President’s Message

I hope you all are enjoying this season of thanksgiving!

We are looking forward to our Annual Convention scheduled for November 22nd from 6-8pm in School #16, 321 Post Ave. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming the next President, Vice President (1 and 2), Treasurer, as well as Secretary to Executive Committee, please reach out to me at president@19wca.org.

Please remember if you have a dues paying membership, you must be current with your dues in order to vote during the Convention. We look forward to seeing you on the 22nd!

Roc the Day (also known as Giving Tuesday) is coming soon on December 3, 2024! Please mark your calendar for this important day of giving!

Thank you for your continued support of the 19th Ward Community Association! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Be Safe. Stay Healthy. Be Kind.

Josie McClary

President, 19th Ward Community Association

Around the Neighborhood

Street Managers

Arnett Branch Library

You can vote for the best library under the shopping and services heading of City Magazine’s 2024 Best of Rochester contest! https://2024-best-of-rochester-final-ballot–city_magazine.contest.vote/

Neighborhood loss

One of our neighbors, Vivian, who lives on Aberdeen St. is mourning the loss of her dog Milo who was well known and loved in our neighborhood. She asked if we could include his photo in our newsletter. Milo was a rescue dog who strolled peacefully through the neighborhood until Vivian discovered he could no longer walk. He was euthanized on 11/4/24.

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 2

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. In Memoriam—Part 1appeared in the October issue of Update. In this Part 2 we will be citing some of the accomplishments and contributions of John Laing, Kathy King, Don Hanks, Nancy Istock, Peter and Donna Evans, and Jacob Adams.  

As you will see, these are all people who asked themselves, What can I contribute? And each one came up with a unique answer.

John Laing (1946-2021) was chair of 19WCA Schools Committee from 2013 until his death. In his report to the Convention 2013 he said, “We partner with U of R, the Rochester Area Community Foundation and the RCSD to sponsor a Spelling Bee for elementary students that is held in April. In addition, we work to provide input into the school designs as the Facilities Modernization Plan (FMP) is implemented for Schools 10, 16, 29, and 44.” One way this committee gave input was through its members’ regular attendance at ‘Coffee and Conversation with the Superintendent.’

The FMP, in 2012, stated that the school building on Post Avenue, a pillar of our community, needed to be closed. By 2013, the dogged work of this committee, with the support of the whole neighborhood, had achieved an agreement to modernize and reopen the school at the Post Avenue location. That was a huge win for our neighborhood. And it’s just one example of the crucial work of the 19WCA’s Schools Committee.

John was a Board member of the Southwest Ecumenical Ministry (SWEM) Food Cupboard. He delivered food to Schools 16, 2 & 29 each week for kids (who were identified by the parent liaison at each school) to take home in backpacks for the weekend. (This was done in collaboration with Foodlink.) John also knew how to repair bicycles and shared those skills by volunteering at R Community Bikes.

An annual Women’s Soirée has been held for many years in August. On many of those occasions, Kathy King (1950-2021) was hostess. She lent her legendary cookie-baking skills to all the Soirées as well. We are reminded of her every time we walk past Kathy and John’s beautiful garden on Trafalgar Street. Kathy retired as Professor Emeritus of Nursing at UR. And she was a philanthropist, donating annually to the 19WCA through a fund held at Rochester Area Community Foundation.

After retiring from Eastman Kodak, Don Hanks (1941-2018) brought joy to the 19th Ward community wherever he served. He was the cheerful bartender at Cross Keys Tavern, drove the YMCA school bus for pre-K children and did countless Kiwanis Club service projects. He was the City’s Street Liaison ambassador to southwest neighborhood businesses. As was stated in his obituary, and as those of us who knew him can attest, “His wit, charm and flattery opened doors and won the hearts of everyone he met. His laughter and helpful support still echoes in the 19^th Ward’s commercial corridors.” Don also served faithfully as the District 6 delegate—from 2002 until his death.

Don actively participated in making Square Fair a wonderful event, year after year. What the other workers remember is that he was the one who worked the event from 6:00 am until cleanup was done.

Nancy Istock (1936-2020) made her mark by growing the membership of 19WCA. These facts attest to her work: In April 1968, we had 230 paid-up households in our membership. In March 1969, we had more than 500 households. In July 1969 we had 749 households. “At that time, District 20, because of Nancy Istock’s hard work, had 77 households. Districts 7, 15, and 16 followed with 62, 59, and 59 households, respectively.” In 1972, Nancy, and also Donna Evans, were still at it, working to organize unrepresented districts and training delegates.

In 1968, the Association took control of local home sales by forming the Real Estate Service. A cease and desist order was enacted by New York State to prevent agents actively soliciting listings in the 19th Ward. (This remained in effect until the late 90s.) Nancy was one of the most active members of the Real Estate Service. Many transactions resulted because of the work of the Real Estate Service.

Peter Evans (1941-2012)and his wife Donna Evans (District 19) embodied the 19th Ward’s commitment to racial justice and harmony. One at a time they adopted and welcomed five non-white children into their Chili Avenue home. When unscrupulous real estate agents tried to frighten white families into selling their homes, the Evans’ printed “I’m staying” signs and distributed them at the November 1971 19WCA Convention. These signs appeared in many 19^th Ward windows in 1972 as residents proclaimed their commitment to resist blockbusting in the 19^th Ward. In 1976, Peter and Donna were named Citizens of the Year “for their significant involvement with people and their commitment to revitalize their neighborhood.”

Another thing Peter is remembered for is sponsoring the Kids Activities at Square Fair. That’s in addition to taking charge of the setup and cleanup of Square Fair for many years. Neighbors remember fondly, too, the year he designed and organized the building of a 19WCA float for the Lilac Festival parade. 

Peter had over 40 years experience as a contractor. With good reason, many of us thought of him as “Contractor to the Neighborhood.” He worked with the Housing Committee to let people know if their house had repairs that were needed that could cause them to be cited and ticketed. To do this, he prepared a diagram of a house with pictures of possible problems. He would mark the problems relative to a given house and offer to help with repairs. In 2002 (and for many subsequent years) he ran a Communiversity course called “This Old House: How to Get Projects Done” in which he promised to “talk you through to a solution” on your home improvement projects. When the Association got a grant for a Preservation Program, that program received substantial technical support from Peter. 

Sadly, Donna fell ill and passed on in 2002. In 2007, Peter, now a widower, hosted a Candlelight Dinner. In 2010, he opened Peter’s Vintage Bed & Breakfast in his beautiful home at 277 Chili Avenue, where he had lived since 1968.

Among Peter’s other unsung contributions: He built the picnic tables that were used for years for events at the Association’s long-time office, 216 Thurston Road. Peter passed in 2012.

Jacob Adams (1971-2024) was an advocate for many causes, including children, public health, passenger train service, and the 19^th Ward community. Professionally, as a doctor at URMC, he was the former program director of the General Preventive Medicine and Public Health Residency. He served on the board of directors for C.U.R.E. Childhood Cancer Association. He was a 19^th Ward resident for over 20 years, and his wife Heather continues to live here. Jacob started to become active in 19WCA as an alternate delegate (District 10) in 2005 and went on to be the delegate most years until we lost him due to his early death. Jacob was also a valued and long-time member of the 19WCA Finance Committee, working with the Treasurer on setting the budget for the coming year, reviewing audits, and overseeing the proper expenditure of funds. He was also a volunteer for the Westside Farmers Market.

These are neighbors, never to be forgotten, who asked themselves ‘What do I have to contribute to my neighborhood?’ They have been an essential part of the fabric that has made our neighborhood vibrant.

To continue answering the question of what the Archives can help us remember about other now-deceased movers and shakers, a third column on this topic will be needed in an upcoming issue of Update 19. Please contact the office with names (and details of their contributions) of persons who should be part of that remembrance. We plan to highlight Bettie Fitzpatrick Lindley, Chris Lindley and any other folks who are brought to our attention by readers of this column.

___________

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.

• Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

Kathy King and John Laing lent beauty to the neighborhood with their Trafalgar garden.

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