REALLY busy weekend coming up

24 Oct

Usually it’s during the summer months that the special events pile up so fast I can barely mention them all. But summer’s got nothing on this coming weekend.

Things start off on Friday evening, Oct. 28, with a Community Food Truck Rodeo to benefit the Webster Montessori School. As you can see on the poster here, the trucks that you’ll find include Pop Up & Eats, Waffles R Wild, Al Dente Mobile Pasta, Marty’s Meats and Kona Ice.

The rodeo takes place at the school, 1310 Five Mile Line Rd. (next door to Bauman’s Farm Market) from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Friday.

It looks like it’s going to be a beautiful autumn day on Saturday, Oct. 29 for these next few events:

At 10 a.m., The Friends of Webster Trails is hosting a Cars Along the Creek Hike at Four Mile Creek Preserve, at the corner of Phillips and Lake roads.

The two-hour guided hike will introduce participants to the many abandoned cars you can see along the preserve’s trails. Apparently the land on which the preserve is now located was once used by the local youth as a makeshift racetrack in the early 1960s. Among the cars you’ll see are:

* 1951 Chevrolet Styleine Deluxe Bel Air
* 1961 Ford 500 Galaxy Club Victoria
* 1959 Nash Rambler
* 1959 Chevy Bel Air
* 1954 Plymouth Belvedere Suburban
* 1949 Green Nash Airflyte

The hike is free, and begins at the parking lot on Phillips Rd.

One of the Village of Webster’s most popuar events, Halloween in the Village, returns this Saturday, beginning with a costume contest from 11 a.m. to noon at Village Hall.

The Trick-or-Treat Trail begins at 11:30 a.m., where children can stroll the village streets and trick-or-treat at dozens of village businesses. Look for the orange pumpkins in storefront windows to see which businesses are participating.

The Festival Wagon will be taking riders along Main Street, and don’t forget to get your pet involved in the fun; the Pet Costume Contest, complete with prizes, takes place on Main St. at 1 p.m. (Click here for a recap of last year’s Trick or Treat Trail, including lots of photos.)

While you’re in town for the Halloween festival, make sure to stop by the Webster Volunteer Fire Department during their open house. They’ll have candy, of course, but this is also a great opportunity for your kids to visit with real firefighters, climb into a fire truck, see some demonstrations, and get a fire hat.

The Fire Department is at 35 South Ave. Just look for the big red trucks in the driveway.

ALSO on Saturday during Halloween in the Village, take the short stroll down to 18 Lapham Park and stop into the Webster Museum. They’ve put together a scavenger hunt and a contest, and have some Halloween treats for everyone. Plus, there will be plenty of helpers there to give you a tour through the museum if you’d like one.

Then, after the village Halloween, how about taking in some great music at the New Horizons Combined Band Concert at Willink Middle School.

New Horizons is a really cool band which welcomes all adults, even those with no musical experience. These enthusiastic concert and symphonic band musicians will be performing their fall, combined concert at Willink, on Publisher’s Parkway, beginning at 4 p.m.

There’s no charge. Check back here in a day or two for a more complete blog about this great organization.

And here’s your Saturday evening entertainment:

The Webster Recreation Center’s Pumpkins on Parade is Saturday from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

This is a very fun, family-friendly event where young and old can take a leisurely walk along the Chiyoda Trail behind the Rec Center and view hundreds of creatively carved jack-o-lanterns. At the end of the trail, there’ll be music, a kids’ slide, a mini hay maze, a bonfire, free cider and donuts, a family photo area and kids’ activities. Plus, professional pumpkin carver Eric Jones, t

The festival is totally free. The Webster Recreation Center is on Chiyoda Drive, off of Phillips. Click here to read more about this great event.

…and if you get to all of these events on Friday and Saturday, plan on sleeping late on Sunday. You’ll need the rest.

BUT THERE’S MORE!

If you need to work off some of that candy and good food, the Webster Parks and Recreation Department has got you covered.

They’re hosting their third annual Halloween-themed fitness class sampler on Sunday from 9 to 10:30 a.m., which is absolutely free and open to the community. This year’s theme is disco, and the instructors will be handing out funky glasses and disco ball necklaces until supplies run out.

Check the schedule below for details.

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

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.

(posted 10/24/2022)

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Even Santa has a favorite garage sale

23 Oct

Bazaars and craft fairs abound at this time of year, hosted by churches and community centers all around our area. But this one, which I found out about just recently, is different; it’s not just a chance to buy gifts for others, but it’s especially good opportunity to pick up some holiday items for your own home.

And it is Santa-approved.

The second annual Santa’s Garage Sale, hosted by St. Martin Lutheran Church, will take place this year November 3 to 5. I heard about if from my friend “Santa Jim” Lockwood, a St. Martin parishioner and all-around good guy. (You know him from the frequent appearances he makes in Webster during the holidays, including at White Christmas in the Village.)

Jim sent me a nice long email explaining how this event came to be. He wrote,

It started as light conversation about this time of the year. We were discussing how Christmas was just around the corner and all the stores are putting their Christmas decorations out on display.

A few of us at St. Martin had to admit to having quite a large collection of older Christmas decorations, ornaments, lights, etc. even a few artificial Christmas trees that were tucked away. We also had to admit we didn’t use these decorations anymore as we now have newer ones. These Christmas decorations are usually stored away in attics, basements, closets etc. They always take up valuable storage space and haven’t seen daylight in years.

That’s when we decided to have a holiday-type garage sale and bring a few of our treasured items that we could part with to the sale table. The idea was that hopefully someone else could these long-forgotten decorations and love them as we did.

We did a little bit of online advertising about our sale and asked for donations of Christmas items that the community was willing to part with. We even called it “Santa’s Garage Sale.” The response from the Webster community was overwhelming both in their donations of beautiful treasured decorations and in their attendance and purchase of new / different Christmas items for their homes.

Santa even had a chance to check out the holiday sale and definitely recommends it.

I also heard from Mary Lou, one of the other organizers, who wrote,

To me,  the best thing about this sale is giving people a chance to celebrate Christmas without having to spend a lot of money. Given rising inflation,  I think even more people will find their finances very tight this Christmas. It is a joy to watch parents able to shop for their kids and have a great selection of toys to pick from.   

Last year we even had big wooden playsets, like kitchens and doll houses. Also,  we were fortunate to have several artificial Christmas trees, and they were probably our most popular item.

Donations for the sale will be gratefully accepted at the church, 813 Bay Rd., on Saturday Oct. 29 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This is a great chance to get rid of some of those older Christmas decorations you don’t use anymore. So check your attics, basements and other hidden spaces for items that can be enjoyed again by young and old. They’re also accepting Halloween and Thanksgiving items.

This year’s sale will take place at St. Martin Lutheran Church on Thursday and Friday Nov. 3 and 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday Nov. 5 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The church is located at 813 Bay Rd., Webster.

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

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.

(posted 10/23/2022)

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When is a house just half a house?

22 Oct
71 Corning Park
76 Corning Park

You might have noticed the recent “Bit of Webster History” feature I wrote for the Webster Museum when it was published in the Webster Herald and the weekly Town newsletter. It told the story of two houses, which now sit across from one another on Corning Park in the Village of Webster, and how they used to be one house.

I heard the story from my friend Karen a few years ago and it has fascinated me ever since. I knew it was going to be one of my first History Bit features when I took over the reins a few months ago.

The story reads:

Anyone who’s ever walked or driven down Corning Park in the Village of Webster probably hasn’t noticed anything unusual about the houses on that peaceful little street. However, two of those houses, which stand across the street from one another, do have a curious history: in the early 1900s, they used to be one house. 

Around 1859, a spacious boarding house was built at 71 Corning Park, to serve students from the adjacent Webster Academy. The Academy and boarding house were discontinued in 1876 when the Union Free School was established, and for the next 50 years, 71 Corning Park remained a two-family dwelling. In 1928 it was purchased by Gordon Witmer and Amos Taylor, who divided it into two units. The larger portion remained at 71 Corning Park, and the smaller north wing was moved across the street to 76 Corning Park. 

Unfortunately, no photos of the original boarding house have ever been found, but the two, now separate residences, still stand across the street from each other on Corning Park. Additions and renovations have changed their appearance significantly from when they were one house in the early 1900s. But if you look carefully and use your imagination, maybe you can picture what they looked like together. 

For the sake of newsprint space, I try to keep these bits fairly short. But it was story that so intrigued me that I wanted to dive deeper into it for my blog. So several days ago sat down for coffee with Dave and Kathy Whitlock, longtime owners of 76 Corning Park, the smaller, former north wing of the house. They provided some interesting details I hadn’t come across in my earlier research.

Kathy first gave me a quick tour, explaining the many renovations and additions completed since they bought the home in 1965. I learned about the huge, 7-inch beam holding up the living room which still has bark on it, and how some of the original beams are charred, perhaps from a fire at the adjacent boarding house before the wing was moved. A few hand-wrought nails, found during a renovation, are displayed in a small shadowbox.

Dave and Kathy think they know why it was divided. When the two-family home was bought in 1928 by Gordon Witmer and Amos Taylor, Witmer — who was getting married — wanted a separate house for himself and his bride. So he divided it, moving the north wing directly across the street, so that the back of the house became the front, and the front the back. (Too bad no photos of that move have been found.) Witmer was going to move into that half, but as it turned out, the new, smaller, house sold first, so they moved into the larger half.

There’s a woman buried in the back yard of 76 Corning. The Williams family, who lived there decades ago, had a relative who would visit from England. At the time, the land was a huge apple orchard (The Corning Farm). The woman used to love sitting under an apple tree in the back yard and drinking beer, and asked to be buried there. The apple tree is gone, but her ashes are still there.

Dave also tells the story about how the man from whom they bought the house in 1965, a Mr. Jenkins, emphatically denied that it had once been connected to the house across the street. I would have thought that’d be a unique selling point for the property, but apparently he didn’t think so.

On a side note, I mentioned earlier that I heard about this story from my friend Karen. She remembers learning about the houses during a village tour her fourth grade class took decades ago. That tour has long been dropped from the elementary school curriculum, but maybe that decision should be reconsidered. After all, look at how much that little piece of Webster history interested that young person, and then me, and now you.

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

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.

(posted 10/22/2022)

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Fifth graders reflect on race in library display

21 Oct

Talking about race issues and racism is uncomfortable for all of us. But recently, more than 30 Schlegel Elementary School students tackled that difficult subject, as part of an important project coordinated by the Webster Central School District and the Webster Public Library (WPL), in conjunction with the Gandhi Institute.

In June of 2021, students were shown a video in which Alex Hubbell from the Gandhi Institute introduced the topics of antiracism and inclusion, which also provided questions for educators to discuss with the classes. The students were then encouraged to think about those questions and write down their answers.

The resulting, thought-provoking exhibit, called “Kids Talk About Race,” is now on display through Saturday Oct. 29 at the Webster Public Library.

The project was a long time in the making. The idea first came to WPL Outreach Coordinator Jason Poole in February of 2021. He and Adult Services Librarian Jennifer Paxson worked together on a grant for the Harold Hacker Foundation to create a new curriculum for antiracism education in Webster’s elementary schools.

Because of Covid and schedule-related delays, progress on the grant was put on hold for several months. Then, last March, Schlegel Rd. Elementary School librarian Jamie Palmer hopped on board and enlisted the school’s three fifth-grade teachers, finally bringing the project to fruition by the end of the school year.

Jamie explained that she got involved because,

I felt it was important to have conversations with the fifth grade students, as it shouldn’t be a topic to shy away from. Kids have thoughts and questions and are trying to make sense of our world daily. If we ignore them and don’t just get them out on the table, they think it’s something bad and wrong to talk about instead of talking and working through their thoughts with each other.

And that really was the main impetus behind the project. The idea, Jason said, was to

facilitate these kinds of discussions (about race) happening during the school day. My belief is that kids should be learning about these things in an educational setting. They need to have a safe space where they can talk about it and figure out what they think. Not all the answers are neat and cut and dried. Some are puzzling.

After watching the video from the Gandhi Institute, the students were asked to reflect and write down their answers to these questions:

  • What did you know about race and racism before?
  • What do you know now?
  • Why is it hard to talk about race and racism?
  • Why is it important to do it anyway?
  • What do you plan on doing to make a difference in your community?

After the presentations, professional photographer Denise Batiste took portraits of the students (with parental permission) for the display.

The exhibit will be on display at the library through Oct. 29, after which it will be transported to the Central Library in downtown Rochester for display there (dates TBD).    

Presenting the exhibit to both the Webster and City of Rochester communities was an important part of the initial grant application. It’s being displayed here in Webster — a primarily white suburb — first, where people can see and talk about it. Then it goes downtown for people who aren’t in the suburbs. It hopefully demonstrates that “there’s at least some kind of effort being made to have these discussions,” Jason said.

If you’re able to check out the exhibit, take a close look at some of the things the kids have written. Clearly they were moved by what they learned. The fifth graders (now sixth graders) wrote some pretty insightful comments, and were inspired to make change. Take these answers, for example, to the question, “What do you plan on doing to make a difference in your community?”

  • I plan to tell others about how racism is wrong and how we are all equal and deserve to be treated the same as others. I plan to step in if someone is being discriminative.
  • I plan on telling my friends who didn’t do this activity why whatever you say can hurt anyone’s feelings. And I will tell them that your actions matter just as much as your words. I will also tell my family all of what I learned and how it inspired me.
  • What I plan on doing in my community is in my school. Anyone that has a different color I will include them. And if they are bullied I will make sure I will stand up for them. I will make them all feel equal and included.

There’s hope for this world yet.

The Webster Public Library is located at 980 Ridge Rd., at the back of Webster Plaza.

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

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.

(posted 10/21/2022)

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Welcome to the newest trees in town

20 Oct

Many thanks to all of the community members who helped out last weekend at the Friends of Webster Trails ReTree planting event at the Whiting Road and Michael A. Johnson nature preserves.

The workday was in support of ReTree Webster, a Friends initiative, which seeks to preserve our open space forests by removing invasive species and planting native trees. 

Two dozen enthusiastic folks showed up to do the planting, including several families with young children. Everyone pitched in to help clear areas, dig holes, clean dirt of debris, transport and place the bagged trees in holes, backfill and provide fencing to the protect the trees from deer. Thanks to the large and dedicated workforce, the job was completed in a little over two hours. 

Two sites were chosen for the plantings, the new Michael A. Johnson Nature Preserve (adjacent to the Hojack Trail between Van Alstyne and Drumm Road), and another near the smokehouse on the Blue Trail of the Whiting Road Nature Preserve. The team planted 20 trees, including White Pine, Red Maple, American Elm, Bitternut Hickory, Swamp White Oak and Pagoda Dogwood. 

The Friends were blown away by how many community members answered the call. Many thanks to you all for your hard work, and also to Glenn Morrell and his Webster Parks and Rec crew, who moved the trees from the nursery to the two planting sites.

Consider taking a hike during this beautiful autumn to check out the new trees at Whiting Road and Michael A. Johnson nature preserves. If you’d like to participate in or donate to the ReTree Webster effort, contact the Friends of Webster Trails by clicking here.

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

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.

(posted 10/20/2022)

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My Roomates Closet grand opening is this weekend

19 Oct

The ceiling tiles are up, the floor tiles are down, there’s fresh paint on the walls and the changing rooms will be installed Friday. Everything’s just about ready for Nicole Iorio to introduce her new shop, My Roommates Closet, to the Village of Webster.

My Roommates Closet is the village’s newest clothing store, located at 19 East Main St., in the former Village HandWorks location. Owner Nicole Iorio says she opened the shop to share her love of clothing and fashion with women of all ages, help them discover new and different styles to add to their closets and to find that “missing piece” they’ve been looking for.

She and her able assistants (Mom, Dad and her brothers) have been putting the finishing touches on the shop these last several weeks, and this week Nicole has started to move in her product line. Customers will find a mix of styles, from street wear to lounging-around clothes to going-out clothes.

She’ll officially welcome the community this Sunday Oct. 23, with a grand opening celebration from 5 to 8 p.m. There’ll be snacks, drinks and music, and a chance to get an advance look at the fashions. But mostly Nicole hopes people will stop by, come on in and “just hang around.”

You can find more about My Roommates Closet here on the website, on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Pinterest. You can also check out the blog I wrote last month.

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

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.

(posted 10/20/2022)

It’s beginning to look a lot like Halloween

18 Oct

A few readers have responded to my call to let me know about especially nice Halloween and autumn decorations, and I’ve snapped a few photos of my own as I’ve walked through the village neighborhoods. I’d love to highlight many more displays in the next week or so, but here’s a sampling of what I’ve gotten so far.

The beautiful autumnal display above and the scene below can be seen on Dunning Ave. in the Village of Webster. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, the folks on Dunning always do a spectacular job with decorations.

This next one, on London Rd. in the village, is probably my favorite so far. Like many other displays, it’s a graveyard scene, and it’s busy, with a lot of elements to look at. But clearly much thought was put into the placement of the gravestones and other unique features. I would have stopped longer on my walk to get a closer look at all the pieces, but it was beginning to rain.

These following one are also from the village.

This last photo is from Hatch Rd., suggested to me by a reader.

I still have a few more to capture “on film,” and hope to drive around some evening soon to capture some nice lights. If you know of any I should check out, please email me at missyblog@gmail.com. Or take a photo for me and save me the trip!

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

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.

(posted 10/18/2022)

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Webster community mailbag

17 Oct

Just have a few tidbits for today’s mailbag … compared to some of these features which stretch forEVER.

The first is from our friends at the Webster Barnes & Noble. They’ll be hosting NY Times bestselling author Ellen Marie Wiseman on Thursday Oct. 20 at 6 p.m.

Wiseman, whom you might know from her books including All the Ways We Said Goodbye and The Orphan Collector, will speak briefly about her latest book, The Lost Girls of Willowbrook, and then autograph books for people.

The event is free but space is limited so please RSVP by calling (585) 872-9710. Barnes & Noble Webster is located in Towne Center Plaza, 1070 Ridge Rd.  

The Friends of Webster Trails have three great events coming up in the next few weeks.

On Saturday Oct. 29 at 10 a.m., the Friends will lead a guided hike through Four Mile Creek Preserve and tell the history behind six abandoned cars you pass along the trails there. There should be some interesting stories. The preserve is located at the corner of Phillips and Lake roads.

The following weekend, the Friends will host their annual Hot Cocoa Hike on Saturday Nov. 5. This is a fun self-guided hike along a trail marked with lights. At the end, hikers are rewarded with hot chocolate. The hike will begin at 7 p.m., also at Four Mile Creek Preserve. Please leave your dog at home and bring a flashlight and your own travel mug. There’s no cost for this hike, but please register here so they have enough hot chocolate.

Earlier that day, kids of all ages are invited to enjoy a Family Scavenger Hunt at Kent Park on Schlegel Rd. Three skill levels for ages 2 through 12 will be available. The event begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday Nov. 5 and costs $5 per child. For more information and to register, visit the Webster Parks and Recreation website.

Click here to find out more about the Friends of Webster Trails.

How about a trip to Syracuse to root on our high school musicians?

The Webster Marching Band will be heading to Syracuse on Sunday, Oct. 30 to the New York State Field Band Conference championship, where they’ll be defending their 2021 state title.  

The Webster Marching Band, now in its 37th season, is made up of students from all four WCSD secondary schools: Spry Middle School, Willink Middle School, Webster Schroeder High School, and Webster Thomas High School. Student musicians who play a woodwind, brass, or percussion instrument participate, along with color guard performers. Last year’s Large School 2 Class state championship win was the first for the band in more than 30 years.

Their show this year, “Only Light Can Do That,” revolves around being the light in a dark world. It reminds people that fighting hate with hate only creates more hate, and that fighting darkness with darkness only creates darkness. Illustrating that change can begin with one person at a time, and that light and positivity can be infectious. Musical selections include original music by Webster Marching Band Director Jerbrel Bowens.

The championship show on October 30 will bring together more than 50 of the finest high school marching bands in the northeastern United States. Each will perform a musical and visual show lasting about ten minutes for a panel of ten judges.

It’s sure to be a spectacular event, and a great chance for the One Webster community to show up in force to cheer for our young musicians. Webster’s division, the Large School 2 Class, will compete beginning at 10 a.m., with awards beging handed out around 11:30 a.m.

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

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(posted 10/17/2022)

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A quick Mrs. Claus update

16 Oct

I had the opportunity to check in with Florence Kinney several days ago. You know her from my blog as “Mrs. Claus,” who every year purchases thousands of gifts (mostly with her own money) to deliver to children all over the Rochester area. After 32 years of doing this, she’s nearing the incredible goal of 100,000 gifts given.

When I spoke with her recently, however, she seemed a bit worried. She had just returned from a trip to visit family down South, hoping that down there she’d be able to purchase most of the 400 or so gifts she still needed to reach her goal — since she was having trouble getting what she needed up here. But she kept hitting roadblocks at the stores, because they couldn’t get the products themselves, or didn’t have enough people to stock the shelves.

So she only was able to purchase about half of what she’d hoped, and is still about 200 gifts short.

Several generous readers have already reached out with donations, and I’ve already delivered a bunch to her (she was unbelievably grateful). But she could use a bunch more. So if there are any more kind readers out there who need a great cause this holiday season, I encourage you to help Florence reach her amazing goal.

Some of the items she’d especially appreciate include winter wear for children ages infant to 18 (like hats, gloves, scarves, lots and lots of socks); toy trucks, Little Peeples, Barnies, baby dolls or any toys without small parts; and storybooks. Bottom line, though, if you’d like to donate any kind of new toy or winter wear, she’ll find a child who will greatly appreciate it.

Click here to read my most recent blog for more information about Florence’s divinely-inspired mission. If you’d like to donate something, drop me an email at missyblog@gmail.com and we’ll chat about how we can get your gifts to her.

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

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.

(posted 10/16/2022)

Across the bay on Indigenous People’s Day

15 Oct

A very meaningful event took place on Monday at the Bay Outlet Bridge, honoring the indigenous people who have lived on and cared for this area since long before Webster’s earliest settlers arrived.

The ceremony definitely flew under my radar, but thankfully my friend Kathy Taddeo was there, and submitted this report and photos:

It wasn’t exactly Webster, but it could be… someday.

Last Monday, October 10, some 50 bleary-eyed people of all ages gathered at sunrise on the bridge that soon will again span the Irondequoit Bay Outlet between Webster and Irondequoit. They came from far and near to celebrate the first Indigenous Peoples Day in the United States and to honor in particular the Haudenosaunee who have long been loyal stewards of this land.

The organizers of this celebration introduced native language speakers, storytellers and musicians, calling the area surrounding the bay a sacred space, the likely landing for the Peacemaker who came here to heal and unite the warring hearts of the Five Nations. A local wampum belt artist marked this historic day by creating a belt symbolizing the peaceful alliance of all people, native and non-native.

The audience respectfully listened and learned, perhaps absorbing the peace of the dawning day and the presenters themselves. After refreshments, the group headed to the lake for a beach clean-up, symbolically continuing the work of the Haudenosaunee.

I had come representing my 25 fourth/graders at Iroquois School who in 2001 had persuaded the Irondequoit Town Board to erect the marker that has stood near the west side of the bridge for 21 years. Designed by the children, the marker honors the Haudenosaunee and their stewardship of the land and water we call home. (Yes, you guys, I brought your banner, so you were there in spirit!)

Irondequoit Town board Councilwoman Patrina Freeman had spoken during the ceremony of her determination that our indigenous peoples continue to be honored with historic markers in Irondequoit. We later talked of our mutual interest in making that happen in our respective towns and a collaboration was born on the spot.

It’s our hope that through “Hands Across the Waters,” Irondequoit and Webster will have more to celebrate come Indigenous Peoples Day 2023.

(submitted by Kathy Taddeo)

Here’s a closer look at the text and illustrations on that historical marker, from the original artist’s rendering. I’ve never seen this marker, despite the many times I have been up at the bridge. I’m definitely going to seek it out next time I’m in the area.

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

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.

(posted 10/15/2022)

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