Bird of Prey Week at Braddock Bay Park
Don’t let the suburban
sprawl of West Ridge Road
fool you. North Greece
is the perfect place to observe raptors like hawks and owls. Bird of Prey Week,
hosted by Braddock Bay Raptor Research, celebrates the raptors’ annual
migration. Held at the lodge at BraddockBayPark,
it offers exciting family fun, free of charge.
           Hawks for Kids runs daily through Friday, April 16, from
1 to 3 p.m. Kids (up to age 12) can enjoy crafts and stories, see live raptors,
and meet the Incredible Hawk. Sure, he’s a guy in a bird suit, but he’s not
just another pretty beak. He eats guys like Tweety
for breakfast.
           On Saturday, April 17, bring your binoculars for an owl
hike at 8 a.m.
and hawk watching at noon.
See hawk banding demonstrations at 11:30
a.m. and 1:30
p.m., and a live raptor program at 2 p.m. Last year, we learned
turkey vultures vomit in self defense. Thankfully, my kids didn’t try that at
home.
           The Hawk Out Celebration is
Sunday, April 18, from 11
a.m. to 4
p.m. It features storytelling at 1, hawk banding at 2 p.m., live raptors, kids’
games, and an art show. Lunch is available for $4.
           Bird of Prey Week reminds us we’re not so different from
other creatures. We learned last year that bald eagles develop their
characteristic bald heads when they reach maturity. Several dads in the
audience nodded in empathy.
           For a complete schedule of events, visit www.bbrr.org
or call 321-1616.
— Linda Kostin (www.junkstorecowgirl.com)
This week for families:
After Easter Egg Hunt Fri, Apr 16. Ages
6-10, WebsterCommunity Center,
530 Webster
Ave, 2 p.m.
Free.
428-7828
Basketball
tournament Thurs,
Apr 15 and Fri, Apr 16. Ages 14 and under, PierpontRecCenter, School #7, 219
Pierpont St, 11 a.m.-4
p.m.Free, registration required.
428-6859
Barnes &
Noble GreeceStorytimes Every Wed, 9:30 and 10:30
a.m., every Fri 10:30 a.m. and 7
p.m.330 Greece Ridge Center Dr, 227-4020
Barnes &
Noble Pittsford stories every Wed 9:30 and 11
a.m., every Fri 7 p.m.3349 Monroe
Ave. 586-6020
BizKidsTues-Fri, Apr 13-16. Entrepreneurship course for city
residents ages 14-18, Tay House, 85 Hillside
Ave, CobbsHillPark, 9
a.m.-4:30 p.m. Free. 428-7371
Brighton Memorial Library StorytimesEvery Mon 10:30 a.m.,
toddlers; every Mon 11:30
a.m., preschoolers; every Tues 7 p.m.,
all ages; every Wed 3:30
p.m., ages 5-7; Every Thurs 7 p.m.,
families; Every Fri 10:30
a.m., ages 2-4. | 2300 Elmwood
Ave, 784-5300
Eco-Fest and
Recycling Olympics Thurs, Apr 15. Cool Kids Earth Day Event, The FORUM,
GCC, One College Rd, Batavia, 7-8 p.m. Free. 637-3984
Finding Out
About Food Thurs,
Apr 15.
Hearthside cooking for kids, RoseHillMansion, Rte 96A, Geneva, 1-3
p.m.Tix: $3. 315-789-5151
Henrietta
Public Library Model airplane workshop, Wed, Apr 14, ages 10 and up, 2-4
p.m. | Fire Safety, Thurs, Apr 15, for ages 4-7, 2-3 p.m. | American Red Cross
Babysitter’s Training, Fri, Apr 16, for ages 11 and up, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tix: $30. | 455 Calkins
Rd. 359-7093
Jumbo Tues, Apr 20. Don McNelly, the story of Jumbo, Irondequoit Public Library, 45
Cooper Rd, 7 p.m.
Free.
336-6062
Month of the
Young Child Events Mon-Fri, Apr 12-16: YMCA Splash Week, various locations.
546-5500. | Wed, Apr 14 and Sat, Apr 17: ToyResourceCenter Open House, Lincoln Branch
Library, 851 Joseph Ave, Wed 10:30
a.m.-6:30 p.m., Sat 1-3 p.m. Free. | Go
Fly a Kite, Tues, Apr 20, Adams StRecCenter, 85 Adams St, 3-5
p.m.
Phillis Wheatley Community Library Storytimes Every Thurs. For
preschoolers, 33 Dr. Samuel McCree
Way, 10:30 a.m. 428-8212
Preschool
Family Workshop Thurs, Apr 15. For ages 2 1/2-5, art project, story, tour,
Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Ave, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Tix: $15. 473-7720 ext 3056
SenecaPark Zoo ZooCamp, Mon-Fri, Apr 12-16, morning (9 a.m.-12 p.m.) or full-day (9 a.m.-4 p.m.)
sessions.Tix: $30-$45 per
session. | Little Ducks, Tues, Apr 20, for 2-yr-olds, 10:15 a.m.Tix:
$18. | 2222 St. Paul St.Tix: $5. 467-9453
Strong
Museum Spring Break Week, Mon-Fri, 12-16, entertainment, crafts,
activities, in conjunction with Berenstein Bears and Where the Wild Things Are exhibits, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Tuesdays for Tots, Tues, Apr 20, for ages 2-5, Mrs. McPuppet, 9:30 a.m. Tix: $7, $5
kids. | One Manhattan Square,
263-2700, www.strongmuseum.org.
Underwater
Egg Hunt Wed, Apr 14. Ages 6-10, swim attire required, Adams St Community
Center Pool, 85 Adams St, 1 p.m. Free. 428-7456
Wee
Folks Tea Party Sat, Apr 17. Fairy theme, All Things Art, 65
S Main St, Canandaigua, 1-3:30 p.m.Tix:
$5. 396-0087
Information
on museum exhibits can be found in the calendar’s Museum section.
A different birthday gift
When
our elder daughter turned 1, my wife suggested that each of us write a letter
to her about the year. The idea was to do this on each birthday, save the
letters, and give them all to her on her 18th. I started that first letter,
“Because of you, this has been, by the widest of margins, the best and most
wonderful year of my life.”
           We now have three children, and if
we’d been diligent, there would now be about 26 letters, working toward the 108
we intended to eventually write. We haven’t been perfect. But still, if we get
even half or more of them written, think of the amazing personal history we’ll
hand over to each child.
           Looking back at my letters, there’s
so much I was already forgetting: sushi lunches with my oldest in her third
year, the fact that my middle child used to like kissing, and how my children adjusted to their siblings’ births. And I’m
reminded of sad things, like my girls’ reactions to losing their grandmother.
           Pictures are nice. They remind us of
moments, and of how we all looked at another time. But when we write about
something, we contemplate it, and those are reflections of a deeper nature.
There is no family tradition we have about which I feel more strongly. Now, if
you’ll excuse me, I have a fifth birthday letter to write.
—
Adam Wilcox
This article appears in Apr 14-20, 2004.
