If you and your kids haven’t had a chance to complete the Clovers and Clues Scavenger Hunt yet, there’s still plenty of time to win a great prize!
This family-friendly scavenger hunt is sponsored by Webster Parks and Recreation and the Webster Health and Education Network (WHEN). Through Thursday March 17, participants hunt for clues placed in 13 locations all around the Town of Webster. Each clue consists of different letters, and when all the letters are collected, you’ll use them to decode a final message prompting healthy choices.
Completed answers can be submitted to Webster Parks and Recreation for the chance to win a beautiful gift basket.
Visit the WHEN website to get your first clue. Collecting letters will take about an hour or two, can be done anytime and is a great activity for all ages. A smart phone is encouraged to help find clue locations and to scan QR codes.
This is a fun family adventure, a great way to get a little exercise and learn about healthy choices all at the same time. (And keep your eyes peeled for leprechauns; who knows where they might be hiding at this time of year!)
Get your leprechaun-hunting skills tuned up, because there are two great opportunities in March to go in search of these playful little sprites.
(OK, OK, neither of these events actually MENTIONS looking for leprechauns, but they ARE scavenger hunts, and since it’s St. Patrick’s Day season, I figure there’s a good chance some will turn up!)
What you WILL find with these two family-friendly scavenger hunts is some great exercise and good fun — and everyone might learn something new to boot.
The first is called the “Clovers and Clues” scavenger hunt, sponsored by Webster Parks and Recreation and the Webster Health and Education Network (WHEN). From March 1 through March 17, participants will hunt for clues placed in 13 locations all around the Town of Webster. Each clue consists of different letters, and when all the letters are collected, you’ll use them to decode a final message prompting healthy choices.
Completed answers can be submitted to Webster Parks and Recreation for the chance to win a prize.
Visit the WHEN website beginning March 1 to get your first clue. The hunt will run continuously through March 17. Collecting letters will take about an hour or two, can be done anytime and is a great activity for all ages. A smart phone is encouraged to help find clue locations and to scan QR codes.
This second Family Scavenger Hunt is also co-sponsored by the Webster Recreation Center in partnership with the Friends of Webster Trails.
This one-day event takes place on Sunday March 6 beginning at 10 a.m. at Gosnell Big Woods preserve on Vosburg Rd., rain or shine. Participants can sign in anytime between 10 and noon and receive an age-appropriate scavenger hunt answer key. Three skill levels will be provided for ages 2 to 12. Then just walk through the park gathering answers, submit your sheet when you’re done and get a prize.
Registration is $5 per person, and can be paid when you get there. All proceeds will benefit the Friends of Webster Trails and their efforts to maintain and improve our terrific trail system.
This is at least the third Family Scavenger Hunt the Friends have hosted, and they’ve all been very popular. These folks do a great job making sure that kids of all ages (and their adults) can participate and have fun.
So, you see, no mention of leprechauns. But if I were you, I’d keep my eye out for them anyway.
When you can’t beat the winter, join it! That’s the philosophy behind the Webster Parks and Recreation’s latest fun-in-the-snow event, the Polar Fun Run, scheduled for this Saturday Feb. 26.
This is a one-mile, untimed walk (or run if you’d like) around North Ponds Park. Everyone will enjoy hot chocolate and assorted other goodies afterwards. This is a great opportunity especially for families to get out together for a little exercise.
There’s no charge, but registration is required (after all, they need to know how much hot chocoloate to bring). Click here to register.
Here’s a preview of a few other fun events taking place in March which the Rec Center is helping pull together … not one, but TWO scavenger hunts!
Clovers & Clues runs from March 1 to 17, and will take participants all over town, collecting clues to complete a secret phrase. The Family Scavenger Hunt is a one-day event where families can explore Gosnell Big Woods. This is the third event like this which the Friends of Webster Trails has sponsored, and they’ve been very popular.
I’ll revisit both of these events in a future blog, but you might want to put them on your calendar now.
This is great news, because it means that spring is not far away. Organizers are still putting this 7th annual event together, but have put out the call for participants, performers and volunteers.
Sponsors are needed. Three different sponsorship levels are available, from $75 which includes voting tickets, an award and mention on the webpage; to $250 which includes a banner with your business’ name on it, a major show prize named after you, sponsorship of an individual table and more. Click here for more information.
They need entertainers and community groups — like dancers, musicians or martial artists — who would like to give a demo at the show. Click here for more info.
They need LOTS of volunteers, as greeters, kids’ room helpers, face-painters, poster distribution, set-up and clean-up and more. Contact the organizers for more information.
They need Peep display makers! It’s not too early to think about what your family or organization can put together this year. Get creative and have some fun. To enter a display or reserve a space, click here.
The 2022 Greater Rochester Peep Show will be held Saturday and Sunday April 2 and 3 at the Webster Community Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr. Here are a few images from last year’s show, which was held virtually. Click here to see more.
For all of you ice skating fans out there, here’s a phone number you’ll want to put up on your fridge:
585-872-7103 (option 3)
That’s the number to call for an update on the conditions at the Webster Parks and Recreation ice rink. I checked it yesterday and the good news is, thanks to the recent cold weather, the rink is finally open!
The community ice rink is located in front of the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Drive, off of Phillips Rd. just north of the village. It’s a nice size, 52 ft. by 104 ft., fully lined, and is 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 there rentals are not available.
Make sure you call that number before you go, however, to make sure that our capricious winter weather hasn’t turned the ice surface into mush.
Since we’re talking about Webster Parks and Recreation, here are a few other fun events they’re running which I wanted to pass along.
The first is the Four by Four Community Art Project. Basically this is a fun way to get your whole family crafting, and help decorate the Rec Center at the same time.
Here’s the deal: for $2 each, you pick up a 4×4″ canvas square anytime between Jan. 1 and Feb. 1. Take it home and design it any way you’d like. Once it’s complete, return your square to the Rec Center by Tuesday March 1, and all the squares will be hung side-by-side to create one huge art piece.
And this looks like something I’m going to want to try myself: the Clovers and Clues Scavenger Hunt.
From March 1 through March 17, families are encouraged to participate in a self-guided scavenger hunt, co-sponsored by the Webster Heath and Education Network (WHEN). Visit the WHEN website beginning March 1, and from there you’ll visit multiple spots throughout the Town of Webster, gathering letters at each location which will ultimately decode a final message promoting healthy choices.
Once decoded, the message can be submitted to Webster Parks and Recreation for a chance to win a prize.
As another challenging year comes to a close, I took a moment the other day to look back through all the blogs I wrote in 2021. It was a fun tour and I was a little surprised by the sheer number: 248. I really thought there’d be fewer than that, given that we were still dealing with the pandemic, schools were still ratcheting up from remote learning and many regularly-scheduled special events were scaled back or postponed entirely.
I spread positive news from our schools about the Webster Marching Band’s Autumn Fanfare and State Championship; the schools’ musicals and dramas, Plank North and Schlegel Elementary Schools’ Tour Around the Lakes; and the creative ways the PTSA found to help the Class of 2021 feel special.
Then there were all those blogs which I can only characterize as snippets from small-town life, the kinds of simple things and wonderful people that make living in Webster special.
I shared photos of many of our village’s beautiful gardens, charming village porches and Christmas decorations. I told stories about neighbors helping neighbors: the Curtice Park homeowner who hosted a COVID-friendly Easter scavenger hunt for kids; a porch concert on Park Ave.; and the kind person who’s created a wild animal sanctuary on the Hojack Trail. I especially liked giving shout-outs to kids doing great things, like the young artists who created a chalk garden on Baker Street, and the six-year old who sold lemonade on South Ave. to benefit St. Jude’s.
I’ve met many wonderful people through this blog, and shared many of their stories with you. Like “Webster’s Mrs. Claus,” Florence Kinney; Brandon Schafer, the “North Ave. Artist”; and the new director of the Webster Library, Adam Traub.
Finally, I shared some personal stories, and wrote others just for fun (like the recent one about the hit-and-run at the Irondequoit Rec Center).
I got a proclamation for outstanding community service from the Town of Webster in August, and displayed many of my blog photos at the Webster Public Library. I shared both of those accomplishments with you all. I introduced a new website, Afterthoughts, and a few enhancements to my Webster on the Web site, links to local services and a village directory.
I know a lot of you are still reading this blog, three or more page scrolls down from where it began. I know that because you are the folks who’ve been with me all year.
You’re the reason I write this blog. Because even though I enjoy doing this, it would get pretty old if I thought my words weren’t making a difference.
So thank you all for being faithful readers. I wish you all a very happy, healthy and successful 2022, and I look forward to continuing to spread good news from our hometown.
I’ll lead today’s mailbag with a tease of this weekend’s White Christmas in the Village celebration, which takes place this Saturday Dec. 4.
More details to come about this annual event, but suffice it to say, everyone is looking forward to the caroling and cookies, storytelling, visit with Santa (this year he’s in the gazebo), and of course, the parade. The festivities begin at 3 p.m., which means there’ll be plenty of time to do some shopping and sample all of the day’s special events before the parade kicks off at 6:30.
The annual Garden Club Holiday Sale is also returning this year after a one-year COVID-induced hiatus.
This very popular fundraiser, sponsored by the Country Gardeners of Webster and the Webster Arboretun Association, features fresh wreaths, centerpieces, gifts, arrangements and live plants. This is another great opportunity to pick up some unique and much appreciated Christmas gifts.
The sale will be held Saturday, Dec. 4 (same day as White Christmas) from 9 a.m. to noon at Webster Parks and Recreation, 1350 Chiyoda Drive (just off of Phillips Rd.). Admission is free. Get there early, because this event always sells out.
The Festival of Trees is up and running at the Webster Museum!
Before you head down to Main Street for White Christmas in the Village this Saturday, pop by the Webster Museum, 18 Lapham Park, to check out all of this year’s Festival of Trees competitors.
Twelve community-decorated trees have been placed throughout the museum, and await your vote for the best one. The winner will win $25, so your vote is very important!
Voting will take place this Saturday Dec. 4 from 2 to 4:30 p.m. If you happen to be there between 3 and 4:30, you’ll also be treated to some live music.
Voting continues at the museum every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday 2 to 4:30 p.m., except for December 25.
You’ll have a chance to visit with Santa at White Christmas, but if you can’t make it there (or your kids were SO BAD that they need two shots at Santa this year), the Webster Recreation Center will welcome the jolly old elf on Saturday evening Dec. 11 from 6 to 8 p.m.
The event is open to all ages, is absolutely free, and desserts and hot chocolate will be served! Keep up to date on the details and the evening’s schedule at the Webster Recreation Center webite.
Webster’s next two blood donation opportunities are coming up in just a few weeks.
On Tuesday Dec. 14, St. Martin’s Lutheran Church will sponsor a drive at the church, 813 Bay Rd., from 1 to 6 p.m.
Then the next day, Wednesday Dec. 15, a drive will be held at the Webster Firemen’s Building, 172 Sanford St. (at the south end of Firemen’s Field) from 1 to 7 p.m.
The Red Cross has a great promotion going on right now, too. Donate at either one of these drives and get a $10 Amazon gift card emailed to you. Click here to make an appointment.
The need right now is urgent. I just got this message from the Red Cross:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expecting a severe flu season this year, and that could have a negative impact on the nation’s already-struggling blood supply. The American Red Cross continues to address an emergency blood and platelet shortage, and donors of all blood types – especially type O – are needed to make an appointment now to help ensure it doesn’t get worse as we move into winter.
The need for blood is constant and only volunteer donors can fulfill that need for patients in our community. Nationwide, someone needs a unit of blood every 2 to 3 seconds and most of us will need blood in our lifetime.
I’m going to start today with a few notes from the Webster Recreation Center, which has two fun events coming up this weekend.
The first is Friday Nov. 5, when Webster Parks and Recreation celebrates its 10th anniversary on Chiyoda Drive. The Rec Center officially opened on Oct. 1, 2011 in a newly renovated building which was formerly the Xerox Recreation Center. Its previous home was the much smaller Ridgecrest facility on Ebner Drive.
It was a great move for the Rec Center and for the Town, as the new facility offered a LOT more space indoors and outdoors for programs and community events. In the years since the move, the Town of Webster has taken full advantage of the property, adding an ice rink, the First Responders Playground and great community events like the Mud Run and recent Pumpkins on Parade. And, of course, a huge variety of fitness classes inside the facility.
The entire community is invited to a grand, all-day birthday party on Friday to help celebrate. And I mean ALL DAY, like from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. There are free fitness classes, a dance party, carnival games, a community group fair, bounce house, and much more. Click here to see the whole schedule.
The Webster Recreation Center is located at 1350 Chiyoda Dr., off of Phillips Rd.
It’s not part of the anniversary celebration, but the Rec Center is also hosting a family scavenger hunt on Saturday Nov. 6 at Four Mile Creek Preserve, at the corner of Phillips Rd. and Lake Rd.
Sign in between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and then look for clues around the park. Each participant will receive a scavenger hunt answer key, which can be turned in at the end for a fun prize.
Three skills levels will be offered for children ages 2 to 12. Cost is $5 per child; please register ahead of time by clicking here (look for program #301205) and you can pay at the event. All proceeds will benefit the Friends of Webster Trails to support the maintenance and improvement of our awesome Webster trail system.
Get your museum trees soon!
The Webster Museum has started taking reservations from individuals and organizations who want to decorate one of their miniature Christmas trees for this year’s Festival of Trees, and word is the trees are going fast.
If you’re interested in participating, don’t delay in making your reservation. Call Kathy at (585) 313-3709 and leave a message with your name and phone number. Calls will be returned in the order they are received.
Please be prepared to supply the following information when you get a call back:
caller’s name, email and phone
decorator’s name, email and phone
any special requests (like location or lighting)
In the meantime, stop by and see the museum’s new exhibit honoring our veterans, and some of poetry written in war time. The museum is located at 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster, and is open from 2 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Hot Cocoa Hike
The Friends of Webster Trails will host their annual Hot Cocoa Hike this Saturday Nov. 6, beginning at 7 p.m.
This year’s hike will take place at Whiting Rd. Nature Preserve, located on Whiting Rd. north of Shoemaker. Arrive anytime bewteen 7 and 8 p.m. and hike your way to some free hot chocolate. This is not a guided event, but the whole path is lighted and will be easy to follow.
Click here to get more details and to register. There’s no charge but the Friends would like to know how many people to expect.
* * *
And while we’re talking about the Friends, I’d like to extend a personal thank you to those blog readers who recently joined the Friends of Webster Trails as new members. (You know who you are.)
As a frequent trail user myself, I’m a huge fan of what this all-volunteer organization does to maintain and build new trails in Webster. As such, I frequently write about them in my blog.
Apparently, after my most recent Friends of Webster Trails blog, in which I once again encouraged everyone to become members, several of my wonderful readers actually did so. Last week I got an email from Denise Bilsback, the Friends’ membership chair, who told me that they had an uptick of new members in October, and nine of them cited my blog as one of their reasons.
So thank you for helping me know that my blog is making a difference. But even more than that, thank you for supporting the Friends of Webster Trails.
Halloween is just a few days away, which means that Christmas is just around the corner. The Webster Museum is getting ready.
The Museum recently announced that their Festival of Trees will return this year in person. Last year’s virtual, photographic festival was okay, but it just wasn’t the same as being able to stroll through the museum and see all of the creatively decorated contestants up close and personal.
Here are the details:
Families, individuals, Scout troops, classrooms, clubs, organizations, ALL are invited to decorate a miniature Christmas tree using a family-friendly theme.
The trees are provided by the museum.
Decorating takes place after Thanksgiving and voting begins during White Christmas in the Village on Dec. 4.
Trees will be registered to callers starting at noon on November 1. Please call Kathy at 313-3709 and leave a message with your name and phone number so your call can be returned. Call early as number of trees is limited. Please be prepared to supply: caller’s name, email and phone number; decorator’s name, email and phone number; any special needs (location, lights, etc.) You’ll receive a follow-up email about dates/times to decorate.
The Webster Central School District has announced that Interim Superintendent of Schools Brian Neenan has accepted the position as Webster CSD’s new superintendent of schools. The board of education will officially approve the appointment at its Tuesday, Nov. 2 meeting.
Neenan served as interim superintendent of schools since April 30, 2021. Prior to that appointment, Neenan worked in a dual role as WCSD’s deputy superintendent (2015-2021) and assistant superintendent for instruction (2013-2021). He began his career in Webster as principal of Willink Middle School (2009-2013). Before coming to Webster, he served as an assistant principal at Victor CSD’s junior high school for four years.
The Webster Recreation Center is hosting a Halloween-themed fitness event this Saturday morning, and everyone is invited regardless of fitness level or Rec Center membership.
The HIGH Fitness class will run from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., and participants are encouraged to wear costumes (although they’re not required). There will be drawings for prizes at the end of the class.
HIGH Fitness is a modern-day choreographed aerobics class that combines cardio peaks, toning tracks, and popular music. Athletic shoes are required and all fitness levels are welcome. The Webster Recreation Center is the only facility in Wester New York that currently offers HIGH Fitness.
No registration is required and Rec Center members and non-members are all welcome. The Webster Recreation Center is located at 1350 Chiyoda Dr., off of Phillips Rd.
Webster Museum’s Exhibit Committee has curated an exhibit called “Living off the Land.” Artifacts from the museum’s extensive collections, many of them donated by Webster residents, are on display both in the museum’s display case at the Webster Library and at the Webster Museum. The exhibit tells the story of folks who settled here and the items they brought, made or invented in order to make a life for themselves and their families.
The Webster Museum, 18 Lapham Park in the village, is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 2 to 4:30 pm.
And as long as we’re talking about the library, I just got word about three great adult programs coming up soon.
Thursday Nov. 4, 7 to 8 p.m. — Discovering Your Roots: an introduction to genealogy and planning a geneaology vacation.
Wednesday Nov. 10, noon: Medicare 101, an introduction and update to the federally administered health insurance program
Wednesday Nov. 10, 7 to 8 p.m. — Dream Cakes Cookie Decorating: learn some decorating tips and tricks and amaze your friends and family
Pre-registration is required and there is a $10 charge for the cookie decorating class. Click on the images below for more information.
Finally, a few newsy notes from our neighbor to the south.
Annual Arts and Craft Fair at Penfield Community Center
The Daytime Education at Recreation (DEAR) program at Penfield Recreation will be hosting its second annual Arts and Craft Fair on Saturday Nov. 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Penfield Community Center, 1985 Baird Rd.
This event will showcase 53 vendors from around Monroe County selling their hand-crafted wares. Admission is free and is open to the public. Masks are required for this indoor event. Refreshments will be available.
This event is a fundraiser to support the DEAR program at Penfield Recreation, which provides free life-long learning opportunities to seniors in our community.
For more information call Penfield Recreation at (585) 340-8655, option 0.
Penfield Ecumenical Food Shelf needs turkeys
Once again this year, the Penfield Ecumenical Food Shelf will be collecting frozen turkeys for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.
Food Shelf staff are especially requesting turkeys from 8 to 14 lbs., which are the best sizes for their families in need.
Drop off for Thanksgiving will be Saturday morning Nov. 20 between 7:30 and 8:30am at the Food Shelf, 1618 Jackson Rd. Drop off for Christmas will be Saturday Dec. 18 from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., also at the Food Shelf. If other arrangements are needed for dropoff, email penfieldfoodshelf@gmail.com.
Turkeys will soon be on sale at local grocery stores, so this would be a great time to pick up an extra one and help those in our community who have been hit especially hard by the pandemic. The Food Shelf’s family numbers have increased quite a bit this year, as you can imagine; they’re planning on providing 225 families with dinner for each holiday.
The Webster Recreation Center hosted its second annual Pumpkins on Parade Saturday the 23rd, and it was even bigger and better than last year.
For more than an hour and a half after dark, thousands of people strolled along the mile-long Chiyoda Trail winding behind the Rec Center, which was lined with hundreds of extremely creative, illuminated jack-o-lanterns. The designs ran the gamut from traditional and whimsical to spooky and just plain weird. I saw Olaf and Ernie, the Lego man, spiders, ghosts, unicorns, and lots of toothy grins. For added enjoyment, two of the homeowners whose houses back up to the Rec Center property were playing spooky music for the families that strolled by.
This year the Rec Center also created a separate, much shorter path for seniors and small children, which wrapped around the back of the Rec Center for about 200 yards.
Recreation Director Chris Bilow estimated that about 500 pumpkins had been placed along the two paths, about 100 more than last year. They included 200 or so created by community members, which is also more than they received last year.
That was a pleasant surprise, Bilow added, because by Saturday morning they still hadn’t received too many. “I was a little concerned,” he said. “But then today they started (dropping off) around 11:30 and it was a solid line of cars.”
Like last year, at the end of the pumpkin parade everyone was treated to donuts and cider, served in the Rec Center’s expansive playing fields.
Pumpkins on Parade 2020 was designed as a Covid-friendly outdoor event for families itching for SOMETHING to get them out of the house at the height of the pandemic. After this year’s success, it’s clear the event has already become tremendously popular, pandemic or not, and I’m sure I’m not the only one hoping that the Webster Recreation Center brings it back every year.
I feature the people and places and events that make Webster the wonderful community it is — and throw in some totally-not-Webster-related personal ramblings every once in a while as well.
I love it when readers send me news about the great things happening in their schools or the community, so please email me anytime at missyblog@gmail.com
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