You’re gonna want to get your ducks in a row for this fun family event coming up in just a few weeks, to benefit Webster Comfort Care Home.
Webster Comfort Care Home’s fourth annual Duck Derby will take place Saturday May 18 at the Webster Park Beeches Pavilion.
The idea is simple: participants purchase rubber duckies for $10 each, and each has a number on it. At the appointed time, the ducks are dumped into Mill Creek, where they leisurely float down towards the lake. The “owners” of the first three ducks to cross the finish line win cash prizes.
Since the ducks like to take their time, there’ll be games, prizes, snacks and storytime at 10:15 to entertain while you wait. And you don’t have to be present to win.
The race will begin at the Webster Park Beeches Pavilion at 10 a.m. on Saturday May 18 and there’s plenty of parking. Cost for a single duck is $10, a “quack pack” of 6 ducks is $50 and a flock of 12 ducks is $100. Proceeds from the event directly benefit Webster Comfort Care to support their mission to provide end-of-life care to residents of Webster and the surrounding communities.
For more information or to purchase ducks, visit webstercomfortcare.org or call 585-872-5290. Payment is accepted by cash, check or credit card, and PayPal online. Tickets are available now.
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I’m going to head-up today’s mailbag with a few events which I haven’t mentioned in any recent posting, including this brand new one I only just learned about this week.
Webster Schroeder High School’s National Honor Society will be hosting a Trunk or Treat at the school on Sunday Oct. 29, from 5 to 7 p.m. The NHS kids promise candy, popcorn, cotton candy and creative costumes. They’ll also be accepting donations for the Pirate Toy Fund, so if you can help, bring a new, unwrapped toy to the event.
Webster Schroeder High School is located at 875 Ridge Rd. The Trunk or Treat will be held in the GOAL parking lot, which is on your right as you approach the Schroeder main entrance from Ridge.
Veterans and active-duty service personnel are invited to a free Veterans Day spaghetti dinner in appreciation for their service.
The dinner will take place Thursday, Nov. 9 from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at Spry Middle School, 119 South Avenue. Reservations are required, so attendees are asked to call the school at (585) 216-0093 to reserve seats. If you’d rather pick up a meal and not eat at the school, you can also call to reserve a takeout order.
The dinner includes spaghetti, salad, bread, and dessert. Attendees and pickup orders are asked to enter the school’s back parking lot off of Rt. 250, behind the cafetorium.
The next meeting of The Visionaries will be held on Wednesday Nov. 1 at 10:30 a.m. at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr.
The Visionaries is a support group for community members who struggle with vision issues — macular degeneration, glaucoma, dry eye, or others. Members share their interests and opportunities with others, encouraging those with visual impairment to get the most out of their lives.
The Visionaries began in 2000, and at one time boasted as many as 80 members. In addition to regular monthly meetings, the group has taken outings to attractions like the Memorial Art Gallery, Geva Theatre, and Pike Stained Glass Studio. For their December 6 meeting, the group will return to the Memorial Art Gallery and in January will meet at the Webster Public Library.
There’s no need to register for any meeting, just come by and join in. For more information on The Visionaries, contact Ed Wilkonski at (585) 265-4167 or email wingstwofly@rochester.rr.com.
The library will be closed on Friday Nov. 10 for staff training, and will close at 5 p.m. on Wednesday Nov. 22 for the Thanksgiving holiday.
The Caps for Sale fundraiser is coming up Thursday Nov. 2 from 5 to 7 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 4 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Hats will be $10 for children’s sizes and $15 for adult sizes and all proceeds benefit the Webster Public Library programs.
Also on Saturday Nov. 11, the library will hold their annual Vintage and Collectible Book Sale from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Book prices will start at $8 and prices are firm.
November 22 marks the 60th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. On Wednesday Nov. 15, MCC history professor Mark Sample tells the story of that tragic day and discuss some of the conspiracy theories. The hour-long program begins at 6:30 p.m. Registration is required.
The next Webster Business Spotlight program will focus on Schutt’s Apple Mill, on Thursday Nov. 9 from 1 to 2 p.m. Please register here.
The Webster Art Club Fall Show is going on right now at the library, through the end of November. This group meets for Open Art every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to noon at the Webster Recreation Center and has meetings with guest artists and demos on the second Wednesday of each month. New members are always welcome. For more information click here.
The next benefit spaghetti dinner at the Masonic Lodge is Friday Nov. 3 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the lodge, 30 Orchard Street.
This month’s dinner will benefit the Webster Thomas Titans Cheerleaders organization. Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for children. You can eat in or take it to go. Call (585) 872-3500 with questions.
The Webster Association of Senior Program Supporters will host an Indoor Arts/Crafts Sale at the Webster Recreation Center, Saturday Nov. 11 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. More than 30 vendors will be there. Proceeds will benefit WSPS, a non-profit organization which provides Webster seniors with rides to their medical-related appointments.
The West Webster Fire Department invites community members to help clean up the Lake Rd. memorial honoring fallen WWFD firefighters Lt. Mike Chiapperino and Tomasz Kaczowka, on Saturday Nov. 18 at 9 a.m.
Please bring gloves, weed trimmers, takes and trash bags. The memorial is located on Lake Rd. just past Sandbar Park.
I won’t go into much detail about any of these following events since I’ve written about them before, so if you want to find out more about any of them, check out the flyers below or just search for it on the blog.
DEA Drug take-back Saturday Oct. 28, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Webster Justice Court, 1002 Ridge Rd.
Family Scavenger Hunt, Saturday Nov. 4 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Webster Recreation Center
Santa’s Garage Sale at St. Martin Lutheran Church, 813 Bay Rd., from Nov. 2 to 4.
A Concert Apparel and Coat event, Sat. Oct. 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr.
Friends of Webster Trails’ annual Hot Cocoa Hike, Saturday Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. at Gosnell Big Woods Preserve.
Pumpkins on Parade, Saturday Oct, 28 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr.
The Village of Webster’s Trick-or-Treat Trail, Saturday Oct. 28 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
The All in For Comfort Care Casino Night, Friday Nov 3 from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at The Lodge at Shadow Hill in Ontario.
The Webster BID’s annual Bourbon Bash, Saturday Nov. 4 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Harmony House.
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A very special event was held last Tuesday evening at Webster Comfort Care Home, when more than 270 luminaria lined the home’s parking lot, lighting up the evening with memories.
Webster Comfort Care Home (WCCH), located at the corner of Holt and Klem roads, provides free hospice care to the terminally ill of our Webster community. The dedicated staff members and volunteers there uphold the dignity and ease the suffering of its residents, while supporting their loved ones in a warm, home-like atmosphere.
That mission was illuminated in a special way last Tuesday during the home’s second annual “Their Light Shines” remembrance event, when community members were invited to light a luminaria in honor of their loved one.
Before the evening was over, almost 275 luminarias had been lit and placed around the perimeter of the home’s large parking lot, honoring 62 residents. The daughter of a past resident spoke, and shared her story about how it felt watching her mom leave her home, come to the Comfort Care Home, how she was cared for, and how the experience moved her to become a resident care volunteer herself.
Attendees enjoyed apples and cider donated by Schutt’s Apple Mill, Herman’s Farm Market and Bauman’s Farm Market, and a wide variety of homemade cookies. Music was provided by Leah Sherman and Erin T. and Michael Miller and their groups who played the clarinet, violin, piano. The son of a former volunteer and resident made a slide show of every resident’s name, and several people paused to take a photo when their loved one’s name appeared.
photo by J. Groff
photo by S. Haines
photo by S. Haines
photo by S. Haines
Nurse Regina (right) has a tearful reunion with the mother of a past resident. (J. Groff)
photo by Glann Peck.
photo by Glenn Peck
photo by Glenn Peck
photo by Glenn Peck
photo by Glenn Peck
So many volunteers came together to make this event happen. Volunteers who wrote names on the luminaria, filled them with sand and directed traffic into the parking lot across the street. Members of the Webster Police Department even stopped by to see if they could lend a hand with anything.
“It was a real Webster Comfort Care Home community/family effort,” said director Julianne Groff.
She added,
We had families of residents (who were here) years ago attend, to a family who had just lost their loved one days before. A mom whose son died here last year made her first return to the Home, something she didn’t think she could do, and was reunited with the nurse who was holding her son’s hand when he died. There were lots of tears at that reunion.
Their Light Shines was a chance for the community to come together, to share our losses, to share an emotional moment, to share our stories and a piece of our loved ones. They may not be with us any longer, but their light shines through in every moment of every day, in every thought, in every memory, in everything we do. We carry them with us in so many ways.
The lights remained in the parking lot all through the night, casting their light in remembrance, continuing to spread comfort and joy to all who passed by. The evening illuminated in a beautiful and very meaningful way what Webster Comfort Care Home means to our community.
These are pictures from the “reunion” between the mother and one of our nurses, Regina (in the black top).
I’m going to start today’s mailbag with several events that I haven’t featured in a mailbag recently.
The first are the latest details about the Village of Webster’s Bourbon Bash, scheduled for Saturday Nov. 4 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Harmony House. Tickets are now on sale, and if this year’s event is going to be anything like previous ones, it will sell out quickly, so get your tickets SOON.
Local distilleries like Black Button and Smokin’ Tails along with distributors such as Woodford Reserve, Buffalo Trace and others will be available for sampling. Village of Webster restaurants such as The Coach, BC’s Chicken Coop and more will be featuring samples of their goods to complement the bourbons. ID is required at entry and raffles of bourbon products will be available for purchase.
Tickets are $30 and are limited. Click here to get yours. Proceeds will benefit the Harmony House Renovation Fund.
This is a cool event from the Webster Museum, an Antiques and Collectibles Roadshow.
If you’re curious about the value or origin of a special piece from your family’s history, bring it to the Webster Museum on Oct. 15 at 2 p.m. and the Palma brothers will use their expertise to provide you with some insight.
Frank and Greg Palma grew up in Penfield and own the Webster Jewelry and Coin Exchange at 159 W. Main St. in the village of Webster. Frank enjoys collecting and selling antique toys, comics, advertisements, and oil cans (the older the better), while his brother Greg is an expert in gold, coins, silver, and precious metals.
Over the years they’ve assembled a museum-like collection of items that can be seen and purchased at their store. In addition to sharing their expertise identifying your special objects, they’ll share some stories from their years in business.
Speaking of the museum, the folks over there are gearing up for the annual Christmas Tree Festival.
It will be held Saturday Dec. 2, as part of the village’s White Christmas festivities. So mark that date on your calendar right now.
But first … the museum is looking for individuals or organizations to decorate the small trees. Winners in each category will win $25 cash. Call Gwen Hoffman at 585-738-6221 to reserve your tree. Visitors to the museum will be voting Dec. 2 through Dec. 31. Join the fun!
The Rochester Academy of Irish Dance parents’ association will host a Chicken BBQ fundraiser on Saturday Oct. 21 from 4 p.m. until gone.
Cost is $15 which includes a half chicken, potatoes, cole slaw, rolls and butter.
The event will take place at 780 Ridge Rd. in Webster (by Auto Locators. Look for the elephant).
The Webster Central PTSA and the Webster Teachers Association are partnering for a Concert Apparel and Coat Event on Saturday Oct. 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 pm. at the Webster Recreation Center.
Community members are invited to come and “shop” the gently used items for free. Donations are now being accepted, of any size (toddler through adult) of the following items in good condition: winter coats/jackets, pants, boots, accessories; concert dress attire including white and black tops, shoes, bottoms and accessories. Collection boxes are located at each Webster Central School through Oct. 26.
The All in For Comfort Care Casino Night is fast approaching.
Matt Molloy from 13WHAM News will emcee this fun night, which will feature gaming tables, a 50/50 roulette wheel, silent auction, raffles, cash bar, appetizers and desserts. Plus everyone gets a complimentary $500 chip.
The Casino Night is scheduled for Friday Nov. 3, from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at the Lodge at Shadow Hill, 7259 Lakeside Rd., Ontario. Tickets are $75 in advance and $85 at the door. Click here for tickets. All proceeds benefit the Webster Comfort Care Home.
Webster NY Hope, 1450 Ridge Rd., has published this month’s wish list. It includes:
pasta
jarred spaghetti sauce
jars or cans of applesauce
diapers (size 5)
baby wipes (they’re completely out)
canned corn and beets
toiletries, shampoo, conditioner, deoderant
laundry detergent
dish soap
You can drop off your donations anytime Webster NY Hope is open. Click here for more details.
If you’re interested in any of these following events, I wrote about them in my mailbag last week, so click here to see that post for more details.
Capital Improvement Project vote
West Webster Fire Department and Webster Volunteer Fire Department open houses
Friends of Webster Library used book sale
Autumn special events at Schutt’s Apple Mill
Pumpkins on Parade at the Webster Recreation Center
And click here to read again about the great upcoming panel discussion about Athlete Wellness and Youth Sports.
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All shows will be held at Webster Thomas High School, 800 Five Mile Line Rd. Tickets are $20, plus $2 transaction fee if ordered online), and are reserve seating. Tickets will also be available at the door. Click here for tickets.
Community members are cordially invited to Their Light Shines, a Celebration of Remembrance on Tuesday evening Oct. 3, where you can light a luminaria in honor or memory of your loved one(s).
Luminarias can be purchased for $10 each and will benefit the Webster Comfort Care Home in its mission to provide no-cost, compassionate care to the terminally ill and their families.
The Celebration of Remembrance will be held at the Comfort Care Home, 700 Holt Rd., from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday Oct. 3. Rain date will be Oct. 5.
Our very own Webster Marching Band will host their 37th annual Autumn Fanfare field show and competition on Saturday October 7 at Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Rd.
Autumn Fanfare is always a spectacular evening of storytelling through music, marching, and even a little bit of acting. There are always huge set pieces involved to move the music-story forward. This is an awesome opportunity to see what our hometown marching bad has been up to, and be impressed by the incredible amount of hard work these kids put in every year to create a show that will blow you away.
Gates open at 5 p.m. and the show starts at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10, available at Herman’s Farm Market (741 Five Mile Line Rd.) and the Webster Recreation Center (1350 Chiyoda Dr.). They can also be purchased for $12 at the gate.
More to come about this.
Don’t forget about the Capital Improvement Project vote on Wednesday, Oct. 11
The Webster Central School District has proposed an $85 million capital improvement project that will impact all 11 schools with zero tax impact for district residents. The project will include renovations and improvements to all of the schools. The project will be voted on by the Webster CSD community on Wednesday, October 11, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Webster Schroeder High School’s gym, 875 Ridge Road.
To learn more about the project and the improvements to each school, click here. You can also sign up to receive periodic communications from the district regarding the project. For details, please visit the capital improvement project news story at www.websterschools.org.
The West Webster Fire Department will hold their annual Fire Prevention Open House on Sunday Oct. 15, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the fire station on Gravel Rd.
The afternoon will include firehouse tours, fire safety displays, equipment displays, live demos, refreshments and more.
There’s no charge, and the entire Webster community is invited. For more information, visit the WWFD Facebook page here.
While we’re on that subject, remember that the Webster Volunteer Fire Department always holds its open house during the village’s Trick of Treat Trail, this year scheduled for Saturday Oct. 28. Stay tuned for more information about that.
This is always a great opportunity to stock your home library. Hardcover books are just $1, and paperback books just 50 cents.
Members of the Friends of the Webster Public Library can visit Wednesday, Oct. 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. for a first look. Membership in the Friends of the Webster Public Library is required and can be purchased at the door.
The general public sale will be Thursday, Oct. 19 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday Oct. 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday Oct. 21 from 10 a.m. to noon. Friday and Saturday are BYOB Sale Days; bring your own bag, and fill it for just $5.
The sale will be held at the library, 980 Ridge Rd. Proceeds from the fall book sale directly benefit library programs, book collections and other special projects.
Our Penfield friends, Schutt’s Apple Mill on Plank Rd., have a couple of fun events planned for this fall.
On Tuesday Oct. 24 (one week before Halloween), Schutt’s will host their Trick-or-Treat at the Farmevent from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. It’s a family-friendly night where you can walk through the orchard on a Trick-or-Treat Trail to find some fanciful jack-o-lanterns and sweet treats. Costumes and flashlights are encouraged.
This is a free event and no registration is required.
On Saturday Nov. 4, Schutt’s will host a Holiday Farm Market from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. from 9 a.m. This is a great opportunity to support 35 local businesses while shopping for personal and gift items.
For more information about both of these events and others, click here. Schutt’s Apple Mill is located at 1063 Plank Rd.
Pumpkins on Parade at the Webster Recreation Center is back, Saturday Oct. 28 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
This is a one-mile long trail lined with creatively and whimsically-carved jack-o-lanterns. Every year the Rec Center puts this on (this is the fourth annual), it’s been bigger and better, packed with post-trail treats, photo opportunities and more
I’ll be providing more details about this, but for now, start planning your pumpkin carving, because the Rec Center is going to need a LOT of jack-o-lanterns.
Finally, check the flyers below for details about lots of great upcoming programs at the Webster Public Library, including:
the Readers, Writers and Connections program for budding writers
Teen Library Club
National Hair Day storytime
Family Night
a movie matinee
a Halloween craft
line dancing for kids
a clay class for children and parents
The Webster Library is located at 980 Ridge Rd.
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There are several great events coming up this weekend which I wanted to remind you about, plus a look ahead at a few others.
But first, this breaking news:
Due to the lack of registrations, the Webster Community Bed Race has been postponed. Organizers hope to reschedule the race for sometime next spring. (This was a real bummer because this would have been fun.)
WCCH hosts guest bartender
Here’s a fun way to support the Webster Comfort Care Home (WCCH). Thursday night from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., WCCH will hold a guest bartending evening at Capone’s Bar and Italian Eatery, 1517 Empire Blvd. Mark Shuttleworth, PM drive host and program director at Legends 102.7, will be one of the guest bartenders!
It’ll be a fun night of cocktails and raffles, and an early bird chance to buy tickets to WCCH’s upcoming Casino Night on Nov. 3. For more information, click here.
A reminder that the 4th annual Barry’s Irish Festival takes place this Saturday Sept. 16 at the Barry Patch Farm in Hilton. This is always an excellent day filled with all things Irish: music, food, dancers, and of course Guinness. This is also a great chance to say one last thank-you to Danny and Jess for blessing our village with the original Barry’s Old School Irish for so long.
The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m, and tickets are $20 at the door (kids under 16 are free). For a lot more details, check out this blog.
Get rid of those paint cans
Also on Saturday Sept. 16, a hazardous waste recycling event will be held at the Webster Highway Garage, 1005 Picture Parkway.
This event is by appointment only. To schedule your appointment and see a whole list of what can be accepted, click here.
Willkommen!
Webster’s annual Oktoberfest is returning to Webster Fireman’s Field on Friday and Saturday Sept. 15 and 16.
Opening at noon Friday Sept. 15, with events through Saturday evening Sept. 16, this year’s festival will feature authentic German cuisine from Swan’s Market, beer and wine by Cobblestone on Main, Nancy’s Fried Dough and Helmut’s Strudel of WNY, all set to authentic local and regional German bands and musicians.
The Oktoberfest will be open both days from noon to 10:30 p.m. Tickets will be sold at the door for $5 from noon to 3 p.m. on Friday only, and $10 all other times. Children under 12 are free when accompanied by an adult.
The Oktoberfest is the kick-off event for Challenger Week, which features several special events to benefit Challenger Miracle Field of Greater Rochester. Check out this blog for more details about the Oktoberfest and Challenger Week.
Garage sales!!!!
Both the Webster Museum and Webster NY Hope are holding huge garage sales Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Click here for details about both sales.
Van driver needed
The Webster Recreation Center’s Senior Center is still looking for a part-time van driver to help seniors get to and from the Rec Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For more information, click the image.
Church BBQ
St. Martin Lutheran Church will hold a Drive Thru Chicken BBQ on Saturday, Sept. 23 at the church, 813 Bay Road, Webster. The event begins at 4:30 p.m. and will continue until all dinners are sold out.
Dinners will include a half chicken, salt potatoes, coleslaw, roll, butter and cookie, and will cost $15.
The event will be drive-through only and there will be no advance sales; first-come, first-served. Cars should enter the parking lot, follow the signs, and purchase dinners using exact payment of either cash or check. Cars will then pick up boxed dinners.
Proceeds from the BBQ will support both St. Martin’s Little Free Pantry and Christmas Stocking Project, which reaches more than 500 local youth in Monroe and Wayne counties.
Caps for Sale fundraiser needs you
The very clever and very popular “Caps for Sale” fundraiser returns to the Webster Public Library in November, to benefit the Friends of the Library.
The fundraiser is based on the popular children’s book of the same name, in which Bartholomew Cubbins had 500 hats. There won’t be quite that many at this sale, but guaranteed you’ll find a beautiful selection of hand-crafted hats.
Right now, the library is collecting yarn for crafty people to turn into hats, and asking crafty people to make hats for the sale. Any size (infant to adult), any style, any technique (knit, crochet, felt, woven, felt, sewn), with any fiber (machine washable is appreciated, please include care information) will be ac cepted. If you can donate yarn or hats, you can drop them off at the library service desk during September and October.
The actual Caps for Sale fundraiser event will be November 2 from 5 to 7 pm and Saturday Nov 4 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the library. Adult hats will be $15 and children’s hats will be $10. Any unsold hats will be donated to Webster NY Hope and other charities.
Finally, these two notices from the school district:
Webster CSD Hosts Capital Project Community Forums
Webster CSD residents are invited to attend TWO community forums which will highlight the proposed Building Our Future capital improvement project. The $85 million project focuses on providing a safe educational environment for all students with zero tax impact for district residents. Forums will be held on:
Thursday, September 21, Webster Schroeder High School library, 6:30-7:30 p.m., 875 Ridge Road, (this forum will also be live streamed)
Thursday, September 28, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Webster Thomas High School library, 800 Five Mile Line Road
Community members will have the opportunity to learn more – and ask questions – about Building Our Future, including planned upgrades at all 11 schools. As a reminder, Webster CSD’s Building Our Future capital project vote will take place Wednesday, October 11, 6 a.m. – 9 p.m. in the Webster Schroeder High School gym, 875 Ridge Road, Webster.
… and, if you want to vote on the project but will be out of town ..
Absentee ballot applications are now available for Webster CSD’s proposed Building Our Future capital improvement project.
Qualified voters of the district who will be unable to attend the polls on the day of the vote, for reasons outlined on the absentee ballot application, may wish to use an absentee ballot. Voters must apply for the ballot in advance. Absentee ballot applications are available from District Clerk Heather Murphy, 119 South Avenue, Webster, or under Links on the bottom of the Proposed Capital Project web page at websterschools.org/capitalproject.
All absentee ballot applications must be received by the district clerk at least seven business days prior to the vote if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or the day before the vote if the ballot is to be picked up personally by or for the voter.
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There’s more music in the village this week, when 8 Days a Week returns to Gazebo Parkthis Friday July 28 for the next Friday night concert.
8 Days a Week is Upstate New York’s premier Beatles tribute band, and guaranteed they’ll have everyone dancing and along to songs we all know so well.
The concert begins at 7 p.m. at Gazebo Park on North Ave. Bring your chairs and blankets, and a cooler if you’d like with food and beverages. It’s all free and family-friendly.
Speaking of music, a few more opportunities to enjoy some live music are coming up in the next few weeks.
This coming Wednesday Aug. 2, John Dady and John Ryan will be performing at the United Church of Christ for their weekly Caring Community Concert series.
These concerts benefit local nonprofit organizations. There’s no admission, but each week the church collects a free-will offering benefiting that week’s chosen non-profit organization. The Dady and Ryan concert will benefit Webster Comfort Care Home.
The concerts all begin at 6:30 p.m., and food concessions begin at 6. The concerts are held on the United Church of Christ front lawn, at 570 Klem Rd. (In case of rain it’s moved indoors.) On Wednesday August 9, 8 Days a Week will take the stage. (So if you liked them at the gazebo, check them out here!)
The Summer Concert Series at Cherry Ridge is in full swing. The next concert is scheduled for Tuesday August 8 from 6:30 to 8 p.m., featuring the Gateswingers Big Band. The concerts are held outside, and the grounds open up at 5 p.m. with food available for purchase. So bring your lawn chair and enjoy some beautiful music.
Cherry Ridge is located at 900 Cherry Ridge Blvd., across from Webster Schroeder High School. Registration is requested. Click here to do so.
Good food is in store at St. Martin Lutheran Churchwhen they host their next Pulled Pork Drive-Thru beginning at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday Aug. 5.
The take-out dinner includes pulled pork sandwich, salt potatoes, cole slaw and cookie for just $12. Proceeds will support the church’s annual Christmas Stocking Project reaching over 500 children and teens in Monroe and Wayne counties.
Pull into the parking lot, place your order using exact payment, and the dinner will be delivered to you as you drive up in your car.
St. Martin Lutheran Church is located at 813 Bay Rd.
There’s always TONS of fun stuff happening at the Webster Public Library, too much for me to tell you about them all here. But I do want to shine a spotlight on a few of them.
The first is the return of the very popular life-sized Candyland game.
This year’s game is “lighter” than the one they’ve had in the past, but no less fun. Bring your family and friends and become part of the game we’ve all enjoyed playing for decades. Check out the flyer for times.
And here’s a chance to check out one of our most natural areas, the Webster Arboretum.
On Tuesday Aug. 8 at 6 p.m., the library will host a guided tour through the Arboretum, especially highlighting some of the new plantings there. The tour will take about 90 minutes and will require a lot of walking, much of it off the pathways, so wear some comfortable shoes.
Finally, here’s a reminder that the Webster Museum is now accepting donations for their annual Barn Sale, scheduled for Sept. 14 to 16.
Donations are being collected at the barn located at 394 Phillips Rd. You can drive right down the driveway to the barn and put your donations inside (donation receipts are on the table). Although you can donate any day, museum volunteers are on site Monday mornings if you would like assistance unloading your donations.
Items they’d love to see are antiques, collections and collectibles, kitchen and household items, décor, small appliances, toys, tools, and small furniture. They cannot accept books or magazines, computers, clothing, linens, baby cribs or car seats, large furniture, snow skis or water skis, large exercise equipment, audio or video tapes (VHS tapes, music cassettes, etc), or entertainment electronics, (TVs, stereos, DVD players, etc).
That’s about enough for today. August and September are shaping up to be very busy months, so stay tuned for more news about
the Webster Jazz Fest
the Barry’s Irish Festival
a blood drive at Spry Middle School sponsored by The Steam Police
a new family hike at Four Mile Creek from the Friends of Webster Trails
an electronics recycling event
a hazardous waste recycling event
the return of the Webster Garlic Fest
the 2023 Mud Run
the Oktoberfest
and more.
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This first item today is for anyone interested in learning more about the Forest Lawn neighborhood, up there along the lake, which has a surprisingly multi-faceted history.
On Wednesday May 17, the Webster Museum will host the next in their History and a Cup series. Beginning at noon, fourth-generation Forest Lawn resident George Forsyth will tell stories about growing up in Forest Lawn and the home he now lives in, built by his grandfather Walter Forsyth.
George was surrounded by family including his Uncle, Judge C. Benn Forsyth who authored the Forest Lawn book. His stories, will be include his memories as a child. He will bring photos and try to answer all your questions. Bring a sandwich for lunch, and the museum will provide coffee, lemonade and cookies.
Forest Lawn is a lakeside community neighborhood of permanent residents with its own mayor. Samuel Pierce, an early settler, bought and farmed 73 acres along the lake beginning in 1850. His son Horace and an attorney friend, George D. Forsyth, saw potential commercial opportunities in developing the land due to its proximity to the lake and proposed a railway line. In 1888, the Forest Lawn community began with the construction of a hotel. Shortly after, the land was divided into lots which were sold for summer cottages. Wealthy judges and lawyers from Corn Hill soon discovered the area. They would commute to the city by trolley for business, while their families enjoyed summers at the lake.
On Sunday, May 21 beginning at 2 p.m., the museum will hold an Open House to highlight their new Forest Lawn exhibit. Mayor Caley Ferguson will speak at 3 p.m.
If you can’t make it to either of the presentations, plan on stopping by the museum some other time. Their Forest Lawn exhibit will be up all summer. The Webster Museum is located at 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster. It’s open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Check out the website for more information, and “like” the museum on Facebook.
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The 3rd Annual Duck Derby, sponsored by Webster Comfort Care Home, is this coming Saturday May 20, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Webster Park Beeches Pavilion.
Buy your tickets for $5 and watch them race down the creek to see which one wins (or don’t, because you don’t have to be there to win). This is always a fun morning, with family activities, refreshments, an egg hunt, kids’ games, story time with the Webster Public Library at 10:30, and Yolickity.
This is one of the biggest fundraisers of the year for Webster Comfort Care Home, so buy a duck … or ten ducks. Click here to purchase your ducks. Special prizes will be awarded to ducks #500, 1000 and 1500.
There’s still time to get tickets for the concert on Saturday May 20 featuring two of Rochester’s premier a cappella choruses (which both call Webster home), the Chorus of the Genesee and Rochester Rhapsody. The two groups will join their voices for “Harmony in the House,” a musical treat featuring both choruses and several a cappella quartets. The choruses will perform together and separately, and quartets from both groups will fill your heart with a variety of musical favorites. Plus, there’ll be door prizes, raffles, a bar, snacks, and plenty of free parking.
Tickets are $18 for the 3 p.m. matinee, and $20 for the 7 p.m. show. Following the evening performance, everyone is invited to hang around for the annual “Afterglow,” a fun party with food, drinks, more singing and socializing. Click here to get your tickets, or call 315-391-4911.
“Harmony in the House” is a fundraiser for the Harmony House, a beautiful historic building constructed in 1899, which both groups call home. The Harmony House is located at 58 East Main St. in the Village of Webster.
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Calling all girls interested in joining Girl Scouts!
Girl Scouts of Webster New York will be holding a Unicorn Party just for you on Tuesday, May 23 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Webster Public Library, 980 Ridge Rd.
All kindergarten (including pre-K students registered for kindergarten) and first-grade girls are invited to learn more about the Girl Scouts, and enjoy unicorn-themed crafts and games. There’s no charge.
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The Friends of the Webster Public Library have come up with a great new event for bibliophiles. It’s their very first Vintage and Collectible Book Sale on Saturday June 3 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The event will offer more than 140 books in good or better condition at very attractive, fixed prices. There are lots of first editions or first printings, published anytime from the late 19th century to the previous decade of the 21st century. Books from authors in the Library of America series and from the NY Times Best Seller list will be displayed. You’ll find books about Rochester and upstate New York; a good-sized assortment of books about war and its weapons; a few Tolkien items; some juvenile fiction ranging from the Bobbsey Twins to Harry Potter; many, many books about music, art, popular culture, animals, health, business, and history, along with biographies and even a couple of books we find hard to describe but they sure look interesting.
The sale will be held in the Community Room of the library, 980 Ridge Rd.
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Here’s a fun way to support Miracle Field and enjoy some great music at the same time.
It’s the Challenger Miracle Field Blues Night, scheduled for Thursday, June 1 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Monroe Golf Club in Pittsford. Tickets are $75 which includes hors d’oeuvres, entertainment, a Mission Moment, and more. Please RSVP and get your tickets by May 25 by clicking here.
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The first Village of Webster Wine Walk will be held on Saturday, June 3 from 4 to 7 pm. starting at Jo Jo Bistro and Wine Bar.
Tickets are $15 and will only be available online, but I don’t have a link for that yet. As soon as I get one, I’ll pass it along. Or stay tuned for details at WebsterBID.com. Hopefully they’ll be updated shortly. But in the meantime, get this on your calendar now.
Today’s mailbag is packed with events coming up in the next few weeks, so grab your calendar and dig in.
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The next Friends of the Webster Public Library Spring Book Sale is here, happening Wednesday April 26 through Saturday April 29. Gently-used hardcover books will be available for only $1, paperback books will be $.50.
Members of the Friends can shop before everyone else, on Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m. If you’re not a member and want a sneak peek, memberships will be available at the door or on the library website.
The general public sale will begin Thursday April 27 from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. Friday, April 28 is BYOB (bring your own bag) Bag Sale from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m, when you can fill a bag with gently used books for only $5. The bag sale continues on Saturday, April 29 but only from 10 a.m. til noon.
Proceeds from the spring book sale directly benefit library programs, book collections and other special projects.
ALSO, the Library will host a blood drive for the American Red Cross on Tuesday May 2 from noon to 5 p.m. Click here to make an appointment.
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The next St. Martin Lutheran Church’s Drive Thru Chicken BBQ will be held Saturday, April 29 beginning at 4:30 p.m. at the church, 813 Bay Road, Webster.
Dinners of a half chicken, salt potatoes, coleslaw, roll, and butter are available for $15.00 – cash or check only. The event is drive-through only, and there will be no advance sales.
Dinners will be served first come/first served. Cars will enter the parking lot, follow signs, and purchase dinners using exact payment. Cars will then proceed to the side entrance to pick up boxed dinners.
Proceeds will benefit St. Martin’s Christmas Stocking Project reaching over 500 local youth in Monroe and Wayne counties.
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The Schroeder Theater Company invites you to join them as they travel Around the World in 80 Days!
The fearless and calculated Phileas Fogg and her newly appointed, resourceful servant Passepartout race to beat the clock in this country-hopping adventure. Fogg has agreed to an outrageous wager that puts her fortune and life at risk. Together, the two set out to circle the globe in an unheard of 80 days. But their every step is dogged by a detective who thinks Fogg is a robber on the run. Can they stay on schedule as they avoid police interference, traverse exotic landscapes, endure typhoons, and more?
Performances are in the Webster Schroeder High School auditorium, 875 Ridge Road, on Thursday May 4 at 7 p.m., Friday May 5 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 6 at 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased online at Ticket Spicket or at the door.
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Webster Comfort Care Home has several fundraising events coming up this summer, but you’ll want to get signed up for this one right away.
It’s the 20th (almost) annual “Chip In for Comfort Care” golf tournament, scheduled for Monday July 10 at Webster Golf Club on Salt Rd. Registration fee is $125, and includes a grab-and-go breakfast, complimentary game balls, and prizes. Plus, they’re introducing a new “knock out the gnome” game this year.
You can also support Webster Comfort Care on Friday May 5 by heading to the Masonic Lodge on Orchard Street for a spaghetti dinner from 5 to 7 p.m.
Dinner includes spaghetti, choice of sauce, salad, bread and dessert. Cost is $11 for adults, $6 for children 12 and under.
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The Webster Arboretum Association, together with local growers and local garden clubs, will host the 2023 Webster Arboretum Plant Sale on Saturday May 13 from 8 a.m. to noon.
A tremendous variety of beautiful, healthy plants from standard to uncommon will be available including annuals, dwarf conifers, hostas, geraniums, tomatoes, and more. It’s a great way to celebrate spring and get some live plants perfectly suited for your garden. And don’t forget Mother’s Day!
The sale will be held at the Webster Arboretum, 1700 Schlegel Rd. Webster.
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A Craft and Vendor Sale to benefit the Webster Volunteer Fire Department will be held at the Webster Fireman’s Building, 172 Sanford Street on Saturday May 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Almost 30 vendors are expected for this show, which will be held inside and outside the building. All proceeds will benefit the Webster Volunteer Fire Department.
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Looking ahead, the 2023 St. Rita Fiesta has been scheduled for Friday and Saturday June 2 and 3. All of your favorite Fiesta activities will be returning, including carnival games, a foam dart course, mini golf course, inflatables, dunk tank, plant sale, book sale, games of chance, food, drink, lots of live entertainment, and more.
More details to come, but in the meantime you can check out the website.
One of Webster’s most valued organizations, Webster Comfort Care Home, located at the corner of Holt Rd. and Klem Rd., is marking a significant anniversary this week: 20 years serving the comfort needs of those in their final weeks of life.
A lot of people have heard about Webster Comfort Care Home, but fewer realize the incredibly positive service the volunteers and staff members there offer the residents and their families. Providing round-the-clock care for a terminally ill family member can be very difficult and stressful, especially while grieving. The dedicated and compassionate staff members and volunteers at Webster Comfort Care Home work to completely remove that burden, upholding the dignity and ease the suffering of its residents while supporting their loved ones in a warm, home-like atmosphere.
It’s a service that most people don’t think about until they find themselves, or a family member, in need. Now, on the occasion of its 20th anniversary, Webster Comfort Care hopes that lots more community members will take the opportunity to get to know them better.
It was September of 2000 when a group of friends gathered around the kitchen table at the home of Dave and Kathy Whitlock. They’d come together to discuss the possibility of creating a comfort care home in Webster, a place which helps ease the transition of the final journey for residents, their families and loved ones, by providing symptom control, pain relief and quality of life.
Pulling off a project of that magnitude was an ambitious undertaking. It would require finding a house, creating a board of directors, hiring a director, recruiting volunteers, and navigating a mountain of paperwork.
By the end of the evening, however, driven by the rallying cry of “What do we have to lose?”, Webster Comfort Care Home was born, and this month the home is celebrating its 20th anniversary of serving the Webster community.
The idea to build a comfort care home in Webster originated with a similar facility, Pines of Peace in Ontario. Shortly after he retired, Dave Whitlock started volunteering at the Wayne County-based comfort care home. After a few months, the director pulled him aside, and told him that while she appreciated his commitment to volunteering, perhaps his time might be better spent starting another home in Webster. She explained that she often had to turn away Webster residents because of her need to prioritize Wayne County applications.
So Dave recruited his fellow Pines of Peace volunteers Kathy Fulton and Noelle Schabel, their husbands, and his own wife Kathy, and on that September evening in 2000, created the first Advisory Board and got the wheels moving.
After establishing the project as a 501(c)(3), the first order of business was to start fundraising. The organizers started knocking on doors, holding public meetings, reaching out to churches and community agencies for donations. No one turned them down, and before long they had raised about $35,000. Still, that was far short of the estimated $100,000 it would take to purchase a house and make the needed renovations.
That’s when Norm Gerber, a local home builder, stepped in. As former president of the Rochester Home Builders’ Association, he went to his group and asked each member to donate one day’s worth of labor to build a house. He also asked them all to contact their suppliers and get all of the materials donated. Even the building parcel at the corner of Klem and Holt roads was cheap; part of it was donated by builder John Schantz, and the rest by a member of the Klem family who asked only that they pay the back taxes.
On Sept. 18, 2002, ground was broken for the Webster Comfort Care Home. Less than five months later, on Feb. 3, 2003, the first resident was admitted.
From the very beginning, turning the dream of a Webster comfort care home into a reality was a true community effort.
A huge poster hanging on one of the office walls at the facility lists more than 200 community agencies, businesses and individuals who helped build the home. It includes builders, restaurants and bars; there’s a nursery, a nail salon and a pizzeria. Their contributions ranged from small monetary donations to manual labor and entire pallets of building materials. The United Methodist Church of Webster held a “house shower” for the new home just before the doors opened, providing much-needed kitchen, pantry and bedding supplies. Two other women worked together to make curtains, some of which are still hanging in the kitchen today.
What the community created was not so much a facility, but a home much like any other, with two resident rooms, a spare bedroom, a kitchen, dining room, living room and a big garage. A place where family members and their loved ones feel welcome, supported, and comfortable during those last difficult days and weeks.
And believe it or not, it’s a happy place.
Even though patients and their families come to Webster Comfort Care Home at a terribly difficult time in their lives, being able to hand off the burden of care to a compassionate team of doctors, nurses and volunteers is a huge relief.
“They realize how tired they were or how (the) lines were blurring,” WCC Director Julianne Groff said, adding,
It’s normal to become bitter or angry. We do a lot of validating here. It’s ok to cry, it’s ok to not cry. It’s ok to feel a little resentment, it’s ok to be angry that your loved one is sick. The volunteers here do amazing things with families, too. Just listening, comforting, validating, allowing people to be where they are.
The staff members are certainly known to cry, too, but it’s really not as distressing an environment as you might think.
Bill Fulton explained, “One of the things that you hear when you say you volunteer is “Oh, that’s got to be a depressing place. But everybody who’s ever volunteered will counter that by saying we laugh more than we cry.”
Julianne agreed.
There’s much more laughter here than there are tears. Because it’s not about dying as much as it is about living whatever time you have left. To try to make each day count however they want it to count. Whether they want to sleep all day and be left alone, if they want to come out and do a jigsaw puzzle, they want to watch Price is Right, or they just want someone to sit with them, whatever it is. Whatever they want that day to look like.
In the last 20 years, Webster Comfort Care Home has served 433 residents, and the facility continues to rely on community support to stay up and running. Funding comes entirely from donations, which cover overhead costs and keep their pantries stocked. Residents and their families are never asked for payment. There are lots of ways to help, including donating supplies or attending one of the annual fundraising events like the annual Duck Derby (coming up May 20), the Webster Masonic Lodge spaghetti dinner (May 5), or the United Church of Christ summer concert (July). And of course they can always use more volunteers. You can read more about these opportunities and see an entire wish list at webstercomfortcare.org.
Congratulations on your anniversary, Webster Comfort Care Home. I think I speak for the entire Webster community when I say we hope you enjoy many more.
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More about Webster Comfort Care Home (from the website):
The Webster Comfort Care Home management team is a group of citizens who believe in the dignity and value of every person, and who care about our community. United in our desire to provide hospice-based care, our role is a privileged one. We believe in individualized care to accommodate the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of the home’s residents. We also wish to embrace each resident’s family and friends with love and support that would continue throughout the grieving process. Partnering with local hospice agencies, we provide complete and comprehensive around-the-clock care.
Read more about the facility and how you can help at webstercomfortcare.org, or by calling (585) 872-5290
I feature the people and places and events that make Webster the wonderful community it is — and throw in some totally-not-Webster-related personal ramblings every once in a while as well.
I love it when readers send me news about the great things happening in their schools or the community, so please email me anytime at missyblog@gmail.com
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