President’s Message I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving and are looking forward to the coming holiday season. 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 to all who attended our Annual Convention on November 22nd. On January 1, 2025 please welcome the new Executive Committee: Jesse Knoth (President), Lauren Caruso (Vice President) and Emma Kribs (Secretary). Sandra Powell will be participating as an At-Large delegate on the Executive Committee. More details from the Annual Convention and the new leadership of the 19WCA will be in the January 2025 Update 19. Following is an excerpt of my “exit speech”: Greetings and Good Evening All As I stand here before you all, I can’t help but to marvel at how far we’ve come. When I began my term, we faced challenges: we no longer had a brick and mortar, our membership was dwindling, our finances were tight and our community impact was limited. Many were concerned about our viability and visibility of the association. Yes these are concerns not only for the 19th WCA but for businesses and organizations across the […]

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 […]

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 […]

President’s Message I hope you all are taking time to relax and enjoy the summer days we’ve been having. Our delegates are taking a break from monthly meetings in July and August, and will reconvene in September. Speaking of meetings! Past President of 19WCA Dr. Ruth H. Scott is hosting a book signing at Barnes and Noble, Monroe Ave., Pittsford on Saturday July 20th from 11-1pm. Her book “Raising Confident Children” is designed for any parent seeking to foster their child’s self-esteem and to set them up for lifelong success.  The 19th Ward Cub Pack 1965 is hosting a Play Day at Aberdeen Square next Saturday (7/27) 10-2pm (flyer enclosed). Come out and share in the fun!  Rochester City Council is offering a Good Cause Eviction Hearing at Aenon Baptist Church (175 Genesee St.) on July 29th, 6-8pm. It will be hosted by City Council Vice President LaShay Harris for the South District. No registration is required to attend. Please see our Civics Corner in this newsletter for more information. We will soon begin planning for our Annual Convention – if you are interested in volunteering please reach out to our office manager at 19thward@19wca.org. The Westside Farmer’s Market is […]

President’s Message – Josie McClary The 19th Ward Community Association hosted volunteers from Paychex on May 23rd for the United Way Day of Caring. Ravenwood and Chili Peace gardens committee chairs are thankful for their help! It was a beautiful day with fun loving volunteers! The month of June started off with a beautiful summer day and our Annual Square Fair! From the arrival of volunteers at 6am to the close of the event, the spirit of the theme “Together We Are One” was felt as all, young and “seasoned” gathered to enjoy a good time! And let’s not forget the parade where residents in our community shared their enthusiasm as our Parade Grand Marshall Dr. Eva Thomas and parade participants passed through. Our thanks to everyone who helped make this year’s Square Fair memorable! Enjoy the Square Fair photos by clicking on the link below: https://lashayharris0.smugmug.com/2024-19WCA-Square-Fair June is National Gun Violence Awareness Month. The Rochester Against Gun Violence holds a monthly meeting in Council Chambers at City Hall and via zoom. The next meeting is Monday June 10th at 6pm. Zoom Link: https://cityofrochester.zoom.us/j/88964510159 Rochester’s Juneteenth Festival is Saturday June 15, 12-8pm at Dr. Maetin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park. Come […]

Happy Spring! King and I are hoping that this beautiful sunny weather is here to stay… On March 23rd, from 12:30pm-2:30pm the 19WCA, in collaboration with University of Rochester Residential Life & Housing Services students, hosted our annual Family Skating Party at the Genesee Valley Sports Complex. We had a great turnout meeting up with old friends and making new ones – a good time was held by all!   Also on March 23rd our annual Spelling Bee was held at the University of Rochester Wegman Hall. Please see the Schools Committee report inside. The 19WCA partnered with Eclipse events at St. Monica’s Church (Sandra Powell and Barbara Watts) while I partnered with SEAC and others at the Genesee Valley Park Field House. John DeMott, one of our SW Street Managers and District 17 Delegate provided this “Quote of the Week” from Sandra Powell, VP1 of the 19WCA:  “This whole Eclipse experience turned out to have so many wonderful aspects that I don’t even feel bad that the clouds covered the sun!” Agreed! May 4th is the City of Rochester’s Clean Sweep. Click here to register >>  The 19WCA has 7 Clean Sweep teams participating in our neighborhood. If interested in […]

Presidents Message Happy March! King and I have enjoyed our walks with March’s fluctuating weather – Spring is coming soon! March 23rd, from 12:30pm-2:30pm the 19WCA, in collaboration with University of Rochester Residential Life & Housing Services students, will be hosting our annual Family Skating Party at the Genesee Valley Sports Complex. Family and friends can enjoy this FREE event that includes free skate rental and refreshments – please come out and enjoy the fun!   Also on March 23rd at 2pm our annual Spelling Bee will be hosted at the University of Rochester Wegman Hall. Please support our youth at the Spelling Bee! We’ve started planning for our annual Square Fair 2024 to be held June 1st in Aberdeen Square Park. This is a fun family event – and if you have an hour or more to give of your time, we welcome your help! Please reach out to our office if you would like to be a sponsor, vendor, parade participant or volunteer. Solar Eclipse – To learn more about the eclipse and why this is so cool for Rochester, check out www.rochestereclipse2024.org. For more information on what to expect on the day of the eclipse, visit www.monroecounty.gov/eclipse-2024.  There will be a […]

Presidents Message Americans have played a central role in shaping US History. From slavery and its eradication to the great migration, the civil rights movement, military, science, cultural and political achievements. Let’s back track for a minute with a little history lesson: Carter G. Woodson and the prominent minister Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), an organization dedicated to researching and promoting achievements by Black Americans and other peoples of African descent.  The group sponsored a national Negro History week in 1926, choosing the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The event inspired schools and communities nationwide to organize local celebrations, establish history clubs and host performances and lectures. By the late 1960s, thanks in part to the civil rights movement and a growing awareness of Black identity “Negro History Week” had evolved into Black History Month!  Pres. Ford officially recognized Black History month in 1976 calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history. Today, Black History Month is a time to honor the contributions and legacy of […]

Presidents Message 2023 concluded one year of the 19WCA presidency for me. Although we don’t have a brick and mortar we have participated in community events and fairs (RCSD Board Public Meeting, City Council Public Meeting, tabling at Church and Community events) – it was a busy year! My thanks to all who joined with me! We collaborated and partnered with the Greater Rochester Martin Luther King Commission to put on the Juneteeenth celebration. We worked with ReConnect Rochester, City of Rochester and our Community to get traffic calming measures on Thurston (Cross Walk, Signs and lights). We enjoyed super fun events at the MLK luminaries night with St. Monica’s Church and UR Ambassadors, the annual Skate Party at Genesee Valley Park Skating Rink with UR students and neighborhood families, a great turnout at our National Night Out in partnership with our Neighborhood Services Center and Rochester Police Department and one of the best Square Fair events to date! And we can’t forget our 2023 Annual Convention! We are currently working with the City,  Cannabis Operation Management and Community to keep illegal Smoke Shops out of our community. The following committees are looking forward to continuing their work in our community […]