Archive | Local attractions RSS feed for this section

Arboretum Poetry Trail blends nature and art

13 Jul

Next time you take a walk through the Webster Arboretum on Schlegel Rd., you might find yourself stopping for more than just the flowers and trees. You might just lose yourself in rhyme.

Placed along the Arboretum’s gracefully winding paths is a series of five poems, the work of area authors, posted on handsome plaques adjacent to some of the park’s most picturesque features. They’re part of the Arboretum’s Poetry Trail, a community-driven space that blends the natural beauty of the park with local literature.

Opened in May 2025, the trail was spearheaded by Rochester-area poet Ron Friedman, who worked closely with the Arboretum’s Board of Directors to determine which poems would be used, where they would be placed and how the plaques would be designed. Ultimately, 11 poems were selected from hundreds submitted the previous spring, the chosen poets reflecting a variety of ages and talents, including one near the pond, called “If I Were a Butterfly,” written by preschoolers.

The trail currently features five of the chosen poems, each printed on a handsome brown plaque. In addition to the poem, there’s also a QR code which links to a recording of the poet reading his or her work. Reading the poem along with the author is a very calming experience. (The preschoolers’ poem doesn’t have a QR code, but you can see a video of the children reading it here.)

The trail itself stretches for a little less than a half mile, winding past the pond and the smaller gazebo, and across the covered footbridge. It only takes about 20 minutes to walk its length, depending on how long you pause to contemplate each poem. Most of the plaques are placed right on the gravel trail, which makes them very accessible. They’ve been installed at natural resting points, highlighting several of the Arboretum’s most beautiful locales.

In addition to the preschoolers’ butterfly poem, the four other poems are “Messages From the Garden” by Heidi Nightengale of Auburn, “Haiku Spring” by Rachel Ikins of Baldwinsville, “She Who is Sealed is Plastic” by Karen Faris of Rochester, and “Dear Arboretum in Webster” by Bobbie Dumas Panck of Malone.

Ron has six additional poems in reserve, which are currently “on the road,” having traveled to the Webster Schroeder High School library, the Webster Library, Monroe Community College, and the Before Your Quiet Eyes bookstore on Monroe Ave. He plans to rotate five of those into the Arboretum soon, to keep the trail engaging and feature a greater variety of poets. The posts themselves will remain in the same locations.

The map indicates the approximate location of each poem (click on it to enlarge it). The Webster Arboretum is located at 1700 Schlegel Rd.

* * *

(posted 7/13/2026)

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

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

Tags: , , ,

Who was Joe Obbie?

9 Jul

One of the most colorful signs of summer in Webster is the return of the Joe Obbie Farmers’ Market to Webster Towne Center Plaza on Holt Rd. (in front of Old Navy).

The market opened for the season on Saturday, June 13, and will be set up every Saturday at the plaza from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. through October, rain or shine. The very popular Evening in the Park Market will also return to Charles Sexton Park (formerly known as North Ponds) from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday evenings beginning next week, July 15. These events also have live music and food trucks, so remember to pack your folding chairs!

You can find out all you need to know about the market at the Joe Obbie Farmer’s Market website and Facebook page.

But today, I want to address a question I’ve had for a long time: Who WAS Joe Obbie and why is the market named after him? The answer was not hard to find; his son Mark has provided the background on the market’s website page. You can check that out for yourself, but I’m pleased to reprint that piece here:

The market began in 1983 when our father, Joe Obbie, saw a couple selling crafts outside his favorite Webster diner. He asked if he could join them to sell produce from his farm. By agreeing to let our father set up shop, they were doing more than just inviting in one farmer. They were tapping into a network of local farmers since our father was a lifelong resident of the town — and a master at social networking, motivated by a passion to preserve Webster’s farming heritage.

Joe started recruiting other farmers he knew, and the market was born. It moved to the other end of the same parking lot, where it remained for several years. Once it outgrew its corner of that village parking lot, it moved to another. Eventually, that proved too limiting as well. The expanded market finally found its current home, which had unlimited space for the many farmers and craftspeople who wanted to participate, and importantly, for their customers.

Webster had more than doubled in size during Joe’s adulthood since the 1950s, with housing and commercial developments crowding out farms and vacant land. Joe grew up on a small farm where his father, Charlie, grew potatoes and celery that he sold at the Rochester Public Market. Joe eventually became his father’s business partner, until their small farm proved inadequate to support Joe’s growing family and he went to work at the town’s biggest employer at the time, Xerox. In his later years, Charlie started a popular farm stand in front of his house to sell all kinds of vegetables. After he died in 1980, Joe, who lived next door and who had planted acres of grapes, apples, and garlic to serve as his retirement “hobby,” started his own farm stand.

Because there were fewer and fewer working farms in the town, Joe believed it was essential to give the many new residents of the town a way to connect with Webster’s farming heritage. Now, the farmers market gave him a way to spread that message to the entire community, and not just to the people who drove by his farm. He and our mother, Pat, worked tirelessly to recruit vendors and manage and promote the market for more than 20 years. When they were accompanied in their booth by one of us, by their growing brood of grandchildren, or by our younger adopted and foster siblings (Joe and Pat were longtime foster parents and ended up with a household of six or seven kids at any given time).

Just weeks after Joe died of cancer in 2005, our family gathered at the market to celebrate the unveiling of its new name: Webster’s Joe Obbie Farmers’ Market. There could be no more meaningful tribute to his life’s mission than to see that others, aided for many years by Pat, would carry on his work to sustain and improve the market. We are so grateful to the people who have carried that torch since 2005 and work so diligently to make the market a success.

In October 2023, Pat baked her last grape pies and cookies for the vendor booth she ran in the years since her husband’s death. Though she has now “retired” from the market, at age 86, we hope to talk her into coming to the 2024 market (and beyond) to greet customers and tell the story of how this market grew from one farmer to many.

Mark Obbie

* * *

(posted 7/9/2026)

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

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

Tags: , ,

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:

* * *

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

* * *

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 7/2/2026)

Tags: , ,

Celebrate our nation’s birthday at the Arboretum

15 Jun

Our country is marking a HUGE birthday this year, and the Webster Arboretum’s planning an equally huge party to celebrate.

For four hours on Wednesday afternoon, June 24, the Arboretum will be filled with music, dance, storytellers, games, food trucks, kids’ activities, information tables from two dozen community organizations, and much more.

It all happens from 3 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday June 24 at the Arboretum, 1700 Schlegel Rd. A very entertaining variety of activities are scheduled all afternoon, so bring a folding chair for the music, and try to be there for as long as you can.

Here’s the whole schedule:

  • 2:45 p.m.: Kidet Marching Band (WCSD’s elementary school marching band)
  • 3 p.m.: VFW Patriot Guard
  • 3 to 4 p.m.: Continental Army Tent with Michael Grenier
  • 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.: Fathers’ Night Out in the gazebo (Dixieland band)
  • 3:30 to 4 p.m.: Storytelling Circle with Ganondagan (traditional Haudenosaunee stories)
  • 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Striking Strings dulcimer group (including harp, penny whistle, flute, guitar and marimba)
  • 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.: Uncle Bucks food truck
  • 4 to 4:30 p.m.: Life of the Seneca with Ganondagan, a talk about the daily life of the Seneca
  • 4 to 4:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 5 p.m.: Children’s Militia Program
  • 4 to 5 p.m.: Paint-a-pot activity for kids
  • 4 to 5:30 pm.: Guided tours of the Arboretum
  • 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.: Dance Party with Dancing with Denise
  • 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.: Poetry Trail guided tours
  • 5 to 5:30 p.m.: Wildlife Rock Stars, exotic animals show-and-tell
  • 5 to 6 p.m.: Story time with Nancy Nesbitt of the Webster Museum
  • 5:30 to 6 p.m.: Flint and Steel presentation
  • 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.: Flower-seed paper cutouts at the craft table
  • 5:30 to 7 p.m.: Scoops ice cream truck
  • 6 to 6:30 p.m.: Duck Derby! Purchase a duck and race them in the pond
  • 6 to 6:45 p.m.: Webster Village Band
  • 6 to 7 p.m.: Chorus of the Genesee, barbershop harmony
  • 6:30 to 7 p.m.: Story time for kids with the Webster Public Library
  • 6:45 p.m.: Firing of the musket

Plus, all afternoon, you can check out incredible art displays with Joe Altieri, play lawn games with the kids, stop by the Patriotic coloring table, and try your hand at a scavenger hunt and history trivia quiz.

See? You’re not going to want to miss a minute of this event, so plan to come early and have dinner and dessert there. (P.S. make sure to stop by the Women’s Club of Webster information table and say hi to me!)

This amazing event is being presented as a collaboration of the Webster Arboretum with the Webster Public Library (Jason Poole), the Webster Community Chest (Ginny Nguyen), the Webster Museum (Sharon Pratt) and Lala’s Gift Shop & Boutique (Lisa Schlonski).

* * *

(posted 6/15/2026)

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

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

Tags: , ,

News from the Friends of Webster Trails

16 May

It’s a sure sign of spring when the Friends of Webster Trails (FWT) volunteers start ramping up their trail maintenance efforts. I learned all about them in the most recent Friends newsletter, which popped up in my email box the other day, my quarterly reminder of how lucky we are to have this organization in our community.

A large portion of the spring newsletter reviewed last year’s improvements to the Hojack Trail, the five-mile long former railroad bed that stretches from Lake Rd. at Forest Lawn to Phillips Rd. Those efforts included adding drainage and resurfacing the entire stretch between Holt and Drumm roads. It caused a little bit of disruption when portions of the trail had to be closed, but the results are fantastic. The trail has been busy all winter with walkers, runners, bikers, and cross-country skiers enjoying the new surface and improved drainage.

The work isn’t done quite yet, though. Later this spring, the Friends will be installing signage at each road crossing, and interpretive signs highlighting the history and the habitat of the trail. They’ll also be adding benches and planting scores of small trees and shrubs. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is being planned for later this summer, to officially reintroduce the new, improved Hojack to the community.

Improvements to the Hojack Trail were just a small part of what the Friends of Webster Trails accomplished last year, including:

  • Painting the kiosk at the Bird Sactuary Trail, and adding a map and history panels;
  • Adding an extension to the Herman Rd. Forever Wild Forest Green Trail;
  • Blazing a new side trail at the John Ungar and Michael Johnson Trails;
  • Adding a bridge at Vosburg Hollow (thank you Eagle Scout Jacob Bowen), connecting that trail from the Hojack to Gosnell Big Woods; and much more.

Plans for this spring and summer are no less ambitious. Upcoming projects include improving the Red, Blue and Green Trails at Herman Rd. Forever Wild Forest; adding a new boardwalk and walking stick station to State Rd. Nature Preserve; keeping the trails free from downed trees; and many more. And of course, the Friends’ ReTree volunteers will continue their incredible work, raising and planting a variety of native trees.

We have an amazing trail system in our town, and I hope you can see now that the Friends of Webster Trails are the folks to thank for that. These dedicated volunteers are committed to planning, maintaining, and promoting our trails, and advocating for the preservation of the natural character of Webster’s open spaces.

Our trails provide close, easy, and free opportunities for exercise and to spend time in nature for people of all ages. If you’re a regular user of any of Webster’s 28 miles of trails, please consider showing them some love by becoming a member of the Friends. It doesn’t cost much (really, just $15 for an individual or $20 for a family) and the funds go directly to making our trail system better for everyone to enjoy.

You can find out more about the organization and see an interactive map of all the trails at the Friends of Webster Trails website.

* * *

(posted 5/16/2026)

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

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

Tags: , ,

Pfft. What’s a little snow? Get out for a hike!

3 Feb

Winter is actually a great time of year for a hike. Our already beautiful local parks and preserves become even more spectacular under a layer of snow. They’re so unbelievably quiet and peaceful that sometimes the only thing you can hear is the ice cracking under your boots. As long as you’re bundled up against the cold and have some good boots (and traction cleats), a winter hike is nothing less than food for the soul.

If you like that idea but aren’t sure where to start, the Friends of Webster Trails would like to invite you to a stroll through one of our town’s newest trail systems, the State Road Nature Preserve. The hike is scheduled for this Saturday, Feb. 7 from 10 to 11 a.m. at the preserve, 1571 State Rd.

The family-friendly, guided hike will take participants through most of the preserve’s trails (measuring a bit more than one mile). If there’s snow (which there likely will be), you’ll look for animal tracks as you traverse a hidden trail network. Make sure to dress in layers and have traction devices for your feet if necessary. Well-behaved, leashed dogs are welcome.

There’s no charge for the hike, but please register here so the Friends know how many to expect. More information about winter hiking safety can be found here.

Can’t make it to State Rd.?

If you like the idea of a winter hike but can’t make it to the State Rd. guided hike this weekend, consider the Friends’ Loop of the Month, described in the Friends’ February newsletter:

With winter conditions still in place, flatter trails are often the best choice when dealing with ice and snow. Consider starting at Gosnell Big Field. From there, you can follow the connector path into Vosburg Hollow, then continue on to the Hojack Trail. This loop is approximately 2.5 miles,with the option to add extra distance by heading farther along the Hojack Trail before turning back. This loop offers flexibility, scenic views, and a great way to enjoy the trails safely during the winter months.

If trail conditions are icy, an easier option is to walk through Vosburg Hollow, cross the bridge, through the parking lot, up the connector trail  onto the Hojack Trail. Be aware that Vosburg Hollow includes a few hills that may be slippery in winter conditions, so use caution.

Trees in your way on the trail?

If you ARE a regular hiker and frequently enjoy Webster’s amazing trail system, no doubt you’ve come across a tree or two blocking the path. Ash trees especially like to topple in high winds.

If you do see something like that, the Friends would really like to know about it. You can email them here, with the following information:

  • The preserve name
  • The trail where the tree is located or drop pin
  • A photo if you can. That way they can bring the proper equipment to take care of the job.

Extra eyes on the trails help the Friends respond more quickly and keep the trails safe for everyone. (And P.S. try to avoid walking in the woods during high winds.)

Become a Friend

If you’d like to keep tabs on all of the latest news from the all-volunteer Friends of Webster Trails, including advance notice of special events, consider joining the organization and you, too, will get their monthly newsletter. It’s only $15 for individuals, $20 for families, and worth every penny. Click here for more information.

* * *

(posted 2/3/2026)

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

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

Tags: , ,

A quilt-lover’s paradise at the museum

20 Jan

The Webster Museum’s annual Quilt Exhibit — called “Stitched Stories” — has returned, and if you love anything and everything about quilting you’re not going to want to miss it.

Stitched Stories offers an illustrated journey through Webster’s history, told through the evolving designs, colors, fabrics and intricate patterns of heirloom quilts. Over the years, the museum has been the fortunate recipient of many vintage quilts. Most are documented in detailed binders that include their history, the artisans who created them, and, in many instances, their appraised value. These textile treasures capture decades of Webster history in their stitches.

More than 20 quilts of different sizes have been placed on display throughout the museum, from doll-sized mini-quilts, to a small cot quilt, to a full-sized courthouse steps quilt. They hang in exhibit cases, decorate the vintage parlor and bedroom, and adorn walls and railings. With some pieces dating back over 170 years, each stands as a testament to months of patient needlework and intricate craftsmanship.

I stopped by the museum on Tuesday afternoon to see the exhibit for myself, and discovered how LITTLE I know about the history of quilting. For example, there are so many different designs, popular during various times — like the wedding ring design, flying goose quilt, nine-patch quilt, crazy quilt and the “beginner friendly” courthouse steps design. (I did not consider that anywhere near beginner friendly myself.)

The Woodhull quilt
Bicentennial quilt

Some of the history was very interesting. The tiny doll quilts, for example, were popular from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s, often made by young girls just learning to sew. Cot quilts, used on a small bed or cot, were just the right size for a soldier in the Civil War to tuck into his backpack. The album panel quilt, crafted by Minerva Green Woodhull, has writing on it by her father-in-law, Byron Woodhull, who was Webster’s first supervisor. And I particularly liked the Webster Bicentennial heritage quilt, depicting a Webster map and squares representing historical highlights, made in 1976 by members of the Webster Quilt Guild.

An informative binder near the museum’s front entrance provides some background about each of the quilts on display. There’s even more information about each in the museum’s library, if you’re interested. Just ask one of the volunteers about that.

The Webster Museum is located at 18 Lapham Park, in the Village of Webster. They’re open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

* * *

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 1/20/2026)

Tags: , , ,

January History Bit: What IS this thing?

14 Jan

You never know what curious artifact you might discover when you wander through the Webster Museum. Case in point, this funny-looking, heavy glass, jar-like thing. Believe it or not, it’s actually a mouse trap, on display among many other farm and home gadgets that were instrumental to the lives of Webster residents a century ago.

The trap is about 6 inches long, with one open and one closed end. It has such an unusual shape and is so unlike anything we’re familiar with, that visitors are naturally drawn to examine it more closely and find out exactly what it’s all about. Fortunately, its history is thoroughly explained in a very helpful magazine article posted with the trap.

According to the article, it was patented in 1918 by Nute Wigginton of Winchester, Virginia, who dubbed it a “Mouse Exterminator.” Apparently, farmers at that time commonly used strychnine-coated oats and wheat to poison mice in their orchards and vineyards. But if the bait was exposed to the weather, it would be spoiled by the first rain shower that came through. It was a real problem, especially since a single mouse could destroy as many as ten or more fruit trees in one winter by gnawing on the bark at the base of the tree.

Wigginton came up with a brilliant solution. He designed his exterminator so that a tablespoon of poisoned bait could be inserted from the top. Then, when placed on the ground with the hump up, rain couldn’t get in. But a mouse could easily climb inside and eat the bait, and because the strychnine worked so fast, the mouse never got back out.

This particular Mouse Exterminator was found in the orchard of Drake Farm, which was located just west of Bay Rd., at the Webster/Penfield border. Unfortunately, the date it was found is unknown, but that doesn’t diminish the fascinating history behind it.

Stop by the Webster Museum yourself to see what other curious finds you might discover. The museum is located at 18 Lapham Park in the village, and is open every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. There’s no admission charge. 

* * *

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 1/14/2026)

Tags: , , ,

The Rec Center’s outdoor ice rink is open

3 Jan

If there’s one positive about the unusually cold and wintry weather we’ve been having this year, it’s that the Webster Recreation Center has been able to get their beautiful outdoor ice rink prepped and ready for skating.

The rink, located at the Webster Recreation Center at 1350 Chiyoda Dr. (just north of the village off of Phillips Rd.), is big — 52 ft. by 104 ft. — offering plenty of room for skaters of all abilities. Plus, it’s totally FREE for anyone to use. You don’t even have to be a member of the Rec Center. There’s even a warming shed where you can sit to put on your skates. You’ll want to bring your own skates, though, because rentals are not available.

The rink can be used at any time of day, and it’s even lit at night. And did I mention it’s FREE?

If you’re ever wondering if the rink is open, there are a few easy ways to find out. You can visit the Webster Recreation Center’s Facebook page, where the rink’s status will be posted, or (even easier) you can call the ice rink hotline at 585-872-7103 (option 3). There’s always a sign posted on the rink as well saying whether it’s open or closed.If it’s closed, please stay off the ice, because if the ice is too thin, the liner could get damaged.

Have fun and share the ice with everyone who’s there!!

* * *

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 1/3/2026)

Tags: , ,

December History Bit: Meet the Webster Museum (Part 6)

9 Dec

What do a pig ringer, a bull leader, a hog scraper, a hitching weight and a goose collar all have in common? Well, if you were a Webster farmer back in the 1800s, these items were all helpful tools of your trade. And while you’re not likely to find any of these gadgets on a farm these days, you can see them all at the Webster Museum.

Our “Meet the Webster Museum” tour makes our last stop in this month’s History Bit, ending on the right-hand side of the building as you enter the museum, where these farming implements are part of an eclectic collection of 19th-century tools and labor-saving appliances that offer a glimpse into life in early Webster.

Our tour began last January, and so far, we’ve strolled down the Village of Webster’s Main Street, revisiting Witmer’s Variety Store and the Candy Kitchen; stopped into Mayor Hawley’s office and a recreated pharmacy; paused to remember Webster’s many service stations and dairies; and peeked into an early parlor, bedroom and kitchen. Here at our last stop, near the farming tools and other everyday necessities, visitors can also see presentations about two of Webster’s earliest and most profitable industries: apple drying and basket making.

All of these displays, however, really just scratch the surface of the impressive variety of exhibits at the Webster Museum that illuminate our town’s early history, as well as the extensive resources available for anyone interested in researching their family or home.

For example, these include:

  • three different kids of early washing machines on the “back porch,” including one that looks and operates a lot like a butter churn;
  • evidence that mammoths passed through here (and left a molar) and that Native Americans hunted and fished here;
  • an authentically recreated one-room schoolhouse, complete with double desks, a schoolmaster’s desk, a collection of early textbooks, and early teaching aids;
  • typewriters and rotary phones (yes, they’re historical artifacts now!);
  • an exhibit highlighting our local military veterans;
  • a toy room filled with dolls, trucks and trains;
  • the “barn” (the museum’s front porch) with farming tools, a display about the “Blue Line” trolley that once rolled through Webster, and Holly the Horse pulling a one-horse sleigh.

And tucked way in the back is a research library devoted to cataloging Webster’s history, with an extensive archive of books, photos, maps, documents, and more. Community members are welcome to use it to explore their own heritage.

The Webster Museum is a true community gem, devoted to preserving and celebrating our town’s rich history. If you’ve never visited, make it a new-year goal to stop in. And if you have been there before, come back to see what’s new; the seasonal exhibits are always changing. At the very least, take a spin through the Webster Museum website; it’s filled with terrific stories and insights into our town’s past.

The Webster Museum is located at 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster. It’s open every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

* * *

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 12/9/2025)

Tags: , , ,

← Older Entries