Presidents Message

As I look out my kitchen window I am reminded that fall is upon us. The top of the tree out my window is bright orange, red and yellow. Autumn just happens to be my favorite time of year. I love the crispness of the air, the colors of leaves and the smells and sounds of dry leaves in the wind. It is also a time in the Jewish calendar for Rosh Hashanah. It is the time of year a time reflect and repent in anticipation of the coming year. It invites people to consider how they might have failed or fallen short in the past year — and how to improve and grow in the coming year.

This got me thinking about the start of our strategic planning process. I know we have had some successful events and some others that could have been better. We have worked hard to gather a group of neighbors (old and new) who are committed to reflect on where the Association has come from and where it is going in the future.  We plan on asking for your participation in the process during the Convention in November 18, 2022.  Come with your ideas on what you have liked and should continue to do and how we can improve. We will keep you posted on the progress.

Events

Violence Prevention Update

We are so fortunate to have access to our city representatives and well connected neighbors to have access to the people who are putting in place the programs to help address the violence in our neighborhood. On September 23 we had 18 participants, including Victor Saunders, Anthony Hall and Charles Reaves, regarding updates on current work being done with respect to violence prevention. They informed us about the fellowship program, a youth leadership program, a group working with current gun offenders, another group working with youth in Industry, and Pathways to Peace and Rise up Rochester, SNUG and many others. Pathways to Peace increased their staffing from 15 part time persons to many fulltime workers. As we all know the work that is being done with our youth is not done on a Monday-Friday 9-5 schedule. It is building trust with folks on the street. This is long and hard work.  Having full time workers is imperative to build trust with our neighbors.

On October 3 over 25 people joined our City Councilmember LaShay Harris who had the new Deputy Chief of Community Engagement Keith Stith, Fire Chief Felipe Hernandez Jr. and Wanda Ridgeway Director of Rise up Rochester. Chief Stith spoke about the need to mend the relationship of the RPD with the community. He knows the work will be hard but he is ready and willing to do the work necessary.  He acknowledged the short staffing and the patience it will take to accomplish all he wants to do. Chief Hernandez wants to let everyone know they are recruiting for firefighters. Applications are being accepted through mid-December with the test being given in mid-January. Wanda talked about their workers being out on the street engaging youth and young adults.

The Neighborhood Service Center (NSC) is working on making sure businesses have appropriate licenses to operate. They are also accepting emails with pictures about front yard parking. If you can inconspicuously snap a picture of the offending cars and addresses send them to charles.reaves@cityofrochester.gov. The land owner will get a warning letter for the first offense.  Also, there will be a lottery for the roof replacement in all the quadrants of the city. Applications are being accepted at the Neighborhood Service Center at 923 Genesee Street. There will be 20 residences in the quadrant chosen by lottery for roof replacement. The plans for 2023 resurfacing of Thurston, Brooks, and Genesee are available at the NSC. There are plans for bike lanes and other changes please go on the city website or stop at the NSC for details.

Clean Sweep

Thanks again to the loyal folks who come monthly to pick up our neighborhood. I know it is frustrating to clean the same streets all the time. This is the commitment we need to make to keep our Beloved community in the forefront.  October 8 we will meet to clean Genesee Street from 10a-12noon. We will meet in the parking lot of the laundry at the corner of Genesee and Clifton St.

Westside Farmers Market

The last day for Market is October 11 from 4-7 pm. It was a great market season. The foods were great, the music ever better and general fun and merriment. Make sure you don’t miss the last day of market.

Community Cats

Community Cats will be hosting their fall cat food drive October 15^th at the Association office at 216 Thurston Road. Please be generous.

Convention

Convention will be held at School 16 November 18^th. We will be getting input on what you would like the 19^th WCA to do in the future, what we have done well in the past and areas for improvement. We will be electing new officers and plan on lots of fellowship and socialization. Please remember that you should be having a district meeting sometime prior to convention to elect your delegate. If you don’t hear about a district meeting please call the office. We also have 5 districts without district delegates. I will be reaching out to members in those districts to help facilitate a district meeting and help elect a delegate.

Scouts

Our troop is getting closer to starting please contact Jesse Knoth for details at Jesse.Knoth@scouting.org.

Karen V. Emerson, President

19th Ward Community Association

AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Delegate District Meetings

It’s October and in the 19th Ward that means it is time for annual District Meetings!   This is a great time to connect with neighbors who live within about 4 blocks of you.

The 19th Ward Community Association identified districts as a way of electing a neighborhood member to be the District’s Delegate to Delegates Council – the “governing body” of the Association. Don’t know your District or your Delegate? Contact Ruth at the office and she can give you that information.

What happens at a District Meeting? The main purpose is to elect your Delegate. Honestly it is quite simple and usually is a consensus of the people who attend the District Meeting. The meeting is also a great time to discuss neighborhood concerns, make suggestions for community projects or activities, and to hear about the Community Association’s current status.

Delegates want and need your input and support. We want to represent you and address issues that will make our neighborhood better. Please look for an invitation from your delegate soon about your district meeting. Join in and vote for a delegate, consider nominating yourself to be a delegate, or come and share your views. It’s an easy way to get involved in the 19th Ward and support our longstanding neighborhood association.

And don’t forget!  In November the district elections are announced at the Annual Convention. Look for details about Convention soon and enjoy the opportunity to gather with everyone from the 19th Ward. See you soon!

Carol Kramer, Delegate – District 11

19th Ward Community Cats

Rapids Cemetery

Under hot and tiring conditions Archer Campbell performed an hour and a half of community service on Saturday, September 10, 2022. 

Joined by his Dad, he helped transplant extra raspberry bushes that will be used to create a new garden elsewhere in the city in 2023. 

It required careful work because the raspberry bush stems break easily. Archer was able to save seventeen bushes without any stems getting broken.

Archer continued the proud tradition of many scouts before him who have helped Rapids Cemetery become a neighborhood treasure.

With appreciation for a job well done,

John Curran

Westside Farmers Market

Mayor Malik Evans proclaimed 9/20/22 as Westside Farmers Market Celebration Day and Jackie Farrell Appreciation Day while celebrating the15th Anniversary of the Market. Jackie Farrell, who, as a volunteer Market Manager, has done an outstanding job recruiting vendors, farmers, volunteers, friends and neighborhoods to come and join in the fun of the Market! Congratulations, Jackie and Westside Farmers Market! By the way, October 11th is the last day of the market being open for the season. See you there!

19WCA Mini Clean Sweep October 8, 10-12PM – 92 Genesee St. Join in whenever you can!

REMINDER: 19WCA 2022 Convention

The 19^th Ward Annual Convention is scheduled for November 18, 2022 at School #16 – time to be announced. The bylaws of the organization regarding election are on the 19^th Ward website 19th Ward Community Assocation – 19 WCA,

If you are a member in good standing and desire to hold one of these offices, please contact our current President, Karen Emerson at president@19wca.org.  Please remember – in order to vote you must be a member living in the 19^th Ward, and current with your annual dues.  Please call the office at 585-328-6571 with any questions.

Arnett Library

Welcome New Business!

This Is the business that the 19th Ward Community Association supported in their appeal to the City Planning Commission.  They completed all their inspections, have all their permits, and are open for business.  

Meet hosts Peter Han & Min Kim at Thurston Seafood Takeout, 425 Thurston Rd.  They offer fried haddock, catfish, whiting, shrimp & breaded scallops dinners, crab sticks, chicken tenders, coleslaw, fries, mac salad, crab salad, okra, & onion rings.    The shop is super clean and bright.  They are open Mon – Sat 10 am to 6:30pm, and 7:30 pm on Fridays.  Closed Sundays.  Order at 448-0049.

Civics Corner

Information from RPD to help reduce car related thefts – Here is the link to the video:

From the office of RPD Capt. Michael Jones

Here is a link to an article about the increase in violent and some corresponding statistics from the FBI: https://13wham.com/news/nation-world/worries-over-violent-crime-grow-after-fbi-data-shows-homicides-on-the-rise-crime-spikes-nationwide-violent-crime-top-of-mind-for-americans-midterms-los-angeles-nyc-crime-gun-violence-police-shootings-prosecutors-soft-on-crime-district-attorney .  The statistics show that the violence levels in the US remain well above pre-pandemic levels.

State Legislative Members

I received many questions on who are our State Legislative members.  Click on this link to see them:  Rochester Area State Delegation Majority Members.

If you scroll down on that page you will see the full names and the links in orange which show the district maps they represent. When contacting Legislators stress the need to increase participation in local Community Schools to strengthen neighborhoods, make travel to & from school safer, and get more parent involvement.  Please share this by all means possible.

Note also that if you click on this link for the Assembly Bill: Assembly Bill 1276 or this link for the Senate Bill: Senate Bill 4414  the system will take you to a page that will let you register AYE or NAY on the right side of the page for that bill  Please do that as well as writing or calling.
 

You can also share the bill with others by Facebook, Twitter or email.  By all means do so!   If you scroll down you can see where the bill is in the approval process;  see who sponsored it, and also see the text of the bill. This bill basically reduces the minimum distance for which busing cost is reimbursed to the school district from one and one-half miles to one-half mile.  

Hope this helps,

John Boutet

SWCC Education Committee – Chair

328-4271

FLYERS

Committee Information

Reach out to our office manager if you would like to get involved.

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