

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.


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)
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