President’s Message

We are in the midst of our Fall season and I have to say I’m enjoying walking King in the lingering summer days or crisp fall air. I hope you all are also enjoying the change in season!

We are planning for our Annual Convention scheduled for November 22nd at 7pm in School #16, 321 Post Ave. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming the next President, Vice President (1 and 2), as well as Secretary to Executive Committee, please reach out to me at president@19wca.org.

St. Mary’s, 89 Genesee St., is accepting prescription transfers for anyone affected by the Walgreens closing at Bulls Head. The facility is called St. Mary’s Apothecary and is just off the main lobby at 89 Genesee Street, open Mon – Fri, 9-5.

Also, a new Brooks Landing Pharmacy has opened at 910 Genesee Street! The newly renovated pharmacy will provide residents increased access to essential pharmacy services in a convenient location. Officials of the University and the City said the new location will provide an oasis in the pharmacy desert created by the closure of a commercial pharmacy at 670 Thurston Road in 2022, and announced plans to close another at 814 West Main Street. 585-602-1190

Rochester City Council via the People Parks and Public Works committee is working to address the issue of childhood poverty, by hearing directly (via a survey) from residents with lived experience on the causes and potential solutions to end childhood poverty. The survey, created in partnership with The Children’s Agenda, is accessible at https://forms.office.com/r/jeN1QJ8SDg (in English) and at https://forms.office.com/r/CkbrSNx9Gd (in Spanish). The survey is anonymous and concludes on November 8, 2024.

Roc the Day is coming soon on December 3, 2024! Please mark your calendar for this date, also known as Giving Tuesday!

Thank you for your continued support of the 19th Ward Community Association!

Be Safe. Stay Healthy. Be Kind.

Josie McClary

President, 19th Ward Community Association

Street Managers

Arnett Branch Library

Ask the Archivist

• MaryDan Cooper

Q: We have been saddened by hearing of the recent deaths of so many neighbors who have contributed greatly to the success of the 19^th Ward Community Association over the years. Can the 19WCA Archives remind us of some of the contributions these folks made to the organization?

In Memoriam: Part 1

Yes, in recent years, we have seen many of the movers and shakers who built and sustained the 19^th Ward Community Association move on to their heavenly reward. In fact, the idea of having a group memorial has been brought up at Delegates’ Council. Stay tuned for more on that.

The Archives proved to be a treasure trove of citations about the important work of our dear departed friends. Here are just a few of the accomplishments and contributions of some of those folk.

One will always think about gardens when one thinks of both Jay Ross and Marian Boutet. They were both members of the 19WCA Grounds Group, which was formed in 1992. Helen Martin (died 1994) was also an original member of this group. After Helen’s death, the Grounds Group decided to create a garden in her memory. They created it on the Warwick Avenue side of the Arnett Library. They worked on it all of 1996 and 1997. They planted Helen’s specialty—plants native to New York State. The garden was dedicated May 21, 1998.

Ione “Grandma” Collins (1910-2004)—19WCA Citizen of the Year 1988 and Hall of Fame Award 2001—donated bricks for a path through that garden. In 1998 and 1999, Jay Ross sent letters to teachers at local schools, inviting them to bring their students on a field trip. “There is a key—a notebook—with all of the garden plants, their descriptions and pictures on a stand in the library near the garden window.”

In a separate letter to Science Liaison teachers, she wrote, “We have wonderful plants with names like Pussytoes, Witch Hazel, Sundrops, Sensitive Fern, Dogwood, and Horsetail, which should appeal to 3rd and 4th graders.”

From the Grounds Group’s 1999 report at Convention: “School 16 children from Eileen Kerr’s class helped us plant annuals at the west end of Aberdeen Square.”

Many hands make a neighborhood—and our neighborhood gardens, as well.

Jay Ross left her mark in the neighborhood in another most memorable way: She designed the wonderful 19WCA 50^th anniversary logo! Many of you have one of those—a mug, wine glass, beer glass, T-shirt, or postcard—in your house, and now you know you have Jay to thank! Her perfect design really made our 50^th anniversary into a standout event!

Marian Boutet (Urban By Choice Award 2009) chaired Square Fair in 1992. And many years later, she was still supporting Square Fair. In 2005, she dreamed up the idea of a Plant Booth. She organized and staffed it single-handedly for several years. She asked residents to “Divide and pot your extra outdoor perennials and donate them to Square Fair. Divide and plant your houseplants, too, or just donate them intact if they’ve outgrown your shelf space.” Marian reported at day’s end, 2005: “Plant sales at Square Fair amounted to approximately $400.”

Another of Marian’s efforts was helping establish The Peacemaker Community Garden in 2000. From the archives: “The Peacemaker Community Garden at the corner of Chili and Thurston is a place of beauty that encourages hope, and that was dedicated in the memory of two neighborhood boys, Mario and Brandon, who drowned in the Genesee River in 1998.”

Speaking of Square Fair, a moment of silence was held at 9 am during Square Fair 2018 for Don Hanks, who had died of a heart attack on his 77^th birthday, just two days earlier. He was a giant in the neighborhood. Don was the Street Manager for Thurston Road for many years (a part time job that the city funds through a grant, and for which 19WCA serves as fiduciary). He was perfect for that job. He was the recipient of the Quality of Life Award 2003, and was our 2008 19WCA Citizen of the Year. He was Square Fair Parade Grand Marshall in 2016.

Armin Weiss (1936-2024) has left his fingerprints in many areas of the Association’s work. He, with his wife Margaret, chaired Square Fair for two years and afterwards (1974) they were honored as the 19WCA Citizens of the Year. He was President of the Association in 1978. During that year, the Association secured a $30,000 grant for a comprehensive Preservation Program. Armin was very involved in that, presenting to the delegates on the comprehensive approach that was to be undertaken under this grant during the next two years, 1979-80.

Fast forward to 1998 when we see that Armin was an active member of the Finance Committee at a time when that committee had the crucial task of dealing with the proceeds from the sale of the Security Trust Thurston branch building that had been donated to the 19WCA. He was recognized a second time, again with his wife Margaret. This time they were 2001 Hall of Fame Award recipients.

Not to be forgotten is an unusual and memorable way that Armin and Margaret helped to support 19WCA. Every year that the Convention committee  had a full auction, the Weisses donated “A Day in the Finger Lakes.” My husband and I were the high bidders in 2013, so I can tell you that the donation consisted of lunch at their cottage, a boat ride on Seneca Lake, a tasting at Hunt Country Vineyards, and dinner at Esperanza. What a great way they came up with to support the important work of the 19WCA!

To continue answering the question of what the Archives can help us remember about other now-deceased movers and shakers, there will be another column in a coming issue of Update 19. Please contact the office with names (and details of their contributions) of persons who should be part of that remembrance. Already on our list are Jacob Adams, Kathy King, John Laing, Bettie Fitzpatrick Lindley and Chris Lindley.

FLYERS

Committee Information

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

19th Ward Community Association, P.O. Box 24754, Rochester NY 14624 – 585-328-6571 – email: 19thward@19wca.org website: 19wca.org