Presidents Message Thank you to all who continue to support and uplift the mission of the 19th Ward Community Association. The 19WCA participated in the United Way Day of Caring. We had volunteers from Rochester Area Community Foundation, Care Stream and ESL. We met at the Arnett Branch Library at 11am. Our volunteers worked at Ravenwood Garden and did spring yard clean-up at the home of a senior citizen in our community. The Arnett Cafe provided lunch at the library and we got to know each other a little better over a good meal! LaMar Advertising is running a billboard pet campaign for a free picture of your pet through May 31st. You can submit your picture of your pet at LamarLovesPets.com Please mark your calendar for Square Fair on June 3rd.  There are a few vendor spots open – please call the office or email 19thward@19ca.org. We also are in need of volunteers to help! Please call the office at 585-328-6571 if you are available. Westside Farmers Market begins Tuesday June 6th, 4-7pm. Can’t wait! Complete Streets Makeover is being held June 10th. Susan Morehouse and the Complete Streets Makeover team is in need of volunteers. If you know […]

Presidents Message It’s great to see the signs of spring and I’m looking forward to what the next few months will bring!  There are a few things happening in our community that I hope will be of interest to you:  The 19WCA Community Survey deadline is being extended to April 30, 2023. The Rochester City Council is engaging the Rochester community to participate in a Police Accountability Board survey to gain a deeper understanding of the community’s perception of the PAB. This is an effort to reach diverse audiences representative of our community. Printed copies were distributed to houses of worship, business associations, neighborhood associations, libraries, some barbershops and nail salons, and can also be been on the City web page and its social media.  The City will be using a portion of the Delegates Council Meeting on Thursday April 13th (6:45-7:15pm at Arnett Branch Library) for residents to take the survey.  It shouldn’t require more than a half hour of your time – I hope to see you there! There will be a Bull’s Head Revitalization Project Update meeting on Monday, April 17th from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at St. Mary’s Hospital, 89 Genesee St., first floor.  You can park […]

Presidents Message How quickly the month of March arrived – we have been so busy! Later this month, the leadership team of the 19th Ward Community Association will be asking “how can we best serve you”  via a survey.  It will arrive in your inbox for you to complete and return.  If you think your email needs updating, please reach out to our office at 19thward@19wca.org.  As of March 15th check out our NEW! 19WCA billboard at Chili and Cairn Rd. March is also bringing our Family Skating Party back, in collaboration with UR students!  March 25th, 2-4pm at the Genesee Valley Park Sports Complex is the date – free skate rental and refreshments – please come out and enjoy the fun!   2023 is an election year.  The 19WCA is a non-partisan community organization and therefore we do not support any candidate over another.  It is important, however, that our non-voting residents understand the power they have through voting.  Please encourage our neighbors to attend the March 11 and 25th Board of Elections presentation “The Power of Voting” hosted by the 19WCA and being held at the Arnett Branch Library and Phylis Wheatley Branch Library, respectively. The Williams Park Girl Scout troop will be hosting their drive through […]

Presidents Message IMPORTANT LETTER TO ALL RESIDENTS Greeting Residents and Business owners of the 19th Ward as well as friends of our community. As many may or may not know the 19th Ward Community Association will no longer be housed at 216 Thurston Road. The house was put on the market in April 2022 and was sold December 2022.   While we were disappointed in this decision, we are excited for the opportunity to brand ourselves as a community engagement association that is now a virtual office. Although this decision was made in 2022, as your new president in 2023, let me explain.  It is essential to the Association to serve the community and we will continue to do so!  Cultivating a healthy, happy and well-informed community is the vision of the 19th Ward Community Association. While we have had our challenges over the years, I assure you we are not going anywhere! We will continue to provide the same services to our residents via online as well in person by using neighborhood businesses as meeting places. I believe in this now virtual world we live in and it will give us an opportunity to work more closely with the […]

Presidents Message Happy 2023! I am honored to have been voted in as the 2023 president of the 19th Ward Community Association!  For the last 10 years I walked every street of the ward with my partner “King “ pictured above. We have stopped to chat with residents & fur babies along the way. I am very proud to be a resident of the 19th Ward for the past 24 years. I served as the delegate of District 19 for two years and moved on to serve as 1st Vice President to Karen Emerson (past president).   Serving with me in 2023 is Sandra Powell as 1st VP, Kate Washington as 2nd VP, Angela Burch as Treasurer and Cassy Bocanegra as Secretary to the Executive Committee.  We will be appointing two At-Large members at our first Delegates Council meeting in January.  Although leadership has changed I would like to reassure you that I, along with my Executive Committee, are here to listen to your concerns and suggestions.  Our physical location at 216 Thurston was officially sold on December 19.  We don’t have another location at this time, but as of 12/26 our office manager is working virtually from home.  This should have […]

Presidents Message Here we are at the holiday season. There is so much to do and it is so easy to be caught up in the crazy of it all. For the past 2 years I have talked about our Beloved Community. I talked about how we are responsible for making our community one: where all feel welcome, where differences are celebrated, where we help our neighbors get the things they need – whether that be food, shelter or services from our municipalities. Way back in January of 2021 we had a vaccine for COVID but it was being given only to the old, chronically ill or health care workers. We were in preliminary talks with Greenlight. We were talking about getting small food pantries. We had been meeting via Zoom for almost one year. So many things have happened in that time! During my tenure we have had informal meetings with our legislatures, community garage sales, small food pantries, monthly Clean Sweeps,  adopt a fire hydrant, participated in health fairs, UR Off Campus services fair and participated in community walks with the students, engaged with the Southwest Rotary events, attended monthly neighborhood president’s meetings and monthly business meeting for […]

Presidents Message Thanksgiving is just around the corner and I am thankful for so many things.  First the weather!  It is not often we have such lovely weather as we have had the last few weeks in October.  I have been able to extend my porch time and managed to get some plants moved around.  I am also thankful for the end of my term as president.  I will not miss the deadlines and the need to sit down monthly to write this newsletter.  I am thankful for the tons of neighbors who have volunteered for any number of projects to strengthen our neighborhood.  Thanks to the garden volunteers, who keep our gardens looking beautiful. Thanks to the volunteers who have stewarded Rapids Cemetery, History and Archives, Square Fair, Convention, Executive and Delegates, Meet and Greet, Clean Sweep, Food Pantry, Public Safety, Schools, Zoning, Strategic Planning and Business Associations.  Without our volunteers we would not be able to exist.  Our Neighborhood Service Center has provided countless hours of support to our needs.  Finally, I am grateful to Ruth who always goes above and beyond to make sure our neighbors concerns are attended to in a neighborly way.  Thanks for being […]

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 […]

President’s Message Karen Emerson The school year has started and I am among the returning students. I am taking advantage of the MCC Senior Citizen Audit program.  Auditing for Senior Citizens | Registration & Records | Monroe Community College (monroecc.edu).  I am trying to negotiate computer issues, new material and hanging out with classmates. It reminds me of the challenges our friends and neighbors have with this transition. As an association we are also experiencing transitions. September 27th the strategic planning group begins. It’s time to make the 19th Ward Community Association work for ALL our neighbors. Please be ready to share your ideas by either joining the strategic planning process or participatimg in community input events. Please call the office to join in on the fun. Regular Delegate Council meetings will resume this month and are scheduled for the 2nd Thursday of each month. They are being held at the Arnett Library from 7-8pm please find out who your delegate is or become a delegate. Your participation is critical to having an association that works. Happenings Clean Sweeps This Saturday September 10th we will be meeting at the corner of Post and Chili from 10am-12 noon. We will continue Clean […]