Tag Archives: Webster NY

Webster community mailbag

5 Apr

A couple of events from my friends at the Webster Chamber of Commerce today.

The first is the announcement about their next Eat, Drink & Connect event. These networking events are hosted monthly by Chamber members are great opportunities to develop current business connections and start new ones. They’re also a chance for Chamber visitors to socialize with Webster Chamber members and find out more about the organization.

The April event will be hosted by Metro Mattress at 975 Ridge Road in Webster, on Wednesday April 8 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Members and professionals interested in doing business in Webster, and are prospective Chamber members, are invited to attend these events. Bring a door prize to increase your business’ visibility and maybe you’ll even win something! There’s no fee to attend. but registration is required.

The Webster Chamber of Commerce also hosts a Monthly Meeting with a breakfast buffet for Chamber members, guests, and visitors who are interested in investigating Chamber membership. April’s meeting (complete with a hot breakfast buffet) will be held on Friday, April 24 from 7 to 8:30 a.m. at the Webster Golf Club, 440 Salt Rd. The Monthly Meetings are opportunities to network, meet new contacts, develop current business relationships, learn, and earn visibility for your business or organization. Every attendee also participates in pass-the-mic. This is the largest monthly Chamber networking event within the Greater Rochester area, with 80-100 attendees. Bring a door prize for increased visibility and your business card, to take your chances on winning a door prize! Online reservations are required by Thursday, April 23 at noon.  

Arboretum presents program on lawn care

Carl Schimenti, the Urban Environmental Specialist for the Cornell Turfgrass Team, will visit the Webster Arboretum on Tuesday, April 14 at 7 p.m. to present a program on Lawn Care and Management. Learn lawn care basics such as grass type, water needs and weed control with pre- and post-emergents, fertilizing do’s and don’ts and mowing tips. Please register at thewebsterarboretum.org.  This presentation will take place at The Webster Arboretum 1700 Schlegel Rd in Webster.

Musical BINGO!

The Webster Recreation Center invites community members who are 55+ to a fun and exciting “Singo Bingo” game on Friday April 17, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

The game is a musical twist on the classic game of bingo. Sing along to your favorite tunes while matching song samples to titles on your Bingo card. Fantastic prizes await. Cost is $3 per participant and registration is required. Visit the Rec Center’s registration page and search for activity #141086.

The Webster Recreation Center is located at 1350 Chiyoda Dr.

Also at the Rec Center

Here’s a look at this month’s Talks on Tuesday series:

  • Tuesday April 14: Golf Injury Prevention
    • Physical therapist Stephen Spencer will discuss golf-specific injuries and share effective strategies for prevention. Register for Activity #146940-O
  • Tuesday April 21: Turning 65 and Medicare Options
    • Jon Jordan from my Diligent Advisors will take you through the various Medicare options from the key
      components A, B, C, & D to coverage choices and the enrollment process.
  • Tuesday April 28: Gardening Pain Free
    • Gardening is great for the body and mind—but bending, kneeling, and lifting can strain the back, knees, and shoulders. This talk teaches simple body-mechanic tips, gentle warm-ups, and easy positioning strategies to help seniors garden more comfortably, avoid injury, and enjoy the season with less pain and more confidence. Register for Activity #146940-Q

Talks on Tuesday programs are designed for community members aged 55+, and are held from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The programs are free but registration is required.

Harmony in the House returns

Plans are being made and songs are being rehearsed for Harmony in the House 2026, the annual joint concert of The Chorus of the Genesee and Rochester Rhapsody. This year’s musical extravaganza will be held Saturday, May 30 at Our Lady of Mercy High School.

More details to come about that, but there are a couple of ways you can help right now:

  1. Buy an advertisement in the Show Program. Over 600 audience members and performers from Webster/Greater Rochester will see your ad. You’ll be mentioned on our social media sites as well. Prices range from $15 to $250 and the program will be printed in full color. Place your ad HERE or send an email to RochesterCOG@gmail.com if you have questions. Deadline for ad submissions is April 14.
  2. Buy tickets for the show. You can get them here.
  3. Make a direct donation to the Harmony House Renovation Project (your donation is tax-deductable)

Questions? email RochesterCOG@gmail.com

WCCH Mother’s Day Raffle (you’re her favorite, right?)

Here’s news about a great Mother’s Day raffle to benefit the Webster Comfort Care Home (WCCH).

  • First prize ($500+ value) is the ultimate self-care bundle includes WOW hair products, a gift certificate to Evie Boutique, a beautiful candle, and more in a Thirty-One Catch All Bin to help one lucky winner relax, refresh, and feel pampered!
  • Second prize ($125 value) includes a big bottle of Prosecco, two insulated wine glasses, wine charms, sassy sticky notes, and a soft, cozy afghan, everything you need to unwind in style.
  • Third prize ($50 value) is a sweet little treat! It includes a candle, dream pillow, sassy sticky notes, and $20 in gift cards to Lala of Webster for a little extra something special.

Tickets are $25 each, 3 for $60 or 6 for $100, and are available at the WCCH website. Drawing will be held on May 3 at 10 a.m. Click here to get your tickets.

Good books, cheap

The Friends of WPL’s Spring Book Sale takes place Wednesday, April 22 through Saturday April 25.

The first day of the sale, April 22 from 4 to 7 p.m., is exclusively for Friends members. Membership can be purchased at websterlibrary.org or at the door.

All are welcome to attend the Book Sale on Thursday, April 23 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Hardcover books will be $1 each and paperbacks are only 50 cents each. Thursday, April 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday, April 25 from 10 a.m. to noon are Bring-Your-Own-Bag Sale days, when you can fill your bag with books for only $5.

And don’t forget about this library event…

The Webster Public Library’s annual Diverse Abilities Resource Fair has been scheduled for Saturday, April 18 from 10 a.m. to noon.

If you’re looking for resources for your loved one with a disability, this is a great opportunity to meet and chat with representatives from several Rochester-area organizations which offer all sorts of programs and support. All ages are welcome. Registration is not required but recommended if you would like a reminder. To register, call 585-872-7075 or visit websterlibrary.org.

Got expired drugs?

Webster Health and Education Network, together with the Town of Webster and the Webster Police Department will host a DEA National Drug Take Back event on Saturday, April 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Webster Town Court, 1002 Ridge Rd. (behind Town Hall; look for the blue roof). Clear out your medicine cabinet to help to keep Webster safe. This will be a drive-through event so you don’t even have to get out of your car! 

This is your chance to safely dispose of unused, expired or unwanted medications. Registration is not required, but if you register you’ll get a reminder via email about the event. You can register and get more details here.

The Webster Health & Education Network (WHEN) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization serving Webster families for 30 years. Research shows that the longer a young person waits before trying drugs or alcohol, the less likely they are to become addicted later in life. WHEN works to delay, decrease, and prevent substance use by underage youth. 

It’s chicken barbecue time again!

St. Martin Lutheran Church will hold its Spring Drive-Thru Chicken BBQ on Saturday, May 2 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.

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(posted 4/5/2026)

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

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News(letter) from the Town of Webster

5 Apr

I got my most recent Town of Webster newsletter emailed to me the other day, and in case you don’t yet get this in your email box, I wanted to pass along a few of the more interesting notices that it included.

The first is about a new “News and Information Survey” the Town has created to gauge how people are choosing to receive their news about Town political and social events — like email, local news (like the Herald), Facebook, maybe blogs…? The goal is to improve accessibility to important Town information.

The survey is only ten questions long and will take about five to ten minutes. It will be open through Monday, April 20. Click here to take the survey.

Community Office Hours

Supervisor Scialdone is continuing to host regular Community Office Hours, and now he’s invited Deputy Supervisor Hunter and Councilwoman Wright to do a few of them, too. These are your opportunities to let your Town representatives know what’s important to you.

The next office hours and who will be there are:

  • Supervisor Scialdone: Wednesday, April 8, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Curry Building at Webster Arboretum (1700 Schlegel Road)
  • Deputy Supervisor Hunter: Wednesday, April 15, 5 to 6 p.m. at the Webster Recreation Center (1350 Chiyoda Drive)
  • Councilwoman Wright: Tuesday, April 21, 6 to 7 p.m. at the Webster Recreation Center (1350 Chiyoda Drive)
  • Supervisor Scialdone: Tuesday, April 28, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Liberty Lodge at Finn Park (850 Maple Drive)

Note that there is no formal presentation at these events. It’s just your chance to hang out with our local Town representatives, ask your questions and present your concerns. You don’t have to register; just show up.

* * *

This most recent newsletter also includes news about some upcoming events, including:

  • Singo BINGO at the Webster Recreation Center on April 17 for the 55+ crowd;
  • the Diverse Abilities Resource Fair at the Webster Public Library on April 18; and
  • the Friends of the Webster Public Library Spring Book Sale from April 22 to 25

So check out the newsletter for yourself to learn more about these, and click here if you’d like to sign up to get the newsletter emailed to you so you can stay in the know.

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(posted 3/5/2026)

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

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Community encouraged to join April’s “Mail Call Challenge”

4 Apr

So I’ve already posted a few times about this year’s Mail Call: Letters From Home challenge, which is returning this year. In earlier blogs I asked for donations of blank cards, and invited community members to start writing out notes in anticipation of the mailboxes being placed throughout Webster.

Well, “Mail Call” 2026 has officially begun, and this year’s Mail Call Challenge has become a real challenge in a couple of ways.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with this amazing project, here’s some quick background:

Mail Call: Letters from Home is an initiative from Wreaths Across America Webster. First introduced last April, it was designed to bring some joy to our local service members stationed abroad. Community members were encouraged to write out cards, letters and notes for the troops, which would then be shipped overseas in care packages prepared by the Blue Star Mothers of Rochester. Mailboxes were set up in a dozen Town and Village of Webster businesses to collect the messages. Organizer Cherie Wood was hoping to get 1,000 cards. The community came through big time, ultimately filling out an amazing 1,558 cards and letters. It was an amazing outpouring of love from our Webster community, and Cherie was blown away by the response.

So of course she wants to do even better this year, and would love to see even more cards and letters filled out for the troops. Plus, the local businesses which are hosting the mailboxes have thrown down the gauntlet to see which business can collect the most cards. Perhaps you can help your favorite business come out on top by dropping your cards off at their mailbox. At the end of the month, the winning business will get a handsome certificate, major bragging rights, and will be highlighted in my blog.

Here are where the boxes are located this year:

  • American Legion Cottreall-Warner Post 942: 818 Ridge Rd (back entrance).
  • Jersey Mike’s Subs: 975 Ridge Rd.
  • Key Bank: 1848 Empire Blvd.
  • Key Bank: 980 Ridge Rd.
  • Lowes Home Improvement: 900 Five Mile Line Rd.
  • M.O. Pasta: 5 E. Main St.
  • Lala of Webster: 38 E. Main St.
  • Village Quilt Shoppe: 21 E. Main St.
  • Webster Recreation Center: 1350 Chiyoda Dr.
  • Webster Town Hall: 1000 Ridge Rd.
  • Kittelberger Florist: 263 North Ave.
  • The North Bee: 27 North Ave.

All of the cards and letters collected during this special month-long event will be placed in care packages sent out in June by the Blue Star Mothers.

So get your family, groups and neighbors together and start writing some thank you messages! Or when you see one of those mailboxes while you’re shopping, pause for a minute to fill out a card.

And by the way, Cherie says she’s “frightfully low” on blank cards, so if you have any you can spare, please drop them off in the basket next to one of the mailboxes.

*****

Here are some tips when you’re writing your messages:

  • The messages can be from adults and kids.
  • Cards and letters should be addressed: Dear Service Member.
  • Include words of encouragement, and how much you appreciate their service.
  • Include your first name and your town. The service members like to know where the cards come from.
  • Spread the word to the groups in your life: Scouts, businesses, schools, social groups, sports teams, churches, etc. This challenge will take all of us.

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(posted 4/4/2026)

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

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The story behind the Village of Webster’s iconic signs

2 Apr
The old …
… and the new

A little more than a week ago, I posted a blog about the handsome new Village of Webster signs that have been installed along the approaches to the village. The reaction to that blog was mixed. Most people commented that they liked the signs, but several lamented the loss of the old ones.

Perhaps the most impassioned comment I got was from Jenna Urso, who wrote about how her father and grandfather had created the hand-carved signs almost 30 years ago, and how Webster wildlife artist Ray Easton painted the beautiful birds depicted on each one. I had two immediate thoughts when I read her comment. The first was, “Hmmm, that’s some interesting history,” followed immediately by “WHAT birds?”

I’ll sheepishly admit that I never once took note of the native birds adorning the center of each sign. But discovering that charming detail and being teased by a single scrap of the signs’ history sent me straight to a meeting with Jenna to uncover the rest of the story.

Jenna told me that her grandfather, Charlie Urso, was inspired by all of the charming village signs he saw on his travels through New England. He approached the Town Board in the late 1990s with his idea to create and donate some signs to make the village more attractive for business owners and shoppers. With help from his son Charles, they hand-carved two signs, painted them with gold leaf, then reached out to Easton to add the birds. Those first two were finished and erected in the summer of 1999. The Town loved them so much that the artistic team was asked to create two more.

Charlie Urso carving one of the signs
Ray Easton with the one of the first finished signs

The project was a labor of love for her grandfather, Jenna said.

My grandparents have been Webster residents since 1962, when they moved here to start a family. They loved the family-friendly feel and beautiful nature in Webster and knew it was the perfect place for them. It does not surprise me that my grandfather chose to donate his talents to the village; he has always been the most kind and generous person. He also has a genuine love for this town, choosing to stay here in his community year-round rather than spend half the year down south like many Upstate New Yorkers.

Learning more about the story behind the signs myself has been a joy, especially watching my father reminisce about the time he spent working on them with his dad.

Replacement of the old signs with the new also brought back fond memories for Ray Easton.

Charles … had a passion for his craft of hand-carved gold leafing. The part I played was painting a familiar, local or indigenous bird on each sign. An American Robin greeted people approaching from the west, where a Great Blue Heron stood on the eastern side. From the south you had three Canada geese, and from the north a Northern Cardinal. They were great signs for many years, with a warmth and sense of community, and I’m glad to have played a small part in the history of the great village of Webster.

There’s been some talk about perhaps displaying one of the old signs at the Webster Museum. They’re a cherished piece of Village history, so I hope someone can make that happen.

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(posted 4/2/2026)

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

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Easter fun at the museum

1 Apr

Elementary school-aged children are invited to get into the Easter spirit at the Webster Museum on Saturday, April 4. Mrs. Nesbitt, a retired Webster elementary school teacher, will lead a craft and a discussion about basket history, followed by a look at the Webster Museum’s Webster Basket Factory display. The activity will culminate with an Easter Egg hunt through the museum.

The event takes place this Saturday April 4 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the museum, 18 Lapham Park. Parents must remain in the museum during the activities. Please, please, please register here, and do so soon, because there’s only room for 20 children, so you’ll want to ensure your kids have a spot.

The medical time-traveler’s guide to Webster

On Saturday, April 19 at 2 p.m., the Webster Museum will present a fascinating talk about the history of medicine in Webster.

Webster Museum volunteer and local historian Dr. Colin Scott will talk about historic medical devices and the lives of Webster practitioners in the 19th century.

Step into a 19th-century time machine and rediscover a forgotten global empire. Witness the raw evolution of Webster from untamed woodlands to an international agricultural Mecca, told through the gripping lives and changing medicine of three legendary local physicians. Join us to uncover how the fame of Webster fueled the world and paved the way for the suburb we call home today.

No registration is necessary. Refreshments will be served.

Look for the Museum!

Make sure to stop by the Webster Museum’s table at this year’s Community Arts Day. coming up on Saturday, April 11 (look for more details about this event in a few days). They’ve always got a fun table filled with old-tyme games and historical oddities (like a dial telephone). It’s a delight for the children and entertaining to watch them try to figure out how to work the telephone.

Community Arts Day will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Webster Schroeder High School.

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(posted 4/1/2026)

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

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Celebrate our nation’s birthday at the Arboretum

31 Mar

The USA is celebrating a BIG birthday this year — 250 years — and for sure there are going to be a lot of special events planned to commemorate the occasion. But this one at the Webster Arboretum recently crossed my email box, and it looks such such a don’t-miss event that I needed to let you know about it wayyyyy ahead of time so you can get it on your calendars.

The Arboretum is planning a huge Anniversary in the Gardens event for Wednesday, June 24, beginning at 3 p.m. and stretching into the evening. There’s going to be lots of patriotic music, story times, historical talks, a dance party, ice cream, even ducks. So basically, something for everyone of all ages.

I’ll be writing more about this as the event nears, but here’s the run-down so far:

  • 3:00: VFW Patriot Guard
  • 3:30: Father Night Out Band
    • 3:30: Story time with Ganondagan
    • 3:30: Striking Strings dulcimer group
    • 3:30: Uncle Bucks Food Truck (until 6:30 p.m.)
  • ​4:00: Life of the Senecas with Ganondagan
  • 4:30: Dance Party with Dancing with Denise
    • 4:30: Story time with The Webster Museum
    • 4:30: Guided Poetry Trail and Arboretum tours (through 6:30 p.m.)
  • 5:30: Story time with the Webster Public Library
    • 5:30: Webster Village Band
    • 5:30: Scoops Ice Cream Truck (through 7 p.m.)
  • 6:00: Duck Derby- purchase a duck and race them in the pond
    • 6:00: Chorus of the Genesee

Looks like a ton of fun, right? I’ll be revisiting this later with more details, but get it on your calendars now. The Webster Arboretum is located at 1700 Schlegel Rd.

* * *

And while we’re talking about the Arboretum, they sent me this piece of news the other day:

The Webster Arboretum is proud to announce that they have been granted National Accreditation through ArbNet, the world’s only international accreditation program specific to arboreta. Accreditation is based on an arboretum’s self-assessment and documentation of its level of achievement of specific standards. The standards address planning, governance, the number of different taxa (species, subspecies, cultivars, varieties, etc.) of trees and woody plants in the collection, staff or volunteer support, education and public programming, and, for some levels, tree science and conservation efforts.

We are proud of this accomplishment and will continue to improve our collections, our standard and our commitment to  upholding professional standards.

In case you needed any more proof that the Webster Arboretum is an outstanding resource and a real Webster treasure.

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(posted 3/31/2026)

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

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Hear ye, hear ye! Never-ending happy hour receives proclamation

30 Mar

This is kinda fun.

At least three times now, I’ve written about the fun-loving, close-knit Brooksboro Drive neighbors. Beginning March 22, 2020 (at the height of COVID), they began meeting at the end of Jack Turan’s driveway for a kind of “happy hour,” sharing a beverage, conversation and a few laughs. 

They were dubbed “Yak With Jack” happy hours, and the last time I featured them in the blog was last September, when the neighbors marked their 2,000th straight happy hour. That’s more than five years when at least two neighbors (and usually more), grabbed a beverage and met at Jack’s house, every night, regardless of the weather.

If you read that blog, you’ll see that the plan was to finally call an end to the happy hours. But we all know how difficult it is to bring something with that much momentum to a hard stop. So of course, despite Jack’s best intentions, the happy hours continued.

So now here’s the fun part of this story. Last Sunday, March 22, the happy hours reached their six-year milestone. And this time they didn’t just have a party; the accomplishment was officially recognized by Webster Town Supervisor Alex Scialdone — a regular happy hour participant — who presented Jack Turan and the assembled neighbors with an official proclamation.

The text of the proclamation read:

Proclamation in Recognition of Yakville

WHEREAS, the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic caused schools to close, businesses to shutter, and social establishments to lock their doors. It was a time of isolation for millions of Americans who might otherwise seek camaraderie and their or beverage of choice at a local establishment; and

WHEREAS, during a period of intense social seclusion and inspired by the approach of some towns in Italy to maintain some semblance of community, “Yakville” was born. The end of a driveway became the daily designated gathering spot for a community that missed its “village”; and

WHEREAS, 2026 marks six years since Jack Turan established the inaugural Happy Hour in the Brooksboro community. The practice continues as long as at least two people gather together for at least fifteen minutes. Upwards of eight families now participate with the desire to socialize with neighbors and friends who have become family over these many years; and

WHEREAS, while the end of this tradition has been teased, it continues today. It has survived inclement weather, mourned the loss of family and friends, and celebrated countless special occasions; and

WHEREAS, the community and relationships built through this daily gathering will endure long after the final happy hour draws to a close; and

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, on this 22nd day of March in the year 2026, on behalf of the Webster Town Supervisor’s office and the Webster community, we recognize an incredible group that came together during one of the most challenging times in our history and has sustained an inspirational sense of community through the years.

Congratulations, “Yakville” and long may you gather.

* * *

(posted 3/30/2026)

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

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Local TV stations recognize Garritano, Groff for community service

29 Mar

Two of Webster’s own recently received some well-deserved recognition on our local TV stations.

Images courtesy Plank North Elementary

Last Wednesday, Plank Rd. North Elementary School teacher Peggy Garritano was surprised in her classroom by Katrina Irwin from WROC Channel 8, who presented the long-time kindergarten teacher with a Golden Apple Award.

Garritano’s teaching colleague Theresa Dupont and her son Tyler nominated her for the award to honor her 46 years of teaching. They thought it would be a fitting tribute as Garritano plans to retire at the end of this school year.

The Channel 8 Golden Apple Award is a WROC-TV program that recognizes outstanding teachers and administrators in the Rochester area. It honors educators who make a significant impact on their students, fostering positive learning environments and demonstrating dedication to their school communities. 

Click here to see the piece that aired that evening on Channel 8.

* * *

Webster Comfort Care Home Director Julianne Groff was honored a few weeks ago as the Channel 13 WHAM Bright Spot.

On Friday, Feb. 27, at the Webster Chamber of Commerce’s regular monthly breakfast meeting, Julianne was named the Chamber’s Business Person of the Year. It was that recognition which Channel 13 picked up on for their Bright Spot Segment, which aired on March 17.

Click here to see the whole segment, and click here if you’d like to see the blog I wrote about Julianne’s honor.

* * *

(posted 3/29/2026)

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

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A positive look at all those &%$*@! potholes

28 Mar

Everyone pretty much agrees: the potholes this year are AWFUL — worse than we can remember seeing in a long time. We can thank the extra harsh winter we had this year, complete with its repetitive freezing-then-thawing-then-freezing again cycles. But knowing why it happens doesn’t mean we’re not going to gripe about it. Especially when one of those huge holes takes out a tire or ball joint.

So until the Town and Village and New York State have a chance to get out and fill all those holes, we have to look for the positives in the pothole situation. Like how serpentining around them makes you feel like you’re the main character in Mario Kart. Or how you can have fun playing “Count the Potholes” with your kids as you drive them to school.

Photo by J. Thomas

But here’s something neat that two of my readers actually alerted me to: the potholes on Main Street by Golden Boys are so deep that you can actually see down to the original brick pavers.

I reached out to Webster Town Historian Lynn Barton to see if she could provide some historical details, like how long ago it was that Main Street was paved with bricks. She believes the bricks were laid sometime in the 1920s, perhaps when the Blue Line Trolley was rumbling through town, but she can’t be certain. So those potholes could be revealing a hundred years of history.

If you get the Webster Herald, you’ll want to check it out next week; Lynn will be submitting a “brick” photo dated 1937. She also sent along the photo below, taken in 2015 in front of Barry’s Old School Irish when the Village was doing some work there. “Every time they need to dig up the road, we lose bricks,” she said.

You never know how and when local history will enrich our lives. We just have to look for it and appreciate it.

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(posted 3/28/2026)

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

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

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“Mail Call” is back and needs your blank cards

27 Mar

Chances are good you’ll remember the first-ever Mail Call: Letters from Home initiative last April, designed to bring some joy to our local service members stationed abroad. Community members were encouraged to write out cards, letters and notes for the troops, which would then be shipped overseas in care packages prepared by the Blue Star Mothers of Rochester. Mailboxes were set up in a dozen Town and Village of Webster businesses to collect the messages.

Thanks to the amazing Webster community, it was an extremely successful effort. Children and adults alike embraced the challenge from day one, and by the end of the month, an amazing 1,558 cards and letters had been written.

Well, Mail Call is back again this year, and the mail boxes will all be installed very soon. But first off, Cherie needs to start collecting blank cards — a LOT of blank cards — so that we can make this year’s Mail Call effort even more successful than last year.

So check around your house, in the attic, in your storage chests, for any blank cards you might have lying around. They don’t even need to have envelopes — the messages will be shipped without envelopes so save on weight and room in the packages. You can drop them off in the mailboxes you’ll find at Town Hall (1000 Ridge Rd.) or the Webster Recreation Center (1350 Chiyoda Dr.).

Then stay tuned for more details about this year’s Mail Call: Letters From Home initiative!

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(posted 3/27/2026)

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