroeder High School on Ridge Road.

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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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Construction and deconstruction in the village

23 Jul
gateway

WHAT is going on at the intersection of North Ave. and 104?

If you’ve driven by the intersection of North Ave. and Rt. 104 lately, perhaps when you came into town Saturday for the Jazz Fest, you noticed there’s quite a bit of construction going on along North Ave., especially at the intersection with 104.

It’s all part of the North Ave. revitalization project, which will mean a little bit of a mess for a while, but in the end will make our village’s primary access point much more attractive.

A big part of that project is the gazebo and sign-like thing going up at the bottom of the 104 east exit ramp. That’s all part of what the village is calling the North Ave. Gateway Project. Photos of what the finished project will look like are posted below.

 

According to Village Mayor Darrell Byerts, “The land was given to the village by the state and will be a park and rest stop along the bike trail.”

Specifically, it appears from the drawings that drivers and pedestrians who approach Webster will encounter a handsome gazebo, water fountain, and a sign welcoming them to the village. The electronic billboard that was down there at the intersection for a while announcing upcoming events will be replaced by something less tacky, but equally informational.

While I was at Village Hall taking photos of these drawings, I popped into the office of Superintendent of Public Works Jake Swingly and asked him if there’s been any movement in plans to purchase and install bike racks in the village. (Click here to read more on that issue.)

He was able to tell me that they’ve come up with a tentative design (which he wasn’t able to share with me yet), and it sounded like the village is considering purchasing four custom-designed racks.

Mayor Byerts added in another email that “Some ideas regarding the bike racks have been put forward. How to pay, since they were not in the budget for this year, is the question.”

Hopefully the village will discover that they’re not too pricey. As long as we’re spiffing up the village and trying to make it pedestrian and bike-friendly, they would be a natural addition and well worth the cost.

water tower

The deconstruction to which I referred in the headline is the dismantling of one of the two water towers just south of the village on South Ave.

Mayor Byerts told me in an email that,

The little tower, “Top Hat,” is not needed by the MCWA. When we removed the cell antennas, they were ready to take it down. The remaining large tower is all they need as a reserve. MCWA will be scraping and painting the outside with a MCWA and Village of Webster logo as well as relining the inside of the tank. This would have been a huge expense for the village a few years ago.

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2018 Webster Jazz Fest: Music, dancing, and rain

22 Jul

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Well, we’ve had better weather for the annual Webster Jazz Fest, but we definitely have had much, much worse.

For most of the afternoon and evening on Saturday for Jazz in the Streets, cloudy weather remained just that: cloudy.  But just about when Bill Tiberio was finishing his set and Prime Time Funk was setting up, the thousands of music lovers who packed the streets and sidewalks started feeling some sprinkles. Most were undeterred.

That is, until the rain got a little heavier about an hour later. That’s when people started packing up their quad chairs and umbrellas were raised. And Prime Time Funk played on, his drum-beats heard even beyond Phillips Road (This is actually true. Someone who lives down there told me so.)

By all accounts, the 2018 Webster Jazz Fest was another rip-roaring success, and the rain really didn’t do much to dampen that. My daughter Erin (who, as you know, writes for the Webster Herald) and I were out there taking photos, which I have compiled into a gallery which you can see here.

If you didn’t make it this year, you missed out on something special. Put it on your calendar right now for 2019, because it WILL be back.

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Webster community mailbag

20 Jul

Well, folks, I’m back in town after a 10-day trip with my daughter through Spain (with a side trip to Lisbon, Portugal thrown in for good measure). I tried my best to auto-post some blogs while I was gone, but finally I’m back at the keyboard to blog live and in person.

And to wade through about two dozen new emails I got in my absence.

First order of business, then, is a mailbag to pass along all that news that people passed along to me while I was in sunny Spain.

First off, don’t forget about the Webster Jazz Fest, which begins tonight (Friday) with Jazz in the Pubs, and continues Saturday night with Jazz in the Streets. This event features an incredible variety of great music, and I consider it one of the best events of the entire summer. Pretty much everyone in Webster comes out.

For more details about the Fest, including who is playing and when, click here.

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santa

Also tomorrow (Saturday) July 21, grab your kids and make your way down to the Joe Obbie Farmers Market for their annual Christmas in July event, featuring (of course) Santa Claus.

The Webster Village Band will be there playing holiday music and the entire market will be decked out in holiday splendor with special treats for the kids.

The Joe Obbie Market runs every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Webster Towne Center Plaza (Kohl’s/Target Plaza) at the corner of Ridge and Holt roads.

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This is most definitely not Webster news, but it’s a great cause and you golfers out there will want to know about it.

The 23rd annual Leatherneck Open will take place on Monday July 23 at Greystone Golf Club in Walworth. Veterans, active duty and civilians are all welcome to participate in the event, which helps support Marines all across Western New York.

The event begins at 11 a.m. with a presentation of the colors in front of the Greystone club house, followed by a shotgun start. It’s not too late to register; for that matter, they’ll be taking registrations that morning at the event.

For more information, click here.

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Next weekend, July 28 and 29, the annual Waterfront Art Festival returns to North Ponds Park.

The event features artisans from all over Monroe County, who line the sidewalks with their tents, selling high-quality art and craft items. Food trucks and live entertainment will add to the fun.

Hours are Saturday July 28 and Sunday July 29 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Admission is $3, with children 12 and under free. North Ponds Park is located on the Rt. 104 access road between Holt Road and Rt. 250 (use the Rt. 250 exit).

For more information click here.

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More news from the village:

The last Webster Wine Walk of the year is Saturday August 11 from 4 to 7 p.m. You’ll want to be at this one for sure, even if you’ve participated in these wine walks before, because there are different venues included this time around.

At 9 p.m. Kittelbergers Florists invites everyone down to their shop for fireworks to celebrate their 90th anniversary.

For tickets to the wine walk click here.

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Finally, this is news from the Town of Webster for folks who live on or near Gravel Road.’

Beginning the week of July 23, workers will be milling and paving Gravel Road between Regina Drive and Klem Road.

According to the press release from the Town,

During construction, traffic will be maintained with daily lane closures as needed. Flaggers will be used to guide traffic around the work areas. Continuous access to driveways and side streets will be maintained, except when work is occurring directly in front of these access points. In these situations, the delay will only be for a brief time until construction personnel indicate that it is safe to cross the work zone.

The work will progress rapidly and is expected to be completed by mid August. All work will be performed during the day.

For more information and a map, click here.

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Jazz Fest returns this weekend

18 Jul

This summer has already been a hot one, but it’s gonna heat up even more this weekend when the annual Webster Jazz Festival rolls back into town.

The fun starts this Friday night July 20 with “Jazz in the Pubs,” an opportunity to hop from one pub to another, sampling great drinks and great music.

The schedule Friday night looks like this:

  • 6:15: Carlton Wilcox at Sweet Wood BBQ
  • 6:30: El Rojo Jazz at The Coach Sportsbar
  • 7:00: Higher Ground at Barry’s Old School Irish
  • 7:00: Marco Amadio at the Brimont Bistro
  • 7:30: Paradigm Shift at Ploty’s Hometown Tavern
  • 8:00: Amanda Ashley at Pub 235

Then on Saturday night July 21, everything moves into the street. West Main Street will be cordoned off, a huge stage set up, with plenty of room left over for lawn chairs and snack tables.

Here’s the schedule for Saturday:

  • 6:00 to 7:15: The Klick
  • 7:30 to 8:45: The Bill Tiberio Band
  • 9:15 to 11:00: Prime Time Funk

Bring your own picnic fixings and beverages or you can buy something from one of many food vendors set up along the street.

Admission to all of this great entertainment, indoors and out, is free. If you’d like to check out a gallery of photos from last year, click here.

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First Responders 5K scheduled for August in Webster

12 Jul

first responders

There’s a new 5K in town — and I mean in WEBSTER — and it’s one I think we can all get behind. It’s called the First Responders 5K, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. the evening of Friday August 31.

This information about the race comes from the event’s Facebook page:

The First Responders 5K will recognize the strength, perseverance, and courage of police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and their families in our local community.

First responders put their lives on the line for us every day as they face hardships that most of us will never know. The repetitive negative experience of stressful and potentially traumatic events that first responders face on a daily basis leaves them particularly vulnerable to post-traumatic stress disorder.

We hope that this event can raise awareness for PTSD in first responders, and raise funds to create a local charity that will provide support, awareness, assets, and services to first responders seeking assistance in dealing with the effects of PTSD. Join us as we recognize the service and sacrifice of the people who dedicate their lives to protecting ours.

The race will begin (and end, I assume) at Fireman’s Field on Ridge Road just west of the village of Webster. Cost is $20, or $10 for active first responders. T-shirts are not included but may be ordered for an additional $10. The race will be chip-timed, with finisher medals, post-race food and live music. To register or find out more information, click here .

Note: In conjunction with this race, a separate  Facebook event has been established for those interested in running in memory of Jimmy Weaver, a firefighter and paramedic who most recently served with the Holley Fire Department as a lieutenant. Jimmy passed away unexpectedly on June 28.

If you’d like to read more about Jimmy, click here for his obituary. If you would like to join the group running in his memory, still sign up on the regular race site, but then clock over to the group’s Facebook page to let them know about your support.

 

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Webster Firemen’s Parade 2018 — the details

4 Jul

firetrucks

This morning I noticed that a lot of people were clicking on the blog I wrote in May about the village’s Memorial Day parade. I suspect that people REALLY don’t want to know about that parade, but instead are searching for information about the upcoming Firemen’s Parade.

So here, quickly, are the details. I’ll write a more complete blog about the parade and the carnival itself soon.

The Webster Firemen’s Parade begins at 6:30 p.m., Thursday July 12 from the corner of Phillips and Ridge roads, travels west down Main Street, ending at Firemen’s Field in the village.

This is a huge parade. It will last 90 minutes or more. People start staking out their viewing spots the night before. If the weather stays this nice, you won’t want to miss it. Even if it’s not this nice, you won’t want to miss it.

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Village looks to upgrade two of its parks

30 Jun

If you’re a fan of our village parks, here’s something that might interest you:  Our village administrators are looking to make improvements to two of them, Schantz Park on State Rd. and Veterans Memorial Park (Gazebo Park) on North Ave.

A lot of changes are being proposed, all of which can be seen in the photos I’ve included above. You can also click here to see a detailed .pdf document:  2018.06.26 DRAFT Webster Parks Public Meeting. But here are some of the highlights:

Improvements to Schantz Park would focus mostly on the southeast portion of the park, adjacent to State Road. The tennis courts, which are infrequently used and are in very poor repair, would be removed entirely. Replacing them would be a much larger parking lot, a pavilion and a natural play area. All would presumably make the park more comfortable and welcoming for families and fans who come to watch ball games played there.

Plans for Veterans Memorial Park are much more extensive.

The biggest change would be the addition of a sidewalk encircling the entire grassy area of the park, expanding into a larger paved area directly in front of the gazebo. The idea here is to encourage better circulation and additional seating area, with the added benefit of providing easier access for those with disabilities.

The veteran’s memorial itself and its gardens would be moved from the southeast corner of the park to the northeast. And fear not, the park will still have a clock, although chances are very good it’s going to be replaced with something as handsome, but a lot less troublesome.

Sculptures, additional plantings, a rain garden, and a decorative gateway will make things look pretty.

While plans have been sketched out for both parks, right now the village is only planning to try for a state grant to work on Veterans Park, and focus on Schantz Park some time in the future.

The proposed upgrades come from recommendations provided by a six-member advisory committee comprised of village and local business representatives. Matt Chatfield, Executive Director of the Webster Economic Development Alliance, explained that the public meeting was the next step in the “quick concept phase” of the proposal.

“The grant application is just the first of many steps in this process,” he said. “If the Village is awarded funding, there will be several additional public involvement opportunities prior to any final design and construction.”

Of course this is going to be a long process (anything involving government administration usually is). The grant application isn’t due until the end of July, and we won’t know until December if we’ve been awarded any funds. If so, then there’s an entire year-long park design process. Construction wouldn’t even begin until late 2020.

No other information/comment gathering sessions are planned at this point. However, if you’d like to share your opinions about the planned improvements, you can fill out this form here. (It only asks your thoughts about Veterans Memorial Park because it’s the only one on the table for now.)

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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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