First Responders Park and Chiyoda Trail, Webster
In the back of mind, I have always known there was some kind of trail at the Webster Recreation Center, which is located on Chiyoda Drive between Rt. 250 (North Ave.) and Phillips Road, not far from the village of Webster. But I had never explored it before today.
The trail, which is actually a one-mile paved loop through the Recreation Center property, dates back to when Xerox owned the land. I believe it was created as a fitness trail for the company's employees. It winds through trees, behind a residential neighborhood, then back to the fitness facility.
Because it is paved, it would be a great, albeit short, biking or running route, and easy for children to walk. Not far from where it begins, it connects to the Bird Sanctuary Trail, which leads even further to North Ponds Park.
The real attraction in this area, however, especially for kids, is the First Responders Playground and the adjacent spray park. The playground is about 100 yards west of the Rec Center, accessible by its own road and large parking lot. It was built in memory of West Webster firefighters "Chip" Chiapperini and Tomasz Kaczowka, who lost their lives in the shooting on Christmas Eve, 2012 and to acknowledge all of Webster's first responders. Many of the pieces are designed to look like rescue vehicles, so kids can "drive" a fire truck or even take someone to the "hospital."
The First Responders Spray Park was a more recent addition. It features a fire truck with a water slide, firemen's hats that fill with water and then flip over to douse children, a fire dog, a water hydrant, sprayers coming from the ground, and more.
Tennis courts, basketball courts and a pavilion complete the park.
