Experience what it’s like to be a tourist in your own community!  Join us for a fun Tourism Night Out:

Minnehan’s Restaurant & Fun Center
5601 Big Tree Rd., Lakeville, NY 14480
Thursday, May 5th, 2016
5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

The first 100 guests to arrive and check in at the Livingston County Chamber table will receive a coupon for a free ice cream!  All are welcome!

Click here for the event flyer.

John Kerr, Colleen Liggett are playing a square dance at the Jack Evans Community Center tonight from 7-10pm.. Richard Sauvain is calling. Howie Lester and Meg Grinrod are playing fiddle and piano.

It’s free but a donation to help keep the JECC going is encouraged. More dances later in the year and in future years if we are successful saving the center.

The last dance on April 16 was a huge success. We hope this one will be even better.

Paddle Hemlock Lake on this Genesee Valley Conservancy (GVC) organized event.  more info at  – – – http://www.geneseevalleyconservancy.org/events

verbatim from the website – –

“Bring your favorite kayak or canoe to Hemlock Lake to enjoy an early morning paddle on this undeveloped Finger Lake.  Hear from local paddler and photographer Dwight Folts on the highlights of paddling this lake.  All are welcome but you must provide your own boat, PFD, and paddle.  The paddle will be your choice, head into the inlet, paddle the shoreline, or head out into the middle of the lake to satisfy your interests.

It is a morning out with friends!

*Event supported by Steuben Trust Company”

• Location: Take the gravel road from Route 15A at south end of lake to boat  launch.

This early Saturday morning GVC paddle event surely provides a different perspective than some Springwater Trails afternoon paddle events. All are welcome to this free event.

Want to learn more about hops, how they grow, and the way they help make delicious craft beer? What better way than to enjoy some fantastic craft beer brewed by local breweries with our very own hops!

Come join Bluebell Hopyard owners Fred and Kurt for the 4th Annual Tour and Tasting event. Family friendly and welcome to all with live music and raffles throughout the day.

$5 Donation per adult. Children are free.

Each entrant receives a ticket entering you into raffles for prizes throughout the day.

The Penfield Trails Committee will host its annual ‘Indoor Hike’ on Saturday, February 11, 10:00 am at Penfield Town Hall Auditorium, 3100 Atlantic Avenue. There will be a presentation entitled “Letchworth’s Portage Viaduct – New and Old”, information on trails groups from around the Rochester area, and light refreshments will be served. This event is free.

Please click on the poster to the right for a full size version.

Chris Costello, professional land surveyor, will speak about the 1875 Portage high bridge / railroad viaduct high above the Genesee River in Letchworth State Park. Costello will give an inside look at the construction of the new bridge in progress. Learn the history and the future of Letchworth rails and trails. Hikers, history buffs, and rail fans – lace up your boots and join us!

“This year’s speaker will give participants a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse of the much anticipated construction of the new railroad bridge,” says Nels Carman, Penfield Trails Committee chair. “This iconic structure has an interesting past and a promising future.”

While the “hike” is free, participants are asked to pre-register by calling Penfield Recreation at 340-8655, option 0.  (requested, albeit not required)

Penfield Trails Committee is always seeking volunteers to serve on its planning committee, as well as to do manual labor for trails maintenance. For more information, please call Penfield Recreation at (585) 340-8655.

For general information – Penfield Trails Committee leads one guided hike per month March through January, and the twelfth hike of the year is the annual ‘indoor hike’ in February.

Springwater Trails Note: Following the “indoor hike”, there are two hikes that Springwater Trails hikers can take advantage of. A strenuous 5-6 mile hike at Lucien Morin Park, 1131 Empire Boulevard, Rochester, will be hosted by  the Genesee Valley Hiking Club. And ST’s own, Gene will be leading a shorter hike at Ellison Park.  Both hikes start at 1:00. So, come and enjoy the Monroe County Parks.  An after-hike social will be held ~ 3:330PM at MacGregor’s loacted at 1129 Empire Blvd (next to Lucien Morin Park).

Springwater Trails hikers and others may be interested in a number of program presentations (lectures) in the Mount Morris Winter Discovery Series 2017.  In March, of particular salience in present day current events, as pertain to the Erie Railroad high bridge (Portage viaduct) spanning the Genesee River and constructon of a replacement bridge for this 140+ year old current trestle bridge, are the March 18th & 25th programs, among other programs of potential interest.

The annually recurrent Mount Morris Winter Discovery Series is offered January through March, on varying theme and topics. Each year holds about one dozen new program presentations.

The Mount Morris Winter Discovery Series 2017, is titled: “Life in America: Winter Discovery Series 2017”.  Facilities provided by The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mount Morris Dam and Recreation Area, located at the northern end (east side of the Genesee River) of Letchworth State Park.  All lectures are free of charge and will be held in the Visitor Center on Saturdays at 1pm.  The Visitor Center, aka the William B. Hoyt II Visitor Center, which opened in 1999, is an enclosed heated venue with indoor restrooms and is located adjacent the east side of the Army Corps of Engineers’ Mount Morris Flood Control Dam (which was constructed 1948-1952).  Often light refreshments are served at programs of the Winter Discovery Series.   [Please note, do not confuse this A.C.E. Visitor Center with the Letchworth State Park – Humphrey Nature Center which is located in Letchworth State Park on the west side of the Genesee River and further south of the A.C.E. Mt Morris flood control dam.]

Mount Morris Dam and Recreation Area Visitor Center is located at 6103 Visitor Center Road in Mount Morris, NY 14510. For more information call (585) 658-4790.

There are numerous exhibits and educational experiences in the Visitor Center, a brief opportunity may exist to view and experience some immediately prior to or after the Winter Discovery Series program.  Albeit, the Visitor Center is generally not otherwise open in the winter season.

March 4th program (lecture)   LEGACY OF MILITARY SERVICE
Join Steve on a journey of his family’s military connections to conflicts during King Henry IV’s usurpation of the English throne in 1399 to King Philip’s War (1675), the Revolution, War of 1812, Civil War and on to the modern era. Presenter – STEVE CLARKE, Genealogist

On Friday evening 3/10/2017 at 7:00PM, this unique opportunity to learn about Bluebirds, habitat, and more is being presented by Genesee Valley Conservancy (GVC), open to the public. This event  is taking place at the Geneseo Riviera Theater .  (There will be a subsequent Springwater Trails hike about two months later in sync with Bluebirds as topic and when Bluebirds are out & about in our area of the Finger Lakes.)

Excerpt about this program from the GVC website:

All About Bluebirds, and More!

CLICK HERE TO RESERVE SEATS(Select the # of seats, click ‘add-to-cart’, enter your name and email click ‘complete order’)

Come learn about the life and history of Eastern Bluebirds from John Rogers, a nationally recognized expert on Bluebirds.  John was the co-founder of the NYS Bluebird Society in 1982 and is a past recipient of the Norah Lane Bluebird Conservation Award from the North American Bluebird Society.

Seating in the newly restored Riviera Theater is limited, use the link above to reserve free tickets.  General admission will be first-come first-serve.  Be sure you can get a seat for this fantastic event by supporting the Conservancy today!

*Event supported by Steuben Trust Company

Not only will this be an opportunity for edification about Bluebirds, but it is also an opportunity to appreciate the recently restored Riviera Theater, located at 4 Center St in the village of Geneseo.  The theater building, which for years sat vacant & unused, is now once again being utilized not only as a theater, but additionally serves as a multi-faceted community resource venue, a vibrant part of the Geneseo community.  (This program on Bluebirds is but one of the community resource programs that are on the schedule of the Geneseo Riviera Theater.)

And speaking of opportunity and unique, … well, on a subsequent date – Sunday, May 7th, 2017 Springwater Trails as a joint hike with Victor Hiking Trails will lead a Hike at MaryFrances Bluebird Haven (MFBBH) located in Victor, NY (and on adjacent Monkey Run trails too).  On the hike, there will be opportunities for observing Bluebirds, and as well will be field edification of hikers on Bluebirds and conservation efforts, … plus more.

More details on this ST/VHT hike as Sunday, May 7th approaches on the calendar.

Springwater Trails hikers and others may be interested in a number of program presentations (lectures) in the Mount Morris Winter Discovery Series 2017.  In March, of particular salience in present day current events, as pertain to the Erie Railroad high bridge (Portage viaduct) spanning the Genesee River and constructon of a replacement bridge for this 140+ year old current trestle bridge, are the March 18th & 25th programs, among other programs of potential interest.

The annually recurrent Mount Morris Winter Discovery Series is offered January through March, on varying theme and topics. Each year holds about one dozen new program presentations.

The Mount Morris Winter Discovery Series 2017, is titled: “Life in America: Winter Discovery Series 2017”.  Facilities provided by The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mount Morris Dam and Recreation Area, located at the northern end (east side of the Genesee River) of Letchworth State Park.  All lectures are free of charge and will be held in the Visitor Center on Saturdays at 1pm.  The Visitor Center, aka the William B. Hoyt II Visitor Center, which opened in 1999, is an enclosed heated venue with indoor restrooms and is located adjacent the east side of the Army Corps of Engineers’ Mount Morris Flood Control Dam (which was constructed 1948-1952).  Often light refreshments are served at programs of the Winter Discovery Series.   [Please note, do not confuse this A.C.E. Visitor Center with the Letchworth State Park – Humphrey Nature Center which is located in Letchworth State Park on the west side of the Genesee River and further south of the A.C.E. Mt Morris flood control dam.]

Mount Morris Dam and Recreation Area Visitor Center is located at 6103 Visitor Center Road in Mount Morris, NY 14510. For more information call (585) 658-4790.

There are numerous exhibits and educational experiences in the Visitor Center, a brief opportunity may exist to view and experience some immediately prior to or after the Winter Discovery Series program.  Albeit, the Visitor Center is generally not otherwise open in the winter season.

March 11th   NON-TRADITIONAL 19th CENTURY NUNDA WOMEN
As the women’s rights movement gathered strength in the late 1800’s, Nunda women were leaders in business, politics, medicine, art, education, and more. Hear their stories. Presenter – JOAN SCHUMAKER, Local Historian

– – – 2017 Saturday Dates (all program MMWDS dates listed) – – – 

January14th  THE IMPACT OF WWI ON LIVINGSTON COUNTY: Life on the Homefront
In commemoration of the World War One Centennial, this program will provide an overview of the prelude to U.S. involvement and local civilian efforts and sacrifice during the Great War. Presenter – AMIE ALDEN, Livingston County Historian

January 21st   SUFFRAGISTS IN EVERY TOWN AND COUNTY: How NY Women Won the Vote
November 2017 marks 100 years since New York State signed woman’s suffrage into law, three years before the U.S. passed the 19th Amendment. This was a milestone for the state and a transformative moment in American democracy. Equal opportunity is as important today as it was when Susan B. Anthony was arrested in Rochester for attempting to vote. Presenter – CHRISTINE RIDARSKY, Rochester Historian

January 28th   EARLY WOMEN PHYSICIANS OF THE GENESEE COUNTRY
Did you know that two of the female students and one professor at the first truly co-educational medical school in the country came from the Genesee Valley? Uncover a fascinating story which shows how our region contributed to women’s ability to study medicine alongside men -a radical theory at the time. Presenter – JANE OAKES, Local Historian

February 4th   OUR NATIONAL PARKS
Our National Parks have been called “the greatest idea America ever had.” This program covers the background of our National Park Service from its official creation in 1916, but really starts with the formation of the world’s first National Park -Yellowstone. Presenter – CRAIG BRAACK, Allegany County Historian

February 11th   THE BURNED OVER DISTRICT
In the 19th century, New Yorkers were gripped by waves of religious revivalism. New groups established churches and utopian experiments all vied for converts. Examine the Shakers, Millerites, Mormons, Spiritualist and Evangelists and the impact that they had on social change. Presenter – PETER WISEBY, Genesee Country Village and Museum

February 18th   WATER-POWERED MILLING
Follow the development of water-powered milling from strong beginnings in a new nation to its appearance in the Genesee Valley. We’ll journey through the pioneering discovery of the natural resources of the mighty Genesee River that excited the early American settler to pursue mechanization and industrial innovation. Presenter – ALEX PIERCE, Local Historian

February 25th   THE GIANT CARDIFF – America’s Greatest Hoax
A ten-foot tall petrified giant is unearthed on a farm near the small rural town of Cardiff, New York in 1869. The word of the discovery soon ‘echoed’ across the countryside and it was quickly sheltered from the weather by a canvas tent to protect paying gawkers from the whims of New York’s weather. Presenter – RICH HAMELL, Geologist

March 4th   LEGACY OF MILITARY SERVICE
Join Steve on a journey of his family’s military connections to conflicts during King Henry IV’s usurpation of the English throne in 1399 to King Philip’s War (1675), the Revolution, War of 1812, Civil War and on to the modern era. Presenter – STEVE CLARKE, Genealogist

March 11th   NON-TRADITIONAL 19th CENTURY NUNDA WOMEN
As the women’s rights movement gathered strength in the late 1800’s, Nunda women were leaders in business, politics, medicine, art, education, and more. Hear their stories. Presenter – JOAN SCHUMAKER, Local Historian

March 18th   LIFE IN THE LAND OF LETCHWORTH FROM NATIVE TIMES TO MODERN DAY
People have lived along the Genesee River for thousands of years. Join Tom as he explores life in the Valley through local stories, maps, photographs, diaries, and more. Highlights include the experiences of the Jemison family, early pioneers, the Letchworths, and some 20th century park families. Presenter – TOM COOK, Local Historian

March 25th   The ROLE OF CAMP PORTAGE AND THE ERIE RAILROAD IN THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR
Learn about the creation of Camp Portage (a Civil War Training Camp in Letchworth State Park) and the use of the Erie Railroad to transport Union Soldiers to the front lines! Presenter – MAX SZEMPLENSKI, Railroad Historian