Webster community mailbag

6 Jul

This is a very library-heavy mailbag, mostly because there’s SO MUCH going on at the Webster Public Library (WPL).

But first, this from St. Martin Lutheran Church:

St. Martin Lutheran Church will host their next Pulled Pork Drive-Thru on Saturday July 18 from 4 p.m. until they run out. Dinners include pulled pork sandwich, salt potatoes, coleslaw and cookie for just $15 (cash or check only). 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. Proceeds will support the church’s annual Christmas Stocking Project. St. Martin Lutheran Church is located at 813 Bay Rd.

A Sweet Sunset Social

The Town of Webster is hosting an evening gathering at Sandbar Park on Friday, July 17, beginning at 7 p.m.

They’re calling it “A Sweet Sunset Social,” and it will feature live music from Chelsey Barry and Mark Cellura, dirty sodas, and popcorn, all of which you can enjoy while watching the beautiful waterfront sunset.

This event is free and open to the public. No registration is required.

Now, from the Webster Public Library (WPL)

  • This month’s community exchange is jewelry — bring your unused pieces and swap them out for new.
  • And while you’re there, drop off some non-perishable goods at the WPL Free Food Pantry, this month’s featured Donation Station.
  • Dino-tech Labs Escape Room: This challenging escape-room adventure will be run on two Saturdays, July 25 and Aug. 15, in 30-minute sessions from 10:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. Participants are placed in DinoTech Labsm where a traitor has sabotaged the equipment. You have 30 minutes to decipher the clues left behind by the saboteur and save the park and all its inhabitants (human and dinosaur) from complete destruction. The activity is recommended for ages 8 and up. Every team must have at least one person aged 16 or older, and teams can include from 2 to 6 people. Registration is required. Click here to register  for July 25, and here for Aug. 15.
  • Learn about dinosaurs and birds in this program presented by paleontologist Dan Krisher. It’s Tuesday, July 14 from 1 to 2 p.m. and is recommended for ages 8+. Click here to register.
  • HLAA Hearing Presentation and Test, Wednesday, July 29 from 2 to 3 p.m. Come learn about hearing assistive equipment, new over-the-counter hearing aids, and the library’s hearing loop from the Rochester Chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA). Free hearing tests will also be available. Registration is required.  If you need any reasonable accommodations, please contact Jenny Paxson at jennifer.paxson@libraryweb.org or call 585-872-7075 x6144 at least 7 business days before the event.
  • The Make it Monday crafts for teens and tweens are America’s 250th Birthday-themed. It’s Monday, July 13 from 6 to 7 p.m. Grades 4-12 and adults are welcome, but registration is required.
  • How about a Jurassic-themed summer camp? The 3-week Jurassic Camp takes place on Wednesdays July 8, 15 and 22 from 2 to 3:30 each day, and each week campers will make a different dinosaur craft. Individual registrations are required for each session. Click here to register for July 8, click here for July 15 and click here for July 22.
  • Or a Dino Camp for grades 2-5? It runs for three weeks, July 14, 21 and 28, and each week there’ll be a different dinosaur craft. Click here for more information and to register for the first week.
  • Get the family together and try some Mezosoic Family Trivia on Thursday, July 30 from 11 to 11:45 a.m. It’s a morning of snacks, and trivia based on the age of dinosaurs! Click here to register.

Friends Vintage and Collectible Book Sale

The next Friends of the Webster Public Library Vintage and Collectible Book Sale has been scheduled for Saturday, July 18 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the community room.

There will be 14 tables with about 250 books, grouped into the following table themes: business, England, juvenile fiction, older fiction, Rochester and Upstate NY, music, George Washington and John F. Kennedy, science fiction, war, American history, science and math schoolbooks and textbooks. Plus, two tables of miscellaneous books. 

Nearly all books offered are in good or better condition, many with their original dust jackets in a protective plastic cover. Some are first editions or early printings. Some appear to be signed by their authors, although the signatures have not been authenticated. Most books being offered were published in the 20th century with a smattering of titles evident from both the mid- to late 19th century and the early 21st century.

Most books have been priced under $20 with many of these in the $8 to $15 range but some are priced $20 or higher, especially those from the Easton Press which are prized by collectors. All prices are fixed so there will be no negotiating. Prices have been selected for profitable resale so book dealers and eBay sellers should especially see what is available. If you collect books, you may find your next treasure here.

BY THE WAY, beginning the day of the Vintage Book Sale on July 18 and through Aug. 1, the Friends will be selling Kittelberger Bouquet Cards. The cards are $50.00 each, and are good for one beautiful Kittelberger bouquet every month for a year. They make a wonderful gift for birthdays, anniversaries, or just for you.

Still more from the library: The Webster Public Library is introducing a brand new event this summer, especially designed for people with developmental disabilities. It’s called the College and Transition Fair, and its goal is to support individuals with disabilities who will no longer get support from the school system for their services. More than two dozen colleges and organizations have already signed up.

The College & Transition Fair for People with Developmental Disabilities will be held on Saturday, Aug. 8 from 10 a.m. to noon inside the Webster Public Library. More to come about that, but in the meantime, mark your calendars.

Webster Hope could use your donations

The annual Webster Hope Back-to-School event, to supply new school supplies to Webster students, will take place at from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday Aug. 18. The event relies on community donations to stock the back-to-school shop at Hope. New school supplies can be dropped off at Webster Public Library, 980 Ridge Road, or at Hope during any open hours. Webster Hope is located at 1450 Ridge Rd.

You can see a whole list of requested donations in the July newsletter. (While you’re there, make sure to sign up to get this great newsletter in your mailbox quarterly.)

Raise the Stakes to benefit WCCH

Here’s another reminder about the Webster Comfort Care Home’s 5th Annual Raise the Stakes Casino Night, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 12 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Webster Golf Club, 440 Salt Rd.

This is an exciting evening of gaming, prizes and fun while supporting a great cause. Webster Town Supervisor Alex Scialdone will emcee the evening, which will have casino-style gaming tables, a silent auction, raffles, cash bar featuring a signature cocktail and mocktail, appetizers, hors d’oeuvres, light bites, and desserts. Plus, everybody gets $500 in complimentary chips included with admission (additional chips available for purchase).

Tickets are $75 per person, and they’re available now. There are also plenty of sponsorship opportunities ranging from ads in the program for $25 to a Blackjack Table Sponsorship for $2,500. Click here to purchase tickets, ads and sponsorship opportunities.

And now for something completely different

Here’s a quick tease about some of the blogs I’m hard at work on this month:

  • Big things are happening at M.O. Pasta in the Village of Webster. Mike celebrated his third anniversary in April and has some exciting plans for his little shop.
  • Do you like to run? Maybe not as much as these ladies. My running buddy Karen and her friend are just about three miles and one bunch of streets away from completing their goal to run every street in Webster. More to come on how long THAT took them.
  • The library has a great program to connect our senior population with library services. They call it their BookBox for Seniors, where they travel to elder care facilities and bring a selection of books for the residents there to check out.
  • The library is also updating their sensory space. Didn’t know they had a dedicated sensory space? They do, and soon it will be better than ever.
  • Ever wonder who the Joe Obbie Farmer’s Market is named after? Who was Joe Obbie? That blog coming up soon as well.
  • If you’re a fan of the Arboretum, you’ll want to read more about the Arboretum’s Poetry Trail in a few weeks.
  • It was sad to see Mabel Jane’s Vintage Shop on North Ave. move out a while ago, but encouraging to see that the storefront at 10 North Ave. will soon have a new, art-focused proprietor.

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(posted 7/6/2026)

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

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Friday night concerts return to the gazebo

4 Jul

The Village of Webster summer music season officially kicks off this Friday July 10 with the first in the Friday Night Concerts in the Park series, featuring the Red Hot and Blue Band.

RHB plays Americana, Roots, and Blues Rock music that will get you dancing and bring back a lot of great memories.  

Coming up later in the summer at the gazebo:

The concerts begin at 7 p.m. at the gazebo on North Ave. and admission is free. Bring the whole family, some folding chairs and a blanket, and a cooler if you’d like, then enjoy some beautiful music.

The concerts are brought to you by our Village of Webster business association.

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(posted 7/4/2026)

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

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Fresh Mediterranean flavors are coming to the heart of the village

3 Jul

The Village of Webster’s newest restaurant is bringing a taste of the Mediterranean to Main Street.

The new Tabbouleh Mediterranean Restaurant is poised to open early next week at 3 East Main Street, in the easternmost half of the old Jeff’s Computer shop.

The restaurant is owned by cousins Halat Hama and Harda Hamagharib, both Iraqi Kurds, with help from their friend, Blnd Abdullah.

While none of them has owned his own place before, Halat has worked in several different restaurants. It was he who suggested to his cousin that they open their own business “in a nice neighborhood.” Last December, when he was Ubering a customer to the village, he noticed the “for lease” sign in the computer shop window. He contacted the landlord, signed the papers, and by February, renovations had begun.  

Transforming the old computer shop into a family restaurant has truly been a labor of love, requiring floor-to-ceiling renovations from repainting, to tearing out carpeting and counters, to drywalling. And that was all before installing new kitchen equipment.

“We did everything by hand,” Blnd said. “Every nail, every drywall, every mistake was ours. There were days filled with drywall and mud and a problem turned into ten problems and then there were days where you didn’t know what to do because there were so many things to do.” 

“It definitely was not easy,” he continued, “but … we learned to appreciate the process that we put into it. We appreciate the empty pizza boxes, the cold coffees that we didn’t get to finish drinking, the wounds we got from making mistakes. I’m sure if we had hired contractors to do the work for us we would not have loved the place as much as we do.”

What they’ve created is a cozy, bright, welcoming atmosphere which somehow seems to lighten your day as soon as you walk through the front door. It’s not a big place, but there are chairs and benches to fit 28 people comfortably, and proprietors who will welcome you with big smiles that reflect their sincere pride at being part of our country and the Webster community.

“We have a vision for this restaurant,” Blnd said. “We want everybody to feel welcome. Somebody who’s had a very rough day or a mom with a lot of kids, they deserve to feel seen, to be heard. A lot of time people go about their day not feeling heard.”

The menu features a wide variety of salads, pastas, soups, appetizers, pita pockets, specialty plates and more, including vegetarian and gluten-free options — and tabbouleh, of course. All Mediterranean, but with a Kurdish twist.

They don’t have a liquor license, but patrons are welcome to bring their own beer, wine or other alcoholic drinks; the owners will hand you a glass and ice and you can pour it yourself. Or you can choose from a variety of American and international soft drinks in the cooler.

Halat and Harda display their hearts on their sleeves — and their walls. The photos hung throughout the restaurant are of Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, their home towns in the Kurdistan region of Iraq; vintage photos of their shop on Main Street; and right when you walk in the front door, prints of Betsy Ross, Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton.

They’re thrilled to be part of the Webster community and deeply touched by the warm welcome they’ve received.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of love we’ve gotten,” Blnd said. “One of the biggest things about Webster is how the community hugs one another. Everyone knows everyone. We want to be part of that family.”

“We had a big dream with a small idea and small pockets. We are happy to turn it into something like this.” 

They’re still finalizing a few minor details, but Halat and Harda hope to be able to open their doors this coming Monday or Tuesday July 6 or 7. Let’s make sure they feel as welcome as they want us to feel.

Tabbouleh Mediterranean Restaurant is located at 3 East Main St. in the Village of Webster. You’ll find them on Instagram (@dineattabbouleh) and soon on their website, Facebook and Reddit (but they haven’t been set up yet).

Check out the slides below for a look inside the restaurant and a look at the whole menu:

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(posted 7/3/2026)

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

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The best Field Day ever

2 Jul

I had the great opportunity once again this year to attend the annual XRX Amateur Radio Club Field Day, held Saturday through Sunday, June 27 to 28. This is basically a ham radio marathon event, designed to replicate setting up communications in emergency conditions.

I took a lot of notes and many photos, but instead of trying to sum up the event from my less-than-knowledgeable perspective, I will once again this year share with you the follow-up report prepared by Field Day Chair Bob Karz:

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For amateur radio, the most important time of the year is the fourth full weekend in June. Over 30,000 of us across the US and Canada set up more than 1,000 temporary stations completely off the grid, typically in parks and other public spaces, making contact with each other as well as international stations. The event is called “Field Day,” and an important objective is to test our readiness to provide radio communication in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency.

Last weekend marked the sixth year that the Rochester Amateur Radio Association (RARA), Monroe County Amateur Radio Emergency Services (MCARES), and the XRX Radio Club have sponsored an amateur radio Field Day at the north end of Webster’s Kent Park. Thirty-nine local amateurs participated this year in perfect weather — not too hot, not too cold, and no rain.

The disastrous Venezuelan twin earthquakes just three days earlier remind us about why emergency communications are essential during a natural disaster. Venezuelan radio amateurs are continuing to work to deliver health and welfare messages throughout the earthquake area. To facilitate their work, certain radio frequencies were declared off limits for this year’s Field Day so Venezuelan communications could continue unimpeded. 

We began our Field Day set up on Friday morning stringing our wire antennas high in the trees. Rather than climbing them (difficult and dangerous), we use a homemade “air cannon” to launch a shuttle trailing fishing line into the canopy. The fishing line is replaced with string and then rope which supports our antennas.

We set up five separate stations Saturday morning. Three used voice, Morse code, or a computer mode called FT8. The fourth station used voice only, and was exclusively for beginners. A fifth station was for very high frequency (VHF) relatively short-range communications (about 50 miles). We also set up two generators and various solar cell arrays for power and a computer network to log our contacts.

We began operations promptly at 2:00 pm, and over the next 24 hours made contact with 1,065 stations (165 more than last year) in every state except Wyoming, Nevada, and Alaska, most Canadian provinces, and the countries of Lithuania, New Zealand, Spain, Italy, England, Russia, Germany, Finland, France, and Indonesia. All contacts were completely off the grid as if there were a real emergency. We estimate that we will finish in the top 10 to 15% of about 320 Field Day stations our category.

This year we welcomed visits by Webster Town Supervisor Alex Scialdone, Section Manager Scott Bauer (an officer in the Amateur Radio national organization), and Missy Rosenberry from Webster on the Web and her husband Jack. Field Day is always a good time to showcase our hobby, so we were pleased to welcome visitors from the nearby baseball tournament as well as others in the area who stop by. 

Field Day is more than radio contacts. It is also for showing off new equipment, like a measurement tool called a Vector Network Analyzer that tells how well our antennas are working, a small transceiver about the size of a paperback book with about the power of a nightlight that we used to make more than 30 contacts as far away as Missouri, and a keyer that generates Morse code without controls. Rather, you talk to it using (you guessed it) Morse code. We also heard a presentation about homemade “go boxes” with everything needed to get on the air (antenna, transceiver, computer, batteries, microphone, keyer, and all the connecting wiring) are together and ready to go for any emergency. Field Day is also food, lots of it, including a mobile kitchen to prepare real meals but also lots of snack food as well.

Field Day is just a sampling of what amateur radio is about. If you’d like to learn more visit arrl.org or rochesterham.org.

Here’s a whole slideshow of images from the day. Thank you to Bob for many of these:

  • The “go box” on display
  • Manning the “GOTA” station (“get on the air”) for newbies
  • Working the Morse code station
  • After just an hour, they’d contacted all these states
  • Bob Karz’s gold-plated keyer
  • Operating a station into the night
  • Joe Delorenzo shows Webster Town Supervisor Alex Scialdone the GOTA station
  • solar arrays
  • Peter Fournia using an air cannon
  • Sam Hartley demonstrates his Go Box

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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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(posted 7/2/2026)

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The Caring Community Concerts are back!

1 Jul

The Caring Community Concert series at the United Church of Christ (570 Klem Rd.) is back, and this summer’s lineup is a great one.

These concerts benefit local nonprofit organizations through free-will donations. The first one, scheduled for Wednesday July 8, will feature Allegro, and proceeds will benefit the Webster Comfort Care Home. (See below for the whole schedule.)

There’s no admission, but each week the church collects a free-will offering benefiting that week’s chosen non-profit organization.

The UCC has been sponsoring these concerts for 20 years, and through free-will offerings have raised tons of money for local non-profit organizations. People are invited to bring lawn chairs or blankets and a picnic if they wish. There’s also a concession stand selling soda, hot dogs, hamburgers, pulled pork, and a weekly “special.”

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.) So put these concerts on your calendar now and plan to enjoy some great music for a good cause.

Here’s the rest of the schedule:

  • July 15: ACME R&B to benefit the Webster Public Library BookBox for Kids and Teens.
    • ACME R&B are a Rochester-based quintet who play classic R&B, rock covers and original tunes.

For more information about the concerts, 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).

(posted 7/1/2026)

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Plank South librarian gains global perspective through Fulbright Program in Romania

30 Jun

Here’s a great illustration of how our Webster Central School District educators continue to study, learn. and stretch themselves for the benefit of their students.

When Plank Road South Elementary School librarian Julianne Westrich traveled to Romania this spring as part of the prestigious Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms program, she expected to learn about another country’s educational system. What she discovered was a deeper understanding of the shared challenges and opportunities facing educators around the world.

Juli was one of 12 educators from across the United States selected to participate in the program’s international field experience requirement in Romania. Her assignment took her to the Southeastern European nation for nearly two weeks in April and May, where she joined fellow educators in exploring schools, classrooms, and cultural sites while collaborating with Romanian teachers and students.

“The experience was life changing — on a personal and professional level,” Juli wrote following her return. “The opportunity made a significant impact on my perceptions of global education.”

The group spent their first five days in Bucharest, Romania’s capital and largest city, participating in professional development and visiting schools. The educators came from a wide range of backgrounds, including elementary, high school, theater, art, mathematics, and library education.

“Part of the experience that was a surprise to me was how much I learned from my U.S. colleagues,” she said.

Throughout the trip, Juli observed classrooms across multiple grade levels and educational settings. While Romania’s educational structure differs from that of the United States, she found many common threads.

“We are all dealing with the same overarching issues,” she noted. “Struggling student engagement, AI, lack of attention span, and ‘How do we get them to read?'”

One of the most striking observations was Romania’s emphasis on multilingual education. Students begin learning English in kindergarten, and many become highly proficient speakers. During one school visit, Juli met a ninth-grade student who reads Stephen King novels in English because “that’s how the author wrote it.” She also attended a dress rehearsal of Macbeth performed entirely in English by Romanian junior and senior high school students as part of a Shakespeare festival.

The trip also highlighted the practical application of language learning. At one technological high school, Juli observed a gastronomy class that combined culinary instruction with English language learning, preparing students for employment opportunities throughout Europe. Some students even participate in international work experiences, spending time in restaurants in other European countries.

Romania’s education system places students on academic or vocational tracks beginning in high school, with placement influenced by a national examination taken in eighth grade. Juli visited both traditional academic schools and technological schools, gaining insight into the benefits and challenges of the system.

As a librarian, Juli was particularly interested in how Romania’s recent history influences education. Having emerged from decades of communist rule only a generation ago, the country continues to grapple with issues surrounding information access, media literacy, and civic engagement.

“The weight of communism, only one generation removed, is clear in small actions, traditions, and education initiatives,” she said. “The push for access to information, knowledge, and independent thought is clear—but also the concerns about social media, propaganda, and biased news.”

Those experiences reinforced her commitment to helping students navigate today’s information landscape.

“There is a real fear, born of experience, that the misinformation spread to the youth will impact their future,” she said. “Witnessing this reinforced my belief in the importance of media literacy instruction and the value of librarians in the school district.”

Following their time in Bucharest, the educators split into smaller groups and traveled to different regions of Romania. Along the way, they experienced the country’s rich culture and complex history, visiting sites such as the country’s famous mud volcanoes and observing the contrast between urban centers and rural communities.

Despite long days that often stretched to 12 hours, Juli embraced every opportunity to learn from Romanian educators. She also discovered cultural traditions that reflected the country’s recent past, including lengthy communal dinners where conversation and connection are highly valued.

“Today’s learners are growing up in a very interconnected world,” Juli reflected, “one which requires instruction to build student capacity as global citizens.”

For Juli, the experience reinforced the value of international exchanges and professional learning opportunities for educators.

“There are great teachers, passionate about what they do and the impact they make, everywhere,” she said.

As she brings those lessons back to Webster classrooms, Juli hopes her experiences will encourage students to think beyond geographic borders and recognize their role in an increasingly interconnected world.

***

The Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program is a yearlong professional learning opportunity and short-term exchange for elementary, middle, and high school educators from the United States to develop skills to prepare students for a competitive global economy. The program equips educators to bring an international perspective to their schools through targeted training, experience abroad, and global collaboration.

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(posted 6/30/2026)

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

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Light up the night at Party in the Park

29 Jun

You know those Family Game Nights the Webster Business Improvement District (BID) folks would have occasionally on Main Street? They had music and dancing and snacks and games, and sometimes beer.

Well, there hasn’t been one of those in a while, but the BID is kind of bringing it back in a few weeks with their brand new family event, “Party in the Park.” It takes place Saturday night, July 11 from 6 to 10 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park, and it’s a little bit different — and I think better — than the Family Game Nights.

For starters, the BID organizers will be providing glow sticks, so the kids can light up the night as the sun sets. There’ll be games, food provided by Webster Hots, ice cream treats from Sips & Scoops, DJ music from Cassano Studios, and lots and lots of dancing.

This is going to be a great family-fun event, and a really nice way to enjoy a warm summer evening. It’s totally free and all ages are encouraged to attend. It’s Saturday, July 11 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the gazebo, 28 North Ave. in the Village of Webster.

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(posted 6/30/2026)

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

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America’s 250th Celebration at the Arboretum was a great success

28 Jun
Michael Grenier’s flint and steel demonstration was a hit with the kids
Even the adults got into the dance party spirit

You know how those nostalgic movies like Tom Sawyer and The Music Man often feature idyllic, turn-of-the-century scenes of Fourth-of-July celebrations? They’re sun-drenched settings with brass bands, ice cream, bustling town squares (complete with gazebos), kids playing lawn games, neighbors visiting with neighbors, and plenty of red, white and blue bunting.

That is exactly what it felt like to be part of the Webster Arboretum’s huge America’s 250th Celebration last Wednesday, June 24. It had all those elements, and many more, including kids’ crafts, food trucks, a duck race, musket firing, honor guard, story telling, a dance party, dulcimers, a barbershop chorus, and guided tours of the Arboretum grounds. It was even sun-drenched. The whole afternoon had a classic Americana vibe, a wonderful celebration of our country’s rich history, while also highlighting our area’s own cultural and educational groups.

Organizers estimate that more than 1000 community members attended the four-hour celebration, and that’s on top of the representatives from the two dozen community groups which had set up information tables.

It all took a ton of planning, and reflected the efforts of a dedicated team of volunteers.

Wendy Mendola from the Arboretum wrote,

Jason Poole from the Webster Library, Sharon Pratt from the Webster Museum, Lisa Schlonski from Lala’s and Ginny Nguyen all worked with the board members of The Webster Arboretum to bring this event to fruition. Our planning began months ago and we met regularly to bring our community together to celebrate America’s 250th and bring the Webster Arboretum to the forefront. We would like to thank the volunteers, sponsors and the members of the community for making this event a rocking success.

This was our first BIG event and we feel it went very well. We brought the community together for some good family fun.

Striking Strings Dulcimer Group

I spent the entire afternoon at the event. For much of the time I was hanging out at our Women’s Club of Webster display, but I made sure to regularly walk around the grounds, stopping by all of the information tables, chatting with the organization representatives, listening to the bands and watching the kids laughing and having fun. It was delightful to see entire families out in the field playing Cornhole together, or at the craft table painting flower pots. Watching Michael Grenier — decked out in his all-wool Revolutionary War uniform — whip a batch of young, raw recruits into shape was absolutely charming. Standing face-to-snout with a huge snapping turtle was less so.

It was all extremely well organized and so much fun, the perfect way to celebrate our nation’s birthday. Congratulations to everyone who helped pull it together, and many thanks to all of the organizations who set up tables and community members who came out to have some good old-fashioned family fun. It’s really a shame we can’t do it all again next year.

… or can we?

A thousand thank yous to Joe Altieri for most of these photos! Here’s a gallery with a few more:

  • The Webster Kidets Junior Marching Band helped open the event
  • The Webster Kidets Junior Marching Band helped open the festivities

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(posted 6/28/2026)

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

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One of the cigar-box mysteries has been solved

27 Jun

Perhaps the most rewarding part of writing this blog is watching how it connects our community. Today I have a follow-up to one of my recent posts which is a perfect example.

A little more than two weeks ago I posted a blog titled “History in a cigar box.” It described a treasure trove of information about the veterans buried in our Webster cemeteries, which had been found in a cigar box in a storage room at the American Legion. On more than 150 small notebook pages, someone had meticulously recorded, in hand-written notes, each veteran’s name, personal details, which cemetery he is buried in, and what lot number. Most of them also included much more information, including the soldier’s rank, war(s) and battles he fought in, enlistment and discharge dates, even his commanding officer’s name. No one seemed to know who had gathered all that information and kept such detailed records, or why.

A few days after I posted the blog, it was re-printed in the Webster Herald as my History Bit, which I write monthly for the Webster Museum. The photo which accompanied both the blog and the Herald article was the one you see above, with the cigar box and a soldier’s photo.

Just a few days after that, I received this email from Janice Smith, which cleared up one of the mysteries:

Your story on page one of the Herald shows my dad Harry Brewer. And I’m about 99.8% sure that it was him who collected the notes about Webster soldiers. He ran his own gas station on Empire at Plank Rd., and he saved everything. He had at least 25 empty cigar boxes upon his death (he sold cigars, never threw out anything). He was a dedicated member of the Legion for 67 years.

Also, the photo on page three shows the kind of little flip-page note book he used to record credit purchases in for his best customers. At the end of each month he’d tally up each customer’s charges and write them a statement and mail it to them. That’s some of his handwriting.

I connected Janice with Cherie Wood, the current caretaker of the pages. About a week ago, we all met at the Webster Library so Janice could look through her father’s old records and hopefully shed some light on why he created them.

Her father, she remembered, was very interested in genealogy and in his Webster neighbors. He grew up on East Main Street in the village, and even as a teenager would sit at his uncle’s gas station at the corner of Empire and Plank, and listen to the men talk and tell stories. Later, when he owned the station, he started writing those stories down on his little notepad.

“He was curious,” Janice said. “I can remember sitting in the station when he was talking with someone whose grandfather had been in the wars, and was writing notes about them.” And he clearly kept adding to his records as he learned more; on some of the pages, subsequent notes are written with different pens, and often there was so much information it flowed onto the back of the page. Like the one soldier who fought in 18 Civil War battles, each one listed individually, and was present at Lee’s surrender at Appomattox.

Janice also added a very interesting footnote to the story of Sylvester Brewer, whom I mentioned briefly in the original blog.

Sylvester — Harry Brewer’s distant cousin — was taken prisoner at Spotsylvania during the Civil War and spent three months in the infamous Andersonville prison in Georgia. He survived his imprisonment, and upon his release, traveled by foot all the way home to Webster. Janice estimates it took him about three months. When he got home, he walked into the West Webster Hotel (where the Jade Palace is now) where his father was bartending. Sylvester was so emaciated from the war, imprisonment and long trip home that his father didn’t even recognize him.

Why Brewer was keeping the records is still not clear. But the fact that the pages record exactly where each veteran’s gave is located seems to indicate they were referenced when the American Legion placed flags every Memorial Day.

“I think he was involved in placing the flags,” Janice said. “He was always involved in decorating (the graves).”   

Whatever the reason Harry Brewer decided to fill his little notebook with details about our local veterans, we owe him a huge debt of gratitude. His curiosity, connection with the Webster community, and his passion for collecting stories have enriched our knowledge and helped us remember and honor our fallen heroes.

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(posted 6/27/2026)

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Musicians take over the White House

25 Jun

If you’re an Irish musician and you live in or near Rochester, chances are good you were at a party up at Webster Park on Saturday the 13th.

The occasion was the annual “Stand Around and Play Some Tunes” gathering, at which musicians of all kinds are invited to … well, stand around and play. The event was begun perhaps 40 years ago by well-known local Irish musician Lynn Pilaroscia, an invitation for his musician friends (whether Irish, folk, bluegrass or others) to hang out together, enjoy some food and drink, and play some tunes.

When everything really got going, it was quite a treat for the eyes and ears. At any one moment during the afternoon you might see anywhere from four to seven small groups of musicians, each in a different corner of the White House property — the front porch, the back porch, under a tree, in the main room — jamming. No matter where you were, music surrounded you: bluegrass, waltzes, folk tunes, and traditional Irish jigs, reels and ballads. And the variety of instruments was always astounding: flutes, concertinas, banjos, guitars, string basses, mandolins, accordions, tin whistles, bodhrans, and lots of fiddles.

Thanks to our significant involvement in the Rochester Irish community back in the 1990s, my husband and I knew Lynn well and attended many Stand Around and Play gatherings. It was a great chance to visit with old and new friends from the Irish community and listen to some trad Irish tunes. My favorite memory is when my son Sean — who at 5 years old was inspired by Joe Dady to take up the fiddle — actually got to chat with Joe at one of these parties, and play his fiddle.

Around 2014, Lynn decided to take a break from the parties, in large part because his friend who had done all the grilling wasn’t able to do it anymore. For a long while, the event was forgotten. Lynn passed away in July, 2024 before resurrecting the annual musical gathering.

But last year, and again this year, thanks to the efforts of John Michael Ryan, Jonathan Kyle, and Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, the Rochester Irish Musician’s Association, Stand Around and Play returned to the White House. Once again, music of all kinds filled the air from all corners of the building (mostly indoors this year since it rained buckets that Saturday). Perhaps because of the threat of nasty weather, attendance was down. But organizers are hoping that in the years to come, the event will continue to grow again, and Lynn’s dream is rekindled, bringing musicians together to do what they love most: play music.

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(posted 6/25/2026)

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

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