Ready to ride a horse-drawn wagon through the village? Would you like to know how to weave a basket from willow wands? How about learning a bit about the way German immigrants turned Liverpool into a major center of basketry in the late 19th century?

You can do it all when the Historical Association of Greater Liverpool hosts the season opening of the Liverpool Willow Museum, from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 9, on the grounds of the Gleason Mansion, 314 Second St. And it’s all free!

The season-opening event will also help introduce the Liverpool Community Gardening Group to villagers and visitors. Led by local resident Rebecca Battoe, LCG is currently working with the village DPW to beautify the village. 

“We have helped with pruning and weeding in Johnson and Washington Parks and will continue to do so,” Battoe said, “and we’ll be helping set out barrels of flowers and native plants in the village in the coming days.”

The LCG will participate in the Liverpool Willow Museum’s season-opening event on Saturday afternoon to help inform visitors about the historical importance of willows to Liverpool,” Battoe said. The garden group is also hoping to raise modular willow gardens.

“So many useful items can be made from woven willow as seen in the museum,” she added, “and these items could be a beautiful way to help us all become more ecologically friendly, replacing plastic grocery bags with durable baskets, for example.” Battoe and her group plan to work with the Willow Museum, the Liverpool Public Library and local businesses such as Café at 407 to arrange user-friendly willow-weaving experiences.

LCG is also helping with area Community Food Gardens, primarily with local churches such as St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church on Vine Street to establish a raised-bed garden in its green space. This garden will provide food to donate to local food pantries such as the Loaves and Fishes food pantry at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church on Tulip Street. “We hope to use the St. Matthew’s garden as a model for future projects and are currently talking with St. Joseph the Worker about starting a garden in their green spaces. Other parishes who might be interested can contact the LCG and we can help coordinate and construct as needed.

“Larger projects, such as tree plantings, are in the dreaming stages,” Battoe said, “but hopefully we will gain some exposure through our current projects as well as more volunteers.” Anyone interested in giving just a little time and effort can contact LCG at facebook.com/groups/Lpoolgardening/, or email [email protected].

Museum opener June 9

The Historical Association of Greater Liverpool (HAGL) — which operates the Willow Museum — is offering a series of five free willow basketry workshops this summer in partnership with Liverpool Public Library. The workshops will be conducted by nationally recognized willow basketmaker Bonnie Gale. On June 9, she’ll give a free demonstration at the Willow Museum.

Horse-drawn wagon rides and museum tours will also be available on June 9, including access to the Liverpool Village Museum in the Gleason Mansion. Representatives from Liverpool Community Garden, Clay Historical Association and Liverpool Public Library will also be on hand.

The Willow Museum will be open to visitors from 2 to 4 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday, June 10 through Aug. 26. The little white building comes complete with basket-making tools and examples of work-in-progress and finished products.  This shop belonged to the Hurst family and was originally located behind their home on Oswego Street, before being moved to its present location in 1992.

Willow-weaving workshops

This summer at Liverpool Public Library, Gale’s basketry workshops will give the community an opportunity to explore the roots of Liverpool willow weaving and to make an historical Liverpool willow basket. The workshops will be conducted on five consecutive Saturday afternoons at the library from 1 to 4 p.m. June 23, June 30, July 7, July 14 and July 21. The instruction and materials are free of charge. To register, call 607-336-9031 or email [email protected].

For HAGL information, call Village Historian Dorianne Elitharp Guiterrez at (315) 451-7091.

Bill Tassone steps down

Town of Salina Republican Chairman Bill Tassone is stepping down as the party’s top man here after 22 years at the helm. “But I’ll still be involved in politics, Bill said. “I’ll be working on various campaigns.”

The GOP will honor Tassone at a fundraiser set for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 6, at the Holiday Inn on Electronic Parkway. 

“Bill is one of the greatest figures in Onondaga County Republican politics,” said Republican Jim Corl Sr. “Bill is a giant among committee members, former vice chairman of the county and a close advisor to me and many other chairmen, Chairman Bill Tassone from the town of Salina, Bill was Salina Chair for 22 years.

The town’s new GOP chairman will be John Niestemski, a committee member for three decades. Niestemski also serves as the Onondaga County Republican Committee treasurer.

The columnist can be reached at [email protected].