Webster’s Memorial Day Parade, kind of the unofficial kick-off to the summer season, takes place on Memorial Day, Monday May 26.
Here are the details:
9:00 a.m.: All groups participating in the parade will assemble at Spry Middle School on Sanford Street. All active duty and ex-service men and women are invited to take part in the parade. Any veterans who would like to ride in the bed of an Army truck are asked to be at Spry by 9 a.m.
9:30 a.m.: Parade moves out from Spry, down South Avenue, turning west on Main Street and proceeding to Webster Rural Cemetery.
9:50 a.m. (approx.): Parade arrives at Webster Rural Cemetery.
The Remembrance Ceremony will begin at approximately 10 a.m., or whenever everyone arrives and gets settled.
In addition to honored active military members, auxiliary members and veterans, also expected to march in this year’s parade are the Webster High School Marching Band, Boy Scouts and (hopefully) Girl Scouts, firefighters and more. Click here to see a gallery of photos from last year.
This is always a very nice parade, and the ceremony that follows it at Webster Rural Cemetery is always moving. I highly recommend bringing your children to see both the parade and the ceremony, so they might begin to understand the huge debt we owe our servicemen and women.
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When the call went out in April for Webster to come together to support a terrific cause, our community answered that call without hesitation. This time, that terrific cause was the Mail Call: Letters From Home initiative, where Webster was challenged to write 1,000 cards and letters for our deployed service members.
In true Webster style, we not only reached that goal but blew it out of the water.
Mail Call organizer Cherie Wood has tallied all of the messages from the mailboxes placed around town, and reports that the final count came to an amazing 1,558 cards and letters!
And it was a true community-wide effort, as children and adults alike, from all walks of life, embraced the challenge from day one. Cherie said,
We had many individuals, neighborhoods, businesses, schools, after care programs, Scouts, churches, social groups, veterans, the VFW, American Legion, Maplewood Nursing Home, Baywinde Assisted Living, and active duty units participate. Plus, the Chamber of Commerce and Webster Public Library had card making events.
The whole project could also not have happened without the support of the local businesses which hosted mailboxes. (They all said they want to do it again next year!) And extra thanks to Lowe’s Webster for the mailboxes, and Vital Signs Webster for wrapping them.
The next step is to place the cards in the care packages which the Blue Star Mothers Rochester Chapter NY8 will be sending to the troops in June. They’ll be tucked alongside 243 boxes of Girl Scout cookies sold by troops 60568, 60621, 60344, 60423 and 61006.
What these packages mean to our service members cannot be overstated.
“These Webster wishes will go all over the world, with our thanks, appreciation, and encouragement,” Cherie said. “Can’t you just imagine one of our deployed service members reading cards from home, passing them around the unit, while they enjoy a box of Thin Mints?”
Thank you, Webster. We live in an amazing community.
Watch for the Mail Call: Letters From Home effort to return next April. In the meantime, Lowe’s Webster is keeping their mailbox up all year long, so next time you’re in, stop a moment and write a note.
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Lots going on at the Webster Recreation Center this month and next, for kids and adults of all ages.
The first special event I want to highlight is the National Senior Health and Fitness Day on Wednesday May 28. From 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Rec Center will be welcoming active older adults to “share a day of good health.”
Participants can enjoy a yogurt bar, check out some vendors, get some free assessments, get tours of the Recreation Center, play some cornhole, take some chances on a raffle prize basket, and watch some mini class demonstrations. This is a great opportunity to check out the Rec Center and all of the classes they offer for active older adults. I’ve been taking group exercise classes there for more than a year and am not only feeling healthier and more fit, but have also made a lot of new friends.
The event is absolutely free and open to everyone in the 55+ community.
Speaking of seniors, the Webster Senior Singers will be presenting a concert at the Recreation Center on Tuesday, June 10 beginning at 11 a.m.
The Senior Singers is a enthusiastic group of older adults who come together at the Rec Center every Tuesday to sing, socialize and — four times a year — share their love for music with the greater Webster community. There’s no charge to attend the concert, and registration is not necessary. So bring a friend, a grandchild, or come solo, and take a moment out of your day and stop by to hear some beautiful music.
The title of the concert is “A Musical Revue,” which means that you’ll hear a lot of tunes you know, performed by the chorus and several soloists. The concert will be about an hour long.
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This year’s Summer Celebration has been scheduled for Saturday, June 7 from 4 to 10 p.m. at the Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr.
This very popular family event features food trucks, live music, lots of activities for the whole family, and — of course — fireworks to end the evening. Admission is free and no registration is necessary.
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Finally, details of this summer’s Music at the Arb series have been announced.
These concerts are performed outdoors at the gazebo at the Webster Arboretum, 1700 Schlegel Rd. This year’s schedule features:
All the performances begin at 6:30 p.m. and are free and open to the public.
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I was alerted to this terrific story by a good friend of mine, and it just touched my heart.
It’s about 6-year old Briella, a kindergartner at DeWitt Rd. Elementary School. One terrible day in March, Briella broke her leg, and in the emergency room, her family was shocked to learn that she likely had osteosarcoma bone cancer. Since then, Briella has undergone multiple rounds of chemotherapy, facing each one with incredible bravery and strength.
Now comes the heartwarming part of this story.
Briella’s resilience has inspired the entire DeWitt Rd. Elementary School community, especially her kindergarten classmates. In a show of love and support, the class is organizing a lemonade stand fundraiser on June 1 to benefit their friend and her family.
“This is about coming together for a little girl who’s going through so much,” said one of the parents organizing the event. “We want Briella and her family to feel the strength and support of the whole community.”
So as to not get overwhelmed, the lemonade stand’s host has asked that the location not be publicly announced, but hopes that people will find out by word-of-mouth. However, there are two other ways you can donate:
use the QR code below to send a direct donation via Venmo to Briella’s family (@Critt5833)
make out a check to Kelly or Chris Rittenhouse, and mail to Tacianna Indovina at 1900 Empire Blvd., #154, Webster, NY 14580
Thank you, Webster!
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I’m told that the Village Wine and Food Walk, hosted by the Webster Village Business Improvement District (BID) on Saturday May 10, was a big success. Thanks in part to some perfect weather (sunny skies and in the mid-70’s), all 300 tickets were sold out and participants started arriving at BC’s Chicken Coop a full 20 minutes before the 4 p.m. start time to check in and get their wine glasses and wrist bands.
Twelve village merchants participated in the walk, along East and West Main and even to Salvatore’s on North Ave., where the BID had a DJ providing dance music.
Part of the proceeds will be donated to the Harmony House and their restoration project.
Annual Budget Vote and Board of Education Election
The Webster Central School District Annual Budget Vote and Election of Board of Education Candidates takes place Tuesday, May 20 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Webster Schroeder High School gym, 875 Ridge Road, Webster.
Qualified voters of the district who will be unable to attend the polls on the day of the vote may wish to use an absentee ballot. Voters must apply for the ballot in advance. Applications are available at websterschools.org or from District Clerk Heather Murphy, 119 South Avenue, Webster, (585) 216-0001.
Absentee ballot applications cannot be mailed into the district at this late date, but can be dropped off to the district clerk the day before the vote.
Webster CSD’s Business Department web page contains information on the proposed 2025-26 budget and the three candidates running for the three board of education seats up for election.
Grab dinner after you vote!
The Webster Marching Band will host a BBQ Dinner Fundraiser at Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Rd., on Tuesday May 20 from 4 to 8 p.m. (during the school budget vote).
Dinner includes BBQ pulled pork, salt potatoes, coleslaw, cornbread and a drink for just $19 (plus processing fees). Meals will be served on a first-come, first-served basis.
Interested in learning how to clean and preserve headstones?
Webster Union Cemetery will be hosting a Headstone Cleaning Class on Saturday June 7 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 pm.
Participants will learn how to properly clean a headstone, and hear stories about some of our town’s founders and more colorful residents. All supplies will be provided. Just bring rubber gloves, and wear something you don’t mind getting wet.
Webster Union Cemetery is located at 345 Webster Rd.
Village Parks Committee wants your opinion
The Village of Webster Parks and Recreation Committee is looking for community input on potential upgrades to Schantz Park. The park is located between Hawley Drive and State Road, and has a basketball court, tennis courts, baseball fields and playground equipment.
Residents are invited to share your thoughts on a brief form, and let the committee know what amenities you would like added to the park. And while you’re there, take a few minutes to fill out the other quick survey you’ll find there, sharing your opinions about all of our village’s other parks as well.
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There’s still time to register to attend this year’s Spring Luncheon and Fashion Show on Sunday June 1, sponsored by the Women’s Club of Webster.
In addition to the beautiful fashions on display, courtesy Chico’s at Pittsford Plaza, participants will enjoy a delicious luncheon, with choices of a crisp apple salad with chicken, chicken French with lemon sauce, or Reuben sandwich. All choices include a beverage, rolls and butter. There will also be basket raffles and a 50/50 raffle, all to benefit local charities.
The donation is $37.00 per person. Please mail your choice of entree, names of people you wish to sit with, and check payable to the Women’s Club of Webster to Bonnie Travis, 1065 High Vista Trail, Webster, NY 14580. Reservations are due by May 21.
The luncheon and fashion show will be held on Sunday, June 1 at the Penfield Country Club, 1784 Jackson Rd., beginning at 11:30 a.m. Questions can be directed to Bonnie at (585) 671- 2345. All proceeds will be donated to the many local charities supported by the Women’s Club of Webster.
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email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
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Sheesh. You go away for a month and so much business news happens, I’m having a hard time staying on top of it.
I’ve recently found out about several businesses planning to set up shop in the village, and at least one which has moved out. I want to eventually connect with all of these business owners to get photos and more details about their plans, but in the meantime, here’s a quick rundown of what I know:
Kiss me cookie is moving into the former Mane Street Beauty Lounge location at 15 East Main St. This little bakery calls itself “a boutique bakery in Webster NY specializing in gourmet cookies, cupcakes and unique creations!” You can find them on Facebook here and on their website here.
Uncle Buck’s Scratch Kitchenhas moved from their small space at 9 South Ave. to a much more spacious location at 2122 Empire Blvd. (the former India House restaurant). Hopefully this means their business is expanding and they needed more room.
But 9 South Ave. will not be vacant for long. ROC City Empanadas is planning to move in sometime soon, and hopes to hold a grand opening in June.
Finally (and this is not Webster Village — or even Webster — news) Elvio’s is now open at 1350 Empire Blvd. on Irondequoit Bay, across from K2 and Bar Bill. It’s a coffee shop and live music venue with a Portuguese-inspired menu.
As I said, I’m going to try to connect with all of these businesses in the next few weeks, so stay tuned for more information.
AND as long as we’re talking about great Webster Village business news, I recently saw that Brimont Bistro is back in business at 24 W. Main St.
In April, a severe water leak from a neighboring building filled Brimont’s basement with two feet of water, destroying everything in it. But a few days ago, owner Greg Cody posted on Facebook, “Brimont Bistro is finally back open after over five weeks being shut down after a water breach from neighbors building. We have made some menu changes and changes to our lunch service. Please visit our website for more details. It’s nice to be back to work!!!”
The Bauman family has a long Webster history, which began in 1908 when Joe and Emma Bauman bought the property at an auction. Subsequently, the property has been a farm to dairy cattle and then to fruits and vegetables. Jim and Barb Bauman have been operating the farm since 1984 and have added a bakery, twenty greenhouses, and more.
(Pictured below: Webster Chamber Board Chair Tim Shortsleeve (L) presented the May Business of the Month award to the Bauman family.)
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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).
This annual musical treat features both of these outstanding choruses and several a cappella groups performing everything from classic hits to contemporary favorites. Plus, there’ll be door prizes, raffles, a bar, snacks and plenty of free parking.
The show will be held at Our Lady of Mercy High School, 1437 Blossom Rd., Brighton, and begins at 3 p.m. Tickets are $20 online in advance and $25 at the door. Click here to get your tickets, or call 585-748-4592.
“Harmony in the House” is a fundraiser for the Harmony House, a beautiful historic building constructed in 1899, which both groups call home.
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For the last month, (until two days ago) I’ve actually been blogging from across the pond — in Prague, Czechia to be specific. My husband Jack had secured a 6-week Fulbright Specialist consultant position in that beautiful city, which he started on April 1. Ten days after he got there, I joined him, and had four wonderful weeks to explore and discover, and become part of the community of Prague, before returning to Webster very early Tuesday morning.
I knew there was no way I could take a vacation from blogging for that long. So, before I left town I worked hard on writing a handful of blogs in advance, and scheduled them to post automatically. It was business as usual the rest of the time, connecting with the community through emails and texts to find blog topics. In short, I posted something every day I was there. There were a few night owls who might have wondered why I was cross-posting them to Facebook at, like, 1 a.m. (7 a.m. Prague time), but otherwise I hope no one noticed any difference.
This was actually our second trip to Prague. Back in October, when we were pretty sure that Jack would be awarded the Fulbright grant, we decided to visit the city for a few weeks to get to know it. When we got there, we were tourists. By the time we left, we felt like part of the community. We had learned so much about the city, the tram system, the best beer gardens, and even got comfortable using some of the language.
Thanks to that experience, when we got to Prague this time, we already felt like we were part of the community. Plus, the fact that we were familiar with the basics — the money, the public transportation, the grocery stores and most popular tourist attractions — meant we were free to explore even more deeply and discover things we hadn’t done in October.
Jack’s Fulbright work left us plenty of time to do that exploring. We took day trips to the Pilsner Urquell brewery and a cute little town called Český Krumlov. I went on a river cruise and did a Haunted Old Town guided tour. We went to a monastery beer festival on Jack’s birthday, and had a traditional Czech dinner at a restaurant for mine. We enjoyed the Easter markets, went to a Witches’ Night festival, cheered on some marathon runners, saw a light show projected on a building, saw peeing statues and a huge rotating Kafka head. We drank a lot of really good (and inexpensive) beer. We had the luxury of time to really discover many more things than we had seen in October. I was even able to keep up with my half marathon training, running miles in a nearby park. (Not easily; Prague is exceptionally hilly.)
Plus, we had visitors, so we were able to play tour guide and introduce them to some of our favorite places in the city. But our guests had also done their own research and guided us to places and things we hadn’t seen and done before. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Even five years ago, there was no way we could have imagined that we’d spend more than a month living in a city in which we didn’t know the language, in a country I’d have had a hard time finding on a map. Now, though, I would definitely say that Prague is one of my favorite places to visit.
By the way, I did keep a travel blog for friends and family. It’s called “Czeching out Prague.” It goes into much more detail about what I did on our adventure and has a lot more photos. If you’ve made it this far, you might be interested in reading that. You can see it here.
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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).
The Webster Recreation Center will be holding a Family Fun Night on Friday, May 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Miracle Field of Greater Rochester.
The evening’s festivities will include lawn games, dancing, food, and lots more. Police, fire department and Town of Webster highway trucks will be present, as well as community group booths, tattoo artists, food trucks and a concession stand. There’ll even be an “Instrument Zoo.”
There’s no cost to attend and registration is not necessary. Just come on by and bring the family!
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Color Webster Green has scheduled two very interesting programs in the next few weeks.
The first is an outdoor workshop called Magnificent Monarchs, on Saturday, May 17 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Charles Sexton Park. Color Webster Green member Geri McMahon will be presenting this family-friendly event. Everyone who attends will go home with fun stickers, and some milkweed seeds to plant in their yards.
There’s no charge, and registration is optional, but it might be nice to let the Color Webster Green folks know how many are planning to attend.
The second is a Refuse District Discussion on Thursday, May 29 from 7 to 8 p.m.
This is an online discussion to start a conversation about refuse districts. Since this is an initiative that needs a lot of buy-in from the community, Color Webster Green is trying to see if folks are interested in pushing for this. It’s already been implemented in Brighton and Pittsford.
The discussion will start with a short presentation on what refuse districts are and how it came about in Brighton. The meeting will be online via MS Teams at this link.
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The Webster Museum has some new items in their store, which you’ll want to check out next time you’re there. They’re scenic photo cards picturing several beautiful features of the Webster area, including the Harmony House, the pier, historic homes, and others.
The cost is three cards for $5.40, or $2.15 each, tax included. Cash or check, please.
The Webster Museum is open Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. They’re located at 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster.
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The next Breakfast Before Business Meeting of the Webster Chamber of Commerce will be Friday, May 30 from 7 to 8:30 a.m. at the Webster Golf Club, 440 Salt Rd.
The Webster Chamber of Commerce hosts a monthly breakfast for Chamber members, guests, and visitors who are interested in investigating Chamber membership. The monthly breakfasts are opportunities to network, meet new contacts, develop current business relationships, learn, and earn visibility for your business or organization. Every attendee participates in pass-the-mic time, your opportunity to briefly introduce yourself. This is the largest monthly Chamber networking event in the Greater Rochester area, with 70 to 90 attendees. Reservations are required. Click here.
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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).
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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