Tag Archives: Webster Public Library

Webster community mailbag

16 Nov

This year it’s more important than ever to get a flu shot. It’s one less disease we have to worry about as the pandemic worsens.

If you haven’t had yours yet, you can get one at the Webster Public Library this Wednesday Nov. 18, from 11 to 12:30 p.m.

There’s no cost, but you’ll probably want to bring your insurance card.

Picture the Holidays with the Webster Museum

Pooh on the pandemic. The Webster Museum is determined to continue its 20-year tradition of celebrating the holidays with our community.

This year they’re inviting everyone to share photos of what makes you happy during the holidays. Their website explains,

What brings you joy? Do you dress up your pets? Make your own ornaments or special treats? Decorate your house or yard? Have family traditions? If it makes you happy, it will make others happy too!

Take a photo, then share it with all of Webster in one of two ways. You can email your photo to photos@webstermuseum.org or upload them (on the website).

They’ll be updating their gallery regularly. I’m going to be adding one of my own, from one of our favorite family traditions. You’ll want to check it out.

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

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Webster community mailbag

4 Nov

I know, I know, it’s going to feel like summer again for the next few days. BUT, rest assured, Monday’s cold and snow-showery weather will be back again very soon. So now is a good time to stock up on some good reads for the winter months.

The Friends of the Webster Library are ready to help.

Beginning this week, the Friends are hosting their Bundle ‘n Bag Sale. Just like it sounds, bundles and bags of gently used books will be for sale during regular library hours, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will be a wide variety of fun and unique Bundles ‘n Bags of fiction and nonfiction books for children and adults, starting at just $1.

The Webster Public Library is located at 980 Ridge Rd. All proceeds from the sale will benefit library programs.

Looks like it’s going to be a nice evening for the Friends of Webster Trails’ autumn Hot Cocoa Hike, this Saturday at Whiting Road Nature Preserve.

This has been an annual tradition for as long as I can remember, and thankfully the pandemic has not cancelled it entirely. There will, however, be a few changes.

As always, the event will be at night and your path will be guided by candle light. But there will be no gathering in the woods at the end of the trail while you enjoy your hot cocoa. Instead, you’ll pick up your hot cocoa packet which you can then enjoy at home with your family.

This year’s event will be Saturday Nov. 7 at Whiting Road Nature Preserve (on Whiting Rd. north of Shoemaker) and will be a loop of approximately two miles. Participants are asked to walk the trail between 7 and 9 p.m. Also, please click here to register so they have enough supplies.

Remember to social distance, bring a mask, dress for the weather and bring a flashlight.

Immanuel Lutheran Church in the Village of Webster will hold a Bring a Can or a Case Food Collection and Hat, Mitten and Scarf Collection on Saturday Nov. 14 from 10 a.m. to noon.

One of Immanuel’s biggest social ministries is the Backpack Program, which provides food to more than 50 children in five Webster elementary school buildings. This drive will support the Backpack Program and the church’s Little Free Pantry.

Immanuel Lutheran Church is located at 131 W. Main St., at the corner of Daniel Drive.

Lots of news from the Webster Museum!

The Webster Museum is presently closed to the public, but there has been a buzz of activity within. Volunteers Deb Oakley, Bill Schoff, Carol Yahoodik and Diana Strassman have been inventorying the attic and found a number of duplicate items not related to Webster’s history. In September, a “Vintage Sale” of some of those items was held in the museum parking lot and sales totaled $677.

The annual Barn Sale was held in September on Jan and Andy Naujokas’ historic property, which earned another $2,900.

Now would also be a great time to become a member of the Webster Museum or renew your membership. In honor of Susan B. Anthony’s visit to Webster, the museum will be giving away a limited edition Susan B. Anthony Barbie doll, unopened and in its original box.

To enter, simply join or renew your Webster Museum membership by December 14. On December 15, one entry will be selected at random with the hope of Susan arriving at the winner’s home before Christmas.

Stay tuned for details about the museum’s online Christmas program. If you make your own ornaments, dress up your pets or decorate your yard, they’ll be looking for your photos. More details about that, and about the Susan B. Anthony doll giveaway can be found on the museum’s website.

Do you know a great teacher who deserves to get some extra special recognition? How about nominating him or her for an Oak Tree Award?

Co-Sponsored by the Webster Teachers’ Association (WTA) and the Webster Central PTSA, the Oak Tree Award recognition program is an annual award that is designed to recognize teacher excellence in Webster Central Schools.

Any Webster resident or district employee, current or former student, parent, teacher, or administrative colleague may nominate a teacher for the Elementary or Secondary Teacher of the Year Oak Tree Award.

Award nominees must meet the following criteria:

  • Currently teaching in a full-time position in Webster Central School
  • Have a minimum of 5 years teaching experience in Webster Central Schools
  • Plan to continue to teach the next school year in, or retire from Webster Central Schools
  • Be a member of both the Webster Central PTSA and the Webster Teachers’ Association

Nominations must be submitted by February 1. Click here for the nomination form.

  • Joan Bardanis
    Joan Bardanis
  • Tamara Schell
    Tamara Schell

By the way, congratulations to the 2020 Oak Tree winners, Joan Bardanis in secondary and Tamara Schell in elementary.

Bardanis is a special education teacher at Thomas High School and has been a teacher in Webster for 17 of her 31 year career in education.

Schell is a 2nd grade teacher at Plank South Elememetary, and has spent all of her 23 years in education in the Webster Schools.

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

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

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Explore Webster through Webster Library videos

1 Nov

If you haven’t done so yet, you HAVE to check out the Webster Library’s YouTube channel. It’s absolutely PACKED with informative and fun videos for everyone. There’s Storytime with Jason, book reviews, music, crafts, experiments, puppets, library program information and lots, lots more.

But one of the best features of the channel is the library’s “Let’s Explore Webster” video series. These are entertaining and informative video tours of some of Webster’s best features. Some of the more recent videos have explored the John Unger Nature Trail (part of their trails series), the Arboretum, Webster Park and the Hope Ministry.

But I really want to tell you about one in particular, which I helped create: a video tour of the Village of Webster parks.

I joined Laureen and Doreen from the Webster Public Library for the Explore Village Parks video.

As a member of the Village of Webster’s Parks and Recreation Committee, I was very happy to help Loreen and Doreen put together this video. One of the things I’ve learned in my tenure with the committee is that many people, even village residents, don’t realize that our village actually boats six parks. One of them even has a half mile of nature trails.

This video is a great opportunity to learn more about our village parks, even if you already thought you knew everything about them.

Here’s a direct link to the Explore Village of Webster Parks video. Enjoy! And while you’re there, make sure to check out all the other videos on the channel as well.

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

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

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Webster community mailbag

8 Oct

I’ve got a couple of items for you today, the first coming from our friends at the Webster Public Library.

Their last pop-up book sale of the year will take place this Saturday Oct. 10 from from noon to 3 p.m. in the library parking lot (because the library itself is not open that day). This is especially great news since last week’s sale had to be cancelled because of the weather. This Saturday’s weather, in contrast, looks spectacular.

Fill a bag for just $3 — both cash and checks will be accepted.

This is a great chance to stock up on books for the long winter months ahead. Teachers, this is a great opportunity also to add to your classroom libraries.

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St. Martin Lutheran Church on Bay Rd. will host a pulled pork drive-through BBQ on Saturday Oct. 24, from 4:30 until they sell out.

The take-out dinner includes pulled pork, roll, salt potatoes, cole slaw and cookie for just $10. 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.

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The biannual Webster Community Blood Drive is coming back into town next Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 7 p.m.

This is the drive advertised by all those big white signs posted around town. It’s always a very popular blood drive, in part because in the past, donors could participate in several raffles for prizes donated by local businesses.

In April, at the height of the pandemic, organizers decided to turn the tables and support our local businesses — who were having a hard time staying afloat — by encouraging donors to purchase gift cards, which were then donated to our local first responders.

That was so successful that this month’s drive will be much the same. Gift card and cash donations will be accepted for our first responders for anyone who would care to donate.

So basically, by attending next week’s blood drive, you’ll be saving lives through your blood donation AND through your support for first responders.

The two-day drive will be held on Wednesday Oct. 14 and Thursday Oct. 15, from noon to 7 p.m. each day. It’s in a new location this time, at the Webster Firemen’s Building on Sanford Street, behind the Firemen’s Field.

To assure proper social distancing, appointments will be required. Log onto redcrossblood.org to sign up.

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

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Stories in the bandshell!

5 Sep

Count on the Webster Public Library to come up with yet another creative idea to bring the excitement of reading directly to young children.

Their latest brainstorm is outdoor, in-person storytimes at the amphitheater at Harmony Park on Phillips Rd. This month, the library will host six storytimes — three on Tuesday afternoons and three on Thursday mornings — each lasting a half hour. The event is geared to children up to age 5, but all are welcome.

The storytimes are scheduled on Thursdays Sept. 10, 17 and 24 from 9 to 9:30 a.m. and Tuesdays Sept. 15, 22 and 29 from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. The events are free, but registration is required, and spots are limited.

The Harmony Park amphitheater is better known as home to our Webster Village band.

Social distancing guidelines will be enforced at each storytime. Please bring a blanket that is large enough for all family members to sit on. Masks are required for all adults and children over 2. Please register all children in your group, including babies. Walk-ins will not be permitted.

These special events are being made possible in large part through the support of our village trustees. Usually the Village of Webster charges $50 each time a group wants to use the amphitheater, but the village has waived that charge for the library.

Harmony Park and the amphitheater are located on Foster Drive, off of Phillips Rd. just south of Ridge. For more information and to register, click here.

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

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Webster community mailbag

3 Sep

It pains me just a little bit to post this first notice, because it’s a tacit admission that winter is not too far off, but it’s a very important message.

The Webster Public Library is hosting its second annual COAT DRIVE, to benefit Homeless Connect Rochester.

A large box has been placed in the library’s lobby, where you can donate your gently used (and clean!) coats of all sizes and types. The collection will run through Sept. 15 and the coats will be distributed to those residing in shelters and on the streets of Rochester.

For more information, visit the Homeless Connect Rochester website, and if you have any questions, email webster.reference@libraryweb.org.

Beginning Sept. 8, the Webster Public Library will have new hours, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Here are a few other updates/reminders about the library’s services:

  • Curbside Service continues to be available whenever the library is open. Contact the library with questions by email at webster.reference@libraryweb.org or by phone at 585-872-7075.
  • Online programs are being offered. Check the website calendar for details. Any updates will be posted on the website slider and the WPL Facebook page.
  • Donations of books, DVDs, and music CDs are being accepted, but NO magazines, textbooks, or computer books. Two boxes maximum per day.
  • NO DMV at the library for the remainder of 2020.
  • Remember to wear your mask!

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Webster Parks and Recreation has cooked up a fun way to say goodbye to summer. 

It’s a socially-distanced food truck picnic on Wednesday, Sept. 9 (the day before school starts) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Miracle Field playground, 1000 Ridge Rd., Webster. Kid-friendly meals will be available from The Meatball Truck and Wraps on Wheels. The playground will be open, so you can buy lunch, relax on your last day of summer freedom, and play. 

Picnic tables will be socially distanced or bring a blanket to sit on. All ages are welcome and registration is not required. Please note: Masks are required, however, while ordering.

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More good food will be on the menu when St. Martin Lutheran Church hosts its fall drive-through chicken BBQ on Saturday Sept. 19 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Dinners of half-chicken, salt potatoes, coleslaw, roll, and butter are available for $10. The event this year will be drive-through only. Cars will enter the parking lot, follow the signs, and purchase tickets using exact payment. Cars will then proceed to the front entrance to pick up boxed dinners. Dinners will be assembled according to CDC recommendations. Due to current health restrictions, pie slices and other desserts will not be available.

Proceeds will support St. Martin’s our Christmas Stocking Project, which reaches more than 500 local youth in Monroe and Wayne counties.

St. Martin Lutheran Church, is located at 813 Bay Rd. in Webster. 

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

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Webster community mailbag

8 Aug

There are several ways for you to help out your community — and environment — in today’s mailbag.

Bottle and Can Drive

Capture

For starters, the Webster Marching Band will hold their next bottle and can drive on Saturday August 22 at Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Rd. 

Bottles and cans can be dropped off at the high school from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. that day. If you have any that you’d like to have picked up before then, simply call the Bottle and Can Hotline at 234-8684, select option 1, leave a message, and someone will be in touch to pick up your returnables.

Food Drive

Capture2

That same day, Saturday August 22, Immanuel Lutheran Church at 131 West Main Street in Webster will host a non-perishable food drive. All donations will be used for the church’s Little Free Pantry and the WCSD Food Backpack Program.

Click on the poster above for more information about items they particularly need. The drive will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Blood Drive

blood drive

Another local opportunity for you to help save lives with your blood donation will take place on Tuesday Aug. 25 from 1 to 7 p.m. at the Webster Volunteer Fire Department Firemen’s Building, 172 Sanford Street. To set up your appointment, call 1-800-Red-Cross. 

Electronics Recycling

The next local electronics recycling event will be held at Xerox on Saturday August 29 from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

The last time one of these drives was held at Xerox, the line of cars stretched down Phillips Rd. So organizers are requesting that everybody pre-register for this drive. Click here to do that.

Items that will be accepted include cell phones, computers, monitors, printers, audio video equipment, and small devices. There’s a limit of four TV monitors per car.

Book Sale! 

The Webster Public Library will hold a pop-up book sale on Thursday August 13 from noon to 4 p.m. outside the library on Van Ingen Dr.

All books will be $1 each. Please bring cash, wear your mask, and follow the social distancing guidelines that are laid out at the sale.

Movies and Concerts Return!

The Village of Webster is squeezing as much summer out of this year as they can.

Movies in the Gazebo Park series will return with two showings in the coming week in Veterans Memorial Park on North Ave.

Monsters uniMonsters University will be shown on Tuesday Aug. 11, and Charlie Wilson’s War with Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman on Saturday Aug. 15.

Both movies will begin at dusk, around 9 p.m. To encourage social distancing, the park will be marked off with specific “family areas” spaced six feet apart in the grass. There will be plenty of room for chairs and/or blankets within each spot and facial masks must be worn when outside your family space. There will be room for about 60 family spaces and are first-come, first-served. You can place your chairs or blankets in a space to reserve it on movie or concert days anytime after 2 p.m. the day of the event.

No popcorn will be served so feel free to bring your own snacks and drinks.

And the (abbreviated) Friday Night Concert Series is back, too!

Friday Aug. 21 will feature Super Mini Prime Time Funk with Ronnie Leigh on vocals and sax, Dave Cohen on drums, Andy Calabrese on keys and Ron France on bass.

Friday Aug. 28, the Juday Sealy Band will take the stage. Recently Judah, a School of the Arts grad,  released his highly anticipated single called “Off The Charts” which spent two months on the Billboard Smooth Jazz chart. The group also features Webster HS graduate Deepak Thettu on guitar.

The Bill Tiberio Band returns Friday Sept 4, with Bill Tiberio on alto and tenor sax, Scott Bradley on trumpet and keyboards, Vinnie Ruggiero on guitar, Phil Lake on drums and Geoff Smith on bass.

The concerts are from 7 to 9 p.m. For more information visit websterbid.com.

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

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Library collecting school supplies

30 Jul

school supplies

It’s that time of year, and it looks like plans for this coming school year are finally being sorted out. So everyone’s thoughts are beginning to turn once again to school supplies.

While you’re out and about in the stores, please consider picking up a few extra supplies to help out those families who have a hard time affording their own. (And there are probably more families in that boat this year thanks to the economy.)

The Webster Public Library has begin its annual school supplies collection to make donating easy. There’s a big box right in the library’s lobby where you can drop your supplies. They’ll be accepted through Aug. 21, then delivered at HOPE Ministry, who will distribute them to Webster families with children and teens.

If you have any questions, email webster.reference@libraryweb.org.

For a complete list of requested supplies, click on the image below.

individual bookmark 2020 front & back (1)

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

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Webster Public Library reveals a hidden treasure

22 Jul

The Webster Public Library has posted a new video in their “Let’s Explore Webster!” series. This one highlights the Hickory Bark Trail,  which I consider one of Webster’s best-kept secrets.

The trail is located in a 10-acre stand of woods across the parking lot from the front door of the library on Van Ingen Drive. It’s a beautiful, albeit short walk (only 400 feet), along a boardwalk ending in a spacious deck with plenty of benches.

I could tell you more about the trail, but I’ll let Laureen and Doreen from the Public Library do that:

This is a great video. But unfortunately, it was created before the fairies moved in, so Doreen and Laureen didn’t happen to mention them.

That’s right, FAIRIES.

When you’re walking along the boardwalk, make sure to keep your eyes peeled, because four fairies and a gnome have taken up residence. Look closely and you might see their little homes tucked at the base of several trees along the walk.

But make sure to stay on the boardwalk, because there’s lots of poison ivy around, too.

And if your young kids really like to look for and help out the fairies, show them the library’s Digital Escape Rooms. The easiest one, designed for preschoolers, leads them through several easy puzzles to help the fairies (who all live along the Hickory Bark Trail) get out of their houses. The other two escape rooms are for tweens, teens and adults.

Jason and HaroldBy the way, if you’d like to learn more about how the Hickory Bark Trail came to be, check out this link to this column I wrote about it for the Democrat and Chronicle, which tells about how Harold Krieger saw it to completion in honor of his wife.

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Adult Summer Online Programs 2020There’s so much more going on at the library right now, too, including several online, Zoom-based programs for adults (click on the flyer on the left for a sneak peek). And don’t forget, the library is actually open for business; stop by and check out your next summer read.

The Webster Public Library is located at the back side of Webster Plaza, 980 Ridge Rd. They’re open Monday and Wednesday 9 to 5, Tuesday and Thursday 11 to 7, and Friday 9 to 1.

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

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

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What’s new at your Webster Public Library?

23 Jun

webster library

It’s been a long time since I’ve devoted one of my blogs to our Webster Public Library. But that doesn’t mean they haven’t been busy.

For starters, for a while now the library folks have been offering their Drive-Up, Pick-Up service for everyone who needs a book fix.

It’s really easy to get book. Just email your requests to webster.reference@libraryweb.org or call 872-7075. Include your name and library card number, and please limit to 10 items for now. Hours are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday – Saturday. .

The book drop is open, and accepting all returns. Nothing’s overdue yet; the due date for all items is June 29, so you still have some time to get them in. Items returned in the book drop will remain on your account for three to four days (under quarantine), then they’ll be removed from your account.

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If you haven’t done so yet, you HAVE to check out the Webster Library’s YouTube channel. It’s absolutely PACKED with informative and fun videos for everyone. There’s Storytime with Jason, book reviews, music, crafts, experiments, puppets, library program information and lots, lots more.

The library staff is particularly excited by their “Let’s Explore Webster” video series.  These are entertaining and informative video tours of some of Webster’s best features. So far the videos have featured Webster’s Farm Markets (you can check that one out below), the Arboretum, and the Webster Museum.

Click here to go directly to the YouTube channel then search for “Let’s Explore Webster” to find the videos.

The library building itself still isn’t open for business, but an incredible variety of classes and activities are still being offered online. imagine your storyThis summer’s reading program, for example, is in full swing. It’s called “Imagine Your Story.” You earn points by reading or listening to books, completing “missions,” and playing online games. Prizes are being awarded every week. There’s still plenty of time to sign up.

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This Friday, June 26 beginning at 6:30 p.m., the library will host a Family Disney Trivia Night via Facebook Live.

The event will be streamed live, and there’s no need to register. Just log onto the Webster Public Library Facebook page at 6:30 to have some fun!

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In just a few weeks, the Webster Public Library is will host “Blaze’s Great Adventure” community-wide scavenger hunt of the parks in Webster. The library’s Summer Reading Dragon, Blaze, is exploring a new park in our area each week, and it will be your job to find him based on the riddles he leaves.

blzeThe scavenger hunt will be 4 weeks long, starting July 6 and running through August 2. Blaze will release his riddle each Monday morning on the library’s Facebook page and emailed to the registered participating teams. You’ll have until the following Sunday at noon to find where he is hiding in each park. Once you find him, take a picture with him and email it to BlazeTheLibraryDragon@gmail.com.

Teams who complete the challenge will be entered into a drawing for the grand prize, a $100 gift card to Barnes & Noble, and Blaze himself.

For more information and to register, click here.

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Kids entering grades 4 through 12 are invited to join the Virtual Fantasy Camp: Fantasy Dragon Painting Online.

15922370322020’s Summer reading theme is “Imagine Your Story” so the library has created a series of fantasy-themed crafts through the month of July.

Most materials will be supplied, and available to be picked up at the library via curbside pickup (or in person if they are open to the public) the week before each program. Any additional supplies you will need to provide yourself are listed below.

Wednesday, July 8: Fantasy Dragon Painting. Provided supplies: Canvas, dragon silhouette, paintbrushes. Other required supplies: Paint, tape, scissors

Wednesday, July 15: Goddess Bracelets
Wednesday, July 22: Dragon Eggs
Wednesday, July 29: Fairy Terrariums

All programs will be held virtually via Zoom. Please register for each session individually. Click here to register.

For more information about all these events and programs, visit the Webster Public Library website.

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

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

 

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