We hosted a Holiday Gathering for members on December 14, 2021, for those who felt comfortable in being together. Everyone took home a book by one of our local authors and a Bronner’s Christmas ornament. A good time was had by all!
We are looking forward to spring with the hope that we can safely gather in our buildings once again.
We soon will have a handicap accessible entrance ramp for Crossroads Community Center. Thanks to a local donor, we have a sturdy aluminum ramp to de-assemble and re-assemble for this purpose. WTHS is very fortunate to have the support of a generous community!
The main entrance to Historic Webster Village is nearing completion. The posts are now positioned back further from Webster Church Road, and the gates have been rehung. Gravel was donated to fill the low area. Thank you Mr, Radke! A bit more clean-up and we will be finished. We just need a nice large sign for the village.
We also would like to put a sign on Podunk School and the Wheeler Wheelwright & Blacksmith Shop that match the sign on our Old Town Hall. Any sign makers out there who can help us?
May Mast’s Old North Barn will soon sport nice sliding doors on the south side, enclosing the building and making it more usable. We have items to move into this space which are better suited to display in this building.
We recently received a grant from the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (AAACF) to engage the community in planning a project we are calling, “Historic Webster Village: The Hub for Healthy and Fulfilling Aging in a Rural Community.” Because our historic buildings and grounds are under-utilized and our township has no “center”—no towns/cities or school systems, we believe that the WTHS can address the needs of seniors in our rural community and surrounding ones for socialization, learning, and entertainment.
Research has shown that there is a need in rural communities for more programs and services for our elderly residents given that there is a higher morbidity and mortality rate among this group than same age populations in urban settings. Our project will involve listening to the “community voice” through town-hall meetings, interviews, and surveys collecting ideas for the development of our Hub. Data will be collected, analyzed, and a 5-year plan will be developed for the Hub. Organizations in Chelsea, Dexter, Saline, and other surrounding communities will be invited to be involved in supporting programs and services to our aging residents. Many of these organizations are youth oriented—National Honor Society, Key Club, FFA, 4-H, Scouting—to begin building intergenerational involvement in our programs and services.
