Tag Archives: Village of Webster

Check out this month’s history programs at the museum — and the library

1 May

May is a pretty neat month. After a cold, gray winter, we’re finally getting some warm temperatures, sunshine and flowers. But May is particularly special at the Webster Museum, as it’s also National Preservation Month, and the time to swap out old exhibits and programs for new.

The History of the Forest Lawn community will take center stage this month, the focus of three Lunch Hour Talks on May 3, 10 and 17 from noon to 1 p.m. You bring a sandwich and the museum will provide coffee, lemonade and cookies. You’ll hear stories that helped shape today’s thriving neighborhood.

Forest Lawn is a lakeside community neighborhood of permanent residents with its own Mayor. Its beginnings trace back to 1850 when Samuel Pierce bought and farmed 73 acres. His son Horace and attorney friend George D. Forsyth saw commercial opportunities for some of the land with the coming of the railroad and proposed development. In 1888 the Forest Lawn tract began with the first hotel surrounded by lots to eventually be sold for cottages. It wasn’t long before it was discovered by wealthy judges and lawyers from Corn Hill, who were soon able to leave their families during the summer weekdays while they commuted by trolley back to the city for business.

On May 21, the museum will host an open house beginning at 2 p.m., highlighting their new Forest Lawn exhibit. Mayor Caley Ferguson will speak at 3 p.m.

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

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Tick, tock

Do you like old clocks? Then read on about a special presentation at the Webster Public Library, hosted in conjunction with the Webster Museum.

On Saturday May 13 beginning at 1 p.m., Garth Brokaw will present “Timepiece Tales — a Clock Event” at the library. He’ll walk through his collection of 100 timepieces and related ephemera, showing how the progression of clock-making represents the progression of American history over the course of the last 150 years. On the walk-through history, Garth will match clocks with specific historical events, and illustrate how clocks can really tell stories — stories important to us as a family, community and country.

Garth is the past president of the American Baptist Historical Society in Atlanta, Georgia and Historian at the Fairport Baptist Homes caring ministries. His collection began when he inherited several family clocks from his father and grandfather over forty years ago.

Registration is requested for this program, because space is limited. Click here to let them know you’re coming. The Webster Public Library is located at 980 Ridge Rd., at the back of Webster Plaza.

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(posted 5/1/2023)

Chorus of the Genesee, Rochester Rhapsody unite for one beautiful concert

27 Apr

Get your tickets now for what promises to be an incredible evening of music and merriment.

Two of Rochester’s premier a cappella choruses (which both hail from little ol’ Webster), the Chrous of the Genesee and Rochester Rhapsody will join forces (and voices) on Saturday May 20 for “Harmony in the House,” a musical treat featuring both choruses and several a cappella quartets. The choruses will perform together and separately, and quartets from both groups will fill your heart with a variety of musical favorites. Plus, there’ll be door prizes, raffles, a bar, snacks, and plenty of free parking.

Tickets are $18 for the 3 p.m. matinee, and $20 for the 7 p.m. show. Following the evening performance, everyone is invited to hang around for the annual “Afterglow,” a fun party with food, drinks, more singing and socializing. Click here to get your tickets, or call 315-391-4911.

“Harmony in the House” is a fundraiser for the Harmony House, a beautiful historic building constructed in 1899, which both groups call home. To that end, the groups are also looking for individual and business sponsors to support the event by purchasing an ad in the program, donating a door prize, and helping spread the word by hanging posters or even putting out a donation bucket.

For more information about buying an ad, email RochesterCOG@gmail.com for details or place your ad online here. Deadline is May 2.

They’re also accepting direct donations to the Restoration/Building Improvement Fund and will be happy to publicly announce their gratitude for your donation. (If you’d rather donate anonymously, just let them know.) Click here to donate.

The Harmony House is located at 85 East Main St. in the Village of Webster.

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(posted 4/27/2023)

I’m going to miss Carl’s Pizza

22 Apr

After five years serving great pizza and Italian cuisine from the heart of the Village of Webster, Carl’s Pizza Kitchen is closing up shop at the end of the month.

Like many others, I learned the sad news from an announcement owner Carl Prinzing put on Facebook, which read,

It is with a heavy heart that we announce our permanent closing at the end of business Sunday April 30th 2023. It has been our honor to serve this community for the past 5 years! Due to the rising food and labor costs, combined with the decrease in annual revenue and staff shortage, there just aren’t any alternatives. From our family to yours we thank you for your business and we will miss you all.

The current state of the economy has dealt a lethal blow to many small businesses, but I’m particularly sad to see Carl’s go. Of all the pizza places in town, I’ve always liked theirs the best.

Carl told me he has no plans to open a new restaurant, but he does want to keep working in the food business somehow. For the immediate future, though, he said he’s just looking forward to landing somewhere he can make a steady paycheck, and be able to go home at the end of the day.

Thank you Carl’s Pizza Kitchen for being a valued village business for so long, and best of luck in the future.

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

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(posted 4/22/2023)

Mini-art gallery pops up on West Main

21 Apr

You never know what neat new thing you’ll find when you walk through the Village of Webster. On Friday, the neat new thing I came across was a pop-up art gallery and sale in the former Heart to Heart Bridal storefront at the village’s four corners.

The gallery features the work of 91-year old Brighton artist Natalie Schwartz, whose large, colorful canvases fill the walls in the now-empty storefront. The show is being hosted by the owners of Mod4U, the little antique shop on North Ave., just around the corner from the sale.

The works of art themselves don’t often see the light of day; normally they’re all being stored in Natalie’s small living space at St. John’s senior living community. And that’s a shame, because they’re pretty awesome. Each one, it seems, reflects a different medium and subject matter, an eclectic mix that reflects Natalie’s diverse artistic tastes.

In a biography posted on the wall next to one of her paintings, Natalie wrote that she was “born … with a pencil in my hand.” Her love of all forms of artistic expression began when she was very young. As a child, she studied ballet and piano, took painting lessons at the Memorial Art Gallery, and as an adult discovered modern dance, which she continued even into her eighties.

For a while, she worked as a fashion illustrator for McCurdy and B. Forman Co., and eventually went back to RIT to complete a BFA and MFA in painting and printmaking.

Basically, Natalie Schwartz is a life-long learner whose enthusiasm for art is now on display for everyone to see.

For the next two days, anyway. The gallery will be open on Saturday and Sunday April 22 and 23 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, before all of the unsold paintings get squeezed back into Natalie’s apartment. So make sure to check out the gallery today.

Here’s some of what you’ll see (click on the photo for an expanded view).

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

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(posted 4/21/2023)

Community block party will celebrate three new businesses

17 Apr

Three new (and new-ish) businesses of Webster’s North 43: The Shops on Main Street are hosting a first-ever “North 43 Block Party” and ribbon-cutting on Thursday April 20 beginning at 5:00 p.m.

M/Body, Lumos Sauna and curated. are next-door neighbors in North 43’s lower level, 44 East Main, adjacent to the Village Bakery. Lumos is brand new to the development, M/Body opened last November, and curated. will celebrate its first anniversary in June.  

The event will begin with a ribbon-cutting and remarks from business owners and local officials. The party proper will begin around 5:30 with the Classic Taps Mobile Bar, a Pub 235 food truck, a DJ, live music, food tastings, plenty of activities for kids and families, face painting and giveaways. All of the North 43 businesses will also offer special shopping hours and activities throughout the evening.

The block party will also be joined by North 43’s other businesses, the Village Bakery, jojo Bistro and Wine Bar, Lala of Webster, R Salon and Spa, and Roc Dance.

The event is free and open to the public. 

Here’s a little more information about each of the new businesses:

  • M/Body is an inclusive and energized fitness studio that unites wellness seekers, builds  spirit and helps achieve goals by offering the best and diverse fitness classes including  cycle, barre, boxing, yoga, Pilates, HIIT, strength training as well as personal training  and health coaching. Click here to read the blog I posted about M/Body.
  • Lumos is a family-owned and operated infrared sauna studio founded in 2019 by Rachel Bantelman-Evans with the support of her husband Jordan Evans. Lumos features full-spectrum infrared saunas with both chromotherapy and dedicated red light  therapy throughout its six locations across Central and Western New York.  
  • curated. is a home specialty store, where owner Justin Brown believes that home decor should seamlessly combine vintage with new; that wares should be stylish but always functional; and that design can be sophisticated without sacrificing comfort. The shop’s unique collection includes decor pieces, furniture, kitchen and dining wares, lighting, pillows, artwork and gifts. Click here for the blog I wrote.

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

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(posted 4/17/2023)

Barry’s Runners celebrate seven years

6 Apr

Through rain, snow, sleet, biting cold and oppressive heat, Barry’s Runners have been running (and walking) every week for seven straight years.

Barry’s Runners, which marked its seventh anniversary this week, is a social running group of men, women, children (and occasionally dogs) that meets every Wednesday evening at Barry’s Old School Irish in the Village of Webster. Runners meet up at the pub at 6 p.m., and take the requisite before-run group photo before breaking into small groups to head out on their chosen routes. Some will run just a few miles, others as many as four, along village streets, the bike path, and nearby trails.

The group originated in 2016 as an extension of an already long-established local running club, Women Run Webster. Members of that group had been getting together for regular runs for more than a year. These runs would often begin and end at Barry’s, and the pub sort of became the unofficial home of Women Run Webster.

Alana Russell, one of Women Run Webster’s original members, came up with the idea to invite the greater Webster community to join the fun. Partnering with Barry’s Pub seemed like a no-brainer. So she pitched the idea to owners Danny and Jessica Barry, who enthusiastically supported the idea.

The new Barry’s Runners club held its first run on Tuesday, April 5, 2016. At least two runners have participated every week since, regardless of the elements. Even in the yuckiest weather, the runs will attract a half dozen or more die-hards. During the summer, several walkers will join the club, some with dogs and strollers in tow. Some weeks as many as 20 runners and walkers will crowd on the sidewalk for the pre-run photo.

And there’s always a pre-run photo. And it’s always outside. Even in the coldest weather, some unlucky Barry’s staff member is chosen to traipse outside with their cell phone, and no coat, to capture the occasion.

When everyone returns to the pub, it’s time to celebrate another successful run with pints, pretzels and good conversation.

I’m pleased to say that I’ve been running with this bunch of crazies since the beginning. I know for a fact that if it weren’t for them expecting me to show up, I wouldn’t have kept up my running regimen, modest though it may be. Running with good friends is so much easier than running alone.

Anyone who’d like to join in the fun is more than welcome. Things kick off — rain or shine — at 6 p.m. every Wednesday at Barry’s Old School Irish, 2 West Main Street in Village of Webster. Three pre-mapped routes of varying lengths have been prepared, or you can make up your own route. The whole idea is just to get out there, get some exercise and have fun with like-minded people. And no matter how far you want to run, how fast you run, or even if you just want to walk, you’ll find a new friend to do it with you.

But it’s OK if you want to stay home when it’s blizzarding out. We’ll understand.

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(posted 4/6/2023)

M.O. Pasta brings authentic hand-made pasta to the village

5 Apr

I. Love. Pasta.

There’s no two ways about it. If I had my druthers, I’d eat some kind of pasta every day for lunch AND dinner. So when I walked by the former Savage Chef shop on Main Street the other day and noticed a sign in the window announcing that something called M.O. Pasta was “coming soon,” it stopped me in my tracks.

I had a chance to find out more on Wednesday when I met owner and professional chef Mike Oldfield.

M.O. Pasta has moved into half of the former Savage Chef meal prep and delivery service at 5 East Main St. It’s not a sit-down restaurant; that’s not in the cards (at least not yet). Instead, it’s a dedicated pasta shop, specializing in authentic Italian, handcrafted fresh pastas (including mushroom bucatini, lumache, mafaldine, creste di gallo) and small batch sauces, sold individually or as pasta kits and take-and-bake kits. They all feature fresh ingredients, local produce, and lots of attention to detail.

The shop willl also sell several dry pasta varieties (black pepper fusilli, spicy radiatore, spinach campanelle, mezze mafalde), five different sauces and fresh focaccia and sesame Italian loaf breads.

Mike Oldfield’s passion as a professional chef and journey to pasta shop owner had many stops and turns along the way. But his initial inspiration came from an unusual place, the Penfield Wegmans. He worked there as a dishwasher in high school, and during slow times, the store’s chef would allow him to help with some simple cooking jobs.

“The chef would bring me out and teach me how to cut croutons, chop carrots, simple things,” Mike said. “He kind of took me under his wing. For me it just clicked. It was easy, it was fun, I felt comfortable, it was interesting to me, and I think that was the exact moment it just went off.”

That experience led Mike to pursue a degree at the Culinary Institute of America. As part of his studies, he traveled to Italy on a food and wine tour. “That’s when I started to fall in love with Italian cooking, really loving the culture, the lifestyle and the food itself,” he said.

After graduation, Mike worked seasonal positions on Cape Cod, coming back to Penfield during the off-season to work at the Village Bakery in Fairport, and Black & Blue and JoJo Bistro in Pittsford.

Before long, however, he discovered he needed more of a challenge, and found an opportunity in Chicago. For nine years he worked his way up the chef ladder from cook to executive sous chef in Michelin Star and five-star Chicago restaurants. Then the pandemic hit and everything closed down. With no job to support himself, he moved back home to Penfield to wait out the pandemic.

After a few months, he got bored again and started making pasta, preparing two-serving pasta “kits” for family and friends complete with fresh pasta, and all the garnishes and sauce. They became so popular, “next thing I knew I had a line out of my house, people picking up pasta kits.”

As the pandemic started to wind down, the restaurants came calling. But the salaries were low, everyone was short-staffed, and “I didn’t really want to go back to that stressful life if I didn’t have to,” Mike said. Instead, he decided to lean into his new, surprisingly popular pasta-making business, and in July 2021 moved into a space in the Hungerford Building on East Main St. in the city.

The business continued to grow. Mike became a regular at the Fairport Farmers Market and sold out of his pastas, condiments, oils and sauces every week. Red Bird Market and Lori’s Natural Foods started stocking his products. But his office space in the Hungerford was kind of crimping his growth.

“I was in the city, my clients are all in the suburbs,” he explained. “It was kind of a pain for them to come downtown.” His space was also way down at the end of a hallway, so it was hard to find, and he had to share it with other businesses. So when someone told him the Savage Chef storefront was becoming available, he jumped on the opportunity.

It took a few months, but with help from an army of friends and family members, the entire shop got scrubbed, repainted, repaneled and drywalled, new equipment got moved in and new shelving installed. Everything is in place for the Grand Opening Celebration on Friday, April 7, when Milke will begin to provide Webster with something not found anywhere else in Rochester: fresh, hand-made pasta.

For anyone who hasn’t cooked up a batch of fresh pasta before, it’s a game-changer. “Once they have it,” Mike noted, “they’re hooked.”

Mike’s only just opened his new place, but he’s already got some great plans for the future, including offering public and private pasta classes and adding products like homemade mozzarella and ricotta cheeses. He’s also looking forward to participating in Village of Webster events.

“I think M.O. Pasta is going to be a great neighborhood spot,” Mike said.

I wholeheartedly agree.

Check out M.O. Pasta for yourself during the Grand Opening Celebration on Friday April 7. The doors will be open from noon to 7 p.m., from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and Sunday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, visit the M.O. Pasta website, Facebook page, or connect with Mike on Instagram.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com“Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on 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 4/5/2023)

Revisting the Village Quilt Shoppe

4 Apr

It had been a long time since I’d popped into the Village Quilt Shoppe on Main Street, which happens to be one of my favorite — and perhaps the cutest — shops in town. I don’t visit very often these days, but I’m always pleased to see patrons coming in and out while I’m there, and I love exploring all of the new, very creative quilting projects hanging everywhere.

I paused during my morning walk yesterday to stop in just to say hi to Monique and Vanetta. What immediately struck me when I walked through the door were the dozen-or-more “fat quarters” hanging from the shop’s ceiling.

Basically, fat quarters are mini-quilts, and the challenge to our local quilters was to take two distinctly different fabrics, and work them into whatever design they’d like. The finished projects, even though each one incorporates the two fabrics, are wonderfully different. The designs range from more traditional bordered quilts, to a pastoral scene with sheep, two friends holding hands, flowers, a beehive, cats and birds and more.

You can vote for your favorites online here, but it’s better to stop by the shop and see them in person. They’ll pretty much blow you away. (Votes are being accepted through April 15.)

But be forewarned. When you go to the shop, be prepared to be sucked in by the beautiful quilted projects of all kinds that fill the walls and hang from the shelves. I’m not even a quilter, and I kept stopping to admire first an apron, then a bag, then a pillow.

If you’re a quilter yourself or if you love a quilter, and you haven’t stopped by the Village Quilt Shoppe yet, what’s stopping you? Vanetta and Monique would love to meet you. The shop is at 21 East Main St., at the corner of Lapham Park.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com“Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on 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 4/4/2023)

Looking ahead to the village’s summer events

2 Apr

This coming summer is looking pretty … well, entertaining, as all Village of Webster summers are.

The small business owners who comprise the Webster Business Improvement District (BID) have sent out a preliminary schedule of all the events planned so far. (Make sure to read all the way to the bottom, because there’s a brand new, wildly fun event on the schedule.)

The Friday Night Gazebo Concerts begin July 7 with a performance by the Red Hot and Blue Band featuring Americana music.

Coming up later in the summer:

The Gazebo Concerts are held from 7 to 9 p.m. and are free.

The Webster Jazz Fest is scheduled for August 18 and 19, with “Jazz in the Pubs” on Friday from 6 to 10 p.m., and Jazz in the Street” on Saturday from 4 to 11 p.m.

The Webster Fireman’s Field will be hopping in September, with a Fireman’s Field Evening/Coach’s ALS Fundraiser on Sept. 9; the Oktoberfest Sept. 15 to 17; the Zach Brown Tribute Band on Sept. 21; and an all-day cornhole tournament on Sept. 23.

BRAND NEW this year, the Webster Village Bed Race will take over Main Street on Saturday Sept. 16! Lots of details are still being hammered out about that, so stay tuned for those.

And of course, watch for blogs about the Trick or Treat Trail in October and Webster’s Winter Wonderland in December.

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Plus, don’t forget about the second annual Village of Webster Easter Egg Hunt, scheduled for Saturday April 8 at Webster Fireman’s Field.

The absolutely free event will begin at 11 a.m., and is designed for children ages 10 and under. Children will be split into three age groups: 0-2, 3-5 and 6-10. Arrive any time after 10:30 a.m. Our local business owners and community agencies are preparing almost 5,000 eggs, so no fear — there will be enough for everyone. (And some eggs have a secret surprise.)

The Easter Bunny will be there, too, so bring your cameras!

All of these events are sponsored by the Webster Business Improvement District. Visit the website for more details as they become available, and while you’re there, sign up for the newsletter which will deliver details about these events right to your mailbox.

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

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 4/2/2023)

Webster community mailbag

30 Mar

The second annual Village of Webster Easter Egg Hunt, sponsored by the Webster BID, is just around the corner, on Saturday April 8 at the Webster Fireman’s Field on Ridge Rd.

The absolutely free event will begin at 11 a.m., and is designed for children ages 10 and under. Children will be split into three age groups: 0-2, 3-5 and 6-10. Arrive any time after 10:30 a.m. Our local business owners and community agencies are preparing almost 5,000 eggs, so no fear — there will be enough for everyone. (And some eggs have a secret surprise.)

The Easter Bunny will be there, too, so bring your cameras! This great event is sponsored by the village’s Business Improvement District.

By the way, the organizers could use some volunteers to help set up and run the event. If you’re interested in having a little fun and helping out, click here to sign up!

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Those young Brownies from Troop 60344 are at it again.

They’re going to be outside the Webster Walmart Home entrance on Saturday April 1 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with their table of Girl Scout cookies. So no worries if you thought you’d missed out on Girl Scout Cookie season this year.

The girls will also be encouraging people to donate a box of cookies to the Blue Star Mothers NY8 chapter to be included in care packages for locally deployed troops. (The soldiers LOVE to get Girl Scout cookies.)

The Blue Star Mothers plan to send out more than 200 care packages soon, and would love to have a box of cookies to put in each one.

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The next Friends of the Webster Public Library book sale is quickly approaching!

The Friends’ Spring Book Sale will be held Wednesday April 26 through Saturday April 29. Gently used hardcover books will be available for only $1, paperback books will be $.50.

Members of the Friends can shop before everyone else, on Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m. If you’re not a member and want a sneak peek, memberships will be available at the door or on the library website.  

The general public sale will begin Thursday April 27 from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. Friday, April 28 is BYOB (bring your own bag) Bag Sale from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m, when you can fill a bag with gently used books for only $5. The bag sale continues on Saturday, April 29 but only from 10 a.m. til noon.

Proceeds from the spring book sale directly benefit library programs, book collections and other special projects.

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This notice from the Webster Central School District:

Applications for absentee ballots for the Webster CSD Annual Budget Vote and School Board Election are now available.

Qualified voters of the district who will be unable to attend the polls on the day of the vote may wish to use an absentee ballot. Voters must apply for the ballot in advance. Absentee ballot applications are available from District Clerk Cynthia Cushman, 119 South Avenue, Webster, phone (585) 216-0001, or at the news story on the district website.

All absentee ballot applications must be RECEIVED by the district clerk at least seven business days prior to the vote if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or the day before the vote if the ballot is to be picked up personally by or for the voter.

The Webster CSD Annual Budget Vote and election of Board of Education candidates takes place Tuesday, May 16, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Webster Schroeder High School gym, 875 Ridge Road.

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Here’s a great way to celebrate Earth Day this coming April 22: a Family Scavenger Hunt.

This easy hike/scavenger hunt will take place at Liberty Lodge/Finn Park on Maple Drive from 10 a.m. to noon. Different hunts will be available for three three skill levels, ages 2 through 12. The event will take place rain or shine, so dress for the weather, and make sure to wear boots if it’s been wet. It would also be helpful if you could bring your own clipboard and pencil.

The Family Scavenger Hunt costs $5, and registrations are being taken through the Webster Recreation Center. PLEASE register ahead of time so we know how many kids to expect. Payment can be made when you arrive at the park. Click here to register.

The Family Scavenger Hunt is being hosted by the Webster Health & Education Network (WHEN) in conjunction with the Friends of Webster Trails and Webster Recreation Center. Proceeds will benefit the Friends of Webster Trails.

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

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(posted 3/29/2023)